The Prima Hs Ruined NCL for Me

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 6

Review summary

My experience for the Prima (4/23) Check-in Process: C- During the online check-in, why do we need to upload photos if they take them at the normal check-in? The online check-in should expedite the embarking process and save time but it did not. We were one of the first to arrive (10:30 am). We arrived early, checked bags quickly, got through security quickly, and ended up being the 16th boarding group. Many people that checked in after us were boarded before us. Embarkation / Disembarkation: C Facial recognition takes too long and creates very long lines. Each time we returned to the ship, we were not offered a wet cloth or drink. Halfway through the disembarkation process, it becomes a free-for-all. The tag colors don’t matter. Entertainment: F You cannot pre-book entertainment when booking (I booked last August), when restaurant reservations become available, or when completing the online check-in. The only chance I had at making reservations was as soon as we boarded. The problem here is that the Haven and guests with disabilities get priority booking and by the time my family was called for boarding, everything was sold out. Sometime after we made our booking, the Noise Boys were removed from the ship. My family was looking forward to this show. To top it off, they weren’t replaced with another performer… they were just removed, causing even fewer options for entertainment. There is a huge lack of family activities and things for kids to do. My children were often bored. Tee Time was in terrible shape. We needed to wait for a family to finish the 2nd half of the course just so we could have the golf balls to play. We didn’t even get enough golf balls for all four of us to play. The course looks like it’s seen 9 years of usage, not 9 months. The Prima Speedway was poorly managed. The staff was very dull and unengaged. The time and lap tracker was not working properly. The attendants kept stopping and throttling the cars so it was a poor experience. This should have also been open more. Galaxy Pavilion needs more than just virtual reality. There is no variety here. Everything is way overpriced and not worth $8 per person for 2 minutes of VR. There is no jogging track, basketball court, or sports deck, of any kind. There must not be anything for teens on the ship. Groups of teens were constantly running through the halls. Splash Academy: A (Staff: A / Activities: A / Reservation System: F) The Splash Academy should be open all day. Several times, my wife and I wanted to have dinner together but reservations are impossible to change and Splash Academy is often closed. There were massive delays in messaging between the Splash Academy and the waitlist in the app. Pools and Sun Deck: F This ship was not designed to accommodate sun seekers. There is no “flow” to the pool area. There are obstacles, the stairs are too narrow and seats are too close together. The pools are tiny. I’ve seen bigger inflatable pools. NCL should be embarrassed. The pools on deck 8 are also a laughable mistake. Why would anyone want to go in a pool that has a 12-story shadow cast over it? The pool water was dirty… several times, we found bandages and other gross debris floating around but our kids were so bored, we had to wedge ourselves into the pool. Bars: C- During our sailing, the NBA and NHL playoffs were occurring as well as the NFL draft and MLB season. None of the bars were showing any relevant sports. At the Local Bar, I asked them to change the TV from a rugby pre-game show to a playoff game and they wouldn’t. If you’re a sports fan, this is not the ship for you. The servers at the Local Bar were slow and unattentive. We and several other guests needed to go to the bar to order or get the server’s attention. The pool bar is a disaster. Expect long waits here. The servers would not come to the part of the sun deck where we were sitting (or they reached their drink order limit before getting to us). We had to get our own drinks. The drinks were very inconsistent across the ship. For instance, a Mai Tai at one bar would be sweet while other bars would make it tart. Some bars garnish and some don’t. Restaurants: C (Food: A / Reservations: F / Service: D) The menus don’t offer enough variety. We often felt like we were settling on meal choices. I purchased additional specialty dining meal options for our kids and they could not be used for our kids. We were charged a la carte for our children’s meals at specialty restaurants because they got sick of the kid’s menu very quickly. Restaurant reservations are nearly impossible to get and change. Surfside is the most inadequate dining venue on any ship on any cruise line. More guests and less main dining? Indulge is a great idea, but poorly executed. They need a hostess for this venue. It was CHAOS! I walked around the restaurant for 20 minutes holding my child looking for any table that might become available. We went to try to eat here 3 times before actually finding a table. Starbucks always had a long line but the staff was pretty good here. Itinerary: B- I’ve never had a previous cruise change itineraries… even during hurricane season. Without any notice or reason, Virginia Beach was removed from the itinerary. Guest Services: D I tried calling from the NCL app and the phone does not work for making calls. Several times I needed to see guest services but the line was too long. On the 6th day, I’ve only been able to speak to them once and they weren’t very helpful. App and WiFi: F The app has major delays in messaging, particularly with Splash Academy messages. I often have to refresh the status page in the app because the messages are delayed by up to 20 minutes. The phone does not work for calling restaurant reservations and guest services. I tried to watch a sporting event on my phone because the bars only show things that appeal to 1% of the passengers. I was not able to watch the event due to poor signal. Elevators: C- There are at least 5 elevators that are out of service on a full ship. Getting around was very difficult and it took a long time. Spa: N/A The Thermal Spa closed at 8:00 on day 7. I would have paid for 2 entire day passes for my wife and I to use the spa if it was open till 11:00. Gift Shop: C The “Gift Shop” hardly had any souvenirs. There are no provisions. It is essentially a jewelry store with a few side items. Rooms: B– The “Family Balcony” rooms do not have Pullman beds. The only additional sleeping area is a pullout sofa that is maybe the size of a full bed. It’s not ideal for two people to share. My kids didn’t sleep well because of it. They both have bigger beds at home and sleep alone so now that they had to share a smaller bed, they kept bumping each other and accidentally hitting each other and waking each other up. Our room was on the 16th floor and I think the pool deck was above us. We heard the crew moving deck chairs late at night and early in the morning. There is also a lot of creaking in the walls and ceiling. A vacation for me should be relaxing and this vacation frankly was anything but. We paid for a high-end cruise and got a bargain basement equivalent. This is not the NCL that we have known in the past and built loyalty with. All-in-all, the free (or included) amenities are being scaled back to make way for things they can upsell and upcharge. You can expect lots of waiting, long lines, and constantly being let down. I would not recommend the Prima unless you are staying in a Haven suite. From the reviews I’ve read and guests I’ve talked to, those are the only people that seem to enjoy the ship.

Embarkation

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

Onboard Activities

Entertainment

Children's Programs

Service and Staff

Ship Quality

Cabin / Stateroom

Ports of call

New York, New York

Royal Naval Dockyard, West End, Bermuda

Disembarkation

Other reviews of this sailing