Just off Prima...lots of thoughts

[PATRLR]

54 minutes ago, mitchtech said:

But The Local is very good

Yeah but it's inside.  We like to grab our breakfasts and lunches and snacks and eat outside.

 

[KKB]

20 hours ago, UKstages said:

 

i can't tell if you're being serious or not, but i continue to be appalled at how few men wash their hands after doing their business. i'd guess around 15%. so, if they're not washing their hands or using sanitizer before dining at the buffet, there is a very good chance that those hands have fecal matter on them.

I HAD to ask DH. 

He felt it is about 2/3 that DO wash.

I assume the differences are what part of the world one is from (Midwest US here) & where you typically use bathrooms (DH: golf course, restaurants & traveling--which up to this point has mostly been cruises & Vegas)

I am HAPPY to say that it is SO rare to see a woman not wash her hands that it is glaringly noticeable when one does not.

[KKB]

1 hour ago, mitchtech said:

It's  true. But The Local is very good

Having done Local /O'Sheahan's on Getaway & Encore I would call it OK bar food.

Not great, but decent.

DH disagrees---he thinks it's great! 

(but that man would eat bar food every day of the week...😂)

Edited April 22, 2023 by KKB

[dexddd]

What we noticed on Prima was a greeter to buffet but no washy bottle.  There may be a small sink there but I recall don't  one.

[schmoopie17]

4 minutes ago, KKB said:

Having done Local on Getaway & Encore I would call it OK bar food.

Not great, but decent.

DH disagrees---he thinks it's great! 

(but that man would eat bar food every day of the week...😂)

The Local on the Prima is an enigma. We were wary of the wings since we have had horrible wings at the Local (and O'Sheahan's) previously. But the wings on our January Prima cruise were fantastic...crispy, and not the least bit mushy (as was always the case previously).

 

On the flip side, the Fish that came with the Fish and Chips was completely inedible. Cutting into the fish revealed a black-ish interior that was disgusting. Maybe a bad batch, but I would be reluctant to order that again at the Local.

 

The bar set-up at the Local is also strange, since it's on a main walkway and people walking by crowd up to the bar (where there is already a crowd waiting to be served by two bartenders). Much prefer the bar set-up on the Escape or the Bliss (with the added benefit of having seats overlooking the Atrium).

[KKB]

1 minute ago, schmoopie17 said:

The Local on the Prima is an enigma. We were wary of the wings since we have had horrible wings at the Local (and O'Sheahan's) previously. But the wings on our January Prima cruise were fantastic...crispy, and not the least bit mushy (as was always the case previously).

 

I admit to being a wing snob. Mushy wings make me want to 🤮.

Our local bar grills them if we ask--and I like mine DOUBLE grilled for extra char.

Crisp skin all the way. 

(nope, not referring to me--50SPF all the time🤣)

[debenson0723]

17 minutes ago, dexddd said:

What we noticed on Prima was a greeter to buffet but no washy bottle.  There may be a small sink there but I recall don't  one.

There were multiple sinks at either entrance of the buffet and also the middle section you could enter from off the elevators. Also hand sanitizers on the walls and on a few columns spaced out in the buffet.

[nybumpkin]

5 hours ago, KKB said:

 

Sounds VERY much like activity scheduling is not the Prima's CD's strength to be sure.

Again...REALLY glad we swapped this for Beyond!

I really liked Prima's CD. He was very visible and hosted a number of activities himself (Deal or No Deal and Trivia were the two I saw). If there are cutbacks on the available entertainment (and it sounds like that may be the case), that's not the CD's fault - you can't schedule something you don't have.

[Greenpea2]

Thank you for the review. I'm the person who was in tears and getting lost all the time. Maybe it was finding the Haven that made it hard. But I most certainly was not the only one on the cruise concerned about finding my way around. People talked about it in the elevators, on the sun decks, the subject came up in many conversations throughout our cruise. No one was mad or upset, we all just kind of "took the hit" and loved the Prima anyway! What's that phrase? YMMV, that's it. 

 

We never found it at all (and I mean at ALL) crowded in the Food Republic, and the service was excellent and the food some of the best we had onboard. We went three times and just walked in spur of the moment, Hudson's for us was wonderful. Great service, absolutely no rushing us at all and wonderful food!

 

Reviews are always interesting, I think, no matter if you agree or disagree with the experience.As long as you keep in mind that experiences can be very different for different people.  

