9 Nights on Prima - Post Cruise Report

[CatBoiler]

Notes About Cabin

 

Frosted glass between bathroom/bedroom is stupid - This alone would prevent me from booking this cabin type again

   Shines into the bedroom at night, illuminating the entire bedroom

   If someone went to the bathroom in the middle of the night, we wound up just feeling around in the dark & hoping everything wound up where it should, just so we didn't have to turn on the light. The bathroom lights are dimmable but it didn't help, it was still so bright.

 

Mirror should be full wall with 2 lights (or even 3!)

   It’s obvious no one who designed this bathroom wears makeup

   Having only one light creates a giant shadow in the bathroom, making it virtually impossible to do your makeup accurately

 

The amount of outlets is amazing

 

There’s a TON of switches and it took half the cruise to learn them all

 

Butler pantry area is odd

   It should be against a wall

 

Balcony was amazing but there was a salty film on everything

   Had to sit on towels to avoid getting our clothes gross

   I realize that’s an ocean problem and not a design problem

 

No shelves IN shower

   We just used the edge of the tub, didn’t mind

 

Very impressed with the shower and shower door

   Loved the jets

   Shower door was very watertight, bathroom floor didn’t flood at all

 

Area around WC door is wasted space due to bedroom closet

   I think more bathroom storage and get rid of that closet is a better idea

 

Needs a separate WC room light, mainly for nighttime

 

The inside of the WC door…IS A MIRROR.

   I don’t need to watch myself while on the toilet

 

2 faucet design is terrible

   When washing your face, you can either not bump your head/arms on the faucets or keep the water in the sink, you can’t do both

 

Closet needs more drawer storage

   There are drawers in the bedroom but I don’t want my clothes in separate spaces

 

Second bench in closet is dumb

   Just took up space

 

The living room is just dark

   There are definitely not enough lights

 

But on the flip side, I wish the curtains were blackout curtains

   Sunrise was bright

 

Our balcony overlooked one of the side pools on deck 8 (outside The Local/Indulge)

   We could hear pool noise (kids playing, loud talking) on our balcony at times but nothing IN the cabin

 

Notes About Ship

Already looking old/used, a lot of damage in both cabin & public areas, even Haven common areas

   Bottoms of bathroom doors peeling (in every bathroom we went in)

   Tiles in bathrooms stained

   Carpet coming up around the pantry in our cabin

   One leg/side of the pantry looks like it’s been bashed with a vacuum daily

 

Desserts, outside of paid ones, were meh

   Lots of gel-like consistency, “goo”

   Also, they were all pretty heavy &/or rich

 

I liked the look of The Local but it didn’t really feel “pub” like anymore

   I preferred the look of O’Sheehan’s

 

All the bathrooms had paper towels by the doors to open them with, but Haven bathrooms didn’t have a trash can for said towels though! 

 

There were crew at the entrance to all the complimentary dining venues encouraging washy-washy or actual hand washing. They weren’t pushy if you mentioned you were just passing through or just looking though. I actually really like the hand washing stations. I’m a messy eater and it was super convenient just having a sink in the corner instead of having to track down a bathroom to wash my hands.

 

Haven Lounge is oddly formatted. It’s divided into 5 sections - 2 seating areas (both across from the concierge desk), the actual bar, then 2 more seating areas. The actual bar section had 8-10 bar stools at the bar top (but PLENTY of room for more), then 2-3 small tables on either side of the bar. Some nights, the bar section was PACKED. And it was a great atmosphere but it was just too crowded and LOUD. The type of people that hang out at the bar top don’t want to sit on the super fancy waiting-area-looking couches in the other sections; they want to be AT the bar. So if one of the seating sections was COMBINED with the bar section, it would have made it much more comfortable & helped disperse the noise a lot. Also, more bar stools. A lot of people just stood at the bar because there were so few bar stools but certainly enough space for them.

 

But the seating sections of the Lounge were a great place to play Switch during the day, read a book, etc.

[RocketMan275]

20 minutes ago, CatBoiler said:

 

If you aren't going to book another Owners Suite, which cabin would you book?

