LIVE-Prima Feb 2-9, 2024 from Galveston-Western Caribbean with PICs, Haven (HE)

[graphicguy]

We are a month out from sailing.  Timing couldn't be better given it's cold in OH right now.  And, I could use a little sunshine to get me through until Spring.

 

Booked this a while ago (at least for me).

 

Will cover planning stages, cost, pictures, ports, food, entertainment and misc.

 

I have been sailing solo for a little while.  Have a (on again, off again, on again) GF.  We're on, again.  Issue has always been, I'm retired.  She's not.  She also lives two states away.  That's been the crux of our issues. So, I can go whenever I want.  She can not.  Given the holidays, she's been able to use up vacation time.  But, for her, the vacation clock resets in the New Year.

 

I booked this while we were "off again". So, would love to get her on the reservation.  But, at best, it's a 50-50 proposition because of her work.

 

This was taken on our last cruise together before the COVID shutdown.

[laudergayle]

Awwh…happy for you and your GF.  I hope she can join you, too.  Cruising is more fun when you can share it with someone special.  Looking forward to your LIVE.  Thanks for the pic too!

[RocketMan275]

19 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

We are a month out from sailing.  Timing couldn't be better given it's cold in OH right now.  And, I could use a little sunshine to get me through until Spring.

Would that be the Feb 2 Prima cruise?

[graphicguy]

29 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Would that be the Feb 2 Prima cruise?

Yes!

[graphicguy]

43 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

Awwh…happy for you and your GF.  I hope she can join you, too.  Cruising is more fun when you can share it with someone special.  Looking forward to your LIVE.  Thanks for the pic too!

Thanks!

 

It's a toss up, right now.  But, agree...would rather cruise with her than without her.

[graphicguy]

Several factors steered me to the Prima.  First, it's a new ship...and a new concept for NCL.  I like new and different.  I like booking these types of cruises to give me a different experience on any given cruise line.  I sailed Allure of the Seas on Royal when it first sailed.  I sailed the EDGE and APEX on Celebrity when they first sailed.  Sailed the Carnival Vista shortly after it hit the water. Same with Epic, Breakaway and Breakaway Plus on NCL.  

 

Another factor was sailing out of Galveston.  I've been there, but that was a long time ago.  Trying something different outside of the MIA, FLL, MCO, NY (and NJ) and SEA ports I've been to several times.  Prima is new and new to Galveston.  Looking forward to that.

 

Finally, there was the fare and my certs available to lower the cost.  I'll get into that in another posting.

 

I had read some of the Prima reviews.  Mostly good.  Some were critical, but I always attribute those kinds of reviews as it being a new ship and in this case in particular, a new concept.  Some people don't like new and different.  I'm not that rigid.  If something doesn't work for me in one way, I find another way.  For example, if there's a line at one bar to get a drink, move to another bar...easy-peezy!  It's not like there aren't enough bars on cruise ships.  Same goes for dining.  The Prima has introduced the "Food Hall" and shrunk the Buffet as a result.  I am anxious to try the Food Hall.  I'm not a big Buffet fan on ANY cruise line.  So, the less buffet and more alternate dining venues, the better.

 

I booked this one about 4+ months out, which is quite unusual for me.  I'm more last minute than that.  

[seemoreroyals]

@graphicguylooking forward to your review.  Good luck with GF being able to join.  Just a few observations from our recent ride on Prima. 

 

1.  If you decide to choose Palomar as SD keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best.  It is in a bad location near buffet on deck 17.  Cagney's, Los Lobos, and Hasuki were very good SD's for us anyway.  

 

2.  Get familiar with elevators and deck plans.  Ship is laid out differently and can be awkward .  

 

3.  If the band Familiar Strangers is still on ship they are very good.

 

4. If you have not already done so try to get into the vibe beach club.  If interested, it may be hard to do as you may or may not have GF with you.  

 

5.  The only negative we experienced other than underwhelming  meal at Palomar was an abundance of kids on our cruise.  Since you are going in Feb that should not be issue.

 

6.  Prima is a great ship for non-smokers.  Never smelled cigarette smoke entire cruise even while walking through casino.

