Norwegian Joy Review

Updated Ship

Review for the Panama Canal & Central America Cruise on Norwegian Joy
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cyndyjopo
6-10 Cruises • Age 70s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
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Additional details

Sail Date: Jan 2020
Cabin: Mid-ship Inside Stateroom

This ship was very clean and well maintained. The electronic door openers may have seemed like a good idea but when you are trying to keep germs at a minimum, having everyone touch the openers to open doors is not a good idea. They need to post a sign by these openers and tell people to use their elbow or the back of their hands to activate them. In general, I feel that all NCL cruise ship food in the buffet and free dining rooms is lackluster. Every night, in all three dining rooms, for 16 days, we had the same choice of entrees with just one or two different options. I feel like they scrimp on their free food so that you pay to upgrade to their specialty restaurants. The “Elements” show was very entertaining but all the other entertainment options were lackluster. The Speedway was unique and a fun experience. The slides were fun and the pools nice. I wouldn’t want to be on this ship with a lot of kids because the adult pool is small and it was difficult to find chairs in the pool area. The Panama Canal transit was amazing! This was certainly the highlight of the trip!

Cabin Review

Mid-ship Inside Stateroom

Our cabin was very well located with easy access to the elevators that have access to the pool and buffet. Our room was comfortable. The bathroom shower was much larger than on any of the other ships we have sailed on.

Port Reviews

Puerto Vallarta

They had a free tram to take us to a Mexican Market which was very helpful.

Acapulco

Paid a local driver to take us on a tour.

Puerto Quetzal (Antigua)

Great cruise terminal with authentic music, dancers, and artisans making and selling their wares.

Puntarenas (Puerto Caldera)

We were a 40 minute bus ride to the nearest village of Puntarenas and we had to pay $30 for a round trip ride to get there and back. We shouldn’t have to pay to take a bus when the cruise ship docks in an industrial area with no options. The bus ride should have been free.

Cartagena (Colombia)

Great cruise terminal with a botanical garden and nice shopping area.

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