Norwegian Sun Baltics Review

[LordWinston]

Hi Everyone --

 

I promised to post a quick review of the NCL Sun Baltics cruise I took with my friend Kathleen. Departure June 13, 2011. Here you go:

 

We stayed overnight before and after the cruise at the Marriott in Copenhagen. We got the rate of $105 on priceline. We upgraded to executive level upon arrival to hotel. This allowed us the following perks -- food for dinner and breakfast, beverages throughout the day, internet service.

 

The hotel will allow you to use health club showers when you get into town. They will get you into a room as soon as possible if available. They will allow you to use the executive level perks starting at 10:30am if you purchase them. We got into the room after 12 noon on arrival day and 10:30 am on day after cruise.

 

I recommend the boat tour for Copenhagen. (Concierge has tickets at Marriott of you stay there) Tivoli is wonderful at night. Cheaper pass at the park allows you to stroll for about $15 dollars without the rides.

 

Places take visa cards. No local currency used. Train station is walking distance from Marriott, but if you are not in good shape, don't risk it.

 

Cab fare to Marriott is about $50 and $30 from hotel to port.

 

NCL Sun:

 

Ship is in remarkably good condition for being over 10 years old. She has lots of retro ocean liner touches -- tiger maple veneer walls with brass accents, rose hued mirrors (a la Queen Mary) in the the shopping arcade.

 

Sun has a friendly, happy vibe to it. It isn't over the top. It is a great sized ship to take on this kind of voyage.

 

Cabin -- 0236 -- level 10. I would have thought it was only a couple of years old. All the cabinets and furnishings were clean and sparkling. Bathroom was smaller in size to other ship bathrooms, but functional. Shower was a bit too small for my liking, but it worked. Constant hot water pressure. Balcony felt private and was a good size.

 

Drydock Improvements: The new screws permit a 6% decrease in fuel consumption for the ship. Half a million dollars of gear was installed in the theater and night club. New carpets were put in. Replacement of beds is ongoing. Ship upholstery was in good order with many chairs recently reupholstered.

 

Food: We ate more at the Garden Buffet than I thought we would. We did so mainly because we preferred to go there after one of our day long excursions. Garden Cafe is dated in looks (Think Golden Girls Decor) but it is cozy. Food did get repetitive over 9 days. But we always found something to eat. Desserts were poor. Eggs in the morning were watery. Ice cream sundaes were yummy and free.

 

Main Dining room: Rear blue dining room was the one that was used. Opened earlier on port days to allow for excursions, etc. I preferred to eat here in the mornings. They had a quick buffet that opened for the first half hour - eggs, bacon sausage, muffins, yogurt, coffee, juice, etc. After a half hour you get menu service. (Eggs Benedict with or without salmon was very tasty!)

 

(BTW -- the Library was open early and had crossword puzzles available by six in the morning, if you like to work one with your morning coffee)

 

We only at one time in the main dining room (Blue one) and really had a nice dinner and good service. Not a huge menu, but decent food.

 

Brazilian Restaurant: Great service and great food. Too much food for my tastes, but it was all delicious. It was a unique dining experience.

 

Italian Restaurant: Perfectly cooked pasta. Good service. I liked the longish dining room. For $10 a person, it was passable.

 

French Restaurant: We did this one the last night of the cruise. I would rethink this if we did this again. Remember -- NCL ships food from Miami to Copenhagen for this cruise. Therefore by night 8 things aren't going to be the freshest. I was most disappointed by the meal overall. I have had the same meal in the main dining room on other lines. Maybe it would have been better if we booked earlier in the cruise, when food was fresher. In no way does this restaurant compare with other French restaurants on other cruise lines. No table side preparation, no cheese and fruit cart. Pretty room, with lots of art nouveau touches.

 

Entertainment: Cruise Director Pedro told me that he booked talent on this cruise who would be interesting visually and musically since there were so many guests on board who might not speak English. The German comedian/juggler was great. Dancers were good. Singers were okay. Magic act was okay. There was a five woman mini musical that covered sixties songs that I found weakly performed, poorly conceived, focusing on unoriginal and demeaning female stereotypes. The Dream Girls - esque performance, by an entirely different cast was a much better show. I was impressed by the variety of the acts. There really was something for everyone.

 

There were lots of trivia times aboard for we trivia nuts. Kids were few, but they had a good program for them and the kids really seemed to be having a great time.

 

Staff: Did their jobs well with a friendly comfortable style. That was different from other staffs of other ships. NCL Sun staff was warmer and more hospitable than other lines. The exception being the guest services front desk folks, who all seemed abrupt to Kathleen and I on several independent occasions.

 

Ports:

 

Copenhagen: Very walkable city. We loved the boat ride (Can see lots of attractions with no walking) We also enjoyed Tivoli -- I personally love historic parks like this. It was the park that inspired Walt Disney to make his. Is it as big as his? of course not. But it has lots of pretty vistas and little gardens and lots of old style amusements that may spark your nostalgia gland. A great place for ice cream after dinner.

