Is The Sun Too Small and Does NCL nickel and dime you?

I have just read this from a trusted friend and they had lots more negative things to say than just this.

they put the Embark picture on the bed (two copies) the first night of the cruise and said leave it out on the 4th night of the Cruise or you pay for it.

My friend went on to say she would never cruise on the Sun or NCL again as the ship's balcony cabin was too small and the showers were too small. She said she sailed back in 2002 or 2003. She has many cruises on a different cruise line, and said NCL was by far the worst she has ever taken.

I just want to know if we're making a big mistake by booking the Sun? She said the food in the MDR were horrible. My wife and I do NOT want to take an 11 day cruise and have to pay an upcharge to eat decent food in the specialty restaurants. While on Carnival we always ate in the MDR, and while not perfect, we could always count on lobster, filet mignon, and prime rib during our 7 and 8 day cruises. Is it the same on NCL? Be honest and let us know. We want to make sure we're doing the right thing.

I have just read this from a trusted friend and they had lots more negative things to say than just this.

 

they put the Embark picture on the bed (two copies) the first night of the cruise and said leave it out on the 4th night of the Cruise or you pay for it.

 

My friend went on to say she would never cruise on the Sun or NCL again as the ship's balcony cabin was too small and the showers were too small. She said she sailed back in 2002 or 2003. She has many cruises on a different cruise line, and said NCL was by far the worst she has ever taken.

 

I just want to know if we're making a big mistake by booking the Sun? She said the food in the MDR were horrible. My wife and I do NOT want to take an 11 day cruise and have to pay an upcharge to eat decent food in the specialty restaurants. While on Carnival we always ate in the MDR, and while not perfect, we could always count on lobster, filet mignon, and prime rib during our 7 and 8 day cruises. Is it the same on NCL? Be honest and let us know. We want to make sure we're doing the right thing.

The picture thing is something I have never experienced so can't speak to that (they handled pictures on NCL and CCL the same- they put them in a holder by the photo galley and you selected the ones that you wanted). We found the food on CCL to be comparable to what we had on NCL, but of course you don't get filet mignon or prime rib on CCL in the MDR anymore, you have to go to the steak house (I thought the lobster on CCL was head and shoulders above NCL but I've read that NCL is changing that). We paid for no more on CCL than we did on NCL, so I've never understood the nickel and diming comments. I think you will find that the entertainment on NCL is a bit better than what CCL is currently offering.

We've sailed on the Sun three times and the Jade twice. I love the Sun, not as big as the mega ships, but big enough to have a lot of fun. Food is always good, you buy what you want vis a vis the extras, and we never felt nickled and dimed. Didn't have that experience with the photos. We don't buy photos, so don't let them take our picture, polite no does it. Sounds like your friend has a chip on the shoulder.

I have just read this from a trusted friend and they had lots more negative things to say than just this.

 

they put the Embark picture on the bed (two copies) the first night of the cruise and said leave it out on the 4th night of the Cruise or you pay for it.

 

My friend went on to say she would never cruise on the Sun or NCL again as the ship's balcony cabin was too small and the showers were too small. She said she sailed back in 2002 or 2003. She has many cruises on a different cruise line, and said NCL was by far the worst she has ever taken.

 

I just want to know if we're making a big mistake by booking the Sun? She said the food in the MDR were horrible. My wife and I do NOT want to take an 11 day cruise and have to pay an upcharge to eat decent food in the specialty restaurants. While on Carnival we always ate in the MDR, and while not perfect, we could always count on lobster, filet mignon, and prime rib during our 7 and 8 day cruises. Is it the same on NCL? Be honest and let us know. We want to make sure we're doing the right thing.

Go read my review of our recent New Years cruise on the review section and then come back and ask me any ?'s that you might have.

The pictures were always in the photo gallery. No pressure to purchase any pictures at all. The MDR food was very good But I like my meat cooked but not overlooked and I prefer to add salt if needed rather than have my food taste too salty. We only ate at one specialty restaurant because we didn't feel that we needed to. Compared to the food in the MDR in March on the Dawn we liked the Sun's food better.

The picture thing is something I have never experienced so can't speak to that (they handled pictures on NCL and CCL the same- they put them in a holder by the photo galley and you selected the ones that you wanted). We found the food on CCL to be comparable to what we had on NCL, but of course you don't get filet mignon or prime rib on CCL in the MDR anymore, you have to go to the steak house (I thought the lobster on CCL was head and shoulders above NCL but I've read that NCL is changing that). We paid for no more on CCL than we did on NCL, so I've never understood the nickel and diming comments. I think you will find that the entertainment on NCL is a bit better than what CCL is currently offering.

I just went on a 7 day Carnival Pride cruise and we did, indeed, have prime rib (twice), and filet mignon available in the MDR. You do not have to go to the steakhouse to get it.

