Norwegian Sun Review
Rating by category
Additional details
To begin, we love Norwegian. They are great. This past trip was not. We chose this trip because entry requirements back into the US were still highly restricted at the time we picked it and since the ship would be leaving and returning in the US, it was easier. Also, the original itinerary had limited at sea days. Several itinerary changes later and we essentially spent every day on the boat.
Embark day was impressive at first. The process was smooth flowing and really well done, up until you entered the final waiting area where there were no ship personnel to answer questions or provide any real direction. Signage in the waiting area was also limited and didn’t do much to help folks who may have questions. If a few crew members were on hand in this area specifically to answer passenger questions the entire process up to setting foot on the ship would have been great.
Similarly, once you got on board you were routed to your emergency station to have your badge scanned, and then were free to move on. Would have been great to know. We went to our emergency station and the crew member there just looked at us like we were an exhibit until we asked if we were supposed to do something or just continue to stand there in a group around them.
Cabin Review
Mid-Ship Balcony
Our balcony room on deck 9 was great. The layout of the balcony cabin was well done and the bathroom surprisingly spacious as ship cabin bathrooms go.
Port Reviews
Glacier Bay
The day “cruising glacier bay” was a waste. We cruised the bay to see several glaciers and then on the way out stopped the ship to sit next to one for a few hours. Ice is interesting for only so long. Several members of the crew joked about how passengers disliked that day and listening to other passengers, it was true this time as well.
Icy Strait
I would never schedule a trip that goes back here. It is quite literally designed as a money suck stop for cruise passengers. Worse than the private islands in the Caribbean.
Juneau
Our stops in Juneau, Ketchikan, and Victoria were only a few hours when they had previously been much longer. Also, the timing of them made them even worse. Juneau and Ketchikan we arrived so early nothing in town was open. We arrived in Victoria so late; everything was already closed. You had the choice of doing one excursion or stepping off the ship for some speed shopping if you were lucky. What a ridiculous schedule for those stops. Being a smaller ship, the bigger ships had priority on the convenient piers so we had to ride shuttles to town eating up more of the limited time available.
Ketchikan
Our stops in Juneau, Ketchikan, and Victoria were only a few hours when they had previously been much longer. Also, the timing of them made them even worse. Juneau and Ketchikan we arrived so early nothing in town was open. We arrived in Victoria so late; everything was already closed. You had the choice of doing one excursion or stepping off the ship for some speed shopping if you were lucky. What a ridiculous schedule for those stops. Being a smaller ship, the bigger ships had priority on the convenient piers so we had to ride shuttles to town eating up more of the limited time available. Would have loved to have spent some time in Ketchikan when things were open.
Victoria
Our stops in Juneau, Ketchikan, and Victoria were only a few hours when they had previously been much longer. Also, the timing of them made them even worse. Juneau and Ketchikan we arrived so early nothing in town was open. We arrived in Victoria so late; everything was already closed. You had the choice of doing one excursion or stepping off the ship for some speed shopping if you were lucky. What a ridiculous schedule for those stops. Being a smaller ship, the bigger ships had priority on the convenient piers so we had to ride shuttles to town eating up more of the limited time available.