Overall, I enjoyed the cruise, but getting food poisoning was the worst and makes me hold back on five stars. And 4500 people on the ship is a lot to deal with. The Joy is a great ship and Bermunda is nice if you've never been. I went in June but would suggest going in Sept/Oct if you want to go to the beach and go in the water. The water temp was cold and I got in and out and that was it. I'd go again in five years.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
The rooms are not ready until around 3pm, so there is no advantage to get on the boat early. There are too many people and finding a place to sit is challenging. We got there around 2pm and walked right in, had a drink, and then to our room. Only bad thing is that you do get charged NY Tax on each drink you get.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
All the food is great and the service is Excellent. I did get food poisoning though which was horrible. The buffet area is big and confusing. Food is not bad. The main dining rooms are all the same and the food is good. I went to Teppanyaki which was fun and Cagney's Steakhouse which was excellent at the time. I did wake up the next day with food poisoning so who knows. The only thing that can be annoying is that you have to keep giving your ship card every time you get a drink. I guess they want to track the booze they are using to the consumption of the guests. It's not a big deal though. Having a the drink package included is the big deal for me and would not do another cruise without it. I was not able to enjoy the Brickhouse Brewery because every time I went, it was closed for a private party or a tasting. They need to fix this. They should still serve to the side or something.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
We had one nice day and the pool chairs were all taken. There is not enough chairs to accommodate the number of people on the boat. It is very difficult to find a chair. So if you want a seat, go early. In my opinion, the water tube slide and go cart track takes up way too much space that could be used for more deck chairs. The casino is nice and the slot machines hit just enough to keep you coming back.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The entertainment is good. Bingo and Deal or No Deal is pricey and your chances of winning are slim. The Atrium area they use for Deal or No Deal and all the night fun game shows is too small for the amount of people. And they only have a few of the nice comfy chairs that everyone is fighting to get. So get there early if you want a good seat. Triva is fun. Footloose is nice if you like musicals I guess. I wanted to see the stand-up comedy but it always seemed booked and after trying to book Footloose and the two speciality dinners, I had enough of trying to get more tickets.
Children's Programs
Because I did not come with children.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The staff is outstanding in my opinion. There were only like two bartenders that were not that friendly, but everyone else I encountered were great. Rodel was our room steward and he always said hi. Most staff you walked by said hello. The only place lacking for me was that a waiter did not come to use in the casino to offer drinks.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Staff are cleaning the ship all day, wiping down everything. You get used to the layout after a few days. It would be helpful if they offered a paper copy of the ship lay out with deck info so you can carry it around for reference.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
It's nice to have a balcony so your room feels bigger. Opening the door to the balcony was tough for my wife as you really need to turn the handle. Overall, pretty good.
Ship tip
The ship was full of people, so go early for anything you want to see. I'm a cigar smoker. The smoking area in Spice H2O is nice and no one gave me a hard time. The Humidor is nice though I watched several people come in and try to buy a cigar but go no help. You have to call a number for attendance and in the beginning, no one answered it. It finally got attention after a couple of days.
It's a short walk to the taxi cabs. I will say there is no need to do the paid shore excursion to Horseshoe Bay Beach. Just take the $7 cab ride there and back. Get there early! We got there at 9am and easily got a tent and chairs to rent. If you get there by 11am, they sell out. I saw people in line at noon trying to rent and they were sold out and were bitchin' about it. Next day we did the paid shore excursion for the Aquarium/Zoo and then the Crystal Caves. If I had to do it again, I would have just tried to get a cab to the Caves and bought tickets to save money. The Aquarium/Zoo isn't worth it.
So the disembarkation is the end of the trip and the worst. You sign up for a color group of when you want to leave the ship. You have to get your color luggage tags by Guest Services. They start on Friday for Sunday. Get them Friday! The whole process is confusing. And everyone wants to get off the ship as soon as they can. Know this: if you are signed up to leave at 8:45AM, you don't get off the boat and outside until 9:45AM. Plan accordingly. Ask plenty of question about the process.
True that if your goal of getting on the ship is to sit in your cabin then there is no advantage to boarding early on embarkation day. If you want to explore the ship, sit on deck, use the facilities, eat, etc then get on board as soon as you can.
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