Once and done with Norwegian. Ugh.

[AstoriaPreppy]

11 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

In Isafjordur, the port people told NCL that the new dock and dredged port would be completed by spring 2023.  Isafjordur did not finish the construction.  While smaller NCL ships like the Jewel class ships and the Star, which is also sailing in Iceland this summer, use their lifeboats as tenders, the larger ships’ (Encore, Bliss etc) lifeboats were not designed as tenders.  I have not sailed on the Prima but it sounds like her lifeboats were not built to be tenders.  Please correct me if I’m wrong.  So the failure for the Prima to dock in Isafjordur doesn’t seem to be NCL’s shortfall.  However, the lack of communication regarding the cancelled port is fully on NCL.  Many people book private shore excursions in Iceland because NCL’s are cost prohibitive and NCL fully needs to understand the inconvenience they cause when people with private shore excursions can’t cancel and get refunds (as is common in both Iceland and Norway.)

 

If this is true, it's a bit ridiculous. NCL scheduled a port that has always been tender-only for larger mass market ships, with the hope that the pier there would be dredged and extended... then didn't have a contingency plan to shift to tendering knowing the pier wasn't complete? And then tried to pass this off to the passengers as a surprise, not something shoreside certainly knew in advance? If so: yikes.

 

Also, there's no way NCL built a new, mid-sized class of cruise ship that doesn't have the ability to tender, right?

 

[njkate]

19 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

Exactly which Good Samaritan laws are applicable outside of the US?

Wouldn’t Maritime law come into play not individual country law? Just asking 

[AstoriaPreppy]

10 minutes ago, njkate said:

Wouldn’t Maritime law come into play not individual country law? Just asking 

 

My point was more "don't be a total jerk to other people who need help," but this is also fair. 

 

[scamper]

I believe the OP to be a reasonable person, and certainly didn't express disappointment about  anything I thought would be kind of silly.  The OP has a valid point with not being able to get clear information about the boarding/departure delay.  When delays occur, especially in places where there (at least by what I understand) wasn't a lot of room in a sheltered area where people were waiting, all shipboard and ground personnel need to be told specifics regarding the delay.  I believe most people would be at least a bit more understanding if something is going on that's outside the line's or ship's control.  To state that various people gave more than one reason for the delay seems to me more of a rumor mill thing than actual facts.  If the lack of accurate information dissemination results in rumors or just guesses, I would have to be a concerned  about accurate information in the event of a shipwide emergency.

 

Of course a very late departure is going to affect scheduling and I am not surprised if the delay caused port cancellations.  I am just amazed that there was nothing to do but sit in a room and read.  I understand that all activities are not to everyone's taste, and everyone has a sea or port day preference, but there had to be much more to do on the ship than stay in the room.  Maybe NCL has overstated what there is plenty aboard their ships to keep people entertained.  

[mugtech]

58 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

There were some very positive reviews of the Prima from @sid_9169 and @Greenpea2.

Two of 189

[ngrund]

12 hours ago, PhillyTravelBug said:

I’m conflicted, just looked on the roll call for this cruise and it looks like the last few posts were positive. Hopefully our august cruise will be positive. The observation lounge is something I’m looking forward to, but we have thermal spa passes and that’s my sanctuary. 
this itinerary has a lot of port time, so who knows what the experience will be like. 

The Prima is a beautiful ship but it has some issues.

 

Go with an open mind. I still had a wonderful trip as I just disregarded some of the negatives, and made the best of it.. the Iceland trip with OL closed and missed ports could be considered an outlier in experience (extremely negative).

 

For perspective-my issues/criticisms are relatively minor, but added up are going to influence my decision to probably look elsewhere than Prima in the future.

 

When we booked years ago-shows that were scheduled-Summer and Noise Boys, Price is Right. Noise Boys was cancelled, and I didn't really enjoy Summer, but that's just my taste-ended up not being able to get reservations for Price is Right and already had a special birthday dinner with family that conflicted anyway.

 

Syd Norman's- we would have liked to see the band, venue was way too small and we were not waiting on line for it. NCL could have handled that better-more performances and a reservation system of some sort. We were just on an RCL cruise where there was a comedy show in a small venue-reservations made before cruise-one to a passenger for the week over 6 or 7 shows.

 

Bar service-more staff needed. The Atrium bar that also served the casino was too small and only had 2 or sometimes 3 bartenders working  non-stop. but several times I had to wait over 20 minutes for a drink. In the casino, that wasn't even that crowded at the time, while in a poker tournament, drink service was almost non-existent-(my wife went to the bar to get me a drink). Other players told me that service was poor all week.

