Prima is definitely not for us

[ChiefMateJRK]

On 10/2/2023 at 12:54 PM, 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"?

This is funny.  I may start using that.  We live in a world of whiners, many who frequent this fine forum.

[Travel R]

I've been following this thread since I will be on Viva next year and guessing comments would be the same for both.  Personally, I chose cruises based on time of year, itinerary, and budget - the ship is usually a second thought when travelling with my kids when they were younger. Although was not using the ship to consider out next cruise, it being a "new" ship sounded like a bonus.  From what I hear so far, the main concerns are that the venues for entertainment and some of the restaurants were too small.  What I would like to hear from members are hints and tips on how to overcome these obstacles. For instance, will showing up at Indulge early or late be of help (it seems obvious, but maybe it is busy from the time it opens till it closes).  We are not in Haven, so being escorted to the front of the entertainment venues is not a helpful tip for me at this time (although may be for others) - but maybe provide a good time to get on line (e.g., "25 to 30 minutes beforehand is good, since at about 20 minutes to everyone and their aunt Suzie will arrive").  Thanks!

[ysolde]

1 minute ago, Travel R said:

I've been following this thread since I will be on Viva next year and guessing comments would be the same for both.  Personally, I chose cruises based on time of year, itinerary, and budget - the ship is usually a second thought when travelling with my kids when they were younger. Although was not using the ship to consider out next cruise, it being a "new" ship sounded like a bonus.  From what I hear so far, the main concerns are that the venues for entertainment and some of the restaurants were too small.  What I would like to hear from members are hints and tips on how to overcome these obstacles. For instance, will showing up at Indulge early or late be of help (it seems obvious, but maybe it is busy from the time it opens till it closes).  We are not in Haven, so being escorted to the front of the entertainment venues is not a helpful tip for me at this time (although may be for others) - but maybe provide a good time to get on line (e.g., "25 to 30 minutes beforehand is good, since at about 20 minutes to everyone and their aunt Suzie will arrive").  Thanks!

This.  DH and I will be on Viva next year, too, on a late, late season repositioning cruise, so perhaps the small-venue overcrowding will be less of an issue.  That having been said, I would be curious to hear how others have worked around these problems, and how NCL is working around these problems (if NCL perceives them as problems in the first place, of course).  I also wonder whether these perceptions are universal amongst those who have traveled on Prima/Viva, or whether others on CC have a different perspective. 

[HowardK]

This thread is very valuable to me as I have a deposit on the 11 night November 30th 2024 sailing from NYC to the Caribbean. This will be my first cruise in 6 years. It seems compared to other cruises I have been on , there will be a lack of entertainment (primarily Howl at the Moon, the District) but I was planning on getting either a Spa pass and/or Vibe Pass and taking whatever downtime to get through several books on my Kindle and listen to music.

 

I booked a balcony on the 11th deck that was near the elevator as I hate walking to them, I heard i shouldn't be a problem with noise. I am really looking forward to be able to visit the ports without having to fly to them as I did in the past.

 

I am gathering this is a better warm weather ship, and envision of course I could have ~ 1-2 days of chilly weather on the way back and down. 

For those of you that have been on this ship, are you going with the expectation for lack of a better term to not be wowed by entertainment/activites and just going to relax vs. other megaships in the past? 

[kasimir]

2 hours ago, HowardK said:

This thread is very valuable to me as I have a deposit on the 11 night November 30th 2024 sailing from NYC to the Caribbean. This will be my first cruise in 6 years. It seems compared to other cruises I have been on , there will be a lack of entertainment (primarily Howl at the Moon, the District) but I was planning on getting either a Spa pass and/or Vibe Pass and taking whatever downtime to get through several books on my Kindle and listen to music.

 

I booked a balcony on the 11th deck that was near the elevator as I hate walking to them, I heard i shouldn't be a problem with noise. I am really looking forward to be able to visit the ports without having to fly to them as I did in the past.

