Prima TA Semi-Live 11 Days to NY from Spain, 4+ days @Barcelona from JFK ... land/cruise early Thanksgiving vacation

[seemoreroyals]

30 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

Good afternoon, folks.  We exercise our option, changed our plans & come home to N.E. Queens instead of continuing onward B2B as originally planned and expected.  Had to cancel last minute - without getting into specifics ... things will be fine.  Disappointed as we / I share some that feeling along with you for an almost live, if not fully live trip report for the next 2 weeks.  Next segment on the Prima "suspended" for now but rest assured, will resume & continue.  We plan to explore these new ship class at NCL and revisit the Prima/Viva, the crew, the soft elements & offerings, etc. and to do a comparative then & now, in the not too distant future.  

 

Maybe, there is going to be another Semi or Live Prima report, filed by someone else onboard the sailing.  Another CC friend of ours told us, book it and sail her, decide for yourself and take into consideration of what others wrote ... that we did, and as best as we can - share some / most of it with the CC community, without being too subjective, biased and overtly opinionated - especially when it comes to food and/or dining, whether it's MDR or specialty.  We didn't try to cover most, but got the chance to sample some - will come back to do a quick overview. 

 

Before I forget and let things slip, is that onboard services on the Prima for the past 11 days - what a good CC Sapphire friend said is so true, the "smile factor" isn't all there, he is currently on another sailing with his wife - he considered it good / improving at 50% ... That isn't quite the benchmark that should be acceptable, I think that's a fairly low bar to achieve.  We (that's 4 of us, collectively) aren't sure if the crew (some of them, said to be new & still learning the ropes) are smiling and showing that at the 50% range, seriously.  We've seen them laughing, joking and talking among themselves while on duty, working on their assigned jobs in the presence or within vicinity of guests or passengers.  Interesting enough, most of the crew below deck - while we're on the 60 minutes Behind The Scene Tour, say their hello and greetings, if not 95% to 100% of the time, at least in the 75% range ... roughly speaking. 

 

Earlier this week, we were escorted to a table for 4 of us by one of the regular hostess in the Hudson, promptly dropped (put) the menus on the table, turn around & left - wow - most of the time if not always, s/he wait until we are seated, helping to move the chairs and hand us the menu while saying, enjoy your lunch, breakfast, dinner, or what not. No Sir, not the other evening.  Another incident this morning at the "express disembarkation" breakfast - that really got our friend annoyed and called for the manager on duty to come & file a complaint. 

 

Enough said, subtle observations and encounters elsewhere in other restaurants onboard and dining venue with these two and another encounter earlier during the cruise - made us wondered, is there a serious & underlying issue with staffing, employee morales, training and ongoing supervision ... retired bank vice president and retail bank branch manager/banking officer (DW) believed we have valid reasons to question where NCL is heading ... Will come back to this - subjective opinions - once we cool our heels & shoes, and take care of other matters.  

 

Maybe, this should get diverted into the thread on "service expectations ..." and it is not about the missing hash browns or petite bakery items - we can live with the changes & understood the reasons for NCL doing what they need to do, one can always double up and order an extra portion.  

 

P.S.  16:30 hours (4:30 PM EDT) Prima on the move, backing out of MCT now - not bad, sailing just 30 minutes behind schedule and with full USCG and PHS inspections & clearances earlier.  Bon Voyage to all those onboard  👍 

 

Wow.  Did not see that coming.  Sorry to hear that service issues on the Prima appear to be less than satisfactory.  Looking forward to when you come back to this after taking care of other matters.  Waiting to hear the rest of the story.

[PistolPete13]

Welcome home and thanks for the virtual 2 week vacation!

[mking8288]

Good evening, all ... was hoping, perhaps, someone onboard the Prima repositioning from NY today to Galveston, TX might've started their semi or live trip report, as it will be of interest to some of us.  Well ... sound of crickets - allow me to fill in some of the gaps & incomplete trip details and reports - 

 

Post-cruise: fun and interesting:

 

Between DW and I, we gained almost 15 lbs. on our return.  Yes, no kidding - that is with our combined luggage that we came home with us, not body weights due to shopping ... from Barcelona and Catagena, Spain (none from Ponta Delgada) and Prima onboard (holiday stocking stuffers) purchases.  Our 24" spinner at 48 lbs and 45 lbs, about 7 to 8 lbs combined additions (was 44 and 41 lbs at JFK check-in) - still within most airline carrier's max. 50 lbs limit per check bags or additional surcharges might apply.  

 

Carry-on at 25 lbs and 29 lbs - outbound flying on TAP-Portugal, bags did not exceed their written 22 lbs/10 kg limits - at JFK check-in/bag drop counter ... DW did agreed to check her 21" spinner but kept her medications & essentials in her personal bag.  Mine being a convertible backpack/carry-on tote, compressed & without straps extended - made it onboard the A321 NEO just fine, fit easily into the overhead bin.  Doing the westbound TA made life easier, bring as much as we wanted without being over the limits, by packing carefully - did not unzip the expansion zipper to make extra room to fit everything.  

 

Cellular data - coverage in 200+ countries (what's "roaming")  We both use Google Fi, mine on the Unlimited plan, switched to the Plus plan for an extra $15 for the month, pro-rated ... and switching back.  Between our plans, used about extra 3 GB worth of "roaming" data, including hotspot tethering/sharing for the last 2 weeks - total cost should come under $40 with taxes/fees pro-rated.  Some of the Android apps had background uploads/refresh turned off to optimize data access & speed - VPN enabled.  Google Voice, Messenger & WiFi calling, etc. worked flawlessly - and, took advantage of free WiFi at our H10 Hotel in Barcelona.  