 

7.  We had better service in Commodore room than Hudson's afa MDR's go. 

 

Enjoy your cruise.  Look forward to following along.

 

 

 

Edited January 2 by seemoreroyals

[graphicguy]

3 minutes ago, seemoreroyals said:

@graphicguylooking forward to your review.  Good luck with GF being able to join.  Just a few observations from our recent ride on Prima. 

 

1.  If you decide to choose Palomar as SD keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best.  It is in a bad location near buffet on deck 17.  Cagney's, Los Lobos, and Hasuki were very good SD's for us anyway.  

 

2.  Get familiar with elevators and deck plans.  Ship is laid out differently and can be awkward .  

 

3.  If the band Familiar Strangers is still on ship they are very good.

 

4. If you have not already done so try to get into the vibe beach club.  If interested, it may be hard to do as you may or may not have GF with you.  

 

5.  The only negative we experienced other than underwhelming  meal at Palomar was an abundance of kids on our cruise.  Since you are going in Feb that should not be issue.

 

6.  Prima is a great ship for non-smokers.  Never smelled cigarette smoke entire cruise even while walking through casino.

 

7.  We had better service in Commodore room than Hudson's afa MDR's go. 

 

Enjoy your cruise.  Look forward to following along.

 

3 minutes ago, seemoreroyals said:

 

 

 

Thank you.

 

I'm not a planner, per se.  I "go with the flow".  

 

To my knowledge, Haven has its own private elevator.  So, not too worried about that.  But, I do enjoy "getting lost" and wandering around a new ship.  To me, that's part of the fun.

 

I have 2 FAS, 2 Sapphire Latitudes and 1 AMEX Platinum Specialty Restaurant dinners.  Plus, I'm in the Haven, so have that restaurant available to me, too.  Not sure which ones I'll dine in (except for the Haven Restaurant, which I'll dine in at least once/day for one meal per day.

 

Familiar Strangers....I'll make a point to see it/them!

 

GF wants to go in the worst way.  If she can pull it off, believe me, she will.  But, I book based on my schedule and when I can find the "deal", which rarely coincides with her work schedule.

 

I know I'll take flack for this, but I'm not a "VIBE" lover.  When it was $50-$60/pp, I could see it.  I actually booked it when those prices were available.  Now?  The charge is 4x-5x that amount and is a tough sell for me.  I can usually find a nice bar somewhere on the WATERFRONT, make friends with a bartender and toss a couple of Jacksons his/her way and get great service.  I'm outside, overlooking the water, at a nice bar, which really is all I ask for.  The VIBE is similar.  I'm not a "hot tub" fan, so that doesn't appeal, either.  It's just not sometime I'm willing to pay a lot of money for.

 

I'm a non-smoker so that's good to hear.

 

Again, thanks!

 

More to come......

[laudergayle]

We loved our Prima cruise (NYC to Bermuda). Some of my tips:

**Use the FWD lifts if convenient…more of them vs AFT.  Elevator banks on both Port and SB sides and they drop you right at the atrium. Nevermind this comment as I see you’re in Haven.

**When in the casino, use the Belvedere Bar (which is Aft of casino)…always less crowded than atrium bar.

**The chairs behind Starbucks are comfy and offer a great view.  They seem to turnover fairly quick.  
**Enter the theater on Deck 6, port side.  Always less crowded and there is a bar right inside.

 

We’re counting down the days with you!

Edited January 2 by laudergayle

[graphicguy]

2 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

We loved our Prima cruise (NYC to Bermuda). Some of my tips:

**Use the FWD lifts if convenient…more of them vs AFT.  Elevator banks on both Port and SB sides and they drop you right at the atrium.

**When in the casino, use the Belvedere Bar (which is Aft of casino)…always less crowded than atrium bar.

**The chairs behind Starbucks are comfy and offer a great view.  They seem to turnover fairly quick.  
**Enter the theater on Deck 6, port side.  Always less crowded and there is a bar right inside.

 

We’re counting down the days with you!

Thanks, thanks, thanks!  Need that sort of advice since the ship is new to me.

