Benefits of being in a penthouse suite with balcony on the NCL Joy vs club balcony

[wildcats40]

Considering booking a Mexican Riviera cruise on the Joy but confused to the stateroom categories.  Comparing the penthouse suite with balcony with the club balcony suite.  I'm assuming the penthouse suite is larger and I can get a mid-ship cabin.  Are there other perks I'm missing?  Thank you.

[hallux]

Have you reviewed the info on these pages yet?

https://www.ncl.com/cruise-ship/joy/staterooms/club-balcony-suite

https://www.ncl.com/cruise-ship/joy/staterooms/suite

 

Look at the Penthouse Suite floorplan - it looks like it's nearly a double-wide cabin compared to the Club Balcony...

[vacation44]

Just got off the Joy last Tuesday and we stayed in a penthouse suite.  The only significant difference is the cabin size.    Not all embarkation ports recognize the priority check-in and embarkation you are suppose to receive.   If you want a much bigger cabin and balcony,  then it is worth it.  If that is not important to you, then stick with the club balcony suite.

[ZoeyRox]

We are currently staying in SC penthouse suite on the Joy. I love the room size! We have walked by balcony rooms and they seem so tiny compared to our room. As we are currently on a 10-day sailing, it is nice to have the space. 
 

We will definitely be choosing this room type again on future cruises. We haven’t really seen any extra perks except for some snacks that have been delivered twice so far (we are on day 7), but the bed is very large and comfortable.  The bathroom is big enough for both of us to get ready in the morning and I am one of the rare people that prefers to take a shower in a shower/tub combo. The balcony is large enough to add a lounger. We haven’t requested one because the the conditions haven’t been the best. 

[Ken the cruiser]

I can’t seem to find anywhere on the NCL site that highlights what amenities come with either a Club Balcony or Penthouse suite, other than the cabin is larger. I read on another thread, you get one free bag of laundry in a Club Balcony. Are there any other perks for booking either of these cabin categories?

[jbcallender]

I don't think you get the butler in the Club Balcony or breakfast and lunch in the specialty restaurant.

[UKstages]

the joy is unique among the NCL fleet in that they have downgraded all the suites. i was in an SC suite a few weeks ago. i got a letter from a concierge asking me to contact him if i needed anything, but other than that, no proactive reach out. so they say you have access to a concierge, but you have to really work hard to get anyone's attention.  i received no snacks, other than those delivered by virtue of my relationship with the casino. there is no longer a butler for these suites.

 

what you'll get is a very large room (by cruise ship standards), in a premium location, with a good sized bathroom with shower/tub combo, plenty of storage and a nearly double wide balcony, large enough for a table and chair and lounger.

 

that's pretty much it.

[Ken the cruiser]

12 minutes ago, jbcallender said:

I don't think you get the butler in the Club Balcony or breakfast and lunch in the specialty restaurant.

Thanks! You get a butler as well as breakfast and lunch if you’re in a non-Haven Penthouse Suite? Do you also get any more free bags of laundry?

[Two Wheels Only]

1 hour ago, Ken the cruiser said:

I can’t seem to find anywhere on the NCL site that highlights what amenities come with either a Club Balcony or Penthouse suite, other than the cabin is larger. I read on another thread, you get one free bag of laundry in a Club Balcony. Are there any other perks for booking either of these cabin categories?

 

"Club Balcony Suites provide additional amenities and privileges at no additional cost. Amenities include the option to pre-book onboard entertainment and dining as early as 125 days prior to sail date, complimentary treats delivered to your stateroom, a complimentary bottle of sparkling wine, and a choice of one valet laundry or pressing service." - LINK

[Ken the cruiser]

Thanks everyone!! You answered my question and thanks @Two Wheels Onlyfor the link! 😁

[UKstages]

26 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

You get a butler as well as breakfast and lunch if you’re in a non-Haven Penthouse Suite? 

 

normally you do on NCL ships... but not on the joy.

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Thanks! You get a butler as well as breakfast and lunch if you’re in a non-Haven Penthouse Suite? Do you also get any more free bags of laundry?

You get no free laundry in a suite or Haven room for that matter. 

 

We sailed in a Joy Suite in 2019 (just before the shutdown). We had a private breakfast and lunch in La Cucina and a dedicated concierge for the suites (different than the Haven). No butler. I can't comment on what they did after the restart. We were booked on the Joy out of Jamaica in 2021 until they cancelled those cruises and moved everyone to the the Encore to Alaska. 

Edited October 3, 2022 by BirdTravels

[UKstages]

34 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

I can't comment on what they did after the restart. 

 

after the restart, they resumed as before: butler, snacks, concierge, breakfast and lunch in a dedicated restaurant.

 

but a short while ago, maybe two or three months ago, they downgraded the services and amenities associated with the non-haven suites onboard the joy. no butler, an absentee concierge, no breakfast or lunch.

[vacation44]

4 hours ago, UKstages said:

 

after the restart, they resumed as before: butler, snacks, concierge, breakfast and lunch in a dedicated restaurant.

 

but a short while ago, maybe two or three months ago, they downgraded the services and amenities associated with the non-haven suites onboard the joy. no butler, an absentee concierge, no breakfast or lunch.

They downgraded the amenities last December.   

