A bit of advice please - NCL SUN

[150edmiston]

Hi all,

 

We are looking at the cruise that leaves from Valparaiso, goes through the Panama canal and ends in Miami (april 2010 or poss even 2011 unless the route changes).

 

Any hints, tips, cabin advice, food comments etc? I know there will be loads of reviews, and will look these up soon. Also any pics would be useful. We'll (as a minimum) book a balcony cabin and probably a suite.

We're also considering the Island/Coral Princess as an alternative, but this route looks much more attractive.

Thanks

David

[*Wink*]

I'm not exactly sure when this starts, but the Sun is being moved to Port Canaveral sometime in 2010. I believe it's around mid-summer or early fall.

 

She'll be doing Western/Eastern Caribbean cruises, so keep that in mind if you choose to cruise in 2011.

[BikerAl]

Do it in January to March 2010 or chose another cruise line.

 

Al

[150edmiston]

Thanks for the quick replies. That's a bit of a bummer as I really fancied this itinerary. The other cruises I've seen all end up in Mexico or Los Angeles, neither of which appeal to us as a destination.

 

Thanks again.

[Planer's Edge]

Hi all,

 

We are looking at the cruise that leaves from Valparaiso, goes through the Panama canal and ends in Miami (april 2010 or poss even 2011 unless the route changes).

 

 

David

 

I believe that the upcoming South American sailings are the last season for the Sun. Instead of South America the Sun will be sailing alternating Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries out of Port Canaveral. She will go back and forth between Europe and Caribbean sailings.

 

April 11, 2010 is the last Panama Canal passage for the Sun in the forseeable future.

 

PE

[mbisson]

I believe that the upcoming South American sailings are the last season for the Sun. Instead of South America the Sun will be sailing alternating Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries out of Port Canaveral. She will go back and forth between Europe and Caribbean sailings.

 

PE

 

I'm not absolutely positive, but (in case anyone missed it) I think that after this Alaska season, the Sun is scheduled to spend the summers sailing out of London instead of Vancouver (as noted by PE). At least for next year only the Star & Pearl are scheduled by NCL to sail Alaska

[Whirled Peas]

We sailed in the owner's suite (Star Suite) on the Sun last year, so I can at least tell you about that suite. There are two owners suites on the bow port and starboard. We loved the layout, with a separate bedroom with king bed, sofa bed in the living room, and a very spacious bath with a large jetted tub. The balcony is HUGE, at 258 sq. ft, with a hot tub that was nice, but not very powerful in terms of the jets (same for the bathroom tub). We spent a great deal of time on that large balcony, but we likely had a warmer climate, as we were doing the Mexican Riviera. You can't see onto the balcony, except for the railing edge, from the observation deck above. It could be windy, but we really didn't find it that bad.

 

At the time of our sailing (10/08), the butler assigned was not the best, but we were able to work with him to get most of what we wanted.

 

The layout of the Sun is a little choppy, but we managed fine. The staff was generally excellent, and our cabin stewards and concierge, Belkys) were very good. One suite perk is breakfast and lunch in Il Adagio, which was very, very nice.

 

I found the pricing for the OS on the Sun to be pretty darned reasonable, given the size of the suite and the balcony.

 

Hope this helps.

[PokerDave]

THE AC suites on the Aft of the Sun get very high marks from people and have Huge balconies. Haven't been in one, but have seen pictures and am booked in one in the Baltic next may... search for "sun 9076".

[jdvmd]

Absolutely loved the Sun and the SA itinerary. We did the reverse itinerary and had a wonderful time. I would do the cruise again in a second. We had a mini suite on the Pool deck (port side), which was wonderful in its layout and space. Loved the bathroom. The balcony was terrific for seeing the incredible scenery. The location on the Pool Deck also was extremely convenient to the spa, exercise room, pool area as well as several restaurants. The Promenade walking area was unobstructed and very popular. This trip made me like NCL again. If you have any other questions, just let me know.

 

Linda

JDVMD

[150edmiston]

Thanks again. Unless we do this next year looks like it will be Princess or Celebrity unless we drop the SA leg.

[Cruise Raider]

We sailed on the Sun last year and are booked to sail again on this ship in a few weeks. The things we liked about the Sun were numerous but overall, think the Coral Princess was amongst the nicest ships on which we have sailed.

The Sun is a basic ship, not in bad shape, just older without any bells or whistles to speak of. The service, however, beats all and I mean all!! The room stewards were great, the bar service was fantastic, the meal servers were pretty good for the most part (a couple of really slow ones though). The food was good, but not excellent, but aside from a couple of cruises I have been on, I would not rate the food as 'excellent'.

The Coral, on the other hand, has the best layout and is one of the most beautiful ships ever built. I love the indoor pool area the most. The is no such immenity on the Sun. However, the service on Princess (with the exception of the Golden) leaves a lot to be desired, especially in comparison to Norwegian.

We are going back on the Sun, which says a lot, but missed having music by the pool in the afternoons and seemed like there is never 'non-stop' activities such as the choices provided on other lines. If you like the idea of freestyle everything, the Sun might be a better choice. If you like a little more glitz to the ship itself, I would definitely go with the Coral or Island.

[daryleann]

Just wanted to point out that any cruise beginning in Chile will require you to pay a large entry fee at the airport. I understand that if you arrive by ship and leave from the airport it isn't always collected.

[DMH15]

I loved, loved, loved my AC aft # 9076 on the Sun. But if I did the Panama Canal I would do forward. I think the AA and AD are both forward and both are nice. We had the wonderful Karin as our concierge and we loved Il Adagio for breakfast and lunch.

[Smokeyham]

We sailed on the Sun last year and are booked to sail again on this ship in a few weeks. The things we liked about the Sun were numerous but overall, think the Coral Princess was amongst the nicest ships on which we have sailed.

The Sun is a basic ship, not in bad shape, just older without any bells or whistles to speak of. The service, however, beats all and I mean all!! The room stewards were great, the bar service was fantastic, the meal servers were pretty good for the most part (a couple of really slow ones though). The food was good, but not excellent, but aside from a couple of cruises I have been on, I would not rate the food as 'excellent'.

The Coral, on the other hand, has the best layout and is one of the most beautiful ships ever built. I love the indoor pool area the most. The is no such immenity on the Sun. However, the service on Princess (with the exception of the Golden) leaves a lot to be desired, especially in comparison to Norwegian.

We are going back on the Sun, which says a lot, but missed having music by the pool in the afternoons and seemed like there is never 'non-stop' activities such as the choices provided on other lines. If you like the idea of freestyle everything, the Sun might be a better choice. If you like a little more glitz to the ship itself, I would definitely go with the Coral or Island.

 

I also have sailed on both the Coral Princess and the Norwegian Sun, and have to agree that I preferred the Coral Princess as a ship.

Of course, this is all personal preference, but I found there was more of a "Wow" factor aboard the Coral Princess, and being bigger it had more choices for music, bars, etc.

[buffyofva]

We have been through the Panama Canal in 2003 on the Carnival Spirit. We left from San Diego, Ca. The balcony is a must when you go through the canal. It is an all day trip and I don't think you would want to stay in the public areas all day.

 

We are also considering the NCL Sun on the Panama Trip. We are interested in the ports of call and the excursions. If you have found out any info that may be of interest please let us know.