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Gregory W. Varley

Age: 37
Occupation: Travel Agent
Number of Cruises: 18+
Cruise Line: NCL
Name of Ship: Norwegian Sun
Sailing Date: June 22nd, 2003
Itinerary: Alaska

INTRODUCTION

As a travel agent of 10 years with several cruises under my belt, this was my first cruise to Alaska. I have been to Alaska before, but the first trip was an interior trip in a motor home. I may add that there were no travel agent discounts on this trip. I paid retail as a Latitudes member. I booked the trip about 2 months prior, and booked my wife and three children ages 3, 4, and 7 in a Balcony Category BC room (8040). An interesting note is that there are only 8 cabins on the SUN that will accommodate 5 people. 4 are Balcony cabins, and 4 are inside cabins. This is rare for most cruise lines with the exception of Carnival who will allow 5 in any cabin with a rollaway.

As far as the air is concerned, I booked my own air using Delta into Seattle. The price was only 240 RT from Fort Lauderdale, which is far below what NCL was offering.

PRE CRUISE SEATTLE STAY

We arrived in Seattle 2 nights prior to the cruise. I booked a room at the Hilton Homewood Suites in downtown Seattle. We rented a car from Avis. The parking at the Homewood is 9.00 a night, and is indoors and secured. The room was nice although smelled of smoke. The breakfast buffet was adequate, and very crowded after 9 am. The first day, having arrived there at 1030 am, we ate lunch in China Town (very good Dim Sum at the China Gate) After that, we napped for a while, then drove downtown to take in a movie. I was surprised how early everything closed downtown, even on a Friday night. Still on East Coast time, we got back to the room late, and slept in the next morning. The kids did so well.

The next morning, we drove 20 minutes to Chittenden Locks to watch boats go through the locks, and a salmon ladder. This was a great excursion, and the best of all, it was free! We then went to the Flight Museum where we were able to board Air Force One, the actual plan used by Nixon, Kennedy and Johnson. After than, we drove to Pikes Market, and walked around downtown. We also visited the Seattle Aquarium which the kids loved! Back to the hotel for a nap, and dinner at Anthony’s at Pier 66, a family friendly moderately priced seafood restaurant.

We woke early on Sunday morning, and arrived at the pier at about 10 am to drop off our luggage. After that, we drove to the downtown Avis location and turned in the car. It was a 5.00 cab ride back to the pier from there. I think the car total was about 70.00 for the two days. Not bad considering a cab ride from SEA is about 25.

EMBARKATION

We arrived back at the pier about 1045 and checked in at the Latitudes check in area with no line whatsoever. We were escorted to a special waiting lounge for Latitudes members which was well stocked with juice and pastries. As soon as the ship was ready to receive passengers, (about 1130 am), we were promptly escorted onboard with no lines at all. We were onboard and in our room in no time. After exploring the room, and checking out the balcony, we started off to see the rest of the ship. (and make dining reservations and Mandara Spa appointments)

STATEROOM

I will say again that we have been on many ships, both new and old, and I must say that this was the most well appointed stateroom we have ever had. There were many nooks and niches to store things. The bathroom was of normal size for this category. I’ve been in a lot smaller, that’s for sure. The balcony was smaller than usual, but nice none the less. There was a hook for securing the door, which we left open every night. How nice it was to hear the water at night. It was never too cold to leave the door open. There were two chairs and a small table on the balcony. The room was equipped with a king bed, king pull out sofa bed, and an upper berth that would easily accommodate 5 people, especially smaller kids. The décor of the room was nice as well include with a television with many channels to choose from. I would note that my cell phone had service throughout most of the week. I was able to make and receive calls right from the room with my cell phone most of the time. My only complaint on the room would be that there was a “dirty mop” odor in the bath room most of the time. I spoke with the cabin steward about it, and he replied that it was coming from the drains. If we kept them covered, the smell was minimized.

FOOD

Let me begin by stating that I am very picky when it comes to cruise ship food. It takes a lot to please me. I will say that by a good margin, this ship had the best food I have had in quite a while at sea. We first ate in the Pacific Heights dining room (the healthy alternative) The food was not great but good nonetheless. Everyplace else that we ate was superb! We dined in both 4 seas and 7 seas dining rooms, Le Bistro, and Las Ramblas, and found the food to be wonderful. Even the casual buffets were great. No complaints on the food at all. We never made it to Ginza’s, East meets West, or Adagios, but I understand it was good as well. I will note that the menus in both the main dining rooms are different. The meats are the same, but prepared differently. In addition, room service was also great, with a delivery time of about 30 mins in most cases.

