I Took a Cruise on a Ship Designed in The 1990s | NCL Sun

When cruise lines advertise their cruises they’ll always show you the newest and the biggest ships but the average lifespan on a cruise ship is close to 30 years and almost all major cruise lines have cruise ships that are well over 20 years old. That means that ships that were originally launched with promotional videos like this, are still sailing and I’ve just disembarked a cruise on one.

I usually cruise on new big cruise ships but when I saw a cheap price for a cruise on an older ship cruising with Norwegian Cruise Line, I knew I had to give it a go. I cruised on a very similar ship when I was a child and at the time I thought the ship was incredible so I hoped this would be a walk down memory lane for me.

I knew that the ship wouldn’t have things like go karts or virtual reality which you do get on modern cruise ships but I also suspected that the entertainment, food and service would also be different on a ship like this.

I hoped that it wouldn’t be worse but as the cruise I took was half the price of a cruise on one of the newest ships I figured there must be some reason for that. I hoped that it wasn’t because the ship was more rocky as I do get seasick, we did have some bad weather on this cruise and the sick bags did come out, but more about that later.

I was hoping to book another cruise after this on an even older cruise ship designed in the 1980s, but that all rested on how much I enjoyed this one.

It was pouring with rain in Lisbon when we embarked the ship which was ironically called the Norwegian Sun. Embarkation was really fast and that was probably helped by the fact that the ship holds a maximum of 1900 people, the current biggest cruise ship in the world holds 7000 guests so under 2000 is a relatively small ship.

Usually when I get on a ship the first thing I do is explore but as I was drenched through from the rain I found a some public toilets onboard to get changed in and I did my best to dry my hair under the handryer. It actually worked surprisingly well and although I got lots of comments here about getting bacteria on my head, I’d do it again, it was better than going to lunch looking like I’d been swimming in my clothes.

On cruises your suitcases are taken from you at the port and they arrive later in your cabin so I made sure that I took a change of clothes out of my suitcase and put it into my bag before I handed it over.

Once I was changed and I had wiped all of the rain out of my eyes I was able to see the atrium in the middle of the ship. This is one area that has remained largely unchanged since the ship was launched. Because of the way that cruise ships are made they can’t really make any big structural changes later on, cruise ships are built in chunks, usually upside down and then they are joined together. The whole process takes a couple of years and they have to plan everything, right down to where things like TV screens will be so that the structure can support the weight.

I’m happy to report that Norwegian have changed the carpet from the original brightly coloured one that they had here though. This new design is much more subtle and I think it looks much better. Back in the 2000s, or what we in the UK call the naughties bright colours were everywhere on cruise ships and it felt like it wasn’t uncommon to have red chairs, yellow carpets and green walls. I like to think that the colourful carpets and chairs are still living their life out somewhere.

This atrium area really is the heart of the ship and it stretches right the way from deck 3 up to the pool deck on deck 12. Most cruise ships will have an atrium in the middle which is kind of like this. Some are much bigger and some are smaller. Here there was the entrance one of the main dining rooms, the reception, a little starbucks, a bar and lots of desks of people trying to sell cruise next certificates and specialty meals. We would often get a drink here when we came back from port and it was a great place to people watch.

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[EmmaCruises]

Famous last words in this video "I've heard that the Ambassador ship hasn't been refurbished to the same standards" << I did book the Ambassador cruise, I did go on the cruise and it was cancelled after 4 hours onboard. We had to disembark and go home... 😅😀


Have a great week ('ll be back live on Friday at 5pm UK)

[longmowervideo]

I was an inaugural crew member on the Sun (production singer). We lived on the ship in the shipyard in Bremerhaven while she was still being built. Our maiden voyage was September 10th, 2001…the day before the world changed. Ah, thank you for this walk down memory lane, Emma. Now I feel old. LOL!

[Ineeee]

As a crew member I am so glad the regular drill is back. Most guests don’t realize how important it is to do it the old school way and not digitally. It’s not just about knowing where to go, it’s taking direction, knowing how to line up, what not to bring and what to bring, being quiet and listening. Sometimes during drill explaining to people how to line up and stand take a few tries with each family and that’s just a drill. Imagine that in an emergency when people are nervous about what’s happening, it’s chaotic. This way IF there is an emergency, you remember what you did a few days ago and it would be so much easier to have everyone under control and safe.


Plus, loads of people think the drill is only about the guests but no! We crew members need to practice with actual people how to crowd manage. It’s not the same as people trickling in to scan their assembly station with a phone. Lining up 120 people, keeping them engaged enough to listen and make it bearable, dealing with challenges with unhappy guests, children, disability accommodations, all of that is super important to our training.

