Prima TA Semi-Live 11 Days to NY from Spain, 4+ days @Barcelona from JFK ... land/cruise early Thanksgiving vacation

[Rockyhill]

7 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

Nope, not yet - perhaps on/after Dec 1st ... this is what the Penrose Atrium 6.7.8 looked like - busy & packed rather full 

 

 

Music for Bonfires by Shane ... 

 

 

 

 

55 MB musical video clips - 21 secs long took too long to upload, cancelled & please ignore 

 

 

7 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

Nope, not yet - perhaps on/after Dec 1st ... this is what the Penrose Atrium 6.7.8 looked like - busy & packed rather full 

 

 

Music for Bonfires by Shane ... 

 

 

 

 

55 MB musical video clips - 21 secs long took too long to upload, cancelled & please ignore 

 

Looks like he drew a crowd, is he staying on?

[seemoreroyals]

Have you had a chance to listen the band Familiar Strangers?  I have heard they are pretty good .  I noticed they are listed as the party band in the freestyle daily day 9 you just posted.  

[mking8288]

Just now, Rockyhill said:

Looks like he drew a crowd, is he staying on?

I'll need to find out, the crowd are out in force into the late evening, no matter what - the lounges & clubs were packed full, standing room only ... For the Caribbean & Mexico leg, I am afraid the pool & buffet will be overrun by "mobs" & don't think there'll be enough loungers for all the hogs to reserve 🙄

 

Just now, Rockyhill said:

... we don’t want you to be 😴😴😴 during our cruise.

With Ross taking charge of the M&M for me, you in command of the Slot Pull next week & Peter handling the Cabin Crawl ... I am relieved 😆  Don't worry, we got an extra hour to sleep in tonight and Wednesday night to adjust to EDT.   

 

Are you flying into NY early ?  Same goes for Ross & Runner Paula - although they are a short flight if their home airport is ORD.  

[Rockyhill]

8 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

I'll need to find out, the crowd are out in force into the late evening, no matter what - the lounges & clubs were packed full, standing room only ... For the Caribbean & Mexico leg, I am afraid the pool & buffet will be overrun by "mobs" & don't think there'll be enough loungers for all the hogs to reserve 🙄

 

With Ross taking charge of the M&M for me, you in command of the Slot Pull next week & Peter handling the Cabin Crawl ... I am relieved 😆  Don't worry, we got an extra hour to sleep in tonight and Wednesday night to adjust to EDT.   

 

Are you flying into NY early ?  Same goes for Ross & Runner Paula - although they are a short flight if their home airport is ORD.  

Not early, flying in Thursday night 7:30 arr. to LGA. Taking Uber around 9:30am Friday. Being a western country boy, not a fan of concrete and asphalt communities, since my oil well didn’t come in! Pdx, Denver and Lga look like no weather problems this week🤗

[mking8288]

3 hours ago, dexddd said:

Our trip to there for lunch was hurry up, seat us, got seat by doors to kitchen.  Menu looked good but can you say slow.  Officer noticed, apologized, nothing changed ... something wrong.

Giving them another chance tomorrow to redeem themselves.  Yeah, they seemed to want or signal to everyone to leave ASAP by coming by to collect the plates, bowls & cups, etc. just short of doing the cleaning & sanitizing spray in front of our faces. BTW, it is washy washy on your own, 95% of the passengers didn't bother ... nevermind hand wash.  Fingers crossed we don't have a norovirus outbreak.

 

Odd thing, with lots ?? of new & inexperienced crew on the job, more crew members below deck - during the BTS tour - smiled, say hello or do the greetings as per NCL training & customer service protocols ... the 2 bankers, retired VP and branch managers observed themselves & concurred. 

 

Among themselves & with passengers nearby in public area, they seemed to have no problems laughing, joking around and being talkative ... not an across the board observation, but enough to be noticed after being onboard for 7 to 8 days.

[mking8288]

@PistolPete13 I don't think you are looking for these, nothing else in the gift shop. 

 

 

Found the "essentials" sort of hidden, NCL rather showcase tax & duty-free high end goods onboard ... LV bags, anyone 😵‍💫 

 

 

[bedfordmom]

Never understood the lack of gift shop items fleet wide.  Wouldn’t you think NCL would make a killing if they had decent items for sale?

[mking8288]

Onda (SD) dinner this evening - Voucher gets 1 appetizer/starter and 1 entree plus dessert. SD package gets 2 appetizers/starters. 

