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Fascinating Behind the Scenes Ship Tour of The Norwegian Joy

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Have you ever been curious about what goes on behind the scenes on your cruise ship? We took a behind the scenes ship tour on Norwegian Joy, and here’s what it was like.

As you set foot onto the Norwegian Joy, you’re immediately greeted by an atmosphere of elegance and excitement. From the grand atrium to the panoramic ocean views, every corner of the ship has been meticulously designed to offer an unforgettable experience for its passengers.

Behind the scenes, though, nearly 1,800 crew members work together to bring this elegance and excitement to life. Through hard work and diligent management, the crew makes running a cruise ship seem effortless, but that is just a facade. It takes incredible teamwork to make the magic happen.

On our recent Caribbean cruise on Norwegian Joy , we took advantage of an NCL Latitudes perk to take a free behind the scenes ship tour. The tour covered four areas: the theater, the laundry, provisions, and the galley. Several tours were scheduled for early in the morning on a port day, were limited to groups of about fifteen to twenty passengers, and were guided by a member of the CruiseNext team.

Note: To participate in the tour, guests must wear closed-toe shoes and be able to climb steep stairs.

Norwegian Joy takes entertainment to new heights, boasting a vast array of exhilarating shows and performances. During our tour, we explored the areas backstage where these stunning performances are brought to life.

First, we were taken backstage to where the set for the show Elements was taken apart and neatly stacked into a surprisingly small pile. The set is completely broken down each night after a performance, then reconstructed for the next show to appear. It takes a team of backstage workers several hours to make this magic happen.

Next, we visited the wardrobe/dressing room, where cast members prepare for the show. The costumes are surprisingly lightweight and are designed to tear away easily for quick costume changes. A wardrobe specialist is responsible for maintaining, repairing, and laundering each costume after every show, preparing them for the next.

One thing I didn’t know is that most of the cast members of Footloose also star in the acrobatics production, Elements , which is why the shows are spaced out and aren’t presented every night.

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After exploring the theater backstage, we were led through various crew hallways and staircases to the laundry, where the temperature rose quite a bit.

It is amazing how much laundry goes through this department each day. The sheer number of sheets, tablecloths, and napkins that are processed daily is mind-boggling. Machinery including washers, dryers, ironers, towel folding machines, and more help to automate the processes as much as possible.

Fun Fact: The Joy has two machines that tag the laundry of guests and crew to ensure your laundry makes it back to you safely.

First, we saw the area where guests’ laundry is washed, dried, and carefully folded. 

In addition to restaurant linens, bed linens, and guest laundry, the crew’s uniforms are also processed here. We were given a demonstration of a machine called a Hurricane for shirts that took a wet uniform shirt fresh from the washer to a dry, perfectly pressed shirt in a moment. It was incredible!

Next, we were taken to the bed linens processing area, where bed sheets are taken from the washer and carefully hooked one by one to a machine that dries, presses, and folds them into a neat square.

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Our next stop on our behind the scenes ship tour was provisions, where the provisions manager told us about the huge amounts of food needed each day, both for the passengers and the crew, and how those foods are stored. We were taken to the freezer, which looked to be the size of a small warehouse!

Each week, tons of food provisions are loaded onto the Joy and must be stored properly. To give you an idea, each week the ship brings on board 7,500 pounds of rice! Also needed weekly are 5,600 dozen eggs, 45,000 pounds of fresh fruit, and 35,000 pounds of beef.

The provisions department even has a huge defrosting refrigerator that slowly and safely defrosts food. Clever, right?

Norwegian Joy takes culinary excellence to a whole new level. On our behind the scenes ship tour, we got a peek at the immense logistics behind delivering thousands of meals each day, all with impeccable quality and presentation.

The Joy has several galleys or kitchens:

• Main Hot Galley: Located on Deck 6, this galley prepares all the meals for the main dining rooms (Manhattan, Taste, and Savor).
• Specialty Restaurants: Each specialty restaurant has its own galley.
• Crew Galley: Located on Deck 5, this galley prepares all meals for the crew members.

The Joy also has several distinctive galley stations. One is the pantry, where all of the cold appetizers, salads, sandwiches, canapes, and cold food items are prepared for the lunch and dinner buffets. All ice, vegetable, and fruit carvings are also done here.

Other galley stations include those for the various types of meat: beef, poultry, pork, and seafood.

