Live from the Joy - 2/19 to 2/24 (5 nights from LA)

[debenson0723]

Better late than never. I wasn't sure if I would have time to devote to this but it's a quiet sea day so giving it a shot. No dailies, maybe photos, but mostly my experience so far and happy to answer questions. 

 

Background - sailed most of the big lines but come back to NCL because they are the most solo friendly. I sometimes have a Travel Companion (TC) and he is on this voyage. Just for reference, he is extremely laid back (sometimes I have to check to see if he has a pulse) and if he says something is "fine" that means he really liked it and if it is "OK" that means it is ok. I am much more social and, according to him, more opinionated. So you will get 2 perspectives. I booked this cruise 3 weeks out so did check in immediately after booking with an 11am ship check in time. Was able to book Ocean Blue at 6pm for embarkation day, Teppanyaki at 6pm on day 3 and Le Bistro on day 5. Also booked Elements for 9pm on day 4. Would figure out the rest on board.

 

Embarkation - it could not have gone smoother. My flight landed in Long Beach at 9:40 and TC landed 10 minutes later. His bag was first off the plane so we hopped in a cab ($47 flat rate) and were at the port 20 minutes later at 10:30. Breezed thru security, into the port check in where no one was in line and were on the ship by 11am! So not sure what time boarding started but it was early. The MDR didn't open until 11:30 so I grabbed my typical first cocktail, a Rebellious Fish, while TC went to book Footloose. He came back about 20 minutes later with a 9pm reservation for that night. We headed into Taste for lunch. Food was hot and tasty so no complaints there.

 

More to come...

[debenson0723]

This ship is packed. 4500 on board, way more than any sailing I have been on since the restart. It is a school holiday week in California but I knew that going in. I was told there are more 1st time NCL cruisers than ever before on this ship. Tons of teens. TC says I dislike kids and that is not true...they just annoy me when they run down the halls, scream or cry uncontrollably. But as long as they don't knock me down or eat all the desserts, I am fine with them. There was a letter in the cabin with information about drinking and gambling ages plus a curfew for teens...I had never seen that before.

 

Muster drill - I posted in another thread about our drill. It was really a non-issue for me. Arrived to the theater 10 minutes prior for a seat. Started promptly at 3:30, over at 3:41. They have tried to streamline it as much as possible. If passengers show up on time, are quiet and respectful to the crew, then it can go very fast. 

 

Internet - I have the unlimited internet package without streaming. TC has it with streaming because he owns his own business and has to work a few hours everyday. I have had zero issues connecting and posting every day. I use a Samsung Galaxy 22 Ultra. TC streamed a live hockey game on Sunday on his IPhone 14 with just a little buffering. He actually had a more difficult time connecting to a cell tower in Cabo, while I had cell service while on the ship. We have the same carrier so can't explain that one.

 

Dinner at Ocean Blue - this is only the 2nd time I have eaten here and it was outstanding. I had the Jumbo Shrimp Trio, clam chowder, grilled salmon with white wine lemon sauce (this was amazing) and the raspberry cheesecake in a jar. TC had the crab cake, gumbo, filet and same dessert. I don't understand how people can complain about the 1/1/1/1 limit on the coupons because this was way more food than I could comfortably eat. Our servers were fantastic and we really had a lovely time there. 

 

After dinner I was running out of steam after a 4am start to my day. We walked around the Waterfront a few times and I knew I would never make it to Footloose. So we checked the app and were able to book it for Monday night. 

 

There are 4 things I only consume on a cruise ship...bacon, bread, red meat and coffee. I managed to have them all within 12 hours of boarding. For me, that's the way to start my vacation!

 

 

[cruisebeachgirl703]

Following along, thanks. Can you post who the assistant general manager and beverage manager are this cruise. Thanks

[oteixeira]

Keep everything running well for us, we get on as you get off.  I am glad to hear things are starting to get smoother with the muster, I had a feeling the initial reports had more to do with crew being new to it (remember a lot of these folks where not crew members before covid) then on the entire system suddenly being broken.

[debenson0723]

Just now, cruisebeachgirl703 said:

Following along, thanks. Can you post who the assistant general manager and beverage manager are this cruise. Thanks

I will go check for you. I did not go to the M&G, which is a first for me. GM is Rohn, who I have sailed with 2 prior times. 

