Norwegian Sun Review

4.0 / 5.0
2,169 reviews

Great Cruise, Iffy Ship

Review for Alaska Cruise on Norwegian Sun

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service

Additional details

Sail Date: Aug 2015
Cabin: Mid-Ship Balcony

The cruise was fun, the ports of call and excursions were great, and the on board entertainment was surprisingly good. The food varied from very good to excellent, but the service in the main dining rooms was very slow. Our principal objections centered around the design of the ship. It had an odd feel to it. To get from the auditorium balcony on deck 7 to the atrium, you have to pass through the casino. If you want to avoid tobacco smoke or if you are traveling with children (restricted from the casino) you have to go up or down one deck to make your way. From the auditorium main floor on deck 6, you have to walk through the middle of the Windjammer lounge and Dazzles nightclub to get to the atrium, disrupting both the entertainers and guests. You can go outside and walk on the promenade if the weather is nice, but we were on an Alaskan cruise and that was not an option on most evenings at the time the show let out. The cabins located on the forward portion of deck 6 are only accessible by stairs from deck 7. The elevators do not stop there. Be sure to avoid those cabins if you have mobility impairment.

Cabin Review

Mid-Ship Balcony

Cabin BB

The room was comfortable, with plenty of storage space and a very comfortable bed. The bathroom wasn't up to par, however. There was not enough counter space or enough shelves, but the real shortcoming was the shower, which was the smallest I've ever seen anywhere, on land or at sea. It's too small to bend down to wash your legs. It's so small that when you turn around, you bump into the shower curtain, dislodge it, and spray water all over the bathroom floor.

Port Reviews

Vancouver

We took the Metro from the airport to the city center. There was a stop just across the street from our hotel. We've been to Vancouver before, know our way around town, and have visited most of the major attractions previously, so we mostly just strolled around the Gastown district and found a great place for dinner. Our hotel was close to the cruise dock, and we considered walking to the ship, but a cold rain changed our plans to taking a cab. Easy to get there, but a LOT of walking back and forth through the embarkation center and one of the longest check-ins of any cruise we've ever taken.

Ketchikan

Corny jokes, hype worthy of professional wrestling, but a very entertaining show.

Skagway

We booked directly with the railroad to get a seat on the steam powered train. NCL only offers the Diesel powered trains. We had to walk two blocks into town to board the train instead of picking it up at the dock, but being on the steam train really made it worth the effort.

Juneau

A real highlight of the trip. Booking directly with the boat meant we could choose a smaller boat that could get closer to the whales without disturbing them than the much larger boats used by the NCL shore excursions.

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