The good bad and ugly of our recent NCL SUN cruise! 3-19- 3-26

[vols_159]

My NCL Sun Review 3-19-11 - 3-26-11

 

First off let me say This was our 2nd cruise both with NCL.. We are a young couple (26&23) And we try to have fun and just enjoy the moment. I’ll Break this up into 3 part The good, The bad, The Ugly,

 

The Good:

 

When we arrived at the port we found it 100x better organized and easier than the The Port of Miami. The Porters where not demanding tips (but we did tip) and the security check in was so much easier. We Made it up the stairs Got in the huge line to check in. Than it hit me I'm a Latitudes member so we got out of line and in a very short line of 2! Less than 10 minutes later we were on the ship ready for lunch! We found the ship staff extremely friendly! We ate lunch heard the announcement our rooms was ready so off we go to find our inside room (8125)

Wow this room was so much larger than our previous cabin on "The Sky"..

 

The show Saturday night was "Welcome aboard show" There was one Amazing singer that stood out She was normally in Dazzles You don’t wanna Miss her!

 

Sunday was a Sea day.. We just layed by the pool And attended the Crusie critic Meet and greet.. If you try one thing New Moderno Churrascaria Prolly one of the best resutrants Ive ever ate at on a Cruise ship or not! The price is great $20 sure beats the $32.50 I pay at home!

 

Monday- Cozumel Took a taxi over to paradise beach. $2 to rent a lounge chair and just a day to relax listening to my mp3 player while the GF Baked in the sun!

 

Tuesday Santo Thomas, Guatemala This port was our favorite! If you have not been here you are missing a very Beautiful Port! Loved the mountains reminded us of home! We took the Discover rio dulce tour! It was amazing price was $49 well worth it! The little kids paddle up to the boat and sell little nick knacks I purchased a coconut purse for my GF trying to get her to downgrade from the suit case she carries around now.. She didn’t like the ideal of downgrading Oh well my 2yr old Cousin will love it! As we was sailing away There was a team of dancers outside the ship dancing and waving goodbye! I would love to go to this port again!

 

Showtime The Electrifying Elvy Rose She was good to me Reminded me allot of a Spanish version of Taylor Hicks From American Idol Was her singing great Not really but her dancing and everything she was very entertaining!

 

Wednesday- Belize City Go early and get your tender tickets! We was on the 1st tender out we had booked a 3rd party cave tubing trip.. And they had asked up to be one of the 1st off the Boat. The Tender was a easy ride took around 5-10 minutes .. Cave Tubing was very fun I would suggest everyone to try it Once! The walk thru the rain forest was very nice I was impressed with our guide!

 

Showtime Romano Frediani All I can say is wow ! If you have not heard or seen him he is a Juggler/comedian Amazing!! For everyone who got up and left after 10 minutes You missed a great great show I would love to see him again on another cruise or Vegas type show!

 

After this show was The liar club Very very entertaining! I think I laughed so hard my stomach hurt!

 

Thur was a well deserved Sea day.. Just another day to relax and REST! While we was getting ready for Dinner and my GF was all dressed up.. My GF became My Fiancé! Yes I purposed And she was floored!

 

During the sea day there was a Crew talent show Don’t miss out on this show! Crew is very talented at other things than just there normal House keeping jobs!

 

Thursday night was also the White Hot Party! Was Fun after 30 minutes we headed to the Sports Bar where I ate the Best Wings Of my life!.. I Eat wings allot at home And NCL sports Bar has the best I’ve ever had! Don’t miss these!

 

Friday Was Key West I would suggest getting in line early even tho you are one floor 8 and they call floor 10 and 11 The line is long but moves fast we was actually getting off the ship when the called Floor 8 :) Everyone has to go thru customs just the law.. Key west was beautiful just wish We had more time in Port! Also don’t miss Key Lime Pie dipped in Chocolate! Was amazing!

 

Dancing with the stars show! Wow a lot of laughs! Don’t miss this show either!

 

Dinner- Went back to Moderno! Had to have it one last time!

 

Showtime 1st show was Elvy Rose and Romano Frediani They were both amazing again!!

2nd show was Rod Long! (over 18 show) Wow he was great his last day on the sun he was getting off Saturday and heading back home for awhile so sorry for the future Sun cruisers will miss out on his comedy!

