Wonderful itinerary with 2 sea days and 2 Mexico ports. Love the older, smaller, quieter ship personally. Only negative was the constant wind and wave action making the ship rock and roll the whole time crossing the gulf and Yucatán channel. I will sail on the Sun again but not crossing the gulf in winter. Hoping Cuba opens back up - it was a perfect ship for a short itinerary like that or Nassau.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
I’ve never had lines to check in on NCL in PC before but this time at 11:30 am there was a long line that took 20 minutes or so. Once signed in We went straight to the ship.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
MDR: menu options not very exciting and were very repetitive. Breakfast in MDR was a nice way to start the day and on the last day while waiting to disembark. Buffets: OK. Didn’t feel crowded but again options were repetitive. Breakfast was good and included omelette station and eggs Benedict. Moderno had a waffle station and a continental breakfast buffet and was a quieter alternative.
Windjammer Bar
5 out of 5
Best bar and best bartenders on ship! Small venue but always packed due to the live music with sing along every nite. Jason rocks!! The pianist is awesome too (sorry! forgot his name!) .
Seven Seas Main Dining Room
3 out of 5
Slow service sometimes. Limited menu options. Overall nice meals here but allow a couple hours for dinner. Breakfast is good here - nice way to start the day and on the last day while waiting to disembark.
Four Seasons Dining Room
4 out of 5
Nice views on back of ship. Limited menu options and varying levels of service depending on the staff assigned to your table. Slow dining experience.
Topsiders Bar and Grill
3 out of 5
Busy pool bar. Roped queue lines set up on sea days. Slow. Better idea - sit down and let a waiter bring your drinks!
Great Outdoors
5 out of 5
Best views from back of ship while eating or drinking. One of the best bars on the ship. Good shade with the large umbrellas overhead.
Garden Cafe
3 out of 5
Can be crowded with people going all different directions. Limited offerings but pretty good, basic food.
Sports Bar
4 out of 5
Smoking area and smoke can be pretty strong. Great view on deck 12.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Very limited activities on pool deck. Watched the silly pool contests and had live music for a couple of sets per day. Best entertainment by far were the sing-along singer/musicians in the Windjammer bar every evening. Jason rocks!
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Comedian did an adult show one nite and it was truly funny. Didn’t see the other shows.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Best room steward I’ve had in many cruises (deck 11 forward). MDR staff was hit or miss but the manager was very accommodating with some special requests and even ordered a dessert my party loved from a previous night that was not on the menu.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
This ship has a confusing layout due to the position of the Four Seasons restaurant in the middle of deck 5. To get from front of Ship to back on deck 5 or 6 you have to take 2 different elevators and/or stairs. After 2nd cruise on this ship I finally figured it out.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Beautiful “BC” category balcony cabin that is a hidden gem, sandwiched between 2 suites and has a double size balcony and is larger and wider than an average balcony. Nicely furnished with upgraded outdoor furniture (like adjacent suites), amazing forward views (cabin is directly above the bridge) and the room steward service was flawless. Only downside was the ship movement was far more noticeable being that far forward and that high,
So I will book this cabin again but not in winter and not for a gulf crossing. I was seasick for the first time in 35 cruises.
Ship tip
Great for adults who prefer fewer children since there are fewer activities and toys for kids
Nice port area with shopping, bars and restaurants and a large pool. I would not stay in the port area. A short taxi to the village of Mahahual gives you a much more authentic Mexican experience. Gritty little town but lined with beautiful beaches and little beach clubs. We booked chairs at Tropicante (free) and had awesome fish tacos and drinks all day. My total bill was under $20US.
Punta Langosta pier is very convenient to downtown (as opposed to the 2 other piers requiring a taxi to get downtown). Did not do a beach or tour this time (30+ times in Cozumel) so just walked around the town and shopped.
Unbelievably easy! No line to exit ship-bags waiting in port building and literally no one manning the customs booths so we sailed right through to the outside in less than 5 minutes!
Sailed on the Sun in October & 1st time from Port Canaveral. Direct flight to Orlando 45 minute shuttle to ship , embarkation a breeze , smaller ship but relaxing
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