Tag: cruise

Review of the Haven on the Norwegian Viva

Post author By Debbie Lee Wesselmann
Post date May 3, 2024
1 Comment on Review of the Haven on the Norwegian Viva

The Haven on the Norwegian Viva: Photo of the ship's bow — The Haven on the Norwegian Viva: Photo of the ship’s bow

By now, readers should know that I’m a huge fan of Norwegian Cruise Lines. Each trip and each ship is different, but I always get impeccable service no matter the cabin class. After a while, you begin to learn the differences, some subtle and some not, among the ships and their staterooms.

In January, we booked The Haven on the Norwegian Viva, sailing out of San Juan, Puerto Rico and into the Eastern Caribbean.

Review of the Haven on the Norwegian Viva: Model of the Viva

The Haven on the Viva

Unlike some 0f the older and smaller ships, the newly-commissioned Viva has a real Haven, with its own lounge, restaurant, and elevators. The Haven is located aft in a bulbous portion of the ship.

Because Norwegian has shifted toward offering more high-end experiences on its newest ships (the Viva, the Prima, and eventually the Aqua), the Haven section is much larger than on older ships. More suites equals more people. For this reason, the bar can get crowded, although the restaurant always had seats when we wanted them.

The Haven Stateroom

Review of the Haven on the Norwegian Viva: King-size bed in the stateroom

The Viva Haven’s staterooms feel more like real, luxury hotel rooms than they do ship cabins. Our king-size bed was so comfortable that I wanted to find out the mattress brand and how to get one in place of my home mattress. (The answer: Bliss Bed Collection by Norwegian, and far too pricy for my budget.)

Review of the Haven on the Norwegian Viva: Seating area within the stateroom

We had adequate seating both inside and outside on our balcony. Every afternoon, the butler brought snacks and placed them on the bistro table. This Haven service is consistent across Norwegian Cruise Line ships, even if the attentiveness of your butler may vary.

Review of the Haven on the Norwegian Viva: Stateroom balcony

The shower and sink had luxury apppointments, although they lacked much space to place toiletries. I loved the larger-than-average bath towels. I also liked it better when Norwegian offered individual toiletries in the Haven instead of the wall-mounted ones on the Viva.

Review of the Haven on the Norwegian Viva: Stateroom sink and shower

The in-room Nespresso coffee machine allows you to make espresso and larger lungo at any time of the day. Ours remained well-stocked throughout the trip. In-room glassware, plates, and utensils come in handy.

The one drawback of The Haven stateroom on the Viva is the complicated light switches. It took us the entire week to figure out the sequence we needed to set the lights where we wanted them and how to open the curtains. The controls did not always respond the way we expected.

The Haven Lounge and Bar

Review of the Haven on the Norwegian Viva: The bar before opening

You cannot get better drinks and service elsewhere on the ship than you can in The Haven Bar and Lounge. Too many people who book The Haven don’t know how special it is. You might figure that you can get the same drinks anywhere. While it’s true that Norwegian’s wine and spirit inventory remains steady across the ship, the touches you find at The Haven Bar exceed all others. For example, The Haven is the only bar where you can get a smoked Old-Fashioned or a smoked Manhattan.

If you’ve upgraded to the Premium Plus beverage package, you can order just about any premium spirit that the ship stocks. Elsewhere on the Viva, you have to find the bar that pours your favorite.

The Haven on the Norwegian Viva" Bartender preparing a smoked Old-Fashioned — The Haven on the Norwegian Viva” Bartender preparing a smoked Old-Fashioned

The bar also has Luxardo cognac cherries for garnish as well as Bespoke bitters that the bartender will gladly tell you about. Because the bartenders are also the best on the ship, they will create just about any drink to your liking.

If you’d prefer not to sit at the bar or can’t find a space at it, the lounge offers ample and comfortable seating.

Review of the Haven on the Norwegian Viva: The Haven lounge, adjacent to the bar

The Haven Restaurant

Even though all Norwegian Cruise Lines Havens share the same menu, not all kitchens perform equally well. You’ll always find the best servers and managers on the ship in The Haven, although that doesn’t mean you won’t find their equals elsewhereon the ship. It just means that the best tend to be concentrated in The Haven. Your booking includes complimentary meals — all three of them, if you want — in this specialty restaurant. The one drawback is that the menus never change.

