Prima = Boring and Still Needs Work by NCL

[The Admiral]

So I did a preliminary review during the first part of my March 19th Prima cruise which you can see below but my final verdict is the Prima and Haven in the Prima are not worth it. Especially when you have MSC Yacht Club to compare to!

 

The entertainment did not improve at all for the most part (as of day 6) it’s one major broadway show and nothing else in terms of production shows. Other passengers bumped into on board are equally dissatisfied with entertainment. If you come with a group and bar hop and drink all day with your group the Prima is for you, otherwise prepare to be bored out if of your mind especially in the evenings.

 

It’s a shame, the ship design is beautiful but they killed the Prima by missing the mark with not planning good evening entertainment and not providing the extra touches in the haven their competitors do.

 

whereas in MSC Yacht Club you have DJ music and lively evening entertainment within the yacht club and at yacht club pool at the haven the atmosphere was that of a boring hotel lobby. 

 

Also NCL missed the mark on the little details for example, MSC provides unlimited internet for Two devices with yacht club, at haven after the high prices they charge you only get 200 minutes and have to pay an up charge for one device unlimited basic internet. there’s no drink coffee station so you can grab a coffee or tea any time of the day, if you want a cup of coffee or tea in the haven environment (outside your cabin) your only choice is going to the haven dining room.

 

the haven restaurant doesn’t rotate the menu so unless you spend more money to eat at a specialty restaurant every day for variety, you’re stuck with the same food choices all week. And I’m sorry but the whole point of the haven and paying all that extra money is so you don’t have to leave your exclusive enclave which should have the best food. Keep in mind NCL not everyone likes the specialty restaurants especially if you don’t eat seafood or like fancy French food. Again missed opportunity. 

 

for the record I’ve traveled in NCL more than in MSC so I don’t have an ax to grind with NCL it’s just that they have missed the mark so much on the Prima in regards to atmosphere and entertainment and little attention to details that I feel this ship is a pass. 
 

I would give Prima 3.5 Stars overall. (Ship design 5, embarkation 5, staff 5, entertainment 2, haven experience and haven restaurant 3 (good food but lack of variety defeats purpose of an exclusive restaurant), debarkation 1 (based on the whole pier switch issue)
 

ps: now we’re informed we’re docking in a different pier than we left so now have to go through the aggravation of hauling luggage onto a shuttle bus to get shuttled to the pier we left from which in port canaveral is not a comfortable walking distance 😞
 

MY INITIAL REVIEW BELOW: 

I am currently currently also sailing on the 3/19 Prima in the Haven and my quick take so far is:

 

1) staff is awesome, very friendly and accommodating. 5 stars 

 

2) embarkation easy and efficient. 5 Stars

 

3) ship design is beautifully done and very elegant. 5 Stars

 

4.) food is good and has plenty of choices. 4-5 Stars 

 

But there are two areas that will make me think twice about NCL in the future and here they are:

 

1) the entertainment is lacking, although there is good variety in terms of lounge music, so far there’s only one professional show - a Donna Summer Review and when I asked staff if there’s any other professional show like acrobats or magicians or broadway reviews (which NCL made its name on) I was told twice that the only show was the same one noted above and nothing else. I hope this is not true and we will pick up entertainers in Cozumel.
 

If in fact NCL Prima only has one type of theatre show repeating all 7 days this is a fatal flaw in my opinion. Professional entertainment is expected on cruise lines especially when they sell Haven rooms for a hefty premium.

one staff member told me they have two different shows as they counted the “Price is Right” as one (sorry in my opinion that’s not a show)

 

So  if nothing changes entertainment is 1-2 Star and that’s only because of the comedy club and the different singers in the various lounges who are good.

 

2) on Prima it seems like more passengers were added to Haven. NCL seems to Nikel and dime for everything. If you’re traveling with kids there are charges for a bunch of items they want to do. Also If you are not a 10 drink or more a day passenger it doesn’t make sense to pay hundreds of dollars in tips for the cabin for the drink package, if all you do is have a soft drink here and there and maybe a glass or two of wine before or with dinner. 
 

if NCL wants to better compete in terms of the ship within a ship concept part of the passenger equation they need to just include all drinks with the haven and not complicate folks lives while on board. NCL, figure out a reasonable cost for drinks and gratuities (so hard working crew don’t get left without gratuities) and just build it into the price of the Haven so no matter what anyone’s drinking preferences are if you’re in the Haven all your alcohol, soft drinks and specialty coffees are included - no hassle cruising NCL!

