sun review 1/29/05-2/5/05

[cradawg]

let me start out by saying thanks to all the cc's who help with questions and give advice and tips on this forum. i asked alot of questions before our trip and felt like i was given accurate answers.

 

this cruise was for our delayed honeymoon, and the whole trip lived up to everything we had hoped it would. we left atlanta early friday morning bound for miami where i had reserved a rental car for us to drive to the keys. not long after we picked our bags up from baggage claim we were headed south on US1 and our vacation that we had waited so long for had finally arrived! my wife had never been to the keys before so i thought i would take her down to key west to watch the sun set and show her how neat of a town key west really is. i had won a room on priceline at the hyatt key west resort and marina, which is just a few blocks from duval street. we really liked the hotel and it's location. after we checked in we headed up duval st to the la concha to watch the sun set. they had a guy playing jimmy buffett, and we had a good time drinking corona's and watching the sun go down. it was pretty neat to sit there and think that the next evening we would be on a ship not too far offshore of where we were sitting that was headed for the caribbean.

 

Embarkation - we got up early and left key west and headed back to the rental car office. they have a shuttle that will take you to the cruise port, and i figured we should get there kind of early because we might have to wait a while for the shuttle. i figured wrong. as soon as i pulled up they grabbed my bags and put them on the shuttle and within two minutes of arriving at the rental car office we were headed towards the sun. it was still pretty early so when we arrived at the terminal it was a mess because the people who were leaving the sun were busy grabbing cabs and busses. they porter took our luggage and told us to wait in fron of the glass doors. there were two seperate lines at the doors. one line had about 15 people in it, and the other line was for suite and lattitudes passengers. we had booked a suite so we were the first in line. we waited for a little while and they let us in. when we got to the check in booth it probably took less than 5 minutes for us to get our pics taken and show our documents. we were then escorted to a room to wait for the ship to start boarding. we met ray williams, the concierge, and he told us to take a seat and they would start boarding in a little while. they had sandwiches and cookies set out with water, tea and juice. i may be wrong about the time, but i think it was 11:45 when we finally got to board the ship.

 

The cabin - i had booked AC penthouse 9076, which is on the port side and all the way aft. we had seen several pictures of the room, but when we walked in the door we couldn't believe that this was going to be our home for the week. it was really an awesome cabin. there was a bottle of champagne waiting for us which we dove into rather quickly. it had a huge balcony with two slididng glass doors(one from the living area and one from the bedroom)that had two chairs and two lounge chairs. it had a large bathroom with a dressing area, jacuzzi tub with shower, seperate shower, and a toilet that had a door to shut it off from the rest of the bath. the cabin came with a cd/dvd player that had surround sound. i really loved the balcony and the cd player. it ended up being a daily ritual to sit with our friends we had met and watch the sun go down as we set sail for a new destination with a cold one in hand and the sounds of the caribbean coming from the surround sound. honestly though, my favorite aspect of the cabin was the fact that i could be out the door, up to the sports bar, loaded with a helmet of corona's, and back to the bacony in about 3 minutes.

 

The ship - we loved the ship. i thought it was very nice and clean. the staff was always more than friendly to us. we never felt it was overcrowded, even on sea days. we were very busy with our shore excursions so we did not really hang out on the ship much. i thought it was very adequate for what we used it for......food and a room for us to stay in while we went to explore several different islands.

 

(continued as a reply)

[masterbaker]

I know your review isn't finished yet but I already have a question. :D What rental car company did you use? We are booked on the Sun in April and it's a one way cruise through the panama canal so we won't be back to Miami to pick up our car and are going to rent one for our transportation to Miami. Did they mind transporting your luggage to the pier? We have thought it might be best to drop off our luggage before we turn in our rental car. If that isn't necessary it would be great.

 

Looking forward to reading about the rest of your cruise. Obviously our ports will be different, but i'm always interested in everything I can read about the ship. Thanks!

[pieshops]

we just started planning a cruise critic group cruise on the sun this thansgiving.

 

Maybe you want to come along ?

[cradawg]

Ports of call - i did a ton of researching on which excursions we might be interested in taking. after realizing how many other ships were going to be in port with us on a few days i quickly started looking for stuff for us to do on our own to get away from the masses. we both love being on the water, and we both like to snorkel as well. i set out to find a small sailboat/snorkel type deal in each of our ports with the exception of grand cayman.

