NCL 'Dawn' Versus NCL 'Sun'

[ajtraveler66]

Can anyone compare/contrast the 'Dawn' and the 'Sun' NCL ships. [i will assume that you have been on both].

 

Can't decide on a cruise out of New Orleans or one out of Tampa. Both have the same W. Caribbean itinerary. The only difference is the ship.

 

This may make a difference in our decision. We love New Orleans, but we have friends in Tampa. So the port we choose to head out on our cruise has advantages regardless of what we do. So as I said, it may come down to the ship.

 

Thanks.

[getupgo]

I love Dawn because of the bathroom configuration with sliding doors on the shower on one side of the lab and sliding door on toilet on the other. We're going on the Sun 2015 because we always cruise out of Tampa or Port Canaveral. I've heard there is a lot of outside eating areas on it.

[Johnny Bananas]

The Sun has The Great Outdoors- buffet at the aft of the ship and Spinnaker Lounge- floor to ceiling windows at bow of ship. Both of those are features not on Dawn.

 

That being said I also have a trip booked on Dawn because I love NOLA and don't ever get sick of sailing down the Mississippi.

[herdingdogmom]

We have sailed on the Dawn and have the Sun booked. Check out this thread from Mitsugirly asking the same question.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2015099

I believe she booked the Sun.

Edited July 31, 2014 by herdingdogmom

[coscab]

We have been on the Sun x3 and the Dawn x2, have the Sun booked out of Tampa next year. Have stayed in mid balcony cabins and aft mini on Sun and mid mini suite and aft balcony on Dawn. The balcony cabins on the Sun are larger than on the Dawn and the aft minis on the Sun are very large, we will be in a suite next year but saw the suites on a cabin crawl last year.

The Sun has the outdoor area to grab a snack or just enjoy the aft view if you are not in an aft cabin. Over all the Sun is our favorite, staff on both were great but Sun staff seem so content, I saw something posted in the galley when we did a tour, it showed them on top over all the other ships, not sure if it is customer satisfaction rating or what.:confused:

[triptolemus]

Norwegian Sun wins... hands down:

 

http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=Norwegian+Dawn&word2=Norwegian+Sun

[biker@sea]

I love the classy old school feel of NCL Sun . :)

[RIvacationgirl]

The Sun has The Great Outdoors- buffet at the aft of the ship and Spinnaker Lounge- floor to ceiling windows at bow of ship. Both of those are features not on Dawn.

 

That being said I also have a trip booked on Dawn because I love NOLA and don't ever get sick of sailing down the Mississippi.

 

Looking forward to the same Sun Cruise in February!:) We missed the Great Outdoors on the Dawn, had been spoiled on our first cruise with the Jewel, which has it's own Great Outdoors. Love this area!

[tinyrose]

I have been on both and would pick the Sun, mainly because of The Great Outdoors and the Spinnaker Lounge.

[newmexicoNita]

Can anyone compare/contrast the 'Dawn' and the 'Sun' NCL ships. [i will assume that you have been on both].

 

Can't decide on a cruise out of New Orleans or one out of Tampa. Both have the same W. Caribbean itinerary. The only difference is the ship.

 

This may make a difference in our decision. We love New Orleans, but we have friends in Tampa. So the port we choose to head out on our cruise has advantages regardless of what we do. So as I said, it may come down to the ship.

 

Thanks.

 

I am guessing you will get a 50/50 split on this. We much prefer the Sun and here is why: cabins are larger, Modernos is better situated and serves a great noon buffet, at no extra charge and the ship is much easier to find your way around. The great Outdoors for eating is a plus for the Sun. As for the crew and management, we have had better luck with the Sun, but that is very subjective and can change from cruise to cruise. Don't get me wrong, we enjoyed our cruise on the Dawn very much, we just liked the Sun much better. I have cruised the Sun 3 times. I think going out of NOLA is a little more fun, but not a game breaker by anymeans.

Edited August 1, 2014 by newmexicoNita

[pizzalady1]

The only thing I did NOT like was the shower in balconies and lower on the Sun. I would never get less than a mini if I go on the Sun again. I knew the showers were small and round, but I did not think they would be as small as they are. Minis and above have a very large shower and dressing area.

[tammyjw305]

Agree on the shower comment. Both ships are good, but the showers are very small on the Sun! The Dawn has a Blue Lagoon and bigger showers. It wins my vote.

 

Tammy

[Landl cruiser]

We have sailed both ships many many times and can't pick a favorite. We love them both. The Sun has the Great Outdoors, and tiny showers. The Dawn has the Blue Lagoon, and better showers.

 

 

My suggestion is to sail on both and then form your own opinion.