 

This is my preliminary opinion, The two negatives above (Haven and Entertainment) may change later on in the week but this is where I am at day 2.

 

But remember any cruise is better than being on land! 🙂

[david_sobe]

Interesting perspective and thanks for sharing.   The peeves you have with the Haven are not new.  The Haven menu never changes and you dont get any perks like free drinks, free internet, etc.  Since you are an experienced cruiser with NCL, was this your first Haven experience?

[The Admiral]

No I’ve been in the Haven before but I think when one area is lacking and disappoints you like the entertainment you start noticing the other lapses and aren’t as willing to give a pass. 

[Two Wheels Only]

This question might seem strange but someone else brought it up and I'm wondering if you can confirm or deny.

 

Was there a lot of sound transfer between staterooms as if the walls were thin enough to hear the conversation next door?

[RocketMan275]

JMHO, but I would not want a DJ or dance music in the Haven.

And,  you can get an all inclusive drink package by signing up for Premium Plus.

[BirdTravels]

My two and a half cents: We have sailed on the Prima twice. And we never had a problem finding evening entertainment to our liking. We're a bit older and less mobile, but we enjoyed the "disco" nights in the theater from a seated position with a couple of drinks, listening to the music and watching the [attempts to] dace. Every bar had entertainment at night and we enjoyed that until around midnight each night. 

[Greenpea2]

We loved the Prima and the Haven! And the Haven restaurant. If you did not know beforehand that the restaurant menu does not change, and you assumed it did, then I can understand your disappointment. But research research research is my way. No surprises. The food and service was wonderful. The Haven on the Prima is  (in my opinion, as reviews are at least 50% based on opinions) the most gorgeous of the various NCL ships I have been on. Outstanding in every way.

 

We were lucky enough to catch the final show of Noise Boys, which was the best cruise line show I have seen. The Donna Summer show, not so much. But in my experience shows on any cruise line are iffy. We don't look for nightly entertainment--we entertain ourselves, I guess. We have a nice dinner, have drinks somewhere, stop by the casino, have more drinks, hang out at the Haven bar, then bed. 

[UKstages]

2 hours ago, The Admiral said:

there’s no drink coffee station so you can grab a coffee or tea any time of the day, if you want a cup of coffee or tea in the haven environment (outside your cabin) your only choice is going to the haven dining room.

 

this sounds odd to me. i haven't sailed on the prima yet, but i've stayed in other havens on other ships. thy all have a lounge with an extensive set up of snacks throughout the day, as well as juices and ice water... and a really spiffy coffee contraption. i don't drink coffee myself, but people seemed to be pretty impressed by the coffee available in the haven.

 

is there no "drink coffee station" or snack area in the haven lounge on deck 16 of the prima?

 

(again, i haven't been on the prima yet.)

 

i'm sure they would fix you up at the haven restaurant if you stumbled in there looking for coffee, but it just seems really odd to have to go to the haven restaurant... to get coffee. and it would certainly interfere with the service being provided to others actually dining there.

[schmoopie17]

1 hour ago, Two Wheels Only said:

Was there a lot of sound transfer between staterooms as if the walls were thin enough to hear the conversation next door?

We didn't hear anyone in the adjoining staterooms. However, our wall with the sliding balcony door creaked loudly 90% of the time the last two nights of the cruise. So much so that it woke us up (and I sleep with ear plugs). I feel sorry for whoever got that cabin the next week...and beyond.

[The Traveling Man]

4 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

We didn't hear anyone in the adjoining staterooms. However, our wall with the sliding balcony door creaked loudly 90% of the time the last two nights of the cruise. So much so that it woke us up (and I sleep with ear plugs). I feel sorry for whoever got that cabin the next week...and beyond.

We were on the Prima's second cruise, Copenhagen to Southampton, last September.  We were in a Balcony stateroom and experienced the same creaking and popping noises coming from our balcony door.  It sounded like a 20 year old, worn out, ship.  We mentioned it to one of the ship's officers who shrugged it off by telling us that he didn't believe it.

