Norwegian Joy Review: My 2-Night Sailing from Miami

Norwegian Joy was my first NCL ship in about a decade, and after all the cruises I've done for this channel lately, I was curious how the brand stacked up. This was a two-night voyage out of Miami, a quick way to try a new ship and see how a line is really running, and it left me with plenty to say, both good and bad.

Watch My Full Norwegian Joy Review

Key Facts on Norwegian Joy

Cruise line	Norwegian Cruise Line
Ship class	Breakaway Plus class
Maiden voyage	2017
Size	Approx. 168,000 gross tonnes
Capacity	Approx. 3,800 guests at double occupancy
Homeport (recent)	Miami, with a stop at NCL's private island, Great Stirrup Cay [confirm your sailing]

Embarkation Day

I had a 9:30 to 10:00 a.m. arrival time, which I grabbed 21 days out in the NCL app, super easy. I was excited to see the new NCL terminal I'd watched sail out of Miami, but an MSC ship was docked there, so we were next door, the first disappointment of the day. Security and getting my key card were fast, but then it dragged: we didn't actually board until about 11:30, an hour and a half after I arrived, and it just wasn't clearly communicated when we'd be allowed through. People stood in the waiting area for 30 minutes with no direction. That part could be handled a lot better. Once I'm on board I usually forget about it, but it's worth knowing.

Tip: Your Tender Ticket at Great Stirrup Cay

This itinerary had one port, NCL's private island Great Stirrup Cay, and it's still a tender port (they're building piers in 2025, which will fix this). The screens to grab a tender ticket weren't working for me at all. Luckily, I had a 9 a.m. zipline tour booked, and they told me the excursion ticket doubles as my tender ticket. So here's my tip: book an early zipline or excursion if you're interested, because it gets you off the ship as early as possible without the tender wait.

The Drink Package Was a Steal

I was pleasantly surprised they sold a beverage package on board for $30 a day plus gratuity, an absolute steal on this voyage, especially since it worked on shore at Great Stirrup Cay. The muster drill was one of the easiest I've done at sea. One downside: my stateroom wasn't ready until 3 p.m., where most ships are 1:30 or 2:00, which felt late.

The Paywalls: NCL's Reputation Holds

The ship packs a lot in, but up top a lot of it sits behind a paywall. There's the whole Haven area taking up several decks with its own private pool forward, and above that the Vibe Beach Club, also an extra charge, over $150 for my two-night voyage, with its own hot tubs and bar (no drinks included) and private sun-lounging over two decks. That whole area is walled off unless you pay. In the rear is the go-kart track, fun to watch but $15 per person and it books up fast. So NCL does keep up its nickel-and-diming reputation, and folks who don't research before boarding may be surprised by all the extra charges.

What I Loved: The Waterfront and the Natural Light

One area I really loved was the Waterfront on deck 8, a full promenade you can walk around the front of the ship, with alfresco seating at the specialty restaurants and a cigar lounge you can only reach from there. A lot of why you cruise is the Caribbean atmosphere, and it's great to get that even at dinner. The Joy also does an amazing job bringing natural light into its spaces, something I find the Oasis-class ships miss, with the Food Republic and District Brew House extending over the edge of the ship behind curved glass so you keep the ocean views while you eat.

Dining: A Few Misses

I skipped the Garden Cafe buffet (always slammed on embarkation day) and went to Taste, one of the three main dining rooms, where the menu was mostly sandwiches, edible but not impressive. So I decided to do specialty restaurants this trip. Teppanyaki was $60 a person plus gratuity, expensive in my eyes with less food and variety than other teppanyaki experiences I've had, though it's a fun group activity if you like hibachi. Cagney's, the steakhouse, is usually the best specialty meal on board and was also $60 a person (par for the course), but the food quality just wasn't very good, so I have to knock the Joy down there. One spot I really liked was The Local, the 24-hour restaurant by the casino, with Reubens, wings, and pretzel bites and genuinely quick, good service.

Great Stirrup Cay

I touched on the misses. The included beach barbecue wasn't very good, mostly burgers and hot dogs, jerk chicken that didn't taste great, and pizzas that didn't look appealing, it felt mass-produced. The bars on land were interesting but the lines got inexcusably long later in the day, and so did the lines to tender back to the ship. My zipline was a nice viewpoint of the whole island but short and a little pricey at about $140 for just under an hour. The island itself is beautiful with plenty of beach chairs, I just wish there was more to do, there's a lot of undeveloped land and you can see CocoCay right next door. The tenders are the biggest negative, and again, the pier they're building will fix that.

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Norwegian Joy Deck Plans, Cabins, and Rooms To Avoid

I had a family ocean-view stateroom on deck 5, and it was perfectly fine, plenty of room for a solo traveler with a nice, large, well-designed bathroom (shower and tub). I booked a guaranteed cabin, so this was just what I was assigned. The one thing I'd flag, and the reason to study the Norwegian Joy deck plan before you book: I was on a lower deck and kept wanting to be up on the higher decks, so it was a long commute, and sometimes I couldn't get back to my cabin without changing decks first. So when you pick a room, decide whether you want to be near the inside decks or up by the pool decks, and as a general rooms-to-avoid rule, skip anything directly under the pool deck or near service areas. Midship on a higher deck is the safer pick.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Norwegian Joy have go-karts? Yes, a go-kart track at the back of the ship, but it's $15 per person and books up fast, so reserve early.

Is the drink package worth it on Norwegian Joy? On my sailing it was a steal at $30 a day plus gratuity, and it worked ashore at Great Stirrup Cay. Always check the price for your specific cruise.

What's the deal with all the extra charges on Norwegian Joy? NCL leans into upcharges, the Haven, the Vibe Beach Club ($150+), the go-karts, and specialty dining all cost extra. On longer sailings the More at Sea promotion bundles a lot of that in, so it stings less.

What are the best cabins on Norwegian Joy? Midship on a higher deck. Avoid lower decks if you hate a long walk to the pool deck, and skip rooms under the pool deck or near service areas.

Final Thoughts

Overall I had a lovely time, and there's a lot going for the Norwegian Joy, she's a nice, new, well-maintained ship and the crew were really nice. I just wish NCL would ease up on fighting for every dollar, it can feel monotonous on board. On the longer voyages, the More at Sea offers include a lot of what I paid for here, so the value is better. Bottom line, I wouldn't hesitate to step on board again.

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More cruise reads: Star of the Seas Review · CocoCay vs. Labadee · Drink Package Guide