graphicguy

Rather surprised it took this long for them to make it complimentary. Over the last several years I know of no one who paid to dine there via the shops who sported the American Diner! I ate there once. But it was free on ONLY the first sailing day while sailing in the Haven! No one was there aside from me even then!

As I was writing the above post, CC sent me an email stating I get some sort of ginger bread cookie icon by my name. Awwwwww.....that's "sweet".

Escorts?...I dun need no steenkin' escorts! Actually, that would be nice. LOL!

Thanks, Henry. I AM hosting the M&G. Someone at the CC Roll Call who also a member of the FB 2/2/24 Prima Group asked if they could join the M&G. Then another, and another, and another.....It snow balled from there. In talking to NCL about the M&G, I tried to get a bigger venue. NCL said the ship is sold out and they could not shift the M&G. So, we're at the Improv. I had to cut off sign ups at 75. NCL said that's the max they'll allow in, and that number would mean some SRO. There are some who said they are going to wait outside the Improv to see if they can attend in place of the no shows. Sure. I can't stop them. But, as you suggest, I'm thinking there should be room because of no shows. But, who knows?

Thanks! I am. I'm staying here before the cruise. https://thegeorgemanor.com/

Pricing.... In reality, that drove this booking. I have/had Cruise Next and Cruise First certificates sitting in my account. Sometimes it makes sense to use them (like for this booking), sometimes it doesn't (where the fare is so high, using them just makes a bad fare....well, just "less bad".....but still bad. Anyone who has seen my pricing posts has a pretty good idea that although I like sailing in more expensive cabins, also knows I'll look for every conceivable perk, discount and benefit I can find. The numbers.. Base fare (including FAS tips) for this sailing in an HE Suite....$4,549. TA discount=$300 Cruise Next (x2) equals $500, but I had to pay for the CN certs at $250. Net savings=$250 Cruise first was $300, but I had to pay $150. Net savings=$150 Base fare (including FAS tips) with discounts and net certificate discounts=$3,849 But wait...there's more.... I used the NCL Credit Card to buy Christmas gifts (that bill is due this month 😮). That gives me $200 in OBC. AMEX Platinum, which I used to book the cruise, gives me a free LeBistro Dinner (or as they call it...."a Specialty French Restaurant") and a free bottle of wine. They also give me $300 OBC. So, in addition to the fare, I also get a total of $500 OBC, 5 Specialty Dinners (2 FAS+2 Sapphire Latitudes+1 from AMEX) and the other Latitudes perks. My fare ends up being relatively close to a Club Balcony fare, or on Royal in an Ocean Balcony cabin, less than MSC's Yacht Club Balcony Suites, way less than Celebrity's Retreat. That said, I shop cruise fares....a lot. I see some fares that make smoke come out of my ears. I see some paying those fares that makes my jaw drop to the floor.

I’d eat that!!!!! 😉

I do LOVE your reviews. Thanks.

I looked at that cruise closely. The fare for the Prima steered me to her. I'll sail the Viva, at some point. My general rule of thumb, "sail new ships, just not BRAND NEW SHIPs". Usually, once a new ship sets sail, the ship right before it has fares drop. No empirical data to back me up, just a general observation. I do like San Juan...a lot!

Thanks, thanks, thanks! Need that sort of advice since the ship is new to me. Breakaway? Getaway? I've sailed them so much I could probably Captain them given my familiarity. BTW...I love that Bermuda itinerary. I'll probably make that my next cruise!

Thank you. I'm not a planner, per se. I "go with the flow". To my knowledge, Haven has its own private elevator. So, not too worried about that. But, I do enjoy "getting lost" and wandering around a new ship. To me, that's part of the fun. I have 2 FAS, 2 Sapphire Latitudes and 1 AMEX Platinum Specialty Restaurant dinners. Plus, I'm in the Haven, so have that restaurant available to me, too. Not sure which ones I'll dine in (except for the Haven Restaurant, which I'll dine in at least once/day for one meal per day. Familiar Strangers....I'll make a point to see it/them! GF wants to go in the worst way. If she can pull it off, believe me, she will. But, I book based on my schedule and when I can find the "deal", which rarely coincides with her work schedule. I know I'll take flack for this, but I'm not a "VIBE" lover. When it was $50-$60/pp, I could see it. I actually booked it when those prices were available. Now? The charge is 4x-5x that amount and is a tough sell for me. I can usually find a nice bar somewhere on the WATERFRONT, make friends with a bartender and toss a couple of Jacksons his/her way and get great service. I'm outside, overlooking the water, at a nice bar, which really is all I ask for. The VIBE is similar. I'm not a "hot tub" fan, so that doesn't appeal, either. It's just not sometime I'm willing to pay a lot of money for. I'm a non-smoker so that's good to hear. Again, thanks! More to come......