 

MDR-more staff needed. One day our breakfast took over an hour (and nothing difficult/special was ordered). One dinner, granted we were a large party, (9), dinner took over an hour and a half to be served.

 

The Cabin-I expected more storage, had to leave some clothes in suitcase under the bed, and we usually have a shelf or drawer for dirty clothes.

 

It was cool so we didn't bother with pools (main pool was closed most of the week anyway) but the infinity pools are way too small/should have more-if this was the Caribbean or warmer time of year (we did mid May to Bermuda) and it was just wife and myself,I might consider trying to buy Vibe passes, but of course if I did they would probably already be sold out.

 

Others I spoke to that were in  the Haven hated the location and cabins were not up to usual Haven standards

 

 

 

[ontheweb]

41 minutes ago, mugtech said:

Two of 189

We are not going to let all this negativity ruin our Prima cruise in August. Will there be things way less than perfect? Of course there will, and there were on our previous NCL cruises. That does not mean we did not overall enjoy them.

 

That said if they use some lame excuse not to let passengers off in Isadjorfur, I will be pissed. Our tour provider has said there will be a refund (less 5% for her handling) if he ship does not port), but still I will be pissed as it is a tour I found, and both of us think it sounds really, really interesting.

[robinium]

One thing I will say to anyone with a Prima cruise upcoming… Syd Norman’s was our absolute highlight of the experience of the ship. We queued up 45 mins before show start / 15 mins before doors open for each show and got great seats each time, and we were early enough to get bar service at our seats, so it wasn’t too bad. Only 15 mins standing outside. 
 

The band were absolute top notch and we got a great group picture with them at the end of the cruise. They always came around for a chat after each show, and recognised us after the first couple of shows. If you are going on the Prima, I would really suggest queuing and not missing them.

 

Even though we had so many problems on the cruise due to stupid, management decisions, experiencing the band at Syd’s probably lifted a 4-5/10 trip to a 7/10, for us. We still managed to enjoy the cruise despite those issues, though it could have been a 9/10 if management made some sensible changes and stopped doing silly, money-grabbing things that will very obviously piss off passengers. 

Edited June 18, 2023 by robinium

[Mademypoint]

10 hours ago, bobkat11 said:

Sadly, not true. This was by far the most expensive cruise we've ever taken. 

Sorry to hear that. We are going to Alaska the second week of September and the price difference going that week versus the week prior to labor day was more than $1100 per person. I had a 2K credit from Princess that I needed to use and one ship going to the eastern caribbean from FLL on an older ship versus going to the west (Mexico) on a newer ship was more than $500. Since it was a free cruise I didn't care where it went but I wasn't spending $500 more for the same mini suite (starboard forward). 

[graphicguy]

Just did a cursory look at Prima fares.  Bookings must be strong as fares are strong, at least through the first part of next year.  As some of these cruises get closer, I’ll see if there is any movement on those fares.  But, as of right now, they’re holding steady.

[tcrandal]

14 hours ago, UKstages said:

believe the reviews, particularly if they offer a mix of praise and harsh criticism. i always find those more believable.

I think it’s important to understand that negative reviews, are written with much more passion and detail than the positive, so they not only get posted more, but they get more traction too (true psychology is that people are more drawn to read / watch negative blogs/vlogs). I will never forget our first time cruising many years ago, we were pretty nervous, mainly because of all the negative things we read! Thank goodness, we didn’t listen to them! 
 

If we took a look at a sampling of all ship reviews over the last year, I would venture to guess that the ratings are low across the board. I also think it is important to point out that in the OPs roll call board on this site, there were 3 positive postings about the sailing and one negative, by the OP. 
 

Of course there are always issues on every vacation, but a lot is to be said on how you roll with things, and much of that can be gathered and assumed from the posts. My own take for you is that the cabin noise and casino losses may have helped throw the trip into a spiral. I think everyone knows the payout in the casino is subpar to most land casinos, but like you, we choose to still reap some benefits and take on the risk of the losses outweighing the benefits, which over a long period of time, they will. I do appreciate your posts, and that you took the time to share your experience, but it doesn’t do anything at all to concern me for my trip this week onboard the Prima. We already plan for mitigation of noise while we sleep. I will also say that going in with the expectation of problems, often creates a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Edited June 18, 2023 by tcrandal

[MsTabbyKats]

21 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Just did a cursory look at Prima fares.  Bookings must be strong as fares are strong, at least through the first part of next year.  As some of these cruises get closer, I’ll see if there is any movement on those fares.  But, as of right now, they’re holding steady.

