Overall, a great time! We enjoyed the Joy and would sail on her again. Try everything, there really is something for everyone!!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We arrived around 10:15 expecting long lines and a lot of waiting. We didn’t wait long at all checked in, and were on the ship by 11:10!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We ate in Q, Ocean Blue, and Cagney’s for the specialty restaurants. Cagney’s is always our favorite on every ship we’ve been on. Ocean Blue was okay, and Q was awesome! The bbq was good and the live music was such a nice touch. The Smoked Peach Margarita was a favorite at Q and the peach cobbler was out of this world! We loved the wings and the tortilla bowl at The Local. We ate in Savor and it was good. The service was excellent everywhere. The buffet had a good variety except for one sea day during lunch time. We enjoyed all of the food and never had any issues with temperature, quality, and taste.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Loved the water slides and laser tag. We waited until Saturday to do laser tag and wished we would have done it earlier so we could do it many more times! The pools were okay, only one adult pool. The last two days of the cruise were windy and chilly so the hot tubs would have been nice. However, there were only 2 hot tubs in the main pool area and they were always filled with kids and only 6 people were allowed in at a time. That was a little frustrating, but we still had a great time! The hot tub in spice H20 was huge and a good alternative. The activities by the pool were fun and entertaining and the music was good! One thing that was unusual was that you aren’t permitted to have any drinks in the hot tubs which was something new we had not seen on cruises in the past. I’m not sure if this is a new rule or just for this ship, but either way it may be helpful to know that ahead of time!
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Footloose was good! It was a little long towards the end but the performers were excellent! Elements was amazing. A definite must see for sure. Would have seen that twice if possible! The comedians were good and the celebrity dance off in the atrium is always hilarious with the cruise staff.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Waiters, bar staff, and room steward were excellent! Ernesto by the pool is the best bartender!!
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Staff was constantly cleaning bathrooms, by the buffet, and common areas.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
It was a nice size, great balcony and was right at the front of the ship which made for great views!
Ship tip
The observation lounge is a great spot to hang out in the mornings and evenings! They have board games available to play as well!
The port was nice we did the sport fishing excursion and caught a marlin, a mako shark, and a mahi-mahi. The other boats that went out didn’t catch anything so we were fortunate. It was a fun day! Saw whales and dolphins up close.
Took a taxi to the beach and spent the day. If you forget items or need something there is a Walmart right in the Port, you can see it from the ship. In the future we would do an excursion to Las Calletas.
We got a water taxi for 10USD for 4 people plus a 1 USD pier access fee. They took us to the arch and Lovers & Divorce beaches, the Scooby Do Rock and some other landmarks. They dropped us off at Medano Beach and picked us up 4 hours later!
We arrived in the port at 1:00am due to a medical emergency and still had delays disembarking. We used the self assist walk off. Once off the ship, it was fast through customs. We used the NCL transfers to LAX, the buses were nice and we were at the airport by 9am.
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