Cruising noob - Help needed - NCL Joy - NY to Bermuda - Nov 5

[CT-Scott]

Hi, I'm pretty much a cruising noob.  The first and last cruise I had was on our honeymoon a little over 25 years ago, which also went to Bermuda from NY, but was with Royal Caribbean, and was in June.

Over the years, my wife and I have established ourselves as foodies, so we're a little worried about whether the food will measure up to our standards.  We're also a little worried about the time of the year, and whether it will be too cold to enjoy the pool, etc., (or worse, and run into bad weather conditions).  But we're going to roll with it and hopefully still have a great time.

 

One issue did occur already, though, which we "dealt with" yesterday, and I'm already second-guessing whether we dealt with it properly but, again, I'm going to try not to over-think that too much, since we can't reverse it now.  But, basically, we originally booked the trip just over a month ago through a travel agent and we agreed on an aft-facing cabin. I didn't jot down the details that day, so I no longer remember what the room #, class, or level was.  Well, when we went to check in yesterday we realized that we were actually booked for an M6 Club Balcony Suite, fairly forward (room 8730).  We scrambled, called the agent, determined that there were aft-facing cabins still available, and she told us that she could try to switch it if we really wanted to.  She called back shortly later to say that it was considered a downgrade, there could be a penalty fee, and told us that the room we were booked with was larger.  At first, I didn't know if she was being completely honest (since there would be hassle, and potentially cost on her part, to fix the issue), but later realized that she was right and the cabin we had was more expensive.  Still, a month prior, she had helped sell us on the idea that having an aft-facing balcony was more desirable than a side-balcony, and also that she recommended against being forward (or too high), and the room we were booked with seemed pretty far forward.  So, bottom-line, we asked her to move forward with trying to get our room switched to an aft-facing cabin w/balcony.  And she did (B1 on the 9th level).

 

So, first off, I'm looking for some encouragement (feel free to lie to me) to make me feel better about it all and not question whether I totally screwed up by getting this "fixed".

But now my question is whether I should attempt to bid on an upgrade to a Haven room (whether aft-facing or close to the Haven Courtyard), and any tips around that.  I'm actually not entirely  certain that I *can* do that anymore, or at the same bidding prices, as while I'm still able to view the upgrade bid page, that page is still indicating that I currently have a Club Balcony Suite (whereas the check-in page for NCL today *does* show our correct, new room).

 

Also, we currently have 2x2 Specialty Dining meals and the Premium Beverage package, but were planning to upgrade to the "Free at Sea" plan, and thought I might have read somewhere here that some of that might be included with the Haven, so I wasn't sure if I should go ahead and add that "Free at Sea" plan now, or wait to clarify that and possibly wait till later to add it (if needed).

[Sailing12Away]

If you have the beverage package and 2 dinners, then you most likely already have the free at sea program. Check your receipt - in the top right corner there will be codes showing exactly what perks you have. I think the CHOALL4M is the free at sea one - but there's an entire thread here on the boards dedicated to deciphering each code.

 

 

Being in Haven doesn't give you any other perks from the free at sea - it gives you access to the exclusive Haven only areas on the ship. There's a separate restaurant (if you're foodies, many folks rave about the food in there, so that sounds up your alley), private bar, private observation lounge with snacks during the day, private pool, private hot tubs, and private sun deck only for Haven guests. 

 

We were on the Joy last month and the Haven on that ship is lovely. If you're able to put in a bid, I definitely recommend it. Consider the category HH, HI, HJ rooms. They're just outside of the Haven complex with a short elevator ride up to the Haven amenities. For being outside of it (rather than steps from your door), the rooms are much larger and much cheaper. Access and service is still the same.

 

BUT.... I personally won't ever do an aft Haven room on a ship with a full Haven area (which the Joy has). That's just me... too much walking from aft to front and down and up. Those HH, HI, HJ rooms are fine as they're mid-ship, so only need to go up.

[CT-Scott]

Thanks for the quick and thoughtful reply.  Sorry for the confusion...our promo code is ALL4CHO which is "Free at Sea" but we are wanting to upgrade to "Free at Sea Plus" which adds another 2 Specialty Dining meals, upgrades the beverage plan from Premium to Premium Plus, improves internet access from 150 mins/person to unlimited w/streaming, and adds another $50 shore excursion discount.  That's $343/person.

 

Regarding the rooms...you recommended against an aft cabin for Haven, but if we didn't win a bid to upgrade, what are your thoughts about us being in the H1 (State Room) aft-cabin w/balcony?  Obviously, it will be a lot of walking to get to things, so I guess I'm mainly asking your opinion about having an aft-facing balcony specifically.