 

Warnemunde: We just stayed in the town. It was a beautiful sunny day and we thought it was a really cute town to wander and enjoy. We walked out to the beach as well. Just a really pretty place. We didn't want to do Berlin. Too much travel and rushing about for us. We could have gone to Rostock, but found Warnemunde filled with enough attractions and shops to interest us for the day.

 

Estonia: My travel partner over induldged the night before on the free ice cream and wasn't feeling well so I did this one on my own. A very picturesque town with lots of medieval buildings and towers and walls. It was fun to walk about. I caught a morning mass in the Orthodox Church complete with ancient chant and incense and it was very beautiful. There is probably some of the cheapest shopping at this port. If you root around you can find some interesting stuff. One shop sold old authentic Soviet medals and memorabilia that I didn't see in Russia. Amber was cheaper here than St. Pete's as well. The walk into the city is a long one. Maybe a mile into town. If you have a hard time walking a few miles in a day, take one of the double decked tour busses that load up right outside of the ship. No reservations required.

 

Saint Petersburg: We sailed with Denrus and were really happy with them. Kathleen took the less strenuous tour and I took the regular tour they offer. Kathleen didn't see Catherine's palace on her tour. Nor did she go to the Peter and Paul church/fort. We both really enjoyed our tours. Kathleen said the tour she took was perfect for her -- more bathroom breaks, less walking. Peterhof palace gardens are spectacular. One of the great wonders of the world. Hermitage does get warm inside. No AC. Denrus and a lot of the tours now have ear phones you wear that we all loved. The guides spoke into their microphones and we didn't have to strain to hear them. It is a great improvement.

 

Doing Saint Petersburg on your Own: Check the visa requirements. I don't have a total understanding of these. But if you are a well educated traveler who has a good idea of what you want to see, you may want to just rent a cab for the day right from the St. Pete's port. I talked to than at the Taxi kiosk. He said you could rent a taxi for the whole day for $150 to $190. He would charge an extra $50 to run out to Peterhof Palace. He said the drivers would not speak english, but that you could provide him with an itinerary or list of places you wanted to see and he would communicate that to the driver. So this is a very exciting option for some cruisers to try out.

 

Helsinki: I booked the NCL Architecture tour and really enjoyed it. We went out into the forests which will filled with birch trees and lavender flowers to see the home and studio of the Saarinen family. We then went back into the city and took a riding tour of the architectural tour highlights. The bus will either drop you off in the center of town and you can walk back to the ship or you can stay on the bus. I really enjoyed walking back to the ship. (You need to be able to walk a couple of miles easily though) I didn't get to go to their old amusement park which has the oldest roller coaster in Europe. A great reason to return again!

 

Stockholm: We took the NCL bus into the city and then to the Vasa ship tour. It worked perfectly for us. We got into town without any hassles. We saw the Vasa and the city highlights. We were dropped off in the city and walked to the old town where we had lunch and saw the changing of the guards. The busses all line up at about 2:15pm to start taking people back to the pier. It doesn't matter if you signed up for NCL or another line, if you have your tour sticker, you could hop on any bus for the ride back to port. NOTE: The ship docks about 40 minutes outside of Stockholm. You either have to take a tour bus or take the train in or maybe hop a taxi. We were not early birds to the Vasa, but the crowds were not overwhelming. Vasa ship will be a highlight of the tour.

 

This cruise was unlike any I have taken in the past. If you are mobile and like to walk, it is ideal. You will love the history, sights and cultures. Since there are only a couple of sea days it really does come at you though. I lost about five pounds on the cruise because of all the walking I did. It was really great that way. Read up on the ports before you go. Bring a good pair of walking shoes, maybe a portable umbrella or rain poncho. The best cruise I have taken overall. :D

 

NOTE: For some strange reason, NCL Sun blocked logging onto Cruise Critic while at sea. Hopefully they will change this policy in the future.;)

[Sauer-kraut]

Winston,

What a great review. I loved the SUN on her transatlantic last October, I too thought she was a great size. Are you going to post your comments about the ports over on the Baltics board in Ports of Call? I think people would like to read about yours and Kathleen's different St. Petersburg tours.

 

Would you do another Baltic cruise or did it cover enough for you?

[OceanDreaming2]

Thank you Lord Winston. We are staying at the CPH Marriott before we cruise in September, so it was great to hear someone enjoyed the hotel. Where did you eat while in CPH? Are restaurants uber-expensive?

 

I can imagine, (for us) after 24 days the food on the ship will begin to "get old". She will take on provisions along the way, but we'll try to take in LeBistro early.

 

Did you check out the spa on the ship? I understand you can't get a spa pass, but is the spa area open to all for relaxing?

