Just Off of The Joy - Things Are Good! Quick Overview July 1-9

[Maleficent's Dad]

This was our first time back after the pandemic.  We were on the July 1 sailing out of NYC - a bit of an odd itinerary as we went to Port Canaveral, GSC, the Bermuda (2 days).  We had six of us traveling - DW and myself in room 1, my kids (22 and 24) in room 2, and close friends in room 3.  We had three adjoining balcony rooms on deck 13.  We had the regular beverage package and only 2 specialty dining (standard package).  We had VIBE PASSES.  My family are all "gold status" and our friends were on their first cruise ever.

 

This cruise was awesome.  I am so very happy to report that after so many negative reviews, so many "eh" reports, and so many complaints about not only the Norwegian Joy, but NCL as a whole, we had a fantastic cruise.

 

July 1 embarkation was exactly what we all expected.  We're New Yorkers, so we knew what to expect - Crowded, pushy people, a bit chaotic.  But we were there early (on purpose, we live not far away at all and used mass transit), were literally the first people on the security line, and to the back area for check in all in a very efficient manner.  Our longest wait was for them opening security lines as we arrived at 8:30 or so, and security started at 9.

 

Since we were on deck 13, our check in was in the back of the terminal.  Lowest boarding group number back there was 10 which we got.  By 11:15, we were aboard.  Went to our muster station at the Local, and were out of there in 3 minutes.  Made some reservations for comics in the Social, then off to lunch (already had made ressies for specialty dining and big shows before boarding).  Mellow lunch at Savor really set the mood.

 

We showed our friends around a little, then went up to the Vibe,  By 2 PM we already had our first mini-beer shots!

 

This entire cruise was amazing.  I cannot emphasize enough how pleasantly surprised I was after reading so much negativity.

The MDR food was very, very good.  Much better than I recall from previous cruises.  The specialty dining (we hit Le Bistro and Ocean Blue) was excellent.  Service was excellent if not a tad slow in all restaurants.  But the staff was working as hard as ever and smiling as wide as they always have.

 

The VIBE was our lifesaver, I believe,  The chair hogs for the main pool were out in force as we had several sea days on this trip.  We have pics from 6:30 A.M. where crew members are setting up chairs and as they do so, towels immediately placed on them.  This was not an issue for us.  We took our walks on the waterfront every morning, went to breakfast, and when we were ready, we went to the Vibe where seating was NEVER an issue.  The three guys in the Vibe were AMAZING.  Bartenders Chris (the best) and Will, and the jack-of-all traits Jo.  These three really made our trip.

 

We had a Lagoon Villa on GSC.  Wonderfully tranquil and peaceful.  Just wish we had more time there!

Stayed on board in Port Canaveral as we have a place not too far away and didn't need to do/see anything.

Bermuda is as wonderful as ever.  Great ferry service to St. George (50 minute ride) for free.  We hit the Swizzle Inn, shopped, also hit Hamilton and the local Royal Naval Dockyard.

 

We did laundry on Wednesday for $30 with the special.

 

If you know what to expect for disembarkation, and you pack a little bit of patience, it's hardly the cluster-fudge that everyone claims it to be.  We enjoyed b'fast and hung out in the District Brewhouse until we were called.  Pretty efficient from that point on!

 

We had 2 relatively minor issues on the entire trip.

1. Tender service from GSC back to the Joy was....  pretty bad.  1 hour+ wait for the final tender back to ship.  The line for tenders had been brutal all afternoon.

2. We did notice that the room steward was hardly present so we didn't get to know him.  DW missed the evening turndown service.  Wasn't too big a deal for me.

 

I'll try to post a few pics below and would be glad to try to answer any questions.

 

But rest assured, NCL and the Joy are still doing a great job!  We had a really great cruise and are planning next year's already.  Ignore the negativity and the harsh criticisms.  Sure we could be nit-picky, but things are good.  Crew is working their tail off, they manage to smile, everything's clean, food was good.  Really brought my faith back in NCL and cruising!

[Maleficent's Dad]

My friend with a mini beer in vibeSelf explanatory 

Chair HogsDS on the race course

GSC

[knscruiser322]

Was there a change in this itinerary? Seems to be an odd itinerary for a Bermuda cruise out of NYC.

