An Alaskan Adventure on the Sun - Pictorial Review with Menus, Dailies, and Puppies.

[shadowmeboy]

Dragonichi - I hope you saw the response, the boards were acting up yesterday.

 

 

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[hello]

Your review was AMAZING!!

Thank you so much ... and thank you for bumping it up!!

[shadowmeboy]

Your review was AMAZING!!

Thank you so much ... and thank you for bumping it up!!

 

 

Thank you for taking the time to read through the review and comment on it!

[dragonichi]

Dragonichi - I hope you saw the response, the boards were acting up yesterday.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

I got it! Thanks! I will be heading for the spa raffle!

[shadowmeboy]

I got it! Thanks! I will be heading for the spa raffle!

 

 

My wife got lucky again on our Pearl cruise in September! She says she will never miss a spa raffle again.

 

 

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[ladyj_46]

Being the organizer of the M&G does give you VIP status.

 

NCL loves CC

 

 

I don't think it's an automatic thing to receive VIP status. My friend (a Latitudes member, taking his 2nd cruise in four months and 3rd in 16 months, and a prolific CC poster) organized our Meet & Mingle on the Breakaway, without receiving VIP status or any other upgrade or special thank you. Which is a shame, because he did a phenomenal job coordinating activities and cultivating lasting friendships.

[shadowmeboy]

I don't think it's an automatic thing to receive VIP status. My friend (a Latitudes member, taking his 2nd cruise in four months and 3rd in 16 months, and a prolific CC poster) organized our Meet & Mingle on the Breakaway, without receiving VIP status or any other upgrade or special thank you. Which is a shame, because he did a phenomenal job coordinating activities and cultivating lasting friendships.

 

 

Brian Walters was the Hotel Director on our sailing. He is one of the good ones too. He sets the tone for the department. when he would see me, he would stop and ask how things were going. I would let him know good or bad.

 

My point is, the CC meet & greet organizer may get VIP based on the hotel director and how he values the input from cruise critic. The HD on the breakaway may not value it as much, but I don't know first hand.

 

If I am the organizer again, i am going to not expect it, but be surprised if I get it.

[shadowmeboy]

We have narrowed our choices down to two cruises in 2018 for our return to Alaska!

 

One of the choices is the Sun! We are bringing friends along so that will influence the decision!

[Cruisingnorthwest]

 

Exercise room

 

 

 

Pool area

 

 

Another view of the lobby while waiting for the shuttle.

 

 

Breakfast Area

 

 

Riding the shuttle to the light rail station, heading to Downtown Seattle.

 

Just getting started on a this review! A friend recommended I read your review. We are looking at sailing the Sun in the near future southbound from Seward.

 

Wanted ask if the hotel you pictured here is a good deal?

 

May have more questions later.

[shadowmeboy]

Just getting started on a this review! A friend recommended I read your review. We are looking at sailing the Sun in the near future southbound from Seward.

 

Wanted ask if the hotel you pictured here is a good deal?

 

May have more questions later.

 

Well I am glad your friend recommended this review and I hope you book the Sun! As you will read, this is a great itinerary and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

 

The hotel is the Best Western Seattle Airport Hotel. This is our most frequently visited Best Western property by far. The staff is awesome and they know us by name now. If you can get a Park and fly rate it's an even better rate. The hotel is going to have suites soon. I can't wait to stay in one of those!

 

Feel free to ask away. Someone else may have the same question.:)

[Cruisingnorthwest]

 

I love this picture!

 

 

Both of these pictures are great! Your wife has a great smile!

[shadowmeboy]

Both of these pictures are great! Your wife has a great smile!

 

Thank you and I will let her know!

[SeekingKillerWhales!]

Thank you so much for this detailed and informative review. The food porn was unfortunate as I am dieting, but I managed to struggle through without drooling too much. Wish you guys were going on our trip as you seem like fun people to be around and excellent resources.

 

Thanks again for taking all the time to do this!

[Cruisingnorthwest]

Finally got through the entire review. Amazing pictures and the commentary and tips were outstanding. Are you going to sail Alaska again?

[shadowmeboy]

Thank you so much for this detailed and informative review. The food porn was unfortunate as I am dieting, but I managed to struggle through without drooling too much. Wish you guys were going on our trip as you seem like fun people to be around and excellent resources.

 

Thanks again for taking all the time to do this!

 

I am sorry about the food porn, but it was all very good! I look back and drool all the time.

 

I am always looking forward to the next cruise. I also like making new friends. It would be fun to cruise with a bunch of people I have met here on cruise critic!

 

Thank you for your comments and appreciation.

[shadowmeboy]

Finally got through the entire review. Amazing pictures and the commentary and tips were outstanding. Are you going to sail Alaska again?

 

Thank you for reading and responding!

 

We are planning on going in 2018, but haven't booked it yet!

[Kilo November]

Loved your review Matthew!