[debenson0723]

Monday - sea day

Before I forget, Captain Morgan is alive and well on the ship, as are mixed shots. 

 

After 12 hours of sleep (did I mention I was really tired?), I went downstairs to grab a Starbucks (using my app). Currently on this ship, they are doing an Officers Chat at 10am on sea days. The officers are mingling with guests in the atrium, just in front of Guest Services. Rohn flagged me down and we chatted for a few minutes. It's a great opportunity for passengers to have some face to face time with them. Not sure if this is fleet wide. 

 

After freshening up, I headed to the cruise next desk to get the number of passengers on board. I must say, this is the nicest group of CN employees I have seen in a long time. No hard sell of certificates or the credit card...just conversations about where I have sailed, what ships I have been on and suggestions of where to go next. I have been sailing about every 4 months since the restart and always looking for ideas.

 

Up next was meeting TC in Food Republic for lunch. This is probably our favorite food venue on the ships that have them and we paid out of pocket for lunch. I had the chicken teriyaki skewers and gyoza while he had the pad Thai, with chicken substituted for shrimp, and the spicy chicken somethings (I don't do spicy so can't remember the exact name). All was hot and favorable. 

 

Next was a trip to the casino. TC likes to temp the fates much more than I do...I just play gamble. But I did very well (for me) on our Prima cruise in October so I still had those winnings as my seed money. Unfortunately I did not see any slot machines calling my name. I like pirates and buffalos...most of these are dancing drums and other relics from the Joy's past life in Asia. After losing half my money I was finished for the afternoon and went home.

 

My cabin is a balcony on deck 12. I was going to book an inside but at 21 days out on a full ship, the only ones available were on deck 5, under the theater...no thanks. So I took a chance on a guaranteed balcony and am quite happy with my location.

 

Just before 6 I headed to the Haven for the Captain's cocktail party. We have Captain Dan from Sweden and I asked him to just keep doing what he was doing because this has been one smooth sailing. Spoke to Rohn a bit and his fabulous assistant. Then I saw Bruno from the CN desk and we chatted and laughed for a while. If you are on the Joy soon, stop by and see him...he is charming!

 

We had managed to snag a 7pm reservation at Cagneys (keep trying...there are always cancellations). I never realized the Cagneys menu is almost the same as the Ocean Blue menu. I had the crab cake (good but could have been hotter in the middle), wedge salad, 5 oz filet which was cooked to a perfect medium rare, truffled mashed potatoes and zucchini (I received 4 slices instead of 3 because I am special like that...IYKYN). TC had almost the same but the Caesar salad, 8 oz filet, broccoli and onion rings...so I guess not the same at all! Service was good, not great, and took only about a hour. I was stuffed again and ordered the 7 layer chocolate cake...to go! Yes, they plated it up for me and I carried it back to my room. 

 

Just before dinner we heard that Footloose was canceled for that evening due to a cast member injury. Should have gone last night! But that was ok, because it meant we could now go see the Beatles in the Cavern Club at 9:30! TC got in line at 8:40 (maybe 20 people ahead of him) while I went to the cabin to change. He sent me a text at 8:50 that he was inside and had a table. So that was perfect! This incarnation is Beatles Revolution and they were pretty good. They did the early years, which is TCs favorite, so he was thrilled. It was definitely SRO but the crowd really got into it so a lot of fun. 

 

There is lots of music and entertainment on board. There are 2 comedians and at least 1 magician (neither are my thing) and the following music: djs all day at the pool, The Wanted 3 times a night in Q, various piano players in the Observation Lounge starting late afternoon, even a piano player in Mixx bar outside the MDRs (never seen that). Then Arvin and Emily several times in the Atrium, Ryan North in the DBH, plus Latin fusion in the Sugarcane bar and rock music in the Cavern Club. And lastly a theme party every night in the Socal. So I am not seeing any entertainment cut backs.

[debenson0723]

1 hour ago, cruisebeachgirl703 said:

Following along, thanks. Can you post who the assistant general manager and beverage manager are this cruise. Thanks

Assistant GM is Trevor Swart. F&B is Ricardo Pinheiro Sr. I didn't see just beverage manager...I will look again when I go to dinner.

