Sun Review 7/11

[johnb24]

We departed NY for Seattle Thursday, 7/8 and stayed two nights at "The Inn at Harbor Steps", a great hotel- large room, view of Puget Sound, located 2 blocks from the water front and Pikes Market and staffed by young people who want you to enjoy their city and priced moderatly. Had an extensive tour of all the neighborhoods of the city with "Show Me Seattle" tours booked through the hotel and ate seafood at "Ivars" on the pier. Next day we did Pikes Market and Pioneer Square, the Underground Tour, and enjoyed walking the city- ate at "Pichet", an authentic French Bistro close to the hotel. Saturday morning we picked up a car at Hertz and drove to Vancouver( three hours ride) - stayed at "Pacific Pallisades Hotel" on Robeson St, top class service, location , rooms and amenities. Took a city tour that was outstanding booked at the hotel and ate dim sum at at a nearby Chinese restaurant. Next morning we boarded the Sun at Canada Place. Boarding was quick and efficient, our concierge meet us at the check in line after the paper work was finished, and we were in our AC suite in 45 minutes(skip the line for photos and save ten minutes). 9276 aft was spacious and well kept and we spent many hours on the balcony viewing the splendor of Alaska.

Our butlers and stewards were professional and took great care of the room and us. We have cruised on many other lines and ships but the Sun to Alaska was the best overall experience . You can eat where and when you like. We ate at French food at Le Bistro, steak at East meets West, escargot and veal at the Seven Seasons, crab legs at the Garden Cafe. We always found something good and interesting for lunch from the curry station, pizzeria, grill or the buffet line and often carried it aft to the Great Outdoor Cafe and ate alfresco(dress warm for this) . The Broadway Review was excellent and we spent many hours at the Windjammer Lounge listening to Gerswin, Porter, show tunes, sing alongs and sipping scotch. This was a boat for adults of a certain age and there were people from all over the world to talk to, sing with, and enjoy. There were lingering sunsets that stretched across the sky untill midnight and one night a clear star filled sky and orange moon low on the horizon. The Inside Passage is a magnificent ride. We saw locals in small boats reeling in 40 lb salmon. We saw Orcas, eagles, seals ice flows, two glaciers, but cruising the Tracy Arm was the most dramatic.This was six hours of visual poetry. Activities were always available. We had lectures on how to write a novel and why Alaska looks the way it does. The ports and excursions were interesting and expensive . But we drank Alaska Ale at The Red Onion in Skagway and ate home made meatloaf sanwiches at the Red Dog in Juno or vice versa. We took the train to White Pass and hit all the local museums and craft shops in Ketchikan. Wrangall was the best. The local peopl come to meet you at the dock and cook fresh crab, salmon, chowder and serve you on picnic tables-all for a reasonable price. You will never eat fresher seafood. They will even take you to play golf and it is all mom and pop stuff. Small town America undecorated by large corporations is still to be experienced. The staff and officers of the Sun are a group of hard working dedicated professionals who make you feel like welcome guests. There was a Lattitudes party, Captain Welcome party, Suite passengers party, many sail away parties. People smile and greet you and it all is relaxed and without affectation. Getting off the ship was as smooth as getting on. You can stay in your cabin untill called. We left knowing we would sail again on this boat. Hertz picked us up at Canada Place and we took the senic roads back to Seattle and flew hom the next day. It was a great vacation.

