mking8288

On 6/7/2024 at 2:17 AM, www3traveler said:

... Spirit will be sailing out of Japan, Australia and New Zealand in 2024 and 2025.

... My guess would be that if She returns to the US, it would be for Alaskan cruises and not out of Florida. 

Good morning ... your guess is likely spot on and if booking is solid & sailing full - almost certain during Asian holidays (i.e. Lunar New Year) as a matter of smarter & strategic marketing (which I said 7 or 8 years ago when NCL Asia plunged into the China market doing just short 3, 4 and 5 days loops)  I don't see the 3 smaller ships returning to the Americas with the new Prima/+ and other bigger ships eventually get christened at the shipyard.  As a matter of fact, we are looking at those north Asia itinerary but comparing very closer to what other lines on my short list, are offering ... Seeing various Japanese coastal cities via a cruise ship is convenient and easy but not the best way, high speed trains & rails with overnight stays are better as one can see & do more, or else missing out the colorful, scenic night life.  Ditto for Taipei/Taiwan as it's easy enough to travel by train or go around the island, again overnight stays; even for South Korea - places that we've been to and plan to go back again as we are comfortable to get around ourselves and/or do local premium bilingual/multi-lingual escorted motorcoach tours.  

Back in 2010, we're in Shanghai, China and Royal Caribbean had already long established their steady presence in the region ... NCL is now nearly 15 years behind, the Joy "adventure" aside, re-establishing themselves in Asia.  

We had Alaska on our radar last year and indeed, we are doing a 10 days out of YVR in late August, amazing last minute balcony deal that we just cannot say no.  Going to be very different and interesting onboard experience for sure, fixed early dining for 6 of us and afternoon high tea, and 3 themed evenings, etc.   Dropped another NCL cruise booked on the Sun, moved the bundled deal for 4 of us to a different but similar itinerary in 2025.  NCL isn't offering anything of interest to us from the Northeast this winter ... if we see a fair & reasonable last minute deal, will pull the rollerboard, book & go - the competition is dancing and doing circles around our "preferred" line, not just MSC.  

Best regards & wishes - Henry 

2 hours ago, Sugar Magnolia said:

Barcelona tops the list for me as far as major European cities ... Paris is a close second ... trying to convince myself why I need to return so soon.

For our "gang", agreed 200% on Barcelona but Susan has a different opinion about Paris & France in general.  Hey, final payment coming up this month but FYI, after sleepless nights ... we decided to "abandon" you (sorry, my personal apology), changed the 2 Sky TA booking & moved our 2 CND to next Fall's westbound TA instead, keeping our 20% discounts with a better series of new ports for us.  Haven't seen you on that roll call (nor have I, too busy with our 2 paid-in-full cruises coming up) getting active plus chatters from social media floating around, again 😳 😳 😤 ) - will you possibly be doing another Barely-a-Live.  

Photos & stories, descriptions, etc. (thank you again, you've succeeded - really)  from this Live Escape is going to be a key "reference" for 2025 since Italy & France are included among the ports ... 

9 hours ago, coaster said:

Not sailed NCL for over 20 years. Our go to line in the 90's with the SS Norway, Sunward, Seaward, Majesty and Leeward . Traditional dining that NCL eliminated years ago with the Star Cruises takeover which were used to. Keeping an open mind, but go cart tracks and Haven cabins seem to take up lots of real estate on upper decks. Spirit seems like a good choice as it is a smaller ship with lots spent on her for renovation. Is Spirit a choice from Florida anymore in the future? 