 

Breakaway?  Getaway?  I've sailed them so much I could probably Captain them given my familiarity.

 

BTW...I love that Bermuda itinerary.  I'll probably make that my next cruise!

Edited January 2 by graphicguy

[cruiseny4life]

2 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

 

To my knowledge, Haven has its own private elevator.  So, not too worried about that.  But, I do enjoy "getting lost" and wandering around a new ship.  To me, that's part of the fun.

We had fun finding the stairs! It was definitely a treasure hunt. One we were happy to complete. 

 

You read my review, so my thoughts already - like 40% good, 40% great, 20% meh. Nothing struck me as terrible, that's for sure! 

 

Indulge - oh you're going to love it! It's a great concept that is executed mostly well. I know, some don't enjoy finding a table. Just be patient. You'll get one. Mmmm, wish I could pop down to Indulge right now for lunch. 

 

Looking forward to following along, as always!

[brookie848]

57 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Several factors steered me to the Prima.  First, it's a new ship...and a new concept for NCL.  I like new and different.  I like booking these types of cruises to give me a different experience on any given cruise line.  I sailed Allure of the Seas on Royal when it first sailed.  I sailed the EDGE and APEX on Celebrity when they first sailed.  Sailed the Carnival Vista shortly after it hit the water. Same with Epic, Breakaway and Breakaway Plus on NCL.  

 

Another factor was sailing out of Galveston.  I've been there, but that was a long time ago.  Trying something different outside of the MIA, FLL, MCO, NY (and NJ) and SEA ports I've been to several times.  Prima is new and new to Galveston.  Looking forward to that.

 

Why not the Viva out of San Juan? This is now our preferred port.

 

Like you, I'm curious to try out the new ship. Even though we have no sea days, we only plan on getting off the ship in three ports. The other three days we plan on exploring the ship and relaxing on what will hopefully be a not-too-crowded Haven sundeck.

[graphicguy]

6 minutes ago, brookie848 said:

Why not the Viva out of San Juan? This is now our preferred port.

 

Like you, I'm curious to try out the new ship. Even though we have no sea days, we only plan on getting off the ship in three ports. The other three days we plan on exploring the ship and relaxing on what will hopefully be a not-too-crowded Haven sundeck.

I looked at that cruise closely.  The fare for the Prima steered me to her.  I'll sail the Viva, at some point.  

 

My general rule of thumb, "sail new ships, just not BRAND NEW SHIPs".  Usually, once a new ship sets sail, the ship right before it has fares drop.  No empirical data to back me up, just a general observation.

 

I do like San Juan...a lot!

[graphicguy]

12 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

We had fun finding the stairs! It was definitely a treasure hunt. One we were happy to complete. 

 

You read my review, so my thoughts already - like 40% good, 40% great, 20% meh. Nothing struck me as terrible, that's for sure! 

 

Indulge - oh you're going to love it! It's a great concept that is executed mostly well. I know, some don't enjoy finding a table. Just be patient. You'll get one. Mmmm, wish I could pop down to Indulge right now for lunch. 

 

Looking forward to following along, as always!

I do LOVE your reviews.  Thanks.  

[Sand and Seas]

2 hours ago, graphicguy said:

......  But, I do enjoy "getting lost" and wandering around a new ship.  To me, that's part of the fun....

I hope you'll enjoy the Prima!  We also find it fun to get 'lost' and wander around a new ship.  It took most of our 11 day cruise on her to find our way around....and then we would still get a little lost!  As soon as we got home we booked another trip on her for this spring.  

 

Are you planning to stay an extra day or two in Galveston?  It's a lovely island.  We enjoyed wandering the downtown Strand area.   

 

Hope you have a wonderful cruise😎

Edited January 2 by Sand and Seas

[Sugar Magnolia]

Woohoo! So happy you will be sailing with your +1 ❤️ . Someone needs to keep you in check and keep the ship safe for passengers and crew alike.

 

Another vote for Familiar Strangers.

 

I loved Indulge Food Hall on the Prima and the Viva, but they finally banned me from Indulge on the Viva because I was ordering too many of these

 

 

 

So perhaps don't mention me by name, rank or file.

