Jeremiah was a bullfrog...

When you go on a cruise, you should be ready to start enjoying it as soon as you board the ship.  Our inaugural cruise on Norwegian Joy demanded we engage immediately, because we would be disembarking the next morning.

Upon boarding, Julie and I immediately headed to Savor for lunch.

Other passengers must have still been trying to get their bearings, because we had the restaurant pretty much to ourselves for several minutes.

While you should not expect to see this or any of the other dining rooms as empty as it appears in my photos, what you can definitely see is the additional space between tables, which makes it easier for the waitstaff as well as more comfortable for guests..

Our meals were terrific, and the service flawless.

Will Norwegian Joy be able to keep up this level of quality when 4,000 passengers are clamoring with special requests for meals made to order with fresh ingredients?

We had too many entertainment items on our checklist to do them all, but we managed to do quite a bit in the short time we had.

The laser tag arena simulates a battered space station where our crew battled the Klingons or whoever they might have been.

I took the approach of Rambo in space, charging with my gun blazing until I used up all my ammo or was blown up myself, walking rapidly to the charging station by the door --- NO RUNNING OR JUMPING --- before returning to the fray.  It's a lot of fun.

We took a more adult break for happy hour in the Observation Lounge, which has tall window walls and an ambiance similar to our favorite lounge on Celebrity Eclipse.  Norwegian seems to be making a concerted effort to raise the level of its adult-oriented offerings, too, using a more sophisticated style where appropriate, which will be appreciated.  And that doesn't require you book into the Haven, though if you do, you'll have a private Observation Lounge just for fellow Suite guests.

Back to being tweens, we raced around the two-story go kart track.  That is sure to be a favorite, with cars that will go faster than drivers can control around corners without at least letting off the gas a bit.  No bumping other cars is allowed, so you might as well take the turns wide and fast.  Forget about trying to pass slow-poke road hogs.

For whatever reason, our time on the track started several minutes late, so by the time we finished, we had missed our reservation for the virtual reality arcade.

We were ready for something more mature anyway, so we skipped that and headed to the theater a bit early for our reservation to see "Footloose," a full Broadway show with a large, talented cast of singers and dancers who actually acted out the scenes to connect the songs rather than simply performing a revue.

The show ended up lasting almost two hours without intermission, so by the time we headed out the door while the performers took bows for a standing ovation, we barely made it to Savor for dinner before it closed.

While the dining room crowd was more in line with what you might expect on a regular cruise, the service was still very good and the meals again delicious.

We still weren't done, because not far away the young Beatles would be playing at the famous Cavern Club.  No, the Beatles hadn't been cloned, and we weren't in Liverpool in the early 1960's, but the fans crowding the authentic looking bar cheered as if Beatlemania was in full swing.

Julie turned in before they were finished, saying it was a bit too crowded for her, but I loved being there through the end of the show.

After a good night's sleep in the very comfortable bed, we awoke the next morning to enjoy a great breakfast in the Manhattan Dining Room.  Several folks had been pounding drinks hard in the Cavern, which I assume was representative of other lounges in terms of alcohol consumption, so it's not surprising that breakfast crowds were scarce on our only morning at sea.

We still had some time left before debarkation, so we headed over to the virtual reality arcade.  I know this will be a favorite for younger people, but I think my stomach got about as twisted around as some of those folks with hangovers by the time I did a few rides.  The zombie hunter game was the most fun for me, but Formula One race car simulator would be great once you got a feel for the track.

Only on the ship for one night, it was obvious that by the time more shows and meals were factored in, not to mention great ports, this would be a great ship for a family cruise.

Lest there be any doubt, this is a huge ship.  NCL put a clever touch amid their more sophisticated decor.  In the hallway carpets, you'll see patterns you might recognize from their TV commercials as little blue fish.  They are always swimming in the forward direction like the ship, which makes it easier to find your stateroom from the mid-ship elevator!

Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea.  Joy to you and me!

Did you understand a single word I said?

Glimpses of the Haven In Passing