[Greenpea2]

On 3/24/2023 at 6:08 PM, UKstages said:

 

this sounds odd to me. i haven't sailed on the prima yet, but i've stayed in other havens on other ships. thy all have a lounge with an extensive set up of snacks throughout the day, as well as juices and ice water... and a really spiffy coffee contraption. i don't drink coffee myself, but people seemed to be pretty impressed by the coffee available in the haven.

 

is there no "drink coffee station" or snack area in the haven lounge on deck 16 of the prima?

 

(again, i haven't been on the prima yet.)

 

i'm sure they would fix you up at the haven restaurant if you stumbled in there looking for coffee, but it just seems really odd to have to go to the haven restaurant... to get coffee. and it would certainly interfere with the service being provided to others actually dining there.

For grab and go breakfast items (including coffee), there was a table set up against the wall in the restaurant. We never looked for coffee or snacks later in the day but I would imagine it was in the same place. 

[FlGoodShips]

Loved the Prima...food, drinks, entertainment everywhere (every nite) was great. 

No complaints here.

[FLAHAM]

I liked hanging around bars in a comfy chair after dinner, listening to music, enjoying a cognac, striking up conversations with others, and/or reading my Kindle.

[palpieha]

Wait, so MSC Yacht Club has a DJ by the pool? Ugh, I was considering them for my next cruise, but I will scratch them out now.

 

The Haven not having any music in the pool area is a huge positive. If I want a DJ, I can go to the main pool, if I want to read a book, I can stay in the Haven. Adding music to the Haven would mean not having the choice of quiet.

 

As for coffee, does the Haven bar on Prima not have an espresso machine? Every other Haven bar I've been to has one and they can make espresso drinks for you, whether martinis or non-alcoholic.

[Seas2mountains]

On 3/24/2023 at 1:29 PM, The Admiral said:

 

whereas in MSC Yacht Club you have DJ music and lively evening entertainment within the yacht club and at yacht club pool at the haven the atmosphere was that of a boring hotel lobby. 

 

We have been on MSC YC on Seaside (Feb. 2019) and Divina (Jan. 2023). On Seaside, there was a good duo that played in Top Sail who alternated with a pianist who we didn't care for as much as the duo. On Divina, the Top Sail entertainment barely existed as one pianist came in during dinner and sometimes came back for a second set but that was rare.  We did not experience any DJ's in YC areas on either ship. I think there is pipped in music on the speakers in One Pool?

 

I do agree with you that MSC YC can provide better value than the Haven which we also love. We do like paying one price for MSC YC and knowing it includes the Wifi for two devices, upgraded drinks and San Pellegrino, and the One Pool area with food and drink options is much better in our opinion that the Haven pool area. We experienced amazing service and food in Le Muse on MSC YC Divina but it was comparable to the Haven.

We do have NCL and MSC YC cruises scheduled this year. But, we tend to enjoy the entertainment options on NCL much more than on MSC YC.  On MSC, there is a younger crowd so if you leave the YC area, you have to deal with the masses and people who bump into you and don't say excuse me and more unattended or ignored children jumping on furniture in the common lounge areas when trying to enjoy music. The dailies on MSC listed the live music options as being a range of time like 6:30pm-11:00pm. When we would arrive at the lounge, the performers would start a few minutes after the top of the hour like 7:05 -7:10pm and then before 7:40pm they would stop and say they were going to take  15 minute break and would be back at the top of the hour. We would wait and observe that they came back a few minutes late and would start about 8:05pm-8:10pm and do the same thing at 8:40pm where they said they were taking a 15 minute break but that 15 minute break turned into a 25 minute break.  We did not experience this same pattern on many NCL cruises.  When waiting in those lounges on MSC, it was a longer wait for drinks than we experienced on NCL lounges. We even had a bit of wait in Top Sail in January but it may have been due to one staff member.

 

Which MSC YC ships were you on and did they have more than just the pianists in Top Sail? We know Divina may have been limited for entertainment compared to the Seaxxxx ships or Meraviglia. We know DJs were by the common area pools on MSC but did not have any in Top Sail or One Pool.