 

I am gathering this is a better warm weather ship, and envision of course I could have ~ 1-2 days of chilly weather on the way back and down. 

For those of you that have been on this ship, are you going with the expectation for lack of a better term to not be wowed by entertainment/activites and just going to relax vs. other megaships in the past? 

 

We have been on the Prima in May cruising from NYC to Iceland and had a great time, even though the weather was cold once we got to Iceland. 

While there are certain issues with the Prima/Viva, there are a lot of positives on this ship and for us a big positive was the very spacious and modern cabin, that are in our opinion one of the best in the entire industry. I will not list all of the pros/cons as these were brought forward many times already, but I want to mention one very important thing since you mention that you haven't cruised in 6 years. 

In general I would highly recommend that you manage your expectations as a lot has changed in the cruise industry in general, not only with the new Prima/Viva, not only with NCL, but really the entire cruise industry! 

You can hear complaints about cutbacks and cost-savings on all the major cruise lines, not only NCL. 

 

Try to keep checking the prices of your cruise and have NCL reprice (prior to final payment) your cruise, so you pay the lowest price possible. Enjoy your cruise and have a great time, but try to manage your expectations and enjoy the positives on that ship. 😃

[fandangocruiser]

On 10/1/2023 at 3:47 PM, UKstages said:

the NCL cutbacks are more severe than i had thought. i’m glad i saw the show with a full cast. this makes me a little leery of my upcoming voyage on the joy. i guess i will just have to be prepared for only one “element.” i pity the fools on the bliss and breakaway who are being forced to watch “one” instead of “six.” going on the encore or the escape? better get used to “solo of man.”

What about the million dollar quartet?  Or the Jersey Boy...

[fandangocruiser]

On 10/2/2023 at 1:41 AM, ready2cruzagain said:

 

I remember those days! Back in the late 90s and early 2000's I remember they would wheel out several large round kettle charcoal grills by the pool area and have a big party. It was fun to watch and delicious. I think the last time I seen it was in 2005 on the Dream.

We started cruising with NCL in 2010, and have seen a couple of cookouts with salmon and chicken by the pool.  It was fun.

 

[UKstages]

20 hours ago, HowardK said:

For those of you that have been on this ship, are you going with the expectation for lack of a better term to not be wowed by entertainment/activites and just going to relax vs. other megaships in the past? 

you may benefit from reading this comprehensive review, which details the ship’s many delights and considerable failings…

 

 

12 hours ago, fandangocruiser said:

What about the million dollar quartet?

now, due to NCL cutbacks, reduced to the hundred thousand dollar trio.
 

sad.
 

[laudergayle]

On 10/6/2023 at 2:14 PM, Travel R said:

From what I hear so far, the main concerns are that the venues for entertainment and some of the restaurants were too small.  What I would like to hear from members are hints and tips on how to overcome these obstacles. For instance, will showing up at Indulge early or late be of help (it seems obvious, but maybe it is busy from the time it opens till it closes).  We are not in Haven, so being escorted to the front of the entertainment venues is not a helpful tip for me at this time (although may be for others) - but maybe provide a good time to get on line

We sailed Prima first week of May from NYC to Bermuda.  We didn’t find it difficult to see and do what we wanted.  Buffet tip…go to the very back of the buffet, there is typically fewer people there. Also that is where the grill area is for quick burgers, fries.  Grab a table before you get your food and take turns.  
 

indulge…we found later was better.  The Local, we ate lunch there twice.  Both times given rattlers…never waited more than 5 mins to be seated.  Hudson’s for breakfast…get there by 8:15-8:30 to avoid a wait.  
 

Entertainment…make reservations for Donna Summer snd Price is Right, which can be done on app 26-21 days before based on status.  Onboard, check the dailies…there will be a table setup on day of show in atrium to get your PIR name tags. Be sure to get your keycard scanned upon entering the theater…this is how they randomly select contestants.

