Norwegian Sun Review

Fantastic Cruise, Ship Could Use Some Updating

Review for Alaska Cruise on Norwegian Sun
User Avatar
sarmay
2-5 Cruises • Age 50s

Rating by category

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

Additional details

Sail Date: May 2016
Cabin: Inside

We just returned from a 7-day cruise through the inner passage of Alaska (round trip from Vancouver) on the Norwegian Sun, and we had a lovely time. We shared a family interior cabin on the 9th floor with me, my husband, my 11-year-old daughter, and my 9-year-old son. Overall, we had an excellent cruising experience, and we will definitely cruise again with Norwegian.

Ship:

The ship is starting to show its age. In the Stardust Lounge (theater), there were loose stairs leading up to the balcony section, and I felt loose floorboards in the balcony. The upholstery on the sofa bed in our cabin was dingy.

Cabin Review

Inside

Cabin ID

The standard family cabin (interior aft) was a generous size and the beds and pillows were comfortable. We all slept very well. The 9th floor was nice and quiet. Air conditioning was comfortable, and storage was ample. The pull-out sofa fabric needed to be re-upholstered. We had one instance where the toilet would not flush, but our room porter took care of it immediately. There were three outlets, but only one of the three outlets was a U.S.-style outlet. Since we had been told that we would not need to bring outlet converters, we had difficulty keeping our cameras and cell phones charged.

Port Reviews

Vancouver

We started our vacation with 5 days in Vancouver. We stayed at the Residence Inn on Hornby Street, which was excellent.

Sitka

The National Historic Park has a visitor's center with totem carving and leather tanning demonstrations, and Alaska Raptor Center was excellent, including a rain forest hike.

Juneau

Don't bother shopping for jewelry here. It's ridiculous, and the ship's shopping consultant handed out coupons that were a bait-and-switch. We rented a car through the Juneau Car Rental company, and it was waiting for us at the port. Easy-peasy. Check for a Groupon for the Salmon Bake (skip the ship's tour because you can join the tour or simply drive up to the Salmon Bake in your rental car). We also drove over to the Shrine of St. Therese, which has gorgeous waterfront grounds. We lucked out and saw whales while we were visiting the shrine grounds.

Glacier Bay

There was no excursion available, but the ship had park rangers come aboard and provide lectures, commentary throughout the day, and they even brought souvenirs. We were able to get close to the glaciers, saw bears, mountain goats, sea lions, puffins, and peregrine. The weather was lovely, and the experience of hanging out in the hot tub with glaciers in the background was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Ketchikan

We simply walked off the ship and were in downtown Ketchikan. I would have liked to rent a car here because the public bus system was unreliable. Totem Bight State Park is worthwhile. My family are not huge adventurers, so we did not try the ziplining or kayaking.

9 Helpful Votes
previous reviewnext review

Find a Norwegian Sun Cruise from $576

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.