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We're able to quietly dropped off our 2 small bags, met our room steward (thanks, Jennifer - she's busy cleaning) after stopping first at Cagney's on Deck 8 for our emergency & fire drill check-in / muster station. Too early to eat lunch for us, grab a nice window seat in the Garden Cafe and checking out the rooftop parking - more cars parked there than I expected. It's about 11:30 and relatively quiet 🤫 here inside the buffet. BTW, Pier 88 inside MCT - free WiFi now available (non-secured, of course)

First stop, check ArriveCAN, then security, then to check-in, like Haven - based on our deck (15) long walk to back of building Platinum & higher called next, along w those with paid Priority Access, it's a dash to join those in the roped off area

Check-in was fairly smooth overall n easier than NCL cruise to Bermuda. Platinum Sapphire n gave us Group 17 card to board n not even 10:30, told to sit anywhere ...WTH Starting to board accessible pax now at 10:45

We are en route to MCT Pier 88, got a free upgrades to a minivan ride using Carmel, trip time 48 minutes ... driver was early & we are ready, can't wait 😁 Thanks to the live report onboard from the last 10 days Joy sailing, we are better prepared. Free testing done by CVS, still required by NCL. ArriveCAN was easy & done, despite unclear info at times, watch safety video twice already 🙊 More later ... expecting a good turnout tomorrow for the CC Meet & Mingle, moved to Q Texas Smokehouse as it's much bigger vs. District BH. Let's see what's new, different & changed - or same old, etc. Going to be on Deck 15 AFT port side, near the elevators -

Onboard Upgrades This email is to confirm that we have received your offer(s) to be upgraded on your upcoming cruise. While your offer has not been selected yet, you may still be selected for an upgrade by our onboard team. Upgrades may be awarded at any time up until 0 hours prior to the sailing departure. Should your offer be selected for an onboard upgrade, your credit card will be automatically charged, and your stateroom will be reassigned. Please check your email up to 0 hours prior to the sailing departure to see if we were able to upgrade you. If you no longer wish to be considered for an onboard upgrade, you may cancel your offer(s) through the link provided below up until 5 hours prior to the sailing departure, provided that your Offer has not already been accepted by Norwegian Cruise Line, and provided that your credit card has not been charged. Your upcoming cruise Reservation Ship and Sail Date: Summary of your offer(s): Upgrade To Offer Total Offer modify / cancel (up until 24 hours before scheduled departure, or until your offer is accepted) (Note: Prices shown are in US Dollars.) What happens if I’m upgraded before my cruise? We will notify you via email and your credit card will be charged in your booking currency for the specific upgrade offer that is accepted. When you log into My NCL you will see your new stateroom number, which has been assigned based on availability. What happens if I'm upgraded on day of sailing? We will notify you via email and your credit card will be charged in your booking currency for the specific upgrade offer that is accepted. If the first payment attempt is declined, the upgrade amount will be automatically charged to your onboard account in USD, subject to the Foreign Exchange rate at that time. You may stop by the Guest Services Desk to receive your updated stateroom number and pick up your new key card. If you are not upgraded, you will keep the stateroom that you already have. You will not be billed for any additional amounts. Good luck! Please remember that each offer on a stateroom is considered its own offer and is considered independently of one another. Only 1 offer will be accepted depending on availability and if you have submitted a winning bid. Most bids are evaluated between 14 and 0 days before sailing. We'll notify you via email if your offer is accepted! We look forward to welcoming you aboard. Norwegian Cruise Line This is what the "current" email from NCL looked like if there is still a chance that your submitted bid might be accepted until the day of embarkation (i.e. last minute cancellation, no-show, someone else (unfortunately, for whatever reasons) unable to cruise and get onboard for a sailing, etc. This, looks like, the decision(s) are made by the onboard NCL team - as stated above - and out of the hands of the "outside contractor/vendor" handling the bidding ... For this particular cruise / ship / date - it appeared Haven is sold out, but club "suites", balconies and oceanviews remained available for last minute acceptance.

