Doing my first NCL cruise in 46 days. What does a newbie need to know?

[Sigyn]

I've cruised three times before, but on Carnival. What do I need to know about Norwegian? My husband, teenage son and I will be on the Prima for a holiday cruise on Dec. 23. Thanks!

[The Black Page]

If you have only sailed CCL you are in for a real treat going with NCL.  CCL is FAR inferior to NCL especially in the areas of food, crew members, ship cleanliness, and many other things.  Do yourself a favor and go to the NCL site had read about their 'freestyle' dining.  Enjoy your cruise!

[Sailing12Away]

If you haven't already done so, make reservations for the specialty dining restaurants now. Once you're on board, go and make reservations for the special shows - based on what folks are saying the spots fill up quickly.

 

Where are you sailing to? What sorts of things interest you guys when you're on vacation? That will help us point you in the right direction for things to look for or try out so it's a fun trip.

[pickle11]

Why did you choose NCL?  And then the Prima.  New ship and not much info.  All depends on your interest.   Shows, tours, dining, comedians, line dancing, lions , tigers and bears OH MY.   Do you like to make reservations or are you a shoot from the hip person?  I myself tend to change my mind and do not like to be tied down with appointments.  And if you wait for the end of the cruise for that special dinner, well you may be to full to enjoy it.  My suggestion is do what you did for enjoyment on CCL.  All cruises are the same but with a little difference.  njsmom,  you have asked many questions on the NCL form.  Hope you are getting the answers you need to cruise NCL

 

[cruiseny4life]

You're going to have an amazing time. My favorite reasons for cruising NCL are:

 

• No dress codes, unless you go to some of the fancier specialty restaurants (Palomar, Le Bistro) and probably one of the main dining rooms (not sure which one is too "sophisticated" for me). A lack of dress code is THE reason my husband and I cruise NCL. 
• Along with the above reason, there are no formal nights. 
• You don't need to make reservations for the main dining room. Just go when you want. Of course there might be a line, but you can eat when you want. Huge bonus to those, like me, who want to eat anytime, not cram it into an itinerary.
• I think you should splurge and get a thermal suite pass for the week. You're a mom and deserve it! Let dad deal with the son. They can go play darts or mini golf (optional fee, ugh), while you pamper yourself in the soothing waters of the thermal suite, enjoy the heated loungers, and sweat the impurities out in the sauna. 
• As with most cruise lines (based on what I've heard), the crew are amazing. They'll be sure to make your experience pleasant and lovely! 
• The only negative is shoreside customer service knows not a lot and you'll get conflicting answers. Even if you have a recording or written documentation of your conversation, shipside won't necessarily approve what someone you spoke with before the cruise said. Having said that, do take all your documentation. 
• Wi-Fi (as you're probably experienced with) is slow. Purchase the unlimited streaming option and you'll get the best Wi-Fi possible. In my experience (not on the Prima), the internet has been reliable enough for Zoom, Reels, Stories, TikTok, etc. We've never tried to stream from a streaming service so I can't speak to that. 
• I'm completely sure I've missed something. 

 

I cruised on Carnival back in 2009 when some friends from college and my grandmother went. It was not the experience for us. Granted a heck of a lot changes in more than a decade, plus a pandemic, but from what I've read on the Carnival boards/Carnival marketing, I'm guessing it's still not quite the experience for me. 

[www3traveler]

Christmas is a magical time on an NCL ship.  Check out all the beautiful decorations.  Somewhere on board should be a very elaborate Gingerbread Village.  

 

With this being a Christmas cruise, it will probably be very crowded-- lots of multi-generational families on board.  Check your Freedaily each evening and see what you want or do not want to do the next day.  Freestyle-- choose where to eat, and what activities to do or not do-- your call.

 

Enjoy your cruise, the ship, Her staff and most importantly your family.

[9tee2Sea]

If having a straw ( or straws) is important for your drinks , pack some metal re-usable straws.  NCL did away with single use plastic straws.  

[mjkacmom]

Make sure your son goes to the teen club the first night, my kids were not fond of the tween club, but once they were teens we didn’t see then between breakfast and dinner.

[PATRLR]

13 minutes ago, 9tee2Sea said:

If having a straw ( or straws) is important for your drinks , pack some metal re-usable straws.  NCL did away with single use plastic straws.  

But I thought recent reports were that the straws they were no making available (on request?) were more useful than previous straws they were using.

 

[Treasure Hunter]

As soon as you board make reservations for the two big theater shows and the comedy club. You can always drop or change, but better safe than sorry. Entertainment on NCL is fabulous. Ask any crew member for location but you can usually do it on electric boards near the elevators.

[PATRLR]

Presumably you got the "Free at Sea" package which includes 2 Specialty Dining meals per person (maybe just the first two people in the cabin).  STRONGLY encourage you to make reservations as soon as you can.  

NCL opens up about 30% of the reservations at the 120 day mark.  You've likely missed most of those reservations, but, take a look anyways.  The rest will open up onboard.  You'll want to make those reservations very first thing when you get onboard, especially if you want prime time reservations at the most popular restaurants.

