Prima continues to disappoint and I haven't even sailed.

[curlstravel]

1 hour ago, uneamie said:

We loved the Prima and found that most of the negative reviews were exagerations or non existant...at least for us. We also went to the Prima Theater first thing onboard to change some of our dinner reservations......no problem at all. I read so many bad reviews I all most wanted to cancel and soooooo happy that we did not. Go with a postive attitude and don't let the small stuff ruin your cruise. Have a wonderful trip. 

We also loved the Prima and we were able to get dining reservations as soon as we got on the ship.  Also, the Bliss is one of our favorite ships but it is bigger and has more people on it. I think you will love the feel of the smaller ship. It is not perfect, none if the ships are but after 53 cruises it is our favorite ship.  We have 2 weeks booked on the Viva and can’t wait.  Give the Prima a chance.  And by the way the Metropolitan bar was our favorite bar on the ship!

 

[pc_load_letter]

6 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

The Bliss sails out of Seattle on a 7 day round trip to Alaska in the summer.  She doesn’t sail out of LA during the summer.

 

Yes, I misspoke, we took it at Thanksgiving time.

[graphicguy]

16 hours ago, PhillyTravelBug said:

All the reviews feel so similar to when Celebrity Edge came out. Polarizing. 

Thought the same thing.  I remember the outcry when they introduced the EDGE class.Beautiful ships….love them.  Others?  Change does not sit well with them and they condemned them.

 

NCL’s seeing the same with Prima.  The title kind of sums it up…..”Prima is bad, and I’ve not even sailed her to make that sort of judgment”.  

[uneamie]

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

We have sailed on the Prima twice and love the ship. We have already booked on the Viva, which we assume to be a close sister to the Prima. We cruise 5 to 7 times a year on multiple cruise lines. If it were a "mess" we would not be booking repeated cruises on the ship or class of ship.

 

Here's my observation. People don't like change. People will complain about change. That is business 101 and there are endless classes teaching managers on Change Management, because people hate change. 

 

Most of the "bad reviews" you see are side-by-side comparisons of the Prima to other ships. The Prima is not like this ship. The Prima's xxx is smaller than that ship. The Prima is not this ship or that ship. What most "reviewers" (and I use that term lightly) don't accept is that the Prima is newer and a lot smaller than the six ships NCL has launched over the past decade. 

 

You will see "the Prima buffet is smaller than the Escape, therefore it is too small". When, in fact, the Prima has nearly 40% fewer passengers than the Escape and more complimentary restaurants. So, the buffet should be smaller. "The Prima's Observations Lounge is smaller than the Bliss, therefore it is too small". Sane thing, the OL on the Prima takes up about 1/3 of a deck (same as the Bliss, Encore, and Joy),,, but because the ship is smaller, 1/3 of the deck is smaller. "The Prima has a small pool deck, therefore it is too small". Yes, the designers of the Prima intentionally spread the deck space for sun lovers out over a large space. In fact, the lounger space between the pool deck and Ocean Boulevard is the biggest in the fleet, providing multiple pools and luxury loungers and day beds (which other ships don't have). 

 

People don't like change. 

 

Change is good. NCL has been the leader in evolving the cruise industry to meet the desires and needs of the contemporary cruiser. Freestyle cruising is what the contemporary cruiser demands. No more suitcases dedicated to evening gowns and shoes. No more tuxes. No more fixed dining times with a table of strangers you grow to dislike after a week. I started cruising in the days of hard wooden loungers that you had to rent daily and tip the pool attendant to setup. You could only sit for a short while before it started hurting you back (and that was when I was [a lot] younger).  A time when the highlight of entertainment was a harpist strumming unrecognizable melodies. When day time entertainment was a lecture on the lifecycle of the earthworm. For one, I am happy that NCL is bold enough to innovate and evolve. I embrace change, and not put up a side-by-side scorecard of the Prima against any other ship, because the Prima is not any other ship,,, it is the first in class of a new class of cruise ship that will lead the industry (not just NCL) for the foreseeable future. 

 

I would never sail again if I was not a "flexable" person. I look forward to changes. At 74 I don't want the world to stop where I'm at, I want to experience all that will be in what ever time I have left on this earth. I can ignore the annoying small stuff...life is too short. 

