Family Suite on the NCL Joy and next cruise cert

[bazan]

Hi

 

2 questions and hoping someone  can help

 

1) trying to decide between the balcony and the family suite on the joy? 2hat are the perks you receive with their family suite... other than what listed there is nothing saying about special breakfast or lunch like mentioned on the other ship. it seems like these are also ALL inside stateroom as well which is fine as well as for the past cruises we have always been booking balcony but with 2 older kids now (12 and 16) would probably  appreciate more the privacy and space then the smallish balcony that cannot fit 4 anyways. But i would still like to see what extra value we get from the suite. I did try quoting for Haven but the price is really high and doubt it will be worth it for us ( we are doing the NY departure itinerary) 

 

2) we got emails advicing us that 4 of our Next cruise certs expiring this Aug got extended to dec 31 of this year. do these get the same treatment as fcc credits and can be fully refund i  cash if cannot use? or do i have to start sailing before the expiry date or else forfeited?

 

TIA

[complawyer]

hop this helps: if  you look at the family suite floorplan, it shows there is a window, so it for sure isnt an inside cabin only drawback is no balcony, which would be a deal breaker for my wife  & I.

 

if a balcony isnt necessary for you, the family suite is almost twice as large as the balcony.

 

in the descriptions of suites and haven suites, they usually indicate a butler and concierge. i checked the joy and this isnt mentioned.

 

if youre thinking about a suite, i would call ncl (or my travel agent if youre using one) and see if tis perk is available. it makes a world of difference (IMHO)

 

have you checked the   haven 2 bedroom family villa ?  this cabin may check all your boxes and then some.

[vacation44]

When we booked  the Joy this past November for our sailing this Saturday,  I did a lot of research on the Joy non-Haven Suites.  At that time, it came with a lot of amenities which included Bulter and Concierge service, breakfast and lunch at LaCucina and priority boarding.  Within two weeks, they took the majority of the perks .  There are a few threads on it as a few of us were not happy.    They did keep the priority boarding.

 

Regarding the family suite, it is an inside, spacious suite without a window.  The window you see is actually a video screen.     A lot of positive reviews about the actual cabin. 

[bazan]

5 hours ago, complawyer said:

hop this helps: if  you look at the family suite floorplan, it shows there is a window, so it for sure isnt an inside cabin only drawback is no balcony, which would be a deal breaker for my wife  & I.

 

if a balcony isnt necessary for you, the family suite is almost twice as large as the balcony.

 

in the descriptions of suites and haven suites, they usually indicate a butler and concierge. i checked the joy and this isnt mentioned.

 

if youre thinking about a suite, i would call ncl (or my travel agent if youre using one) and see if tis perk is available. it makes a world of difference (IMHO)

 

have you checked the   haven 2 bedroom family villa ?  this cabin may check all your boxes and then some.

I actually checked the floor plan... it is actually an inside... the windows is a virtual "window"

[bazan]

5 hours ago, vacation44 said:

When we booked  the Joy this past November for our sailing this Saturday,  I did a lot of research on the Joy non-Haven Suites.  At that time, it came with a lot of amenities which included Bulter and Concierge service, breakfast and lunch at LaCucina and priority boarding.  Within two weeks, they took the majority of the perks .  There are a few threads on it as a few of us were not happy.    They did keep the priority boarding.

 

Regarding the family suite, it is an inside, spacious suite without a window.  The window you see is actually a video screen.     A lot of positive reviews about the actual cabin. 

Thanks.. that's what I thought.. i wonder what perks are left (if anyone can chime in).. it works out in  my case  approx $200per day difference for this "grand" inside suite vs all 4 of us squeeze into a balcony... decision decision... 

[SliderNc]

The other option would be to book a balcony for you and the wife and the kids in an inside (you have to book with a parent/kid per room).  That way, you all have the space you need, a balcony and privacy. 

[susique]

I did inquire with 6 NCL agents, then pre-concierge.  I finally got the answer to the perks from VP Customer service.  Even though all the perks were still listed until late November (I even sent a copy and a long letter to corporate) they explained that it was an oversite.  According to them, the perks are as follows:

 

1  Priority embark/disembark

2. Updated bedding

3. 2 free room service for a 7 day cruise.

4. Any perks you have from latitudes.

 

There is no longer a butler.  There is a suite Concierge but you have to find him.  They stopped that breakfast and lunch when they did the restart.  

 

I will say the cabin is perfect for a family. Lots of room.  The virtual window looks cool, but someone said they turn it off at night.  We had one booked, but the prices went down so we upgraded to a Haven suite.  

 

 

[Nursecon]

I know this is an old post...but recently booked our first cruise in Joy's Family Suite and curious if the priority embarking and disembarking are still available with this suite? I keep seeing conflicting information on it.

