Sun Review Feb 24, 2014 10 Day Southern Caribbean

[jennyprovo]

I will start by saying we had a wonderful cruise. This was our first cruise over 7 days and I can say I love the longer cruise.

 

Pre-Cruise - Miami

Our cruise departed on Monday and we arrived in Miami on Saturday so we had a couple days to relax in Miami before starting our cruise.

 

We stayed at the Hampton Inn & Suites Miami Brickell Downtown. We had pre-reserved transportation from the airport with SuperShuttle. It was $28 for two people, that includes a tip. A taxi probably would have been around the same price but the shuttle was super easy. The Hampton Inn was a very nice hotel. I believe it is fairly new. We had breakfast each day at the hotel. It was the expected Hampton Inn breakfast. It was very busy each morning. The fitness center was clean and not busy at all. We also used the pool, very nice afternoon sun. The hotel is within walking distance to many restaurants and also a Publix for any last minute items you might have forget. It is also around the corner from the Metro Mover (free) and the light rail (fees). We used the Metro Mover to go down to Bayside to do some shopping and get some lunch. It was very easy to use. Just make sure you get on the right one to get back to where you came from. On the day of embarkation we had the front desk call us a taxi. It was $12+tip to the cruise port. Seemed like the best option for us as there were only two of us. You could have booked a shuttle with the hotel but it didn’t leave until around 11:30. We like to be at the port as early as we can. Might as well enjoy the ship instead of sitting in the hotel.

 

 

 

Embarkation

Since we were at the port early (we were there by 10AM), there was no line in we were in group 1. Check in was a breeze. There was a wedding group that boarded before us but we were on board before by around noon. In time to get some lunch in the Four Seasons MDR. I always look forward to the Batter Fried Fish.They always try to guide you to the buffet but because of Cruise Critic we know better. No lines at the MDR!! After lunch we wandered around the ship until our rooms were ready. We had balcony room 9213. We were delayed a bit from leaving port but no problem as we were officially ON VACATION!! Our luggage had arrived and it was time for dinner. We ate at the Seven Seasons MDR. It was busy and they asked if we wanted to share a table, otherwise we would have to wait for an available two top. We opted to share a table with two other couples. It was a nice dinner but this was the only meal that we shared with other guests. My least favorite part of other cruise line dining is the group dining.

 

 

 

Stateroom

Our balcony stateroom was a good size. 9th floor forward (9213). I think this was the largest of all the NCL ships we have been on. Nice size balcony with two chairs and a little side table. Lots of storage to put all of our clothes. The suitcases fit under the bed. We actually had extra room for things. This room definitely is big enough from three people, I can’t say that for all the other rooms I have had. The bathroom was not the best. Their was plenty of storage but the shower was very small. If you tried to shower with the curtain closed it clung to you, which I hate. We worked around it. Since everything in the bathroom is able to be wiped down you could just shower with the curtain open or just partially open, which is what we ended up doing. As much as people hate the Epic set up the shower size was great much better than the Sun!! There also is this strange hairdryer in the bathroom, looks like some kind of vacuum. We knew about this beforehand so we brought our own hairdryer. I wouldn’t have wanted to dry my hair in the bathroom anyway as it gets very steamy.

 

Dining

Since this was a 10 day cruise we had plenty of time to dine at the various venues. Most of our other cruises we didn’t really utilize the fee based dining. This time we had Sushi, Italian and French. Each of these meals were very good.

 

I think the sushi is a great value. Each roll has six pieces and they are pretty big. We each started with an appetizer miso soup and seaweed salad We shared three roles; California, Shrimp Tempura and Spicy Tuna. Less than $20 for the whole meal.

 

At the Italian restaurant we started with the Fried Calamari and Caprese. These were each tasty. The tomato on the Caprese was a little firm but they are not exactly in season. For entrees we had the Lasagna and Ossobuco. These were each very good choices. For dessert we had the Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake and the Tiramisu. The cheesecake wasn’t very good, not a lot of flavor. The Tiramisu was yummy. Overall a good dinner.

