My Thanksgiving Week on the Sun - Day By Day Account

[masterbaker]

This is my first visit to your review and it has moved me to laughter and tears. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences. We have booked the Sun for a cruise in April (Full transit Panama Canal) and after reading this review I am very excited about trying this ship and freestyle.

[coka]

(All of you reaffirmed my belief that cruisers and especially cruisecritics are wonderful people to travel with and to share cyber-space with)!

(Ocean, you are too funny! Concert was canceled! I ended up crashing the national Canadian Law Enforcement Officer's convention at the hotel...)

On to my last night at sea!

Once Russell, the fantastic Hair stylistist from the Philippines transformed me from duckling to swan, I went to the Windjammer Lounge to show the German and the Miami Gal my new look. They said, "Excuse me, do we know you?" They asked if I wanted to stay and join them for a Martini. If you never tried the famous martinis in the 10 oz. glasses, then you must order at least one at the Windjammer Lounge! I politely declined due to my recollection of having 60 ounces of martinis on the Norway, April, 2003. Not a pretty picture nor a pretty memory but the 6 glasses in my hutch look pretty!

I went to the Star Seeker Talent Search Show that early evening as it is one of my favorite shows to see. I know I will not have "seen it before!" I love the NCL concept that they select one winner from each show who have the chance to win a free cruise and perform on ship that week. They also have the opportunity to win an NCL contract. The guy who won was a very good piano player. Luckily, nobody embarrassed themselves and all acts were pleasantly delightful to watch.

Colin Kerr, the cruise director, was an excellent host. Frankly, he was excellent all week long! He is a funny funny young man and everybody on the ship loved him! By everybody I mean everybody! In my opinion, he surpasses all the famous NCL cruise directors discussed on these boards...even those no longer working with NCL. If he is on ship when you sail, then you know that he and his staff will keep you entertained! I heard reports that people were rolling in aisles even at the "important talks" they want you to go to!

The NewYorker and I met at the Bistro for our last supper of the week. We had the same thing...escargot, spinach salad, filet mignon, and cheesecake. For me, the Bistro is a must do on every NCL ship so even though I had done it before, I will always do it again. And again! And again!

I was rather surprised at the list of events to attend for the last evening out. Passengers could select a Big Jeopardy game show, "Jazz, Torch and Ancient Pop" in the observation lounge, Farewell Variety show, Motown revisited, and farewell bash in the disco. We ended in Dazzles and caught the tail end of "Twisted Karaoke." The cruise staff hear people sing, select contestants, then give them a song selected by the staff.

More surprising was the number of passengers out and about on the last night at sea! The casino was jamming! I saw the craps table FULL for the first time that week and wouldn't you know it, I did not want to risk my last hundred bucks because I needed it to get home! This was the first cruise ever taken where I did not donate to the casino. Dazzles was jamming too! Usually only the die-hards are dancing the last night into the wee hours but I saw a lot of people in there that I had not seen all week! As mentioned in a prior post, this was definitely a great group of passengers with a great NCL crew, staff and officers.

In my trance-like state of mind getting in the last songs, the last workout, the last glass of water, the last goodbyes, it dawned on me. MY LUGGAGE! I did not put it out! I then thought no problem! NCL now gives passengers the option to take luggage off themselves at debarkation. It is available to all U.S. guests carrying their own luggage who want to get off ship first and who have arranged their own transportation. Even so, I thought it a good time to leave the disco. I embarked the ship with a hangover and no way was I going to debark with one!

Everyone's luggage on deck 9 was gone by the time I returned to the cabin. I wished I had a camera to take a picture of the crew luggage handler's faces when I showed up in the deck 9 crew area only entrance saying, "sorry I am late guys, I saw all the luggage in here as I walked by so I thought I would bring it to you!" They nervously said, "no no no...we come get it...we come get it!" I said "no no no...you work too hard...no problem...I bring it to you!" I wheeled it ten feet, thanked them, and walked away knowing my luggage never had to sit outside my stateroom!

Before going to bed I wrote down all passenger responses that I could remember from that day. On the last day at sea I like to inquire from people what the BEST part of their week was. The responses are outlined below:

10 year old girl: "The FOOD!"
55 year old woman: "The FREESTYLE!" She sailed HAL and
Celebrity prior...she and her husband loved the freestyle concept.
34 year old (?)Miami Gal: "The CANOPY TOUR! swinging through the
jungles in Roatan!"
The German: "DANCING!"
The New Yorker: "Meeting all of THE PEOPLE!"
12 year old girl: "Laying out in sun TANNING!"
Cave-Tubing Family: "The EXCURSIONS!"
Woman at art auction: "Spending a week with MY HUSBAND!"

I know I asked more than eight people but those are the ones I remembered!