I just looked at "NYC Roundtrip" fares....and wow, not for me, not at this time.  When I book "that far ahead" it would have to be for a great deal...or something "tried and true".

[graphicguy]

12 minutes ago, MsTabbyKats said:

I just looked at "NYC Roundtrip" fares....and wow, not for me, not at this time.  When I book "that far ahead" it would have to be for a great deal...or something "tried and true".

Saw the same thing.  They must be filing the Prima given the fares are not dropping.

 

I did look at a sailing on her using a 20% coupon NCL attached to my Latitudes account for a Prima Europe cruise.  Made it better.  But, still not the “screaming deals” I was able to get on the other NCL ships.

 

I still have one 20%-50% off Latitudes coupon for Alaska, which make them a screaming deal.  But, just got back from there a few months ago.  And, they were on the older ships, and the Breakaway plus ships.

[MsTabbyKats]

@graphicguyI just checked my account and I have no coupons for anything!  No discounts....no incentives.

(Off topic...so in parenthesis....Since I discovered MSC YC I don't see any reason to book NCL.  The prices are great...imho...a total 10/10 experience.)

[UKstages]

3 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Did you use that floating gangway in Geiranger or did you tender?

 

we used the floating walkway. (the gangway extends out from the ship and connects to the port's floating, foldable walkway.) i assume that another ship in port on the same day would tender, as they only seem to have one of those floating walkway thingies. so, there's no guarantee... i'm just here to report that gerainger has a relatively new floating walkway that can be floated out to make access much easier... no tendering required.

 

3 hours ago, AstoriaPreppy said:

NCL scheduled a port that has always been tender-only for larger mass market ships, with the hope that the pier there would be dredged and extended... then didn't have a contingency plan to shift to tendering knowing the pier wasn't complete? And then tried to pass this off to the passengers as a surprise, not something shoreside certainly knew in advance?

 

nailed it!

 

the bit about passing it off as a surprise... they did that week after week, cruise after cruise. they may still be doing it; we'll have to wait for more CC reports of what's going on. 

 

2 hours ago, scamper said:

To state that various people gave more than one reason for the delay seems to me more of a rumor mill thing than actual facts. 

 

at least in my reports and posts, when i say that there were several different versions of what actually happened and why the port was canceled, those statements came from crew members, not passengers. official NCL reps who communicate with guests shouldn't deal in rumor or conjecture.

 

i will say this about the port cancellations... despite some reports to the contrary,  NCL did schedule additional activities for the extra sea days. you know how the daily is often double spaced and quite thin on port days? the extra sea days were chock-a-block full of added activities. very few were of interest to me, but an attempt was made! two of the three comedians onboard actually did extra shows (all highly improvisational new material), apparently at the request of the captain. (this was on the 5/14 sailing. on the 5/25 sailing, there were no comedians, as NCL doesn't believe comedy "translates" on international itineraries that don't begin in the USA.)

 

2 hours ago, scamper said:

When delays occur, especially in places where there (at least by what I understand) wasn't a lot of room in a sheltered area where people were waiting, all shipboard and ground personnel need to be told specifics regarding the delay. 

 

agreed.

 

i will add this. i didn't embark in reykjavik, but i went out to explore. and i saw 2,000 or 3,000 people standing in line, outside in the cold, waiting to board. it seems like a most inhospitable port for those embarking. i would advise arriving much later in the day, if you don't want to stand around. there doesn't appear to be many services in the terminal, either.

 

50 minutes ago, tcrandal said:

I think it’s important to understand that negative reviews, are written with much more passion and detail than the positive, so they not only get posted more, but they get more traction too

 

this is absolutely true. i am proud to say that i am equally as passionate about the good things on the prima as the bad. and my written pieces on the indulge food hall and the comedy concerts are proof of that: they are two of the longest passages in the review.

 

50 minutes ago, tcrandal said:

My own take for you is that the cabin noise and casino losses may have helped throw the trip into a spiral.

 

this is where i'll have to disagree.

 

cabin noise - so disruptive that three nights of sleep were lost (in my case) - is very hard to recover from, both physically and psychologically. tru 'dat. i was walking around like a zombie for days. and yet, if you read that thread, you'll see that i returned to say that the rest of the cruise, particularly the second leg of the B2B, was - more or less - lovely. 

