PRIMA LIVE...HAVEN a Good Time! March 19-26, 2023

[SGCruiser2013]

AT SEA WAVY CAKES well at least the temp is up and the rain has halted but the winds are moderate to high and Captain has the ship on tilt headed towards Cozumel. The outsides are starting to be used. There is actually a fair amount of outside that is covered or mostly covered near dining areas, much on Deck 8. 
 

We braved Indulge for a little lunch. The Haven concierge suggested might want to wait until not a sea day since then it is most crowded, however when walking through at Noon I found an empty table and DW happened to walk by shortly thereafter. Can confirm that service once you order is very fast. 
 

Interesting, am sure it’s been discussed and I just hadn’t read/focused on it, but there is booth and table seating around that can order from anywhere. And then there is space to sit at the counters of some of the specific eateries but at those places it looks like you can just order from that eatery not anywhere. I will confirm this at multiple places not just the one I was near. As a result, most groups seem to fill regular tables which get quite crowded and many of the counters have some spaces open. 
 

I would say crowd level was 9/10 at Noon. I lucked upon a table but proceeded to see a constant stream of table searchers walking around. I sat at a table that could fit 4 people (which most are like that) and for the five minutes I was alone before DW joined me, the ‘searchers definitely eyed me with a tone of judgment 🙂 lol. Maybe another unwritten rule - if you are a single can’t sit at a four top!

 

If you don’t mind being patient and opportunistic, you can likely get a table within 15-20 mins or faster even at crowded times, it’s a large place. However if you can’t stand circling for a parking spot at the Mall the week before Christmas, then it’s likely not your deal and I’d definitely avoid peak times and/or prepare to be a little frustrated/frantic. 
 

Food pics:

 

Shrimp pad Thai tasty


Pulled pork Sammy also tasty

Indulge home screen 

 

[SGCruiser2013]

LE BISTRO was awesome. I ordered the lobster thermidor with, yes, the 25 upcharge. No claws. However I thought it was excellent and worth it IMO. We had a great bottle of Bordeaux and had excellent, if ever so slightly slow service. 
 

Pics:

Escargots delicious

 

DW had Scallops in an amazing sauce 

 

Dma had some great French onion soup

 

Goat cheese croquettes salad, 7/10

 

DW with a fabulous Dover sole

 

The famous lobster thermidor

 

Pear marinated in wine with chocolate sauce 10/10

 

Strawberry Frasier for DW 7/10

 

Overall super impressed. We also had 2017 Pichon Lalande which was epic.

[SGCruiser2013]

Before dinner, we sprung for the feels-pretty-pricy Behind the Scenes tour. We are Haven but not NCL status so this was the “excursion version” which is $149/pp. However was extremely well done. Better than BTS tours we’ve had on other cruises.

 

Tour was about 2 hours. We visited various food galleys, laundry, engineering, a crew bar and the I-95 underneath roadway, provisions and freezer storage, backstage preparations and dressing rooms for Donna Summer and the bridge. Our visit to the bridge included highlights from the Captain who then generously spent time with us answering questions and talking about his family. In fact, our tour guide from guest services held a very informative Q&A about their contract process and crew life.

 

If you haven’t done one of these it’s worth the splurge IMO. It’s really eye opening how much it takes to run a ship - all the departments and their different cultures and styles. And everyone we saw on the tour - such positive and friendly attitudes. 

Pictures we could take were somewhat limited, but posted a couple below of the galleys and one of the crew bars.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 21, 2023 by SGCruiser2013

[The Admiral]

I am currently currently also sailing on the 3/19 Prima in the Haven and my quick take so far is:

 

1) staff is awesome, very friendly and accommodating. 5 stars 

 

2) embarkation easy and efficient. 5 Stars

 

3) ship design is beautifully done and very elegant. 5 Stars

 

4.) food is good and has plenty of choices. 4-5 Stars 

 

But there are two areas that will make me think twice about NCL in the future and here they are:

 

1) the entertainment is lacking, although there is good variety in terms of lounge music, so far there’s only one professional show - a Donna Summer Review and when I asked staff if there’s any other professional show like acrobats or magicians or broadway reviews (which NCL made its name on) I was told twice that the only show was the same one noted above and nothing else. I hope this is not true and we will pick up entertainers in Cozumel.
 

