OhJinkies

We were in 9277 an aft balcony slightly on starboard side. An aft is the way to go cruising Alaska. The aft part of the ship is the only part that doesn't have the cold wind. Many people go to the aft deck next to the buffet and it is hard there is stake out a good spot. With an aft you can stay on your balcony (still dress for cold) and with no wind it is manageable, while if you are exposed to the wind, it is just too chilly.

That's the stateroom I have booked! I'd love to ask you some questions but don't want to hijack this thread. Could you email me at cathyem@aol.com, or would you rather I wait until you post your review? TIA!

I am booked on the Sun for next summer (northbound) – looking forward to reading all about your trip!

We were on the Sun from 5-12 September. It was a great cruise in an aft balcony. That is the way to go for Alaska.

 

This was our best NCL cruise. NCL has upgraded its food and service.

 

My review to follow.

I have an aft balcony on the Sun booked for next June – can't wait to hear about your experiences. What was your stateroom number?

I'm planning my cruise for next June and am doing some expensive stuff, so I'm trying to find some balance for my wallet as well. I want to be able to hike in the Mendenhall Glacier area and get some really nice photos, but I'm cruising solo, and am a little worried about running into bears. So I found a company that does tours -- photography and adventure hikes. They use a nice wireless communication system and the guide also takes photos that they send you when you get home. When I looked at the cost of the shuttle to the glacier ($30), the price of the Photography tour looked pretty good to me -- $79. I can't "recommend" it, since I haven't been on it, but here is their website if you want to check it out: http://www.adventureflow.us/

I've been planning my cruise for June and signed up with a company to do a photography hiking tour around Mendenhall Glacier -- looks like their Adventure Hiking Tour might be just what you're looking for: http://www.adventureflow.us/

The Pride of America does have a Studio Lounge of sorts, but it's only accessed from the Studios. I found it almost by accident as I opened a "mystery door" from my room. So combine its hidden location with the fact that it resembles a waiting room for a doctor's office, and that probably explains why I never saw anyone in there. What a waste of space! Here are a couple of photos:.

Here are the last three - I am glad this is making someone happy! I sure benefitted from all the experience and knowledge that was shared here before we went. Enjoy the details![ATTACH]393452[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]393453[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]393454[/ATTACH]

RicoMari, thank you SO MUCH! Will you be posting a review?

Guys have a great time on your cruise and make sure you stop by the casino at night and listen to Music Boardwalk. Take pictures/videos as well. They are the best and play everything. You won't be disappointed. Be careful of those tropical storms as well.

I'll try! I'm allergic to cigarette smoke and unfortunately the casino and surrounding area are places I usually have to avoid. :(

Leaving August 14th on Valor as well!! Flying to Orlando tomorrow morning....can't wait! First cruise ever. I've been such a planning nerd that I will bring back copies of each fun times and menu and whatever else I can get my hands on and will scan and post it all when we get home (just in case there are any detail junkies like me!):D

I just booked for February so I will thank you in advance if you can post the FunTimes from your trip!!

When you're 281 days out and have:

• Both flights booked
  
• Rental car reserved
  
• Nearly all hotels reserved
  
• Spent an excessive amount of time researching what to do in each port and how to spend my time exploring interior Alaska!

I'm planning my cruise for next summer. Disembarkation time in Seward is listed as 5 AM. What time can you actually get off the ship? I'm looking into a Kenai Fjords tour that leaves at 8 AM, and don't know if I'd be able to make it.

I don't think that's actually what's happened here. Their waste water treatment plant would only take a few days to develop sufficient bacteria to process waste properly, even if totally dismantled in the shipyard. You actually just add several 50 lb. bags of sugar to the waste water when you start up again. I believe that what may be happening is that the Sun has finally stopped using the system where the dried solids left over from the waste water treatment plant (paper fibers, not human waste) was being incinerated. We installed the same system on the Sky back when she was the Aloha, and had similar problems with smells. I mentioned this earlier in this thread, and if they are dumping this solid waste, then they have stopped burning it. There really isn't a requirement prohibiting the pumping of this treated waste outside of 3 miles from shore, but perhaps they have made an agreement with Alaska to go further offshore to pump it.

 

If the waste water treatment plant were not processing up to standards, there is no way the ship could operate, since it processes between 800-1000 metric tons of waste water every day, and there isn't enough tank capacity to hold untreated waste water for more than a day or so.

 

The treated waste incineration system added to the Sun and Sky were retrofits to the existing incinerators, and never worked very well. They may have installed new incinerators, and be working on getting these up and running, but I think the treated waste incineration may be a dead issue, at least for these older ships.

