Booked Norwegian Sun - Need info

[izmeeh]

Hello all,

 

I just booked a very last minute back to back cruise on the Norwegian Sun going from Vancouver, BC to Whittier, Alaska and back to Vancouver. 6/17 to 7/1. I've been on the Paradise and the Inspiration from Carnival but nothing else. If anything is different from Carnival cruises, please let me know, too, as Carnival has been the only cruise line that I have been reading about.

 

I'll be driving from San Jose, CA to Seattle, WA. Leaving my car in Seattle. The earliest I can leave San Jose is at 1 AM on 6/16.

 

Since this is very last minute, I haven't much time to read about this trip so any information is appreciated.

 

Whittier, Cruise Hubbard Glacier, Icy Strait Point, Juneau, Cruise Sawyer Glacier, Skagway, Ketchikan, Cruise Inside Passage, Cruise Glacier Bay and Vancouver

 

I'm thinking of taking Amtrak to Vancouver and back. Amtrak is $60/person to Vancouver and $45/person back to Seattle. Once in Vancouver, take a taxi to the port. It should be about $10?

 

Please help. Thank you.

[puddles99]

I am of no help at all with the Alaskan Itinerary, but we absolutely loved the Sun and I hope you will as well. She's a great ship! :)

[bonvoyagie]

The Sun Northbound is a great trip as it includes Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier, along with the usual AK ports of Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway.

As far as what to do in the ports see www.cruiseportinsider.com for ideas about both paid excursions and DIY. You can also use independent tour vendors in order to get either a better price or a better tour.

 

While in Whittier you can do one of three Glacier tours in Prince William Sound while the ship is in port. You could probably also head over to Girdwood and see things in that area as well.

 

Icy Point Strait is near the town of Hoonah and is a tender port. There are whale watching tours that operate out of here - it is a relatively new port for AK.

 

The other new item on the SB trip will be Tracy Arm which you will do right after Juneau - see if NCL offers the Tracy Arm Explorer - a small boat tour that leaves Juneau just prior to the Sun and traverses Tracy Arm ahead of the ship - it lets you see the fjord and both glaciers from water level - you transfer back to the Sun in front of the glacier when it reaches there. You will be able to see the fjord from ship level on the way out. I know that NCL offers this tour on Tuesday to pax on the Jewel

 

An advantage of doing most of the same ports is that there are so many things to see and do in each of them that it usually takes two or more trips to see them all - I know I have been to these ports 3 times now.:D

 

Make sure that you have your passport in case you want to go into the Yukon from Skagway.

 

Lastly - have fun and enjoy your vacation

[RetiredArmyCruiser]

I have posted my trip report from the May 20 northbound trip. There's info about Amtrak, taxis, etc, as well as the ship and ports. I hope it gives you some good info.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1852790

[izmeeh]

Thank you for the suggestions and the review. Lots of reading to do in such a short time. Is there a cheat sheet somewhere?

[dexddd]

Search for a review with tons of pics by "computerworks" of the Sun.

[NMLady]

On the top deck is an observation deck with floor to ceiling windows. There are also doors on either side of it leading to a small outdoor bow area. That is a great place for taking photos.

[fergusonvt]

The Sun is a really nice ship. She is smaller and one of NCL's oldest but well maintained and has a great crew. You will find that NCL cruises are very similar to CCL. We didn't notice much of a difference on our Feb. cruise on the Valor. The cabins on CCL are bigger, I liked the buffet better on NCL but the MDR food was pretty comparable in my opinion. The CCL steakhouse was absolutely fabulous and blew the NCL steakhouse away (again, just my opinion).

[Izzybeff]

The Sun is my absolute favorite ship of all time! It was so depressing in Alaska last week when I was on the Carnival Miracle and the Sun pulled up behind us in port. I took pictures of it and posted on Facebook and tagged all my friends who had cruised with me before on it. I would book a cruise on the Sun any day.

 

Upstairs forward is a fabulous lounge area with windows all around. It's perfect to sit in and watch the scenery go by. Aft of the buffet there is a great tented area to have breakfast in. The boat is smaller, but has the perfect amount of space available so it never really felt crowded.

 

I hope you are blessed with the good weather in Alaska that we had. Some of my favorite excursions are the Train on the White Pass Trail in Skagway (we've used Chilkoot Charters twice) and Whale watching in Juneau. Not to be missed. You can also visit the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau and do the tram too. Ketchikan is pretty small. We've walked around and done the Duck Ride. It was ok. I've heard the excursion that has to do with the Fishing show is pretty good. Can't remember the name right now.

 

Enjoy yourself. Alaska is gorgeous and take good binoculars cause there is lots of wildlife to see!