Mitsugirly's extensive back to belly sun & sky review

[mitsugirly]

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. I don't really care what color it is (I've gotten used to the pink now and look forward to seeing it).

 

The different color helps me when I'm in a rush to easily spot the review itself. I think it was a GREAT idea!

 

Harriet

 

 

Thanks and you're in luck...I will continue to use the pink for this review, but might change up the color (if I can find a suitable color) when I continue on with my Sky review.

 

 

Any and all suggestions are appreciated on a better color. :)

Edited November 28, 2014 by mitsugirly

[Susie51]

Thank you for continuing to take lots of pictures.

[Cruise_More_Often]

Thank you for another fabulous review! I've been on 3-4 cruises on the Sun (she remains my favorite ship), but seeing her through your eyes has made her seem so new. I swear you saw things I haven't.

 

What camera do you use? I know I saw this on one of your earlier reviews, but alas, I've forgotten it. Your photographs are beautiful, and I'm amazed at how your get such good results in the darkness and in those dark interiors.

[mitsugirly]

Thank you for another fabulous review! I've been on 3-4 cruises on the Sun (she remains my favorite ship), but seeing her through your eyes has made her seem so new. I swear you saw things I haven't.

 

What camera do you use? I know I saw this on one of your earlier reviews, but alas, I've forgotten it. Your photographs are beautiful, and I'm amazed at how your get such good results in the darkness and in those dark interiors.

 

I guess you will need to go on her again and find the things I did that you didn't see. It's a "seek and find" cruise! :D

 

I have 2 Olympus Tough waterproof point and shoot cameras. (620 and 830) I have started to notice that I'm so busy when cruising that I don't stop and really focus on a lot of my pictures these days. I end up with a lot of blurry pictures or pictures I know I could have done better with and when I return home, I'm kicking myself for not taking a little more time. :(

 

Thank you for continuing to take lots of pictures.

 

You are very welcome. Thanks for joining me on this adventure review. :)

[Pinkfloydfan]

Thanks and you're in luck...I will continue to use the pink for this review, but might change up the color (if I can find a suitable color) when I continue on with my Sky review.

 

 

Any and all suggestions are appreciated on a better color. :)

mitsugirly, Really enjoying your Sun review. She was our first NCL cruise last Dec. I don't see anything wrong with your choice of colors.:D Pink:eek:

[dobiemom]

Thanks and you're in luck...I will continue to use the pink for this review, but might change up the color (if I can find a suitable color) when I continue on with my Sky review.

 

 

Any and all suggestions are appreciated on a better color. :)

I like the pink. Maybe just a bigger size?

 

BTW Great review and pics. I'll be on the NCL Sun for 11 days next year so I'm lovin' this! ;):)

[PathfinderEss]

Great review, thanks for posting it.

[mitsugirly]

Just a few things before I continue on with the daily review. Call it the "odds and ends" section. My apologies in advance for the blurred pictures. I always forget to put my camera on the "document" setting and macro for copying papers.

 

When you enter the ship, they hand you a card about the kids club if they see you with a child. This gives you information to sign the kids up: where and when.

 

 

Notice you have to have your key cards AND your childs to sign them up. You also have to give them a "password" that you will use every time you pick up your child(ren) before they will release them. They also allow 3 other people that you assign to pick up your child(ren) and they must be over the age of 18.

 

 

 

Sakari is a "SEAL" (ages 6-9), so this is the weekly events for Splash Academy. No, I don't have any for the other age groups...I have enough paperwork to pack and carry home. hehe

 

 

 

 

 

Here are the rules and regulations to Splash Academy. I have a few things pointed out that I will re-type a few things just in case you can not see it. They are commonly asked question that pop up on this board.

 

***Splash Academy closes on sea days 12pm-2pm and 5-7pm.

 

***The Youth Staff is not allowed to accept heavily crying or sleeping children into the Program. (I had never seen this before, but then again, I have never been given this form before until this cruise so it may be new). I would like to say that Sakari has been in there several times (mostly when she was a few years younger) and fell asleep and they just put her on a bean bag until we picked her up. Maybe things have changed now and they'll call you if they fall asleep.

 

***Children must be 3 years old to participate in Splash Academy based ON DATE OF BIRTH AT THE TIME OF SAILING. No exceptions can be made.

 

***Children turning 6 years old DURING the cruise and welcome to participate in the 6-9 year age group beginning embarkation evening. (Same for children turning 10 years old during the cruise and 13). For 3 years old, they can participate on their birthday.

 

 

***Children between 10-12 can be authorized by their parents to sign themselves in and out of the program after 2 hours of active participation.

