Real-Time Review by SthrnGary of the NCL Joy, March 19, 2022, Cruise in “Haven Lite”

[Sthrngary]

51 minutes ago, Acruzaholic said:

You have replied to the wrong person. I go by "Acruzaholic". I mentioned my being nthrngary in a previous post awhile ago as a joke response to you being sthrngary, as I am from massachusetts vs alabama. Note that I dropped the r from nrthrngary to nthrngary to mimic your spelling. I never realized there was actually a nrthrngary out there🤨. There may even be an actual nthrngary as well? Look @ what fell out of my carry on when I are got back home yesterday afternoon.

LOL. I knew this was your name but we kidded so much about NorthernGary I thought you had given yourself another name, LOL. You did me such a service with these little fellows.  Thank you so much.  I am so happy you had a good time.  Glad I finally got you some Tequila.  Give your lovely bride my best and stay healthy.

 

Cruise well.

[Acruzaholic]

53 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

LOL. I knew this was your name but we kidded so much about NorthernGary I thought you had given yourself another name, LOL. You did me such a service with these little fellows.  Thank you so much.  I am so happy you had a good time.  Glad I finally got you some Tequila.  Give your lovely bride my best and stay healthy.

 

Cruise well.

Gary,

I tried calling your room thursday morning, wanted to bring you a few more to enjoy-unfortunately NO answer-I should have left a message-I glad we met and you've got me hooked on those little croissants!😁 I refer to my little stash of 12 as the 12 Days of Haven Joy-akin to the 12 Days of Christmas. 

I hope we do cruise well together, again!

[BeachCruiserNJ]

On 3/19/2022 at 10:55 AM, prbffd28 said:

Gary, thanks for taking the time out of your vacation to keep us up to date on all your travels, you are a wealth of information. We have a group of ten going to Bermuda May 29 on Joy and I am looking forward to following along to get an idea of what to expect. You have already answered one of my questions, which was where we needed to go to purchase Vibe passes, so thank you again!! The other question is regarding communicating with our group onboard. Do you know if there is a "chat" feature through the NCL app where we can message each other without having to purchase an internet package? Most of our friends in the group are in their 70's with a couple 80's so it would be very helpful to be able to communicate by chat with them instead of having to chase each other all around the ship. Have a great cruise !!

Perry

Since I don't see that anyone responded to your question I will answer. Yes, there is a chat feature on the app that works great. It costs $9.95/pp for the week. You can also use it to make calls to one another as well. We find it very handy when we are aboard any of the NCL ships.

[BeachCruiserNJ]

On 3/21/2022 at 8:05 AM, Sthrngary said:

There is no public space. The vibe takes both sides of the middle of the ship. So the vibe has two hot tubs whereas the escape had one hot tub and one for public. This vibe is bigger. I hope I answered your questionThere is no public space. The vibe takes both sides of the middle of the ship. So the vibe has two hot tubs whereas the escape had one hot tub and one for public. This vibe is bigger. I hope I answered your question

So you are saying the deck plans they are showing on the ncl.com site, which show public sun deck and hot tub, are incorrect and misleading? That's unfortunate. We were looking forward to utilizing that space on our cruise in May since we also will not be staying in the Haven this time. 

[Sthrngary]

1 minute ago, BeachCruiserNJ said:

So you are saying the deck plans they are showing on the ncl.com site, which show public sun deck and hot tub, are incorrect and misleading? That's unfortunate. We were looking forward to utilizing that space on our cruise in May since we also will not be staying in the Haven this time. 

What I am saying is the vibe beach club goes on both sides of deck 19. It has two hot tubs.  No hot tubs on deck 19 other than vibe and haven. 

[BeachCruiserNJ]

Just now, Sthrngary said:

What I am saying is the vibe beach club goes on both sides of deck 19. It has two hot tubs.  No hot tubs on deck 19 other than vibe and haven. 

