The Traveling Man

The rated occupancy for the Pr1ma is listed on the NCL website at about 3100. For the V!va it is about 3200. The Aqua is listed at almost 3600. The Aqua has not yet begun to sail, but the Pr1ma and V!va frequently travel with 100, 200, or even more additional passengers. This happens as sometimes three or four guests are booked in rooms that are rated for just double occupancy. It would be great if NCL actually does reduce the capacity on board, but it seems unlikely that they would do so by removing staterooms and replacing them with lounge areas. In fact, several NCL ships which previously did have lounge areas had those lounges removed during a dry dock and additional staterooms were added. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that the information you received may amount to little more than wishful thinking. We can only hope that I am wrong and that the capacity of these ships actually will be reduced.

As noted previously, it actually was known as "Arthur's Day" as in Arthur Guinness. A quick internet search will provide details.

Thank you for all the great info you have shared with us over the years. We'll miss you, Mike. James

That's why NCL assigns check-in times, to spread out the arrivals over a few hours. If we all followed the suggested times, the lines would only be so long if a problem arises with the X-ray machines, the WiFi connection, etc.

Sorry for my typo. Obviously it should have been "tour" not "your."

Now you've gone and given them a idea.☹️

We really enjoyed the your to the original Olympic village and the historical museum associated with it. We actually have been there twice. On one of the tours we also visited an Agroturismo farm for lunch. Great food, wonderful educational experience.

Almost half of the seating area intended for the Indulge Food Hall is outside. When we were on the Pr1ma, the sunshades / awnings were unable to keep the rain off the outdoor seats, so their chair cushions were drenched. Nobody would want to sit on them. The crew eventually roped off the area and closed all the outdoor seating for the food hall. That forced everyone inside, making it difficult to find a seat during lunch. It may have been a little less crowded at dinner, when other restaurants also were open. Lunch in the food hall during cold or rainy weather, though, is going to be a real challenge.

Sounds like a good approach. The only X ships we have sailed are the Edge class. The Retreat staterooms there are night and day different from the standard "Infinite Veranda" rooms. The lounge also is spectacular. I agree that in recent years the price of Retreat rooms has gone out of sight, so our last few X trips have been in Verandas. We really miss the wonderful dining experience of Blu, though, so we may follow your suggestion and go Aqua next time. The staterooms are the same as standard, and we likewise don't get much benefit from the spa, but access to Blu may make it worth the money. Also, too bad that NCL doesn't feature dining experiences to compare with X specialty restaurants like Eden or Le Voyage by Daniel Boulud.

Kind of like chair hogs?

I used to feel the same way. My attitude got adjusted after having a few dinners with officers. WOW, did those folks go off menu. Remember the diner scene in "When Harry Met Sally" when Meg Ryan spent about five minutes explaining exactly how she wanted her food prepared? Meg was a piker compared to some of the NCL officers with whom we have dined. Sauce on the side. Rice instead of noodles. Grill the meat instead of broil it. Broccoli instead of green beans. They would go on and on, and not just the GMs and Captains. After a few times of listening to both senior and junior officers request all kinds of menu substitutions, I lost my inhibitions to do the same, particularly when dining in the Haven or a specialty restaurant. Try it. It works.

Some of the wines on X, notably those available in Luminae or the Retreat Lounge are quite good, IMO. I would say they compare favorably to the wines available on NCL with the standard beverage package. Some of the wines served in the Haven or available with the Plus package, though, can be better than the typical wine on X. Or maybe my palate just isn't sophisticated enough to know the difference.

No, the benefit is per stateroom. If one or more person in a room has reached the Platinum level or above, the room receives two certificates, each good for dinner for two. You do not receive additional coupons even if there is more than one Platinum member in the room. You also do not receive additional coupons if more than two persons are booked in the room.

Agreed. Out of more than 340 evenings spent on board NCL ships, I think we have eaten dinner in the buffet maybe once or twice.

Only a few of the crew members on X with the sommelier title actually are certified sommeliers. The rest are wine stewards in training. Nonetheless, the crews on X ships have a significantly greater ratio of certified sommeliers per passenger than you find on most NCL ships. They also usually have several dozen wine stewards with the sommelier title on each ship, so several in each restaurant. The wine service on X ships is head and shoulders above that on NCL, IMO.

