Cruiser's choice awards: What's so special about the Sun?

[roquejo]

It is a given that NCL has less awards compared to other cruise lines as there is already a thread for it.

 

But what made me very curious is what is so special about the Sun that in spite of the lack of NCL ships winning awards, NCL has been consistently rated high in several categories for the medium size ships category and is even awarded best value.

 

Curious because Sun is an older ship so it doesn't have the sophistication of newer NCL cruise ships like Breakaway, Gateway or the Epic.

 

So there must be something about this ship aside from the physical hull structure that makes it consistently in the running for the past 2 years.

 

Anyone who sailed this can give reasons on why an older ship has more awards that the NCL's newer ships?

 

Perhaps the excellent crew service? Or the Alaska IT's?

[Love my butler]

It is a given that NCL has less awards compared to other cruise lines as there is already a thread for it.

 

But what made me very curious is what is so special about the Sun that in spite of the lack of NCL ships winning awards, NCL has been consistently rated high in several categories for the medium size ships category and is even awarded best value.

 

Curious because Sun is an older ship so it doesn't have the sophistication of newer NCL cruise ships like Breakaway, Gateway or the Epic.

 

So there must be something about this ship aside from the physical hull structure that makes it consistently in the running for the past 2 years.

 

Anyone who sailed this can give reasons on why an older ship has more awards that the NCL's newer ships?

 

Perhaps the excellent crew service? Or the Alaska IT's?

 

Starts at the top with the hotel director. Currently that is Brian Walters. He knows how to run a boat. He knows how to motivate his crew. The staff is exceptional.

[donnabonna]

These awards do not make much sense to me. The NCL Jewel is listed as one of the best cruises from the Northeast. When was the last time the Jewel sailed out of NY?

[bguppies]

Some people (like me) prefer the smaller, older ships, that were actually designed for passenger comfort, in terms of size, passenger to usuable space. Versus the current model, which is, we throw a on few water slides, rock walls, etc.. and cram as many people as we possibly can, on the new ships. (no matter how uncomfortable as that may make them)

 

 

I'll take a comfortable, well designed ship, with great passenger flow and fewer lines (buffett, debarkation, shows) over a flashier, new ship, where I am constantly in a line and packed in like a sardine.

 

Bill

Edited February 28, 2014 by bguppies

[bluesea777]

The SUN has the best pool deck - hands down!

 

Since the SKY (we haven't been on her) is sister ship ti SUN, I'm sure she has the same.

[halos]

Having sailed the Sun 2x (just did this month :) ) for me, it's about the ship being a back to basic, real cruise ship; no bells or whistles and a LOT less passengers.

The Sun is for the cruise 'purist'....for people who cruise for the sake of sailing, not for elaborate shows, skating rinks or ice bars and rock climbing walls.

 

She is one of the last of the ships like this and when she and the Sky go, we are left with nothing but the monster ships with 4,000 or more passengers.

 

It's a sad thought.

[Twiz]

We just got home Monday from our 11 day cruise and we will NEVER go on this ship again. Its OLD and needs alot of updating and repairs.

 

The shower was like standing in a 2 foot round tube that you could not move around in, I would hate to know how a larger person would be able to use them. The room was alot smaller than ones we have had on the Dawn and Pride of America.

 

It doesnt have nearly enough room on the pool deck for the amount of people who want to be there on the 5 sea days, chair saving started as early as 6:00 each morning and were gone by 7:30. The BBQ that was done on sea days made for even less room by the pool because it did use up almost 1/3 of one side....

 

The buffet was poorly set up and made for crowds clogged up and the flow never went smooth.

 

We have gone on a 10 day on the Dawn and it was just perfect, if this were my first time with NCL I dont think we would crusie with them again.

 

The crew was a training crew so there was alot of things we noticed that were not up too par. They were all very friendly but just not as on the ball as other crews.

 

We were told the Pearl will be doing this cruise next year.

Edited February 28, 2014 by Twiz

[polySeraph]

Having sailed the Sun 2x (just did this month :) ) for me, it's about the ship being a back to basic, real cruise ship; no bells or whistles and a LOT less passengers.

The Sun is for the cruise 'purist'....for people who cruise for the sake of sailing, not for elaborate shows, skating rinks or ice bars and rock climbing walls.

 

She is one of the last of the ships like this and when she and the Sky go, we are left with nothing but the monster ships with 4,000 or more passengers.

 

It's a sad thought.

 

I've sailed on the Sun 3 times and I couldn't have said it better! The Sun is a ship for those who love ships.