This is an excellent Joy update and as live as one can be, thank you for taking and find the time to organize the info & to upload, share and give us useful info. Still using those "free" WiFi minutes and how is it uploading while at sea. Is the unavailability of Uber/Lyft just on the day of the ship's visit, or for other reasons - how many other ships are in St. John at the same time ?? We are going to be on the Joy shortly and from what we know already, plenty of company with other ships visiting and docking for the same days ... Do you know (or can ask & find out) if Food Republic was / is going to be open on full sea days for lunch services - instead of doing dinner there, we might go there & do lunch instead, thanks in advance. Last but not least, if you know, will US-CBP be doing the custom & border formalities at the first US port on the way back to NY as that should speed up disembarkation. Has there been any issues with ship's facial recognition tech at the gangway as on our previous Joy cruise, they weren't always reliable or consistent - causing foot traffic jams ... Enjoy and thanks again for all the great photos & info.

Not cruises this Fall ... very true with BA and Joy prices being quite low this month. Rather, looking at winter ones out of Cape Liberty on 11 nights vs 12 nights on GA to Carribean's. Take a look & compare to see

We are flexible and can travel on short notice, passports & vax status up-to-date, etc. Very tempting to cancel before final payment, sit out and then book "last minute" at a month or two from embarkation - get out of the cold and into tropical places this winter. Also, looking at Royal's sailing out of Cape Liberty - nearly identical itinerary and theirs priced lower, not a lot less but quite significant ... that explain, partially, for some only, as to perhaps NCL not booking as many cabins now with the Joy & Getaway out of NYC. Most of the not really "Free At Sea" bones tossed in, have little to no added-values to us.

Well, unless it's been newly added and opened ... there was never a Starbucks on GSC - skip & cross that one off the collection list.

Here was the proforma reply from our last cruise from the pre-cruise concierge desk, NOT because of our Platinum+/Sapphire status, but only b/c we booked 2 non-Haven "suites" on the (exclusively only) Joy and ... Suffice to say, once onboard / Day 1 - went to the Dining Reservation Desk and they had no records of our requests whatsoever, zero reservations and offered 6 of us the best available specialty dining spot ... for a late evening dining time of 8:30 p.m. mid-week (or, was it 9 p.m.) as best available. I thank the hostess on duty kindly for her effort but respectfully declined - instead, we did an easy walk-up in the MDR and was promptly seated within 5 minutes. Thank you for your inquiry. We have sent your request for dining directly to the ship and it will be confirmed once you are onboard with Concierge. You will not see the request on your end as its sent internally. Please speak to the maitre' d in regards seating as we cannot guarantee seating. If you have any further questions feel free to let us know. At your service, Norwegian Concierge Desk P: +1 855-625-4283 NorwegianConciergeDesk@ncl.com | www.ncl.com Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. 7665 Corporate Center Drive | Miami FL 33126 Footnote - otherwise, this time around, we aren't sailing in one of the SP or SC "suites" again with just DW and I, and nothing at all being communicated directly about the availability of this Platinum services, zero .. none whatsoever. But, alas, we'll manage just fine to get our wish onboard the Joy later this month. Good luck taking advantage of this benefits but some of us knew better and not going to be disappointed with a ruined cruise vacation. If we do get pleasantly surprised, it's no thanks to the Concierge Desk but rather the onboard staff ... my understanding from a recent Sapphire member that sailed advised us that they hired many new employees working onboard for the first time and many're still in training this summer & being coached - and crew shortage remained as some of the SE Asia crews chose not to return to working & living at sea, FWIW.

Not necessary applicable to the Sun, this was our Getaway balcony with the "older" HDTV at 720p resolution and usable HDMI port, a matter of making the connection behind (LED flashlight comes in handy) replacing the existing HDMI input cable. Coaxial connection not used on the "Sole" TV - Gem & Dawn upgraded to "LG" TV monitors using coaxial input, HDMI ports firmware disabled/locked & not usable, despite being "user-accessible" On the Joy, the HDMI port was accessible & a matter of making a direct cable connection (10 ft. length) from the laptop to the TV monitor - easy & simple ... Windows 10 Pro desktop on the 26" widescreen display If hubby is attempting to stream, be advised that Google TV Chromecast & alike won't successful set-up, whereas, Roku was usable to connect to ship's WiFi ... casting content, still a problem b/c of various http ports being blocked, unless you subscribed to the paid, premium unlimited WiFi package onboard.