 

I will be on the Encore right before your Groundhog Day departure.

 

Very excited to read another @graphicguy LIVE! 

 

OK, back to jury duty for me.

 

 

[graphicguy]

1 hour ago, Sugar Magnolia said:

Woohoo! So happy you will be sailing with your +1 ❤️ . Someone needs to keep you in check and keep the ship safe for passengers and crew alike.

 

Another vote for Familiar Strangers.

 

I loved Indulge Food Hall on the Prima and the Viva, but they finally banned me from Indulge on the Viva because I was ordering too many of these

 

 

 

So perhaps don't mention me by name, rank or file.

 

I will be on the Encore right before your Groundhog Day departure.

 

Very excited to read another @graphicguy LIVE! 

 

OK, back to jury duty for me.

 

 

I’d eat that!!!!! 😉

[bluefish17]

Why would you pay to be in Vibe when you're in the Haven? Prima Haven has a great outdoor area with a bar, hot tubs, pool, and upper adults only sundeck.

[mking8288]

Dan ... Happy New Year 2024.  Marked to follow along.  This will give us something to look forward to until it's our turn in the Spring.  As for "Haven has its own private (AFT) elevator" - it's easy to find, we walked past it almost on a daily basis - quick & easy to find, shortcut to Indulge FH (keep in mind, dinner menu is different & expanded and if you go there early for a quick bite ... usually easy to find a table)  Lunch can be crazy there on sea days ... breakfast & lunch, stick with Haven restaurant.  If your "HE" is AFT, super convenient with the private elevator and its own lobby ... no public stairs.  Midship stairs & elevators usually aren't bad either.  

 

And, I see you are running the M&G ... Improv will be packed beyond full capacity at 75, past standing room only with the refreshment setup, talk with the Group Events/Access Officers onboard based on the "probable" attendance (on our recent TA, CC's actual numbers were somewhere in the 70% to 80% range)

 

Belvedere Bar opens later in the day during our TA but yeah, it is more spacious and seldom crowded - with the casino nearby.  One of the few challenges is to figure out the nearest restrooms - they are semi hidden (signage) ... should you have a few beverages, which I'm sure you will.  Surprised - still - to read from @seemoreroyals comment about better services at The Commodore (MDRoom) vs. The Hudson, larger MDR.  Still, the Haven experience should not disappoint.  

 

 

 

 

[NCLer57]

Nice to have Haven Elevators.  Does the Prima also have a designated access point when boarding from the ports of call?  Or do Haven guests still have to wait in line with all the other guests?

[cruiseny4life]

40 minutes ago, NCLer57 said:

Nice to have Haven Elevators.  Does the Prima also have a designated access point when boarding from the ports of call?  Or do Haven guests still have to wait in line with all the other guests?

When we were at Ponta Delgada, we had to wait in line with everyone else. Oh well, but it was quite the wait (about 20 minutes). Not the end of the world, but gosh it would have been amazing to see one of those outstanding butlers with the handheld Haven sign welcoming us home. 

[seemoreroyals]

1 hour ago, mking8288 said:

Dan ... Happy New Year 2024.  Marked to follow along.  This will give us something to look forward to until it's our turn in the Spring.  As for "Haven has its own private (AFT) elevator" - it's easy to find, we walked past it almost on a daily basis - quick & easy to find, shortcut to Indulge FH (keep in mind, dinner menu is different & expanded and if you go there early for a quick bite ... usually easy to find a table)  Lunch can be crazy there on sea days ... breakfast & lunch, stick with Haven restaurant.  If your "HE" is AFT, super convenient with the private elevator and its own lobby ... no public stairs.  Midship stairs & elevators usually aren't bad either.  

 

And, I see you are running the M&G ... Improv will be packed beyond full capacity at 75, past standing room only with the refreshment setup, talk with the Group Events/Access Officers onboard based on the "probable" attendance (on our recent TA, CC's actual numbers were somewhere in the 70% to 80% range)

 

Belvedere Bar opens later in the day during our TA but yeah, it is more spacious and seldom crowded - with the casino nearby.  One of the few challenges is to figure out the nearest restrooms - they are semi hidden (signage) ... should you have a few beverages, which I'm sure you will.  Surprised - still - to read from @seemoreroyals comment about better services at The Commodore (MDRoom) vs. The Hudson, larger MDR.  Still, the Haven experience should not disappoint.  

