*LIVE* NCL Joy Bermuda 7-nite sailing from NYC in HAVEN-06/16/2024-w/pics

[graphicguy]

So, I start planning about a month in advance of any sailing.  Just got my luggage tags.  Sounds like a good place to start.

 

Will take you through the booking and planning and go live when I board.

 

This cruise is two fold...

 

A) June is my birthday month, and I always try to take a cruise on my birthday month.  It's a little dicey as schools are usually out by June, which means the little rug ra......er.....precious little angels will be cruising.  So, I try to stay away from the Caribbean given that seems to be the route most of the parents like to take with children.  Thus Bermuda, which I haven't been to in about a decade.  I don't except it's changed all that much.  But, a decade is a decade.  And, I do enjoy Bermuda way more than the Mexico and Caribbean itineraries.  I also have always enjoyed staying in one place over nite (actually, 3 nites) so I can take my time and really explore without being in a time crunch.

 

B)  Those of you who followed my foibles early this year, are aware of my wretched clumsiness by hitting a pool of water in The Local on the Prima, which doing a Buster Keaton inspired face plant.  As a result, NCL graciously admitted there shouldn't have been a pool where I did the clumsy dance and granted me a fairly nice discount on my cruise.  Had to use the discount within a year.  This seemed like a good place to use it.

 

I'm from Ohio and have to make my way to NYC.  So, will have some cringe inducing plans for that.

 

Traveling solo, which I have been doing a lot lately.  I'm retired.  GF is not.  Even though I teach at the local community college, summers a slow.  I also do work with my local community as an advisor for our recreation endeavors.  Despite that, I have plenty of time on my hands.  My GF, does not.  Last cruise we took together was right after the restart a few years ago.  Since she needs some lengthy notice to take a week or two off, she can't just pick up and leave.  I can.  We're looking at a cruise for next year in the Nordic, region however.

 

This is a Haven booking.  Extravagant?  Especially for a solo?  Probably!  I don't care, though.

 

Will take you throughout the ship, in addition to the Haven, the excursions, entertainment, food, drinks, bars restaurants, casino, theaters, getting there, and getting back, etc.  Not much of a pool person, but I'll try to sneak in some pictures around that area, too.

 

I like doing this, but it is time consuming, especially since it's a vacation.  I'll do my best to offer up the info most people want to see.  But, I make no commitments nor any promises (that sounds like a one nite stand, fercryinoutloud)!

 

This will probably start out slow, but will pick up speed (and posts) as we get closer. 

 

 

 

 

[Faulkh]

Thanks for sharing another of your solo cruises with us. Loved following along on your last one abet was so sorry you got  injured. Sad to say I have never been to Bermuda and looking for maybe a girls trip soon, so will be very interested in your take on what may have changed in a decade. 

[surfclam2003]

Can't wait to hear as we will be on the Joy Haven to Alaska in Sept 2025.

[debenson0723]

Was hoping you would do this *Live*...I always enjoy reading them. This time I will be reading it from on board as I am on this cruise also. While looking for a cruise to do in the Spring, I came upon these dates which were good with my work schedule. Never been to Bermuda so it was the perfect solution.

Starting to get excited and do some planning. 2nd time on the Joy so can't wait to see the changes...it was a nice ship before and am hoping it is even better now. I am in a lowly solo inside but have bid on an upgrade...not holding my breath but you never know.

Hope to see you on board!

 

[valleyvillage]

You are so generous and thoughtful! Thank you!

[graphicguy]

9 hours ago, valleyvillage said:

You are so generous and thoughtful! Thank you!

Well...aren't you kind.  Thank YOU!

[graphicguy]

For those who don't know, the Joy was originally built for the Asian market.  She was originally home ported in Shanghai.  For reasons I don't quite understand, NCL did a quick reversal after sailing  those waters for about a yea. She was re-assigned to North America, but not before getting a "major refurbishment" only a year after she was christened.

 

Maybe that market just wasn't meant for a large ship, given NCL still sails the Asian itineraries with their smallest ships.

 

No matter, she's now sailing to Bermuda, Alaska, Mexico, Caribbean and Bahamas...the heart of any cruise lines' North American itineraries.

 

Have sailed NCL's Gem, Epic, Breakaway, Getaway, Encore, Escape, Bliss and Prima....some more than once.  All-in-all, I've sailed on 15 NCL cruises.  I've sailed the Caribbean, Mexico, Alaska, Mediterranean and Bermuda (this will be my 2nd trip).  Given I've never sailed the Joy before, I'm looking forward to it.

 

I've sailed in just about every class of NCL cabin, from a solo cabin all the way up to a 2 BR Haven suite, and everything in between.  I've sailed solo a lot and with my GF a lot.