The Haven on the Norwegian Viva: Dinner menu at the restaurant — Review of the Haven on the Norwegian Viva: Dinner menu at the Haven restaurant

One of my favorite aspects of the Haven Restaurant is the ability to customize your order. For example, instead of ordering the Surf and Turf with a filet and lobster tail, I ordered two lobster tails in place of the beef. I met another guest who ordered three lobster tails for dinner.

The distinction between the Viva’s Haven restaurant and those on other ships lies in the ability to deliver meals as described or with better presentation. For instance, the spaghetti squash with marinara sauce at lunch arrived — surprise! — as actually spaghetti squash rather than the julienned winter squash I found on other ships’ Haven/Suite restaurants. The breakfast waffles came not from a square iron but rather one with a prettier design.

Exterior Spaces in The Haven

Review of the Haven on the Norwegian Viva: Private Haven sundeck

In general, the Viva emphasizes exterior spaces over interior ones, and you can see this as well in The Haven. I never had trouble finding a spot on the pool deck as I’ve had in other Havens.

The Haven infinity pool overlooks the stern of the ship, and I loved watching us pull away from ports while cooling off in it. Due to its small size, the pool is more of a stand-around-and-socialize pool than a swimming one.

Review of the Haven on the Norwegian Viva: The Haven infinity pool

Other Perks in the Haven

Norwegian curates its staff so only the best work in the Haven. You will have an assigned butler to deliver snacks, arrange requested room service, restock coffee, and attend to other questions and needs. Your steward takes care of everything within the room. Depending on the size of the ship, you will have either one or a staff of dedicated concierges to handle entertainment, excursions, restaurant reservations, and communications with other parts of the ship.

Despite the cool idea of having a butler (believe me, it’s not like Upstairs/Downstairs), the most valuable asset on the Viva was the dedicated concierge desk. The concierge staff escorts Haven guests on and off the ship during busy times, from embarkation to disembarkation and everything in-between. For theater performances, you get preferred seating and an escort into the theater as long as you arrive 15 minutes prior to start. When we had issues with our excursions, one of the concierges fixed it. We didn’t have to wait in line at the main excursion desk.

The Viva has tucked-away elevators that go directly to the Haven floors. Your access is activated by your card key.

The Verdict

The Haven on the Viva is one of the better ones in Norwegian’s fleet, but it isn’t perfect. The staterooms try too hard to be modern with complicated light controls and a beautiful bathroom sink with no place to put toiletries. Still, the mattress is indeed Bliss-ful, and you get plenty of room to spread out. I would have liked more easy to organize storage, but we still had enough space to empty two mid-size suitcases.

I would book the Viva Haven again in a heartbeat. The accommodations are luxurious, especially for a cruise ship.

More to Explore

See my past reviews of the Norwegian Jade, the Haven on the Norwegian Joy, and the inaugural cruise of the Joy, with a mini-suite with balcony stateroom.

Tags cruise, Norwegisn Cruise Lines

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Review of the Norwegian Jade

Post author By Debbie Lee Wesselmann
Post date March 5, 2024

Any review of the Norwegian Jade has to touch upon its history. Originally christened the Pride of Hawaii, Norwegian Cruise Lines bought the ship in 2008 and renamed it the Jade. That makes the Jade one of the oldest and smallest ships in the fleet with an awkward layout to match. Because the ship predates the company’s shift toward unique shipboard amenities, passengers tend to book for the itinerary, not for the onboard experience. The ship lacks distinctive bar spaces and most of the newer restaurants, although it does include the better-known specialty dining venues.

I booked an Aft-Facing Penthouse Suite. Below, you will find a review of that cabin.

My experience aboard the Jade was colored in part by my stateroom level. Although the Jade has a small Haven area, it doesn’t include its own restaurant, one of the major reasons to book the Haven. We decided instead on an Aft Penthouse Suite, one level below The Haven. The room comes with many of the same perks but for a lesser cost. Once outside our cabin and beyond the perks that come with it, we also experienced the ship as it is for all passengers.

A General Review of the Jade

The ship’s size allows it to dock at smaller ports, enabling passengers to see things not possible on the larger ships. We did a cruise out of Athens that docked at Greek, Turkish, Israeli (before the war), and Cypriot ports.

