Back from the Amazing Sun 11 Day Southern!

[BlueJai]

Day 10 we woke up to a little bit of a cooler day. We must be around the weather that the Captain had talked about.

 

Same as usual with our coffee, exercise and up the stairs for water. Again we secured our area on Deck 12 and set up to enjoy the day, even if it was a little cooler and overcast for the morning. The day was a repeat of yesterday - only with using the towel to keep warm when passing under those pesky clouds.

 

By the afternoon, the sun was shining, the drinks were flowing and all were having a great time. The music was really good on the pool deck this afternoon ans we really enjoyed our time. It's always a sad time when you realize that yup, it's time to start thinking about the realities of the next day but the time had come to leave the pool area for the last time, head down for a little more packing and get ready for our last dinner on board. Saying goodbye to our lounger mates, exchanging emails and hugs, it was time to move. Sad, sad, sad :(.

 

We decided tonight we would go back to the Four Seasons tonight with our friends. They hadn't been with us the night we went earlier and we wanted them to meet Servet, our waiter from 9 years ago. It was around 7 when we went down and this was the only time on our trip that there was a bit of a line up. However, it wasn't more than a few minutes and there was a table for 4 in Servet's area.

 

We obviously looked like we couldn't make a decision because Servet suggested that he would bring us some shrimp risotto to start us off. We ordered a bottle of wine and then the rest of our meal. The risotto was absolutely delicious and had we have know just how big the portion was, we would have made different choices for the rest of our meal :eek:. None of us could finish our meal, but it was good and the service was outstanding. Our friends felt the same way - they described his service as 'old world' and 'Wow!'. It was a bittersweet goodbye to Servet but we hope to see him again.

 

After dinner, Dan and I wanted to go around and say good bye and thank you to those people that had made our trip so special. Our friend has a hard time with good byes so she and her husband went to Dazzles and we arranged to meet up with them later.

 

First stop was Il Adagio to say good bye to Anabelle. It was at this point that I realized, that although I had my camera every where I went for the past 10 days, I had left it back in the cabin. Grrr. so no pictures but lots of hugs. If I am repeating myself, forgive me, it has taken awhile to get this review done. We met Anabelle last year on our B2B on the very first day and something just clicked. I then met her when I went back the following month so she holds a piece of my heart. So, lots of hugs and promises to connect on line and one last goodbye. The others at Il Adagio to mention for great service were Hazelyn, another waitress, and Celeste the hostess.

 

Then it was off to Moderno to say goodbye to Joey and Steve. Steve was a new waiter we met this year but he is a special person. Joey we met last year so it was more hugs and promises to write. Joey is leaving the ship today and when he comes back from his vacation, he is going to be on the Epic in Cagneys as Assistant Maitre'D. For those that will meet him in the future, he is a wonderful person with a contagious laugh. Others to mention for their great service in Moderno were Laveena, a waiter and Imade who is one of the people that come around with the meat.

 

Passing through Guest Services, it was time to say goodbye to Bon, the Guest Services Manager. We met last year and she does a great job on board and is so very friendly

 

By the time we got back to Dazzles, there was one more goodbye. Nerendra is a server in Dazzles (he alternates between Dazzles and the Pool deck each cruise). We met him last year (he was 'our guy' on Deck 12) and he was the first person I saw when we boarded and we had the best welcome hug ever. He had been our server every night at Dazzles and would be missed.

 

Passing through Deck 7 for a goodbye to Agus who had been one of our bar servers on Deck 12. He was working the Champagne bar.

 

Our little group of 4 then headed to Topsiders for one last goodbye to Kervin who had been another of bar servers.

 

In all, I did 22 hero cards on this trip. It sounds like I did one for every person I met, but really I didn't. But being on board for 11 days really gives you a chance to experience great service over and over again. I know those of you who have been on the Sun would agree, the staff and crew are amazing.

