Live! NCL Joy, NYC to Bermuda, April 14-21

[trivia addict]

You mention that Clearwater Beach has a small store that sells premade sandwiches, drinks and snacks. When we there last year, there was an actual beach bar serving drinks and a food truck with hot food. Have these been replaced with this small store?

[Mlake09]

2 hours ago, trivia addict said:

You mention that Clearwater Beach has a small store that sells premade sandwiches, drinks and snacks. When we there last year, there was an actual beach bar serving drinks and a food truck with hot food. Have these been replaced with this small store?

We could see another building that looked like a restaurant, but it was not open while we were there.

[trivia addict]

Thank you.

This is interesting. It is early in the season so maybe different. I’ll watch the Cruise Critic Bermuda board to see if anyone else has any more info and will be there in June to see for myself.

[Briman]

This info is so great, thanks for sharing! We’re on the next trip for the Joy so it’s super relevant. One question I’m hoping you can help with, is the loophole that lets iMessages work iPhone to iPhone without message package or internet on still active? Can iPhones message each other? Thank you!

[BirdTravels]

52 minutes ago, Briman said:

This info is so great, thanks for sharing! We’re on the next trip for the Joy so it’s super relevant. One question I’m hoping you can help with, is the loophole that lets iMessages work iPhone to iPhone without message package or internet on still active? Can iPhones message each other? Thank you!

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

Phones using iMessage (and it has to be Apple iPhones using iMessage (blue messages)) can communicate without logging onto the internet. You just connect to the ship's wifi. 

Edited April 17 by BirdTravels

[Briman]

1 minute ago, BirdTravels said:

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

Phones using iMessage (and it has to be Apple iPhones using iMessage (blue messages)) can communicate without logging onto the internet. You just connect to the ship's wifi. 

Great! Thank you. I had heard the loophole had closed so I was trying to figure out a plan for our group. Glad that isn’t the case!

[Let'sGoNow]

Thanks for posting, we just came off the Joy on the Sunday you embarked. We were on a 5 day cruise with two days in Bermuda. Unfortunately, anticipated stormy weather ahead eliminated our 2nd day in Bermuda which was a bummer but we made the best of it. Ship was rolling a little bit and the "bags" were available, but none of us seemed to think it was bad at all. My mom (91yrs old) was with us. We were in the Haven but our cabin was on deck 10 aft, so it was quite the walk to Haven proper. My mom (using a walker) made numerous trips back/forth aft to forward and she was fine each day. Outdoors was ROUGH, I admired the passengers wearing hoodies or wrapped in towels making the best of very windy, chilly conditions on the outdoor pool deck. Free 75 minutes wifi package ran out quickly (like super fast) for various quirky reasons so we paid $29.99 unlimited for the last 2 days which turned out fine. I hope you're enjoying deck 10 as much as we did! Bryan was our room steward and he was beyond awesome.

[Gonflipin]

On the 4/21 sailing - can anyone confirm guitar hero is in the arcade as a ‘green game’? Would like to pre purchase the arcade offer but only if that game is there. Thank you! 
Hope everyone is having a great time!

[Mlake09]

14 hours ago, Briman said:

This info is so great, thanks for sharing! We’re on the next trip for the Joy so it’s super relevant. One question I’m hoping you can help with, is the loophole that lets iMessages work iPhone to iPhone without message package or internet on still active? Can iPhones message each other? Thank you!

Yes! So far I’ve had no trouble messaging my wife, even though she’s the only one who has the internet plan.

[Mlake09]

[Mlake09]

I will post another update in a little bit- we’ve mostly been off the ship since we have the car and three full days here- but wanted to share this incredible sight! We are big snorkelers and Bermuda has some interesting options, but on this trip we have seen the biggest parrot fish out of any trip we’ve been on! Here they are over by Jobson’s (we parked and walked so not sure exactly what beach this is), hanging in the waves! I have a video and I’ll try to include that too!