 

Other shows in theater without reservations…get there around 15-20 mins before showtime.  We liked to enter on Deck 6, port side. Fewer people go there and there is a bar right inside once the doors open.  

 

The chairs by the windows at Starbucks are awesome…just stand around for several minutes…we thought the turnover was pretty good and loved the view.  The observation lounge…nit so much.  I think those people had roots.

 

if it’s cool and windy, and you want a quick drink, the Waves Pool bar on Deck 17 (near the Observation Lounge) was never busy.

 

Finally, I highly recommend a cabin that uses the forward elevators.  There are more of them with fewer people.  It conveniently drops you in the atrium.  
 

@HowardK some info for you.  Also, our first two days from NYC were windy and rough seas.  Everyone was mostly inside but it didn’t feel overly crowded.  The boat does rock in rough seas…and creaks and cracks.  
 

IMO, Prima had way more to like than dislike.

 

Happy cruising.
 

 

 

 

[Travel R]

2 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

We sailed Prima first week of May from NYC to Bermuda.  We didn’t find it difficult to see and do what we wanted.  Buffet tip…go to the very back of the buffet, there is typically fewer people there. Also that is where the grill area is for quick burgers, fries.  Grab a table before you get your food and take turns.  
 

indulge…we found later was better.  The Local, we ate lunch there twice.  Both times given rattlers…never waited more than 5 mins to be seated.  Hudson’s for breakfast…get there by 8:15-8:30 to avoid a wait.  
 

Entertainment…make reservations for Donna Summer snd Price is Right, which can be done on app 26-21 days before based on status.  Onboard, check the dailies…there will be a table setup on day of show in atrium to get your PIR name tags. Be sure to get your keycard scanned upon entering the theater…this is how they randomly select contestants.

 

Other shows in theater without reservations…get there around 15-20 mins before showtime.  We liked to enter on Deck 6, port side. Fewer people go there and there is a bar right inside once the doors open.  

 

The chairs by the windows at Starbucks are awesome…just stand around for several minutes…we thought the turnover was pretty good and loved the view.  The observation lounge…nit so much.  I think those people had roots.

 

if it’s cool and windy, and you want a quick drink, the Waves Pool bar on Deck 17 (near the Observation Lounge) was never busy.

 

Finally, I highly recommend a cabin that uses the forward elevators.  There are more of them with fewer people.  It conveniently drops you in the atrium.  
 

@HowardK some info for you.  Also, our first two days from NYC were windy and rough seas.  Everyone was mostly inside but it didn’t feel overly crowded.  The boat does rock in rough seas…and creaks and cracks.  
 

IMO, Prima had way more to like than dislike.

 

Happy cruising.
 

 

 

 

Thank you very much for these tips - they will come in useful.  Luckily, we are already booked towards forward.  Thanks again!

[Beer Belly]

16 hours ago, laudergayle said:

We sailed Prima first week of May from NYC to Bermuda. 

 

 

 

 

Being you were first week in May, we were May 7th, when did they start work on the Pool ?....we embarked and didn't have a Pool till day 5. Also, did you have two working Hot Tubs ?.

[laudergayle]

1 hour ago, Beer Belly said:

Being you were first week in May, we were May 7th, when did they start work on the Pool ?....we embarked and didn't have a Pool till day 5. Also, did you have two working Hot Tubs ?.

We had the pool and the hot tubs were working, although we didn’t use either since we thought it was cold and windy.

[BirdTravels]

On 10/8/2023 at 4:59 PM, HowardK said:

This thread is very valuable to me as I have a deposit on the 11 night November 30th 2024 sailing from NYC to the Caribbean. This will be my first cruise in 6 years. It seems compared to other cruises I have been on , there will be a lack of entertainment (primarily Howl at the Moon, the District) but I was planning on getting either a Spa pass and/or Vibe Pass and taking whatever downtime to get through several books on my Kindle and listen to music.