If in fact NCL Prima only has one type of theatre show repeating all 7 days this is a fatal flaw in my opinion. Professional entertainment is expected on cruise lines especially when they sell Haven rooms for a hefty premium.

one staff member told me they have two different shows as they counted the “Price is Right” as one (sorry in my opinion that’s not a show)

 

So  if nothing changes entertainment is 1-2 Star and that’s only because of the comedy club and the different singers in the various lounges who are good.

 

2) on Prima it seems like more passengers were added to Haven. NCL seems to Nikel and dime for everything. If you’re traveling with kids there are charges for a bunch of items they want to do. Also If you a 10 drink or more a day passenger it doesn’t make sense to pay hundreds of dollars in tips for the cabin for the drink package, if all you do is have a soft drink here and there and maybe a glass or two of wine before or with dinner. 
 

if NCL wants to better compete in terms of the ship within a ship concept part of the passenger equation they need to just include all drinks with the haven and not complicate folks lives while on board. NCL, figure out a reasonable cost for drinks and gratuities (so hard working crew don’t get left without gratuities) and just build it into the price of the Haven so no matter what anyone’s drinking preferences are if you’re in the Haven all your alcohol, soft drinks and specialty coffees are included - no hassle cruising NCL!

 

This is my preliminary opinion, The two negatives above (Haven and Entertainment) may change later on in the week but this is where I am at day 2.

 

But remember any cruise is better than being on land! 🙂

[cruiservictor]

@SGCruiser2013 That BTS tour sounds great, especially the visit to the bridge. You mentioned the Captain spent time with you. Do you happen to know his name?

[david_sobe]

6 hours ago, The Admiral said:

I am currently currently also sailing on the 3/19 Prima in the Haven and my quick take so far is:

 

1) staff is awesome, very friendly and accommodating. 5 stars 

 

2) embarkation easy and efficient. 5 Stars

 

3) ship design is beautifully done and very elegant. 5 Stars

 

4.) food is good and has plenty of choices. 4-5 Stars 

 

But there are two areas that will make me think twice about NCL in the future and here they are:

 

1) the entertainment is lacking, although there is good variety in terms of lounge music, so far there’s only one professional show - a Donna Summer Review and when I asked staff if there’s any other professional show like acrobats or magicians or broadway reviews (which NCL made its name on) I was told twice that the only show was the same one noted above and nothing else. I hope this is not true and we will pick up entertainers in Cozumel.
 

If in fact NCL Prima only has one type of theatre show repeating all 7 days this is a fatal flaw in my opinion. Professional entertainment is expected on cruise lines especially when they sell Haven rooms for a hefty premium.

one staff member told me they have two different shows as they counted the “Price is Right” as one (sorry in my opinion that’s not a show)

 

So  if nothing changes entertainment is 1-2 Star and that’s only because of the comedy club and the different singers in the various lounges who are good.

 

2) on Prima it seems like more passengers were added to Haven. NCL seems to Nikel and dime for everything. If you’re traveling with kids there are charges for a bunch of items they want to do. Also If you a 10 drink or more a day passenger it doesn’t make sense to pay hundreds of dollars in tips for the cabin for the drink package, if all you do is have a soft drink here and there and maybe a glass or two of wine before or with dinner. 
 

if NCL wants to better compete in terms of the ship within a ship concept part of the passenger equation they need to just include all drinks with the haven and not complicate folks lives while on board. NCL, figure out a reasonable cost for drinks and gratuities (so hard working crew don’t get left without gratuities) and just build it into the price of the Haven so no matter what anyone’s drinking preferences are if you’re in the Haven all your alcohol, soft drinks and specialty coffees are included - no hassle cruising NCL!

 

This is my preliminary opinion, The two negatives above (Haven and Entertainment) may change later on in the week but this is where I am at day 2.