 

One last note about the Haven...when we originally booked about a month back, our agent didn't think the cost of upgrading to a Haven was worth it, especially at the time of year we'd be going, since the boat likely wouldn't be at capacity, or have a lot of kids, so the common areas wouldn't be as bustling.  But, obviously, if I can pay just a little more via the bidding process, I'm thinking it may still be worth trying (and, yes, I'm now thinking about possibly avoiding bidding on a Haven w/aft-balcony).

Edited October 16, 2022 by CT-Scott

[Mandalay5]

Your original cabin (8730) is a large balcony club suite. Those  have a larger bathroom, huge balcony with loungers and include a free bag of laundry. They’re close to the restaurants and bars on deck 8 waterfront. My favorite if I’m not in the haven. Aft facing balconies on deck 9 are the deepest, have loungers, and are over the walkway on deck 8. Haven suites in the Joy are spread around the ship, so that’s a consideration if you don’t care to journey far to the haven complex. We were on deck 14 in a haven room last year and didn’t mind the trek. The extra cost for the haven can only be judged by you—the complex is lovely, the service top notch and the food is fabulous. The covered pool deck (imo) would be a definite plus on your itinerary due to the possibility of cold weather.

[mjkacmom]

10 minutes ago, CT-Scott said:

Thanks for the quick and thoughtful reply.  Sorry for the confusion...our promo code is ALL4CHO which is "Free at Sea" but we are wanting to upgrade to "Free at Sea Plus" which adds another 2 Specialty Dining meals, upgrades the beverage plan from Premium to Premium Plus, improves internet access from 150 mins/person to unlimited w/streaming, and adds another $50 shore excursion discount.  That's $343/person.

 

Regarding the rooms...you recommended against an aft cabin for Haven, but if we didn't win a bid to upgrade, what are your thoughts about us being in the H1 (State Room) aft-cabin w/balcony?  Obviously, it will be a lot of walking to get to things, so I guess I'm mainly asking your opinion about having an aft-facing balcony specifically.

 

One last note about the Haven...when we originally booked about a month back, our agent didn't think the cost of upgrading to a Haven was worth it, especially at the time of year we'd be going, since the boat likely wouldn't be at capacity, or have a lot of kids, so the common areas wouldn't be as bustling.  But, obviously, if I can pay just a little more via the bidding process, I'm thinking it may still be worth trying (and, yes, I'm now thinking about possibly avoiding bidding on a Haven w/aft-balcony).

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that week coincides with a big vacation week for NJ students. Some kids have off that week, in our district schools are closed Tuesday for Election Day, and Thursday and Friday for NJ teachers convention. Not a lot of learning goes on since many parents pull their kids for the week (that was always our week to cruise with the kids).

[CT-Scott]

11 minutes ago, Mandalay5 said:

Aft facing balconies on deck 9 are the deepest, have loungers, and are over the walkway on deck 8.

Thanks for all of the useful info you shared, but wanted to pick this particular part out to ask whether being over the walkway on deck 8 was a positive or negative.

[Mandalay5]

7 minutes ago, CT-Scott said:

Thanks for all of the useful info you shared, but wanted to pick this particular part out to ask whether being over the walkway on deck 8 was a positive or negative.

I personally like being up a little higher for an aft balcony (deck 12 is next deepest) as I think it’s a better view, and less noise but that’s just my preference. When the ship is underway, the wake will drown out noise. If the weather is nice, the bigger the balcony the better imo for sunning,  but you should have enough coverage from above to stay protected in bad weather in any event. 

[CT-Scott]

So just to clarify...being in the Haven, you don't get the Premium Plus beverage package included...you still have to pay extra for that, correct?

[JamieLogical]

1 hour ago, CT-Scott said:

So just to clarify...being in the Haven, you don't get the Premium Plus beverage package included...you still have to pay extra for that, correct?

 

Correct.

[Sailing12Away]

9 hours ago, CT-Scott said:

Regarding the rooms...you recommended against an aft cabin for Haven, but if we didn't win a bid to upgrade, what are your thoughts about us being in the H1 (State Room) aft-cabin w/balcony?  Obviously, it will be a lot of walking to get to things, so I guess I'm mainly asking your opinion about having an aft-facing balcony specifically.

 

One last note about the Haven...when we originally booked about a month back, our agent didn't think the cost of upgrading to a Haven was worth it, especially at the time of year we'd be going, since the boat likely wouldn't be at capacity, or have a lot of kids, so the common areas wouldn't be as bustling.  But, obviously, if I can pay just a little more via the bidding process, I'm thinking it may still be worth trying (and, yes, I'm now thinking about possibly avoiding bidding on a Haven w/aft-balcony).

