Sun Dry Dock??

[snowman]

We were on the Sun a few months ago and we understood that she is going into dry dock some time in Jan. Does anyone have any details. We were in a PH and it really needed new carpeting and freshing up. It will make a differance on whether we go on her again in Feb. Any help please.

also does anyone know if Anca will be on board as she made our trip last time.

[nickusaf]

We were on the Sun a few months ago and we understood that she is going into dry dock some time in Jan. Does anyone have any details. We were in a PH and it really needed new carpeting and freshing up. It will make a differance on whether we go on her again in Feb. Any help please.

also does anyone know if Anca will be on board as she made our trip last time.

 

We are booked on Feb 4 cruise and my TA said it will be in dry dock for about two week to get refeshing. She don't know what they will do. It will go into dry dock after the Jan 31 cruise and be out it time to do a five day cruise on Jan 23.

[snowman]

I sure hope they change the carpets it was thread bare, does any one know any more. I am not kidding when I say it will make or break our NCL cruise as that was the only thing we found bad in Oct.

[KeystoneCruiser]

We are booked on Feb 4 cruise and my TA said it will be in dry dock for about two week to get refeshing. She don't know what they will do. It will go into dry dock after the Jan 31 cruise and be out it time to do a five day cruise on Jan 23.

 

Um, not to be picky, but you must have a date wrong since the 31st is after the 23rd.

[guinnessirish]

Ok, I'm going on that Jan 23rd cruise. I would be very disappointed to find out that this would be the last sail before the dry dock. Which means we'll be seeing the ship at its worst. However, that may explain the pricing.....

Does anyone know if it's dry docked prior to the 23rd or after?

[jmcdon7230]

....Does anyone know if it's dry docked prior to the 23rd or after?

 

We'll be on the 23rd cruise also. The dry dock occurs before this cruise. That's the reason for the unusual five day itinerary.

[Pebbs48]

she sails from December 31-January 7, 2007 and not again until January 23.

[guinnessirish]

Sweet! I'm even more excited now! What do they do when it's in dry dock? How much do they replace? Will the bedding be new?

jmcdon7230, Are you on our roll call? We have quite a group going!

[clerky96]

Last year I cruised on a ship on it's final cruise before drydock. I was worried that it would mean the ship was not in great shape. I worried needlessly. It was fine. The only thing I could really say was that some of the supplies for the drydock were already loaded onto the ship and piled on some of the decks. They were out of the way, but sort of unsightly to look at.:confused:

[nickusaf]

Um, not to be picky, but you must have a date wrong since the 31st is after the 23rd.

 

I'm sorry about that I mean the Dec 31 cruise not the Jan 31 cruise.

[nickusaf]

Ok, I'm going on that Jan 23rd cruise. I would be very disappointed to find out that this would be the last sail before the dry dock. Which means we'll be seeing the ship at its worst. However, that may explain the pricing.....

Does anyone know if it's dry docked prior to the 23rd or after?

 

Sorry about the mistake it should be the Dec 31 cruise not Jan 31 the Jan 23 will be the first cruise after dry dock. So the ship should be real nice.

[Tobintemp]

What do they do when it's in dry dock? How much do they replace? Will the bedding be new?

 

We were on the Wind after a dry dock in 2003. To only appeared to be the public areas of the ship. The cabins did not seem like anything was refurbished.

 

Carpets were replaced, some furniture was reupholstered, new flooring around the pool area. Our boarding was delayed and the departure was delayed by a few hours as they finished up.

[guinnessirish]

I just tried calling NCL to find out but they seem to be uninformed of what exactly is to be done.

[jmcdon7230]

jmcdon7230, Are you on our roll call? We have quite a group going!

 

Could you post a link to that roll call? I've scrolled through the roll call area looking for the sailing, but couldn't find it.

[Globaliser]

What do they do when it's in dry dock?

It's widely believed that this dry dock will be when the hull art is applied, amongst all the usual things.

