Because the Miami airport is in the middle of a construction period, Hobbit Travel (Minneapolis) flew us into Ft. Lauderdale where we boarded buses to the ship in Miami. 30 minutes and we were at the dock. There were 8 of us traveling together and all but one couple were Latitudes members…Guess which one got on the ship first? The Latitudes lines were longer than the regular lines but it only took about 15 minutes and we were boarding the Sun. This was our 3rd cruise on the Sun, so it was like coming home. The first thing I noticed were the 6 or seven men painting the hull of the Sun. Hand sanitizers were available from the time you entered the ship and were placed near any of the food stations…and the ship was spotless for our week on board. The Sun is showing some wear and tear, but so am I. I’ve never had so many people say “Good Morning” to me in my life. The crew couldn’t have been more friendly or helpful. This was our 8th cruise on Norwegian Cruise lines and we have never had a bad experience. We like the Freestyle dining most of all. Some nights the 8 of us ate together, and some nights we chose to dine alone or share a table with others. The ease of choosing when and where you want to eat is what keeps us coming back. We’ve been on many other ships and the formality and stiffness was a turnoff. We ate mostly in the Seven Seas and the food choices were fairly varied. We ate the “Cold Soups” whenever they appeared on the menu. Some meals were much better than others, but overall we all were quite satisfied. The buffet was good and a nice change of pace from the main dining rooms. The Super bowl party was almost like being at the game. They had the game on a movie screen in the Stardust lounge, with hot dogs, hamburgers, beer, etc. and the staff in referee shirts…..Lots of opposing fans dressed in their team colors cheering and yelling, Great way to watch the game. We didn’t leave the dock at the scheduled time because of a delayed flight….but the captain said he didn’t want to disappoint 30 or so people
out of their vacation, so we waited….Nice touch.

Day 1 at Sea: What better than bask in the sun, eat lots of food and relax. It had been COLD in Florida when we arrived, but warmed up very nicely as we sailed deeper into the Caribbean.

2nd Day in Grand Cayman: After trying to get on the Island on our last two cruises, we finally made it. There was so much destruction from the hurricane. Buildings down, houses, trees all destroyed. We took a tour and did get to Hell and the turtle farm, but was sad to see so many people displaced. The shops were up and running and the beaches were near normal.

3rd Day in Roatan: We decided to take a tour of the island and were happy with the results. A beautiful place when you get a way from the docking area. Lush forests and the second longest coral reef in the world. The last time we were there, I bought a large stuffed toad that the locals sell and some of my grandkids asked me to get them one…so, I ended up bringing 4 more home this time.

4th Day in Belize: Tendering in was a little rough, but not as bad as we’ve seen. I went on the Old Belize River cruise and Altun Hu ruins. Got to see crocs, monkeys, parrots, toucans, lizards and manatees…..We didn’t get much time at the ruins, but did enjoy the time there. Not a bad way to see Belize.

5th Day in Cozumel: I got a high speed ride to the mainland and bordered buses to the Tulume Mayan ruins. You do get a rest stop included which happens to be a jewelry warehouse. Great jewelry there. Bought my wife a ruby/diamond pendant for Valentine’s Day. Our tour guide was a Mayan Indian that was very informative. We did get about 2 hours at the ruins and 190 digital pictures. I think the trip is well worth the price if Mayan ruins interest you.

6th Day at Sea: A rough ride all the way to Miami, but kind of fun swaying down the hallways. Sun, food, fun, relaxation and pack your bags.

Saturday: We took the Express Departure off the ship (which took less than 10 minutes) and on the busses back to Ft. Lauderdale.

We always have a fun time on any of the Norwegian Ships. We are set to go to Alaska again in June of 2006….and the Caribbean again this winter. The crew on the Sun couldn’t have been nicer, the food was good to great, the total entertainment package was outstanding. Nothing negative comes to mind (except coming back to Minnesota and a snowstorm).

 Thanks Norwegian Sun.