 

Back to the cabin for the last bit of packing and weight checks. Really, I thought this would take 15 minutes - but in reality it took closer to an hour and a half to finish up. Well, there may have been some breaks where we went out on the balcony to enjoy the stars! Even though we had got a lot already done, it was that last bit of moving things around to keep within the 50lb limit.

 

So my midnight it was time to put the room service card out, get the luggage out, make sure we hadn't packed our clothes for the morning :D and one last trip out to the balcony. It was really windy tonight and there was something banging around somewhere on a balcony so we had to close the balcony door :( before going to bed.

 

Dan and I always are up when we come back to Miami. I love taking pictures (I spend hours trying to get good nighttime/early morning shots) If the door is open, we can tell when we are slowing down and entering the port but with the door closed, I had to put in a wake up call for 5:00am :eek:.

 

At 5:00, the call came and sure enough we were entering the port! First thing going out to the balcony and brrrrrr, it is cold! But no worries, it is beautiful coming in and there I am with my camera, ready to take shots as we enter the port, go all the way down the basin and turn around, then take shots on the other side. But wait!!!!!!!!!! We have just entered the canal and we are slowing down too much, what is going on? The turnaround in the basin is the most perfect way for me to end the trip!

Yup, definitely slowing down and now the thrusters are on. Darn!

 

So it turns out we are pulling in, there is lots of yelling back and forth from the guys on the pier to the guys on the ship. Not sure what is going on but apparently we were too far forward (kind of in the spot where the Breeze was going to dock) so they pull the lines back in and we back up. By this time the Pearl is in front of us (Yes! They did the turnaround). Then we see a firetruck and ambulance coming along the road and sure enough, they turn into the port and they come to the Sun. So sad that we had someone that had to be taken off on a stretcher and end their trip that way.

 

So then I think, well maybe we just stopped here for the medical situation and then we will pull back out and turn around - wishful thinking on my part! We stayed where we were!

 

Coffee came at 6:30 so after some coffee, we went out and about to take some pictures of the lights of Miami.

 

Conclusion to follow...

[BlueJai]

Thanks so much for your review. I'm enjoying learning about the Sun. We are booked for next March 17. So excited. It's our first Norwegian cruise.

 

Did you happen to eat at the Japanese restaurant? Is it hibachi style? Also, do you do the Pub Crawl with the staff?

 

Yes, we did Teppanyaki one evening. They have 3 seatings 5:30, 7:30 and 9:30. I would suggest that you make your reservations once you are on board, we didn't and ended up eating at 5:30 which we all found was just too early. But, it was an excellent meal.

 

Regarding the Pub Crawl, no we didn't do it but I have heard that it is a good time but it could shorten your day a bit :D. Some have said they had to retire to their cabin shortly after for a bit of a nap!

[BlueJai]

So, I sit here this morning trying to figure out how to end what was an amazing two weeks away with my husband and some great friends. I watched the sun come up this morning and thought to myself, how beautiful, but it'd be better on the balcony in the warmth of the Caribbean!

 

Leaving the ship is a sad time and full of anxiety as we prepare for the travel day. However, we didn't have to be out of the cabin until 9:00am so we had a nice breakfast in the Outdoor Cafe with the sun coming up shining brightly. We did another walk around the ship, and then spent a little more time on the balcony. Around 8:30, we packed up and left our room, thanking our cabin steward Alvin for everything.

 

We headed to the pool deck where we were meeting our friends and spent a 1/2 hour or so. We could still get coffee/water in Moderno so we sat and enjoyed the last bit of time on board, while making calls home to let everyone know we were back in Miami. We did have an opportunity to hook up with our friend Ludwig (F&B Dir). He came back on board the ship this morning so we were able to have a visit before it was time to leave.

 

We left the ship around 9:30 and went down the aft end. Got in the security line and waited for a bit. By 10:00, we were through customs and on the street to catch our ride. Our luggage was so easy to find and our friends had used the BAGS program.

 

We were flying out of Lauderdale to New York to Toronto so we had a long day ahead of us.