If you want to walk through public spaces instead of down long stateroom corridors, the ship can be difficult to navigate. Especially because we stayed at the back of the ship, we had to learn how to maneuver to across it. Sometimes you’ll find that a public deck gets blocked midship by a restaurant. Or you’ll find you need to cross the Garden Café on deck 12 where they require you to wash your hands, even to walk straight through.

For better or worse, the Norwegian Jade doesn’t have as many kid-friendlyactivities as do some of the larger ships. Maybe because of this, the passengers skew older. Still the Jade has a Splash Academy and pools.

Aft-Facing Penthouse Suite

The jump between a Norwegian Cruise Lines mini-suite to a full suite (sometimes called a “family suite” or a “penthouse”) is enormous. The size of our room was the equivalent of any Haven room we’ve stayed in. It also comes with personalized concierge and butler service — more on that later. You also get a pre-cruise concierge available by phone or email, just as you would if you had booked The Haven.

I appreciated the café table and three chairs since it had plenty of room even after the butler delivered the daily snacks.

Although our suite was roomy and comfortable, we probably wouldn’t book an aft-facing room of any class again. This is our second time in an aft-facing penthouse, but we booked this one before we had stayed in the other. When the captain backs into a port, you get a lot of shuddering and noise, often at 4 am. Plus, on the Jade, the aft-tilted smoke stacks spew small globs of grease or oil that can end up on the balcony furniture. It’s pretty disgusting and probably a sign of an older ship despite refurbishment.

Our particular suite included a “large balcony.” I loved ours. Especially in the morning and evening, we enjoyed sittng there and sipping coffee or wine. It’s too bad that our chairs were often spotted with oil. We learned to flip up the cushions when we weren’t using them.

Bed and Linens

The high king-sized bed is comfortable and soft. The white comforter and sheet feel cozy and look pristine. You also get four down pillows. If you have an allergy to feathers, you may ask the pre-cruise concierge or, once on ship, your butler, to exchange them for a non-down alternative.

The suite includes a chair-and-a-half that can be pulled out into a single bed. Heavy curtains can be pulled around the king bed for privacy, but it also cuts off the bathroom for whoever is sleeping on the pull-out.

Bathroom

The bathroom, while much better than those in smaller cabins, falls short of The Haven bathrooms on Norwegian’s newest ships. It has a single sink with modest counter space around it.

Based on my experience in The Haven and suites on more recent ships, Norwegian has swapped out individual toiletries for wall-mounted ones. I dislike this change since individual toiletries make staterooms seem more like luxury hotel rooms. At least they still use L’Occitane products.

The bathtub/shower combo drove me crazy because the tub was so high. I had a hip problem, and it wasn’t easy getting in and out of it. Getting in posed less of a problem because the shower wall had a bar to steady me in case I ran into trouble. Getting out was more dangerous, especially since the floor was lower than the bathtub bottom. (If you have hip or knee problems, you probably understand why a high tub with a shower door runner on the edge could cause issues.)

Other Stateroom Furnishings

As with The Haven, you will have a Nespresso machine with as many capsules as you want. You see free movies on the large screen television, although as is the case with many of the smaller ships, you don’t have movies on demand. You see what is available, even if the film is halfway through.

The Aft-Facing Penthouse included a small, round table with three chairs; a built-in desk with an ottoman-like chair; and two small bedside tables with shelves underneath.

In one of the more unique touches, Norwegian squeezed in a vanity between the bathroom and the closets, with a stool. The three drawers next to the stool opening provide invaluable storage.

Electrical Outlets

All outlets were American, not European, and 110 volts. Regardless, you should take an adapter, just in case.

One of my pet peeves in hotel room is a lack of outlets for two people to charge multiple devices. Our suite on the Jade had the same problem. Although each bedside wall lamp has a USB port, most people will find it inadequate if they have both a smart watch and a phone they want next to the bed.

The desk had a single outlet that my husband used to plug in his laptop and his watch from there. I found an outlet in the corner, near the floor, that I could use for my tablet.

Steward, Butler, and Concierge

The steward, just as all the stewards across the ship, are the equivalent of hoursekeeping at a hotel. They take care of keeping the room clean, replacing towels and linens, and any maintenance problems.