 

[TenForward]

On 4/15/2024 at 9:18 PM, Mlake09 said:

 

Thanks for this!  We'll be there this Sunday.  We arrive at 9AM so I'm thinking it's unlikely we can catch that one and will have to depart at 11:15. 

 

Our ship departs at 4:00 so can we even take the 3:00 return?   Anyone know if NCL sticks to same schedule all the time or do they adjust for their ships schedule while in port?

[Mlake09]

9 hours ago, Gonflipin said:

On the 4/21 sailing - can anyone confirm guitar hero is in the arcade as a ‘green game’? Would like to pre purchase the arcade offer but only if that game is there. Thank you! 
Hope everyone is having a great time!

I looked this morning and saw a guitar hero but I’m not sure what green game is. I can take a picture so you can see to be sure. 

[Mlake09]

19 hours ago, Let'sGoNow said:

Thanks for posting, we just came off the Joy on the Sunday you embarked. We were on a 5 day cruise with two days in Bermuda. Unfortunately, anticipated stormy weather ahead eliminated our 2nd day in Bermuda which was a bummer but we made the best of it. Ship was rolling a little bit and the "bags" were available, but none of us seemed to think it was bad at all. My mom (91yrs old) was with us. We were in the Haven but our cabin was on deck 10 aft, so it was quite the walk to Haven proper. My mom (using a walker) made numerous trips back/forth aft to forward and she was fine each day. Outdoors was ROUGH, I admired the passengers wearing hoodies or wrapped in towels making the best of very windy, chilly conditions on the outdoor pool deck. Free 75 minutes wifi package ran out quickly (like super fast) for various quirky reasons so we paid $29.99 unlimited for the last 2 days which turned out fine. I hope you're enjoying deck 10 as much as we did! Bryan was our room steward and he was beyond awesome.

So sorry your trip was cut short! That happened to us last time- we had about 6 hours instead of the two full days, and a very slow, rocky ride back! I hope you had a good time!

[Mlake09]

[Mlake09]

Day 4 and 5

 

Yesterday and today we spent the duration of the day off the ship, so I don’t have too many updates. The Joy does not have pool towels available at the pier, so for those of you on upcoming sailings, be sure to pick them up ahead of time. Yesterday and today, there was a bin to put the used towels in as we were getting back on board, but I didn’t see it on Tuesday.  We have had a great time so far and have been beach hopping and snorkeling during the day. We love having the little plug in car, but we’ve been here before and taken cabs or walked, and that’s also fine.

 

Service has been good overall on the Joy. It’s a busy cruise but since we’ve been docked since Tuesday morning, it hasn’t seemed too crowded, except for dinner time. Yesterday we ate in the Manhattan room for dinner, which was pretty good, and we only had a five minute wait. We enjoyed the slower pace for dinner and our server (Edna) was great about keeping the wine glasses filled! We are planning to eat there again tonight, and our gluten-free friend has pre-ordered her dinner so that she can hopefully receive her meal at the same time as the rest of us.  The ship is clean and most of the employees have been wonderful. We love vacation and are so happy to be on this cruise! Luckily we have two more sea days before we are back to reality, with lots of ducks left to hide!

[BirdTravels]

6 hours ago, TenForward said:

 

Thanks for this!  We'll be there this Sunday.  We arrive at 9AM so I'm thinking it's unlikely we can catch that one and will have to depart at 11:15. 

 

Our ship departs at 4:00 so can we even take the 3:00 return?   Anyone know if NCL sticks to same schedule all the time or do they adjust for their ships schedule while in port?

The ferry belongs to NCL and is only operating for your ship. Times are adjusted based on your ship's schedule. This week's itinerary is a one-off with a different schedule than normal. 

[Mlake09]

Sunny morning at sea as we leave Bermuda!

[Gonflipin]

15 hours ago, Mlake09 said:

I looked this morning and saw a guitar hero but I’m not sure what green game is. I can take a picture so you can see to be sure. 

Thank you! A pic would be great! Where you would swipe the card, it would be lit green. 