 

Grand Cayman - i had been to seven mile beach before, but my wife had never been to GC. i wanted to take a look around the island, and eventually make our way to rum point. we rented a car from cico/avis. they will pick you up from the blue iguana and take you to the airport to get your car. once we got the rental stuff out of the way the nice man behind the counter asked me where i had planned to go. i told him and he traced a line on the map exactly to where i neede to go. as i walked out the door to get into my mobile suitcase(the car was SMALL) the man said please stay on the left, which i proudly did for most of the day with the exception of a few rare occasions. we started making our way around the island, and it quickly became evident that ivan had really put a hurting on these people and their land. it was very disheartening to know that the same storm that had wreaked havoc on the northwest coast of fl and al had visited this tiny island just days before. when we arrived at rum point we grabbed some lunch from the wreck bar and grill. after a quick dip in the crystal clear water it was time to head back to our floating condo. we had recieved an invitation to the captains party, but we were undecided about going. we finally decided to go, and we were glad we did. we had shared a shuttle to the rental office earlier in the day with scg6281 and at the capt's party i was talking with his dad. he asked me what we were doing in roatan the next day and i told him i had a sailboat and a captain charterd for just me and my wife. just as i said that the couple sitting next to me asked if i was talking about capt dusty austen. i said yes and they said they were going on that trip as well. i felt like i had just got myself caught in a lie! in all honesty, i had talked with dusty before we left for miami and he said we had the boat to ourselves, but it was funny how the whole thing unfolded. we introduced ourselves to the couple next to us and we shot the breeze with them over a few more glasses of the bubbly stuff. we were all excited about the events of the following day, and we agreed to meet at the gate first thing in the morning.

 

Roatan - i had booked a sailing/snorkel tour with capt dusty austen of salty dog sea charters. he only takes 8 people, and the trip includes luch and all the salva vida's and rum punch you can drink. the ship docked 2 hours early from when it was supposed to. i didn't have any way of getting in touch with capt dusty who was supposed to pick us up at 11:00, and i had told the new found friends of cradawg that we would meet as soon as the ship docked at the front gate. well, when we met there was no sign of the salty dog. we hung around for a while until we came to the agreed conclusion that he wasn't coming until 11:00. we went and walked through the town, and i picked up a new little friend that gave me a zillion reasons why he wasn't in school. he walked with us up through the marketplace and back down to the cruise ship gate. at 11:00 there was still no sign of any salty dog anywhere. i then concluded that he must have gotten us mixed up with the ncl sea who was supposed to dock at 12:00. it was about that time that the new found friends of cradawg tell me that THEY told capt dusty 12:00. alrighty, no problem. 12:00 it is. about 11:30 five ladies from MN come walking up and we figure out that they are going with us as well. they had also told capt dusty 12:00. at about 11:45 here comes the salty dog sporting a sign with our names on it. we jump in his van and head out to west end. we stop for some quick sandwiches, and it's off to the sloop. he takes us out and sails us around the tip of the island where we can see the cruise ships. it was then that he asked if anyone wants to drive. my wife jumped up and took the helm. after about 6 or 7 minutes capt dusty decides it is too rough for a rookie and puts his 1st mate stacy back at the wheel. meanwhile me and new found friend of cradawg have strategically positioned ourselves next to the cooler and are genorously supporting the local part of the honduran economy that we love to call salva vida. capt dusty takes us back behind the island to the chanel, and we snorkel and eat lunch the rest of the afternoon. it was a great day! we decide to hang out with the new found friends of cradawg at the bar up above the pool when we return to the sun. the bar closed kind of early so we decided to head back to our cabin and hang out on the balcony and watch the sun set over the roatan hills as we set sail for belize.

 

Belize - we really didn't have a plan for belize. initially i had wanted to take a puddle jumper to ambergris caye and find a sailboat. i really wasn't sure if we had the time to do all of that. i had emailed charlie at raggamuffin tours on caye caulker before our cruise, but was told we would not have enough time to go on their snorkel/sail trip. we decided to take the water taxi to caye caulker and see what we could get into. as soon as the water taxi reached the dock on CC me and the new found friend of cradawg just looked at each other and said, "i think we can deal with this". CC is the neatest little island. it is a throwback, and what i would picture key west 50 years ago. we quickly heade up the beach on the little sand road to see what our day would hold. we had not even walked half a mile when i ran into the raggamuffin shop. i went inside and told the lady that i was the guy who had emailed her the week before, and asked her what they might be able to do for us. she told us that we could charter one of their sailboats just for the four of us. it would include a sail around the island with snorkel stops in between. she gave us the price and we about fell over when she said how cheap it was. she told us to give them a little while to get the boat and ready. in the meantime we set out for belikins and lobster sandwiches to take on the boat. the belikins were found at the hardware store, and the lobster sandwiches at the little place next to raggamuffin. we set sail on a true belizean sailboat that was probably 35-38 ft long. it was a wooden sailboat that had a huge bamboo mast and a tiller that took a lot of muscle to turn. the mate would stand up on the bowsprit and tell the capt where to steer clear of the coral heads. the captain and first mate were kamari and bobby. they were both really nice guys, and the captain was great about jumping in with us and pointing all and telling us the name of every fish we saw. we sailed and snorkeled until it was time to catch the water taxi back to belize city. CC was one of those kind of places you just hate to leave. a laid back atmosphere with one of the prettiest reefs you can imagine. this was by far our best day, and the folks at raggamuffin made it happen for us. i will be back there one day with some time on my hands so i can just "GO SLOW".

