Sun Feb 25 - March 10 B2B-LONG

[BlueJai]

We had an amazing time and have nothing but positive things to say about the Sun, her staff and crew. There were 4 of us travelling, all of us a smidge over 50 (well, some a little more than a smidge!).

 

We arrived a day early and stayed at the Doubletree Hilton in Cocoa Beach. The hotel recently reopened and it is a great pre-cruise hotel to stay in. The hotel has a great restaurant, bar, pool, rooms are nice and the view from the hotel is amazing. The beach is steps away and is great. We were fortunate to see NASA launch a satellite that day and had an amazing view from the beach.

 

Embarkation was a breeze, arrived at the port around 10:45 and were on the ship with drink in hand by 11:35.

 

Love the staterooms on the Sun, they are just a little larger than the Jewel class of ships and that little extra room makes a nice difference. The balcony doors are not sliders on the Sun, they open out.

 

The passengers on the first week of our trip were probably on average 40+. Very few children although we did hear that there were about 30 on board – hardly ever saw them. Getting a place to lay in the sun was never too much of a problem.

 

First port was Nassau, because there were 5 ships in that day, we booked a day pass at the British Hilton. This was amazing. It is close to the port, there is a bar and restaurant on the beach and we had use of the grounds, pool area and beach. It was a great way to start the cruise. That night we ate at East Meets West and had a lovely meal. There were only a handful of people in the restaurant and it was at this point we realized just how quiet the ship would be for the week.

 

Upon embarkation, we had put our name in for the chance to have dinner with an officer and we were selected. On our sea day, we had dinner with the 1st Engineer. There were 4 couples in total, dinner was held in one of the MDR’s and we had a great time. At the end of dinner, he invited us on a tour of the Control room which we did later in the week.

 

We also attended the M&G on the Sea Day. It was well attended by both Sr. Officers and fellow cruise critics. It was held in the Observation Lounge and we met some great people from the U.S., Canada and England.

 

Next Port was St. Thomas. We booked the Champagne Sunset Sail which didn’t leave until 5:00 pm so we wandered around town for a bit and then spent some time at the pool. It was amazing arriving on Deck 12 (above the pool deck) around 1:00 and literally there was only 1 other person up there! Incredible. The Champagne Sunset Sail was really fun. We left just after 5:00, unfortunately we couldn’t outrun the rain so we started out wet, but soon didn’t care a bit about that! Sunset was amazing, champagne was flowing and seeing St. Thomas at night was beautiful There were many very happy people getting of the catamaran! Spent the rest of the evening in the Hot Tub – it was a great day.

 

Puerto Rico was next, it was a beautiful morning when we arrived. Stayed on the ship that day to just enjoy some sun and quiet. It was wonderful.

 

Just a quick mention during this cruise, it was quite windy for the entire cruise. It was a little rough (we were in cabin 0002) not to the point of it being uncomfortable but it was difficult to even sit on the balcony because of the wind while at sea and the temperatures were not that warm during the evening. We were definitely looking forward to the next week where we figured it would be much calmer going west.

 

GSC – have been there a number of times but not recently so we were going to get off to see the changes. They have done a good job but there is still work to be done. The beach is lovely, the buildings they have put up are really nice, they do a great buffet – just seems a little barren. A few more years and the trees grow and I think it will be a little nicer. Shops are expensive. We rented a cabana but because we didn’t go over until general tendering, we were pretty far back from the beach (as expected) and they didn’t have any with the mesh so it was pretty hot. But still, if you need the shade it is a good thing to do.

Week 1 was excellent, We ate at the MDR as well as Teppanyaki, Moderno and East Meets West. All were excellent. The only improvement I think would be with Moderno, we felt pretty rushed during the meal. Not sure what the hurry was and even when we turned the card over to stop for a bit, they still seemed to want to keep the food moving. Having said that however, we did have a great time and enjoyed the food very much.

 

B2B Day. Being on a B2B, this is my most favourite day. No fuss, no muss! It is just such an easy day, you know the ship, the crew, your favourite bar servers and have found your place you like on the sun decks! We met at one of the MDR (can never remember which is which) around 9:45 and at 10:00ish we were escorted off the ship and through immigration. We then went to the waiting area where we waited maybe 20 minutes while watching all the excitement as new passengers were coming in. We were then escorted back onto the ship and were able to get back to our rooms, get our suits on and hit the deck to enjoy the sun! Favourite bar servers were ready and waiting for us!

 

As we were enjoying our time in the sun, we saw that this was going to be a much different cruise than last week. It was spring break time and the average age of this cruise was going to be much much younger (and firmer!). We were surprised at the number of young 20 year olds that were on the cruise and boy were they fun to watch. They came, they drank, they conquered – on Day 1!