[Oxo]

This may give you some info. 

Enjoy your cruise! 

 

 

[BirdTravels]

37 minutes ago, 9tee2Sea said:

If having a straw ( or straws) is important for your drinks , pack some metal re-usable straws.  NCL did away with single use plastic straws.  

You information is out of date. NCL no longer use paper straws. They use decomposable straws which at, to the largest extent, the same as a plastic straw. 

Edited November 7, 2022 by BirdTravels

[BirdTravels]

3 hours ago, njsmom said:

I've cruised three times before, but on Carnival. What do I need to know about Norwegian? My husband, teenage son and I will be on the Prima for a holiday cruise on Dec. 23. Thanks!

As soon as you board, go to Syd Normans on Deck 7 midship (by the aft elevators). Book shows

1) Donna Summer Musical

2) Noiseboys

3) Price is Right 

4) Comedy Shows (early shows are family friendly, late shows are 18+)

 

Once done there, go across the hall to The Improve (Deck 7 midship)  to make/change dining reservations. There probably isn’t any good times left online, reservations opened 130 days prior to departure and you have waited too long. The most popular restaurant is Palomar and it will totally sell out quickly. 
 

While you may not think of the Price is Right as “entertainment”, you need to reserve. They choose contestants randomly from the audience. On our cruise one person won a large flat screen TV, another $660 in cash and a third, tumi luggage. And the “losers” all got t-shirts. It is a fun 1 hour show. 
 

On embarkation day, go to Deck 15 forward and register you son for the teen club. The teen club is the starboard side entrance to the Splash Academy. And have you son go on the first night to make friends. You won’t see him again until you disembark. 
 

Information on the ship and samples of the daily activities are on my live post link below. If you have any Prima specific questions, ask on the link below. 
 

Edited November 7, 2022 by BirdTravels

[Sigyn]

9 hours ago, Sailing12Away said:

If you haven't already done so, make reservations for the specialty dining restaurants now. Once you're on board, go and make reservations for the special shows - based on what folks are saying the spots fill up quickly.

 

Where are you sailing to? What sorts of things interest you guys when you're on vacation? That will help us point you in the right direction for things to look for or try out so it's a fun trip.

I have made our specialty dining reservations: Onda, Le Bistro and Cagney's. Can't wait to try them! We're sailing to Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Ocho Rios and Grand Stirrup Caye. We have booked our excursions - dune buggies in Cozumel through a ship excursion, scuba diving in Grand Cayman through a private excursion, and an ocean villa at GSC (staying on the ship in Jamaica), so I'm most interested in what to do on the ship, those little nuances with NCL that I wouldn't think about in advance. 

 

8 hours ago, pickle11 said:

Why did you choose NCL?  And then the Prima.  New ship and not much info.  All depends on your interest.   Shows, tours, dining, comedians, line dancing, lions , tigers and bears OH MY.   Do you like to make reservations or are you a shoot from the hip person?  I myself tend to change my mind and do not like to be tied down with appointments.  And if you wait for the end of the cruise for that special dinner, well you may be to full to enjoy it.  My suggestion is do what you did for enjoyment on CCL.  All cruises are the same but with a little difference.  njsmom,  you have asked many questions on the NCL form.  Hope you are getting the answers you need to cruise NCL

 

I chose NCL because of friends who have sailed it and highly recommended it. We were never happy with Carnival. We sailed it because of a couple that we were close friends with who sailed it with us and who loved it. They have since divorced so we're no longer sailing Carnival with them. We didn't like the atmosphere on Carnival, except the last time, when it was a cruise to the Mediterranean on the Vista, when it was brand new. You really cannot have a bad time going to Italy, Spain and France on a brand new ship, and if you do, there's something inherently wrong with you. 🙂
I do like to make reservations on vacation because I'm more comfortable having things booked that might fill up. Normally in life I'm a shoot from the hip kinda person. But vacation, I get a thrill out of researching in depth and choosing carefully among the many delicious options in advance. 

6 hours ago, mjkacmom said:

Make sure your son goes to the teen club the first night, my kids were not fond of the tween club, but once they were teens we didn’t see then between breakfast and dinner.

I read that the teen club has been eliminated from the Prima, that they just kind of meet in a meeting area, so I don't know if this will appeal to him.

 

6 hours ago, PATRLR said:

Presumably you got the "Free at Sea" package which includes 2 Specialty Dining meals per person (maybe just the first two people in the cabin).  STRONGLY encourage you to make reservations as soon as you can.  

NCL opens up about 30% of the reservations at the 120 day mark.  You've likely missed most of those reservations, but, take a look anyways.  The rest will open up onboard.  You'll want to make those reservations very first thing when you get onboard, especially if you want prime time reservations at the most popular restaurants.

Yes, we have that, and we upgraded to the Premium drink package, which gave us another specialty meal. I did do dinner reservations already. We booked this cruise 89 days out, but I was still able to get the reservations I wanted. I suspect a lot of people cancelled right then, perhaps, rather than pay the fare at 90 days, perhaps? Not sure. I know that's one of the cancellation deadlines. Whatever the reason, I got lucky and scored 6 pm and 6:30 pm reservations at all the restaurants we wanted. 

