david_sobe

I enjoyed your review. It confirms something I was seeing in videos in that the Haven outdoor restaurant tables don't really have a view. I have not personally been on board but from all the videos I have seen I wondered this myself.

Comparing Virgin Voyages with NCL cruise line is like comparing apples and oranges. NCL is a generic mass market cruise line catering to families. Virgin is a smaller line and ship catering to young adults with no children. Their restaurants are all creative and not the generic buffet kind of meal. Remember that night by night Virgin would be more expensive. As they say you get what you pay for. Are there better specialty restaurants on NCL? Maybe? But I would expect the "average" food be better on Virgin. Every cruise review I watch the vlogs rave about the food.

Really enjoyed your review. Your review sort of hit home with me watching videos and wondering about the same things you have experienced. The Haven looks beautiful but as you discovered not very functional. Most say they dont mind taking elevators to the Haven. Like you, I prefer to just open my door and be inside the Haven. I have Aqua booked in the Haven.

Do they still have "The Perfect Couple" Game? That can really be funny along with the newly wed game. I always thought NCL was so cheap with giving the winners a $7 bottle of sparkling wine. The couples provided entertainment for your cruise line. At least you can treat them to Cagneys or something. I've seen them hand out key chains too. I know I know, no one is forcing them to do it but I think they deserved more than a key chain 😂

Thanks for clearing that up. They are not cruise line workers. So the performers are doing double duty from the main show.

There could be one other theory that the Port of Miami has some reason for arranging the ships this way. Like you I cant imagine a cruise line to surrender their terminal to another cruise line except for emergency. But it is interesting.

I don't think they are hard up for cash. But I also don't think they would do it for free.

I am trying to imagine MSC passengers going through the NCL terminal with the big NCL letters outside yet boarding a MSC ship. Would be a bit confusing.

ICONS. Is that a licensed contracted show from somewhere or is a NCL created show with their own performers. Burn the Floor is also a NCL created show? When the Breakaway class debuted is when the NCL created shows started creeping back. I am not making a judgment against the shows but realize those shows are much less expensive than the contracted licensed shows they used to get.

That makes sense but I fear it would interfere with the game shows that generate money. Plus they have the main show that is featured there. I was on Getaway when it was brand new. A NCL survey person came over to our table at dinner and asked us questions bout the ship. We loved it but we said that the game shows in the atrium did not really work because there was not enough seating and the acoustics in O'Sheehans (2015) made it hard to hear or see downstairs. The NCL rep stated that was the #1 complaint about the ship. Yet NCL continues to have sought after entertainment in the smallest of places. This is why Epic is so good. You can do things at Spice H20. The Bliss lounge is huge to feature game shows, etc. Plus you also had the venue that houses Cirque Dreams. That venue was used by the comedy group they had on board and the murder mystery plays. The ship had room for entertainment. NCL wants intimate venues that make it feel like you are at a real little club somewhere in a small town. I get that. But when the venue is in such demand is frustrating. On Encore I dont remember any lines for the Beatles show but every time we wandered near there it was too crowded to get in. This is why when cruising you must set reasonable expectations. You have to convince yourself that you cannot see and do everything on board. If seeing the show is that important to you then you have no other choice but to get in line.

The long line is not great. However all the reports of line cutting is really sad. Public outrage videos are all the rage and this is common everywhere. It seems people dont even think its wrong or dont care when they cut the line. The new normal I guess?

I am not rude to anyone. I actually agree with you 100%. Yet you try and demonize me for agreeing with you? Manners are more than generational. They are cultural too. There was a huge disproportionate amount of first class British citizens that died on the Titanic who refused to push and shove to get on a lifeboat. Even though their first class ticket "entitled" them to jump the line, their cultural manners made them refuse to partake in the pushing and shoving. Crazy to think about, right? I was in Argentina once for Christmas eve. Their culture blows up fireworks all night into dawn. I asked my in-laws when does Santa come since everyone is up all night drinking and setting off fireworks? Where I come from people would call the police if you were setting off fireworks in the early morning hours of Christmas eve. Thats rude to keep other people awake when people traditionally go to bed early on Xmas eve to let Santa do his magic. But that is my upbringing and manners. Every culture and generation is different. I live in Miami which is so culturally diverse. Everyone on my block is from somewhere else. I got new neighbors and went over to introduce myself and welcome to the neighborhood. They looked at me like I had 2 heads. It was something they never experienced before. We all have different upbringings and cultures that make us who we are. We all must respect each other. I think Millennials actually get a bad rap for the most part. I actually don't care for Broadway shows and the singing is annoying to me. But if I go, I am respectful to everyone including the performers. To walk out and show their back is a sign of disrespect. You can disagree and I respect your opinion. I also think its rude when I see families bring 3 year olds to Broadway shows on ships. A 3 year old cannot sit patient during a 2 hour show. So he or she jumps up and down, yells and cries and distracts everyone from the show. Where I come from that's rude. People that talk constantly in movie theaters with their friends is rude. But I understand that movies are now social events. Many Millennials may not have the patience to sit through a Broadway show at all. The issue that many have with Millennials is that they are stereotyped to being entitled and were never told NO as a child. No one can force you to see a show. But if you don't have the interest or patience to sit through one, it is disrespectful to the performers. You are free to disagree with me. I was never rude to you and NONE of my comments were even directed to you. I was expressing my opinion and cultural upbringing. You are the one that replied to me. All we can do is agree to disagree. ☺️

