Is The Sun Too Small and Does NCL nickel and dime you?

[halos]

I just went on a 7 day Carnival Pride cruise and we did, indeed, have prime rib (twice), and filet mignon available in the MDR. You do not have to go to the steakhouse to get it.

 

I am a platinum CCL cruiser and if what you said is true, it was just true for your sailing and not the norm...not anymore anyway. I was on a 15 day CCL voyage this past April and there was prime rib one night, no fillet

 

OP:

Your friend's opinion is not at all like mine, however I feel the only way you will know if you like NCL or any other line is to try it yourself. I have to tell you the picture-on-the-bed-thing is pretty much an outright lie. There is NO way that is possible as they don't ask you your name or cabin number when you sit for photos or get your embarkation photo

[luddite]

As a general rule of thumb, I would pay no attention to any impressions of a cruise taken 10 years ago on any cruise line. More things have changed than have stayed the same in that decade. NCL wasn't even under the same ownership and management 10 years ago.

 

While they all have their differences and each line does some things better or worse than the others, overall the mass market cruise lines are far more alike than different.

 

What he said.

[Warm Breezes]

I have just read this from a trusted friend and they had lots more negative things to say than just this.

 

they put the Embark picture on the bed (two copies) the first night of the cruise and said leave it out on the 4th night of the Cruise or you pay for it.

 

My friend went on to say she would never cruise on the Sun or NCL again as the ship's balcony cabin was too small and the showers were too small. She said she sailed back in 2002 or 2003. She has many cruises on a different cruise line, and said NCL was by far the worst she has ever taken.

 

I just want to know if we're making a big mistake by booking the Sun? She said the food in the MDR were horrible. My wife and I do NOT want to take an 11 day cruise and have to pay an upcharge to eat decent food in the specialty restaurants. While on Carnival we always ate in the MDR, and while not perfect, we could always count on lobster, filet mignon, and prime rib during our 7 and 8 day cruises. Is it the same on NCL? Be honest and let us know. We want to make sure we're doing the right thing.

 

I haven't sailed on the Sun so I can't specifically answer your question there. I can say that the ships I have sailed between NCL(2) and CCL(5) the items you are questioning are more alike than different between the 2 lines. I find the MDR food to be similar with NCL having a better buffet and CCL having better deserts. We love freestyle and find it very similar to anytime only you have more options of where to eat. You are only nickle and dimed if you choose to be. NCL has more pay options but your arm is not twisted to purchase them nor did I feel we needed to in order to get quality food. As I said before the MDR food is similar to CCL IMHO. As to the pictures...on the Jewel they were set up like CCL. The Epic however has a wonderful thing going where you can look at your pictures in Kiosks and they have all your pictures buddled together in a binder for your stateroom for you to choose from....I loved it.

[kylenyc]

Nickle and dime ?

A phrase that people use when they dont have any real complaints

Like!

 

On CCL day 1 newsletter i have, of the "top ten" list of things to do, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6 involved extra cost. On Princess's day 1 newsletter - 5 of 6 highlighted activities along the bottom involve extra cost. Both have specialty restaurants in their attempt to replicate NCL's innovations. So who's nickel and diming?

 

Hope you judge for yourself and enjoy your NCL cruise. The food in the main dining rooms is very good (and subjective of course). They post their evening menu every afternoon. I like to go see if there is anything I fancy and if not only then do I go to a specialty restaurant and never on the first night which is usually "lobster night" in the MDR. :)

[Don Haynes]

What he said.

 

Could not agree more. All the lines push bingo, the casino, and the spa. They all sell shore excursions and drinks. They turn a profit by doing so more so than selling a cabin with included food.

[NMLady]

Some Carnival ships have the comedy brunch and some don't. Those that don't have a regular breakfast in the MDR every morning and lunch on sea days. You need to check if the ship you're on has the brunch or not.

 

Does NCL have a MDR lunch available on port days, or just sea days?

 

I haven't been on an NCL ship since the 1990's so I'm curious to try it again. I just got off the Pride and I'm considering the Gem. This is a very interesting thread outlining the differences.

 

Regarding lunch in MDR on port days: It seems to vary from port to port.

On the Northern Europe portion of our Sun cruise, as well as on the Western Caribbean portion, sometimes lunch was offered in the MDR and sometimes it wasn't. But most times, not.

This might be different on the Gem, depending on itinerary.