 

6 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

As soon as you board, go to Syd Normans on Deck 7 midship (by the aft elevators). Book shows

1) Donna Summer Musical

2) Noiseboys

3) Price is Right 

4) Comedy Shows (early shows are family friendly, late shows are 18+)

 

While you may not think of the Price is Right as “entertainment”, you need to reserve. They choose contestants randomly from the audience. On our cruise one person won a large flat screen TV, another $660 in cash and a third, tumi luggage. And the “losers” all got t-shirts. It is a fun 1 hour show. 
 

On embarkation day, go to Deck 15 forward and register you son for the teen club. The teen club is the starboard side entrance to the Splash Academy. And have you son go on the first night to make friends. You won’t see him again until you disembark. 
 

Information on the ship and samples of the daily activities are on my live post link below. If you have any Prima specific questions, ask on the link below. 
 

This is super helpful, thank you! How does the teen club work now that it's not a specific location anymore for the teenagers? He's turning 15 in a week. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

8 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Purchase the unlimited streaming option and you'll get the best Wi-Fi possible.

I agree with everything my friend @cruiseny4lifesaid except for this.  When I'm on a cruise, the "best Wi-Fi possible" is no Wi-Fi.

 

(disclaimer: yes I do use some of those free 150 minutes to occasionally check for text messages from home, but that's about it)

[Magicbar]

For your Grand Cayman scuba, who did you book with? I will be doing the Prima from Jan 29 to Feb 6 and am planning on diving there but am having difficulty in doing so.

 

[dbrown84]

8 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

You're going to have an amazing time. My favorite reasons for cruising NCL are:

 

• No dress codes, unless you go to some of the fancier specialty restaurants (Palomar, Le Bistro) and probably one of the main dining rooms (not sure which one is too "sophisticated" for me). A lack of dress code is THE reason my husband and I cruise NCL. 
• Along with the above reason, there are no formal nights. 
• You don't need to make reservations for the main dining room. Just go when you want. Of course there might be a line, but you can eat when you want. Huge bonus to those, like me, who want to eat anytime, not cram it into an itinerary.
• I think you should splurge and get a thermal suite pass for the week. You're a mom and deserve it! Let dad deal with the son. They can go play darts or mini golf (optional fee, ugh), while you pamper yourself in the soothing waters of the thermal suite, enjoy the heated loungers, and sweat the impurities out in the sauna. 
• As with most cruise lines (based on what I've heard), the crew are amazing. They'll be sure to make your experience pleasant and lovely! 
• The only negative is shoreside customer service knows not a lot and you'll get conflicting answers. Even if you have a recording or written documentation of your conversation, shipside won't necessarily approve what someone you spoke with before the cruise said. Having said that, do take all your documentation. 
• Wi-Fi (as you're probably experienced with) is slow. Purchase the unlimited streaming option and you'll get the best Wi-Fi possible. In my experience (not on the Prima), the internet has been reliable enough for Zoom, Reels, Stories, TikTok, etc. We've never tried to stream from a streaming service so I can't speak to that. 
• I'm completely sure I've missed something. 

 

I cruised on Carnival back in 2009 when some friends from college and my grandmother went. It was not the experience for us. Granted a heck of a lot changes in more than a decade, plus a pandemic, but from what I've read on the Carnival boards/Carnival marketing, I'm guessing it's still not quite the experience for me. 

I never would cruise for two reason:

1. I'm not "dressing up" on vacation

2.  No one is going to tell me when to eat and who to eat with

 

Then I heard about NCL and freestyle cruising.  Now Im hooked

[mjkacmom]

Teen clubs tend to be a place for teens to meet up, friend groups seem to form the first night.

[weltek]

Welcome to NCL! Read the dailies you get in your cabin, front to back. That will help you not assume anything is the same as on CCL. Pay attention to restaurant times every day. I know I've been disappointed by assumptions about what would be open when on sea days. 

Otherwise, I think everyone's already mentioned the biggies about show and restaurant reservations. 

Also, I don't know what kind of cabin you are in, but you might want to read the square footage of the room and balcony ahead of time and compare it for what you are used to on Carnival, so you don't feel disappointed on your first day if it's smaller than you are used to. It's not fair to say one is bigger or smaller across the board, as there are a lot of variables. So, compare apples (your booked cabin) to apples (what you've had on CCL in the past).

[Sigyn]

18 hours ago, Magicbar said:

For your Grand Cayman scuba, who did you book with? I will be doing the Prima from Jan 29 to Feb 6 and am planning on diving there but am having difficulty in doing so.

 

We booked with Off the Wall Divers in Grand Cayman. I've gotten several recommendations for them, including from our local dive shop. 

Edited November 8, 2022 by njsmom

[pickle11]

There is no Lobster night.  NCL got rid of it many years ago.  I think still the only cruise line.