If they put the embark photos on your bed, it would have to be a brand new policy since we've been on 3-4 Norwegian cruises in the last year and it didn't happen. Hate the embarkation photos anyway!

We were on a CCL cruise 2 weeks ago so I can tell you Norwegian has just as much variety in the MDR and the food is prepared when you order it, not an hour before and then kept (barely) warm until it's served. We never had a hot meal on our CCL cruise.

We really missed the speciality restaurants when on CCL. There are some items they just don't serve - like Asian. Now one thing that's on the CCL menu that was outstanding was ... the chocolate melting cake. It was HOT and delicious!

Don't expect to have breakfast in a MDR on CCL on sea days. They serve what they call brunch along with a comedy show (10 minute commercial for that night's show). Again, food was not good IMO. On the other hand, NCL has main dining room service for both breakfast and lunch.

Entertainment on NCL is bar far superior to what CCL is now offering.

The Sun is a fine ship - a little older and smaller than the mega ships they are now building. It has a classic feel. Cabins may be a bit smaller and the shower a bit odd (along with the hair dryer) but we adjusted well. Our last cruise on the Sun was last fall when we did the Baltics combined with a Transatlantic for a total of 28 days.

but of course you don't get filet mignon or prime rib on CCL in the MDR anymore, .

I hd prime rib every night in the MDR last May on the CCL Paridise, has this changed since then?

I have just read this from a trusted friend and they had lots more negative things to say than just this.

 

they put the Embark picture on the bed (two copies) the first night of the cruise and said leave it out on the 4th night of the Cruise or you pay for it.

We never had this happen to us. Never had the Nickel&Dime effect at all.

 

My friend went on to say she would never cruise on the Sun or NCL again as the ship's balcony cabin was too small and the showers were too small. She said she sailed back in 2002 or 2003. She has many cruises on a different cruise line, and said NCL was by far the worst she has ever taken.

We had a BA, mid-ship balcony, roomy. I am 220lb's stand 5ft 11in's shower was roomy for me.That being said it would be to small to hold a party :eek:

 

I just want to know if we're making a big mistake by booking the Sun? She said the food in the MDR were horrible. My wife and I do NOT want to take an 11 day cruise and have to pay an upcharge to eat decent food in the specialty restaurants. While on Carnival we always ate in the MDR, and while not perfect, we could always count on lobster, filet mignon, and prime rib during our 7 and 8 day cruises. Is it the same on NCL? Be honest and let us know. We want to make sure we're doing the right thing.

We did a B2B, Jan/12. As stated the Sun is not a mega ship, i would sail on her again. As far as the MDR's go , we ate in both, as DW doesn't do buffet's. We all know food is subjective, to who tell's the story. We never had a bad meal, some were better than other's. Maybe she just didn't like the Freestyle, who know's. It's not for everyone.

What ever you decide enjoy your cruise

Hope this help's.

I just went on a 7 day Carnival Pride cruise and we did, indeed, have prime rib (twice), and filet mignon available in the MDR. You do not have to go to the steakhouse to get it.

I hd prime rib every night in the MDR last May on the CCL Paridise, has this changed since then?

Must have been blind, I never saw either on the menu:o. Edited to add, crud I hate getting old:(, I just read my review and I also had filet mignon and prime rib while on the Pride. CRS strikes again:eek:.

they put the Embark picture on the bed (two copies) the first night of the cruise and said leave it out on the 4th night of the Cruise or you pay for it.

I've been on 11 NCL cruises and this has never occurred. All the photos are displayed in the photo gallery, never placed on your bed. I would love to hear the exact details of your friend's NCL cruise - ship and sailing date - to see if this was a policy from "ancient" times (pre-2000, which was the year of my first NCL cruise).

Photos on the bed ? Have never heard of such a thing in all my years. Nickle and dime ?

A phrase that people use when they dont have any real complaints .

The Sun to small ? I dont know , its one of my favorite ships . Do you like 4500 passenger mega ships or do you like 1800 passenger ships ??

If you trust Her opinion in all aspects of your like and dislikes then Id say dont cruise on the Sun , just to be extra safe ;)

They tried the photo on the bed thing about 10 years ago, we actually wanted to buy it. We put our international date line crossing certificate in the folder with it.

They had not properly communicated to us that they would remove it if we left it out! So they took it.

They don't do that any more.

They tried the photo on the bed thing about 10 years ago, we actually wanted to buy it. We put our international date line crossing certificate in the folder with it.

They had not properly communicated to us that they would remove it if we left it out! So they took it.

They don't do that any more.

Thanks for the confirmation of this long-abandoned policy. It's probably more like 13-14 years ago since my first NCL cruise was in 2000 and they didn't do it even then.

Is the Sun too small?

