The NCL Joy was a great post-pandemic restart for me
Embarkation
4 out of 5
I paid the extra $79 for an express boarding in at the terminal, but no one knew what I was talking about. I checked my luggage, walked into the terminal and showed my documents. Then was waved over to the counters to get my Latitudes card. Even though they shrugged their shoulders, they gave me a piece of paper that had a number all ready called. I showed the guy that I paid for express boarding, he just waved me on. With all this, it took maybe 20 minutes from when I walked into the terminal to get on the ship.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
I’m writing this a year later, I don’t remember any problems at all with the food. I had the drink package and no problems there either. I ate at Cagney’s, Teppenyaki and Q’s Smokehouse. Cagney’s and Teppenyaki were great. The meat at Q’s was kind of overcooked, but okay. There was a good music. I ate upon embarkation at the Local—hardly anyone there, for lunch, Taste and Savor, and I liked them all. I went to the buffet and the dining room once each and ordered a lot of room service for breakfast. Again, don’t recall any problems.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
So much to do! I joined a roll call, did the slot pull which was a lot of fun. Played bingo, did some trivia. It was a warm November but we were tailing a hurricane so the ship was a little rocky—so I slept very well. The Joy is a big ship, and there were tons of children onboard—apparently the NJ school system was out that week. Spent quite a bit of time just lounging at the pool at Spice H20.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Here’s when I realized how rusty I was. While I was able to see Footloose and Elements because I booked them early in the cruise, I didn’t reserve seats for the comedians, though they did have them in the big theater. What’s interesting, is I learned after the fact that Footloose had to be cancelled so they filled in due to the illness of two performers. So, no understudies? I really enjoyed all the entertainment, though it was weird to see so many children at the comedian’s show. So much for parental discretion.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
No towel animals, but my room was always clean and my cabin steward was excellent. The bad news was the potheads in the cabin to my left. The last night of the cruise, they smoked pot on their balcony until the wee hours of the morning, so the last night I couldn’t enjoy my balcony. Also, the $79 got me a tray of canapés, which were okay. There were a few other amenities I didn’t receive, and NCL refunded me $25.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Had no problems with the ship’s cleanliness.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Ship tip
Learn as much as you can about the ship, ports and the your specific sailing before the cruise.
Sailing out of Manhattan wasn’t so bad. I stayed at Ink48 which is literally around the corner from the pier. I walked right into the terminal. I arrived the night before and went to The Comedy Club.
*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.