The butler delivers daily snacks, ship invitations, and takes care of your general comfort. If you order room service, the butler will set up your table and deliver your meal. We always make a pre-cruise request to have M&Ms in our room, and the butler sees that they are there when we board. Butlers will take special requests for anything that has to do with your room. They do not wait on you exclusively but rather have several staterooms assigned to them.

The suite concierges help with excursions, reservations at entertainment venues, and dining reservations. They escort you to gangways at port and when you disembark so you don’t have to wait in line. They take care of anything that happens outside of your stateroom.

If you stay in a suite, either in the Haven or separately, as we did, you’ll have to bring lots of extra cash for tipping. While gratuitites are generally pre-paid at time of booking, the butler and concierge do not get a share of that pool. We generally give the butler $20/day, and the concierge(s) $10/day. Obviously, these gratuities can be adjusted up or down depending on service.

The Verdict

Even though the Jade is far from my favorite ship in the Norwegian fleet, we enjoyed our cruise nonetheless. If you can afford a true suite, then go for it. I suspect the even more expensive Haven rooms aren’t worth it, simply because the Jade does not have a dedicated restaurant and lounge. For a comparison of what a Haven stateroom looks like, click here for my experience on the Norwegian Joy.

For us, we chose the Jade because of the scheduled destinations. This smaller ship (it’s still not small!) allowed us to see things we would not have been able to see otherwise.

Debbie Lee Wesselmann

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Mediterranean Cruise Excursions

Post author By Debbie Lee Wesselmann
Post date April 4, 2023

Booked via Norwegian Cruise Lines, The Epic

Mediterranean Cruise Excursions: Sunrise from the stern of the Norwegian Epic

When we took a Mediterranean cruise on the Norwegian Epic, we found a dearth of reviews, in part because Norwegian strangely prevents cruisers from posting them. In many ways, we booked blind. We knew certain things we wanted to see, such as Pompeii, but others we guessed at. The following provides descriptions and short reviews of the excursions we took, by port: Naples, Livorno, Cannes, Palma de Majorca, and Ajaccio.

Note: Norwegian cancelled a couple of our tours while we were on the ship. In the case of Barcelona, we took a shuttle into the city to explore on our own. For Rome, we had to take an airport transfer directly to the airport, where we sat for a full day awaiting our flight. Thank goodness we planned to return to Rome in the fall. Both of these ports have unreliable tour schedules because people embark and disembark there. You may get on in Rome, but others board in Barcelona.

Pompeii Excavations

Mediterranean Cruise Excursions: Pompeii as viewed from outside the ancient city

Although we knew we wanted to see Pompeii — we had tried four times during the pandemic but all those vacations had been cancelled — but we didn’t know which Pompeii excursion to book. At the time, the cruise line offered three options, including one to explore on our own. In recent years, we’ve discovered the benefits (and drawbacks) of a guided tour, so we chose Pompeii Excavations. We wanted a tour solely dedicated to the ruins.

Pompeii blew me away. Having visited ancient ruins all over the world, I never expected to experience the city as it stood in AD 79, when Mount Vesuvius buried it in ash. When you are on the ground, looking down streets and into buildings, you get an idea of the thriving city it once was. Unlike elsewhere, you won’t find replicas and non-original materials to help tourists get a feeling of what once was. Photographs do not do it justice.

Mediterranean Cruise Excursions: Mount Vesuvius behind the huge Pompeii square

Next, our tour guide made all the difference. She showed us areas and building that we never would have found on our own. In excellent English, she described the significance of each, pointing out details. For instance, I never would have known that certain buildings had been stores if I had explored on my own. She provided access to special houses and even showed where we could best photograph Mount Vesuvius in the background.

Without doubt, this tour was the best one we took while on our cruise.

Livorno, Italy (“Florence/Pisa”)

Pisa and a Taste of Tuscany

Mediterranean Cruise Excursions: The famous Leaning Tower of Pisa

Having already visited Florence several times, we knew it would be a long bus ride from Livorno to the interior city, with little time to explore it. Instead, we opted for a tour that took us to Pisa and a wine tasting. We love our Tuscan wines, and even though we knew we wouldn’t be treated to high-end ones, we thought it might be fun. As for Pisa, my husband had never been, and I figured it would be a great opportunity to see it. After all, the Field of Miracles is impressive.

