Prima is definitely not for us

[kasimir]

16 minutes ago, Asawi said:

I have never been on Prima so I have no idea if the complaints are "valid" or not.

 

We have been on the Prima and while its not perfect and some of the complaints are valid, there are so many positives for us, that we actually really enjoyed our Prima cruise and booked another Prima cruise. My wife till today is still blown away and regularly talks about the huge balcony cabin size, dreams about the Indulge Food Hall (and its exceptional food quality) and beautiful and modern ship design and the ship being very stable in the water. 

And trust me, if my wife is happy and pleased, I am a very happy camper. 😂

 

Like you said, its all about the attitude at the end of the day. 

[PhillyTravelBug]

@kasimir  agree. I would like to try viva or later ship in a warmer weather climate. It has some issues, but enjoyed it overall.

[BirdTravels]

  

1 hour ago, kasimir said:

We try to prepare as good as possible and manage our expectations and make the most of it, because in the end of the day, since we work really hard and have busy lives the rest of the year, for us those vacation days themselves are a luxury in itself and we can only spend our vacation once. 

The challenge is that (1) people like to complain, many times without basis; but they are free to express their opinions (2) there is a lot of information on Cruise Critic that is not accurate (3) people who have never been on an NCL cruise or who have not cruised in many years seem to be the most vocal. So,,, just because it is on the internet, it does not make it real. 

 

Examples inaccurate information:

Donna Summer is a single person singing and it is a singing show

The MDR on the Prima has a fixed menu that does not change

 

We have cruised since the days of hard wooden loungers that had to be rented from the pool attendants, and you had to tip (***gasp***) a pool attendant to set them up. And I totally get it. People don't like change,,, ever. NCL has been a leader in the cruise industry to innovate to meet the desires of the contemporary cruisers, the millennials that will sustain the business for the decades to come. We embrace change. Some remember the uproar when chicken fingers were replaced with rotisserie chicken. Or when chicken noodle soup was replaced by Pho. Listening to people, you thought the cruise industry was going to go bankrupt because the deep fried fish sticks made of "fish parts" were replaced with filets of poached salmon. 

 

Book a cruise.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

Don't spend time "setting expectations for doom and gloom" because you will be hunting for faults during the cruise and ruining the cruise for everyone around you. 

 

You are booking a cruise on a middle-of-the-market cruise line. Not a cheap party boat. But, not a luxury cruise. There are other luxury cruise lines where you can spend 3x - 10x what you're paying for your NCL cruise. 

[Ozzieru1e]

5 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

  

The challenge is that (1) people like to complain, many times without basis; but they are free to express their opinions (2) there is a lot of information on Cruise Critic that is not accurate (3) people who have never been on an NCL cruise or who have not cruised in many years seem to be the most vocal. So,,, just because it is on the internet, it does not make it real. 

 

Examples inaccurate information:

Donna Summer is a single person singing and it is a singing show

The MDR on the Prima has a fixed menu that does not change

 

We have cruised since the days of hard wooden loungers that had to be rented from the pool attendants, and you had to tip (***gasp***) a pool attendant to set them up. And I totally get it. People don't like change,,, ever. NCL has been a leader in the cruise industry to innovate to meet the desires of the contemporary cruisers, the millennials that will sustain the business for the decades to come. We embrace change. Some remember the uproar when chicken fingers were replaced with rotisserie chicken. Or when chicken noodle soup was replaced by Pho. Listening to people, you thought the cruise industry was going to go bankrupt because the deep fried fish sticks made of "fish parts" were replaced with filets of poached salmon. 

 

Book a cruise.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

 

Don't spend time "setting expectations for doom and gloom" because you will be hunting for faults during the cruise and ruining the cruise for everyone around you. 

 

You are booking a cruise on a middle-of-the-market cruise line. Not a cheap party boat. But, not a luxury cruise. There are other luxury cruise lines where you can spend 3x - 10x what you're paying for your NCL cruise. 

Amen‼️

[DCGuy64]

6 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

The challenge is that (1) people like to complain, many times without basis; but they are free to express their opinions (2) there is a lot of information on Cruise Critic that is not accurate (3) people who have never been on an NCL cruise or who have not cruised in many years seem to be the most vocal. So,,, just because it is on the internet, it does not make it real. 

Well said! Some day I'd love to see a comprehensive list of all of the trivial things cruise lines changed over the years that people were just CERTAIN would be the end of them, and yet they're still here.

[RocketMan275]

7 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

  

The challenge is that (1) people like to complain, many times without basis; but they are free to express their opinions (2) there is a lot of information on Cruise Critic that is not accurate (3) people who have never been on an NCL cruise or who have not cruised in many years seem to be the most vocal. So,,, just because it is on the internet, it does not make it real. 