[Maleficent's Dad]

That was the planned itinerary.

My guess is they need to move the Joy departures to Sundays, so we had an 8 day cruise.

[vacation44]

Thank you for reporting on your experience and glad you had a great time.

 

The Vibe is a must for us!

[BlushPell]

Glad you had a great time and I love the Joy as well.

[Grand & Nana]

54 minutes ago, Maleficent's Dad said:

This was our first time back after the pandemic.  We were on the July 1 sailing out of NYC - a bit of an odd itinerary as we went to Port Canaveral, GSC, the Bermuda (2 days).  We had six of us traveling - DW and myself in room 1, my kids (22 and 24) in room 2, and close friends in room 3.  We had three adjoining balcony rooms on deck 13.  We had the regular beverage package and only 2 specialty dining (standard package).  We had VIBE PASSES.  My family are all "gold status" and our friends were on their first cruise ever.

 

This cruise was awesome.  I am so very happy to report that after so many negative reviews, so many "eh" reports, and so many complaints about not only the Norwegian Joy, but NCL as a whole, we had a fantastic cruise.

 

July 1 embarkation was exactly what we all expected.  We're New Yorkers, so we knew what to expect - Crowded, pushy people, a bit chaotic.  But we were there early (on purpose, we live not far away at all and used mass transit), were literally the first people on the security line, and to the back area for check in all in a very efficient manner.  Our longest wait was for them opening security lines as we arrived at 8:30 or so, and security started at 9.

 

Since we were on deck 13, our check in was in the back of the terminal.  Lowest boarding group number back there was 10 which we got.  By 11:15, we were aboard.  Went to our muster station at the Local, and were out of there in 3 minutes.  Made some reservations for comics in the Social, then off to lunch (already had made ressies for specialty dining and big shows before boarding).  Mellow lunch at Savor really set the mood.

 

We showed our friends around a little, then went up to the Vibe,  By 2 PM we already had our first mini-beer shots!

 

This entire cruise was amazing.  I cannot emphasize enough how pleasantly surprised I was after reading so much negativity.

The MDR food was very, very good.  Much better than I recall from previous cruises.  The specialty dining (we hit Le Bistro and Ocean Blue) was excellent.  Service was excellent if not a tad slow in all restaurants.  But the staff was working as hard as ever and smiling as wide as they always have.

 

The VIBE was our lifesaver, I believe,  The chair hogs for the main pool were out in force as we had several sea days on this trip.  We have pics from 6:30 A.M. where crew members are setting up chairs and as they do so, towels immediately placed on them.  This was not an issue for us.  We took our walks on the waterfront every morning, went to breakfast, and when we were ready, we went to the Vibe where seating was NEVER an issue.  The three guys in the Vibe were AMAZING.  Bartenders Chris (the best) and Will, and the jack-of-all traits Jo.  These three really made our trip.

 

We had a Lagoon Villa on GSC.  Wonderfully tranquil and peaceful.  Just wish we had more time there!

Stayed on board in Port Canaveral as we have a place not too far away and didn't need to do/see anything.

Bermuda is as wonderful as ever.  Great ferry service to St. George (50 minute ride) for free.  We hit the Swizzle Inn, shopped, also hit Hamilton and the local Royal Naval Dockyard.

 

We did laundry on Wednesday for $30 with the special.

 

If you know what to expect for disembarkation, and you pack a little bit of patience, it's hardly the cluster-fudge that everyone claims it to be.  We enjoyed b'fast and hung out in the District Brewhouse until we were called.  Pretty efficient from that point on!

 

We had 2 relatively minor issues on the entire trip.

1. Tender service from GSC back to the Joy was....  pretty bad.  1 hour+ wait for the final tender back to ship.  The line for tenders had been brutal all afternoon.

2. We did notice that the room steward was hardly present so we didn't get to know him.  DW missed the evening turndown service.  Wasn't too big a deal for me.

 

I'll try to post a few pics below and would be glad to try to answer any questions.

