We chose the Joy 1) for the destination 2) for the ship and 3) for the price and amenities offered. This cruise knocked it out of the park on all counts. Seattle as an embarkation port was delightful to say the least. If you have a chance, visit a day or so ahead of time and experience the beauty and bounty of Seattle. Excellent food, a plethora of entertainment choices and the natural beauty of the area is a destination unto itself. It helped that the weather was spectacular while we were there, too! Pike's Place Market is a vibrant, colorful and entertaining way to spend a day all by itself. Not to mention its location is spectacular. We stayed at the Seattle Marriott Waterfront and this location was perfect for us as we simply checked out the morning of our cruise and walked across the street with our luggage.
Our cabin was 11108 - a Haven Forward Facing Connecting Suite. We did not have the connecting suite. We traveled with our adult daughter who slept on the fold out couch in the living room. Very comfortable and every evening our cabin steward prepared it for her to sleep. This cabin was awesome for sightseeing from your balcony as well as the huge window in the bedroom that looked out the front of the ship. For glacier viewing this cabin can't be beat. While everyone was on the front deck beneath us in the freezing wind taking their photos, we were warm in our cabin with a bird's eye view of the amazing beauty. It is a nice walk to the elevators from this cabin and it is not IN the Haven but the price was right when we booked it and the views were awesome.
Having said that, we have sailed 2 times prior in a 2 bedroom on the 17th floor of the Haven on other ships and the service and convenience is very nice. We've never really taken advantage of having a butler, but at least when we were IN the Haven, we saw him every day (in fact, our butler, Lucky, from the Epic was now on the Joy!). We only saw our butler the first day of the cruise. I don't know his name and I wouldn't know who he was if I fell over him. But we sure remembered Lucky! So, if that's important to you....
Very comfortable. Great views from the bedroom window as well as the balcony. Quite a distance from the elevators and more than a little removed from the amenities of the Haven. Great value!