[rainmakerjjo]

17 hours ago, Mlake09 said:

Day 4 and 5

 

Yesterday and today we spent the duration of the day off the ship, so I don’t have too many updates. The Joy does not have pool towels available at the pier, so for those of you on upcoming sailings, be sure to pick them up ahead of time. Yesterday and today, there was a bin to put the used towels in as we were getting back on board, but I didn’t see it on Tuesday.  We have had a great time so far and have been beach hopping and snorkeling during the day. We love having the little plug in car, but we’ve been here before and taken cabs or walked, and that’s also fine.

 

Service has been good overall on the Joy. It’s a busy cruise but since we’ve been docked since Tuesday morning, it hasn’t seemed too crowded, except for dinner time. Yesterday we ate in the Manhattan room for dinner, which was pretty good, and we only had a five minute wait. We enjoyed the slower pace for dinner and our server (Edna) was great about keeping the wine glasses filled! We are planning to eat there again tonight, and our gluten-free friend has pre-ordered her dinner so that she can hopefully receive her meal at the same time as the rest of us.  The ship is clean and most of the employees have been wonderful. We love vacation and are so happy to be on this cruise! Luckily we have two more sea days before we are back to reality, with lots of ducks left to hide!

 

Can you share more details on the plug-in car?  How many does it hold and do you return it each day and pick it back up?

[Wvshimmy]

Wondering if they finally made the observation doors automatic?

Wasn't easy for mobility challenged pax in 2022.

[Juanita56]

On 4/15/2024 at 9:54 PM, debenson0723 said:

Thank you for the ferry schedule.  I am on the June 16th sailing too and have never been to Bermuda so this is very helpful. Enjoy your time on the island!

We're on that sailing as well.  First time to Bermuda also. 

[tedbearz]

Did they fix the odor from the corridor by the Observation lounge on Deck 15?

[Mlake09]

Day 6 and Day 7!

 

We are back in NYC! Sorry about the lack of posting- we have had two leisurely sea days and I wasn’t online.  We always split the internet and sometimes I’m caught up in the books I’m reading. Day 6, the first sea day, we slept in, and barely made breakfast at Taste/Savor. There was a big line but it only took about 15 minutes for our buzzer to go off. Service has been good overall on this cruise, and breakfast is predictable- I love the French toast!

 

After breakfast we walked for about an hour or so on the Waterfront. I’m hope NCL never gets rid of spaces to walk. On the Joy, the jogging track is nonexistent because the deck chairs are placed over them every day. We walk many miles a day and appreciate the dedicated spaces on the smaller boats (Gem, Star, Pearl, etc) where one can loop for miles uninterrupted!

 

On Day 6, we had lunch at the Local and were happy with the wings! After lunch we hid a bunch of ducks and went for another walk. After that we spent the afternoon lounging on the waterfront. It is so nice to have a spot to sit outdoors that isn’t super loud. For dinner on Day 6 my wife and I ate at Ocean Blue. I really miss the “old” version of bread that was served. Now it is the same bread served at La Cucina. We used the platinum voucher and brought the bottle of wine home since we already have the drink package. Dinner was good but the best part was the cheesecake in a jar. My wife ordered the filet mignon but it was overcooked. Service was great! 

 

Yesterday, Day 7, we had breakfast in Taste and had a snacky lunch out on the waterfront. The buffet was crazy around lunch time! The temperature significantly dropped around 2pm. We moved inside to Maltings and played some games with our friends before having dinner at La Cucina. The food was good but we noticed that the servers stopped pouring the olive oil and balsamic on to the little plates for the bread, and offering the grated parmesan. Also, on this cruise we noticed that most everyone took our orders on an iPad device, which was different. We last cruised in February 2023 and this was a noticeable change. 

 

Overall we had a great trip. We always tell our friends that cruising is what you make it! We love walking, sitting outside, getting to our destination, and relaxing, and we will look forward to our next 12 day cruise in December! 

[Mlake09]

On 4/19/2024 at 7:30 AM, Gonflipin said:

Thank you! A pic would be great! Where you would swipe the card, it would be lit green. 

Yes the guitar hero is a green game! There is one right outside the local as well!