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

[JGmf]

On 6/15/2023 at 4:26 AM, fstuff1 said:

The main thing I want to see is a hostess for Indulge food court and giving everyone beepers like when the mdr is full.

 

Operationally, I can't see how that could/would happen.  Indulge has too many exit/entry point and also serves as the interior egress to/from the Soliel bar.  Having a single control point couldn't work.

 

I was on the Prima in April on a full ship to Bermuda.  Sure Indulge was crowded and chaotic, but it was largely on day one and two, until people figured out where/how to find a seat and when to go to that venue.

[The Traveling Man]

5 hours ago, dexddd said:

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.

You raise an important point.  There really ought to be a simpler way to sign up for Latitudes benefits and to receive a notice or reminder of when and where the various activities take place.  Unfortunately, as things exist today, it still is necessary to register on embarkation day.  Our experience has been somewhat different from yours.  The longest we have needed to wait in line has been just a few minutes.  I'm sorry that you had to wait for a half hour.  It does seem odd, however, that the couple in line in front of you spent 30 minutes at the Cruise Next desk speaking about a subject that likely would have been more suited to a discussion with the Guest Services desk.

[RocketMan275]

1 hour ago, The Traveling Man said:

  It does seem odd, however, that the couple in line in front of you spent 30 minutes at the Cruise Next desk speaking about a subject that likely would have been more suited to a discussion with the Guest Services desk.

Perhaps that couple had already been refused compensaton at the Guest Services desk.  

I suspect they would spend at least 30 minutes complaining to anyone who would listen to their "Ain't Awful" game playing.

[dexddd]

Not sure why the folks in that line.  Maybe because it was just opening and they could be first in line?

 

On Prima, went to CN.  Was maybe fifth in line.  Two folks working.  One lady with a couple who were quite upset.  Not yelling, but seemed to have been severely wronged in their eyes.  A constant ping pong between couple and lady.  Didn't hear what issue was.  Nothing was getting resolved, couple then had DW taking notes, names, times, asked for super, none came out. That was another 30 minutes in a CN line with disappointment as a result.  But this time I got smart and had a beer while waiting.

[omahabob]

A beer always seems to make everything better, assuming you haven't had too many already, and you're not driving.

[ve3ell]

On 6/13/2023 at 4:51 PM, UKstages said:

so, wrapping up here… is 21 days too long to spend on one ship?

 

normally, i’d say no… but with many canceled ports on this itinerary and the transatlantic nature of the first cruise, this meant there were 10 or 11 sea days, depending on how you calculate. and most of those were with bad weather and colder temperatures, and since the prima has so much outdoor space, it definitely put a damper on the trip.

 

would i do it again? yes, but not on the prima. perhaps never on the prima. for now, she’s a one and done. (or “two in one” and done).

 

would i try the viva?

 

sure. it will be interesting to see what corrective measures they take fixing some of the known problems. but i think we’re likely not to see real design improvements until the prima class ship after that.

 

my next cruise is on the joy in october.

 

i’ve been on the joy before.

 

and so i can say with certainty that there is no joy in prima-ville.

I will be sailing out of Galveston in January 2024. I booked the Tremont hotel myself at a lower cost than what NCL offers. I will be using the ships transfer service since it is similar in price to taking a cab. Any tips on sailing out of this port would be appreciated as it has been at least 10 years since we did. We are sailing with a group of about 20 so far to celebrate my 70th birthday. Thanks Russ

[RocketMan275]

2 hours ago, ve3ell said:

I will be sailing out of Galveston in January 2024. I booked the Tremont hotel myself at a lower cost than what NCL offers. I will be using the ships transfer service since it is similar in price to taking a cab. Any tips on sailing out of this port would be appreciated as it has been at least 10 years since we did. We are sailing with a group of about 20 so far to celebrate my 70th birthday. Thanks Russ

Have you thought about posting in the North American Home Ports - Gulf Coast Departures?

