Sun Cruise to Alaska - Review with Photos (I hope)

First let me start out by saying thank you to everyone who writes a review or answers questions about cruising. With the knowledge of everyone and a couple of past cruises, we had a wonderful time.

We are a couple in our later 40s. We are very relaxed people and do not stress over small stuff. Our children are grown and this is how we vacation now (ALONE !!) This was our 3rd cruise (all with NCL) and our 25th Anniversary. We could not be happier with the way it worked out.

So lets begin:

We booked this cruise the day it appeared on the NCL website. We had been waiting in anticipation for it to open up as we had taken the R/T Seattle cruise a few months previous. So once booked we had over 500 days on our count down. Cruise Critic came in to play here. It was a way to pass the time and do my research. A few weeks after we booked, I noticed someone had started a Roll Call for our sailing and I was on it. For the longest time, it was just me and one other member, but we kept the page up on top.

We chose the June 3rd sailing date due to it being a little less expensive but mostly because we were hoping for a little clearer weather. We were not disappointed in that.

We left our home on May 31st to stay in Baltimore, Md for an early flight out the next morning. We live about 1 1/2 hrs from the airport and this made things easier on our son who had to take us. We stated at the Embassy Suites - BWI. We booked a suite and were not disappointed. Although it is an older hotel, it is well maintained and we enjoyed the managers cocktail party from 5:30-7pm. They offered free drinks and snacks in the bar area. After drinks we headed to our room to relax and get a good night sleep. At 6am we were out the door and on a shuttle to the airport.

We wanted to make our vacation last a little longer and try enjoy a little bit of the Northeast before the cruise. So we flew to Seattle where we rented a car and spent the afternoon and evening on the pier. Finding a parking space can be quite a chore, but once we did, we took a nice stroll enjoying the water and watching the Jewel set sail. We decided to grab a bite to eat and chose Anthonys Fish House. My husband had clam strips and I ordered Clam Chowder in a Sourdough bread bowl. Both were great and the atmosphere was fantastic. We chose to eat on the deck and were entertained by the people having a party on their boats below.

At around 8pm we decided we were a bit tired as we are east coasters and we had had a long day. We drove back to the airport where we turned in the rental car and called for a shuttle to our hotel.

We had booked the Days Inn SeaTac. Well, we are not complainers in any way but there are no good words to say about this hotel other than the staff was great. The bed was so low to the ground, I had to look to see if there was even a frame under it. There was. It was very hard and neither one of us slept. I think I managed 2 1/2 hrs and my husband not much more. So we will leave it at that and move on.

June 2nd - It was train day. Whoo hoo - or should that be choo choo. We had pre booked Already There Town Car Service to be picked up at 6:30 and as promised our phone rang at 6am with the driver letting us know he would be there at 6:30. He was right on time. He did not speak much and did not appear to be overly happy with the early morning hour, still he was pleasant and got us to the Amtrak right on time. Neither one of us had ever ridden the train before so this was quite exciting. We were there in no time and checked in. After showing our passports we received our seat assignments and off we went to turn in our luggage. Quick and easy. We were still early enough so we managed to take a few shots of the station.

The station itself was beautiful and Seattle has a lot to be proud of after the renovations. They are very organized and the only problem I saw at all was from another passenger who had over weight bags. They do stick with the 50lb limit. The passenger was quiet mad and became rude to the man checking them in, but the employee maintained complete professionalism.

Once they made the announcement that we could board, we were in our seats within a couple of minutes. A few announcements from the conductor and we were off.

The views are wonderful and the ride was comfortable and a great experience. I do think I had my visions set a little to high and expected more but was still not disappointed. The train makes several stops and goes through some industrial areas but the views are amazing when it opens up and the Eagles were everywhere. The conductors were fantastic at letting you know what was coming up and where we were. I wish my camera would have given me clearer shots through the window but most came out cloudy.

The train arrived right on time and because we were in car 1, we were let off first. Our bags had been set out beside the train for us to grab as we entered the station in Vancouver. Once inside you are greeted by Customs. We presented our passports and a couple of questions followed. "What is the reason for your visit?", "How long do you intend to be here?" and off we went. Through customs in about 3 minutes flat.