 

I know some will sail just to reach a certain status as one of their goals.  That's not me.  I've had issues with NCL in the past.  But, for my cruise dollar, they just fit me best over the other cruise lines (sailed Celebrity, HAL, Carnival, Royal and MSC).

 

That said, NCL does offer some useful "perks" for higher Latitudes levels. I'm Sapphire.  So, they offer me...

 

-one free laundry bag (I bring my own bag, given theirs is a thin paper one that tears easily)

-2 free Specialty Dinners

-free bottle of wine (even though I'm not a wine drinker)

-A couple of "thingies" of water (even though their tap water is probably purer than any bottled water)

-Some nice discounts on excursions and ship store purchases (15%)

-Priority embarkation (although I'm in the Haven, so this one is of little use on this cruise)

[graphicguy]

14 hours ago, debenson0723 said:

Was hoping you would do this *Live*...I always enjoy reading them. This time I will be reading it from on board as I am on this cruise also. While looking for a cruise to do in the Spring, I came upon these dates which were good with my work schedule. Never been to Bermuda so it was the perfect solution.

Starting to get excited and do some planning. 2nd time on the Joy so can't wait to see the changes...it was a nice ship before and am hoping it is even better now. I am in a lowly solo inside but have bid on an upgrade...not holding my breath but you never know.

Hope to see you on board!

 

Hope to see you on board.  Someone has arranged a Meet and Greet but they haven’t publicized it much.  So, it doesn’t look like it will be well attended.  But, might peek in just to see which crew is there!

 

It's the 17th at 10:00 a.m.-District Brewhouse.

Edited May 12 by graphicguy

[catgags]

Following along! Haven't been on the Joy yet. So glad to hear they have the Brewhouse!!!

I hit Sapphire after my B2B Escape cruise in February! Next cruise is 235 days away!! My second time on Prima! First time out of NYC!! 

Cat

[graphicguy]

People seem to always be interested in the fares.

 

I was surprised by the fare on this cruise...again, Bermuda, in June, on one of the Breakaway Plus ships.  I would think aside from the fares on the Prima, Viva ships (NCL's newest), this fare would be pretty pricey.

 

Nope....at least not when I booked it, which was about 10-12 weeks ago.  And, since then, some categories are sold out, with a month until sailing.  So, it looks like a popular cruise.

 

I always price different cruise lines and cruise ships for the itinerary I want to sail.

 

-Carnival only had shorter cruises to Bermuda

-Royal doesn't seem to sail to Bermuda in June

-Celebrity sails to Bermuda in June but, oh WOW, their fares are really crazy....depending on category, about 2X what NCL's fares are

-I could no9t find one cruise on Princess that went to Bermuda

-HAL....well...they just aren't my "thing"

-MSC....ahhhh....MSC...sailed them twice, both times before the COVID shutdown.  Both cruises were fine.  But, recently, I can't even get their WEB site to work.  So, that does not bode well.  Skipped over them as a result

 

Don't misunderstand, NCL's WEB site isn't exactly the poster child of usability (would you stop with the pop ups already asking for my contact info that interrupt my research?)  Just trying to see what's available.  But, if you can't even see MSC's ships and dates for Bermuda, how can you research?

 

So, NCL it is.  The previous mention discount helped, too.  Even without the discount, the fares were attractive.

 

My rule of thumb for booking the Haven is the total cost for the cabin has to be under $5K....with Free at Sea (FAS), grats, service charges, taxes, fees, etc included.

 

 

Fare with the afore mentioned discount?  $3,562 all in...taxes, fees, service charges, Free at Sea (FAS) tips....everything.  This is for a Haven (HI) Balcony Cabin.  From one perspective, I'm paying full freight (2 passengers) to sail solo.  On the other hand, that fare, to Bermuda, Birthday, on a ship that was just refurbished (and wasn't that old to begin with) for the Haven.....well.....couldn't pass it up.

 

I did not deduct my Military discount nor my Cruise Next certificate, as not everyone qualifies for those.  Using those, I'm under $3K.

 

My situation was unusual but no way, no how I could turn down the Haven for that.

 

 

Edited May 12 by graphicguy

[graphicguy]

It's not like the itinerary is complex, but here it is.....

Day	Land Tours And Cruise Ports	Arrive	Depart	Booked
Sun	New York, New York	---	6:00 PM	0
Mon	At Sea	---	---	0
Tue	At Sea	---	---	1
Wed	Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda	8:00 AM	Overnight	0
Thu	Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda	---	Overnight	1
Fri	Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda	---	3:00 PM	0
Sat	At Sea	---	---	1
Sun	New York, New York (Flight Departure)	7:00 AM	---	0

Due to security reasons, all guests must be on board 2 hours before sailing. Disembarkation usually begins 2 hours after docking. Itineraries are subject to change at any time without notice.

