WOW factor? and 2 lower beds?

[calgarycowtown]

we are 1st timers... the cheapy staterooms we are looking at all say 2 lower beds... does that mean 2 single beds? we aren"t able to upgrade as we are taking all 4 of our parents for a treat for us all

 

is norweigian sun going to be a nice WOW factor for us? we normally do beach all inclusives at least 4 stars, by way of comparison.

[Morgsmom]

2 lowers means that the beds are twin beds on the floor :) ... while that may seem obvious, on several lines they offer a 1A category which is 2 beds in bunk formation. Your beds can be put together to make a king. Have your TA note it in your reservation.

 

Have fun! (and wondering the same thing about the Dawn myself!)

[calgarycowtown]

thank goodness the beds are at least on the floor. we are taking our parents on ALL of our first cruise - we are late 40s, they are late 70s and 80+. yup can just see them doing the top bunk now. do you push the lower ones together then to make a queen? or why do they have all of these single beds? cruise doesn't equate to singles game to me.

[ute_fan]

Yes, they can push the lower beds together to make one bigger bed. One of them stays against the wall, and they slide the other one over next to it. The only problem is that is can make getting in and out of bed a little difficult -- particularly if any of your group are even slightly mobility impaired.

 

However, assuming that you're all in different cabins, each couple can make their own decision. If it's not set up the way you want when you board the ship, ask the room stewards to change it. We actually prefer leaving ours apart as it gives more cabin room during the middle of the day.

 

As far as the Sun's "wow" factor, I loved the Sun. It might lose a little in comparison to the new, very colorful Jewel class ships as far as that wow factor goes, but she's a beautiful ship. I prefer her size to that of the larger ships. She's much more beautiful than the old NCL Sea, which was my first cruise, and I loved that one so well that I sailed on her twice before she left the fleet.

[newmexicoNita]

I think you will be very happy with the Sun, but as Ute fan said, it isn't as flashy or exciting as the newer ships. Remember also, all inclusive vacation are a little different than cruise vacations. There are some similarities and many differences. go with an open mind, prepare to have a great vacation and you may come back so impressed with cruising you will never want any other kind of vacation.

 

Nita

[calgarycowtown]

thanks.... and just when i think i have the Sun chosen.

somebody suggests celebrity mercury - ???

[ute_fan]

Out of curiosity, where are you planning on going? Is this for a Caribbean cruise or an Alaskan cruise?

[calgarycowtown]

The ONE thing that is decided -- june 22 to alaska from vancouver!

 

cost is a factor as we are paying all. (and just took 3 teenagers to mexico on our tab and we haven't won a lottery...)

 

we want to take parents for a truly fantastic holiday that they can allways now remember before it is too late.

[JenDalessan]

I think the Sun is a great choice for your parents. It's not as large as some of the newer ships so it is much easier to navigate. I really enjoyed out January vacation on the Sun. If I were taking 80 year olds on a cruise, I would pick the Sun.

[ute_fan]

When we sailed the Sun, it was also to Alaska. IMO, the itinerary in Alaska is more important than the ship. I'd definitely start by comparing the itineraries and see which one is more appealing to you. The main differences are Hubbard Glacier vs. Tracy Arm/Sawyer Glacier, and Sitka vs. Skagway. I haven't been to eithe Hubbard Glacier or Sitka, so I'd recommend doing some reading over on the Alaska boards to figure out which on you'd prefer.

 

The other difference, at least according to the maps, is that the Sun does the "inside passage" sailing from Vancouver (up the east side of Vancouver Island) both ways, while the Mercury goes up the east side of Vancouver island one way, but goes up the west side the other -- which can make for a much rougher sailing.

 

I'm a big fan of doing NCL's catamaran excrusion if you end up on the Sun. It's not cheap, but it definitely increases your options of getting closer to the Sawyer Glaciers at the end of Tracy Arm. They frequently have trouble being "iced out" -- but that's also been happening quite a bit a Hubbard Glacier the last couple of years.

 

Good luck with your decision!