Thanks!

[knitlady037]

I took my 3 grandkids on  the joy last year in the 2 bedroom family suite. They absolutely LOVED it. The girls 16 & 19 stayed in the smaller bedroom with their own bathroom and grandson stayed in the living room area. I had the beautiful master bedroom. Would do it again at the drop of a hat.

[evanskl4]

I have the family suite booked this fall and was also wondering if the priority embarking (and 2 free room services) is still a perk. It sounds like the people who ask for it get it but they don't make it easy or obvious...

[smellywax]

I was also wondering if the family suites on the Joy still get priority boarding/disembarking and 2 free room service 

[Manning18]

We have this cabin booked for the end of October and received priority luggage tags in the mail.  At least our luggage will be priority.  

[evanskl4]

On 10/13/2023 at 10:21 AM, Manning18 said:

We have this cabin booked for the end of October and received priority luggage tags in the mail.  At least our luggage will be priority.  

Same here for my Thanksgiving week trip.
Please report back on any other perks if you're able. Thanks!

[itsnotjustme]

On 2/9/2022 at 5:28 PM, bazan said:

2hat are the perks you receive with their family suite... other than what listed there is nothing saying about special breakfast or lunch like mentioned on the other ship. it seems like these are also ALL inside stateroom

We looked seriously at a Family Suite on the Joy, the realized while called a suite it lacks suite perks.  No special breakfast & lunch.

 

While they appear to show a window, it is a video screen.  They were all inside when we looked.

 

[mking8288]

We sailed last May (2022) on the Joy and had 2 Family Inside Suites booked when prices were good and loved the extra room, just 3 adults per cabin, 2 bathrooms and 3 TV, a living room and dining area in the middle plus extra Latitudes points as it is classified as a suite.  Otherwise, there are no suite perks of true value to speak of, really, IMHO.  

 

The 2 treats were delivered by housekeeping, same cookies that you can get in the buffet free yourselves.  Breakfast delivery was NOT free and that's off the regular continental menu options - and even if free, you are saving a whopping $5 plus 20% fee times 2 or $12, not a big deal.  I think we had a complimentary bottle of sparking wine (Duc) worth about $6 to $8 retail.  

 

The virtual screen was live 23/7 (it was offline briefly until call to Guest Services to have the live stream rebooted) but at 720/1080p, not sharp enough ... need 2K with the 60 inch'ish double stacked "stationary" or non-panning display.  

 

Concierge help is for dining & show reservations only, nothing else, and you are basically calling the Latitudes/CruiseNext desk for the services - just as easy to use the Reservation Help Desk for dinner.  

 

For disembarkation, you do get Priority colored luggage tags, good if you are in a hurry to catch a flight, but not necessary escort to the gangway.  

 

Looked at the recent prices for those suites, not worth paying extras for - could book 2 balconies for less and won't really missed the stripped down perks.  Follow the signature link below to find the review last year.  

[Manning18]

On 10/13/2023 at 10:21 AM, Manning18 said:

We have this cabin booked for the end of October and received priority luggage tags in the mail.  At least our luggage will be priority.  

We disembarked on Saturday.  To follow up on any special benefits for the two-bedroom suite, we didn't notice anything different from the usual Club Balcony suite.  In our cabin, we did receive a welcome letter from a concierge providing his extension and invitation to contact him for reservations (restaurants, shows, activities, spa, etc.).  We had already booked what we wanted pre-cruise.

 

You "should" receive priority boarding.  This was the absolute worst embarkation we have ever experienced.  People started lining up when they called for special assistance.  Once the special assistance went through, the mob started moving forward.  I was separated from my husband and son.  I finally got to the front of the line to be next for boarding, when they decided to send this line to another entrance and had everyone turn around.  I ended up at the end of the line.  It was crazy.  I didn't get to The Local to meet my family until an hour after they'd arrived there.  

 

As for priority luggage tags, the luggage was lined up in the hallways and not delivered to the rooms.  We happened upon two of our suitcases and then scouted our third one in an adjacent hallway.  

 

The cabins are opened by floor.  We were on deck 11.  Our cabins weren't available until 3:00.

 

The disembarkation was the quickest I've had on NCL (which isn't saying a lot).  We had priority luggage tags delivered to our room allowing us to leave the ship any time between 7:45 and 10:00.  I don't know if that is a perk for the 2 BR suite or not.  Others included with the priority tags were platinum and up and priority.  

 

As for the cabin, I personally missed the balcony, but the space was perfect for us.  Hope this helps.

 

Bon Voyage!

