Cruising Lynne

We saw the show on Norwegian Prima. It was fantastic. Three people play Donna at different stages of her life. They all had incredible voices. If you go to the late show on the right night, after the show, the theater is converted into Studio 54 for a disco dance party. Very fun.

We took a small bus/large van to the top for sunrise and rode bikes down. I wasn't feeling well so only rode about halfway down on the bike and the rest of the way in the van. It was not as scary as I thought it would be. Riding on a bus or van is no problem. I enjoyed the views once the sun came up. It was nice to see, but I feel that going there later in the morning would be enjoyable as well. It was cold just standing there waiting for sunrise before riding down. OP you will be fine, especially with your medicine.

That sounds good, plus a splash of cranberry juice will make a nice mocktail.

I only like the water if I pour it out of the carton and into a glass. It tastes strange to me if I drink it straight out of the carton. I also like it better if I add ice.

I would love to cruise out of Boston in the winter. I know the first couple of days would be cold, but we would have warm weather to look forward to. A longer cruise to Bahamas and the Caribbean without having to fly would be great.

We are also Sapphire, and have cruised with Royal and Celebrity in addition to NCL. The smaller Royal ships are likely to have fewer children than the big ones with all the attractions. You may like to try them for a change from NCL. My next cruise is with NCL out of Boston which is only 1 hour from home. It is the easiest vacation we ever do, and I love Bermuda. Last year we also enjoyed the added stop of Bar Harbor. I agree with you completely about not cruising during school vacations. We always go before school gets out.

Do you know which hotels in NJ include the shuttle? We have done this in the past, since I like the peace of mind of getting to the area a day ahead, but last time I checked you needed to arrange your own transportation to the pier. I am also concerned that with more cruise lines going out of NY, there could be fewer parking spaces available at the pier.

I disagree that the Prima buffet is the right size. Where you pick up the food isn't that bad, but there is not enough seating. I especially disliked sitting in the area next to the grilled food. I didn't like the low ceilings and closed in feeling. It may not have been so bad if the lay out of that deck, and elevator placement, didn't make the buffet area into a major cut through to get to the pool from the elevators on that end of the ship. I agree that the Royal buffet and announcements to leave are annoying. I also agree that the Indulge Food Hall is a great addition to the Prima. I would sail Prima again just to go to the Food Hall! I enjoyed cruising on Prima and look forward to trying out the future ships. I am excited to see what changes they make. People should not pay too much attention to the bad reviews, and try it out for themselves.

I think it is good to branch out. You can always book another NCL cruise some other time. I really enjoy cruising with Norwegian, but no blind loyalty here. I am also giving Holland America Line a try, thanks to a casino voucher. We have a nine night coming up this fall on Rotterdam. I know I will miss the true Freestyle dining experience of NCL, but am excited to explore a new ship. One feature it has that you do not find on NCL, is a main pool area with a retractable roof which can be used in any type of weather. Also, I have reluctantly realized that my husband and I are getting to be what I believe is a good age for HAL. The music walk seems like the type of music that we will enjoy. I am cruising NCL soon and still plan on buying a couple of Cruise Next certificates. That said, we may also try Princess with a cruise voucher that I am picking up soon at another casino. It is for HAL or Princess, as was the voucher I am using for the Rotterdam trip. I guess they are both ramping up their casino programs. The HAL trip with the voucher is still costing us quite a bit, since I upgraded the room and added the Have it All package.. At least I will save some with their lower daily service charge.

Exactly! Ridiculous complaint, but the thread does remind others that some rules may be enforced.

Ugh! I am glad I am not the only one who understood right away that the DD did not go to the buffet! It is a good warning to other parents that the specialty dining rule for children is now being enforced. Sounds like a bit of a misunderstanding this particular night, so they should not have been expected to pay $70 for the DD's burger. Fifteen is definitely too old to expect to order from the kids menu at a specialty restaurant. What was allowed on past cruises does not really matter, and DD is older now. If she can not eat the amount of food served at Teppanyaki, it does not matter. Past cruises in the Haven, do not matter. Our fifteen year old grandson is very small for his age. He was angry that we were offered a kids menu when we took him out to eat recently. He felt like it was an insult to be thought of as a kid. Ate a full half pound burger from the adult menu. I still have know idea where he put it!

Yes, they still have breakfast at O'Sheehan's. On the topic of the wings: I didn't really notice that much of a difference in the baked ones except that the Buffalo wings were almost too hot (spicy) one of the times I had them. I don't usually order the wings since they are messy and I like other items on the menu.