FWIW, recent CC news article link is here ... on fleet deployment of the Spirit, Sky and Sun to Asia this Fall thru 2026, the oldest & smaller Norwegian ships moving (returning once again, post-Covid) with at least 1 of them being fully chartered with a regional travel partner & homeport out of Keelun, Taiwan (a coastal, sheltered harbor port in the NE) that's about 45 minutes +/- from Taipei, traffic permitting - with a variety of mostly shorter itineraries, intended not for the Americanized audience 😳  😬  🙄 

Sailing out of Florida & "smaller" ships, you are probably looking at the "newer" & "bigger" ones including the Dawn, Gem, Jade, Pearl & Jewel.  Not all the ships have go carts and water slides/tubes but Haven concept isn't going away.   All of them have had "recent" dry docked and updated furnishings, newer furniture & refreshed, aren't as old as the "age" would otherwise indicated.  The "funky" Epic isn't bad either ... our recent TA (2023) on her was fine, separate toilet & shower cubes didn't bother us.  Some of the older ships in the fleet have had engine/azipod issues as well as common maintenance "complaints" about clogged toilets (thanks to fellow cruisers that probably ignored cautions & improperly disposed objects by flushing) whereas the new ships aren't immune with squeaks, noises & rattles at sea either.  

Look closely at recent reviews & reports on ship(s) that you are interested in and available to sail ... the onboard experience these days - if it has been more than 15 to 20 years ago (it seemed so) since being onboard NCL, could be a shocking eye-opener with all the changes since then in numerous ways.  The grass isn't necessary greener on the competitions out there ...  Sailing out of Florida, unlike those of us from the Northeast (NY/NJ/CT region) wide choices, options, pricing and availability on a year round basis.  

Happy cruising and do more homework by "researching" before you pull the trigger.  Deals are out there for any budgets and it's a lot easier these days with all the online tools plus using services of a good TA, above & beyond NCL's "PCC"    Cheers ! 

46 minutes ago, WilsCM said:

We were on the Epic in April, Android phones (Google Pixels), and experienced the same.  ... Has to be something on individual ship's set-up.

Not necessary, it is a well "known" loophole onboard NCL vessels running the WiFi networks & systems, and I'm sure you know there are hidden SSiD that are secured & used by crews only for ship operations, dining & other services that we do not have authorized access to.  Those "ports" are left open for a # of reasons ... rest assured if & when, once they figured out their workaround, these loopholes will be blocked & shut off, without notice or warning, etc.  

Google Pixels, Android and iOS users here with multiple devices / gadgets ... these has worked onboard the Getaway, Joy, Escape, Epic, and Prima lately (since C19 restart ... and before that)  - as end "users", one of the elements in the matrix is our hardware configurations & OS, security and device "settings" 

I've been pointing these out for years, there is a difference between connecting to ship's WiFi inTRAnet (limited, closed loop within the ship's servers/systems) and satellite (external) inTERnet where the signals (and, messages, SMS & push notifications, etc.) are processing, going to and coming from.  

Don't believe for a moment that the I.T. manager and iCafe (internet) manager onboard and Miami HQ have no clues and ideas of what's going on from the standpoint of cyber security & network protocols.  

Enjoy while it last while cruising.  

What a wonderful adventure it's been for Pookie and you, between your report and Sugar's photo report, getting us to think and plan ahead for 2025.  It was great to meet you both on the Prima TA.  

Happy & safe travel heading west for home at some point 🤗 Best wishes & regards - 

Henry & Susan  a/k/a  mking8288

5 hours ago, Sugar Magnolia said:

Not bad...even for solos. I wonder how prices compare for excursions and wifi. 

FYI, not bad at all ... you should be pleasantly surprised - ain't getting a dime rebate to promote this ... Here we go ... < Solo > Deluxe Inside (200 sq. ft. cabin - that's huge) is $1,311 plus $274 port taxes/fees & misc for a total of just $1,585 ... on this 10 nights Alaska voyage.  Obstructed OV at 180 sq. ft. is $1,311 (same as Deluxe Inside) with Regular OV at $1,468 and Single OV at $1,579 (don't ask me to explain what that is) plus taxes/fees/misc = about $1,742.  Balcony will be higher at $2,028 (no discount) plus $274 or $2,302.   