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, luv2kroooz said:

It doesn't have anything to do with change, in our case. At the end of the day, if I can't get a spot near the pool, it is too small. If I can't get a seat in the observation lounge when I want one, it is too small, too. If I have to crawl over people to get into the buffet, it is too small. Space on a per capita basis is nice to hear about in theory. So, while it was an admirable goal, at the end of the day, the demand for these spaces far exceeds the supply, resulting in a poor onboard experience. And, when sailing to a cold weather destination, the problems magnifies itself. You can't turn a blind eye to these flaws and plan for them if you choose to sail. Eyes wide open! They are real problems. I predict they'll be addressed going forward with the new ships. On a comparative basis, being fully informed of the above, we would still choose a different ship and advise others to consider doing so.

What cruise ship have you ever been on where there are spare loungers next to the pool???? Or adequate indoor space when it is rainy or cold outside???  

 

Eyes wide open.... Not on any ship I have ever been on. Not at any land resort that I have ever been at. 

[The Traveling Man]

18 hours ago, PhillyTravelBug said:

All the reviews feel so similar to when Celebrity Edge came out. Polarizing. 

I loved sailing on the Edge.  We also have cruised on her sister ships, the Apex and Beyond.  We have reservations for the Ascent.  Love them all.  We have sailed on 16 of NCL's 18 ships, but as for the PR1MA, been there, done that, don't want the T-shirt.  Probably will skip the V!VA.

[luv2kroooz]

32 minutes ago, Liljo22 said:

Wait.  So you are complaining about not finding chairs on a ship you haven’t even been on?  

I am not complaining about anything. I am simply sharing my educated opinion based on the research I have done and what I have heard from bloggers that I follow and respect. I have no investment in prima.

[luv2kroooz]

3 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

What cruise ship have you ever been on where there are spare loungers next to the pool???? Or adequate indoor space when it is rainy or cold outside???  

 

Eyes wide open.... Not on any ship I have ever been on. Not at any land resort that I have ever been at. 

Norwegian Gem, really any Jewel class ship. Amazing deck space, two big pools. I also think Crown class on Princess is a good choice.

 

Land based resorts ...Polynesian isles in Kissimmee, Sheraton Vistana Villages I Drive. Amazing deck space there.

[Liljo22]

5 minutes ago, luv2kroooz said:

See my post above. Thank you for your contribution. We are sharing opinions here, not facts.

But up until a few posts ago, you implied that you had first hand knowledge of issues on the Prima.  Your issues are coming from YouTube and the ship review section here.  

 

YouTube is built on toxicity.  Content creators have found that negativity gets more views than positivity.  I watched one Prima review where he started his review that negative reviews get more clicks so his video only will have negatives.  
 

For ship reviews, people with a negative experience are more likely to leave a review than ones with a positive experience.  A lot of the negative reviews start with something that happens before they even get on the ship so they are looking for things to go wrong because they can’t get over the fact that it took 2 hours to get to the port.  
 

 

[laudergayle]

@luv2kroooz I understand your mindset, and I was skeptical, too based on all the reviews.  We had already made final payment before all the reviews came rolling in..or at least before I started reading them.  
 

We went in thinking we were going to have make lemonade.  Well that wasn’t the case at all.  We sailed out of NYC to Bermuda 4/30-5/7.  It poured and was windy, rough seas for the first 2 days.  We didn’t feel the ship was crowded inside despite no one being outdoors.  When we’re finally able to stroll deck 8, there were seats everywhere.  Some shade, some sun, some by the pool, some by the bars, some all by ourselves.  
 

The buffet was just as crowded as any other ship, but we didn’t have any long wait to snag a table then our food. We found seating in Indulge, too.  The Local actually has two sides—separate from each other. One side is the restaurant and the other side is the bar.  It wasn’t weird at all walking through the bar to get to Indulge.  And you could always walk outside.

 

the MDR Hudson’s was by far the most amazing MDR we’ve seen.  So many tables wrap around the windows with amazing water views.  And Prima has now gone to the same rotating menu as the rest of the fleet.

 

the specialty dining was superb.  We especially liked Food Republic.

 

The comedy shows and many game shows have been moved to the theater from Improv.  Syd Normans unfortunately has to stay in that venue due to licensing…so that was not great.

 

The ship is not hard to navigate at all. In fact, if you allow yourself to follow the flow it was really quite easy to remember what was where. 

 

I would say that the people using the FWD elevators had a better location. The elevator takes you right to the atrium. The AFT elevator makes you walk through the dining venues to get to the atrium.

