Norwegian Cruise Line’s
Sun
Ship Tour
February 26, 2011
Links (Click to view)
NCL has a new program called ‘Let’s Have Lunch”. It’s a great program that allows travel agents to tour the ship and have lunch while it’s in port for the day.
I picked up my friend Beth and we headed over to Port Canaveral, which is a 2.5 hour ride directly across Florida from my location. We had no traffic so we arrived at the pier, parked and headed to the terminal a few minutes after 10am. Security directed us to the ‘crew entrance’; it was nice they actually expected us! So many times I sign up for ship tours and when you arrive at the pier they are surprised to see you and have no idea where to send you.
With little delay we boarded the ship which had re-entered service one month ago after undergoing a multi-million dollar 12-day dry dock. The Freestyle Cruising ship received enhancements to its public areas, suites and restaurants. Following on the popularity of the Brazilian steakhouse that debuted on Norwegian Epic, the Moderno Churrascaria has been added as a new on-board restaurant. Guests can sample a variety of skewered meats presented by tableside passadors, as well as a salad bar. Additional updates and enhancements were made to some of the back-of-house areas of the ship to increase efficiencies.
We were greeted by Bruno Dentone part of the hospitality staff, who gave us permission to enter any cabins and take pictures as the ship was empty of passengers. We were to meet in 2 hours at the Seven Seas Dining room.
Beth and I decided to check out the Owners Suites on Deck 11. They were spacious as you would expect. The theme was upscale and comfortable. The room was complete with
a cappuccino machine in the living room and champagne chilling in the bedroom. The bathroom was huge by any cruise ship standards, it even had a full size Jacuzzi bathtub.
Since the forty travel agents were allowed to roam freely, we didn’t have the bottle neck of bodies all trying to see the same stateroom. We toured all classes of staterooms including balcony, ocean view and inside cabins. I was surprised at the size of the deluxe and superior inside staterooms, at 172 and 191 sq. feet each, they were larger than we had seen previously.
Within an hour we had seen the cabins and moved on to the public rooms just as the bells were sounding to announce the arrival of the guests. It was great fun to see the passengers giddy with excitement at the start of their week long cruise.
We toured the public venues including the casino, lounges, eateries, spa, fitness center and theater. The ship had the brand new feeling in all the public areas. It is nicely themed and relaxing. The restaurants were all very well themed and decorated to each category, whether it was an Italian, French or Brazilian restaurant.
We met for lunch in the main dining room, Seven Seas, which we enjoyed. We were served rib eye steak, salmon, lobster bisque, goat cheese and potato gratin, along with wine and a decadent chocolate cake.
After lunch we visited the Observation Lounge on deck 12, enjoyed meeting our Business Development Manager for a brief Q & A and then it was time to disembark. This was the hardest part of the day! We were tempted sail as stow-a-ways for the week!
Here is some background on the Sun
78,000 Tons
848 length
195 beam
1936 passengers (double occupancy)
950 crew
Home port is Port Canaveral October to April 2011 and 2012. Summers she sails in Europe.
Currently sailing Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises which can be combined for a 14 day back to back sailing experience.
State-of-the-art fitness center, a sports court, bars and lounges of all kinds, pools, hot tubs, kid’s centers, teen discos and more are all on board and included in your cruise fare.
Restaurants
There are several options for dining that do not require an up charge. These restaurants offer great food and as always are a great choice. They are:
Four Seasons Main Dining Room
Garden Café Buffet
Great Outdoor Café
Las Ramblas Tapas Bar and Restaurant
Seven Seas Main Dining Room
Four Seas Dining Room
Room Service
If you are celebrating a special occasion during your cruise you may like trying one of the upscale dining options. These require an up charge (listed) and reservations. They are:
East Meets West Steakhouse $25 pp
Ginza Sushi $15 pp
Il Adagio Italian Restaurant $10 pp
Le Bistro French Restaurant $20 pp
Moderno Churrascaria~Brazilian Steakhouse $20 pp
Teppanyaki $25 pp
Email: JEGTravels@gmail.com
Phone: 352.556.4437
Wow, all the pictures looks so great, must be worth the money.
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