[cruiseinfoseeker]

11 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Thanks everyone!! You answered my question and thanks @Two Wheels Onlyfor the link! 😁

Hi @Ken the cruiser - - I see so many replies with old or non-Joy specific answers and I hope you have it clear. On the Joy the non-haven suites get diddly squat. No more special lunch or b'fast location, no butler, no laundry. Spotty concierge service, mixed reports of priority embarkation and debarkation being recognized at ports.

 

You will get a larger room and I think a snack or two that you don't get to choose when or what. If the price difference is slight, I would say go for it, but otherwise it seems like a let down to "suite"

Edited October 3, 2022 by cruiseinfoseeker
tagged wrong Ken

[UKstages]

13 hours ago, cruiseinfoseeker said:

No more special lunch or b'fast location, no butler, no laundry.

 

just to reiterate what birdtravels said above...  laundry is not normally included when one stays in a suite, or the haven, for that matter. sometimes people get confused because platinum members will talk about booking a suite and then they'll talk about free laundry in the same post... but that is not a suite amenity, that's a platinum latitudes member benefit.

[mking8288]

If one is booking one of the "SC" penthouse "suite" exclusive to the Joy (only) - highly recommend that one review & look closely at the included "amenities" as currently provided & included for these cabins.  Earlier extras and perks have all been discontinued and no longer offered / included ... unless one has this booked in 2020 or 2021, before the recent changes (in 2022) were done, and "grandfathered" in.  Priority "check-in" at embarkation for NYC has NOT been honored or recognized inside the cruise terminal (although, you might still get "priority" luggage tags mailed in advance for use ... doesn't really meant anything) and same for "priority luggage tags" for disembarkation - you might receive them, or not.  You might get a letter toward the end of the cruise week onboard about getting priority disembarkation, to the gangway only (it's essentially, the same as those with Platinum/higher status & supposingly, entitled to get to skip to the front of the line) ... NOT the same as being in Haven.  

 

There might be an (one) umbrella in the closet for your use (i.e. going ashore) but not yours to keep.  There should be robes & slippers inside the closet (well, you can always ask for those if staying in a balcony or higher tiered cabin anyway).  We had the upscale bath products in our "SP" (similar class) 2 BR suites instead of the regular wall mounted dispensed ones (that is, until the fleet convert to the bulk dispensing walled products)

 

As for the the 2 "special" treats delivered to the suite (by room steward/housekeeping in the cart ... along with others) twice during the cruise, it's nothing to write about - 2 baked cookies that you can grab or take yourself in the buffet (take as many as you want / need ) and walk it back to the "suite" to enjoy.  We laughed & chuckled when we saw it ... "what a joke" - are we supposed to split the cookies & share it, imagine if there're 4 or 5 adults in the 2 bedroom "suite".   Shortcomings in what I considered "not paying attention to details" for what was once promoted as upscale onboard lodging ... i.e. an extra clean glass and extra coffee cup - as they know 3 guests are staying in the "suite" for the week, don't need 4 or 5 and 2 isn't enough, duh ! 

 

Not even a welcome abroad bottle of "complimentary" water carton waiting or included.  The only nice thing that I can think of is the deluxe coffee machine & complimentary daily refilling of coffee filters & condiments ... instead of the single cup coffee/hot water maker using the flat pod.  But, you will need to refill that with tap water unless you choose to get those water "cartons" to pour into the machine ... instruction placard included on DIY how-to. 

 

If the price is right and extra space is important, go for it - otherwise ...  

We cruised again last month on the Joy, just 2 of us and we decided to stick with our "BA" balcony on Deck 15, plentiful spacious and with easy access to the forward Observation Lounge.  

 

[cruiseinfoseeker]

9 hours ago, UKstages said:

 

just to reiterate what birdtravels said above...  laundry is not normally included when one stays in a suite, or the haven, for that matter. sometimes people get confused because platinum members will talk about booking a suite and then they'll talk about free laundry in the same post... but that is not a suite amenity, that's a platinum latitudes member benefit.

Yes. And I should have been clearer. I meant laundry against the club balcony but lumped it all into the one sentence.

I knew what I meant but looking back it was sure to read to others differently 

[wildcats40]

Thank you for the clarification.  We have already booked the penthouse suite and will see if it was worth the extra cost.  The increased space will be nice and I like the location.  That's unfortunate that they have discontinued some of the perks.  

[vacation44]

12 hours ago, mking8288 said:

If one is booking one of the "SC" penthouse "suite" exclusive to the Joy (only) - highly recommend that one review & look closely at the included "amenities" as currently provided & included for these cabins.  Earlier extras and perks have all been discontinued and no longer offered / included ... unless one has this booked in 2020 or 2021, before the recent changes (in 2022) were done, and "grandfathered" in. 

We originally had a SC Penthouse Suite booked for our February 2022 sailing that was booked in 2021 before the changes.  However, as far as I know, NCL did not grandfather any old amentities/benefits that were no longer included.   We were given $200 OBC to make up for it.  When we then upgraded ourselves to a Haven Penthouse Suite, we were allowed to keep the $200 OBC.   

[dna529]

We had a penthouse suite in December 2021.  No perks at all.  But the cabin size was awesome.  I loved it so much I booked it again for March 2023, but now that final payment is coming up, I don't think it's worth the money.  I'm going to downgrade to a regular balcony cabin.