Norwegian Joy Mini Review: 5 night sailing out of LA

[sailawaybellaluna]

2 hours ago, JGmf said:

Just wanted to pop-in and thank you for taking the time to write the review and post the photos.  I'm following along!

Thank you!

[Smitheroo]

18 hours ago, sailawaybellaluna said:

We had 5:30pm dinner reservations in The Manhattan dining room tonight. I made reservations about a month or two prior to sailing, and I'm so glad I did! In general, I felt the dining venues were always quite busy, even when dining early.

I was on the Joy last week also. We didnt have any problems getting into either the Savor or Taste Dining rooms. It was definitely easier if you went earlier.  The one time we thought we'd try the Manhattan room we were told it would be a 30 minute wait so we went to one of the other 2. Is the Manhattan much better with the same menu?  

[Smitheroo]

On 2/28/2023 at 3:46 PM, sailawaybellaluna said:

We decided to do one more loop and drop our luggage off with the porters before heading down to berth 46.

 

On 2/28/2023 at 3:46 PM, sailawaybellaluna said:

We got on a very crowded (standing room only) shuttle and made our way back to berth 92 again. 

Wasnt that awful?  I think I caught a cold on that shuttle which hit me the last evening of the cruise. If we didnt have suitcases I think I would have rather walked back to the ship. I cant remember if that was practical or not. Not exactly "safe distancing"  I'm glad it wasnt Covid.  Parking at the new lot made it better coming off the ship. That was only a short walk. The parking lot attendant who directed us there (the other lots were full) said that the Joy would return to that area.

[Sand and Seas]

Love your awesome photos!   Thanks for sharing your review with us😎

[Smitheroo]

6 hours ago, pc_load_letter said:

I find it an odd policy of needing to test electrical items.

 

This is quite common. I worked for a hospital and we werent allowed to use any electrical appliances that hadnt been checked by maintenance.  I'm guessing to make sure they arent a fire hazard. My partner had his electric kettle confiscated and wasnt told they had kettles on loan or it just needed to be checked first.  I had a wonderful time on board the Joy but communication seems a bit inconsistent

[Smitheroo]

1 hour ago, victory2020 said:

Found it to be too crowded everywhere, including people trying to pack into the elevators. We ended up walking most stairs but I still came back with a cold(at least

The elevators were a pain!  That's the only area we felt crowded on. I noticed the atrium was often packed but we didnt sit there for long periods of time.  I also came back with a cold!  I'm blaming the packed shuttle.

[pc_load_letter]

14 minutes ago, Smitheroo said:

I had a wonderful time on board the Joy but communication seems a bit inconsistent

 

Right, on Bliss, when the fan was tagged by the terminal staff, they indicated it would be brought to my room. Okay, no problem. I then went to GS and they said it was not allowed. I cited the policy on their webpage and the GS rep said the policy had changed. On the last day when I went to pick it up, a third GS rep said that they are allowed and it just needed to be tested, lol.

 

Yeah, not surprising all the GS agents had different information.

[sailawaybellaluna]

1 hour ago, Smitheroo said:

 

Wasnt that awful?  I think I caught a cold on that shuttle which hit me the last evening of the cruise. If we didnt have suitcases I think I would have rather walked back to the ship. I cant remember if that was practical or not. Not exactly "safe distancing"  I'm glad it wasnt Covid.  Parking at the new lot made it better coming off the ship. That was only a short walk. The parking lot attendant who directed us there (the other lots were full) said that the Joy would return to that area.

It was a really unfortunate way to start and end the cruise! So sorry you got sick. 

[sailawaybellaluna]

Back to a beautiful morning in Cabo!

 

I've been there several times in the past, and wasn't too bothered about our plans. We knew it wouldn't be very warm so we did not invest in a resort day pass. We had packed snorkel gear, but the water was very rough and I think it only hit 71° that day. As a Californian, I would have froze to death in that weather. 😅

 

We had initially booked a tour on Viator for a glass bottomed boat around the arches, departing at 1:00 p.m. We ended up canceling that the week before and decided to just go with the flow.

 

I'm so glad we did because tendering took absolutely forever. 

 

The night we boarded the ship, I got on the television to reserve tender tickets. Every option that appeared on our screen  was for group 19. So we chose that! We dropped anchor near the arches around 11am, and it was after 1:00 p.m. by the time group 19 finally got called! 😳 If I had spent $130 on a resort pass, or was really anxious to do a DIY tour of Cabo, I would have been really disappointed. I'm not sure why everything on this sailing felt so crowded and moved so slowly! I've been to many tender ports and I know it can be very chaotic, especially the first hour.  If I am on a cruise line where I don't have status or priority tendering, I just try and relax and stay out of the way so all of the tours can disembark first. That being said, I didn't expect the madness after already being in port 2+ hours!!

