Norwegian Joy Mini Review: 5 night sailing out of LA

[sailawaybellaluna]

I thought I would start a mini review on my cruise last week aboard the Norwegian Joy!

 

A little about me: I usually sail with my husband and two kids (and often times my parents, brother and SIL as well). However this cruise was a little "momcation" for me and a friend. It was my 33rd cruise and her FIRST ever! 

 

I had sailed on the joy right after her refurbishment in 2019, and enjoyed a wonderful cruise through Alaska on board with my daughter. I thought this would be a great ship for a first-timer and was really excited to introduce my friend to cruising!

 

More to come...

[sailawaybellaluna]

Now when we decided to take a cruise, we were hoping to go over President's Day weekend since our kids are out of school for 4 days and we wouldn't be too concerned with drop off, pickup, homework, etc. Make it easy on the husbands and grandparents so this becomes an annual getaway! 🤪

 

I found the itinerary back in September and we decided to jump on it. We got a great deal that included one evening in the specialty dining, 75 minutes of free Wi-Fi, unlimited open bar, and discounted shore excursions.

 

We only live an hour from the port of LA so we packed up and headed out! I am not a light packer by any means, but we knew we would end the week with Stormy weather and had to be prepared! Two big suitcases and two carry-ons for both of us. 🙈

 

 

[FLAHAM]

On a 5-day I get by with a carry-on.

[cruiseny4life]

6 minutes ago, FLAHAM said:

On a 5-day I get by with a carry-on.

On a 9 day I get by with a book bag and half a carry-on. My husband uses the other half. Holy suitcases! 

 

But hey, these ladies are prepared for anything and everything! I'm here for it. 

[sailawaybellaluna]

Ok, so off we go. We had an 11-11:30am boarding time. Thanks to some recent reviews here on Cruise Critic, I had a heads up to what a disaster embarkation and disembarkation has been lately on the Joy. 😳 They were not exaggerating. 

 

And on this cruise we really had the perfect storm, literally. More to come on that during our last day.

 

I had checked the port of LA schedule to see which berth the Joy would be leaving from and arriving at. I also called Norwegian the day prior to confirm where we should park as our boarding documents just gave the general address for the port...I knew we would be leaving from Berth 92. I sailed from there on the Discovery Princess several weeks ago and had the easiest time boarding and disembarking. This was a totally different scenario. 

 

Most of us were looping around birth 92 until they finally placed an employee out there to tell us to park down at berth 46 and take the shuttle back (opposite of what NCL had advised). Ok, no big deal. The sun was shining, the rain had stopped, and we were excited to get on board! We decided to do one more loop and drop our luggage off with the porters before heading down to berth 46.

 

It was probably 2 miles down the road and we encountered quite a queue to get in and park. But we found a spot and were grabbing our carry-ons and walking towards the line for the shuttle. Again, a few extra steps. In Southern California I'm used to just parking right at the port and walking on and off the ship.

 

We got on a very crowded (standing room only) shuttle and made our way back to berth 92 again. 

 

We grabbed our carry on, and started queuing for security. It was very quick and efficient. There was someone standing at the front of the line specifically for Haven guests so they could jump ahead. Sadly, that wasn't us!

 

After security we went inside the terminal and queued up again for our sail and sign cards. The process probably took another 30 minutes and then we were free to board the ship!

 

 

[sailawaybellaluna]

One thing I love about NCL is that you can eat lunch in Savor or Taste (can't recall which) upon boarding. I'm not a buffet person, and after a chaotic morning I really appreciated sitting down at a proper table and having a lovely lunch!

 

The service was a bit slow and chaotic, but I think that's very typical for the first day of a cruise! The staff were very friendly and I thought the food was delicious! I had a vegetable risotto and my friend had the fish and chips and we both enjoyed drinks.

 

Keep in mind that even if you have the beverage package, any drink you purchase that may be above the $15 limit will also be charged an additional tax (on the full retail price of the beverage) while in a US port. Definitely not a big deal, but something to be aware of. 

 

There were a lot of carry-ons in the dining room as none of the cabins were ready as of yet. We finished our lunch around 1:30 but our cabin still wasn't ready. 

 

At this point we decided to try and go up to the observation lounge but it was absolutely packed. Everyone had the same idea and you could hardly navigate with all the people and luggage. So we headed back to Deck 10 and asked if we could just leave our luggage in our closet and leave. We went to wander around the outer decks and take a tour of the ship! It was such a beautiful day! As it turns out many cabins weren't ready until after 4:00 p.m! It's been a while since I cruised NCL, but I found this to be really late?!

