Overall Score

BERLITZ'S RATING
	Possible	Achieved
Ship	500	410
Accommodation	200	152
Food	400	286
Service	400	284
Entertainment	100	78
Cruise	400	304

How this score is created

Norwegian Sun is a close sister ship to Pride of Aloha (fomerly Norwegian Sky) but with improved outfitting and finishing detail, plus one additional deck of balcony cabins, and crew cabins were added to accommodate an extra 200 crew, needed for the Freestyle dining concept. The amount of outdoor space is quite good, especially the ultra-wide pool deck, with its two swimming pools and four Jacuzzi tubs, and plenty of sunloungers, albeit arranged in rows, camp-style.

A separate cabaret venue, Dazzles Lounge, has an extremely long bar. Other features include a large casino (this will operate 24 hours a day, with special facilities and rooms for high-rollers and “club” members), a shopping arcade, children’s playroom (there is also a splash pool in a prime open deck area), and a video arcade.

Other facilities include a small conference room, library and beauty salon, a lounge for smoking cigars and drinking cognac, and an internet cafe, located on the Promenade Deck within the ship’s atrium lobby, with 20 computer stations. Numerous shops showcase a wide range of goods, from inexpensive to very expensive.

Young passengers will find an array of facilities, which include a children’s playroom called Kid’s Corner (for “junior sailors” ages 3–5; (First Mates (ages 6–9); Navigators (ages 10–12); and Teens (ages 13–17).

With this ship, Norwegian Cruise Line has made an effort to provide more and better public rooms and more entertainment facilities than aboard its smaller ships. There are certainly plenty of options for eating. But the ship is full of revenue centers, designed to help you part you from your money. You can expect to be subjected to a stream of flyers advertising daily art auctions, “designer” watches, and other promotions, while “artworks” for auction are strewn throughout the ship.

Gratuities for staff are added to your onboard account at $10 per person, per day; you can, however, reduce or otherwise amend these before you disembark, but in May 2005 the gratuity became a non-adjustable “service charge.” In addition, a 15% gratuity is added to bar and spa accounts. The onboard currency is the US dollar.

The standard interior (no view) and outside-view cabins are very small when compared to those of other major cruise lines. The food in the large dining rooms is a weak point. There are many plastic plates, Styrofoam and plastic cups and plastic stirrers in use in the casual eateries.

Berlitz Guide © Apa Publishing 2008