Too small for what? i don't understand that. The ship holds just short of 2,000 passengers and just under 1,000 crew. That's nearly 3,000 people, so no, it's not too small.

Nickel & diming?

I've been on all the US mass-marketed lines (no Disney for me), and no line does it more or less than the other IME. The options are there if you want them.

In 9 cruises (on 6 different lines), we've NEVER had any photos laid on our bed.

I am by no means a cheerleader for any line and as such my comments will set off lots of responses that I'm wrong by those that are. But this is a fair assessment, take it for what its worth. I've been on the exact same 12 night cruise out of New York 4 times in the last five years on three different lines. Balconies on all three

1) All three lines are about the same price if you book in advance. There's always last minute bookings where you will get a deal but you will find that on all lines depending on how full the ship is.

2) The ships on all three lines are unique and beautiful in their own right. Depending on what you like you will prefer one over the othr but overall not much difference

3) The balconies on NCL are small compared to the other lines. If you are traveling with more than two people they border on non functional when the third bed is turned down at night. Likewise there are no privacy cutains on NCL while both RCL and Holland America did.

4) NCL is all anytime dining while the other lines have both fixed seating and some version of anytime dining. NCL does it best if you are looking for anytime dining. I can tell you it does have advantages over fixed seating. If you prefer fixed seating it really doesn't exist on NCL.

5) All lines have specialty restaurants but NCL steps it up in that there are 4 or 5 different ones to choose from all with varying charges between $15 and $25 or more (If you order Lobster for example its another $10 on top of the $25 charge). To be fair they do have a lobster night in the free dining room as do the other lines. Holland America was the only line, however, where there were no complaints of being limited to only one lobster.

Under normal circumstances I would say the multiple offerings on NCL gives them the edge but my recent experience this month only confirms that if you want comparable food to the other lines you have to pay for it. Some examples

a) All lines have items that appear everynight on their menus. One on all three is NY strip steak. NCL was the only line where it was cut 1/3 the size (thin) of the other two. Decent steaks could only be gotten in the pay restaurants

b) NCL never had a shrimp coctail on the free menu, only in the pay restaurants

c) The other lines had free sushi everyday in the buffets, only available for pay on NCL

d) Osso Bocco on the main dining menu for free except NCL where you could only get it in Mama's for a fee

e) Leg of Lamb so fatty that everyone we talked to that ordered it said it was a disgrace to even be served.

This is what we noticed, and I'm sure there are other items as well.

I should also tell you we had a good time and would sail with NCL if given the opportunity. Its just that given a choice, you get alot more from other lines for the same price.

My advice is go and have fun. You won't starve and you may find there are positives that outway the negatives for you.

If you are looking for a leviathan with all the features that new ships may have (rock climbing wall; ice rink; merry go round; wave rider) by all means, don't book the Sun. I was talking to my TA yesterday and she asked me what ships I am thinking about for 2014, and I said I would pick the Sun first if it didn't involve my youngest missing too much school.

We ate in the MDR four nights and it was fine. Modernos Brazilian steak house once as a treat and the second time because it was so good the first time. Le Bistro for the mussels and French onion soup. The buffet is comparable to that on RCI.

I like the size and the service but everybody's different and looking for something different on a cruise. If you go thinking it's going to be crap you probably won't appreciate what we Sun lovers love about her.

I was on The Sun in November and had a great time. I never had any pictures put on my bed. There was never any pressure to buy anything including pictures. On a 10 day cruise, I ate either in one of the MDR's or the Buffet except for one night. Food was always good and so was the service. The Sun is a small ship but very nice. The staff was just wonderful. I am actually thinking of booking another cruise on Her.

While I have not sailed on the Sun or NCL (yet!) it is what we have booked. Keep in mind, if your friend sailed in 2002 or 2003, the Sun has gone threw a refurb from that time also.

Our last cruise was on Carnival on the Legend, another small ship. I think it all depends on what you are looking for in a cruise. I choose the Sun for the REASON it wasn't a mega-ship, even with 2 kids. I get nervous going to a store when it is busy let alone a ship with 4000+ people! Then again, I am a simple person. I want my balcony and a book, and that is it!

I think food is really subjective. Our experience with Carnival's food wasn't that great. 90% of the food IMO tasted like I could easily make at home, by putting things in the crock pot for 12 hours! It wasn't inedible, but it wasn't anything more than I would cook on a regular basis for entrees.

As for "nickle and dimeing" one, out of Disney, RCCL and Carnival, the only place it seemed a lot was RCCL for me. You couldn't walk down the hall with out someone trying to sell you something it seemed!

My mother is a big fan of NCL (her preferred line along with Princess) she is one of those cruisers who pays her fair, tips, excursions and a bottle of wine each day. Nothing else, ever. She has taken of 30 cruises, and never ONCE ate at a specialty restaurant. This is a woman who Mystery Shops for a living. She doesn't cook, goes out to eat (and gets paid for it!!) 7 days a week.

