i spent 21 days onboard NCL prima... here is my prima facie case for the good, the bad and the fugly

[UKstages]

hey, hello again. i’m the OP of this review and i’m back with a few addenda:

 

wifi

 

as on other NCL ships, the internet sucks. extraordinarily slow. and you lose a portion of your minutes every time you sign out and sign back in. if you sign out and you have 45 seconds left before the countdown to the next minute, that’s gone when you sign back in.

 

in the past, i have upgraded to their premium service, allegedly suitable for streaming and found it to be virtually indistinguishable from the regular service. i will never do that again!

 

i was fortunate to have 150 FAS minutes plus 400 casino minutes on each cruise. and i found that to be more than sufficient. i used it chiefly on sea days and didn’t do much browsing… it was mostly to check email and send photos in text messages. in port, i used cell service. all the visited countries are part of my cell phone’s international service for $10 a day. i found that a much better buy than NCL’s wifi and, when in port, i used my cell phone as a hotspot.

 

wifi: F

[UKstages]

NCL app

 

the app has limited functionality before you get on a cruise. and it doesn’t work all that well when you’re onboard, either. it’s particularly annoying if you’re on a back-to-back, because once the first cruise begins, you can no longer access the data for the second cruise… so you can’t see on which dates you have things booked. two or three days before the first cruise ends, the two cruises become automagically joined in the app, which is sort of convenient… it became one long 21-day cruise for me.

 

however, you will lose all your booked reservations for the second cruise, or so it would seem. i found out that they are actually still there, you’re still booked, you just can’t see those reservations. after a day or two, when the first cruise is resolved, the restaurant and show reservations will pop back into the app.

 

the virtual queue is convenient, i suppose, for shows. i never used it. but on the occasion when i was given a beeper at a restaurant, i noticed that it also generated a virtual queue in the app. so, why bother with the beeper?

 

my score for the app:  C-

[UKstages]

allergies

 

no, i don’t have any, thanks for asking for the two thousandth time.

 

i applaud NCL’s efforts to cater to everybody’s allergies and sensitivities. it is admirable. but rather than ask this question at every meal service, wouldn’t it be better to note this on a guest’s key card and in the computer system, so it gets flagged, just like use of FAS dining credits gets flagged? it’s 2023… do they really have to ask every passenger at every meal whether they have an allergy?

 

adherence to allergy protocols: A

asking every guest at every meal if they have allergies: F

[UKstages]

hygiene

 

can we talk?

 

there’s no other way to say this, except stating simply and factually that a small number of crew members could benefit from bathing more frequently… say, on a daily basis, instead of only two or three times a week. some cabin attendants, some servers, some shop clerks are rather, um, spicy.

 

i’ll just leave that there.

 

oh, there is this, on a related note: some could also use a breath mint or practice better oral hygiene, as well.

 

crew hygiene: B

[UKstages]

covid protocols / guest hygiene and manners

 

i’d say fewer than 5% of passengers wore masks. and probably about the same percentage of crew. no problem there. it’s a personal choice. and while there is very little chance of dying from covid for most people, there is a good chance of catching a cold or flu or covid from 3,000 of your newest and closest friends, many of whom have personal hygiene habits that aren’t much better than some of the crew. both of my roll calls contain post-cruise reports of people getting sick. and the familiar “covid cough” could be heard throughout the ship and on excursion busses.

 

you’re in a shared public space, ferchrissakes! cover your mouth if you’re going to cough or sneeze. 

don't pickup food with your hands... use the provided serving utensils!  don't lick your fingers or pick your nose and then pick up a serving utensil such as a ladle or tongs! don’t lick your fingers or pick your nose and then pick up something on the buffet and then put it back!

 

i caught covid on a cruise on the joy in september of 2022, so i chose to wear a mask on the prima in the theatre and in crowded venues and in shops onshore. i did not come down with any illness on this eleven-day cruise.

 

guest hygiene and consideration for others: C

[UKstages]

invoice

 

yesterday, i updated my other post about the prima… (you know, the one in which i talk about cabin noise and how i had to sleep on the bathroom floor? i encourage you to read that, if you haven’t already!)

 

i updated that post to talk about the final bill process and how the descriptions they use on the bill are misleading or confusing. no matter where you shop, the bill lists your charge as “gift shop.” if you buy a piece of jewelry, it’s a “gift shop” purchase. if you buy a bottle of liquor, that’s a “gift shop” purchase, too. it’s crazy.

 

and they bill you for the “daily” service charge, yet those charges are often bundled two or three on one day, while other days have no charges. it’s nonsensical for anybody trying to figure out if their bill is accurate. and in that post, i detailed how they mistakenly refer to the $50 excursion benefit as a “reversal of credit.”  huh? a “reversal of credit” is a charge!

 

somebody needs to go in and look closely at how NCL communicates to its customers… everything from the website to the dailies to the invoice. so many phone calls and visits to guest services and social media discussion could be eliminated if they just used the communicated clearly. words have meaning! and for heavens’ sake… look at the documents and form letters you’ve been using for years and check them for accuracy and rewrite them!