[Greenpea2]

On 4/21/2023 at 10:39 AM, KKB said:

No entertainment?

Donna Summer show didn't run?

No Improv shows?

No musicians around the ship?

No trivia or gameshows?

(these are similar to the entertainment offerings on other lines)

 

And I agree--I don't wait in line for anything I don't have to.

But Syd Normans was WORTH IT. EVERY NIGHT.

 

Now, I'm no huge NCL fan & your other concerns are little different than we have encountered on other NCL ships. 

But the librarian in me always seeks accuracy in reporting...

Totally agree. There was plenty of entertainment on the Prima! We went to two shows and if we'd wanted to would have done a lot more than that. We just don't tend to go to a lot of the activities held each day/night. 

[KKB]

2 hours ago, nybumpkin said:

I really liked Prima's CD. He was very visible and hosted a number of activities himself (Deal or No Deal and Trivia were the two I saw). If there are cutbacks on the available entertainment (and it sounds like that may be the case), that's not the CD's fault - you can't schedule something you don't have.

Oh that is a real issue as well--one we suspected overall on our Encore cruise in December. 

Didn't notice it in entertainment, but in service--few servers & bartenders ship-wide.

[UKstages]

8 hours ago, KKB said:

He felt it is about 2/3 that DO wash.

I assume the differences are what part of the world one is from (Midwest US here) & where you typically use bathrooms (DH: golf course, restaurants & traveling--which up to this point has mostly been cruises & Vegas)

I am HAPPY to say that it is SO rare to see a woman not wash her hands that it is glaringly noticeable when one does not.

 

i'm not quite sure what you're saying. are you saying midwesterners are more health conscious and would never dream of not washing their hands? i have washed my hands all over the word, including the midwest. from america to europe to asia. in florida, in california and in iowa. from las vegas to council bluffs to tecumseh, from portland maine to portland oregon. i have seen no difference in the percentage of men who wash their hands. in broadway theatres, at husker games, in fast food joints and five star hotels... a very small percentage of men wash their hands in public rest rooms. i suspect it's  the same men who wash their hands when they're at home. an extraordinary number - apparently - do not. 

 

8 hours ago, KKB said:

I am HAPPY to say that it is SO rare to see a woman not wash her hands that it is glaringly noticeable when one does not.

 

that's funny... because whenever i mention that men are pigs when it comes to their bathroom hygiene, my female friends regale me with tales of women behaving exceedingly badly in restrooms. not washing hands is the least of their transgressions!

 

[KKB]

1 hour ago, UKstages said:

 

i'm not quite sure what you're saying. are you saying midwesterners are more health conscious and would never dream of not washing their hands? i have washed my hands all over the word, including the midwest. from america to europe to asia. in florida, in california and in iowa. from las vegas to council bluffs to tecumseh, from portland maine to portland oregon. i have seen no difference in the percentage of men who wash their hands. in broadway theatres, at husker games, in fast food joints and five star hotels... a very small percentage of men wash their hands in public rest rooms. i suspect it's  the same men who wash their hands when they're at home. an extraordinary number - apparently - do not. 

 

 

that's funny... because whenever i mention that men are pigs when it comes to their bathroom hygiene, my female friends regale me with tales of women behaving exceedingly badly in restrooms. not washing hands is the least of their transgressions!

 

All I’m doing is sharing our experiences—not passing judgement on you.

[UKstages]

 

oh, gosh, i didn't think you were passing judgment on me.

 

you said that you assumed "the differences are what part of the world one is from (midwest US here) & where you typically use bathrooms." and so i was interested in learning more about your assumption. what is it about midwesterners that you feel positively influences their hand washing regimen? (if indeed that's what your saying... that midwesterners wash their hands more regularly)

Edited April 23, 2023 by UKstages

[KKB]

6 hours ago, UKstages said:

 

oh, gosh, i didn't think you were passing judgment on me.

 

you said that you assumed "the differences are what part of the world one is from (midwest US here) & where you typically use bathrooms." and so i was interested in learning more about your assumption. what is it about midwesterners that you feel positively influences their hand washing regimen? (if indeed that's what your saying... that midwesterners wash their hands more regularly)

I was just theorizing why we might have different experiences. 

[InfrequentPNWCruiser]

20 hours ago, dexddd said:

What we noticed on Prima was a greeter to buffet but no washy bottle.  There may be a small sink there but I recall don't  one.