 

Being on SpaceX Starlink WiFi onboard the Prima didn't slow us down but also no apparent speed superiority either - based on benchmark numbers, Starlink is slower on most of our devices compared to EMC on the Escape in September - kind of strange, not - NCL is throttling bandwidth & imposing speed caps.  From the time we sailed away from local cellular towers outside Barcelona until reaching NY this morning ... our up-time factor is near 98%, sluggish at peak times but otherwise, fairly reliable & consistent with speed and data flow, about 3 to 4 Mbps download and 2 to 3 Mbps upload.  We couldn't access the inTERnet for about 30 minutes due to satellite coverage, somewhere between Ponta D and Bermuda, that's it - WiFi 6 inTRAnet onboard is good - should be faster.  

 

Bermuda's port tax/fees partial-calculated refund (skipped or cancelled due to adverse weather conditions) worth just $10 per person but ONLY if you requested it in person at Guest Services or Onboard Credits.  We did and received it, our friends didn't feel like standing in line to ask, did NOT receive a single penny - gone to the CruiseNext desk about something, asked the staff here & was given the runaround ...  That refundable OBC of $20 USD for our stateroom "helped" our WiFi internet upgrade or trade-in net costs.  According to a reliable source, it is the same amount credited last December when another NCL ship's TA also skipped Bermuda due to weather and woohoo, $20 given when asked, only.  Shorex booked via NCL were fully refunded automatically.  

 

Laundry on a TA - the $29 Laundry Special was offered only once for our 11 Days crossing around Day 5, that's it.  We did take advantage of complimentary laundry 3 times, all at no charge ... saved $87 (itemized individually, would be around $250'ish, counted by the pieces or items.)  

 

To be continued - embarkation/pier check-in at Barcelona, ports of call, and, disembarkation in New York.  Plus, some of the service issues as we see them ... (happy faces & the smile factors - greeting others).  

 

As of 23:00 this evening, still haven't seen our final e-statement of Onboard Charges for the stateroom in our email folder, and not in the spam folder either.  Glad that I took a screenshot of the balance shown on the Samsung Smart TV monitor this morning before disembarkation ... still prefer to have an itemized summary for reference.  

Edited December 2, 2023 by mking8288

[JIMESOPUS]

@mking8288 Thanks again for a great review, really don't know how you have the time to help the CC community with all the info while enjoying your cruise ( guess I must spend more time chasing down that elusive pistachio martini ).

Have a Happy Holiday and a Merry Christmas 

 

Jim

[dexddd]

Oh no, hope all is well for you and your family.

 

I was excited to know I could harass you for two more weeks but now I'll have nothing to do here on CC in the a.m. while working out.

 

My read on 'vibe' of ship is what we experienced and it is systemic IMO.  Just going through minimal motions.  Had Asst GM visit us in room, one small issue, no follow up.  At Haven outdoor bar, Asst Cust Svc Mgr there, asked if Crown Royal now an upcharge and she barks out answer to me in front of other staff.  CN staff no problem solving skills - their way or the highway.

 

We did have some good Haven bar staff and restaurant staff.  We had the legendary Gary as butler who was great as was his asst.  We saw Lucky in bar who we sailed with once.  Said hello and he mumbled something and walked by like a zombie.

 

I will say the ship itself, although Haven rooms just OK, has a very upscale feel to it. 

 

 

[mking8288]

Positive energy: Thanksgiving 2023 on the Prima TA - decorations in the Surfside Cafe (buffet) as taken by our friends while we're at Dine With Officers - sailing between Catagena, Spain and Ponta Delgada, Portugal (Azores) in the North Atlantic.  

 

We did not noticed any elaborate or distinctive decorations in the Hudson MDR.- does not mean the Prima didn't have them, just that we did not see them.  These as showcased in the buffet ... impressive.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 2, 2023 by mking8288

[Von & John]

@mking8288
Thanks for an Amazing Live Review!

We loved being right there with you...

Sad to hear you've had to cancel the next leg.

Hope life treats you & your family well!!!

Cheers  --  Von

[mking8288]

On 12/1/2023 at 5:00 PM, seemoreroyals said:

 

Wow.  Did not see that coming ... that service issues on the Prima appear to be less than satisfactory.  Waiting to hear the rest of the story.

Folks, don't worry about the reason(s) that we had to cancel but ... physically needed to be in NY next week, unexpected and certainly not planned to bail out last minute.  

 

Good news, neither of us gained weight over the last 2 weeks ... actually slimmer by 2 to 3 lbs. myself by being carefully with what we ordered & eaten onboard.  This morning, DW knew that we aren't walking the stairs down to the MDR (never made it to The Local for anything, but did walked by & thru the side/aft pass-thru section for a glimpse of the much smaller casual place) - it was our usual light home breakfast ... before we hightailed out of our townhouse for a quick lunch, in & out in an hour and stopped by a nearby cafe for iced coffee & sweets to bring home.  

