Railfan30

@BirdTravels and @amygutman - Thank you both! A few simple (attempted) words, a smile and kindness go a long way. Personally, I've been trying to compliment strangers more, especially while waiting in line. The conversation can be one-sided (me), awkward, confusing, etc., but sometimes it's really great!

Do the Joy's crew wear name tags and do they show a flag or name of their country? Our son mentioned learning a few words in other languages to "converse" with the crew.

Ditto. Too bad they are not on my cruise. I would leave my husband, 2 kids, and be left to my own devices. Of course the goths would be wondering why the suburban mom in the sundress is singing along to every song 😄 P.S. Former Philly denizen, now in very-near Delco

We are in a M6/Deck 8/Larger balcony suite on the Joy next month. I'm a first time cruiser prone to motion sickness, so our cabin is to the very rear of the M6s, where they meet the regular balconies. I'll report back on noise and motion 🙂

Thank you!

Can you comment on how long your meal took, reservation time, entertainment start time? We have an early 5:30pm reservation and I believe entertainment may be 6:30-7:15. Thanks!

Do you have a favorite soap sheet or one that works well? In my student days, i used Dr. Bronner's, but that was a looong time ago!

A few notes from a first-time cruiser who booked directly with NCL... I identified the cabin category I was interested in and watched it over the course of a month or so. I saw sales during "wave season", 35% off, person #3 free, etc., and while the itemized numbers were all different, they totaled exactly the same each time. I booked about 5 months' out. Since I do not have a go-to TA, I called a cruise specialist at the local branch of the national auto club and provided my parameters; same pricing, although with a $50 OBC and a free bottle of wine. My parents, on the other hand, cruise with 8-10 other couples and get "all the deals" according to them -- drink packages, gratuities paid, OBC, etc. I don't know that they've ever seen a complete itemization as the "travel planner" usually just tells them the lump sum and payment dates. TLDR: I did my research (as much as possible) and may not have gotten the "best" deal, but I am comfortable with the options I chose, the price I paid, and the service I received from the NCL rep when I called to book.

This is a screengrab from a Joy video; the extended balconies on Deck 8 are not fully covered. Shade is dependent on the sun and ship's orientation 🙂

We are booked in a Joy M6 Deck 8 forward in August; I will report back on the setup. Here is a video of 8730 showing 2 loungers, 2 chairs and a table:

As first time cruisers, we have no status 🙂 I'll aim for an early check-in and see how we fare. @www3traveler - Thanks for the reminder, re: MDR opening times. For insurance, we'll pack a snack for the line in the terminal.

Thanks everyone for the replies and the link to the Access Desk form; all forms should be that easy to complete! Our son is 11, so while we've never experienced a severe reaction, we try to be cautious. The insight shared here will empower him (and his growing palate!).

We're sailing on the Joy out of NYC in August. While I've already made our 2 specialty dining reservations, I'd like to switch one to other restaurant. We would also like to make laser tag and go kart reservations too for the kids. My husband and I can divide and conquer once on board. What time should we schedule check-in (if we also want to do a MDR lunch) and where can we make our reservations?

Hello! First time poster, first time cruiser go easy on me 🙂 Our son has a tree nut allergy. In the MDR and elsewhere, I'm sure we can ask the server/manager but at the Buffet will the food be marked? Specifically, I know that some Indian food has tree nuts (e.g. Korma has cashews), but I don't know all the recipes... Thanks!