Anyone heard of the Sun being retired?

[C Cruise Dude]

I have sailed the Sun before and can say with ease that it is my least favorite ship of all sailed. Sadly, NCL uses it for their long cruises (10 days or more) which I do favor. I know that there folks who are in love with this ship (I couldn't image why but to each their own) but I think that it's time for a replacement. The Sky would be great. Your thoughts!

[time2cruise1]

The Sky would be a downgrade from the Sun. Both purchased at the same time in different stages of construction. The Sky was so far along they had to take cabin space for the balconies. The Sun they didn't and has much larger cabins

 

Not to worry the Sun is coming to Tampa next winter and the Pearl will pick up some of the longer cruises.

Edited December 1, 2013 by time2cruise1

[debnjoe1438]

I have sailed the Sun before and can say with ease that it is my least favorite ship of all sailed. Sadly, NCL uses it for their long cruises (10 days or more) which I do favor. I know that there folks who are in love with this ship (I couldn't image why but to each their own) but I think that it's time for a replacement. The Sky would be great. Your thoughts!

 

 

Why would the Sky be better? It's 2 years older and about the same size. The Sun is ok in my book.

[C Cruise Dude]

The Sky would be a downgrade from the Sun. Both purchased at the same time in different stages of construction. The Sky was so far along they had to take cabin space for the balconies. The Sun they didn't and has much larger cabins

 

Not to worry the Sun is coming to Tampa next winter and the Pearl will pick up some of the longer cruises.

 

Glad to hear that. I prefer the Peal, my fav of all ships so far. Actually, I booked on the Sun in October of next year and am consider a 11 day in March of next year (LOL, If I can get around my dislike of the ship). Maybe you can help me, is there a place to sit on the deck other than around the pool. When I was on the last time, we sat on the deck beside the pool.

Edited December 1, 2013 by C Cruise Dude
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[C Cruise Dude]

Why would the Sky be better? It's 2 years older and about the same size. The Sun is ok in my book.

 

The Sky was my first NCL ship. It was in much better shape than the Sun (IMHO). The atmosphere was much better including the buffet and the MDR's.

[caribsun]

My money is on the Spirit being sold before the Sun.

[roger001]

LOve the Sun. Just completed our third cruise on her, this one a 10 day. I thought she looked great and her crew wonderful. Next to the Pearl, which we've been on five times, the Sun is our next favorite. Her buffet is a small one though which limits variety of selection. What it had though, I liked very much. I hope she just keeps on going. We've booked her again next Nov out of Tampa.

[kcwingwalker]

NCL will make decisions about which ships needed to be retired based on their business plan for the future. Hopefully NCL will continue to offer some smaller ships and not an entire mega fleet. Should the day arrive when my only choice is a mega ship the I will be done with NCL.

[david_sobe]

The Sky and Sun are sister ships and are almost identical on the outside. But the Sun inside is a much better and more modern ship. I doubt NCL will do away with either ship anytime soon

[vols_159]

since they just bought the Sky out right i doubt its going anywhere.. Im confused here the SUn and the Sky are pretty much the same ship.. Rooms a little bigger on the Sun but everything else that I can remember is the same.. Sky doesnt have the specialty dinning rooms like the SUN.. But the buffets MDR pool ect main theater is the same... I say both ships will be around another 10 years or more

[mugtech]

One wonders with the Getaway in 2014 and other new ships in 2015 and 2017 if they will start doing South America, Australia and Asia or retire old ships or a combination of new cruises and retirements. Perhaps the 2015 schedules, due out in another week, will give us some clues.

[HMK8273]

Loved the Sun for our 12 day Baltic cruise - Dover to St. Petersburg R/T - which now they do from Copenhagen on the Star. I wouldn't get rid of the Sun. I know the Pearl would take up longer cruises out of Miami but been burned on booking the Pearl because NCL keeps chartering her out and canceling us regular cruise folk out - so I am staying away from the Pearl until that stops happening. Hate planning something and then have to start all over again - just set the charter dates from the beginning NCL - it is just easier on everyone that way!

 

I would love for the Sun to do the South America route that used to be done by the Crown (first), then the Sun. Cruises have been "screaming" for NCL to go back to South America and the Sun did it before so she can do it again especially with bigger boats taking up pier space and picking up more passengers out of Miami - like the Getaway.

 

If they can fill the Sun on longer cruises, NCL won't get rid of the Sun - doesn't make economic sense. As for the Sky, if NCL can make money on quick 3/4/5 day cruises out of Miami, again - why get rid of her? Cash flow is cash flow - it is all about the numbers. The Sky had terrible issues when it was first taken out of service in Hawaii and put into service out of Miami - but those problems have subsided from what you read on the boards. Same goes for the Spirit - if the Spirit is full for Europe sailings, why not keep her in the fleet? I don't see NCL buying smaller boats for more intimate port settings anytime soon - bigger is better but smaller can be profitable too and enjoyable.