DSC at $18 p/p per day- that's $180 on top for 10 nights (NCL would be $200 at $20 p/p)  Add round-trip airfares (can't believe we are booking & flying UA) - staying in Richmond, BC near YVR with easy SkyTrain into downtown and cruise terminal, a 5 minutes walk.  

Forget about bringing tiara and you save plenty to buy a new pair of white gloves ... there's no requirement on dress to kill.  WiFi is $18 a day pre-purchased or $24 a day onboard for days that you want/need (will probably just buy 4 to 5 days worth while at sea all day) to access Starlink, from what I've read, the premium plan's speed is 3 times faster than the regular plan (plus you can buy it 1 day at a time onboard, based on the higher price - still less than NCL.)  Shorex prices look reasonable & fair, as low as $49 at most of the Alaska ports ... looking at the "V" site along with TripAdivsor.   I better get busy since it's "T" under 85 days or so. 

Bonus - just think, you don't have to worry about your passport expiring yet, renew it afterward and still got plenty of time.  Downside, have no clue about solo cruisers on Cunard and CC roll call is pretty quiet.  

When we came across on our Prima TA, I looked around the covered tent building, nothing fancy at all, roped off area presumably for Haven & suite guests ... works against the elements 

OP is sailing mid month on the Breakaway, out of Miami terminal  ... Jun 16 — Jun 23 2024 - 7 nights Caribbean: Great Stirrup Cay & Dominican Republic  

1 hour ago, shof515 said:

is the platinum water also these bottles too or are they still using cartons?

Platinum/Sapphire friends onboard the Joy last week and the week before sailing to/from Bermuda had these bottled water in the cabin, and 2 of them sailing under CAS, had 12 cans of water waiting ... All, all of them said they're a PITA to twist & open.  

On a positive spin, the wide mouth making it easier to reuse and refill at the buffet using a clean glass each time, after rinsing them out - continued to see lots of cruisers ignoring the proper way to refill.  Of course, it would help if NCL invest and install water bottle refilling stations, a common sight at airports and other places ... oh, wait nevermind, then no water sales to sail & sustain.  

@Sugar Magnolia  Foodie tour ?  How about a dry practice run for afternoon high tea ... even if you can't decide on whether to surprise us on the QE 😁

Life is good 😊 with Passion fruit infused tea 

25 minutes ago, snorklinbarb said:

Yes, had them on Prima recently. When full they are quite heavy to carry around like on a tour. I also found them tough to open.

Hi, Barb ... how are you?  We didn't see or had them on the Prima TA, housekeeping must've gave us the remaining paper cartons.

Our friends mentioned getting them on the last 2 Joy sailing out of NY, obviously NCL is switching vendor again ... to sail and sustain.  

Also, about a 5% reduction per carton or bottle, downsized from 16.9 oz. to 16 oz. (complimentary ones used to be 20 oz. Aquafina for Platinum/+ and higher) ... multiple that by the tens of thousands of cartons for the fleet on a weekly basis, the negotiated cost savings probably add up for procurement/purchasing.  

23 hours ago, dexddd said:

I sailed Cunard back in high school on the Countess.  Was very much like NCL at the time but do see Cunard now days probably not our thing ... sounds like busy rest of year.  A backup, ready to go Base Station Zebra may be a consideration.

