Everything... Norwegian Joy's Westernization 2019!

[silencekc]

Does anyone know if they have showers in the fitness area?

[Corycor]

55 minutes ago, silencekc said:

Does anyone know if they have showers in the fitness area?

 

Yes. If you wanna see more pick up at 8:30

 

 

[Kfamilycruise]

On 4/27/2019 at 12:40 PM, TheDougOut said:

 

There’s no thermal spa.  I’ll post some photos of what’s in the spa.

Hey Doug, considering you've been on both the Bliss & the Joy and the Joy doesn't have the spa -- which would you go on again to Alaska if you had to choose and the itinerary difference didn't matter to you if you were going with your family?

[TheDougOut]

23 hours ago, Kfamilycruise said:

Hey Doug, considering you've been on both the Bliss & the Joy and the Joy doesn't have the spa -- which would you go on again to Alaska if you had to choose and the itinerary difference didn't matter to you if you were going with your family?

 

The easy answer is - if the thermal spa matters to you, then there’s only one answer.  Beyond that, the ships are more alike than different.  But I would take Jersey Boys over Footloose any day.

[TheDougOut]

On 5/2/2019 at 6:05 AM, Birdie And Sue said:

what is F&B amenity?

 

Courtesy of @ScottElkaBowl, here’s the concierge “F&B Amenity”, and the Concierge lunch menu served in LaCucina...

 

 

 

 

Edited May 12, 2019 by TheDougOut

[JVilleGal]

We just upgraded to a Concierge cabin would these be our Amenities?? 

[JVilleGal]

On the Joy can someone tell me where Guest Services Desk is? What Deck and Aft, Mid Or Forward. Looking at Deck plans do not seem to reflect the Hotel Services areas.

[JamieLogical]

36 minutes ago, JVilleGal said:

On the Joy can someone tell me where Guest Services Desk is? What Deck and Aft, Mid Or Forward. Looking at Deck plans do not seem to reflect the Hotel Services areas.

 

I would assume it's in the Atrium like the other Breakaway Plus class ships. So, deck 6 forward.

[JVilleGal]

Found it just didn’t go far enough Forward! Ty

[steamboats]

Here´s the article by my DH. It consists of 3 parts. Text is in German but google translate ususally works quite well. Lots of photos anyway plus 360° views.

 

steamboats

Edited May 12, 2019 by steamboats

[JVilleGal]

Thanks Steamboats but how do you get Google Translate? I’m in an iPhone. Pictures are great. But would love to read the article more than one word at a time 😢

[Corycor]

22 minutes ago, JVilleGal said:

Thanks Steamboats but how do you get Google Translate? I’m in an iPhone. Pictures are great. But would love to read the article more than one word at a time 😢

 

Use google chrome browser. When visiting a website in a foreign language it will automatically prompt you to translate it to English. 

[Nolewis3]

Does anyone have any of the menus from joy and is there a dessert place like coco’s

thanks so  much for any info

[fstuff1]

On 3/31/2019 at 12:20 AM, ajlurgio87 said:

Ugh really? That’s a bummer. These new ships are really sounding less and less appealing. I have been on the breakaway and Getaway and loved them. The escape was great too... just felt like an upgraded Getaway. The new ones sound disappointing.. the Encore won’t have Spice  

 

the escape feels more like the Breakaway class instead of Breakaway+ class.

breakaway class = lifeboats hang over the sides thus too wide to cross even the new panama canal locks.

bliss/joy/encore all have the lifeboats tucked in thus can cross the panama canal.

 

lets petition NCL to demote  the Escape to Breakaway class.

 

[Clay Clayton]

On 5/12/2019 at 9:48 AM, TheDougOut said:

the Concierge lunch menu served in LaCucina...

 

 

Some (most?) of these look like what was served on Sun and Jade for the "Suites" and "VIP" lunch...loved the fish sandwich and the Floubder Milanese.

