Thoughts about Prima (Oct 1-13, 2023)

[danny6514]

We just got off the Prima this morning and overall had a decent cruise. This was our 5th NCL cruise, but first time on the Prima. I don't think I need to repeat others that this ship looks absolutely beautiful. The furnitures, lighting, the waterfront, everything just feels so much nicer than any of their other ships, or any other ships I've been on even. I unfortunately had to work during the cruise, but instead of being in a boring library, I was able to find high tables on the waterfront and work there. Ironically, that was one of the highlights of my cruise.

 

Now onto the not so good parts of the ship, the layout is just not great. Dead ends everywhere, walkways where you would expect to bring you to the ends of the ship, ends up with either a wall or a restaurant. The atrium used to be a place where shows happen, and felt like the heart of the ship. That's no more, as now it is just a confused space where people are constantly walking through it, yet they try to hold classes there. When singers sing, they are sometimes hidden under an area so no one above could see them. Many times we can hear what's happening, but can't seem to pinpoint what exactly is happening as we can't see it.

 

This ship to me brings upcharging to a whole new level. It is my personal opinion that this ship was designed strictly based on this business model. They boast this ship provides the best passenger to space ratio, but what they don't mention is the passenger to FREE space ratio, because that isn't going to look that great. More and bigger specialty restaurants, better Vibe Beach Club, larger thermal suites, larger race tracks & VR areas, larger Haven presence. More than ever, the enjoyment of NCL cruises depend on those extra dollars you'll need to spend. Nothing wrong with it, just not for everyone. I'm unsure if I can agree with the Free at sea motto, a more fitting one might be Upcharging at sea.

 

The condition of the ship is also somewhat alarming. For such a new ship, we saw more defects than ever. Aside from our room smelling like urine, which isn't related to the ship, the washroom smelled like the septic system for the whole cruise. At first we thought it might just be a cleaning issue, but after cleaning and disinfecting the washroom again, it never changed. It was only when we started smelling the same smell walking down certain hallways that we realized it might be a ship wide issue. The shower head in our room was also broken when we entered. The soap dispenser in the thermal suite was broken. The shower in the thermal suite was also broken, where no hot water came out (this was fixed after reporting it). Our balcony door had obviously been patched up before with wooden pieces inserted between the frame, but still creaked like crazy when the ship was barely rolling. The rubber seal was also breaking, causing wind to whistle into our room. I know I might sound like I'm nitpicking, but out of all the cruises I've been on, almost all being older than the Prima, they just simply didn't have any of these issues. None of these are dealbreakers, but it is simply concerning for such a new ship.

 

We dined at almost every restaurant onboard (minus Haven restaurant and the sushi place), and for the most part, I only have great things to say about the specialty restaurants. We weren't big fans of La Cucina on previous NCL ships, but Onda onboard the Prima is much better. In my opinion, it is very comparable with a good italian place on land. Palomar is also a new addition, and them bringing a whole fish prepared table side is quite impressive. Cagney's, Le Bistro, Teppanyaki, Los Lobos were all consistent with other ships and tasty as usual. Indulge food hall is a new addition to the Prima class, and we enjoyed it. What's preventing me from saying we REALLY enjoyed it is due to the inconsistency of the food. One day it'll be really salty, and the next day it won't, you never really know what it's going to be like. Regardless, the quality of the food served here is well above other complementary options across different cruise lines. If there's one differentiator about the Prima and others, it would definitely be the indulge food hall.

 

We also dined at Hudson's, Prima's MDR, and the food (IMO) is subpar as usual. Our friends dined exclusively at the Hudson's and complained that the food was very bad. I just wished they paid a bit more for specialty restaurants because I feel the quality is just night and day different and they would've enjoyed the cruise more. To hear them say MSC's food is better than NCL really goes against what I have ever known about them. Onto the buffet, I'm not sure how else to describe that place other than an active war zone, especially during breakfast. The buffet is now about 1/3 of the size compared to the previous ship, but yet it's basically the only place people eat at. Sure they could justify that Indulge food hall has some grab to gos, but let's be honest here, it's not their first day running a cruise line, and they well knew what they were doing. To add to it, the selection at breakfast has been reduced. With just the small footprint it now covers, they manage to repeat the same dishes up to 3 different stations, with no changes for our 12 night cruise. Compared to previous ships, this is a downgrade. For lunch and dinner, the selection also decreased, likely due to post COVID cost cutting, but also because Indulge food hall now took over some of the dishes. The indian station used to be our favourites, but it has now been removed from the buffet, so if you want that, you now have to eat at the buffet first then move over to the indulge food hall. 

 

Anyways, we enjoyed our time on the Prima, though for our next NCL cruise, we will likely be looking at the breakaway-plus class again, as that remains our favourite class in the NCL fleet.

