NCL Joy Full Review: Was it as bad as they say?

[@vickimiller1669]

Thank you I really appreciate your video. My husband and I are booked on an upcoming cruise on the Joy and I started watching NCL Joy videos and was worried we made a mistake but after watching you guys I feel much better. Happy Cruising 🚢🚢

[@downtovacay]

So glad you found our review helpful. This review almost didn't happen, as my MacBook Pro where I store the media did not power on halfway through the cruise. Luckily I backed up 90% of it. This is why I (Gil) had to abruptly end the review. Bummer. Depending on what you're into it could be an amazing cruise or a bust. Footloose was really good. Make sure you book it the minute you get on the ship. Go to the touch screen Kiosks on Decks 6,7 & 8. If you're able to eat at the specialty restaurants, do so. The food is amazing. The service was great.

[@user-yj3ob9kd3l]

I loved the Observation Lounge. It's a great place to relax. Truly a "room with a view." I also enjoyed the Waterfront areas on Deck 8 outside the specialty restaurants. It's a nice place to quietly relax during the day. The Cavern was also a nice place for evening entertainment. I found myself at the Local often when I wanted something tasty and quick. The Brewhouse was right next to my cabin and I like beer, so it was perfect. The Q was great food with entertainment at dinner. I enjoyed the Joy enough that I will look for more Joy adventures.

[@downtovacay]

The Local IS the spot. Every time we're on an NCL ship it's either The Local or O'Sheehans for late night chicken wings and sweets. Talk about gaining that xtra 5lbs. Truth be told we barely go into the Cavern. I know... how can we review if we don't go in there. The Q is def the spot. I do prefer Guy's Pig & Anchor on the Carnival Excel class ships like the Mardi Gras. The Getaway is going to be in NYC come 2025 summer sailings to Bermuda. Another solid ship. We'll be on it this August in Greece.

[@Pigbelk]

Thank you both as you put me at ease as we just booked a back 2 back on the Joy to Bermuda. Not looking forward to the terminal but gotta do what you gotta do. new subscriber and enjoy you commentary and fun conversation.

[@downtovacay]

No problemo. Back 2 Back? Whoaaah that's cool. Is it a 4 night back to back? I saw somewhere that they may be taking out the show Footloose. IF that is true, that would be a major let down, as it was a really good show. Not to mention the fact that NCL is known for Broadway Theater shows as well. Thanks for subscribing. Hope we're able to give some great insight.

[@Pigbelk]

Its a New York to Bermuda the 2nd and 3rd week of July. 7 nights each we only do back 2 backs as we need time to get adjusted and a week is way too short for us. Dawn, Epic, Escape, Bliss we did the same thing but different locations. First time out of New York as we usually use our home port in Boston or fly to Miami and do a few days before and a few after to extend it even more.@@downtovacay

[@kingsgaurd]

I just subscribed. We cruise on the Joy in a few weeks. Thanks for the reviews, especially the food info. I am really looking forward to the Food Republic.

[@downtovacay]

Much appreciated. We hope you find our content very helpful and honest. No click baits on our end. If we have missed something, please let us know. Food Republic is one of the best speciality restaurants on the NCL ships. They're very attentive to allergies such as shell fish. They actually had to do my Ramen dish from scratch because of my shell fish allergies. Let us know if you have any more questions. Enjoy. #downtovacay

[@kingsgaurd]

@@downtovacay We just returned from our NCl Joy cruise through the Panama Canal. I completely agree with your review, especially about the food at the Food Republic.

[@downtovacay]

Glad you enjoyed the cruise. NCL Breakaway + class is probably our favorites. Glad you got some use out of our review. Food Republic is a sleeper. @@kingsgaurd

[@BrendaBrown-nl1rp]

Boarding the Joy this coming Wednesday from NYC to Bermuda. Thanks for your review. Looking forward to it.

[@downtovacay]

How was your cruiser on the Joy? Was it what you expected it to be?

[@TravelwithEbby]

Thanks for the review! I will be on this ship next November so I have a while before I’ll be on … my first NCL cruise.. I’ve done Royal and carnival so it should be exciting trying a different line.

[@downtovacay]

Your FIRST NCL cruise? That's probably a good choice for a 1st one, because it's a part of that later class. Not a small ship. By the time you get on it, they would have already expanded the SPA section. Too bad you're not on the ships Bliss or Encore. They have Los Lobos. Solid Specialty restaurants. Hopefully you have a great time for your first NCL cruise. I know Carnival is a "fun" ship, but NCL is a lil more luxury-ish : )

[@morrowcleveland]

Great video Folks. I just booked the NCL Joy for NYE 2024/2025. It will be our first time on NCL Joy. Thank you for all your tips and insights. Definitely adding to my excitement! 😊

[@downtovacay]

Oh wow. We did a New Year cruise back in 2019 into 2020. Literally months before the pandemic hit. It was a really awesome and memorable cruise. So much fun. It was the Norwegian Breakaway. Man it was soooo cool to ring in the new year on a fun ship. The Joy just enhanced their Spa so if you get a chance to go, do so. We're on the Icon of the Seas right now and their Spa is not so great in comparison.