I went to bed knowing I was prepared for debarkation. Back to the real world in just a few hours! I set my wake-up call to 6am and I woke up at 5:55am realizing that I was dreaming. I do not remember what I was dreaming, but I remember thinking it was the first one I had since I left home. Cruising is an escape...a fantasy...a 24/7 dream for entire week so it made sense!

Coka

[coka]

I got out of bed at 6:30am and thought to myself, "this is the first time ever I am not the last person off the ship!" I thought "If OceanDreams were here, then we would just be returning from staying out all night, watching the moon set and the sun rise on the highest deck!"

I prepared yesterday for this morning. I purchased my NCL transfer to Fort Lauderdale for 15 dollars. If you do this, you will need to debark the ship about 8:20am. The VIP's were debarking at 8:00am so I selected that option because NCL holds your luggage in a certain area and you do not have "to search" through long lines where all the luggage looks like yours!

I did not have to leave my cabin to eat breakfast in the buffet or dining room. I took extra cold cereal, milk, yogurt, muffin, banana and juice from Friday's buffet and stored it in my refrigerator. Ha, 20 cruises and I just figured out that one! I even used the coffee maker in my cabin for the first time!

I filled out my Comment Sheet. Please make sure you fill yours out! They get sent to the Miami office for reading and then copies go back to the ship for the officers and staff to read. They then show the comments to the crew members who are mentioned in particular. The big-dogs have meetings discussing the comment cards so they are not taken lightly and they do get read! Plus, they draw cards for prizes at 7:30am.

I debarked the ship at 8:15am, walked right over to my luggage, walked right through the immigration, right onto the Fort Lauderdale bus. I called my husband and his first three questions were, 1. "Where did you go again?" 2. "Who was it that you went with again", and 3. "Have you been smoking again?" The air conditioning answer works every time.

I arrived in FLL at 9:15am and walked right up to the Continental counter. No line! Ohhhhh, that is why people like to get off the ship so early! Lesson learned! I have had my share of waiting 2 hours to get my ticket and 2 hours to get past security!

My flight did not leave until 3:20pm and I was supposed to get home by 10:30pm. I was going to call a friend or go to the beach. I ended up getting an early flight, leaving at 10:45 and arriving at 5:15pm. How better could this vacation have been? I lucked out the entire week with everything! At FLL I ran into my BEST guy friend from high school who I had not seen since our last class reunion. I visited with him and his family the entire way home! It was the perfect ending to the perfect vacation!

My top ten reflections on the entire vacation:

10. South Beach dance clubs have nothing on Montreal dance clubs
9. Drink a lot water
8. Cruisers are the most friendly people on earth
7. When you think your life is about to end, you really do think of loved ones
6. I have a new appreciation for the saying "light at the end of the tunnel..."
5. You can learn a lot from a teenager
4. There are a lot of other people in this world who have it a lot worse than you do
3. The staff and crew's morale is a direct correlation to how they are treated and lead by their officers and Captain.
2. Everyone should take a solo cruise at least once in their life...it builds character
1. Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself

Thank you for letting me share this with you! I realize it took eight or nine days to write about a seven day cruise but I had fun remembering it all! It is now time to read all the new ones coming in for the following week! If you have questions I will be more than happy to answer them!

Sincerely,
Coka
P.S. The necklace has moved on.

[maryannha123]

Thank you, Coka , for an often amusing, sometimes poignant & always insightful review of your week on the wonderful Sun. I truly hope to meet you on a cruise someday. I will treat you to your choice of one of Chris' magnificent martini's if we are on the Sun!

Maryann :cool:

[WaldosPepper]

[QUOTE] P.S. The necklace has moved on.[/QUOTE]
Somewhere in Montreal, perhaps?

Thanks for letting us know the necklace is on the move again, and lending necessary hope, inspiration and good wishes to it's newest wearer.

[Balkan Soul]

Coka,

I agree with your number 10.

The Finn and I are absolutely excited to be in Montreal for New Year's and spending it with you. Maybe then I can convince you to do a European Cruise next summer.

There is an entirely different world over here for you to explore and write about!!!

Oh yea...and fantastically cheap artwork. Three more (oil on canvas) heading your way!

[OceanDreams]

BRAVO !!!!!!!!!!!

You out did yourself this time with your review. Again, sorry that I couldn't travel with you this time, but look on the bright side.....you got more sleep and you got to experience the "solo" cruising.

Look out August here we come!!!!!!

OceanDreams

[brudeb94]

You have held me spellbound. I was just going to check the boards real quick to see what was going on and I have the spent the last hour reading your posts. I sailed the Sun on 10/30 for my 10th wedding anniversary. I sincerely hope that one day we do meet on a cruise. You are without a doubt a person I would love to meet one day. I can't remember when I have had the most enjoyable hour and a half. My husband probably thinks I am nuts. I am sitting in a room all by myself laughing hysterically one minute and sniffling the next. Thank you for sharing your cruise with us. I am looking now to book our next one.