Not sure what you mean by H1 - there's no category for that on the Joy. The aft rooms are either HB/HC for Haven, M6 for aft club balcony, B1 for regular aft balcony.

 

If you have your heart set on an aft cabin, then it comes down to price and the perks that come from upgrading from a balcony, to the club balcony, to the Haven. As to whether it's 'worth it' it depends on your budget and what is important to you while on a cruise. I personally don't like aft Haven rooms, but others love them. Depends on what is important to you.

 

Moving from regular balcony to club balcony gives you some small perks like snacks brought to the room 2x a trip and a free bag of laundry. Moving into a Haven room gives you the butler, concierge, and access to those Haven only areas. It's not necessarily about whether the ship will be crowded or not, you can always get a Vibe pass to avoid crowds, and that is a lot cheaper than moving into the Haven.

[cruiseny4life]

I'll add my thoughts about a side-facing balcony (not sure that's a real term or if I/we made that up) versus an aft-facing balcony. Unlike @Sailing12Away I would book an aft-facing balcony again. Everything I'm going to say occurred on the NCL Getaway, not Joy, so there will likely be differences.

 

In April we booked a Haven Penthouse Suite on deck 14, two decks below the Haven Restaurant, though almost vertically a straight line to the Haven complex. In September we were on deck 13 in the aft, so a good five minute walk to the Haven and up three flights of stairs. We don't mind stairs or walking. By the end of the cruise the walk had become old to get breakfast, but it was doable and worth it to us. One important note about the aft: you will invariably experience the lovely fumes a ship under power creates. Be prepared for your balcony to be virtually useless at some times when the cruising speed and wind direction create an impermeable layer of nasty smelling air wafting delightfully through your balcony, and sometimes into your stateroom.

 

The Haven Penthouse Suite was roomy for two and had a small balcony. The Haven Aft with Master Bedroom was downright spacious with a phenomenal balcony. I spent a lot more time on the balcony, reading, soaking up the humidity, and just staring at the horizon. It was truly a luxury experience. I didn't feel that way when we stayed in the side-facing balcony. Now, if you keep a non-Haven room, I can't speak to the spaciousness, though I doubt you'll have as much room as we did in either of our staterooms. 

 

As for the deck - well, I've been on three cruises (one Carnival ages ago and these two NCL cruises). I've never been below deck 13. I am considering a lower deck on a short cruise (if we ever go on a less than seven day cruise), because it is cool to be closer to the water, but I really appreciate the height our balconies have provided us in the past. 

 

Every so often, my husband and I think it would be interesting to try a non-Haven room, but we always gravitate back to booking the Haven. For us, the perks are worth it. I appreciate having Nespresso in the room, a butler to bring my dessert back to the room from the restaurant, free room service (I've only used this three times), priority tendering, the restaurant (by far the best perk of the Haven to us), and the concierge (second best perk, as we don't have to stand in line at guest services). 

 

Having said that, we pass up other cruises and only look for the bargain cruises. In April our price for a seven day cruise was around $8,000, our September nine day cruise was about $7,000, and we're currently planning to spend about $8,500 in March for a seven day cruise. We're considering canceling, then rebooking after the final payment date on that cruise, or another to save us some cash. The value we receive from the Haven is worth it to us, and we don't go into debt to fund our vacation. That's an important consideration you'll have to make to decide if the Haven upgrade is worth it. It's a no-brainer for my husband and I, even though we spend brain power on it often. 

 

There's another wonderful thread created by Gary about the Haven-lite experience which might be of interest to you. It's one way my husband and I would consider cruising if we don't book in the Haven. 

 

 

Edited October 17, 2022 by cruiseny4life
forgot the air pollution!

[Sthrngary]

27 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

There's another wonderful thread created by Gary about the Haven-lite experience which might be of interest to you. It's one way my husband and I would consider cruising if we don't book in the Haven. 

@cruiseny4life Thank you for the comment.  My wife and I are doing Haven Lite in December on the NCL Breakaway.  It will be her first time doing Haven Lite.  I spoil her because she puts up with me. 

 

For those that love the Haven as I do, you would think not being in the Haven would make for a less satisfying cruise.  You would be wrong.   It takes some work but the Haven Lite Strategy has merit. Will some things be different, of course. Yet different can sometimes be nice. Allow me to explain just a few things. 

