Recent Joy Cruisers in Aft Cabins

[Two Wheels Only]

58 minutes ago, CWMixer said:

I later found your posts on the relative balcony sizes and room arrangements, and keep a summary for reference when booking: very helpful!

 

One of these days, I'll get around to re-doing everything for the aft-facing suites on the 6 ships. With NCL changing the alphanumeric codes (HA, HB, HC, H7) and in most cases putting the larger balconies in a different category, the old posts aren't as helpful as they could be. 

[vacation44]

2 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

There was an issue a few years ago on Breakaway that may have matched what you describe on Joy. The issue was either a propeller or azipod that needed to be fixed (I don't remember). After Breakaway's dry dock, I haven't seen anyone complain that the issue was still there. Joy might need a similar adjustment. 

 

A minor shimmy is normal. The violent shaking that many describe is not normal. 

 

 

 

Deck 13 has the smallest aft-facing balconies for both the BA and BA Plus ships. 

Would you take a chance on a Joy aft cabin now?   

[Two Wheels Only]

2 hours ago, vacation44 said:

Would you take a chance on a Joy aft cabin now?   

 

Even after seeing the video? Yes. I'm guessing that the vibrations are sporadic and not constant.

 

Ship movement doesn't bother me. I've stayed all the way forward, all the way up and forward, all the way aft, etc. and been able to sleep without a problem (PBP, thanks).

 

Knowing that some movement is normal also helps whereas someone not accustomed to movement/shimmy might be bothered more.

[The Traveling Man]

6 hours ago, aubreyc1988 said:

found this video, thanks to the creator. 

Yep, that's the way I remember it.

[debnjoe1438]

18 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

Yep, that's the way I remember it.

Wow maybe I should remove my bids

[aubreyc1988]

35 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

Yep, that's the way I remember it.

how constant was it? Every day? All Night? 

[The Traveling Man]

5 minutes ago, aubreyc1988 said:

how constant was it? Every day? All Night? 

I noticed it when visiting a friend in their aft stateroom.  It was constant and very noticeable when we were there one afternoon.  We also noticed the same vibration every time we were seated for dinner in the Manhattan Room or Cagney's, which are located a couple of decks below the aft stateroom we visited.

[aubreyc1988]

25 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

I noticed it when visiting a friend in their aft stateroom.  It was constant and very noticeable when we were there one afternoon.  We also noticed the same vibration every time we were seated for dinner in the Manhattan Room or Cagney's, which are located a couple of decks below the aft stateroom we visited.

wow crazy, will have to have a good long think about that. The size of that balcony is tempting, esp considering how teeny the forward facing one is, but the noise may ruin the big balcony

[vacation44]

17 hours ago, aubreyc1988 said:

wow crazy, will have to have a good long think about that. The size of that balcony is tempting, esp considering how teeny the forward facing one is, but the noise may ruin the 

My 23 year old daughter got me off the should I or shouldn't I ledge this morning. She reminded me that I have a great Haven cabin with a double extended balcony that will be able to fit two loungers easily.   Then informed me I will be worried about it for the next five weeks and will then most likely stay awake during the cruise wondering if and when the vibration/noise will start.   

[aubreyc1988]

16 minutes ago, vacation44 said:

My 23 year old daughter got me off the should I or shouldn't I ledge this morning. She reminded me that I have a great Haven cabin with a double extended balcony that will be able to fit two loungers easily.   Then informed me I will be worried about it for the next five weeks and will then most likely stay awake during the cruise wondering if and when the vibration/noise will start.   

I agree with your daughter. But your cabin situation is different than mine haha 

 

So right now I am in fwd facing penthouse on deck 13

 

My "pay to upgrade" options are:

 

1) 130.00 total for the Haven Courtyard Penthouse with Large Balcony on deck 17 (smaller living area than the fwd facing, but closer to the Haven complex and has larger balcony than fwd facing) 

 

2) 910.00 total for the Haven aft facing Penthouse (normal balcony) on deck 10 or 14 aft. Obviously a bigger balcony than fwd facing, but possible noise and really far from haven complex. 

 

My "bidding" options are: 

 

Aft Facing Penthouse:  Starting at 300pp

Aft Facing Penthouse with Large Balcony: Starting at 300pp

The Haven 2-Bedroom Family Villa with Balcony: Starting at 500pp

The Haven 2-Bedroom Family Villa with Large Balcony: Starting at 500pp

The Haven Deluxe Owner's Suite with Large Balcony: Starting at 760pp

 

Thoughts? I wasn't going to put in a bid for the 2 bedroom villa as it's just me and my husband but idk...