 

 

 

 

[sailawaybellaluna]

Around 3:15 we saw all the doors open to our hall and went to spend a few minutes in our cabin before the muster. 

 

We were in #10178 - balcony midship. I have no complaints about the cabin, it was a great location, spacious with plenty of storage, and I love that the bathroom doesn't have a curtain! I was able to notice the wear and tear on the sofa, decorative pillows and some of the drawers since my last sailing. But hey, it's been 4 years. 

 

One thing to keep in mind is this cabin and many next to it do not have a clear view down to the water. Rather, you see the top of the Waterfront on deck 8. Not a big deal but something worth mentioning.

[sailawaybellaluna]

At this point it was time to head to the muster drill. Pre-covid, in-person drills are back! We were in the theater and it was standing room only. 😳 Fortunately it was very fast and efficient and we were able to head back to our cabin afterwards.

 

My friend's luggage has already been delivered, so she got down to work unpacking while I relaxed on the balcony a bit reading a new to me CoHo book. Her best one yet I think!

 

[sailawaybellaluna]

We had 5:30pm dinner reservations in The Manhattan dining room tonight. I made reservations about a month or two prior to sailing, and I'm so glad I did! In general, I felt the dining venues were always quite busy, even when dining early.

 

Unfortunately on this night we were placed in the aft, right near the waiter station where all the cutlery and trays and menus are organized. It was so so noisy, and I always had someone's bottom in my face while they were at the station. Literally there were always 2-5 people there, and it was sometimes difficult to even hold a conversation across the table while they were working. Eeek. 

 

However, our dinner was delicious. We finished and decided to head to the casino to explore. 

 

Afterwards we enjoyed looking at all the plaques and welcome gifts that were given to the Joy during their Maiden voyage season. The details on model ship were amazing! 

[sailawaybellaluna]

Day 2: Today was a day at sea. While it turned quite cloudy and a bit stormy later on, we had a gorgeous morning on the balcony to enjoy our coffee. 

 

I'd love to say we enjoyed room service as well, but the experience that day wasn't the best. It took roughly 18 minutes on hold just to get through and place our order, and then 1 hour and 10 minutes for it to be delivered. To be honest I wasn't too shocked as I know sea days are always so busy for room service. We had nowhere to be and I was pretty relaxed about it. (I take my own ground coffee and French press and usually fill it from the hot water / tea stations) so I was just happy to have my coffee in hand. Unfortunately when our food arrived, half of it was missing. Only one entree (an omelette) arrived, and it was cold. No salt and pepper, no cutlery. A call to room service (where I waited again) yielded an apology and they sent another entree which arrived around 30 minutes later. 

 

I did receive a call from the room service manager later that morning to apologize. He waived the $4.95 service fee and then sent a plate of chocolate truffles to the room. I appreciated the gesture. In general, I don't get too upset about these little inconveniences, they're part of the travel experience. I was just bummed as it was my friend's very first cruise and I wanted her to have the best experience possible. 

[sailawaybellaluna]

One issue that I continued to deal with today was talking with guest services regarding an item which was confiscated from my luggage. The night before my suitcase did not arrive until around 8:30 p.m. Once opened I discovered a note that a prohibited item, "a steamer" had been confiscated. Ironically, I don't own a steamer and have never packed one on a trip, so I assumed the letter was placed in there by mistake? Until I realized my beloved hot rollers were missing. Ack. Now I've taken these on several cruises (including this very ship), so I was sure it would be a simple conversation with guest services. It was not. Over the course of 2 days and four phone calls, they were finally able to locate the hot rollers and I was told the only way I could get them back was if I waited in my room for the ships electrician to bring them and test them in my cabin.  I waited and waited the first night, but he didn't come. Finally during the second afternoon I just said he is welcome to come at anytime and test them in my cabin and if they could please be left there for me. Finally that evening, we were reunited! Another random, strange experience! 🤪

[sailawaybellaluna]

We headed to the Local for lunch on this particular day, and happened to be there when Deal or No Deal was starting. If you've read my other reviews, you may remember that I don't typically go to many shows/quizzes, etc. I'm pretty low key, reading on my balcony much of the time. 

 

Well I would have never guessed I would be chanting GARY! GARY! GARY! halfway through my cobb salad. But here we are. Gary from Minnesota rocked the game, and Emma the cruise director did a great job hosting. We really enjoyed watching!!

 

Afterwards we spent some time in the very busy observation lounge. Reading and having some drinks. 

 

We had a wonderful dinner in Savor (quiet table near the window, excellent food, great waiter) and were planning to go to Footloose when an announcement was made that a cast member was injured and it was cancelled. 