 

Please post your review in the "reviews" section. There aren't very many actual reviews of the Sun.

 

Thanks again!

[valleyvillage]

Did you check out the spa on the ship? I understand you can't get a spa pass, but is the spa area open to all for relaxing?

The Sun is a wonderful ship, I have great memories of her when we did PC. The mini suites on that ship are special!

 

The spa is very simple, not a real spa like on other NCL ships. There are showers, small steam room and small sauna. I really enjoyed it but it is not a place to hang out if not using the wet rooms.

 

Lord Winston really nailed it with the "friendly, happy vibe!" Mom had a Crack-it and couldn't figure it out. She asked me to check it. I stared and stared...she won $1000!

[OceanDreaming2]

Did you check out internet access when you were in the ports? I don't want to lug the netbook (it gets heavy) if we can't get on-line easily (i.e. in the port).

[LordWinston]

Thanks for all the kind notes --

 

Here are some answers to your questions --

 

I would go again to the Baltics (if I could afford it, lol!) in a second and I would love to do it again on the Sun.

 

Copenhagen Restaurants -- We were hungry when we arrived in Copenhagen in the morning. We hadn't yet been given access to our room. Breakfast for two in the Marriott was $70! (Including a basket of $20 danish/bread!) We basically ate in the executive lounge after that. However, I had to do some business in Copenhagen on Vesterbrogade street and went by a ton of restaurants that seemed more geared to the locals and had quite a variety and was less touristy. I was on the section of the street closer to the train station.

 

Off shore internet access: I noticed a whole bunch of crew people outside of a cafe with their laptops open accessing free internet in Warnemunde. The shop was close to the old light house by the beach. I didn't see this in any of the other ports.

 

Let me go back to your posts and see if I covered your questions....:)

[LordWinston]

Spa -- I didn't use the spa at all, so I would refer you to other posts.

 

I totally forgot another funny thing -- Gentlemen -- If you are looking for quiet restrooms that will keep you out of the way of your dear wives' SACRED BATHROOMS -- I found a couple on the ship that will afford you a private 'daily constitution' on the Sun without hassles --

 

Observation Lounge floor 12. Tucked around the corner -- a very private men's restroom. Windjammer restroom is also nice and quiet in the mornings I think it was on deck 6. ;)

[Doughboy139]

Great review, My mother and I did this baltic cruise last year on the SUN (mini-suite 1210) out of dover and really loved it that we are doing it again this year on the SUN (aft mini-suite 9078) on 9/11 along with the Trans-atlantic on 9/20....can't wait to see the changes on the SUN.

[Doughboy139]

As my son said - we loved the Baltic Cruise taken last August 2010---so much so that we decided to repeat it this September 2011. We started from Dover, England last year but they have changed it to start from Copenhagen, Denmark - eliminating 3 Sea Days from the itinerary. I like the Sea Days and will miss them this time but it won't stop me from enjoying the coming cruise. We are also continuing on the SUN with the Trans Atlantic Cruise back to the states - where we will have several SEA DAYS to enjoy. Looking forward to our coming 24 days on the wonderful SUN - doesn't get any better than that !!!!! Carol (Peter's Mom) Doughboy 139

[LordWinston]

I love sea days too! We would have loved to have had a couple more days on this friendly ship.

[STARFISH*4]

thanks for your review, altho wont be doing the Baltics we will be on her in December for B2B so Pedro is still onboard, WE LOVED him last December on our B2B...he was a GREAT CD!!

by chance do you happen to know how much longer he will be on the SUN?

we are so looking forward to another 2 weeks on the SUN...we had a GREAT time!!

we are on The NORWAY deck too...so did you have the new beds yet?

[Got2Cruise]

Thanks for your review. I am rofl about the blocking CC while on board. :D We sail in two weeks. I am so excited and am sure we will have a marvelous time! I didn't know that the food comes all the way from Miami. . .interesting. But I agree your point. The last day of meals is always the weakest, no matter which cruiseline or venue.

[vols_159]

Wheres the Blue rear dinning room? When I was on the SUN last march There was Seven seas and Four seasons dinning rooms (MDR)

[LordWinston]

The blue dining room was the Seven Seas. I forgot the name, lol! we never ate in the Four Seasons. I loved the red of the Four Seasons but breakfasts were served in the Seven Seas. Since the sun is up so long, I would opt for the Seven Seas during dinner because three sides of the restaurant have windows -- you can get a very panoramic view. Four Seasons has two sides with windows.

 

Miami -- this tidbit was provided to us from the Sun's head chef during the Q and A on board. I had no idea either that all the food was shipped from Miami to Copenhagen. He said that way they can check it for safety along with all the other food for their other ships. No need to worry about German sprouts!

 

Beds -- Our beds seemed new. New sheets and pillows and blankets. New mattresses too (no sagging and firm). Bathrobes were in the closet.