 

***Port play-Port Play and Late Night Fun Zone ages 3-12 years. Port Play-there is a $6.00 meal charge per child if they are staying at Splash Academy and not going ashore with you. For Late Night-prices are $6.00 per child per hour and $4.00 for each additional sibling. Hours are from 10:30pm (which is when the center closes) until 1:30am. They like for you to sign up in advance.

 

 

 

 

 

[GoofyCrew]

Heading out on our first cruise - The Sun - in January. THANK YOU so much for posting these pics! I am a planner and it is such a help for me to envision where we are going and what to expect. And, maybe more importantly, I showed them to our children and THEY are more comfortable as well!

[mitsugirly]

I thought I would end day 1 with the daily. I forgot to post that before I started the ship tour. Forgive me. I'm posting the front page and the actual timed listing toward the last page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I swear NCL bombards you with "mail", it's almost just like being at home and getting excited when the mailman comes only to find out it's a bunch of junk mail that just fills up your trash can and the land fill.

 

The following is a nice gesture and I wish we would have used it at least a few times during this cruise. It was part of the VIP status. However, breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and I love a variety, which is why we always go to the buffet instead of the MDR. I'm usually one of those people that wakes up starving (while the hubby is one that has to be up for awhile to actually get hungry) and when I'm hungry, I'm ready to eat THEN. Not have to order something and then wait for it to be made. So, we didn't utilize this offer.

 

Our invitation to have breakfast from 7am-9am on port days and 7:30am-9:30am on sea days and also lunch from 12 noon to 1:30pm in La Cucina.

 

 

 

Champagne event...thanks but no thanks.

 

 

 

VIP cocktail reception party hosted by the Captain that stated 7-7:45pm in the Observation Lounge. I would really love to attend one of these, however, it just never seems to coincide with what we might have going on that day. Usually it involves the kids club not open during this time in order for us to go.

 

 

For some reason, they sent a revision and changed the time of the party to 6:45 to 7:15. So, like I said, the reason we never get to go is because the kids club is never open during this time for us to drop Sakari off in order to go.

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

My letter for the meet & greet for the following day with information.

 

 

 

Random picture...since NCL doesn't mail you your luggage tags anymore, I always make ours and then tape them up for stability, then staple them to our luggage. Depending on where you are located on the ship, you will be assigned a certain color. We were YELLOW and I thought this was highly appropriate, since it was the SUN. hehe

 

 

 

On the first day of the cruise, they give you this:

 

 

Although it gives you the times they are open to get this picture, I swear we went there right after the nightly show (around 9:30pm) and they were closed. So, we were unable to take advantage of this offer.

 

The following day, we were able to locate our picture.

 

[Loucat]

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. I don't really care what color it is (I've gotten used to the pink now and look forward to seeing it).

 

The different color helps me when I'm in a rush to easily spot the review itself. I think it was a GREAT idea!

 

Harriet

 

I do too and look for your posts in pink! Great information and keep it coming. We will be on the Sun in February and we are reading every word.

Thanks so much for sharing your cruise time and we hope that you and your family had a great Thanksgiving.

[mitsugirly]

Ok, on to Day 2. Our first official "sea day".

 

 

 

 

 

Since it was a sea day, I was not going to set the alarm and just let my body rejuvenate and sleep in. (Although it's always in the back of my mind that we may miss breakfast and that would completely throw my day off).

 

I managed to sleep in until 9:30am and once I noticed it was that late, I jumped up really quick, got myself and Sakari dressed and we raced off to hopefully *fingers crossed* find that breakfast was still available. No time to wake daddy up and wait for him to get ready. He was on his own today! It's a dog eat dog world sometimes and this would be one of those times.

 

We were able to go to Moderno for Waffles and we got our bellies full and satisfied. When we returned to the room, daddy was up and dressed and ready to head upstairs for coffee so that he would be able to function that day.

 

After this we went to the meet & greet, located in Las Ramblas. We had a pretty good turn out-35 people signed their names to the list but I swear it looked like more than that. We had originally had a total of 78 people signed up. I guess I didn't realize that only 35 people showed up until I just now looked at the list.

 

 

 

Planma'am the life of the party over there at that table.

 

 

 

As always, they passed out cards with the "important people" information on it.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, my hubby is daydreaming out the window and oblivious as to what is going on. He's not much for these meetings, but tags along because he knows they are a must for me.

 

[mitsugirly]

We are once again introduced to the senior staff. I feel like it's dejavue since we were introduced to them the night before during the "Welcome Show".

 

 

They did have the normal "treats" set up for everyone, drinks and snacks.

 

 

We had a question and answer during this time as well. Some of the things we discussed:

 

 

***There were over 700 latitude members on the ship this sailing.

 

***There were 1832 people on board

 

***55 was the "average" age during this sailing

 

***There were 100 kids on board

 

***The new menus have NOT rolled out on this ship yet. The only 2 ships they are NOT on now are the Sun and the Pride of America according to the officers.