 

But remember any cruise is better than being on land! 🙂

Thanks for sharing your on board experience. I dont think anyone would disagree with your suggestions.  Passenger experience vs profit.   If NCL had 2 major shows and gave Haven guests a bit more perks, soda or alcohol it eats into the profit which is why it wont happen.  It saddens me that with the debut of the Epic in 2010, there were 3 major Vegas acts on board.  We are now down to one.  The pendulum has swung back to cruise controlled entertainment again.  

[david_sobe]

Do they still give you a behind the scenes professional photo with a chef hat working in the kitchen?  IMHO that was worth half the price of the experience.

[SGCruiser2013]

7 hours ago, The Admiral said:

I am currently currently also sailing on the 3/19 Prima in the Haven and my quick take so far is:

 

1) staff is awesome, very friendly and accommodating. 5 stars 

 

2) embarkation easy and efficient. 5 Stars

 

3) ship design is beautifully done and very elegant. 5 Stars

 

4.) food is good and has plenty of choices. 4-5 Stars 

 

But there are two areas that will make me think twice about NCL in the future and here they are:

 

1) the entertainment is lacking, although there is good variety in terms of lounge music, so far there’s only one professional show - a Donna Summer Review and when I asked staff if there’s any other professional show like acrobats or magicians or broadway reviews (which NCL made its name on) I was told twice that the only show was the same one noted above and nothing else. I hope this is not true and we will pick up entertainers in Cozumel.
 

If in fact NCL Prima only has one type of theatre show repeating all 7 days this is a fatal flaw in my opinion. Professional entertainment is expected on cruise lines especially when they sell Haven rooms for a hefty premium.

one staff member told me they have two different shows as they counted the “Price is Right” as one (sorry in my opinion that’s not a show)

 

So  if nothing changes entertainment is 1-2 Star and that’s only because of the comedy club and the different singers in the various lounges who are good.

 

2) on Prima it seems like more passengers were added to Haven. NCL seems to Nikel and dime for everything. If you’re traveling with kids there are charges for a bunch of items they want to do. Also If you a 10 drink or more a day passenger it doesn’t make sense to pay hundreds of dollars in tips for the cabin for the drink package, if all you do is have a soft drink here and there and maybe a glass or two of wine before or with dinner. 
 

if NCL wants to better compete in terms of the ship within a ship concept part of the passenger equation they need to just include all drinks with the haven and not complicate folks lives while on board. NCL, figure out a reasonable cost for drinks and gratuities (so hard working crew don’t get left without gratuities) and just build it into the price of the Haven so no matter what anyone’s drinking preferences are if you’re in the Haven all your alcohol, soft drinks and specialty coffees are included - no hassle cruising NCL!

 

This is my preliminary opinion, The two negatives above (Haven and Entertainment) may change later on in the week but this is where I am at day 2.

 

But remember any cruise is better than being on land! 🙂

 
All great points and hope you are having an awesome cruise! 
 

I don’t think our entertainment is changing significantly, but I think there is a chance it may be because Noise Boys contract just recently ended and they may not have picked up the new act/show yet. I agree for a ship of this caliber and price you would expect more than one feature show. So for our cruise out of luck I think but hopefully NCL doesn’t make this business as usual. 
 

For us cruise pricing is an interesting animal. NCL Free at Sea throwing in four categories of included items was attractive or at least competitive with other cruise lines as it reduces nickel and dime. Also, beforehand we bought FAS+ which while not an insignificant add has really reduced the number of extra charges and we have already made back our $ with no by the glass charges and the 40% savings on bottles.

[SGCruiser2013]

1 hour ago, david_sobe said:

Do they still give you a behind the scenes professional photo with a chef hat working in the kitchen?  IMHO that was worth half the price of the experience.

Yes! Was a great picture. Unfortunately DW and I skipped it … but Ddyo and Dma pic turned out super good.

[david_sobe]

Just now, SGCruiser2013 said:

Yes! Was a great picture. Unfortunately DW and I skipped it … but Ddyo and Dma pic turned out super good.

When you consider how much it costs for a pro photo and frame on a cruise ship, it explains half the cost of the tour.  I agree with you.  Its worth it to do it once on any ship.  Gives you such a window of how much work goes into the cruise worker's jobs. 