[LordWinston]

Oh also -- the head of the hotel side of the Sun ship operations said updating of the ship was ongoing, not just during dry dock. He said, for example, when we came back into port that 50 new beds awaited the ship. I also recall someone recently reporting that new chairs were being loaded into the ship as well a few weeks ago. I guess this is why all the upholstery looked to be in good shape throughout the ship. They must be sending stuff out and getting it back.

 

I can't get over just how clean and neat and new our cabin looked. White comforters and pillows were bright and fresh. The wood cabinets especially were shiny and added a touch of that vintage ocean liner glamour that the ship has in public areas.

[OceanDreaming2]

Did you need a PIN number to use your credit card? We plan to use our CO MasterCard but it doesn't have a PIN number.

 

Thanks again!

[newmexicoNita]

Hi Everyone --

 

I promised to post a quick review of the NCL Sun Baltics cruise I took with my friend Kathleen. Departure June 13, 2011. Here you go:

 

We stayed overnight before and after the cruise at the Marriott in Copenhagen. We got the rate of $105 on priceline. We upgraded to executive level upon arrival to hotel. This allowed us the following perks -- food for dinner and breakfast, beverages throughout the day, internet service.

 

The hotel will allow you to use health club showers when you get into town. They will get you into a room as soon as possible if available. They will allow you to use the executive level perks starting at 10:30am if you purchase them. We got into the room after 12 noon on arrival day and 10:30 am on day after cruise.

 

I recommend the boat tour for Copenhagen. (Concierge has tickets at Marriott of you stay there) Tivoli is wonderful at night. Cheaper pass at the park allows you to stroll for about $15 dollars without the rides.

 

Places take visa cards. No local currency used. Train station is walking distance from Marriott, but if you are not in good shape, don't risk it.

 

Cab fare to Marriott is about $50 and $30 from hotel to port.

 

NCL Sun:

 

Ship is in remarkably good condition for being over 10 years old. She has lots of retro ocean liner touches -- tiger maple veneer walls with brass accents, rose hued mirrors (a la Queen Mary) in the the shopping arcade.

 

Sun has a friendly, happy vibe to it. It isn't over the top. It is a great sized ship to take on this kind of voyage.

 

Cabin -- 0236 -- level 10. I would have thought it was only a couple of years old. All the cabinets and furnishings were clean and sparkling. Bathroom was smaller in size to other ship bathrooms, but functional. Shower was a bit too small for my liking, but it worked. Constant hot water pressure. Balcony felt private and was a good size.

 

Drydock Improvements: The new screws permit a 6% decrease in fuel consumption for the ship. Half a million dollars of gear was installed in the theater and night club. New carpets were put in. Replacement of beds is ongoing. Ship upholstery was in good order with many chairs recently reupholstered.

 

Food: We ate more at the Garden Buffet than I thought we would. We did so mainly because we preferred to go there after one of our day long excursions. Garden Cafe is dated in looks (Think Golden Girls Decor) but it is cozy. Food did get repetitive over 9 days. But we always found something to eat. Desserts were poor. Eggs in the morning were watery. Ice cream sundaes were yummy and free.

 

Main Dining room: Rear blue dining room was the one that was used. Opened earlier on port days to allow for excursions, etc. I preferred to eat here in the mornings. They had a quick buffet that opened for the first half hour - eggs, bacon sausage, muffins, yogurt, coffee, juice, etc. After a half hour you get menu service. (Eggs Benedict with or without salmon was very tasty!)

 

(BTW -- the Library was open early and had crossword puzzles available by six in the morning, if you like to work one with your morning coffee)

 

We only at one time in the main dining room (Blue one) and really had a nice dinner and good service. Not a huge menu, but decent food.

 

Brazilian Restaurant: Great service and great food. Too much food for my tastes, but it was all delicious. It was a unique dining experience.

 

Italian Restaurant: Perfectly cooked pasta. Good service. I liked the longish dining room. For $10 a person, it was passable.

 

French Restaurant: We did this one the last night of the cruise. I would rethink this if we did this again. Remember -- NCL ships food from Miami to Copenhagen for this cruise. Therefore by night 8 things aren't going to be the freshest. I was most disappointed by the meal overall. I have had the same meal in the main dining room on other lines. Maybe it would have been better if we booked earlier in the cruise, when food was fresher. In no way does this restaurant compare with other French restaurants on other cruise lines. No table side preparation, no cheese and fruit cart. Pretty room, with lots of art nouveau touches.

 

Entertainment: Cruise Director Pedro told me that he booked talent on this cruise who would be interesting visually and musically since there were so many guests on board who might not speak English. The German comedian/juggler was great. Dancers were good. Singers were okay. Magic act was okay. There was a five woman mini musical that covered sixties songs that I found weakly performed, poorly conceived, focusing on unoriginal and demeaning female stereotypes. The Dream Girls - esque performance, by an entirely different cast was a much better show. I was impressed by the variety of the acts. There really was something for everyone.