Our next stop was the beef station. One of the things we learned was that each type of protein is prepped in a separate kitchen using color-coded cutting boards to avoid cross-contamination. Here we got a glimpse into the beef kitchen, where cuts of meat are broken down into the sizes needed for recipes. Note the red cutting board, which is only used for beef.

Next, we followed our tour guide to one of the galleys, where we watched as some of the 865 crew members assigned to the food and beverage team were hard at work, creating meals for the guests.

All bakery products are made onboard in the bakery, which operates 24 hours a day. Below, you can see a station where cookies and other desserts are being made, their consistency is ensured by the recipes with presentation photos seen on the counter.

Fun Fact: The bakery uses over 200 pounds of white chocolate and 300 pounds of dark chocolate per cruise!

How to Get a Behind the Scenes Ship Tour

Norwegian Cruise Line has a loyalty program, called Latitudes , whereby you earn points for nights cruised. The program has seven tiers, and once you reach the fourth tier, Platinum, you are eligible to participate in the Behind the Scenes ship tour.

To sign up, simply go to the CruiseNext desk onboard on Day Two of your cruise and ask to be added to the tour list. Don’t delay, because these tours fill up fast.

Final Thoughts on our Behind the Scenes Ship Tour

Our behind the scenes ship tour took about an hour, allowing us to witness the dedication and passion that goes into creating an unforgettable experience for each passenger. For me, it gave me a better appreciation of the behind the scenes effort that goes into making our cruises perfect.

Happy cruising!

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Behind the Scenes Tour

(or, a bunch of things we couldn’t take pictures of).

The I-95, the tunnel washer, and the joystick. All critical parts in the function of the mega-hotel-laid-on-its-side known as a cruise ship. For various reasons, two of the three were things we couldn’t photograph or video. And there was a Security Officer with us to make sure we did not use our prohibited devices in places they were prohibited…and you’ll be glad to know no scalawags were made to walk the plank because of an errant snapshot! We did get to take a long shot of the I-95 — all in due time, my young Padawan, all in due time.

The way to a guest’s heart is through their stomach

And the way to the tour begins with that most-important of places, the galley! (Seafarer-speak for what most of us call “gobs and gobs of stainless steel.”

We didn’t get to take the escalator from Savor into the kitchen galley, but we did have to dodge the bussers readying dirty tablecloths for the quick trip down five decks to the laundry (but again, I get ahead of myself).

Ready for some stainless steel?

Then down we went to the provisions…where we saw part of the food stores — including the meat locker. “You can’t go in there for your own safety” because it’s so cold. But look in? That we could…

We learned a lot about the length of the supply line to the ship. Except for fresh fruits and vegetables and dairy (I believe), all food stores are provisioned through Miami. That means a couple of things:

• the shortest lead time (2 weeks or so) on stock ordering is for ships out of Miami. We were told the meat you see above had been ordered three weeks before we sailed. For a European cruise, that time lengthens out — to two-ish months!
• the ship carries, at any given time, at least enough food and supplies for double the length of the present sailing. If I understood correctly, at the current rate of consumption Escape had on board Saturday (the last full day of the cruise) enough food and supplies for 14 days from then.

Now while that sounds like a tremendously long lead-time, especially for food, that is the lead time for the raw products. The food is all fresh, prepared onboard, and if you consider the lead times of your local food store along with time amount of time things sit on the shelf both at the store and in your pantry or refrigerator, I’d bet the farm to table time for what you eat on the ship isn’t actually that much more than for most food you eat at home or in a restaurant.

An example of on-ship preparation: the butcher shop!

So-named because it is the only direct route from stem to stern of the ship on any deck (all others are interrupted or weave around somehow), the I-95 is much like the US highway for which it is named…

I-95 on Escape, around 11:15 in the morning on a sea day. The thoroughfare is substantially busier and more full of “stuff” in the hours around the end of one cruise and the start of the next — the time known as “turnaround.” Given the substantial logistics involved and the sensitivity of some of the stuff that goes on, non-crew members cannot be in those spaces then (or really any other time without an escort).

The sensitivity is the reason we were given for photography not being allowed along the I-95, and in the engine control room, and for the limitations we had in what and how we could photograph or video in the bridge spaces. The walls of the I-95 are jam-packed with things like a complete muster list of crew members, which (I think) included emergency contact info at home; detailed diagrams of the ship; and other things that would be competitive gold to a person who knew what they were seeing. Of course we didn’t know what we were seeing and we were not permitted to loiter except in a couple of designated “safe” spaces. One of those was the public area of the deck that’s used while tender operations are underway and another was outside the payroll and personnel office where if someone did take a photo all they’d have gotten was a view of the crew enrichment calendar.