[Medtech2]

While I have not sailed on the Sun or NCL (yet!) it is what we have booked. Keep in mind, if your friend sailed in 2002 or 2003, the Sun has gone threw a refurb from that time also.

 

Our last cruise was on Carnival on the Legend, another small ship. I think it all depends on what you are looking for in a cruise. I choose the Sun for the REASON it wasn't a mega-ship, even with 2 kids. I get nervous going to a store when it is busy let alone a ship with 4000+ people! Then again, I am a simple person. I want my balcony and a book, and that is it!

 

I think food is really subjective. Our experience with Carnival's food wasn't that great. 90% of the food IMO tasted like I could easily make at home, by putting things in the crock pot for 12 hours! It wasn't inedible, but it wasn't anything more than I would cook on a regular basis for entrees.

 

As for "nickle and dimeing" one, out of Disney, RCCL and Carnival, the only place it seemed a lot was RCCL for me. You couldn't walk down the hall with out someone trying to sell you something it seemed!

 

My mother is a big fan of NCL (her preferred line along with Princess) she is one of those cruisers who pays her fair, tips, excursions and a bottle of wine each day. Nothing else, ever. She has taken of 30 cruises, and never ONCE ate at a specialty restaurant. This is a woman who Mystery Shops for a living. She doesn't cook, goes out to eat (and gets paid for it!!) 7 days a week.

How do you get a Mystery Shopper job? ...nice!

[SteveH2508]

This whole 'Embark picture on the bed' thing sounds almost too bizarre to be true.

 

As already stated - how do they know who is in what cabin apart from going through all of the embarkation photos and matching them to the photos - many man hours there.

 

Distributing them to c1000 cabins - many more man hours there.

 

Collecting them afterwards and then working out the billing - many more man hours and possibility of errors and disputes.

 

If it ever happened I am not surprised it died a quick death (remember that the photographers are a concession not NCL) - as a business plan it sucks!

[jpg1747]

I am a platinum CCL cruiser and if what you said is true, it was just true for your sailing and not the norm...not anymore anyway. I was on a 15 day CCL voyage this past April and there was prime rib one night, no fillet

 

I don't want to hijack this thread into a discussion of the CCL menus, but the 7 days menus and the 15 day menus are not the same. Check out zydecocruiser.net to see the differences.

 

And back to the original topic, I'm looking forward to trying new things and new food on a new line.

[sonicbuffalo]

This whole 'Embark picture on the bed' thing sounds almost too bizarre to be true.

 

As already stated - how do they know who is in what cabin apart from going through all of the embarkation photos and matching them to the photos - many man hours there.

 

Distributing them to c1000 cabins - many more man hours there.

 

Collecting them afterwards and then working out the billing - many more man hours and possibility of errors and disputes.

 

If it ever happened I am not surprised it died a quick death (remember that the photographers are a concession not NCL) - as a business plan it sucks!

 

I was just posting what was e-mailed to me...she is a good friend of mine and I'm sure they're platinum on CCL. She did say they've never sailed RCCL.

 

My wife and I are the only two cruisers, and we don't care about water slides, rope courses, rock climbing walls (but I might try a flow rider), and we do like the onboard activities that are scheduled like the newlywed game, and karaoke, trivia, and things like that. Wife has had basil cell cancer and had it removed, so we snorkel instead of lay in the sun for long.

 

We enjoy a decent breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and would rather spend our somewhat limited budget on excursions rather than specialty restaurants. We're not expecting 5 star quality, but like I said, hopefully there will be filet mignon, prime rib, and of course Lobster (by the way, can you have 2 of them?), if they're small?

[valleyvillage]

And what, pray tell, is a "nickel and dime"???

[BoozinCruizin]

Regarding the picture: just take a picture of the picture and then they can gladly have it back!

[BlueJai]

I admit it upfront that I an biased. I Love the Sun! I have been on the Pearl, Jewel, Dawn and one RCI ship but I love the Sun. Did I mention that I Love the Sun!

As other posters have mentioned, if you are looking for rock walls, bowling alleys, skating rink, flow riders etc, then the Sun isn't for you. If you are looking for glitz and glamour then the Sun isn't for you. She is a lovely ship with wooden deck floors, larger cabins, fabulous crew and officers, amazing pool waiters (if you like to have your drink brought to you on deck), a great outdoor eating area called the Great Outdoors. A fabulous area at the front of the ship when you are coming into port (or at midnight to watch the stars!). Did I mention I love the Sun! She is small, easy to navigate, and just wonderful. But, as others have said, go and see for yourself!