Here's one tip.  For a group that large, you might save considerable money booking a private shuttle.  A cab is probably one of the most expensive ways to get to Galveston. 

While a bus sized shuttle might seem expensive, it's not all that expensive if  you spread it over 20 passengers.

We've decided to stay at the airport marriott the night before the cruise which would give you a good gathering point and then taking a private shuttle down the night before.

This may help:

https://portskipper.com/port-of-galveston/transportation/

https://www.cruzely.com/how-to-get-from-the-houston-airport-to-the-galveston-cruise-port/

[firstimer2009]

On 6/14/2023 at 4:06 AM, UKstages said:

'

slot manufacturers deliver machines according to the casino's preference. manufacturers generally have three payback options from which casino slot directors can choose. when you consider that minimum payback by law in nevada is 75%, it is not unreasonable to think that one of the payback options offered would be 75%.

 

in reality, few machines are set to 75% in nevada... because nobody would ever play them. 85% is a more likely payback for a penny machine in nevada and in new jersey, where the minimum payback by law is actually 83%. dollar machines are usually set closer to 90% or 92%, with $5 machines paying closer to 95% or 98%.

 

for the record, i never actually played "rich little piggies." i just used that reference for the joke. but they do have that machine in the casino. some "advantage slot players" (if you believe there is such a thing), claim that rich little piggies is a "banking" slot and can be manipulated for profit. i personally don't think so, as i've seen people put a thousand dollars or more into the machine when it's allegedly "due," only to get a high value bonus round with all features that pays only six or seven hundred dollars. it's still a random thing, even if the piggies are about to pop with high value features.

 

i did play some buffalo gold collection, on which i got a modest handpay and i played a few dollar slots and i played quite a bit of "money burst" at the 10 cent denomination. but. mostly, i played VP, and, yeah, the gods of variance were not on my side.it's tough when you're playing UX....  even if you hit bonus quads, without a kicker and a strong multiplier, you will lose.

 

i earned over 30K tier points on this trip and received the largest OBC comp i have ever had (based on loss, not action).

 

 

 

i stopped playing jacks years ago... low volatility, yes, but just not exciting enough for me. i quoted the jacks pay table because i thought it was pretty good... for a cruise ship.  on UX, i was playing DDB; on single line i played TDB. as you know, with the variance on DDB, you can lose your shirt. with TDB, you can lose your shirt and your underwear.

 

there was some kind of glitch in the machines... only when playing TDB, though. the machines would go to a blank screen and have to be rebooted. they reached out to IGT for a fix. apparently, the video poker machines are leased... i found that surprising. slot machines with licensed characters, sure. but VP?

 

also, surprising: NCL pays an hourly rate plus transportation (in USA ports) for IGT techs to service the machines when needed.

 

 

interesting. i had thought new ships were exempt from CAS bookings for the first six months or so. i'll have to look into this. i am guessing with my recent loss, i can book pretty much any cruise, any ship.

 

 

yes, but they can still make policy changes... such as opening up all seats in the indulge food hall for universal dining (allowing guests who sit at a particular station to order from any restaurant in the food hall, not just the one they're sitting at).

 

@UKstages We are doing our September 2024 cruise through Caesars.  I had the free vouchers but had already boooked the cruise. Today was able to convert it over to CAS and got a $1000 discount.  Yahoo!  That will likely just go right into the casino. 

 

My husband is all slots but I love VP too.  I can go down a rabbit hole with that game.  If you ever get to Caesar's Tahoe or Reno give me a shout.  We are only a few hours away and would love to meet you.  Tahoe is terrible gambling since ElDo took over.  Much better gambling in Reno although my theroy is they are skimming all the profits in Tahoe to pay for remodeling their hotels in Reno.  Most of all hope your luck rebounds on the Joy this week!

[mugtech]

On 7/1/2023 at 1:41 PM, omahabob said:

A beer always seems to make everything better, assuming you haven't had too many already, and you're not driving.

And assuming you are not an alcoholic.