[haras]

We departed NY for Seattle Thursday, 7/8 and stayed two nights at "The Inn at Harbor Steps", a great hotel- large room, view of Puget Sound, located 2 blocks from the water front and Pikes Market and staffed by young people who want you to enjoy their city and priced moderatly. Had an extensive tour of all the neighborhoods of the city with "Show Me Seattle" tours booked through the hotel and ate seafood at "Ivars" on the pier. Next day we did Pikes Market and Pioneer Square, the Underground Tour, and enjoyed walking the city- ate at "Pichet", an authentic French Bistro close to the hotel. Saturday morning we picked up a car at Hertz and drove to Vancouver( three hours ride) - stayed at "Pacific Pallisades Hotel" on Robeson St, top class service, location , rooms and amenities. Took a city tour that was outstanding booked at the hotel and ate dim sum at at a nearby Chinese restaurant. Next morning we boarded the Sun at Canada Place. Boarding was quick and efficient, our concierge meet us at the check in line after the paper work was finished, and we were in our AC suite in 45 minutes(skip the line for photos and save ten minutes). 9276 aft was spacious and well kept and we spent many hours on the balcony viewing the splendor of Alaska.

Our butlers and stewards were professional and took great care of the room and us. We have cruised on many other lines and ships but the Sun to Alaska was the best overall experience . You can eat where and when you like. We ate at French food at Le Bistro, steak at East meets West, escargot and veal at the Seven Seasons, crab legs at the Garden Cafe. We always found something good and interesting for lunch from the curry station, pizzeria, grill or the buffet line and often carried it aft to the Great Outdoor Cafe and ate alfresco(dress warm for this) . The Broadway Review was excellent and we spent many hours at the Windjammer Lounge listening to Gerswin, Porter, show tunes, sing alongs and sipping scotch. This was a boat for adults of a certain age and there were people from all over the world to talk to, sing with, and enjoy. There were lingering sunsets that stretched across the sky untill midnight and one night a clear star filled sky and orange moon low on the horizon. The Inside Passage is a magnificent ride. We saw locals in small boats reeling in 40 lb salmon. We saw Orcas, eagles, seals ice flows, two glaciers, but cruising the Tracy Arm was the most dramatic.This was six hours of visual poetry. Activities were always available. We had lectures on how to write a novel and why Alaska looks the way it does. The ports and excursions were interesting and expensive . But we drank Alaska Ale at The Red Onion in Skagway and ate home made meatloaf sanwiches at the Red Dog in Juno or vice versa. We took the train to White Pass and hit all the local museums and craft shops in Ketchikan. Wrangall was the best. The local peopl come to meet you at the dock and cook fresh crab, salmon, chowder and serve you on picnic tables-all for a reasonable price. You will never eat fresher seafood. They will even take you to play golf and it is all mom and pop stuff. Small town America undecorated by large corporations is still to be experienced. The staff and officers of the Sun are a group of hard working dedicated professionals who make you feel like welcome guests. There was a Lattitudes party, Captain Welcome party, Suite passengers party, many sail away parties. People smile and greet you and it all is relaxed and without affectation. Getting off the ship was as smooth as getting on. You can stay in your cabin untill called. We left knowing we would sail again on this boat. Hertz picked us up at Canada Place and we took the senic roads back to Seattle and flew hom the next day. It was a great vacation.

 

Thanks so much for sharing your cruise experience. We (me & 3 friends) will be on the Sun August 7th-14th. Sounds like we're doing the same itinerary as yours! Can you tell me which shore excursions you took, and if you purchased them through the ship or independently? I'm very interested in the helicopter/dog sled offered through tempsco. Did you get to experience it?

 

I'm so glad you mentioned Wrangell because that's the one place I haven't planned anything yet and visiting with the locals sound like an ideal way to spend our time there!

[nawenak]

Thanks for your review! I'm glad you enjoyed the Sun and Alaska.:D . It is truly an incredible place.

 

We'll be in 9076 on the Sun in November hopefully heading for some warm sunny beaches.:cool: The most difficult part is the waiting. (and waiting and waiting...)