 

Late night was the Quest party! What can I say what some people will do for a key chain is Amazing! We just watched and laughed our butts off!!

 

Food was always good Breakfast Was great! And Dinner was normally good in the MDRs

One waiter Stood out In 4seasons I can only remember his last name "Lockwood" we had him 2x but he would always speak to us no matter where we seen him on the ship! Loved talking about his travels around the world on the different ships hes worked at! The best waiter we had!

 

Time for the BAD

 

This is a warning: IF PLAN ON CARRYING SODA OR WATER ON TO THE SHIP YOU WILL GET CALLED TO THE NAUGHTY ROOM! I placed some soda and water in one of my Bags I left with the Porters When it didn’t arrive in my Room I went looking for it Found it in the security room with a lot other Bags! They Checked my bags for alcohol Found None and check the water for I guess Liquor than released the Bag to me! I got to keep my soda so I was a Happy Camper! They let you bring soda in Just not alcohol..

 

Sunday night show- The Mod the Musical The Singers and dancers were good Just not my type of show.. Was very Bored

 

Wednesday night- The Chocolate buffet was at the same time and The liars Club so we missed out on the chocolate buffet.. They should move the Liars club back to 11pm so we could enjoy both!

 

 

The just Plain Ugly!

 

Our Beds.. They were the new Bliss beds ive been reading about.. Wow one of the worst beds ive had! But I own a sleep number with a very very low sleep number! I Like Soft beds And The Bliss Beds are very Firm.. Didn’t have a good nights sleep!

 

Monday night- The ship was swaying allot My Gf Got sea sick so we missed the Opening show from Rod Long :(

 

Karaoke The couple times we tried to watch we just couldn't.. There were a few good acts but mostly just plain awful!!! If you don’t know the words and cant read don’t try To sing during Karaoke Hour Just saying!

 

 

 

We loved our Engagement Cruise! The Cruise Director Shona Blair was great and her Staff with Ast CD Johnny Cash Was amazing! Thanks Ncl for The great cruise ! Will be cruising in the future (sorda have to I purchased the cruise rewards and signed up for the ncl credit card!)

 

Two Happy cruisers

Jonathan

 

:D

 

PS Don't forget Washy Washy Is Happy Happy!

[vols_159]

I guess I forgot to mention This was a Western Carribeian Cruise!

[AerynSun_JohnCrighton]

Thanks for the review.

 

We leave next Sat, so excited! This will be my 13 cruise, and 3 with NCL.

 

Did you do any of the tastings? Margarita, Sangria? any of those????

[terrymtex01]

Jonathan.. Thank you for sharing your vacation and engagement with us. Congratulations to you both. I enjoyed reading your review very much. I wanted to let you know that if you really enjoyed the Liars Club show then you really didn't miss much with the Chocolate Buffet. I am not a chocolate snob by any means.. in fact, maybe I'm biased because I'm not a huge fan of chocolate to begin with, but when I do eat chocolate, I do like it to be decent chocolate. I have found that the chocolate buffet chocolate just isn't that good, really. It is a sight to see, so from that aspect you might have missed out on a little. I do agree though it would be nice for them to put it when the most people would be able to attend. 8-)

 

The beds, just like food, are very subjective I know, but I have to tell you I feel like the bliss beds are the most comfortable I have ever slept on for a cruise ship. Really to me they are better than most hotels we have stayed at. But I totally get that a bed is one area we will all differ on. 8-)

 

Glad you had a good time. There was a lot more "Good" in your review than "Bad or Ugly".. so it seems it was a very nice vacation for you and the soon to be Mrs.. 8-)

[vols_159]

Jonathan.. Thank you for sharing your vacation and engagement with us. Congratulations to you both. I enjoyed reading your review very much. I wanted to let you know that if you really enjoyed the Liars Club show then you really didn't miss much with the Chocolate Buffet. I am not a chocolate snob by any means.. in fact, maybe I'm biased because I'm not a huge fan of chocolate to begin with, but when I do eat chocolate, I do like it to be decent chocolate. I have found that the chocolate buffet chocolate just isn't that good, really. It is a sight to see, so from that aspect you might have missed out on a little. I do agree though it would be nice for them to put it when the most people would be able to attend. 8-)

 

