Tell me about the Sun

[burm]

IMO, any of the aft facing balconies will be fine. I prefer either of the two on deck 9 so that you don't have to worry about chair noise from The Great Outdoors that you might hear on deck 10. Deck 8 is fine too, but I like the convenience of only two flights of stairs to get to the Garden Café.

 

If you can swing one of the aft facing mini's they are MUCH larger than the balconies....same thoughts on which deck.

 

IF none of the aft balconies or mini's are available, then the best views (albeit not the warmest ones) will be from the bow facing ones on deck 11.

 

I don't think I would want to be on the bow for this cruise. When we sailed from Cuba, the temperature was 71 degrees and the wind was still fierce enough that we didn't want to sit out on our bow deck. I can't imagine what it would be like at 50 degrees in a part of the world known for it's strong winds.

Snug on our aft deck, we should be nice and cozy. :)

[SeahawkSiren]

IMO, any of the aft facing balconies will be fine. I prefer either of the two on deck 9 so that you don't have to worry about chair noise from The Great Outdoors that you might hear on deck 10. Deck 8 is fine too, but I like the convenience of only two flights of stairs to get to the Garden Café.

 

If you can swing one of the aft facing mini's they are MUCH larger than the balconies....same thoughts on which deck.

 

IF none of the aft balconies or mini's are available, then the best views (albeit not the warmest ones) will be from the bow facing ones on deck 11.

 

This is a great thread about the Sun! We are sailing her for the first time next year. From comments and reviews here on CC I recently upgraded us from a side balcony to an aft mini suite on deck 9. From my research it appears that the Sun is the best ship for our first aft mini suite experience since they are apparently superior in size and layout to aft mini suites on other ships in the NCL fleet.

 

We were on cruise with mitsugirly and had a great time, here is a thread i started before we went, and look at the very first response, from computerworks -- great photos ... http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2077120

 

Have a nice trip ... there really is alot on this ship ...:)

 

Thank you for the link. And the photos from computerworks were great! I especially enjoyed seeing the photos of the aft mini suite since we will be in one for the first time next year!

[Spooklady]

I agree, great link. We are sailing in Nov. South America. First time with NCL. Very excited! Can someone tell me if the Mini Suites supply bathrobes?

[herdingdogmom]

I agree, great link. We are sailing in Nov. South America. First time with NCL. Very excited! Can someone tell me if the Mini Suites supply bathrobes?

 

Yes, you should get the lighter waffle weave style bathrobes in a mini. If they haven't been replenished when you arrive, just ask your room steward for them.

[histiomom]

This is my first ever post so forgive me if I'm not doing this correctly. We are going on our very first cruise EVER as a family of 4 (daughters 13 and 16) next May on the Sun from Vancouver to Seward. We are in a forward facing suite on deck 9. My husband is still very uncertain about going and I have assured him from all my reviews that this will be an incredible trip and it is a wonderful ship. After reading this thread I am concerned about the cleanliness of the ship and it apparently being very "dated" and in need up an uplift. I love the fact that it is a bit smaller for our first cruise ever. I have also read that it is going to drydock before our trip. Is there a way to find out what will be done during drydock? I appreciate all of the info I have gained from CC.

[drvalo]

This is my first ever post so forgive me if I'm not doing this correctly. We are going on our very first cruise EVER as a family of 4 (daughters 13 and 16) next May on the Sun from Vancouver to Seward. We are in a forward facing suite on deck 9. My husband is still very uncertain about going and I have assured him from all my reviews that this will be an incredible trip and it is a wonderful ship. After reading this thread I am concerned about the cleanliness of the ship and it apparently being very "dated" and in need up an uplift. I love the fact that it is a bit smaller for our first cruise ever. I have also read that it is going to drydock before our trip. Is there a way to find out what will be done during drydock? I appreciate all of the info I have gained from CC.

 

You did it correctly!

 

I have not been on the Sun in a couple of years, but I believe you will like the Sun just fine. It's small, but the staff has always been very attentive and fun. You will get to know some of them because it's so small. I don't know what will be refurbished, but I would imagine new carpets, some paint, some furniture and, I hope, repairs to whatever was the problem with the plumbing (although I would hope that would have happened before now) and probably some things behind the scenes you cannot see. We were on the Dawn right after a drydock refurbishment and that is what had happened. We love, love, love the Sun. It has been our favorite by far. The one time we had a problem in our cabin, they took care of it right away and made it right. So, if you have any problem, don't suffer. Let someone know. If they can't fix it (and maybe they can't), they will do something. On every ship I have been on, I have seen repairs and updates being made constantly (and cleaning, lots of cleaning). Don't worry and have a wonderful time. Alaska will be the star, anyway. Look out of your suite windows for whales or eagles!!!!

 

As a side note, my husband was not too keen on cruising before we went on our first cruise, but he did it because I wanted to and he loves me and wants to make me happy. It was also to Alaska. Well, long story short, a month after our cruise, I came home from work one day and found him on our computer. He asked, "When are you free to leave town in December?" He had already found another NCL cruise (a real deal at the time) for right before Christmas. We have cruised every year since. He just loves cruising! I, like you, had researched and studied all I could before we went and knew that he was not going to bring a suit on a vacation. So NCL fit us great. It worked out wonderfully.

Edited June 21, 2015 by drvalo

[JimS4210]

I was in "Donna's" aft suite :D (9076) for Alaska in 2013 and have a few photos of the interior and the balcony in my Smug Mug album here.

 

The Sun remains our favorite ship and 9076 our favorite cabin.