 

That glorious Observation Lounge with its open air deck makes the Sun an especially good choice for scenic itineraries - especially for travelers on a budget. Our first cruise on the Sun was around the Horn in South America. All our budget would allow was an interior cabin yet thanks to all the wonderful public places on the Sun, we were able to take full advantage of the wonderful scenic cruising opportunities.

[Lovex4]

We sailed on the Sun last fall and had a great time. We like the smaller and mid sized ships because we like to sail. We do not usually care for floating and overcrowded amusement parks - our kids yes, but not my wife and I. So when we sailed on the Sun it was just the two of us.

 

I'm not sure why the Sun is ranked as it is but it is okay. Our favorite small to mid sized ship is Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas. It is hard to beat that one.

[roquejo]

I've sailed on the Sun 3 times and I couldn't have said it better! The Sun is a ship for those who love ships.

 

That glorious Observation Lounge with its open air deck makes the Sun an especially good choice for scenic itineraries - especially for travelers on a budget. Our first cruise on the Sun was around the Horn in South America. All our budget would allow was an interior cabin yet thanks to all the wonderful public places on the Sun, we were able to take full advantage of the wonderful scenic cruising opportunities.

 

No wonder this ship was voted best value for medium sized ship here in cruise critic...

 

if that is the case, then it suites Alaska perfectly.. I booked a 14 day cruise this year with the Sun precisely because of budget.. because the price is half of what Holland's and Princess' price for an equivalent 14 day Alaska cruise...

 

and being on a budget, I booked an inside stateroom so worrying that the public decks might not have enough spaces for scenic cruising specially for those who have no windows or balconies to enjoy Alaska's scenery from their room...

 

But thanks to your post, my worries are unfounded.

 

So NCL sun is like RCCL's Radiance class, suited for scenic cruising...

Edited February 28, 2014 by roquejo

[newmexicoNita]

It is a given that NCL has less awards compared to other cruise lines as there is already a thread for it.

 

But what made me very curious is what is so special about the Sun that in spite of the lack of NCL ships winning awards, NCL has been consistently rated high in several categories for the medium size ships category and is even awarded best value.

 

Curious because Sun is an older ship so it doesn't have the sophistication of newer NCL cruise ships like Breakaway, Gateway or the Epic.

 

So there must be something about this ship aside from the physical hull structure that makes it consistently in the running for the past 2 years.

 

Anyone who sailed this can give reasons on why an older ship has more awards that the NCL's newer ships?

 

Perhaps the excellent crew service? Or the Alaska IT's?

First of all: the Sun is not in the same class as the other ships you mentioned. It is in the mid size class. as for awards, for heavens sake, to you and others: Most of the ships that are winning top awards are much more expensive than NCL and the difference in the ratings are minute. One ships gets a 4.4 rating, and they are on the top: the next gets a 4.1 and are 1/2 way down the list. Wouldn't you say, there is actually no real difference. These surveys or ratings, whatever mean NOTHING!!!

 

As for the Sun, the crew is outstanding, the cabins are a little larger than many ships and has always been a very popular ship with lots of return clientele.

[newmexicoNita]

These awards do not make much sense to me. The NCL Jewel is listed as one of the best cruises from the Northeast. When was the last time the Jewel sailed out of NY?

 

Excellent point. The same with the Sun and the Baltic. I think this proves these ratings are as phony as a $3 bill. They do give bragging rights until the next survey comes out; probably in a few months.

[newmexicoNita]

We just got home Monday from our 11 day cruise and we will NEVER go on this ship again. Its OLD and needs alot of updating and repairs.

 

The shower was like standing in a 2 foot round tube that you could not move around in, I would hate to know how a larger person would be able to use them. The room was alot smaller than ones we have had on the Dawn and Pride of America.

 

It doesnt have nearly enough room on the pool deck for the amount of people who want to be there on the 5 sea days, chair saving started as early as 6:00 each morning and were gone by 7:30. The BBQ that was done on sea days made for even less room by the pool because it did use up almost 1/3 of one side....

 

The buffet was poorly set up and made for crowds clogged up and the flow never went smooth.

 

We have gone on a 10 day on the Dawn and it was just perfect, if this were my first time with NCL I dont think we would crusie with them again.

 

The crew was a training crew so there was alot of things we noticed that were not up too par. They were all very friendly but just not as on the ball as other crews.

 

We were told the Pearl will be doing this cruise next year.