 

so, i agree with you on cabin noise, especially when you are informed that NCL continues to sell these cabins, even though they are marked in their database as being "problematic."

 

with regard to casino losses, i completely disagree.

 

i play exactly the same way when i win as when when i lose. and my demeanor does not change. oh, sure, it's more fun when you win! but i don't mope or sulk or become angry or despondent because i lost. i lose most of the time when playing in cruise ship casinos! (but if i walk around the indulge food hall for thirty minutes without being able to get a seat... that is frustrating and mood altering. having shorex reps lie to you, that's frustrating and mood altering. having your order at the local not print out in the kitchen so that your food never gets delivered, that is frustrating and mood altering. not being able to get into syd's... that's frustrating and mood altering. when an officer on the ship misrepresents their position, that is frustrating and mood altering.)

 

anybody whose personality alters negatively when they lose in a casino - whether it's $500 or $5000 or $15,000 - likely has a gambling problem and should not be playing.

 

 

 

Edited June 18, 2023 by UKstages

[insidecabin]

1 hour ago, graphicguy said:

Just did a cursory look at Prima fares.  Bookings must be strong as fares are strong, at least through the first part of next year.  As some of these cruises get closer, I’ll see if there is any movement on those fares.  But, as of right now, they’re holding steady.

Check the prices in the UK.

 

I have crosschecked quite a few and UK late booking insides are getting pretty good for the ones easy access from UK northern Europe and Med.

 

Using a TA that covers both US and UK prices.

 

6 June 2023 IF with FAS  and taxes 2pax in the cabin.

 

UK £1,456

US £2,101 ($2,693)

 

Quite a few others I have been watching are loads cheaper through UK.

 

Late booking is the way if happy with insides at giveaway prices.

 

This is before coupons etc.

 

NCL us using hidden discounts to keep the headline up.

 

Dishing out coupons like confetti who hasn't got a 20% off?

 

Airfare offers US BOGOF, £250 credit UK

 

UK has $200 on selected cruises

 

 

[graphicguy]

6 minutes ago, MsTabbyKats said:

@graphicguyI just checked my account and I have no coupons for anything!  No discounts....no incentives.

(Off topic...so in parenthesis....Since I discovered MSC YC I don't see any reason to book NCL.  The prices are great...imho...a total 10/10 experience.)

From what I understand, the coupons were targeted.  Not sure who they were targeted to, or why.  I used my one Alaska coupon this year. They gave me another one, for some reason.  And, the one for Europe Cruises had been there for a few months, until l just used to it book Europe for an 11 day cruise in Oct for a Haven Spa Suite on the Epic.  That made that cabin cheaper than a standard cabin on similar itineraries on other cruise lines.

 

I have no issue with some going to MSC.  Mentioned in another thread…they tried to raise my fare for a cruise AFTER I had already booked with them.  Not looking to book them any time again.  Although, their YC INSIDE cabin fares were attractive.  Not as good as my Haven fare in the Spa Suite, but not bad.  I just can’t do inside cabins any more.

[graphicguy]

Not seeing those fares for Prima for this or next month on our site in the U.S.  Using

29 minutes ago, insidecabin said:

Check the prices in the UK.

 

I have crosschecked quite a few and UK late booking insides are getting pretty good for the ones easy access from UK northern Europe and Med.

 

Using a TA that covers both US and UK prices.

 

6 June 2023 IF with FAS  and taxes 2pax in the cabin.

 

UK £1,456

US £2,101 ($2,693)

 

Quite a few others I have been watching are loads cheaper through UK.

 

Late booking is the way if happy with insides at giveaway prices.

 

This is before coupons etc.

 

NCL us using hidden discounts to keep the headline up.

 

Dishing out coupons like confetti who hasn't got a 20% off?

 

Airfare offers US BOGOF, £250 credit UK

 

UK has $200 on selected cruises

 

 

Looking at the U.S. site, those fares are about right.  For 2 passengers (or a solo), a balcony on the Prima for this month or next is running $5K with FAS.  That’s high.  They must be filling them for those fares to be that high.

 

I just booked the Epic in the Haven on an 11 day France, Italy, Spain cruise for about $4K (with coupon) all in.

 

Any fare for 7 days (or more) above $5K is my cut off.  No matter what the cruise line.

 

I’ve talked to quite a few who didn’t get the Europe and Alaska Coupons.  So, they are NOT universally being doled out.

 

Prima’s cruises out of Galveston, TX are looking a bit better.  But, after my Epic cruise, I’m probably done cruising for 2023.