[debenson0723]

1 hour ago, graphicguy said:

Hope to see you on board.  Someone has arranged a Meet and Greet but they haven’t publicized it much.  So, it doesn’t look like it will be well attended.  But, might peek in just to see which crew is there!

 

It's the 17th at 10:00 a.m.-District Brewhouse.

Thanks.  I did sign up for the M&G and like you mentioned, it's prety quiet. For me, with a 3 hour time change, I just hope I am awake at 10am! 

[graphicguy]

11 minutes ago, debenson0723 said:

Thanks.  I did sign up for the M&G and like you mentioned, it's prety quiet. For me, with a 3 hour time change, I just hope I am awake at 10am! 

Remind me....I'll nudge you awake under the table.

 

We might see if you, me and some others can meet up for sailaway?  Thinking maybe outside the Cavern Club bar?  Or, maybe Spice H20....I heard they moved that from a smoking to a non-smoking area.

[cyntil8ing]

My family and I will be on this cruise too. It is my second NCL, but my husband and son's first. My daughter and I did the New England / Canada cruise last September that ended floating in the Hudson for two days due to a hurricane, so we had FCCs to use. Unfortunately, my daughter can't join us. We will be in Club Balcony cabins. 

 

We've done the Celebrity Bermuda run four times, the most recent being 2014. I am looking forward to returning to Bermuda to see what has changed. We were booked on Carnival Magic to Bermuda from Norfolk last August, but another hurricane sent us to the Bahamas instead. We booked earlier in the season, but still after school ended this year. Hoping for no storms!

 

We chose NCL over Celebrity for a couple of reasons, the biggest probably just trying something new for my guys. I really enjoyed leaving from Manhattan last year. Daughter and I took Amtrak up from Maryland the night before, wandered around the city for the evening, and experienced probably the best sail away ever. I loved sailing down the Hudson and past the Statue of Liberty. With Bayonne, we just make the four hour drive on departure day.

I don't think I ever posted on the roll call. I'll go find it now. Probably copy/paste this post there. lol.

[debenson0723]

5 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Remind me....I'll nudge you awake under the table.

 

We might see if you, me and some others can meet up for sailaway?  Thinking maybe outside the Cavern Club bar?  Or, maybe Spice H20....I heard they moved that from a smoking to a non-smoking area.

That sounds like a plan. I know the FB group is doing a sailaway meet up but I think it is on the pool deck. I would prefer somewhere less noisy. On my Viva cruise in December, they did the same thing and it was a zoo.  I lasted about 30 seconds and had to move on. Spice H2O or the Cavern Club bar sound much better. Maybe you can post something on the Roll Call (as quiet as it is). 

[KKB]

23 hours ago, graphicguy said:

 

-MSC....ahhhh....MSC...sailed them twice, both times before the COVID shutdown.  Both cruises were fine.  But, recently, I can't even get their WEB site to work.  So, that does not bode well.  Skipped over them as a result

 

Don't misunderstand, NCL's WEB site isn't exactly the poster child of usability (would you stop with the pop ups already asking for my contact info that interrupt my research?)  Just trying to see what's available.  But, if you can't even see MSC's ships and dates for Bermuda, how can you research?

 

OK, went right over to MSC & found no Bermuda cruises in June but found them in later months, so that was probably the issue.

Now you know I am NOT an MSC fan...but thought I'd put my librarian skills to the test!!!

 

Have a GREAT trip...we are contemplating this on the Breakaway (Syd's, ya know) in Nov since I found a 3 week window between home football games! So looking forward to your TR--we have never been to Bermuda. (and dealing with departing from NYC again isn't appealing...)

[graphicguy]

3 minutes ago, KKB said:

OK, went right over to MSC & found no Bermuda cruises in June but found them in later months, so that was probably the issue.

Now you know I am NOT an MSC fan...but thought I'd put my librarian skills to the test!!!

 

Have a GREAT trip...we are contemplating this on the Breakaway (Syd's, ya know) in Nov since I found a 3 week window between home football games! So looking forward to your TR--we have never been to Bermuda. (and dealing with departing from NYC again isn't appealing...)

You’re probably right.  Maybe I needed to change my MSC parameters.  Except, instead of showing no Bermuda cruises, MSC’s WEB site just WENT “blank”!  

 

 Bermuda, in a ship I’ve never sailed?  🕺

 

You need to go.  Seriously, book it now!  🎈

[graphicguy]

While not nearly as tech laden as @mking8288  on a cruise, I do pack some….

 

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Yes! I am exhausted from the Prima and dragging myself on to the Escape in a few days, but will thoroughly enjoy this live thread.