If a giant TV screen at the pool and climbing wall are important for you, don't travel the Sun.

I would book the trip and make my own comparison. Well, actually, we've already booked it for next year.

As a general rule of thumb, I would pay no attention to any impressions of a cruise taken 10 years ago on any cruise line. More things have changed than have stayed the same in that decade. NCL wasn't even under the same ownership and management 10 years ago.

While they all have their differences and each line does some things better or worse than the others, overall the mass market cruise lines are far more alike than different.

I have just read this from a trusted friend and they had lots more negative things to say than just this.

 

they put the Embark picture on the bed (two copies) the first night of the cruise and said leave it out on the 4th night of the Cruise or you pay for it.

 

My friend went on to say she would never cruise on the Sun or NCL again as the ship's balcony cabin was too small and the showers were too small. She said she sailed back in 2002 or 2003. She has many cruises on a different cruise line, and said NCL was by far the worst she has ever taken.

 

I just want to know if we're making a big mistake by booking the Sun? She said the food in the MDR were horrible. My wife and I do NOT want to take an 11 day cruise and have to pay an upcharge to eat decent food in the specialty restaurants. While on Carnival we always ate in the MDR, and while not perfect, we could always count on lobster, filet mignon, and prime rib during our 7 and 8 day cruises. Is it the same on NCL? Be honest and let us know. We want to make sure we're doing the right thing.

You asked this question in another thread too and I answered you there. Let me add that we have cruised on several cruise lines and NCL was NOT our worst experience. I'm sorry your friends had a bad experience but that is not the norm.

All mass market cruise lines charge for sodas, drinks, specialty restaurants so NCL doesn't nickel/dime more than HAL or RCL or Carnival, all of which I've cruised so can compare.

I've had lobster and have had filet in MDR on NCL, including on the Sun.

I enjoyed the small size of the Sun, easy to get everywhere.

I would suggest you not base your cruise choice on your friends' subjective opinion.

You asked this question in another thread too and I answered you there. Let me add that we have cruised on several cruise lines and NCL was NOT our worst experience. I'm sorry your friends had a bad experience but that is not the norm.

All mass market cruise lines charge for sodas, drinks, specialty restaurants so NCL doesn't nickel/dime more than HAL or RCL or Carnival, all of which I've cruised so can compare.

I've had lobster and have had filet in MDR on NCL, including on the Sun.

I enjoyed the small size of the Sun, easy to get everywhere.

I would suggest you not base your cruise choice on your friends' subjective opinion.

Especially since the friends cruise was in 2002-03. There must be well over 1000 posted reviews of the Sun since the OP's friends cruise to look through to get a more recent account.

We were on the Sun for 9 days in July and it was fine. We have been on 10 NCL cruises on may different NCL ships and the picture thing never happened. We avoid the ships photos for the most part and we never buy anything we don't want - they do not hound you, but they do let you know what is available. The food in the MDR was fine - good to very good for the most part and the balcony cabins on NCL seemed fine to us. The showers had curtains (not doors like the newer ships have) and while annoying, not impossible - just take a large clip/holder or something else to weight it down. But if you are a very rotund person, you may still have problems. And the entertainment was very good.

I think those that hate NCL really just hate the freestyle aspect of it (no set dinner times, etc) - several people have actually told us that so the OPs friend most likely did not like it either. I love NCL just because of the freestyle.

OP - Go on the Sun and make your own decision - although not my favorite NCL ship, I would take your place in a heartbeat;) I always told me kids you can only say you don't like something if you tried it first. Your friend has passed that test, now make your own:)

Don't expect to have breakfast in a MDR on CCL on sea days. They serve what they call brunch along with a comedy show (10 minute commercial for that night's show). Again, food was not good IMO. On the other hand, NCL has main dining room service for both breakfast and lunch.

Some Carnival ships have the comedy brunch and some don't. Those that don't have a regular breakfast in the MDR every morning and lunch on sea days. You need to check if the ship you're on has the brunch or not.

Does NCL have a MDR lunch available on port days, or just sea days?

I haven't been on an NCL ship since the 1990's so I'm curious to try it again. I just got off the Pride and I'm considering the Gem. This is a very interesting thread outlining the differences.

We have been on a number of cruises NCL, Holland America and RCL. The Sun was our last cruise in October, and it was up there with my favourites. The staff was friendly, the food was great, we ate both in the MDR and at specialty restaurants. My husband has a big appetite, and the steak in the MDR always filled him up. We never had photos left on our bed, and besides our bar tab, we had no other extras on our final account. We pay for our excursions ahead of time, as well as the on board gratuity. You can spend as much as you want, but we never felt pressure to buy.;)