NCL Prima eastbound 15 days TA (Live) 27 Apr, 2024 - N.Y. to Southampton via Halifax, Iceland & EU ports - preview intro

[mking8288]

After dinner at The Commodore, it's time to check out the Penrose Atrium 

 

 

 

 

This was earlier in the mid afternoon 

 

 

 

Duo Rika live again - Familiar Strangers & Shane also onboard.

Edited May 1 by mking8288

[mking8288]

Prima's StarLink WiFi for guests use is slow, very slow ... Throttled even slower than our last Prima TA in Nov 2023 (last year) 

 

I don't know what else to say ... be thankful that Station Zebra at sea remains online - just not going to bother w any attempt to upload 🫢 

 

 

 

 

 

Below is Nov 2023 onboard the Prima with same equipment & configuration, WiFi 6ax

 

 

Edited May 1 by mking8288

[mking8288]

Day 5's Freestyle Daily in PDF - 

 

Prima TA Apr 2024 free-style-daily-05.pdf

[UKstages]

2 hours ago, mking8288 said:

Prima's StarLink WiFi for guests use is slow, very slow ...

 

shockingly low throughput.

 

starlink is only as good as NCL wants it to be. they control the spigot. and that's fine, except for one tiny detail... they still promote that 100 mbps image on the website!

 

as for the menu... that chinese-style barbecue pork is a killer dish. at least it was when i had it on the getaway earlier this year. i was surprised at how good it was.

[Sugar Magnolia]

My seven person posse had reservations at Cagney's tonight at 8:30. At that late hour, we were seated right away. The waiter said that those using the dining package could order 2 starters, 1 entree and 2 sides, and those using Platinum+ vouchers could order 1 starter, 1 entree and 1 side. However, if we wanted to order something else (like another appetizer or another side) he could arrange for that. 😉

 

The shrimp cocktail, onion soup and Caesar salad, as usual, were very good. The tuna tartare was flavorless. Everyone enjoyed their filet mignon, prime rib and ribeye, all cooked at the right temperature. As I am quite obviously a snob, I always feel I could get a better steak at my local steakhouses. The truffle fries and truffle mashed potatoes were the standouts. The potatoes au gratin, on the other hand, was inedible. 

 

The table shared every dessert on the menu. The raspberry crème brûlée, seven layer chocolate cake and OMG caramel butterscotch cheesecake were the favorites, though the warm blueberry oatmeal crisp was a respectable runner-up with the apple pie in last place.

 

Service was at a good pace and adequate though not exceptionally friendly. Perhaps everyone was tired by that late hour.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

On 4/30/2024 at 9:59 AM, graphicguy said:

So, given no reservations at Hudson's, how long did it take to get a table?

 

For dinner, the solo group now has a standing reservation at Hudson's for one table at 5:30 and one table for 8:00, each reservation under the names of two different solo members. As such, there is no wait for a table but we must be on time or else they will cancel the reservation.

 

@mking8288 has the better experience about how long it might take to get a table without a reservation.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

7 hours ago, catgags said:

Oh no!!! I hope it's not #13517

Safe travels!

Cat

 

Sorry I am unable to confirm either way. Hope you have a great cruise.

 

 

[mking8288]

7 hours ago, Sugar Magnolia said:

@mking8288 has the better experience about how long it might take to get a table without a reservation.

Good morning, we went to The Local this morning, walked right in at 8:05 and got seated, no wait & still plenty of empty of tables. Maybe, folks still rocking & rolling and feeling the modest motion overnight.

 

 

 

 

 

[mking8288]

We are almost pulling away from between the weather systems with the overnight modest sea state, white caps and waves of 4 to 5 meters, and wind/rain showers 

 

 

 

It's 9 AM onboard, clock moved ahead 1 hour overnight, 6 AM in New York.  Pearl is approaching Reykjavik, about 30 nm from the pier.  

 

 

 

[dexddd]

Less foggy today.

 

Duo Rika, looks like either Vince Vaughn or maybe The Doug???  The latter was spotted on our Prima TA.

[mking8288]

Ocean Walk not officially closed but not a soul outside 😆😁 but loungers stacked up & secured against motion.

@dexddd - this is for your convenience to sail & sustain ... or just to look at & ponder 🤗

 

 

 

 

The Local is just as quiet, too early at 9:30 & sleeping in 🤫

 

 

 

There's a yellow caution & large towels on the floor near the bar counter & walking path into/thru The Local ... (is there a leak somewhere ???) must be the infamous spot @graphicguy Dan still has flashback for 😬 

 

Edited May 2 by mking8288

[dexddd]

Oh, pressing question.  Prima looks like it has spare anchor storage on bow but no anchor.  Viva has similar but has an anchor.  If Prima had one, where did it go?  Park West auction?

[dexddd]

3 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

Ocean Walk not officially closed but not a soul outside 😆😁 but loungers stacked up & secured against motion.