I suspect the restrictions around the bridge and the engine control room are not so much for competitive reasons as for regulatory/compliance reasons — whether it be an error caught on video (that NCL doesn’t control…precious little happens on the ship that isn’t under a watchful video eye), or because regulations prohibit non-crew (or only allow specific crew) to make any record of reading/positions of gauges, controls, etc. I don’t expect it’s any different anywhere else, and as a visitor I found the restrictions well within what I considered appropriate and acceptable. (Of course, it *is* their playground, so those were the rules I had to follow if I cared to play…)

The next space we were allowed to photograph or video as much as we cared to was the laundry operation.

Here we go round and round — in really bigly fashion….

Washers that process 44lb of laundry in 2.5 minutes, others that handle upwards of 150lb of laundry (before it’s wet). I actually took less photos here than I thought I did…. from our lowest venture on the ship, Deck 2 forward, where incoming laundry is sorted and fed to the washers, to Deck 3, where it comes out of the dryers and is trundled off to the folders before being loaded into a bright yellow “clean laundry” cart, it’s a pretty impressive operation.

Upstairs, out of Crew World, then backstage in the Theater

Again, nothing to show there — in the places I could take photos I was so fascinated by the surroundings I forgot, and in the dressing room where photos were not allowed. (Had to chuckle when one of the actors rehearsing for the performance that night let drop an F-bomb, only to be quickly reminded by the director there were guests backstage!)

So Whose Stateroom is Room 15301?

Hint: he’s the guy you really don’t want to have to wake up in the middle of the night to get him to come the 5 steps to the bridge. (This being NCL, the answer is not “Captain Kate”)

After being reminded that our camera lenses could only be used pointing in any direction that was entirely OUTside the bridge (so, toward the sea, or as you’ll see, down the ship, straight down, etc….just not toward any controls, people, or anything else (including the mortgage certificate for the ship, prominently posted near the entrance door to the bridge).

(At which my mind takes the “squirrel” bait and HAS to look it up:

….an inordinate amount of time passes….

So apparently the ship is actually owned by the NCLH subsidiary that holds the mortgage, not directly by NCL itself. The notice appears to be a requirement so that anyone who attempts to make a claim against the vessel is advised of the priority claim of the mortgage holder. In other words, a regulatory and business house of mirrors cooked up and written in federal law, or maybe something dating in maritime law back before the founding of the country, I’m not clear. Once you start digging into the CFR, you often need a lawyer to find your way back out into normal space.)

All these photos have been approved and blessed by whomever

Private for those in the large balcony rooms on deck 8…

(Yes they can look through the floor of the bridge and see everything you’re doing on that balcony…so it best not be anything bad!)

Kudos to the person who took the personal training (situp?) bar with them on the trip — I didn’t ask anyone on the bridge crew if it was actually used at any point during the cruise or if it was just put on the deck so someone would think the person was keeping up their regimen….

So there you go — behind the scenes on Norwegian Escape, with quite a few interesting pictures and nothing we weren’t supposed to photograph .

Review: Choir of Man

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Introducing Norwegian's Behind The Scenes Tour

Sparkling pools, luxurious spas, clubs and bars of all types, delicious restaurants and spectacular entertainment, these are just some of the typical experiences you can expect aboard Norwegian Cruise Line ships . But have you ever wondered how these extraordinary floating cities function? It’s not magic, it takes a huge staff of specially trained individuals working 24/7 to maintain everything the average cruiser may not have ever thought about.

Ready to start planning? Explore all Norwegian cruises .

Go Behind The Scenes & View The Bridge

Whether you're new to cruising or a bona fide expert at sea, it's likely that taking a Behind The Scenes Tour with Norwegian, with exclusive access to the bridge, will have you seeing things from a new perspective. In fact, many other commercial cruise lines don't even allow guests to view the bridge when they go behind the scenes. Talk about exceptional, right? And if you've been on one of those other tours, Norwegian's is a great way to compare the depth of detail their entire staff takes into account to create the perfect guest experience on each and every sailing. From the kitchen to the theater to laundry and beyond, A Behind The Scenes Tour truly shows you the belly of the beast that keeps your vacation going.