 

There were lots of trivia times aboard for we trivia nuts. Kids were few, but they had a good program for them and the kids really seemed to be having a great time.

 

Staff: Did their jobs well with a friendly comfortable style. That was different from other staffs of other ships. NCL Sun staff was warmer and more hospitable than other lines. The exception being the guest services front desk folks, who all seemed abrupt to Kathleen and I on several independent occasions.

 

Ports:

 

Copenhagen: Very walkable city. We loved the boat ride (Can see lots of attractions with no walking) We also enjoyed Tivoli -- I personally love historic parks like this. It was the park that inspired Walt Disney to make his. Is it as big as his? of course not. But it has lots of pretty vistas and little gardens and lots of old style amusements that may spark your nostalgia gland. A great place for ice cream after dinner.

 

Warnemunde: We just stayed in the town. It was a beautiful sunny day and we thought it was a really cute town to wander and enjoy. We walked out to the beach as well. Just a really pretty place. We didn't want to do Berlin. Too much travel and rushing about for us. We could have gone to Rostock, but found Warnemunde filled with enough attractions and shops to interest us for the day.

 

Estonia: My travel partner over induldged the night before on the free ice cream and wasn't feeling well so I did this one on my own. A very picturesque town with lots of medieval buildings and towers and walls. It was fun to walk about. I caught a morning mass in the Orthodox Church complete with ancient chant and incense and it was very beautiful. There is probably some of the cheapest shopping at this port. If you root around you can find some interesting stuff. One shop sold old authentic Soviet medals and memorabilia that I didn't see in Russia. Amber was cheaper here than St. Pete's as well. The walk into the city is a long one. Maybe a mile into town. If you have a hard time walking a few miles in a day, take one of the double decked tour busses that load up right outside of the ship. No reservations required.

 

Saint Petersburg: We sailed with Denrus and were really happy with them. Kathleen took the less strenuous tour and I took the regular tour they offer. Kathleen didn't see Catherine's palace on her tour. Nor did she go to the Peter and Paul church/fort. We both really enjoyed our tours. Kathleen said the tour she took was perfect for her -- more bathroom breaks, less walking. Peterhof palace gardens are spectacular. One of the great wonders of the world. Hermitage does get warm inside. No AC. Denrus and a lot of the tours now have ear phones you wear that we all loved. The guides spoke into their microphones and we didn't have to strain to hear them. It is a great improvement.

 

Doing Saint Petersburg on your Own: Check the visa requirements. I don't have a total understanding of these. But if you are a well educated traveler who has a good idea of what you want to see, you may want to just rent a cab for the day right from the St. Pete's port. I talked to than at the Taxi kiosk. He said you could rent a taxi for the whole day for $150 to $190. He would charge an extra $50 to run out to Peterhof Palace. He said the drivers would not speak english, but that you could provide him with an itinerary or list of places you wanted to see and he would communicate that to the driver. So this is a very exciting option for some cruisers to try out.

 

Helsinki: I booked the NCL Architecture tour and really enjoyed it. We went out into the forests which will filled with birch trees and lavender flowers to see the home and studio of the Saarinen family. We then went back into the city and took a riding tour of the architectural tour highlights. The bus will either drop you off in the center of town and you can walk back to the ship or you can stay on the bus. I really enjoyed walking back to the ship. (You need to be able to walk a couple of miles easily though) I didn't get to go to their old amusement park which has the oldest roller coaster in Europe. A great reason to return again!

 

Stockholm: We took the NCL bus into the city and then to the Vasa ship tour. It worked perfectly for us. We got into town without any hassles. We saw the Vasa and the city highlights. We were dropped off in the city and walked to the old town where we had lunch and saw the changing of the guards. The busses all line up at about 2:15pm to start taking people back to the pier. It doesn't matter if you signed up for NCL or another line, if you have your tour sticker, you could hop on any bus for the ride back to port. NOTE: The ship docks about 40 minutes outside of Stockholm. You either have to take a tour bus or take the train in or maybe hop a taxi. We were not early birds to the Vasa, but the crowds were not overwhelming. Vasa ship will be a highlight of the tour.

 

This cruise was unlike any I have taken in the past. If you are mobile and like to walk, it is ideal. You will love the history, sights and cultures. Since there are only a couple of sea days it really does come at you though. I lost about five pounds on the cruise because of all the walking I did. It was really great that way. Read up on the ports before you go. Bring a good pair of walking shoes, maybe a portable umbrella or rain poncho. The best cruise I have taken overall. :D

 

NOTE: For some strange reason, NCL Sun blocked logging onto Cruise Critic while at sea. Hopefully they will change this policy in the future.;)

 

The blocking CC log in must have been either a fluke or very new as there have been many cruisers as recently as a month or so ago that have done daily postings from the ships.