 

At the French restaurant we started with the Steamed Mussels and Escargot. We went to a cooking demonstration for the mussels earlier in the week so I had to try them. Each of these we cooked perfectly. For entrees we had the Rack of Lamb and the Duck. Each of these were good and well prepared. Deserts were the Creme` Brulee and the Apple Tatin. The Creme` Brulee tasted good but was not cooked perfectly, a little eggy. The Apple Tatin was just not a wow desert. It wasn’t bad but it just wasn’t great either.

 

Overall our dining at the fee restuarants was pleasant. We felt we got good value from the meals we had. No way would we be able to get those same meals for the prices we paid at these restaurants. We didn’t have reservations for any of these meals. I don’t think you ever need reservations for Sushi but if you plan on dining at 7:00 or 7:30 you might want reservations as it did seem to fill up. We ate at 6 or 6:30.

 

Most of our breakfasts were from the buffet sitting outside at the Great Outdoors. We did have one meal in the MDR. It was good but I just liked sitting outside to eat. Lunch also was mostly at the buffet. I really like the salad bar at lunch. The dressings were not the greatest on the Sun. The ranch was different from what was on the Gem last year and the blue cheese was a little running. I did enjoy the balsamic dressing. It is a very small buffet but once I figured things out it went smoothly. Definitely don’t wait in line from the beginning or you will be there forever. They have plates throughout the buffet to get your food. I had no problem skipping past all the people waiting for hot food to get in line for the salads. Also at breakfast there are always people waiting for special cooked eggs (omelettes, etc). If you don’t want those go around. I won’t be offended!!

 

Our other dinners were either at the buffet or either of the two MDR’s. We never had to wait more than a few minutes to be seated at the MDR’s. Maybe we always picked the right time but no 45 minutes waits like other reviews claimed. The only remarkable item that I ate for dinner was the Clam pasta dish that was the Chef’s special one night. It was clams and mussels in a alfredo sauce. It was yummy. If found that the steaks are always cooked well and taste good. Some of the other dishes seem to lack some flavor so it got a little boring after 10 days. I had the Jerk Chicken with Rice and Beans one night. The chicken was good but the rice and beans were dry and didn’t have a lot of flavor. Of course we didn’t starve and never left a meal hungry. I do enjoy the bread pudding at the buffet, I say buffet because it like that is hot and it isn’t always as hot at the MDR.

 

I have to note since the buffet is so small on the Sun there seemed to be a lack of variety vs other NCL ships we have been on. Especially the Indian food. We always look forward to this on the buffet but on the Sun there was only one choice at each meal vs the two or three on other ships.

 

Outside Seven Seas

 

Great Outdoors

 

Public Areas

The pool area of course is always very busy. I didn’t even try to get a chair here. That is OK with me. There was always a chair available on 12 or 13 forward. The pools are a pretty good size. There were not a lot of kids on this cruise so we didn’t have to worry about tons of kids in the pool.

 

There are lots of bars and other places to sit inside. The Observation Room in the front of the ship is a nice venue that that doesn’t seem to be utilize for many activities. It is a great place to read during the day. It never felt overcrowded anywhere on the ship.

 

I love that there is promenade deck that goes all the way around the ship, as not all the new ships have this. Great place to walk or run. I also used the fitness center. It is a good facility.

 

The spa is pretty small compared to other ships but we did go massages. Very friendly staff and not too bad of an upsell on their products.