 

 

Nothing closed to what we enjoyed onboard the Prima over 11 days - just a plain toasted slice of coconut bread from a local bakery and a cup of coffee      ... no juice, no salmon bagel, no fresh sliced fruit or yogurt/hot oatmeal, and/or breakfast meat & eggs, etc.  No hash browns either, the ones from McDonald and/or Dunkins, nasty and too greasy, really.  Apparently, blame NCL Miami for discontinuing it (not "quoting" unnamed NCL source not authorized to speak, strictly unconfirmed "rumor") 

 

Although, we disembarked yesterday (Friday) morning and it's been largely "crickets" from other CC'ers onboard since, with a "false" live trip report earlier today, turns out to the for the Viva out of Miami.  Not to worry, I still have "unpublished" photos or pictures to be uploaded & share here ... and yet to "raid" DW's Samsung Galaxy for her photos ... and, maybe short video clips on her S22+ 

 

Despite having Starlink active & working 98% of the time during the TA, upload a video at 3 Mbps at best, was, really, painfully, slow when I'm used to 300/300 Mbps & better FiOS speed.  Norwegian Escape this September - still on EMC as the satellite ISP was delivering better u/l and d/l speed for me at  6 to 7 Mbps+ down but 3 Mbps upload - NCL most definitely restricting and throttling bandwidth & speed for end users onboard logged in as guests/passengers.  

 

CC Semi-Live reporting addicts that love following these - standby for another short series of ship photos next ... BTW, the repurposed 10 years old Sony Vaio (AMD CPU/GPU, 8GB memory, 250 GB SSD) as a Linux Mint (LMDE) notebook PC did great & perfectly met most of my travel requirements and expectations for the trip/cruise - although I didn't get a chance (and time) to play with the onboard Samsung Smart TV's HDMI input source in our room (I'm reasonable sure it's firmware locked against switching or changing anything beyond what's permitted)  While the Amazon Fire 10" tablet barely just fit & slipped inside the mini safe, anything bigger - including the Sony is simply oversized for the tiny (lighted) compartment) - not that the average person can just boot it up and log in to do anything, it's relatively guarded against intrusions - joked @dexddd as being part of my "station zebra" setup.  

 

 

See those slide out drawers in the lower part of the closet, not everyone liked them but we do & works great with our slim/half sized packing cubes & pouches by Eagle Creek ... they slide in & out and stay in place firmly, unlike the noisy balcony sliding doors and/or whatever is vibrating & making high pitch noise behind the wall panels ... subtle but annoying with a nearly brand new ship.  

 

 

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

7 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

See those slide out drawers in the lower part of the closet, not everyone liked them but we do & works great with our slim/half sized packing cubes & pouches by Eagle Creek ...

 

I did not like those wired baskets masquerading as drawers, even though I also use packing cubes. Felt like those wired baskets did not efficiently use that space. And for those who don't use cubes, there was always that danger a sock or underwear would slip away. 😅

 

[mking8288]

Non-tech cruisers, feel free to skip ahead - otherwise, almost all the items shown above should be easily recognized.  Apple's Air Tags are good to keep track of our checked luggage in transit and after we dropped them off at the cruise terminal with the porter - before sailaway to confirm that it has been transferred onboard the ship, a matter of being promptly delivered - even if it's down in the "naughty" room b/c we had bottled waters in our luggage 😁 😊 😆

 

Related to the above post on my personal choice of gadgets and grown-up tech toys to bring along on a Prima/Viva and soon, Aqua class ships - I've come up with a bare minimum packing checklist - feel free to customize it to your preference.  There are numerous USB charging ports to plug in - but, really - 1.5 amp output (5V) for 2022-23 new ship design/deployment - just about everyone using an iPhone or Android smartphone, iPad and tablet, etc. "need" at least a reliable source putting out 2 amp to 2.4 amp, 3 amp being more "future" proof.   Since we made the Ponta Delgada stop as our scheduled port stop, we stopped at the unofficial Casa China II store on the waterfront, 3 to 4 blocks from the cruise terminal - and, picked up two more of those 220V to 110V 2-pins outlet adapter with on/off switch, just 2.50 Euros each, very useful on any NCL (and, probably other cruise lines) ships and at EU hotels, including the ones in Barcelona.   Sure, you can go to the front desk & ask to borrow and see if they aren't out of extra/spare ones - keep one in the carry-on bag.  

 

 

With the short extension cord/outlet adapters and power cube (by GE, UL-approved/rated for 15A) - add two (2) 10' USB extension cords, 3 of them being better - just in case; to pair up with those 1 meter / 3 ft. USB-C, USB and Lightning charging/data cords, and you are all set (although, I switched to the longer 6' or 2 m cords as they are more practical in the cabin ... short or OEM ones are fine when flying, if you can reach down under your coach class plane seat to locate & use that shared outlet in flight ... LOL)   We quickly packed our belongings and check the Airtags, photo'd the bags before putting the "Yello" tagged luggage out in the hallway for the disembarkation ... like everyone else that weren't staying onboard B2B.  

 

 

Color tagged luggage were outside the cabins along, up & down the hallways by dinner time - deadline 10 PM ... earlier than usual due to adjusted arrival & disembarkation time.  Very few over-sized checked luggage, unlike those shorter 5 to 7 days Bahamas & Bermuda or NE/Canada runs out of NY - wondered why, hahaha.  

 

 

Did you know that, apparently, most crew members either used iPhones (not necessary the latest models) or Samsungs (Androids) for their personal use, those "handy candy-bar style phone" are basically VoIP phones. Prima (and Viva) ships relies heavily on (hidden) WiFi networks for ship operations - food orders are digitally taken on customized tablet devices & send to the gallery ... but, paper slips are used, just in case the system is down, for whatever reasons ... 