 

I booked a balcony on the 11th deck that was near the elevator as I hate walking to them, I heard i shouldn't be a problem with noise. I am really looking forward to be able to visit the ports without having to fly to them as I did in the past.

 

I am gathering this is a better warm weather ship, and envision of course I could have ~ 1-2 days of chilly weather on the way back and down. 

For those of you that have been on this ship, are you going with the expectation for lack of a better term to not be wowed by entertainment/activites and just going to relax vs. other megaships in the past? 

At the end of the day, there is nothing different here than any other cruise ship on a mass market line. 
 

We have sailed on the Prima twice and will be on the Viva shortly. 
 

Like any other ship, show up early for shows for the best seating. Common sense. 
 

The show rooms are “right sized”’for the ship size. The comedy clubs on Oasis class ships with double the passengers are not that much bigger (150 seats for 6000 passengers versus 100 on the Viva with 3000 passengers). Show up at peak time for any dining room on any ship, expect to wait. 
 

I found the entertainment on the Prima to be ok. And reviewing dailies from the current Viva cruises, I am excited. I am especially excited about all of the theater Club nights which were fun on both of our Prima cruises. 
 

There is really no such thing as a warm weather ship. Yes, the Viva has the most outside space per passengers any contemporary cruise ship. Similarly, if it is cold, you stay inside (or in the thermal suite in our case). Does the inside of any cruise ship get crowded when it is cold, yup. 

[mscdivina2016]

OP here.

 

Finally read through the posts here as I have a sea day. Currently on the Regal Princess transatlantic sailing.

 

As I originally stated the Prima is not for us. I will try to address many of the things I have read here .  First is my CC user name .  In the old days here I would change it constantly for the next sailing I would run a meet & greet for . When they stopped that, this is what I was stuck with 🙂

 

  In the last 2 years I have done 7 MSC yacht club sailings, 4 NCL Haven sailings and 2 Princess suite sailings including the one I am on right now.

 I mentioned the intimacy of the Haven, I was not referring to the bar but the lack of an enclave. If you have sailed Prima you know it's not like the other class ships surrounding the pool area.  3 decks of Haven suites with the top deck having the amenities. The lack of stairs cut back on our exercise that we forced ourselves to do.

 Our sailing was to a cold climate which made the use of outdoor amenities not feasible. They did not even uncover the loungers.

 My mention of no grill was a throw back to the old days of something I wish they had when they would do grill days on the pool deck. MSC does have food service on the pool deck but no grill days.

 Entertainment....I have posted a pic here.  If you look at it we had a 14 night cruise but that's all for entertainment with a repeat so others can see. As far as being in the Haven, I am not lining up 45 minutes prior for anything. I think that's stupid for the price versus other accommodations. Is it so hard to get a number of those who want to attend and reserve a few rows? But just my opinion.

 Donna Summer show I mentioned one singer. I was referring to past shows on other ships that have up to 4 singers at once. We walked out of the show after 10 minutes due to it not being what "we" liked .  I know the show was through the years.

 

 Having music shows in the Tiny Sid Norman is a joke for those that have sailed Prima. I would be interested in knowing if anyone actually liked that especially having to line up a half hour early .

 A ship not having a regular dance floor is again something "we" don't care for. MSC has at least one plus one in Yacht club. Princess has it's Piazza which has been packed with Ballroom dancers each evening.

 

 Food availability on this class of ship for Haven guests is almost non existent. Even on Princess right now we have a Concierge lounge with food and snacks 24 hours a day. Even a happy hour from 5-7.

 I took a look at the buffet cluster and the food court area and both were packed area we did not want to deal with .

 Getting dinner in our cabin was too much effort apparently as well as getting other items in a timely manner after we woke up. I am not filling out a card the night before as I don't know what time I am getting up.  What good is a butler if you can't bring a pot of coffee when I call? Because they are just room stewards with a title to make everyone feel important.

Like someone who is a sandwich artist??? They work at Subway. Lol. My nephew works there and that is what he is called.

