Cruising Lynne

Thank you for letting people know what was happening on Pearl. This way no one will be shocked if it happens to them on their cruise. Hopefully, for the people that like these types of shots, it is a supply issue and not a policy that every ship will always have to follow. I noticed a lot of these shots involve Irish Cream which I think they have been having some issues stocking. FYI, I think I prefer Maloney's Irish Cream. It seems to be easier on my stomach than Bailey's.

Top photo: Marquise au Chocolat- 70% dark chocolate cremeux, rice crunch, Chambourd raspberry sauce Bottom photo: Marrons et Clementines- Chestnut Bavarian cream, Citrus filling, Sables crunch

Desserts from Le Bistro. Getaway March 2022.

So, I have finally decided to get involved in this thread. I am past the age where doing shots is a good idea, which makes any potential ban on shots not affect me. I could understand a ban on all shots as a way to have people not get too drunk too fast, but banning just mixed shots makes no sense. Unless they think it ties up too much of the bartenders time. I only say this because most people are getting something to drink in addition to the shot so that one customer is taking more time to serve. I say a way around "no mixed shots" is to drink more martinis. Aren't they basically a mixed shot?

I definitely would rate it very close to ten! A couple parts felt a little long, but the music and voices were incredibly good. It is a must see especially for some one who grew up in that era. I knew all the songs, but never knew her history, and I found that to be very interesting. All three Donna's when we saw it were great. We saw the show on the Prima trip that left NYC on Oct. 10, 2022. Kimberly Locke played the older Donna and also told the story. We had gone to the late show on the night that, after the show, they convert the theater over into Studio 54 for a big dance party. So fun!

Yup. We are now Sapphire so board with Platinum and above. The last two times we boarded in NY, they gave us boarding group numbers for whatever group they had cards for next. Last time our card said group 22. When they called for Platinum and above to board, we handed the card in as we proceeded to get our cards swiped. We showed them our sign and sail cards so that they could see we were Platinum or above. This all happened very quickly. We also noticed that there just happened to be a lot of passengers that are Platinum and above. The seating area for Priority boarding had gotten full so Platinum cruisers were coming up from different directions. There was quite a variety of boarding group numbers in this large Platinum and above group. I can see where it would look like a free for all, but I did see them turn away some people that weren't Platinum or above.

I really wish they would add chairs back to the rooms. I prefer a chair to one of those stools. Especially in an inside cabin where there is no couch. I also miss the set up that had a table that you could move out of the corner if you wanted to put it some where else. We would move it sometimes to make eating our room service food more comfortable. Some of the images on the NCL website are old. I have looked at the 360 virtual tours on the NCL web site for ships that have been updated, but still show old 360 virtual tours of some of the ships venues.

The e-muster seemed to tie up some of the crew for a longer period of time than just doing it for everyone all at once. When we did the e-muster muster, we did it right away upon boarding. We reported to our muster station and got our cards swiped. I remember wondering how long crew would be standing around waiting for everyone else to get around to doing it.

I am also loving your review. It is bringing back memories of our last trip to Hawaii back in 2011. We enjoyed our two days pre-cruise, but never made it to the palace. We stayed at the Waikiki Marriot that had been booked through NCL. I did put a lei on the Duke statue! Our experience on POA was wonderful which was unexpected due to some negative reviews I had read. Looking forward to the rest of your review and more pictures!

I hope they consider adding a piano to one of the bars. Metropolitan or Belvedere would be good locations. Or even the atrium. I also found that the sight lines were not good in some places. When they had entertainment in the atrium on deck six, you could hear it on deck seven, but could not see the performers. The stairway in the atrium was closed in which I did not think was as nice as stairway that you can see through,. It looked modern, but kind of plain.

The songs definitely can get stuck in your head. Washy washy good for you, good for me... etc. What is worse is when there is no one there encouraging people to use the sinks or at least the sanitizer. I was disappointed with the washy area on Prima last month. Hardly anyone washing their hands, and I almost didn't notice the hand sanitizer dispenser on the wall. I commend the crew for always seeming so cheerful when they sing though! Tough job and I am glad they do it.

Love your review. Totally agree about the atrium (Penrose) bar situation. They definitely need a bigger bar there. We barely made it to check out the Belvedere bar on our trip. You had to really know it was back there. We think we would enjoy the music at Syd Norman's, but I knew I did not want to be in a tight space with standing room only, so we did not attempt it. We enjoyed the music in the atrium, but there was not enough seating when the popular band or duo were performing. I would sail on Prima again, but I hope that they make some changes on the future builds. One thing I missed on our five day was a bar area or restaurant with a piano player. Did you notice if they had a piano player any where?

My husband and I have thought about having the beds split with an inside or ocean view room. This way it is easier to get in and out of bed, and easier to sit and look out the window if you have one. I really wish NCL would make the insides a little bigger so that there is room for a chair or small couch like other cruise lines have. I also miss having a chair at the desk. I really do not like sitting on the little stool they have now.

