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1. DONNA SUMMERS: THE MUSICAL
If you haven’t sailed on an NCL cruise, you’re missing out on some of the best quality theater shows. We have seen Jersey Boys, Rock of Ages (2x), not to mention Noise Boys and Choir of Men. The broadway show featured on the Prima is Donna Summers: The Musical. This was an amazing show on the story of her life from a young age to her older years. We never knew the many of the satires told in this music. The 3 singers who represented Donna Summers were truly incredible. NCL’s musicals are one of the reasons we enjoy sailing on their ships. The Breakaway class a little more.
You cannot miss this show. The minute you get on board, you MUST go to the theater or where ever they are signing people up for the entertainment. Do NOT wait. It will be sold out within the first couple of hours easily. We were very fortunate because of Gil’s status, but don’t rely on it. NCL’s quality broadway theater shows are worth it. The VIVA will showcase Beetlejuice. I know, right???
2. PRIMA SPEEDWAY
You’re zipping through traffic and cutting tight on that hair pin turn. You can hear the wind howling while you speed through the chicane. You press that boost button to square by the driver in front of you. All the while you’re in the ocean sailing to the next island. Yes, this is a ship you’re driving on. This is a new feature that was added to a couple of the ships on the Breakaway Class. On the Prima and soon to be Viva, you’ll have 3 decks of race track. This is your only chance to race on a ship at sea. With cruise lines looking to add unique and fun attractions, this one surely takes the case. The Speedway is definitely a fun attraction. You have the options of driving with others on the track or taking on the track by yourself for 3 laps. This is a leader board for the duration of your cruise. The winner gets a prize. Unfortunately I (Gil) was unable to get that top spot. I made the top 15. Boy was I disappointed. Being that I am a competitive person, I was looking to race as many times as I could, but I wasn’t looking to pay $20 per session just to break the record. If it were free, then I’m sure I’d spend the whole day racing. It was a pretty cool experience that I recommend for everyone to try. This is the only place at sea.
3. INDULGE FOOD HALL
We don’t even know where to start with this one. We saw so many reviews on this, but it was such a different experience when it’s time for you to chow down. The Indulge Hall (Deck 8 – Aft) is exactly what the name suggests. Allow yourself to enjoy everything this food court has to offer. From Tapas to Indian cuisine, this spot has delicious meals from from different countries. Did I mention that this is complimentary? Yes, it’s a part of your package. You can either sit at the cuisine bar, but you only have that specific option when ordering food. You can also sit in a booth inside or outside on Ocean Boulevard and use the kiosk which will you give you access to all of the food choices. They bring the food directly to your table. Depending on the time, there isn’t much of a wait. There are plenty of places to sit and indulge in the food. If you’re a foodie, you’re going to love Indulge.
There is also a Starbucks in Indulge. 1 of 2 on the ship. Starbucks is NOT complimentary. There is a desert section called Coco’s that is not complimentary either. Do not confuse it with the dessert that is by itself in the back. Those are complimentary.
4. VIBE BEACH CLUB
The Beach Club is an all Adult spot. No children in this section. If you find yourself having to fight for chairs or wanting a much quieter place to relax and tan, the Vibe Beach Club is the perfect spot for you. It has 2 hot tubs on each side and a full bar. Here’s the problem that many would probably have. There is a cost. It’s around $209 per person for the week (7 Days). You can purchase for the day, but good luck with that as it gets sold out in a heart beat. Now I know what you’re thinking. It’s too much for your blood. Here’s the thing… it is worth it. With the Haven costing so much more for their cabins and their perks, Vibe gives you that special place where they treat you like you ARE a part of the Haven. At a fraction of the cost as well. We went up to Vibe at all hours of the day. Never did we have to try and look for a lounge chair or a bigger round sofa for 2 when we went up there. Normally when you go on a cruise and you want to tan, you have to get up early enough and claim your spot. Not this time. We’ll go get breakfast, go down to the cabin and back up a little later. Always a spot. It’s just so comfortable and relaxing.
The hot tubs were the icing on the cake. When we got on the ship and went to reserve entertainment and spots to go to, cruisers found that Vibe was sold out. I remember seeing Vibe Beach Club on Breakaway classes, but there was also SPICE H20. No need to pay for Vibe. Being that there is no Adult spot for free, this is the place to be. We didn’t have to worry about major lines for the bar. They gave us chilled towels, fruits, pitchers of water and even got a couple of free drinks out of it. They attendants take care of you. One morning we decided to eat our breakfast at Vibe and one of the attendees said, “Good morning, Mr. Gilbert. Where is Luciana?” That was cool. They knew who we were. They had things ready for us. It was that kind of service. That’s when I knew we were going back to Vibe when we sail on the NCL Viva. No question about it.
5. THE STADIUM
It’s a fun place to be. Plain and simple. If anything, this is the only free spot to go to where you have many options of things to do. There’s an interesting Ping Pong table where it’s a cylinder. You have to hit it right off the bounce or you’re running for that ball. There’s a regular ping pong table as well. Where would a ship be without one? There’s a cool sitting soccer table where you’re sitting on a bench with a see through plexiglass top. You’re the goalie and the striker. There’s a table top shuffle board game. I miss the official shuffle board on previous ships, but there’s no space for it on the Prima class. Bummer. There’s a Beer Pong section as well. No beer though. Just the cups. Last but not least the sport that’s taking us by storm… Pickle Ball. Yes, there is a caged Pickleball court on the ship. Now we’ve never played Pickleball before, but it’s just like tennis. Just smaller. It is fun if you’re into that. We are, so it made for a fun time. This is the only spot for the kids at no cost. There is mini golf with a twist and darts section, but it comes at a cost. The mini golf is cool when you pay for it because it is computerized and has entertaining video features. The free play is nothing more than simple golf that doesn’t show anything on the video screens. The Darts section will cost you, but is it worth the cost? We never bothered with it. It was empty every time we went up there. The Stadium is certainly a cool place to hang out for the kids. It’s the only spot for the kids, if they’re not in the teen club.
BONUS: IMESSAGE WORKS FOR FREE
iMessage works while Airplane mode is on. If you’re an iPhone user and you want to stay in touch with other iPhone users, you can send iMessages on the ship with no charge. We have been on a few cruises aboard an NCL ship and recently found that this works. As long as you have Airplane mode on, while using the ship’s wifi connection, you can send and receive messages. I thought this was amazing. I (Gil) was like a kid in the candy store. It def made me feel more relaxed knowing that I can still keep in contact with loved ones back home while in the ocean. I am not sure if this is the case for EVERY cruise line, but for NCL this works. We’ll be cruising on the Carnival Mardi Gras next week, so we’ll let you know.
