Norwegian Sun Review

4.0 / 5.0
2,168 reviews

Christmas Relaxation

Review for the Western Caribbean Cruise on Norwegian Sun
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jrdunn
6-10 Cruises • Age 30s

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Sail Date: Dec 2010
Cabin: Balcony

Last March, my family and I took a cruise from Miami. Unfortunately that cruise was severely hampered due to torrential rains that left our flight delayed in Boston, and we ended up flying into Miami as our ship was leaving, forcing us to spend an extra $3000 to fly to Grand Cayman, stay at a hotel, rent a car and catch our ship to go back to Miami. Why we couldn't have gotten on ship on the first stop in key west is beyond me but they said they can't process you through customs there. Regardless, that trip was more chaotic and added stress rather than giving us a chance to relax. Therefore we knew we had to get away, so we booked this Christmas to New years cruise which is the only option for us having a family member who works in the school system. We picked the Sun because we have enjoyed NCL in the past, and the price was right without having to make too many sacrifices.

One thing I enjoyed about the Celebrity we took in March was the small size. After being on some cruises that are so large you find new rooms on the final day, the Celebrity was managed within the first day which was great since we only caught the cruise for the last 3 days. The Sun was similar. Not a huge ship, I was able to locate and know the ships rooms quickly and the ship was small on deck which is great when you tell a family member to meet me by the pool and you don't have to go search 3 different pools. Although the ship was full, and not the largest (wasn't small by any means) there never seemed to be a crowded room or deck. There were always room at the theater, deck chairs on the pool deck, room to move about, it was great after experiencing cruises that seemed to be overcrowded. One thing that my family loves is to go on a cruise ship and have the waiter know you and be able to entertain you at dinner, so the freestyle dining was a bit of a throw off. We didn't mind it as much as we thought we would however, many of the waiters still got to know you, were very friendly and attentive, however we did experience a few occasions of wrong orders, long wait times, and bad service. One of the nice things about freestyle is that you can choose when to eat, and the dining room was never full.

The food on board was great. The buffets were open just about all the time with a wide selection of food. The ice cream was great and open till 10, the pizza was good but only open till 2 something that is odd, most cruises have late night pizza which is great to grab on the go. The sports bar was a favorite hang out of mine, and the wings that you can order off of a free menu are amazingly addictive. The dining hall food was great as well. I am an adventurous eater, and even when the menu didn't look great everything I had was amazing. It is customary for my family to order 2 appetizers, entree, desert and coffee. The courses were spaced evenly, and although each course contained small portions, the packed a lot of flavor, and came together to form a very filling meal. A few of my favorite dishes included the snapper, Chinese won ton noodles, black bean burger, and the escargot. I ate just about 24/7, and can honestly say that if you are an adventurous eater you will not be disappointed.

Cabin Review

Balcony

Cabin BD

The cabin comfortably slept 3 with a bed that was big enough for 2 and a pull out couch which actually could have slept 2. The balcony was spacious, and provided a great view. The bathroom was small, but a good size for a cruise ship and was adequate. One thing the this ship didn't have was flat screen televisions, something that other ships have switched to. The Sun opts for small large back TV's which I found fine for the small room.

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