[debenson0723]

Tuesday - Cabo

Have been here many times so didn't really plan anything. Our arrival time was 11am. Had a nice breakfast in the MDR around 8:30 (yay for the little round hash browns being back!). No wait, Mixx bar not busy. While TC went to do a little work, I headed to the Waterfont to watch us sail in. It was a stunning morning, made even better by the playful whales. There were so many people on their port side balconies, clapping and laughing at the whales, that I am surprised we didn't list a little bit. We had priority disembarkation at noon so headed to the Social, where the wonderful Bruno escorted us to the tender. Now I have only gotten queasy on a ship once or twice but the worse was on a Cabo tender. So I took my Bonine prior to getting on and was so happy I did. That little boat was bouncing and bopping all over the waves...it was like Splash Mountain! Luckily it is a quick crossing and we were back on dry land in no time.

TC has not done a lot of traveling and gets nervous in unfamiliar (and foreign) countries. OTOH, I have been all over the world by myself and am not easily intimidated. We walked around downtown looking for a place to eat lunch, past all the massage vendors and fish that want to eat the dead skin off your feet. I was looking for a particular taco food truck (afterall, it was Taco Tuesday) but couldn't find it. So we settled on the Giggling Marlin, which was in TCs comfort zone. I have to say the food and service were very good and the restroom very clean. They have a place in the back where they will hang you upside down, just like a freshly caught Marlin. If only I had seen it prior to a belly full of shrimp tacos!

Not much else we wanted to do so headed back to the tender for the ride home. Much smoother this time.

 

Once back onboard, I sat on my balcony and ate cookies I had gotten from the buffet the day before (no baggie needed...I used a plate). I  also have yogurt, milk and a banana, just in case they run out of provisions. We had a reservation at 6 for Teppanyaki and got there at 5:45. We were whisked in and sat at a table where 6 other people were sitting, orders quickly taken, edemame, soup and salad brought out. It was like we were late or something. Soon our chef arrived and the 'show' began. We had 2 darling, well behaved boys at our table and they were really enjoying the chef. Fried rice is always my favorite but could have used a touch more soy sauce (unusual, I know). Shrimp and chicken were both great. TC had the chicken and NYStrip, which he said was tender. There was extra shrimp so he got a few and I took the extra veggies. Overall a pleasant meal but what's not to like? 

 

With our meal over by 6:50, we had time to get to the theater to see Beatles Revolution again. This time it was through the years, which I enjoy. Theater was fairly full and there was a section of women up front who seemed to believe they were seeing the original Beatles. No underwear thrown, but some flowers. Where did they get those?  It was fun to watch. 

Stopped by the casino and watched a couple of highrollers play blackjack, who were beating the house pretty handely...that was fun! Threw some more money away myself and was done for the night. My objective for this cruise was to eat, drink and sleep and I have been accomplishing this in spades. 

 

That brings me up to today, which I will try and post later tonight. We managed to get a reservation this morning for La Cucina tonight at 6:30...probably my least favorite restaurant but we'll see how it goes. I always go in with an open mind and positive attitude. Hey, at least I am not cooking!

[big al]

Great review, thanks! We are on the Joy for a 12 nighter 4/15..like you we also LOVE Ocean Blue..I had the Tiger Shrimp ( on the Encore last year..), Lobster Thermador, and Key Lime Pie..I almost called the medics it was so good..and dining outside over looking the sunset was fabulous!..I am a huge Beatles fan ( grew up with them.._), so we loved that..also loved the Observation Lounge on deck 15..simply stunning...The Waterfront is great...we love Teppanyaki, Food Republic as well..Cagney's is good, although some have said it has gone a bit downhill lately..we like Le BIstro, and the escargots there are killer..looking forward to more reviews!

 

Big Al

[phillygwm]

Great review.  I found the crew on the Joy to be outstanding last October, when I sailed.  I'm back in November as well.  I prefer the Observation Lounges on the ships with the large circular bars but, aside from that, Joy is up there among my favorites.

[bkrickles1]

12 hours ago, debenson0723 said:

Monday - sea day

Before I forget, Captain Morgan is alive and well on the ship, as are mixed shots. 