[@chelseanewman9975]

I was just on the prima. That food was amazing. I can’t wait to go on the joy in December 2025. So worried when I go on carnival this December it won’t compare

[@downtovacay]

It won't. Unless you love Shaq's Big Chicken and Guy's Burger joint, it won't compare. We haven't tried Emeril's restaurant, so we can't say much to that. Think FUN FUN FUN : )

[@chelseanewman9975]

@@downtovacay I’m keeping an open mind. Loved you said it won’t 😂. I’m doing this for the kids. But love the sound of washey washey. It might good food was waiting

[@chelseanewman9975]

Oh I’m a sleepy drunk. Those damn mudslides kicked my butt and the pistachio martini damn

[@downtovacay]

I just gave you the Debbie Downer vibes haaaaa. Oooooh the Street Eats section on the Lido deck is good too. If you're up there you can always grab a quick bite on the Mardi Gras. It's all good. Nothing is really bad on these ships. You'll be good. I was exhausted last night as well. Just got back to the city from the cruise. Piña Colada is the Go-to@@chelseanewman9975

[@dawnr8811]

Thank you, going in June for 7days 😎 Unfortunately have to wait for balcony guarantee room, praying it’s a good one. 🤞

[@downtovacay]

Fingers crossed. Always a crap shoot with guaranteed cabin spots. We're on the Icon of the Seas right now in a guaranteed ocean view balcony. 14th deck right under the pool area. We were hoping we wouldn't hear a thing at night and I must say it's been good. We paid $3800 for this cabin while others who have chosen their ocean view cabins have paid over $7,000. We were fortunate to say the least.

[@dawnr8811]

Gotcha, I thought I had picked a room but when I closed out it came up balcony guaranteed. Do you think it would hurt to try to call them? I just booked last weekend. The chat wasn’t working properly the holiday

[@downtovacay]

@@dawnr8811 It honestly never hurts to try and get them to pick a good cabin. If a ship is at full capacity, then the odds are slimmer to get something you desire. If you get a good agent, they'll check up until the day before the cruise. All depends on availability. Fingers crossed.

[@dawnr8811]

Thx I did talk to a nice agent but I would have to pay about 1000$ more to pick a room 😩 She was convincing that we would probably be just fine and maybe even better, we’ll see! Thx so much 😊 going in June, hopefully won’t be in the room too much anyway 🤣

[@dawnr8811]

Luckily got put on 12th floor balcony room forward!!

[@jennyslavis375]

We like NCL Joy very much , the layout is good for my husband in the wheelchair ♿️, crew was the best . Shows , food very good . Going back on Joy soon .

[@downtovacay]

The Joy is def a well balanced ship. We always liked the Atrium style for entertainment and O'Sheehans/Local setup. The Breakaway class ships are well rounded, that's why we like cruising on them. Food seems to be really good on all of the newer NCL ships. Have you tried the Getaway or any other Breakaway ship?

[@chelseanewman9975]

Sorry to keep commenting. I just read your bio on your channel and wow. And so true. My kids are 12 and 14. We’ve never done a family trip. I’m a single mom for the last 11 years. I’m surprising my kids with a cruise at Christmas. Due to flight costs Had to do carnival Mardi Gras as you know from my comments and not the Norwegian encore but I want to give them the memories of a lifetime. They’ve never been on a plane or seen the ocean. Not real sure yet how we’ll get port Canaveral but I can’t wait to see there faces when they find out. I too about died from a hysterectomy in 2020 life’s short.

[@downtovacay]

We're here for any thoughts or questions. You may be the only person to read our bio haaaa. I believe the best option at this time is the GoPort Bus from the airport to Port Canaveral. It's $30 per person one way. It's about a 45 min to an hour drive. It was actually chill, to be honest. The kiddos will never forget that cruise. The time of their lives. You are still here. That means you have an opportunity to make someone's life better. Create memories. Not always easy, but as parents we find a way. I always go back to that old saying... "This too shall pass.". Ride the waves of life and enjoy the view : )

[@chelseanewman9975]

@@downtovacay it’s finding airfare I’m worried about. I have a room booked. We’re flying in the day before. I look forward to more videos. I know this will be a Christmas they remember for the rest of their lives

[@ivyg5170]

Im glad I found your review. Im contemplating on going on Joy or not only because apparently there isnt a Thermal pool in the new Thermal Suite they just added. How stupid is that !?

