BEWARE! NCL PRIMA SLIDES OBSTRUCTING BALCONY VIEWS INCLUDING HAVEN ROOMS!

[LGW59]

7 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

The other poster had a real concern.  I personally know somebody who suffered a significant injury (on a cruise shore excursion), when a water slide malfunctioned and, upon startup, somebody was sent barreling into his back.  Why do you think this is a joke?

Kind of like saying every time I stop at a red light I’m terrified I’m going to get rear ended.

[hallux]

11 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

but Whenever I get stuck on a slide I’m terrified someone will come barreling into me. 

Not knowing where the sensors are for the stop/go system (see the light at the beginning?) would probably help with that.  If it's somewhere before the exit of the slide, it could be an issue as they likely designed it for maximum throughput, timing it so someone could start as the previous rider is exiting.  If they put it right at the tunnel exit, it won't trigger until you're out of the tunnel so there's no worry.  If they have it as a manual system (or provide the crew members a way to manually over ride the go signal if someone doesn't exit properly) then there's little chance of a run-over.

[BermudaBound2014]

1 hour ago, LGW59 said:

Kind of like saying every time I stop at a red light I’m terrified I’m going to get rear ended.

Yep- just like that!

🙄

 

 

Edited September 17, 2022 by BermudaBound2014

[CruiseAF]

2 hours ago, Karaboudjan said:

 

This is interesting but has nothing to do with the slides.  I suggest that someone who has experienced this noise/vibration first-hand start a new topic.

No the only people who post topics on here are for people who’ve never sailed on prima and like to speculate and assume a lot. 
 

Continue talking about 🛝. 
 

🍿 🍿 🍿 

[Sailing12Away]

15 hours ago, Karaboudjan said:

 

That's not quite correct.  The slides were not announced or shown on the early Prima renderings.  The version of the Prima home page from August 12 2021 does not show them.  It looks like the update on September 20 introduced the slides along with the go-kart track.  I know it was speculated about on here earlier but that would not have been general knowledge or confirmed.

And originally the Haven owner's suites on deck 10 were supposed to have hot tubs, and then a few weeks after bookings were made - they were removed. Sh!t happens, things change, some people lose out (those on deck 10), others get unexpected wins (those on deck 11 who now have a hot tub that they didn't when they originally booked). 

 

The recurring theme of this thread doesn't change. You have options. Change rooms, change itineraries/ships, change cruise lines, ask for compensation for your 'presumed' losses, move on with life. 

 

Again, until someone actually books one of the corner family suites (the ones truly with the dry slides going through them) or one of the rooms on either side - this is all speculation as to how much of an inconvenience it actually is. If they were as horrendous as some folks in here are acting like it is, why are the forums not flooded with photos/videos of them? 

[BermudaBound2014]

13 minutes ago, Sailing12Away said:

If they were as horrendous as some folks in here are acting like it is, why are the forums not flooded with photos/videos of them? 

 

The answer to this question is simple: The Prima hasn't been sailing long and may who have been onboard are connected to the travel industry.

 

I'm not making a judgement one way or another about the slides, just answering your question :). 

[SeaShark]

12 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

So you think that @BermudaBound2014's post was a joke?  Nice....  Your posts (continue) to speak for themselves.

 Honestly...if the posts "speak for themselves" then why do you need to chime in? Is there something that the posts aren't saying?

[Karaboudjan]

3 hours ago, CruiseAF said:

No the only people who post topics on here are for people who’ve never sailed on prima and like to speculate and assume a lot. 
 

Continue talking about 🛝. 
 

🍿 🍿 🍿 

 

I'm not sure I understand your point, but if the noise/vibration is a serious issue that deserves to be talked about then it should be in a separate topic.  The title of this one is clearly about slides.  If other issues get thrown in here then only people who also are interested in the slides are going to see the discussion.  I certainly don't follow every topic on this board and I'm sure others don't either.

[Flatlander52]

I just read on another thread that the drop slide (the single one port, I think) has been closed right now due to an injury.

[ChiefMateJRK]

2 hours ago, Flatlander52 said:

I just read on another thread that the drop slide (the single one port, I think) has been closed right now due to an injury.

That didn't take long.

[nferr]

15 hours ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

Well, on *this* slide, no one seems likely to be "barrelling" into anyone... or anything!

You might risk getting a gentle bump, if that. 😄

Or maybe the next person would get stuck even higher up!? 😠

 

GC

 They might get stuck in the tube right on your balcony so you can hear them scream for a while lol....