 

I am sharing this with you so that you know you were not alone in your opinion of the Prima based on other’s experiences.  I was Leary..but so glad we gave Prima a try.  
 

I probably would not sail Prima during US spring break and summer or transatlantic. But for itineraries in the Mediterranean, Bermuda, Alaska, Canary Islands, Northern Europe in warmer weather…Prima is a good fit.

 

I’ve heard it said…never say never.  Happy cruising however you choose to cruise🙂

[luv2kroooz]

4 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

@luv2kroooz I understand your mindset, and I was skeptical, too based on all the reviews.  We had already made final payment before all the reviews came rolling in..or at least before I started reading them.  
 

We went in thinking we were going to have make lemonade.  Well that wasn’t the case at all.  We sailed out of NYC to Bermuda 4/30-5/7.  It poured and was windy, rough seas for the first 2 days.  We didn’t feel the ship was crowded inside despite no one being outdoors.  When we’re finally able to stroll deck 8, there were seats everywhere.  Some shade, some sun, some by the pool, some by the bars, some all by ourselves.  
 

The buffet was just as crowded as any other ship, but we didn’t have any long wait to snag a table then our food. We found seating in Indulge, too.  The Local actually has two sides—separate from each other. One side is the restaurant and the other side is the bar.  It wasn’t weird at all walking through the bar to get to Indulge.  And you could always walk outside.

 

the MDR Hudson’s was by far the most amazing MDR we’ve seen.  So many tables wrap around the windows with amazing water views.  And Prima has now gone to the same rotating menu as the rest of the fleet.

 

the specialty dining was superb.  We especially liked Food Republic.

 

The comedy shows and many game shows have been moved to the theater from Improv.  Syd Normans unfortunately has to stay in that venue due to licensing…so that was not great.

 

The ship is not hard to navigate at all. In fact, if you allow yourself to follow the flow it was really quite easy to remember what was where. 

 

I would say that the people using the FWD elevators had a better location. The elevator takes you right to the atrium. The AFT elevator makes you walk through the dining venues to get to the atrium.

 

I am sharing this with you so that you know you were not alone in your opinion of the Prima based on other’s experiences.  I was Leary..but so glad we gave Prima a try.  
 

I probably would not sail Prima during US spring break and summer or transatlantic. But for itineraries in the Mediterranean, Bermuda, Alaska, Canary Islands, Northern Europe in warmer weather…Prima is a good fit.

 

I’ve heard it said…never say never.  Happy cruising however you choose to cruise🙂

Thank you for this. Good info to consider. 👍

[graphicguy]

18 hours ago, laudergayle said:

@luv2kroooz I understand your mindset, and I was skeptical, too based on all the reviews.  We had already made final payment before all the reviews came rolling in..or at least before I started reading them.  
 

We went in thinking we were going to have make lemonade.  Well that wasn’t the case at all.  We sailed out of NYC to Bermuda 4/30-5/7.  It poured and was windy, rough seas for the first 2 days.  We didn’t feel the ship was crowded inside despite no one being outdoors.  When we’re finally able to stroll deck 8, there were seats everywhere.  Some shade, some sun, some by the pool, some by the bars, some all by ourselves.  
 

The buffet was just as crowded as any other ship, but we didn’t have any long wait to snag a table then our food. We found seating in Indulge, too.  The Local actually has two sides—separate from each other. One side is the restaurant and the other side is the bar.  It wasn’t weird at all walking through the bar to get to Indulge.  And you could always walk outside.

 

the MDR Hudson’s was by far the most amazing MDR we’ve seen.  So many tables wrap around the windows with amazing water views.  And Prima has now gone to the same rotating menu as the rest of the fleet.

 

the specialty dining was superb.  We especially liked Food Republic.

 

The comedy shows and many game shows have been moved to the theater from Improv.  Syd Normans unfortunately has to stay in that venue due to licensing…so that was not great.

 

The ship is not hard to navigate at all. In fact, if you allow yourself to follow the flow it was really quite easy to remember what was where. 

 

I would say that the people using the FWD elevators had a better location. The elevator takes you right to the atrium. The AFT elevator makes you walk through the dining venues to get to the atrium.

 

I am sharing this with you so that you know you were not alone in your opinion of the Prima based on other’s experiences.  I was Leary..but so glad we gave Prima a try.  
 

