Norwegian Joy Mini Review: 5 night sailing out of LA

[victory2020]

On 3/2/2023 at 11:20 AM, sailawaybellaluna said:

One thing I did forget to mention yesterday... During the evening we ended up going to the theater to hear Levity Comedy with Dan Gabriel.

 

Now on the first day when we first boarded the ship, I got on the iTV to reserve comedy shows, but they were already reserved! We noticed this show was added after the fact and didn't require reservations. I assume a lot of people weren't able to get into other shows so they added one in the theater.

 

I do enjoy seeing comedians on ships. My husband and I were recently on one of the comedy cruises on the Discovery Princess several weeks prior, and thought their comedians were hysterical!

 

I found Dan Gabriel to be very average and not so funny. 😐 Of course everyone has a different opinion as this is a matter of personal taste. But I would have preferred to stay in the Sugarcane Mojito Bar listening to Tropical Fusion!

 

If you're interested in seeing the comedy shows, make your reservations early!

His show was added because Footloose was cancelled. I was only able to make reservations for one of the comedy shows during the cruise but was able to get in standby line 20 minutes before showtime & got in every time. The cold I got had turned into probably the worst cough I have ever  had, Went to the doctor today for medication. I now remember a waiter that had to leave our table because he was having similar coughing fit/

[sailawaybellaluna]

5 hours ago, victory2020 said:

His show was added because Footloose was cancelled. I was only able to make reservations for one of the comedy shows during the cruise but was able to get in standby line 20 minutes before showtime & got in every time. The cold I got had turned into probably the worst cough I have ever  had, Went to the doctor today for medication. I now remember a waiter that had to leave our table because he was having similar coughing fit/

That makes sense why they would have added it! So sorry you are still sick! 😔

[sailawaybellaluna]

7 hours ago, jdc987 said:

That is very cool boat, nice price too!

Yes we were so pleased we paid a bit extra to do this rather than the glass bottomed boat! It was such a fun experience!

[drumming cruisers]

8 hours ago, victory2020 said:

His show was added because Footloose was cancelled. I was only able to make reservations for one of the comedy shows during the cruise but was able to get in standby line 20 minutes before showtime & got in every time. The cold I got had turned into probably the worst cough I have ever  had, Went to the doctor today for medication. I now remember a waiter that had to leave our table because he was having similar coughing fit/

Curious how much they charged to see a DR and what they gave you for the cough?

[victory2020]

10 hours ago, drumming cruisers said:

Curious how much they charged to see a DR and what they gave you for the cough?

Used teledoc which ended up being free with Blueshield insurance. Gave me 2 meds - promethazine HCI cough syrup & benzonatate capuses. At least the coughing fits are better.

[sailawaybellaluna]

Day 5:. Ensenada!

 

Today we were up early because we had an excursion with NCL to visit the cheese cave and do a little wine tasting and eat lunch! We were meant to leave the pier by 8:45 a.m., but the ship was late in docking and clearing customs. At this point I wasn't surprised. 😳

 

We enjoyed avocado toast and hash browns on the balcony with our coffee, and the morning started out pretty decent. 

 

By the time we were waiting in line on the pier for our tour, it started raining and the winds had really picked up. We were so cold!

 

Because the ship was late, all the tours were lined up as well as all of the buses and everyone was queuing to use the pathway to board their coach. Simultaneously we were getting wet. Not the best start to the day! I felt really bad for people who flew in from cold weather climates expecting a nice sunny day in Mexico. I have been to Ensenada probably 10 times, both by ship and driving down from my house in Southern California, so I was just looking forward to doing something different today.

 

I will preface my post by saying NCL and the shore excursions department should have 100% canceled this excursion due to weather. It is not amenable to rain, wind, and cold temperatures. At $129/person it is double the cost of going to the Guadalupe Valley and wine wasting, which is what I often do on a ship excursion.

 

In addition, the description was not completely accurate. You are on a coach bus for 1.5 hours each way heading out to the small town of Ojos Negros. So 3 hours of the 5-hour excursion is on a bus. This wouldn't be so bad and the scenery would have been lovely except most of the windows had broken seals and were clouded up, so we really couldn't see out.

 

More to come...

[sailawaybellaluna]

After about 30 minutes of waiting in line and signing a release form, we made it on board our coach with a tour guide named Margarita. 

 

She was so full of energy and life and had so much to share about her region of Mexico. Her English was flawless and it would have made for a lovely morning except she really prided herself on not using a microphone. So she basically shouted the entire 90 minute drive. This wouldn't have been horrible if we hadn't been sat at the very front of the bus. We both had our hair down that day, and fortunately I had ear plugs in my purse and we were able to put them in and hide them for the remainder of the bus ride. By the time we arrived it approximately 10:40 a.m., we were already a little 😳.

 

We were in a completely rural area with green pastures and cows and it would have been lovely except it was raining and everything had turned to mud. The temperature was also about 10° cooler than the pier, just barely 40°.