 

As we left port we were all hoping for a calm trip to the West. That was not to be and once we left port the winds and seas picked right up. On the 2nd day, we started with some lovely sun but you could see the dark clouds in the distance. The captain came on and said we were heading into a cold front but that it shouldn’t last long – wrong! The wind started to roar, the rain came, the decks emptied (except for some crazy Canadians!) and the deck chairs took on a life of their own. It looked like the big wreck in a Nascar race – chairs sliding from one end of the deck to the other. It was awesome to watch but ultimately we had to leave the deck. Visited the spa in the afternoon as it appeared the quick cold front was going to be with us for quite some time. Took advantage of a 75 minute massage which was amazing.

 

The winds picked up to gale force 12, seas were up to 18’ and the young ones were no where to be seen – lots of them were a little under the weather (lol!). Lots of little white bags placed all over the ship for the next 24 hours.

 

First port was Cozumel – still very overcast – no sun to be seen. We visited Jimmy’s place (Margaritaville) for a little frozen concoction. This is a great waterfront location, large restaurant and retail area. There is lots of outdoor seating and a great place to spend time. A short walk from the ship.

 

Second port was Grand Cayman – beautiful sunny day where we wandered around town a bit and again, ended up a Jimmy’;s place. This one was full of spring breakers so lots of activities going on!

 

Third port was Ocho Rios. We arrived into port in the pouring rain. We all wondered if our excursions might be cancelled. We had booked a catamaran to Dunns Falls. When we were able to get off the ship, the rain was still coming down but not as bad. It was a little crazy with all the people trying to find their tours but eventually we were put on a bus and taken to the dock where we would board. By now the rain has stopped and we had a great ride to the falls – it was very rough but fun! The falls are amazing and worth seeing. We opted to go via catamaran based on what we had read in cruise critics and just how aggressive the people can be. We pretty much bypassed that. During our time at the falls the sun came out and the ride back to the ship was amazing. Extremely rough but the drinks were flowing and party was going strong. Once back at the dock, it was too rough to dock so they ended up taking us over to Mahogany Beach and sent buses to pick us up.

 

The Sea Day turned out lovely, sun was shining and the spring breakers were all back in good form.

 

GSC – because we had been the week before we stayed on ship. There were very few people left on board so it was pretty quiet and really hot and sunny – just what you come to the Caribbean for.

 

The second week we at at MDR, Le Bistro and East Meets West. All were excellent meals and again, the service was very good. We did eat at the Sports Bar a couple of times during the cruise and that was the only place that didn’t really do anything for us (except the popcorn!).

 

During our time on board we met many of the senior officers, some at the M&G and some while we were hanging around (usually a bar!). All were extremely friendly and always took time to chat. The crew were fantastic. I would be hard pressed to find anyone during our 2 weeks that wasn’t friendly and helpful.

 

Chocolates were back on the pillows, towel animals each night, latitudes pin received – just like the good old days. We attended the latitudes get together for silver, gold and platinum each week and enjoyed them. No speeches or anything, just drinks and a bit of cheese and grapes. Both were held in the Observation lounge.

 

We did see a couple of shows – Shout is really good. A flashback to the 60 and 70’s. We saw the Broadway Hit show (can’t remember what it is called) – it was okay. Soul Play is a fabulous band, the singer is amazing! We saw them in Dazzles and they also did the Motown review which we missed both weeks but heard it was really good. The Big Band night wasn’t really Big Band – it was really music from the 60’s as opposed to the 40’s so there were some disappointed people that evening. We also popped into the white hot party one night in Dazzles. Cat Wells was on board the first week and she was amazing but she went on holiday the 2nd week. Never did see the act that replaced her.

 

Getting off the ship was easy! Once the ship was cleared, we had priority disembarkation and were able to leave around 9:00ish.

 

It was a great 2 weeks, had lots of fun and we met some lovely people. The ship looks great, it is small but I think that is why I like her so much and already looking at next years itinerary!

BlueJai

[Sauer-kraut]

Great review of a great ship, glad you managed to have a fun time even with the rough seas.

[auntierobin]

Good review! We sailed on her for the first time this Feb. and fell in instant infatuation. She is a great ship and she has a great crew. Like you we are looking at other itineraries on her for next year.

[PeleNipsy]

Great review! Quesiton for you, you mentioned the cabanas. Are they open now or were you referring to the clam shells? If the cabanas were open, do you mind me asking how much NCL is charging for them? Thanks!

[puddles99]

You made my morning! In less than three weeks, we'll be doing the eastern route and are sper excited. Well, to be honest, I'm super excited, the kids are excited, and the husband is just glad I have something to obsess about so I'm not bugging him :D

[BlueJai]

Great review! Quesiton for you, you mentioned the cabanas. Are they open now or were you referring to the clam shells? If the cabanas were open, do you mind me asking how much NCL is charging for them? Thanks!