 

No big deal, we ended up finding ourselves at our absolute favorite venue onboard: The Sugarcane Mojito Bar! We could hear Latin music as we walked by, and were instantly drawn in! Tropical Fusion is probably one of the best bands I've heard on a ship, and we loved it. The bartenders were also so friendly, made excellent drinks, and the vibe of everyone there made for a great evening. The jalapeno cucumber mojito was my favorite.

[cruiseny4life]

10 hours ago, sailawaybellaluna said:

I did receive a call from the room service manager later that morning to apologize. He waived the $4.95 service fee and then sent a plate of chocolate truffles to the room. I appreciated the gesture. In general, I don't get too upset about these little inconveniences, they're part of the travel experience. I was just bummed as it was my friend's very first cruise and I wanted her to have the best experience possible. 

Thanks for telling us about the issue with room service. And, also, thank you for letting us know the resolution. While it stinks, and in the moment, may even feel terrible, it's kind of nice to hear that NCL did provide an apology and a few chocolates. Sure, it's not a lot for the inconvenience, but the acknowledgement is sometimes more important than the value. 

 

But, I'm sorry your friend didn't experience the finest room service NCL has to offer. Hopefully she'll still appreciate cruising and be grateful you took nearly a week to spend with her on this cruise. 

[bkrickles1]

10 hours ago, sailawaybellaluna said:

We headed to the Local for lunch on this particular day, and happened to be there when Deal or No Deal was starting. If you've read my other reviews, you may remember that I don't typically go to many shows/quizzes, etc. I'm pretty low key, reading on my balcony much of the time. 

 

Well I would have never guessed I would be chanting GARY! GARY! GARY! halfway through my cobb salad. But here we are. Gary from Minnesota rocked the game, and Emma the cruise director did a great job hosting. We really enjoyed watching!!

 

Afterwards we spent some time in the very busy observation lounge. Reading and having some drinks. 

 

We had a wonderful dinner in Savor (quiet table near the window, excellent food, great waiter) and were planning to go to Footloose when an announcement was made that a cast member was injured and it was cancelled. 

 

No big deal, we ended up finding ourselves at our absolute favorite venue onboard: The Sugarcane Mojito Bar! We could hear Latin music as we walked by, and were instantly drawn in! Tropical Fusion is probably one of the best bands I've heard on a ship, and we loved it. The bartenders were also so friendly, made excellent drinks, and the vibe of everyone there made for a great evening. The jalapeno cucumber mojito was my favorite.

Thanks for the review.

We sailed Joy last June and we're sailing her again this coming July.

Service and food was above average+ and entertainment was excellent.

Loved Sugarcane, as you do, and was just happy with all the different live musical choices every evening. There was always 5 or 6 different venues that had live music and that's definitely my thing.

You add in the 2 theater shows, 2 comedians and whatever else they have on board, and I thought the entertainment was as good as any cruise ship I've sailed.

Thanks again for the review. I've got 144 days until mine!!

[pc_load_letter]

Interesting about the hot rollers. They confiscated my fan during embarkation and when I went to GS on the last day to retrieve it, they said that I could have picked it up any time, they just needed to have the electrician to test it. I find it an odd policy of needing to test electrical items.

 

Great review! We love the mellow lunch after getting on the ship as well.

[sailawaybellaluna]

3 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Thanks for telling us about the issue with room service. And, also, thank you for letting us know the resolution. While it stinks, and in the moment, may even feel terrible, it's kind of nice to hear that NCL did provide an apology and a few chocolates. Sure, it's not a lot for the inconvenience, but the acknowledgement is sometimes more important than the value. 

 

But, I'm sorry your friend didn't experience the finest room service NCL has to offer. Hopefully she'll still appreciate cruising and be grateful you took nearly a week to spend with her on this cruise. 

Absolutely! The room service manager was very kind, and obvious very embarassed by the situation. I think I was just a little more intense during the trip mainly because I wanted her first experience to be "the best"! In the end, she's quite easy going, and had a fantastic time!

[sailawaybellaluna]

2 hours ago, bkrickles1 said:

Thanks for the review.

We sailed Joy last June and we're sailing her again this coming July.

Service and food was above average+ and entertainment was excellent.

Loved Sugarcane, as you do, and was just happy with all the different live musical choices every evening. There was always 5 or 6 different venues that had live music and that's definitely my thing.

You add in the 2 theater shows, 2 comedians and whatever else they have on board, and I thought the entertainment was as good as any cruise ship I've sailed.

Thanks again for the review. I've got 144 days until mine!!

We really enjoyed the live music on board as well! Especially Arvin and Emily and the acoustical piano! 

 

Hope you have a wonderful time in July!!