 

sorry you were so unhappy with the ship: I hope you still had a good time. I would like to comment on a couple of your observations: yes, the showers are small, like more other lines; yes, the buffet line is a little strange and yes, the ship could stand some renovations. I hope they will be going into dry dock before long. We sailed her for the third time a few months ago: same itinerary you did. We have a wonderful time and were impressed with how clean the ship is. As for the cabin size: I don't know what kind of a cabin you were in, but the Sun has the largest cabins of all NCL ships. Balcony cabins are 221 sq ft: Dawn cabins are 203 and the Pearl cabins 200.

[rbrugler]

Having sailed the Sun 2x (just did this month :) ) for me, it's about the ship being a back to basic, real cruise ship; no bells or whistles and a LOT less passengers.

The Sun is for the cruise 'purist'....for people who cruise for the sake of sailing, not for elaborate shows, skating rinks or ice bars and rock climbing walls.

 

She is one of the last of the ships like this and when she and the Sky go, we are left with nothing but the monster ships with 4,000 or more passengers.

 

It's a sad thought.

 

We have cruised on the Sun four times, the lastest being the cruise that Halos was on. I have not been on a mega ship, and would have a lot of thinking to do before I cruised on one. We love the great outdoors and almost always eat breakfast and lunch and snacks there. The crew is always amazing. The ship is clean. It is exactly what we like.

 

Next Feb. we cruise on the Pearl. I understand that it is like the Sun. I sure hope so.

 

And one other thing. The Cruise Critic folk on the Sun are fantastic!!! :D

[zounds]

We've been on the Sun once and will return next Jan. out of Tampa. We love cruising out of NOLA, but since the Dawn will be there next yr., the deal breaker was its' lack of a forward obser. lounge and Great Outdoors. Also loved the tapas bar on the Sun. steve

[travel12]

We just got home Monday from our 11 day cruise and we will NEVER go on this ship again. Its OLD and needs alot of updating and repairs.

 

The shower was like standing in a 2 foot round tube that you could not move around in, I would hate to know how a larger person would be able to use them. The room was alot smaller than ones we have had on the Dawn and Pride of America.

 

It doesnt have nearly enough room on the pool deck for the amount of people who want to be there on the 5 sea days, chair saving started as early as 6:00 each morning and were gone by 7:30. The BBQ that was done on sea days made for even less room by the pool because it did use up almost 1/3 of one side....

 

The buffet was poorly set up and made for crowds clogged up and the flow never went smooth.

 

We have gone on a 10 day on the Dawn and it was just perfect, if this were my first time with NCL I dont think we would crusie with them again.

 

The crew was a training crew so there was alot of things we noticed that were not up too par. They were all very friendly but just not as on the ball as other crews.

 

We were told the Pearl will be doing this cruise next year.

 

We were on the same cruise and I could not disagree more with you. The Sun is a lovely ship with a great crew. I would take her anytime over the Dawn. And I am a large person who had no trouble whatsoever with the shower. We found all the crew to be friendly and willing to help . Even the captain asked me if there was anything that could be done to make my cruise easier ( I have bad knees) on his daily walk up on the pool deck. Yes there were chair hogs ( they are on all ships ), but even on sea days we never had any difficulty locating loungers. Different folks have different opinions I guess. We have sailed many times with several cruise lines. In my opinion the Sun is one of the few remaining real cruise ships, instead of floating amusement parks.

Edited February 28, 2014 by travel12

[DMH15]

Starts at the top with the hotel director. Currently that is Brian Walters. He knows how to run a boat. He knows how to motivate his crew. The staff is exceptional.

 

Wow! What a shocker. I agree with you this time 100%. He is a class act. I am not looking forward to his retirement in a few years. Will be back on with him in October.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DMH15]

Having sailed the Sun 2x (just did this month :) ) for me, it's about the ship being a back to basic, real cruise ship; no bells or whistles and a LOT less passengers.

The Sun is for the cruise 'purist'....for people who cruise for the sake of sailing, not for elaborate shows, skating rinks or ice bars and rock climbing walls.

 

She is one of the last of the ships like this and when she and the Sky go, we are left with nothing but the monster ships with 4,000 or more passengers.

 

It's a sad thought.

 

I agree with you. I will be devastated when that day comes.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[deladypilot]

To date the Sun is our favorite. The ship was clean and the staff was amazing. Yes she is set up funny and you have to walk through one thing to get to another but given a choice I would sail on her every trip if she went where I wanted to go.

 

We had a mini suite and the room was awesome. Larger than most mini-suites im told and had a huge closet and great vanity area.

 

We are adventurous people but have do not care about the water slides or rock climbing walls etc. I prefer the relaxation of a vacation.