 

After 12 hours of sleep (did I mention I was really tired?), I went downstairs to grab a Starbucks (using my app). Currently on this ship, they are doing an Officers Chat at 10am on sea days. The officers are mingling with guests in the atrium, just in front of Guest Services. Rohn flagged me down and we chatted for a few minutes. It's a great opportunity for passengers to have some face to face time with them. Not sure if this is fleet wide. 

 

After freshening up, I headed to the cruise next desk to get the number of passengers on board. I must say, this is the nicest group of CN employees I have seen in a long time. No hard sell of certificates or the credit card...just conversations about where I have sailed, what ships I have been on and suggestions of where to go next. I have been sailing about every 4 months since the restart and always looking for ideas.

 

Up next was meeting TC in Food Republic for lunch. This is probably our favorite food venue on the ships that have them and we paid out of pocket for lunch. I had the chicken teriyaki skewers and gyoza while he had the pad Thai, with chicken substituted for shrimp, and the spicy chicken somethings (I don't do spicy so can't remember the exact name). All was hot and favorable. 

 

Next was a trip to the casino. TC likes to temp the fates much more than I do...I just play gamble. But I did very well (for me) on our Prima cruise in October so I still had those winnings as my seed money. Unfortunately I did not see any slot machines calling my name. I like pirates and buffalos...most of these are dancing drums and other relics from the Joy's past life in Asia. After losing half my money I was finished for the afternoon and went home.

 

My cabin is a balcony on deck 12. I was going to book an inside but at 21 days out on a full ship, the only ones available were on deck 5, under the theater...no thanks. So I took a chance on a guaranteed balcony and am quite happy with my location.

 

Just before 6 I headed to the Haven for the Captain's cocktail party. We have Captain Dan from Sweden and I asked him to just keep doing what he was doing because this has been one smooth sailing. Spoke to Rohn a bit and his fabulous assistant. Then I saw Bruno from the CN desk and we chatted and laughed for a while. If you are on the Joy soon, stop by and see him...he is charming!

 

We had managed to snag a 7pm reservation at Cagneys (keep trying...there are always cancellations). I never realized the Cagneys menu is almost the same as the Ocean Blue menu. I had the crab cake (good but could have been hotter in the middle), wedge salad, 5 oz filet which was cooked to a perfect medium rare, truffled mashed potatoes and zucchini (I received 4 slices instead of 3 because I am special like that...IYKYN). TC had almost the same but the Caesar salad, 8 oz filet, broccoli and onion rings...so I guess not the same at all! Service was good, not great, and took only about a hour. I was stuffed again and ordered the 7 layer chocolate cake...to go! Yes, they plated it up for me and I carried it back to my room. 

 

Just before dinner we heard that Footloose was canceled for that evening due to a cast member injury. Should have gone last night! But that was ok, because it meant we could now go see the Beatles in the Cavern Club at 9:30! TC got in line at 8:40 (maybe 20 people ahead of him) while I went to the cabin to change. He sent me a text at 8:50 that he was inside and had a table. So that was perfect! This incarnation is Beatles Revolution and they were pretty good. They did the early years, which is TCs favorite, so he was thrilled. It was definitely SRO but the crowd really got into it so a lot of fun. 

 

There is lots of music and entertainment on board. There are 2 comedians and at least 1 magician (neither are my thing) and the following music: djs all day at the pool, The Wanted 3 times a night in Q, various piano players in the Observation Lounge starting late afternoon, even a piano player in Mixx bar outside the MDRs (never seen that). Then Arvin and Emily several times in the Atrium, Ryan North in the DBH, plus Latin fusion in the Sugarcane bar and rock music in the Cavern Club. And lastly a theme party every night in the Socal. So I am not seeing any entertainment cut backs.

Sailed Joy 6/26/22 after being on Escape and Encore in previous years.

Joy's entertainment was terrific! As you said, there's tons of live music everywhere and the 2 big theater shows were great too. I'd probably rate Elements above Footloose, but both are very enjoyable.

The Wanted were on our sailing too. We stopped by Q a couple of times for a drink and to listen to them a little. It was so nice walking the ship at night and stopping in each bar/venue and listening to something different in each. My kind of entertainment!

Of course I had to go to the Cavern club at least twice to listen to a couple of Beatles sets. First time we had seats right next to the stage. Me, my wife, daughter and bf had a blast! Second time, I just walked in as they were about to start and stood, rocking out, near the door. So fun!!