 

1. Upgrade Bid to Haven:  I will always do an upgrade bid to the Haven when on a full Haven ship.  I have five bids for different suite currently.  I expect not to win because I bid low and the Haven shows sold out 40 days prior to the cruise.  That does not stop me from bidding though.  I also have a bid on the Club Suite Spa cabin which is also sold out. All of this is part of the Haven Lite approach.
2. Sundeck:  When in the Haven, the Haven Sundeck is a huge positive to me and my lovely bride.  Yet it is much more of a positive on the "Plus" ships.  They have huge hot tubs on the Haven Sundeck unlike the Getaway and the Breakaway which just have the sundeck.  When we cruise the smaller ships like those, the Vibe Beach Club is simply a better experience all around especially since the have hot tubs, better staffing and a full bar. This trip, I got a Cabana for my bride.
3. Free At Sea PLUS Program:  When you are not paying the premium for the Haven, you can have the luxury of putting far less money into your vacation opening up other area's for potential spending. The Free At Sea Plus Program was a welcome surprise.  It made complete sense to the way my wife and I like to cruise.  We are not fans of the Buffet or the MDR.  So we have a seven day cruise with five Specialty Meals.  The fifth one is a perk from American Express Platinum.  We will still do a few nights at the MDR or one of the other complementary dining venues. As a complement, my breakfasts at the MDR have always been great. 
4. Excursions: We have gone on most all of the excursions on a Caribbean cruise. None of them have been fabulous so we tend to not book them. The only ones that have been memorable were the Over the Water Bungalow, and the Beach villa's on the Private Island.  This trip, we did not even book them.  We will rent a golf cart of shooter instead and make our own excursing. 

 

Full disclosure.  I will miss most the Haven Restaurant.  I literally can eat Prime Rib and Lobster every night.  Steak and Eggs every morning.  But what I will miss most are those almond croissants only available in the Haven. Because I have written so much about the Haven, many of those that know when I am on board but not in the Haven will show me mercy by bringing one out to me when I have coffee at Starbucks.  I refuse to go into the Haven Proper when I did not pay for the opportunity.  The only exceptions in day one to say hello to many of my friends with the Haven Staff Permission. 

 

Cruise well everyone and enjoy every moment. 

[CT-Scott]

21 hours ago, Sailing12Away said:

Not sure what you mean by H1 - there's no category for that on the Joy. The aft rooms are either HB/HC for Haven, M6 for aft club balcony, B1 for regular aft balcony.

Sorry, that was a typo in that post.  I had it correct in an earlier post - our current room is a B1, 9th-floor aft-facing non-Haven room.

[KiddieKruzer]

Be aware: the aft of Joy has a HORRIBLE rattle, shake, vibration - call it what you want. for two sea days out to Bermuda my entire room shook like a mini earthquake that kept me up all night long. Hopefully you don’t experience this. Also, it’s a Lonnnng walk from back of ship to front (observation lounge). I wouldn’t pick the back of that ship if I ever cruise her again 

[CT-Scott]

1 hour ago, KiddieKruzer said:

Be aware: the aft of Joy has a HORRIBLE rattle, shake, vibration - call it what you want. for two sea days out to Bermuda my entire room shook like a mini earthquake that kept me up all night long.

Thanks for your input. What level were you on?

[Two Wheels Only]

1 hour ago, CT-Scott said:

Thanks for your input. What level were you on?

 

Based on posts from other Joy cruisers, the excess vibration felt on Joy seems to depend on many factors such as the ship's speed, the ship's direction, weather, time of day, phase of the moon, etc. 

 

Some people report that it is still horrible. Some people report that it is bad for a day or 2 then goes away. Some people report that there's no issue at all. 

 

Other BA/BA Plus ships have had similar issues and sometimes, it takes a dry dock to fully correct any mechanical issue. Even when everything is mechanically correct, there is still some vibration that we commonly refer to as the "azipod shimmy". It bothers some people. It isn't an issue for other people. It's just one of those things. 

 

If you decide to do an aft-facing balcony (Haven or not), feel free to ask any questions. Stateroom configuration, bed location, balcony depth, balcony width, etc. are easily explained when it comes to Breakaway/Getaway/Escape/Joy/Bliss/Encore. 

Edited October 18, 2022 by Two Wheels Only

[KiddieKruzer]

9 hours ago, CT-Scott said:

Thanks for your input. What level were you on?

12. And I’ll agree with the poster above. It was only the first two days, then nothing the rest of the trip.  But it was not a vibration one could ignore - it was not light, and pretty concerning. Enough to make it impossible to sleep!