Jai

[puddles99]

I'm another Sun fan :) We sailed her last April & you can find some pictures linked in my signature below. We didn't experience any nickel & diming - sure there are things you can choose to pay for, but its just as easy to find things to do without paying more. If you have any specific questions, there are lots of folks here that would be happy to answer them.

 

Enjoy your adventure!

[DMH15]

I have just read this from a trusted friend and they had lots more negative things to say than just this.

 

they put the Embark picture on the bed (two copies) the first night of the cruise and said leave it out on the 4th night of the Cruise or you pay for it.

 

My friend went on to say she would never cruise on the Sun or NCL again as the ship's balcony cabin was too small and the showers were too small. She said she sailed back in 2002 or 2003. She has many cruises on a different cruise line, and said NCL was by far the worst she has ever taken.

 

I just want to know if we're making a big mistake by booking the Sun? She said the food in the MDR were horrible. My wife and I do NOT want to take an 11 day cruise and have to pay an upcharge to eat decent food in the specialty restaurants. While on Carnival we always ate in the MDR, and while not perfect, we could always count on lobster, filet mignon, and prime rib during our 7 and 8 day cruises. Is it the same on NCL? Be honest and let us know. We want to make sure we're doing the right thing.

 

First? Is ship too small? This is a very personalized question. Some of us enjoy, actually prefer, smaller ships. Reasons vary. Regardless, aren't the # of pax and crew proportionate to the ship's size? Whether it feels crowded or not can change sailing-to-sailing and itinerary-to-itinerary depending on so many variables... Such as pax mix, weather, etc. Never was this more evident than on our Jewel TA with a demographic that was on the advanced age side that was only weeks after a Spring break cruise. Whereas I was the only customer in the sushi place one day at lunch, the server told me the Spring break cruise was SRO in there. I expect the vibe was much different, and I'll bet the pax were out of their cabins more, where a lot of us, like me like to chill on our balcony. I expect on the Spring break cruise most stayed up late and probably slept later.

 

Re: "nickle and diming"... To be perfectly honest with you, I basically cringe when I read that phrase. I think of carnival barkers or beach vendors. Egad. That being said, one of the things I like about NCL and cruising, is the matter of choice. I consider the term "a la carte" much more accurate and classy. On NCL you pay the fare and then you decide how yoy want to customize your vacation. Another story I have is in 2009 my mom and I cruised in an aft facing PH suite. I did great excursions, such as the Antarctic landing, casino, spa, specialty dining, etc. i prefer to cruise less often in a suite and then experience a variety of add-ons. I live pretty frugally and am divorced with no kids so I only have to answer to myself. I did not cruise in 2011, in fact I didn't get out of Texas last year. So, on this same South American cruise my mom and I met two college girls who were in an inside room on the lowest floor. The only expense besides their fare, which was basically 10% what we paid, was the DSC. Well, these girls were giddy with excitement for their cruise! They told us all the (free/included) choices they had. They told us the way they decided to cruise was it was actually cheaper to cruise from Santiago to Buenos Aires than fly! They had plenty of time so why not? They said that they actually saved money as their meals were included in the fare! Had they flown they would have had to buy groceries or eat out those 14 days! We loved their perspective. We each chose what we wanted to add-on or not.

 

Lastly, I am sure you value your friend's opinion. But, I can honestly say that some of my friends are more in tune with my way of vacationing than others. If you feel you are simpatico with these friends then consider their opinion more than if you aren't. But know cruising has changed a lot in 10 years. It is a lot more for the masses. A lot more people are choosing cruise vacations now. It certainly CAN be affordable. OR NOT.

 

Did I mention, THE SUN is my favorite ship? Thrilled to be back on in March.

[Warmer Climes]

I admit it upfront that I an biased. I Love the Sun! I have been on the Pearl, Jewel, Dawn and one RCI ship but I love the Sun. Did I mention that I Love the Sun!

As other posters have mentioned, if you are looking for rock walls, bowling alleys, skating rink, flow riders etc, then the Sun isn't for you. If you are looking for glitz and glamour then the Sun isn't for you. She is a lovely ship with wooden deck floors, larger cabins, fabulous crew and officers, amazing pool waiters (if you like to have your drink brought to you on deck), a great outdoor eating area called the Great Outdoors. A fabulous area at the front of the ship when you are coming into port (or at midnight to watch the stars!). Did I mention I love the Sun! She is small, easy to navigate, and just wonderful. But, as others have said, go and see for yourself!