 

At this point everyone needed the bathroom so we unloaded 38 people and all queued up for two stalls. The bathroom I chose happened to be open air and I was absolutely freezing.

 

This process took about 20+ minutes and then we were meant to walk down to the dairy farm and see where the cows are milked and the cheese is processed. However you couldn't walk because the roads were all mud, So we all had to load back into the bus and drive down. 

 

Once we unloaded at the dairy farm it started raining heavily and we were under a little metal roof where the cows are milked. It was during this time several of us started almost doing jumping jacks in place just to generate some body heat. We were smiling but it wasn't sincere. 🤣

 

I felt bad because our tour guide from the cheese cave was lovely. His name was Ephrain and he had so much knowledge to share. But everyone was so uncomfortable and cold. The wind was biting.

 

We went into a covered area to see where they make the cheese, and that was a bit warmer and interesting .

 

Things were about to look up...more to come!

[sailawaybellaluna]

After this we took the bus back to our original stop where the bathrooms were, and made our way into the cheese cave.

 

We got a history of the family and how they immigrated (originally from Switzerland) and started this cheese cave.

 

After viewing several of the family's historical photos, we made our way to the lower level of the caves to do our cheese and wine tasting. It was freezing, but things were starting to look up!

 

 

[cruiseny4life]

On 3/4/2023 at 1:04 PM, sailawaybellaluna said:

After about 30 minutes of waiting in line and signing a release form, we made it on board our coach with a tour guide named Margarita. 

 

She was so full of energy and life and had so much to share about her region of Mexico. Her English was flawless and it would have made for a lovely morning except she really prided herself on not using a microphone. So she basically shouted the entire 90 minute drive. This wouldn't have been horrible if we hadn't been sat at the very front of the bus. We both had our hair down that day, and fortunately I had ear plugs in my purse and we were able to put them in and hide them for the remainder of the bus ride. By the time we arrived it approximately 10:40 a.m., we were already a little 😳.

 

We were in a completely rural area with green pastures and cows and it would have been lovely except it was raining and everything had turned to mud. The temperature was also about 10° cooler than the pier, just barely 40°.

 

At this point everyone needed the bathroom so we unloaded 38 people and all queued up for two stalls. The bathroom I chose happened to be open air and I was absolutely freezing.

 

This process took about 20+ minutes and then we were meant to walk down to the dairy farm and see where the cows are milked and the cheese is processed. However you couldn't walk because the roads were all mud, So we all had to load back into the bus and drive down. 

 

Once we unloaded at the dairy farm it started raining heavily and we were under a little metal roof where the cows are milked. It was during this time several of us started almost doing jumping jacks in place just to generate some body heat. We were smiling but it wasn't sincere. 🤣

 

I felt bad because our tour guide from the cheese cave was lovely. His name was Ephrain and he had so much knowledge to share. But everyone was so uncomfortable and cold. The wind was biting.

 

We went into a covered area to see where they make the cheese, and that was a bit warmer and interesting .

 

Things were about to look up...more to come!

Thanks for sharing this! I would have loved this tour. I'm not quite sure why as I can hear the cows from my bedroom with the windows closed. But, I am in love with ag tours of any kind! 

Also (you may not agree), the fact you were able to see the authentically crappy side of farming is great! It's not all green pastures, sunny days, and gentle creeks cascading through the fields. I'd consider myself blessed for having taken such a lovely tour. I'm kind of surprised your post didn't end with the bus getting stuck in muck though! 

 

I'm glad you were able to end the tour on a positive note of cheese and wine. Yum! 

 

Did they tell you how many cows they have? How many acres their operation is on? 

Edited March 6, 2023 by cruiseny4life

[sailawaybellaluna]

2 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Thanks for sharing this! I would have loved this tour. I'm not quite sure why as I can hear the cows from my bedroom with the windows closed. But, I am in love with ag tours of any kind! 

Also (you may not agree), the fact you were able to see the authentically crappy side of farming is great! It's not all green pastures, sunny days, and gentle creeks cascading through the fields. I'd consider myself blessed for having taken such a lovely tour. I'm kind of surprised your post didn't end with the bus getting stuck in muck though! 

 

I'm glad you were able to end the tour on a positive note of cheese and wine. Yum! 

 

Did they tell you how many cows they have? How many acres their operation is on? 

Well...I grew up in an agricultural town (my father is a botanist) and have spent many hours in mud taking soil samples with him. 😜 So I was sort of looking forward to the nice, sunny, beautiful farm day in Mexico! But I do see your point!

 

The tour really should have been canceled. Even in terms of cleanliness, we ended up traipsing mud all through their cheese making facilities, the bathrooms, the bus. It was just really cold and uncomfortable. Even the poor bus driver was trying to lay down towels to protect his stairs...

 

The farm had an outdoor bar and tons of outdoor tables which would have been wonderful to sit at and enjoy the scenery. I would encourage anyone to  do this tour, but on a nice day! 

[sailawaybellaluna]

We were each given a plate of six cheeses with sliced apples, bread and wine. It was a lovely set up! Three of the cheeses were aged farmers cheeses and the others were made with rosemary, black pepper and a spicy pepper. I really enjoyed all of them, and the red wine!

