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We sailed on Feb 17 on the Norwegian Sun 10 day Southern Caribbean . We went with friends who had never cruised before. We overnights in a 3* motel- but is offered pick up at the airport and shuttle to the cruise terminal- very easy and convenient. The Embarkation process was smooth - drop the luggage at the curb, proceed to the desk, picture taken and off you go. We brought wine on board which we paid the corkage for (decided it was better wine and cheaper than the wine on board - we bought most of it in South Beach). We were in our rooms in less than 1/2 hour from arriving. Explored the ship and had lunch and off we went.
We loved the expanded gym - but didn't take any classes- they were either too early in the day or at 5 p.m. when we were still at the pool. We love the free style dining - it is fabulous- there are 2 main rooms with set menus and specials every night, and there are 6 specialty restaurants. We bought the package and dined at 4 of the, and loved every one. I think we liked the French place the best, but all were great. Not crowded, lovely atmosphere. The ship has many small "bar areas" with entertainment - you can visit a different one every day and really feel like you were in a small city. The ship holds 1900 passengers- never seemed crowded and we met many nice people. We used the stairs ( for exercise) though there are 3 banks of elevators and there didn't seem to be much of a wait.
We took 2 ship excursions- In St. Thomas and St. Maarten. We sailed and snorkled in St John - though there weren't many fish. It was a nice day. Pickup at the terminal- easy transport and well run. In St. Maarten we did the America's Cup sailing regatta - ( our second time) and again- well run and a fabulous excursion - well worth the money, In the other ports, we booked excursions using CC and Trip Advisor and were pleased with our choices. We ordered room service breakfast most days in order to be ready for the easy excursions - worked like a charm - they call you 5 minutes before they deliver so you can be dressed and ready.
There were so many activities on the ship - lots of trivia games, dance classes, demonstrations, shows that each of the 4 of us were never bored. The entire staff smiles and is happy to help you. We spoke to many staff who had been with NCL for up to 19 years- must be a good employer. The disembarkation was also very smooth - you can take your luggage off with you - so no need to rush the night before and you can get of whenever you want. Walk along the ramps, stop at customs and then you are off. We took cab to the airport = $25 for the 4 of us.
I liked that the staff did not push drinks on you, nor did the stores push their wares- they had tables out every night - but the choice was yours to stop and look or not. There are some good deals. We had a backstage look the galley- very impressive an the cleanliness standards are very high.
All in all , we loved the size of the ship, the ports and the atmosphere. We would definitely recommend this ship and cruise line.
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