Food and service were good too. Ate at Cagneys and Ocean Blue and both were very enjoyable.

You need to have certain expectations when sailing these big ships. If you're smart with how you order, the experience can be quite good.

We enjoyed Joy so much that we allowed our niece and nephew to convince us to join them on Joy on July 23rd.

[cruisebeachgirl703]

12 hours ago, debenson0723 said:

Assistant GM is Trevor Swart. F&B is Ricardo Pinheiro Sr. I didn't see just beverage manager...I will look again when I go to dinner.

Thanks. Yes, Beverage Manager when you have time.

Edited February 23, 2023 by cruisebeachgirl703
typo

[debenson0723]

5 hours ago, cruisebeachgirl703 said:

Thanks. Yes, Beverage Manager when you have time.

Jojo Chen is the beverage manager.

[debenson0723]

Wednesday - sea day

Another lazy sea day. TC went to Boot Camp at the gym while I got my workout going to the MDR. This was by far the most people I have seen on any sailing waiting to eat breakfast. I cannot even imagine what the buffet must have looked like! I received a pager (first time ever) and proceeded to Mixx for a mimosa. There were 4 bartenders making cocktails plus an Officer and two waiters delivering them to the 2 MDRs. Even with all that going on, I waited less than a minute to get my drink. Soon after that my pager went off and I was seated so about a 7 minute wait all together.

Breakfast was a disappointment. All I wanted was an open face bagel with salmon and cream cheese and that's what I received but the cream cheese was non existent. I was picturing what you see in the commercials, with an inch of fluffy whiteness on the bottom layer. Instead it looked like a schmear of what is left over on my knife after I apply it at home. But that didn't stop me from eating it...I know not to order that again. I did get my requisite bacon and hash browns and they were both delish.

Next up was my required Frappuccino from Starbucks. Just an FYI, on the Joy you can only get Frapps at the deck 6 Atrium location...the Observation Lounge location does not make them

Stopped by to make a quick donation to the casino. I have to say this casino has never been busy, no matter what time of day I have been there. Not sure if it's the demographics of this sailing or what but I find this very unusual. And just for reference, this ship has a separate enclosed smoking section, which is much appreciated. 

 

Came back to my cabin to start this review. Switching gears a moment, I know that the once a day service is a hot topic but for me personally it is not an issue. Maybe if I were messy or had kids with me I would feel differently. My steward, Jordan, is great. I met him on embarkation day after dinner. He knocked on my door to introduce himself and said he was worried I had missed the ship because he never saw any luggage outside my door and I didn't show up until after sailaway (so he was told by another steward). I assured him everything was fine but my mini fridge was locked for some reason. He apologized, unlocked it and we had a brief conversation about the changes. He wanted to make sure I knew it was only once a day. I told him that might be even too much for me and not to worry about it. I typically use my towels more than once, just like at home. I consider myself pretty low maintenance, though some would disagree. Ok, back to the sea day.

 

TC went to grab a "snack" at Food Republic then we met up at The Local for lunch. The wait was 45 minutes and he would starve before then (enter an eye roll from me here) so we went to the Buffet. He grabbed an assortment of food but I have hit that 'nothing looks good and I don't need to eat just to eat' mode. Does anyone else get that way after a few days? But I did need a cocktail so got one from the bar to enjoy. He then went back to work and I wandered a bit. But it was SO crowded.

 

Dinner was at 6:30 in La Cucina. If anyone is wondering,  we each  had 1 FAS specialty voucher and are both Platinum so 2 vouchers each to share. So that is 5 specialty restaurants on a 5 day cruise.