We walked outside to a beautiful day. The taxis were lined up and ready. We took a couple of minutes to stretch our legs and look around before jumping into one.

We had booked the Days Inn on W Pender Ave and within about 4 minutes we were there.

Since it was only noon or just after, the hotel was not ready for us to check in yet, but gladly locked our bags up and let us go see the sites. Just to be clear on this. Locking your bags up at this hotel meant they put a chain through the handles of all of your bags and locked it to a pole in the lobby. The lady behind the desk was quite nice and took my husbands camera case behind the desk. We received a ticket for both.

The hotel was located about 3 blocks away from Canada Place so we set our sites there. It was an easy walk and you quickly realize what a beautiful city Vancouver is. We decided the best bet was to just walk around and see what we could. No set direction or intention other than I did want to see the Olympic torches.

First up was Canada Place and the Canadian Trail. This is a lovely boardwalk with lots to see and read. There was some construction going on and it did make moving about a little slower, but did not distract from the overall enjoyment.

Sure hope all of this is coming out. This is my first review and the first time I have really tried to add photos.

Canada Place Continued. Of course being a pilot, how could I not enjoy all the float planes coming and going.

So far so good:)

After we left the pier we headed to the torches. It too is a pretty area with lots of people moving about.

When we were done there we asked about a place to get a quick bite to eat. Someone headed us in the direction of the food court beneath Canada Place. We both grabbed a bite and then we headed back to the hotel to see if our room was ready. It was. They unlocked our luggage and we went to our room.

The Days Inn (W Pender Ave) is in an older building but is very well maintained and I love the details in the woodwork everywhere. We had a King Suite which we had booked about 6 months previous. I believe we paid $146.00 CAD and that included taxes. We were very pleased with the hotel. The bed was comfortable and so was the sofa.

Here is a view from our room. Remember this is in the middle of town, so you have to search for your views

So far so good:)

So far so good!! Your photos are great, can't wait to see more!:D

After getting everything to our room we wandered south of the hotel to see what was there. Vancouver has a lot of foot traffic so we just went with the flow.

If you are a shopper it wont take you long to find all the big name stores. I happen to be a Pandora Bracelet person and quickly found a store, so I had to pick myself up a new charm. Turns out this store has its own dangle charm that says Vancouver.

After a little site seeing we headed back to the hotel to meet with some of the other members of our Cruise Critic group for an unofficial meet & greet. Only us and one other family showed up, but we had a nice chat at the hotel bar before heading to bed.

Slept great until about 4:30 am. Guess I was just way to excited to sleep. So I fixed myself some coffee and went down stairs to see the sun rise while my husband slept. It was so peaceful and quiet but the sun was already on its way up. By 8 am everyone was moving about and I went to check on getting the shuttle to the terminal. Days Inn offers a free shuttle but what I did not know was that you had to get on the list and by the time I checked on it, the only slot available was 9 am. Wow, what are we going to do at the cruise terminal from 9 am until check in is what I thought. Turns out, it was no problem. The driver dropped us off and a porter took our bags. So with nothing else to do before check in, we headed outside to see what was going on.

We took a little sit down and watched the people go by. With disembarking passengers and embarking passengers coming and going at the same time, this could be quite funny at times.

About 30 minutes later, we headed back into the terminal. I had heard or read some horror stories about Canada Place and the confusion that could take place so I did not want to get lost in the jumble. No problems really. My husband has a broken back and by now, he was not feeling the best so I walked over to the screeners and asked if he could sit down in one of the chairs that was just inside the security line until it was time to let us go through. The lady was quite nice and said of course but then followed it up with...You can go through now if you wish. "If we wish", I thought to myself. Are you crazy lady, I have waited 18 months for this cruise and if you are telling me I can go through now, we are there. So by 10:30 we were through security and shown a place to sit down until it was time to check in.

In this fist seating area there were both NCL Sun passengers and Disney Wonder passengers. Around 10:45 they announced that Norwegian people could proceed to check in. We were pointed in the right direction and were first in our line. A few minutes later we were in another seating area waiting to load.

