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We wanted a freestyle type cruise with minimal children aboard simply because we wanted a more adult luxury but fun experience. The Sun is an older ship about 12 yrs old. It is not the epitome of sleek & hi tech, but was clean, compact & functional. Our stateroom on Deck 9 had a balcony which we loved! The television was small & outdated but I didn't go to watch television. The room had ample storage space. The bathroom could use an updated blow dryer but we grew fond of the Kronos 2000 with it's hose & one speed. Housekeeping was prompt & trustworthy.
The ship size which by some standards is small 2,000 people, was plenty big for us. We found different venues for music with classic rock, jazz, piano & techno/dance clubs. We enjoyed the white hot party but music got a little narrow after awhile. I found the entertainment varied & plentiful. From stage type productions, juggling, game shows, adult oriented games, dancing and bingo to art auctions.
We participated in both excursions booked thru the ship like dolphin swim & White River tubing & beach break to one booked through This is Cozumel called Segway & Snorkel tour. I would not book the dolphin swim at Grand Cayman again because we saw almost nothing else due to short time at port. Luna the dolphin was great & people there great. Took too long to organize & too far for folks to swim. It was fun but shops closed early by 4 or 5 pm. We were enclosed in a fenced shopping area & transported to & from the dolphin swim which took longer than it was worth almost. I by far enjoyed the White River tubing. The guides were good with us & made it fun singing down the river. The beach was fun with dancing & drunken coconut drinks, rum punch & Red Stripe served to us. The Cozumel Segway tour booked through thisiscozumel.com was awesome.You do need to get a taxi from port only about $7. The guide Lorenzo was super! His professional manner & fun easy to understand speech made us feel safe. We saw an iguana as we drove along the coastline. The snorkel time was short & the equipment could be better, beach chairs looked dirty. Restaurant there was good & fast. Duty free shopping was over advertised on the ship in my opinion but I did not go to purchase jewelry or art. Great Stirrup Cay was ok, lacking shade & a no-smoking beach! Couldn't enjoy the beach for the cigarette, cigars & marijuana being smoked around us even after moving twice! Went snorkeling $30 all day equipment rental. Saw a stingray! Awesome fish! I did purchase liquor at great prices both on the ship & at the ports. Take lots of sunscreen & aloe vera as it is expensive everywhere & the ship ran out of aloe.
I thought the food was over abundant on the ship. A buffet offered for breakfast lunch & dinner was good & plentiful. The dining at the Four Seasons was awesome & included. Service was top notch. Also for a $20/person cover charge you should try the Brazilian restaurant Churrascaria. You get 10 yes 10 different meats carved tableside with appetizers & desserts to follow. We also ordered a great bottle of wine & were served in fine sommelier style. Oh, also attend the wine & cheese tasting for a small fee. The beverage manager is passionate about wine & you will learn alot. Remember the Seven Seas dining room requires slacks,collared shirts & real shoes. We liked the observation lounge.The alcohol is expensive! There is a wet & dry spa for your use at no extra charge in the Mandara Spa, it's just not advertised. There was some water damage on our deck carpeting which I think caused a mildew smell & allergies. Just check before you unpack your luggage! We were disappointed that although it's freestyle you may have to travel across ship to get a late night tea/coffee or snack. Room service was available but we learned it was a little slow. All in all we enjoyed our "sampler" cruise. We can now choose to book a trip to those areas we most enjoyed like Cozumel, Jamaica & Bahamas. We don't recommend going into the flea market in Jamaica. Disembarkation was quick & easy even customs was a breeze. The Sun left for Europe for hurricane season.They really made us feel welcome.
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