Norwegian Sun Review

St Maarten/St Thomas Or Bust!!! Technical Difficulties!!!

Review for the Eastern Caribbean Cruise on Norwegian Sun
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Kansas Jayhawker
10+ Cruises • Age 70s

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Sail Date: Dec 2010
Cabin: Inside

We booked a cruise on Norwegian Cruise Lines (Our First on NCL) on the Sun sailing out of Port Canaveral, Florida, for December 4th - 11th, 2010. Ports of Call included the Bahamas, St. Thomas and St. Maarten, VI, with three sea days to enjoy the warmer climate and ship amenities. We were able to board/embark without any trouble and they took our pictures at the cruise terminal vs. as we boarded the ship (A nice first). Our vision of the ship was compared to fifteen (15) previous cruises on Holland America, Carnival, Princess and Royal Caribbean. To our surprise, The Sun has a piece of elegance of the ships of the past with wood panels/flooring, decorative colors and paintings in abundance. We were guided to the Garden Cafe' on deck 11/Pool Deck. What we found was total disaster in the layout and organization of the buffet area. Massive lines that did not move, poor access & egress flow. Everything flowed together (Salads, Main Dishes, Side Dishes, and Desserts & Ice Creams). We found too many food stations that had to cook each individual item while you waited. Space was very tight everywhere you turned you were running into people. Ship was built in 2000, so they had to have an idea of how this would not have worked. Compared to any of our previous sailing, this ship missed the "Boat" and our first impression bubble burst!!!! We were told that this was the only restaurant open on the ship until dinner.

We finished lunch and continued our tour of the ship. All the amenities seem excellent and the crew was very friendly. You could actually carry on a conversation and understand them. We were given the OK to go to our inside cabin. What a surprise awaited us!!! This is the largest interior or exterior cabin we have ever had. Plenty of storage available, but the bathroom was just like any other - tight!! Refrigerator and safe were available and were quite comfortable and enjoyed the quiet. Never did see our room stewards from day one.

The Great Outdoor Cafe' was a real treasure when it was open and you can enjoy the full panoramic view off the rear of the ship. Best hot dogs and hamburgers on the ship. Desserts and salads were excellent. Much needed maintenance on railings and step ways. Using 2X4's as railing is NOT acceptable. This ship was to be dry docked in early 2010, but NCL Corporate kept her active despite some necessary renovations and repairs.

Cabin Review

Inside

We had an inside Cabin on Deck 9. Roomer than any other we had been on plus had refrigerator, safe, extra closets and could hold an additional two people without any problem. TV Channels lacked variety, but what do you expect on a cruise. Bathroom was about the same size as other cruise lines. Cabin service was good, but never saw the two stewarts assigned to our cabin. Cabin needed some heavier cleaning than it was getting & not to many gift items available.

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