bjtravelnews

6 hours ago, RedwingHockeyFan said:

You can do it via the app or on one of the screens near the stairs/elevators.

Good to know the screens are functional again!

Thank you.

4 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

The main dining reservations on embarkation day is Teppanyaki. They will have multiple agents there making reservations. 

 

It is a lot easier to make your reservations online 120 days prior to departure. When your countdown clocks ticks to 120 days (12 midnight eastern time), reservations will open for general passengers. (130 days for Suites and Haven; 125 for club balcony rooms and top tier Latitudes).

Thanks.  I actually went online 120 days out to book at Ocean Blue.  There was some kind of glitch and I never got confirmation of the booking - the screen kept spinning,  I went back in a few hours later and there were no reservations available unless I wanted to eat very late at night,

Hello everyone!  For those of you sailing on the Joy more recently, do you recall where you could make dining and show reservations on the ship after boarding,  The restaurant I wanted to book didn't have any available reservations and I want to try to get one as soon as I board. 

Not as important for the shows, but would be nice to know.  Thanks so much!

On 1/15/2024 at 4:27 PM, UKstages said:

the smokehouse would be Q, the BBQ restaurant.

 

never had a room near there, but they do generally have a country trio in there for an hour or two during dinner. (there is a small stage.). sometimes, they will put on an afternoon show in there, like a broadway cabaret or musical revue. so there could be noise, i suppose, but nothing too bothersome or for too long. 

 

isn't the theatre right next door to Q? 

 

i'd be more concerned about noise from the theatre than from Q.

 

When we were on the Joy two years ago the music from Q was so loud that we had a hard tine hearing what was going on in the theatre!  Who in their right mind would put two music acts side by side with probably just a thin wall between them?  Really poor planning!

As others have said there really is no way to predict which side of the ship will face land when docked.  I used to think that the ship rotated - one week port side at the dock and the next week starboard side at the dock.  Well, I was wrong.  For some reason there were two weeks in a row that the ship faced the dock in the same direction.  So that blew my theory.  I can tell you that most times we were lucky and managed to face land (7 out of 8 cruises to Bermuda).  Last year was the first time we faced the water.  And it really wasn't too bad.  It was nice to be able to see the stars at night.  One thing that I think is more important is what do you want to see when you sail out of NY?  I always book starboard balconies because that is the side that faces the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island when sailing out of the harbor.  I LOVE seeing those sights!  We get a glass of wine and sit on the balcony while we sail out of the harbor and under the bridge.

Thanks so much for the great review.  I have heard some not-so-nice things about NCL lately and downgrading of service.  Will be on the Joy in June, so I hope I won't be too disappointed (thied time on the Joy for this itinerary to Bermuda).

Everyone considering sailing out of Baltimore - it's possible that isn't going to happen for a while.  If you haven't heard, a cargo ship struck the Francis Scott Key bridge and the bridge totally collapsed into the water.  I have heard that Carnival has already changed Baltimore embarkations to Norfolk, VA.   Likely other cruise lines will quickly follow.  Check with your cruise line for specific information.

5 hours ago, booinla said:

As a rule of thumb, the NCL 7-day round trip from Seattle calls at Glacier Bay, and the 7-day northbound/southbound trip calls at Hubbard Glacier. (There are exceptions to the rule, no doubt)

Thank you.  I find it very deceiving on the part of NCL that they called this southbound cruise Glacier Bay!

6 hours ago, edinburgher said:

Most cruise passengers especially on a first Alaska cruise value  the itinerary, number of glaciers and length of time in port  more than they do a drinks package, but in fairness not everyone does and your group made its choice.

 

Giving you a heads up that there have been a number of threads over recent months where NCL pax from last season were complaining about several issues, including poor dock or tender locations compared to more established lines, shorter times in ports, the actual timings of the port calls, lack of Glacier Bay and the Ward Cove issue at Ketchikan. Hoping for you that things will  have improved for this season.

Thank you for your comments.  I agree with those assessments and will make the best of everything.

2 hours ago, zqvol said:

You are more likely to be later than earlier. The highway between Anchorage and Seward can sometimes be a real mess if there is an accident. 

Thank you for the info!