Edited June 18, 2023 by graphicguy

[tcrandal]

24 minutes ago, UKstages said:

 

anybody whose personality alters negatively when they lose in a casino - whether it's $500 or $5000 or $15,000 - likely has a gambling problem and should not be playing.

Well said, that is my attitude too, but you know as well as I do, most people playing don’t have that take and shift ownership from themselves losing money to every other reason in the world instead of taking personal responsibility for sitting at the table or slot. Glad to hear that you aren’t one of them! 
 

As far as the cabin noise, did you think about using a white noise app or similar? 

[Greenpea2]

On 6/16/2023 at 5:21 PM, bobkat11 said:

 Unfortunately I was not at all aware (until just now when I read your post) of widespread negative reviews of Prima. I haven't spent much time at this site.

Previous cruise friends were doing this sailing, and we decided to join them. Of course i wish now I had done more research.

I just don't agree this is true. I have read numerous happy reviews of the Prima. Including mine. 😉

 

Many of the things that headed south (embarkation/ports/weather) was not due to the ship being the Prima. Nor were they due to the cruise line. That sort of disappointing thing happens on all cruise lines, all ships.

 

I am sorry, though, that it was a disappointment for you.

[UKstages]

15 minutes ago, tcrandal said:

As far as the cabin noise, did you think about using a white noise app or similar? 

 

yes, it's in that thread. 

 

i used noise canceling headphones and could still hear the noise. this was not the ordinary creaking of a normal cabin. i know what that sounds like. i had that in my next cabin. this was like nothing i've heard before. i posted a post-cruise audio clip of the sound in that thread. you can listen and decide for yourself. 

 

the thing is that there are a number of cabins on the prima that have this problem, including haven cabins. they are noted in the internal database. you book the prima, run into high seas, and it's a crap shoot as to whether you will have a problem or not.

 

i am a gambling man, but not to that extent.

 

there is no way of knowing how many cabins... could be 7 or 70. could be 125 or 250. NCL knows which cabins they are and they continue to sell them.

 

[insidecabin]

23 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Not seeing those fares for Prima for this or next month on our site in the U.S.  Using

Looking at the U.S. site, those fares are about right.  For 2 passengers (or a solo), a balcony on the Prima for this month or next is running $5K with FAS.  That’s high.  They must be filling them for those fares to be that high.

 

I just booked the Epic in the Haven on an 11 day France, Italy, Spain cruise for about $4K (with coupon) all in.

 

Any fare for 7 days (or more) above $5K is my cut off.  No matter what the cruise line.

 

I’ve talked to quite a few who didn’t get the Europe and Alaska Coupons.  So, they are NOT universally being doled out.

 

Prima’s cruises out of Galveston, TX are looking a bit better.  But, after my Epic cruise, I’m probably done cruising for 2023.

The upgrade bids are probably filling the gaps.

 

Our recent cheap Star the balcony bid  range was below the retail rate.

 

It will be interesting if we get any for our next booking I think they shuffled many up already.

 

Always worth checking regional before going with the US prices, you should be able to use % coupons but $ seem to be an issue I could not use one.

 

 

[dexddd]

On 6/16/2023 at 8:13 PM, MsTabbyKats said:

I'm on the Escape in Sept....booked it a long time ago at a great rate.  I may be "finished with NCL" because entertainment is important to us...decent entertainment.  I don't consider "Choir of Man" entertainment (saw it twice....didn't care for it either time) and comedians are just not my thing.  DH is not a native speaker of English...he doesn't "get them".

I'm just praying that the buffet is still good.  Or I hit a jackpot in the casino!  Or, there's a singing juggler....

Hopefully not juggling knives.  I'd not want a front row seat.

[luv2kroooz]

2 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Just did a cursory look at Prima fares.  Bookings must be strong as fares are strong, at least through the first part of next year.  As some of these cruises get closer, I’ll see if there is any movement on those fares.  But, as of right now, they’re holding steady.

NCL hasn't historically priced according to supply demand. They have been known to hold prices artificially high and then dump cabins at the 30 day mark, resulting in widespread  disparity in pricing. We appreciate this model as we are able to travel last minute and benefit from fire sales.

[insidecabin]

1 minute ago, luv2kroooz said:

NCL hasn't historically priced according to supply demand. They have been known to hold prices artificially high and then dump cabins at the 30 day mark, resulting in widespread  disparity in pricing. We appreciate this model as we are able to travel last minute and benefit from fire sales.

Seen cabin dump through selected TAs so the NCL web prices don't move.