Starr2015

Morning

Our ship's itinerary went from Norfolk and Bermuda to an overnight in Bermuda. We docked about 6pm. All the Wharf shops were closed but there was the Blue Ferry at 715! Headed into Hamilton for a quick bite to try the food (Turbot fish and chips are good) before catching the last ferry at 830 back. 

The whole day had more to do compared to the first sea day. No karaoke, and no karaoke again tonight but we made do. Spoke to staff and may go on the carts today....with only me on the track. Pretty bad crashes yesterday as per staff and passengers. Enjoyed the sun though!

On the Accessible Bermuda Drive today which is 5 hours. All aboard is about an hour after that.

Running to go get Starbucks now. Bye all!

Day 3 Midday Update

Afternoon all! At 215 in Bermudan time, I have finally tried Indulge. 

The dishes are super varied for lunch but I have read the dinner menus as well. The additions for dinner do make me want to try this place again because there is more food I like. To start, we ordered the Rotisserie Chicken from Seaside and wow is it tasty and crisp! Mom ordered 2 dishes from The Garden which are the Roasted Tomato Soup which had a hint of spice and is devouring her Spinach Ceasar Salad with Skirt Steak. The chili from Q Texas, which is good, rounded out our order. I also ordered from Tapas the Pan con Tomate which to me is bruchetta. They were out of the guacamole from The Latin Corner. Planning on going to Coco's for dessert. 

We had Hudson's for breakfast (shout out to the staff again) and it was great. Everything was cooked beautifully and best of all, no lines. 

I participated in the Canvas By U class to paint a cool frog on canvas, only $35 but really fun. Think Sip and Paint. 

Spent some time relaxing with a Starbucks drink and found people to chat with. Found out we 3, and others,  all had little things we liked or disliked. Biggest concensus from many I spoke to: the ship internal design from shops to pathways that don't cut through. 

Tonight I have the late night Price is Right as we dock in Bermuda about 530. I also plan to find some market outside that sells souvenirs. No karaoke tonight but may end up on the smoking deck area and chilling with Spotify instead of watching Infinity War. 

Speak to you all soon!

2 hours ago, dandelpino said:

 

What is a message board if not a bunch of people posting their opinions? If someone doesn't want to read others' opinions, their option is to refrain from posting; not to mandate content rules for the thread.

Hi, it is not that I do not want peoples opinions,  it is more I do not want a post to become a full out debate instead of questions and opinions and thoughtful comments. If someone in the future is looking for experiences to read, I would want this to help!

Day 2 Fun

Hi everyone!

Had a blast at Harry Potter trivia today. Of course, there was also a moderator of a HP fansite playing so you know ai did not win!

Checked out the art auction from Park West. Very nice pieces, if too expensive for my taste. I do feel the art staff always has genuine interest and positivity in both their guests and art. Probably stopping by to maybe pick up a much lower end piece in the future.

Had a late breakfast at the buffet this morning. Lines were crazy for the fresh omlettes so I grabbed oatmeal and felt accomplished. Lunch was at Hudsons. Same menu as yesterday and just as good. Ate my usual Ceaser and tried the French Dip. Not bad and not salty at all. Unfortunately, I did not feel able to eat it all. Dinner was at Onda by scarpetta. The polenta was delicious and I enjoyed the mezzalune. However,  as it appears to be a theme with me, I felt the buratta salad had too much salt. Asked the waiter Joseph. He said it was likely the fact that the chefs salt the Buratta. Oh. Oops. The coconut sorbetto was delicious as was the chocolate cake. Sugar rush anyone?

Took mom on a tour today of all the shops, now that I found them. Picked her up a perfume she liked. The staff was super helpful going back and forth to mom and listening to what she was describing. Popped into Pandora and in the back is the magical snack area with lanyards, keychain/magnet, and a $20 stuffed bear with a t-shirt.  So here is where the souvenirs are hidden but the choices are so much less than other ships. 

So the afternoon of Day 2 was better. 

BTW, Frederick from the Philippines gets a huge should out at Hudsons. Amazing and friendly waiter. All the staff at Hudsons really accommodates mom and tries to assist.

Off to go find and manage some mischief. 

Later all!

1 minute ago, Watchful said:

I have always looked for the fish directions on NCL.

But on Prima, I quickly learned to look at the large triangles on the carpet in the cabin areas....if you are headed toward the front of the ship - the tips of the large triangles will be pointing ahead!

I have been trying to make myself pay attention all day if indoors!