 

interestingly, the “you’ll be leaving soon” flyer continues to state that “an itemized statement of your onboard account will be delivered to your stateroom after 5:00 am on disembarkation morning.” that’s what it says! every passenger is told that the day before the cruise ends! it goes on to say that “your charges will be billed automatically and it is not necessary to go to the guest services desk.”

 

unless of course, you’ve been given an official NCL document that says you’ll be getting an itemized statement delivered to your door...  and none arrives!

 

can you imagine the confusion that causes, especially for first time cruisers?

 

how many years has it been since NCL routinely delivered a statement to your door?

 

and yet they still print that and tell customers that they do.

 

invoice: C-

[UKstages]

disembarkation / transfers

 

i’m theoretically entitled to priority disembarkation several ways through several NCL programs, but unless i’m in the haven and have a concierge escort, i almost always do the self-assist disembarkation. it’s just simpler.

 

but this time i had a question… i had booked an NCL transfer to heathrow. (i didn’t have a flight; i was staying on for five nights in london, but it was the simplest - although not the cheapest - way to get to london. once at the airport, i would take the tube to complete my journey.)  

 

so i went to the guest services desk the night before to ask which color tag i should use… “self-assist” requires no luggage tag and runs from 7 am – 8 am. “heathrow transfers” required a light blue tag and began at 8 am. can i walk off the ship at 7 am or as soon as disembarkation began?

 

“oh, no, sir, you have a heathrow transfer. you must wait until that group is called and you must use a light blue tag.”

 

uh, OK.

 

i queued up and got in the self-assist line the next morning and was among the first off the ship (although disembarkation was delayed due to a gangway issue and they changed the deck for disembarkation because of it). once on the ground, there were folks who directed me to the transfer busses. clearly, they were expecting some self-assist guests to also be transfer guests.  i was on the first bus to LHR and we left long before the light blue tags were probably even called.

 

this is yet another example of how NCL staff are incapable of conceptual thinking or thinking on their feet or realizing when something doesn’t fit an established policy. oh, you’re self-assist and you have a transfer? i don’t have instructions for that. you can only be self-assist or heathrow transfer. i don’t know what to tell you, so i’ll just make something up.

 

i also asked the folks who handle shorex if i needed a ticket for my heathrow transfer. apparently, they don’t handle transfers.  they sent me back to guest services.  they handle airport transfers. i explained to the guest services rep that i hadn’t received a ticket yet and i was then told i didn’t need one… that “they have a list.” i was skeptical, but it turns out it’s true that i didn’t

need a ticket. apparently, i didn’t need to be on any list, either. (i also didn’t need no stinkin’ badges.)

 

nobody asked my name and nobody checked a list.

 

disembarkation / transfers: C

 

[insidecabin]

5 hours ago, UKstages said:

 

i also asked the folks who handle shorex if i needed a ticket for my heathrow transfer. apparently, they don’t handle transfers.  they sent me back to guest services.  they handle airport transfers. i explained to the guest services rep that i hadn’t received a ticket yet and i was then told i didn’t need one… that “they have a list.” i was skeptical, but it turns out it’s true that i didn’t

need a ticket. apparently, i didn’t need to be on any list, either. (i also didn’t need no stinkin’ badges.)

 

nobody asked my name and nobody checked a list.

 

disembarkation / transfers: C

 

Interesting, we need to get to LHR to pick up our car(any time),

our normal strategy is get off later once the mob has cleared.

Go get car(when local) or this time national express to LHR  £10-£20

If we can just get on an NCL coach that will save a taxi to coach station as well

[UKstages]

for simplicity and relative ease, you can’t beat the NCL bus (coach) to the airport. the math is a little different for two people, rather than a solo, but it still makes sense, even though it’s not the cheapest transportation option. the big factor is the luggage… if you’re traveling light, then public transport by coach or rail might make more sense.

[cruiseny4life]

10 hours ago, UKstages said:

hygiene

 

can we talk?

 

there’s no other way to say this, except stating simply and factually that a small number of crew members could benefit from bathing more frequently… say, on a daily basis, instead of only two or three times a week. some cabin attendants, some servers, some shop clerks are rather, um, spicy.

 

i’ll just leave that there.

 

oh, there is this, on a related note: some could also use a breath mint or practice better oral hygiene, as well.

 

crew hygiene: B

I'm not opposed to crew bathing every day. Actually, since the ones I see are guest-facing, yes they should. And, I'm guessing a vast majority do. But, when you have to wear pants, a long-sleeve shirt, sometimes a vest or jacket...well those of us that are natural sweaty are going to stink. When I worked at a school (mind you, I was the director of the school), I'd have to do certain jobs when a custodian called in sick...and you know what? That sweat was blasting through my t-shirt, dress shirt, and anything else I had...tie, pants, socks, you name it. Generally (but not always), I removed my jacket or blazer when doing these tasks. I bet I smelled lovely by 10 AM some days. 