Mediterranean Cruise Excursions: the Baptistry and part of the Cathedral

Our tour guide led us from the bus parking lot to the Field of Miracles. She gave a brief description of the buildings, complete with historical background, and then advised us to stand in line to get free tickets to enter the Bapistry and Cathedral. Because tickets to the top of the Leaning Tower are mostly sold out in advance, she rightly told us not to try, especially with our limited time there.

Because of our guides advice, we were able to enter the Bapistry just before the security guard sang to demonstrate the acoustics. (He does it every half-four.) He sings only for a minute or so, making it essential to arrive beforehand. We then headed to the Cathedral. We had enough time for photos of all the buildings, including the Leaning Tower.

Next, we went to a family vineyard, Fattoria il Poggio. After a brief tour of the vineyard, we went inside their visitor center. There, we tried six of their wines, three white and three red. For lunch, they served us pasta — papparadelle with meat sauce — and bread. (They may have had vegetarian pasta upon request.) We sat at long tables in a brick-arched room, and at least one other tour bus joined us. Although no one guided us through the tasting, we did get cards that described each wine that you then poured for yourself.

Mediterranean Cruise Excursions: Vineyard at Fattorio il Poggio

I liked that this tour didn’t require hours of bus travel but that we were still able to see famous sites. The wine tasting, while delicious, was a little chaotic.

Cannes, France

Cannes Walk, Saint-Honorat, & Wine

Mediterranean Cruise Excursions: View from partway up the walk to the Cannes church

I had already seen Monaco and hadn’t found anything particularly interesting about it. And I had spent a few days in Nice several years ago, so I had seen parts of the other tours as well. We settled on Cannes Walk, Saint-Honorat Island, and wine.

Our guide took us up a steep walk through the old section of Cannes until we reached a church perched on top of the hill. From there, we could see fantastic views of the city and the Mediterranean Sea beyond. We then walked back down through the narrow streets lined with shops. Our guide gave us time to explore the Cannes market, with time to buy food. (Lunch is not included.)

Mediterranean Cruise Excursions: The market in Cannes

After exploring the market, we boarded a boat to Saint-Honorat Island. There, we had time to explore the island. Afterward, we visited the monastery and enjoyed an outdoor wine tasting in the vineyard. One of the winemakers guided us through the tasting, explaining each wine. Afterward, we had time to explore the island on our own before boarding the boat back to Cannes.

While this tour was low-key, I enjoyed it. Despite the heat, I thought the tasting in the vineyard added a memorable touch.

Majorca, Spain

Mediterranean Cruise Excursions: View of Palma and beyond

Magical Majorca and Train to Soller

Mediterranean Cruise Excursions: A street in Soller

Again, I had visited Majorca (also known as Mallorca) before, but my husband had not. While I guided him somewhat when we chose our tour, I let him make the final decision. He chose Magical Majorca and the train to Soller in part because he loves trains. Of course, the description of the tour clinched it for him.

After a brief stop outside Palma’s Cathedral and information from our guide about the city, we boarded a bus to Soller, a small town located high in the mountains. Once in Soller, we had free time to wander the old streets, eat ice cream, and shop. We then boarded the train to head back to the port. Although some of the views from the train are impressive, they pale in comparison to the ones you can see if you explore the northern coast. (I don’t know if any of the tours take you there.)

This tour was a pleasant way to spend the day, although it also lacked anything truly memorable. I probably would have preferred one of the several food tours, Panaromic Coastal Views, or Palma in Depth. Still, Soller is a charming town.

Corsica, France

Highlights of Ajaccio

Mediterranean Cruise Excursions: A coastal stop on Corsica

Norwegian Cruise Lines doesn’t always stop at Corsica on its Mediterranean cruises. We knew we’d would be unlikely to return to the island, so we booked an overview tour.

This tour took us to a stop along the coast as well as a walking tour of Ajaccio, including a walk-by of a house where Napoleon had lived as a child. We visited a church — and that’s about it. Our guide left us in town to find our way back to the cruise ship, which fortunately was large enough to be seen occasionally between buildings.

Mediterranean Cruise Excursions: the town of Agaccia

I felt that our guide was sub-par, particularly during our walking tour of Ajaccio. Unlike many guides, her heart didn’t seem to be in it. Part of that fault may lie with Corsica itself since, other than its beaches and its part in Napoleon’s childhood, not much remains to be seen. The large town of Ajaccio has it charms, however.