Jai

Hi Jai,

 

I wish we were cruising again with you on the Sun!

 

Barb

[Warmer Climes]

I admit it upfront that I an biased. I Love the Sun! I have been on the Pearl, Jewel, Dawn and one RCI ship but I love the Sun. Did I mention that I Love the Sun!

As other posters have mentioned, if you are looking for rock walls, bowling alleys, skating rink, flow riders etc, then the Sun isn't for you. If you are looking for glitz and glamour then the Sun isn't for you. She is a lovely ship with wooden deck floors, larger cabins, fabulous crew and officers, amazing pool waiters (if you like to have your drink brought to you on deck), a great outdoor eating area called the Great Outdoors. A fabulous area at the front of the ship when you are coming into port (or at midnight to watch the stars!). Did I mention I love the Sun! She is small, easy to navigate, and just wonderful. But, as others have said, go and see for yourself!

Jai

Hi Jai,

 

I wish we were cruising again with you on the Sun!

 

Barb

[lettienets]

I don't want to hijack this thread into a discussion of the CCL menus, but the 7 days menus and the 15 day menus are not the same. Check out zydecocruiser.net to see the differences.

 

And back to the original topic, I'm looking forward to trying new things and new food on a new line.

Hi Judy from Magic cruise! I am looking at a PanamaCanal cruise on Sun in Dec or Jan, only did one NCL cruise like 22 years ago. Glad to read aboutvthis ship here. I am leaving on Jade out of Rome Feb 23.

So trying something new is great However not sure how I will like NCL and freestyle as a single. I sure hope they seat me with somebody to eat with.

 

 

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk 2

[Rounder]

I was just posting what was e-mailed to me...she is a good friend of mine and I'm sure they're platinum on CCL. She did say they've never sailed RCCL.

 

My wife and I are the only two cruisers, and we don't care about water slides, rope courses, rock climbing walls (but I might try a flow rider), and we do like the onboard activities that are scheduled like the newlywed game, and karaoke, trivia, and things like that. Wife has had basil cell cancer and had it removed, so we snorkel instead of lay in the sun for long.

 

We enjoy a decent breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and would rather spend our somewhat limited budget on excursions rather than specialty restaurants. We're not expecting 5 star quality, but like I said, hopefully there will be filet mignon, prime rib, and of course Lobster (by the way, can you have 2 of them?), if they're small?

 

Back in 2002,2003, your friend could have been correct. A lot has changed since then. The Sun was in dry dock, and refurbished, so, yes the shower's very well, could have been a lot smaller before, the MDR,also, could have had horrible food. After all is said , we now have Freestyle. Iwould bet you both would be very happy with the Sun. :cool:

[S.S.Oceanlover]

I have just read this from a trusted friend and they had lots more negative things to say than just this.

 

they put the Embark picture on the bed (two copies) the first night of the cruise and said leave it out on the 4th night of the Cruise or you pay for it.

 

My friend went on to say she would never cruise on the Sun or NCL again as the ship's balcony cabin was too small and the showers were too small. She said she sailed back in 2002 or 2003. She has many cruises on a different cruise line, and said NCL was by far the worst she has ever taken.

 

I just want to know if we're making a big mistake by booking the Sun? She said the food in the MDR were horrible. My wife and I do NOT want to take an 11 day cruise and have to pay an upcharge to eat decent food in the specialty restaurants. While on Carnival we always ate in the MDR, and while not perfect, we could always count on lobster, filet mignon, and prime rib during our 7 and 8 day cruises. Is it the same on NCL? Be honest and let us know. We want to make sure we're doing the right thing.

 

As a point of reference, did your friend say when she went on this cruise with the pictures on the bed?

 

I've cruised NCL as far back as 1993 and the pictures have always been in the photo gallery.

 

Is she trying to sway you to her personal favorite line because she doesn't like NCL?

 

Bill

[dwjoe]

I like ncl for the entertainment, service and price.

 

My BIL prefers RCCL for the MDR food.

[RNPJN]

I have just read this from a trusted friend and they had lots more negative things to say than just this.

 

they put the Embark picture on the bed (two copies) the first night of the cruise and said leave it out on the 4th night of the Cruise or you pay for it.