 

All the waiting around meant we popped up to the buffet for salads, a little taste of Indian food, and a dirty bloody Mary! I wasn't mad about it! 🤣

 

 

Edited March 1, 2023 by sailawaybellaluna

[ChiefMateJRK]

6 hours ago, sailawaybellaluna said:

I'm known to even take slippers

I pack extremely light, but slippers are always a staple.  On sea days, they may never leave my feet. 😎

[ChiefMateJRK]

1 hour ago, sailawaybellaluna said:

and a dirty bloody Mary!

I'm familiar with a dirty martini, but what's a dirty bloody Mary?

[victory2020]

5 hours ago, sailawaybellaluna said:

I felt the same! I'm not sure if the stormy weather meant all the people that would typically be laying out by the pool were crammed into the public areas, and that's why everything felt so crowded? That was my take on it.

 

We could never get on the elevators and also took the stairs. Which made me sad for older people or those who had real mobility issues waiting around forever for an elevator!

 

Rooms took a really really long time. 😐

Yes, I think it was because of cold weather, is it like that on Alaska cruises? We never did get to enjoy the observation area.

[sailawaybellaluna]

13 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I'm familiar with a dirty martini, but what's a dirty bloody Mary?

I don't recall exactly, but the olives were stuffed with pickles and I believe there was some pickle juice in there as well?! Not as good as the Bloody Mary's on Holland America, but I'll never complain about spending time drinking on a cruise ship! 🤣

[sailawaybellaluna]

11 hours ago, victory2020 said:

Yes, I think it was because of cold weather, is it like that on Alaska cruises? We never did get to enjoy the observation area.

I do not recall the Joy feeling this crowded when I sailed her in Alaska! I had to be very aggressive scouting out chairs in the Observation on this sailing!

[FlGoodShips]

Could you post a list of officers?

Thank you.

Enjoying your review so much.

[sailawaybellaluna]

1 hour ago, FlGoodShips said:

Could you post a list of officers?

Thank you.

Enjoying your review so much.

I'm afraid I don't have a complete list of officers. The presence of the captain and senior offices was basically non-existent on the sailing. In fact I'm not sure if I even heard the captain give one announcement?

 

These were featured in the Freestyle on Day 2.

 

[sailawaybellaluna]

Back to Cabo!! Once our tender group #19 was called, we spent about 20+ minutes queuing to board the tender boat. It took about another 20+ minutes to load everyone and then we were off!

 

It was a beautiful morning to see the ship from the tender!

 

We finally arrived at the pier in Cabo around 2:15 p.m.. We immediately got off and began walking around, greeted by many offers for pharmacies and glass bottom boats! 

 

We decided to walk around the harbor and that is where we met Daniel in the Information Booth. We chose to ask him about the boat tours to the arch, and were a very pleased with his suggestion to use EnvaTours.

 

We ended up paying $25 each for the clear boat tour out to the arches. It was through a proper travel agency (EnvaTours) that had an office. All of their staff were in uniforms and very professional. The boat was very well maintained with everyone required to wear a life jacket. 

 

We spent just under an hour on the boat and really enjoyed our time! We saw whales, sea lions, and our captain threw tortillas under the boat so we could watch the fish come and eat. We passed Lover's Beach, Divorce Beach, and the arch where the water from the Pacific comes through to the Sea of Cortez.

 

We only had six other people on board, and it was a really enjoyable little excursion!

 

Afterwards we bought some bottled water from one of the pharmacies to take back on the ship and returned on the tender! We were the last to board the tender so getting back was a much quicker process!

 

 

 

 

[sailawaybellaluna]

We got back on board around 4:30 and decided to stop in the atrium bar for drinks.

 

I had the best espresso martini of my life! It was $18, so with the beverage package discount and tax, I ended up paying $3.60. definitely worth it!

 

The sun has returned, so we sat on our balcony enjoying our drinks and taking in the scenery. 

 

We enjoyed a gorgeous sunset before heading to dinner! 

 

 

[sailawaybellaluna]

Day 4: Another Sea Day!

 

Today we woke up to cold, cloudy weather. We had a slow morning drinking coffee in the cabin before heading up to the American Diner for breakfast. (While this is a paid venue, it is free for breakfast). 

 

Due to the location, it is quite chilly (partially outdoor), but they did have some overhead heaters going.

 

It's a mini buffet of sorts. I didn't find the food looked very appetizing. Typical greasy food with a pancake and oatmeal option. Not our best experience...😐

 

The day picked up as we headed to the Observation Lounge and scored two seats and footstools at the very front of the ship! 

 

By this point the sun was fighting to make an appearance, and we ended up sitting there for 3 hours reading and drinking pina coladas! Pure bliss! 

 

 

[sailawaybellaluna]

One thing I did forget to mention yesterday... During the evening we ended up going to the theater to hear Levity Comedy with Dan Gabriel.

