Royal cruiser tempted by a NCL Canada-New England itinerary on Joy; Some questions please

[barb in ga]

DH and I sail 2-3 times per year, usually on Royal Caribbean on their Oasis Class ships. I received an email promo for a NY to Quebec on Joy cruise that seems to have great rates on a suite cabin(NOT Haven).  We prefer the big ships for the variety of food and entertainment. We like to use a hot tub, but don't spend a lot of time sunning by the pool. We like to find a shady spot to read or do crossword or sudoku puzzles. We enjoy live music and dancing, but not loud rock. We're older middle age. Some questions:

 

1. From looking at the NCL website, it looks like this suite cabin class is comparable to RCI Junior Suite. A little over 300sq ft. Is that including the balcony or just cabin?

 

2. The "Free at Sea" seems appealing; we are Diamond+ on Royal, which gives us some bennies. We don't drink much alcohol, but nightly wine or cocktail with dinner or a show is usually enjoyed. We do use our internet benefit, and would use the specialty dining and some shore excursions. What is special about Joy and how does she compare with other big ships?

 

3. We know that most of the mass market ships are more alike than different, but we have some opinions: Carnival never again; Holland America just ok, Princess ok, Celebrity great, but entertainment so-so, and MSC Divina a big disappointment. What can we expect from Joy? 

Thanks in advance, Barb in GA

 

[DCGuy64]

29 minutes ago, barb in ga said:

DH and I sail 2-3 times per year, usually on Royal Caribbean on their Oasis Class ships. I received an email promo for a NY to Quebec on Joy cruise that seems to have great rates on a suite cabin(NOT Haven).  We prefer the big ships for the variety of food and entertainment. We like to use a hot tub, but don't spend a lot of time sunning by the pool. We like to find a shady spot to read or do crossword or sudoku puzzles. We enjoy live music and dancing, but not loud rock. We're older middle age. Some questions:

 

1. From looking at the NCL website, it looks like this suite cabin class is comparable to RCI Junior Suite. A little over 300sq ft. Is that including the balcony or just cabin?

 

2. The "Free at Sea" seems appealing; we are Diamond+ on Royal, which gives us some bennies. We don't drink much alcohol, but nightly wine or cocktail with dinner or a show is usually enjoyed. We do use our internet benefit, and would use the specialty dining and some shore excursions. What is special about Joy and how does she compare with other big ships?

 

3. We know that most of the mass market ships are more alike than different, but we have some opinions: Carnival never again; Holland America just ok, Princess ok, Celebrity great, but entertainment so-so, and MSC Divina a big disappointment. What can we expect from Joy? 

Thanks in advance, Barb in GA

 

Question: when is the cruise on the Joy? She's due for a drydock in January 2024 and you might like the upgrades, which could influence the comparison between her and Royal.

[mugtech]

Some great last minute sales for this September, $479 inside pp for 9 days to Quebec, $429pp the 7 days back to NYC.

[barb in ga]

We're looking at the  Sept 4-13 9 day NY to Quebec in either a Club balcony suite (only GTY's avail)

or the  Family Club Balcony Suite if it's a little bigger.  

Barb

 

[mking8288]

Just a FYI & cautionary note about doing any one-way cruise to/from Quebec - please be sure to carefully check out and review ground transportation options available, unless you are doing a B2B.  

 

Amtrak just briefly resumed (this Spring' 23) NYC to Montreal thru train services, suspended since Covid shutdown ... before "freezing" the segment north of Albany thru/across the US-Canada border into Montreal (it's about a 11 - 12 hour ride ... done that, long)   As of this week, limited services continued or available only as far north as Saratoga Springs, NY (which is just north of Albany, less than 1 hour's worth of driving time)  Services on the entire length, "expected" to return to normal by mid September.  This has nothing to do with NCL.  

 

Flight options between Montreal and Quebec are infrequent and limited, NCL Air booked might leave cruisers trying to find their way to/from the port ... and/or requiring an extra day of travel time on top due to train, bus & regional commuter flight schedule.  

 

https://www.insider.com/amtrak-adirondack-train-suspended-from-albany-to-montreal-2023-7

[GORDONCHICK]

1 hour ago, barb in ga said:

We're looking at the  Sept 4-13 9 day NY to Quebec in either a Club balcony suite (only GTY's avail)

or the  Family Club Balcony Suite if it's a little bigger.  

Barb

 

We are actually on this cruise.  If you look at the itinerary, there's not much time on the ship.  The only "sea" day is at the very end - the day before docking in Quebec City for the overnight stay.  Besides the overnight, the night in Boston is until 9:30, 2 stops have us leaving at either 7 or 7:30.  My suggestion, since you don't drink a lot of alcohol is to opt out of the alcohol package, save the $300+ in service charges and just buy your nightly drink.