[JamieLogical]

53 minutes ago, fstuff1 said:

 

the escape feels more like the Breakaway class instead of Breakaway+ class.

breakaway class = lifeboats hang over the sides thus too wide to cross even the new panama canal locks.

bliss/joy/encore all have the lifeboats tucked in thus can cross the panama canal.

 

lets petition NCL to demote  the Escape to Breakaway class.

 

 

Not sure life boat positioning is as big a deal as fewer decks... I would think the fact that the Breakaway and Getaway are smaller ships would be more of a factor in determining class.

[fstuff1]

32 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

Not sure life boat positioning is as big a deal as fewer decks... I would think the fact that the Breakaway and Getaway are smaller ships would be more of a factor in determining class.

 

i view a class of ship as them all being similar.

 

joy/bliss/encore can pass thru the new panama canal locks.

the escape cant. it's too wide, like the Breakaway/Getaway.

 

from a marketing perspective and to lessen customer confusion, having the Escape in the Breakaway class seems better.

Jewel class and older ships: Can go thru panama canal using old locks.

Breakaway class: Can't go thru panama canal, even the new locks.

Breakaway+ ships: can pass thru the panama canal using the new locks

[JamieLogical]

7 minutes ago, fstuff1 said:

 

i view a class of ship as them all being similar.

 

joy/bliss/encore can pass thru the new panama canal locks.

the escape cant. it's too wide, like the Breakaway/Getaway.

 

from a marketing perspective and to lessen customer confusion, having the Escape in the Breakaway class seems better.

Jewel class and older ships: Can go thru panama canal using old locks.

Breakaway class: Can't go thru panama canal, even the new locks.

Breakaway+ ships: can pass thru the panama canal using the new locks

 

It seems weird to me that ability to pass through the Panama Canal is the number one criteria on which you are evaluating ships. Do you do a lot of Panama Canal cruises?

[fstuff1]

19 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

It seems weird to me that ability to pass through the Panama Canal is the number one criteria on which you are evaluating ships. Do you do a lot of Panama Canal cruises?

 

went thru the old locks on the Gem earlier this year.

want to go thru the new locks.

 

this lead of confusion about the Escape:

"wait.. the Breakaway+ ship can go thru the Panama Canal except the Escape??"

thus down the time sink hole of why.

and what changes were made to other  Breakaway+ ship's design, and what was sacrificed.

 

 

Edited May 15, 2019 by fstuff1

[timf2001]

Breakaway Plus is an appropriate class for Escape.  It's like Breakaway class, only bigger.  I agree that Joy, Bliss, and Encore  should be a class unto themselves.  Call them "Bliss Class".

Edited May 16, 2019 by timf2001

[arpie05]

On 4/29/2019 at 5:11 PM, JamieLogical said:

 

Regular balcony rooms on all NCL ships have coffee makers....

when we sailed eleven years ago  The interiors even had coffee makers

[Two Wheels Only]

On 5/16/2019 at 11:32 AM, timf2001 said:

Breakaway Plus is an appropriate class for Escape.  It's like Breakaway class, only bigger.  I agree that Joy, Bliss, and Encore  should be a class unto themselves.  Call them "Bliss Class".

 

Calling them "Bliss Class" wouldn't make sense since Joy was built before Bliss.

 

Anyway, Escape is a BA Plus ship. Just because there are differences within the class doesn't change that. Joy doesn't have a Spa while the other 3 do. Encore doesn't have Spice H2O on the aft sundeck like the other 3 have. They aren't meant to be identical.

 

Even within the BA class, Breakaway has a retractable roof in the Haven while Getaway does not.