[cradawg]

continuation of belize- when we got back to belize city they just so happen to have a bar there . it's called the wet lizard. me and the mr. part of the new found friends of cradawg thought that place was made especially for us. we ran up the stairs to the bar as we threw money at our wives so they could go shopping. the wet lizard overlooks the docks of belize city and it was bustling with cruise folks. if any of you hit the wet lizard on the return to your cruise ship you will see in the left hand corner of the deck(facing the water)where me and the mr. part of the new found friends of cradawg left our greetings for all those who stop at this watering hole. after a few more belikins it was time to head back to the tender. once back on the sun we hung out on the balcony with the new found friends of cradawg and watched the sun set over belize city as we listened to jimmy buffet and pounded corona's. it was one of those days i will not soon forget.

 

 

Cozumel - i have been to cozumel several times. it's a neat place, but more like miami compared to the wild west of the caribbean we had sailed the two days prior. i was sad because the new found friends of cradawg were going on a snorkel trip to palancar reef. this meant i was all alone in the the world of corona genuine. i had a trip planned with cozumel sailing. they call it the tucan sailing adventure. it is about a 7 hour sail on a tri-maran that includes an open bar fresh cooked lunch on the grill and the best guacamole i have ever tasted. they had lots of beer to. when we came out of the marina the wind was in our faces so we did not set sail. however, the four stroke suzuki outboard was so quiet it was drowned out by the sound of the tunes coming from the radio. sixteen people is all that they will take, and the boat will hold 35 folks so you never feel crowded. we headed up the coast in the crystal clear water sipping corona's and just enjoying the day. we anchored over a large coral head and the captain handed out the snorkelling gear. it was obvious that this spot didn't even compare to what we had seen in the days prior so we decided to just hang out on the boat and sample another corona. after everyone had their fill of snorkelling we headed just up above passion island. the anchor was thrown and the captain got out the spinnaker. unfortunately, there was not enough wind to get even the ladies on the boat airborne so i new my chance to ride the spinaker was out. they had a small zodiac in tow and the captain let us take turns going back and forth to the beach. he would fill 5 gallon buckets with ice and beer and send it with us to the island. it was very secluded and the water was awesome. we headed back to the marina and grabbed a taxi back to the docks. we stopped and ate at pancho's back yard where my wife tell's me that we really enjoyed the food. my wife shopped while i sat on the wall looking out at the water wondering if one man could actually keep the beer industry afloat. we headed back to the ship and met the new found friends of cradawg. however, tonight was different as we were all tired and wore out from four full days of running around.

 

Food - i will say this first, i am a great big fat guy and when i hear all you can eat or sir, would you like some more that to me automatically means good food. having said that, we ate at le bistro two nights, il adagio one night, and ginza three nights. all the food was great. le bistro was probably the neatest place, and our server was really great. i love sushi and my wife loves the food from the hibachi grill so ginza was a big hit for us. our server at ginza was awesome as well, and i included both of these girls on our comment cards. il adagio had great food to, but we only ended up there once. we had breakfast in our room every morning, but we are not big breakfast people. coffee, fruit and cereal was the norm except for the morning after cozumel where i ordered an omlet along with a few other things. we went to the buffet a couple times in the afternoon. nothing special there, but definately good enough to get you over till dinner. they had a sandwich table set up in pacific hieghts that had great sandwiches for lunch. i thought all the foods and desserts were great, but as i said earlier........i aint picky!

 

Disembarkation - the new found friends of cradawg were from south florida and offered to take us to the airport in the morning. we all used the vip tags and got off the ship about 8:30. customs was a breeze and before you knew it we were in the car headed down government cut and our cruise was over.

 

one more thing to throw in. i had bought a couple of certificates for my wife to go to the spa on our sea days. they were waiting in our room when we arrived. she had a really good time, but she said it was a little pricey compared to the place she goes to hear at home.