[tjosh7]

Having just gotten off of the Sun, we can tell you that she's still in magnificent condition. We talked to some of the senior crew at the VIP party, and the January Drydock has been scheduled for quite some time. It will be done in Mobile, AL. The main work will be the painting of the sun artwork on the hull, but other work includes standard carpet replacement, engine maintenance, etc.

 

Anca should be returning around that time as well. She is currently on a much deserved break. Her replacement, Mareike is just as good.

 

The first cruise out of drydock is the special 5-day on Jan. 23rd. Then the 7-day cruises resume Jan. 28th (which, by the way, is sold out as are the rest of the cruises before her drydock.)

 

We are hoping to go last minute on the 5-day. Prices are good and getting better....

[Checkmate1955]

We just returned today from the Sun... The ship looks great and I did not see any carpet that needed replacing... Outside paint was like new... The crew stated that they would be in Mobile, Alabama for two weeks the first of January....:)

[hawaiibound24]

We are going on the Jan. 23 cruise as well. Does anyone know how much it costs to park a car at the port for the duration of the cruise? THanks.

[guinnessirish]

jmcdon7230 & hawaiibound24,

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=379597&page=19

Here's the rollcall thread for those of you who are cruising with us on the 23rd. Theres a big group of us going. It's very exciting! Most of us are staying the night before in New Orleans. We have set up a CC Meet & Greet for the 24th. All the detials are on the thread.

Hawaiibound24, Sorry, I don't know about the parking because we are flying in but many others are driving in on our roll call and probably could answer that for you.

[RooksWS6]

I have seen others post regarding parking at NOLA. If I remember right it was $98 to park for the week.

[clerky96]

I also read that it is $14 per day, so it would be $70 for a 5 day cruise. You can pay with a credit card, and you pay when you enter the parking garage.

[MississippiMom]

We're on that January 23rd cruise, right after the dry dock. I am curious if anyone has any details on what they are doing and, most importantly, if they are on schedule.

[Globaliser]

Actually, I think we're waiting for all of you on that cruise to tell us what's been done.

 

The only things that we can generally work out are the hull art and the changing of East Meets West into Cagney's, plus general tidying up.

 

I don't know what you mean by "on schedule". The drydock is due to start on 6 or 7 January, by looking at the ship's itineraries. It's not like she's in drydock now.

[MississippiMom]

I don't know what you mean by "on schedule".

 

To me "on schedule" means - it will begin on time and end on time.

 

The reason that I ask is because it makes me nervous. Prior to our 1/23/07 NCL cruise, the only other time that I have ever tried to cruise on NCL, they took all of our money, and then at about the time that our travel agent was scheduled to get docs, she found out that the ship (I don't remember which one) was behind schedule at dry dock and our cruise (along with a couple of others) was cancelled. We got a full refund, but that is it. No, "sorry for the inconvenience," or anything else. We couldn't change our vacation schedules with our employers, so we had to scramble to put together a different vacation for that time frame. It worked out fine, but it was frustrating. Since that was many, many years ago, I am hoping that cruise lines do a better job at estimating the length of their dry docks.

 

The Sun's shorter 5-night cruise, plus a departure on a Tuesday (1/23/07), made it perfect for all of our schedules. Here's crossing my fingers that it all works out and that things are shiny and beautiful for all of us on that sailing.

[Don Haynes]

The problem is that the shipyards that do the drydocks also serve merchant ships too, and they have bookings for two or three weeks. Two weeks leaves plenty of time to sandblast and repaint the bottom of the hull, repack the bearings on the propellers and shafts, and do the required maintenance on the diesels and generators. During this time with passenger ships there is time to do reuphosterling much of the furniture and lay much more new carpet, especially in the high traffic areas.

 

On every cruise I have sailed, I have seen new carpet being laid as needed. I guess cruise lines fall behind on laying carpet and catch up during a drydock.

 

We hardly ever learn beforehand what will be done during a drydock for a specific ship. But soon afterwards we do learn.

 

When I sailed on the Sun over a year ago she appeared to be in great shape. I think we can all agree she'll be in better shape after her drydock.