[Chrislyn]

My Joy Review:

 

This was our first cruise so we were blown away! However we have nothing to compare. With that said here is my review-

* Room mid-ship Balcony 11th floor with sleep 4 option: awesome location near front elevator, great views, balcony  was “huge” in my opinion we could put all 4 people on the balcony at once. Bathroom was larger then I expected, beds were great sized, couch bed made into a twin was a very good size and as comfortable as the main bed in the room, pull down bed I am assuming the same- my 14 year old who is nearly 6’ was more then comfortable. NOTE: there is a bright personal light on that bed that can be turned off, there are no outlets near by so if you must plug something in that is not good. The ladder for the bed can be easily moved which is good as it get in the way. Also when making the room up they would put the upper bed away but never the lower bed/couch. So my guess is that it is too much work to put it away. The closet was a great size for 4 people, we loved the cubbies, space to get in the closet with the twins made up was very, very tight! The other cabinets near the tv were great, I would bring some small Dollar Tree foldable fabric boxes as it is just shelves. There is one huge drawer under the bed that is usable. The other one has extra bedding. The shower was missing a shaving bar or ledge for women to shave legs. It was a room on a ship so space is small, so this was expected in my opinion. The wall the tv is on, the front door, and bathroom door are all metal, the other walls I could not get a magnet to stick. TV only provides ship shows, channels 21-24 provide free movies including family friendly. Towel animals were only provided on request.

*Food: We did not purchase an upgraded plan so only ate at one specialty restaurant. The food was disappointing at the beginning of the week and about Wednesday started to get much better. I think the change in the cuisine and cooking equipment (eastern cuisine vs. western cuisine) requires different cooktops and style. They are starting to get the hang of it. The executive  cooperate chef was on board helping monitor and get things going this week. I spoke to the executive chef privately for a while (my husband is an executive chef) and learned that it is difficult for them to get trained cooks, so they are doing this on board, many were with them in Asia, but again it’s a total new style they need to learn. Restaurants: Savor, Taste, and Manhattan were all the same menu each night. The Local was a disappointing menu overall. Garden Cafe was also just ok all week. would recommend main dinning rooms for dinner. This limits the choices for dinners so I would recommend a dinning package.  We ate at Le Bistro and the food was very good, not excellent. We enjoyed sitting on the balcony watching the sunset. Much better atmosphere.

*Entertainment: Casts for both were great, I personally favored Elements, my husband and kids liked Footloose. We also went to 2 comedy shows, my son was picked on at the first so it was super funny for us! We participated in some of the game shows and did the Giant Jenga Tournament, Scavenger Hunt, Search for Nations (This was super hard- but our 14 year old was totally committed to doing this), and other “Atrium Activities” (events that took place on the schedule and held in the Atrium). We attended the Glow Party and saw the Beatles in both the theater and the Caravan Club. I liked the atmosphere of the club but it was nice to see the theater nearly filled for them as well. We also saw Jim Badger in The District a few times, my husband and I greatly enjoyed him even if some of his content was repeated, it changes with each audience a bit. I can say we were far more busy in this “relaxing” vacation then I planned to be, but everything was so much fun we didn’t want to miss out.

*Deck 16-18 Pools/Hot Tubs: The pools are very small, one pool (nearest the screen) was for adults only the other (near hot tubs) was for families. The kids splash area was nicely appointed and even my 9 and 14 year old had fun playing in it. The 2 Hot Tubs in this area remained busy even when chilly, so if warmer and a fuller ship these areas would be way too small. The big slides were great, the one with the inner tube was great for everyone until it broke 😞 one nice feature is that they have a machine that takes the inner tube to the top for you. The off the ship slide in pretty intimidating and we saw many people walk up to the top and change their minds. It is the type of slide you walk into and then they shut the slide around you and you drop straight down. A few things to know: they are very strict about any type of metal, including bathing suit strap adjusters (yes those tiny metal pieces), they, no earrings or piercings even studs, no shirts, they also gave us a hard time about the kids and teen club bands that the kids need to wear all week! Finally we had them speak to top management to get “clearance”. Also we met 2 people who became stuck inside the slide! So just good information to process, besides that it’s fun! The spice H2O hot tub was also busy all week, I can’t imagine with better weather and a fuller ship how this would go. I did glance at Vibe and it was empty the few times I saw it. So if you want some hot tub time and it’s a full ship this may be something to consider. The hot tub is also nicely located near the edge of the ship so you could view the ocean, watch for whales or glaciers while enjoying. 