[The Traveling Man]

Thank you for your thoughtful and insightful remarks. We sailed on Pr1ma’s second cruise last September and can confirm most all of your misgivings about it.  We are on the Dawn at present.  Several of the officers on our ship were on the Pr1ma last year and they confirmed many of the negatives you noted.  One comment in particular caught my attention.  You said that since this is not NCL’s first time running a cruise ship, they ought to have been able to do a better job of it with the Pr1ma.  During dinner with one of the senior officers this week, he remarked that the Pr1ma had been designed by an architectural design team which had no previous shipboard experience.  He particularly noted that they failed to include adequate provisions for transporting supplies to the various bars and restaurants and then removing waste products without having to go through areas open to passengers.  I hadn’t thought of that, but I do seem to recall seeing crew members on the Pr1ma carting trash down the hallways sometimes.  He noted several other design features which simply are convoluted and make things more difficult for the crew.  He said he has hopes, however, that they fix some of things in time for the V!va, Aqua, and Bella.

[schmoopie17]

You've captured Prima in a nutshell. Your experience pretty much mirrored ours...especially the creaking of our balcony wall and the inconsistency of the food. Don't get me started about the awful traffic flow and the unfortunate placement of the Local bar in a main thoroughfare.

[Barb Nahoumi]

I still think that the Jewel Class ships are where they really hit it right with venue size, and not too many things crammed into a smaller space like on the Prima.  Our experiences have been on the Dawn,Jewel Class,  away class ships, as well as the Sky & Spirit.  

 

No good if they have to reduce the size of dining venues and offerings.

[FLAHAM]

I always eat breakfast at Hudson’s.  It is easy to get a table, I like being served by friendly staff and the view out the huge windows is great.  I enjoy the smoked salmon on a toasted bagel, with cream cheese, tomato and chives.  

[BunnyHutt]

I’m booked on this ship next fall after sailing a Breakaway+ last month (my first cruise on NCL). Good to know what to expect from all of the reviews. I have no doubt that we will enjoy our port-intensive Med cruise - amazing itinerary! -

but some of these customer observations are really a shame. Unfortunately, we were stuck between Epic and Pr1ma for our region of choice and the cabin/bathroom layout of the former was an absolute non-starter for us. 

[laudergayle]

1 hour ago, schmoopie17 said:

Don't get me started about the awful traffic flow and the unfortunate placement of the Local bar in a main thoroughfare.

The Local/O’Sheehans is adjacent to main walking areas on all NCL ships.   The only place the walkway through the Local Bar goes to is Indulge. There is the Local bar on one side of the walkway and soft seating on the other side.  The actual Local dining area is an entirely separate restaurant (info for other readers as you already know this).  Indulge is accessible from the Local as well as the port, aft and starboard outdoor areas.  Personally we didn’t find the flow to be an issue…even in cold windy weather.

 

Now for the wear-worthiness of the ship.  I agree with others that Prima will see dry dock for major refurbishment sooner than it probably should.

[schmoopie17]

21 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

.Personally we didn’t find the flow to be an issue…even in cold windy weather.

 

This is the only ship I've seen that had the Local bar smack dab in a walkway. This resulted in people passing by trying to belly up to an already overcrowded, understaffed bar. It's not an exaggeration to say that there were 30 people jammed in there with two bartenders. Wait times were off the charts. Also, the enclosed dining area in the Prima Local is claustrophobic...unlike those the large, airy Local or O'Sheahan's on the Escape, etc., where you can sit around the curved railing overlooking the atrium.

Edited October 14, 2023 by schmoopie17

[laudergayle]

17 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

Also, the enclosed dining area in the Prima Local is claustrophobic...unlike those the large, airy Local or O'Sheahan's on the Escape, etc., where you can sit around the curved railing overlooking the atrium.

I agree the layout overlooking the atrium is definitely nicer than the Prima.  I was just pointing out that it was only the bar adjacent to the walkway, and our cruise it was not an issue to walk through.  

[kasimir]

Great review and in a nutshell you got most points covered, I am just surprised you haven’t mentioned the positive of your cabin as we feel that the cabins compared to other ships are a huge improvement when it comes to space and modern feel. It is unfortunate you had to deal with septic smells and creaking sounds. 
 

11 hours ago, danny6514 said:

We also dined at Hudson's, Prima's MDR, and the food (IMO) is subpar as usual. Our friends dined exclusively at the Hudson's and complained that the food was very bad.

 

Fully agree with you!!! This and the buffet for us were major pain points on the Prima. It is a shame as the Hudson’s is absolutely gorgeous with amazing views, but the food quality during dinner time was awful. But we loved breakfast there. So after the first night dining at Hudson, we dined at Indulge when not enjoying a specialty restaurant and Indulge blows the Hudson away when it comes to food quality. 

I wish your friends would have tried Indulge at dinner time, it’s not even busy around that time and the Indian menu at dinner time is even better 😉

[UKstages]

2 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

This is the only ship I've seen that had the Local bar smack dab in a walkway. This resulted in people passing by trying to belly up to an already overcrowded, understaffed bar. It's not an exaggeration to say that there were 30 people jammed in there with two bartenders. Wait times were off the charts. Also, the enclosed dining area in the Prima Local is claustrophobic...unlike those the large, airy Local or O'Sheahan's on the Escape, etc., where you can sit around the curved railing overlooking the atrium.

