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Itinerary: Miami – Aruba – Curacao – Barbados – Guadeloupe – St.
Thomas Sailing date: March 27 – April 4, 2014
 The
Norwegian Sun is NCL’s second purpose built ship for their widely popular
“Freestyle Cruising” concept. I had sailed on her in 2006 and my return visit
last month was for the purpose of planning a future charter of the ship. The
Norwegian Sun is a smaller ship by today’s standards at just over 1900 guests
double occupancy. I arrived at the port and was excited tooard and reacquaint
myself with this ship.
Walking on the Sun, you get a sense of NCL’s
delivery right out the box. As you come onto this ship from the gangway you are
greeted by several staff members singing and dancing over pulsing music. Their
enthusiastic greeting and smiles are a fun welcome for guests embarking on their
cruise. In Miami, you board on the promenade deck 6 and make your way onto one
of the major thoroughfares of the vessel. This ship is laid out smartly with
decks 5, 6 and 7 being home to most of the bars, lounges and dining rooms.
After a short walk forward and down to deck 5, I arrived at the main lobby and
atrium where the front office, shore excursion desk, credit desk and coffee shop
are located. There are also 4 scenic elevators will give you a glass view of
the atrium from deck 5 to 12. After a quick meeting it was off to the lifeboat
drill for the mandatory safety briefing. As with most ships these days, you no
longer are required to bring a life jacket to the drill which makes for a more
manageable movement of guests. Upon completion, it was time to set sail and
experience Freestyle Cruising on Norwegian Sun.
THE SHIP
 As
I mentioned, the Norwegian Sun was built in 2001 purpose built for the Freestyle
Cruising concept. That said, there are 9 dining venues and several bars and
lounges that truly allow you to do what you want, when you want. The ship is in
good form for its age. The major differences are noticeable if you have been on
the newer NCL ships where the décor is more contemporary. Because the ship was
built mid-size, there is ample open deck space and this ship has a great,
clutter-free pool deck featuring two pools and 4 jacuzzis which is the epicenter
of the outdoor experience. The ship is easily navigated, with most decks
offering forward to aft walkways.
THE PUBLIC AREAS
Atrium – This is home to the front
office, credit desk and shore excursion desk as well as the popular Java Café on
deck 5. All of your cruise “business” can be handled here as there are also two
portable desks offering dining reservations for the specialty restaurants. The
Atrium is active day and night as the Java Café serves popular hot and cold
coffee drinks comparable to a certain Seattle based chain. There are also
entertainers from duos to full bands that will play in the atrium afternoons and
evenings which make the Java Café a great spot to enjoy a beverage, get online
and hang out. NCL’s cruise staff also host activities here from golf putting
to horseshoe toss, etc. They do a good job of using the space for more than the
front office.
Deck 6 - one of the two major public
area thoroughfares is home to the Champagne Bar, the internet café, Dazzles
night club, the Windjammer Bar, Library, the photo shop, and the floor level of
the Stardust Lounge. The Champagne Bar overlooks the Atrium and features many
signature cocktails and floor to ceiling windows offering great ocean views for
sea days. The Internet Café has a handful of terminals for use and is home to
the IT manager that can assist in any questions pertaining to staying connected
while at sea. They offer several packages to suit the needs. Dazzles night
club is primarily the night club/disco on the Sun but is also used for art
auctions and as a movie theater during the daytime. The Windjammer Bar has a
pub feeling and offers nightly entertainment with a solo guitarist or pianist
and is a great place to start the night. The Library and photo shop are just
beyond that and behind them are 3 meeting rooms that can be combined into a
single large meeting space. You could comfortable meet the needs of board room,
class room, or theatre style in these several configurations. The Stardust
Lounge is the main theatre where you will see the feature entertainers nightly
as well as the Vegas-style cabarets.
Deck 7 – the second major public area
thoroughfare is home to the Sun Club Casino and Bar, the shops and the balcony
of the Stardust Theatre. The Sun Club Casino is spacious and has a great bar
and is quite busy nightly. With ample tables games (craps, roulette, blackjack,
three card poker, etc.) and hundreds of slots, this is the spot for those that
like to try their luck. This is the only indoor lounge where smoking is allowed
on the Norwegian Sun.
The Observation Lounge – a panoramic
lounge located forward on deck 12 features entertainment nightly and is a great
spot to watch the world go by. Great location for private events!
Sports Bar – Deck 11 aft is the
place to order up bar food (chicken wings, nachos, etc.) grab a cold one and
watch ESPN international…hope you like soccer and cricket! Actually they do
show NBA, NFL, MLB etc when those games are offered on the international feed.
Just outside the sports bar is the Great Outdoor Café Bar overlooking the aft of
the ship and a great spot to watch the sunset as you sail away from port.