You are right PeleNipsy, I meant the clamshells.

Bluejai

[gelo7]

Excellent review.

[newmexicoNita]

We had an amazing time and have nothing but positive things to say about the Sun, her staff and crew. There were 4 of us travelling, all of us a smidge over 50 (well, some a little more than a smidge!).

 

We arrived a day early and stayed at the Doubletree Hilton in Cocoa Beach. The hotel recently reopened and it is a great pre-cruise hotel to stay in. The hotel has a great restaurant, bar, pool, rooms are nice and the view from the hotel is amazing. The beach is steps away and is great. We were fortunate to see NASA launch a satellite that day and had an amazing view from the beach.

 

Embarkation was a breeze, arrived at the port around 10:45 and were on the ship with drink in hand by 11:35.

 

Love the staterooms on the Sun, they are just a little larger than the Jewel class of ships and that little extra room makes a nice difference. The balcony doors are not sliders on the Sun, they open out.

 

The passengers on the first week of our trip were probably on average 40+. Very few children although we did hear that there were about 30 on board – hardly ever saw them. Getting a place to lay in the sun was never too much of a problem.

 

First port was Nassau, because there were 5 ships in that day, we booked a day pass at the British Hilton. This was amazing. It is close to the port, there is a bar and restaurant on the beach and we had use of the grounds, pool area and beach. It was a great way to start the cruise. That night we ate at East Meets West and had a lovely meal. There were only a handful of people in the restaurant and it was at this point we realized just how quiet the ship would be for the week.

 

Upon embarkation, we had put our name in for the chance to have dinner with an officer and we were selected. On our sea day, we had dinner with the 1st Engineer. There were 4 couples in total, dinner was held in one of the MDR’s and we had a great time. At the end of dinner, he invited us on a tour of the Control room which we did later in the week.

 

We also attended the M&G on the Sea Day. It was well attended by both Sr. Officers and fellow cruise critics. It was held in the Observation Lounge and we met some great people from the U.S., Canada and England.

 

Next Port was St. Thomas. We booked the Champagne Sunset Sail which didn’t leave until 5:00 pm so we wandered around town for a bit and then spent some time at the pool. It was amazing arriving on Deck 12 (above the pool deck) around 1:00 and literally there was only 1 other person up there! Incredible. The Champagne Sunset Sail was really fun. We left just after 5:00, unfortunately we couldn’t outrun the rain so we started out wet, but soon didn’t care a bit about that! Sunset was amazing, champagne was flowing and seeing St. Thomas at night was beautiful There were many very happy people getting of the catamaran! Spent the rest of the evening in the Hot Tub – it was a great day.

 

Puerto Rico was next, it was a beautiful morning when we arrived. Stayed on the ship that day to just enjoy some sun and quiet. It was wonderful.

 

Just a quick mention during this cruise, it was quite windy for the entire cruise. It was a little rough (we were in cabin 0002) not to the point of it being uncomfortable but it was difficult to even sit on the balcony because of the wind while at sea and the temperatures were not that warm during the evening. We were definitely looking forward to the next week where we figured it would be much calmer going west.

 

GSC – have been there a number of times but not recently so we were going to get off to see the changes. They have done a good job but there is still work to be done. The beach is lovely, the buildings they have put up are really nice, they do a great buffet – just seems a little barren. A few more years and the trees grow and I think it will be a little nicer. Shops are expensive. We rented a cabana but because we didn’t go over until general tendering, we were pretty far back from the beach (as expected) and they didn’t have any with the mesh so it was pretty hot. But still, if you need the shade it is a good thing to do.

Week 1 was excellent, We ate at the MDR as well as Teppanyaki, Moderno and East Meets West. All were excellent. The only improvement I think would be with Moderno, we felt pretty rushed during the meal. Not sure what the hurry was and even when we turned the card over to stop for a bit, they still seemed to want to keep the food moving. Having said that however, we did have a great time and enjoyed the food very much.

 

B2B Day. Being on a B2B, this is my most favourite day. No fuss, no muss! It is just such an easy day, you know the ship, the crew, your favourite bar servers and have found your place you like on the sun decks! We met at one of the MDR (can never remember which is which) around 9:45 and at 10:00ish we were escorted off the ship and through immigration. We then went to the waiting area where we waited maybe 20 minutes while watching all the excitement as new passengers were coming in. We were then escorted back onto the ship and were able to get back to our rooms, get our suits on and hit the deck to enjoy the sun! Favourite bar servers were ready and waiting for us!

 

As we were enjoying our time in the sun, we saw that this was going to be a much different cruise than last week. It was spring break time and the average age of this cruise was going to be much much younger (and firmer!). We were surprised at the number of young 20 year olds that were on the cruise and boy were they fun to watch. They came, they drank, they conquered – on Day 1!