Wow, I was just thinking about them the other day! I am glad to hear that Arvin and Emily are still with NCL. I've enjoyed listening to them in the past. Glad that you are enjoying the entertainment. Too bad about Footloose. For room service breakfast, we have found that putting out the door hangar works best. Sometimes they come a little early, but it helps us get out of bed at a reasonable time. Funny that they were thrown off by your hot rollers, but I am glad that they are so careful about what people are plugging in that may be a fire hazard. I always debate about whether or not to bring a hot brush or flat iron for my hair. I definitely would not bring hot rollers which would take up too much space in my luggage. You weren't kidding about not packing light! LOL

This time they also asked about table service, which you did not mention yesterday.

You can get table service for beverages. We ate there several times and never had to go to the bar for drinks. I ordered alcoholic beverages on the tablet that is on the table. They also will bring you water when they first come to the table. They do bring you water automatically.

New ships like Prima do not have Moderno. I don't mind using a Lattitude's voucher here, but would not spend an extra $59 to eat there. I just can't eat enough to justify it. I also do not like waiting for the meat I want to arrive. I do enjoy having a salad bar that is not in the busy buffet line. It is more relaxing, but of course, no matter how careful I am, I do tend to eat more than I wanted to before the meats arrive. I do recommend going there are one of the first days of the cruise before you are full and all your pants are too tight!!

What great memories you are creating for your family! Your boys are very lucky, and seem to really enjoy and appreciate the time spent having these amazing adventures together. Glad to hear that you enjoyed your meal at Q. Nice to have a date night to unwind after such a busy day. Your review is getting me excited about my cruise that is coming up in about a month. We will be on Pearl to Bermuda. Nothing like Joy, but still a fun ship for us.

We have experienced a long wait for our meal at Taste or Savor at lunch time before, and at one of the similar restaurants on one of the smaller ships at dinner time. Since then, if I want to do MDR for dinner, we stick with the larger aft main dining room. We have always had good service there. I feel bad that this happened to you, especially with hungry young men with you! Usually they try harder when you let them know you are going to a show. So far the rest of your trip seems to be going well. Other notes: I am also someone who needs the separate towel for her hair. I forgot that I have a small hair turban towel that I can pack for the next trip. I am shocked that your son can get his learners permit at 14. In my state (Massachusetts) you have to be 16. Love the whale watching videos and the boys big jumps. I would have been terrified going over the suspension bridge in the ATV!

Some things that used to be in staterooms are now only available upon request. Two out of four cruises last year, the tray with the coffee set up was in the closet. I took it down and left a note for the steward requesting the coffee amenities. The other two trips I had to ask for the coffee set up. The other item we requested was ice. The ice bucket and coffee supplies were restocked daily by our room steward. I miss the occasional towel animal, but feel funny requesting those.

Follow the Leader may be familiar to some.

Googled Soca music: Soca music Music genre Description Soca music is a genre of music defined by Lord Shorty, its inventor, as the "Soul of Calypso", which has influences of African and East Indian rhythms. Wikipedia Creator: artist Lord Shorty npr.org Parent genre: Calypso music

I am so jealous!! I am also looking forward to your review and photos. Three inches of snow today at my house in Massachusetts. Wish I was headed to St. Thomas 🌴🛳️ Bon voyage.

I wash the coffee pot and run water through a couple of times. It is clean enough that way. Thanks for reminding me to pack a small container of dish washing liquid. Otherwise, I just use the liquid hand soap that is in the cabin bathroom.

People really like the Dover sole. I have had the sea bass and the Dover sole different times at Le Bistro. I much prefer the sea bass. It is thicker so tends to be juicier. Both are mild tasting fish.

It appears that some of the bigger events they have are on land. So maybe it won't be so bad on the ship? Some of it could be fun music to hear on a Caribbean cruise. If they use the pool area at night, maybe the rest of the ship will be more quiet and enjoyable? That said, I would not like to be on a ship with that big of a group, and agree that they should charter the whole ship. I watch a lot of cruise vloggers on You tube, but still would not have liked being on a ship with all those vloggers walking around filming on the recent vloggers cruise. We were on an RCCL cruise once that had a music group cruise on board. A lot of the group liked to hang out in the Schooner Lounge each night and we never got to sit in there once. The only good thing was that after their group went in the theater for a Beach Boys concert, they let the rest of go in. It was a good show. I hate to get cancelled for a charter, but it can be hard to be around a large group that you are not part of.