NCL Prima - Iceland with no hot tubs

[Sailing12Away]

Finally able to enjoy the big balcony without any rain and a warm sunny day. Hoping to make it to the infinity pool tomorrow.

 

My nephew found a duck, so that will make my mom happy. She's obsessed with that game of find and seek, we can't stand it. To each their own, but at least she'll stop asking me about them.

[UKstages]

4 hours ago, Sailing12Away said:

Looks like the old van winkle is in our future or the chateau Rothschild.

 

duty free shop also often has macallan enigma and johnny walker blue, pending inventory availability. the mcallan sold out on my most recent prima journey, but they still had one JB blue on the final day of the cruise. with the OBC out there (for some) due to the hot tub issue, duty free shop could actually run out of some of the more popular high-priced liquor.

[Sailing12Away]

4 hours ago, UKstages said:

 

duty free shop also often has macallan enigma and johnny walker blue, pending inventory availability. the mcallan sold out on my most recent prima journey, but they still had one JB blue on the final day of the cruise. with the OBC out there (for some) due to the hot tub issue, duty free shop could actually run out of some of the more popular high-priced liquor.

Normally that would be an option for us, but we already have 3 bottles in the room that were not using up fast enough. 

 

Bought a nice bottle of wine with dinner tonight in the Haven restaurant. Will probably buy a bottle of bubbles at the end of the trip unless I suck it up and ask someone to teach me how to play the coin pusher game. I know how to push the coins obviously, just not sure how any of the casino games work. Like do I just swipe my room card and go? That's a quick way to go through some money if it will work on those games.

[HHI Cruiser1]

On 9/9/2023 at 6:12 PM, Sailing12Away said:

Tried to get into Syn Normans but at 8:30 it was already standing room only for a 9pm show. I'm too old to stand for 2hrs.

Hey, can Haven's concierge get you into Syn Normans like other entertainment venues?  I seem to remember a previous comment about this - early in with reserved seating.

[Sailing12Away]

2 hours ago, HHI Cruiser1 said:

Hey, can Haven's concierge get you into Syn Normans like other entertainment venues?  I seem to remember a previous comment about this - early in with reserved seating.

Depends 100% on the ship and discretion of the concierge. On this ship it was never offered and with this concierge I'm not wasting time to ask. He's nice, but spits out corporate policy ver batem.

 

Finished immigration, looks like they set up a separate line for Haven guests anyway, so not sure why they made us get up at 7am on a freaking sea day.

 

Asked another staff member if food Republic would be open for lunch today. Nope. They have to use the seating in there as overflow for the other restaurants. Grumble grumble, was looking forward to that today. Guess we'll have to go for dinner instead.

[HBCcruiser]

8 hours ago, HHI Cruiser1 said:

Hey, can Haven's concierge get you into Syn Normans like other entertainment venues?  I seem to remember a previous comment about this - early in with reserved seating.

When we were on the Prima in May, the Concierge told us that they stopped doing that because too many guests complained. First the non Haven guests complained that too many seats were taken by Haven guests. They then limited the number of Haven guests that they would escort in, but the other Haven guests complained that certain guests were given priority over them. That is when they stopped doing it altogether on the Prima. The venue is smaller than others, too small for a large ship IMO. I think what they should do is schedule an additional Haven only night. 

[Markj]

Whilst I haven't had a seat immediately I  haven't had a problem getting in to see any of the shows in Syd's.

 

I haven't really started trying to get in til 3 days ago so maybe the tip is not to try and get in on the first nights?

[UKstages]

6 minutes ago, Markj said:

maybe the tip is not to try and get in on the first nights?

i think the proven strategy is actually the opposite.

 

go early in the cruise before the uninitiated realize how good the show is and the word spreads. my experience has been that lines are longer as the cruise progresses. 

[ontheweb]

16 minutes ago, UKstages said:

i think the proven strategy is actually the opposite.

 

go early in the cruise before the uninitiated realize how good the show is and the word spreads. my experience has been that lines are longer as the cruise progresses. 

I will agree with that. On the first available Syd Norman night, we got there late, and I did not really expect to get in. But I did, and others even got in later than me. On some later nights, I saw people lined up way, way early.

[HBCcruiser]

2 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

I will agree with that. On the first available Syd Norman night, we got there late, and I did not really expect to get in. But I did, and others even got in later than me. On some later nights, I saw people lined up way, way early.

I think it depends on the show. Rumors is very popular and a great show. That’s the one people wait in line for. 

[Sailing12Away]

Black glass champagne tasting, lunch at indulge by sharing a table with nice strangers, latitudes wine around the world, then a dip in the Haven pool. Pool is heated and lovely, but cold wind once you get outside. We ran to the sauna, not brave enough to try the cold side until we get further south.

 

I dipped my feet in the infinity pools on deck 8. Chilly at first but I warmed up quick. So I don't think they're heated, but not bad of the wind wasn't so strong.

 

My sister is a bit under the weather with a cold so low key tonight for dinner so she can enjoy Amsterdam tomorrow.

 

Haven't found any blue moon yet, so had a Hoegarden in honor of Marty today.🐀

[ontheweb]

7 minutes ago, HBCcruiser said:

I think it depends on the show. Rumors is very popular and a great show. That’s the one people wait in line for. 