Several factors steered me to the Prima. First, it's a new ship...and a new concept for NCL. I like new and different. I like booking these types of cruises to give me a different experience on any given cruise line. I sailed Allure of the Seas on Royal when it first sailed. I sailed the EDGE and APEX on Celebrity when they first sailed. Sailed the Carnival Vista shortly after it hit the water. Same with Epic, Breakaway and Breakaway Plus on NCL. Another factor was sailing out of Galveston. I've been there, but that was a long time ago. Trying something different outside of the MIA, FLL, MCO, NY (and NJ) and SEA ports I've been to several times. Prima is new and new to Galveston. Looking forward to that. Finally, there was the fare and my certs available to lower the cost. I'll get into that in another posting. I had read some of the Prima reviews. Mostly good. Some were critical, but I always attribute those kinds of reviews as it being a new ship and in this case in particular, a new concept. Some people don't like new and different. I'm not that rigid. If something doesn't work for me in one way, I find another way. For example, if there's a line at one bar to get a drink, move to another bar...easy-peezy! It's not like there aren't enough bars on cruise ships. Same goes for dining. The Prima has introduced the "Food Hall" and shrunk the Buffet as a result. I am anxious to try the Food Hall. I'm not a big Buffet fan on ANY cruise line. So, the less buffet and more alternate dining venues, the better. I booked this one about 4+ months out, which is quite unusual for me. I'm more last minute than that.

Thanks! It's a toss up, right now. But, agree...would rather cruise with her than without her.

Yes!

We are a month out from sailing. Timing couldn't be better given it's cold in OH right now. And, I could use a little sunshine to get me through until Spring. Booked this a while ago (at least for me). Will cover planning stages, cost, pictures, ports, food, entertainment and misc. I have been sailing solo for a little while. Have a (on again, off again, on again) GF. We're on, again. Issue has always been, I'm retired. She's not. She also lives two states away. That's been the crux of our issues. So, I can go whenever I want. She can not. Given the holidays, she's been able to use up vacation time. But, for her, the vacation clock resets in the New Year. I booked this while we were "off again". So, would love to get her on the reservation. But, at best, it's a 50-50 proposition because of her work. This was taken on our last cruise together before the COVID shutdown.

Don’t tempt me.

Check in times and boarding times are two different things! Boarding times have a lot of variables. I never recommend counting on boarding before 11:30 a.m. Maybe board earlier. But boarding 9:30-10:30 is probably unrealistic. You can get to the port later than your check-in time. No issues!

Also being a Buckeye, I've seen/heard You All, yousguys, y'all, ya'll and probably more permutations I've forgotten. Kim....LOVE all your pics and the review. Thank You!

Think the same. Not a deal, even with the 10% coupon! Will pass!

If you don't know the secret handshake, you have to listen to the Cruise Next promos and drink a some concoction with too little alcohol and too much sugar. For the rest of us, they give us envelopes filled with cash.

Just saw this posted on one of the Prima’s social media site….Looks like a grand time for you!!!! ”We've cruised NCL prior to sailing Prima 12/22/23. We loved Prima - she's a rare beauty! We're glad we went in with open minds, and loved the smaller spaces and shorter vessel. We observed some of the best performers ever, on any cruise line/ship - what talent! We were in the Haven and while our butler and steward were great, our Haven favorite was the Haven restaurant's server, Katherine - asked for her every time! While we don't take a lot of photos, we noticed that the ship seemed designed for photo opportunities - dining rooms, restaurants, rooms, public spaces; if you're traveling with family, take advantage of those arches, ceilings, and chandeliers! Onda by Scarpetti restaurant served amazing food, Haven's restaurant was fantastic. The buffet was just fine, though we loved Indulge's choices, spaces, and service - the guacamole was a favorite, as was the grilled pineapple! Take time to figure out Indulge, well worth the bit of effort. Haven guests from other ships will love the private elevators. Nicest theater in any cruise vessel thus far - and how much fun was Price is Right?! Bottom line? If you go understanding that the joy's in the journey, and Prima provides a brand-new kind of cruise journey - and decide that the differences are just different, not worse, you will find yourselves like we did. We will remember this as our favorite cruise vacation yet, and would do it all over again in a heartbeat.”

It’s been a few years since my Edge and Apex sailings. They were the first out of the chute after the restart. So, maybe they didn’t have their entire arsenal locked and loaded. But, come 10:00 p.m., there wasn’t much happening. Martini Bar was hopping. But that was it. I did think Celebrity’s MDRs were quite good. And LOVED Blu. But, found Petite Chef more hoakey than a “specialty” restaurant! That said, the right fare comes along, I’d sail Celebrity again…. unfortunately, they’re going in the opposite direction! Can’t wait to hear about your Prima sailing!!!!!!⛵️

Ask your can steward to set up the coffee maker. They'll get you one on request. Their coffee pods are as bad as the uno coffee in the Garden Cafe. I opt to make hot water in the coffee maker and use one of these I bring with me...

One of those drawbacks is significant.....killing marine life. Agree, it is a kid problem. But, I've seen both kids and adults throw them in the pristine blue waters when sailing and when docked.

If it’s a thing, and someone insists on putting ducks around the ship, why not make the duck, chicken, pig….whatever, out of origami? Or, paper mache? Something biodegradable! Plastic? Not good!