 

At the end of the trip, we wandered if there was anything that we would have done differently or changed or felt we missed and I can say without a doubt, we wouldn't have changed a thing.

 

The ship is lovely (have I said I love the Sun :)), the staff and crew are amazing, other than one meal we didn't love, the food was excellent, the bar servers were on top of things, all the waiters/waitresses were friendly, room steward was great (it was his first week back on board so a tough week for him). All the public areas were lovely and the itinerary was perfect.

 

To end off, I want to share what happened the night we got home. We arrived back home around 10:00pm and our boys were both home with their girlfriends to welcome us. This was a pleasant surprise as in years gone by, we were met by an empty house. (Nice when the kids grow up!) We visited for a bit and then it was time for bed.

 

I woke up in the middle of the night to answer mother natures call and on my way back to bed, I went to the sliding glass door in our room and fiddled with it to open. I was having trouble because it wasn't opening as I thought it should. Finally got it open and stepped out on to the deck - at this point I realized I was not on the ship:eek:. Truly, in my sleepy mind I thought I was on the ship and was heading out to the balcony to look at the stars and the water (as I did every night when I would wake up). It was the snow on the deck that really caught my attention and brought me back to reality.

 

In the morning I had to look at the door to see if the screen was still open to see if I really did do that. Yup I really did. Just showed me how quickly I can pick up a habit!

 

Finally thanks to Newtonville Dan, best husband ever. We always have a great time together and this trip was no exception. Can't wait until our next adventure.

 

Bluejai

[poffles]

What an awesome way to end this journey ... loving/appreciating hubbie. It is so refreshing to read reviews from people who seem to really enjoy and appreciate the experience of such ventures instead of looking for the faults (though we all know there are always some along the way). I am much like you, I consider myself lucky and fortunate to be able to cruise at all, especially not living near a cruise port.

 

Thank you so much for sharing, feels like I was on the trip with you. So when I go in November it will feel like I'm returning to a ship I've never been on. :)

[BlueJai]

What an awesome way to end this journey ... loving/appreciating hubbie. It is so refreshing to read reviews from people who seem to really enjoy and appreciate the experience of such ventures instead of looking for the faults (though we all know there are always some along the way). I am much like you, I consider myself lucky and fortunate to be able to cruise at all, especially not living near a cruise port.

 

Thank you so much for sharing, feels like I was on the trip with you. So when I go in November it will feel like I'm returning to a ship I've never been on. :)

 

Wow, thank you for those kind words, You made my day. Thank you and I just know you will have the time of your life! Enjoy!

[QuattroRomeo]

Thank you BlueJai for the lovely review. It sounded like you had a great holiday-the kind that we all hope for! Loved your reference to snow on your balcony... I can relate!!:rolleyes:

 

P.s. did you take a cab to FLL from the port or use one of the shuttle services?

[chelle74]

Thank you for the extensive review! DH and I are sailing this itinerary on the Sun in just over two weeks (it is really sneaking up on us!!). Can you tell me if they are still doing the Jazz Brunch (lunch?) on the Sun? Also, do you know what night they had the Chef's Table?

 

Thanks!!

[BlueJai]

Thank you BlueJai for the lovely review. It sounded like you had a great holiday-the kind that we all hope for! Loved your reference to snow on your balcony... I can relate!!:rolleyes:

 

P.s. did you take a cab to FLL from the port or use one of the shuttle services?

 

Thanks for your kind words! Because there were 4 of us, we actually booked a limo to pick us up. He was waiting for us when we got out on the street and we were wisked away.

 

bluejai

[BlueJai]

Thank you for the extensive review! DH and I are sailing this itinerary on the Sun in just over two weeks (it is really sneaking up on us!!). Can you tell me if they are still doing the Jazz Brunch (lunch?) on the Sun? Also, do you know what night they had the Chef's Table?

 

Thanks!!

 

OMG, I think my Mom, sister and niece will be on the same sailing as you! I just took over all the dailies to them last night otherwise I could answer your questions, I am sorry I don't know.