 

Edited January 7, 2022 by aubreyc1988

[The Traveling Man]

1 hour ago, aubreyc1988 said:

I agree with your daughter. But your cabin situation is different than mine haha 

 

So right now I am in fwd facing penthouse on deck 13

 

My "pay to upgrade" options are:

 

1) 130.00 total for the Haven Courtyard Penthouse with Large Balcony on deck 17 (smaller living area than the fwd facing, but closer to the Haven complex and has larger balcony than fwd facing) 

 

2) 910.00 total for the Haven aft facing Penthouse (normal balcony) on deck 10 or 14 aft. Obviously a bigger balcony than fwd facing, but possible noise and really far from haven complex. 

 

My "bidding" options are: 

 

Aft Facing Penthouse:  Starting at 300pp

Aft Facing Penthouse with Large Balcony: Starting at 300pp

The Haven 2-Bedroom Family Villa with Balcony: Starting at 500pp

The Haven 2-Bedroom Family Villa with Large Balcony: Starting at 500pp

The Haven Deluxe Owner's Suite with Large Balcony: Starting at 760pp

 

Thoughts? I wasn't going to put in a bid for the 2 bedroom villa as it's just me and my husband but idk...

 

I probably would bid more for the 2BR Villa w/ Large Balcony.  How far out is your cruise?  Are you past final payment deadline?  Do you think there may some last minute price drops?  Something that we have done more often than bidding on an upgrade is to wait until the price drops, then simply pay the difference between the standard Balcony stateroom we originally booked (at a relatively high price) and the new, reduced price for a Haven room.  On one cruise it cost us only $75 PP to upgrade from Balcony to Haven Spa Balcony because the prices had dropped so much after the final payment date.  PLUS you get to pick your stateroom instead of taking the luck of the draw AND you get ALL the perks due for the higher category room.  This strategy may not work in every instance, but it's something to keep in mind.

[chengkp75]

For the record, what I saw (and couldn't see too much) and heard on the video, this is weather induced vibration.  The level of vibration, particularly in aft cabins, can vary depending on a wide array of conditions:

 

Wind:  direction and speed relative to ship course and speed, causing seas and "lift" aft if following wind

 

Seas:  generally caused by wind, so again, a following sea can cause the stern to lift, which can cause the propeller to come closer to the surface, causing more cavitation and more vibration

 

Swells:  again, period and direction can cause more or less cavitation

 

Propeller speed:  If the frequency of the propeller tip passing the closest point on the ship's hull (directly above the prop), matches the natural frequency of the hull or a section of the hull, the hollow hull will resonate (vibrate) like a guitar or violin sound box.  Sometimes it only takes a change of 1 rpm to nearly eliminate a vibration.

 

Propeller synchronization:  If the two propellers are rotating so that their blades pass the hull at the same time, this can form a harmonic vibration that can resonate in the ship.

 

As noted, no two ships, even "sister ships", even if traveling one behind the other at the same place, in the same time, will vibrate the same.  Things like the temperature or sun/overcast in the shipyard when the pieces of the ship were welded together can affect how a portion of the hull will resonate.

 

What this all means is that there likely isn't a "fix" for this issue, it needs more operational attention from the marine crew to optimize the ship speed needed for the itinerary based on current environmental conditions and knowledge of an existing harmonic vibration that could be alleviated by changing propeller speed.

[aubreyc1988]

30 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

I probably would bid more for the 2BR Villa w/ Large Balcony.  How far out is your cruise?  Are you past final payment deadline?  Do you think there may some last minute price drops?  Something that we have done more often than bidding on an upgrade is to wait until the price drops, then simply pay the difference between the standard Balcony stateroom we originally booked (at a relatively high price) and the new, reduced price for a Haven room.  On one cruise it cost us only $75 PP to upgrade from Balcony to Haven Spa Balcony because the prices had dropped so much after the final payment date.  PLUS you get to pick your stateroom instead of taking the luck of the draw AND you get ALL the perks due for the higher category room.  This strategy may not work in every instance, but it's something to keep in mind.

1/22

[The Traveling Man]

57 minutes ago, aubreyc1988 said:

1/22

Then I would suggest focusing on simply changing your reservation to a Haven Courtyard Balcony by paying the $130 difference between what you already have paid and the newly reduced price of the Haven.  Don't wait until the last minute for the possibility that your upgrade bid may be accepted.  Here's hoping that your late January cruise won't be cancelled or severely curtailed.  Bon voyage.

[Sand and Seas]

Over our last 30plus years of cruising, we have had a lot of interesting cruises on some ships that are no longer cruising.  Once had a low deck interior cabin that sounded like it was right next to the anchor chain.   It made for an interesting wake up call to let us know we were in port😉. 

 

My DH and I agreed we would be able to handle the vibration shown in that video.  We kind of miss the old rocking and rolling that we had on the older ships.  You had to hang onto the rail in the corridors to walk down the hallways.

