Big Red 85

Thanks for taking the time to create this excellent cruise report.  Much appreciated.

I'll have to remember to pack masks and a fake moustache while on the balcony. 🤓

Thanks Beezo for that hopeful and informative post.  Our fingers are crossed.  Perhaps the pier will be done for our 11/29/25 cruise.  That would be very nice.

What cabin number?  That would settle the location question.

8 hours ago, MoCruiseFan said:

That does not make the wall magnetic.  Your magnetic was the magnetic object not the wall.  Just an FYI.

Poorly worded question on my part.  You are right.

Thanks for the replies.  Only strong magnets need apply.  Good to know.

We will be sailing on the Joy in the future, our first trip on NCL.  Did I read somewhere that the walls are not magnet? True or not?  I assumed a steel ship would be almost totally magnetic.

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

Tip what you feel comfortable with. Remember, both the butler and room steward service your room twice a day plus anything extra you request. 

 

Last 7-night cruise, we tipped our room steward $100 (and that is normal regardless of whether we are in the Haven or in steerage), our butler $200, the Concierge $150, the Haven Restaurant Maître D $100. And lots of smaller tips to others on the ship ($1/drink-$5 to bartenders, $1/drink to waiters). 

That's somewhere north of $1205 in total gratuities, including what you mentioned above plus the normal $350 as well as the $305 drinks package tip.  Is service that good, that much value added?

Here's a link to a tour of Silver Cove and it's new pool.  Looks very nice.

We are booked on the Nov 29, 2025 cruise on the Joy ourselves.  Our first NCL cruise as well.  We have found two resources to glean good information.  The first is here, on this board, using the search feature for certain topics as well as asking my own questions.  The second is YouTube videos.  Lots of reviews and tours to watch with first hand comments.

Many thanks for taking the time to answer our question. 

Turns out I have one less set of luggage than I thought.  All of my Ricardo soft sided pieces have rotted handle straps... and it isn't all that old!  My wife's 50-year-old Samsonite is still good as ever though.

We are trying to be prepared for our next cruise.  We would like to store the bags under the bed and since have several sets of luggage to choose from, knowing how tall that space is will help us choose the best pieces to take. We will be in a Haven cabin if that makes any difference.  Thanks.

24 minutes ago, tommccabe79 said:

What are the "changes to aft entertainment areas"? 

Entourage and arcade moved but not eliminated and as mentioned above, thermal spa replaces galaxy pavilion.

I failed to mention that two small tabs at the top of each deck plan will allow you to switch from current to "2/13/24" plan.

Changes being made this month to the joy are now reflected in the deck plan pages.  Here's a link;

Norwegian Joy Deck Plans: Ship Layout, Staterooms & Map - Cruise Critic

Shows new  thermal spa, new cabins, changes to aft entertainment areas, new vibe areas, new H2 level cabin enlargement, Haven changes, (no library), etc.

Folks who have recently been there state a pool has been added a little beyond the lagoon villas.

When are these reservations first opened?  First time NCL cruiser here too.  Do various activities have different times prior to the sail date when we are able to lock in reservations?

I must say that I am impressed with the quality of all the replies to my questions.  Thank you all.  

CruzinMel,

Thank you for that most comprehensive explanation of the terminal process.  I read that NCL uses Terminal 5 and 10 at Port Canaveral and I assume the process is the same at either. 

Actually it is 690 days until cruise day.  I realize some things will change; prices, crew, menus, activities, excursions, etc..  The re-fit going on now for one.  The basics will probably remain the same. 

Greenpea,

We saw that booking activities starts at 130 days out from the sail date.  Is that the same time frame for excursions?  We do plan to book a villa ahead of boarding.  Thanks.

Thank you all.  Great feedback and answers.  Only about 600 days to wait. 🛳️

Greeting!  The wife and I are booked for a Nov 29, 2025 Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Joy.  This will be our 50th wedding Anniversary celebration.  We have cruised on Disney a few times but this will be our first NCL experience.  We have been reading and studying but still have a couple questions.

We see there is a Haven lounge at the terminal in which we will check-in and wait until boarding but does the "Haven experience" start earlier, such as going through security or even the original line to enter the terminal?  We plan to park our car there.  Are there porters in the parking areas or do we drop off luggage and then go park?  Any tips or other general knowledge needed for a smooth embarkation?

We plan and hope to secure a Villa at Silver Cove.  Looks very calm, comfortable and quiet there. Do the Cabanas and Villas have a safe to store valuables?  I've read there is a pool there now as well as the two coves... is that correct?

We have elected to stay in cabin 10108, a forward facing penthouse with balcony, a HG category.  Looks perfect for two people.  Seems it would be a very quiet location.  Any other insights into that particular cabin or category or the general deck location would be appreciated.  We are greatly looking forward to the Haven and all that may offer.  

We are considering a first time cruise with RCI. Are there set prices for dining packages? Are there several options. Are there other packages that we should consider? We will probably book a suite. Does that fact matter in choosing any available packages?

Pretty much you are asked to put your bags outside the door the night before. In the morning, to go eat breakfast in the MDR used the night before, and then get off the ship. Crew efforts are in turning the ship over for the next cruise. Your cruise is done at this point.

DCL seems to be a bit inconsistent when it comes to mobility issues.

 

I asked for assistance for my mom from concierge (we were staying in concierge), but they said there wasn't anything to help get my mom from the ship to the tram....

 

actually, my experience with DCL is why i bought a wheelchair to take with us on our next cruise (on RCCL in alaska), even though my mom doesn't need a wheelchair (she walks very slowly with a cane)...but i bought it just in case because of my negative experiences with DCL...

 

anyway, we had to walk from the ship to the tram....and we even had a cabana, but that didn't seem to be of any help getting from the ship to the tram...

 

for the life of me, i can't remember getting back to the ship..

 

we waited until the very end (since we were hanging out in the cabana), so i think we got a ride all the way back from serenity bay (since it was so late by that point)...but i don't remember...

however, i do remember how difficult it was to get my mom and sister from the ship to the tram...

 

but perhaps DCL has improved this since we were on the Dream a few years back...

This was our experience aboard the Magic with our party which included two 80 year old ladies, one of which needed help. Help to get to the tram was requested but none provided by concierge host. The return trip however was facilitated by the cabana host and a golf cart all the way from serenity bay to the ship. The concierge team's tip reflected the service provided (or not). A sour end to the trip. Side note; I offered the cabana attendant, (not a concierge host), a generous cash tip on the spot and he refused.

We always ate in cabanas. It's quick and easy to go through the line and get a nice hot breakfast. There's plenty of seating. MDR is pretty much the same food but slower because of the wait. Never used room service as we preferred the open air to the small cabin.