[SGCruiser2013]

6 hours ago, cruiservictor said:

@SGCruiser2013 That BTS tour sounds great, especially the visit to the bridge. You mentioned the Captain spent time with you. Do you happen to know his name?

Roger Gustavsen. Has been a captain since circa ~ 2007 I believe. His 6th or 7th ship to captain if I recollect. 

[SGCruiser2013]

DONNA SUMMER last night was awesome. One of the best musical performances I’ve seen on a cruise ship. All three Donnas (young, prime, mature) were great. Toss up between middle and older Donna as to whom my fave was, they were both simply outstanding. Also I appreciated it was feature length, they really got to tell a story. Rest of the Company was excellent top to bottom, while the Donnas were featured the whole group was so, so talented. Bravo!

 

 

Haven seating was pretty easy in hindsight. We gathered at Haven lounge about 45 mins beforehand and when they were about to open doors we were escorted down and let into the theater. The first four rows of left side were exclusively reserved for Haven but you could sit anywhere. So really it functioned mostly like a separate Haven line/entrance to the show. 
 

So far the Avion margaritas are outperforming the Patron Silver margs. 

[SGCruiser2013]

COZUMEL beautiful arrival to beautiful weather. 80 degrees and mostly sunny. While Dma is off for a tequila tasting, we went simple and walked from Porta Langosta to Restaurant La Mission which had been recommended on the CC boards as well as on TA. 
 

Awesome lunch!! Totally recommend. Great margs and seafood. 
 

 

 

Lobster plate w coconut shrimp

DDyo Seafood plate 

 

 

 

Coconut shrimp were huge and fresh and had a great sauce. Five to an order. 

 

[SGCruiser2013]

“Absorption in things other than self is the secret of a happy life” - James CAGNEY

 

Cagney’s steakhouse dinner tonight. Given @Greenpea2’s experience I was most interested of course in the shrimp appetizer lol. Happy to report the shrimp were big and not rubbery 🙂

 

Overall a rather quiet meal. We had a great bottle of wine. The salads were great - best Caesar we’ve had thus far on the ship and the Wedge was also perfect. Steaks and lamb chops all served as ordered with extra mint jelly. But while overall quality was good, it seemed 8/10 good and not 10/10 good. The Haven restaurant night 1 is actually our favorite of the three meals thus far. Though Bistro a close second. Cagney’s was super crowded tonight and it felt slightly more “crowded ship” vs “exciting hustle and bustle” but the service was great. 
 

Here are pics:

 

Dma’s shrimp which she shared 🙂

 

My tuna tartare tasty 8/10

Wedge blue cheese was perfect

Lamb choppers 

 

 

[SGCruiser2013]

I FEEL THE NEED, THE NEED FOR SPEEDway Well had to try the Prima speedway today. Tickets lined up for 3:30pm for DW and me. Somehow I achieved the pole position

 

 

This was a FUN time. Worth the charge. I thought the go karts move pretty fast, at least they felt so. Pro tip: maybe try doing the full ride until they tell you to stop. I took off first and thought we only got 4 laps and then I saw a check flag and so pulled into pit stop. The quizzical looks they gave me were funny…in hindsight. I was offered and have accepted a redo for Friday and will surrender my pole station and just follow the crowd. It looks like most got 7 laps in. 
 

ESCAPE ON THE PRIMA Our party of four also braved the Escape Room. This was fun. I’ve done escape rooms a couple of times before and I thought it was mostly on par save for the last “big clue” which for whatever reason was not operating today so we ended early. The story/puzzles were medium hard and they did not give a lot of clues which really made you try and fail more often than usual. But ultimately we escaped so this LIVE thread can move forward.

 

 

Edited March 22, 2023 by SGCruiser2013

[nhtravels]

Sounds like a great trip so far!  We are looking at the Prima for 2025 (Viva for next year).  We primarily sail in the Haven, so I truly appreciate your thoughts.  Thanks for sharing your journey with us!

