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Norwegian Sun |
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Miami – Costa Maya – Roatan – Belize City – Cozumel – Miami
The
Norwegian Sun, built in 1999,
was the last ship NCL launched before the truly “Freestyle” designed new
builds which include
The Ship I found the ship to be in excellent condition. The public areas are aesthetically pleasing and the overall maintenance to the ship is evident. On several occasions during my cruise, I noticed crew working on and cleaning both interior and exterior areas. The attention to upkeep is noticeable as the ship is in excellent shape. The ship’s layout is done well, with the exception of a handful of staterooms which are located on deck 6a and are not accessible by elevator. The public areas are mainly on decks 5, 6, and 7. The restaurants are spread between decks 4 and 12. The Public Rooms Stardust Lounge (capacity 1,066) – Located on deck 6 and 7 aft, this two level theatre is the ship’s main lounge and is where the main shows are presented nightly. The Stardust Lounge features comfortable seating, straight sight lines, and excellent audio visual equipment. For large groups, this lounge could be used for theatre-style meetings and special performances. I wouldn’t suggest cocktail receptions in this lounge unless necessitated by the size of the group. The ship offers better areas for this. Observation Lounge (capacity 342) – Located on deck 12 forward, this room features panoramic ocean views across the bow of the vessel. This lounge features live music throughout the cruise in the evenings and is best suited for private cocktail parties. Dazzles Nightclub (capacity 335) – Located on deck 6 midship, Dazzles is the ship’s disco complete with neon lighting, large dancefloor and an excellent sound system. The room can be used for meetings and events as there are doors that can be shut on both ends of the lounge. However, being situated midship, guests need to walk through this lounge to get forward or aft. Therefore, this room is the last option for a private event in my opinion. Windjammer Bar / Havana Club (capacity 64 / 31) – The Windjammer bar is located on deck 6, just aft of Dazzles nightclub and is a great bar. Rich wood and leather seats are featured here. The nautical décor is very nice also. This is a great place to unwind and enjoy a pre dinner cocktail if you are dining in the vicinity. The Havana Club is basically the back area of the Windjammer and is a cigar bar, featuring comfortable seating and a well stocked humidor. Neither offers any privacy being located on the promenade so these are not ideal locales for private events. Sports Bar (capacity 62) – Located on deck 11 aft, the Sports Bar features many televisions broadcasting the events of the day. I was lucky enough to be onboard during the World Series and this was the place to be to watch the games. During the daytime, soccer is the broadcast of choice. On Sunday, the NFL game of the day was also on here. This room could be used for a private event if the theme was desired. There are various other public rooms and lounges. The deck bars are well staffed and are a great place to enjoy the days at sea. The Java Café offers many coffee specialties and is conveniently located near the internet café on deck 6. The Champagne Bar features champagnes and wines by the glass and is located on deck 6 also. The Restaurants Four Seasons Restaurant (capacity 564) – Located on deck 5 midship, the Four Seasons is one of the ship’s main restaurants. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the Four Seasons features international cuisine. Freestyle cruising allows you to choose when to dine with the Four Seasons being open from 6 – 11 for dinner nightly. The food was well prepared and service was good. The wine list was thorough, offering several wines in each price category. Seven Seas Restaurant (capacity 594) – The Seven Seas is the second of the ship’s main restaurants and features the same menu as the Four Seasons. The Seven Seas is located on Deck 5 aft. Il Adagio Restaurant (capacity 84) – This is the Italian specialty restaurant located on deck 5 midship. There is a $12.50 per person surcharge here and it is well worth it. The food was excellent as was the service. The menu offers many choices. The veal chop was prepared perfectly and may have been the best meal I have ever had on a mass market cruise ship. This is a “don’t miss” for the NCL Sun. Le Bistro Restaurant (capacity 90) – Located on deck 12 aft, Le Bisto is the French specialty restaurant. A $15.00 per person surcharge applies at Le Bistro. Once again a diverse menu and excellent service is delivered. The menu is truly more international than French, but overall this was a very good dining experience. Ginza (capacity 165) – Located on deck 12 aft, Ginza is the ship’s Japanese