 

But rest assured, NCL and the Joy are still doing a great job!  We had a really great cruise and are planning next year's already.  Ignore the negativity and the harsh criticisms.  Sure we could be nit-picky, but things are good.  Crew is working their tail off, they manage to smile, everything's clean, food was good.  Really brought my faith back in NCL and cruising!

It's refreshing to read positive comments-- we love NCL and our last cruise was in May on the Gem.  Minor hiccups on the ship but quickly resolved.  It was a big deal at the time, only because we were tired and cranky.  Our only true complaint was in Santorini - tenders were slow and the wait to take the lift up the mountain was brutal (hot and long lines - no shortcuts).  We'll be back on the Joy for a 2nd time, in September - can't wait.

[CDR Benson]

Thank you for this review.  I'm gratified to hear your positive comments.  I hope it means that Joy, and the NCL fleet in general, has worked its way through the growing pains of the changes implemented at the beginning of the year.  It certainly sounds like things have ramped up on Joy.

 

I see Captain Svedung is still the skipper.  On our cruise last September, I had an enjoyable chat with him.  (He stopped by our table when he saw me in uniform.)  I developed a very favourable opinion of him.  He placed all the credit on his officers and crew for how well the ship was run (and, for us, it ran very well), but I suspect his fine influence is behind it.

 

I'm glad you and yours enjoyed such a pleasurable experience.  Fingers crossed that the Good Mrs. Benson and myself have as good a time when we return to Joy next year.

 

 

[bkrickles1]

2 hours ago, Maleficent's Dad said:

This was our first time back after the pandemic.  We were on the July 1 sailing out of NYC - a bit of an odd itinerary as we went to Port Canaveral, GSC, the Bermuda (2 days).  We had six of us traveling - DW and myself in room 1, my kids (22 and 24) in room 2, and close friends in room 3.  We had three adjoining balcony rooms on deck 13.  We had the regular beverage package and only 2 specialty dining (standard package).  We had VIBE PASSES.  My family are all "gold status" and our friends were on their first cruise ever.

 

This cruise was awesome.  I am so very happy to report that after so many negative reviews, so many "eh" reports, and so many complaints about not only the Norwegian Joy, but NCL as a whole, we had a fantastic cruise.

 

July 1 embarkation was exactly what we all expected.  We're New Yorkers, so we knew what to expect - Crowded, pushy people, a bit chaotic.  But we were there early (on purpose, we live not far away at all and used mass transit), were literally the first people on the security line, and to the back area for check in all in a very efficient manner.  Our longest wait was for them opening security lines as we arrived at 8:30 or so, and security started at 9.

 

Since we were on deck 13, our check in was in the back of the terminal.  Lowest boarding group number back there was 10 which we got.  By 11:15, we were aboard.  Went to our muster station at the Local, and were out of there in 3 minutes.  Made some reservations for comics in the Social, then off to lunch (already had made ressies for specialty dining and big shows before boarding).  Mellow lunch at Savor really set the mood.

 

We showed our friends around a little, then went up to the Vibe,  By 2 PM we already had our first mini-beer shots!

 

This entire cruise was amazing.  I cannot emphasize enough how pleasantly surprised I was after reading so much negativity.

The MDR food was very, very good.  Much better than I recall from previous cruises.  The specialty dining (we hit Le Bistro and Ocean Blue) was excellent.  Service was excellent if not a tad slow in all restaurants.  But the staff was working as hard as ever and smiling as wide as they always have.

 

The VIBE was our lifesaver, I believe,  The chair hogs for the main pool were out in force as we had several sea days on this trip.  We have pics from 6:30 A.M. where crew members are setting up chairs and as they do so, towels immediately placed on them.  This was not an issue for us.  We took our walks on the waterfront every morning, went to breakfast, and when we were ready, we went to the Vibe where seating was NEVER an issue.  The three guys in the Vibe were AMAZING.  Bartenders Chris (the best) and Will, and the jack-of-all traits Jo.  These three really made our trip.

 

We had a Lagoon Villa on GSC.  Wonderfully tranquil and peaceful.  Just wish we had more time there!

Stayed on board in Port Canaveral as we have a place not too far away and didn't need to do/see anything.

