CleverUserNameHere

Actually, they did have a separate casino check in line in Manhattan, but you still have to go through security and other checks

Here is the link: https://www.ncl.com/sail-safe

For what it's worth, the self parking at the Manhattan terminal was the easiest part of the whole embarkation experience. I think most people take shuttles because there was plenty of parking and no line to come in or out of the garage. The elevator drops you off right at the security line.

UGH that sucks, I am so sorry that happened to you. As a nurse (former COVID med/surge) I get that the new variants are not as severe and we are on the downswing of this pandemic, but that is just inconsiderate considering how the COVID policies have remained unchanged as of now. At worst, he could have gotten you seriously ill, but at best (which is still worst) he ruined half of your vacation

Yes I would say the services at all of the sit down restaurants were slow, but there seemed to be plenty of staff around running about. Like I mentioned, depending on your preferences it could be seen as a good or bad thing. On our previous cruises where it was just me and my husband we often felt rushed through dinner so this would have been a plus. On this cruise with a toddler it was bad. He could hold it together through the first 45 minutes but then if he didn't have his food by then he was ready to GO! My husband thought maybe they didn't feel a rush to turn over tables since we were sailing so "empty."

I forgot to include my comments on the entertainment so here they are: Entertainment: There were always plenty of things to do on board, a good selection of movies in common areas, trivia, games, music, and of course shows. The theater was very small considering the number of people the ship holds and they only did the headlining shows (Footloose and Elements) one night each with two shows each which was surprising because on day one the reservations for Footloose were already taken. My MIL got in at the 10pm show in the standby line. Our cruise was only 1/2 -2/3 full so I don’t know what they do when it is at or over capacity. I would rank the quality of the shows above Celebrity and below Royal. You can tell they are spending a good amount of money on programming. The onboard “gimmicks” are cool. My husband and I did the go carts one night during dinner time which was a good move because it was just the two of us on the race track, when ordinarily 8 cars run and it is a constant pile up where one driver crashes on each turn and everyone stops up behind them. There is an observation deck where you can watch and it was amusing. We didn’t get a chance to do the laser tag but that was definitely something we had wanted to do. I don’t know what they were thinking with the VR arcade though. We walked through it twice and there were never more than a few kids in there and it’s a huge space. Maybe it’s more popular during the summer holiday but it definitely will not age well.

