We had a wonderful cruise experience, which exceeded my expectations. As stated above though- please do not book air travel through Norwegian. You will most likely end up sitting for an entire day at LAX airport having to haul all of your luggage around (you cannot check your bags or yourself in until 5 hours before your boarding time). They, Norwegian, will select the late night redeye, which is most cost effective for them. The 50 dollars saved in booking our flights via a travel package was quickly spent with 3 meals and 4 beverages (per person) at an airport. Note- post Sept 11th, airports do not have storage lockers for luggage, which prevents you from even leaving, should you want to spend the day out sightseeing, while waiting for your late night flight.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
The cruise itself was exceptional! I would NOT recommend scheduling airfare through Norwegian. 5 days before our trip they (Norwegian) rescheduled our flight. Our ship docked in LA at 7 am. Our flight departed LAX at 11:00 PM! The Norwegian CS rep would not adjust the flight and per Norwegian's agreement with Delta (as we learned at the airport while trying to pay extra for an earlier flight) the flight schedule cannot be altered. It was a painfully long day. All other shipmates with whom we spoke to that booked air travel through Norwegian were in the similar "boat" regarding late night red eyes with full day airport waits
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Delicious and truly lovely accomodations.
Onboard Activities
1 out of 5
Lovely immaculate pools and lounging areas.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The comedy show was exceptionally funny, however, most time slots and tickets for the comedy shows were all filled before we were even aware that we should reserve them immediately upon arriving on the ship.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
This was the smoothest ship that I had ever been on. The stabilization system on the Joy provided for a smoothe and sea-sickness free vacation.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Although small, the balcony room was well designed with ample storage and easy to adjust sleeping arrangements. The bedding and mattresses were superb. The balcony and views were breathtaking.
Ship tip
Most certainly sail with Norwegian but DO NOT FLY with them. Purchase your own flights and take comfort in knowing that an array of willing drivers will transport you to and from the Pier. (There were multiple lanes of yellow cabs, lyfts, ubers and shuttles.
It was efficient and fast especially considering the mass loads of people exiting the ships. United States Customs took less than 30 seconds for processing. As they no longer scan or search through any of the luggage pieces, it was a breeze
Could u have paid more money to get earlier flight? We have our flight in with our cruise in October next year out of detroit. This is what im worried about.
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