The Verdict

Out of all our stops in the Mediterranean, I wish we had had two days in Naples, both to see Pompeii and to see the city itself. Or to see Sorrento. The next best port was Livorno/”Florence” since seeing Pisa’s Field of Miracles is one of those iconic tourist moments. You don’t need to do it again and again, but you should see it at least once.

While our tour of Agaccio, Corsica was the weakest, we still got to see part of the island and its capitol city. What else would we have done?

Later in the year, we will repeat many of these ports during an upcoming cruise, and afterward I’ll review the different excursions we take in a separate blog. Stay tuned!

Tags cruise, Europe, Mediterranean, norwegian

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The Haven on the Norwegian Joy: Review

Post author By Debbie Lee Wesselmann
Post date April 3, 2022

The Haven on the Norwegian Joy: The pool and atrium in The Courtyard

For a recent cruise of the western Caribbean, I booked Norwegian Cruise Lines’ The Haven on the Norwegian Joy as a last minute substitute for a cancelled European trip. NCL’s upscale “ship within a ship” concept in The Haven aims for a more exclusive cruise experience, with pricing to match. Although I had previously cruised in many NCL ships, including The Joy, I had never before tried The Haven because of the cost. But with fewer people traveling and The Joy being one of NCL’s mid-sized ships, the stateroom price was the lowest I’d seen for The Haven. I jumped on it.

Luxury — and pricing — of The Haven depends highly on the individual ship. The smallest and oldest ships in Norwegian’s fleet don’t offer all the perks while the largest and newest ones go all out. Probably because the Joy fits somewhere in the middle, some aspects of my experience disappointed me while others met, or even exceeded, my expectations.

Because each ship has a different lay-out, décor, and staff, this review refers only to the Norwegian Joy.

Tags cruise, norwegian

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Three Days in Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Post author By Debbie Lee Wesselmann
Post date September 16, 2019

Three Days in Amsterdam: A hot August day on the canals

Our three days in Amsterdam, the Netherlands became a whirlwind tour, mostly because, in truth, we had only two-and-a-half days. Plus, we cheated a bit by taking a tour outside of the city. No matter. Our jam-packed itinerary gave us plenty to do and see. I’m amazed by how much we managed to fit into a short period of time.

Best museum: the Rijksmuseum

Best restaurant for foodies: Rijks

Most surprising: the speed and danger of the cyclists whirring down the streets

Favorite out-of-Amsterdam stop: Edam

Most disappointing: The Heineken Experience

Tags Amsterdam, cruise, Edam, hotel, museums, restaurants, The Netherlands, tour, Volendam

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Inaugural Alaskan Cruise for the Norwegian Joy

Post author By Debbie Lee Wesselmann
Post date May 18, 2019

Alaska Cruise on the Norwegian Joy, the ship — The Norwegian Joy, the night before her maiden Alaska cruise.

In early May, I took an Alaska cruise on the Norwegian Joy. My husband and I weren’t always cruise people. But when we decided several years ago to give it a try, we chose Norwegian Cruise Lines most because of its “freestyle dining.” We’ve been hooked ever since.

Most Memorable: whale watching; cruising Glacier Bay

Best Food: Le Bistro on the Joy

Most Surprising: We expected Juneau to be more of a city than it was.

Most Disappointing: The foggy/rainy weather often obscured the views.

We decided on an Alaska cruise on the Norwegian Joy because the price seemed reasonable and the incentives were right. Unbeknowst to us, we had booked not only the first week of the season, but also the inaugural sailing of the Joy after a massive renovation. Many passengers chose the cruise specifically to experience the ship as a (sort of) brand new addition to NCL’s fleet.

We tend to cruise for the excursions. Other people cruise to cruise. Norwegian makes it easy for both types of travelers.

The Ports-of-Call

The Joy’s itinerary doesn’t always include Glacier Bay, and that was a must for me. The ship cruised round-trip from Seattle, stopping in Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, and an evening in Victoria, BC to satisfy foreign port regulations.

Although technically not a port-of-call, the day spent cruising through Glacier Bay is an all-day affair, with national park rangers providing lectures and commentary in public areas and on the TV.

The Ship: Joy, Indeed

We absolutely loved the Joy. The Observation Lounge, two-stories of glass viewing at the bow with small seating niches extending to the forward stairs, surprised us since we had not experienced anything similar on other ships.