I probably would not sail Prima during US spring break and summer or transatlantic. But for itineraries in the Mediterranean, Bermuda, Alaska, Canary Islands, Northern Europe in warmer weather…Prima is a good fit.

 

I’ve heard it said…never say never.  Happy cruising however you choose to cruise🙂

Amen!  Never is an awfully long time!!!!!!!!!!

[Sigyn]

I wouldn't consider it a big loss. We didn't like Palomar much when we were on the Prima in December. We loved Onda the most, Le Bistro second, Food Republic third, Cagney's fourth and Palomar most definitely came in fifth place. It tasted fine, but it wasn't anything special, whereas Onda blew us away and so did Le Bistro, and Food Republic was just fun and delicious with lots of things to try. Cagney's was a typical steakhouse with well prepared steaks but nothing different than what you get at any steakhouse. Palomar didn't seem to have a strong identity. It wanted to be fancier than it really is, or something like that. We went in expecting to be impressed and found it sorely lacking. None of the dishes were particularly flavorful or standouts. 

 

Overall, we found the Prima to be a wonderful ship and we had a great time, despite rainy, cold weather during part of our Caribbean cruise. It's a beautiful ship. My husband, teenage son and I were on it from 12/23 -12/30. Don't listen to the naysayers. It's a fun ship for a vacation. We really loved the Indulge food hall. We had breakfast there most mornings. The bars are fun places to hang out, and the crew is so friendly. 

Edited May 28, 2023 by njsmom

[seemoreroyals]

52 minutes ago, njsmom said:

I wouldn't consider it a big loss. We didn't like Palomar much when we were on the Prima in December. We loved Onda the most, Le Bistro second, Food Republic third, Cagney's fourth and Palomar most definitely came in fifth place. It tasted fine, but it wasn't anything special, whereas Onda blew us away and so did Le Bistro, and Food Republic was just fun and delicious with lots of things to try. Cagney's was a typical steakhouse with well prepared steaks but nothing different than what you get at any steakhouse. Palomar didn't seem to have a strong identity. It wanted to be fancier than it really is, or something like that. We went in expecting to be impressed and found it sorely lacking. None of the dishes were particularly flavorful or standouts. 

 

Overall, we found the Prima to be a wonderful ship and we had a great time, despite rainy, cold weather during part of our Caribbean cruise. It's a beautiful ship. My husband, teenage son and I were on it from 12/23 -12/30. Don't listen to the naysayers. It's a fun ship for a vacation. We really loved the Indulge food hall. We had breakfast there most mornings. The bars are fun places to hang out, and the crew is so friendly. 

 

Enjoyed your comments as we will be going on the Prima or the first time later this year.  In regards to breakfast at Indulge Food Hall.  Did you have any issues with having to wait?  Also, the only menu I have seen for Indulge  has mainly continental and breakfast sandwich type items.  What's a must try there?  The Tex Mex Bowl looks interesting.  

[jbcallender]

In the end, you're taking off for a week to eat great food, see great scenery have great experiences, have your whims catered to for the most part, sounds pretty good to me.

[UKstages]

breakfast is the only time at the indulge food hall where there is no wait. it’s a grab and go deal. you’re welcome to sit there and eat, but most people bring it back to their cabins. it’s a mix of prepared breakfast sandwiches and bowls featuring potatoes and eggs. also, fruit salad. and you can get a bagel and cream cheese and smoked salmon as an “on demand” item. (the bagel has to be toasted.) there is no iPad ordering… you walk up and take what you like.

[luv2kroooz]

2 hours ago, jbcallender said:

In the end, you're taking off for a week to eat great food, see great scenery have great experiences, have your whims catered to for the most part, sounds pretty good to me.

Sounds good to me too. Wouldn't that be the goal for any cruise vacation, though? Why not be educated and put yourself in the best position to enjoy your vacation by researching what kind of ship you prefer? All ships are not created equally.

[curlstravel]

On 5/27/2023 at 3:28 PM, luv2kroooz said:

I am not complaining about anything. I am simply sharing my educated opinion based on the research I have done and what I have heard from bloggers that I follow and respect. I have no investment in prima.

When we were on the Prima we found great seats everyday at the pools.

[laudergayle]

Unlike other NCL cruises, we actually got up early enough to eat in Hudson’s.  After day 1 we found if you arrived around 8:45 you got great seats and service..and often s great view.  Closer to 9…the line grew snd the hostesses were encouraging you to go elsewhere (not) or share a table.  We never had an issue regardless if we showed up early or at 9.  Great breakfast in Hudson’s.