Now Available to Book Before You Sail

It's amazing to me how many people are devoted cruisers but never even knew that this tour exists. Probably because up until now, you could only book the tours once you've boarded your ship. But, for the first time ever, Norwegian has extended the opportunity to book your Behind The Scenes Tour before you cruise by calling your personal cruise consultant or by booking online! I want to note that tours are limited and tend to fill up fast, so I recommend trying to book as early as possible. Also, closed-toe shoes are required, so make sure you pack a pair if you plan on going. You'll be happy you did because there's plenty of walking and you'll want to be comfortable.

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Navigate I-95 Without the Crowds

Our tour guide was charming and delightful like all the staff at Norwegian. He walked us through the I-95, yes you read that correctly, named after the highway, the largest path the staff uses to get around the ship is called the I-95. Unlike the actual I-95, this hallway was organized, open and not overcrowded with people blaring horns - though it did have plenty of hustle and bustle. The walls are different than the lovely interior designed halls you'll find above, stripped of all the fancy makeup, this is where you get to see the bones of the ship with thick piping across the ceiling and shiny non-slip floors.

Starting with the star of the show, the theater, you'll be taken backstage to see the the dressing rooms with glamorous, classic light-bulb mirrors and beautiful costumes neatly hung in rows. You'll also be able to walk across the stage and look out at the sea of roughly 850 plush red velvet chairs. Then you'll see my personal favorite - the sound and lighting booth. Located up on the top of the theater behind the audience is where the real magic happens. These backstage technicians are the backbone of every production that goes on and without them the whole show would go dark, literally. Have your questions ready! Your guide will be happy to tell you all about the shows, training, where the cast auditions and rehearses - it's your time to shine!

Watch How Thousands of Meals Are Prepared

Then there's the kitchen otherwise known as The Galley and let me just say, this was by far the largest kitchen I have ever seen in my life - which makes sense when you have to feed thousands of people breakfast, lunch and dinner every single day. If you've ever worked back of house, this is something that would truly impress you. As you enter, you see a team of workers in crisp, white uniforms, hurriedly prepping and plating with great care and precision. Everything is laid out in organized stations exclusively dedicated to specific tasks and services, down to 24-hour room service. One might say, the staff runs a tight ship, (ha) following strict procedures and recipes to create the perfect meal every time.

From The Galley you'll go to the Provisions Area where you'll get to see massive dry and cold storage rooms and gigantic refrigerators. As they'll explain to you, this is where food is received and stored throughout the cruise. You can ask things like where they source the ingredients, how they limit waste, how the ship gets supplies and all kinds of questions regarding the nitty gritty of bringing fine dining to thousands of hungry travelers across the seven seas.

Venture Below Sea Level

Next, they'll escort you to the enormous laundry room, where you'll get to see how they wash and prepare four tons of laundry every day! You'll see how they separate items, check water sanitation, reserve water waste and more. Also, the laundry room is located below sea level, you wouldn't have any idea being there, but it's pretty cool!

See The Engine Control Room and The Bridge

After that, you'll get access to one of the most important rooms on the ship - the engine control room. Inside, you feel like you're in a spaceship with walls of blinking lights, computer screens, numbers and sounds happening all around, and engineers dressed like astronauts in all white spacesuit-looking jumpers. They'll be able to answer any technical questions you have about the ship.

And finally, you have The Bridge, no that isn't a Star Trek reference, The Bridge is actually what cruise ships call the room where they navigate the ship, and Norwegian is one of the only commercial cruise lines that allows guests in this area. This expansive room of massive windows provides completely unobstructed views of the open ocean, and it is stunning. You'll get to learn about the ship's officers, the command and anything else you want to know about what it takes to be a ship captain. You won't be surprised to know that nowadays it's pretty much 100% automated, but there is still a joystick in case they need to steer the ship manually. It's not the pirate ship wheel you're imagining, though. But not to worry, The Bridge is plenty impressive all on its own.

Afterwards, the tour is done and you can go back to splashing in the sunlight, or enjoying a drink by the pool, all with a whole new understanding of all the work that goes into giving you an incredible vacation. Overall, the tour lasted about an hour and a half and did not feel very long at all, though it did require a bit of walking, it was absolutely worth it. I recommend it for cruisers of pretty much any age. New cruisers and experienced ones, if you haven't done a Norwegian Behind The Scenes Tour, it's definitely something you should consider.

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To book your Behind The Scenes tour, log in to your MyNCL account . Let us know if you've recently taken a tour or have one scheduled on your upcoming cruise!