In order to keep everyone safe we need that practice, even if it’s annoying. Guest are upset they need to stand there for 20/30 minutes.
Imagine having to lead a guest drill twice a week 😂 but I do it gladly cause I know it’s what’s safest and I’m now confident I’d know what to do and how. ❤❤

[Zachtay]

We love the older but refurbished ships!! I was also designed in the 90’s but sadly have not had the refurbishment yet 🤣

[isilaydin]

Hi Emma, as someone who is not interested at all in going on an ocean cruise, i love your videos and keep watching them over and over, just because i enjoy your narrative so much! :) perhaps you have more viewers like me. 😇

[ragmondead]

I have never been on a cruise ship. I have never wanted to be on a cruise ship. I have little intention to ever go on a cruise ship.

But my gosh am I always excited to watch these videos. Emmas just so genuinely excited about the subject that it's infectious.

[jonathanfreedman]

Glad this ship is still around. I ran the gift shops on her launch for 6 months and the layouts look the same. At the time, she was the ship everyone wanted to be on as it offered more space for passengers. The ceremony in Miami with the NCL Dawn was fun as Kim Cattrall christened both ships.

[visitwithus]

We just LOVe the ships that are 2000 passengers. Such a shame they don't launch new ones this size any more. It's really interesting to see how weirdly dated some areas are. :)

[motaz]

we will miss these" low capacity " ships. in another 10 years they will all be gone and we will all be stuffed on these huge 6k+ passenger ships. no thanks.

[Steve-remd]

I cruised to South America in this ship about 8 years ago. The high point for us was cruising Cape Horn whilst we sat in a beautifully warm Jacuzzi. When you consider the old windjammers could spend 3 months attempting to round the Horn, the mind boggles! I am a retired Master Mariner, I am sure many folk would regard my love of cruising somewhat akin to a 'busman's holiday' but, as they say 'whatever floats your boat'! I also have to admit to enjoying Emma's reports- balanced, well researched and fun !

[latebloomerabroad]

This makes me want to go on this ship! I loved the old, smaller cruise ships and I also love the all-around promenade deck. My favorite thing to do is to look out into the dark ocean, as you described. I'm amazed how many new ships don't have spots where you can do that without having a balcony cabin.

[josiebriggs]

We love the older smaller ships. They are more intimate, have a friendly atmosphere, and are generally great fun to be on. My favourite (so far) is the now-decommissioned 'Van Gogh'.

[Zwia.]

I love this ship, I always go solo because i'm a loser with no friends and it's often super quiet and doesn't feel like vegas/disney land on water.

[grantcarpenter]

I have no real desire to go on a cruise, but for some reason love watching this channel. Videos are extremely well done.

[colonial]

I took a cruise from Valparaiso to Buenos Aires aboard the NCL Sun and had a great time. It was able to get in close to the Patagonian coast with stunning scenery. We had marvelous weather through the Straits of Magellan and around Cape Horn. A great experience.

[sandralis]

You are such a joy to listen to. You are so articulate and you always have a smile on your face. Thank you for your sharing your sailing experiences and Happy New Year!

[celestinevander]

I worked on cruise ships between January 2000 and December 2006. Those ships will be classified as old now, a bit like me 😉. My experience then was that the smaller ships was much more fun for staff and passengers. It was great. Everyone got to know each other.
I did one contract on what was at that time the biggest ship, it was very hard work and by the end the contract most of the crew were strangers and still unfamiliar to you. The smaller ships the crew got to know each other and we were like family. If I have to cruise as a passenger now, I will avoid these new massive ships by all means. I shudder in horror just with the thought of going on one of them. Just personal preference, happy cruising to you all 🤪

[tristancastro]

I was on her in September 2022 and have sailed on several older ships and I must say that cruise lines do a great job keeping their ships looking fresh. If there’s a piece of advice I’d give is to definitely try out a smaller ship as it will give you a different experience and perspective.

[Martinsspiegel]

My first cruise ever was to Alaska on Norwegian Sun. Perfect sized ship to relax and watch the scenery pass by.

[ChrisFrameOfficial]

Nice to see the videos from Norwegian Sun. Interesting to note the design was originally destined for Costa. Her sister Norwegian Sky started as a sister to Costa Victoria - but ultimately ended up being sold to NCL while still under construction. The third in the “class” - Norwegian Sun - entered service in the 2000s but as you say her design was from the 90s, designed by Costa, built for Norwegian. How unique.