 

***There is NO LONGER a lobster night. It has been done away with.

 

 

 

One of the roll call members had previously done a ship tour of the kitchen area and we (the roll call members) officially elected her to ask if we might be able to get that tour offered to us. (I had previously ask my representative about it and was shot down saying that it was a paid tour and any of us were welcome to pay for the tour if we wanted to go).

 

So when she ask, once again we were shot down with the "you have to pay to tour" statement. I think this is kind of weird since most of the other ships that I have been on usually offer "something" for the cc members, which is usually a tour of the bridge, and we don't even have to ask for it. But to be shot down several times after asking was just weird. In the end, we managed to "kinda" talk them in to at least checking into it for us. We signed our name up on a list saying we would be interested and the representative would let us know if she could "pull any strings".

 

Some of the roll call members did a gift exchange after the officers were done. Others stuck around to chit chat and I met some wonderful people. It was a good roll call. I have been to great roll calls were people because really good friends, talked forever and then I have been to roll calls were people went and then scattered like flies when the officers were done speaking. It's a hit or miss kind of thing.

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

Almost directly after the meet & greet we were invited to the latitudes party. Now this is a party that we usually go to. Hey, what can I say, the one time we get to enjoy free booze.

 

 

 

 

All for me? You shouldn't have. Well, maybe you should have but you'll be carrying me back to the room.

 

 

 

 

Some of those fancy looking, dry break with stuff on top snacks.

 

 

 

 

Sakari was super excited that she was able to get a drink. (She is just now at the age that she understands "adult" drinks and that she can't have them because there's a difference)

 

 

 

 

 

 

They had a live band playing on the stage to entertain us.

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

Here we go again....out comes the senior officers again. We are introduced and I'm starting to feel like I personally know each and every one of them at this point.

 

 

 

 

 

 

They did the normal "drawings" and I did the normal "no winnings", which is becoming a habit of mine.

 

After that they started asking for the couple that had been married the longest. They ended up being married 56 years and 3 months. Then came the "newlywed" couple, who wasn't such a newlywed coming in at 3 years married. Then they picked an "odd" couple that was supposed to be NOT married and cruising alone. Only this took a turn into the funny farm when they later discovered that the "older" gentleman was actually married and had left his wife back at the cabin, so was considering himself "alone" at this function. He was paired with a younger lady and we all got a kick out of it.

 

Then come the fun and games. There were going to have a dance off. They played the Twist and let the dance. Of course the couple that had been married for over 56 years won the contest...they always do...and of course they always deserve it in my book just for their accomplishment.

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

We dropped Sakari off at the kids club and decided to head to the casino for awhile. We were armed with $40 each and away we went to find our "perfect" slot machine.

 

They had some really good ones on the ship and I immediately found a few that I would play for the rest of the week.

 

I put in my first $20 and started playing...jumping from machine to machine when I had lost a "magical number" that I pick out in my head. I had $5.40 left on my first $20 bill and decided to try a machine that we play on other ships and back home. Quick Hit Platinum.

 

Since I didn't have a lot of money left over, I decided to play small and only did the .30 bet. If only I had known what was about to hit. My hubby walked up and said that he had spent his entire $40 and was headed to the restroom while I finished my first $20. He got quite a bit away and he turned around and my extremely loud screaming and yelling his name. I had hit 8 Quick Hits DURING my bonus round, which I had no idea what that meant at the time, but I knew it was at least more than what I walked in with and I was more than happy with that.

 

 

 

As you can tell by the picture, I won $315.71. The hubby didn't even realize it until I cashed it out and showed him.

 

Of course I left immediately after that with a big smile on my face but yet that part of me that kept thinking in the back of my mind...if only I would have hit a higher bet.

 

We decided to head out to the back of the ship and celebrate for a few...still gleaming with a smile on my face.

 

 

A few random pictures to fill the space.

 

While sitting at the back of the ship checking out the wake.

 

 

 

A random door in the womens restroom being worked on.

 

 

 

 

One of the glass elevators broke down the very first night of the cruise. It was stuck on deck 11 and would not be fixed until the 4th night of the cruise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

I have to admit, I completely forgot about Sakari being at the kids club and that we are supposed to call them whenever we "move to a different location"...just in case they needed to contact us. But, we were only "not" in our designated location for about a good 20 minutes before moving on.

 

We started walking the deck (12) toward the sports area only to find that Sakari and her kids club class was actually there playing in the basketball court. We say down and decided to watch her play the sports with each game being different.

 

 

 

 

Dp-28mrCxVk

 

 

While they were playing, the "Furries" come along again out on the pool deck. They were taking pictures with everyone and having a good time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They came upstairs to visit the kids at the basketball court and Sakari was the first one to come over. Yes, she's an animal freak, even if they look weird or are not real.

