Norwegian Sun to Alaska, yay or nay?

[Brookie1975]

Has anyone been on the Norwegian Sun on the last few years? All the reviews I could find seem to be from 2017 or earlier. And many of them are not very good. 

[www3traveler]

7 minutes ago, Brookie1975 said:

Has anyone been on the Norwegian Sun on the last few years? All the reviews I could find seem to be from 2017 or earlier. And many of them are not very good. 

I have not be on The Sun in a number of years but would go back on Her in a heartbeat.  Wonderful small ship.  Lots and lots of free outdoor space.  Lots of buffet seating space on the Buffet on the aft deck.  Alaska would be wonderful on Her.  Enjoy!!

[roger001]

Haven't been on the Sun in about 6 years or so but loved her then.  And she has been upgraded since then.  

[The Traveling Man]

11 minutes ago, Brookie1975 said:

Has anyone been on the Norwegian Sun on the last few years? All the reviews I could find seem to be from 2017 or earlier. And many of them are not very good. 

We took the Sun to Alaska in 2015.  It's a great ship, but there is one design issue that seems to make it less than desirable for cold-weather cruises.  To walk between the atrium and the theater you either have to pass through the disco lounge and the Windjammer Bar or go outside and use the jogging track to bypass the crowds in the bar and lounge.  Even a summer evening in Alaska can be too cold to walk out on deck without a coat.  When a show ends in the theater, hundreds of passengers pour through the bar and lounge, disturbing the dancers in the lounge and the musicians performing in the bar.  It's a minor issue, but for some folks it could be the difference between choosing one ship and another.

[Shellbelle28]

I have not, but we are booked in September of 2022 on the Sun in Alaska and are looking forward to it a lot! We were so disappointed when NCL pulled the Pearl from Alaska and went with just the more "mega" class of ship. We LOVE the Jewel Class size. We'd originally planned to bring my 80+ parents on the Sun to Alaska in 2020, and thought the smaller ship would be a better first time ship for them. Thanks to the pandemic canceling our trip, my parents just aren't mobile and mentally acute enough to want to travel any more, so it will just be me and my husband. 

[deliver42]

Any ship to Alaska is a YAY!

[victory2020]

Yay

[BirdTravels]

I would stick to one of the big ships to Alaska from Seattle. Bliss/Encore/Joy. 

Edited August 16, 2021 by BirdTravels

[odie1024]

We did the Jewel out of Seward in Sept. 2019 and loved it. Was BF first cruise and he got hooked.

[sfaaa]

NCL Sun went through a major reno and upgrade not that long ago. The old 2017 Sun reviews are pretty much outdated and no longer relevant.

[cuterlmt]

We went on the Sun in 2017 for a back to back from Vancouver to Seward and back. It was our first cruise in years and first cruise to Alaska and it was just fantastic. Personally I like the smaller ships, but am on the Encore in less than a week for another Alaskan adventure. If you do sail the Sun, and have an inside cabin, I would suggest 10132. It is the LARGEST inside I have ever seen, larger than some balcony cabins without the balcony. It is an sideways inside cabin with a huge couch and extra storage space.

As mentioned above, any cruise to Alaska is pretty darn grand!!!

[brad0576]

I was on the Sun in 2018 to Cuba and then in 2019 almost to Cuba until that was suddenly not allowed - the ship was renovated in 2018 and they did a great job - Everything was very nice.... The entertainment was decent but not like what you get on the mega ships.  The ship has more bar space than the other ships I have been on, never had a wait for anything and never had trouble getting a seat at the bar.

[Rummblestrip]

If you have time to decide, I will be sailing on her twice (Feb & April) on Asia itineraries. Once in an oceanview and one in a club balcony. I can give you an update on her condition.

 

I would never sail a mega ship to Alaska. You will be able to go into places that big ships not allowed. Also much closer than the mega ships. Alaska is about being out with nature. It is hard to be outside and have good views with waterslides and racetracks in your way. Also, thousands more getting off the ship in the small port is not appealing to me. 

 

[RunBikeCruiseDC]

We really enjoyed Sailing on the Sun.  However, I would probably choose one of the later Breakaway + class (Bliss, Encore) due to the observation area for the views that were built for Alaska cruises.  

[FloatingAces]

It was 2014 for the Sun for us, so I cannot speak to the renovations, but I'd consider the smaller ships over the bigger ones anytime for Alaska.  Like Rummblestrip said, so much more than other cruises you are looking at the scenery, not a show or other other inside the ship entertainment.  Definitely get a balcony or above.  The ships always spin 360 when they are looking at a glacier and you will see both sides of the landscape when the ship heads towards and then away from the glacier.

 

If you are going one way, consider an inland facing cabin (starboard for northbound) if you want to see continuous land or ocean facing cabin (port for northbound) if you want to see the ocean alternating with the barrier islands.

 

Finally don't forget binoculars!  Even on a lower deck on a small ship the wildlife seems so far away without them.

[MagnoliaBlossom]

We have had six sailings on the Sun.  Once from Vancouver to Seward, ( wonderful to be on the smaller ship while in the fjords), once in the Baltic Capitals and four around the Caribbean.  We love her and are booked again for AK in 2023.   One of the nice benefits is their “sideways” inside cabins.  They are much larger than a standard inside and the layout gives you two distinctive dressing areas.  Very nice for dressing for dinner.  We no longer sail inside cabins, but these are very nice for folks who need a bit more space or are traveling with children.

[ClevelandCruisin]

Yay!

 

Did the Sun to Cuba! 

 

But any ship will do really. 

[Norseh2o]

Loved the Sun from Valparaiso, Chile to San Francisco, CA in April, 2016 or 2017. A second Sun cruise from Seattle through the Panama Canal to Florida in April, 2018 = no thank you! Ship had undergone some repairs in San Francisco after a bad trip north and our cruise followed the “repaired” cruise.   Ongoing maintenance made walking about difficult, crew was less than happy, rather a disappointment. We completed one more NCL trip on a Jewel class ship, maybe the Jade (my new favorite NCL ship type) to Alaska in September, 2018. Having only cruised with NCL, we hesitated but remembering the poor Sun cruise, decided to look at other cruise opportunities. Our 2019 cruises were with other lines & we found that we like the smaller ships offered from one line and the many west coast cruises of the other line. Still,  with our Norwegian cruise next options, maybe we should schedule an NCL Transatlantic in November in a Jewel class ship?

[PhillyTravelBug]

I love the idea of a smaller ship sailing through Alaska and wouldn’t do it without a balcony room. However, nothing beats that observation lounge of the Joy, Bliss, and Encore.  Also the thermal spa… laying on those heated loungers looking out the floor to ceiling panoramic view windows…that created such a memorable experience in Alaska.

[karatemom2]

We just booked the Sun for Alaska next summer - couldn't resist the itinerary! We have viewed videos of the newly refurbished ship and it looks wonderful. We love smaller ships. Would love to hear suggestions for those that have cruised on the Sun about things that make it special.

[kjquilts]

Here is a thread for you .... from another Sun lover.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2297782-calling-all-ncl-sun-lovers/

 

We'd love to sail on her again.  That being said we also love the Bliss and the Jewel class ships.