 

6 appetizers/salads shared by 4, plus 4 entrees and dessert, coffee included and no extra charge. The nearly somewhat identical items, we feel, are better than La Cucina.  A busy night and somewhat noisy, tables & chairs tightly spaced next to each other - place was full. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 28, 2023 by mking8288

[mking8288]

 

 

Good morning, sunrise was around 6:30 - a bit cloudy, windy outside, rain, sea swell and waves probably at to above 10 to 12 ft. - being midship & lower on Deck 9, still fairly smooth for us. On a 260 heading at 12 knots (slow) with sea depth at 5,000 meters. No navigational details from ship's channel.  Windy App suggesting this to ease up in a couple of hours ... no worries, fairly common for the North Atlantic, anytime of the year. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 28, 2023 by mking8288

[mking8288]

Quick dash to grab some items for a continental breakfast on the (wet) balcony watching the ocean as waves & sea state begin to ease, and the sky is brighter than earlier. 

 

 

 

Looking at port side, stern or back of the Prima as our cruise speed is back up to 17 knots. 

 

 

 

Official Bermuda weather & marine forecast ahead - advantage of being "not" disconnected with smartphone & iPad or tablet powered off & put away 😎🤓 

 

Pixel 4a 5G still on a different time zone 🫢

Edited November 28, 2023 by mking8288

[mking8288]

Info only items from the Freestyle Dailies - Day 9 Tuesday

 

 

Captain's 10 AM briefing, currently about 250 nm to Bermuda (should be early to one-time arrival) depending on tides & pilot scheduling into Dockyard, sea state & waves on the higher end.  Waves at 5 ft. and expecting rain & windy later tonight, waves to 3 m or 10 ft.  Temperature around 70 deg F & sun/clouds. 

 

[mking8288]

23 hours ago, seemoreroyals said:

 

Agree with others.  They need to change the type of furniture in the observation lounges to discourage use by homeless people.

Such behavior is not accepted & not sanctioned but ... noticed the written rules posted in the FSD

 

Footnote - OL: ... footwear must be worn at all times. Socks or stocking must be worn when lying on chaise loungers and couches. 

 

#cough #cough - call security 🤧🫢😤😷 aside from being inconsiderate, selfish & disrespectful - behavior also pose health hazards.  I say, spray it in between the hogs or maybe while they are occupying and claiming the loungers. 

 

Seriously, plain annoying - will have another walk-thru again sometime today. 

 

[dexddd]

Unless GA could cross dock some hash browns there is hope.  Looks like MSC Mera due in Bermuda tomorrow at 11.  Was on Mera a month ago and had six, round, hot, greasy pucks over ten days with ketchup.  It was actually only over three breakfasts as we slept in except the shorex days.  Even had them at buffet but not coveted like lobster used to be on NCL on the old seafood night.

 

I don't think I have seen beans yet.

 

Meanwhile, back in the US the McRib is back, for our convenience, of course, limited time.  I've had four thus far all Ala carte, no dining plan limit to 1+1+1 or 1+1+1+1 or whatever the staff makes up at that moment.
 

Note Mera not related to Prima but to Epic.  I could probably get my peeps on the Mera to do a mercy aid mission of hash browns to sail and sustain those in a bind.

[dexddd]

Meant to ask, has the engineering staff noticed the excessive Amp draw in your room?  Have you seen any brown outs or incurred a peak period extra fee?

[cruiseny4life]

Just now, dexddd said:

Unless GA could cross dock some hash browns there is hope.  Looks like MSC Mera due in Bermuda tomorrow at 11.  Was on Mera a month ago and had six, round, hot, greasy pucks over ten days with ketchup.  It was actually only over three breakfasts as we slept in except the shorex days.  Even had them at buffet but not coveted like lobster used to be on NCL on the old seafood night.

 

I don't think I have seen beans yet.

 

Meanwhile, back in the US the McRib is back, for our convenience, of course, limited time.  I've had four thus far all Ala carte, no dining plan limit to 1+1+1 or 1+1+1+1 or whatever the staff makes up at that moment.
 

Note Mera not related to Prima but to Epic.  I could probably get my peeps on the Mera to do a mercy aid mission of hash browns to sail and sustain those in a bind.

11 AM? My aunt is onboard. When I booked the cruise and printed her e-tickets, it said 9:30. Has something changed? They are normal cruisers, so no updates from them. Probably wouldn't even know what Cruise Critic is. 