[bostongal965]

I've sailed both ships, the Sun twice, in a regular balcony and an aft balcony, and the Dawn once, in an aft balcony. My son and daughter were with us on the Dawn trip, and they stayed in an inside across from us. We are booked on the Sun again (balcony) and my son and his girlfriend will have a sideways inside (which I have researched well, lol). When we cruise we want to relax and visit new places, so good spaces for that are more important than the bells and whistles of the newer ships. We don't have little kids, so I can't say much about amenities for them other than that the Dawn's kids' pool was bigger and nicer than the Sun's.

 

Overall I prefer the Sun, but some of that may be prejudiced by the fact it was my first :D

 

That being said, here are some other comparisons:

 

Stateroom - Our Sun staterooms were bigger than the Dawn's. The inside on the Dawn was very...cozy:rolleyes: - they are bigger on the Sun.

 

Bathroom - for balconies and insides, the Dawn wins, though I like the storage on the Sun's sink area.

 

Pool deck - the Sun wins - it's more open and the adult pool is a nice size. The Dawn's adult pool is more like a plunge pool. It's small and rarely gets sun so it's pretty chilly.

 

Spa - the Dawn's spa is beautiful, and I thought it was worth the extra cost for the week. The Sun doesn't haven't a spa (it has services, but not the fancy relaxation area), but it does have a steam and sauna room that you can use for free. I consider this a draw.

 

Buffet - Dawn's is much, much bigger and has a better layout. They even have an adorable kid-sized buffet. The Sun's is smaller and strangely arranged, but during the day there are other options to expand it such as Moderno's and the Great Outdoors. Dawn wins this round.

 

Sports Bar vs Blue Lagoon & Pearly King's Pub- the Sports Bar seems to serve the same menu as the Blue Lagoon (the yummy wings, fish and chips and so on) but only from 5:30 PM to 5:30 AM. However, it is nice to have a snack and watch sports - on the Dawn, sports are in the Pearly Kings Pub, which has popcorn, but no other food. I didn't care for the location of Blue Lagoon on the Dawn (over the atrium) - Moderno's was on the other side. Both suffered from atrium noise - fine if you liked the shows going on, but a distraction from your meal if you didn't. For me, this is almost a draw, with a slight edge going to the Sun. If sports aren't your thing, then you may not care either way.

 

Atrium - Dawn wins. It's bigger and prettier.

 

Promenade Deck - I liked that the Dawn had loungers along the promenade deck - the Sun didn't, at least not at the time. Bonus point to the Dawn.

 

Las Ramblas - tapas and sangria...Dawn doesn't have this. Bonus point to the Sun!

 

Relaxing spaces - this is where I prefer the Sun - the Great Outdoor Cafe, the buffet area to the aft of the ship is a wonderful place to enjoy breakfast or an afternoon cup of coffee. The Dawn doesn't have a space like this, and I missed it. The observation lounge, toward the front of the ship is a wonderful place for a cocktail and sunset...the Dawn no longer has a space like this because it was converted into suites.

 

Entertainment - edge to the Dawn - the acrobatic shows were stunning and we enjoyed Second City (we're not fans of Patti and Jose, however, though lots of folks just love them).

 

Most other things were about equal - service, food, specialty restaurants, casino, etc...

 

Last I checked, the Sun was doing the same itinerary at a lower cost - that may sway you if that's still the case. Still you have to think about what's important to you when you cruise - what I really liked or missed may not matter much to you. In either case, you'll have a great time!!

[newmexicoNita]

so many people talk about the showers: you know, I am a big girl (well maybe you don't know) and I have no problem with the Sun showers. Yes, the Dawn's are a little nicer. As for Blue Lagoon, the sports bar, though not 24 hours is very similar and no one has mentioned Los Rambles on the Sun. That is the only ship that has Las Rambles.

[bluesea777]

We preferred the Sun deck on the SUN to Dawn.

 

The SUN has 3 venues for breakfast buffet - we have been to all 3 and found them equally excellent. Garden Café, Great Outdoors, and Moderno.

 

SUN has Observation lounge - great place.

 

SUN's Four Seasons (the lesser of the 2 dining rooms) is our favourite - excellent service.

 

There is one restaurant that the SUN doesn't have and we missed it during our last 12 day cruise - Asian. She has sushi and Teppanyaki, but no Asian.

 

The White Hot party was out on the pool deck and it was a scream - we stayed out there from start to finish (for the first time) and had a great fun.

 

We stayed in a forward facing mini-suite (MX, 1201) the last time and LOVED the cabin. The first time it was 8032 (BC) - nice sized balcony cabin with bunk bed off the wall, but I hated the shower and hair-dryer.

 

Only if the SUN changed the shower/bathroom and hair-dryer, and added an Asian restaurant that we'd consider having a balcony cabin instead of mini-suite for the 17 day San Diego-Santiago next year.

 

BTW, Las Ramblas is a great spot - loved the sangria and tapas. They had mojito tasting there.