There's always some sort of backup to the base station, don't worry.  15 or 20 years ago, or even 10 years ago, I never imagined looking at Cunard cruises but started looking lately for TA crossing to cruise both ways instead of flying.  Then stumbled on a last minute Alaska deal.  Looking at the quoted online price for a BD on Deck 5 ... wow, OMG no way with NCL, not even the Sky out of Seattle.  Airfares aren't bad on US with a DEN connection and we'll fly in 3 days early.  As is, we are midship on Deck 5 in a BA category for a little more, why not give it a try.  My "boss" called it while our goddaughter's pooch sat quietly next to me (all the 4 legged ones do that, 😁 ) while booking it.  Only 88 days to go, 😆 

Anyone else looking for a last minute deal ... Queen Elizabeth's 10 nights Aug 30th 🛳️

Besides, DSC is lower per day, just like their WiFi prices on Cunard ... afternoon high tea and complimentary 24/7 room service menu - never say "never"  Plus, $100 OBC as shareholder benefits since it's owned by Carnival.   Shore excursion prices are more down to earth now that I am checking & comparing ... I can call this a "Deal" with "The Price is Right" for sure and look forward to real live shows on stage in the theater.  

Imagine "mking" doing a Semi-Live Alaska on Cunard instead of NCL, it's going to trigger a shockwave

Another reason and reminder to not join and engage those social media, private group and/or promote & use them for cruising ... M*ta has know cyber security issues and when folks willingly share just about everything without safeguards in place, you leave the doors open for being hacked and hijacked, and worst.  

And, some - of course, disagree and feel otherwise, to each her/his own.  

On 5/29/2024 at 8:52 AM, Sugar Magnolia said:

Cunard would be interesting though I don't think I have the proper attire.

LOL ... as a followup and FYI only.  What is consider proper attire these days on any cruise lines ... my tux is 20 years old and 100% do not fit anymore, and, not going to go out to buy/rent one either.  A navy blazer w dark dress slacks, shoes is the best and most that I would do.  Ladies/women are easier ... and I'm sure our twin nieces' office outfit and Susan's from banking days will be fine, acceptable for the evening.  We always wanted to give Cunard a try and experience a different level of services.  BTW, we are definitely going - 3 cabins, 2 are balconies and 1 deluxe inside & Alaska bound this year (wasn't going until 2025.)  Last minute sale w the booking, waitlist for early dining but anytime/freestyle dining is available, complimentary room service & tea/coffee service in cabin included, along with bath robes & slippers.  Alaska 11 days/10 nights out of YVR ... compared to NCL, it's like sailing with a 50% discount (Sun out of SEA on a similar 10 days) - and, going to be a very interesting comparison & refreshing look.  Once we get back from BC, Canada ... we'll have 15 days to recover before we head north, 10 days/9 nights out of Cape Liberty on RC.  Going to be a busy late Summer/early Fall for us.  

6 hours ago, Sugar Magnolia said:

No complimentary voucher for me 🙁. Also, no rooftop bar at my H10 but hotels for me is strictly for sleeping and I don't mind no frills as long as the property is clean.

... 1.5 hour delay on United due to late arrival of equipment ... have been healthy since boarding the Prima on 4/27. If I somehow caught the bug now...🤷‍♀️.

Welcome "home" and gradual jetlag recovery, took us a few days to get back into our regular sleeping routine, waking up at 4 to 5 AM, LOL.  Your H10 has a roof terrace/bar (didn't see anything about a pool) - looked like the H10 chains are no longer offering a free glass welcoming "bubble" as the front desk give the coupon on check-in, still got the chocolate / sweets - I'm sure you are already a member of the H10 Club, entitled to extra discounts where offered.  Comp'd daily bottle of mineral water & free WiFi (that's for all guests, I think)   That room is "small" but as nice as, bigger than NCL's studio cabin ... right ??  Bathrobe & slippers, too.  

Flying these days is a pain ... as much as I still dislike UA, likely going to book them for our next trip out west with a 2+ hour layover, just in case of ATC and weather or other unexpected delays - maybe will use up some miles instead.  

Did you mask up in the main cabin, we did ... our CC friends flew out of LHR back to JFK and they heard coughing all around them with a large # of rude, noisy & inconsiderate "comrades"  in the main cabin - except they couldn't play MJ or card games in the air.   Give your body a rest and load up some extra Vitamin C's.  