 

 On this ship being in Haven had no real perks. Even my suite on Princess right now is much nicer. I thought my Encore suite was nicer as well. 

 

Everyone has different likes and dislikes, needs,wants, and wishes. This class of ship is not ours but we love the others not just on NCL but other lines.

 

 

 

 

[cruiseny4life]

8 hours ago, mscdivina2016 said:

OP here.

 

Finally read through the posts here as I have a sea day. Currently on the Regal Princess transatlantic sailing.

 

As I originally stated the Prima is not for us. I will try to address many of the things I have read here .  First is my CC user name .  In the old days here I would change it constantly for the next sailing I would run a meet & greet for . When they stopped that, this is what I was stuck with 🙂

 

  In the last 2 years I have done 7 MSC yacht club sailings, 4 NCL Haven sailings and 2 Princess suite sailings including the one I am on right now.

 I mentioned the intimacy of the Haven, I was not referring to the bar but the lack of an enclave. If you have sailed Prima you know it's not like the other class ships surrounding the pool area.  3 decks of Haven suites with the top deck having the amenities. The lack of stairs cut back on our exercise that we forced ourselves to do.

 Our sailing was to a cold climate which made the use of outdoor amenities not feasible. They did not even uncover the loungers.

 My mention of no grill was a throw back to the old days of something I wish they had when they would do grill days on the pool deck. MSC does have food service on the pool deck but no grill days.

 Entertainment....I have posted a pic here.  If you look at it we had a 14 night cruise but that's all for entertainment with a repeat so others can see. As far as being in the Haven, I am not lining up 45 minutes prior for anything. I think that's stupid for the price versus other accommodations. Is it so hard to get a number of those who want to attend and reserve a few rows? But just my opinion.

 Donna Summer show I mentioned one singer. I was referring to past shows on other ships that have up to 4 singers at once. We walked out of the show after 10 minutes due to it not being what "we" liked .  I know the show was through the years.

 

 Having music shows in the Tiny Sid Norman is a joke for those that have sailed Prima. I would be interested in knowing if anyone actually liked that especially having to line up a half hour early .

 A ship not having a regular dance floor is again something "we" don't care for. MSC has at least one plus one in Yacht club. Princess has it's Piazza which has been packed with Ballroom dancers each evening.

 

 Food availability on this class of ship for Haven guests is almost non existent. Even on Princess right now we have a Concierge lounge with food and snacks 24 hours a day. Even a happy hour from 5-7.

 I took a look at the buffet cluster and the food court area and both were packed area we did not want to deal with .

 Getting dinner in our cabin was too much effort apparently as well as getting other items in a timely manner after we woke up. I am not filling out a card the night before as I don't know what time I am getting up.  What good is a butler if you can't bring a pot of coffee when I call? Because they are just room stewards with a title to make everyone feel important.

Like someone who is a sandwich artist??? They work at Subway. Lol. My nephew works there and that is what he is called.

 

 On this ship being in Haven had no real perks. Even my suite on Princess right now is much nicer. I thought my Encore suite was nicer as well. 

 

Everyone has different likes and dislikes, needs,wants, and wishes. This class of ship is not ours but we love the others not just on NCL but other lines.

 

 

 

 

I'm going to be cruising on Pr1ma, in the Haven, next month. I appreciated reading your comments. I'll be honest - I shook my head a few times, because I didn't think things were quite as bad as you said. This post helped to provide the detail to your initial post. I don't think I'll mind Donna Summer and I'm looking forward to Indulge! 

 

I'm also looking forward to my butler providing room service - I'm thinking Indulge here as I don't want to stand in line. Also, if the Haven Restaurant requires sneakers, instead of flippy floppies, I may be ordering a lot of meals to my room. The butler will provide that service to me as I paid for it. Your comments (and others) make me a little worried I'll have to fight for that service, but entitled me is going to get what I paid for. 