Thanks for your thoughts on this. I likewise found the Luminae restaurant offerings lacking. When we sailed in a suite on X, we ate most of our meals in Blu, instead. It just had a more soothing vibe and the food was outstanding. One time the F&B director stopped by our table to ask why we weren't up in Luminae (reserved exclusively for Retreat guests, i.e. kinda like Haven). We explained that Blu suited us better. He just shook his head and implied that as suite passengers we were supposed to dine in Luminae. We finally did break down and have one more meal up there. I still was not impressed. Yes, I know this is the NCL forum, not X, but it's fun to make comparisons.

You probably have read this caution elsewhere, but it bears repeating. The Pr1ma is not a cold weather ship. A great deal of emphasis was placed on outdoor venues on this ship. In cold, damp, or dreary weather, all those passengers who otherwise would be basking in the sun while sipping cocktails or enjoying snacks on deck are forced inside. It can be quite crowded in some of the venues. The Indulge Food Hall is a prime example. The Pr1ma is a beautiful ship, but when we sailed on an itinerary similar to yours the week after Pr1ma's inaugural voyage, it sometimes was a zoo inside, very crowded and with less than stellar service times. I hope you enjoy your journey, but please be prepared for crowds.

Check your cruise documents for more information. Generally speaking, though, ships arrive in port for debarkation before sunrise. Passengers are required to be off the ship early, usually by 9:00 AM or so. The crew has about two hours before the next group of passengers starts boarding, usually starting about 11:00 or 11:30, but sometimes not until noon. You may arrive at the cruise terminal as early as you like, but the check-in process usually doesn't start until 10:00, 10:30, or 11:00. Depending on the crowds, it may take anywhere from 10 minutes to two hours from the time you arrive at the cruise terminal until you board the ship. NCL requires passengers to begin the check-in process not later than two hours before the scheduled departure time. If you do arrive early, you may have to sit in a waiting area for a while before you are allowed to board, but you won't just be wandering around for hours. Soooooo, there's a lot of flexibility. Your cruise documents should indicate a requested time for you to arrive at the terminal, but it rarely if ever is enforced. Most folks just show up when they want to, ignoring their scheduled arrival time, resulting in frequently long lines at prime time. Bon voyage.

Yes...what she said.

We are the exact opposite. We only splurge on the Haven on longer cruises, say two weeks or so. This is especially so on itineraries that feature lots of sea days, like a TA. When we know that we will be spending a lot of time on board the ship, we want to have a quite place to hang out, sort of a Retreat from the crowds, a Haven for respite. As @Sailing12Away said, we like to have dinner in the Haven restaurant not so much for the food, but for the peace and quiet normally found there.

Thanks for the tip. I usually avoid pork chops in most restaurants. The chefs sometimes overcook them to avoid trichinosis or other disease. That frequently leaves the meat as dry as shoe leather. Next time we're in the Haven, though, I'll take your advice and give it a try. Thanks.

Problems with dry docks which cause cruises to be cancelled, delayed, or cut short are rare, but they have occurred several times with NCL. They probably also have happened on other cruise lines, but I have no knowledge of that. There probably are a half dozen or so factors which folks who have cruised several times try to avoid when booking a cruise. You might consider avoiding a Spring Break cruise, or selecting a stateroom directly under the pool deck or jogging track. You might want to avoid an aft stateroom on ships which have reports of extreme vibration from the propellers. Traveling on a ship just before or just after a dry dock is on my list of things I try to avoid. Each of these factors contribute to a judgement call. Maybe you're willing to take a chance on putting up with one of them in order to book an ideal itinerary or to get a fantastic price on a cruise. Some of them should be avoided at all costs. YMMV.

Then it was the cruise after yours, the sailing from Dubai to Capetown, which was the one I recall as having so many ports closed to them because of COVID. Many of the passengers on that cruise had difficulties getting off the ship and onto a plane for a trip back home. We were booked on the two Spirit cruises after that one, the sailing from Capetown to Singapore and then from Singapore to Japan. Both of our cruises were cancelled, as were just about all other cruises after that for a year and a half.

It serves BBQ, but it would be stretching things to call it special. Yes, it is extra fare, but if you've ever had real BBQ, you'll be very disappointed with the food there.

Then I guess it was the next cruise segment, the one from Dubai to Capetown, that missed so many of its planned ports. By the time the Spirit got to Capetown, all bets were off. Some folks were trapped on the ship for days before the authorities at Capetown let them disembark to fly home.