 

Give them a bit of a break. Or, NCL, let your crew wear shorts and t-shirts. I'd rather crew be a wee bit more comfortable than tied up in their clothes like a pig in mud. I don't need no stinkin' formality. I actually disdain it. 

 

But yes, crew should bathe every day. Can we require passengers too, also? Please....pretty please?!?!

Edited June 20, 2023 by cruiseny4life

[Madman_K]

On 6/14/2023 at 9:33 PM, UKstages said:

one can hope, but NCL uses a "tiger team" approach to launching a new ship. and that means that key leadership will move from the prima on to the viva, where they will most likely repeat many of the same mistakes.

 

Will this be for the better or worse for de NCL Prima in September,?

[omahabob]

1 hour ago, Madman_K said:

 

Will this be for the better or worse for de NCL Prima in September,?

Yes.

 

Did you mean Viva? Still yes.

Edited June 27, 2023 by omahabob

[UKstages]

no, i think the intent of that question was… is that good or bad for the prima… meaning… if you take the current brain trust who are running the prima and transport them to the viva, what will the prima be like under new leadership?

 

that’s a really interesting question!

 

it couldn’t possibly be worse. and, perhaps, the new folks will have some innovative ideas about how best to make the prima more viable. as for the viva, i think we can expect more of the shenanigans we currently have on the prima, albeit with some minor modifications that they may have been able to put into effect with the new ship’s build.

[Kewz1]

I saw mentioned in one of the posts that there were/are wine tastings. Did you do any of those? We're not show people so this is one of the things we're hoping to do on our sea days this fall.

 

Thank you for taking the time to detail your trip.

 

Kristen

[RB9643]

On 6/20/2023 at 8:51 AM, cruiseny4life said:

But yes, crew should bathe every day. Can we require passengers too, also? Please....pretty please?!?!

 

 

That's good stuff right there!  😄  I've noticed the stench of other passengers far more often than the crew.

 

 

[UKstages]

1 hour ago, Kewz1 said:

I saw mentioned in one of the posts that there were/are wine tastings.

there are generally two types of wine tastings on every NCL ship… a free event for elite latitudes members and a more elaborate fee-based wine tasting that anybody can sign up for. i didn’t attend either.

[Baird70]

Re wine tastings: We did a few of the pay-extra wine tastings on the May transatlantic. They were around $20 per person I think. Held in Palomar restaurant deck 17. Need to keep an eye on Freestyle Daily for upcoming wine tastings. Most were sold out but you could often get in by getting on a wait list or hanging around at the start of the session as some people would drop out when they realized it was a paid extra.

Tastings were themed e.g. wine and cheese pairings, wine and chocolate, old world vs new world wines.

We enjoyed the tastings and thought they were informative and interesting. Also different wines to what I normally drink at home (Australia).

[dexddd]

Wine tasting for senior lats ...sold out...  

[RB9643]

14 hours ago, dexddd said:

Wine tasting for senior lats ...sold out...  

 

 

Context, please?  What ship, what date, occupancy, did you go to CN on embarkation?

 

 

[dexddd]

Prima first TA.  Not first day. Shouldn't have to be.  No bts, no dine wine officer.  Got it not yet back but other than laundry, nothing.  With a little creativity there could be a sub or two.

[RB9643]

14 hours ago, dexddd said:

Not first day. Shouldn't have to be. 

 

 

And yet, that's the way it is. Check at CN desk by 9:00pm embarkation day.

 

 

[The Traveling Man]

15 hours ago, dexddd said:

Prima first TA.  Not first day. Shouldn't have to be.  No bts, no dine wine officer.  Got it not yet back but other than laundry, nothing.  With a little creativity there could be a sub or two.

When you need to register for Latitudes benefits is clearly spelled out on the NCL website:

 

"For day, time and location, please come to the CruiseNext desk in the Atrium by 9:00 pm on embarkation day or by 9:00 pm on the second day of the cruise for Pride of America."

[dexddd]

11 hours ago, The Traveling Man said:

When you need to register for Latitudes benefits is clearly spelled out on the NCL website:

 

"For day, time and location, please come to the CruiseNext desk in the Atrium by 9:00 pm on embarkation day or by 9:00 pm on the second day of the cruise for Pride of America."

Thanks for telling me something well known.  Point is it could be much easier on everyone.  Example, book online before trip.  Power to the sheeple!

 

Standing in line first day is total waste of time like when we sailed Gem and we were second in line to have couple in front of us complain how price went down $50 after final and they deserved compensation.  Only thirty minutes later did we get to register for bts tour.

[insidecabin]

We don't do lines.

 

if it's busy come back later when passing  or phone them.

 

Even with pre booking they will want confirmation on board.

Still get no shows with book first day because it's free.

[UKstages]

one of the reasons they get no-shows on latitudes behind-the-scenes tours and “wines around the world” is because there is no reminder, no notice, no ticket and the events are not listed in the daily or even in your personal schedule on the app. i missed a wine event, not because i decided not to go, but because it was on day 8 of a 10 day cruise and I forgot, even though i had written myself a note.

Edited June 30, 2023 by UKstages