knitlady037

you can check in early, but boarding will not begin until around 11:30 or 12 pm. By the time you get on the ship, make your reservations etc. you are looking at about 1-2 pm before getting off the ship. There is not much to see in the port area. Times square is about 20-30 minute walk. I would stay on the ship and explore before the major crowds get on. Much more interesting than walking to Times Square to see the crowds there. There is much more to see on the Joy. She is an amazing ship with so much to offer. Remember you MUST be back before the 4 pm time when they submit manifest or you may be denied reboarding.

which direction did you walk to get to glass beach? would it be better to take a cab there? Looks like a beautiful place.

my best tip.....always travel with ear plugs!

I wish they would bring them back! I have been to 3 and all were the best experiences ever!

friends just returned from Prima. Donna Summer cancelled, no explanation given

18 hours ago, unionhall said:

I completely agree that the quality of the NCL product has declined. I have sailed with them for forty years but this past 10 day Caribbean on Getaway in February was my last cruise. I wasn’t happy on the 5 day Bermuda Getaway in January with the temperature of the food at breakfast in the Buffet and American diner so I didn’t eat there on the February cruise.  
 

We had two bad meals in O’Sheehans and then we didn’t go again. I tried to avoid what  wasn’t working for us. We had a very good dinner at Cagneys and Teppanyaki but the rest were just okay. 

 

For me I liked the hash browns with breakfast, the cookies in the afternoon, the occasional towel animal. They like the thin mint on your pillow and cabins done twice a day are gone from NCL.
 

The most frustrating part for me is how long it takes to get a response from guest services. We had a problem with the casino and I want to know who to get in touch with. I filled out the form and they told me I will get a response in 15-  30 days. That is just to get the name of who we have to contact.

 

My up coming cruises are booked with Royal in April,(Bahamas/Florida/perfect day) two with Celebrity in July  (Japan and Alaska)and back on Royal in September for Canada.

 

Out of the nine people with us on our last trip only two are booked on a future NCl. The rest are moving on.

I did a 7 day Getaway gruise Feb. 2022 with my then 18 and 15 year old granddaughters. Cruise was fantastic. They loved the entertainment, going to the buffet for snacks and the general cruise overall. Just returned for the 10 day Getaway in January with the same 2 girls. Even at their ages they noticed the downgrade in services and food. I admit I have spoiled them with cruises, the older one in platinum, close to sapphire and the younger one will be the same when she turns 18 so they know the NCL product well. For the first time cruiser that was going for the destinations and unlimited drinks it was a great cruise. Also port times were terrible. Most of the time we had to be back on the ship by 3 pm. No one wants to go to the beach early in the morning in winter, even if it is the Caribbean, We made the best of it but could tell they were disappinted bit would never say anything to me.

On 2/22/2024 at 9:59 PM, CptJLMcCrea said:

 

I've done this exact same thing, every.single.time. I really need to get the lamb, someday.

 

I thought the same way before, but didn't listen to my gut on the Getaway in January this time and ordered the lamb chops. Big disappointment. Left them on the plate. My rib eye on the first visit that trip was delicious!

I enjoy eating in the haven dining room for dinner. I will be on the Joy for 5 days and have 5 specialty dinners. Can I order Food Republic meal to be delivered to the courtyard on a sea day when they are open for lunch?

I was on the Getaway in January. With the upgraded premium wifi had no trouble streaming hulu and prime service. I could not stream my IPTV service most times. I was able to use it on the Escape in September. Both ships had starlink. On Getaway I was trying to use IPTV in my balcony cabin on deck 9, on Escape I streamed no problem when in the haven courtyard, even with the very heavy fog and cloud conditions from hurricane Lee.

not true. I made reservations for every night we didn't have specialty reservations and we were only 3.

6 hours ago, UKstages said:

 

the capacity the ship sails at probably has more to do with wait times than any other factor. i'm just off the getaway a few days ago... tropicana, savor, taste, the local and the american diner all had waits of between 20 and 45 minutes on my sailing at full capacity.

 

tropicana, in particular, had people queued up all the way back and through the casino at first opening every day, around 5:30 pm, i think.  once those people were processed, they started issuing buzzers. there were huge crowds and feisty guests at taste and savor, as well. but as long as you showed up before closing time, you would be seated, however. you just might have to wait.

 

reserving for the MDRs is a moot point, as i don't believe they are accepting reservations any longer at MDRs, unless you have a large party.

we sailed GA 2 weeks ago. Ship was at capacity. I suggest making reservation in the dining rooms. Buffet was a waste of time so dining rooms were packed. 30-40 minute wait without reservations. If you do not go to the reserved time it will just be released after 15 minutes

I just sailed Getaway in February. I could not believe the cutbacks I noticed. No waffles on buffet for breakfast, no cookies. no pretzel rolls, no breadsticks and no fresh veggie nibbles. I had to look at my program to make sure I was on the correct ship! Quite a few other cutbacks in every department. Very disappointing. I sailed Getaway last year in February and it was a totally different experience. I have grandkids that are veggie lovers and salads and veggies were very limited. The whole buffet experience was a let down. I never really eat there, maybe to get soup for lunch, and thought the food options were very limited.