Well done on the Barely-a-live trip report ... still unfinished, and to be continued, LOL  

H10 ... nice photos, did they give you their complimentary voucher for cocktail/beverage ??  Went up to the roof bar in the evening on our last stay at the Casanova - pool was still open, too chilly in November.  

We always decline the convenient hotel buffet breakfast, step outside & around the corner ... easily eat a light one for around 5 Euro each ... the usual eggs, breakfast meal, fruits & freshly baked assorted items, coffee & juice, etc.  

Flying back today/this evening to NY ??   Safe travel 😆 😊 😁   

18 hours ago, graphicguy said:

... wonder if Samsonite is trying to sell out of eBags products and sell only their own brand?

Hope not ... have a TravelPro backpack ... expensive but very durable and functional, also! Time to put that back into service!

Samsonite hasn't been successful since they brought out eBags in 2017 ... one of CC'er that I met onboard then had the insider's scoop.  Corporate parent hasn't succeed in getting out of the branded product's lifetime warranty ... stuff is just solidly built and if something is broken, fixed or replaced, almost no questions asked (if the pooch chewed out the lining or handles, etc. that's another story)  

Had a TP back in the 90's but it eventually showed its age and replaced that with the sturdy Kirkland Signature 22" carry-on expandable, rollerboard, by Costco - heavy and used it on long haul oversea vacations as a checked bag - fit in JetBlue's OH bins as it is slightly larger than 22" by 14" by 9"   Nowadays, flying EU or overseas, with most airlines limiting the cabin bag to 10 kg or 22 lbs, rendering it impractical unless I plan to use it as a 2nd checked bag on the return.  Kirkland has gone on a good # of cruises over the decades.  Around the same time, started acquiring more eBags  ... absolutely loved the carry-on MotherLode Junior (19" vs. 22") - stack it (easily 25 to 30 lbs w electronics) on DW's 22" rollerboard, hauling both together.   Now that we are flying more than once or twice a year again, with TA coming up, more careful & selective about the choice of luggage, size, weight, and ease of getting around - curbside to the ship's gangway is a long & winding path, mostly not flat but an incline.  

Back on the Joy & on topic ("takeout of food" from onboard restaurants) ... just had more confirmation from 3 old friends currently onboard; in addition to our 2 best friends and BIL/SIL that disembarked last Sunday, also the Bermuda 7 days loop out of NY - apparently, if one cannot finish certain entrees and/or desserts using the voucher or dining package ... upon request, the server will put a plate cover on top, provide utensils & napkin and let it go (be taken out of the Cagney's & Food Republic, to be specific, to be eaten later in one's stateroom or cabin).   I have no idea if that is something that O'Sheehan's will allow, i.e. a dozen wings, salad and apple pie, wrapped to go - I suspect that they might say, please call & use room service.  

Staying in Haven, this isn't important but for those staying in a non-Haven cabin or stateroom, without a butler ... it's good to know & thought it's worth giving those following your live, a heads up.  As always, YMMV since we know and understood NCL has "policies" in place and is consistently, being inconsistent with the rules about food being taken out. 

Food-wise, they felt food onboard the Joy is a notch better than the Prima as they've sailed both, except for the grades of beef used ... barely chewable in the MDR.  Well, I'm fine with a good, hot, juicy beef burger that's done right to my preference.  

They very much enjoyed "Elements" and the magician show in the main theater.   Satellite WiFi internet remained consistent but slower than pre-Starlink, throttled but usable ... just not possible to watch YouTube or stream contents on the basic WiFi or limited free minutes.  

Looking at cabin inventory for the month of June, I'm surprised that there is still availability for balconies ... it does looked like NCL has taken & processed many "reasonable" upgrade bids and the club balconies & higher suites, Haven, etc. are basically sold out.  Inside cabins for this weekend has dropped and worth an extra Latitudes point for those chasing "status" to the next tier.  Another CC friend sailing June 30th said her CC roll call is basically "certified" and has coded, flatline & just a handful - unlikely to see a quasi-formal Meet &Greet/Mingle onboard but she & others have absolutely no desire to engage those from the other toxic, platform (ditto, same with me, as you well know in those days then) with the private groups.  