We also really like X but we were okay with MSC Seaside.

[barb in ga]

Gordonchick--Are you on the NYC to Quebec City itinerary? Do you see any difference between port or starboard for view? I'm sure it may vary, but just looking for an idea.

Barb

[GORDONCHICK]

21 minutes ago, barb in ga said:

Gordonchick--Are you on the NYC to Quebec City itinerary? Do you see any difference between port or starboard for view? I'm sure it may vary, but just looking for an idea.

Barb

Yes, on that specific cruise.  I chose port because I want a view of the land, which we will have most of the time on both sides..  The statue of Liberty will be starboard though.

[Elvis1209]

6 hours ago, barb in ga said:

We're looking at the  Sept 4-13 9 day NY to Quebec in either a Club balcony suite (only GTY's avail)

or the  Family Club Balcony Suite if it's a little bigger.  

Barb

 

You might see some whales as you sail down the St. Lawrence to Quebec.  We took a cruise to Quebec a few years back and there were whales all over the place!  They are Minke whales and they travel up the St. Lawrence to breed!

We were on Celebrity, 14 day round trip from NY.  

 

Elvis

[flarad]

We cruise a variety of lines, including NCL, Royal, and Celebrity. Royal being our number one for big family trips, NCL for relaxation and Celebrity moving to the top for service with NCL's recent cuts. We enjoy NCL and the Joy class ships will be fabulous for that itinerary. We are actually booked on the Escape from Manhattan in later September. Our favorite thing about those ships is deck 8. Our least favorite thing about Royal is the lack of view of the water and feel that you're on the ocean. NCL designs with this in mind. Deck 8 provides outdoor seating, bars and restaurants and will be great for viewing the coast. We make reservations at an outdoor specialty dining venue shortly after sailaway so we can relax and enjoy the view with our dinner. We prefer the NCL dining experience to Royal's main dining rooms. It's a more flexible, interesting experience. Your suite cabin is a bit bigger than a normal cabin with a few extra perks. 

[barb in ga]

MKING8288--thanks for the caution, I jumped on the net and figured out our ground/air plans.

We have one overnight on the ship for Quebec City and will probably book 2 additional nights in a hotel. When we're through in QC, we'll take the VIA train to Montreal and stay there for 3 nights.

 

We live in Atlanta, so mostly use Delta. They have a flight pair that will take us non stop from Atlanta to NYC a couple of days before the cruise, then home from Montreal also nonstop. This makes our total trip 16 days, so it's nice to be retired and have the time!

[vswan]

A number of years ago did a New England cruise on NCL. This cruise had the best musicians/bands on board of any ship I have ever been on. I attributed that to the fact that is was sailing from NY, who knows. It was just the best!

[MCMC100]

23 hours ago, barb in ga said:

We're looking at the  Sept 4-13 9 day NY to Quebec in either a Club balcony suite (only GTY's avail)

or the  Family Club Balcony Suite if it's a little bigger.  

Barb

 

The Club Balcony suites are the same size as a balcony with the exception of the bathroom. Club balconies have a double sink, larger vanity and shower- the rest of the room is basically identical to a regular balcony.  You receive some minor perks for Club balcony rooms such as a bottle sparkling wine and some chocolate covered strawberries, chocolates or cookies delivered to your cabin a couple of times.  

A family club balcony is located only midship and NCL uses that distinction as a marketing strategy by stating it’s more convenient to move around the ship, thus family friendly. I am unaware of any differences between family and non-family club balconies with regard to size/layout. If I’m incorrect someone will correct me. 
 

The Joy, unlike some Breakaway class ships, also has suites. These cabins are NOT in the Haven and are located inside. There is a “virtual balcony” — which you may call a  tv screen hooked to a camera. Make sure you’re looking at the correct category. A family suite and a club balcony family suite are completely different. 
 

If you haven’t yet done so, visit NCL.com. Click on the “hamburger” on the left to pull up the menu. Under the “Explore” tab, select “Cruise Ships”. Visit the Joy for info/pictures/deck plans.
 

Good luck and have fun. I’m on this sailing so perhaps we will cross paths aboard. 

[MCMC100]

Sorry, forgot to add that a general rule is if you consume 2 alcoholic drinks per day you are basically at the FAS drink package price of $196.20 per person for this itinerary ($21.80 per day). The al a carte prices for beer/wine/liquor plus the automatic 20% gratuity add up quickly.   You described a nightly cocktail or wine with dinner and a show - depending on your liquor/wine choice you are probably spending more without the package. 