[kit9172]

I have been on the Mercury twice and NCL twice, inside cabins on both. The Mercury's cabin is 172 sq ft and the Sun is smaller but the big difference for us is the fact that there is no dress up if you don't want on all NCL's fleet. When we went to Alaska on the Mercury my husband rented a tux because we didn't have to bring a suit from the East coast as the tux is waiting for you in your cabin (we rented from cruise formal, I think). The cruise on the Dawn, he didn't even have to bring a sports jacket. He loved that and so did our friends. The Mercury is more formal as you have meal time seating vs freestyle. I love the Mercury and all that goes with it but NCL has my husbands heart so we are scheduled for a TA cruise leaving this April. Good luck with whatever you decide. I am sure everyone will have a wonderful time. By the way I would book cabins midship and make sure that above and below you are cabins so that there is no noise factor. Hope this helps.

[canadamum]

Cowtown,you will LOVE the Sun. We actually went on it twice in 2006. The beds pushed together, give you room on either side of bed, so no trouble getting in and out for the elders. Be sure and ask for an egg crate mattress, to make the bed a smidge softer. As to your query about the reason for twin beds, I used to work at the Banff Springs front desk and the majority of our older guests did not want to sleep in the same bed. In fact I had one irate lady who said to me "little girl, I haven't slept with my husband for 30 years and I am certainly not going to start NOW!

We love NCL for it's freestyle dining, everyone gets to eat what they want, when they want and don't have to weigh down your suitcase with evening wear. Of course if you want to have a "formal" night and take pictures, that is your choice on any night.

[calgarycowtown]

ok Sun it is

we just ask for beds to be pushed together vs doing it ourselves when we get there?

beds cannot be against the wall - seen that before -when grandma and grandpa have to get up in the night and the bed is against the wall... well.. don't even want to picture that again.

funny now, not then.

[newmexicoNita]

ok Sun it is

we just ask for beds to be pushed together vs doing it ourselves when we get there?

beds cannot be against the wall - seen that before -when grandma and grandpa have to get up in the night and the bed is against the wall... well.. don't even want to picture that again.

funny now, not then.

actually they will most likely be pushed together already, but if not, you can ask your cabin steward to do it before he/she makes up the room for the night.

 

Nita

[Ask4Jay]

. . . on all four of our NCL cruises our beds were always put together as one king-zised bed. The headboard is against the wall, so that both have easy access to their half of the bed, and there is enough room at the foot end to get by.

We got stuck with bunk beds on our 47th Anniversary cruise. We had a heck of a time getting DW into the upper bunk. Then we discovered the little ladder! It was a hilarious undertaking.

[garycarla]

Alaska is great. And "older" - make that mature folks enjoy it even more. They can have a great even if you do not take lots of excursions. Make sure you go over to the Ports of Call message boards to learn more about Alaska.

[calgarycowtown]

Where do i find the Ports of Call boards?

[SolsticeCruiser]

Where do i find the Ports of Call boards?

 

Find it from the main message board page....scroll down till you see it..its easy to find since all the different ports are listed...

[garycarla]

Where do i find the Ports of Call boards?

 

At the top left part of this page, click on BOARDS. You can then scroll down to PORTS OF CALL, and ROLL CALLS for your cruise.

[ute_fan]

I'm interested by all the comments about the beds normally being pushed together. Our of 5 NCL cruises we've only had them "together" once -- on the Sun, in a balcony room. The remaining cruises (2 insides, 2 outsides) they've always been in the twin configuation.

 

I know this doesn't sound romantic at all -- but I prefer them separate. That way, I don't have to listen to DH snoring as much -- and he'd probably say the same thing about me :rolleyes: .

[garycarla]

Actually, my wife is annoyed even MORE when the beds are apart. She can not reach over and smack me when I am snoring.

[ute_fan]

Ah, the benefits of a slight hearing loss. When we're sleeping together in the same bed, I hear him. On the cruise ship, in my nice "twin" bed -- I don't :D .

[mbisson]

You guys are too funny!

 

Now that we know some of the benefits of twin beds, do queen/king beds have any benifits? ;)