Thanks and am loving your review. Still working through it but appreciate all your insight as we are goin in May on the Joy for the first time. We usually stay in the Haven as well but booked a suite outside the Haven only to find they took the "Suite Perks" away so that makes your reporting even more helpful. Thank you.

 

[Sthrngary]

49 minutes ago, BeachCruiserNJ said:

Thanks and am loving your review. Still working through it but appreciate all your insight as we are goin in May on the Joy for the first time. We usually stay in the Haven as well but booked a suite outside the Haven only to find they took the "Suite Perks" away so that makes your reporting even more helpful. Thank you.

 

Since we are both used to the Haven, a few little hints.  You don't have to take them but I thought I would share.

1. A Place Away from the Crowds: One of the main reasons I ever started to do the Haven was a place to retreat to from the crowds.  My last trip I was not in the Haven.  I created this area with the Vibe beach Club.  If the Joy had a Thermal Spa which they don't, I might have done that instead. This was a huge Vibe, never ever crowded.
2. Specialty Restaurants: Free at sea gives you two specialty meals.  American Express platinum gives you dinner for two in the French Restaurant. I got a two meal package which was $70.00 per person.  
3. Main Dining Room/Buffet: Not bad, really especially for breakfast.  I ate Breakfast in the Main Dining room mostly and loved it.  Two days in the Buffet and simply had the omelet station cook me some over easy eggs. 
4. Observation Lounge: Every morning I got a Starbucks here.  Best view on the ship including the Haven Horizon Lounge. Some mornings I just had granola here with coffee and even skipped lunch.  
5. Premium Plus Beverage Package: I treated myself as I normally do.  To each his own.  I did high end spirits, bottles water at every meal, two Starbucks a day and yes French champagne at dinners.  I lived it up for seven days. 
6. Don't Miss Any Shows:  Don't miss the Beatles revolution on the first night.  I think they only do one show and it is really good.  See the Beatles in the Cavern Club during the week also.  Footloose and Elements are outstanding and you have options for the show times.  

I did all this to make a similar experience as the Haven for much less of an investment.  Your suite had early embarkment.  Use that option and if you want the Vibe, get to the Japanize restaurant quick because the sell out the Vibe week passes quick.  

 

Below I attached a document showing all the amenities for the Joy based on cabin time.  Hope it helps.

 

Cruise well.

[hallux]

@Sthrngary did you see the dolphins in the bow wake on the surprise sea day?  I was one of those gathered by the windows in the OL watching them...

[Sthrngary]

13 minutes ago, hallux said:

@Sthrngary did you see the dolphins in the bow wake on the surprise sea day?  I was one of those gathered by the windows in the OL watching them...

Oh my, I missed that.  How exciting.

[bkrickles1]

1 hour ago, BeachCruiserNJ said:

So you are saying the deck plans they are showing on the ncl.com site, which show public sun deck and hot tub, are incorrect and misleading? That's unfortunate. We were looking forward to utilizing that space on our cruise in May since we also will not be staying in the Haven this time. 

I am also disappointed in this. The Escape has that area right outside of Vibe with a whirlpool, misting machine and the other half of the Vibe bar.

The deck plans on every site are wrong on this unfortunately.

[BeachCruiserNJ]

13 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

Since we are both used to the Haven, a few little hints.  You don't have to take them but I thought I would share.