I think it was from Q, and definitely at lunch time. I commented to my husband how nicely it was cooked and that it was juicy. It was a generous portion as well.

I have had the sole at Le Bistro in the past, but I suggest you try the sea bass some time. I had it on our last trip and was surprised to find that I liked it much better than the sole.

I loved the variety of foods at the food hall. I had a really nice piece of salmon there, but I can't remember which place it came from. I liked the totopos from the Latin section. I actually really enjoyed the shrimp Pad Thai. The Food Hall is one thing that would make me consider cruising on Prima again. There were some things about the ship that I did not really prefer, but The Food Hall made up for some of them by being a good complimentary food option.

Wind - Was our first NCL cruise and we loved it. Spirit Pride of America Dawn x4 Breakaway x2 Getaway x2 Gem x2 Epic Escape Pearl Prima

My husband always reminds to push the buttons on both sides when we cruise. Sometimes the overfull elevator will beep so you know some one has to get off. A lot of cruisers are large so I would give that 20 person rule some leeway. I think no more than 12-15 people is more reasonable. I will get off if I feel too crammed in. Some people are surprised when I say I am getting off. A pet peeve of mine is when some one in the back will say there is plenty of room when too many people attempt to get on. Some times when I see a person in a scooter or wheelchair trying to get an elevator, I run ahead of them so that I can hold the elevator for them while they wheel over to it. This could be misinterpreted as me trying to cut them off. Last cruise, I stepped in front of a man in a wheelchair after he told me that he was waiting for a down elevator, and the elevator that was there was going up. A lady who did not hear him tell me that, told me I should let him go ahead of me. She was surprised when I told her he was waiting for a down elevator.

We usually board around 11:30 when they call for Platinum and above to board, and I realized that this is a great time to grab a drink before the next group of passengers show up. By the time we have our drinks and eat lunch they are announcing that rooms are ready. On Prima we did end up with a little lull after lunch, but we found some loungers by the pool to chill for a while until the rooms were ready. I had my small rolling carry on with me, and had no problem finding a spot with space to park it next to me. On Breakaway we just grabbed a quick snack, took turns changing, and enjoyed the hot tub until rooms were ready. Comparing NCL to Cunard is kind of silly. Although, I have never actually tried a Cunard cruise. I do not consider boarding the NCL ship a zoo. I call it an exciting time with people having fun getting their vacation started.

That cabin layout is awful , especially for an accessible cabin. I watched the video and besides the area in front of the couch being too small, I thought that the space in front of the closet was not very wide. We sailed on Prima in October in a regular balcony cabin and it felt more spacious and open. I am guessing an accessible balcony stateroom would be better for you, but then you would not have the suite benefits that you enjoy. I certainly hope NCL changes these rooms on future Prima class builds. I thought the ship had many nice features, but definitely a few areas that need to be re-done for better flow and more seating (Surfside Cafe) etc. I loved the Food Hall, but that is another area that could be difficult to maneuver through with a scooter or wheelchair. The eating side of the Local felt like a tight space for accessing a table with a wheelchair. I hope that these issues are brought up as more handicapped people cruise this ship and give feedback on their post cruise surveys.

You bring a pool towel from the ship. Get them at the towel station on the pool deck. They are no longer in your room on embarkation day.

We were lucky to cruise four times in 2022. Getaway, Pearl, Breakaway and Prima. Making up for lost time. The only bed that I found to be uncomfortable was on the Breakaway. This was a Canada New England itinerary at the beginning of September. The mattress was just a little too firm for me. We asked for a mattress topper. Our steward couldn't find one. He said there were a lot of old people on the trip who had requested them ahead of time, and they ran out! He ended up putting an extra comforter in place of a topper. This really helped. I felt bad for him because he seemed really worried that I would not be happy with that. I appreciated the extra effort, and told him how much better it was. I couldn't help thinking that some people must really give them a hard time if they don't get everything they want. Some people just are not very nice. I used to like a firm mattress for my back, but now my hip needs a softer one. I just started bringing a piece of fake lamb's wool to put under my hip when I sleep in my side. I guess this sounds like high maintenance, but it is lightweight and does not take up that much space.

At this point I hope that IronRobi is just trolling everyone. I like to think that there is not actually someone who has such disregard for rules here, or on one of our cruises. Rules exist for a reason. Some may be bent, such as speed limits, but that does not mean that all rules should be bent or broken. Without rules, we as a society become less civilized, and devolve into chaos. If I pay for the Haven that has an adult free area, that is how I expect it to be. No one should have to be put on the spot by some one else bringing their under 16 child there. Does not matter how quiet they are. They are not entitled to be there. No one should have to explain why the child's presence bothers them.

We also prefer the Manhattan Room. It is much larger than Taste or Savor and has higher ceilings for a more open feel.. Also you have the chance for some live entertainment while you dine.

This is what I would do. We don't mind eating early. Sometimes it is easier to get a better table at the early times. We often get a nice table by the window this way. Plus, I like to do dinner, then a show.