 

After this, we walked into the actual caves to see the rounds of cheese aging. It was at this time Ephrain shared with us that they grow penicillin on the shelves to help age the farmer's cheeses. Now ironically, two weeks prior to this cruise I was fighting a sinus infection and given an antibiotic. Unfortunately, I fell into anaphylactic shock about 45 minutes later and my husband was rushing me to urgent care. Yep, I was now allergic to penicillin!  My friend asked if I had my epi pen with me, but unfortunately I left it in the cabin. 😳 Thankfully, I was just fine!!

[sailawaybellaluna]

After walking through the cheese caves, we went back upstairs and were each given a sampling of two beers and three spicy cheeses to try. I am not a beer drinker and our host graciously replaced those samples with another glass of red wine. The cheese was delicious!

 

We moved into an indoor dining room where we sat down for lunch. It was actually very nice! It would have been lovely to sit outside on a nicer day, but this worked out well for our group and they had heat!

 

We had grilled mushrooms, green salad, and a cheese quesadilla. After finishing our lunch everyone loaded back up onto the bus for the hour and a half ride to the pier.

 

I wouldn't hesitate to do tour again, it would have been very enjoyable on a warm day!

 

 

[sailawaybellaluna]

Well this mini review definitely turned out longer than I anticipated!

 

After the 90 minute bus ride back to the pier, we took a little time to warm up in our cabin! 🥶

 

On this particular evening we had dinner reservations at Le Bistro! We got a bit dressed up, and had a few minutes to appreciate the beautiful sunset on the balcony before heading out!

[daleshaver]

My SO and I were on this cruise, too!  Can't wait to get your take on debarkation...

[sailawaybellaluna]

13 minutes ago, daleshaver said:

My SO and I were on this cruise, too!  Can't wait to get your take on debarkation...

Oh, I'm getting to that part!!!

 

Without spoiling too much, the best way to describe it would be: the worst disembarkation I've ever experienced in my entire life. 💩😡 

[daleshaver]

9 minutes ago, sailawaybellaluna said:

Oh, I'm getting to that part!!!

 

Without spoiling too much, the best way to describe it would be: the worst disembarkation I've ever experienced in my entire life. 💩😡 

SAME...

[sailawaybellaluna]

When we booked this cruise several months ago our promotion included a free meal in one of the specialty restaurants.

 

We chose the French-themed, Le Bistro.

 

We had a wonderful time! I really felt the service was impeccable! I had a quick question about the wine at the beginning of the night, and the sommelier was there in an instant to offer recommendations and samples.

 

I loved how each course came out simultaneous and neither of us was ever waiting on our meal. The warmed dishes and silver cloches gave it an extra special touch!

 

On this particular evening I had the cauliflower truffle soup (which was absolutely amazing), the French onion soup, the lemon sole and lemon sorbet. Everything was outstanding!

 

We were so happy we chose to save this meal for our final night!

[psuboater]

16 hours ago, daleshaver said:

SAME...

I was also on this cruise and I felt we got lucky. Someone gave the heads up of the different pier on the facebook group prior to going, so we planned to carry off our luggage as soon as we could. From announcement to taxi, we were off in 20 minutes. We were surprised to hear later on that so many people had issues!

[sailawaybellaluna]

9 hours ago, psuboater said:

I was also on this cruise and I felt we got lucky. Someone gave the heads up of the different pier on the facebook group prior to going, so we planned to carry off our luggage as soon as we could. From announcement to taxi, we were off in 20 minutes. We were surprised to hear later on that so many people had issues!

I'm glad you had a good experience! We also knew we'd be coming in to a different pier and actually parked right there. But we still queued for over 90 minutes just to get off the ship! We wound around deck 7, down the stairs to deck 6, down the stairs to deck 5 before finally escaping down the gangway into the pouring rain...We wouldn't have been able to move our luggage through that line, and the moment we stepped off, we were soaked. 

 

I have a lot more detail to add on the debarkation. Coming up!

 

Edited March 10, 2023 by sailawaybellaluna

[gotscrapz]

Thank you so much for posting this review. Looks like the two of you had a nice time 🙂

[Happycrafter123]

On 2/28/2023 at 12:54 PM, sailawaybellaluna said:

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?!

 

 

 

 

You mention tax on drinks over $15 in US port.  Does that also occur if you have the premium drink package?  

[psuboater]

10 hours ago, Happycrafter123 said:

You mention tax on drinks over $15 in US port.  Does that also occur if you have the premium drink package?  

Yes, it does.

[sailawaybellaluna]

On 3/9/2023 at 7:28 PM, gotscrapz said:

Thank you so much for posting this review. Looks like the two of you had a nice time 🙂

Thank you! Despite some of the hiccups along the way, we did!

[sailawaybellaluna]

Okay, I need to finish up this review! Time to discuss the disembarkation! This is what we woke up to in the Port of Los Angeles! However the weather would be changing very shortly...