I suspect a lot of those 'complaints' are from those who are looking for compensation.  They complain here to see if someone with similar complaints have had luck with compensation.  Or, they're trying to build a case to go to the cruise line.  Or, they could just like to play "Ain't It Awful".

[DCGuy64]

1 minute ago, RocketMan275 said:

Or, they could just like to play "Ain't It Awful".

I chuckled at this one, @RocketMan275. That was one of my late mother's favorite expressions.

[BirdTravels]

11 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Well said! Some day I'd love to see a comprehensive list of all of the trivial things cruise lines changed over the years that people were just CERTAIN would be the end of them, and yet they're still here.

Royal has been a long-time "water park" hater. "You would never see a water slide on one of our ships". "We have a merry-go-round" and that's the most excitement people need." But they made a huge investment to add a large water park on CocoCay and their newest ships (which are about to book a trip to try) look like a floating water park. (I poke fun of Royal because we are Diamond members on RCCL also). I am older (o.k. just old) and less mobile, but can still make it up the stairs and enjoy a good water slide (after the kids have been down 2 dozen times and tired themselves out).

Edited October 2, 2023 by BirdTravels

[RocketMan275]

Just now, DCGuy64 said:

I chuckled at this one, @RocketMan275. That was one of my late mother's favorite expressions.

I first read it in an old book, "Games People Play".  

[DCGuy64]

3 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

I first read it in an old book, "Games People Play".  

My mom used to use it rather disparagingly when people who lived in relative ease and comfort found things to endlessly whine about, e.g. "they served us Dom Perignon in PLASTIC CUPS!"

Yeah, "ain't it awful"?

[FlGoodShips]

Since OP doesn't seem to like NCL...thats ok.

Thank you mscdivina.

More room for the rest of us on NCL.

[RocketMan275]

5 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

My mom used to use it rather disparagingly when people who lived in relative ease and comfort found things to endlessly whine about, e.g. "they served us Dom Perignon in PLASTIC CUPS!"

Yeah, "ain't it awful"?

Sounds like your mom has those who like to play Ain't it Awful figured out.

 

Here's the actual game:

The Game of Ain't It Awful

Another game that you hear many people play is called Ain't it Awful. The title pretty much sums it up. In playing this game you find two or more people who interact by complaining. Everything is bad. Nothing is good. The world is coming to an end and the sky is falling. Their conversation is simply talking about how bad it is. That is their goal and objective. If you would bring someone else in to the conversation and they pointed out something positive, or you decided to say something positive, the game would be derailed and the person who wanted to add a positive point would be excluded. This game is popular among those who love to complain.

 

When your Mom says "ain't it awful", she's making fun of those playing the game.

 

But that description does fit many of those complaining about things here on CC.

[FlGoodShips]

11 hours ago, ready2cruzagain said:

 

He didn't care for MSC either, complained a lot. I am thinking maybe Viking or Seabourne might be a better fit.

Agree. So don't cruise NCL...more room for the rest of us that love NCL.

p.s.  We really loved Prima last year.

[RD64]

35 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

I suspect a lot of those 'complaints' are from those who are looking for compensation.  They complain here to see if someone with similar complaints have had luck with compensation.  Or, they're trying to build a case to go to the cruise line.  Or, they could just like to play "Ain't It Awful".

Ain’t it Awful or the companion game - Woe is Me.

[ontheweb]

3 hours ago, FlGoodShips said:

Agree. So don't cruise NCL...more room for the rest of us that love NCL.

p.s.  We really loved Prima last year.

We loved the Prima this year.

[Anoynmous Phoenix]

In general I would agree with @mscdivina2016, we too will not cruise on the Prima again.    However as new Ambassadors we were treated royally.   Thank you to GM Dal and his secretary April.   It was also great meeting up again with Vikram and Will.

[Sailing12Away]

On 10/1/2023 at 3:16 AM, mscdivina2016 said:

Cruise was good, food was good but it's not our cup of tea Haven wise. We will definitely go back to the Breakaway class as we think it's a much better setup for us.

 

I just came off of Prima about 2 weeks ago, also sailed in the Haven. While it's not the ship for us, a lot of what you're saying is just plain wrong and not true. 

 

Our first few days were rainy and dreary, but other than struggling to find a seat in Indulge, the ship didn't feel crowded to us just because more folks were indoors than normal. I don't touch the buffets, but my niece/nephew had no problem going there to grab meals on their own. 

 

How can you say the Haven has no intimate seating areas? The entire Haven is all intimate seating now. Pockets of couches and chairs and quiet zones - so much so that folks like me who enjoy a good belly laugh late into the night are SOOL. Have you ever been on another ship in the Haven? For those who haven't - the bars there hold much less people and are typically hogged by people like myself who camp out there. This bar is huge in comparison, and most nights on my sailing I was sitting there practically alone with pics to prove it.

