Norwegian Cruise Line’s
Norwegian Joy was the first Breakaway Plus-class ship to introduce a go-kart racetrack, and when it re-emerges from a three-week dry dock in February 2024, it will debut even more new experiences for guests.
Following the refurbishment, the ship will have an expanded Vibe Beach Club, redesigned Three-Bedroom The Haven Premier Owner’s Suites and two dozen newly added staterooms and a new Mandara Spa and Salon thermal suite. Having been built for the Chinese market in 2017, the ship has already seen several changes over the years after its return to the North American segment, and this project will further reconfigure the ship.
"Delivering exceptional experiences across our fleet is what we strive to do," said David J. Herrera, president of Norwegian Cruise Line. "We have listened to our guests and have taken action. With this revitalization, we are adding some of the most beloved spaces and offerings from across our ships to enhance the guest experience onboard Norwegian Joy. Guests will have a greater variety of staterooms to choose from and a world-class, full-service spa to spend their days at sea fully immersed in relaxation."
An Expanded Spa
Displacing the former Galaxy Pavilion virtual-reality space will be an expansion of the Mandara Spa and Salon with a new thermal suite, as is found on Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Encore, Joy’s sister ships. Joy’s suite will be the largest on any Breakaway Plus ship, but of the three, only Encore will continue to offer both a thermal suite and the Galaxy Pavilion when complete.
The new thermal suite will be more centralized and showcase a sculptural entrance corridor complete with waterfall features. Its lounge space will include triple the amount of hot-tile loungers and extend to a bonus sauna, an ice room and an aromatic steam room. Other spa additions will include a new Biostation with IV Drip Therapy (to deliver essential nutrients to the body), four-senses loungers (for a deep relaxation sensory experience) and Kneipp haptic foot therapy, which massages patrons’ feet as they walk across a pebbled moving stream alternating between hot and cold baths.
We have listened to our guests and have taken action.
Stateroom and Suite Changes
The expansive Observation Lounge will also see a reduction in size, losing a large portion of its port side to add 24 new balcony staterooms. (By comparison, Bliss and Encore will retain their wraparound observation lounges with fully mirrored port and starboard sides.)
Another 40 spa balcony staterooms will be recategorized and offer direct access to the Mandara Spa, while The Haven by Norwegian Premier Owner’s Suites with a Large Balcony will expand into three-bedroom configurations. The pair of fully renovated accommodations will further include three and a half bathrooms, a living room and a new dedicated dining room that overlooks The Haven Horizon Lounge — the forward-facing part of the vessel’s exclusive ship-within-a-ship complex.
Vibe Beach Club
Lastly, the often sold-out, adults-only Vibe Beach Club will be enlarged, taking over the area originally occupied by the laser tag arena on Deck 20. Norwegian says the space will have a similar layout to the club found onboard Encore, including new private luxury cabanas. A laser tag arena, meanwhile, will continue to be offered on both Encore and Bliss.
Norwegian Joy’s sailings will resume on Feb. 13, 2024. Its first voyage back will depart from Southampton, United Kingdom, for Miami on an 11-day transatlantic cruise. Starting March 2024, Joy will embark on weeklong, round-trip Western Caribbean sailings from Miami until it repositions to New York and Bermuda in the summer of 2024.