I recommend you go to one of the recent roll calls to ask those that sailed or about to sail on the Norwegian Sun about their experience - it'll help to identify the type/category of stateroom you are booked in. I believe with these older ships remaining in service, that most had been upgraded (if not all) to newer HDTV monitor - the specific brand/model as used on the Sun should be helpful. The *Away/+ class ships typically used an active HDMI input for signals - it's a matter of disconnecting & using your own HDMI cable to feed the input signal ... you CANNOT, generally, switch or change to another HDMI port as it's firmware locked on these hospitality graded monitors. Some reported success using an universal remote control or perhaps a top end Harmony remote. Other ships, specifically, the Dawn & Gem are using a different branded HDTV and its default data/input signal is a locking cable/coaxial signal and while HDMI ports are "present" - they were disabled & not switchable. If a laptop or notebook is too heavy to haul around, consider bringing a Chromebook (14" or better viewing - I go with a 11" touchscreen as it's lighter & easy to toss into my Timbuktu day bag or backpack & videos on USB stick. Like hotels, some make it traveler's friendly with dedicated user-friend port access, while others don't ... cruise lines aren't different and of course, not all folks are tech-inclined & others prefer to leave their devices "home" or locked away, shut down. Regardless, good luck !

It's a long corridor, hallway with crew elevators & staircases behind, as well as housekeeping access to storage, quiet and sound insulated. You'll be fine just like most areas. Look very similar to this (photos from a nearby area)

This ... bravo, much obliged for sharing your most recent cruise onboard the Joy and I see that at least 4 other roll call members on an upcoming sailing for this ship already read it. How would you describe the embarkation and disembarkation process this month. Was there an onboard Meet & Greet/Mingle and if you attended, the names of the some of the senior/junior officers in attendance, the CD and even the CruiseNext team, etc. (bonus points if you or someone else on the Joy sailing, knows the name of the concierge & butler since there are a # of folks staying in Haven ...) A good # of them are long-term CC'ers and it's their first return to safer cruising in this post-Covid transitional time. Again, thanks and much appreciated.

As others and I wrote in the early post w photo, there is triage for Haven & accessible pax as you first step inside the NYC terminal, approaching checkpoint 1 for security screeners w documents checked briefly. There were 4 lines for the metal detectors & carry-on luggage - no porters here, DIY; and those privileged get steered left to cut to front of the line to a faster security screening. After that, one is directed & sometimes get semi-escorted to the faster lane for additional documentation checks (i.e. Bermuda sailings) With 3,500+ passengers on a mega ship cruise, there are thousands in Have & with status, if not more - lines are inevitable & a given, it is what it is ...DYKWIA kinda irrelevant when shore contracted workers w NCL name tags aren't briefed & tossed in there. There are restrooms and it's for everyone inside the terminal with signage, just follow or ask if you are obscured by the other 1,000 inside the complex. Delays in early boarding do happen with unscheduled public health and or safety inspections, etc. Travel these days isn't what it used to be, patience & understanding can go a long way, relax & be calm and enjoy the cruise 😷

Local on the Joy was open for lunch by 11:15 am when we boarded, while crew were doing their job to steer the herd up to the buffet ... Savor or Taste opens at 12 noon for lunch, until 1:30 pm.

This is the view (May & June 2022) outside MCT Pier 88's (within the building) Haven check-in area, additional staging area roped off right next to the lounge as posted above. Noticed the ropes for the line 😳 to ??? Clear signage and marked also as Boarding E. Platinum waiting area is just ahead of here, opposite the section set aside for accessible passengers. The mini concession stand, accessible to everyone, that's near the restrooms was still closed. Vending machines are nearby & stocked.