[dhjson]

For those looking for an update - I was able to reach my PCC.   Her response “ I was not aware, let me look  into it further and get back to you”was far more appropriate - though despite a follow up e mail a week ago, I have not heard anything back. Still far better than the “ I wasn’t aware, too bad for you, nothing can be done “ response of the customer service rep. Some acknowledgment of my frustration at that time would have gone a long way.  I would also like to reiterate that I was in no way disrespectful during that call.  
The cabin was booked based on the original posted deck plan and as you can see on my post, this deck plan was revised some time after we booked.   There is currently no listing as a partial obstruction.  
I fully acknowledge that this is a first world problem (and what my family and I have experienced over the past  2.5 years has made it abundantly clear ).  We will continue to move forward.

I wish you all many happy and safe sailings.  

[ColdCruise]

On 9/14/2022 at 1:48 PM, cruiseny4life said:

Thanks! I'm glad I can ride the dry slide...I wasn't able to ride the ones on Getaway, because...well, fat! 

 

I wish she had said the max weight for the first one. I saw it on the sign for The Drop. That's really important information for the nation of fatties, like me! 

330 US pounds was posted on board (sailed 3 September)

[ColdCruise]

On 9/14/2022 at 9:50 AM, Sthrngary said:

  People without the experience of cruising on this ship are making comments that sound like they have been on the ship many time.  

 

For every CruiseCritic.com member cruising on the Prima sometime soon, can I ask if you could give use some live information and pictures.  We as a group would truly appreciate it.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

 

@Sthrngary

see thread

Not Quite Live from the Not-so Inaugural Prima with Freestyle Dailies

I didn’t personally use the slides due medical reasons. Check out You Tuber “The Ship Life” and check for postings here -  I believe  both rode the slide. Lots of adults were trying it out.

[UKstages]

i have often thought that obstructions like slides should be built adjacent to storage rooms, crew elevators  or other non-premium space... even crew quarters. typically, the crew is housed on lower decks in the bowels of the ship... but they don't necessarily have to be.  you're building a new ship... you're reimagining the passenger experience. there's no reason you can't reimagine the crew member's experience. or plan for obstructions to be built adjacent to non-customer-facing areas.

 

in my vision, if you have hard-to-sell inventory with major noise problems or structural design flaws that affect the view or habitability of a number of cabins, then give those cabins to a crew member. why not house room stewards or butlers near the staterooms they service in these less than desirable cabins? if NCL doesn't  want rank and file employees in there, then give the cabins to the ship's officers... the GM, the chief engineer and such. if they need a bigger cabin due to their positions, then the ship could have been designed that way... with sprawling suites or apartment-style accommodations next to the slides... to be occupied by the ships officers and executives.  and if they need smaller cabins for stewards and such, the space could have been redesigned for multiple crew cabins in the same space as one passenger cabin. 

 

and if that idea won't fly for some reason... again, with all the storage and dead areas on a typical deck, there really is nothing preventing ship designers from building slides and other obstructions adjacent to dead space like storage closets and elevators... nothing except a lack of imagination, that is.

[hallux]

1 hour ago, UKstages said:

and if that idea won't fly for some reason... again, with all the storage and dead areas on a typical deck, there really is nothing preventing ship designers from building slides and other obstructions adjacent to dead space like storage closets and elevators... nothing except a lack of imagination, that is.

Sure there is.  All those spaces you mention are usually interior spaces.  Can't put an exterior slide adjacent to an interior space.  Balcony cabins are desired by most (or at least many) passengers, they're going to maximize availability of those and limit space dedicated to non-passenger use on the outside of the ship.

[CruiseAF]

2 hours ago, UKstages said:

i have often thought that obstructions like slides should be built adjacent to storage rooms, crew elevators  or other non-premium space... even crew quarters. typically, the crew is housed on lower decks in the bowels of the ship... but they don't necessarily have to be.  you're building a new ship... you're reimagining the passenger experience. there's no reason you can't reimagine the crew member's experience. or plan for obstructions to be built adjacent to non-customer-facing areas.

 

in my vision, if you have hard-to-sell inventory with major noise problems or structural design flaws that affect the view or habitability of a number of cabins, then give those cabins to a crew member. why not house room stewards or butlers near the staterooms they service in these less than desirable cabins? if NCL doesn't  want rank and file employees in there, then give the cabins to the ship's officers... the GM, the chief engineer and such. if they need a bigger cabin due to their positions, then the ship could have been designed that way... with sprawling suites or apartment-style accommodations next to the slides... to be occupied by the ships officers and executives.  and if they need smaller cabins for stewards and such, the space could have been redesigned for multiple crew cabins in the same space as one passenger cabin. 

 

and if that idea won't fly for some reason... again, with all the storage and dead areas on a typical deck, there really is nothing preventing ship designers from building slides and other obstructions adjacent to dead space like storage closets and elevators... nothing except a lack of imagination, that is.

They already have this slide onboard. It’s called the smokestack 😂 

 

you should try it! 

[UKstages]

1 hour ago, hallux said:

Sure there is.  All those spaces you mention are usually interior spaces.  Can't put an exterior slide adjacent to an interior space.  