 

Thanks for all the outstanding info....I will be using much of that info for our upcoming Jewel cruise in September. I thought I had already decided on our excursions but now will have to rethink them. We might just have to see those puppies :D

 

My husband usually 'lets' me do all the research and planning on our cruises so it surprised me when he showed me a photo of a dress that he was trying to duplicate from your photos for me! I found out that he has been reading your review also. Apparently I was being very vocal about how special I thought it was that you chose that beautiful dress for Susan so he is trying to find that exact dress for me!

 

Your photos will make it very easy for us to navigate the ports we haven't been to before, plus now my husband is interested in sharing the planning with me.

 

Thanks so much

~Kat

[shadowmeboy]

Loved your review Matthew!

 

Thanks for all the outstanding info....I will be using much of that info for our upcoming Jewel cruise in September. I thought I had already decided on our excursions but now will have to rethink them. We might just have to see those puppies :D

 

My husband usually 'lets' me do all the research and planning on our cruises so it surprised me when he showed me a photo of a dress that he was trying to duplicate from your photos for me! I found out that he has been reading your review also. Apparently I was being very vocal about how special I thought it was that you chose that beautiful dress for Susan so he is trying to find that exact dress for me!

 

Your photos will make it very easy for us to navigate the ports we haven't been to before, plus now my husband is interested in sharing the planning with me.

 

Thanks so much

~Kat

 

Thank you both for reading it. It was really nice to wake up to your comments this morning.

 

The puppies were awesome and Susan would have smuggled one back if I would have let her.

 

Which ports are you hitting on your Jewel cruise?

 

If you have questions, feel free to ask them here.

[Kilo November]

Thank you both for reading it. It was really nice to wake up to your comments this morning.

 

The puppies were awesome and Susan would have smuggled one back if I would have let her.

 

Which ports are you hitting on your Jewel cruise?

 

If you have questions, feel free to ask them here.

 

 

Thanks Matthew,

 

We sail out of Seattle, sea, Ketchikan, cruise Sawyer Glacier/Juneau, Skagway, cruise Glacier Bay, Icy Strait Point, Sitka, Prince Rupert, sea, disembark Vancouver. It's going to be a busy 10 days.

 

We were on the Pearl in 2010 which stopped in Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and Victoria so we're really looking forward to the new ports. Plus we're going to take the train back to Seattle for our flight home so we'll have that extra excursion :D

 

I've got our flights and hotels booked so now the excursion planning is next on the list. If I come up with any specific questions that your review didn't cover I'll be sure to reach out to you.

 

Thanks again,

~Kat

[shadowmeboy]

Thanks Matthew,

 

We sail out of Seattle, sea, Ketchikan, cruise Sawyer Glacier/Juneau, Skagway, cruise Glacier Bay, Icy Strait Point, Sitka, Prince Rupert, sea, disembark Vancouver. It's going to be a busy 10 days.

 

We were on the Pearl in 2010 which stopped in Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and Victoria so we're really looking forward to the new ports. Plus we're going to take the train back to Seattle for our flight home so we'll have that extra excursion :D

 

I've got our flights and hotels booked so now the excursion planning is next on the list. If I come up with any specific questions that your review didn't cover I'll be sure to reach out to you.

 

Thanks again,

~Kat

 

Make sure to book something in Prince Rupert, otherwise it's a boring port. We went there in 2009 on the Star.

[newATLcruiser]

Thank you, Matthew, for all of the time and effort you took into posting this very detailed, informative, and enjoyable trip report! I am taking the Sun on the same cruise, southbound from Seward, in June. This is our first time in Alaska and first time on NCL. Your report is helping me tremendously in what to expect and how to prepare, and what kind of things to do.

 

Would you mind answering some questions about the cruise? We have a 3-night specialty dining package. My question is, how does that work for restaurants like Cagney's which show a price of "a la carte"? I read the NCL FAQ's and they only say that at "a la carte" specialty restaurants, some entrees result in an additional fee. I just wonder if that is most of the entrees, or just say the lobster and filet mignon.

 

I have two other questions - very minor in the grand scheme of the vacation, but tripped me up on another cruise line! In the cabin bathrooms, are the soap and shampoo re-stocked daily? Is conditioner supplied? I also checked the NCL FAQ's for this and the answer was, "cabins are stocked like a typical hotel room". I travel very frequently on business and stay at a lot of different hotel chains, and have not seen any consistency regarding conditioner supply.

 

Thank you again for the time and effort and organization you put into this trip report. Enjoy your upcoming cruise!

[Kristi Barber]

Thank you, Matthew, for all of the time and effort you took into posting this very detailed, informative, and enjoyable trip report! I am taking the Sun on the same cruise, southbound from Seward, in June. This is our first time in Alaska and first time on NCL. Your report is helping me tremendously in what to expect and how to prepare, and what kind of things to do.