Edited November 8, 2023 by RocketMan275

[Captain-John]

Thanks very much for the detailed review and photos, it's a big investment of your time. Much appreciated. 🙂

[CatBoiler]

19 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

If you aren't going to book another Owners Suite, which cabin would you book?

I'd probably go with the Aft Facing Owners Suite, though the dining area looks really tight in the tours on Youtube. We prefer cabins with a separate living and bedroom space. We didn't book the Aft Facing this time because our cruise was so port intensive, we thought the fabulous balcony would be wasted.

[RocketMan275]

2 minutes ago, CatBoiler said:

I'd probably go with the Aft Facing Owners Suite, though the dining area looks really tight in the tours on Youtube. We prefer cabins with a separate living and bedroom space. We didn't book the Aft Facing this time because our cruise was so port intensive, we thought the fabulous balcony would be wasted.

Thank you.  Since we've booked an Aft Facing Owner Suite with Master Bedroom & Large Balcony for our cruise on Prima,  I was very curious about the reasons you wouldn't book an Owners Suite again.  We're balcony people so we're looking forward to the balcony.

[CatBoiler]

 

Screenshot from Harr Travel's "Norwegian Prima | H5 The Haven Owner’s Suite with Master Bedroom & Large Balcony Tour 4K | NCL PR1MA" on Youtube

 

This...window (I can't think of a better way to describe it) into the bathroom is the issue. You can already tell how lit up it is, even with the bedroom lights on. The stupidest design choice I've ever seen. What if you're traveling with another person/people sleeping in the living room and they go to the bathroom in the middle of the night?? Even with the bedroom door closed, turning on the bathroom light illuminates the entire bedroom!

 

The 'window' is to the right of the mirror.

 

It would make so much more sense to just have the mirror go all the way across the wall & add in another light on that side. It would even out the lighting, so there's no shadows.

 

One of the other types of Owner's Suite, I believe they are 12924 & 12320, have the bathroom & closet entrances IN the bedroom. I don't believe they have the 'window'. The closet is significantly smaller though, but there is a second closet in the living room.

[jimandami]

Thank you for the report!  We will be on the Prima in February and I keep reading complaints about shows being booked, etc.  How did you sign up for the Price is Right?  I have looked everywhere and cannot seem to find that information.

[CatBoiler]

17 minutes ago, jimandami said:

Thank you for the report!  We will be on the Prima in February and I keep reading complaints about shows being booked, etc.  How did you sign up for the Price is Right?  I have looked everywhere and cannot seem to find that information.

Reservations opened at, I believe, 25 days out for Haven. I believe at 21 days out, at check in, everyone could book. It was not full, so you were also able to book once on board. The only thing that wasn't really advertised well, there was nametag pick up for 3-4 hours during the day before the show.

[jimandami]

58 minutes ago, CatBoiler said:

Reservations opened at, I believe, 25 days out for Haven. I believe at 21 days out, at check in, everyone could book. It was not full, so you were also able to book once on board. The only thing that wasn't really advertised well, there was nametag pick up for 3-4 hours during the day before the show.

Thank you so much!

[Sammae]

Excellent review! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this! It's making me want to book another Mediterranean cruise... (it's been 12 years since our last!)

[mking8288]

Quick question for OP and others - any news or feedback for The Donna Summer Musical onboard, still offered but can only book onboard - we couldn't do it at 25 days, 21 days and the roll call following behind can't do it either, getting the usual NCL runaround, to wait & reserve onboard.  We'll of course, find out later this month - not a deal breaker and not really a fan of hers, not excited at all about The Price is Right Live as that's the one & only "show" that we can book ahead.  

 

Thanks & great report, much obliged for taking the time to write, share & post.  

[CatBoiler]

12 hours ago, mking8288 said:

Quick question for OP and others - any news or feedback for The Donna Summer Musical onboard, still offered but can only book onboard - we couldn't do it at 25 days, 21 days and the roll call following behind can't do it either, getting the usual NCL runaround, to wait & reserve onboard.  We'll of course, find out later this month - not a deal breaker and not really a fan of hers, not excited at all about The Price is Right Live as that's the one & only "show" that we can book ahead.  