 

Nita

[LordWinston]

PIN Number for Visa/Mastercard: Great question! I got mine right before we left. It seemed that some vendors preferred the PIN to the signature in some places. Copenhagen and Stockholm liked it more in my recollections. But it wasn't consistent. Also, we found that they were used to Americans not having their PINs and most vendors will just print the signature receipt for you to sign and it is done.

 

Also: I don't think American cards work in the the ticket kiosks for trains. Euro cards have a special chip the American cards still don't have that is needed for the card to work.

 

And: Many countries will give you the choice to pay in their own currency or the euro rate on the VISA. I read some place that the more favorable rate was to chose the local currency. That's what we did.

 

Bottom line: I used only my VISA and I brought with me about a $100 dollars cash for the whole trip. We did not take public transportation. I only used the dollars for tips and food in American airports. The rest of the cash was left over. Visa worked fine on all other purchases. Some small potatoes vendors will only take cash - but they were few -- and you could resort to dollars if need be with them.

 

Shutting Down Cruise Critic on NCL: Numberguy, the poster who organized our Cruise Critic sail away party, reported that he wanted to post updates throughout the cruise and was not allowed to get onto Cruise Critic via ship computers. He also reported asking the cruise staff to change the policy. Then, I couldn't get the site either when I tried it. Is this now new NCL policy in the past month or only the SUN or a weird fluke, I wonder?

[Norwegian Cruise Line]

Dear LordWinston,

Thanks for your review of Norwegian Sun in the Baltics. We are glad you enjoyed your trip. We wanted to let you know that we don't have any type of policy that restricts access to Cruise Critic while you are on board.

 

Norwegian Sun Hotel Director Steven Jacobsen says he spoke with the Cruise Critic Leader on your voyage about his problem accessing Cruise Critic. Steven had the Internet Cafe manager check and the site was working fine from the ship. Steven let the Cruise Critic Leader know that we had checked and the Cruise Critic Leader noted that it may have been an issue with his laptop.

 

We hope to welcome you aboard one of our ships in the near future! Thanks again for sharing your experiences.

 

Best,

Norwegian Cruise Line Public Relations

[MS52]

Norwegian Sun Hotel Director Steven Jacobsen says he spoke with the Cruise Critic Leader on your voyage about his problem ........

 

I was also on the Baltic Cruise last week. The Hotel Director seemed to be EVERYWHERE. Any issues/questions/problems were immediately addressed by him. Thank you!

[OceanDreaming2]

Shutting Down Cruise Critic on NCL: Numberguy, the poster who organized our Cruise Critic sail away party, reported that he wanted to post updates throughout the cruise and was not allowed to get onto Cruise Critic via ship computers. He also reported asking the cruise staff to change the policy. Then, I couldn't get the site either when I tried it. Is this now new NCL policy in the past month or only the SUN or a weird fluke, I wonder?

 

I saw that NCL Public Relations reponded Norwegian Sun Hotel Director spoke with the Cruise Critic Leader on your voyage about his problem accessing Cruise Critic and the Internet Cafe manager checked and the site was working fine from the ship. The Cruise Critic Leader was advised they had checked and the Cruise Critic Leader noted that it may have been an issue with his laptop.

 

However, it does seem odd that the CC Leader AND LordWinston had trouble accessing CC.

 

Either way, the internet on board the ship will be too expensive while we're on board. Just curious. :confused:

[LordWinston]

Thanks NCL Public Relations for responding -- I had no idea you folks were watching all these posts so closely! It was a great cruise and I don't want to get sidetracked by this theme, which was minor in the cruise experience. ;)

[Got2Cruise]

That is great to hear. When you see the Hotel Director everywhere, you know that he has high standards.

I was also on the Baltic Cruise last week. The Hotel Director seemed to be EVERYWHERE. Any issues/questions/problems were immediately addressed by him. Thank you!

[WitchyTraveller]

Hi Everyone --

 

I promised to post a quick review of the NCL Sun Baltics cruise I took with my friend Kathleen. Departure June 13, 2011. Here you go:

 

We stayed overnight before and after the cruise at the Marriott in Copenhagen. We got the rate of $105 on priceline. We upgraded to executive level upon arrival to hotel. This allowed us the following perks -- food for dinner and breakfast, beverages throughout the day, internet service.

 

The hotel will allow you to use health club showers when you get into town. They will get you into a room as soon as possible if available. They will allow you to use the executive level perks starting at 10:30am if you purchase them. We got into the room after 12 noon on arrival day and 10:30 am on day after cruise.

 

I recommend the boat tour for Copenhagen. (Concierge has tickets at Marriott of you stay there) Tivoli is wonderful at night. Cheaper pass at the park allows you to stroll for about $15 dollars without the rides.