The beds, just like food, are very subjective I know, but I have to tell you I feel like the bliss beds are the most comfortable I have ever slept on for a cruise ship. Really to me they are better than most hotels we have stayed at. But I totally get that a bed is one area we will all differ on. 8-)

 

Glad you had a good time. There was a lot more "Good" in your review than "Bad or Ugly".. so it seems it was a very nice vacation for you and the soon to be Mrs.. 8-)

 

 

Thanks so much! We loved our cruise and would book the sun again actually I told my parents to book it for a november cruise! Orlando is easier and cheaper for us to get to than Miami so this was always a plus! We really didnt wanna get off the boat and return to the real working life! The sun was a great ship Holds around 1950 passengers .. We did not have the college spring breakers so that was a plus was mostly older couples But it was nice not one group was taking over the ship.. I loved the SUn very very much!

[vols_159]

Thanks for the review.

 

We leave next Sat, so excited! This will be my 13 cruise, and 3 with NCL.

 

Did you do any of the tastings? Margarita, Sangria? any of those????

 

Sorry but I did not Im not a drinker and neither is she.. I only ordered 2 bar drinks the entire cruise and told them no alchol each time.. I know In the oberservation lounge there were nighly 2 for 1 margaritas around 6pm-7pm i think you may wanna check your freestyle daily when you board and it was always packed during that time.. The Oberservation lounge deck was my favorite place to watch sailaway!

[OceanDreaming2]

The just Plain Ugly!

 

Our Beds.. They were the new Bliss beds ive been reading about.. Wow one of the worst beds ive had! But I own a sleep number with a very very low sleep number! I Like Soft beds And The Bliss Beds are very Firm.. Didn’t have a good nights sleep!

 

 

 

Thank you for your review! We're on the Sun this September for 24 days so I'm reading as much as I can about the ship.

 

As for the beds, next time ask your room steward for an "egg crate" mattress topper. It makes a world of difference!

[AerynSun_JohnCrighton]

Sorry but I did not Im not a drinker and neither is she.. I only ordered 2 bar drinks the entire cruise and told them no alchol each time.. I know In the oberservation lounge there were nighly 2 for 1 margaritas around 6pm-7pm i think you may wanna check your freestyle daily when you board and it was always packed during that time.. The Oberservation lounge deck was my favorite place to watch sailaway!

 

I do more of the classes than the 2 for 1 things.

[roger001]

I'm so sorry NCL is dropping Santo Tomas. We've been twice. Love the place and the people. I guess it's just doesn't have the appeal of a "real tourist" type port stop for most cruisers. And you're right, I think it's in a beautiful setting. Santo Tomas...I'll miss you.

[vols_159]

I'm so sorry NCL is dropping Santo Tomas. We've been twice. Love the place and the people. I guess it's just doesn't have the appeal of a "real tourist" type port stop for most cruisers. And you're right, I think it's in a beautiful setting. Santo Tomas...I'll miss you.

 

 

:( I loved Santo Thomas from what the tour guide told us last cruise season 60 ships called on the port this yr it dropped to 29 :( He told us the president increased the port charge from .50 cents to $10 a person which caused all the cruise lines to cancel all future cruises.. But recently they threw out the $10 dollar law so maybe NCL and other cruise lines will start scheduling Santo Thomas in the future.. Its really a Beautiful place!

[sunlover1060]

Congrats on the engagement. Thanks for the great review. I am trying to soak up anything Sun related. We are booked on her in November for the "new Western itinerary", taking our 13 y/o grandson on his first cruise and are very excited. We have cruised on the Spirit and the Pearl and loved both ships, and are looking forward to cruising on the Sun.

[vols_159]

Congrats on the engagement. Thanks for the great review. I am trying to soak up anything Sun related. We are booked on her in November for the "new Western itinerary", taking our 13 y/o grandson on his first cruise and are very excited. We have cruised on the Spirit and the Pearl and loved both ships, and are looking forward to cruising on the Sun.

 

 

My Parents just booked the same cruise that you will be on! Sun is one of the smaller ships around 1900 passengers.. was a slightly older retired crowd which is a good thing we missed all the drunk college spring breakers! One thing i forgot to mention.. Lines for the 4 season MDR start lining up around 5:15 for when it opens at 5:30 we always tried to eat early and catch the 1st show..