A week will go by very quickly ... you are going to just wing it ? 

2 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Little off topic ... backpacks ... this one ... is a great back pack for cruising....storing laptop, electronics, underwear, shoes, etc....all those things that you may or may not need, but 

... such a great price, I thought I'd share ...

LOL, you and I should check to see who owns more eBags ... has yet to find a need to file a lifetime warranty claim among some of the oldest carry-on rollerboards acquired over 10 to 15 years ago, before Samsonite brought them out.   I am 97.5% sure they are quickly clearing their warehouse with a newer generation of backpacks, carrry-on and spinners coming out shortly - fire sale and free, flat rate shipping for $5.  

I have more than a dozen laptop cases but when I saw this wheeled 16" underseater on fire sale again, $29 + tax + shipping, just couldn't resist and got one.  The 3 sectional handle is a bit on the loose side, otherwise it's perfect for all my electronics, accessories & heavier gadgets, batteries & charger, cables ... with room for the 3-1-1, toiletry, first aid/med pouches ... and a fresh set of clothing and 2 sets of underwear, good enough for 1 or 2 nights on the go.  Pair that with a 17" laptop/backpack case with room for a med packing cube ... I am going to try this out at our upcoming cruise, and give the tired shoulder/back a bit of relief and rest.  

Downside, pack heavier items toward the back/bottom near the wheels, as it can tipped over leaning forward - roll clothing tightly and begin by stacking them at the bottom of the case ... pleasantly surprised how much XXL I can fit in the shell ... without resorting to compression packing cubes.   

P.S.  Gate police might stop one from boarding a domestic flight with both the underseater and a backpack unless a hefty fee is collected ... well, a medium compression packing cube is slightly under-sized for a personal bag, and, one can carry that along with the underseater to evade their scale and sizer.  

16 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

The space bar is your friend ... agree with Sugar, @Sugar Magnolia! The more time in Barcelona, the better. There's so much to see!! 

Alternate when I'm supposed to be enjoying breakfast, lunch, dinner or afternoon coffee/tea - upload the batch of photos first (especially when satellite connection a/k/a "Starlink-like" is slow and sluggish at sea.  Then edit (within that 18 to 19 minutes window) and insert a space ("Enter" key) to put a line between photos.

The mightly "power" with the relative strength of the US currency when doing foreign exchange, especially in Barcelona & Spain (and, Canada) where our purchasing power is highly leveraged being in an advantageous position vis-a-vis the standard of living & costs for goods and services abroad.  Fewer Canadian crossing our northern borders to take vacations & cruise out of the US once the conversion rates are taking into considerations.  

Sy ... awesome pictures, keep them going but do rest in between, it's a hard life  😁 😆 😂   as we know it, almost like an unconventional nomad, living out of a rollerboard and a carry-on backpack.  

17 hours ago, Sugar Magnolia said:

Shades of Gaudi ... 

Excellent pictures, thanks for sharing ... and, what was your secret to avoid & missing the crowds - got there very, very early with prepaid admission tickets with the QR/bar codes ?? 

Whenever are are you flying back across ... safe & happy travel 😎

8 hours ago, Sugar Magnolia said:

... My nightly tapas restaurant Ciutat Condal is walking distance from H10 Casanova so definitely try it next time you are in Barcelona. 

Thanks, see that and bookmarked, if not this Fall then sometime in 2025.  It is a hard life, you know, trying to decide ... looking at a possible last minute Alaska option on Cunard - balcony option priced less (not just a little) than NCL.  Real afternoon high tea & white glove service onboard, waiting on twice nieces /SIL's mom to clear their calendars. 

As for being at a park bench somewhere in WSP, are you bringing your home furniture outside to reserve a spot ? 