 

My friend went on to say she would never cruise on the Sun or NCL again as the ship's balcony cabin was too small and the showers were too small. She said she sailed back in 2002 or 2003. She has many cruises on a different cruise line, and said NCL was by far the worst she has ever taken.

 

I just want to know if we're making a big mistake by booking the Sun? She said the food in the MDR were horrible. My wife and I do NOT want to take an 11 day cruise and have to pay an upcharge to eat decent food in the specialty restaurants. While on Carnival we always ate in the MDR, and while not perfect, we could always count on lobster, filet mignon, and prime rib during our 7 and 8 day cruises. Is it the same on NCL? Be honest and let us know. We want to make sure we're doing the right thing.

I love this ship and I would not base my decision to go on a friends opinion who has not been on the ship for 10 years:eek: Again do not know what they are talking about with the pics , never happened to us and we have been on this ship 5 times the latest in Jan 2013 love the ship great crew good food and entertainment! as far as small at the time you friend sailed it was one of the largest ships around!They have lobster and prime rib and a pay steakhouse if you wish.

[biker@sea]

I too love Sun .

 

In all fairness she does have the worst showers.

[sonicbuffalo]

You asked this question in another thread too and I answered you there. Let me add that we have cruised on several cruise lines and NCL was NOT our worst experience. I'm sorry your friends had a bad experience but that is not the norm.

All mass market cruise lines charge for sodas, drinks, specialty restaurants so NCL doesn't nickel/dime more than HAL or RCL or Carnival, all of which I've cruised so can compare.

I've had lobster and have had filet in MDR on NCL, including on the Sun.

I enjoyed the small size of the Sun, easy to get everywhere.

I would suggest you not base your cruise choice on your friends' subjective opinion.

 

you answered a lot of my questions in regards to the MDR and the Sun. Thanks!

[sonicbuffalo]

First? Is ship too small? This is a very personalized question. Some of us enjoy, actually prefer, smaller ships. Reasons vary. Regardless, aren't the # of pax and crew proportionate to the ship's size? Whether it feels crowded or not can change sailing-to-sailing and itinerary-to-itinerary depending on so many variables... Such as pax mix, weather, etc. Never was this more evident than on our Jewel TA with a demographic that was on the advanced age side that was only weeks after a Spring break cruise. Whereas I was the only customer in the sushi place one day at lunch, the server told me the Spring break cruise was SRO in there. I expect the vibe was much different, and I'll bet the pax were out of their cabins more, where a lot of us, like me like to chill on our balcony. I expect on the Spring break cruise most stayed up late and probably slept later.

 

Re: "nickle and diming"... To be perfectly honest with you, I basically cringe when I read that phrase. I think of carnival barkers or beach vendors. Egad. That being said, one of the things I like about NCL and cruising, is the matter of choice. I consider the term "a la carte" much more accurate and classy. On NCL you pay the fare and then you decide how yoy want to customize your vacation. Another story I have is in 2009 my mom and I cruised in an aft facing PH suite. I did great excursions, such as the Antarctic landing, casino, spa, specialty dining, etc. i prefer to cruise less often in a suite and then experience a variety of add-ons. I live pretty frugally and am divorced with no kids so I only have to answer to myself. I did not cruise in 2011, in fact I didn't get out of Texas last year. So, on this same South American cruise my mom and I met two college girls who were in an inside room on the lowest floor. The only expense besides their fare, which was basically 10% what we paid, was the DSC. Well, these girls were giddy with excitement for their cruise! They told us all the (free/included) choices they had. They told us the way they decided to cruise was it was actually cheaper to cruise from Santiago to Buenos Aires than fly! They had plenty of time so why not? They said that they actually saved money as their meals were included in the fare! Had they flown they would have had to buy groceries or eat out those 14 days! We loved their perspective. We each chose what we wanted to add-on or not.

 

Lastly, I am sure you value your friend's opinion. But, I can honestly say that some of my friends are more in tune with my way of vacationing than others. If you feel you are simpatico with these friends then consider their opinion more than if you aren't. But know cruising has changed a lot in 10 years. It is a lot more for the masses. A lot more people are choosing cruise vacations now. It certainly CAN be affordable. OR NOT.

 

Did I mention, THE SUN is my favorite ship? Thrilled to be back on in March.

 

Thanks for your perspective. Very well thought out response!