Bermuda is as wonderful as ever.  Great ferry service to St. George (50 minute ride) for free.  We hit the Swizzle Inn, shopped, also hit Hamilton and the local Royal Naval Dockyard.

 

We did laundry on Wednesday for $30 with the special.

 

If you know what to expect for disembarkation, and you pack a little bit of patience, it's hardly the cluster-fudge that everyone claims it to be.  We enjoyed b'fast and hung out in the District Brewhouse until we were called.  Pretty efficient from that point on!

 

We had 2 relatively minor issues on the entire trip.

1. Tender service from GSC back to the Joy was....  pretty bad.  1 hour+ wait for the final tender back to ship.  The line for tenders had been brutal all afternoon.

2. We did notice that the room steward was hardly present so we didn't get to know him.  DW missed the evening turndown service.  Wasn't too big a deal for me.

 

I'll try to post a few pics below and would be glad to try to answer any questions.

 

But rest assured, NCL and the Joy are still doing a great job!  We had a really great cruise and are planning next year's already.  Ignore the negativity and the harsh criticisms.  Sure we could be nit-picky, but things are good.  Crew is working their tail off, they manage to smile, everything's clean, food was good.  Really brought my faith back in NCL and cruising!

I am sooooooo happy to read your review!

We sail Joy in 13 days, after sailing on her last summer.

My group of 13 will be at the terminal by 8:30am too. This is the way we always roll!

Unfortunately for me, and this is almost always the case, since many in our group either have kids or don't want to pay, I don't get to do the Vibe.........But I will not only survive but I'll thrive and have fun!

Thanks for the positive review!

We loved Joy last summer and expect to have that same experience this year!!

[snorklinbarb]

Nice to hear you enjoyed Joy!  Welcome back to cruising!

Do you have photos or a list of the rest of the officers?

 

Did you see "Footloose"?  What did you think?  It will only be on until the end of Oct.

 

Thanks for putting up your review!

[BmanOnTheSea]

How were the comics?  I had stopped going to the shows once I finally determined that Second City wasn't really my vibe... I do love plain 'ol standup, and it sounds like that's what they have now?  Did you go to the family friendly or late night showings?

[Maleficent's Dad]

24 minutes ago, snorklinbarb said:

Nice to hear you enjoyed Joy!  Welcome back to cruising!

Do you have photos or a list of the rest of the officers?

 

Did you see "Footloose"?  What did you think?  It will only be on until the end of Oct.

 

Thanks for putting up your review!

Here’s all I got for crew/officers.

We saw both Footloose and Elements.  Opinions vary of course.  Both were very professionally done, excellent performers.  We go to Broadway shows often, and these actors are right there.

The Footloose storyline and score (altered from the 80’s hit movie) didn’t appeal so much to our family.  But we enjoyed it nonetheless.  No one walked out on the show (ridiculous to think that someone would).  Elements was a pleasant surprise and we all enjoyed that more.

[Maleficent's Dad]

Just now, BmanOnTheSea said:

How were the comics?  I had stopped going to the shows once I finally determined that Second City wasn't really my vibe... I do love plain 'ol standup, and it sounds like that's what they have now?  Did you go to the family friendly or late night showings?

We attended the family friendly earlier shows. Not because we had kids in tow, but we are not night owls! We enjoyed the comics, and we had some laughs, but they weren’t the best that I’ve seen.

[Suntanz]

Very nice review. I took my kids (in their low 20's) on the Joy last year and we loved it. We went on Getaway in May this year and even though we noticed a big difference in service from last year, it was not a big deal to us.

 

It is a problem when people are putting towels on chairs at 6:30 am. We didn't have that problem on the Getaway, but getting chairs on the Joy was more difficult as I didn't have the Vibe pass.

Its nice to see a positive review every so often.

[Jasonmom]

Thank you for the positive review.

[bluesea777]

On 7/10/2023 at 1:06 PM, knscruiser322 said:

Was there a change in this itinerary? Seems to be an odd itinerary for a Bermuda cruise out of NYC.

 

On 7/10/2023 at 1:16 PM, Maleficent's Dad said:

That was the planned itinerary.

