Last month, we hopped on an inaugural sailing aboard the Norwegian Joy, from Norwegian Cruise Line. This inaugural was a little different from other cruise inaugurals in that it was solely for travel media and agents to get familiar with the ship. Although I suspect there were some super-cruisers who were specially invited as well.
We boarded in Vancouver and sailed down to Los Angeles. There were no port excursions and we were on the open water for three whole days. Which I personally loved. But also, I am now intimately acquainted with the ship and what to do onboard. So if you're ready to book a cruise, your trusty travel agent (aka me) will help you out. In the meantime…
Below is what you need to know about the Norwegian Joy. Be sure to click the links below which will take you to more of our REAL photos of what the ship looks like. (No more struggling with vague deck plans and teeny tiny stateroom thumbnails. You're welcome.)
T+G QUICK LINKS
The Joy isn’t exactly a new ship. This ship was built in 2017 and originally cruised around Asia. But realizing there was a better opportunity to sail this ship in America, NCL docked the Joy for a $50 million facelift, renovating it for sailings around Alaska, the Mexican Riviera and the Panama Canal. Indeed every single carpet was replaced and many public areas were retrofitted like the pool deck (which was actually a tai chi garden) but now has a few smallish pools and hot tubs.
If you’ve been on Norwegian Bliss, this will look familiar. The Joy’s sister ship, Bliss, has many of the same restaurants, activities and features. Even the stateroom decor looks alike! So if you’ve been on Bliss, Joy will feel the same. And Norwegian will have another new ship called Encore that debuts in November with pretty much all of the same things onboard too.
To up your stateroom game, book The Haven. The Haven, which is on Decks 18 and 19, is akin to a five-star hotel atop the ship. The staterooms are spectacular with luxe linens, Bulgari toiletries, a private butler, priority services and its own restaurant, pool deck, and Horizon observation lounge. You won't have to leave The Haven unless you want to and that's worth paying a premium for.
If The Haven is not an option, there are plenty of stateroom layouts to consider. If you aren't keen on dropping $13,000 or more on a week-long cruise, that's totally understandable. The Joy has a lot of staterooms for all different budgets and for different groups. What we especially like is that there are plenty of options for families. The most economical option that still gives yous plenty of space is a Concierge Level Inside Family Stateroom.
“Inside” is cruise lingo for no windows, although the sitting area has one of those virtual balconies that show exactly what you would be seeing if your room had a window or balcony. Yet, you'll get a rather large master bedroom, a sitting area, small dining room and another guestroom that can sleep two or three kids. See below for photos of some other staterooms and please, reach out to me for any questions about which room to book. SEE THE STATEROOMS ON JOY HERE.
There's a hangout for every age group. The Norwegian Joy has a Splash Academy on Deck 5 for kids ages 3-12 years old. This “academy” is separated into three different rooms for three different age groups: Sea Turtles (3-5), Seals (6-9), and Dolphins (10-12.) There are usually events happening all day long from 9am to 10pm. Teens, however, get to party in the Entourage Teen Club which is actually adjacent to the Galaxy Pavillion gaming area up on Deck 16.
Even adults. The most happening spot for adults is 678 Ocean Place. That's easy to remember and easy to find because it's mid-ship on Decks 6,7, and 8. Here you will find a casino, a comedy club, some random shopping, several specialty restaurants (like the very popular Teppanyaki spot), the Waterfront outdoor dining and lounge areas, an outpost of The Cavern Club from Liverpool (made famous by The Beatles) and a few cool bars like the Sugar Cane Mojito Bar. The Joy Theater is also on Deck 7 where “Footloose!” The Musical can be seen. (Short review: it's cute, we already know the story but the tunes are catchy and the castmembers are adorable.)
There are restaurants everywhere. You will never go hungry on a cruise, that's for sure. The Joy has more than a dozen restaurants, along with room service and the (nearly) all-day buffet spot, The Garden Café. Oh and two Starbucks! The quality of the food is generally pretty good but La Cucina and Cagney's Steakhouse were two that stood out in quality. Food Republic is a tasty casual Asian spot but the ordering is done all via iPad which got to be a little confusing. The Taste and Savor restaurants had glorious views out the side of the ship, especially at sunset, although the entrees didn't quite live up to menu descriptions.
At the buffet, the fresh juice bar is a must-visit as is the Indian food. That's because most of the chefs on the ship are from South Asia and they know what they are doing here.
And plenty of spots to relax. There is a full spa onboard Joy called Mandara (which even offers fillers!), along with a beauty salon and barber shop, but you don't need to book a treatment to chill out. Some of our favorite spots on the ship for resting and relaxing include the Observation Lounge (the front gets crowded so we say opt for a nook along the sides); the upper pool decks opposite the laser tag and racetrack; the small library on Deck 6 where you can borrow books to read, and your stateroom balcony, if you have one.
But also, plenty of places to go wild. There are a ridiculous amount of bars on Joy but lest you get bored of drinking, there are other ways to cut loose, starting with Laser Tag on Deck 20. Yup, this is the very tippy top of the ship and it's an open-air maze. The cost is $10 per person. OR you can hit The Speedway and race some go-carts on Deck 19. The cost here is $15 per person. Want to do something a bit more stationary? Try The Galaxy Pavilion which has both an old-school arcade and lots of new virtual reality games. Safe to say, if you are even the slightest bit prone to seasickness, avoid this. It also costs $29 per person. What was more our speed was the low-key Mini-Golf on Deck 19.
Want a little bit of a party with your relaxing? Try the Vibe Beach Club, an 18 and older spot on Deck 19. You'll have to get your passes to the club (for purchase) early on. While Aqua Park on Joy takes up a large amount of space, the pools are actually pretty small. There is a kids' splash area and a giant twisty waterslide, but for the most part there's not much wet with your wet n' wild action here.
Just be prepared to spend. Aside from your cruise fare, you will need to pay for automatic gratuities and anything else that's not included in the cruise fare, which as you can see means most of the restaurants and bars, activities, WiFi and more. It adds up so do budget appropriately before stepping on the ship. Or else, just make “Treat Yo'self” your cruising motto.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR SHOW, FOLKS. Be sure to click on the links above to see photos and more of my notes on The Joy. Any questions? Send 'em along. Need help booking? Your Trusty Travel Agent is here to help. (That's me, btw.)
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