2 hours ago, Fogfog said:

We got included on the "Inner Circle" ... as for Barcelona... such great food, so much to see and do. Am certain @Sugar Magnoliais having a great time

IC is a joke, really ... and I gathered both Robert & you received the post-cruise eSurvey from NCL.   Have you look at Viva or Prima prices lately for 2025, OMG - 5 grand's for steerage (Insides for next Spring's TA  😳 - gotta be kidding or some "systems errors" 

34 minutes ago, dexddd said:

< snipped > ... TPIR, but ... they have their game 'that's too much' where they list a cruise with prices but even the lowest priced one is too much?

Hahaha, for real.  No, we never made it to TPIR this time, was a "sold out" game and didn't want to waste time talking to the onboard "concierge-like" cruise assistance at CruiseNext (unless I happened to buy 8 more CN certs, or at least 4 or more) as they would've just say, do the virtual queue thing on the NCL app or just show up earlier and join the standby line, odds are one would get in or wait until someone walks out early.  

Have you look at NCL prices ahead for 2025, it is NOT a game, rather it's real life and even the lowest prices for Insides are simply, really, truly ridiculous.  Mrs. M said hell, ain't no way that we'll spend that kind of money for 7 to 10 days for our "convenience" of embarking out of NYC to help "sail & sustain" the bottomline revenue.  

  Case in point - take a look at Prima's 14 days TA for April 2025 ... steerage (Insides & OV) NY to Southampton (UK) at Haven-like prices, not that we want to repeat the TA on the Prima again ... nope.  No Deal, for sure. 
 

Aside from the 2 NCL cruises booked, there is nothing of further interest.  Looking at possibilities, dates & itineraries on Princess, HAL and even Cunard (Alaska) - in addition to MSC ... since we are looking at least booking 3 to 4 cabins, pretty sure we'll get to 5 cabins in 2025 since my brother is retiring soon and wanted to join us to celebrate his transition.  NCL wants to play, it's No Deal since The Price is Wrong. 

As for the Inner Circle thing - whoopie - anyone that's taken Statistics 101 from the college days know the tricks ... in surveying and getting the answers NCL is looking for.  Anyway, niece's pooch always like to sit besides me whenever we visit them ... body language speaks for being trusted and part of the Inner Circle, huh.  

12 minutes ago, fsukel02 said:

I would be shocked if flying agents is something they do regularly but this info is very helpful. I can acknowledge I’m probably spending too much time worrying about this but there are certain things I want to do in London and in hopes of accomplishing it all, I want to hit the ground running. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if I don’t get it all done ... concerned about it being peak summer travel time too. 

We're shocked and I don't think most pax onboard the TA expected a quick, smooth & super, super early disembarkation on arrival into UK.  Flying agents out, house & feed, and get them to process all the pax & crew is NOT something NCL is known for.  We booked a private tour to spend 3 to 4 hours, originally planned to see Windsor (not the Castle & its grounds) before the ride to London Gatwick Airport for our evening non-stop flight home (to NY's JFK Int'l) and did NOT want to spend hours at the airport lounge (4 hours max pre-boarding is the usual rules in the U.S.) with 4 day passes - or to get a day rate at a nearby hotel - our pickup time was 9 AM as we wanted to play it safe and not be rushing in the morning to get off ... as it turned out, the marginal costs for the taxi tour w the driver-guide was well worth it, we walked and saw a lot; and, our luggage was stored.  

Peak summer travel is the prime "suspect" on your Prima cruise coming up ... there're several other ships in SH that morning, but each ship docking at a seperate berth/terminal and the port's layout & design made it very easy.  