[sunlover1060]

My Parents just booked the same cruise that you will be on! Sun is one of the smaller ships around 1900 passengers.. was a slightly older retired crowd which is a good thing we missed all the drunk college spring breakers! One thing i forgot to mention.. Lines for the 4 season MDR start lining up around 5:15 for when it opens at 5:30 we always tried to eat early and catch the 1st show..

 

Cool. If they are cruise critic members tell them to come and join our roll call! Thanks for the info on the MDR, we also try to catch the first show and then we have the rest of the night for slugging around the ship.:D

[jackinthebox422]

WE ARE GOING IN fEB - CAN'T WAIT -CONGRATS

[terrymtex01]

We loved the Sun as well. Of course it has been a few years since we have been aboard her, but very much looking forward to next year. I have always said one aspect of the Sun we liked is that she felt so unique in layout and design compared to other NCL ships and I still believe that is true. And I do have to throw in that we did better in her casino than we ever have in any other NCL casino. Of course that was back when the casino's really let you do well in them.. LOL.

[roger001]

Congrats on the engagement. Thanks for the great review. I am trying to soak up anything Sun related. We are booked on her in November for the "new Western itinerary", taking our 13 y/o grandson on his first cruise and are very excited. We have cruised on the Spirit and the Pearl and loved both ships, and are looking forward to cruising on the Sun.

 

I've sailed those other two and love them also, but the Sun is my favorite now. Like the Pearl, the Sun has the Great Outdoors and a Spinaker type lounge. Although the Sun bathrooms are smaller, they are well designed to be functional and this allows the cabin to be slightly bigger. Our balcony room had more shelf, desk, and storage space, a full length couch..and the actual balcony was deeper than the other NCL ships. In fact, the Sun balcony room room spoiled us and our next cruise on the Pearl in 3 weeks, we got a mini.

[sparks1093]

Thanks for the review vols, glad you enjoyed it! Next time put the soda in your carry on and you won't get called to the naughty room:).

[vols_159]

just wanna add one more thing

 

Men should never ever wear speedos IMO.. No matter if they are 300+lbs or a underwear model!

 

Belize City

They drive like mad men on speed and alchol.. So be warned... We ran 70 plus in a 25 mph zone.. While getting passed by bigger tour busses...

[roger001]

just wanna add one more thing

 

Men should never ever wear speedos IMO.. No matter if they are 300+lbs or a underwear model!

 

quote]

 

That is CORRECT. Many years ago, while growing up in the So.Cal. beach towns (early surfer era), they were called by us locals "tourist tights".

[klingoncruiser]

Thanks for the nice review.:)

[msheda]

just wanna add one more thing

 

Men should never ever wear speedos IMO.. No matter if they are 300+lbs or a underwear model!

 

Makes a note to take his speedo's out of his luggage......

[ncyankee]

Thanks for the review - we are really looking forward to our sailing on 4/16. Your title scared me at first -- but it was a very fair review.

[skbaw]

It was nice meeting you at the CC meet and greet and several other times throughout the cruise. Congratulations on your engagement.

 

I agree with your review - the food and entertainment was great and the excursions fantastic.

 

A couple of comments:

Soda - we taped 2 12-packs together, slapped on a luggage tag and dropped off with the porters. It was delivered to our cabin along with our luggage. DH would bring a can with him to dinner and get a glass of ice.

 

Chocolate Buffet - we were able to attend both the buffet and the late show. We headed down to the buffet a little early and the doors opened right as we got there. We selected a couple of dessert and took pics of the chocolate and ice sculptures - stayed about 10-15 minutes. Then headed to the show and was still able to find a good seat

 

Moderno - this was great. I liked the salad bar almost as much as the meat. The beef was especially good. Save room as it tends to be the last offering.

 

Get involved We participated in the Newlywed/Not so Newlywed Game - came in second. We (especially DH) was recognized all week even by staff - it was shown on tv for several days. We were also on the winning Quest team. That was a blast. We were on a team with several 20-somethings and they had played this game before. Romano Federiani, who hosted the game (and is very very funny) bought us a drink and talked with us for a little while.

 

Restaurants - never had to wait more than a few minutes to get into a restaurant. A couple times we were asked if we wanted to share a table. Both times was with more elderly people than us (we in our 50s) but we had good conversations and saw them often throughout the cruise. The buffet never seemed overly crowded - we could always find a seat.

