Norwegian Sun -- No Frills Cruise

by Arandas
(Newtown, PA USA)




NCL Sun Balcony Room

NCL Sun Balcony Room

My girlfriend and I sailed the Norwegian Sun from LA to Vancouver. And even though we read the reviews and used an experienced travel agent, we were caught by surprise by the surcharges. This was not what NCL led us to expect.

Here's how it works. Most cruises are all-inclusive. You pay one price that includes your stateroom and meals. The problem is that many people don't care about good food.

When we wanted good food, we had to pay extra to go to the 1st class dining rooms. Total surcharges ran $40 to $60 for each couple for each meal. Even so, the quality was only that of a good diner.

Of course NCL doesn't call them 1st and 3rd class. You're just supposed to understand what "Freestyle" means, like knowing that "ice beer" had more alcohol even though it wasn't promoted as such. Even if food is not a big deal to you, I can't see that NCL is a good value. The freestyle cruise costs just as much as an all inclusive cruise, but there's no midnight buffet, no dressed up waiters, no towel folding, no formal night, fewer activities -- nothing to make it a fun holiday or a special occasion. RCCL and Carnival cost about the same and give you much more.




Comments for
Norwegian Sun -- No Frills Cruise

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UNREAL!
by: CarlosM

Carnival gives you more for your money????
HUH is this a joke?
I have been on Carnival twice and compare there less then 200 square feet suites to NCL's suites.
As the other poster said please stick with Carnival because that is where you belong.
Consumers need to start reading up and preparing for whats ahead..
If you would have then you would have known about the $12.00 per person per day tipping that can be adjusted..
99% of people who complain about the cruises are people who want something for nothing.
They make these derogatory posts with hopes that the Cruise lines will read what they post and give them something back because in reality they spent more then they can afford..
This is called buyer remorse!!
I did a ton of comparing between land based vacations and cruises and the two just dont compare.
You get so much more on a cruise and from a cruise.
Good luck to the cry babies in life you will need it.
But please stay off the boats!!

Thanks to the person who created this neutral forum..
NCL dining surcharges
by: C Cruise Dude

The ship has two Main Dining Rooms (MDR). They are free of charge except for pop and alcohol.
Arandas from PA
by: Anonymous

Guess you'd better stick with Carnival - you fit right in . . . . .
Thank you for your Honest Review
by: Melanie

It is always great to hear about peoples experiences on NCL. I hope you enjoyed your cruise, even with the things you didn't like about it.

I think it is great that there are different types of cruising as there are different types of people. The reason why I loved NCL was that I wasn't a fan of the "Traditional" cruise. The eating at a set time with the same people etc. I always felt like we were lining up for something, and in hoards of people. In fact I told my husband I didn't want to cruise anymore unless we could avoid that. Freestyle was perfect for us as we had many more choices.

I agree "freestyle" isn't for everyone. And to be honest if I was looking for a fine dining experience on a vacation, I would choose a cruise line or vacation where they crew didn't have to cook for at least 2000 people at once.

I still haven't found a cruiseline that can get the food thing right...I guess that Crystal or one of the 5-6 star cruise lines will have to be one that we try for good food.

Thank you again for your review.

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