[mking8288]

Prime's corridor or passenger hallways, these are from Deck 9 ... including some by the midship elevators & stairs ... even if you book the cabin nearest to them, noise isn't a problem from what we can see ... intoxicated ones aside and unsupervised minors. 

 

 

 

 

 

Noticed the additional "housing" on the door frame plus the entry lock system used - # 9818 is a balcony, first one from the elevators - designated as accessible or handicapped friendly vs. # 9810's lock, tap-n-open using the RFID-encoded keycard.  Next door from #9818 is # 9816 - Category "SJ" Family Master Suite on the corner, if you look up the deck's floor plan ... the friendly butler comes & go.   One way to tell / guess which cabin is "accessible" in your corridor.  

 

 

 

 

 

Meet our very own coffee table to pair up with the sofa - we turned the back cushion sideways (up 90 degrees) for a higher backrest. Doubled up as mini laptop table.  ( It's ours from the balcony - ask for one if in an oceanview 😬 ) 

Edited December 3, 2023 by mking8288

[mking8288]

Let's go back to things to Barcelona briefly - extra "bonus" picture for NCL embarkation ... outside & inside the cruise terminal, lead to the "up" escalators to the boarding ramp to the ship.  Cross-reference this to post #154 with the other batch of pix, these "taken" or selected from DW's SS Galaxy smartphone. 

 

A few words about BCN pier - security screening was really fast, smooth, friendly & quick.  To make embarkation easier, we recommend using porter services available where taxis and port shuttle buses drop you off - tip accordingly & let them take your tagged luggage.  You get to bypass the line seen here & directly into the building for security check first, then, to pier check-in & travel documents/passport verification.  NCL has a lot of agents and shore-based reps working inside & out, some as "greeters" to insure a smooth flow - keeping the lines moving.  

 

We also noticed a Casino At Sea check-in area too, hardly with anyone using it, however.  Since we were Sapphire and Platinum, we didn't wait for more than 2 or 3 minutes before being greeted by a cheerful bilingual agent behind the "counter" - while another NCL agent went to retrieve our key cards, as our photos were taken again.  Before we knew it, done and proceed ahead - thru the duty-free shopping area - continued ahead, then follow the up escalators to the walkway for the ramp or bridge connected to the ship ... it is a fairly long walk but not any worst than NY's MCT/Pier 88.  

 

Luggage storage is provided onboard the Prima, being on the ship by 11:15 AM local time - as cabins were not finished & ready, by decks as announced - until after 2:15 PM to 2:30 PM.  First stop is to find one's assigned Muster Station & get our cards scanned, to complete the mandatory safety-emergency drills/orientation on how to do ... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is "possible" to walk from La Rambla (the nearest Metro subway/train station) to the cruise terminal - Norwegian Prima happened to be docked the closest on this day - it is a long, very long walk especially with luggage over the long bridge and then loop around & come back toward the ship terminal.  Port shuttle bus services isn't free, but inexpensive - payable in local currency/payment card system, etc.  Better yet, take a taxi - whether it's coming from the airport directly or from the hotel, not pricey at all - surcharges based on zones, luggage & time of day, etc. do apply - check & ask for a printed receipt & keep it as proof/record in case ... 

 

If only checking in NY's MCT - Pier 88/90 is that easy, simple & friendly ... and, yes, port is free WiFi enabled and fast, if you do not have roaming cellular data services or access.  

Edited December 3, 2023 by mking8288

[dexddd]

17 hours ago, mking8288 said:

Prime's corridor or passenger hallways, these are from Deck 9 ... including some by the midship elevators & stairs ... even if you book the cabin nearest to them, noise isn't a problem from what we can see ... intoxicated ones aside and unsupervised minors. 

 

 

 

 

 

Noticed the additional "housing" on the door frame plus the entry lock system used - # 9818 is a balcony, first one from the elevators - designated as accessible or handicapped friendly vs. # 9810's lock, tap-n-open using the RFID-encoded keycard.  Next door from #9818 is # 9816 - Category "SJ" Family Master Suite on the corner, if you look up the deck's floor plan ... the friendly butler comes & go.   One way to tell / guess which cabin is "accessible" in your corridor.  

 

 

 

 

 

Meet our very own coffee table to pair up with the sofa - we turned the back cushion sideways (up 90 degrees) for a higher backrest. Doubled up as mini laptop table.  ( It's ours from the balcony - ask for one if in an oceanview 😬 ) 

Plus you used laundry as seat booster.

[dexddd]

Clearly your Thanksgiving was better than mine.  I worked in no less than housekeeping, galley, guest relations, and whatever department puts up Xmas decorations.

 

I did not see any one's or five's passed my way and no dsc on my account credited.

[mking8288]

Comments on 2 out of 3 ports of call that we successfully docked & visited - 

 

Catagena, Spain - Prima docked close to the waterfront & center of town, it's an easy DIY walk on flat & level ground, aside from cobblestone pavements & sidewalks to tour of popular tourist sites, fine with an offline map.  Of course, local tours are available in addition to NCL's offerings.  

 

Ponta Delgada, Azores ... Portugal - another easy to see, visit, shop, eat and explore - dock with a short walk into the cruise terminal building, then out to the waterfront shops, stores & places.  One of the hotel just across the street at the traffic light apparently has free & open WiFi ... with a few taking advantage of the option to get re-connected.  We shared a semi-private tour that Jan/Mike originally found & booked, Tours-by-Local, very reasonable & inexpensive choice and much less than what NCL would offer ... we're driven back to the ship terminal with plenty of time to spare - we asked & were dropped off at the town square with the church, shops, cafe & restaurants and explore the back streets before a quick & light lunch, slowly walked back to the ship with 15+ minutes remaining the all abroad time.  Off-duty crew taking shore leaves had to return 30 minutes earlier than passengers.