My guess is they need to move the Joy departures to Sundays, so we had an 8 day cruise.

 

The previous cruise was a 6-day chartered Sun-Sat and it stopped in Bermuda for an overnight only. This 8-day cruise was Sat-Sun(+1).

 

 

[UKstages]

great review and a fine read… thanks for sharing.

 

i dunno, i may have somehow missed all the bad reviews, but my impression is that the joy gets pretty consistent good reviews… and deservedly so… it’s a well run ship. the manhattan cruise ship terminal often gets lambasted and embarkation and disembarkation is often said to be sub par, but the joy itself usually gets good reviews. NCL policies and cost cutting measures are often cited as problems, but that has nothing really to do with the ship.

 

i’m back on the joy in october and looking forward to it.

[kmb388]

Thanks for sharing your review! We were on the same cruise (me, DH, and 5 y.o. DD) and I too had read some grumblings in advance, and even some in a Facebook group from fellow cruisers during our cruise. 

 

We had a wonderful trip and I just wanted to add to your positivity. Some highlights: 

• Our steward, Gilbert, was attentive and caring. He greeted us by name on the first or second night (which is incredibly impressive considering passenger changeover, but especially to me who struggles to remember names).
• Splash Academy. DD went several evenings and would have stayed the whole cruise if we let her. She seemed engaged in fun and activities and we felt she was well cared for. 
• Food and service. We wanted for nothing* and were always promptly served, food and drink were tasty. We especially liked the Cavern Waterfront bar and The District. Our breakfasts and lunches were generally in the Garden Cafe or The Local. One dinner was at Cagney's, one at Teppanyaki, and then a mix of Taste/Savor and The Manhattan Room. *In past cruises (more than 6 years ago), I remember getting cookies at milk treat in the Garden Cafe before heading to the cabin for the evening. The late night snack options are soft serve in the Garden Cafe or ordering at The Local. This is *not* a big deal at all, it was more a nostalgia thing that I had hoped to relive on DD's first cruise. 

 

 

Best advice that we've received and given is to pack your patience and remember you're on vacation 🙂 Moments of annoyance we encountered were typically connected to other cruisers:

• Chair hogs, as noted
• Tendering and disembarkation: The "system" is most efficient when everyone follows the process. There were so many people that disembarked in New York and were trying to find their luggage during the "carry your own" timeslot. Not only were some unsuccessful, but it also caused delays and congestion for everyone else trying to move through. Same with tendering earlier than one's assigned time. 

 

NCL could have a role in being more strict on these behaviors, but one thing they could directly address is tender boats/infrastructure at GSC. We were fortunate to be on a tender with a roof covering the upper deck - not all tenders had that and your experience could range from uncomfortable to dangerous depending on your day at the beach. We also left GSC about 90 minutes before the last tender, so didn't have the lengthy wait many others experienced. 

 

All in all, a wonderful trip. We came back rested, relaxed, and filled with new memories. 🙂

[luv2kroooz]

No opinion given on entertainment which is currently a large topic of discussion. Interesting.

[Maleficent's Dad]

9 minutes ago, luv2kroooz said:

No opinion given on entertainment which is currently a large topic of discussion. Interesting.

Please see post #12.

[cruiseny4life]

On 7/15/2023 at 7:54 PM, luv2kroooz said:

No opinion given on entertainment which is currently a large topic of discussion. Interesting.

It's possible some don't care about entertainment offered. Case in point - moi. I don't care. I'll go to some entertainment if offered, but I'm not cruising for shows/comedians/whatever else. I know it's a dreadful thing to say, but I'd prefer to spend my time on the sundeck, in the thermal suite, or in my room. Heck, I kind of wanted to see Elements on Joy. Then dinner came and I ignored our reservation, because food certainly takes precedent over shows.

 

And never have I sat through one trivia round (how dare I admit this). 

[Grand & Nana]

I personally care about the entertainment - NCL puts on excellent shows and I appreciate all the talented performers.  Foot Loose (on the Joy) was not my favorite, but still enjoyable and upbeat. Missed the comedy shows - only late night performances were open,  I plan to catch The Element this go around - somehow I missed it last time.