Ship was modern and roomy, included meals were decent, but suffered from inconsistent service and plating

Norwegian Joy Cruise Review to Alaska - Inside Passage

Cruises: 4-6 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 52

Overall rating:

4 out of 5
Verified Review
Norwegian Joy

7 Night Alaska With Inside Passage (Seattle Roundtrip)

Sail date: May 25, 2019

Ship: Norwegian Joy

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 12840

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

The ship was modern and mostly well laid-out. Elevators were always busy. Racetrack and laser tag were somewhat gimmicky and could have been done better, but probably not worth the amount of space devoted to them. Mini golf small and almost impossible to find. Buffet was usually a better option than the food in the complimentary restaurants.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
Organized and efficient

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5
Food in the included restaurants was average, and service was sometimes slow and some dishes were just not up to par. Had problems in Manhattan room both times. Drinks were good, some bartenders were not that fast.

The Manhattan Room - Main Dining Room

3 out of 5

View near the windows out the back of the ship is nice, but service was slow, inconsistent, and food was average and not plated consistently.

Sugarcane Mojito Bar

5 out of 5

Enjoyed the mojitos

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5
Tried all extra activities (racing, laser tag, VR). Laser tag needs to be in a dark place so lasers shots can be seen. Racing fun to do one time, but mostly a gimmick. VR was ok but could definitely have been better. Jogging track not very usable, would have preferred a pickleball court.

Mini Golf

2 out of 5

Hard to find, small course, could be laid out better

Entertainment

4 out of 5
Elements had good magic and effects, Footloose was fun but only average performances. Comedians were pretty good. Beatles act was enjoyed, but some songs were not very convincing for a tribute band.

Children's Programs

no small children with us

Service and Staff

4 out of 5
Received a lot of attention when there were problems reported at dinner. Front desk personnel were helpful. Waiters were ok.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
Cabins were efficiently laid out, shower worked well, hand washing sinks in buffet area. Ship sailed very smoothly, couldn't feel it arriving or leaving ports or hear the engines.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
Cabins were efficiently laid out, shower worked well, balcony was nice. Could use more airflow from ventilation system, room got stuffy with four people.

Ship tip

Choose a balcony stateroom near the middle on the 12-14th floor close to the elevators for the best access to buffet, observation lounge and pool decks.

Ports of call

Seattle, Washington

4 out of 5
Independent sightseeing, Pike Place market

Ketchikan, Alaska

4 out of 5
This looked like what I expected Alaska to look like, and had a good variety of things to do within walking distance of the port.

Juneau, Alaska

4 out of 5
A little inconvenient to get into town, took glacier sea kayak excursion that was good, but shouild have had more time in this port.

SCENIC GLACIER CRUISING

4 out of 5
This would have been great if we could have seen the glacier, but it was still great to see the smaller icebergs and scenery near the glacier

Icy Strait Point (Hoonah), Alaska

2 out of 5
It was a scenic walk into town, and we enjoyed lunch at one of the 2-3 restaurants, but this port only needed four hours, not an entire day. Long wait for shuttle, should have better organization to deal with cruise ship passengers.

Victoria, British Columbia

5 out of 5
Beautiful town, extended port stay here was appreciated.

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
No problems
Was this review helpful? 52

1 Comment

ajoker31    5 years ago

🐳👍🛳

Other reviews of this sailing