6 hours ago, DAVLIB007 said:

there is a bank of elevators that go from 17 to 18 not sure if this where the smoking area is. The Bliss has a glassed off smoking casino area pretty nice sized

Hi! There is an area you can reach with the 18 elevators. I know one side is splash academy. The area on 18 is the sun deck with a cordoned off area for smokers. There is an accessible bathroom around there but nothing other than stairs from 17 by the pool goes to that area.

The smokers casino area on Prima is a decent size. The only thing is, for me personally, it is in the casino and they want you to play not smoke. So it becomes a negative thing. Isn't too loud or smoky but to be fair I was there the evening of Day 1. 

37 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

Thanks for expanding on your thoughts in another thread! I'm glad you saw the passive aggressive post and created your own. 🙂 I'm not exactly planning to take my grandma on a cruise, but the Prima won't be the ship since she's a smoker with very limited mobility. The Prima definitely wouldn't work for her, so thank you. It's nice to hear from the smoking class (full transparency, I'm not a smoker, but have a family full of smokers). 

 

I'm looking forward to your thoughts as you continue cruising, exploring the ship, and having more interactions with the crew. I hope you have a great cruise!

Hi, I do plan to keep on this thread. For limited mobility, a heavy smoker would have some issues as it is now. But my mom is in a scooter and uses an ecig. She is sometimes allowed to go into the cigar bar. 

The larger areas and rooms around the ship does lend more access for those in need of maneuver room. It is much better than older ships and the Prima does live up to that advertisement. 

Make sure to rent a scooter to help get around if needed. While there are plenty of places to rent and sit, on longer sailings there is a higher chance that those with ambulatory issues will be tired easier as the days go on. 

Currently, we just finished lunch and are heading over to enjoy some of the daytime entertainment offerings. If you do not want to be outdoors, you do not even need to step outside! 

10 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Will make this brief  about the smoking issue to say smoking on cruise ships is mirroring the rest of society.  Smoking is generally frowned upon, no matter where you go in public.  I do think it's a pretty big stretch to say someone who smokes is discriminated against given how smoking affects those around them, too.   Smoke permeates other's hair, clothes, lungs...it's just very unpleasant for the vast majority of us who don't smoke.  It's my hope that NCL adopts a closed off area on all ships for smoking.

 

If you have a gambling addiction and are a smoker, you are correct.  Stay out of the casino. You have the area outside to smoke.

 

Walking stairs?  Not sure what your particular malady is, but overall, I find walking the stairs is a great way to stay in some semblance of shape to work off the plentiful food on board.

 

Shops?  The cigarette section is again, mirroring society.  It's becoming less and less a part of the shops on board because fewer and fewer people smoke....to the point it represents a very small percentage of the people on board their ships.

 

If you want a larger selection of liquor, probably a better bet to shop at some of the stores at one of the ship's stops.  Trinkets?  I dunno...you can get a replica of the ship you're on, you can get fridge magnets, you can get sweatshirts and T-Shirts on board.  What else are you looking for?  Again, might want to wait and shop at one of the ports.

 

If you are still on board, look at the fish on the carpet where the cabins are.  If they're swimming backward, you are walking to the aft portion of the ship.  You are walking towards the front of the ship if they're sailing forward.

 

Hope the rest of your cruise is enjoyable.

Hi and thanks for your thoughts.

Regarding the mobility, it is my mom who is in a scooter (or walker) and cannot walk steps. She also does not gamble because of my late father's addiction. 

While smokers are a minority, which I completely understand, it feels like there is no isolated area that is both accessible and outdoors.  I completely understand the 2nd hand smoke and odors. Believe me I do, despite being a smoker. But if there was a smoking area, instead of up a set of stairs but accessible, absolutely no complaints. 

For me personally, I do have the addiction issue and want to stay out of the casino. I can walk up stairs but it becomes an issue at times with pain flare ups. I just feel it could have been better thought out as the minority is still a customer.

Regarding the shops, once upon a time the stores would be in one area of the ship and offer a varied selection of items. The shops on the Prima are scattered. I did ask where to find the souvenir shop but maybe I was directed wrong? I would gladly accept any information about where to find that as I did promise NCL themed kids gifts! 

The fish thing sounds so amazing. Ok so look at the fish if indoors and cannot see which we moving. I kept running into Haven elevators following the exit signs lol.

Enjoying lunch in Hudson right now and Onda tonight. I always enjoy NCL food and drinks. The Coke No Sugar comes in cans which means extra fizzy!

Hope you are enjoying your stay as well.