I can solve the Food Hall crowding. I first need to mute my mic so NCL does not hear this. What about installing a $5.95 cover charge. I know I know don't throw your food at me yet. Remember when Margaritaville opened on the Breakaway? It was a "free" or included venue. It was mobbed and many were turned away because there was no seating to accommodate the crowds. Then NCL installed a small cover charge. It worked but still was too crowded. Once NCL made all items ala carte made the crowds disappear. Remember when the Race Track opened on the Bliss and the lines and reservations made it impossible to get everyone on the Go Karts? NCL doubled the price and it seemed to reduce some of the demand. Let me be clear. I DO NOT condone these cover charges for so many venues. However a bitter pill is the reality its impossible or not wise to try every venue on board unless they are not in huge demand. ***ok you are now free to pelt me with all the food you can grab from the buffet. May I suggest you start with the desserts.****

NCL used to have 3 licensed Vegas or Broadway style shows. Then it was two. Now it's one. I just feel bad for the performers who practiced for months and performed and then discarded after Covid. I know its all about money. When I was on Encore you needed reservations to get in to the theater. It was sold out. Remember all the people venting here they did not make pre-cruise reservations and could not get a seat on the ship? Cruise ships will always have game shows and contests. Its good to have a variety of entertainment. Will NCL go full circle and someday have all cruise line entertainment with cruise line workers putting on shows again? Who knows. But entertainment is one of the biggest cut backs of all cruise lines especially NCL.

Manners are not taught today. Its fine people don't view it as wrong and that is their belief. Its because they were never taught its wrong. If you dont like a show, dont attend. Walking out is total disrespect to the performers who have trained for months and work every night to perform for you. As I mentioned before manners are no longer taught which is why society is breaking down.

May I ask why? I almost booked one of these once.

Wow I am curious about this pool too. I assume we will start to see pictures of it? Usually new stuff like this gets promoted by NCL or show up here on CC.

Anytime someone complains about theater etiquette, I like to post this PSA from a drag queen. She hits the nail on the head. When you walk out during a performance is rude. These people practiced so hard for you and performed. Why be rude.

Yes in those days NCL went all out with entertainment. Even though Epic got bad reviews from cruisers over the function of the ship, it was #1 in entertainment. Cruise Critic gave NCL best entertainment at sea to NCL Epic's first year. Besides those top notch licensed acts you also had Second City comedy troop on board along with dueling pianos, and your typical comedians, etc. Those were the days!

We are seeing cutbacks galore in the entertainment areas of all cruise lines. No one would have ever thought that the traditional cruise ship entertainment would be coming back with cruise ship performers. When Epic debuted in 2010 it had 3 major licensed Vegas Style acts: Blue Man, Legends In Concert, Cirque Dreams. Then it was two and now just one.

Thanks for the report back. NCL always takes flack with their new ships. Remember how much the Virgin Scarlett Lady was bashed in the beginning. OMG everyone hated it because it was so no traditional and had low reviews. Now its one of the hottest cruise ships and they do everything different than the other cruise lines. It appears the concept for Prima was to build lots of smaller venues to scatter people around the ship so they are not all in the same place at the same time. It seems not to work all the time. I was watching cruise vlogs of the new Carnival Jubilee. That ship has huge venues. However the amount of people in these venues would make me uncomfortable. The pool deck for sail away had well over 2000 people. They showed a venue that was doing bingo and OMG it looked like a concert was going on. So while smaller venues makes people give up and wander around, the flip side is huge venues with huge crowds. I am not sure what the happy medium is.

I just booked a 2 story Aqua suite with NCL. A suite similar on RCCL on an older ship like Allure was more expensive. The Coastal Kitchen is not as nice and the suite sun deck is nowhere nice as the Prima class. Also the RCCL suite was only 2 bedroom. The Aqua suite is 3 bedroom.

I know its crazy. There is so much buzz about the ship and all of its wow factors. Its sold out which makes the prices go crazy.

Maybe NCL is allowing MSC to use it while their mega ships are not in port and the MSC port is under construction. NCL will send them a bill for their convenience of course.