This was our 4th cruise with NCL so our expectations of a Freestyle Cruise and an exciting itinery were very high. Owing to the cruise being at the end of the European Season the passengers were somewhat elderly but that was not a problem and we just had to be patient when it came to standing in line and moving around busy areas.

The ship looked a little 'tired', although the crew did their best to keep it clean and tidy. I suspect a re-fit isn't too far away. I agree with the review from Roxy84 that the overall design of the ship is pretty poor. We too had problems finding our way around. We were on deck 10 so it was always a challenge finding the lower deck amenities. It was particularly unpleasant having to go through the smoke filled casino on several occasions. During bad weather it wasn't an option to use the Promenade Deck. The seating and buffet arrangements in the Garden Cafe were particularly poor with insufficient seating, even with the adjoining extra spaces, particularly at breakfast and lunch. A fellow guest summed it up well by saying that this ship is a summer ship with plenty of outside eating spaces which could not be used on most days on this stormy cruise.

We were very disappointed with the on-board activities programme. I know this itinery was a one off for NCL but I am sure they could have employed a visiting speaker or speakers to give something about the places we were visiting even if it were something to do with glaciation and plate tectonics. One film on Lief Ericson was the sole contribution towards an itinery which offered so much. All 3 of our previous cruises offered so much more which also applied to the other activities on the Sun which seemed to centre around bingo, trivia and mainly paid for activities. Consequently we spent more time in our stateroom than we anticipated. Read more