[sailawaybellaluna]

1 hour ago, pc_load_letter said:

Interesting about the hot rollers. They confiscated my fan during embarkation and when I went to GS on the last day to retrieve it, they said that I could have picked it up any time, they just needed to have the electrician to test it. I find it an odd policy of needing to test electrical items.

 

Great review! We love the mellow lunch after getting on the ship as well.

How funny. I have a feeling we may have had a crew switch at the start of our cruise because Guest Services was really baffled on next steps. Luckily I had a curling iron in my carry-on! 🙂 This is when not packing light helps!! I think the confusion was that they wanted me to be present WITH the electrician in our cabin to test them. So there was a lot of waiting around until I finally said he's free to test whenever he wishes. 

[sailawaybellaluna]

After staying in Sugarcane for two hours listening to Tropical Fusion, we walked around the ship and deck a bit before calling it a night. Overall, a fun and relaxing day!

 

 

[Cruising Lynne]

1 hour ago, sailawaybellaluna said:

We really enjoyed the live music on board as well! Especially Arvin and Emily and the acoustical piano! 

 

Hope you have a wonderful time in July!!

Wow, I was just thinking about them the other day! I am glad to hear that Arvin and Emily are still with NCL. I've enjoyed listening to them in the past. Glad that you are enjoying the entertainment. Too bad about Footloose. 

 

For room service breakfast, we have found that putting out the door hangar works best. Sometimes they come a little early, but it helps us get out of bed at a reasonable time.

 

Funny that they were thrown off by your hot rollers, but I am glad that they are so careful about what people are plugging in that may be a fire hazard. I always debate about whether or not to bring a hot brush or flat iron for my hair. I definitely would not bring hot rollers which would take up too much space in my luggage. You weren't kidding about not packing light! LOL

[sailawaybellaluna]

5 minutes ago, Cruising Lynne said:

Wow, I was just thinking about them the other day! I am glad to hear that Arvin and Emily are still with NCL. I've enjoyed listening to them in the past. Glad that you are enjoying the entertainment. Too bad about Footloose. 

 

For room service breakfast, we have found that putting out the door hangar works best. Sometimes they come a little early, but it helps us get out of bed at a reasonable time.

 

Funny that they were thrown off by your hot rollers, but I am glad that they are so careful about what people are plugging in that may be a fire hazard. I always debate about whether or not to bring a hot brush or flat iron for my hair. I definitely would not bring hot rollers which would take up too much space in my luggage. You weren't kidding about not packing light! LOL

Yes, I remembered Arvin and Emily as well! I think from my last sailing on the Joy!

 

You are so right about putting the door hanger out. I think because it was a sea day (and we had a time change as well if I remember correctly), we didn't want to be bound to waking up at a specific time. 

 

I do NOT pack light, ever. 🙂 I'm known to even take slippers and robes to Europe on vacation. My poor husband! But yes, definitely important to minimize any potential fire risks onboard the ship. I understand that...

[sailawaybellaluna]

Day 3: Cabo San Lucas! We had been watching the weather for our arrival into Cabo, and we knew with the storms it could be dicey.

 

We were thrilled to wake up to a beautiful morning! Room service went much more smoothly today, and we really enjoyed the avocado toast with a side of hash browns!

 

We probably sat on the balcony for an hour or two enjoying the sail in as we approached the arches. We also spotted several whales, which made for a lovely morning!

 

 

[JGmf]

Just wanted to pop-in and thank you for taking the time to write the review and post the photos.  I'm following along!

[victory2020]

I was on this cruise also. Found it to be too crowded everywhere, including people trying to pack into the elevators. We ended up walking most stairs but I still came back with a cold(at least not covid!). We got to the port just after 11:30, were directed to the parking at berth 49 & waited a few minutes for the standing room only shuttle. When we got to check in we walked right on to the ship. Rooms took forever to be ready.

[sailawaybellaluna]

44 minutes ago, victory2020 said:

I was on this cruise also. Found it to be too crowded everywhere, including people trying to pack into the elevators. We ended up walking most stairs but I still came back with a cold(at least not covid!). We got to the port just after 11:30, were directed to the parking at berth 49 & waited a few minutes for the standing room only shuttle. When we got to check in we walked right on to the ship. Rooms took forever to be ready.

I felt the same! I'm not sure if the stormy weather meant all the people that would typically be laying out by the pool were crammed into the public areas, and that's why everything felt so crowded? That was my take on it.

 

We could never get on the elevators and also took the stairs. Which made me sad for older people or those who had real mobility issues waiting around forever for an elevator!

 

Rooms took a really really long time. 😐