We got off the Joy Bermuda sailing out of Manhattan on May 29th and these are a few observations/critiques that I hope will help out another first time Norwegian Cruiser. For background we have been on one Royal Caribbean cruise on the Anthem, and two with Celebrity. This was our first cruise with Norwegian, first cruise since COVID, first cruise with a toddler, and third cruise to Bermuda. My mother-in-law traveled with us. We booked the indoor family suite which I believe is unique to the Joy due to its prior life in the Chinese market. About the suite: It has a virtual balcony which was nicer than I had expected and definitely made the space feel less claustrophobic. We could also see when we were pulling in/out of port. It was about 500 square feet and had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a shared common space with a pull out bed and a table and chairs There is not much left from the “suite” status, although it did have robes, a large umbrella in the closet, “upgraded” L’Occitan toiletries and drumroll… a Nespresso machine! The toiletries were nicer than I expected and ended up using them instead of the ones I packed and the Nespresso machine was indispensable for someone who is used to grinding their own beans fresh and making espresso at home. Our baby monitor worked really well in our suite between the sleeping and living areas which was a big plus. Food: The food was overall consistently “good.” Nothing was particularly bad, and some things were actually great. They always had a really good Indian station for breakfast, lunch and dinner and a ramen station for lunch which was really cool. We ate breakfast from the buffet most days which started at 7 on sea days and 6:30 on port days. Same basic options every day, can’t complain. There is a light “continental” breakfast available in the Observation lounge starting at 5:30 every day (pastries, milk and cereal, yogurt and whole fruits) and breakfast at the Local every morning at 5:30. We never ate breakfast in the dining rooms but I think they started at 7:30. The specialty restaurants were underwhelming compared to Royal and Celebrity. We ate at the Italian restaurant (the name escapes me), seafood restaurant (Ocean Blue), and sushi restaurant (Food Republic) twice. With the exception of the sushi option, I can’t say that I really noticed a difference in quality from the main dining rooms which I always did on Celebrity or Royal. The service at Ocean Blue was particularly lacking and dinner took close to 2 hours with a squirming toddler. Thankfully we were sitting outside so we could just take him for a walk and weren’t bothering many people. We sat at the table for about 30 minutes before our waiter even came and introduced himself. There were many empty tables and seemingly plenty of staff. We had the dining package for 2 meals for 2 people but both times we opted to use it they never charged for my mother-in-law who was traveling with us. We were debating purchasing the package for her so I am REALLY glad we didn’t. We paid a-la-carte at the sushi place and went back for lunch on the last sea day and just ordered two rolls. Since it was the only place on board to get sushi it seemed worth it to me. One MAJOR critique about the food is that there is no 24 hour grab-and-go option for food. The local is open 24 hours but you have to sit down and order your food and it is all really “heavy” options and the service was really slow. On Royal and Celebrity they have grab and go snacks, pizza or sandwiches available between breakfast lunch and dinner services on the buffet and we found ourselves having to wait until the buffet opened more than once so we could feed our toddler and put him to sleep. Bermuda: As beautiful as always, but some casualties from the pandemic were noticeable including the glassworks at the port closing. Taxis, shuttles and buses are still available right as you walk off the dock. Masks still required on officially licensed taxis and public transportation The complimentary shuttle to and from St. Georges was a really nice perk unique to Norwegian. Other observations: The smoking “box” in the casino does very little to contain the smell and if I had accidentally booked a cabin on deck 9 near the stairs on the aft of the ship I would have been livid. Embarkation out of Manhattan was the worst. I suggest arriving at 8:30 or after 1 pm. It was organized chaos and line after line after line. Security line, Bermuda TA line, covid testing line (for some), and only THEN check in line which moved the slowest of all. The whole process took 2- 2.5 hours. I highly doubt we will be choosing to sail out of there again, although sailing past Ellis island and the Statue of Liberty was pretty cool. The service in the specialty restaurants and dining rooms were slow, which could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your preferences. We have always experienced feeling “rushed” when sitting down to eat on ships and feeling pressured to order our drinks, appetizer, main and dessert all at once within the first 15 minutes. Not the case on this ship, not sure if it is a Norwegian thing or post-pandemic thing The Observation Lounge on deck 15 and Waterfront on deck 8 were definitely the places to be and were usually uncrowded and easy to get a drink. The snacks in the Observation lounge were some of my favorite things to eat (quiches, sandwiches, meats and cheeses, desserts and fruit) and I wish they were available for more than a few hours in the afternoon (could have been a 24 hour grab and go area) We had the basic drink package and never felt constrained by it. Basically any spirits and cocktails less than $15 are included and you pay the difference if you want anything that isn’t included. A few of the cocktails included top shelf spirits and were still less than $15. The Whiskey bar downstairs was always uncrowded and offered everything, not just whiskey so definitely check that out. Wine selection was strangely limited. Again not sure if it’s a Norwegian thing or pandemic thing, but only one option of each wine available by the glass all over the ship. One rose, one chardonnay, one merlot, etc. Even at the wine bar. That being said, the prices for bottles were not bad, around $20-$40 if you don’t have the package and you get a 20% discount with the package. Thanks for reading until the end! Overall we really enjoyed ourselves and would book with Norwegian again.

We ordered room service twice and we were charged the $10 for it. The second time they arrived 30 minutes late, so after that we just brought our own food back from the buffet. We were on deck 14 by the stairs and the buffet was deck 16 so it wasn't too bad, although we did get used to eating a lot of lukewarm food by the end of the cruise 😕

Oh snap if that is the case I'll be thoroughly ticked off

Actually we chose the family suite because of the space, not because it was a suite, and we were very happy with the cabin. My mother in law had her own room and bathroom, and we were able to have breakfast in the main living space most mornings which was really nice. I think it was about 500 square feet and had a virtual balcony. I would book that room again in a heartbeat (although I may reconsider if they eliminate the Nespresso machine lol)

We did have the family suite and I asked at the start of every line if this is where the priority boarding started and every time I was told that there was only priority boarding for Haven 😕 There wasn't priority disembark/embarkment in Bermuda either. We did get priority luggage delivery from what I could tell though. Honestly the only thing that showed that the room was a "suite" was the Nespresso machine in the room which actually 100% made our mornings better. The bath amenities were nice too, I actually used the ones in the rooms rather than the ones I packed (including about half the bottle of lotion after a sunburn thanks to our day at Tobacco bay...)