Somewhere around 11:40 I noticed a few people loading. I figured this was the suite people. A few minutes later we were on the ship. Oh yeah. Time to sail.

So far so good!! Your photos are great, can't wait to see more!:D

Thank you. We really do take a lot of photos. It is always our best souvenir

The check in on the ship was pretty much normal. It moved pretty quickly and of course we had to washy washy happy happy. Somehow that just makes you feel like you are finally on vacation.

Knowing the rooms were not ready we did a quick little tour of the ship. Just catching the main areas, then we headed to the buffet area. We knew it would be crowded but that was ok. What I really wanted was to sit on the open deck on the back and just watch. We grabbed our food and found a seat right next to the rails. Everyone was smiling and having a great time already when I looked across and saw a man place his food on the table and run back in for something. Oh lesson learned.. This is what happens if you walk away from your food on an outdoor deck in port.

When the man arrived back, he saw the bird and heard everyone laughing and snapping photos that he could not help but laugh himself.

Thanks for the review; looking forward to the rest. I'm hoping to go to Alaska next year, and haven't quite decided on which NCL ship. I'm devouring reviews.

After a quick bite to eat, my husband the eager man that he is wanted to see if our room was ready. It was like a kid in a candy store. I had to remind him that they had not announced our floor yet but he wanted to go find it anyway. Just as we were arriving there and as I was telling my husband that they were not ready, the hotel director came around the corner and had over heard. He said welcome aboard and told us that if the room door was closed, that our room was ready and we could go on in.

I leaned something new. I do not know if this is just how the Sun does things or if this is fleet wide, but it was nice. So we headed to our room. We were in an MB Category Mini-Suite #11214. Can not believe with all the photos I took, I did not take any of the room itself. Guess I was just way to excited to see everything else.

We laid our stuff down and checked out the balcony and all the papers on the bed. Found our Sun pins and the Freestyle daily. We were not there long and we headed back up on deck for some drinks.

Husband bought a bucket of New Castle Beer and I had the drink of the day Bahama Mama. Ok, I had 2 before we set sail

Thanks for the review; looking forward to the rest. I'm hoping to go to Alaska next year, and haven't quite decided on which NCL ship. I'm devouring reviews.

We have now taken 2 Alaskan Cruises with NCL. 2 years ago we took the Star which was R/T Seattle. We loved every minute of it and that is why we wanted to do it again. What I found with my research is that the Northbound Vancouver to Whitter had the longest port times plus you had Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier.

We toyed with the Southbound but finally decided that we liked the North better.

At 3:30 promptly we had the safety drill and before you knew it was over. The staff handled it quite well.

As soon as we left there, we headed to the Observation Lounge for sail away. We went out on the deck to watch it all

More Sail Away

Ok I have to go fix dinner. I will finish up later

I am enjoying your review and your pictures. I was on The Sun with Steven Jacobsen as the Hotel Director. I am booked on The Sun in September of 2014 for Her Panama Cruise. I am looking forward to reading the rest of your review and your pictures.

Our first cruise was on the Star in 08, how would you compare the Sun to the Star? I know the Star is a little bigger....generally, what are the differences between the two?:)

Thanks!

I am enjoying your review and your pictures. I was on The Sun with Steven Jacobsen as the Hotel Director. I am booked on The Sun in September of 2014 for Her Panama Cruise. I am looking forward to reading the rest of your review and your pictures.

Steve Jacobson was our HD. I loved his way of managing. He was in the thick of things not sitting behind some desk. He was in the buffet greeting people and helping to clean tables. Everywhere you turned, he was there.

Wish we could take the time off to do a Panama Canal trip, but we are self employed and until we retire, I don't think that is in the cards for us. I know you will have a great time and I will be watching for your review

Our first cruise was on the Star in 08, how would you compare the Sun to the Star? I know the Star is a little bigger....generally, what are the differences between the two?:)

Thanks!

Yes the Star is bigger and I like her layout better than the Sun but the Sun is a beautiful ship and her crew is amazing. I would have a hard time choosing between the 2. If I was able to go on a vacation again tomorrow though, I think I would choose the Sun because of the crew members.

After sail away was over we mulled around a bit checking out the ship.

