11 Nights Transatlantic: Ireland,& Northern Ireland Cruise

Wonderful cruise on Prima for 8

This was a wonderful 7 day cruise with friends. We were a party of 8 and had no trouble getting dining reservations as well as getting a table for 8 in the main dining room. The staff was extremely friendly and addressed us by name on many occasions. Easiest embarkation ever in Galveston. First day on board was a little hectic as we found our way around the ship. Our balcony stateroom was good location, extremely spacious with plenty of room for storing our clothes, shoes etc. the bed was comfortable and the bathroom shower was very large. Good pillows and linens. The decor was beautiful with a modern feel. The atrium although small was the hub of the trip with many games and musical performances. The bar in the atrium was always busy but getting served was not a problem. The wait staff was great and personable. Specialty dining included Cagney, LeBistro and Husaki for hibachi. Loved Cagney and LeBistro hibachi Ok. Don’t order the steak. Or calamari, Very tough. Shrimp was excellent Nama Sushi house had a very small menu and does not do ala cart Only the $50 + 20% set price. If you want sushi go to the Republic. Local grill was great. It’s complimentary and the food is good. Open 24 hours. Racetrack open at sporadic hours so we did not try them out. I think a waste of valuable ship space. But that is just me. The pools are small but tolerable. Infinity hot tubs on Deck 8 very nice. Finding seating was not a problem other than right near the pool especially on sea days. Debarkstion went smooth We self assisted Line to get off ship long but ran smoothly. We were off the ship by 8:10. Used Patriot undercover parking. It was great.

Love is a Many Splendored Thing

We had read other’s reviews of “you’ll either love it or hate it” so decided to make our own opinion having chosen NCL as our cruise line of preference because of their freestyle experience and consistency. Well…this was a big risk because 11 people joined for my 75th birthday celebration and we loved it! The ship was beautiful, the smaller spaces more intimate, the service and food fantastic and I’d do it again. I loved deck 8 with Locals, indulge and the infinity pools all in the same part of the ship! It seemed easier to find a seat to lounge or eat instead of fighting people all the time. The Hudson room and Cosmopolitan room were so different in decor you truly had a different dining experience even with the same menus. The only downside for me was some of the entertainment was not as WOW as I’ve experienced on their ships even though the dancers were excellent Bosa Nova was not my best. Burn the Floor are always fantastic to watch! Loved the Price is Right. This particular itinerary cut out two ports but the other ports were really fun with my group. The cabin was large and bright with extra closet space and the new balcony chairs so much more comfortable. The thermal Spa was my happy place everyday to unwind and heal my body from the dryness and cod of Colorado. It was a wonderful cruise and a memorable 75th birthday! Love you NCL Prima!

Still Prima fans!

We have become complete Prima fans. With that said, this ship is (1) 100% built for warm weather cruises, and (2) isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea regarding her design. First of all, this ship is *beautiful* in a very adult, understated way. Are there blingy, sparkly staircases and huge atrium chandeliers? No. But it is clean and understated without being boring. The crew, as always, is fun, engaging and hard-working. One thing we noticed is that our cabin steward was even *more* overworked than just a few years ago, and his service suffered (but due to nothing *he* did wrong). If we had one wish for future cruising, it would be that more stewards were hired to help take on the load that is *clearly* too much for those brave enough to take on this job. Prima also seems to be doing hard duty. Our cabin's shower door hinge broke *three* times during our 15-day cruise, and the balcony door made a huge squealing sound every time we moved it. Our steward tried to get maintenance to fix these each time we mentioned it, but it took a call from us to get things fixed, even for the next few days before requiring another call. Prima's food is frankly among the best we've had, especially in the MDRs and other "free" venues like The Local and Indulge Food Hall. (The buffet is ridiculously packed all the time, so we've avoided it on every Prima cruise...other than the soft-serve ice cream.) Our biggest complaint: the entertainment, uh...stinks! First of all, we really don't like the cruise director, who *yells* (in a subjectively annoying voice) every time he has the microphone, but not in an engaging, exciting way. But beyond that, there are so few entertainment choices in the evenings that even "meh" offerings on this modest-sized ship are packed and require queueing at least 45 minutes in advance. We did so for two comedians who were (again subjectively) mediocre at best. We'll take Virgin Voyages comedians every single day of a cruise over these... One thing we noticed in this most recent Prima cruise is that there were *many* more non-North Amerians cruising on the ship than our past Prima cruises. This was great in many ways (getting to know people from different cultures, even in the elevator/lift), but bad in others (*very* poor poolside behavior, smoking where they shouldn't, etc.). Perhaps this mix of cruisers was due to the time of year (early January), but something that was glaring to us as Prima die-hards. With all that said, we had a wonderful time, with outstanding food, outstanding crew, and an outstanding ship. Hidden gems include Whiskey Bar (best bartenders on the ship) and the *outside* seating at The Local for breakfast and lunch.