 

Places take visa cards. No local currency used. Train station is walking distance from Marriott, but if you are not in good shape, don't risk it.

 

Cab fare to Marriott is about $50 and $30 from hotel to port.

 

NCL Sun:

 

Ship is in remarkably good condition for being over 10 years old. She has lots of retro ocean liner touches -- tiger maple veneer walls with brass accents, rose hued mirrors (a la Queen Mary) in the the shopping arcade.

 

Sun has a friendly, happy vibe to it. It isn't over the top. It is a great sized ship to take on this kind of voyage.

 

Cabin -- 0236 -- level 10. I would have thought it was only a couple of years old. All the cabinets and furnishings were clean and sparkling. Bathroom was smaller in size to other ship bathrooms, but functional. Shower was a bit too small for my liking, but it worked. Constant hot water pressure. Balcony felt private and was a good size.

 

Drydock Improvements: The new screws permit a 6% decrease in fuel consumption for the ship. Half a million dollars of gear was installed in the theater and night club. New carpets were put in. Replacement of beds is ongoing. Ship upholstery was in good order with many chairs recently reupholstered.

 

Food: We ate more at the Garden Buffet than I thought we would. We did so mainly because we preferred to go there after one of our day long excursions. Garden Cafe is dated in looks (Think Golden Girls Decor) but it is cozy. Food did get repetitive over 9 days. But we always found something to eat. Desserts were poor. Eggs in the morning were watery. Ice cream sundaes were yummy and free.

 

Main Dining room: Rear blue dining room was the one that was used. Opened earlier on port days to allow for excursions, etc. I preferred to eat here in the mornings. They had a quick buffet that opened for the first half hour - eggs, bacon sausage, muffins, yogurt, coffee, juice, etc. After a half hour you get menu service. (Eggs Benedict with or without salmon was very tasty!)

 

(BTW -- the Library was open early and had crossword puzzles available by six in the morning, if you like to work one with your morning coffee)

 

We only at one time in the main dining room (Blue one) and really had a nice dinner and good service. Not a huge menu, but decent food.

 

Brazilian Restaurant: Great service and great food. Too much food for my tastes, but it was all delicious. It was a unique dining experience.

 

Italian Restaurant: Perfectly cooked pasta. Good service. I liked the longish dining room. For $10 a person, it was passable.

 

French Restaurant: We did this one the last night of the cruise. I would rethink this if we did this again. Remember -- NCL ships food from Miami to Copenhagen for this cruise. Therefore by night 8 things aren't going to be the freshest. I was most disappointed by the meal overall. I have had the same meal in the main dining room on other lines. Maybe it would have been better if we booked earlier in the cruise, when food was fresher. In no way does this restaurant compare with other French restaurants on other cruise lines. No table side preparation, no cheese and fruit cart. Pretty room, with lots of art nouveau touches.

 

Entertainment: Cruise Director Pedro told me that he booked talent on this cruise who would be interesting visually and musically since there were so many guests on board who might not speak English. The German comedian/juggler was great. Dancers were good. Singers were okay. Magic act was okay. There was a five woman mini musical that covered sixties songs that I found weakly performed, poorly conceived, focusing on unoriginal and demeaning female stereotypes. The Dream Girls - esque performance, by an entirely different cast was a much better show. I was impressed by the variety of the acts. There really was something for everyone.

 

There were lots of trivia times aboard for we trivia nuts. Kids were few, but they had a good program for them and the kids really seemed to be having a great time.

 

Staff: Did their jobs well with a friendly comfortable style. That was different from other staffs of other ships. NCL Sun staff was warmer and more hospitable than other lines. The exception being the guest services front desk folks, who all seemed abrupt to Kathleen and I on several independent occasions.

 

Ports:

 

Copenhagen: Very walkable city. We loved the boat ride (Can see lots of attractions with no walking) We also enjoyed Tivoli -- I personally love historic parks like this. It was the park that inspired Walt Disney to make his. Is it as big as his? of course not. But it has lots of pretty vistas and little gardens and lots of old style amusements that may spark your nostalgia gland. A great place for ice cream after dinner.

 

Warnemunde: We just stayed in the town. It was a beautiful sunny day and we thought it was a really cute town to wander and enjoy. We walked out to the beach as well. Just a really pretty place. We didn't want to do Berlin. Too much travel and rushing about for us. We could have gone to Rostock, but found Warnemunde filled with enough attractions and shops to interest us for the day.

 

Estonia: My travel partner over induldged the night before on the free ice cream and wasn't feeling well so I did this one on my own. A very picturesque town with lots of medieval buildings and towers and walls. It was fun to walk about. I caught a morning mass in the Orthodox Church complete with ancient chant and incense and it was very beautiful. There is probably some of the cheapest shopping at this port. If you root around you can find some interesting stuff. One shop sold old authentic Soviet medals and memorabilia that I didn't see in Russia. Amber was cheaper here than St. Pete's as well. The walk into the city is a long one. Maybe a mile into town. If you have a hard time walking a few miles in a day, take one of the double decked tour busses that load up right outside of the ship. No reservations required.