 

Bar Setup - we ordered a bottle of whiskey and vodka. We would mix up drinks in a water bottle before going to a show or Dazzles, ask for a glass of ice and enjoy our drinks. Though the price per bottle is high - it is well worth it. We would have spent well over the $126 it cost if buying by the drink. However, the price of drinks were not bad - 2 seven & sevens cost $13 (with the 15% tip).

 

Entertainment - All of the shows were very good (we saw them all). But a couple stood out - Go see Sol Play. They played every night in Dazzles and were really good especially the female singer. Catch the crew talent show on the second sea day - they were all very good - with the best being a girl singer from Peru.

 

 

 

Excursions - we enjoyed them all and thought they were very well run. All were through the ship. The cost was about the same as we had seen independently. They were not crowded or feel like a cattle call.

 

Cozumel - we did the Jeep & Snorkel. It was about 10 jeeps which caravaned to the far side of Cozumel. We viewed a crocodile lagoon (excitement for day - a very expensive camera got dropped in the lagoon - they were able to recovery it with a long stick but the large male croc came over to investigate), a small ruin and a lighthouse. Spent an hour or so at a beach where you could scuba or just relax. The guides were very informative and it was well run

 

Guatemala - Also did the Rio Dulce tour. We stopped at Mrs Sanchez's house for about 30 minutes where we could make tortillas and view how they live. In Livingston, we went to a hotel for about 40 minutes where you could get drinks or food. We just got a soda ($3 US), relaxed and took in the view. Our tour guide - Julio - specifically asked that we stay as a group with him. We walked around the town showing us a military installation, a school (they were taking a test so we couldn't go in) and a church. The sellers, especially around the dock, can be insistent. If you want to buy something, keep bargaining with them. Julio was terrific and very knowledgable about his country. He was also the only tour guide that did not specifically ask for tips.

 

Belize - Altun Ha (Mayan Ruin) - the ruins were about a 50 minute bus ride but our guide Amelia was very informative. The ruins themselves were amazing. You can climb one here and the view from the top was fantastic. Agree that drivers are a bit crazy - everyone speeds. We were told that most of the sellers within the gated shopping area were not locals but from Mexico. There is some sellers outside the gate so we wandered through that area. Beware of the hair braiders - DH stopped as we got off the bus to ask the tour guide a question and the braiders started braiding his beard as he stood there. They wanted $2 a braid but he gave them a $1 a braid since they were really small and he didn't ask for it to be done.

 

Key West - you really need to have more time in Key West. The ship docks at the Naval base so you need to take a shuttle into town. Our shuttle driver though gives you some info on what you are seeing. We took the Old Town Trolly - good way to see a lot of the town in a short period. We visited the lighthouse and then walked back to pick up the shuttle back to the ship.

 

Not so goods:

I agree that the beds were not as comfortable as what I remember from Pride of America. The first couple of nights we kept getting tangled up in the comforter. We asked for it to be removed - our steward Willy - added an additional sheet and we slept comfortable the rest of the trip.

 

The first day it seemed that you were asked if you wanted a drink by everyone that walked by - but after that it got better - it wasn't quite so insistent.

 

The DJ in Dazzles - all he played was techno music. Not many people stayed in Dazzles once in began except for the White Hot Party. It would have been nice to have some dancing music with the back beat.

 

We had a great time and can't wait to cruise again (Bought our cruise reward to ensure we do)

[vols_159]

It was nice meeting you at the CC meet and greet and several other times throughout the cruise. Congratulations on your engagement.

 

I agree with your review - the food and entertainment was great and the excursions fantastic.

 

A couple of comments:

Soda - we taped 2 12-packs together, slapped on a luggage tag and dropped off with the porters. It was delivered to our cabin along with our luggage. DH would bring a can with him to dinner and get a glass of ice.

 

Chocolate Buffet - we were able to attend both the buffet and the late show. We headed down to the buffet a little early and the doors opened right as we got there. We selected a couple of dessert and took pics of the chocolate and ice sculptures - stayed about 10-15 minutes. Then headed to the show and was still able to find a good seat

 

Moderno - this was great. I liked the salad bar almost as much as the meat. The beef was especially good. Save room as it tends to be the last offering.