 

sure you can... if you have the imagination to redesign the ship with that in mind.

 

you're falling prey to "current thinking" which dictates that what has always been done must be done. there is no law that says that a storage closet can't have a balcony extension or empty outdoor space adjacent to it.  or that officers' quarters can't be built adjacent to a slide or under a noisy bar or theatre.

 

as for maximizing revenue from balconies, they're not doing a very good job of it if a number of balcony cabins are harder to sell or will have to be sold at deep discounts because of the slide running through or near the balcony. a creative way of attacking this problem would be to make sure that there are no customer cabins near such obvious undesirable and unexpected obstructions.

[zackarykeef]

The idea of slides is not new…RCCL has had them for years, clearly successful as they continue to install them on their new ship and other lines are now copying (NCL and MSC).

 

The idea of non-traditional balconies is not new, either…X has been adding more angles and “infinite” verandahs, and MSC’s Sea- ships were the first to have an extended “waterfront”-style deck, with many different balcony styles and shapes overlooking the decks and pools below.

 

NCL considers “obstructed” views if the view straight off the balcony is obstructed, not if there is something in every direction. That would make any rooms near the bridge obstructed, any rooms on indented parts of ships obstructed, etc. No one complains about those.

 

The slides don’t run through the balconies, they run next to them. People mention they run “through” the balconies because they feel that part ~should~ be part of their large balcony, but it’s not, and never was meant to be.

 

No one other than those that have stayed in the rooms are aware of any noise/vibration those dry slides may give off, and we all know they will only be open certain times of the day, just like all other amenities on the ship. There is only one clear section on The Drop, so no one can see you on your balcony from the slides. If anything, it seems people would be more bothered by the angles the balconies face or how they’re exposed to all of deck 8 if privacy and view is the concern, but not many are complaining about that, nor have they really complained about that on other angled balconies or other lines’ balconies much.

 

Many people seem to prefer the “traditional” flat-square, side of the ship-facing balcony where you can see in every direction, and if that’s the case, you can easily continue to sail the Sun, Jewel, etc.

 

Also, y’all keep complaining about NCL’s CS but continue to sail with them. I don’t see what would motivate them to change, as people continue to return again and again. You have to understand that the CC community is only a very small portion of cruisers as a whole, and many are first-time and maybe only-time cruisers, who really don’t know any better. They’re just happy to be on a cruise and will likely enjoy their trip regardless. These are the people who will continue to bring money to NCL…not a bunch of CC fanatics who are stuck in their ways and resistant to progression and innovation. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[ziggyuk]

Very slow at the end, this guy did not even make it out and had to "shuffle" along the last bit to get out 😂
Right at the start of the video:

 

[hallux]

19 minutes ago, ziggyuk said:

Very slow at the end, this guy did not even make it out and had to "shuffle" along the last bit to get out 😂
Right at the start of the video:

 

Posted on the previous page..

[cruiseny4life]

21 hours ago, ColdCruise said:

330 US pounds was posted on board (sailed 3 September)

Thank you! Thankfully, I do fall under that...yes, I know fat is bad and I need to work on it. I am! 🙂

[PATRLR]

On 9/16/2022 at 4:10 PM, CruiseAF said:

It’s funny people are still talking about the slides that have never been on the ship and most of the people on the ship aren’t reporting back this problem at all.

Might that be because more than 99% of the people who have cruised on Prima were not impacted by these slides?

On 9/16/2022 at 4:14 PM, SeaShark said:

And FWIW, if they make you (or anyone else) so unhappy, why not just book a cabin that isn't right next to them? I know its a revolutionary solution, but it has to be better than all this drama, no?

The problem is, as stated by the OP, NCL has not been forthcoming about those cabins having an obstructed view.  

On 9/16/2022 at 8:02 PM, Sailing12Away said:

In all the renderings, the exterior slides were visible. Maybe not the specific room that they cut through, but they were present and shown. So for someone to book a brand new ship based on rendered drawings and ignore those monster slides if they would be offended by them and not do some basic counting to see the general area they're planned to be in... sorry, but shame on them. 

Whoa - so now before booking a cruise I am supposed to find all the pictures and count windows and try to figure out on my own if a cabin of interest may have a problem like an obstructed view?  You're kidding, right?  

On 9/16/2022 at 10:57 PM, LGW59 said:

Seems much ado about something that can’t be remedied, but now going forward people know before they book, or at least those that look at that level of detail.  

If NCL doesn't communicate that these are obstrcuted views, how exactly am I supposed to know?  

Here is another problem:  We often book "sail away" or "guaranteed" categories.  We do so based on NCL statements for other ships that there are no obstructed view balconies.   I haven't tried to book Prima, so, I don't know if they make such statments for Primas, but, I'll bet they do.  Some cruise lines have been up front instating that with guaranteed balcony categories, some balconies may have onbscturcted views.  In those cases, we don't do guarantee.   If I did a guarantee balcony on Prima and got one of those rooms and my view was indeed obstructed, I would be unhappy with NCL for not disclosing it.