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

Then it was back to your regularly scheduled channel or more ball playing.

 

 

 

 

When the kids club does anything, they do it LOUDLY. This would not be any exception to the rule. When they were leaving, they started singing their "chant" (this is on every ship and Sakari knows it well of course). If you are ever on the ship and hear something like this...you'll know the kids are coming. This is also a way we have managed to located them during a "parade" any given night.

 

I do have to say I feel sorry for those people that stayed in the section right down from the kids club on deck 7. If they didn't have kids, were early to bed or wasn't drunk, this would not be the place I would want to have a room at because they do this song going down the hallway too.

 

HWphZigYrfc

 

 

We ended up following Sakari back to the kids club to pick her up for lunch and was scolded for not being where we said we would be. They said that Sakari had complained that her knee was hurting (which I didn't see anything wrong with it and sounded like just a complaint to maybe get out of playing a particular game she didn't like). I explained to them that we were actually on the deck, right beside them, watching them play sports. Sakari had even waved to us. I guess I can't imagine out of all the hours in the day, the one moment they needed us and tried to contact us was the short 15-20 minutes after walking out of the casino, to the back of the ship and then up to the deck. But whatever. They told us to make sure that we called them every time we left and went somewhere next time.

 

We went back to the room and found another VIP surprise.

 

 

 

We also found another surprise that was unexpected....

 

 

 

The room steward had taken our dirty cups from the desk, put them back up by the ice bucket and put the "I'm clean" covers on them...only they weren't clean. Um....ok. That was weird. Some how I think I want clean cups thank you.

[mitsugirly]

After getting lunch, Sakari wanted to go swimming, so off we went...to the kids pool to check it out.

 

As always, anything involving water=she's having a blast.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was busy snapping pictures of the sun setting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A ship out in the distance. Hi neighbor!

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We stayed until the sun went down and then decided to head back to the room to shower and get ready to go "out" to eat. We try to go to a MDR at least a few times on each ship. Usually once at each MDR just for the experience. This would be the night.

[mitsugirly]

All "spiffied" up and ready for dinner.

 

Sakari and mommy=<3

 

 

 

She loves the bread and butter they serve.

 

 

 

Being silly waiting for our meal.

 

 

 

Gotta squeeze in one of daddy so he don't get jealous.

 

 

 

The feast has arrived.

 

 

I always love their mushroom quesadillas and get them every time I go to the MDR.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

Sakari loves soup and always has to order soup off the main menu (and then orders the rest of the food off the kids menu).

 

 

This time around it was chicken noodle soup. They had made it with spaghetti noodles (which I had never seen before) and she absolutely loved it (although truth be known, mommy thought it was not very lady like to watch her try to get them out of the bowl with the spoon they provided, so I opted to tell her to use the fork).

 

 

 

Mommy's meal, which was delicious. I also had an egg roll.

 

 

 

 

Daddy's burrito meal, which he said was good.

 

 

 

They came around during dinner and took some pictures. We purchased 2 of them.

 

 

 

They always do this at the worse time. This time around daddy was right in the middle of eating and had a mouth full and this will always be the time you are approached.

 

 

 

 

[hpecorari]

Your photos are making me a bit sad. Your daughter is beautiful and how I loved that age. More so today as my first born of three children turned 30 years old today! :eek: BTW - How did your interview go?

 

Harriet

[mitsugirly]

Sakari wanted to go back to the kids club and show off her "pretty dress" she said. So off we went. We dropped her off and did a little shopping then headed to the casino to use our Slot Play coupons. I have been using Slot Play coupons since I found out about this years ago. It is always such a good deal. However, they have discontinued this program and you can no longer buy them for the ship. I was real disappointed in this, but it is what it is. I was able to purchase these before they discontinued them, so they were still valid. (Pay $25 and get $50 to play. One each for us).

 

We played for a little while. As always the hubby lost all of his in a matter of minutes and I continued to play on mine for hours. I walked out with a winning of $38. Not too bad considering that I only paid $25 for it. At least I was still ahead of the game.

 

We headed back to the kids club to pick up Sakari and watched outside by the round windows for awhile. They were doing a lot of dancing, which we all know Sakari loves to do.

 

 

 

pgx8i2nsckA

 

She was dressed in a weird outfit and had sunglasses on. I had no clue what was going on, but obviously it was a fun night.

 

After signing her out, they informed me that the kids made "costumes" that night and she was the winner of the costume contest. She was beaming with pride when she showed off her paper outfit. I guess she was a butterfly? I mean yes, yes she was a butterfly. A beautiful butterfly.

 

 

That is a butterfly with a balloon tail. ??? LOL