 

  Abou 8 passengers were not accounted for and paged over the ship's PA system, 15 minutes before scheduled departure - and on a second PA announcement, apparently 3 of them reported but still looking for the remaining five (5) pax.  We sailed slightly behind schedule at 4:15 PM, not knowing whether they came back or not and did go out to the balcony to watch for runners.  

  

  Here in PD, port security are responsible for security screening inside the ship terminal , and once cleared, pax are free to walk onward to board the ship again - no additional or secondary screening for liquid, contrabands and restricted items, and alcohol purchased to be held by the ship.  Best port among all to buy things here, wine & beer, juice & soda, etc.  Ship security at the gangway simply scan/swipe your keycards in match names & faces - nothing is collected, held or taken away ... # hint # hint with multiple sea days ahead. 

 

Bermuda (missed/skipped/cancelled) and New York - Manhattan Cruise Terminal, Pier 88/90 - (disembarkation) Mega ships including the Prima nearly always docked at Pier 88 and use 2 gangways, Aft & Fwd for embark/disembarkation purposes.  Due to adverse maritime conditions, especially wind & waves from a storm system passing thru & away from Bermuda, decision made by the Captain that it is unsafe to visit and dock in Bermuda, the port of call was cancelled.  As one of our other CC friends cautioned when we booked & we knew, the quick 4 sea days become 6 sea days in a row, as we're in sight of St. George's on the eastern tip of the islands - and turn away in a northerly direction to continue toward NY.  Seas were slightly rough (to us, waves at 10 ft. - that's really calm for our sea legs - and moderate sea state with swell) for a few hours on early Wednesday, then began easing gradually into Thursday (Nov 30th) and reduced speed to 12 kts. before picking up speed again, 17 - 18 kts. 

 

Early arrival was in my projected calculations based on the very limited data from ship's Navigational Channel #1 - supplemented by Marinetraffic & Cruisemapper, while checking Windy App - which explained our slower than typical speed bound for NY.  Otherwise, we would've sail around 3:30 to 4 PM in the afternoon - that's still a quick and very short visit to see Dockyard & maybe Hamilton or St. George, with Clocktower Mall being a 10 to 15 minutes walk from Heritage's Wharf (or King's Wharf).  NCL's free shuttle/ferry service using the "Spirit of St. George" would've been docked & waiting for us, across the pier/berth & leave at 9:30 AM, making just 1 trip and then return at 1:30 PM to Dockyard (each one-way trip takes about 1 hour, including docking & turnaround, boarding & getting off the double decker ferry, etc.- and, it is accessible friendly with crew assistance for safety reasons. 

 

Bermuda is known for its high and above average port taxes, fees & charges as allocated by NCL.  While shore excursions booked thru NCL were automatically fully refunded - port taxes/fees & misc. charges associated with the cancelled port was NOT refunded or credited, unless one requested or asked for it at Guest Services or the Onboard Credit Desk (Deck 7 Fwd)  We stood in line, asked & were issued $20 ($10 x 2 person) refundable onboard credit.  Our best friends did not went downstairs to ask and received zero, nothing in return.  Prior to NY arrival, we received further disembarkation info as always, that luggage has to be tagged & placed outside along the hallway no later than 10 PM to be collected & transferred into the terminal building's "luggage hall" in the morning.  By midday and early evening, CD Alvin and Haven guests were all informed, alerted ahead that we will be passing the Statue of Liberty around 12:30 AM Friday morning.  

 

Prima quietly slipped up NY Lower & then Upper Bay to the Hudson River and were docked at Pier 88 around/after 2 AM - as many're asleep already, for an expected early disembarkation.  We're awake by 5 to 5:30 AM, wash up and finished packing the last few items, went downstairs to the MDR for our traditional "sit-down" MDR breakfast first - only to discovered that the MDR was quite busy but not full, with a wait to get seated ... and after a short pause, seated at a table for 4 around 7:10 AM.  ***** This resulted in our friends losing his temper and called for the server/waitress assigned to our table to request her manager/supervisor ( more on this later, on a separate mini-chapter )

 

We eventually finished our not-so-express morning breakfast, return to our room to gather our hand luggage & started heading downstairs, as Yellow tags (for Ambassadors, Diamonds, Sapphires & Platinums) has been called already around 8 AM as scheduled.  Express Self Walk-Off with all luggage started before 7 AM.  There was a short pause of 10 minutes or less as we waited in the public area, before we continued to proceed toward the gangway to exit the ship.  

 

From the time we slipped past ship security & onto the AFT gangway (that's shorter in distance & walking, easier & where accessible pax were helped off the ship) not more than 10 minutes before we're down in the luggage holding area (already swept by CBP's 4 legged partners) - flagged one of the dozens of porters with their carts ... and headed for the express lane/exit down the middle.  That's beyond what staying in Haven or a suite will get you - cash is king here in tipping for services, absolutely the fast track thru the serious looking uniformed officer taking your photos & matching biometrics against the passport or travel documents presented ... asking whether we have anything to declare (none) - before sending us on our way to rejoin the porter waiting ahead.  

