Back from the Sun, any questions?

[newsman]

We just returned from the 2/2 sailing of the Sun, and have submitted a review, which will take a day or two to get posted. We have been on close to 10 cruises and this was our third with NCL. We had a great time because of the ship, the staff and a great group of people we met thru cruise critic before and onboard the ship.

 

A few quick things. Embarkation and disembarkation were smooth, the food and service in all the restaurants (except the buffet) was very good. The ship is still in very good shape.

 

So if anyone has questions about the Sun, go ahead and ask, I'll be lurking for a while.

[Mystic cruisers]

Any signs of Freestyle 2.0 yet?

[Dick D.]

Did the Specialty Rest.'s offer discounts? If so when? Also which night was lobster night?

[Dick D.]

Which of the entertainment did you enjoy the most? What shore excursions did you try?

[bob&france]

We'll be doing the March 1 sailing and were wondering how easy it was to get to a beach in Belize or the other port....we are ok in Cozumel.

 

hoping not to take the ship's over priced excursion ....

 

Bob

[isles1]

- Do you have copies of the Dailys?

 

- What fitness classes were offered free of charge in the mornings?

 

- Did you eat in the buffet or restaurant upon embarkation?

 

TIA

[newsman]

Mystic cruiser: No real signs of 2.0 yet (my bed needed work), but the food did seem a little better than last year on the Pearl, so maybe they've started there.

 

Dick: The first two nights specialties were half price between (I think) 5 and 6. One change from on the Pearl last year is you could make reservations for the whole week the first day. Desk is in the atrium, near guest relations and it wasn't too crowded the first day. Covered the entertainment and excursions in review (we did our own excursions). If you have nothing planned in Coz, check out the dolphin encounter at Chankanab national park. The "royal" version was incredible and much better and much less expensive than SeaWorld. I can say the two shows I saw (Latin and Cirque Pan) were better than in the past. I think they have a good cast of characters right now. Lobster night in the main rooms was the third night if I remember right (Roatan).

 

Bob: Totally understand. We booked all our own. It's a long tender ride in Belize, and I think there is only one beach very near the port (Old Belize). Check the Belize board for ideas. I think most of the cays are about a 30 minute boat ride away. Also, when you reach the pier, basically every tour company has a shop. In Roatan from everything I heard and experienced, stay in the west end for the best beaches and snorkeling/diving. Many cabs at the port and it's not a long ride (leave time coming back though, as it's "rush" hour around 3). Not sure what it was like trying to get a cab back, we had return transportation as part of our deal. Our friends used Victor Bodden for a tour, ziplining and beach/snorkel time and they said he was great. He will pretty much tailor the trip to what you want.

 

Isles: Sorry, didn't make copies of the dailys, in fact, I didn't even look at them too much. My wife did yoga, but that was $10. The best bet is just go up the first day while they are doing spa tours, they have the schedule. Go to Seven Seas (deck 5 aft) for lunch in Miami. Very empty and a good menu (the ribs were incredible).

[ukbballfan]

Are there hair dryers in the cabin and if so will they hold a diffuser?

[Lolly Pop]

ukbballfan - Yes there are hairdryers - they won't hold a diffuser tho'.

[lgfromdg]

Do you have any restaurant recommendations? What was your favorite meal?

[mollyanne]

Just back from 2/9 sailing - our favorite specialty restaurant was Il Adagio. We ate there twice. On our sailing lobster was served on Sunday night (sea day).

[newsman]

Mollyanne is probably right that lobster is the sea day. It was different for us because that was super bowl night.

 

LGfromDG: Overall, I was very happy with the food; thought it was a little better, surprisingly, than on the Pearl in Feb. 2007. We had great dinners in Il Adagio (my favorite), East Meets West (paid the extra for a whole fresh lobster that the four of us shared, better than the caribbean rock lobster), and the teppanyaki. Our friends also did Le Bistro and raved about it. But our meals in the main dining rooms were very good too.

[snorklinbarb]

Hi newsman,

 

How're you and DW doing?:D Glad to hear that you had a good time on the Sun. I went on her at the end of Oct. and must admit I like the bigger ships better.:eek:

 

It took me a couple of days to get used to the smaller darker lounges like Windjammers. I was with 9 of the Groundhogs so we had a great time.:cool:

 

Did Mr. T and Barb make it this time? Glad things are looking up for them.:)

 

Interesting that you thought the food was better than the Pearl. Apparently the new freestyle 2.0 upgrades will be quite nice.:D

[Lib0007]

Newsman, I'm glad you enjoyed the Sun and look forward to your review.

 

Do you happen to remember what times the shows are? Are there 2 each night (of the production shows)? I look forward to these on each cruise and want to be able to plan our dinner reservations when we first board to leave time to see a show each night, either before or after dinner, whichever works out best.

 

Thanks!!

[newsman]

Lib0007: Wow, triple O-7! We usually ate between 6:30 and 7:30 (that was teppanyaki, the latest) and had no trouble making the shows we went to at about 9:30. I'm sorry, I don't recall if there were two a night. I'll check with DW, she read the daily more than me. Also, there seemed to be lots of balcony seating the two nights we did the main shows.

 

Snorklin'Barb: Good to hear from you. I saw that you were on the Sun before us. The difference in the food wasn't huge, but I just thought it was a little better in the main dining rooms, and that the service there was a little better. Kristie didn't see much of a difference. Maybe we just had good servers. The midship lounges are dark and take a little getting used to. Mr. T and BG were supposed to go, but couldn't make it. She's had good results, but there's still a long way to go. Latecruiser also had to cancel because of health issues. However, Vicki and Judy, the Okie girls, were there, and our friends Chuck and Debbie lied to us for nine months, saying they couldn't go, then surprised us by showing up at the sailaway.

[ChBoxers800]

Newsman,

 

Sounds like you had a great trip. Quick question. Was there a costume contest/dress up on the Sun cruise?

 

Thanks

[ChBoxers800]

Opps, forgot another question. Passenger talent show?

 

Thanks again!

[wonlife64]

How does gratuities work in the dining rooms with the Freestyle Cruise style?

 

Thanks!

[newsman]

The review is now available in member reviews.

 

WONLIFE: With NCL, as with many other lines, there is a $10 per person per day surcharge added to the cabin account that covers tips for dining room staff and steward. (and a 15 percent tip added to all drinks and spa treatments). You can add more if you like but there is no need to.

 

Chboxer: Don't recall a passenger show, which is odd because I think there usually is one, or a costume contest. (Though some guys will end up dressed as women at quest on the last night)