 

Incidentally, I know of two others who also pulled a Buster Keaton this past week on the Prima. One I witnessed but fortunately no injuries, the other I did not witness but saw that he wore a cast and told me he injured his wrist while imitating @graphicguy. 

 

You are the Local Legend! (But not to be confused with the local idiot).

 

 

Edited May 13 by Sugar Magnolia

[DuckTollerFans]

On 5/12/2024 at 9:20 AM, graphicguy said:

For those who don't know, the Joy was originally built for the Asian market.  She was originally home ported in Shanghai.  For reasons I don't quite understand, NCL did a quick reversal after sailing  those waters for about a yea. She was re-assigned to North America, but not before getting a "major refurbishment" only a year after she was christened.

A friend of ours traveled to China for his job, and the company chartered (all? a big portion?)  the Joy for a corporate outing when it was very new, the inaugural cruise if I remember correctly. He didn't love the ship - felt all the focus was on indoor activities, other than the racing track.  He's typically a RC cruiser, fwiw.   After watching recent videos of the Joy on YouTube, it's clear the refurbishment was a vast improvement.

 

 

[ninjacat123]

We are cruising to Bermuda for the first time beginning of September. Looking forward to reading your review!

[debenson0723]

@Sugar Magnolia what are your plans after the Escape?  You have time to join us, it's still 33 days away!

[Sugar Magnolia]

2 hours ago, debenson0723 said:

@Sugar Magnolia what are your plans after the Escape?  You have time to join us, it's still 33 days away!

So tempting

 

[Laszlo]

On 5/11/2024 at 4:56 PM, graphicguy said:

So, I start planning about a month in advance of any sailing.  Just got my luggage tags.  Sounds like a good place to start.

 

Will take you through the booking and planning and go live when I board.

 

This cruise is two fold...

 

A) June is my birthday month, and I always try to take a cruise on my birthday month.  It's a little dicey as schools are usually out by June, which means the little rug ra......er.....precious little angels will be cruising.  So, I try to stay away from the Caribbean given that seems to be the route most of the parents like to take with children.  Thus Bermuda, which I haven't been to in about a decade.  I don't except it's changed all that much.  But, a decade is a decade.  And, I do enjoy Bermuda way more than the Mexico and Caribbean itineraries.  I also have always enjoyed staying in one place over nite (actually, 3 nites) so I can take my time and really explore without being in a time crunch.

 

B)  Those of you who followed my foibles early this year, are aware of my wretched clumsiness by hitting a pool of water in The Local on the Prima, which doing a Buster Keaton inspired face plant.  As a result, NCL graciously admitted there shouldn't have been a pool where I did the clumsy dance and granted me a fairly nice discount on my cruise.  Had to use the discount within a year.  This seemed like a good place to use it.

 

I'm from Ohio and have to make my way to NYC.  So, will have some cringe inducing plans for that.

 

Traveling solo, which I have been doing a lot lately.  I'm retired.  GF is not.  Even though I teach at the local community college, summers a slow.  I also do work with my local community as an advisor for our recreation endeavors.  Despite that, I have plenty of time on my hands.  My GF, does not.  Last cruise we took together was right after the restart a few years ago.  Since she needs some lengthy notice to take a week or two off, she can't just pick up and leave.  I can.  We're looking at a cruise for next year in the Nordic, region however.

 

This is a Haven booking.  Extravagant?  Especially for a solo?  Probably!  I don't care, though.

 

Will take you throughout the ship, in addition to the Haven, the excursions, entertainment, food, drinks, bars restaurants, casino, theaters, getting there, and getting back, etc.  Not much of a pool person, but I'll try to sneak in some pictures around that area, too.

 

I like doing this, but it is time consuming, especially since it's a vacation.  I'll do my best to offer up the info most people want to see.  But, I make no commitments nor any promises (that sounds like a one nite stand, fercryinoutloud)!

 

This will probably start out slow, but will pick up speed (and posts) as we get closer. 

 

 

 

 

Have a great time in the Haven and in Bermuda. Will be leaving for Bermuda about two weeks after you out of Boston. If you are looking for things to do while in Bermuda and are a little adventurous let me know. Their are a number of small islands you can kayak to just off the mainland of Bermuda within a 8 minute cab ride of the dockyard. 

 

I'm still debating if I'm going to do a live review on the Gem. Two things I will do is a video tour of the Thermal Spa and our Forward cabin. I've looked all over YT and they only have a few not great videos

Edited May 14 by Laszlo

[Laszlo]

10 hours ago, ninjacat123 said:

We are cruising to Bermuda for the first time beginning of September. Looking forward to reading your review!

I always suggest to people going to Bermuda for the first time is the first day book a private 5-6 hour tour. Don't go thru NCL, plenty of private companies to use. Doing a 5-6 hour tour gives you a great way to see a lot of the island. Day two and three you can hit the beaches