*RaceTrack, Golf & Laser Tag: Race Track is great BUTTTT- they need to have separate times for families and adults. the kids kept getting in the way of adults and adults would get ticked at the kids. It just would be better management of the course. They do have a separate time for the double race cars for when little kids ride with adults. Laser Tag was so much cooler then I expected from pictures. It is a great set up and I would highly recommend to play at night, their are laser pointers on the guns but you can’t see these during the day so aiming is harder. the mini-golf is 9 holes, and for free it’s fun- NOTE: you may get filthy from playing as the race cars and smoke stack are nearby, my sons new shirt is stained from dark specks and is now ruined!

*Galaxy Pavillon: mixed feelings, was really cool but made everyone in our group nauseous! The Zombie game was too graphic for our 9 year old who was upset after we did it, one of the robot games was broken, you do need to pay an extra $10 to ride in the formula One ca, we never saw one person there!, the other race car game is nearly impossible to do in 3D, but you can play regularly and the attendant will help then, the Jurassic was the best to me and my 9 year old like the roller coaster and drone game. My 14 year old only did a few and felt too sick to do any more. I would recommend pay for the $29, 90 minute session- that is more then enough time. Not to many people did it when we were there and I never saw it busy- so really that is more then enough time to do everything you want multiple times. We even had sea sick patches on and still felt horrible and we are not sensitive to car sickness!

*The Waterfront! This is tucked away and easy to miss making it the best kept secret on the ship! If you are looking for relaxation and quiet I would highly recommend!

*Observation Deck: Almost always packed! The weather was reasonably nice and it was still busy all the time. It takes patience and time to get a seat. I was surprised how large it really is and the snacks, light breakfast and lunches were nice. There was great bar attendants who made sure drinks were being brought constantly and a Starbucks. Also if you like water with fresh fruit, they keep one container near the bar here! Great views however expect it to be busy!

*Spa: my husband and I received Fire & Ice pedicures, they were good but it felt like a sales pitch the entire time I tried to relax and enjoy the view (the view from the pedicure chairs is awesome), this is the ONLY thing that made it different from a pedicure I receive at a local nail salon- so bit disappointing. I also received a $50 off my first sailing “gift card” on a 50 minute treatment, so I used it on their “signature hot stone massage”. It is as an excellent massage- no selling this time (thank you!!) however I felt very rushed in and out of the salon, no time to go to the locker room to leave Clothes and get a robe or slippers, I had to change in the massage room, so no shower after! So I had to go back to my room to shower 😞

I don’t think I would do this again, we are spoiled in Reno with nice spas so I would probably spend this time relaxing vs. squeezing in a treatment.

*Splash Academy: my 9 year old loved hanging out here. the staff was phenomenal! Lots of find activities and games kept her engaged. There was o my one time she wanted to leave and that was when we were “late” picking her up for the pool and she wanted to go to the pool that day.

*Entourage: My 14 year old loved it! this is a small space BUTTT this entire ship is teen friendly so they don’t need a huge room as they move to other locations, they played Dodgeball one night in a room below the normal decks, they were supposed to play laser tag (weather issuers made them cancel), they hung out at the Garden Cafe and Local, they went to the Social for events and dances, they also had private party in the Cavern Club, I think this is way better then hanging out in one room the entire time. My son loved the staff, and many other staff members came by to hang out with the teens so this made them feel special - and apparently teens are more fun to hang out with then us adults 😂! We were off season and there were plenty of teens playing hookie from school. My son met other teens from around the world and they became great friends during the week. He was begging to go as soon as dinner was over each night!

 

[lyannea]

Great review- if I may add, there were 4 dedicated news channels, including BBC. Just got off the Joy this past Saturday as well.

[JamieLogical]

7 hours ago, Chrislyn said:

My Joy Review:

 

This was our first cruise so we were blown away!

 

 

Glad you had such a great time on your first cruise! I just went on my first cruise in February 2018 and I am about to go on my sixth cruise two weeks from now! I get badly addicted. Not sure I am ever going to be able to settle for a land-based vacation again!

 

Thanks for the great review. I am sure it's very reassuring to families with children to hear that your kids had such a fun trip!