Our trip was amazing. We saw 14 whales throughout the entire trip. We had a balcony room, which I really recommend for an Alaskan cruise. That is where we were able to see several of the whales. Norwegian charges for many of the extra activities that you want to do on the ship, such as the go-karts, the laser tag, painting classes, wine tastings, some of the game shows, etc. Their specialty restaurants are incredible, especially the seafood restaurant.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Smooth and easy
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Everything was great, the food was amazing, and the waiters very helpful. We didn't care for The Local Bar and Grill, as the seats were so close together. You could have knocked elbows with the person next to you. The buffet was huge. They served the same breakfast every morning, which I liked, but they had a different dinner every night.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
We didn't use pools, since we went to Alaska. My husband did the wine tasting, which he enjoyed and I did a painting class. We both really enjoyed the game shows they put on each night. We didn't gamble, as that deck smelled way too strong of cigarette smoke. Also, beware of a lot of the activities because majority of them cost extra money to do. That's why we did not do some of them, such as the go-karts. Those were $15 a person.it was as if they charged you for everything you wanted to do that was extra.we had on board credit, so it wasn't an issue, but I feel it's something people need to know about.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The comedians were hilarious. We loved them and saw them twice. I couldn't watch the stage shows, since I'm epileptic, but I was told they were awesome.
Children's Programs
We don't have kids.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
All of the staff were very friendly and helpful. The only problem we encountered was that my husband had problems understanding every single one of them and I had to repeat everything they said, since he's not used to accents. He got really frustrated after awhile.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
I really liked it. However, I wish that the gambling deck wasn't right in between 2 of the other majorly traveled decks. That wasn't very well thought out. Not many people ate in the Manhattan dining room because it's on the same deck as the casino and no one likes the smell of cigarettes. The Manhattan is one of the main dining rooms. We ate there once and were thankfully in the very back of the dining room, so we didn't smell anything. Everything was clean and maintained on the ship.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We loved our cabin. It was bigger than we expected, and so was the bathroom. I loved the bathroom, although the shower was hard to figure out at first. They even have body wash and shampoo in the shower for you, in case you forget your own. We had plenty of space for our stuff in the cabin. We brought 3 suitcases: a small one and 2 big ones. We put the small one on the shelf in the closet, the big one on the floor in the closet, and the other big one under the bed. It worked great, but it was just the 2 of us.
Ship tip
Learn quickly where everything is and don't be afraid to take the stairs. There were about 4000 people on our ship and most of them wanted to take the elevator. At times, we took the stairs and got to our destination faster than taking the elevator.
We’re likely going to fly into Seattle for our cruise on the Joy this September to Alaska. Do you recall if the painting classes had any way to ship your painting home if needed? I’m interested in a painting class but I don’t know how I’ll get it home in one piece if we fly.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