[BirdTravels]

On 7/26/2023 at 3:29 PM, barb in ga said:

DH and I sail 2-3 times per year, usually on Royal Caribbean on their Oasis Class ships. I received an email promo for a NY to Quebec on Joy cruise that seems to have great rates on a suite cabin(NOT Haven).  We prefer the big ships for the variety of food and entertainment. We like to use a hot tub, but don't spend a lot of time sunning by the pool. We like to find a shady spot to read or do crossword or sudoku puzzles. We enjoy live music and dancing, but not loud rock. We're older middle age. Some questions:

 

1. From looking at the NCL website, it looks like this suite cabin class is comparable to RCI Junior Suite. A little over 300sq ft. Is that including the balcony or just cabin?

 

2. The "Free at Sea" seems appealing; we are Diamond+ on Royal, which gives us some bennies. We don't drink much alcohol, but nightly wine or cocktail with dinner or a show is usually enjoyed. We do use our internet benefit, and would use the specialty dining and some shore excursions. What is special about Joy and how does she compare with other big ships?

 

3. We know that most of the mass market ships are more alike than different, but we have some opinions: Carnival never again; Holland America just ok, Princess ok, Celebrity great, but entertainment so-so, and MSC Divina a big disappointment. What can we expect from Joy? 

Thanks in advance, Barb in GA

 

So, we cruise 4-6 times a year on both Royal and NCL, Diamond level on both lines. We primarily sail in Club Balcony rooms on NCL and Grand Suites on Royal. We sail about once a year in the NCL Haven class rooms and splurged and sailed in a Loft Suite on the Quantum to Alaska. 

 

As you point out, the Joy is more of a Quantum-sized ship, but one of the biggest in NCL's fleet. 

 

Personally, I would not spend money on a Suite on the Joy. I would stay in a balcony and save some money. Other than a bigger room, there are really no perks in a Suite on the Joy.

 

We book Club Balcony rooms on NCL because on the Joy, it would have a larger bathroom. Double sinks, and a full size walk in shower. As we have gotten older and less mobile, the bigger shower is a significant advantage, to us, over the normal transporter-tube sized showers in standard room. 

 

The Joy is in the NCL Breakaway Plus class of ship. Her sisters are the Bliss, Encore, and Escape. The Joy was purpose built for colder weather with a large observation lounge on Deck 15 which takes up 1/3 of the deck providing spectacular indoor views and a comfortable lounge. Outside dining areas have heaters in the ceilings. Pools, water slides and water features are heated. Rather than a big internal promenade, NCL has a expansive outdoor area called The Waterfront that encircles Deck 8 with large comfy sofas and chairs. Restaurant dining tables can be used during the day for sitting and games. 

 

The Joy was built for the Asian market, similar to the Quantum. Like the Quantum, she was eventually pulled out when the Chinese could not support a bigger ship on weekly cruises. Two years after being built for the Chinese, NCL spent $40M to "Americanize" her in 2019. NCL is a mass market line on par with Royal Caribbean. 

 

The itinerary you picked normally has a older demographic. 

 

Below is an link to a live post I did from the Joy. I was in one of the Suites for this cruise. All of the menus and dailies are outdated, but there are some photos of the ship. 

 

 

[Norway97]

We are on this cruise and doing the return to NY. We booked not only because of this itinerary (we’ve done a few times), but we absolutely loved our first time on the Joy. We didn’t even begin to take advantage of everything she has as hubby was post surgery on that trip and we kept a low profile. We were in a Penthouse Suite, non-haven and it was great! The observation deck is huge and lovely, open yet with  the feel of private seating areas. That will be going away in 2024 Dry Dock so this will be a last hurrah. We prefer NCL over RCL because you feel like you are on a ship…not a Mall. Give me the outdoor Waterfront over the inside Promenade any day! Hope this helps.

[Topdog52]

15 hours ago, barb in ga said:

MKING8288--thanks for the caution, I jumped on the net and figured out our ground/air plans.

We have one overnight on the ship for Quebec City and will probably book 2 additional nights in a hotel. When we're through in QC, we'll take the VIA train to Montreal and stay there for 3 nights.

 

We live in Atlanta, so mostly use Delta. They have a flight pair that will take us non stop from Atlanta to NYC a couple of days before the cruise, then home from Montreal also nonstop. This makes our total trip 16 days, so it's nice to be retired and have the time!

Does NCL have a transfer from Quebec to Montreal airport after the cruise, just in case we book their bogo flight package? 

[Bronx12]

3 hours ago, Topdog52 said:

Does NCL have a transfer from Quebec to Montreal airport after the cruise, just in case we book their bogo flight package? 

I was just looking at the cruise and I don't see the bogo flight offer

[Topdog52]

3 hours ago, Bronx12 said:

I was just looking at the cruise and I don't see the bogo flight offer

I was curious, because they state , that they may fly you in or out of Montreal. Booking a Hotel in Quebec the day before the cruise and NCL flies you in to Montreal, could be a pain in the butt without a transfer from them.