 

Outside of the last night of the cruise when the elevators were busy, we never waited more than a minute for those private elevators and 99% of the time had it all to ourselves. I'll gladly take a private elevator over stairs any day.

 

Food/snacks - are you talking about the Haven observation lounge on other ships? The whole reason we book Haven when we can is for those snacks to be brought to us in private to enjoy from our massive balcony without all the excess people around. If you want coffee first thing in the morning, just tell the butler to bring it directly to you so it's there when you wake up.

 

There's a lot of easy fixes for the things you're unhappy about, and many of the things you're unhappy about are not specific to Prima. By no means am I defending NCL, I'm actually quite salty about them for other reasons, but when people express their opinions and they're just factually wrong - it stinks to see because there's a lot of impressionable folks here who don't do their own research.

[Back to school]

4 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

My mom used to use it rather disparagingly when people who lived in relative ease and comfort found things to endlessly whine about, e.g. "they served us Dom Perignon in PLASTIC CUPS!"

Yeah, "ain't it awful"?

Not whining but, that’s disgrace NCL  disposable plastic cups!  

[Two Wheels Only]

5 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Some remember the uproar when chicken fingers were replaced with rotisserie chicken. Or when chicken noodle soup was replaced by Pho.

 

Is the forum due for another "Hot Dog Cart" thread? 😁

[laudergayle]

@mscdivina2016 you are entitled to your opinion.  Being on an NCL board there is going to be more “WHAT?!?!” comments.  IMO, we recently cruised MSC outside YC and I think NCL needs to take note.  We loved MSC experience/ value even though we were only in a Fantasia Balcony.  The YC is really a consideration, but we’ve not yet gotten to that level of attentiveness…however YC is certainly within our budget.

[DCGuy64]

12 hours ago, Back to school said:

Not whining but, that’s disgrace NCL  disposable plastic cups!  

Wasn't NCL, it was a whiny person on a FB group who was seated in Business Class on an airplane. What he didn't realize is that it's COMMON PRACTICE to serve drinks in Business Class before take-off, which it was. I'm just glad I don't have to live with entitled people like that.

[knitlady037]

On 10/2/2023 at 6:32 AM, david_sobe said:

Not every ship is for every person. It's ok.  One thing that I have always been curious about on these new NCL ships is how all Haven cabins are outside the Haven facilities and you must take an elevator to them.  NCL has always charged top dollar to stay inside the complex.  I would have to personally experience this to have an opinion.  Have they made the Haven so big that it defeats its own purpose?

that is my thought exactly! If I was in the Prima haven in weather like I had on last month's Escape cruise it would have not been enjoyable. Being able to relax in the haven courtyard was so much better than having to contend with the crowds inside due to bad weather. Fog and rain was so bad you could not see the ocean if you stood on your balcony and looked straight down. 

 

[skittl1321]

On 10/2/2023 at 8:40 PM, laudergayle said:

@mscdivina2016 you are entitled to your opinion.  Being on an NCL board there is going to be more “WHAT?!?!” comments.  IMO, we recently cruised MSC outside YC and I think NCL needs to take note.  We loved MSC experience/ value even though we were only in a Fantasia Balcony.  The YC is really a consideration, but we’ve not yet gotten to that level of attentiveness…however YC is certainly within our budget.

I booked MSC because it was pretty inexpensive and was ready for a really bad cruise (but a good way to get to the ports).  It was probably our best cruise, after the Celebrity Xpedition, which is really it's own category and not a big ship cruise. MSC blew us out of the water with their service, food, and entertainment.  We were just in regular cabins, not YC.  We will absolutely cruise with them again.

 

From the board here, it sounds like NCL will be horrible, and I've made a huge mistake, so I am also hoping to find that it is actually quite  fabulous. (Though I'm worried about lack of production shows. For some people, those don't matter, but for me, that makes the cruise.)

Edited October 4, 2023 by skittl1321

[uneamie]

I doubt I will ever be able to compare Haven experiences on these ships since they are way above our vacation budget....but we did do a balcony cabin on Prima in May. The ship itself is stunning...very beautiful. The outside spaces are also really lovely for warm weather sailing. I love the infinity pools. Food was exceptional in all venus...........and that's where my good points end. I was not empressed enough with the Prima in the entertainment area or the small inside spaces for so many people to ever go on her again. It was not my cup of tea....too many things I just did not like so I will leave it at that. 

[luckybecky]

@mscdivina2016 Sorry, don't want to hijack your thread but want to ask you a quick question and the CC private message function seems to be disabled. Could you please email me at ptn1 at aol dot com regarding the spreadsheets you created for March NCL Spirit South Pacific? I'd appreciate it.

 

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