On 9/17/2022 at 7:28 AM, Karaboudjan said:

 

This is interesting but has nothing to do with the slides.  I suggest that someone who has experienced this noise/vibration first-hand start a new topic.

Keeping a tread on topic.  What a quaint idea.  🙂😉 🙂 

On 9/17/2022 at 1:20 PM, Sailing12Away said:

And originally the Haven owner's suites on deck 10 were supposed to have hot tubs, and then a few weeks after bookings were made - they were removed. Sh!t happens, things change, some people lose out (those on deck 10), others get unexpected wins (those on deck 11 who now have a hot tub that they didn't when they originally booked). 

So are you OK with NCL selling a cabin category that states there are hot tubs in the cabins even when there are no hot tubs in the cabins?  Because that is what this thread is about.  It's not about "things change" it's about NCL not being honest or complete in their descriptions.   Are you saying that the people who booked the Haven owner's suites on deck 10 didn't find out the hot tubs were gone until they got into their rooms?  If that is the case, then I believe those people have a legitimate complaint. 

On 9/17/2022 at 1:20 PM, Sailing12Away said:

The recurring theme of this thread doesn't change. You have options. Change rooms, change itineraries/ships, change cruise lines, ask for compensation for your 'presumed' losses, move on with life. 

You don't have options if NCL isn't forthcoming about these rooms having an obstructed view.

 

On 9/17/2022 at 1:20 PM, Sailing12Away said:

If they were as horrendous as some folks in here are acting like it is, why are the forums not flooded with photos/videos of them? 

Because less than 1/2 of 1% of Prima passengers has experienced the problem, if it exists?

 

4 hours ago, zackarykeef said:

NCL considers “obstructed” views if the view straight off the balcony is obstructed, not if there is something in every direction. That would make any rooms near the bridge obstructed, any rooms on indented parts of ships obstructed, etc. No one complains about those.

No one complains because it is well communicated what NCL considers obstructed. 

 

 

 

[Reese15233]

 

It seems as if Norwegian is making some effort to address the issue of obstructed balconies on the prima class ships going forward. My mother was booked in 14792 on Viva next November (I am in 11942 a balcony on the beginning of the curve in rounded aft section) When we booked last year, I went to the deck plans to see where she was and was concerned about the triangular, limited view corner balcony. It really seems awful limited even without the slides and I would not book it. She however was not overly concerned and expressed that she would only need to be able to sit and enjoy the air etc. but wasn’t worried about the angle or obstructions.

After Prima’s initial sailing she did receive a message that her stateroom needed to be changed. When she spoke to an agent, she was told that 14792 was now an ocean view and she was moved across the hall to 14192. This cabin is still on the corner but according to the deck plan has a larger balcony with a less obstructive slide. I don't know if either was identified as obstructed view (my mother is not one for remembering details) The current deck plans do not show 14792 as an ocean view but it also doesn’t seem to be available to book as an accessible balcony, at least on Viva.

 

I understand the OP’s frustration, but the vehemence is a lot. I don’t think there was any intentional misleading or deception. Booking agents and cruise consultants were also limited by the deck plans provided and given the popularity of the new ships from the beginning there has to be limitations in their ability to relocate someone, more so in already limited categories. I also don’t spend Haven money for staterooms so perhaps that makes some intensity more understandable. Some of the pictures posted make it seem the balcony would be up to 50% blocked but the picture posted by BirdTravel’s on the OP’s other post 

 

seems to indicate the obstruction would be minimal. It is difficult to tell without actual photos from the balcony or even one nearby. Hopefully if the OP does sail in the cabin, they or someone who has firsthand experience will post pictures. The follow up would be nice after so much impassioned discussion.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 19, 2022 by Reese15233

[Sailing12Away]

8 hours ago, PATRLR said:

TLDR blah blah blah I am angry with NCL

 

You need to give it a rest. The folks in deck 10 Haven found out through research - either here, or watching countless videos/photos as things became finalized. They utilized their options. Either switched to deck 12 if available, cancelled completely, or any variant in between.

 

Just as the OP has found out about the slides before stepping foot into their potentially obstructed view 2br Haven balcony. No one (to my knowledge) has stepped foot into their room to magically find it unacceptably obstructed with no prior warning, notice, or hint that it may be that way.

 

There are options. Just because you want to be angry with NCL doesn't change the fact that all the people booked in these rooms still do in fact have options. Continue to be angry with NCL, cancel your bookings or boycott Prima/Viva - I really don't give a hoot what you do.

 

But stop acting like it's the end of the world and that someone is being forced into a room they don't want with zero notice.