[ Cruise Reviews ]  [ Port Reviews ] [ Cruise Chat ]  [ Cruise Links ]  [ News ]

Susan Peterson

Age: 53
Occupation: college professor
Number of Cruises: 1
Cruise Line: Norwegian
Ship: Sun
Sailing Date: November 13th, 2004
Itinerary: Western Caribbean

We left Little Rock on November 12, a day prior to the cruise, having made our own arrangements for air travel. I got a queasy feeling when trying to print our boarding passes at home before leaving for the airport – I called the airline, learned our USAir flight was delayed and we wouldn’t make our connecting flight into Miami. Rather than putting us on a late evening flight, we were re-routed on American and arrived in Miami early evening only about an hour later than our original arrival time. I hoped that the air problem would be our only glitch, not a precursor of future problems, and I was glad we had ample time to make other arrangements ahead of time rather than getting bad news at the airport.

We stayed at the Best Western Inn on the Bay. For about $89 (plus taxes) the package included airport pickup (had a ½ hour wait because the driver had just left the airport), the typical free breakfast, and morning transportation to the Port of Miami. The hotel is nothing special and the breezeways could use a good cleaning, but there are several good restaurants within walking distance including Oggi, Benihana, and Roger’s, the latter of which we chose and can highly recommend (the mahi mahi with lobster mashed potatoes and the grilled tuna sandwich were outstanding.) Hotels near the airport could probably be obtained for less, but I was concerned with noise and wanted to have at least a little flavor of Miami.

We were given the choice of leaving for the port at either 11:00 or noon, and we chose the earlier departure, which worked out nicely. The van was packed with Canadians and Americans sharing prior cruise experiences who were now ready to board the Sun. At the port we were checked in immediately (ID’s and key cards were processed) and had very little wait time in the “holding pen” atmosphere. (Note that construction is in progress at the port.) During boarding, my husband declined having our photo taken and it was not a problem. In fact, the couple behind us followed in our footsteps! Walking onto the ship we became acquainted with the antiseptic bubble for cleaning hands – no complaints there, knowing that such precautions are necessary!

We booked a balcony room and it was well worth it! Our room on deck 10, mid-ship was spacious, had plenty of storage, and included such amenities as 110/220 volt plugs, coffee maker, a safe for valuables, shampoo and liquid soap in shower, and two deck chairs on the balcony. Our luggage arrived before 1:30, and we immediately unpacked and made ourselves at home by attacking the buffet on deck 11, the pool deck. Before we knew it, the ship was sailing away – time for the cast-off party barbeque where drinks were being pushed from all directions! Buying beer in the returnable helmets was the best buy with six for the price for one. Be sure to save your ticket for the helmet deposit to get credited for its return.

Excursions
The ship stopped at the Cayman Islands, Roatan Island (Honduras), Belize, and Cozumel. At Georgetown Cayman Islands we booked a local tour of the island at the pier. There was not much to see there; the most interesting aspect was the rebuilding from the hurricanes the prior month. I was disappointed and found the flat landscape unappealing. Some people we knew went snorkeling on the beach that is walking distance from the pier. They reported that it was very nice with quite an array of fish species.

In Roatan I visited the Sante Wellness Center and Day Spa, which I found on the Internet. At the pier we were met by a driver and rode about 30 minutes to the spa located at Parrot Tree Plantation, one of the loveliest places on the island, quite a contrast to the poverty seen everywhere. I scheduled a full massage, salt scrub and wrap; my husband simply enjoyed reading on the deck and exploring the area. We ate a delicious lobster and pasta lunch there. Sante’s prices were much more reasonable than the ship spa, and we got to see the island and meet friendly people.

Belize. Prior to arriving in Belize, we met two other couples during dinner who, after hearing about the cave tubing trip, decided they would also like to try it. Rather than book through NCL ($95), we went together and took our chances of finding someone at the dock to take us. This approach worked very well. At the pier there were plenty of excursion offers, and George, the haggler among us, talked a guide, Vincent, into the trip for $55 each, excluding lunch. We somehow survived the van ride to Jaguar Paw, a miracle considering the driving speed and road conditions. (I believe we were trying to beat the large tour busses, which we did.) We changed, got our tubes and headlights and hiked 30 minutes through the rain forest (partial downpour and nasty mosquitoes). But once we got to the river and into the caves, our efforts really paid off! The interior beauty, natural formations, and play of azure light on the walls and water cannot be described. Vincent stayed with us, maintaining our safety in some tricky situations. It was over too soon and we were back in town before we knew it. I was glad we skipped lunch in the jungle – we had snacks and drinks back in town instead, no mosquitoes.

Cozumel was the most modern of the ports we visited. There, shoppers are loosened up to spend mucho dinero by being plied with free shots of tequila. On our own, we took a taxi to Chankanab ($10) to snorkel. Admission is $12 each, gear rental about $8, fish and coral sighting, priceless. Again, we enjoyed being on our own, able to come and go at our own pace.

Freestyle Dining and Entertainment

We, and most of the people we met, truly enjoyed the “freestyle” experience, being able to dine any time any place. In the restaurants you have the option of being seated alone or with others, which we usually did, and made many friends and acquaintances. We did notice the service was curt on occasion and sometimes lengthy (2 ½ hours to dine someone complained). Whether this is an indirect result of freestyle, I don’t know. On our last evening we opted to eat with our new friends at the specialty restaurant East Meets West. It was well worth the additional $10 charge. One in our party ordered the sushi platter – amazing!

The food at the buffet was, well, typical buffet food, but it did vary from day to day. The indoor seating for the buffet was typically crowded and noisy and sometimes too warm, but quiet spots could be found in other areas if you looked for them. We opted all breakfasts and most lunches in the Garden Restaurant and ate dinners in the Seven Seas. Be sure to orient yourself to the Tapas bar, pizza, sandwich, and ice cream bars early.

There were only a few “downsides” to the trip. Our balcony was wonderful, but we were flanked by smokers on both sides. If a smoker was out, we went in, which hampered our enjoyment of sitting outdoors at port and when sailing. (Why not put smokers on one side or near the back of the ship?) We could not detect smoke when inside our room, thankfully, since my husband is very allergic to it. The other negative was the result of our room location on the Norway deck. One evening, the constant booming of bass kept us awake (pool party) and early morning scraping and shuffling of the deck chairs could sometimes be heard. Be aware that the bed has the European style duvet only (no top sheet, but not a problem). As far as maintenance of the room goes, I felt like I was in a hotel that cleaned the room in the morning and turned down the bed and tidied up in the evening. Adequate, but not beyond. Although I have a good sense of direction, I was still “turned around” the last day of the cruise, never sure I got somewhere the most efficient way.

The entertainment was outstanding, especially the singing duo Twice as Nice. We loved it all - karaoke, the art auctions (free champagne), Friday afternoon chocolate buffet, the shows! Making us aware of all the offerings was Colin, our cruise director par excellence, who had everyone in hysterics. The age range of the passengers was varied, and there were not too many children this time of year, a factor we took into account when booking.

Would I recommend Norwegian Sun and freestyle? You bet! Would my husband, who was ambivalent about going in the first place, want to go on another? Yes! Now there’s an endorsement!

Ask a Question About NCL, Norwegian Cruise Lines

Home Based Travel Agent