 

I was also in "Donna's" cabin (9076) last year on our Alaskan cruise. I think my wife and I made a mistake when we booked that cabin for our very first cruise. It's all downhill after that suite. We just returned from a Norwegian Fjords cruise on the Star and although the cruise was awesome, suite 9232 on the Star couldn't hold a candle to 9076 on the Sun.

 

I'm afraid I'm gonna be like a heroin addict, chasing that elusive first high...

 

Jim

[kjquilts]

Some Sun stern photos

 

 

 

Part of 9076 balcony - lol love those NCL badge stickers we are wearing. My mom is standing - Larry and I sitting.

 

 

Lots of us on 9076 balcony

 

[bobg529]

Here are two videos I posted on my YouTube channel of my aft mini suite, 9278 on the Sun. They were taken in May in Alaska. One is a cabin review, and the other is just a look of the view (what a view!) from the balcony. I did get a chance to tour 9076 as well during a cabin crawl and it IS spectacular, but the aft mini is pretty darn spectacular too! No worries by the way, on the condition of the ship or the excellence of the crew. Unless things have changed dramatically since May, both are excellent! :D

 

 

[cruizinator]

Here are two videos I posted on my YouTube channel of my aft mini suite, 9278 on the Sun. They were taken in May in Alaska. One is a cabin review, and the other is just a look of the view (what a view!) from the balcony. I did get a chance to tour 9076 as well during a cabin crawl and it IS spectacular, but the aft mini is pretty darn spectacular too! No worries by the way, on the condition of the ship or the excellence of the crew. Unless things have changed dramatically since May, both are excellent! :D

 

 

 

Bob,

Hope life is being good to you. We sure had a great cruise on the Sun in May.....didn't we? Wonderful ship & crew. Met so many wonderful people..just an amazing cruise. You take care...would be a pleasure to sail with you again!

 

Ralph

[GORDONCHICK]

I just did the Vancouver to Seward itinerary on the Sun (disembarked 6/1). The cruise itself was great, even though the fog was so thick at Hubbard that we couldn't see it or get remotely close. We found normal/typical wear and tear on the ship, with normal/continual maintenance being done the entire trip (that's what they do). It wasn't dirty at all.

 

If you look in my sig, you will see what ships we've sailed. Outside of the Caribbean, we will always pick itinerary over ship any day. That was why we chose this cruise. I will say that out of the Norwegian ships we've sailed, the Sun is now my least favorite but it's based only on layout . The crew was great - as always. There are some cabins that are quite funky to get to, and I think if I'd been booked in any of these, I would have been a bit irritated (more so in some than others).

 

Would I book the Sun again? Probably not for the Caribbean, but I would for an itinerary I wanted.

[SeahawkSiren]

Here are two videos I posted on my YouTube channel of my aft mini suite, 9278 on the Sun. They were taken in May in Alaska. One is a cabin review, and the other is just a look of the view (what a view!) from the balcony. I did get a chance to tour 9076 as well during a cabin crawl and it IS spectacular, but the aft mini is pretty darn spectacular too! No worries by the way, on the condition of the ship or the excellence of the crew. Unless things have changed dramatically since May, both are excellent! :D

 

 

 

Thank you so much for posting these videos of 9278. That is the aft mini suite we will be in next year for our cruise to the Mexican Riviera! I will be watching these videos many, many more times before our cruise. Wish it was not such a long wait but I can see it will be totally worth it. So glad we upgraded from a side balcony to this aft mini suite!

[theloo]

Just got off the Sun 5/18, we were told it will be going into dry dock 5/1/16, after returning from SA but before the Alaska season.

 

Just curious, I see that there is no sailing from the SF dry dock to the first Alaska sailing out of Vancouver on May 16. Will it actually sail empty or will there be a cruise later from SF-Vancouver?

[mlmalone3]

Following! We are new to NCL & thought we'd give Freestyling a try. On The Sun to Alaska in June 2016. Thanks for all the information.

[latinqt]

If it's true that the Sun is going into dry dock in 2016 when will that happen?

[theloo]

If it's true that the Sun is going into dry dock in 2016 when will that happen?

 

Based on no cruises being offered, it appears that it will start around April 30 and end in mid-May.

Edited July 13, 2015 by theloo

[latinqt]

Oh thank you for this information. I'm going on an Alaskan cruise in July 2016.

[4774Papa]

Thank you so much for posting these videos of 9278. That is the aft mini suite we will be in next year for our cruise to the Mexican Riviera! I will be watching these videos many, many more times before our cruise. Wish it was not such a long wait but I can see it will be totally worth it. So glad we upgraded from a side balcony to this aft mini suite!

We are in 9277, an aft balcony next to that mini, on for 5 Sept 2016.

 

We picked an aft, since we though in chilly weather the wind would not be an issue.

[paues]

It seems many like aft mini suites. Isn't aft have more movement than midship? Don't want to get sick. Booking NCL from San Diego to Santiago, Chile Nov 2016. Needing to pick the right room and find out more about the Machu Picchu excursion. Can anyone help? If we book our own excursion where and what time do we have to meet the ship?

[latinqt]

It seems many like aft mini suites. Isn't aft have more movement than midship? Don't want to get sick. Booking NCL from San Diego to Santiago, Chile Nov 2016. Needing to pick the right room and find out more about the Machu Picchu excursion. Can anyone help? If we book our own excursion where and what time do we have to meet the ship?

I had an aft suite on RCL on the European cruise. Italy, Spain, etc. It was great. Not a problem at all. Great views. Spent a lot of time on the balcony as well.