3 hours ago, edinburgher said:

And once again NCL surprises.  Your group do know that on NCL there is no such thing as a "free" drinks package, because unless there has been a recent change, they will have to pay a 20% service charge pppd  on the full retail value of the "free" drinks package. It is for many an unexpected cost.

 

Maybe next time you visit Alaska, you get to choose the cruiseline!

They are all fans of NCL and so know the need to pay gratuites.  That cost (a bit more than $150 pp) is still way less than purchasing a drink package outright on other cruiselines.  Believe me - O tried really hard to convince them to book with Princess!  If I ever can afford to cruise Alaska again it definitely will be with Princess.

1 hour ago, julig22 said:

What is your tour itinerary for the last day?  This was years ago but our cruise tour didn't arrive in Seward until about 5pm. We were coming from Valdez, took a ferry to Whittier, stopped at the wildlife conservation center on the way to Seward.

We are traveling from Denali that morning with a brief tour of Anchorage and a stop at the Alaska Wildlife Center.  There is no set time listed for when we leave there.  The ship is scheduled to leave around 8:00 pm, so I assume we will have to board by 6.  I did a mapquest search and it looks like it's over 4 hours by bus to get to Anchorage .  Then another 2 1/2 hours to Seward.  I am not counting on having any free time before boarding, but want to have a back up plan just in case we arrive much earlier.

Thanks for your input!

On 10/19/2023 at 10:27 PM, df5250 said:

I did the 13-DAY DENALI/TALKEETNA EXPLORER southbound this past last week of July and first week in August. It was the best vacation I’ve been on. We had a great group. Our weather was amazing and we got lucky with animal sightings, as well as seeing Denali while in Talkeetna!  I booked things to do after the pre-planned daily tours at each location.

I have never taken an organized tour vacation and I wasn’t sure I would like it but I was pleasantly surprised! This tour has a combo of bus and domed train. Being on the bus didn’t bother me. I even nodded off a couple of times between locations. I was extremely happy with my choice and even would have liked more time on the tour because there is so much to see! 

Do you recall how much time you had in Seward before boarding the ship.  Wondering if we have time to explore anything?  Thanks!

On 3/3/2024 at 10:53 AM, edinburgher said:

And if Ketchikan is also on your itinerary, are you aware that NCL do not dock or tender into downtown, instead using out-of-town Ward Cove and using shuttle buses between there and Downtown.

 

if you can cancel without penalty, you could consider one of the more experienced cruiselines such as Princess or HAL, as both lines appear to have more permits for GB, although I would still check as it cannot be assumed that each and every one of their Alaskan sailings cruises GB as there may be an occasional one which does not.

Thanks - I wanted to do Princess, but am traveling with a group and was outvoted. (Everyone likes the free drink package on NCL)

Hello everyone.  I have a cruise booked for July 2025 on the Norwegian Jade.  The cruise is titled as Glacier Bay....  However, when I recently looked at the itinerary, it shows Icy Strait Point and not Glacier Bay.  I did some research and it looks like we may not be going into Glacier Bay, but rather just the opening to the Bay.  Am I correct?  If so, I am a little disappointed in not being able to see Glacier Bay National Park.  Any thoughts on this?   Thanks  so much for all your comments.  Alaska has been on my bucket list for so long (it's the only state in the US I have not visited).  Being on the East Coast, it's likely the only time we will visit here.

Hello everyone.  New to Princess and want to book an Alaska Cruise Tour next summer.  I have looked through the posts and have read the pros and cons of purchasing the meal package for the land portion of the cruise.  The land portion I am looking at is for 2 nights at the Denali Princess and one night at Mt McKinley.  For those of you who have purchased the meals, can you kindly answer a few questions?  First, are you able to eat at any of the restaurants on site, or must you eat at a specific restaurant with the meal plan?  Second, can you pick items off the menu or is there a specific group of foods (special menu maybe) that you can choose from.  (If you get a voucher, is there a spending limit?)  Third, does the meal package include coffee, dessert or alcohol (assuming no to the alcohol but want to double check).  Lastly - for those who took the meal plan - would you take it again?  From what I can gather, food is expensive.  But you get a lot of food with the meal package - maybe more than we can eat? Really want to look at the fine details to see if it will be worth the cost for us.   One more thought - if the hotels offer a breakfast buffet, do they allow you to take anything out the restaurant (thinking maybe cookies, pieces of fruit or other items that can easily be carried for excursions that day).  Thank you everyone.  I have heard so many great things about Princess in Alaska and am really looking forward to this!

