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Item: Norwegian Joy
Rating: 4.2
Author: TravelTaurus

Norwegian Joy Cruise Review

TravelTaurus

Contributor Level: Second Mate

312 Days Till Next Cruise

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 10

Helpful Votes: 99

Overall rating:

4.2 out of 5

10 Night Transatlantic (Miami To Southampton)

Sail date: January 11, 2024

Ship: Norwegian Joy

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 11278

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 3 months ago

Review summary

This was our first Transatlantic cruise and we booked another one we loved it so much! We thought we were going to be super bored due to it being cold outside but no, there were loads to do inside the ship! The non pressure of booking a shore excursion and getting up early to get off the boat etc was refreshing.

Embarkation

1 out of 5

This was the WORST Embarkation that I have done and it has NOTHING to do with NCL and everything to do with MIAMI!!!! We did NOT board out of NCLs new main terminal B but we got moved to Terminal C. None of the speakers worked so no announcements could be heard. They boarded out of one narrow door which caused a big issue during boarding because they were trying to board the late arriving wheelchairs with the latitude members and since no one could hear a single announcement when the doors opened everyone just ran through. It was super chaotic.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

One thing was we had booked Taste one night and Savor another night but when we got on and headed to our Taste reservation they stated all Taste dinner reservations were moved to Savor and Taste was only breakfast and lunch. Didn't mind it but would have been nice to know.

The Local

5 out of 5

So great! Our go to for late night dinner and early morning lunch. Only downside is that we ordered the pretzel bites and they were like rocks....could have broken a window with them.

The District Brew House

5 out of 5

Music great! Beers great! Service great! The only thing and I'm not docking them for it is that they ran out of beers and were not replenished due to going into dry dock for weeks.

Cagney's Steakhouse

5 out of 5

Excellent steak!!! Nice big and juicy!

The Private Room at Taste

5 out of 5

Since Taste alone wasn't on here I shall review it here. It was great just like Savor!

Atrium Bar

5 out of 5

Good consistent service!

Sugarcane Mojito Bar

5 out of 5

One of our go toos! Loved the service and the drinks always consistent!

Observation Lounge

5 out of 5

This was perfect! Loads of space, great service, amazing views!

Horizon Lounge

5 out of 5

Our go to! The service there amazing, views amazing! The staff even started remembering our orders!!

Spice H2O

4 out of 5

Service was there 100% but the hot tub was lukewarm and some of the jets didn't work

Maltings Whiskey Bar

3 out of 5

This was a good bar, service was lacking though to the point we almost thought we were bothering them.

The Waterfront

5 out of 5

Didn't use it much because it was cold but it is a great getaway!

The A-List Bar

5 out of 5

Staff was wonderful! I ordered a drink and it was horrific because I forgot I hate vodka and they immediately switched it for a better drink that they recommended!

Teppanyaki

5 out of 5

An AMAZING experience! Food and service top notch!

La Cucina Italian Restaurant

5 out of 5

Excellent loved my meal!!

Le Bistro French Restaurant

5 out of 5

Was so much better than my last experience! The lamb was amazing!

Garden Cafe

4 out of 5

A lot of selection but ended up staying with my original pastas

Savor Restaurant - Main Dining Room

5 out of 5

It was great service was fast and good.

The Manhattan Room - Main Dining Room

5 out of 5

Wow! Over and over again amazing meals. Only downside was the rolls....were so hard I crushed it in my hand into 1000s of pieces and they said that's how they are baked....

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

Note: we were made aware prior to sailing that The Galaxy Pavillion and Lazer Tag were going to be closed due to being prepared for dry dock

Mini Golf

4 out of 5

Course was great but there were a lack of tall clubs.

Pulse Fitness Center

5 out of 5

Very spacious, lots of machines, wipes to clean machines before and after use.

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Everything was alright some were better than others. Elemental didn't wow me until the end but the individual elements in the show were good. They added a magician and there were people sitting in the rafters that I wasn't sure how they fit. Mr. and Mrs. Fefelov amazing acrobatics! Comedians just didn't hit it for me but did for others which I found great for them Beetlestory was super boring for me. Broadway Cabaret was PHENOMENAL!!

Social Comedy & Night Club

4 out of 5

Drinks 100! Service was inconsistent but this was due to sometimes lack of staff.

Race Track

5 out of 5

Turns were tight but it was awesome!!! VROOM VROOM!!!!

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Service and staff were always on point with the exception of two places. But everyone else remembered our names, our orders and were smiling it was great to see!

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Loved the designs except for the soap dispensers they are tricky. They were ALWAYS CLEANING SOMETHING!!! WIPING SOMETHING DOWN!!! It was so good to see!!

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Cabin was always cleaned when requested! Nothing was broken very spacious after luggage was under the bed.