 

Would you mind answering some questions about the cruise? We have a 3-night specialty dining package. My question is, how does that work for restaurants like Cagney's which show a price of "a la carte"? I read the NCL FAQ's and they only say that at "a la carte" specialty restaurants, some entrees result in an additional fee. I just wonder if that is most of the entrees, or just say the lobster and filet mignon.

 

I have two other questions - very minor in the grand scheme of the vacation, but tripped me up on another cruise line! In the cabin bathrooms, are the soap and shampoo re-stocked daily? Is conditioner supplied? I also checked the NCL FAQ's for this and the answer was, "cabins are stocked like a typical hotel room". I travel very frequently on business and stay at a lot of different hotel chains, and have not seen any consistency regarding conditioner supply.

 

Thank you again for the time and effort and organization you put into this trip report. Enjoy your upcoming cruise!

 

With specialty dining you can eat in any of the a la carte restaurants for no additional charge that I know of unless you order a "for 2" item and only have 1 person eating it and I only saw that on 1 menu at Le Bistro. Cagney's you can get ANY entree even mignon or my favorite was the tomahawk rib-eye included in your specialllty dining package. Limits are to one entree, unlimited apps, unlimited sides, and unlimited desserts.

 

On the Dawn a couple of weeks ago, only thing in bathrooms was shower gel and shampoo/cond COMBO. Not conditioner by itself. We always take our own shampoo and conditioner because I don't care for the combo ones. There is also a small lotion and bar soap by sink.

 

We are headed to Alaska in 2018 on the new NCL Bliss and can't wait. Hope you have a great time!

[shadowmeboy]

Thank you, Matthew, for all of the time and effort you took into posting this very detailed, informative, and enjoyable trip report! I am taking the Sun on the same cruise, southbound from Seward, in June. This is our first time in Alaska and first time on NCL. Your report is helping me tremendously in what to expect and how to prepare, and what kind of things to do.

 

Would you mind answering some questions about the cruise? We have a 3-night specialty dining package. My question is, how does that work for restaurants like Cagney's which show a price of "a la carte"? I read the NCL FAQ's and they only say that at "a la carte" specialty restaurants, some entrees result in an additional fee. I just wonder if that is most of the entrees, or just say the lobster and filet mignon.

 

I have two other questions - very minor in the grand scheme of the vacation, but tripped me up on another cruise line! In the cabin bathrooms, are the soap and shampoo re-stocked daily? Is conditioner supplied? I also checked the NCL FAQ's for this and the answer was, "cabins are stocked like a typical hotel room". I travel very frequently on business and stay at a lot of different hotel chains, and have not seen any consistency regarding conditioner supply.

 

Thank you again for the time and effort and organization you put into this trip report. Enjoy your upcoming cruise!

 

Kristi Barber's answer above is right on.

 

Of note, I bring my own shampoo and conditioner. I will use the body wash as long as it's not too smelly.

 

On the specialties, we went to Moderno twice, once using a sdp meal and the other paying the cover charge. We would not have done this if it was an ala carte restaurant. I will not do Le Bistro on our next cruises because the quality has gone down. We will do La Cucina, Moderno, and Cagneys.

[shadowmeboy]

With specialty dining you can eat in any of the a la carte restaurants for no additional charge that I know of unless you order a "for 2" item and only have 1 person eating it and I only saw that on 1 menu at Le Bistro. Cagney's you can get ANY entree even mignon or my favorite was the tomahawk rib-eye included in your specialllty dining package. Limits are to one entree, unlimited apps, unlimited sides, and unlimited desserts.

 

On the Dawn a couple of weeks ago, only thing in bathrooms was shower gel and shampoo/cond COMBO. Not conditioner by itself. We always take our own shampoo and conditioner because I don't care for the combo ones. There is also a small lotion and bar soap by sink.

 

We are headed to Alaska in 2018 on the new NCL Bliss and can't wait. Hope you have a great time!

 

Thank you for your response! Enjoy the Bliss!

[newATLcruiser]

Thank you, Kristi, this is very helpful! I appreciate the suggestion on the rib-eye too. I also don't like the combo shampoo/conditioner... my experience is that the combos do neither funtion very well. :)

 

 

With specialty dining you can eat in any of the a la carte restaurants for no additional charge that I know of unless you order a "for 2" item and only have 1 person eating it and I only saw that on 1 menu at Le Bistro. Cagney's you can get ANY entree even mignon or my favorite was the tomahawk rib-eye included in your specialllty dining package. Limits are to one entree, unlimited apps, unlimited sides, and unlimited desserts.

 

On the Dawn a couple of weeks ago, only thing in bathrooms was shower gel and shampoo/cond COMBO. Not conditioner by itself. We always take our own shampoo and conditioner because I don't care for the combo ones. There is also a small lotion and bar soap by sink.

 

We are headed to Alaska in 2018 on the new NCL Bliss and can't wait. Hope you have a great time!