[Greenpea2]

12 hours ago, SGCruiser2013 said:

“Absorption in things other than self is the secret of a happy life” - James CAGNEY

 

Cagney’s steakhouse dinner tonight. Given @Greenpea2’s experience I was most interested of course in the shrimp appetizer lol. Happy to report the shrimp were big and not rubbery 🙂

 

Overall a rather quiet meal. We had a great bottle of wine. The salads were great - best Caesar we’ve had thus far on the ship and the Wedge was also perfect. Steaks and lamb chops all served as ordered with extra mint jelly. But while overall quality was good, it seemed 8/10 good and not 10/10 good. The Haven restaurant night 1 is actually our favorite of the three meals thus far. Though Bistro a close second. Cagney’s was super crowded tonight and it felt slightly more “crowded ship” vs “exciting hustle and bustle” but the service was great. 
 

Here are pics:

 

Dma’s shrimp which she shared 🙂

 

My tuna tartare tasty 8/10

Wedge blue cheese was perfect

Lamb choppers 

 

 

That all looks sooo good! Very happy you enjoyed it. We never did get to Le Bistro this time, darn it.

[Lupush]

I’m on the ship as well and have to say it’s probable my least favorite ship in the NCL fleet (including Epic). My thoughts so far.

 

- I agree with the OP that the service in the Haven has been great, however there are way too many Haven Suites and it lacks the “exclusive” feel of the other ships.

 

- Getting around the ship is a disaster. There’s no easy way to get from point A to point B regardless of what deck you’re on.  
 

- Food has been good in all venues we’ve eaten in. Haven Restaurant, Le Bistro, Palomar, Indulge, Local.  Although I do agree you probably want to do Indulge on a port day.

 

- There was a code alpha on the pool deck yesterday. Kudos to the NCL Pool and Medical teams for a fast response. It looked like a man may have had a heart attack, as they had the defibrillator machine on him.  Hope he’s ok, the NCL Crew response probably saved his life.

 

[SGCruiser2013]

Today went to HELL™️. Straight past purgatory and right to HELL™️. No time to even say HELLo™️ this morning. 
 

GRAND CAYMAN yes ok we went to HELL™️. And we had been there before and it’s the same. And there was a hell scape of hell puns 🙂

 

Our beautiful ship from the Tender:

 

 

We looked to do something for the first time today and settled on the Cayman Bicycle Adventure and Coral Beach tour. We had low expectations which I recommend for most Caribbean excursions but we had fun. 
 

Summary of excursion: 9:45 meet in Commodore, 9:55 board Tender, 10:20 arrive Cayman, 10:30 excursion start with coach ride to bicycle house, 10:45 arrive and get bikes and helmets, 11-ish to 1-ish was bike ride (about 6 total miles, mostly flat, mostly at low speeds so group could stay together, we visited lookout in West Bay, HELL™️, then after getting the HELL™️ outta there we stopped at a liquor store for Rum drink and Rum cake, then bikes to Dolphin discovery for tank viewing, then bike back to house), 1:15 bus to Coral Beach, 1:35 order rum punch, coconut shrimp, and quesadillas, 2:30 bus back to tender port, ~3pm arrival back at ship. 
 

Some pics from Cayman, including you know where™️:

 

 

Aaagh™️

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 22, 2023 by SGCruiser2013

[cruiservictor]

On 3/21/2023 at 8:39 AM, SGCruiser2013 said:

Roger Gustavsen. Has been a captain since circa ~ 2007 I believe. His 6th or 7th ship to captain if I recollect. 

He was our Captain on the Getaway for the April crossing in 2019.  This is him on the far right.

[snorklinbarb]

On 3/21/2023 at 8:48 AM, SGCruiser2013 said:

DONNA SUMMER last night was awesome. One of the best musical performances I’ve seen on a cruise ship. All three Donnas (young, prime, mature) were great. Toss up between middle and older Donna as to whom my fave was, they were both simply outstanding. Also I appreciated it was feature length, they really got to tell a story. Rest of the Company was excellent top to bottom, while the Donnas were featured the whole group was so, so talented. Bravo!