As far as the service, I will say that I believe that the “freestyle” concept regarding automatic tipping, and dining at different tables each night, affects the waiter service. I would say that 3 of 7 nights, the service was below par. Don’t let that discourage you though; the food is worth the wait!

We took advantage of the unlimited soda program for 28.75 for a sticker on your key card. With that you could get a soda at any bar, and any restaurant with no additional charge. No need to buy more than one, as they never checked the name on the card.


CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS

As I stated before, we have three kids, ages 3, 4, and 7, and all were enrolled in the Kids Corner program. I will say that compared to Caribbean cruises, the kids staff has a great schedule….for them that is. The programs operate much less than Caribbean sailings and those folks have a lot of time off. The kids loved every minute of the programs which on sea days, ran 9a-12p, 2p-5p, and 7p-10p. With the freestyle dining, we were able to feed the kids either through room service, or the buffet, then drop them off for their program, then a romantic dinner for two, a little casino action, and a show or dancing before picking up the kids at 10. When we picked them up, we would take them dancing for a bit, then off to bed. We didn’t partake of the evening baby sitting at 11.00 an hour for the three kids…way too much money.

ENTERTAINMENT

We were able to make it to two of the Jean Ann Ryan productions, and I found them to be very good. I have seen better, but these were good nonetheless. The comedian was very amusing as well. The ships cruise director, Paul Baya was very funny and very involved in many activities, as was his staff. There were art auctions almost everyday, the usual progressive bingo (complete with Bingo Matic electronic bingo devices) They seemed to really push the ships lottery cards, called “Krack-its”, which got progressively cheaper as the week pressed on. There were plenty of shows, lectures, computer classes, etc to keep one busy all the time. We had mild days, and I even say folks in the pool at times, and the hot tubs were always occupied. They kept the pools at about 79, and the hot tubs at 100 degrees.

During the first 2 days of the cruise, the ship’s photographers offer an unlimited photo package for 169. You get every photo they take! Needless to say, we went home with a lot of photos. They are normally 10.00 for the 5X7’s and 20.00 for the 8X10 portraits. We got our moneys worth, that’s for sure. This is an incredible bargain, if you like pictures. We had family portraits done several times.

SHOPPING ON BOARD

The ships shopping concession for jewelry is operated by Columbian Emeralds, which is a chain seen widely in the Caribbean. The clothing and liquor venue is run by a British firm. They were open most all the time, and ran the usual specials. Prices were comparable to those ashore.

SPA SERVICES

We booked our Spa treatments right after arriving on board. I wanted to get a massage on the first day at sea, to start the cruise off right. I booked the “Perfect Day” package at 160. which consisted of 2 body wraps, a mini facial, and a back, head and shoulders massage as well as a foot and ankle massage. This was a great treatment, and well worth it. I was happy that the therapist didn’t really push their potions on you after it was all done as is done on other ships. Keep in mind, gratuities of 15% are automatically added. My wife booked a Japanese facial, foot and ankle massage, and complete manicure and pedicure for about 170 as well. Having to make the choice over again, I would have booked the four hand massage, done by two therapists at the same time. I understand they literally have to carry you back to your room when that is done. That runs about 180. Watch for latitudes discounts as well as other specials throughout the week. Book early, space goes fast

PORTS OF CALL – SHORE EXCURSIONS

JUNEAU

I will say that I booked all our excursions ahead of time, and not through NCL. Most of the advice came from those on Cruise Critic and other boards. Juneau was very nice, and the largest of the ports visited. We pre-booked Orca Enterprises with Captain Larry for a whale watching tour. We met at the office, and were taken by van to the boat about 15 minutes away. We weren’t out for very a few minutes before seeing bald eagles, and our first whale, which ended up fluking (showing its tail) within 20 yards from the boat. I will say that this trip is well worth it, and we saw several hump back whales, sea lions, and other marine life, with plenty of photo opportunities. Check them out at www.orcaenterprises.com They are less expensive than the cruise excursion, and far superior. After returning to Juneau, we walked around a bit, bought some fudge at the Alaska Fudge Factory, then headed back for dinner. A great day in Juneau!