9 hours ago, Smitheroo said:

I was on the Joy this past February and my experience was somewhat similar to that of the OP.  The only thing I didnt like was that we didnt know we could book entertainment ahead of sailing and when we tried to do so on board, most options were filled. We did get into Footloose but never saw it because mid voyage it was cancelled due to a cast injury. Not seeing all the entertainment was disappointing but didnt make us miserable. There was plenty to do. I think the ship was fairly full yet I never felt crowded. Once or twice they had to redirect the passengers going into the buffet because capacity limit had been reached. I think they directed them to the American Diner where they had a buffet. Didnt effect us because we are up early. The The weather was cool so the pool deck was half empty most of the time, therefore no chair hogs  You had your pick of chairs!  I only saw a few young men doing the water slides anytime I watched.  I wasnt aware of anyone smoking.  Yes, we were delayed getting into our cabins but I didnt really care. My travel partner didnt get his luggage until almost bedtime.   I thought embarkation was bad but disembarkation was a nighmare. I saw people sitting in the atrium while the line snaked back and forth. I'm wonder if they catch the line at the end. I think we were in the arcade for at least a half hour which was annoying. (the music)  Couldnt get into the Manhattan Room for dinner because we didnt want to wait. Most of the time Savor and Taste was only a short wait.  If this is important to you, get there early. The specialty restaurant we choose was La Cucina which was nice.   A friend suggested to my travel partner that he just had to order some special dish (I forget the name), it was outstanding. Well he did and i dont think he cared for it much.  my choice was great. We spent a lot of time in the OL and I'm disappointed that it is rumored they will take away some space for more cabins. Do they really need more cabins?   Yes, the elevators were a source of irritation. No one playing around with them, just a lot of people waiting. Take the stairs if you can!   Between the meals, the drinks package, and all the diversity of the passengers,  I was satisfied.  But I think I will try one of the smaller liners next time.  btw, I did a solo meet and greet on another line back in 2013 and it was poorly attended also.  

We tried to book entertainment for our cruise prior to sailing and couldn't.  Message was that we had to book on board.  For anyone who is not aware - 120 out (that's usually right after final payment), you can book dining reservations at specialty restaurants.  These book up fast, though only a certain percent of reservations are available for pre-booking.  The remaining slots are reserved for on-board reservations.  At 21 days out (when you can start on-line check in), you are supposed to be able to book shows.  However, as I mentioned, we could not.  Not sure if it was a glitch in the system, or because the ship was switching casts (Elements was not available on our sailing due to cast change and Footloose was not available on the week prior for the same reason.)  Fortunately we saw both shows last year, so it wasn't a big deal.  Hubby read that NCL was stopping all Broadway shows on its ship, thinking starting next year.  So it will be interesting to see the replacements.

1 minute ago, weisla said:

Thanks, this is really helpful. Comparing the posted rates for our dates of sailing, the markup varies quite a bit for different excursions. From $5 more for the rum tasting cruise to $19 for Famous Homes & Hideaways cruise to $49 for a Dockyard Segway tour. This operator also offers a lot more options than can be booked directly through NCL. 

We have found better tours and pricing, in general, with Island Tour Center.

Depending upon what you want to do, you really don't have to book and excursion.  Transportation around the island is so good.  And don't forget that NCL has it's own ferry to St. George for free to Norwegian guests.  

5 hours ago, weisla said:

Thank you so much for your excellent trip report! I’m curious whether you book Bermuda sunset cruises through NCL or independently. We’re sailing on Joy in 2 days for our first visit to Bermuda and it sounds like a lovely outing.

We have done it through NCL and also through the Island Tour Center, which is located at the Dockyard, just beyond where the mini buses wait.  We have found that the excursions tend to be a bit cheaper booking through the Island Tour Center.  Check the weather forecast before you leave to see which day is likely the best for a night time cruise.  The glass bottom boat tour (I think it's the Bermuda Triangle Cruise) is fun.  They take you on a tour of the harbor, until the sun is almost down, then out to a shipwreck.  Once over the sunken ship, the ship opens the panels to the windows and turns on the lights.  You get to see the remains of the ship and lots of fish swimming around.  By the time you head back, it's dark.  So you get to see the island the and ships with all the lights (the Celebrity Summit docks at King's Wharf).

