NCL Sun Dining Recommendations

[JohnsBride23]

We are sailing on the Sun through Alaska for our honeymoon. Because we booked early, we have the 3 paid dining meals option. Does anyone have any suggestions on which restaurants to choose or on which nights or times? We are not cruisers (yet!) and we don't want to miss the show at night - but we were advised to make dining reservations early....

[biojeep]

We ate at Cagney's & Il Adiago. Loved Cagney's but did not care for Il Adiago. We actually liked the food in MDR - Seven Seas. Make sure you head to Seven Seas when you get on the Sun instead of being herded to the crowded buffet. We probably had only about 20 people in there & it was quiet. We had a table near a window & could look out on the harbor. You will love the Sun - great ship with great service but you will love the Alaska scenery even more.

[shadowmeboy]

We are sailing on the Sun through Alaska for our honeymoon. Because we booked early, we have the 3 paid dining meals option. Does anyone have any suggestions on which restaurants to choose or on which nights or times? We are not cruisers (yet!) and we don't want to miss the show at night - but we were advised to make dining reservations early....

 

Moderno, Cagney's, and La cucina are my recommendations on the Sun.

 

FYI: for pics of the sun and our adventures in Alaska check out my review from June 2016 here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2376089

[SuperCrewBear]

I've never been on the Sun but I have been on the Pearl - last year on a 10-day Alaska trip. We had a 5-meal dining plan so were able to try out each of the extra cost restaurants (I'm not counting the Sushi Bar though I did eat there twice and just paid for it...). I would *assume* restaurants on the NCL ships are similar if they have the same name - i.e. Cagney's, Moderno, La Cucina, etc. Honestly, maybe I'm just too unrefined, but the only restaurant I found worthwhile, and wish we had ate there a couple more times, was Cagney's. It was great! The others...not so much. I found both La Cucina and Le Bistro to be nothing special - nothing better than I had at either of the main dining room options. Teppenyaki would be my other choice though it wasn't any worse or better than any other Japanese steakhouse I've been too. I'm not a food expert by any stretch but I am the one at work who everyone comes to when they are traveling - "Where do we eat there?" As I said, I've not been on the Sun before but can only assume restaurants of the same name on any NCL ship would be very similar, I would think. On the 9-day Sun trip in my future we'll have a 3-meal dining plan - it wouldn't hurt my feelings to eat at Cagney's all three times and then eat at the no-extra-charge spots the other meals.

[don't-use-real-name]

We are sailing on the Sun through Alaska for our honeymoon. Because we booked early, we have the 3 paid dining meals option. Does anyone have any suggestions on which restaurants to choose or on which nights or times? We are not cruisers (yet!) and we don't want to miss the show at night - but we were advised to make dining reservations early....

 

Dinner and Show can be a complex mix of timing.

Sometimes it is NCLs interest to not rush dinner preventing you from a timely arrival for getting good seats at the show.

If that is the case reformulate your plans and do the Show first and then dinner - not having the stress of making it work.

Also do a bit of deck location dining theatre location.

Unlike other NCL ships the SUN's Star Dust Theatre is AFT and not in the BOW.

 

La Cusina is on deck 5 (Atlantic) starboard side (awkward hidden location)

Moderno - Sports Bar - Great Outdoors & the Buffet are on deck 11 (Pool) AFT

Le Bistro - Las Ramblas - Teppanyaki - Cagney's - Sushi & Ginza are on deck 12 (Sports) all AFT

 

With this arrangement everything except the La Cusina is stacked to your favor AFT.

 

Smaller entertainment centers are in two locations:

On deck 6 (Promenade) mid-ship is Dazzles with Dance floor

And deck 12 (Sports) forward is the Observation Lounge where great contemporary 2-3-4 piece combo's perform.

 

When there is a SEA day dining reservations can be prime because everyone is on the ship as a captive crowd.

Cagney's maybe one of these as an example of hard to get reservations.

When the day has port time shore excursions with all kinds of variable options dining reservations MAYBE easier to obtain.

Some times the scheduling dining and show times can be 'Windmill fighting effort' but since the SUN is a smaller ship

than the behemoth -AWAY class ships the odds maybe again in your favor - however do not make your

dining reservations in the Casino ! LOL !

 

You will do just find if you do a bit of preliminary planning - the first cruise night find out what is available

what is showing - how many free dinners your perks and promos offered and put it together.

Have reservations already pre-booked see how they fit the jigsaw puzzle as planned.

Read on as others add information to the questions you may have - in a suite use the services of the Concierge if necessary.

Visit the restaurant the day/night before to fix any quirks in seating timing.

And that NON-REFUNDABLE OBC have a little left-over remember where and when to tip !

 

Now go knock yourself out !

[DMH15]

You cannot beat the ambience in La Cucina, formerly Il Adagio on the Sun. If someone has not been on the Sun they cannot possibly know how intimate and romantic it is.

 

 

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[BabsinTX]

You cannot beat the ambience in La Cucina, formerly Il Adagio on the Sun. If someone has not been on the Sun they cannot possibly know how intimate and romantic it is.

 

 

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Yes! We like the semicircular banquettes in La Cucina (seats four, but I bet you can get one anyway). I'd go to the restaurants a day or two ahead, explain you're on your honeymoon and ask for a romantic table. Can't hurt! I also like Le Bistro very much.

 

Often in the shows, a performer will ask if anyone is recently married and/or on their honeymoon. You might get a bottle of bubbly!

[Sauer-kraut]

NCL did a disservice when they renamed Il Adagio to La Cucina. That space is the most beautiful dining room in the fleet and very romantic. The curved banquettes are nice, but those two-tops right along the windows are great. Even if you don't care for the food, the place just drips atmosphere.

 

Seven Seas aft is also very lovely. The other specialty restaurants are sort of grouped up on deck 11 kind of together.

[shadowmeboy]

Here are some pictures of La Cucina on the Sun.

 

 

La Cucina's menu board - Deck 6 mid starboard - its in the hallway between Dazzles and Windjammer Bar.

 

 

Stairs down to La Cucina - Deck 6 Mid Starboard

 

 

La Cucina - Deck 5 Mid Starboard

[poona1]

Should I expect La Cucina with such romantic atmosphere on other ships as well...the reason i ask is because from a past recollection, not sure which ship, the la cucina was very romantic...

[don't-use-real-name]

The NCL SUN is a "Par Excellence" of the La Cucina represented on other NCL ships.

The photos above show that effect - at least try it before making a judgment contrary !

 

First time trying it allow an extra few minutes to find the darn restaurant and then soak

in the atmosphere. Try and plan your meal while cruising the inside passage you will be

impressed to no end - I certainly was !

[Clay Clayton]

If you have mobility issues and don't want to do the stairs, the easiest way to get to Il Adiago...ahem, La Cucina is through the Four Seasons Main Dining Room. Head around to the left as you enter the Four Seasons and then towards the back - there is a door? double doors? an opening? that lands right at the bottom of the stairs coming down from Dazzles/Windjammer.

 

I posted this elswehere recently - for those of us non-petite flowers, the banquettes are sorta like Norwegian robes - the one size fits all robes don't! and the 4 seat banquettes don't either! LOL If you are very tall then definitely opt for the two tops (the second from the last in the front section was "our" table when we were granted VIP status and got to enjoy breakfast and lunch here every day during our Panama Canal cruise) as the banquette tables are a mass of legs....if you are wider than average, then I would suggest that the banquettes seat three better than four. But no matter your size - go there to enjoy the ambiance for sure....I am hoping they haven't taken the Osso Bucco off the menu - it is delicious!