A Cruise of Firsts to Bermuda 3/28 to 4/2 - Solo Live From Prima

[JGmf]

17 hours ago, OrangeCatRamblers said:

I'm reading more on the other site that people were unable to eat lunch onboard, I have seen that complaint more than once.

 

I have to believe this is pure hyperbole from people who couldn't eat what they wanted, where they wanted it, at the exact time they wanted. 

 

Never saw anyone taken off a ship in a stretcher from malnutrition.

[UKstages]

 

9 hours ago, OrangeCatRamblers said:

Luckily, none of us mind wearing coats to eat outside. It's possible the common denominator with those unable to eat lunch has been "too cold to sit outside." I'm packing coats and hats for next week. 

 

my limited understanding of not being able to eat outside at indulge food hall, is that it's not because of inclement weather (many have no problem sitting outside if it's windy or cold or even raining a little.) it's because you don't seem to be able to order food if you don't have  a tablet in front of you. is that the case? (i'm not traveling on the prima myself till may.)

 

based on the photos i've seen, there are no tablets on the outdoor tables. and if all the indoor tables (and tablets) are taken, how does one order and how do they bring you food? you can always order inside and take it outdoors, but if you can't get to a tablet to order inside, then it sounds like NCL has yet another problem with this restaurant concept.

[OrangeCatRamblers]

3 minutes ago, UKstages said:

 

 

my limited understanding of not being able to eat outside at indulge food hall, is that it's not because of inclement weather (many have no problem sitting outside if it's windy or cold or even raining a little.) it's because you don't seem to be able to order food if you don't have  a tablet in front of you. is that the case? (i'm not traveling on the prima myself till may.)

 

based on the photos i've seen, there are no tablets on the outdoor tables. and if all the indoor tables (and tablets) are taken, how does one order and how do they bring you food? you can always order inside and take it outdoors, but if you can't get to a tablet to order inside, then it sounds like NCL has yet another problem with this restaurant concept.

 

I have read that wait staff will take your orders with a pen & paper. 

[Sugar Magnolia]

2 minutes ago, JGmf said:

 

I have to believe this is pure hyperbole from people who couldn't eat what they wanted, where they wanted it, at the exact time they wanted. 

 

Never saw anyone taken off a ship in a stretcher from malnutrition.

 

I completely agree. I have sailed on the Prima twice and am baffled by the tales of woe concerning dining experience and specifically, allegations of not being able to eat lunch onboard.

 

Yes, the buffet can be busy and crowded. However, the lines do move quickly and not all food stations are always crowded at the same time. During lunch hours, additional seating can be found at the Food Republic near the buffet and it was never crowded there. In fact, the temperature at the Food Republic was more comfortable as it became quite warm at the buffet at times.

 

Yes, Indulge is very popular. I would recommend to arrive 10-15 minutes prior to opening hour. Sometimes we arrived toward the end of lunch and easily found seats. Also, we sometimes sat outside even when it was a bit chilly and ordered lunch from a paper menu if the tablets were not set up outside. It never hurts to ask and more often than not, the crew is happy to accommodate, especially if you are traveling with youngsters.

 

There was never more than a few minutes wait to be seated for lunch at Hudson's. Usually there was no wait at all.

 

We only dined at the Local for breakfast and dinner so I can't comment on lunch. Still, we did not have to wait to be seated at the Local.

 

During the hours from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM, the Observation Lounge serves snacks like sandwiches, quiche, fruit and sweets. 

 

[nybumpkin]

18 hours ago, OrangeCatRamblers said:

I'm reading more on the other site that people were unable to eat lunch onboard, I have seen that complaint more than once. This makesme nervous because the other members of my family will be truly difficult companions if they are unable to eat lunch. 

 

@Broons77 I'd love ANY details you can share about why you think other passengers are unable to eat lunch. It seems like you always were able to eat when you wanted to, right? And if you have any eating tips like "If you can't do A, here's how to do B..." I'd be most grateful for your expertise.

 

If my teenager can't eat lunch...oh boy...thoughts and prayers, please. 

