Just returned - Sun repositioning Pacific Coastal

[PanamaCruiser]

[quote name='ronandannette']Please give me some further impressions of the ship and itinerary (especially interested in opportunities to golf in Monterey). If you have children, we're also wondering about the Kid's Crew program for our little guy.:rolleyes:

Thanks,

ronandannette[/QUOTE]
Hi
Here's the link to the cruisecritic roll call for this cruise.
Stop by if you'd like to.

[url]http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=4223620[/url]
I have no little one's so no help with Kid's Crew.
This will be my first trip to Monterey, so I'm looking forward to it also.
I've been to Victoria and Astoria several times. I always enjoy going back. It won't be long before the shore excursions are posted.


Sea Ya

Missy

[ronandannette]

[quote name='coka
I conclude that some seasoned cruisers know exactly what to expect on repos while some newbies expect lobster and filet mignon served every night in return for the low price paid. They may go without realizing that repos can be different.


Coka[/QUOTE']

I've been searching these posts for someone who would be able to give me a fair representation of the difference in overall experience between 'repos' and regular intinerarys. We booked The Sun 25/9 as our first 'repo' after having sailed several regular cruises (never NCL) and found that these 'repos' are very much hyped by the cruise line and TA as being [i]SPECIAL! [/i]I had assumed (hoped) that they would be [i]special in a good way[/i], but now not so much.:rolleyes: Please share whatever opinions you think might be relevant.

Thanks in advance...

[Cruise_More_Often]

Well, we've been on two great repos with NCL! :) It is true that on the shorter cruises, you will not get lobster. We didn't have lobster on our 5-day repo on the Sun last year. The only other short cruise we've been on was a 4-day RCI cruise, where we also didn't get lobster (do any lines offer lobster on their shorter cruises?). On our 7-day repo on the Star this year, we did have it.

Other than the "no lobster" (and I couldn't care less about lobster), everything else seemed identical to the longer, "regular" cruises -- the same entertainment, same games, everything onboard was open.

The only thing different, that I can see, is that the repos are [I][B][COLOR=Red]cheaper[/COLOR][/B][/I] (but don't tell anyone; let's let that be our secret)!

[ronandannette]

Thanks so much for the reply. I see you've done RCL Monarch recently; we did too last spring and really enjoyed it! We thought the itinerary was great for a little break. What were your impressions? Especially appreciate your opinion in relation to the Norwegian Sun and RCL v.s. NCL.

Thanks Again!

[Host CMLA]

[quote name='Cruise_More_Often']The only thing different, that I can see, is that the repos are [I][B][COLOR=Red]cheaper[/COLOR][/B][/I] (but don't tell anyone; let's let that be our secret)![/QUOTE] The best kept secret in cruising...the repo cruise. However, if not done properly, it can be very expensive. The biggest expense can be transportation to and from the embarkation and debarkation cities. It's often much more expensive to buy two one way plane tickets than a round trip ticket. The only time I've ever booked air through the cruise line is for two different repo cruises because I couldn't beat their price for one way flights.

[Cruise_More_Often]

Freestyle! That's the main difference. We don't like traditional dining.

 

We liked the Monarch's buffet serving-station layout better than either the Star's or the Sun's long serving lines. Truth be told, the buffet food on the Monarch is great! We thought all the food on the Monarch was great. However, we thought the dining rooms were really, really crowded. We also prefer dinner without singing and dancing waiters (some doing card tricks).

 

Since this is your first NCL cruise, be sure to take advantage of the alternative restaurants. We ate at Le Bistro, Il Adagio and East Meets West and loved them all. The food was excellent. Now you can get Cagney's (steaks) menu at East Meets West. We ate in one of the main diring rooms only on formal night, and we asked to be seated with others. (I have no idea what I ate.) There is also a Tapas bar, where you can get snacks, sandwiches, tapas of course and fabulous sangria.

 

The Sun is a beautiful ship and newer than the Monarch. The cabins are done in cherry laminate, with bright carpet and bedding (and great duvet covers). The Monarch's cabin interiors are quite dated.

 

You'll also appreciate NCL's freestyle disembarcation, when you wait in your cabin until your color is called. On the Monarch we waited on the pool deck rather than an inside public area.

 

The Monarch's itinerary was good. It was our first trip to Catalina Island, and my husband had never been to San Diego. We'll do that cruise again, I'm sure, only next time we'll stay on the ship in Ensenada. What did you think of it?

 

If you can think of any questions about the Sun, I'll try to answer them. Where is your cabin located?

[ronandannette]

The best kept secret in cruising...the repo cruise. However, if not done properly, it can be very expensive. The biggest expense can be transportation to and from the embarkation and debarkation cities. It's often much more expensive to buy two one way plane tickets than a round trip ticket. The only time I've ever booked air through the cruise line is for two different repo cruises because I couldn't beat their price for one way flights.

 

Thanks, Cecelia,

 

We've actually never been on a cruise where our airfare didn't cost more than the boat! We usually sail last minute, and get awsome deals, but air travel from Canada is steep, no matter how you try to do it. On this particular trip we are paying more for a 40 minute flight to Vancouver than we are to get back from L.A...:( We are presently watching and praying for a 'miracle' price on air to Florida as we would just LOVE to sail one of RCL's giant ships, but until then I guess we'll just have to confine our ice skating to the driveway...(winter is definetly on it's way):p .