 

 

 

 

 

@mking8288We found the service at Hudsons to be very good as long as it was breakfast.  We ate there almost every morning and for the most part food was very good and we had no issues with breakfast.  

 

To be fair to Hudsons we only had one dinner there and one dinner at Commodore.  We had 4 SD's and one night we ate at the Local. The night we ate at Hudsons it started out well.  They seated us at a great table with a great view by the window.  A waiter stopped by to greet us almost immediately, took our drink orders.  We got caught up in conversation with our friends we were dining with.  Finally waiter comes by brings our drinks and takes our dinner order.  Next thing we know people who are siting around us that were seared after us already have food coming out.  We wait some more, no sign of waiter, drinks and water need refilling, finally I catch our waiter going by and we are told our food will be coming out soon.  It went on this way the entire time.  When the main course came out it was luke warm at best. 

 

We finished our meal without ordering dessert.   It was the night the Donna Summer show was at the theater and we wanted to get decent seats. We were at Hudsons almost 2 hours.   Commodore OTOH we were in and out in less than an hour.  Not the end of the world but for us we had a better experience at Commodore than we had at Hudsons for dinner.

Edited January 2 by seemoreroyals

[graphicguy]

Pricing....

 

In reality, that drove this booking.  I have/had Cruise Next and Cruise First certificates sitting in my account.  Sometimes it makes sense to use them (like for this booking), sometimes it doesn't (where the fare is so high, using them just makes a bad fare....well, just "less bad".....but still bad.

 

Anyone who has seen my pricing posts has a pretty good idea that although I like sailing in more expensive cabins, also knows I'll look for every conceivable perk, discount and benefit I can find.

 

The numbers..

 

Base fare (including FAS tips) for this sailing in an HE Suite....$4,549.

 

TA discount=$300

Cruise Next (x2) equals $500, but I had to pay for the CN certs at $250.  Net savings=$250

Cruise first was $300, but I had to pay $150.  Net savings=$150

 

Base fare (including FAS tips) with discounts and net certificate discounts=$3,849

 

But wait...there's more....

 

I used the NCL Credit Card to buy Christmas gifts (that bill is due this month 😮).  That gives me $200 in OBC.

 

AMEX Platinum, which I used to book the cruise, gives me a free LeBistro Dinner (or as they call it...."a Specialty French Restaurant") and a free bottle of wine.  They also give me $300 OBC.

 

So, in addition to the fare, I also get a total of $500 OBC, 5 Specialty Dinners (2 FAS+2 Sapphire Latitudes+1 from AMEX) and the other Latitudes perks.

 

My fare ends up being relatively close to a Club Balcony fare, or on Royal in an Ocean Balcony cabin, less than MSC's Yacht Club Balcony Suites, way less than Celebrity's Retreat.  

 

That said, I shop cruise fares....a lot.  I see some fares that make smoke come out of my ears.  I see some paying those fares that makes my jaw drop to the floor.  

[graphicguy]

3 hours ago, Sand and Seas said:

I hope you'll enjoy the Prima!  We also find it fun to get 'lost' and wander around a new ship.  It took most of our 11 day cruise on her to find our way around....and then we would still get a little lost!  As soon as we got home we booked another trip on her for this spring.  

 

Are you planning to stay an extra day or two in Galveston?  It's a lovely island.  We enjoyed wandering the downtown Strand area.   

 

Hope you have a wonderful cruise😎

Thanks!  I am.  

 

I'm staying here before the cruise.

 

https://thegeorgemanor.com/

[Sugar Magnolia]

5 hours ago, seemoreroyals said:

If you decide to choose Palomar as SD keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best.  It is in a bad location near buffet on deck 17.

 

May I ask what about Palomar disappointed you? 

 

49 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

When we were at Ponta Delgada, we had to wait in line with everyone else.

 

The horror