 

Last chance for a quick bathroom stop, as the porter reminded us, as the waiting for car service & taxi can get backed up (it's Friday morning, a gridlock alert day in NYC) ... sure enough, darn Uber & Lyft surge priced their fares to go anywhere from that area, with a line for the taxi - good thing that an official taxi dispatch was on duty there. 

 

 

 

One other urban NYC legends at MCT busted, (unionized) porters at the cruise terminal have no problems escorting passenger's luggage across 12th Avenue, against safety & insurance considerations - they work for tips with good services rendered.  They earned & make decent money for a living, but only if ships are there on any given day.  There are still good # of hybrid Honda yellow color, metered taxi-vans .. some, if not all, equipped with accessible ramps for wheelchairs (but, reduced luggage carrying capacity)

 

 

Meanwhile, all the Uber hustlers are gone as a TLS Police in "uniform" was working that city block, insuring that most are staying at least a block away to trick out-of-towners for a fast one.  

 

 

As I mentioned in the earlier post, we're home within 90 minutes of stepping off the Prima into Pier 88, including a quick 35 minutes rush hour drive thru upper Manhattan, across the "real" I-95 North to the Bronx, then the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge into N.E. Queens.  Our regular car service from the neighborhood had a 45 minutes wait - ended up in an Uber XL (Toyota Highlander, which just tightly fitted all these luggage plus 4 of us) - fare total, including tolls & surcharges, came to $94 not including tips - pretty much what we expected vs. taking a yellow taxi on a metered fare/surcharged total and bridge toll.  

[mking8288]

3 hours ago, dexddd said:

Clearly your Thanksgiving was better ... did not see any one's or five's passed my way and no dsc on my account credited.

😆 LOL - we had a great Sunday brunch despite the miserable weather today, with a free beverage included - and for your convenience, of course - unlimited for 1 hour with an extra upcharge.  I think they learned it from Frankie and or Harry as the successer.  All that food for $29 p/p is almost a steal out near us - 20 minutes from LGA or 30 minutes from JFK except at rush hours.  Parking at the mall is complimentary & free, next year is going to cost more to get around Manhattan with congestion prices tolls.

 

Avocado salad w house dressing, popcorn shrimps (remember them at NCL once upon a time) and pork ribs, Wague beef burger w truffle fries 👍 and Sushi & Sashimi combo, ending with fried banana & ice cream.  Choice of soup too instead of salad options, not shown. 

 

 

Hasuki reservation on Prima was cancelled, just another fancy name for good old Teppanyaki, minus the good beef (filet mignon) and lobster tail ... 

 

To entertain, DW videotaped a short 45 seconds clip inside Hasuki as we waited for our "priority" restaurant seating in the Hudson nearby.  That Nama Sushi & Sashimi option is cool, fancy looking except it was never full - probably a money loser w the chefs & wait staff just hanging out each evening ... sad while others were running around like headless roosters. 

 

Video (*.MP4 format) - 100 Mb sized ... Teppanyaki singing inside Hasuki 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 3, 2023 by mking8288

[PistolPete13]

Appreciate your details on the tech elements of the items you take along on a trip like this.  I may need to upgrade to higher amp chargers given how devices have upsized over time.  The MacBook powerbrick I use with single USB 3.0 output is not enough wth iPads, power banks, and now camera batteries that need charging!

I recently upgraded to one of those rolling carts to carry my photo gear in.  I'm not sure if this will past "muster" with the port porters!

For my next cruise I've upgraded to a 4TB external HD and plan to keep all my photos on that as the main drive with the internal laptop drive as a backup.

I've attached some photos of my recent trip to photograph bald eagles in Maryland as an example of my typical camera load out.  Imagine if I could bring this setup with me and put it up on a balcony?

[PistolPete13]

50 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

 

Bermuda is known for its high and above average port taxes, fees & charges as allocated by NCL.  While shore excursions booked thru NCL were automatically fully refunded - port taxes/fees & misc. charges associated with the cancelled port was NOT refunded or credited, unless one requested or asked for it at Guest Services or the Onboard Credit Desk (Deck 7 Fwd)  We stood in line, asked & were issued $20 ($10 x 2 person) refundable onboard credit.  Our best friends did not went downstairs to ask and received zero, nothing in return. 

This is amazing.  Been to Bermuda twice on NCL and I swear the port taxes were definitely much more than $10 a person.

[bluesea777]

2 hours ago, mking8288 said:

That Nama Sushi & Sashimi option is cool, fancy looking except it was never full - probably a money loser w the chefs & wait staff just hanging out each evening ... sad while others were running around like headless roosters. 

 

Nama was never opened at lunch time on any of the 7 sea days we had on Viva … why??? Not surprised that it’s a money loser. NCL should know better! 
 

Other ships have their Sushi/Food Republic open at lunch time on sea days. 
 

NCL … are you reading this??? 
 

Thank you for letting me vent …

 

 

[mking8288]

3 minutes ago, bluesea777 said:

Nama was never opened at lunch time on any of the 7 sea days we had on Viva … why??? Not surprised that it’s a money loser. NCL should know better!  Other ships have their Sushi/Food Republic open at lunch time on sea days. 
NCL … are you reading this??? 
Thank you for letting me vent …

No problem - I only just got started on NCL's and it ain't cheerleading for sure.  Always good to hear & read your thoughts & that of others, make these posts & blogs more interesting, fun & lively.  Nieces leaving this Wed for the Getaway and I got news for you ... stay off your porch/balcony (not weather-related, or is it) - Getaway isn't coming your way this Friday, email from NCL to affected pax, ship has an itinerary changed - 2 full sea days upon leaving NYC, heading to Puerto Platta, DR instead - everything except the St. Thomas, USVI stop are being modified ... isn't that nice to those booked on private tours instead of grossly over-priced NCL shorex.  As per modified schedule, plan is to call on BDA the following Thurs with a 10 AM arrival & 4 PM sailing ... a high speed run to get back into NY next Saturday morning.  Probably a 50:50 chance of making it, due to unforeseen last minute reasons ... for the (in)convenience to sail & sustain, and hold on to those port taxes & fees, etc. vs. refunding a portion.  