Just words of caution, the gangway for the Prima to exit was on Deck 6, and it was (is) a long series of descending gangways to reach street level, and not necessary easy or fun if you are traveling with more than just carry-on luggage.  With a 24" rollerboard and a carry-on, we opted (as always) to put them out the night before and it worked (Airtagged ours, just in case) - by 7:15 AM, we watched from our balcony, essentially all the luggage were taken off the ship and move into the terminal ... by the time we got "out" below to find our colors, around 8:30'ish, only 2 dozens bag with our "Yellow" tags remained there & unclaimed (color was called very early, between 6:45 to 7 AM ... and by 8:15 to 8:30, nearly all colors were called - no lines or wait to get past ship security w the final scan.  

Enjoy your Prima cruise ... and if you haven't seen our Live TA review posted, you should easily find it here on the forum, plenty more info & details that you should find useful.  Caution - it is long, sit back & have coffee/tea or a nice, cold beer to browse & skim thru it - some of the port info are same as yours.  

We got off the Prima TA earlier this month, UK immigration/ border police pre-cleared everyone onboard several days while at sea, between Iceland & Amsterdam with 2 other port stops, easy & quick. 

Scheduled arrival into Southampton from Le Havre, France was 6 AM but we're docked earlier and ship was cleared, express walk-off started around 6:30 & easy as walking off a ferry. We went to breakfast & leisurely vacated our cabin by 8:15 and off the gangway into the luggage hall, collected our bags and outside for M&G with our taxi-tour driver, and off to Portsmouth by 9 AM.  Folks that left early were at London Heathrow Airport by then as traffic was light on early Sunday morning. 

See below for details - it depends - in part - on your sailing's scheduled arrival time and whether there are UK immigration check there or prior, as that really speed things up. NCL apparently made arrangements & flew the UK agents to Iceland & houses them on the ship to process 3000+ pax and crew while en route 👍

Finally, got around to completed both of our NCL post-cruise e-Survey online ... short with a different focus, asked about FAS offers, whether we could made specialty restaurants of our chosen dates & preferred time (booked ours at 125 days), show reservations ("No" not really ... annoyed) and whether we upgraded our 300 minutes x 2 to unlimited/premium WiFi ("Yes" but still not as advertised to be considered anything like fast ... and pricey, RC and Princess, even Cunard & HAL, or Carnival is less than $20 a day)  Asked about their shorex - no, we did NOT use NCL at all, absurd prices and highly inflated, deceptive prices and not worth spending $$$ for. 

<<  Our motto is to just go with the flow and "wing" it once we are 99.95% of being at the port, if we didn't plan ahead & reserve semi-private or shared tours by local, etc.  >>  Zeebrugge, Belgium and Le Havre, Paris on your own is something like $99 p/p - basically port shuttles to town & back ... taxi and/or Uber (where available) is a fraction of that for 2 to 4 ride-sharing, faster & quicker.  Just make sure to plan & re-confirm port and ship time, allow for delays & unexpected traffic surprises, etc. (even NCL transfer to Paris & return were running late and tied up with motorway traffic) and have the port agent's contact info, mobile # and email address saved, kept & take along when leaving the ship into the port - and - have local/roamming cellular services. 

Toward the end of the short survey, taking no more than 5 minutes, maybe 7 to 8 minutes at most - there is a box for other comments - used it to say we're not pleased and annoyed at the NY embarkation issues ... NCL could've handled it better with "on scene/on pier command" to oversee & monitor how things were go with 1 or more striped officers - granted that the Right whales and speed restricted delayed repositioning cruise arrival known to NCL at least 22 days prior, could've been managed smartly & differently ... that's the challenge and tasks for management to come up with contingencies.  Gave NCL our peace of mind about the MDR issues and silly, annoying show time scheduled once - only - during the latter part of the TA with port days, at 6:30 PM ... prime slots for most cruisers to be in the restaurants, and/or in lines waiting to get in.  

The pop-up after closing the survey is whether one wish to provide feedback to NCL, to be added to the "NCL Inner Circle"  here's that screenshot ... question was asked recently (again) on NCL forum here about it ...