Hi - I'm not Broons77 but I was on this sailing. The only day we didn't eat lunch on the ship was the first day in Bermuda - and that was our choice to go to the Frog and Onion in Dockyard. For our lunches in Hudson's we had little to no wait. As for the buffet - well, if you want to sit next to a window right in the buffet area, good luck. I think there were people camped out at those tables from breakfast right through lunch until the buffet lines closed. And even then a number stayed to drink tea or coffee or go to one of the bars and bring back a drink. (This isn't just Norwegian - I saw the same thing on the Queen Mary 2, where people staked out prime tables in the buffet.) Our usual dining spot for lunch was the overflow seating in the Food Republic area. It's a nice area - the only drawback for me was having to open a heavy door to get to the seating, which I couldn't do when carrying both a plate and a drink. At any rate, there was plenty of seating available - maybe just not in a prime location.

[OrangeCatRamblers]

33 minutes ago, nybumpkin said:

Hi - I'm not Broons77 but I was on this sailing. The only day we didn't eat lunch on the ship was the first day in Bermuda - and that was our choice to go to the Frog and Onion in Dockyard. For our lunches in Hudson's we had little to no wait. As for the buffet - well, if you want to sit next to a window right in the buffet area, good luck. I think there were people camped out at those tables from breakfast right through lunch until the buffet lines closed. And even then a number stayed to drink tea or coffee or go to one of the bars and bring back a drink. (This isn't just Norwegian - I saw the same thing on the Queen Mary 2, where people staked out prime tables in the buffet.) Our usual dining spot for lunch was the overflow seating in the Food Republic area. It's a nice area - the only drawback for me was having to open a heavy door to get to the seating, which I couldn't do when carrying both a plate and a drink. At any rate, there was plenty of seating available - maybe just not in a prime location.

 

Great details, I appreciate your input. 

 

Wondering if cruise lines can/should do anything about the "campers"? Because that's pretty annoying. 

 

[Broons77]

14 hours ago, OrangeCatRamblers said:

Wondering if cruise lines can/should do anything about the "campers"? Because that's pretty annoying. 

 

They'll get on that just as soon as they get the pool deck chair hogs under control 😂

 

@JGmf & @Sugar Magnolia (sweet handle!) have it right.  It's the whiners that are posting nonsense about not being able to do this, that and the other.  The buffet was popular and busier than I've seen it on other cruises, But like every other ship I've ever been on, if you avoid peak times, you'll get a seat and likewise with Indulge.  My only issue was that when using the overflow in Food Republic, not only was the door heavy, but there was a lip sticking up from the threshold and I almost tripped about 3 times.  So watch your step!

 

The pictures and discussion on the tablets at Indulge jogged my memory.  During the Meet & Greet, the GM Nelson was discussing things that they had learned from Prima that they would be tweaking on Viva and he noted that they would have tablets on the tables outside the food hall.  But now that I think of it, I don't know that he said anything about adding them to Prima.  May have been a weather thing?

 

Regardless, complaints about access to food on a cruise ship never fail to amaze me.  Complaining about quality is fair game and can be an enjoyable hobby when done correctly, Saying you couldn't find a meal?  Ludicrous.

[Sugar Magnolia]

2 hours ago, Broons77 said:

The pictures and discussion on the tablets at Indulge jogged my memory.  During the Meet & Greet, the GM Nelson was discussing things that they had learned from Prima that they would be tweaking on Viva and he noted that they would have tablets on the tables outside the food hall.  But now that I think of it, I don't know that he said anything about adding them to Prima.  May have been a weather thing?

 

Regardless, complaints about access to food on a cruise ship never fail to amaze me.  Complaining about quality is fair game and can be an enjoyable hobby when done correctly, Saying you couldn't find a meal?  Ludicrous.

 

Tablets were definitely set up outside Indulge during lunch when I was onboard a few weeks ago, and removed after lunch. The tablets were not out when the weather was inclement, but if you were daring enough to sit outside, you could order from a paper menu.