You have to fight to get seats in this area, particular when the ship enters Glacier Bay. Most of the best seats were taken by 5 am that day, although I found a window seat in one of the niches by arriving a few minutes before 6 am. Good thing I was still on East Coast time!

The Observation Lounge has its own bar, plus three continental breakfast/snack areas. One of the ship’s Starbucks is located adjacent to the bar, although you can get regular coffee at one of the two longer food areas. On Glacier Bay and at-sea days, the crew sets up Irish coffee carts.

But the Observation Lounge isn’t the only attractive area in the ship. Our mini-suite with balcony was comfortable and even roomy, although storage was reduced from some of the other Norwegian ships we had experienced.

We loved the District Brew House, with its draft and bottled beer as well as cocktails, not so much for the drinks but for the bright and modern atmosphere. With its rugged, wood-and-glass décor, we felt as though we had left the ship for another space.

Juneau

Having cruised before only in the Caribbean, the arrival and departure schedules of this cruise took getting used to. We docked in Juneau at about 2:00 pm. Our first excursion departed at 3 pm and was expected to last until 8:30 pm. Like everything else on this cruise, we arrived back at the ship late, after the all-aboard time. Fortunately, if you book excursions through the cruise line, they guarantee that they won’t leave port without you.

We chose the Mendenhall Glacier and whale-watching combination excursion, hoping to get as much out of the port as we could. On the coach ride to the glacier, we saw a few bald eagles and a black bear, just out of hibernation.

The tour allowed an hour at the Mendenhall Glacier site, although we could have used more time, especially since the line in the women’s restroom was 15 minutes long. We were able to walk down to the edge of the lake, photograph the glacier, walk up to another viewing point — but couldn’t explore the visitor’s center in addition to that.

Also in the Juneau area . . . .

From the glacier, our coach bus took us to our whale watching tour on a relatively large, heated boat with an open top deck for viewing. As with many of our stops in Alaska, it was in the 40s and drizzling, but that didn’t stop us from climbing upstairs to witness from above the pod of orcas right next to the boat. We also saw several humpbacks, including a mother and her male calf.

Skagway

Skagway looks like a typical gold rush town with its boxy wooden buildings, albeit it now occupied with jewelry stores and souvenir shops.

We chose to ride the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway one way to the top and then to take a coach to a suspension bridge, then through the Yukon Territory back to the ship.

Thanks to the entertaining commentary, the train ride helped us understand the history and the geography of the area. While the weather obscured more than we would have liked, the ride offered some memorable views, including the sight of the train’s engine passing through tunnel ahead. If you do this and plan to go only one way, choose the left side for better views.

And into Canada . . . .

Crossing into Canada at the top end of the ride, the skies turned miraculously blue, with white-capped mountains in the distance.

I expected more of the suspension bridge — I had thought we would take a short hike to it when it was more or less a roadside attraction — but the stop was worthwhile regardless, with gorgeous views of the river below and the white-capped mountains beyond. The ride through the Yukon Territory was socked in by fog, thus obscuring what we had expected to see. We did see another black bear walking alongside the road.

Glacier Bay

We secured seats by 6 am on the port side of the Observation Lounge. Starboard would have been better; however, we had our window seats. With Irish coffee in hand, we delighted in sailing past frolicking sea lions and mountain goats on the way to the glaciers at the head of the bay.

Yes, the day was cold, foggy, and drizzling. Everyone feared that we wouldn’t be able to see the glaciers. True to the park ranger’s word, we shouldn’t have worried. Still, we missed a lot of the supposedly spectacular scenery, making me want to return in future later in the season.

I consider cruising Glacier Bay one of the highlights of our trip, equaled only by seeing the pod of orca whales. Even if it’s raining, you have to go outside to get a feel for the bay and to hear the thunder of calving glaciers.

Ketchikan

All the literature and cruise excursion materials warned us that we would experience rain in Ketchikan no matter when we visited, since the town measures its annual rain in feet, not inches. Remarkably, the day dawned with brilliantly sunny skies and temperatures that climbed to the low 60s.

We chose the “Rainforest Adventure” excursion that took us by Kodiak boat to an uninhabited island with towering trees and a moss-covered forest floor. Our guide gave us a knowledgeable 1-mile tour of the flora around us. We saw starfish on the island’s rocky shore and a few bald eagles perched on other islands.