 

 

 

 

Entertainment

I would have to say that the entertainment on the ship was just OK. The singers in the production crew were not the greatest. Someone said on a previous review that the blonde girl sounded like she was screaming the whole time, and I would have to agree. The dancing was good. Their shows were entertaining but just not as great as on the Star or Gem. I enjoyed the comedian. I was disappointed that he didn’t do an adult show later at night on one of the day like I have seen on other ships but he was funny. I was a little leary of TerranceB the Hypnotist. I caught the end of the 7:30 show and then we decided to go to the 9:30 show. It was actually pretty good. I am not sure I believed it all but it was entertaining. I was pleasantly surprised by Paul Pappas the pianist. When I saw that it was a pianist I thought oh how boring. I was completely wrong. I would say this was the best show of the cruise. Very entertaining and he keeps your toe tapping. We did not see the ventriloquist or the acrobatic duo so I can’t comment on those. We did spend a lot of time in the Windjammer listening to Gu Fidelis. He sang cover songs and some originals and played his guitar. He was very good. We went to some of the nightly game shows in Dazzles, as always these are entertaining. I do have to say that some of the game shows it was hard to see everything going on as it was packed every night and the show are not elevated at all. I didn’t particularly like the Calypso band that played by the pool everyday. Just not my thing I guess at least not everyday.

 

Crew/Staff

This is where the Sun shines :-) Their crew is the best. The Captain Goran Blomqvist seems to love his job and the ship. Brian Walters the hotel director was also great. We saw them and their staff around the ship all the time. Always with a warm Hello!! Richard Matic was our cruise director. While a little cheesy at times, him and his staff were fun and kept us entertained. Our room steward was great (Jinesh Joseph). A little too chatty at times but always wanted to know how our day was going and if there was anything that he could get us. He had only been sailing with NCL for two months and didn’t know any English before he joined. I was amazed at how good his English was. I really like that all staff no matter what they are doing say Hi as there walking by. And it is usually not just the cursory HI they really seem to be happy to be there and happy we are sailing with them. These people are why the Sun consistently ranks as one the best mid size ships.

 

 

Disembarkation

Disembarkation was a breeze. Our flight was until 4PM so we were not in any hurry. We picked the last time slot and were off the ship by about 10AM. They started the disembarkation at 8AM and we were the last group getting off the ship. Everything on schedule. Customs moved very quickly. The taxi area was a little disorganized but we were on our way by 10:30 or so.

 

Summary

Overall this was a great cruise. Loved the ship and crew. Of course it would have to be really bad to make any vacation bad but that is just me. I would definitely sail the Sun again.

[jennyprovo]

Ports of Call

 

St. Thomas USVI: Godfrey Tours - Island tour with 2 hours of shopping

We booked an Island Tour with 2 hours of shopping during our recent NCL cruise. Godfrey was waiting outside the cruise terminal as he said he would.

 

We really enjoyed the open air taxi. Godfrey was more than reasonable on price and collected our fee as we departed. We spent 2 hours in Charlotte Amalie shopping. Godfrey dropped those who wanted to at the top of Blackbeards castle it was $10pp to go in and tour we opted not to do the tour and just walked down to the city. The views were incredible. We had a light snack in town before heading out on our island tour.

 

Godfrey shared lots of information about the island and its history. The views were beautiful. We stopped at a mountain top store for great views and some souvenir shopping. The place also famous for banana daiquiris.

 

The views of Magens Bay were amazing. We then did a quick stop at Coral World. For another $5 you could stay there for two hours or two hours at Magens Bay we chose to go back as we need to pick up a ring we had purchased in Charlotte Amalie and was being sized.

 

It was great tour for a great value!!

 

 

Dominica: Sari-Sari Falls River Hike with NCL

The falls are gorgeous. The hike is strenuous. NCL should have more than 3 levels of effort for excursions because this one is more like a 6 or 7 on a 10 scale.

You start with a 90 minutes bus/van ride if you are prone to car sickness either take meds or sit in the front or pick another excursion. Lots of twists and turns. Our guide shared information about the island as we went.

Once we arrived we started the hike right away. It took us over an hour to get to the falls. We crossed the river three times going and coming back. The water is cool but very refreshing as you are in a rain forest so it was warm and moist. The terrain is challenging. We went up and down the river bank many times. Once to the falls you can view them from the river bank area or go just a bit further to get in the actual pool the falls creates. If you are physically able it is worth is. Our guide was very helpful in getting us to the pool for those of us who wanted to go (half of our group went 6 out of 12 people). The hike back took a bit less maybe like 45 minutes. Just before leaving the river bank we had a vegetarian soup that was delish. Hot soup when already hot from hiking was interesting but I was so hungry by then it did not matter. Then a short hike back to the bus and another 90 minutes ride back to the port (quick stop a beach on the Atlantic to see the ocean).