I'm getting my information from a couple of recent trip reports -- for the southbound itinerary, they cancelled Skagway and sailed out to Sitka instead in order to dump the sewage in the Gulf of Alaska. This was temporary until they got the system stabilized. That's all I know.

Things are looking up -- I've read that the ship has been sailing out to the Alaska Gulf on the southbound itinerary to dump their waste -- apparently they did something to the waste system during dry dock and need to build up the "good" bacteria to get it to work properly again.

We are 2 ports and 3'ish days into the cruise portion of our vacation and I am just blown away by our experience and Alaska -- just love it. I did rely on this site (+ Trip Advisor) for so much, I really want to "give back" with my experiences & 2-cents worth... I really need to figure out how to do a trip report. If there are easy directions anywhere, I haven't found it - specifically how to post pictures and where to post.

There are sites (I use Photobucket) where you can upload your photos, and then you get a code you can copy into the body of your post to link to those photos. Glad you're having such a great time; I'm really looking forward to my Alaskan cruise next summer!

I've taken about 5 solo cruises, including one on the Epic, and I LOVE them! NCL also has a little evening social so you have plenty of people to hang out with at dinner, or you can also request a table for one and bring a good book. Looking forward to reading about your experiences. Enjoy!!

Thanks to the OP for starting this thread -- I'm also booked in an aft balcony next summer, and have been paying close attention to the odor issue. I always have great expectations when I read that a ship is going in for drydock, and I'm inevitably let down to find out that actual refurbishment/upgrades were minimal. I'm excited about Alaska but I've been kinda sorta wary about this ship.

If you are injured or become ill overseas, you may need special a medical transport service to get you back home. Medical evacuation will cost anywhere from $25,000 and beyond. This is in ADDITION to medical bills.

Jocelyn,

Thanks so much for the great review. I'm also a solo traveler from Florida! I'll be on the Vancouver-Seward itinerary next June in an aft balcony (I'm splurging). Also plan to spend a few days on land (still making plans) before I return home. I enjoyed the photos and descriptions immensely!!

If you do get a facial, ask the esthetician about subsequent sun exposure. Many facials leave your skin especially vulnerable to sunburn.

Thanks for the great review, shadowmeboy! I have booked an aft balcony for next June on the Vancouver to Seward itinerary, and I'm researching like crazy!!

I'm planning to spend another 5-6 days in Alaska after the cruise. Not sure if I want to drive all the way out to Denali, or maybe just out to Talkeetna then take a plane tour around the mountain. Or I may just hang around Anchorage and Seward. So much to see, so little time!!

It might be prudent to avoid the aft balconies for the time being but don't fret too much about the public areas being affected. I loved all the open decks up top on the Sun and the sheltered Deck 6 promenade. Those features are important on an Alaskan cruise and I've gotten the impression that the newer ships have sacrificed those areas for more bells & whistles.

Unfortunately, I have an aft balcony booked. I need to follow up with Guest Services and decide whether to give it up. :(

You may want to reach out to a customer advocate such as Christopher Elliott. His website is elliott.org

He also publishes contact info for many companies, including NCL: http://elliott.org/company-contacts/norwegian-cruise-line-ncl/

We were on the June 6 Southbound Sun sailing, in 8253 (aft balcony). Did not experience any sewage smells in the cabin or on the balcony, or in the theater or any dining venues. Just an occasional brief smell while walking around, which was nothing worse than I've noticed on some other ships. Maybe we were lucky.

judyzoo, I was encouraged by your post and looked up your stateroom location on the deck plan. Stateroom 8253 is a starboard balcony located somewhere between midship and the stern. While it is technically aft of midship, I don't think it's in the immediate area of concern.

My stateroom is an aft-FACING balcony, 9277, and this is the area (staterooms and hallways/stairwells as well as the Stardust Lounge and Seven Seas dining room below) where the bulk of the issues have been reported.

I'm glad you enjoyed your cruise, though. I may have to move to a different stateroom to escape the stench, so your report lets me know that the issue doesn't extend as far as your stateroom -- so thank you!

We were aft facing. I noticed it on deck 10, but also on 7. I didn't complain because I wasn't terribly bothered by it. It was intermittent at best.

 

I say go for the aft. We enjoyed it very much.

Thanks, jamminlion -- was the weather warm or cool when you were cruising? There has been speculation that this odor is worse when it is warm outside. I'm sailing in early June so it could go either way!

We had wonderfully gorgeous weather for 5 of the 7 days. I spent a great deal of time on the balcony, and only smelled the foul odor briefly, and faintly this morning just prior to disembarking.

Thanks, jamminlion!

Were you in an aft-facing stateroom? Which deck?

Did you report the odor to anyone?

Just trying to get some info before I speak with someone in Guest Relations (just in case they pull out the "we've never heard of this before" response).