 

Now on the first day when we first boarded the ship, I got on the iTV to reserve comedy shows, but they were already reserved! We noticed this show was added after the fact and didn't require reservations. I assume a lot of people weren't able to get into other shows so they added one in the theater.

 

I do enjoy seeing comedians on ships. My husband and I were recently on one of the comedy cruises on the Discovery Princess several weeks prior, and thought their comedians were hysterical!

 

I found Dan Gabriel to be very average and not so funny. 😐 Of course everyone has a different opinion as this is a matter of personal taste. But I would have preferred to stay in the Sugarcane Mojito Bar listening to Tropical Fusion!

 

If you're interested in seeing the comedy shows, make your reservations early!

[JGmf]

How's your first-time cruiser friend enjoying the cruise?

 

[Also, should you have any time to reply: based on your vast experience with other lines, how would you rank them for that sweet spot of quality/value, not for families, but for a married couple who likes to drink and sun?]

 

 

[sailawaybellaluna]

21 hours ago, JGmf said:

How's your first-time cruiser friend enjoying the cruise?

 

[Also, should you have any time to reply: based on your vast experience with other lines, how would you rank them for that sweet spot of quality/value, not for families, but for a married couple who likes to drink and sun?]

 

 

 I think she enjoyed it! It was far from perfect, but she's already brainstorming another cruise so I take that as a good sign! 🙂

 

Gosh that is a big question! My favorite cruise line is Holland America because I'm a little old lady at heart. I love the Lincoln Center classical music performances, the white table clothes, dressing up for the gala evenings, etc. I'm not a huge drinker, even with the drinks package included on the Joy sailing, I probably had 3 - 4 drinks per day, and I typically stick with wine. So I'm not sure I'm the best person to advise on this. Hopefully others can chime in.

 

I feel like Carnival and Royal do a great job of "drinks and sun", but they're also laden with kids and families. 

 

The Discovery Princess had a lot of lovely bars and very few children when I sailed her recently. Perhaps that's an option?

[jdc987]

On 3/2/2023 at 8:37 AM, sailawaybellaluna said:

Back to Cabo!! Once our tender group #19 was called, we spent about 20+ minutes queuing to board the tender boat. It took about another 20+ minutes to load everyone and then we were off!

 

It was a beautiful morning to see the ship from the tender!

 

We finally arrived at the pier in Cabo around 2:15 p.m.. We immediately got off and began walking around, greeted by many offers for pharmacies and glass bottom boats! 

 

We decided to walk around the harbor and that is where we met Daniel in the Information Booth. We chose to ask him about the boat tours to the arch, and were a very pleased with his suggestion to use EnvaTours.

 

We ended up paying $25 each for the clear boat tour out to the arches. It was through a proper travel agency (EnvaTours) that had an office. All of their staff were in uniforms and very professional. The boat was very well maintained with everyone required to wear a life jacket. 

 

We spent just under an hour on the boat and really enjoyed our time! We saw whales, sea lions, and our captain threw tortillas under the boat so we could watch the fish come and eat. We passed Lover's Beach, Divorce Beach, and the arch where the water from the Pacific comes through to the Sea of Cortez.

 

We only had six other people on board, and it was a really enjoyable little excursion!

 

Afterwards we bought some bottled water from one of the pharmacies to take back on the ship and returned on the tender! We were the last to board the tender so getting back was a much quicker process!

 

 

 

 

That is very cool boat, nice price too!

[sailawaybellaluna]

Back to Day 4, Day at Sea:

 

We left the observation lounge around 2:00 p.m. and headed to the Local for lunch. We were lucky to snag two chairs overlooking the atrium to again watch Deal or No Deal. But it was extremely loud and busy! The weather was really getting stormy and I doubt there was a soul outside, so the ship felt very crowded!

 

We enjoyed watching the game and eating fish sandwiches and fries before heading back to the observation lounge. At this point there were people sleeping on the couches and every single seat was taken. So loud as well. We snagged two seats near the window as a couple got up, but it was near the mini buffet and just too crowded and noisy to read. Even with ear plugs in. 😔

 

So we headed back to our cabin, and timed it just right so the sun was shining for a little bit into our cabin from the balcony. Just chilled in there until it was time for dinner.

 

During this night we had a gorgeous table in the Manhattan Dining Room at the very aft, however the swells had really picked up and there was a lot of motion on the ship. Probably my worst in 33 cruises! We kept a bottle of motion eaze on the table. 🤪

 

Afterwards we enjoyed a little more music and dancing in the Sugarcane and tried our luck again in the casino. My friend is not a big gambler and was hesitant to even spend $40, making the minimum bet on the Dancing Drums slot machine.  With only $3 left, she hit the major jackpot and walked away with $1,107!!  That made for an exciting night!!

 

The next morning we would be up early for Ensenada!

 

[Sand and Seas]

@sailawaybellaluna  Congrats to your friend!   

 

Love seeing a minimum bet hit a nice jackpot like that😊