Probably true, I cannot argue with that. That's probably why they do the Rumors show on 2 separate nights.

[Markj]

1 hour ago, UKstages said:

i think the proven strategy is actually the opposite.

 

go early in the cruise before the uninitiated realize how good the show is and the word spreads. my experience has been that lines are longer as the cruise progresses. 

Sorry to disagree with you  again here.

 

On this cruise that was definitely not the case. First nights in the theatre were standing room only (being Haven we didnt worry about that) SN's and Improv were rammed and on the 2nd Rumours show people were queuing at 845 for the 10pm show!!

 

So the strategy for this cruise is go later and I guarantee Donna Summer on the last night will be half empty!!!

Edited September 14, 2023 by Markj

[UKstages]

5 hours ago, Sailing12Away said:

I dipped my feet in the infinity pools on deck 8. Chilly at first but I warmed up quick. So I don't think they're heated,

 

they're heated.. at least they're suppoised to be. they were on my prima B2B.

 

5 hours ago, HBCcruiser said:

Rumors is very popular and a great show. That’s the one people wait in line for. 

 

but rumours never seems to be on early in the cruise. so... are they waiting in line for a show they haven't seen before? or are they queuing up for a show with a band they heard from others - on this cruise - is worth seeing in a club they've heard from others - on that cruise - fills up quickly?

 

4 hours ago, Markj said:

On this cruise that was definitely not the case.

 

OK, so we have several different data points. the operative phrase may be "this cruise."

 

4 hours ago, Markj said:

I guarantee Donna Summer on the last night will be half empty!!!

 

it often is.

 

but that may be because word spreads by the end of the cruise that the show is not that good.

[ontheweb]

56 minutes ago, UKstages said:

 

they're heated.. at least they're suppoised to be. they were on my prima B2.

Funny, just this morning while walking with DW, I asked her if those pools on deck 8 were heated. And her answer was yes.

[Sailing12Away]

So the take away message here is that every cruise is different, and even in the same cruise personal opinions may differ. I was literally standing in the water on deck 8 infinity pools and my feet were cold. My BIL and the kids tried to go in them and they were cold. For comparison I stepped into the Haven pool and walked right in up to my neck - not cold at all. So I'm not an idiot, I know the differences between a heated and non heated pool.

 

Today we were walking around in shorts and tshirts, and others on deck 8 had winter puffer coats and winter hats. So it doesn't matter what someone else thinks it's warm or cold, your experience may vary.

 

MDR menu is changing nightly, guess I was in the minority looking forward to the same one rather than FOMO for a one night special that you would miss if you didn't know about.

 

Lovely dinner at Food Republic, had to take the picture of this waiter to write a hero card for him. We split a single meal credit between the two of us and were stuffed.

 

Closed out the Haven bar with new friends, and planning on adventuring in Amsterdam tomorrow for a canal ride at some point. Stars are out in full force, clear sky. Got a lovely photo of the bin dipper, I mean big dipper.

[Sailing12Away]

The great potato famine continues. We were told by the cellar master that Amsterdam is one of their biggest restocking ports. So hopefully they're bringing a giant pallet of them on board.

 

Hubby has been ordering a cheese omelette with a side of bacon and a bagel, and making his own BEC with that. Not quite like home, but close enough.

[Sailing12Away]

Canal tour, local beers that are not generic Heineken, waffles, stroopeaffles, and all sorts of other fun sights.

 

Before we left the cabin today a team of 4 engineers came to look at our hot tub. I asked them if they were going to fix it, they confirmed it wasn't broken. "CDC has mandated them to be off until they clear them for use." I asked if they took swab samples to submit to them and they looked at me like I was crazy. Asked what exactly the 4 of them were doing then, and they ignored me and left. Yeah.... Not suspect at all.

 

Photos from the canal tour. They're a dime a dozen when you walk into town.

[Sailing12Away]

More photos from today.

[UKstages]

3 hours ago, Sailing12Away said:

"CDC has mandated them to be off until they clear them for use." ... Yeah.... Not suspect at all.

 

i feel your pain.

 

the old "CDC" excuse.

 

why would the CDC shut down "private" hot tubs on stateroom balconies and not be concerned about the disease-filled cesspools on the public decks? (i kid, they are not - technically - cess pools; they are more like large circular repositories for diluted urine and spilled drinks.)

[Sailing12Away]

Goodbye Amsterdam, lots of river cruise ships here today.

[Grimix]

I admire your dedication to closing down the Haven bar. We only managed that a couple nights (only 5 day cruise though) last year. You have inspired me to step my game up in two weeks!

[Sailing12Away]

Dinner in Onda last night. My niece skipped dinner, we're all a bit under the weather with a cough. My home covid test came up negative at least. Everyone on the ship is coughing.

[Sailing12Away]

When in Brugges, beer. Long line to get to the free shuttle to leave the port. Then another line waiting for the cruise express bus (buy tickets ahead of time to skip another long line). ~20 min bus ride into City center, keep walking until you smell the chocolate.

[Sailing12Away]

Was able to flag down the 3:30 departure bus as it made the turn around the corner and hop on. So many beers, not nearly enough time.

 

On the way back to the port for the shuttle transfer to the ship.