[@downtovacay]

Truth be told, we actually did a thermal spa for the first time on the Viva last week. Boy was that soooo relaxing, Unfortunately the Joy seems to only add the thermal suites, Biggest in the Breakaway+ class. We got spoiled aboard the Viva. Question is... does not having a thermal pool make a break your decision? They did remove the laser tag for the Vibe Beach Club. That was a good idea.

[@ivyg5170]

@@downtovacay it sort of does. I know. Crazy. Ive been on ships that had a full thermal suite with the pool and it was heaven of course I loved everything else thats also included. I learned that with cold or inclement weather all outdoor pools were closed, but not the thermal pool. Its two completely different atmospheres , but it again was heaven. Vibe is a bit steep on the Joy and Id feel like Id have fomo. Spice is great on all ships that have them. I know they have a large hot tub which is cool, but I know theyll be too many people for my liking. I sound bougey , dont I lol. Beauty of NCL you can do whatever whenever.

[@dorindan.664]

Do you pay extra for specialty dining if there are only 2 people in a room?

[@downtovacay]

Hola. Good question. I (Gil) got a lil confused, but I'll break it down for ya : ) When you book a Norwegian cruise, you have the option of adding the specialty dining or not. IF you do add the package, depending on the cabin you book, you either get 1 or 2 Specialty Dining. For a Balcony or above you get 2 dinners. For interior or Oceanview, I do believe you only get 1. Let's say you're a Platinum level. You automatically get 2 Specialty Dining vouchers ON TOP OF what you get for the specific cabin you book. So that Balcony you booked gives you 2, and your Platinum level gives you 2 extra. That's 4 Specialty Restaurant dinners. Now if you choose not to add the specialty restaurant deal and you don't have the high NCL tier, then you'll have to pay what ever the restaurant charges. Here's the kicker. Something we found out not long ago. IF you add more than 2 people to a cabin and you pay for the Specialty Dining Free at Sea option, the 3rd or 4th guest won't get that Specialty Dining meal/s. They'll get the drink package, but not the dining. That's nuts. I hope I was able to answer any questions you have regarding Specialty Dining. Let us know if you have any concerns or other questions. Always here to advise : )

[@dorindan.664]

Thank you for the breakdown! I am a SILVER member with an ocean view room. Great video! Much appreciated!

[@downtovacay]

Ooooh don't forget about that FREE Exclusive Cocktail party for Silver & above members. : ) Hope you have a super great cruise. We sail on the Viva this month. @@dorindan.664

[@nettie-jt]

This will be our 2nd time on the Joy coming up🎉 This will be our 11th NCL cruise. My only problem with the Joy is that they don't have Los Lobos😢 on board...gonna have to do the Encore or the Bliss again 🤔 😂 Thanks for sharing ✌🏾 😊

[@downtovacay]

I was a little skeptical about cruising on the Joy because of the negative reviews, but we were good. Los Lobos is amazing. The food is rickin'. Surprised NCL didn't add it to the Joy since it's part of the Breakaway + class. The Viva in Feb 2024 will be our 10th NCL Cruise. How'd you like the Prima? I have to edit our videos as soon as possible. We cruised on the Prima back in Feb. I'm super later.

[@nettie-jt]

@downtovacay We cruised the Prima in January 2023. It was not my favorite ship. Everything seemed smaller and it was hard to get around. But I still like NCL. I loved the details of your video. Thanks again✌🏾😊

[@ivyg5170]

Never had an issue at this terminal even when we had to covid test it was so fast and smooth. Perhaps worse in summer months. We go off seasons. Im almost at Platinum, is there a perk of priority at the terminal???

[@downtovacay]

I think it was a perception thing. It seemed as if it was going to be a loooong wait, but it was shorter than what it looked. Only thing is, NYC port doesn't look as nice as other ports. There are priority lines for Platinum and above in the NYC port. The Haven line is even more of a priority. Big bucks : ) We came back from our NCL Viva cruise in PR last week and there was no priority line for us Platinum folk. Just Haven. Hopefully I'll be finished with our Viva Full Review this week so you can see.

[@ivyg5170]

@@downtovacay Ha. Good to know. Yes agree NYC terminal is drab but then again my eyes just stare at the ship counting down the minutes lol

[@dalefulton4242]

Just got back from Joy. Staff was great. Ship was nice but I prefer smaller ships. Tepanyaki was great and buffet was good. The regular dining, Savor and taste were meh. Bread was cold and almost stale. Food was never hot, just lukewarm. Fish dishes were very small portions and I couldn’t tell one fish from another.

[@downtovacay]

Thats cool. What kind of ship size? Like a NCL Dawn or Gem? Those are smaller. More intimate. Have you tried the Prima or Viva yet? We eat dinners at the specialty restaurants mostly because we're Platinum. So we get 2 dinners from reserving a balcony and then we get 2 additional because we're Platinum. So there goes 4 nights out 6/7 that we're able to. I'd prefer Specialty over complimentary all day. Wish the complimentary was better for ya though. We're going on the Bliss in April for an Alaskan cruise. Cant wait for that one.