[artist47]

Some people (like me) prefer the smaller, older ships, that were actually designed for passenger comfort, in terms of size, passenger to usuable space. Versus the current model, which is, we throw a on few water slides, rock walls, etc.. and cram as many people as we possibly can, on the new ships. (no matter how uncomfortable as that may make them)

 

 

I'll take a comfortable, well designed ship, with great passenger flow and fewer lines (buffett, debarkation, shows) over a flashier, new ship, where I am constantly in a line and packed in like a sardine.

 

Bill

 

Count me in Bill....I'm with you. Even at 2300 pax (the Star) is a little big for my taste.

Also important in the old days, when those "old" ships were newer, they had a better ratio of pax to crew. The experience was a lot more personal and more tailored to individual comfort.

 

I almost wonder, if this era of mega ships might just give berth (get it? wink, wink !) to a new niche market for the cruise lines...maybe they will all start realizing that one mega size does not fit all, and maybe they will invest some of their profits in providing at least 2 "small ships" in thier fleets for people like us.

 

I don't care what the fares/tarrifs would be...I would be happy to pay more for the experience I want. What do you think?

[roquejo]

Wow..now I know what sets Sun apart.

 

The crew and service!! And the cruise director...

 

Larger cabins, smaller shower, dated facilities being an older ship, but well maintained.. yeah I already know this as I've done my research.. but in spite of this.. lots of satisfied return guests...

 

So I will look forward to sailing with the Sun..

 

One more thing... I'm still not sure whether I will avail of the ultimate dining package or not... it is much cheaper for a 14 day cruise than 7 day.. and I've read the forums for the pros and cons argument, but it is for NCL in general.

 

But how about particularly for the Sun? Is the specialty resto there top notch to make the ultimate dining package worthwhile? Specifically for Alaska sailing?

 

The issue here is not cost or how much will I save, coz I will end up paying up more with that package...

 

What I am concerned with is how much value added the specialty resto in the Sun will bring, as we know, each ship differs from one another in terms of specialty resto experiences.. when it comes to cruise dining.. I now value food quality over quantity as I can no longer eat as much as I can in the buffet or the unlimited Ala Cart in the 2 main dining rooms...(so far this is the first cruise ship I will take that has 2 MDR's serving different styles of dining)

 

Sun has:

 

East Meets West

Moderno

Le Bistro

Adiago

Tappanyaki

[Lena B]

We just returned from our second sailing on the Sun and had an amazing time! The crew really was top-notch. I was amazed at how much storage was in our balcony cabin. The ship may be older, but I never walked down the hall or the stairs without seeing someone cleaning something.

 

After sailing on the Star last year, my husband and I had resigned ourselves to eating every meal in a specialty restaurant this year, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much better the same menus tasted on the Sun. We did enjoy Sushi, tapas, Italian, Le Bistro (twice) and Moderno (twice), but the MDR was just fine. I really enjoyed that they offered Chef's specials for lunch as well as for dinner. The seafood chowder that was offered for lunch one day was one of the best soups that I've ever eaten!

 

I would love to make that trip again!

[roquejo]

 

After sailing on the Star last year, my husband and I had resigned ourselves to eating every meal in a specialty restaurant this year, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much better the same menus tasted on the Sun. We did enjoy Sushi, tapas, Italian, Le Bistro (twice) and Moderno (twice), but the MDR was just fine. I really enjoyed that they offered Chef's specials for lunch as well as for dinner. The seafood chowder that was offered for lunch one day was one of the best soups that I've ever eaten!

 

I would love to make that trip again!

 

Pride of America's MDR food is also good when we sailed them way back 2010..

 

Thanks... so if the 2 MDR's are offering the dinner menus for lunch, then I might as well get the ultimate dining package.

 

My only issue is I might miss Sun's MDR's menu if I get the dining package.. but since I can get them during lunch..then I won't miss much except on those long port days with lunch included.

Edited March 1, 2014 by roquejo

[lisakoivu]

These awards do not make much sense to me. The NCL Jewel is listed as one of the best cruises from the Northeast. When was the last time the Jewel sailed out of NY?

 

Last year.

[polySeraph]

 

Thanks... so if the 2 MDR's are offering the dinner menus for lunch, then I might as well get the ultimate dining package.

 

My only issue is I might miss Sun's MDR's menu if I get the dining package.. but since I can get them during lunch..then I won't miss much except on those long port days with lunch included.

 

The MDRs don't offer dinner menus at lunch. They offer the same (ie, unchanging) menu every day at lunch with a chef special thrown in. Examples of the lunch menu selections include hamburgers, omelets, shrimp and salmon salad sandwich, etc.