 

As we left port we were all hoping for a calm trip to the West. That was not to be and once we left port the winds and seas picked right up. On the 2nd day, we started with some lovely sun but you could see the dark clouds in the distance. The captain came on and said we were heading into a cold front but that it shouldn’t last long – wrong! The wind started to roar, the rain came, the decks emptied (except for some crazy Canadians!) and the deck chairs took on a life of their own. It looked like the big wreck in a Nascar race – chairs sliding from one end of the deck to the other. It was awesome to watch but ultimately we had to leave the deck. Visited the spa in the afternoon as it appeared the quick cold front was going to be with us for quite some time. Took advantage of a 75 minute massage which was amazing.

 

The winds picked up to gale force 12, seas were up to 18’ and the young ones were no where to be seen – lots of them were a little under the weather (lol!). Lots of little white bags placed all over the ship for the next 24 hours.

 

First port was Cozumel – still very overcast – no sun to be seen. We visited Jimmy’s place (Margaritaville) for a little frozen concoction. This is a great waterfront location, large restaurant and retail area. There is lots of outdoor seating and a great place to spend time. A short walk from the ship.

 

Second port was Grand Cayman – beautiful sunny day where we wandered around town a bit and again, ended up a Jimmy’;s place. This one was full of spring breakers so lots of activities going on!

 

Third port was Ocho Rios. We arrived into port in the pouring rain. We all wondered if our excursions might be cancelled. We had booked a catamaran to Dunns Falls. When we were able to get off the ship, the rain was still coming down but not as bad. It was a little crazy with all the people trying to find their tours but eventually we were put on a bus and taken to the dock where we would board. By now the rain has stopped and we had a great ride to the falls – it was very rough but fun! The falls are amazing and worth seeing. We opted to go via catamaran based on what we had read in cruise critics and just how aggressive the people can be. We pretty much bypassed that. During our time at the falls the sun came out and the ride back to the ship was amazing. Extremely rough but the drinks were flowing and party was going strong. Once back at the dock, it was too rough to dock so they ended up taking us over to Mahogany Beach and sent buses to pick us up.

 

The Sea Day turned out lovely, sun was shining and the spring breakers were all back in good form.

 

GSC – because we had been the week before we stayed on ship. There were very few people left on board so it was pretty quiet and really hot and sunny – just what you come to the Caribbean for.

 

The second week we at at MDR, Le Bistro and East Meets West. All were excellent meals and again, the service was very good. We did eat at the Sports Bar a couple of times during the cruise and that was the only place that didn’t really do anything for us (except the popcorn!).

 

During our time on board we met many of the senior officers, some at the M&G and some while we were hanging around (usually a bar!). All were extremely friendly and always took time to chat. The crew were fantastic. I would be hard pressed to find anyone during our 2 weeks that wasn’t friendly and helpful.

 

Chocolates were back on the pillows, towel animals each night, latitudes pin received – just like the good old days. We attended the latitudes get together for silver, gold and platinum each week and enjoyed them. No speeches or anything, just drinks and a bit of cheese and grapes. Both were held in the Observation lounge.

 

We did see a couple of shows – Shout is really good. A flashback to the 60 and 70’s. We saw the Broadway Hit show (can’t remember what it is called) – it was okay. Soul Play is a fabulous band, the singer is amazing! We saw them in Dazzles and they also did the Motown review which we missed both weeks but heard it was really good. The Big Band night wasn’t really Big Band – it was really music from the 60’s as opposed to the 40’s so there were some disappointed people that evening. We also popped into the white hot party one night in Dazzles. Cat Wells was on board the first week and she was amazing but she went on holiday the 2nd week. Never did see the act that replaced her.

 

Getting off the ship was easy! Once the ship was cleared, we had priority disembarkation and were able to leave around 9:00ish.

 

It was a great 2 weeks, had lots of fun and we met some lovely people. The ship looks great, it is small but I think that is why I like her so much and already looking at next years itinerary!

BlueJai

 

sounds like you really did enjoy my favorite ship. We just wish we would have been there with all of you. Right now hubby is1/2 finished with his first round of radiation. His second will be starting probably in June. I am hoping we can do one of the 11 night Sun cruises this fall.

[BlueJai]

sounds like you really did enjoy my favorite ship. We just wish we would have been there with all of you. Right now hubby is1/2 finished with his first round of radiation. His second will be starting probably in June. I am hoping we can do one of the 11 night Sun cruises this fall.

 

Hey Nita, We thought of you guys during the M&G and hoped you were both doing ok. You were definitely missed and there some great people we met from the roll call. I sure hope all goes well with the treatment and you get on the well needed vacation. We are also looking at the 11 day but for next February probably. It looks like a great itinerary. You are in our thoughts!

BlueJai and Newtonville Dan