 

 

Meanwhile, currently onboard GA passenger sources (CC friends) messaged us, the HD & "junior" officers have been in the shadow, low key and not out there walking the talk - don't have their names, ranks or anything else ... maybe the regular ones are in-between, on vacation & the acting officers in command aren't quite ready. 

 

I'll come back again on what the heck we think happened with our Prima sailing ... one of the asst manager or hostess ended up taking our food order, not that we called for and/or asked for it.  Reasons, according to another asst manager - "Mary" in charge of a section inside the Hudson, they are training, coaching & managing a fair # of newly & retired hired, and apologized for things overlooked & accepted responsibilities. Hence, we ended up with pots of premium coffee, complimentary and baskets of bakery on our table, heads-turning at times.  

 

  (Face edited for privacy, mame/identity withheld) 

 

 

Giving credits, positively, when it's earned and due - most of the time, if not all, the MDR food once arrived ... are hot & not just lurk warm or barely above room temperature - it's a much shorter walk & quicker path to/from the main gallery.  Why the long lines down there with orders backed up ... and everyone waiting, I / we simply don't know.  

 

Before I forget, the Commodore Room was NEVER open on the TA on full sea days, not once - on a full ship with 3,000+ pax, many solo cruisers that prefer to avoid the madness in the tiny buffet.  Lines for the Hudson at lunch wasn't too bad, once you get up to the host/ess station, asked whether one wish to share and/or willing to wait 20 to 30 minutes ... or, to try the Indulge Food Hall, sure - right, wishful suggestion.

 

Better take 10 deep breath slowly myself & chill again.  

 

 

[mking8288]

2 hours ago, PistolPete13 said:

Been to Bermuda twice on NCL and I swear the port taxes were definitely much more than $10 a person.

LOL, I retrieved our original Guest Confirmation for the TA ... total charges p/p was $145 or $290 for 2 of us ... 3 stops and 5 ports including disembarkation/embarkation.  Bermuda was charging $45 p/p last Spring for the travel authorization alone, non-refundable too.  Perhaps, NCL using the same logics and surely covered in their fine prints & disclosure legal terms.

 

BTW, you got serious Pro gears in that cart.  Anything resembled or close to night vision & IR imaging ... just kidding.  Don't think NY porters care - CC friends on the Getaway now (homeward bound from DR this evening) probably "speak" and share the same or similar set-up.  Hello, Alex ... 

 

Unbelievable that NCL would install 1.5A output at the USB and USB-C charging outlets in 2021-2022 on these new class at the shipyard.  Smartphones that I've since retired that came out 4 to 5 years ago needed at least 2A output at 5V.  It's barely adequate for a slow, trickle charge on less power-hungry gadgets.  

[GALSews]

12 hours ago, PistolPete13 said:

 

 

So you came to Maryland to see eagles. Interesting as on a trip to upstate NY (Troy), we were crossing a bridge over the Hudson to get to Rhinebeck when we spotted a pair of eagles. A "neighbor" of ours says he's seen eagles nearby.

Where were you in Maryland to see the above fellow?

 

BTW, always enjoy your write-ups.

 

[PistolPete13]

1 hour ago, GALSews said:

 

The big spot is called Conowingo Dam Plaza.  Peak season is now until a little after New Years and again in mid-April for fish spawning season.  I'm told you can see several hundred eagles if you get lucky.

Here is a link to my photo album from my trip.  Unfortunately I didn't see much activity and will probably return for one more try in a few weeks.

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjB4Axa

Sorry for the thread detour @mking8288!

Any interesting wildlife to see in our Caribbean cruise ports?  If nothing else I can hunt for the elusive chair hogs early in the morning of our cruises.  I think their plumage consists of NCL Blue towels, new books never opened, and colorful Crocs!

Edited December 4, 2023 by PistolPete13

[UKstages]

11 hours ago, mking8288 said:

Before I forget, the Commodore Room was NEVER open on the TA on full sea days, not once - on a full ship with 3,000+ pax, many solo cruisers that prefer to avoid the madness in the tiny buffet.  Lines for the Hudson at lunch wasn't too bad, once you get up to the host/ess station, asked whether one wish to share

 

commodore room was never open on one of my prima sailings, either. it was used as a private dining room for a rather small group onboard, many of whom chose to dine elsewhere.

 

as far as "sharing a table" at hudson's... i did that... once.  and that's enough. when they ask you that, you assume you'll be at a table for three or four, with another couple or a couple of solos. what they don't tell you is that it's actually a huge table and you'll have to struggle to make conversation with a bunch of folks who lack social skills and don't seem to know how to talk to others. that's all well and good; it simply becomes like a business dinner where you have to work the room.

 

but the real problem with sharing a table is that service takes considerably longer at a large round table of 8 or 12 or whatever. the servers typically wait till everyone arrives to take orders. then they wait for everybody to finish each course before bringing the next. i shared a table at lunch one day in husdon's and service took nearly two hours... without dessert.