 

Hash browns! Yes please...Walmart of the Seas can provide hash browns. Too rich for Norwegian. 🤪

[cruiseny4life]

11 hours ago, Rockyhill said:

 

Looks like he drew a crowd, is he staying on?

I've tried listening to Shane three times. He knows the old school songs well and does draw quite the crowd. No modern music though, but it seems most customers want more Eagles and Beetles than Gaga and The Weeknd. Ill continue popping in my headphones. 

[mking8288]

Indulge  - we ordered another international feast again, successfully - no food police ban for us 😁😂😆 

 

Ordering at noon, actually permitted a few minutes early - ordering with the point & click with photo illustrations being helpful ... a matter of time we'll see AI robotic food services onboard 🫢

 

Ocean Walk, starboard side being pretty empty ... after nearly an hour, 2 blue towel lost its claim against 2 sun loungers outside when a crew came around to remove it, and turn them around, for others to claim & use it. 

 

 

 

Lunch is here - quickly arrived once "sent"

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 28, 2023 by mking8288

[mking8288]

Next assignment - check out the OL via the pools ... buzzing with folks, shoulder to shoulder 😁 

 

 

 

[mking8288]

Candidates for the "Shame on you / them" Hall of Fame nominations by NY's ABC Ch.7 News ...  just kidding, but these folks are being showcased on Cruise Critic - thankfully, it's not going on TikTok, IG and/or other social media platform or X. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

🙄 Ding Ding Ding -  today's Norwegian Prima candid undercover snapshot winner goes to this cruiser with her husband being the attendant, F&B runner and bouncer against others looking for 2 empty seats

 

Edited November 28, 2023 by mking8288

[mking8288]

Time to resume positive live posts - fair & balanced casual reporting from the OL - the bathroom has a great gigantic view of the ocean, next to the starboard OL entrance ... for men - reminds me of those suites (see next pictures)

👌

 

 

 

 

Seating is available, port side 👍

We just scored a semi-private spot for 4 ... afternoon high tea coming up in about 35 minutes, crews getting ready with the set-up 🤗 

 

 

Edited November 28, 2023 by mking8288

[Trappedontheboat]

34 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

Candidates for the "Shame on you / them" Hall of Fame nominations by NY's ABC Ch.7 News ...  just kidding, but these folks are being showcased on Cruise Critic - thankfully, it's not going on TikTok, IG and/or other social media platform or X. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

🙄 Ding Ding Ding -  today's Norwegian Prima candid undercover snapshot winner goes to this cruiser with her husband being the attendant, F&B runner and bouncer against others looking for 2 empty seats

 

Just think: there are people out there that would worship these pics, why would not you use this to your advantage and make some 🤑

[Rockyhill]

24 minutes ago, Trappedontheboat said:

Just think: there are people out there that would worship these pics, why would not you use this to your advantage and make some 🤑

 

24 minutes ago, Trappedontheboat said:

Just think: there are people out there that would worship these pics, why would not you use this to your advantage and make some 🤑

 

1 hour ago, mking8288 said:

Candidates for the "Shame on you / them" Hall of Fame nominations by NY's ABC Ch.7 News ...  just kidding, but these folks are being showcased on Cruise Critic - thankfully, it's not going on TikTok, IG and/or other social media platform or X. 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                             👣

🙄 Ding Ding Ding -  today's Norwegian Prima candid undercover snapshot winner goes to this cruiser with her husband being the attendant, F&B runner and bouncer against others looking for 2 empty seats

👣

Henry, I can’t believe you found the notorious four footed 👣Yeti👣. I hear they stink🦨 coming and going. Or is it they think they don’t stink🦨

[mking8288]

Comments & Observations specific to the Prima, might possibly be valid as a generalization fleetwide on the Garden Cafe / buffet ... the downsized buffet has far fewer stations offering the wide variety of choices, noticed at breakfast ... fewer bread & bakery offerings, no cookies whatsoever and no congees (rice porridge) in the AM (not important for the EU & possibly North America market, unless it's sail NY and/or West Coast)  Omelette & eggs cook-to-order station are, thankfully, still complimentary - but, beware ... the line(s) can be long.  We did go upstairs to check it out late ~ after 8:15 to 8:30 PM, and didn't see the crepe station (a nice compliment on the Escape this September on our 7 days C/NE run out of NY).  