1. A Place Away from the Crowds: One of the main reasons I ever started to do the Haven was a place to retreat to from the crowds.  My last trip I was not in the Haven.  I created this area with the Vibe beach Club.  If the Joy had a Thermal Spa which they don't, I might have done that instead. This was a huge Vibe, never ever crowded.
2. Specialty Restaurants: Free at sea gives you two specialty meals.  American Express platinum gives you dinner for two in the French Restaurant. I got a two meal package which was $70.00 per person.  
3. Main Dining Room/Buffet: Not bad, really especially for breakfast.  I ate Breakfast in the Main Dining room mostly and loved it.  Two days in the Buffet and simply had the omelet station cook me some over easy eggs. 
4. Observation Lounge: Every morning I got a Starbucks here.  Best view on the ship including the Haven Horizon Lounge. Some mornings I just had granola here with coffee and even skipped lunch.  
5. Premium Plus Beverage Package: I treated myself as I normally do.  To each his own.  I did high end spirits, bottles water at every meal, two Starbucks a day and yes French champagne at dinners.  I lived it up for seven days. 
6. Don't Miss Any Shows:  Don't miss the Beatles revolution on the first night.  I think they only do one show and it is really good.  See the Beatles in the Cavern Club during the week also.  Footloose and Elements are outstanding and you have options for the show times.  

I did all this to make a similar experience as the Haven for much less of an investment.  Your suite had early embarkment.  Use that option and if you want the Vibe, get to the Japanize restaurant quick because the sell out the Vibe week passes quick.  

 

Below I attached a document showing all the amenities for the Joy based on cabin time.  Hope it helps.

 

Cruise well.

Thank you. So helpful. I appreciate you sharing.

[prbffd28]

21 hours ago, BeachCruiserNJ said:

Since I don't see that anyone responded to your question I will answer. Yes, there is a chat feature on the app that works great. It costs $9.95/pp for the week. You can also use it to make calls to one another as well. We find it very handy when we are aboard any of the NCL ships.

Thank you very much!! I really appreciate the information and I will forward it to the rest of our group. This would certainly makes things much easier for everyone considering we all have different preferences.

Could I ask one more question, where do we sign up to add this feature? Can it be done through the app or somewhere on the ship?

Thanks again,

Perry

[lgdesign]

1 hour ago, prbffd28 said:

Thank you very much!! I really appreciate the information and I will forward it to the rest of our group. This would certainly makes things much easier for everyone considering we all have different preferences.

Could I ask one more question, where do we sign up to add this feature? Can it be done through the app or somewhere on the ship?

Thanks again,

Perry

Really great information... that could be very handy.

[hallux]

2 hours ago, prbffd28 said:

Could I ask one more question, where do we sign up to add this feature? Can it be done through the app or somewhere on the ship?

Once on board and connected to the WiFi, open the NCL app and go to the chat bubbles, it will prompt you to enable the feature and charge your account for it.

[BeachCruiserNJ]

4 hours ago, prbffd28 said:

Thank you very much!! I really appreciate the information and I will forward it to the rest of our group. This would certainly makes things much easier for everyone considering we all have different preferences.

Could I ask one more question, where do we sign up to add this feature? Can it be done through the app or somewhere on the ship?

Thanks again,

Perry

Hi Perry. You do it right through the app. Make sure everyone downloads the app before getting onboard. Once onboard, set your phone to airplane mode then connect to the NCL network (no login required/no internet minutes used from your plan if you have one). Open the app and you will see the option to add the chat. It's very simple. Your shipboard account will be charged $9.95 (for a 7 day cruise) if you turn the chat/talk feature on. Good luck and happy cruising 🙂

[prbffd28]

40 minutes ago, BeachCruiserNJ said:

Hi Perry. You do it right through the app. Make sure everyone downloads the app before getting onboard. Once onboard, set your phone to airplane mode then connect to the NCL network (no login required/no internet minutes used from your plan if you have one). Open the app and you will see the option to add the chat. It's very simple. Your shipboard account will be charged $9.95 (for a 7 day cruise) if you turn the chat/talk feature on. Good luck and happy cruising 🙂

Excellent, thanks again for your (and @hallux) very helpful responses, I appreciate it!

[Von & John]

@Sthrngary

Thanks for the Fabulous Cruise!!!

We were sailing 03/18-03/28 & missed reading in real time...

Therefore I binge read everything tonight 🙂

[Von & John]

On 3/20/2022 at 12:52 PM, ceilidh1 said:

 

Oh......