 

45 minutes before shows is ridiculous. I agree. I've used the service. And, I will use it on Pr1ma, but it should not be like this. MSC's way of reserving seats (even if off to the side) is better. 

 

I, for one, appreciate you posting your thoughts and observations on Pr1ma. Personally, I hope I can come back and say you were wrong, but I'm afraid I'll come back and agree with much of what you say. 

[luv2kroooz]

On 10/10/2023 at 9:02 AM, BirdTravels said:

 Does the inside of any cruise ship get crowded when it is cold, yup. 

You've missed the point. The point is that  inside spaces on Prima and Viva feel significantly more crowded in cold weather on a comparative basis due to the poor design of this class of ship. So, yes, Gem, Pearl, and Jewel also get crowded when the weather is cold, yet their design handles passenger flow much better than Viva/Prima, leading to a better passenger experience.

[desibee]

I agree that lining up to see the show in Syd Norman's for half an hour (or sometimes an hour on Prom Night!) is irritating and takes away from the enjoyment of the show.  Especially if it turns out that you won't even get a good seat after all that lining up and waiting.  If they want the Syd Norman Band shows to be in that intimate setting then they should require reservations.  Otherwise, acknowledge that it's a super popular show and change the venue to accommodate the large numbers.  Or put the Syd Norman shows on at the same time as theater productions so it splits the audience.

 

I also agree that the Haven is not worth it on any class of NCL ship.  If I'm paying that much for a cruise, I'll sail with Regent and make it a truly all-inclusive experience.

 

It sounds like the main draw of the Prima is the cabin and ship design and the food.  A warm weather itinerary in a normal balcony cabin just might solve a lot of these problems, apart from the issue of Syd's being too small for its audience.

[Back to school]

11 minutes ago, desibee said:

I agree that lining up to see the show in Syd Norman's for half an hour (or sometimes an hour on Prom Night!) is irritating and takes away from the enjoyment of the show.  Especially if it turns out that you won't even get a good seat after all that lining up and waiting.  If they want the Syd Norman Band shows to be in that intimate setting then they should require reservations.  Otherwise, acknowledge that it's a super popular show and change the venue to accommodate the large numbers.  Or put the Syd Norman shows on at the same time as theater productions so it splits the audience.

 

I also agree that the Haven is not worth it on any class of NCL ship.  If I'm paying that much for a cruise, I'll sail with Regent and make it a truly all-inclusive experience.

 

It sounds like the main draw of the Prima is the cabin and ship design and the food.  A warm weather itinerary in a normal balcony cabin just might solve a lot of these problems, apart from the issue of Syd's being too small for its audience.

100% agreement!

[UKstages]

3 hours ago, desibee said:

Otherwise, acknowledge that it's a super popular show and change the venue to accommodate the large numbers.

 

it's been said many times, many ways, but this can not be done.

 

at least in the short-term. 

 

the show is a property which has been licensed by NCL. part of the agreement is that the show must be presented in the club named after its fictitious founder. the creators (rightly, in my opinion) believe that part of the syd's magic is the intimate venue. place it in a larger theatre and it loses that special something. so they say. (i agree.)

 

it could conceivably happen if NCL renegotiates the contract to allow the show to be performed in larger venues. but be careful what you wish for. anybody who has seen "the beatles" in the theatre (which is allowed), as opposed to the "cavern club" knows that it's a very different show. 

[desibee]

8 hours ago, Back to school said:

If they want the Syd Norman Band shows to be in that intimate setting then they should require reservations.

Not to repeat myself but...

[seemoreroyals]

5 hours ago, UKstages said:

 

it's been said many times, many ways, but this can not be done.

 

at least in the short-term. 

 

the show is a property which has been licensed by NCL. part of the agreement is that the show must be presented in the club named after its fictitious founder. the creators (rightly, in my opinion) believe that part of the syd's magic is the intimate venue. place it in a larger theatre and it loses that special something. so they say. (i agree.)