 

i can't say enough about what a good time we had. the trip definately exceeded all i had hoped it would be. the friends we met and the experiences we shared with them will be in our memories forever. we will definately be on the sun again. maybe even this fall when it is in new orleans.

 

i will be more than happy to try and answer any questions.

[cradawg]

masterbaker-

 

we used dollar, and they had a big shuttle with plenty of room for luggage. i had thought of dropping the luggage off at the port before we dropped the car off, but i'm glad i didn't. just tip the driver a few bucks when he grabs your lugagge and all should be well. i think that most of the rental car companies have a shuttle to the port.

 

hope you enjoy the sun as much as we did.

[zeerumcakes]

We knew we liked you 2--we're writing our review tonight, too. But to all of those reading Cradawg's review, let me tell you, he is giving such great detail, you can almost see the pictures in your mind. Explore beyond the obvious, and your cruise will be great.

[Smooth Sailing]

Hey Cradawg

Enjoyed your review - Katie and I have been know to throw down our share of Corona's - we try to hold the line at no more than 20 or 30 a day - then wash it all down with a half dozen Margaritas - Pancho's Back Yard is great - I think - my memory is a bit blurred - the margaritas at Palmatier's are pretty potent. We will be on the Sun out of New Orleans on Oct. 30th - New Orleans is one of our very favorite towns - so decadent - Love to walk down Burbon Street and get a 36 ounce brew at all the little hole in the walls - only down side is waking up in the gutter with the street sweeper going over your face at 6AM . We are interested in the trip to CC - where did you pick up the water taxis - how much did it cost for round trip - did you have enough time to down one at every bar ? We have done the Lamani thing and the Cave tubing - almost passed out from low blood alcohol levels. Thanks for any info.

We just returned home from our bar hoping tour of South America on the NCL Crown - If your interested I have posted a 6 part review on the South America destination board.

[cradawg]

smooth sailing-

 

sounds like yall would have fit right in with us!!! when you tender into belize walk through the mall area out into the parking lot where all the tour buses are parked. turn left as you pass through the gate and the water taxi association will be down a ways on your left. it is in a building with a rolled roof, and i believe it is next door to sea sports belize. the water taxi is $17.50 US round trip per person to CC. it has the schedule on the wall with all departure times from belize city, CC and san pedro. we didn't have much time in CC. we were only in belize from 8:00 to 5:00 and the water taxi is about 45 minutes or so to CC with a quick stop at caye chapel. you will have a couple more hours on your trip to belize than we did, and this makes me jealous. the fall itinerary is showing port times as 7:00 to 6:00 which will get you on the 8:00 water taxi to CC. there is a website that has all the taxi info, but the last time i posted links on here i got deleted. just do a search on CC water taxi and you will find the site. i will definately check out your review.

 

have fun on your cruise and i hope you enjoy CC as much as we did!

[coka]

Great review! Thank you for taking the time to post it! Do you remember the name of the little helper in Roatan who gave you many reasons why he was not in school?

 

Coka

[mrsbooger]

Cradawg, I'll be in an AC on the SUn in March. We are a family of 4. How tight are the living quarters when the couch is made up as a bed? I can't find any really good pictures of the suite. Everyone I've talked to said the AC was better than the AA though because it's Aft. We were originally going to book the AA, but being forward on the ship didn't appeal to me. I will miss the 3 bottles of liquor included in the AA and the Hot tub too though! Any insight or pictures for the AC would be greatly appreciated!

 

mizboog

[cradawg]

coka -

 

i'm terrible with names, and i can't remember what he said his name was when we shook hands. he was the nicest kid.

 

mrsbooger -

 

we never had the couch folded out so i can't tell you how much room it took up. there was a table and two chairs in front of the couch, but i would think you would have enough room to walk by when the couch was made into a bed. we were going to book the AA, but i saw some pics that made it look like you could see into the hot tub from up above. one of the first things i did when i got onboard was go up to the observation lounge and go outside to see if i could see into that hot tub. well, you can only see the wind screen that is on the outside of the hot tub. i kicked myself in the tail for not booking that cabin, but we really enjoyed the AC. one of the neat things about being aft is that when the ship is at cruising speed you can open the sliding glass doors and the wake of the ship actually sounds like waves crashing on the beach! we took a ton of pics of the cabin because i also had a hard time finding exactly what i was looking for when it came to details, and i wanted to be able to send some out to those who had questions. your email is hidden. drop me a line at

cradawg84@bellsouth.net and i will be more than happy to send some pics your way.