I mentioned before that La Cucina is not my favorite but always willing to give it a try. With our voucher we could get one item from the left side of the menu (apps/pasta) and one item from the right side (pizza/entree). We also received a basket of bread, which was hot and crusty. I chose both from the left...burrata appetizer and an entree size lasagna. TC got the Carbanara from the left and Chicken Caccatori from the right. My burrata was huge and I could not finish it. The tomatoes in the dish were very fresh and seasoned just as I like them. TCs carbanara was good sized and he ate it all (he is always a member of the clean plate club...I eat until I am full and have no issue leaving a few bites on my plate). My lasagna was also hot and flavorful...no complaints and again, I could not eat it all. TC received his chicken and stated he was having Deja Vu. Apparently on our Escape cruise last year he ordered the same 2 items and thought both were different things. He thought the pasta was supposed to have a red sauce (nope) and the chicken was more like chicken parm (nope again). But he declared it good and ate it all. Side note: I had some leftover free bottle of wine from my Monday night dinner at Cagneys (TC doesn't drink). They held the bottle for me and brought it to La Cucina. I still couldn't finish it and asked if I wanted to take the rest to my room...so I did. We topped off the meal with dessert...he had Tiramesu, which was huge, and I had the cannolis. One pistachio, one chocolate and one gummy bear. Ok maybe the weren't chopped up gummies but tasted like it. That one stayed on the plate to feed to the fishes.

 

The end of the night to come...

[cruisebeachgirl703]

2 hours ago, debenson0723 said:

Jojo Chen is the beverage manager.

Thanks!

[cruisebeachgirl703]

What did you like/order at Ocean Blue?

[ChiefMateJRK]

21 hours ago, debenson0723 said:

Ryan North in the DBH

Ryan is fantastic!! 😎

 

If you're a fan, he does a great rendition of Pink Floyd's "wish you were here."  He played it for me three times last October.

Edited February 23, 2023 by ChiefMateJRK

[debenson0723]

58 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Ryan is fantastic!! 😎

 

If you're a fan, he does a great rendition of Pink Floyd's "wish you were here."  He played it for me three times last October.

Good to know. Haven't seen him yet but hope to catch him tonight.

[cruisebeachgirl703]

1 hour ago, cruisebeachgirl703 said:

What did you like/order at Ocean Blue?

Read post again and saw selections. good to know.

[debenson0723]

Wednesday - sea day (part 2)

First off, let me say these reviews are a lot more work than I thought (and I am not even adding attachments). I love reading them and have an even greater appreciation going forward.

 

After dinner we had reservations for the Elements show at 9:30. The theater was full but we had gotten there about 25 minutes early so had good seats. I don't mind sitting and people watching. I have seen many of the Cirque shows and enjoy this type of entertainment but for some reason, this just didn't do it for me. I think I was expecting more singing and more of a plot. But I appreciate the time and effort the entertainers put into the performance. Some of them were amazing. TC really enjoyed it and couldn't understand why I didn't but to each their own. I love Choir of Man and know some people don't. It is what makes us all unique.

 

Just prior to the show I noticed that the barf bags had been put out around the ship. It was definitely rocky but I didn't think that bad. I went to my cabin around 11:30 and the wind was really howling and the ship creaking. It was more of a front to back, than side to side rolling. The most motion I have felt in a long time...but I still slept like a log all night.

 

Rewind back (I really should have kept notes): on Monday evening we went to Guest Services and bought transfers to LAX for Friday. We departed from Port 92 (usual port) but are disembarking at Pier 50 (no idea where this is). Though we usually take private transportation, to alleviate any stress we decided to go this route. $25 each, meet on deck 7 tomorrow at 8:15...gonna be a rude awakening back to reality. Weather prediction is rain and for the first time ever, I did not pack a umbrella. Let's see...Friday morning, LA traffic, rain...what could possibly go wrong?

[luvcruzing]

Thanks for sharing your cruise with us.  I really enjoyed following along. Safe travels home.

[swmichigan cruiser]

Thanks also from us. Haven't been on the Joy yet but have been on the Bliss, Escape and Encore. But we will be on the Joy for 26 nights in April.

[clojacks]

4 hours ago, debenson0723 said:

Wednesday - sea day (part 2)

First off, let me say these reviews are a lot more work than I thought (and I am not even adding attachments). I love reading them and have an even greater appreciation going forward.

 

After dinner we had reservations for the Elements show at 9:30. The theater was full but we had gotten there about 25 minutes early so had good seats. I don't mind sitting and people watching. I have seen many of the Cirque shows and enjoy this type of entertainment but for some reason, this just didn't do it for me. I think I was expecting more singing and more of a plot. But I appreciate the time and effort the entertainers put into the performance. Some of them were amazing. TC really enjoyed it and couldn't understand why I didn't but to each their own. I love Choir of Man and know some people don't. It is what makes us all unique.