[SoloCroozer]

JohnB24...thanks for that review...it just increased our anticipation for our cruise on the Sun in Sept...we will be on this ship for 29 days...doing Alaska, Pacific Coast and then Panama...54 days and getting longer so it seems...we are doing some of the same tours that it sounds like you did...except I hope to go see bears in Wrangell....thanks again for a great review...Carl

[johnb24]

We took the White Pass Railway Trip in Skagway purchased through NCL for 100 dollars each. Worth the money. Sit on the left side going up in the middle of the car for great vistas. In Juno we purchased bus fare to the Mendenhall Glacier on the dock from a local company for 10 dollars each(round trip). There are many tour operators selling various tours. Ask how long you will have to wait for pickup/return. At the glacier we paid 3 dollars each admission to the visitor's center. This was a great way to see the glacier at our pace for much less than the boat was asking. We had friends who took the more expensive float plane tours and enjoyed them. I would book expensive trips through NCL but you can go online and find tour operators and check their prices. The small boat tour of Tracy Arm is a good choice if you want to get closer to the Sawyer Glacier. Enjoy

[Mabers]

The small boat tour of Tracy Arm is a good choice if you want to get closer to the Sawyer Glacier. Enjoy

 

Do you mean the one that leaves the ship and catches up with it later on? It is/was sold out on our cruise, and I have been wondering if there is an alternative.....like maybe a shorter one run privately. Did you get any clues that NCL might run a second 5 hour trip if the first one is full? I'd really like to take this, but missed the "boat". so to speak!

 

M.

[shoreguy]

Do you mean the one that leaves the ship and catches up with it later on? It is/was sold out on our cruise, and I have been wondering if there is an alternative.....like maybe a shorter one run privately. Did you get any clues that NCL might run a second 5 hour trip if the first one is full? I'd really like to take this, but missed the "boat". so to speak!

 

M.

 

I was on the Tracy Arm Excursion last year. It was the highlight. You can ask NCL to waitlist you and do the same when you board. All the pictures of the whales in the link below my signature are from that trip.

 

There is only one boat that does the trip and it leaves the area in late August.

 

It turns a half day in Juneau into a full day adventure.

[johnb24]

This trip must be booked through NCL because when the tour is over the tour boat will off load passengers to the Sun as it turns around deep in the Tracey Arm. They sold this tour on the ship and I assume they will charter other tour boats to meet the demand. Check with your TA or NCL.

[Mabers]

Thanks.....I have tried again to book as my confirmation for another tour suggested, but the rep said the tour was full and that was it. He said to try again on board at the Shore Excursion desk. I have a week to go yet, so will make another phone call......will prob'ly get a different rep.....maybe with a different story! Who knows? Meantime, thanks again!

 

M.

[JayDore]

We just completed the 7/17 cruise in 9276. Really enjoyed our suite and balcony, too;ate breakfast and midnight snacks in the room and on balcony many times. We ate in many of the specialty restaurants and the dining room, and the food was comparable to other ships we've been on.

 

We loved cruising Tracy Arm, but were disappointed that we turned around at Sawyer Island, although the captain said that was the furthest to the glacier that they've gotten in recent weeks. Saw baby seals on the icebergs in Tracy Arm, bald eagles in Juneau. Loved the Yukon White Pass Railroad!! Views were spectacular. I did the floatplane to Misty Fjords and although I was unsure at first, it was one of my favorite excursions!

 

Although our concierge Anca was fantastic, we were not thrilled with the butler service. They were not as proactive as we would have liked, and one morning, insisted that we had not put out our breakfast order on time the night before (it was out way before the 4am deadline). When requests were made, they were not always delivered on. Our room stewards, however, were wonderful (Jovel and Marcelino).

 

Overall we had a good cruise, we hadn't sailed NCL in over 17 years. The SUN is a beautiful vessel and the staff friendly and attentive for the most part. However we felt we received a better value for the "suite life" on HAL.

[johnb24]

We have sailed in S suites on The Maasdam. Zuiderdam, Zandam, and Westerdam and there is much to enjoy and good value on those ships. The informality and lack of scheduled meal times, the choice of specialty restaurants, and the two room AC suites aft on the Sun pleased us. In the end the choice is one of personal taste and both lines have much to offer.