These are some thoughts from my experience so far by Day 2:

If you are a smoker, be prepared to be confined. Despite a large outdoors area and wider spaces, you will find that smoking is close to impossible. You have a small space outdoors on deck 18...only accessible by steps from deck 17. You can smoke cigars but not cigarettes in the cigar lounge on Deck 7 mid. But the casino on deck 6 has the sectioned off area for smoking. That would not be an issue except to stay you must play. So someone who is disabled or just cannot walk stairs is discriminated against. Someone who has a gambling issue is trapped. 

The signs along the ships are awful. Why can there not be a post to show what direction to go for your rooms? Oops wrong side, turn around. Port or starboard, I have 0 clue. Don't realize the deck stops abruptly, get turned around.

It feels like everything is a cash grab. The way the store is designed (btw did anyone find the main store yet?) is broken up unlike other ships. What do I mean? Well the watches and other high end stuff is....drumroll....next to the exit of the casino and not near the main store. 

3 hours into boarding...not departing...boarding...all comedian shows were 'sold out'. I get the comedian venue is smaller, but for all the shows to be immediately booked leaves many people out.

Then I did some searching. So the stores are all broken up. The duty free liquor and tobacco shop (deck 6) is tiny and limited compared to my prior sailings. When I was directed to the 8th deck for the "souvenir shop" for traditional "Keychain magnet and other small items" there was a super small area with barely any options. Mostly, Prima seems to want to sell watches, electronics, and jewelry and not items like snacks, things left behind, or small NCL souvenirs. Their t-shirts are super limited and expensive. And everything is spread in small shops on decks 6, 7, and 8. 

Deck 8's outdoor area is well spaced and continuous. The artwork is amazing as is the ocean walk. There are multiple venues with outdoor seating. 2 infinity pools, loads of comfortable seats make this a great option instead of Deck 17. 

The food options are good. The lunch menu in the main dining room stays the same the whole cruise. The main dining room dinner will have different specials but otherwise stays the same. The complimentary areas are all you need but feel free to try everything. Anyone can find something they like and enjoy. 

Starbucks is Starbucks but in the main dining room, after dinner cappuccino is also...Starbucks. 

Our stateroom, a low deck family Oceanview that is accessible is huge. We have a couch area, enough closet space and drawers, a table to sit at, and more than enough movement space. I will mention though that if the bathroom door is open...good luck getting in or out of the room! You need to keep that door closed because the door and bathroom door open into each other.

Staff is great. I cannot complain at all about staff from housekeeping to guest services to accessibility office workers to servers to waiters. All are amazing and friendly and welcoming!

I am not really impressed with anything by Day 2. I feel more like this ship is a tour in confusing guests then one that is free and open and understandable.  Maybe it is the newness.... but after sailing NCL 7 times and being on the Dawn class and Jewel class ships...I think I want to go back to old reliable. 

2 minutes ago, shof515 said:

unfortunately this is not unique to prima. similar problems has happen on other breakaway/breakaway plus ships

Really? Maybe because I last sailed about 2017 this was not an issue. But I believe that was the Gem. I never expected it!

I love all the pictures and Bird, a lot is amazing. My room is a family Oceanview on 5 and the view is beautiful. At the end of a hall by the crew area it is quiet but a nice walk! Did you check out 8 yet? Look down on the Ocean walk area at night. It was amazing and the sculptures are great at night with the lighting!

I am on this sailing of the Prima. These are some thoughts from my experience so far by Day 2:

1) If you are a smoker, be prepared to be confined. Despite a large outdoors area and wider spaces, you will find that smoking is close to impossible. You have a small space outdoors on deck 18...only accessible by steps from deck 17. You can smoke cigars but not cigarettes in the cigar lounge on Deck 7 mid. But the casino on deck 6 has the sectioned off area for smoking. That would not be an issue except to stay you must play. So someone who is disabled or just cannot walk stairs is discriminated against. Someone who has a gambling issue is trapped. 

2) The signs along the ships are awful. Why can there not be a post to show what direction to go for your rooms? Oops wrong side, turn around. Port or starboard, I have 0 clue. Don't realize the deck stops abruptly, get turned around.

3) It feels like everything is a cash grab. The way the store is designed (btw did anyone find the main store yet?) is broken up unlike other ships. What do I mean? Well the watches and other high end stuff is....drumroll....next to the exit of the casino and not near the main store. 

4) 3 hours into boarding...not departing...boarding...all comedian shows were 'sold out'. I get the comedian venue is smaller, but for all the shows to be immediately booked leaves many people out.