 

interesting perspective.

 

the long hallway that is the local bar didn't really bother me. what bothered me in the local bar area was the lackadaisical service, from the servers to the bartenders. as for the actual local restaurant, i thought it was fine the way it was set up... much like a hotel coffee shop.

 

there are plusses and minuses at the prima local... remember that the prima is the first NCL ship to have outdoor seating at the local, not that it was used much on its nordic itineraries. i personally don't like o'sheehan's and the local in the atrium... invariably, i'm eating lunch or dinner and listening to some inane game show or a movie that i can't see.

[schmoopie17]

29 minutes ago, UKstages said:

remember that the prima is the first NCL ship to have outdoor seating at the local, 

Yes, the outside seating at the Local is a plus. Unfortunately, my memory of sitting out there was having to return the fish and chips because the fish on the inside was black. Seriously inedible.

 

On the other hand, the wings (which routinely get blasted on CC) were actually pretty good. They somehow managed to get them crispy.

[danny6514]

5 hours ago, FLAHAM said:

I always eat breakfast at Hudson’s.  It is easy to get a table, I like being served by friendly staff and the view out the huge windows is great.  I enjoy the smoked salmon on a toasted bagel, with cream cheese, tomato and chives.  

 

I wrote the review before I went to bed and after reading the comments, realized I missed a bunch of stuff. Yes we did have breakfast at Hudson's, just for the smoked salmon infact. That and the avocado wrap that the buffet did not have. It definitely was a nicer dining environment, though we frequently just wanted to eat something fast and get on with our day. 

[danny6514]

5 hours ago, BunnyHutt said:

I’m booked on this ship next fall after sailing a Breakaway+ last month (my first cruise on NCL). Good to know what to expect from all of the reviews. I have no doubt that we will enjoy our port-intensive Med cruise - amazing itinerary! -

but some of these customer observations are really a shame. Unfortunately, we were stuck between Epic and Pr1ma for our region of choice and the cabin/bathroom layout of the former was an absolute non-starter for us. 

 

I completely missed it but the cabin on the Prima is superb. I mean, other than the smell and creaking door. The decor is nice, washroom is some of the largest I've stayed in. We used to pay extra for mini suites for their larger washroom, but with the new ones on the Prima, there no longer is a point. Regardless, I'm sure you'll still have a great cruise! 

[danny6514]

3 hours ago, kasimir said:

Great review and in a nutshell you got most points covered, I am just surprised you haven’t mentioned the positive of your cabin as we feel that the cabins compared to other ships are a huge improvement when it comes to space and modern feel. It is unfortunate you had to deal with septic smells and creaking sounds. 
 

 

Fully agree with you!!! This and the buffet for us were major pain points on the Prima. It is a shame as the Hudson’s is absolutely gorgeous with amazing views, but the food quality during dinner time was awful. But we loved breakfast there. So after the first night dining at Hudson, we dined at Indulge when not enjoying a specialty restaurant and Indulge blows the Hudson away when it comes to food quality. 

I wish your friends would have tried Indulge at dinner time, it’s not even busy around that time and the Indian menu at dinner time is even better 😉

 

I did infact completely missed talking about the layout of the cabin! I got too carried away with the smell... But the layout is great and much larger than we expected. The washroom is also almost on the mini-suite level on their breakaway class ships. Definitely an upgrade in this department. 

 

Speaking of indulge food hall during dinner time, they had great curry but for some reason they never offered any rice other than plain rice for some reason. It was almost perfect. During lunch time they offered more types of rice though without the variety for curry.

Edited October 14, 2023 by danny6514

[danny6514]

2 hours ago, UKstages said:

 

interesting perspective.

 

the long hallway that is the local bar didn't really bother me. what bothered me in the local bar area was the lackadaisical service, from the servers to the bartenders. as for the actual local restaurant, i thought it was fine the way it was set up... much like a hotel coffee shop.

 

there are plusses and minuses at the prima local... remember that the prima is the first NCL ship to have outdoor seating at the local, not that it was used much on its nordic itineraries. i personally don't like o'sheehan's and the local in the atrium... invariably, i'm eating lunch or dinner and listening to some inane game show or a movie that i can't see.

 

On our Spain itinerary the outdoor seating was fully utilized, it was always pretty busy at dinner time. 

[dock]

@danny6514 thank you for your objective review. What was your cabin number?

Thanks. 

[danny6514]

Just now, dock said:

@danny6514 thank you for your objective review. What was your cabin number?

Thanks. 

 

13750

[uneamie]

Great review and spot on! We sailed the Prima in May and experienced all that you have. Beautiful ship and cabins and I loved the infinity heated pools and I enjoyed the food. However, yes there were lots of broken things. Like the pool for instance. No pool for most of our crusie....we don't care about a pool but most people do and the pool on the Prima is nothing to write home about....way too small. I feel like the design of the ship was made by people who never cruised before...I also think that perhaps they constructed this ship in a hurry or used low quality materials since there were sooo many things broken. We enjoyed our cruise but I would not do Prima again. 

Edited October 15, 2023 by uneamie