 

 

 

Great to read your review as we'll be on Prima end of April.  I was on last fall for a 5 nighter so it will be fun to go now with DH!

 

As for the "mature" Donna, do you happen to know if it is Kimberly Locke?  She was fabulous in the role and I'm hoping she might be on when we're on. I wonder if any of the CD staff might know?

 

She performed and did very well on "American Idol".  

 

Look forward to the rest of your review.  On Prima (even last year) "The Price is Right" was considered a feature show. I missed it (thinking just another game show) but guests who went said it was "the real deal" with prizes.  

 

I did see one vlogger who said the "Newlywed and Not so Newlywed" show was one of the nights in the theater.  Will be interesting to see if your cruise has the same....that one hardly seems like a substitute for good entertainment for the whole theater....when I was on they had "Noise Boys".  Very different but also very interesting.  Read here that it was canceled.  Since we're cruising soon, I'm wondering if there will be an alternative by then?

 

 

[romalley99]

27 minutes ago, snorklinbarb said:

Great to read your review as we'll be on Prima end of April.  I was on last fall for a 5 nighter so it will be fun to go now with DH!

 

As for the "mature" Donna, do you happen to know if it is Kimberly Locke?  She was fabulous in the role and I'm hoping she might be on when we're on. I wonder if any of the CD staff might know?

 

She performed and did very well on "American Idol".  

 

Look forward to the rest of your review.  On Prima (even last year) "The Price is Right" was considered a feature show. I missed it (thinking just another game show) but guests who went said it was "the real deal" with prizes.  

 

I did see one vlogger who said the "Newlywed and Not so Newlywed" show was one of the nights in the theater.  Will be interesting to see if your cruise has the same....that one hardly seems like a substitute for good entertainment for the whole theater....when I was on they had "Noise Boys".  Very different but also very interesting.  Read here that it was canceled.  Since we're cruising soon, I'm wondering if there will be an alternative by then?

 

 

 

Kimberly is home on vacation. An entirely new cast is now onboard; "Summer 2.0". 

[snorklinbarb]

23 minutes ago, romalley99 said:

 

Kimberly is home on vacation. An entirely new cast is now onboard; "Summer 2.0". 

Thanks so much!  Maybe she will be back by our sailing date but nonetheless great to hear your praise for the current cast.  I'm sure it will be excellent!

 

As for Captain Roger, if you go to the Latitudes party you might be lucky enough to hear him play bass guitar!

[romalley99]

4 hours ago, snorklinbarb said:

Thanks so much!  Maybe she will be back by our sailing date but nonetheless great to hear your praise for the current cast.  I'm sure it will be excellent!

 

As for Captain Roger, if you go to the Latitudes party you might be lucky enough to hear him play bass guitar!

 

I don't think she has quite decided yet if she is coming back... same for the others (Valerie Curlingford and D'Nasya Jordan) -- would be great, as the chemistry between the three of them were unmatched! 

[SGCruiser2013]

16 hours ago, snorklinbarb said:

Great to read your review as we'll be on Prima end of April.  I was on last fall for a 5 nighter so it will be fun to go now with DH!

 

As for the "mature" Donna, do you happen to know if it is Kimberly Locke?  She was fabulous in the role and I'm hoping she might be on when we're on. I wonder if any of the CD staff might know?

 

She performed and did very well on "American Idol".  

 

Look forward to the rest of your review.  On Prima (even last year) "The Price is Right" was considered a feature show. I missed it (thinking just another game show) but guests who went said it was "the real deal" with prizes.  

 

I did see one vlogger who said the "Newlywed and Not so Newlywed" show was one of the nights in the theater.  Will be interesting to see if your cruise has the same....that one hardly seems like a substitute for good entertainment for the whole theater....when I was on they had "Noise Boys".  Very different but also very interesting.  Read here that it was canceled.  Since we're cruising soon, I'm wondering if there will be an alternative by then?

 

 

The three singers in Donna 2.0 were so great! Not Kimberly tho as mentioned above. 
 

You are correct last night the Newly/Not-so-Newlywed game was featured in Prima theater last night, presumably as NCL evaluates what to do post-Noise Boys.