[@thebariatriccouple5022]

Unfortunately Footloose got the axe. I won’t get to see it on my cruise next month.

[@downtovacay]

Oooooh noooo!! What happened? Did NCL remove the show permanently because of making changes to the ship during dry dock? I know they're removing the Laser Tag and Galaxy Pavilion to make more space for the Spa and other amenities.

[@NForceTV1]

im going on the joy in 3 days.,... im just a freak about bedbugs.. and some video or review show some issue with NCL (this ship and another )... hopefully we dont catch that...

[@downtovacay]

WHOOOAAAH That's crazy!!! We have been VERY fortunate not to have seen any in the rooms we've been on. I can't say that this will never happen, but hopefully it won't for ya. Not sure if NCL completed the new additions renovation on the Joy, but no more Laser Tag. They're making the spa bigger. Enjoy the cruise. The Local is the hot spot on the ship.

[@mariasheppard83]

Nov 11th we set sail on the joy and we can't wait

[@downtovacay]

Happy sailing. I hope all is great on the cruise. They may have already removed the Laser Tag section and expanded Mandara Spa. Don't forget to go to Food Republic, The Local and Q's Smokehouse. Few of our favorites.

[@sharoncruisingscene]

Thanks for sharing we are going on this ship in 2025. New friend here.

[@downtovacay]

We have the Icon coming up in a few weeks and I feel like that is forever. The Joy had been refreshed a bit with the Laser Tag being removed and a bigger Mandara Spa. Good move on their part.

[@chelseanewman9975]

They just added the vibe and the spa

[@downtovacay]

They removed the laser tag at the dry dock, right? The week after our Joy Cruise, they were supposed to go to the dry dock and make renovations. Wonder how it looks.

[@chelseanewman9975]

@@downtovacay I love the observation lounge and I heard that they took some of that out for state rooms

[@downtovacay]

The Cruise Next Manager on the Viva also told me that they are now including Solo Cabins with ocean views and balconies as well. @@chelseanewman9975

[@chelseanewman9975]

I’m booked on joy for Christmas/new years 2025/2026

[@downtovacay]

Don't you wish that cruise was sooner than later? We took a New Years cruise on the Bliss back in 2019 and that was sooooo cool. We're headed on the Icon at the end of this month and I'm countin' the days. #downtovacay

[@chelseanewman9975]

@@downtovacay so jealous!!! Can’t wait to see your video. Don’t know now if I’ll get to make our Christmas cruise. I just lost my job on Friday. Keeping fingers crossed we will but it’s not looking good. At least the kids didn’t know in case we don’t go

[@downtovacay]

That's rough. I'm sure you'll bounce back soon enough. Cruises doing that time is always expensive. I don't have the luxury of cruising at any time. I'd have to wait for school breaks. Any time outside of breaks is the ideal choice. Think positive thoughts. I always say "This too shall pass." Have to be optimistic even through the darkest of times. Wishing you the best.@@chelseanewman9975

[@chelseanewman9975]

@@downtovacay thanks and enjoy your trip on the icon

[@tammyb6109]

Disney Cruise Line entertainment & food is excellent!!!!

[@downtovacay]

I'm (Gil) soooo hesitant on paying a lot more for less days, but we know how much is actually put into those Disney ships. Just a matter of when now. Our grandson is going to be 2, so maybe in the next 4 yrs? Or maybe we'll get the urge and go sooner than later haaaa

[@Dolphinsfan1981]

I'm not a fan of this ship the norwegian joy had way too many people I personally prefer smaller ships to many kids I got sick for 3 days the kids ran up and down the hall all night I was on this ship from March 30th to April 6th 2024 the ship was to big for my liking I booked a 9 night cruise for May 5th to 14th 2024 on the sky it's way better. the buffet food on this norwegian joy I caught the norovirus I lost 6 lbs on this ship

[@downtovacay]

Oh man that seemed rough. Have you looked into the Jewel class ships like Gem or even Dawn? Smaller ships. About 1400 passengers. Imagine going on the Icon of the Seas haaaa That sucker was HUGE. Too many kids running around. No true quiet adult space. Reviews coming soon.

[@maisha68]

Damn you guys take to long to get the point! 00pm

[@downtovacay]

Daaaang Can you be more constructive? So what was it that took too long to get to? I (Gil) don't really have an issue with negative views. I'd like to make things better.

[@backdraft6290]

​@downtovacay don't listen to this bozo, some people appreciate the thorough videos. Thank you.

[@downtovacay]

Much appreciated. We go back and forth between doing voice overs or live videos with edits. We're trying to figure out which style works best.@@backdraft6290