 

Thanks & great report, much obliged for taking the time to write, share & post.  

We didn't see Donna Summer, I have no love for disco, so I can't speak to that, I believe you're right that you can't book until you're on board though.

 

Deal or No Deal is also offered, as a kind of show. You can buy cards & play along but they do have actual cruisers as contestants with the whole "banker calls in" thing, it was pretty entertaining.

 

There's also a ton of smaller acts/shows/games - lots of live music, battle of the sexes, newlywed game, stand up comics, etc. There was live music everywhere - everything from a single guy with a guitar to a full band just in different bars, venues, the atrium, etc.

 

Not thrilled with NCL doing away with the broadway style shows. We usually love them, just had no interest in Donna Summer this time.

[ontheweb]

First thanks for the report.

 

We saw the Donna Summer show. Our reaction was the singers who played her at the various times in her career were all excellent, but this was not a show we would have paid to see on Broadway. I was able to buy the tickets in advance (the 21 days out) by calling NCL. That was for a Prima sailing this past summer, so it might have changed.

 

Great idea cruising to Italy in October. We have been there in the past in the month of August, and it has been beastly hot.

 

Also a comment on Nice. That was our very first port on our very first cruise in 2002. (Actually the port was Villefrance and you could go to Nice, Cannes, or Monaco.) I still consider it about our very best do it yourself port we have ever done. We visited the Matisse and Chagall Museums. Then DW went swimming in the Mediterranean. I was left to watch our stuff. My head was melting in the heat, but DW made it more palatable by putting our stuff down where I could observe several topless French women.

[Sailing12Away]

We had the H4 owners suite in September and hated it. Your room is much better than ours was. They really missed the mark with the owners suites on this ship which is a shame because the not so good cabin definitely ruined a bit of our overall trip experience. Let's hope they take all the feedback and fix these things for #3.

[KKB]

On 11/8/2023 at 3:16 PM, CatBoiler said:

 

Screenshot from Harr Travel's "Norwegian Prima | H5 The Haven Owner’s Suite with Master Bedroom & Large Balcony Tour 4K | NCL PR1MA" on Youtube

 

This...window (I can't think of a better way to describe it) into the bathroom is the issue. You can already tell how lit up it is, even with the bedroom lights on. The stupidest design choice I've ever seen. What if you're traveling with another person/people sleeping in the living room and they go to the bathroom in the middle of the night?? Even with the bedroom door closed, turning on the bathroom light illuminates the entire bedroom!

 

The 'window' is to the right of the mirror.

 

It would make so much more sense to just have the mirror go all the way across the wall & add in another light on that side. It would even out the lighting, so there's no shadows.

 

One of the other types of Owner's Suite, I believe they are 12924 & 12320, have the bathroom & closet entrances IN the bedroom. I don't believe they have the 'window'. The closet is significantly smaller though, but there is a second closet in the living room.

This is why we travel w/ an LED "candle" for bathrooms--just enough light, while not disturbing anyone.

 

Thanks for the TR--we are on the Prima in January. 

Didn't hit Syd Norman's? I'm a bit of a Syd's junky....

Did you notice how early folks are lining up to get in for Syd shows?

(30-60 min on Breakaway & Getaway)

[RocketMan275]

3 hours ago, Sailing12Away said:

We had the H4 owners suite in September and hated it. Your room is much better than ours was. They really missed the mark with the owners suites on this ship which is a shame because the not so good cabin definitely ruined a bit of our overall trip experience. Let's hope they take all the feedback and fix these things for #3.

What was wrong with the H4?

[firstimer2009]

Thank you for the great review. We are doing Escape next year Bar-Bar.  I have never been there so we are spending time both pre and post cruise.  And totally agree about the Business class seats being confined. We decided on British Airways Premium Economy round trip so we can sit together.  Not like we do much talking but I want my husband next to me!   He’s also good at finding things when I drop them on the floor. 😂

[Laszlo]

On 11/8/2023 at 3:25 PM, CatBoiler said:

Notes About Cabin

 

Frosted glass between bathroom/bedroom is stupid - This alone would prevent me from booking this cabin type again

   Shines into the bedroom at night, illuminating the entire bedroom

   If someone went to the bathroom in the middle of the night, we wound up just feeling around in the dark & hoping everything wound up where it should, just so we didn't have to turn on the light. The bathroom lights are dimmable but it didn't help, it was still so bright.