[ronandannette]

Hello Again Cruise More Often,

 

I've tried to reply to your post twice now and when I hit send the site hangs up and crashes my computer. I'd sure like to chat to you some more, is there any other way to do it?

 

Annette

[Cruise_More_Often]

Hello Again Cruise More Often,

 

I've tried to reply to your post twice now and when I hit send the site hangs up and crashes my computer. I'd sure like to chat to you some more, is there any other way to do it?

 

Annette

Yes, Annette, e-mail cruise_more_often at yahoo dot com. I've had the same thing happen to me when posting. Now I just wait and switch to another task for a few minutes, and it usually works. I'd love to chat with you.

 

Adele

[Vyhanek]

I think you have some legitimate complaints. I am a longtime NCL cruiser and fan but I have to agree with your concerns here.

 

First, regarding the lack of some basic food supplies, and to Host Celia's explanation. So the port isn't a normal, re-stocking port. If NCL is offering this cruise they sure as heck better be able to offer basic items. Even if it means when they are running low on brown sugar they send someone over to Sam's club to come back with several pounds. I realize the amount of food they go thru but if they can't offer cruisers food then they shouldn't be selling this cruise.

 

There is no excuse to serve oatmeal and not offer traditional brown sugar. Also, the OP isn't expecting gourmet by wanting to have her coffee creamer served in a nicer pitcher. Thats another basic.

 

For any guest to be called in their stateroom at 1:30 am is crazy and unacceptable. You can tell this poster to just go find another cruise line but it doesn't excuse the fact that common decency would tell any desk clerk not to call a guest at that hour of the evening. And why couldn't they send someone to her room to clear up the situation. I can't imagine the desk is swamped at 1:30 am and someone can't get away to fix there so called urgent issue.

 

I think NCL has gone down hill and won't change until they have to. Especially with fellow passangers who cruise with the blinders on. I'm not one to demand Ruth Chris steak house but even at the Outback you can get proper condiments served correctly with your meal without your servers looking confused because they have never served it correctly.

[seedaz]

Thanks, Vyhanek! I was very disappointed with this cruise. But, here again, because of price, availability and timing, I find myself booked on another NCL Pacific Coastal cruise. The Dream...although the most recent reports from Seattle with her engine troubles...I dunno? ...I am purchasing Trip Insurance today! Yikes! So here is one disgruntled cruiser trying NCL for the second time...we shall see...I am hoping our Sun cruise was just one bad experience. My sister and I are taking my mom (elderly) for a nice 5 day coastal cruise. I hope we will enjoy it and make a few memories. Thanks again, for pointing out, what we thought were very valid and important points regarding my original post!

[newmexicoNita]

I think you have some legitimate complaints. I am a longtime NCL cruiser and fan but I have to agree with your concerns here.

 

First, regarding the lack of some basic food supplies, and to Host Celia's explanation. So the port isn't a normal, re-stocking port. If NCL is offering this cruise they sure as heck better be able to offer basic items. Even if it means when they are running low on brown sugar they send someone over to Sam's club to come back with several pounds. I realize the amount of food they go thru but if they can't offer cruisers food then they shouldn't be selling this cruise.

 

There is no excuse to serve oatmeal and not offer traditional brown sugar. Also, the OP isn't expecting gourmet by wanting to have her coffee creamer served in a nicer pitcher. Thats another basic.

 

For any guest to be called in their stateroom at 1:30 am is crazy and unacceptable. You can tell this poster to just go find another cruise line but it doesn't excuse the fact that common decency would tell any desk clerk not to call a guest at that hour of the evening. And why couldn't they send someone to her room to clear up the situation. I can't imagine the desk is swamped at 1:30 am and someone can't get away to fix there so called urgent issue.

 

I think NCL has gone down hill and won't change until they have to. Especially with fellow passangers who cruise with the blinders on. I'm not one to demand Ruth Chris steak house but even at the Outback you can get proper condiments served correctly with your meal without your servers looking confused because they have never served it correctly.

I am not about to start an all out war on the subject and yes, the OP had some problems. that does surprise me as I happen to love the Sun. Maybe it has to do with knowing what to expect on a repo cruise: that being said, I have cruised NCL since the 1980s as well as every other mass marketed line with the exception of one: I think NCL has improved through the years, certainly in the past 3 or 4 years. Everyone does have his/her own opinion, this is mine. I think what is often overlooked today: cruising is not the same as it was 20 or 30 years ago. The rates make it now, a family vacation, affordable to many more than in the past. Of course the food will not be the same and there will be more nickel and diming us. It used to a venture mostly experienced by the upper middle class or upper class. The average middle class family had to save for years to afford such an expensive vacation and certainly, the kids would not be included. Now we have kids kamps, special dining for the younger ones, video rooms, family cabins and other activities. We also have more port intensive cruises. Our first few cruises consisted of 3 ports if we were lucky, now it's 4 or 5 on a 7 day cruise, sometimes 3 on a 4 night cruise. NMNita