We get asked all the time if it’s worth upgrading to a balcony cabin on a cruise. Well, we recently sailed on Norwegian Joy to Bermuda in a balcony stateroom and want to share our experiences with you in this Norwegian Joy Balcony Room Review.

Call to Book Your Next Cruise Now: 1-855-228-5584!

Norwegian Joy Balcony Room Review

For this trip, we stayed in cabin 13166. This BA category stateroom is on the portside of the ship, forward of the forward bank of elevators. It looked almost identical to the cabin we were in only a few weeks prior during our Norwegian Encore cruise to Alaska.

This is NCL’s standard balcony category. According to the cruise line’s website, these BA category balcony staterooms are approximately 214 square feet with a 38 square foot balcony. On Norwegian Joy, these balcony rooms are located on decks 12, 13, 14, and 15 in the forward, midship, and aft regions of the ship.

If you are prone to motion sickness, be mindful when choosing your room as there are certain cabins you may want to avoid.

Being on deck 13, this cabin is conveniently located fairly equidistant from the Waterfront on deck 8 and the outdoor decks starting on deck 16. Following the fish home at night, it was always easy to find our cabin.

Pro Tip: For those that are new to cruising with Norwegian Cruise Line, look carefully at the carpet on the stateroom decks of Norwegian Joy, and you will notice fish. These fish always swim forward, pointing you in the right direction.

Layout of a Norwegian Joy Balcony Room

At first glance, the layout of this Norwegian Joy balcony room was pretty typical and what we have come to expect from balcony cabins across most major cruise lines.

Immediately upon entering cabin 13166, the bathroom is to the left with the closet tucked around the corner. The desk is on the right side of the room with the sofa across from it, near the closet.

Continuing further into the room, there is the bed and the balcony. The bed is on the aft wall facing forward. The balcony consisted of two chairs and a small table. Admittedly, the balconies on NCL ships are generally smaller than comparable balconies on other cruise lines.

The bed is positioned next to the balcony door, which is our preferred layout. The television is located on the wall opposite from the bed. There is also a small nightstand on each side of the bed and USB outlets in the reading lights.

Keep in mind that the cabin layout can vary, as the bed and sitting areas can be flip-flopped.

EXCLUSIVE SAVINGS: Get Deals on Your Next Norwegian Joy Cruise!

Inside Our Norwegian Joy Balcony Room

Bathroom

When it comes to the bathroom on Norwegian Joy, it is a bit more roomy by cruise ship standards. The shower is somewhat larger with a glass door, two small shelves for storage, and dispensers of shampoo and body wash. However, the shower is missing the small bar for shaving.

The vanity and sink area have plenty of counter space and shelves for storage. However, if you are looking for a balcony cabin with an upgraded bathroom, consider a Club Balcony stateroom.

Closet

The closet in this Norwegian Joy balcony room includes a clothes bar with hangers on one side, along with a series of shelves and the safe on the other side. We always use packing cubes for daytime clothing, undergarments, and such, making unpacking a breeze. This way, we can simply place the packing cubes on the shelves in the closet and then conveniently store our suitcases under the bed.

The hangers on the opposite side were adequate for hanging nighttime clothing as well. However, to maximize the space, we always pack magnetic hooks. Most cruise ship walls are metal, so the hooks come in handy for hanging items like rain coats, bags, and other accessories to free up some closet space.

Main Cabin Area

The cabin’s neutral color palette with pops of nautical blue make it feel warm and welcoming.

In terms of the desk and sofa, they are both quite spacious. The sofa provides plenty of room for two adults to spread out. There are even two drawers under the sofa for some added storage space, which we ended up using one of them for shoes.

The desk has adequate counter space, along with a narrow shelf above for storing toiletries or other small accessories. Additionally, this area houses the mini-fridge to keep drinks cool and some small under-counter cabinets off to one side. Further, you will find 3 US outlets and 1 European outlet here; though, no USB outlets.

Similar to the magnetic hooks, we also always pack an over-the-door shoe organizer. This comes in handy for storing toiletries and other small items like sunglasses or an umbrella to help free up the desk and vanity space for us to do some work when needed.

Finally, the king-sized bed provided plenty of comfort after our long days and nights exploring all that Bermuda and Norwegian Joy have to offer.

Overall, we were able to unpack and settle in for our Bermuda cruise pretty easily in this Norwegian Joy balcony room.

Further, we also like the modern conveniences that SHOULD be a staple in all new cruise ship cabins. The USB outlets near the bed come in handy for charging phones at night. We also like the “make up room” and “do not disturb” buttons alerting your cabin steward when the room is free to service.

Recap of Our Norwegian Joy Balcony Room Review

So, let’s get back to our original question now—Is is worth upgrading to a balcony cabin? While we typically opt for balcony staterooms, the decision is truly up to you. Of course, a balcony cabin will cost more than an inside stateroom or oceanview cabin. 

Therefore, you’ll have to first determine your cruise budget and then decide how you want to allocate those funds. For many, the opportunity to relax and enjoy the ocean breeze on the balcony with some privacy and comfort is worth it. For others, they would rather spend that extra money on a drink package, shore excursions, specialty dining, or a spa treatment.

Keep in mind, NCL’s popular Free at Sea promotion often provides a “free” drink package and a specialty dining package. But, guests will still need to pay the gratuities which can add up if you are on a tight budget.

Of course, Norwegian Cruise Line does offer a variety of other cabin categories as well to fit all budgets—from the Studio cabins for solo travelers, to inside and oceanview staterooms, all the way up to the most luxurious accommodations in the Haven. This ship-within-a-ship experience offers guests spacious suites as well as an exclusive restaurant, lounge, pool, and sundeck.

On a side note, guests who have not cruised in a while should know that cabin service on NCL has been reduced to once a day for most stateroom categories. Suite and Haven guests will continue to receive twice daily service.

BOOK NOW: Exclusive Rates on Norwegian Joy Cruises!

Comments

Have you stayed in a Norwegian Joy balcony room? What is your preferred cabin category when you cruise? Drop us an anchor below to share your Norwegian Cruise Line cabin reviews.