 

Mirror should be full wall with 2 lights (or even 3!)

   It’s obvious no one who designed this bathroom wears makeup

   Having only one light creates a giant shadow in the bathroom, making it virtually impossible to do your makeup accurately

 

The amount of outlets is amazing

 

There’s a TON of switches and it took half the cruise to learn them all

 

Butler pantry area is odd

   It should be against a wall

 

Balcony was amazing but there was a salty film on everything

   Had to sit on towels to avoid getting our clothes gross

   I realize that’s an ocean problem and not a design problem

 

No shelves IN shower

   We just used the edge of the tub, didn’t mind

 

Very impressed with the shower and shower door

   Loved the jets

   Shower door was very watertight, bathroom floor didn’t flood at all

 

Area around WC door is wasted space due to bedroom closet

   I think more bathroom storage and get rid of that closet is a better idea

 

Needs a separate WC room light, mainly for nighttime

 

The inside of the WC door…IS A MIRROR.

   I don’t need to watch myself while on the toilet

 

2 faucet design is terrible

   When washing your face, you can either not bump your head/arms on the faucets or keep the water in the sink, you can’t do both

 

Closet needs more drawer storage

   There are drawers in the bedroom but I don’t want my clothes in separate spaces

 

Second bench in closet is dumb

   Just took up space

 

The living room is just dark

   There are definitely not enough lights

 

But on the flip side, I wish the curtains were blackout curtains

   Sunrise was bright

 

Our balcony overlooked one of the side pools on deck 8 (outside The Local/Indulge)

   We could hear pool noise (kids playing, loud talking) on our balcony at times but nothing IN the cabin

 

Notes About Ship

Already looking old/used, a lot of damage in both cabin & public areas, even Haven common areas

   Bottoms of bathroom doors peeling (in every bathroom we went in)

   Tiles in bathrooms stained

   Carpet coming up around the pantry in our cabin

   One leg/side of the pantry looks like it’s been bashed with a vacuum daily

 

Desserts, outside of paid ones, were meh

   Lots of gel-like consistency, “goo”

   Also, they were all pretty heavy &/or rich

 

I liked the look of The Local but it didn’t really feel “pub” like anymore

   I preferred the look of O’Sheehan’s

 

All the bathrooms had paper towels by the doors to open them with, but Haven bathrooms didn’t have a trash can for said towels though! 

 

There were crew at the entrance to all the complimentary dining venues encouraging washy-washy or actual hand washing. They weren’t pushy if you mentioned you were just passing through or just looking though. I actually really like the hand washing stations. I’m a messy eater and it was super convenient just having a sink in the corner instead of having to track down a bathroom to wash my hands.

 

Haven Lounge is oddly formatted. It’s divided into 5 sections - 2 seating areas (both across from the concierge desk), the actual bar, then 2 more seating areas. The actual bar section had 8-10 bar stools at the bar top (but PLENTY of room for more), then 2-3 small tables on either side of the bar. Some nights, the bar section was PACKED. And it was a great atmosphere but it was just too crowded and LOUD. The type of people that hang out at the bar top don’t want to sit on the super fancy waiting-area-looking couches in the other sections; they want to be AT the bar. So if one of the seating sections was COMBINED with the bar section, it would have made it much more comfortable & helped disperse the noise a lot. Also, more bar stools. A lot of people just stood at the bar because there were so few bar stools but certainly enough space for them.

 

But the seating sections of the Lounge were a great place to play Switch during the day, read a book, etc.

Great review of your cruise

 

This is exactly why we travel with a couple rechargeable candles. They are great in the bathroom

 

https://amzn.to/49sFAaS

 

 

.

[Sailing12Away]

On 11/9/2023 at 6:48 PM, RocketMan275 said:

What was wrong with the H4?

Very poor design. I've got a lot more info and photos in the review I did a few months ago. For the price we paid it just was a very very poor value for what we got. Or, we simply egregiously overpaid. Or both.