 

Have a great time! We were celebrating their countdown last night with them - Enjoy.

 

Bluejai

[jay_arr]

Thank you for the extensive review! DH and I are sailing this itinerary on the Sun in just over two weeks (it is really sneaking up on us!!). Can you tell me if they are still doing the Jazz Brunch (lunch?) on the Sun? Also, do you know what night they had the Chef's Table?

 

Thanks!!

I was on the cruise with BlueJai and all. There were two Chef's Tables and DW and i attended the first, which was the Cartagena (third) night.

There was plenty of time between sailaway and the dinner.

 

ETA: i didn't see a jazz brunch, but i can't say i was particularly looking.

[SCGamecock80]

We're doing this itinerary in Dec., and the carriage ride sounds pretty cool! Can't wait for more of your review....Aruba and Curacao are new ports for us, as is Cartagena!

 

 

We've had great tours in both Curacao and Cartagena. I will try to find the info and post it here for ya'll.

In Cartagena we went to the mud volcano. There is a video of it on Youtube. A local tour guide took us and he was awesome. His first name was Max.

The tour we took in Curacao was local and a bus tour. 56 of us went (2 buses). The guy was so nice.

I'll be make with better details.

[SCGamecock80]

Irie Tours in Curacao was great. They also have great reviews on Trip Advisor. Good price and free beer.

[SCGamecock80]

Maxim or Maximo. Check out ToursbyLocals in Cartagena. He is awesome. (just wrote two paragraphs about how awesome and lost it)...

 

The mud volcano is El Totumo. If you want a unique and hysterical experience this is it. Check out YouTube.

[SCGamecock80]

It's Maxim P. Weithers in Cartagena. He was a pro squash player.

[sonicbuffalo]

Irie Tours in Curacao was great. They also have great reviews on Trip Advisor. Good price and free beer.

 

We used Irie Tours in Curacao the last time we visited there. They treated us great. We had a great inexpensive tour and would recommend it to all.

[driverandrews]

Hi, we were due to sail on the Sun on April 10th, but have just had to cancel as Husband is waiting for Hospital CT scan, was so looking forward to this trip as had read so many good reviews. Hopefully one day we can sail on her.

[BlueJai]

Hi, we were due to sail on the Sun on April 10th, but have just had to cancel as Husband is waiting for Hospital CT scan, was so looking forward to this trip as had read so many good reviews. Hopefully one day we can sail on her.

 

Oh, I am so sorry to hear that. I hope your husband will be ok and you can book again soon. My Mom, sister and niece are going on this sailing. I hope all is ok.

 

Bluejai

[Kylie]

BlueJai-

Thanks for the great review and information about the Sun. We aren't cruising until Christmas but sure fun to read about it now and also help get us through this winter that just won't go away!

[hio51603@yahoo.com]

Thanks so much for your review, will be sailing Jan of 2014. Have been on 3 other NCL ships looking forward to the trip.

[SemperFi_Cruiser]

We got back last night from the 11 day southern on the Sun. We had the most amazing time and I will definitely post a review. The ship was great, the staff and crew were absolutely wonderful and I can't imagine what could have made this a better cruise (other than still being there!).

 

We had a great M&G (thanks to DJMess!) and had a surprise visitor - Kevin Sheehan! He was on the ship for the first 3 days and we were all shocked when he came to the M&G and talked to the group.

 

Amazing trip, my most favourite ship and it just couldn't have been better.

 

Review to come!

bluejai

 

Ran across your very detailed review while searching the NCL Boards. We are booked on the 11-night Southern Caribbean on the Sun for 12/11/2013. Although we already have great expectations for this cruise, your most excellent account of your adventures on this wonderful ship has only whetted our appetites that much more!

 

The Sun enjoys a great reputation among those who "cruise like Norwegians" and especially the friendliness of crew and staff, and your very well-written descriptions have only served to reinforce that. Thanks for taking the time to write about your cruise and sharing it with the rest of us.

 

Awesome!:D