For weekday mornings, do keep in mind that commuter buses have priorities and dedicated lane(s) inbound for the tubes until 10 am, if I'm not mistaken - the rest are funneled into the other lanes. OP is driving up the MD ... the NJ Turnpike has HOV-2 in place, weekdays until 9:30 or 10 am (haven't driven at those peak hours in a while) so take advantage of it, plan ahead for the Holland Tunnel (Exit 14) to merge back into other commuter's traffic. Most definitely, use Waze or Google Maps for Navigation, or flip on Apple CarPlay to use real-time traffic guidance to help choose the faster & better route ... for safety, have a fellow rider look ahead for options to minimize driving distractions. Most if not all regional crossings are now cashless, using EZ-Pass or toll-by-mail ... but, bottlenecks at some of the toll plazas still, a pain.

It’s a 1 size fit all, waffle type in balconies & up, or ask if not hanging in the closet + slippers. Never seen children size ones … not even at our typical upscale land hotels 😉 nor oversized ones either. BYO silk ones 😌

@Drumstix40 - do share how your embarkation is being handled and good luck, bon voyage - hoping for a positive outcome, ship is sailing much fuller now than before but the onboard team do try very hard, some of the junior officers/alike that we met might still be on their rotation & vacation ... and not 95% familiar with this ongoing issue. We are going to be back onboard the Joy next month and going to "monitor" this - our Platinum friends are sailing as Casino at Sea guests along and we, being Sapphire, aren't staying in the SP this time (not sure if we are going to again, for other reasons) - we should get Priorities for checking in and boarding, not escorted unlike Haven, if we get there early & there's room in the roped off & designated "lounge" area, minus any refreshment or goodies. Priorities were difficult to sort out for the shore-based (sub)contractors - and cruises that're going to Bermuda had the extra screening "stop" for the TA checks, making it much worst ... after the "general" security screening first, with the third checkpoint for the "actual" check-in where Platinum, Haven & others get "sorted" out & directed by the "greeters" & they are often overwhelmed and under-staffed. From what we observed in early May, even some of the accessible passengers were not given considerations to skip ahead to the front of some of the lines - inconsistent, period. Some were helped but others were snaking thru the main line like the masses, not good. If your sailing has a good Roll Call going, you are on it and there is an onboard M&G, perhaps - make an effort to join them & see if some of the key officers, like the GM or the deputies are there, get their names/calling card ... and have a private conversation with them afterward and/or as a follow-up. Let them know you ("we") are on and with CruiseCritic and it's an issue with NY Terminal and we aren't giving up ... not just with Byrd's Miami office. Ship has plenty of staff roaming inside the terminal, including the concierge team - it's not as if they aren't seeing & possibly hearing about the chaotic situations in Pier 88. Again, be positive and enjoy the cruise ... on disembarkation morning, Mrs. M repeated the lines, must we get "rushed" off the ship again. We are hate standing in long lines, anywhere.

@Drumstix40 Assuming that you booked the SP (Family Inside Suite w the virtual balcony ... dual 720p HD screen w live feed, it's not 1080p or 2k) a while back - almost all the perks & benefits should be granted onboard. Newer bookings since the beginning of 2022 no longer include these & reflected in the current descriptions on official NCL website, ESPECIALLY priority check-in and/or embarkation. But, you might've still received nicely printed color luggage tags that say "Priority" in the mail (either by now or no longer being "issued") and you will most likely get "Priority Disembarkation" luggage tags and possibly, a farewell letter with what the Joy team can do with embarkation, up to the gangway at the front of the line. It's supposed to be a known problem both with Joy's onboard leadership/team as well as NCL Miami HQ, citing issues with the outsourced, shore-based contractors on the pier. You "can" write or leave a message with the GM onboard and possibly get a follow-up response with the asst. manager or manager of guest services ... and possibly even a token OBC for your "trouble" & maybe also a bottle of house wine of their choice with a note. No butler services and even though we booked 2 SP for our May cruise, never once heard from the assigned concierge ... never did we pursue help with reservations onboard; and, as stated in writing - butler services was never part of the bundled package deal. Everything & anything needed, just go to your room steward ... we did get a visit from the head of housekeeping mid-way thru our cruise b/c of something else, not directly or indirectly related to our "suite" classification whatsoever. The F&B amenity "treat" was the biggest laughing joke for us during the week ... could've done better by going upstairs to the buffet to get them fresh or pay a little to get more goodies from room services, afterall - we had quite a bit of non-refundable OBC to burn anyway. On the plus side, the size of these suites are truly spacious by NCL standard, nice - just not fancy unlike Haven, basic no-frills with superior beddings ... it's about the same size as the top tiered Haven 2 BR suite, minus the hot tub - just the double sink with bath tub & shower, like the ones in the mini (club balcony "suite" as renamed these days). It was nice for 3 adults to be in one of these - the extra bathroom was most important to us, and even the smaller bedroom designed originally for larger family with children - is quite roomy & better than almost all the typical "Inside" staterooms onboard. Think positive & make the best out of it ...