SKAGWAY

I had pre-booked a rental car in Skagway with Avis. A bit pricy for a full-size at 70.00 for the day, but far cheaper than any excursion. The alternative was the White Pass Rail Tour, but I was afraid that the kids would get bored on that for 3 hours. Besides, we were able to stop where we wanted with the car, and get all the photos we needed. All in all, I took over 500 digital pictures. We drove up through White Pass, and to Carcross where we visited a Museum of sorts that displayed several mounted Alaska wildlife which was very well done, and a bargain at 17.00 Canadian for entry for the family. They had some adorable 6 week ponies roaming free in the parking lot that the kids just loved! While driving back, I stopped in the pass for the kids to throw snowballs in a small snow drift, before heading back to Skagway (1.5 hours each way). Some of the most incredible scenery you’ve ever seen. Many photo ops! The road parallels the rail in many places, and is far cheaper, although I would have liked to take the train. Maybe next time.

We stopped at the Gold Dredge for a few minutes of gold panning (15.00). I was able to get about 10 tiny gold pieces to give my son as a souvenir. He was thrilled to be able to do that! The complete tour was way too pricy, so we opted for the panning only.

We stopped at a few places in Skagway for shopping before turning in the car and heading back to the ship.

GLACIER BAY

Spending the morning cruising Glacier Bay was surely one of the highlight of the cruise. The ship pulled right alongside the Marjorie Glacier at 25 stories tall. We seemed to get within 50 yards, and the sound of hearing the glacier calve into the sea was unbelievable. What a joy it was to experience that from our balcony. Truly a wonderful experience.

KETCHIKAN

I believe Ketchikan to be my favorite port on the cruise, and I was disappointed to only spend 5 hours there. NCL should allow for more time at this stop. I pre-booked a float plane trip to Misty Fjord with my son with Southeast Aviation. They were wonderful. Check them out at www.southeastaviation.com and ask for Jim Kosmos, one of the owners. They had great prices, and the personal service was second to none. Theses guys know their stuff, and they are using two DeHaviland Beavers, which are great little 5 passenger plans. We flew way up into the Fjord, landed at a remote lake, right in time to watch a 600 lb Alaskan Brown Bear eating some grass (The salmon haven’t started their run yet, so the bears are still eating grass) She was truly neat to watch, and not at all intimidated by our presence. We were able to get out, stand on the floats for a bit, and take photos. We had great weather, and great visibility. Believe me when I tell you, this is a must as far as shore excursions go! Give Jim a call, and tell him Greg, the travel agent from Florida recommended him. You won’t be disappointed. By the time we got back, we had about an hour to shop, and off we went, headed for Victoria, BC

VICTORIA B.C.

The weather in Victoria was in the high 70’s and perfect for shorts. We had to take a 6.00 cab ride into town from the pier. Plenty of shopping. We ended up spending 200 CAD at the GAP getting some great deals, and great exchange on the dollar using our American credit card. There was a festival going on which added a lot of life to the downtown area. I would truly like to return to Victoria some day, and spend a couple of days. We were back on the ship for our 4 hour cruise back to Seattle. This time, we were actually sad that our cruise was over. Usually we are ready to get home at the end of a 7-day cruise.

DISEMBARKATION

NCL has it down to a science I will say. We woke about 8am, had breakfast, and while our color was called, we walked right off the ship and got our luggage. The whole process took no longer than 10 minutes. We hailed a cab back to the Avis lot, and rented a car for one day, as our flight left early the next day. Freestyle disembarkation is the way to go!

POST CRUISE

I booked a room at the SEATAC Marriott which I will say is a VERY nice hotel! Very close and convenient to the airport. Parking is 12.00 a night, but there is free shuttle service to the terminal. The rooms are very well done in Pacific Northwest Décor, and there is a nice indoor pool area with a heated pool and Jacuzzis.

We went for another dim sum dinner in Chinatown, and took the kids to the Family Fun Center where they were able to play until 11pm. I wanted to wear them out for the flight home, early the next day.

We arrived at the airport about 2 hours early, which is recommended, as SEATAC still has some quirks in their security planning. The kids slept most of the way on the transcontinental flight back to Atlanta, and again to Florida. We brought a portable DVD player so the kids could watch their own movies on the flight. Money well spent!

SUMMARY

Kudos to NCL for a job well done. The ship is beautiful, and well maintained. Improvements can be made with the waiters, but that’s not a big issue. I believe that those of all ages would enjoy this cruise. There is plenty to do for all, and a great mix of people. The ships officers and crew did a wonderful job, and I rate this cruise 4.75 stars of a 5. I am looking forward to sailing with NCL again. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to email me at trintrav@bellsouth.net

Happy Cruising.

Greg V.

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