I have 2 teen girls that are not big eaters. If we will be eating at Cagney's (a MUST) on all trips I get a meal package for one of them for however many nights we will eat there and use the included meal plans for me and the other one. Other restaurants supply so much food, they like to share different options. Just tell the server you will be paying for any additional items ordered. For instance, at LaCuchina, they share a pizza as an entree. They cannot eat a whole one each. It works for us this way. Also I am not a big eater, so most times and appetizer and a shared entree will be enough for 2 of us. 

On 11/19/2023 at 1:27 PM, graphicguy said:

That I kind of understand.  You were by the Medical Center and the Elevators.

I don't know where you were looking. Haven is aft and nowhere near medical center. It also has a separate key card entrance. I never even saw the medical center. The main elevators also were no where near the haven area I was in.

3 hours ago, graphicguy said:

??????

 

You were right between the two!!!!1

 

 

20 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

That I kind of understand.  You were by the Medical Center and the Elevators.

Nowhere near those locations. Was in haven and the clanking and banging all night was unbelievable. 

5 sleepless nights in Haven 12906. 

sailed the Prima exactly 1 year ago in a haven penthouse on deck 12. Never knew when we could use elevators or use the lights or TV in our cabin. This happened every day of the cruise. Frequent power failures thru out the ship. Never had this happen on any other of my 27 NCL cruises. 

On 10/2/2023 at 6:32 AM, david_sobe said:

Not every ship is for every person. It's ok.  One thing that I have always been curious about on these new NCL ships is how all Haven cabins are outside the Haven facilities and you must take an elevator to them.  NCL has always charged top dollar to stay inside the complex.  I would have to personally experience this to have an opinion.  Have they made the Haven so big that it defeats its own purpose?

that is my thought exactly! If I was in the Prima haven in weather like I had on last month's Escape cruise it would have not been enjoyable. Being able to relax in the haven courtyard was so much better than having to contend with the crowds inside due to bad weather. Fog and rain was so bad you could not see the ocean if you stood on your balcony and looked straight down. 

Believe me. My letter to customer relations was done within an hour of being home.

16 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

I hesitated to comment to much on this and other threads about the new NCL Viva and Prima Havens.  When the ships first came out, I knew like with all ships, the new ones would look spectacular and the premium would be high.  

 

So I sat back and let folks experience the "NEW" Haven.  Pictures of the ship, Haven, pools were lovely.  Then some post started to happen.  

1. Hot Tubs on the Balcony: Folks were upset they reserved a category that showed a hot tub on the balcony.  Their suite did not have one. 
2. Water Slides on the Balcony: Folks were worried that the water slides would be infringing on the space on their balcony.  Some folks were down right made when that was the case.  Bad design by NCL. 
3. Infinity Pool On the Back of the Ship:  No more indoor water options which makes bad weather an issue.  Yet the design and look of the pool, hot tub and lounges was spectacular.  
4. Staffing:  We forget sometimes that to get a position in the Haven, you have to be the best of the best.  What happens when you can't get enough staff, when you have loans based on interest rates that keep on rising.  The above comment addressed this.  What is interesting is the ships, right after cruising just stated again had the same issues.  

 

So here is my suggestion and this has already started to happen.  As folk who always want to be the first cruise Viva and Prima, it will be harder for NCL to book the Haven on these ships.  That is when, which has been seen for the Europe Cruises in Oct-Dec of 2023, the prices go down, way down.

 

If you can get to Europe, you can cruise in the Haven for far less for far longer.  That is a big "IF".  NCL is always good about making adjustments when they see a reduction in bookings.  They also understand staffing, at Haven Prices is very important.  One can only hope they are reading, listening and planning.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

I did the first sailing out of NY Oct 2022. Weather was cold and windy the whole time so outside decks were pretty empty the whole time. I also got one of the much discussed noisy cabins on deck 12. Luckily I always have earplugs when I cruise. The dedicated haven elevators had longer waits that the regular elevators so the was a bust also. I spoke with many seasoned haven cruisers on this sailing and they also said they would not book  haven on this ship again. Also navigating the ship is a puzzle. Many dead ends. Some of the haven access doors are hidden on lower decks. Also the escorts to many shows are no longer offered. We had the escort into Price is Right and it almost caused a riot. On Escape they had a back entrance to get into shows. On Prima we were paraded in front of the waiting audience. Not good.  If this is the future of NCL ships I will be looking elsewhere. Kind of hard to start off from scratch after reaching diamond status, but even the perks have been downgraded. I noticed quite a few cutbacks in my recent haven cruise on Escape in September. Most would not catch them  if they are not frequent cruisers, but I got them. Just booked for Getaway in January for what may be my final NCL cruise  if they keep this up.  

12 minutes ago, debenson0723 said:

Interesting how you have already played it on board since the first post of this thread has the Press Release stating it won't be available until Spring 2024. 

Was available on the Sept 10 Escape sailing. Was done one night. Audience was full but not many elected to buy cards. I felt the prizes offered were not really good. Only 3 participants were selected and they played all rounds of the game. For price is right, game was free and they selected random guests from the audience for each round.

1 minute ago, debenson0723 said:

The Price is Right does not use cards nor has a cost.  You must be thinking of Deal or No Deal, which is an entirely different game. I believe on the Prima they played that in the Improv during the day. 

I was responding to the Wheel of Fortune game which was the topic for this thread. 

Would not pay the extra to sail in Prima haven again. I hated it. Did not feel like a true haven experience. Outside areas are a complete waste if weather is bad. So many haven cabins they need about 5 assistant concierges to accommodate the requests. Give me an away class haven every time!