We just got off the Joy May 29th sailing and I can confidently say it was the worst embarkation experience I ever witnessed out of 5 cruises. To be fair, we arrived an hour later than we wanted to with our 9:30 boarding time (10:30-10:45). There were so many lines and not even enough capacity for the people in line. After we waited in line for security, there was the bermuda travel authorization line, then the covid test for my 2 year old, then the check in line. We didn't walk onto the ship until 1:30-2:00. And we actually got to skip the majority of the security line because of our stroller. I wouldn't say it was disorganized but there definitely was not the capacity, even in that giant terminal, to handle the additional lines. As we were disembarking there were people arriving around 8:30 and there was no line. We said next time we need to be extra sure to arrive much earlier. That being said, disembarking and customs was a breeze. From walking out of our cabin to getting into our car was about 45 minutes. They didn't use luggage carousels and the bags were easy to spot and grab.

Is that a "no"?

After reading all of the accounts from people leaving the Joy this month, did anyone actually manage to come home without COVID??

Good morning all, We will be leaving on Sunday May 29th with the Joy to Bermuda. We are checking in with a toddler and I had initially selected the earliest check in time (9:30-10) since he needs a test at the terminal, but after I realized that we can't even board the ship until 11-12 I am second guessing that decision. Do you think it would be better/less crowded to check in later and then be able to walk onto the ship? Thanks in advance!

I saw in one of the ship tours by a travel agency that the American Diner was put in for the Asian market and they kept it. Americana is apparently really big over there, I remember when I traveled to Singapore when I was about 10 and there were "1950's American Diners" everywhere. We ate at one and paid the US equivalent of $15 for a burger and $4 for a coke back in the 90's lol

Wow! That's crazy!! Well, I guess I should be excited then? But also annoyed that I may have been screwed out of an additional $200 total?

This is my first cruise with Norwegian and to be honest I am less than impressed with their nickel and diming thus far...

I received an email for "live" upgrade bidding for my May 29th Joy to Bermuda cruise stating that I had been "outbid" and that I could try again for a higher bid. I increased by $100 and got another email that I had been outbid again so I dropped it. Then I realized that I only got an email for one of the categories that I had previously bid on. Is that an indication that I may be "winning" the other bid? Thanks in advance!

I was thinking the theater is be a big area of transmission. If we see any shows we're planning on sitting in the nosebleed seats (especially with a toddler who might cause a stir anyways). Also, because of my son might rely less on the busses and more on taxis. I'm glad you are all doing well!

These suites do not have a butler or concierge

Thank you for your very detailed live review! I have been following and lurking since my family will also be sailing in the inside family suite on the Joy to Bermuda on May 29th. I am so sorry that you and your family got sick during the cruise and I have to admit that it makes me pretty nervous especially since we are now less than 2 weeks out. My husband (and presumably the rest of us but no one else tested positive) had COVID back in January, son is coming with us and he's 2 and unvaccinated and my mother in law who is 65. All of the adults a vaccinated and boosted but still it makes me nervous. Even though I know it would likely be just a cold for us, the idea that we could spread it when we get home is worrying to me. It sounds like your cruise was fairly "empty" and I'm hoping ours will be as well. Do you have any inkling where you may have been exposed? Thanks again for your wonderful and detailed review!

I also have this question. We have three people testing and I had to make three separate appointments but could we all just do it at once on the call?

Hello all! We are sailing on the Joy out of New York to Bermuda on May 29th. This is our first time on Norwegian, and our first time travelling with our toddler! Since we are travelling with our toddler and my MIL (to watch said toddler), we booked the Family Inside Suite for the room and privacy that the two bedrooms provide. The room seems like it's crazy cool and HUGE for a cruise ship (at 500 sq feet it's 1/3 the size of our actual house!) and when I booked it I didn't really take note that 'Family Suite' meant 'Suite Class.' I know the Haven has the real perks, but what exactly does the suite provide? There are mentions online to the 'concierge service', but what is that exactly? Is there a separate seating area for shows? A separate area in the MDR? Priority boarding? What do you consider the most valuable "suite class" perk? Thanks!