[mking8288]

1 hour ago, UKstages said:

commodore room was never open on one of my prima sailings, either ... shared a table at lunch one day in husdon's and service took nearly two hours... without dessert.

We're fortunate to dine in the Commodore Room, once, for early dinner - perhaps, Day 2 or 3 and actually got pretty good & attentive (standards per NCL's "met") ...  Otherwise, never saw or read that it's open for lunch, nevermind breakfast on sea days - given the higher staff/passenger ratios boasted by NCL (allowing for some cutback) - just find it hard to accept the excuse that staffing is that bad and/or the crew is new & still on-the-job being trained.  I'll come back on this - as standalone reflection- to what a CC friend of ours called the missing "smile" factors and being cheerful with passengers, there but not entirely and enough to make up for the shortcomings, of at least more than a handful of bad ones working for a living. 

 

If NCL is serious enough to listen & looking for constructive feedback - enrolled in the "Inner Circle" meant that, perhaps, some of my highly subjective opinions should at least be acknowledged, heard & read ... 

 

We're not rushing from dinner (not that you can ... average meal took 90 minutes or more with dessert, if we're lucky) to catch "Summer" or anything similar (fully booked or sold out for both early & late showing already ... couldn't book until onboard.  Earliest one showing as being available to us were mid/latter part of the 11 days cruise, our friends could only book on the last 2 or 3 days of the cruise - maybe, pin the blame on the buggy NCL App and/or their less than competent I.T. teams.  (and, our apps were current & updated, latest OS & security patches, VPN disabled/off as appropriate & background refresh/upload off as all those functionality slow everything else down to a crawl, especially peak times and on full sea days, despite Starlink's 98% uptime) 

 

Going thru my/our notes this morning - Donna Summer Show was entertaining, a bit stretched in being too long - I can see @cruiseny4life losing interest & bailing out early after 20 or 30 minutes, skimming his nearly life trip journey (we aren't big fans of DS from that era) and I nearly dozed off during the show myself.  We did the Virtual Queue (only good & available on the date of the scheduled show(s) or performance that can be "reserved" or booked) and was surprised we're able to book not just 2 of us for the cabin, but 2 more for a total of 4 (for our friends - without needed their cabin info ... although, our reservations were linked together as they're CAS) - and #1 on the standby list for the 9:30 PM show (last 90 minutes). 

 

We finished dinner about 8:30 PM that evening (usually dine around 6 PM with reservation, sometimes 5:30 PM) - stroll the decks & window shopped the empty duty-free stores and shops (there're hardly any sales or bargains anywhere or anytime - no flyers advertisement daily or specials ... not the "usual" NCL onboard marketing scheme)   We stood over the front 6-7-8 atrium lobby area overlooking the solo singer that evening & listened to the music for a little while ... gentleman can sing & work his guitar, but his version of Sir Elton John's classic songs like Piano Man, hmmm - shall I say, not impressed with the mostly polite audience, really unsure if the music from the 70's is aligned with the demographics (and, lots of Europeans - from Spain & Germany, and French heard being spoken)   We walked over to the theater entrance on Deck 7 (can also get in from Deck 6) and stood nearby as others booked went in ... afterward, DW approached the entertainment staff checking all in to ask - and, we're waived to join ... there're seats all around, stay in the back (easier/quicker "exit")  Virtual Queue didn't alert or notify my smartphone until nearly showtime - with the small theater at 97% + full at curtain up.  Good to know, it is an option and NCL trying to make it work.  

 

But, any kind or semi-priority show reservations for being in the upper Latitudes tier, well, simply is a virtual one that remained in hiding, not a single welcome back letter - getting preference for MDR seating without a confirmed pre-cruise reservation is at best 50:50 depending on ... "promises" in the Latitudes Rewards broken & ignored. 

 

Okay, enough for hopping around a few subjects from our Prima cruise ... is this a more widespread "bug" across the fleet ... I don't know and one can never be anywhere near absolute about it.  Alas, perception is important, very important.   The Commodore Room was mostly lights out & closed nearly every time we walked by that area, secluded and quiet at the nearby bar/lounge, except for the late afternoon & evening ... only then, did I started checking the FS Dailies to try & figure out if and when they "might" open - yeah, for art auctions, tables & chairs moved aside.  

 

There are good things happening on the Prima as we see it and then, not so good plus wishing it is different ... the new controversial "Epic" is here.  No complaints about the regular bathrooms, plenty of space, oversized shower, very good storage space, extra hook, and for big & tall folks of bulky size and weight, the toilet's positioning made a world of difference vs. the Dawn/Star/Jewel/Gem and even the *Away/Plus class design)   The oversize wash sink is spacious to do hand laundry, if one so choose to ... packing Under Armour.  

 

@PistolPete13 - what detour, I am sometimes equally "guilty" - it's all fine & cool, that's quite an Eagle, majestic & all.  Nowadays, your high power lens are very useful for OL chaiser/lounger/sofa hogs, atrium campers and even in the spa ... in addition to the buffet "gamers"   One group that was missing, the mah jong players unlike being on the Epic this April - 15 to 20 tables daily, DW said the noises from outside the room were bad, as if they turned into a gambling den.  Going to check out MSC soon, look forward to reading about it ... waiting for our turn, another niece has an offer for a 2 BR duplex - sail by next year or lose it - promised to give us their other balcony (outside YC - maybe we'll look into upgrading ... if and when they drop the hammer)