Edited October 18, 2022 by KiddieKruzer

[CT-Scott]

So my wife is panicking today because Bermuda still requires COVID testing, and specifically a negative Rapid PCR test (shortly before embarking) and the online sites for trying to schedule such a thing are awful (e.g., CVS site for COVID testing doesn't easily let you specify that you need a Rapid PCR test and doesn't provide accurate info as to stores near you that offer it).  I will try to search the forums myself, but figured I'd make a quick post here since some of "the regulars" might be able to quickly point me to a thread with some good info on this topic.

[njhorseman]

11 minutes ago, CT-Scott said:

So my wife is panicking today because Bermuda still requires COVID testing, and specifically a negative Rapid PCR test (shortly before embarking) and the online sites for trying to schedule such a thing are awful (e.g., CVS site for COVID testing doesn't easily let you specify that you need a Rapid PCR test and doesn't provide accurate info as to stores near you that offer it).  I will try to search the forums myself, but figured I'd make a quick post here since some of "the regulars" might be able to quickly point me to a thread with some good info on this topic.

You don't need a PCR test. In fact for your Nov. 5 sailing you don't need any type of test for Bermuda. Bermuda eliminated all testing for passengers arriving in Bermuda on and after October 25, 2022. You still need the travel authorization, which has a $40 per person cost.

You need to read NCL's Sail Safe web page:

https://www.ncl.com/travel-requirements-by-country

 

Bermuda Cruise Protocols

 

FOR ALL SAILINGS ON OR AFTER OCTOBER 22, 2022

Age	Vaccinated	Unvaccinated
< 2 years	Nothing Required.	Nothing Required.
≥ 2 years	Travel Authorization required. Application fee $40	Travel Authorization required. Application fee $40 Proof of travel health insurance

 

 

Edited October 18, 2022 by njhorseman

[CT-Scott]

8 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

You don't need a PCR test. In fact for your Nov. 5 sailing you don't need any type of test for Bermuda. Bermuda eliminated all testing for passengers arriving in Bermuda on and after October 25, 2022. 

You need to read NCL's Sail Safe web page...

 

Wow, this is very interesting and awesome news, if correct.  It's on NCL's own website, so I would think it would be correct, but will obviously want to double-check it. My wife went into panic mode based on an email our travel agent sent her on October 5th, so I'm also curious if this is a really recent policy change, or if our travel agent was sending us old guidance.

[njhorseman]

4 minutes ago, CT-Scott said:

Wow, this is very interesting and awesome news, if correct.  It's on NCL's own website, so I would think it would be correct, but will obviously want to double-check it. My wife went into panic mode based on an email our travel agent sent her on October 5th, so I'm also curious if this is a really recent policy change, or if our travel agent was sending us old guidance.

It's a recent policy change.

If you don't believe me and you don't believe NCL, then will you believe Bermuda's government ?

https://www.gov.bm/cruise-travel-authorisation

•  Apply for the Bermuda Travel Authorisation

Cruise Passenger Travel Authorisation

 

All Cruise travellers arriving October 25 2022 onwards will no longer require a pre-travel test, arrival test or a day 4 test. Unvaccinated non-resident travellers will still be required to upload valid proof of travel health insurance to enter Bermuda.

 

Edited October 18, 2022 by njhorseman

[CT-Scott]

Concerning to me that the actual Bermuda government website seems to indicate that we still need to be tested:

https://www.gov.bm/cruise-travel-authorisation

[njhorseman]

1 minute ago, CT-Scott said:

Concerning to me that the actual Bermuda government website seems to indicate that we still need to be tested:

https://www.gov.bm/cruise-travel-authorisation

No it doesn't. Read my post above where I've now quoted the top of the page.

I'll repeat it here:

•  Apply for the Bermuda Travel Authorisation

Cruise Passenger Travel Authorisation

 

All Cruise travellers arriving October 25 2022 onwards will no longer require a pre-travel test, arrival test or a day 4 test. Unvaccinated non-resident travellers will still be required to upload valid proof of travel health insurance to enter Bermuda.

[CT-Scott]

2 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

It's a recent policy change.

If you don't believe e and you don't believe NCL, then will you believe Bermuda's government ?

 

It's funny that I was posting my reply with the exact same link you provided at the same time and I obviously had not read the entire page (and most embarrassingly, the first couple of sentences at the top) and only just scanned down and saw that they were still showing the restrictions that won't apply to us.  Thanks much!

[njhorseman]

By the way, if your travel agent said you needed a rapid PCR test that was also wrong.  Even under the old rules requiring testing you could have taken an antigen test. (Read the same page from Bermuda's government.)