 

Between 2:30 or 3 PM to 5 PM, the "main" buffet is closed for cleaning & prep - the "Grill" area in the back is open, a very small area in between - connecting to Food Republic on starboard side, limited selections & choices.  Seating remained limited on sea days and when the outdoors aren't open due to weather ... hence, not an ideal ship to sail during the colder months depending on the ports of call & itinerary, etc. as others as written here on CC, concurred. 

 

Here's what the buffet looked like at 4:15 PM this afternoon (Sea Day)

 

 

 

 

Fortunately, the Observation Lounge is nearby - Fwd on (also) Deck 17 with a quasi-afternoon tea/snack option ... Joy offered a better, varied selections for tea time in the PM last year (2022) - IMHO.  What we've observed/seen over the past week, could, might, and likely also is a reflection of the ongoing & continual NCL corporate cutbacks and budget constrains, filtered down to ship operations & purchasing, procurement and provisioning ... not surprised but also, not a welcome sight.  DW also said, the ship is sailing with 3,000 to 3,3000 guests on average vs. 4,000 to 4,400 (and more/higher #'s) with the Away+ ships, so things can & should be expected to be scaled down accordingly - not just inline with waste management.  

 

 

We do not the UBP or drinks package as not being alcohol drinkers, but from what we can see - all the bars are busy & always attract the crowds ... same for Starbucks onboard.  I am aware of the chats about the enhanced or Plus upgrade package & reports of certain premium brands and/or products expected ... are not in stock or available, restricted to select stations onboard - no comment on that. 

 

The world has basically put C19 in the rearview mirror for a year plus now, despite ... shipment logistics and rising fuel costs for transport are often cited as reasons for shortage & availability claims.  Not sure that I accept that as a valid claim as we are weeks from turning the corner to 2024, geo-political global factors set aside for the moment.  Just my/our two cents, of course.  

 

Edited November 28, 2023 by mking8288

[mking8288]

Day 9 - Sunset this evening (afternoon) was around 4:30 PM at ship's location as clouds ahead began to roll in. 

 

 

Ship is currently running (most likely) on half power or 2 engines, cruising at just 12 kts as we are sailing quite close to Bermuda ... estimated to be about 175 nm eyeballing on CruiseMapper App.  Norwegian Getaway visiting Dockyard has left the berth & heading south after clearing the narrow coral reef channel thru St. George.

 

(Google Pixel - Night Sight enabled photography) 

 

Based on forecast, not sure if the **** free NCL fast ferry (Spirit of St. George) will be able to shuttle us tomorrow if seas are choppy & windy, etc. - we'll see & find out in the morning on arrival.  Having been to BDA numerous times over the last 25 years, we are just going to wing it again and go easy, maybe just take a stroll around Clocktower Mall, play-by-ears.  

 

Stay tuned to what's going on with dinner tonight - going to return to the Commodore Room (smaller MDR) without a reservation, around 8 PM and see how it goes ... then, check out what else is happening afterward.  Entertainment is basically comedy & lounge acts, solo singing & alike.  

 

**** Ferry is on a first-come-first-serve basis, depart DY at 9:30 AM and return at 1:30 PM  (and, All Abroad time is 3:00 PM ... we'll on "station" to watch for & cheer possible pier runners) 

 

Tomorrow (Wed) is the final show of Summer on this sailing: The Donna Summer Musical, scheduled for 6:30 PM only ... sold out / fully booked up.  

Edited November 28, 2023 by mking8288

[mking8288]

3 hours ago, Rockyhill said:

... found the notorious four footed 👣Yeti👣. I hear they stink🦨 coming and going. Or is it they think they don’t stink🦨

Tom, there is a way to possibly clear them out, quickly - start coughing & repeat ... hardly anybody onboard wearing surgical/cotton face masks ... saw just a handful of pax wearing N95/equivalent masks walking around (possible "dispensed" by ship's medical center personnel)  Repeat & hang around, get closer (don't I sound evil, bad & a horrible balding old man  🫢 😷 ) to them - as you might need to wake and shake them up first.  Most of them, however, remained indifferent to the surroundings, no matter what. 

 

And, get this - a crew member was going around, passing out those blue towels to them on the loungers & couches, for real.  DW said, can you believe this stuff is happening right in front of our eyes - maybe, they should pass out pillows too ... as in WTH   

 

To think that this will continue and folks on the next sailing got to put up with this for 14 days.  This is a good (and unpleasant) question at the next M&G this Sunday for CC members ... who wants to bring it up and refer them to my semi-live report as documented photo evidence.  

Edited November 28, 2023 by mking8288