Family Cruise on NCL JOy

[rfs7306]

Hello, We are planning a family cruise with 7 adults and 4 children of which 2 will be teens . Looking at the ship it looks like a lot of options for things to do for the kids. My question is does the racetrack and etc cost extra and how long are the lines? What if any is your opinion of this ship for a family cruise? I have been on large ships before and found that it can be quite crowded especially to get an elevator. This cruise is going to be December 2025 instead of Christmas celebrations of the past. Another thing I have a question about is 1 of our family has allergies to gluten and some dairy and was wondering how they handle that. Thanks for any info you can give us.

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[hallux]

10 minutes ago, rfs7306 said:

My question is does the racetrack and etc cost extra and how long are the lines?

Yes it does cost extra.  It was on the first page I saw when I opened the FAQ page of NCL's website - https://www.ncl.com/faq

13 minutes ago, rfs7306 said:

Another thing I have a question about is 1 of our family has allergies to gluten and some dairy and was wondering how they handle that

You'll want to visit the Accessible Cruising section of NCL's page and fill out the form to notify them of the needs. https://www.ncl.com/about/accessible-cruising  On embarkation day you'll want to get someone from the F&B side of things to talk to about the need.  You will have someone meeting you at your chosen restaurant for the evening, every evening, that will manage the food for the person with the dietary restriction.  Others can go into more/exact detail on the process, but that person should be allowed to order their meal for the next night from the next night's menu when you're sitting for dinner.

[Two Wheels Only]

29 minutes ago, rfs7306 said:

What if any is your opinion of this ship for a family cruise?

 

It's a very good ship for families plus the scheduled refurb means that the ship should be in excellent shape when you take your cruise. NCL ships are generally in good condition but Joy was extensively refurbished when it came over to North America (from Asia) and the current scheduled refurb will make it even more up to date. 

 

The Breakaway and Breakaway Plus ships (Joy is the 2nd Breakaway Plus ship) have certain bottlenecks where crowds can form but these crowds can often be avoided by taking alternate/less crowded routes. For example, if you're on deck 8 and want to get from one end of the ship to the other, you'll find that the center of the ship is crowded with people. An alternate route would be to take the outdoor Waterfront to get where you are going.  

[stinkyharriet]

1 hour ago, rfs7306 said:

Hello, We are planning a family cruise with 7 adults and 4 children of which 2 will be teens . Looking at the ship it looks like a lot of options for things to do for the kids.

Be aware that the Joy just underwent a refurbishment and some things that were big attractions for kids have been removed.  There is no more laser tag or VR Pavilion.  The regular arcade is still there. 

[rfs7306]

Thanks for the info

[JerseyHorseLover]

I was on the Joy in October.  There are many gluten-free options. At the restaurants, mention to the server the guest is gluten-free and  the chef will take care of you.  

[wolft927]

Sailed the Joy last April and then the Escape in January. I will say, the Joy felt a lot less crowded. Racetrack was fun and as far as lines go you can reserve a time. Joy's Haven Sundeck was also both port and starboard side, but i think that has changed expanding the Vibe Beach club. Spice H2O has alot more shade then the escape as well. Pool deck is a little weird due to it being retrofitted from an asian market to US market. Don't pass on the BBQ restaurant, we went twice during our cruise and it was great food, large portions and some great music (Mostly old school rock and Country) 

 

Be aware of the Drop down waterslide, absolutely no jewelry and nothing metal on your bathing suits. But again a lot of fun

[Two Wheels Only]

23 minutes ago, wolft927 said:

Joy's Haven Sundeck was also both port and starboard side, but i think that has changed expanding the Vibe Beach club.

 

Haven sundeck is still both sides. Vibe is also both sides but further back. 

 

Escape's Haven sundeck is still (unfortunately) only starboard side. 

[wolft927]

9 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

Haven sundeck is still both sides. Vibe is also both sides but further back. 

 

Escape's Haven sundeck is still (unfortunately) only starboard side. 

Yea, we loved the Joys. Escape was nice but felt a little cramped at times on Sea Days. Trying MSC YC in September, excited to see the Seascapes YC pool Deck. 

[RedwingHockeyFan]

3 minutes ago, wolft927 said:

Yea, we loved the Joys. Escape was nice but felt a little cramped at times on Sea Days. Trying MSC YC in September, excited to see the Seascapes YC pool Deck. 

I'm on the Joy starting 02 March, but I have sailed on all the other BA and BA+ ships and I totally agree.  The difference in the BA class was that they put the pool bars between the two pools which limited the amount of deck space.  On the Bliss and Encore the bars are in the corners and there is much more deck space.

[Two Wheels Only]

16 minutes ago, wolft927 said:

Trying MSC YC in September, excited to see the Seascapes YC pool Deck. 

 

It's larger and better than Escape's Haven sundeck and larger and better than Joy's Haven sundeck. One major difference is that NCL has the pool on one deck and the sundeck above that. MSC has them both on the same deck but also has a grill and bar on the sundeck. 

Edited February 20 by Two Wheels Only

[hallux]

51 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

Escape's Haven sundeck is still (unfortunately) only starboard side.

For the people that worship the sun and can't afford to pay for Vibe access it's very FORTUNATE that the Vibe on Escape is only on one side.  For a warm-weather itinerary for someone on a budget, the Escape is a GREAT ship for this very reason - HUGE free-to-use sundeck...

[mjkacmom]

Been in 4 ncl cruises with celiacs. Make a note on your reservation, go to a MDR after boarding for a nice lunch and the dietary manager will show up at your table to go over options. My daughter chose her dinner for that evening, and breakfast the next morning, and did this nightly. She preferred to wing lunch in the buffet with her new friends. We usually ate breakfasts a family in the buffet, just called the manager when leaving the cabin, my daughters food was brought to our table (she ordered a lot, pancakes, muffins, eggs Benedict, toast, waffles - anything she wanted). For dinner she could choose a gf item, or have something specialty made. Sometimes they’d bring her gf cheesy bread from moderno or flourless chocolate cake from a specialty restaurant. We never made dining reservations in mdr’s for our family of 7, it was easier going to the larger MDR, and we’d just call ahead and let them know we were on our way. It seemed like our table was always waiting, and we usually had the same staff each night. Fantastic service.