The Sun can be quite confusing to move about. You have to go through one thing to get to another. For instance, you have to go through the casino to get to the gift shops and you have to go through the dining room and photo area to get to the theater. To get from the pool area and buffet back to our room (which was on the same floor) you had to go through the spa. It took us a couple of days but we finally figured it all out.

After looking around we stopped in at the shops to look for my husband a thermal coffee mug. He had one that said Norwegian Star on it and wanted one that had the Sun on it. We looked and did not find one so we asked and one of sales ladies said she knew they had had some but did not know if they had any more. She took our room number and said she would look to see if any had been loaded while we were in Vancouver.

We then stopped by the liquor tasting and I had a couple sips. Nothing hit my fancy but if you are into liquor you sure can get some great deals. Of course remember that NCL will hold all liquor until the last night.

When we finished with our shopping (of which we bought nothing). We walked over to the casino and my husband sat down to play a few hands of blackjack. The Casino personnel were fantastic. I do not play but I sat down beside him and told the dealer that if he noticed anyone wanting the seat to play to let me know and I would get up. No problems there as for the most part the entire trip we barley saw anyone in the casino. We had a lot of fun and the dealers and the pitt bosses all helped me learn how to play real blackjack, not the stuff I played with my brother while growing up. Going to the casino in the late afternoon or evening became a ritual for us. We loved the staff members from the dealers to the bartender and waitress. On the last night of our cruise, the waitress began to cry because we were leaving and one of the dealers had sent a note to our room to tell us how much he would miss us and how much he enjoyed us. Now to clarify, my husband is not a big time gambler. He put down $300.00 and at the end of the cruse had the same $300.00. He places mostly $5.00 bets but it did not matter. He had a good time and so did I and we made some new friends.

We retired early as we were both exhausted.

June 4th - At Sea Day

I woke up around 4:30 and stepped out onto the balcony to see this land of the never setting sun. Sure enough, it looked like day break

A few minutes later

So I fixed myself some coffee and let my husband sleep. This is usually when I write in my travel journal about the previous day. So this is what I drank my coffee to

After sail away was over we mulled around a bit checking everything out.

The Sun can be quite confusing to move about. You have to go through one thing to get to another. For instance, you have to go through the casino to get to the gift shops and you have to go through the windjammers and photo area to get to the theater. To get from the pool area and buffet back to our room (which was on the same floor) you had to go through the spa. It took us a couple of days but we finally figured it all out.

After looking around we stopped in at the shops to look for my husband a thermal coffee mug. He had one that said Norwegian Star on it and wanted one that had the Sun on it. We looked and did not find one so we asked and one of sales ladies said she knew they had had some but did not know if they had any more. She took our room number and said she would look to see if any had been loaded while we were in Vancouver.

We then stopped by the liquor tasting and I had a couple sips. Nothing hit my fancy but if you are into liquor you sure can get some great deals. Of course remember that NCL will hold all liquor until the last night.

When we finished with our shopping (of which we bought nothing). We walked over to the casino and my husband sat down to play a few hands of blackjack. The Casino personnel were fantastic. I do not play but I sat down beside him and told the dealer that if he noticed anyone wanting the seat to play to let me know and I would get up. No problems there as for the most part the entire trip we barley saw anyone in the casino. We had a lot of fun and the dealers and the pitt bosses all helped me learn how to play real blackjack, not the stuff I played with my brother while growing up. Going to the casino in the late afternoon or evening became a ritual for us. We loved the staff members from the dealers to the bartender and waitress. On the last night of our cruise, the waitress began to cry because we were leaving and one of the dealers had sent a note to our room to tell us how much he would miss us and how much he enjoyed us. Now to clarify, my husband is not a big time gambler. He put down $300.00 and at the end of the cruse had the same $300.00. He places mostly $5.00 bets but it did not matter. He had a good time and so did I and we made some new friends.

We retired early as we were both exhausted.

June 4th - At Sea Day

I woke up around 4:30 and stepped out onto the balcony to see this land of the never setting sun. Sure enough, it looked like day break

A few minutes later

So I fixed myself some coffee and let my husband sleep. This is usually when I write in my travel journal about the previous day. So this is what I drank my coffee to