Topsiders Bar – Mid ship at the pool
– this is the place for beer bucket specials! A large bar at the pool deck that
is busy throughout the day and evening.
THE DINING
Four Seasons and Seven Seas Dining Rooms
– these are the main dining rooms and serve the same menu. Nightly your choices
change but the offerings are identical in both. Dinner here is included and
dining times are at your discretion from 5:30 to 9:30PM. Reservations are not
required but can be made. The Four Seasons is mid ship while the Seven Seas is
aft.
Garden Café/Great Outdoor Cafe – this
is the buffet restaurant on deck 11 that is open for breakfast, lunch and
dinner. Omelet stations, pasta stations, and carving stations enhance the
buffet experience and is a great alternative for those seeking a quick bite
while poolside or a truly casual dinner.
Il Adagio – This specialty restaurant
is open for breakfast and lunch for VIPs and suite guests. The concierge is
also here during those times to assist these guests with booking dinner, shore
excursions, etc. This is a very nice perk for the VIPs. In the evening, Il
Adagio is a reservation only specialty Italian restaurant. There is a $15
surcharge. The menu is diverse featuring classic Italian fare.
Le Bistro – This French restaurant
was my favorite of the dining options on the Sun. The escargot was fantastic as
was the bouillabaisse! An extensive wine list also featured many great French
reds. The cover charge here is $25 and well worth the visit. Excellent
service!
Teppanyaki – the classic Japanese
hibachi experience. Fun and experiences chefs prepare seafood, poultry and beef
to order. Beware the flying shrimp! This is one of the most popular dining
experiences on the Sun and should be booked early. $25 surcharge.
Ginza – Sushi, sushi and more sushi!
Made to order sashimi and sushi is available at very reasonable a la carte
pricing. This was also among my favorite dining options on the ship. The sushi
chef was experienced and accommodated several “off the menu” requests.
Moderno – the Brazilian steakhouse or
“churasscarria”. At $20 surcharge, you can eat to your heart’s content. Prime
cuts of chicken, lamb, sausage and beef (pichana was especially good) are served
gaucho style until you flip your card from green to red. Skip lunch is your
planning on dinner here!
East Meets West – the classic
American steakhouse has a $30 surcharge and features prime cuts of beef, chops
and seafood with traditional side dishes.
THE STATEROOMS
The Norwegian Sun has several categories of
staterooms from suites to interiors. I was in a standard balcony stateroom that
was well appointed and I would estimate at about 200 sq ft. Cabin amenities
included a mini fridge and mini bar, safe, hair dryer, flat screen TV, ship to
shore telephone and ample closet and drawer space. This is a very comfortable
accommodation and likely the choice for most incentive programs. The bathrooms
are a bit small with only showers. The suites have larger bathrooms and tubs.
There are less than 20 suites, however, but this again is expected for a ship
built in 2001.
THE ITINERARY
 I
had the pleasure of sailing on a very nice itinerary. This was a 10 day cruise
round trip from Miami featuring some of the best of the
Southern Caribbean. Aruba and Curacao are both winners and offer great beaches,
golf and shopping. From there is was to Barbados which is probably my new
favorite port. If you go, make sure to visit Cuz’s fish stand for the best
$5.50 you’ll ever spend and then head over to Harbour Lights for a perfect beach
day. Barbadians are very welcoming and this island is truly beautiful and
friendly. From Barbados, we traveled to Guadeloupe. Point a Pitre is a major
city and a busy spot on this French island. The Euro reigns here so be ready to
drop some coin but there are some fabulous French eateries within walking
distance. I didn’t venture to the beaches which were about a 20 Euro ride away
but hear from several guests that they were magnificent. I ended my trip in St.
Thomas and flew home from there as we spent 8 days onboard this cruise that had
2 more sea days and a return to Miami.
THE EXPERIENCE
All in all, the NCL experience was very
good.
 Freestyle
Cruising is particularly pleasing to me. I never felt rushed and didn’t stand
in many lines – both a major plus! The food in the main dining rooms was good
but the specialty dining rooms really offered the best dining. NCL offers a
dining package for around $130 that allows you to eat in any or all of the
specialties whenever you like and as many times as you like. This is the way to
go on the Sun. Group dining can be arranged and buyouts of specialties are also
available. The service was genuinely friendly and the staff was always eager to
assist. The bartenders at Topsiders and the Observation Lounge were truly great
with fantastic memories of our names and what we liked. While I didn’t
personally experience the Mandara Spa, they had all of the expected offerings in
treatments and salon services.
In conclusion, I think that Freestyle
Cruising on the Norwegian Sun can offer a unique opportunity to host a group.
There is ample time and space for private events and as I mentioned group dining
and buyouts can also be done. The ship operates in the Caribbean and Alaska
seasonally. Feel free to contract me with any questions or to discuss a future
possibility. |