 

 

 

 

The Local is just as quiet, too early at 9:30 & sleeping in 🤫

 

 

 

There's a yellow caution & large towels on the floor near the bar counter & walking path into/thru The Local ... (is there a leak somewhere ???) must be the infamous spot @graphicguy Dan still has flashback for 😬 

 

Wait, thought you were on NCL yet first cart picture shows MSC MSC MSC.

[mking8288]

Capt “Out” Kevin’s 10 AM bridge update, strong (cross) wind at 40 kts from the east as we sail NE at 18 kts with Canada 469 nm to the west, 1,000 nm to Iceland.  Rough seas with waves  up to 5 m or 15 ft and conditions easing later in the afternoon.

 

Meanwhile, cost to upgrade for 10 remaining days of basic unlimited WiFi internet has dropped again to $105 only or almost free using NR-OBC

 

Starlink Speedtest on iPhone is slightly better this morning but equally slow as in really slow, but usable.

 

 

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, mking8288 said:

Good morning, we went to The Local this morning, walked right in at 8:05 and got seated, no wait & still plenty of empty of tables. Maybe, folks still rocking & rolling and feeling the modest motion overnight.

 

 

 

 

 

Really did not discover the Local until our last day. We both wanted comfort food for dinner and both had the fish and chips. And then the dessert menu came, and it was heavenly. I ordered the hot fudge sundae. DW said to me, "You're not really going to eat all of that?" To think we had just celebrated our 46th anniversary a few days before, and yet she hardly knew me! 🤣

[mking8288]

It's free laundry time (Platinum - Diamond) and we always come prepared w hotel plastic laundry bag as inner liner or insert for the flimsy thin paper bag.  Prima still using the petite & shrunk sized paper bag instead of the old, original sizes paper bag that can hold more 😤.  Still managed to put in just under $110's worth, based on itemized counts/charges, into the bag - tightly rolled & slipped into corner space 😁.  $34 if this is based on the regular laundry Special. 

 

Out it goes to room steward to send it down below to get it wash, dry & folded for returning to us. 

 

Edited May 2 by mking8288

[Dukemstr]

1 hour ago, mking8288 said:

We are almost pulling away from between the weather systems with the overnight modest sea state, white caps and waves of 4 to 5 meters, and wind/rain showers 

 

 

 

It's 9 AM onboard, clock moved ahead 1 hour overnight, 6 AM in New York.  Pearl is approaching Reykjavik, about 30 nm from the pier.  

 

 

 

Hey

 

What does station zebra has to say about the weather for the next few days? We wish to have a few rounds at the promenade at last 🤭🤭🤭

Edited May 2 by Dukemstr

[graphicguy]

2 hours ago, mking8288 said:

Ocean Walk not officially closed but not a soul outside 😆😁 but loungers stacked up & secured against motion.

@dexddd - this is for your convenience to sail & sustain ... or just to look at & ponder 🤗

 

 

 

 

The Local is just as quiet, too early at 9:30 & sleeping in 🤫

 

 

 

There's a yellow caution & large towels on the floor near the bar counter & walking path into/thru The Local ... (is there a leak somewhere ???) must be the infamous spot @graphicguy Dan still has flashback for 😬 

 

That's the spot!  LOL!

[mking8288]

2 hours ago, Dukemstr said:

... What does station zebra has to say about the weather for the next few days? 

See post #474 for latest update, pretty much unchanged - en route to Iceland, more or less the same as today, calmer sea state ahead but cloudy.  

 

Don't think anyone will much outdoor usage, unless you are prepared with rain gear & waterproof layers to sit -chilly- outside.

[JIMESOPUS]

Pearl docked and wet outside.

 

 

The weather for the Prima looks better, keep some extra weight in those pockets.

 

[mking8288]

5 hours ago, dexddd said:

Wait, thought you were on NCL yet first cart picture shows MSC MSC MSC.

We are ... are you seeing things ?  Maybe you saw something like this earlier, a sneak preview of what's up next 🤫 

 

Edited May 2 by mking8288

[mking8288]

Other not so random photos - what a turnout for CruiseNext sales meeting in Syd Norman's 

 

 

 

 

Trivia at the Metropolitan Bar 

 

 

Informal Bridge & Mahjong area: 8 AM to 3 PM 

[mking8288]

Lunch starters at the Hudson MDR 

 

[mking8288]

Checking Marinetraffic, Pearl officially docked at 12:57 UTC time, 1 hour ahead of it's original schedule but later than ETA given on CruiseMapper.

 

[UKstages]

1 hour ago, mking8288 said:

what a turnout for CruiseNext sales meeting in Syd Norman's 

 

well, that's one way to get a seat for "rumours," for sure.

 

bribe the freestyle daily people to relabel the syd norman shows as "cruise next presentations."