I have been thinking about the comment I made previously on what I perceived as a need for some repairs on the Joy.  Given how short staffed the ship is, I think minor issues are now being overlooked, whereas in the past so many of these problems would have been taken care of immediately, or at least after most people were asleep.  That would explain why the condition was not up to snuff as in previous years (and on other ships).  These aren't major flaws (at least not yet).  But I can't believe how different the quality of the ship was compared to last year's sailing.

1 hour ago, bruce85 said:

Nice review. We sail end of October. Been on the Getaway and Epic. Vibe passes, can you purchase these prior to cruise or only once onboard?

The people in our group were able to purchase them prior to sailing.  Most likely once final payment was made.

6 hours ago, salzdt said:

We just signed up for June  - 2 - 7. Never have been on a big ship, but decided to bite the bullet and try the Joy out of NYC.  We sailed on the Dawn out of Boston in 2018, because e it was the smaller ship.  Great Cruise.  Some of your negative comments make think we should change and go out of Boston, as I use a scooter and rely on an elevator to get around not the ship.  We are booked on 12th floor, handicapped. room aft facing balcony..  Maybe there won't be too many kids on the early June cruise.

We have time to think about it.  Thanks for your review.

I did see some people on scooters.  You likely will not see a lot of kids because school is still in session for most.  Our sailing was close to sell out.  So there were a lot of people on board.  In early June, you may not have as many people on board.  However, IMO, the elevators will still be crowded, especially during meal time and before/after shows.  When you are getting on and off the ship, ask about getting priority status.  That will enable you to be first on and, if necessary, first off.  You may also be escorted on and off the ship. depending on staffing.  We had a friend with us who has difficulty walking due to a recent knee replacement.  She was able to get a wheelchair and assistance from staff.

22 hours ago, bkrickles1 said:

Thanks for the review!

We sailed Joy last summer and we're doing it again in 26 days!!

We've also been  to Bermuda many times and love to sail out of NYC as we live on Long Island.

It sounds like your experience was similar to ours last summer. We had so much fun!

We didn't have crazy elevator people, but we tend to use the stairs more than most.

Also, I'm surprised by the "showing it's age" comment. Joy seemed to be in fine shape last year, but it has been a year. Lmao!!

It's only been 4 years since the last refurb and much of that time we were either shut down or they were sailing with drastically reduced capacity.

Either way, I know it's going to be a great time!

We have a sunset cruise set for day 1 in Bermuda and day 2 is Horseshoe Bay and hopefully the man o war situation is better than last summer.

I have some newbies joining so I'm trying to prepare them to avoid some of the common frustrations.

Thanks again for the review. 

Have a great time on your cruise!  People in our group who went to Horseshoe Bay did not see any Man-o-War.  However, one of our friends did the Catamaran Snorkel on the pink boat and said they saw a Man-O-War. So they are around.   Just a heads up - The people who own Snorkel Park Beach Club opened a venue at Tobacco Bay.  We talked to some who went there and they said it was nice.  Take the ferry to St. George and get a mini-bus right at the docks.  I believe it's $5 pp each way.

As for the signs of aging for the Joy, it is definitely more "worn" than last year (we do the same itinerary every year and will be back on the Joy next June).

For everyone who commented about the Joy starting to show it's age:  Here are some of the very noticeable things.  Treads coming up on the edge of the stairs (tripping hazard).  Carpets in some areas looking a bit worn.  Ceiling tiles starting to come down in a few places.  Chairs in the Observation lounge with broken legs (passengers must be really hard on these!).  One of the stairwells in the aft had a broken glass (probably a recent incident, though).  Perhaps because of the reduced staff, it just had a different "feel" (as if it really was an older ship), compared to the previous year, and to other NCL ships we have sailed.

9 hours ago, uneamie said:

Thanks for the nice review....we sail on Joy for the first time next June to Bermuda. We love Bermuda....been there this year on the Prima. Question...you mentioned how crowded the pools are on Joy and said one would be better off getting a Vibe pass. Is there a pool in the Vibe? I didn't think there was a pool. 

No pool in Vibe, but a great hot tub!  My friends said they spend a lot of time in there.