Now to ask myself if those daily gummy bears are worth the $2k upgrade bid. Lol

 

 

 

@ceilidh1

Ceili  --  I'll be happy to send you gummy's for your cruise if:

1)  You can send me the address for the ship receiving dept.

2)  I can make it to town b/4 you cruise

Hope life is treating you & the kids amazingly!

Cheers  --  Von

[ceilidh1]

9 hours ago, Von & John said:

 

@ceilidh1

Ceili  --  I'll be happy to send you gummy's for your cruise if:

1)  You can send me the address for the ship receiving dept.

2)  I can make it to town b/4 you cruise

Hope life is treating you & the kids amazingly!

Cheers  --  Von

You guys are the sweetest! We can survive without the gummys (I already packed a ton of chocolate - lol)!

[Von & John]

7 hours ago, ceilidh1 said:

You guys are the sweetest! We can survive without the gummys (I already packed a ton of chocolate - lol)!

 

I had a Costco bag here - which I opened 4 days ago for Johnny & the neighbor twins...
Otherwise I could have sent it 🙂 

[cruiseinfoseeker]

On 3/26/2022 at 3:01 PM, Sthrngary said:

. . .

Le Bistro (7.5 out of 10): This was a complementary dinner for two provided by American Express Platinum.  Not my favorite of the specialty restaurants.  The service is GREAT, but you really must know what to order. I know what I like so I was very lucky.  The Scallops Soup is really good followed by the Lamb.  With dinner I took full advantage of my upgraded Platinum Plus Drink Package with many glasses of French Champagne.  I skipped desert, which is not like me but sometimes, a simple meal is the best meal.

 

 

Questions for you, Gary:

I will also have the LeBistro dinner from Amex. I cannot remember how restrictive this was and if it was a voucher? or how it is identified to the waitstaff.  

In fact, the last time I went I was solo myself so they may not have been as restrictive as they may have been had I had the second diner with me.

But I feel like in prior visits using the Amex dinner it may have been very firmly 1:1:1 per person.

 

And since we are on Amex discussion: I noticed in another thread or maybe this one even that you take out travel insurance. I always have as well; however, I didn't this cruise because the amex is supposed to have travel coverage up to 10k of nonrefundable, I believe, which I either never noticed before, did know but didn't trust (then forgot about), or its new... Is there something you know negative about it that has influenced your decision to go elsewhere for it?

 

Thanks, for your help. (and your "Gary Letter" template which I downloaded earlier this week. It was the greatest starting point for me as I would have spent a hundred years trying to organize topic areas)

 

[Sthrngary]

3 minutes ago, cruiseinfoseeker said:

I will also have the LeBistro dinner from Amex. I cannot remember how restrictive this was and if it was a voucher? or how it is identified to the waitstaff.  

In fact, the last time I went I was solo myself so they may not have been as restrictive as they may have been had I had the second diner with me.

But I feel like in prior visits using the Amex dinner it may have been very firmly 1:1:1 per person.

@cruiseinfoseekerYou don't see the voucher.  When you get to the restaurant, you verify and they say it is Amex. I was a solo recently and the AMEX covered dinner for two.  Or I could have double everything.  I did neither.  I think is was one of each item. 

 

7 minutes ago, cruiseinfoseeker said:

And since we are on Amex discussion: I noticed in another thread or maybe this one even that you take out travel insurance. I always have as well; however, I didn't this cruise because the amex is supposed to have travel coverage up to 10k of nonrefundable, I believe, which I either never noticed before, did know but didn't trust (then forgot about), or its new... Is there something you know negative about it that has influenced your decision to go elsewhere for it?

Most major credit cards have this type of coverage.  I am on Medicare so I have to have Travel Insurance.  I had a claim, the Travel insurance paid for it.  Then I had a few items that Amex paid for some other items.  My last trip, my son had to use the ship hospital.  Both of these situation sold me on independent trave insurance. 

 

Hope that helps.

 

Cruise well