[UKstages]

2 hours ago, Manning18 said:

As for priority luggage tags, the luggage was lined up in the hallways and not delivered to the rooms.  We happened upon two of our suitcases and then scouted our third one in an adjacent hallway.  

that is normal and an interim step in the delivery process. first, the bags get delivered to the deck… they then get sorted and delivered to the room. many people see their bags in the hallway, however, and take them before the attendants are able to deliver them to their stateroom.  

[complawyer]

huh?  most 2 bedrooms include 24 hr on call butler service, cabin cleaning twice a day, breakfast and lunch at moderno and cagneys. usually the suites are the 1st ones to be cleaned and readied for the passengers.

 

once you are past the security checkpoint, you are taken to a specially designated area, and in about 10-15 minutes you (at least this has been our experience) are taken to cagney's for a quiet. leisurely lunch, and in about an hr or so, your cabin is ready.

 

maybe i missed something, but what ship were you on? there is an entire world of difference between even the "club balcony" suites, and a suite, be it haven or just a suite. 

if you didnt notice anything different, either i have completely misunderstood your post, or you missed something.

 

by the way, club balcony 'suites' are simply renamed mini suites and offer only a few  of the amenities available if you book a suite.

 

 

[Manning18]

27 minutes ago, UKstages said:

that is normal and an interim step in the delivery process. first, the bags get delivered to the deck… they then get sorted and delivered to the room. many people see their bags in the hallway, however, and take them before the attendants are able to deliver them to their stateroom.  

I’m familiar with the usual, normal process, but this wasn’t it. They even stopped liquor service as people weren’t getting their suitcases out of the hallway. I’ve never seen anything like this, not even the night before when luggage is to be placed outside your cabin. No attendants anywhere. 

[Manning18]

29 minutes ago, complawyer said:

huh?  most 2 bedrooms include 24 hr on call butler service, cabin cleaning twice a day, breakfast and lunch at moderno and cagneys. usually the suites are the 1st ones to be cleaned and readied for the passengers.

 

once you are past the security checkpoint, you are taken to a specially designated area, and in about 10-15 minutes you (at least this has been our experience) are taken to cagney's for a quiet. leisurely lunch, and in about an hr or so, your cabin is ready.

 

maybe i missed something, but what ship were you on? there is an entire world of difference between even the "club balcony" suites, and a suite, be it haven or just a suite. 

if you didnt notice anything different, either i have completely misunderstood your post, or you missed something.

 

by the way, club balcony 'suites' are simply renamed mini suites and offer only a few  of the amenities available if you book a suite.

 

 

This is called a suite, but is not a Haven suite. It is on the Joy, which has some unusual differences from other NCL ships. People have commented that the Cagney’s breakfast was offered pre Covid, but no longer. 

[Russiamomm]

1 hour ago, Manning18 said:

This is called a suite, but is not a Haven suite. It is on the Joy, which has some unusual differences from other NCL ships. People have commented that the Cagney’s breakfast was offered pre Covid, but no longer. 

Right.  The Joy has a full Haven (and it’s fantastic!).  The 2BR suites being discussed here are inside cabins - not the 2BR Haven suite.  They come with some perks, but not breakfast and lunch like suites get on ships without a full Haven.  People in these suites do not have access to the Haven or its restaurant.  

[complawyer]

ok, so i concede i misunderstood the post. i guess the joy is unique it  the way it offers its  cabin selection.

 

we've booked suites and haven suites (mostly 2 bedroom) and they all came with the amenities listed.

on ships that offer both haven and suites, the perks are the same, but you dont get access to the haven section like the pool area and the haven bar and restaurants. for the difference in price, i book the suite, and forego the designated pool and bar

[UKstages]

5 hours ago, Manning18 said:

They even stopped liquor service as people weren’t getting their suitcases out of the hallway.

 

please explain.

 

are you saying the bars and restaurants stopped serving liquor because luggage had not yet been delivered to staterooms? and that in order to promote the prompt retrieval of bags by passengers it was necessary to stop bar service? and that cabin attendants were not delivering bags to staterooms? and that there were no cabin attendants visible on embarkation day at all?

[Manning18]

I was in my cabin when my son came in and said they stopped liquor service on a temporary basis to get people to clear the hallways of their luggage. I never heard an announcement. 
 

This was my 49th cruise and the first time ever that I didn’t meet my cabin steward the first day. 
 

It’s likely that others had a different experience. 

[UKstages]

on a recent back-to-back on the joy, i didn't meet my cabin attendant on the second cruise on the first day, either. it's not all that unusual.

 

as for the closing of the bars... that would be pretty hard to do and would likely cause more upheaval than people complaining about getting their bags, if indeed people were complaining about that. there could be more to this story than you or your son are privy to. the whole thing sounds extraordinarily odd,