Welcome to Byte Size Cruises! If this is your first time here, we are so glad to have you join us. We are a travel agency out of Philadelphia, PA that specializes in ALL things cruises! If you enjoy cruises or if you're looking to learn more about cruise vacations, you're in the right place! Our goal here is to give you the most relevant and up to date information about cruising so you can plan and go on an amazing cruise vacation (and hopefully fall in love with cruising like we did!) Recently, our team was on the NCL Joy and we had an amazing time! Here is our list of the TOP TEN things you must do if you cruise on this ship. If you'd like to check out this post on our YouTube channel, click here. Let's get into it!
The NCL Joy is a Breakaway Plus Class ship by Norwegian Cruise Line. There are four Breakaway Plus class ships and they are all slightly different. These are the TOP TEN things for the NCL Joy!
1. Check out the Go-Karts! The go-kart track takes up a lot of the top level of the ship and it is a fun highlight we highly recommend. There is an extra charge for this ($15) but the cost is minimal for the experience of riding a go-kart on a cruise ship. For the cost you get 10 laps on the track. This is a fun activity for adults and kids alike!
2. Play a fun game in the Atrium. This is an area where NCL really shines! They do a bunch of fun games in the Atrium such as Trivia, Deal or No Deal, etc. that get everyone involved and are highly entertaining and interactive. If you'd rather just watch and enjoy the atmosphere, you can do that too! There is seating above the Atrium at the Local, where you can observe the fun while enjoying a snack and beverage of your choice.
3. Check out the waterslides! There are multiple waterslides on this ship and they are a ton of fun for both older kids and adults. This attraction does not cost you any extra to enjoy, so definitely check them out!
4. Take in some live music at the Q Texas Roadhouse. If you enjoy country music or country inspired music, you will definitely enjoy this. They play pretty much all night every night of the cruise and there are different bands that play. You can go in, have a drink at the bar, you don't have to pay and you don't have to have dinner there to check out the live music. There's seating in the back there where you can hang out and enjoy!
5. Enjoy sail-away! When you are embarking on your cruise or leaving a port of call, go out on the deck and find a nice place to enjoy the views. When we went on this cruise, we left out of New York, and it was one of the most spectacular sail-away events we have ever witnessed.
6. Eat at The Local. The Local is a bit like a British Pub on board and this is a great place to grab some late night snacks and drinks. They also serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and it's a great spot to hang out and observe the activities in the Atrium below. They are open nearly 24 hours per day and all the items at this restaurant are included in your cruise fare! We love it here and it is one of our favorite places to go after an evening show or party.
7. Head up to Spice H2O. This is located on the top deck of the ship all the way in the back and it is one of our favorite venues. There is a massive hot tub here (probably holds 30 to 40 people), theme parties are hosted here, and there is a really nice bar up there. This location is adults only during the day and then open to all for the parties in the evening, so definitely go check it out!
8. Lunch or Dinner at Food Republic. This one will cost you a bit extra on top of your cruise fare, however we believe it is 100% worth it. Food Republic is an Asian Fusion restaurant with all different types of Asian food. We love this restaurant and it is definitely one of our favorites across all NCL ships. When you go, you order your food on a kiosk, and with the dining package you can get up to 4 items per person. Definitely go enjoy it.
9. Go catch one of the Beetles Revolution shows! Now, we aren't huge fans of the Beetles, however the Beetles Revolution band is definitely worth seeing. These musicians are talented and you'll definitely enjoy the show (and it's included in your cruise fare!)
10. Last but not least... Go to The Goodbye Show in the theater! This is a really cool show that NCL does on the last night of the cruise and it really makes us feel like we are a part of the NCL family. The Cruise Director brings everyone out on stage to acknowledge the work they have done to make your vacation an amazing experience and everyone cheers as the cruise begins to wind down. To us, it's a really heartwarming gesture of just how much the staff and crew means to NCL and it gives us as the passengers an opportunity to show our appreciation for them.
Those are our Top Ten Things to do on NCL JOY, updated for 2024! Have you cruised this year on the NCL JOY? Would you add anything to our list? Comment below!