 

But again - to each their own - it isn't like there is only one cruise company in the world. :)

[shelly11]

NCL will make decisions about which ships needed to be retired based on their business plan for the future. Hopefully NCL will continue to offer some smaller ships and not an entire mega fleet. Should the day arrive when my only choice is a mega ship the I will be done with NCL.

 

 

I agree. I love the smaller ships.

[Ilovesailing]

The Sun is one of our favorite ships because of it's size. The longest cruise we have done her was 19 days South America. The Sun has all the restaurants that the other ships in the fleet have and it has the outdoor cafe.

 

I'll take a 2k passenger ship any day over the monster ships of 4k.

[IWORK2CRUISE]

One of our favorite cruises was on the Sun.

We sailed for 18 days from Vancouver to Alaska and back then on to San Francisco and the Mexican Riviera and back to San Francisco.

We loved that ship! It was prior to some renovations.

 

We would love to sail her again. Our schedules don't always coincide.

 

While our next cruise happens to be on Epic, we generally prefer smaller ships.

[Barb Nahoumi]

Why would the Sky be better? It's 2 years older and about the same size. The Sun is ok in my book.

 

I say, "Get rid of the SKY,"

[Stillfloatin']

Love the sun did a 19 day repo from San Francisco to Santiago, and a few years later, a 10 day So Carib cruise. Love the crew, love the smaller intimate feel.

[DMH15]

NCL will make decisions about which ships needed to be retired based on their business plan for the future. Hopefully NCL will continue to offer some smaller ships and not an entire mega fleet. Should the day arrive when my only choice is a mega ship the I will be done with NCL.

 

I feel exactly the same.

 

C cruiser dude, so you don't like my favorite ship. I hate mega ships. The Sun certainly has a loyal following. There are a lot of us who love the Sun. Just because you don't you think NCL should get rid of her? No way. When all NCL has left is mega ships I will take my little suite self and my dollars to Azamara or Silversea. Much prefer NCL for freestyle and I hope Mr Sheehan sees fit to keep his niche customers like me by replacing tge Sun when tge time comes to something newer but comparable.

 

 

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[russianmom]

We loved our cruise on the Spirit. Booked the Sun for 2015- hoping we will love it as much.

[Beaver1975]

Wow, a new and interesting way to start an unsubstantiated rumor.

[mpk218]

The Sun stays .. or else . :cool:

[Landl cruiser]

I have sailed the Sun before and can say with ease that it is my least favorite ship of all sailed. Sadly, NCL uses it for their long cruises (10 days or more) which I do favor. I know that there folks who are in love with this ship (I couldn't image why but to each their own) but I think that it's time for a replacement. The Sky would be great. Your thoughts!

 

 

Respectfully disagree. We have been on the Sun 5 times and the Sky 6 times. We have two cruises booked on the Sun in 2014. The Sun is one of our favorite ships, along with the Sky and the Dawn. We have been on both the Epic and the Breakaway, and those ships are just too big. We prefer the smaller (2000 to 2500 passenger) ships and if NCL started to take these smaller vessels out of service, I will be building up my points on other cruise lines.

[BlueJai]

Gotta keep the Sun! I am another of the Sun Lovers and while we will give the Epic a try, I really like the smaller ships!

[polySeraph]

. . . . I hate mega ships. The Sun certainly has a loyal following. There are a lot of us who love the Sun. Just because you don't you think NCL should get rid of her? No way. When all NCL has left is mega ships I will take my little suite self and my dollars to Azamara or Silversea. Much prefer NCL for freestyle and I hope Mr Sheehan sees fit to keep his niche customers like me by replacing tge Sun when tge time comes to something newer but comparable.

 

 

Agree completely. A ship should be a ship - not Las Vegas with a hull. The wonderful, quirky Sun is my favorite NCL ship and it wouldn't be nearly so wonderful without all that glorious weirdness.

[mypleasure]

I enjoyed my cruise on the Sun very much but then I sail for the ports and not for the ship experience. I would not like to see the Sun or the Spirit leave the fleet because of the new ships that are soon to launch or under construction. I have sailed on Epic but it was not the best cruise we ever took, we enjoyed it but other ships and other itineraries offer far more to us as a couple. I cannot say I will never sail Breakaway or Getaway but neither of these is in my forseeable future plans mainly because of itinerary. If NCL wants to sail the glitzy ships out of ports and on routes where the money is then that is a fine business model for them but for me I would dearly like to see some adventurous itineraries away from Caribbean, Alaska and Mediteranean and these older ships are perfect for those as the target market is those who see the ship as a means not as the experience itself.