BentleyRadcliffe

Yes, we were told that the Sun IS a training ship. This was told to one of the other passengers, by the guest service desk, after they complained about one of their fiasco dinners. One of the workers stated that they work on the ship for eight months and then off for two months and the help train others.

Today, I was at Fred Howard Beach in Tarpon Springs and met someone who was on the Sun the week before my cruise. They too stated that they have been on other NCL cruises and had no problems, but were disappointed with the level of service they received on the Sun as well. As I stated in my original post, we had EXCELLENT service from our Steward, and great service in the casino. I understand that the reviews are subjective, but what are the chances of at least fifteen other cruisers felt the same way about the service in the main dining rooms?

In my party there were THREE servers. There is no excuse for bad service. I think because the grat is automatic there was no sense of urgency and or professionalism. Others in our party are very frequent cruisers and they too thought the service was sub par. I guess I should have known...the cruise was so inexpensive, in fact, right before sailing we received a refund from the travel agent because the price dropped significantly. The old adage is true...you get what you pay for. I had no "preconceived notion of what was going to take place, and no afterthought as to why things happen the way they do." I had an idea that the basic standards of service would at least be present. If one thinks getting cocktails after the apps/soup/salads were served is acceptable, oh well. It would be different if it was free, but we PAID an 18% gratuity. "TIPS"..."To Insure PROPER Service"

Maybe this had something to do with the food being sub par?...lol

http://tbo.com/news/crime/cruise-ship-employees-charged-with-smuggling-cocaine-in-their-underwear-20150310/?page=1

I hope this was an isolated incident. As I stated there were thirteen of us on this cruise, many of which are frequent cruisers and they too felt that the customer service in the main dining rooms was lacking. The group only dined together the first night & the last night. Other evenings were parties of 2 or 4. I will not let this one experience dampen my enthusiasm for cruising. Looking forward to booking a cruise soon.

Just returned from the Sun...cruise date March 1st-March 8th, 2015. Very disappointed!!! This was our first cruise and we were so looking forward to an excellent experience...alas, that was not the case.

First of all, the service in the main dining rooms was horrible. The waiters were just going through the motions because the tips are already included per day. The food selections were very poor. Only one seafood option on Friday, Red Snapper with Gumbo which included sausage in it. As a practicing Catholic who observes lent, I was disappointed that no other seafood option was available. One evening the waiter took our drink order, (there was thirteen of us at the table) and we did not receive our drink orders until after the appetizers, and soup/salads were served. When we asked where our drinks were, we were told and I quote..."the bar is really busy right now". Mind you, we had to pay for the drinks with an 18% gratuity already added. When our entrees arrived, our food was "auctioned off" "Who had the Snapper?" Who had the Risotto?" I have had better service at Cracker Barrel. The menu was basically the same each day. Not much variety. The buffet, was so, so. Hollandaise sauce was cold, as well as some other foods not served at the proper temperature. Cagneys, was okay as well as Moderno which had a thirty dollar & twenty dollar cover charge. There was no chocolate buffet or midnight buffet. The room service menu was vey limited.

The pool deck was another experience, not enough lounge chairs to go around. Also other cruisers would "save" chairs by placing items on the chairs and the chairs sat empty for three or four hours. When this was pointed out to NCL staff they said they would watch and remove items after an hour which never happened. The drink prices on Bloody Marys went up after noon. The 18% gratuity is also added to all the drinks. When I asked for a salted rim I gave the server an extra dollar in addition to the added gratuity and he said "oh boy...it's my lucky day".

On the positive side, Roberto, our Cabin Steward was EXCELLENT!!!! He truly understands what customer service is all about. Also, one of the "washie, washie girls, Maria was fabulous, she did wait us one night in one of the main dining rooms and was always very pleasant when she encountered us.

The casino staff was very friendly and the drink service was on point. The highlight of the trip was winning thirteen hundred dollars. I feel like I got my money back for the cruise.

I did happen upon a printed GS (Guest Satisfaction) Action Plan for March (a pamphlet put out by NCL for the staff) that showed A loyalty Index Score for March being 65. March Guest Satisfaction Overall Service Goal of 87. I guess they are not aiming for 100 as a score. All in all we, as well as the others in our party will not be returning to a NCL cruise.

Any info on where to park when cruising out of Tampa?

Slidergirl,

As far as..."I like the folder most of all"...exactly what is a folder?

Sincerely,

Connie

Looking for info pertaining to what size luggage to use, what brands are the best, & other packing details would be most helpful:)