I just saw one small sink labeled "Handwash Station" in the buffet. Never saw anyone using it, course half the time it was blocked by lines.

[ontheweb]

14 hours ago, Greenpea2 said:

Thank you for the review. I'm the person who was in tears and getting lost all the time. Maybe it was finding the Haven that made it hard. But I most certainly was not the only one on the cruise concerned about finding my way around. People talked about it in the elevators, on the sun decks, the subject came up in many conversations throughout our cruise. No one was mad or upset, we all just kind of "took the hit" and loved the Prima anyway! What's that phrase? YMMV, that's it. 

 

We never found it at all (and I mean at ALL) crowded in the Food Republic, and the service was excellent and the food some of the best we had onboard. We went three times and just walked in spur of the moment, Hudson's for us was wonderful. Great service, absolutely no rushing us at all and wonderful food!

 

Reviews are always interesting, I think, no matter if you agree or disagree with the experience.As long as you keep in mind that experiences can be very different for different people.  

I expect to get lost as I have a horrendous sense of direction. (For instance, on our very first cruise, I got us on a train going the wrong way in Italy.) But, I can guarantee that I will not get lost looking for the Haven as we are not booked there. 😊

 

Thanks again for your review. I learned a lot from both you and Sid in your reviews. And you were both great at responding to questions from others including me.

 

I'm hoping there is a similar type review this summer prior to our cruise from someone doing our itinerary (or its reverse) from London (Southampton) to Reykjavik.

[mitchtech]

23 hours ago, PATRLR said:

Yeah but it's inside.  We like to grab our breakfasts and lunches and snacks and eat outside.

 

Not to worry. On one side of the local there are tables to eat outside. You can also order at the bar and take the food to your lounge chairs if you want

[mitchtech]

23 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

The Local on the Prima is an enigma. We were wary of the wings since we have had horrible wings at the Local (and O'Sheahan's) previously. But the wings on our January Prima cruise were fantastic...crispy, and not the least bit mushy (as was always the case previously).

 

On the flip side, the Fish that came with the Fish and Chips was completely inedible. Cutting into the fish revealed a black-ish interior that was disgusting. Maybe a bad batch, but I would be reluctant to order that again at the Local.

 

The bar set-up at the Local is also strange, since it's on a main walkway and people walking by crowd up to the bar (where there is already a crowd waiting to be served by two bartenders). Much prefer the bar set-up on the Escape or the Bliss (with the added benefit of having seats overlooking the Atrium).

Can you eat at the bar on the 3scape?

[laudergayle]

3 minutes ago, mitchtech said:

Can you eat at the bar on the 3scape?

Yes. While it’s inside, and kinda dark, it is a nice tavern-like atmosphere. They also have high top tables on the bar side, plus there is bar-like seating where you can overlook the activities in the atrium.  It’s likely very different than Prima (I’ll know that answer in a week…yay), it is still nice. 

[laudergayle]

11 minutes ago, mitchtech said:

can also order at the bar and take the food to your lounge chairs

That’s an interesting concept. There have been several posts about not being able to take food from The Local or O’Sheehans.  

[mitchtech]

1 minute ago, laudergayle said:

Yes. While it’s inside, and kinda dark, it is a nice tavern-like atmosphere. They also have high top tables on the bar side, plus there is bar-like seating where you can overlook the activities in the atrium.  It’s likely very different than Prima (I’ll know that answer in a week…yay), it is still nice. 

Thanks. Enjoy your cruise. The Prima is overall really great. We are going on the Escape in August and now I am hoping that we will like it as much. I know I am going  to miss our Prima stateroom that is for sure

[mitchtech]

1 minute ago, laudergayle said:

That’s an interesting concept. There have been several posts about not being able to take food from The Local or O’Sheehans.  

You definitely  can. Just order from the bartender and tell them you'll  be back in about 10 minutes. I

[laudergayle]

5 minutes ago, mitchtech said:

Thanks. Enjoy your cruise. The Prima is overall really great. We are going on the Escape in August and now I am hoping that we will like it as much. I know I am going  to miss our Prima stateroom that is for sure

Cruises are so much fun, and if it’s port intensive, you get the added benefit of seeing new places.  You’ll have to post about it.  The hardest part now will be waiting for August…lol.

[Red-Sol]

Leaving on a 7 Day Bermuda Cruise in a week and as far as all the negative comments about Prima go "I can't hear you"