Ketchikan was the only town we wished we had had time to explore beyond our excursion. When we had booked, we were supposed to return to town at 12:30 pm. Knowing that we weren’t scheduled to sail until 2:30 pm and that all-aboard times are generally 1 hour before sailing, we figured we’d have an hour. Nope. We were told upon arrival that all-aboard time was 12:45 pm, exactly when we arrived back (late) at the dock. The crew was so disorganized at this port that we had to stand in line for at least 30 minutes to board.

And, Last, the Food Aboard the Joy

Service was shaky throughout the cruise, even in some of the specialty dining restaurants, which we had always loved. In Cagney’s, when we asked for a wines by the glass list, our server said that she didn’t have one. Say what? Other servers, especially in the complimentary dining rooms, seemed perpetually in the weeds. Either that, or the kitchen wasn’t yet up to the task of serving 3000+ people.

Complimentary Dining

We visit the Garden Buffet only if we have to due to time constraints because, well, we aren’t buffet people. Others eat there exclusively because of the variety of selections. If nothing else, the buffet is worth visiting for the macarons, cookies, and ice cream.

We ate most of our breakfasts and lunches at the complimentary Savor or Taste. Although I prefer the chairs in Savor, the two dining rooms are virtually indistinguishable since they serve the same menus. The two dinners that we ate there were good, even if the service was spotty.

Premium Dining Options

Le Bisto, NCL’s French restaurant, was the best dining experience we had, with excellent service, appetizers, entrées, and desserts. The Dover sole was deliciously delicate and pan-fried to a perfect brown without being overcooked. My husband’s filet of beef was better than what he got in Cagney’s. Profiteroles for dessert were out of this world.

Profiteroles at Le Bistro — Profiteroles, in Le Bistro

Ocean Blue, one of the à la carte restaurant that carries an upcharge even for dining packages, likewise had excellent service, although our surf-and-turf entrées weren’t as good as we had hoped. Our other courses were outstanding. The hamachi ceviche perfectly balanced the bite of lime with the heat of jalapeño. The appetizer may have been the culinary highlight of my trip, even if the meal as a whole didn’t measure up to that at Le Bistro.

Hamachi ceviche at Ocean Blue — Hamachi ceviche, at Ocean Blue

My major disappointment was Cagney’s, the cruise line’s signature steak house. We ate there twice. The first time, my rib-eye steak was decent, not great. The second time I ordered a New York strip for a better experience. My husband had no issues with his filets. Really, though, the best part of the meal was the tuna tartare appetizer. Maybe it’s just that we’ve experienced much better steakhouses.

Tuna Tartare at Cagney's — Tuna tartare, at Cagney’s

The Verdict is In

I would return for an Alaskan cruise on the Norwegian Joy in a heartbeat. The NCL Bliss is supposedly almost identical, so I’d book that in place of the Joy. The ship is amazing, and the food is good. Excursions tend to be more expensive than in the Caribbean. Based on how late we arrived back at the ship every day, I wouldn’t book a private tour company for less. Norwegian holds the sailing for its own excursions, not for others.

— Debbie Lee Wesselmann

Tags alaska, cruise, glacier bay, juneau, ketchikan, ncl, norwegian, skagway

The Haven on the Viva

The Haven Stateroom

The Haven Lounge and Bar

The Haven Restaurant

Exterior Spaces in The Haven

Other Perks in the Haven

The Verdict

More to Explore

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A General Review of the Jade

Aft-Facing Penthouse Suite

Bed and Linens

Bathroom

Other Stateroom Furnishings

Electrical Outlets

Steward, Butler, and Concierge

The Verdict

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Booked via Norwegian Cruise Lines, The Epic

Naples, Italy

Pompeii Excavations

Livorno, Italy (“Florence/Pisa”)

Pisa and a Taste of Tuscany

Cannes, France

Cannes Walk, Saint-Honorat, & Wine

Majorca, Spain

Magical Majorca and Train to Soller

Corsica, France

Highlights of Ajaccio

The Verdict

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The Ports-of-Call

The Ship: Joy, Indeed

Juneau

Also in the Juneau area . . . .

Skagway

And into Canada . . . .

Glacier Bay

Ketchikan

And, Last, the Food Aboard the Joy

Complimentary Dining

Premium Dining Options

The Verdict is In

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