[mpk]

On 5/27/2023 at 12:33 PM, laudergayle said:

@luv2kroooz And Prima has now gone to the same rotating menu as the rest of the fleet.

 

I had not heard that.  I did some searching here on CC, and find no mention.

 

Is it confirmed that the same menu experiment has failed and is now scrapped?

[ontheweb]

8 hours ago, laudergayle said:

Unlike other NCL cruises, we actually got up early enough to eat in Hudson’s.  After day 1 we found if you arrived around 8:45 you got great seats and service..and often s great view.  Closer to 9…the line grew snd the hostesses were encouraging you to go elsewhere (not) or share a table.  We never had an issue regardless if we showed up early or at 9.  Great breakfast in Hudson’s.

We would consider those times late for breakfast. Do you know how early they open? It should I assume be even less busy earlier.

[McFins]

 

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

We would consider those times late for breakfast. Do you know how early they open? It should I assume be even less busy earlier.

It opens at 7 a.m.  

[laudergayle]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

We would consider those times late for breakfast. Do you know how early they open? It should I assume be even less busy earlier.

Not for sure on exact opening time…but it was definitely open well before 8:45.

 

and, now I see @McFinsanswered…TXS.

Edited May 29, 2023 by laudergayle

[laudergayle]

9 hours ago, mpk said:

 

I had not heard that.  I did some searching here on CC, and find no mention.

 

Is it confirmed that the same menu experiment has failed and is now scrapped?

We sailed 4/30 and it was their first week with rotating menus.  The waiter said this change was for cruises going forward…so I would say the menu experiment is over.

[Sigyn]

14 hours ago, seemoreroyals said:

 

Enjoyed your comments as we will be going on the Prima or the first time later this year.  In regards to breakfast at Indulge Food Hall.  Did you have any issues with having to wait?  Also, the only menu I have seen for Indulge  has mainly continental and breakfast sandwich type items.  What's a must try there?  The Tex Mex Bowl looks interesting.  

We tried a lot of different things in the Indulge food hall. We never had to wait for breakfast. That's what made it handy. It seemed a lot of people didn't think about going there for breakfast. I saw that one person mentioned people taking it back to their cabins. I'm sure some did, since it was an option with sandwiches wrapped in paper. We didn't, we ate there. We wanted to try different things, sit and enjoy our coffee while it was hot, and soak in the scenery. Indulge Food Hall has a great atmosphere.

We found Indulge at breakfast busy, but not too busy. It moved fast, and the food was always replenished and was being made as you watched and put on the shelves, so it was very fresh. I liked the breakfast sandwiches like the egg and cheese croissants, the different bowls with eggs and potatoes, including the tex mex bowl, the English muffins with eggs and cheese, etc. there were always meat free options and variations with sausage and bacon and ham to please everyone, and stations with fruit and cereals and oatmeal and pastries. It wasn't anything super fancy, but it was good and we loved the setting and it was easy and fast. As others have said, the buffet doesn't have tons of seating, so we preferred Indulge rather than fight the crowds in the buffet at breakfast or the long waits in the main dining room once you order off the menu and have to wait to be served. Indulge suited us. The decor is awesome and the view of the ocean out of every window is gorgeous. That's the great thing about the Prima. They have a spot for everyone. 

Another good place for breakfast is The Local. You order off the menu there, but the food is great. We ate there our last morning, before debarkation. I wish we'd discovered it sooner for breakfast. We did eat lunch there several times, and we had snacks there quite a bit. We loved the bar side of The Local and the sit-down restaurant side. Oh, and the hot fudge sundae. My son and I had one of those every day, and my husband indulged quite a bit too. Again, cozy decor, awesome staff and just a great atmosphere overall. 

 

One of our favorite bars was the Soleil Bar which is on Deck 8, I believe. It was a favorite hangout when we wanted to be outside, while we loved the Penrose bar on Deck 6 indoors. There was a guitarist who we really enjoyed every afternoon. The Penrose bar is in the atrium, so it's a great spot for people watching. You'll find other people naming other great bars as their favorites, like the Metropolitan, or the Whiskey Bar, or the Belvedere Bar. They're all unique. That's what NCL has done with the Prima - created individualized spots to suit every taste. 

 

I would cruise on the Prima again. It was a great ship.

Edited May 29, 2023 by njsmom