Within 30 minutes of sailing out past the VZ Bridge, off the shores of NJ and Long Island, you are more than 12 to 15 miles away from from land & international waters, any stray cellular (3G/2G ... nevermind 4G) signals - VZW usually the strongest - long faded. Can't hold on to a voice call, let alone cellular data. Forgetaboutit. Upgraded WiFi "should" get your better VPN success - latency is ultra high at 550+ns and higher, regardless, it simply unblock those http ports (tcp/udp) not available to standard WiFi users ... it, also, does NOT allow you to use more than 1 logged in & connected device at the same time, you can register multiple devices for that connection, share & switch among them at will. For your convenience, of source, NCL will sell you WiFi packages for 2 devices, 3 devices, and 4 devices, etc. - billed to your onboard account. On Canada / New England runs, the ship will cruise typically 50 to 100 nautical miles off shore ... within that 30 to 60 minutes of arriving or departing from one of the ports, you should begin to pickup a weak cellular signal from a nearby land tower.

Ellie ... I would be very surprised if 1/2 of those coming from the external "recruiting" efforts will actually show up for the M&G, from the ones that I've come to known. My last Joy sailing earlier this year was sort of hijacked last minute and it was a disaster, poorly organized, etc. - not going into details here - I made the M&G just fine as one of the attendees, that was it. I've commented on these in the past, just shocked browsing thru some of the roll calls - full roster of everyone, last names & first names, pets elsewhere, hometown info & of course, their social media profile ... time to market the list to evil-doers with the moving truck & repair van while they are gone for sure. It's a good thing that "our" upcoming M&G is doing quite well, old-timers are back & joining ... good attendance on my forecasted watch, without "others & them crashing further" - I am beginning to worry a little that the District Brew House might not be spacious enough and going to request consideration to move into one of the specialty dining venue instead ... for better social distancing. NCL assigned us the location based on a very conservative headcount as submitted - we shall see soon.

For some (if not all) of the upcoming Canada & New England cruises out of the Northeast, mainly NY/NJ - prices for Insides & Oceanviews have been dropping again after a brief increase, the "solo" penalty supplement are still not waived or reduce ... balcony prices & club/mini suites has been holding and now trending on an upward curve. Haven isn't anywhere close to being sold out or full from early upgrade bids ... it's anybody's guess on true last minute pricing at 5 to 10+ days from embarkation. Those with flexible time on time and can travel / cruise on short notice should be in a good position to score something. Itineraries are mostly port intensive, and, Oceanview with reasonable & true bargain sale prices can be enticing to some, not everyone ...

Have you follow the steps & checked ?? Otherwise - human help from them isn't too difficult, per my understand - quick & call them now - https://www.canada.ca/en/border-services-agency/services/arrivecan/help.html Roll call member reported issues on an upcoming sailing using the smartphone to register or log in - once s/he used a desktop portal to access, apparently, easily resolved & fixed. They are much easier & friendly to get to on a toll-free #, unlike the infamous Bermuda TA. Good luck !