 

it could conceivably happen if NCL renegotiates the contract to allow the show to be performed in larger venues. but be careful what you wish for. anybody who has seen "the beatles" in the theatre (which is allowed), as opposed to the "cavern club" knows that it's a very different show. 

 

We have seen the Syd Norman shows on other ships and they are very entertaining.  Maybe they should show their shows on the entertainment replay channel they have in the cabins.  Not everyone is up to waiting in line. The shows there are very good. 

 

That way more people could get a glimpse of the shows at Syd Normans. 

 

Looking forward to seeing the Prima version of the Syd Norman shows in December.  Not looking forward to waiting in line but it is what it is.  Same issue with Cavern Club shows we have been to.

[ontheweb]

Did not wait in line for the Syd Norman shows on our Prima cruise. Only got a seat once, but even that time I decided to stand as one should move their old body to Rock and Roll.

 

In fact, for the first show we got there after they started and still got in.

 

And BTW, after the last show, I got to talk to 2 of them telling them some of my experiences at the original Woodstock festival.

[Cruising Lynne]

47 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

Did not wait in line for the Syd Norman shows on our Prima cruise. Only got a seat once, but even that time I decided to stand as one should move their old body to Rock and Roll.

 

In fact, for the first show we got there after they started and still got in.

 

And BTW, after the last show, I got to talk to 2 of them telling them some of my experiences at the original Woodstock festival.

Totally agree about standing at a Rock and Roll club. Did the people who complain about not getting seats at Syd's not ever go out on land? It would be nice if the venues were bigger, but I still would not expect to get a seat unless I was very early. That said, I rarely go to anything at Syd's or Cavern Club. I just do not like to be in a tight crowd anymore. I like ships that have a Spinnaker lounge for the bands as it gives people more room to spread out. 

 

Prima may not be for everyone, but I really enjoyed my cruise on that ship. We were lucky to get to see Noise Boys in addition to the Donna Summer musical. Really enjoyed how the theater turned into a big club for dance parties. Did not attempt to go to the comedy club. and only saw inside Syd's on the first day.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, Cruising Lynne said:

Totally agree about standing at a Rock and Roll club. Did the people who complain about not getting seats at Syd's not ever go out on land? It would be nice if the venues were bigger, but I still would not expect to get a seat unless I was very early. That said, I rarely go to anything at Syd's or Cavern Club. I just do not like to be in a tight crowd anymore. I like ships that have a Spinnaker lounge for the bands as it gives people more room to spread out. 

 

Prima may not be for everyone, but I really enjoyed my cruise on that ship. We were lucky to get to see Noise Boys in addition to the Donna Summer musical. Really enjoyed how the theater turned into a big club for dance parties. Did not attempt to go to the comedy club. and only saw inside Syd's on the first day.

Of all the first world problems, having to stand up for rock and roll might be the most ridiculous.

 

And Syds is geared to a small venue experience. The interaction the singers have with the audience would just not work the same in a large theater venue.

[PATRLR]

On 10/10/2023 at 9:02 AM, BirdTravels said:

The comedy clubs on Oasis class ships with double the passengers are not that much bigger (150 seats for 6000 passengers versus 100 on the Viva with 3000 passengers).

Do you have anything to support your claim that the comedy club on Viva seats 100?  I hope it does as that would be an improvement over Prima.  This is a good picture of Prima's club, at best I see about 68 seats (assuming shoulder to shoulder on the wall bench).  No way there is 100 seats there. https://www.cruisedeckplans.com/DP/deckplans/shiptour.php?r=12664

And do we really want to start comparing entertainment options (options, not just venues) on Oasis-class ships vs *any* NCL ship, especially what I am reading about Prima?  Oasis may be twice the size of Prima/Viva but I'd be willing to bet it has 3 times (or more) options on any given evening.  And if you were to actually count seats in those options, I am confident the ratio is much bigger.

 

Edited October 12, 2023 by PATRLR