specialty restaurant and features a sushi bar and teppanyaki room. I dined in the teppanyaki room and the chefs were true showmen and the food was good. We enjoyed sushi as well and the sushi chef was excellent, accommodating our requests for sushi that was not featured on the menu. The restaurant has a $15.00 per person surcharge. Interesting is that sushi is offered a la carte and carry additional charges. There is a $10.00 per person “all you can eat” sushi choice, which is the best option for those that enjoy sushi. Sushi appetizers are available in the teppanyaki room and main menus and are included in the general surcharge. East Meets West (capacity 65) – This restaurant features Pan-Asian cuisine and is located on deck 12 aft. There is a $15 per person surcharge here but the food is excellent with the service to match. A creative menu combined with elegant presentation makes this another must-do on the Sun. Pacific Heights (capacity 102) – This specialty restaurant features innovative, healthy choices. Pacific Heights does require reservations, as do all specialty restaurants, but does not carry a surcharge. This restaurant is located on deck 11 aft also. Garden Café Restaurant (capacity 477) – Located on deck 11 aft, the Garden Café is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late night snacks. For breakfast, the buffet is supplemented with two omelet stations, a fresh fruit bar, and a hot cereal and oatmeal station. The food is refreshed often and the choices are fairly diverse. Lunch in the Garden Café is quite good with the buffet having various hot food choices along with soups and salads. Dinners are also good with carving stations, grilled steaks cooked to order, pasta stations, and salads. Las Ramblas Tapas Bar (capacity 81) – Located aft on deck 12, Las Ramblas is a great room reminiscent of a Spanish tapas bar. Open in the evenings, Las Ramblas feature authentic Spanish tapas. Live music accent the ambience here and the room is one of the best on the ship. I think this room is one of the best for a private cocktail venue. Other Notables The Norwegian Sun, as all NCL ships, feature the Mandara Spa, a leading operator of exotic resort spas in the world. The name "Mandara" comes from an ancient Sanskrit legend about the gods' quest to find the elixir of immortality and eternal youth. Mandara spa, originating in Bali, has embraced the legend. With over 45 land and sea-based spas worldwide and on Norwegian Cruise Line, they have developed unique and exotic spa treatments to reflect the beauty, spirit and traditions of Bali. The casino offered various table games and plenty of slot choices. The staff here is excellent and the gaming is lively. This is one of the best run casinos at sea for high rollers and beginners alike. NCL also has various internet and cellular phone packages. Guests are able to make and receive calls on their mobile phone while the ship is at sea through NCL’s Freestyle Cellular service (a partnership with AT&T). So long as you have a GSM phone and international plan, you can take advantage of this. The price varies depending on your plan and main carrier. My calls were billed to me at $1.49 per minute in total. This is a great deal considering calls from your stateroom are billed at $6.95 per minute. Check with your carrier for exact details. The internet café was quite busy with many plans available from $0.75 per minute to $0.25 per minute depending on volume purchases. The ship also has wi-fi hotspots and you can use your laptop or rent on onboard if you like. The Experience As a former NCL employee, I was very interested to see how the product had changed in the past 6 years. Also, I was very curious as to how the “Freestyle” cruising concept works on board. Overall, the cruise was very good. The ship’s staff is well trained and the cruise offers various entertainment and events for a wide spectrum of tastes. Freestyle cruising is an excellent innovation for individual guests, but has been a challenge for incentive programs. From what I experienced, I offer the following suggestions for a successful incentive program on NCL:
There is no doubt that NCL’s Freestyle Cruising concept allows guests more freedoms on their cruise. With a bit of planning and innovation, you can create a custom cruise incentive on NCL. We look forward to hearing from you and to assist with your next cruise program. Submitted by: Leon Banossian, October 23 – 30, 2004. The views expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of WWTCA. |
the Norwegian Star, Norwegian Dawn and, soon to come,
the Norwegian Jewel. At 77,000 tons the Sun was designed as a sister ship
to the Norwegian Sky (which has since been renamed the Pride of Aloha and
sails under NCL’s U.S.-Flagged arm – NCL America). The ship is mid-sized
by current standards, with a double occupancy capacity of 1936 guests.