[cruising sister]

1 hour ago, chengkp75 said:

For the record, what I saw (and couldn't see too much) and heard on the video, this is weather induced vibration.  The level of vibration, particularly in aft cabins, can vary depending on a wide array of conditions:

 

Wind:  direction and speed relative to ship course and speed, causing seas and "lift" aft if following wind

 

Seas:  generally caused by wind, so again, a following sea can cause the stern to lift, which can cause the propeller to come closer to the surface, causing more cavitation and more vibration

 

Swells:  again, period and direction can cause more or less cavitation

 

Propeller speed:  If the frequency of the propeller tip passing the closest point on the ship's hull (directly above the prop), matches the natural frequency of the hull or a section of the hull, the hollow hull will resonate (vibrate) like a guitar or violin sound box.  Sometimes it only takes a change of 1 rpm to nearly eliminate a vibration.

 

Propeller synchronization:  If the two propellers are rotating so that their blades pass the hull at the same time, this can form a harmonic vibration that can resonate in the ship.

 

As noted, no two ships, even "sister ships", even if traveling one behind the other at the same place, in the same time, will vibrate the same.  Things like the temperature or sun/overcast in the shipyard when the pieces of the ship were welded together can affect how a portion of the hull will resonate.

 

What this all means is that there likely isn't a "fix" for this issue, it needs more operational attention from the marine crew to optimize the ship speed needed for the itinerary based on current environmental conditions and knowledge of an existing harmonic vibration that could be alleviated by changing propeller speed.

Sounds logical but it happened all day for the 7 days we were on it. It was bad enough we will never book one. Someone posted a picture of ceiling tiles falling in the night.  Plenty of other nice cabins to book. 

[aubreyc1988]

45 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

Then I would suggest focusing on simply changing your reservation to a Haven Courtyard Balcony by paying the $130 difference between what you already have paid and the newly reduced price of the Haven.  Don't wait until the last minute for the possibility that your upgrade bid may be accepted.  Here's hoping that your late January cruise won't be cancelled or severely curtailed.  Bon voyage.

you would do the courtyard large balcony vs the forward facing penthouse? 

[The Traveling Man]

16 minutes ago, aubreyc1988 said:

you would do the courtyard large balcony vs the forward facing penthouse? 

I might be tempted to try the forward facing penthouse if the price was right.  It looks like a great floor plan, but it has a rather small balcony, though, so it may not be quite so desirable on a warm-weather cruise when you would like to spend some time lounging in the sun.  On a late January cruise, however, you may not feel so inclined to spend time outside.  It's a tossup. The Haven courtyard room, of course, has the convenience factor of being right next to the Haven lounge.  When we have traveled in the Haven, it always has been in a Haven Spa Balcony, which meant a couple of flights of stairs and a walk down a corridor or two to get to the lounge.  So I really haven't had the "full" Haven experience, yet.

[aubreyc1988]

13 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

I might be tempted to try the forward facing penthouse if the price was right.  It looks like a great floor plan, but it has a rather small balcony, though, so it may not be quite so desirable on a warm-weather cruise when you would like to spend some time lounging in the sun.  On a late January cruise, however, you may not feel so inclined to spend time outside.  It's a tossup. The Haven courtyard room, of course, has the convenience factor of being right next to the Haven lounge.  When we have traveled in the Haven, it always has been in a Haven Spa Balcony, which meant a couple of flights of stairs and a walk down a corridor or two to get to the lounge.  So I really haven't had the "full" Haven experience, yet.

it is a hard decision for me. I don't mind the walk. Im kind of iffy on the aft facing because of the noise. The balcony would be nice, but i do have the whole haven complex to go lay in the sun or in a cabana during the day if I want. 

 

the ideal situation for me is if the 2 bedroom courtyard rooms go down in price LOL, one can dream. 

 

But the forward facing one I am currently in will certainly be fine if that is what I end up in, still the most luxurious thing I'll probably ever experience lol

Edited January 7, 2022 by aubreyc1988

[vacation44]

5 hours ago, aubreyc1988 said:

I agree with your daughter. But your cabin situation is different than mine haha 

 

So right now I am in fwd facing penthouse on deck 13

 

My "pay to upgrade" options are:

 

1) 130.00 total for the Haven Courtyard Penthouse with Large Balcony on deck 17 (smaller living area than the fwd facing, but closer to the Haven complex and has larger balcony than fwd facing) 

 

2) 910.00 total for the Haven aft facing Penthouse (normal balcony) on deck 10 or 14 aft. Obviously a bigger balcony than fwd facing, but possible noise and really far from haven complex. 