I recommend bringing plenty of water none was provided at all...lemonade was available with our soup. Maybe a small snack like a protein or granola bar. There was only one bathroom stop which was on the way to the river....we were sweating so much not a big deal but we were gone for over 6 hours.

 

 

Barbados: Hilton Day Pass

For $55 pp we spent the day at the Hilton enjoying their pool and beach. We choose the pool. Our price included lunch and one non alcoholic drink. We got there around 10am and had no issues finding chairs around the pool. There was a brief rain shower while we ate lunch. The pool area was beautiful and clean. The sun was hot and the pool was cold. We took a taxi to and from. On the way there we took a shared taxi van that dropped everyone but us at the Boatyard...I guess if you like the party scene it seemed like a good deal $15. On the way there our taxi driver charged us $20 on the way back $15.

 

 

 

St. Lucia: All Day Island Tour - Cosol

We did the all day Island Tour. We really enjoyed this tour. We saw the much of the island. There were many stops to enjoy the beautiful views. Also lots of bathroom breaks. Adrian was very knowledgeable about the island. We visited Toraille Falls. I guess they had some really nice gardens here that were washed away with the storms they had over the summer. We also stopped at the volcano. It was included in the tour price. Once there they take you on about a 1/2 tour talking about the volcano and surrounding area. You can also go to the mud baths here. The last stop was the beach between the Pitons. We boarded a nice boat that took us to the the beach. The public beach wasn't that great but others said the snorkeling was good and they saw lots of fish. The sampling of the various foods of St Lucia was the best part. All this food and drinks are included in the price. The tour was as described and we were back in plenty of time for sail away.

 

 

St. Martin: Island tour 2 - Bernard Tours

This was our second tour with Bernard's. It was just as good as the first time. DJ was our tour guide. He was a very good guide. We did tour 2 this time. A little more beach time at Orient Beach. There wasn’t anyone at the iguana farm so we didn’t get to feed them. It was sad to see all the work they put into it only to have to move it across the fence to the Dutch side because the French side said it wasn’t permitted. The beach club at Orient Beach was good, chairs very comfortable. For $10 we got two chairs and two drinks. Serafinas in Marigot was closed on Monday but we did get some pastries at the place next door. Don't miss the Soursop juice in Marigot. It was another wonderful tour.

St. Martin is my favorite Caribbean island. The people are super friendly. Their cruise port is very nice and well maintained. And at their shops I never felt pressure by the shopkeepers like I do on other islands. I would definitely plan a full vacation on this island.

 

[deladypilot]

Thank you review your cruise. We loved the Sun and her amazing crew. Hope one day soon to be back on her

[gelo7]

Excellent photo review.

[DENNICH]

Great photos and a well written review. Thank you so much for posting it. I going to be sailing on the Sun in a few days. Just curious, what nationality is the cruise director, Richard Matic?

[jasoneats]

Thanks for the great review! We will be on the Sun in 2 weeks and we are very excited. It's fun to get a preview through other's reviews.

 

I was wondering about a couple of things. Did you have a coffeemaker in your room? Also, at breakfast, were there warm cinnamon rolls and sticky buns under the heat lamps in the buffet? This is one of my favorite parts of breakfast-on-vacation.

 

Thanks again!

[jennyprovo]

Richard is form the Philippines.

 

Yes there was a coffee maker in our room. We didn't use it so I can't comment on how it works. And yes there were sticky buns and cinnamon rolls on the breakfast buffet. You have to go inside to get them. We didn't find them at the Great Outdoors.

[jeckstein]

Thanks for an informative review. We will be on the Sun in April.

[jasoneats]

Thanks for the quick reply!

[LTC]

Great review. We were on the same cruise and it was fabulous. Also stayed at the Hampton Brickell and thought it was a great hotel.