 

Get involved We participated in the Newlywed/Not so Newlywed Game - came in second. We (especially DH) was recognized all week even by staff - it was shown on tv for several days. We were also on the winning Quest team. That was a blast. We were on a team with several 20-somethings and they had played this game before. Romano Federiani, who hosted the game (and is very very funny) bought us a drink and talked with us for a little while.

 

Restaurants - never had to wait more than a few minutes to get into a restaurant. A couple times we were asked if we wanted to share a table. Both times was with more elderly people than us (we in our 50s) but we had good conversations and saw them often throughout the cruise. The buffet never seemed overly crowded - we could always find a seat.

 

Bar Setup - we ordered a bottle of whiskey and vodka. We would mix up drinks in a water bottle before going to a show or Dazzles, ask for a glass of ice and enjoy our drinks. Though the price per bottle is high - it is well worth it. We would have spent well over the $126 it cost if buying by the drink. However, the price of drinks were not bad - 2 seven & sevens cost $13 (with the 15% tip).

 

Entertainment - All of the shows were very good (we saw them all). But a couple stood out - Go see Sol Play. They played every night in Dazzles and were really good especially the female singer. Catch the crew talent show on the second sea day - they were all very good - with the best being a girl singer from Peru.

 

 

 

Excursions - we enjoyed them all and thought they were very well run. All were through the ship. The cost was about the same as we had seen independently. They were not crowded or feel like a cattle call.

 

Cozumel - we did the Jeep & Snorkel. It was about 10 jeeps which caravaned to the far side of Cozumel. We viewed a crocodile lagoon (excitement for day - a very expensive camera got dropped in the lagoon - they were able to recovery it with a long stick but the large male croc came over to investigate), a small ruin and a lighthouse. Spent an hour or so at a beach where you could scuba or just relax. The guides were very informative and it was well run

 

Guatemala - Also did the Rio Dulce tour. We stopped at Mrs Sanchez's house for about 30 minutes where we could make tortillas and view how they live. In Livingston, we went to a hotel for about 40 minutes where you could get drinks or food. We just got a soda ($3 US), relaxed and took in the view. Our tour guide - Julio - specifically asked that we stay as a group with him. We walked around the town showing us a military installation, a school (they were taking a test so we couldn't go in) and a church. The sellers, especially around the dock, can be insistent. If you want to buy something, keep bargaining with them. Julio was terrific and very knowledgable about his country. He was also the only tour guide that did not specifically ask for tips.

 

Belize - Altun Ha (Mayan Ruin) - the ruins were about a 50 minute bus ride but our guide Amelia was very informative. The ruins themselves were amazing. You can climb one here and the view from the top was fantastic. Agree that drivers are a bit crazy - everyone speeds. We were told that most of the sellers within the gated shopping area were not locals but from Mexico. There is some sellers outside the gate so we wandered through that area. Beware of the hair braiders - DH stopped as we got off the bus to ask the tour guide a question and the braiders started braiding his beard as he stood there. They wanted $2 a braid but he gave them a $1 a braid since they were really small and he didn't ask for it to be done.

 

Key West - you really need to have more time in Key West. The ship docks at the Naval base so you need to take a shuttle into town. Our shuttle driver though gives you some info on what you are seeing. We took the Old Town Trolly - good way to see a lot of the town in a short period. We visited the lighthouse and then walked back to pick up the shuttle back to the ship.

 

Not so goods:

I agree that the beds were not as comfortable as what I remember from Pride of America. The first couple of nights we kept getting tangled up in the comforter. We asked for it to be removed - our steward Willy - added an additional sheet and we slept comfortable the rest of the trip.

 

The first day it seemed that you were asked if you wanted a drink by everyone that walked by - but after that it got better - it wasn't quite so insistent.

 

The DJ in Dazzles - all he played was techno music. Not many people stayed in Dazzles once in began except for the White Hot Party. It would have been nice to have some dancing music with the back beat.

 

We had a great time and can't wait to cruise again (Bought our cruise reward to ensure we do)

 

 

I just wanna let you know I really enjoyed meeting you and your DH! We laughted at the newly wed game all week! i would re watch it in our stateroom all the time! And I hope the next cruise i take is our honeymoon cruise ! but she said there is no way shes playing the newly wed game!

[klupchak]

What did you do in Santo Tomas? Shawn