 

Just prior to the show I noticed that the barf bags had been put out around the ship. It was definitely rocky but I didn't think that bad. I went to my cabin around 11:30 and the wind was really howling and the ship creaking. It was more of a front to back, than side to side rolling. The most motion I have felt in a long time...but I still slept like a log all night.

 

Rewind back (I really should have kept notes): on Monday evening we went to Guest Services and bought transfers to LAX for Friday. We departed from Port 92 (usual port) but are disembarking at Pier 50 (no idea where this is). Though we usually take private transportation, to alleviate any stress we decided to go this route. $25 each, meet on deck 7 tomorrow at 8:15...gonna be a rude awakening back to reality. Weather prediction is rain and for the first time ever, I did not pack an umbrella. Let's see...Friday morning, LA traffic, rain...what could possibly go wrong?

Just an FYI, we disembarked Joy after a Canal crossing on Feb 5, and it was a nightmare. It took us 2 hours after leaving the ship to exit the terminal. At that disembarkation, there were 2 lines of passengers leaving the luggage corral and doing a slowww death walk to customs. We chose the left line, and watched as passengers next to us kept getting further and further ahead of us. Signs said that they were using face recognition, but the 7 customs agents must not have been aware of that. So, basically, 7 customs agents for 3800 passengers, didn’t work real well. We had transfers, and we barely made our LAX flights. NCL disembarks by transfer time, but that is the last time that your transfer time has any baring on how quick you board a bus. You don’t enter a line assigned to your color, you don’t get on a bus assigned to your color; it is the most disorganized disembarkation over ever seen. 
 

By the way, the Buffalo machine in the Casino was hot during our cruise if you have time. It is in the hallway through the Casino.

[debenson0723]

33 minutes ago, clojacks said:

Just an FYI, we disembarked Joy after a Canal crossing on Feb 5, and it was a nightmare. It took us 2 hours after leaving the ship to exit the terminal. At that disembarkation, there were 2 lines of passengers leaving the luggage corral and doing a slowww death walk to customs. We chose the left line, and watched as passengers next to us kept getting further and further ahead of us. Signs said that they were using face recognition, but the 7 customs agents must not have been aware of that. So, basically, 7 customs agents for 3800 passengers, didn’t work real well. We had transfers, and we barely made our LAX flights. NCL disembarks by transfer time, but that is the last time that your transfer time has any baring on how quick you board a bus. You don’t enter a line assigned to your color, you don’t get on a bus assigned to your color; it is the most disorganized disembarkation over ever seen. 
 

By the way, the Buffalo machine in the Casino was hot during our cruise if you have time. It is in the hallway through the Casino.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I have sailed in and out of this port multiple times (including after a PC cruise on the Bliss) and its always a crap shoot. I usually get a porter and we head out on the very far left side of the terminal. They do have facial recognition there. Worth a few bucks just to get out of that mess quickly. I know with the transfer I won't be able to do that tomorrow. But there are hourly flights from LAX to Phoenix and I don't have to be at work until Monday so have some flexibility. 

And thanks for the Buffalo tip. Maybe it will be good to me tonight.

[debenson0723]

Before I finish this review, probably tomorrow, I have to share the experience I just had. 

We had dinner tonight in Le Bistro. The food was top notch, as usual. Its a little too fancy for TCs taste but we both enjoyed the filet. He had the Strawberry diplomat dessert (fancy strawberry shortcake) but again I was too full and asked if I could take the Chocolate Marquise back to my room. I was told of course and to let them know when I was ready to leave. So a few minutes later I told the waiter I was ready to go. Next thing I know, this cutest little busboy comes with my dessert and says he will escort me back to my cabin with it! I told him I appreciated the gesture but it was totally unnecessary. They both insisted so off we went to deck 12, TC trailing behind (insert huge eye roll from him here). I really felt uncomfortable getting in the elevator with someone else carrying my dessert.

The busboy is on his first contract, first time away from home. He is enjoying it but misses his family in Peru. I just couldn't get over this kind gesture. We got to my cabin and he set down my dessert. I gave him a tip and his face lit up with a big smile, his new braces gleaming. 

I just can't get over how thoughtful this was and so unnecessary. But a wonderful gesture that I will remember for a long time.