 

Saint Petersburg: We sailed with Denrus and were really happy with them. Kathleen took the less strenuous tour and I took the regular tour they offer. Kathleen didn't see Catherine's palace on her tour. Nor did she go to the Peter and Paul church/fort. We both really enjoyed our tours. Kathleen said the tour she took was perfect for her -- more bathroom breaks, less walking. Peterhof palace gardens are spectacular. One of the great wonders of the world. Hermitage does get warm inside. No AC. Denrus and a lot of the tours now have ear phones you wear that we all loved. The guides spoke into their microphones and we didn't have to strain to hear them. It is a great improvement.

 

Doing Saint Petersburg on your Own: Check the visa requirements. I don't have a total understanding of these. But if you are a well educated traveler who has a good idea of what you want to see, you may want to just rent a cab for the day right from the St. Pete's port. I talked to than at the Taxi kiosk. He said you could rent a taxi for the whole day for $150 to $190. He would charge an extra $50 to run out to Peterhof Palace. He said the drivers would not speak english, but that you could provide him with an itinerary or list of places you wanted to see and he would communicate that to the driver. So this is a very exciting option for some cruisers to try out.

 

Helsinki: I booked the NCL Architecture tour and really enjoyed it. We went out into the forests which will filled with birch trees and lavender flowers to see the home and studio of the Saarinen family. We then went back into the city and took a riding tour of the architectural tour highlights. The bus will either drop you off in the center of town and you can walk back to the ship or you can stay on the bus. I really enjoyed walking back to the ship. (You need to be able to walk a couple of miles easily though) I didn't get to go to their old amusement park which has the oldest roller coaster in Europe. A great reason to return again!

 

Stockholm: We took the NCL bus into the city and then to the Vasa ship tour. It worked perfectly for us. We got into town without any hassles. We saw the Vasa and the city highlights. We were dropped off in the city and walked to the old town where we had lunch and saw the changing of the guards. The busses all line up at about 2:15pm to start taking people back to the pier. It doesn't matter if you signed up for NCL or another line, if you have your tour sticker, you could hop on any bus for the ride back to port. NOTE: The ship docks about 40 minutes outside of Stockholm. You either have to take a tour bus or take the train in or maybe hop a taxi. We were not early birds to the Vasa, but the crowds were not overwhelming. Vasa ship will be a highlight of the tour.

 

This cruise was unlike any I have taken in the past. If you are mobile and like to walk, it is ideal. You will love the history, sights and cultures. Since there are only a couple of sea days it really does come at you though. I lost about five pounds on the cruise because of all the walking I did. It was really great that way. Read up on the ports before you go. Bring a good pair of walking shoes, maybe a portable umbrella or rain poncho. The best cruise I have taken overall. :D

 

NOTE: For some strange reason, NCL Sun blocked logging onto Cruise Critic while at sea. Hopefully they will change this policy in the future.;)

 

 

I would agree! us Trivia nuts did have a ball ! I didnt have any issues getting into Crusie Critic really it was just slow (I was using my own computer (a small netbook and my phone though) Damn I missed that they had an architecture tour in Helsinki .. we did the city highlights which went around the city and to the open air museum... was good :)

 

Agree with Vasa.. it is a highlight but actually I could have skipped it and just spent more time in Stockholm itself...

 

We spent 2 full days in Copenhagen before we got on the ship.. even went down to Roskilde (the former capital) and to the Viking Museum.. the National Cathedral is there and is worth visiting :)

[WitchyTraveller]

Thanks for all the kind notes --

 

Here are some answers to your questions --

 

I would go again to the Baltics (if I could afford it, lol!) in a second and I would love to do it again on the Sun.

 

Copenhagen Restaurants -- We were hungry when we arrived in Copenhagen in the morning. We hadn't yet been given access to our room. Breakfast for two in the Marriott was $70! (Including a basket of $20 danish/bread!) We basically ate in the executive lounge after that. However, I had to do some business in Copenhagen on Vesterbrogade street and went by a ton of restaurants that seemed more geared to the locals and had quite a variety and was less touristy. I was on the section of the street closer to the train station.

 

Off shore internet access: I noticed a whole bunch of crew people outside of a cafe with their laptops open accessing free internet in Warnemunde. The shop was close to the old light house by the beach. I didn't see this in any of the other ports.

 

Let me go back to your posts and see if I covered your questions....:)

 

 

We stayed in Nyhavn (New Port) and found a wonderful cafe' right down the street they had quiche, pain au chocalate, breads and cheese, and pastries and coffee!