 

My "bidding" options are: 

 

Aft Facing Penthouse:  Starting at 300pp

Aft Facing Penthouse with Large Balcony: Starting at 300pp

The Haven 2-Bedroom Family Villa with Balcony: Starting at 500pp

The Haven 2-Bedroom Family Villa with Large Balcony: Starting at 500pp

The Haven Deluxe Owner's Suite with Large Balcony: Starting at 760pp

 

Thoughts? I wasn't going to put in a bid for the 2 bedroom villa as it's just me and my husband but idk...

 

I would go with options 1 for the bigger balcony.

 

Whatever you decide,  I am sure you and your husband, like my husband and I, will enjoy your/our first Haven experience.   

[vacation44]

4 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

For the record, what I saw (and couldn't see too much) and heard on the video, this is weather induced vibration.  The level of vibration, particularly in aft cabins, can vary depending on a wide array of conditions:

 

Wind:  direction and speed relative to ship course and speed, causing seas and "lift" aft if following wind

 

Seas:  generally caused by wind, so again, a following sea can cause the stern to lift, which can cause the propeller to come closer to the surface, causing more cavitation and more vibration

 

Swells:  again, period and direction can cause more or less cavitation

 

Propeller speed:  If the frequency of the propeller tip passing the closest point on the ship's hull (directly above the prop), matches the natural frequency of the hull or a section of the hull, the hollow hull will resonate (vibrate) like a guitar or violin sound box.  Sometimes it only takes a change of 1 rpm to nearly eliminate a vibration.

 

Propeller synchronization:  If the two propellers are rotating so that their blades pass the hull at the same time, this can form a harmonic vibration that can resonate in the ship.

 

As noted, no two ships, even "sister ships", even if traveling one behind the other at the same place, in the same time, will vibrate the same.  Things like the temperature or sun/overcast in the shipyard when the pieces of the ship were welded together can affect how a portion of the hull will resonate.

 

What this all means is that there likely isn't a "fix" for this issue, it needs more operational attention from the marine crew to optimize the ship speed needed for the itinerary based on current environmental conditions and knowledge of an existing harmonic vibration that could be alleviated by changing propeller speed.

Thank you for your detailed explanation.    

[coffeebean]

On 1/5/2022 at 8:21 AM, vacation44 said:

Last month there were a lot of complaints regarding the Joy aft cabins with vibration issues.  Wondering if anyone has any recent experience with these cabins.   With the newest price drop for our sailing, I can upgrade our Haven Penthouse to an Aft for $200. 

I would not do it if I were you. This vibration in the aft is a known issue on Joy. We were moved to a cabin forward of the forward elevators and the ride there was smooth as silk. We took a walk to the back of the ship a few days after we were moved and the vibration was still very prominent. Walked back to our cabin and it was smooth as silk.

 

Don't do it.

 

As an aside........we were in an aft facing balcony three weeks prior on Serenade OTS. That cabin had absolutely no vibration and was quiet. NO COMPARISON to the vibration and creaking that was CONSTANT in the aft facing balcony on Joy on deck 14. We were told by customer service that there have been many complaints from passengers in the aft who demanded cabin changes on Joy.

Edited January 8, 2022 by coffeebean

[lkj1301]

Personally I will never book another aft Haven suite until the "known issue" is resolved.

 

Nice size and we didn't mind the walk (walk off those calories).  It wasn't even the noise issue as much as the vibration on the 3 out of 7 nights.  Vibrated so badly the 1st night, that woke up multiple times to take a pee!!!  Not just me, but both of us.  I normally get up 1x per night, but 5 times is a bit much.  

 

Even Armando (concierge)  thought the vibration was really bad.  When we spoke with him, the Haven was full so we couldn't be moved, but he found us another cabin (mini suite) to sleep in.

 

We were in a forward facing Haven suite on the Getaway a few years ago.  Balcony much smaller, still have plenty of room in the cabin (living rm & bdrm) and Haven is easily accessible for the sundeck and pool.

 

Don't do it!!!

Edited January 8, 2022 by lkj1301
addition

[vacation44]

3 minutes ago, coffeebean said:

I would not do it if I were you. This vibration in the aft is a known issue on Joy. We were moved to a cabin forward of the forward elevators and the ride there was smooth as silk. We took a walk to the back of the ship a few days after we were moved and the vibration was still very prominent. Walked back to our cabin and it was smooth as silk.

 

Don't do it.

Thank you very much for your input.   I am definitely NOT going to do it.    

[coffeebean]

On 1/6/2022 at 9:43 AM, aubreyc1988 said:

found this video, thanks to the creator. 

We took a video of our aft facing balcony cabin on Joy. We also filmed the shaking bottles on the counter top. I shudder to think how bad that experience was. We gave up that gorgeous aft facing view but it was worth it to be able to sleep.