Norwegian Sun Porthole Oceanview Cabin Review and Tour

Introduction

This is a review of cabin 4021, a porthole oceanview cabin on deck 4, which I sailed in on a 10-night solo cruise to Alaska on the Norwegian Sun. Before I departed, a well meaning friend asked if I was going to miss my family. Short answer: no. For those who require further justification for a woman abandoning her family for her longest ever solo cruise, it had been a grueling few weeks of parenting/adulting best summarized with these photos of the only child I might have missed who has, in his geriatric years, decided he no longer gives any f**ks and is going. for. it.

Suffice it to say, I would have been happy in a mop closet 12 decks below sea level as long as I still had buffet access and cell reception was too poor to receive calls from my kid’s school.

So imagine my delight at being 4 decks above sea level with a window and a couch!

Below is my attempt at providing an objective (considering the above context) review of my porthole oceanview cabin for anyone who may be booked in or considering a similar stateroom on the Sun.

Tour a Porthole Oceanview Cabin on the Sun

Before I discuss specifics things I loved and didn’t love about my porthole stateroom on the Sun, here’s a complete cabin tour (remember to subscribe to my free YouTube channel so you don’t miss any additional NCL content):

What I LOVED About my Porthole Oceanview Cabin on the Sun

Here are all the things I loved about my cabin on the Norwegian Sun…

Large Porthole Window

If you’re a realtor with multiple children wondering how you’re ever going to afford to send them all to college, might I suggest hanging out at the bar inside the Four Season’s Hotel and Residences near my apartment building in downtown Seattle. Why? Because a water facing condo unit with big windows goes for around 15 million dollars and the owners like to hang out at the bar downstairs. Which is one of the reasons I’ll be a renter for life. But it’s expensive to rent a water facing apartment too. So, as I entered my cabin on the Sun for the first time and saw how large the porthole window was, facing out toward the water, I thought, “man, I could live here for less than half of what it costs me to live in a water facing apartment in downtown Seattle!” The window was much larger than I expected and offered gorgeous, constantly changing, views close to the water.

Sofa

Plus, it had a sofa which further confirmed in my mind that, “I could definitely live here!” If you have a third person sailing in the cabin, it pulls out to become another bed.

Swivel TV

Should I complain about the lack of decent channels (the selection is very limited on NCL) from bed or the couch tonight? Those are the kinds of difficult decisions I faced on this cruise. Thankfully the flat screen television was secured to a swivel mount which allowed me to relocate its direction depending on whether I wanted to fall asleep to the safety briefing on repeat (honestly, it’s a great cure for insomnia) or sit upright on the couch to yell at the news.

Comfortable Bed and Bedding

While I brought along my own pillow because my neck is more demanding than 20 Karens in the returns line at Walmart, I found the mattress and bedding very comfortable.

Storage

You may recall the article I wrote titled, “Cruise Packing List for the Minimalist,” in which I extolled the benefits of packing light and bragged about my ability to pack for a cruise in under 10 minutes. However, on this particular sailing on the Sun, I did not take my own advice (do as I say, etc). Instead, I packed anything I thought I might need for my 10-night Alaska itinerary, 90% of which I didn’t end up using. Why? Because the cruise terminal was a 5 minute walk from my apartment (so I didn’t need to worry about luggage fees, weight limits, etc) and because this was a very late season cruise to Alaska (the very last one of the season, actually) and I wanted to be comfortable under all possible weather conditions. So I packed 500 pounds of rain gear practically guaranteeing that we’d have sun for 10 out of 10 days. Which we did! But even with an excess of crap I never used, this cabin offered plenty of storage.

Large Desk Area

Despite having this sizable desk with plenty of space for my laptop and, more importantly, buffet desserts to keep me motivated, I didn’t write a single word for my website in ten days (and yes, I heard your sighs of relief all the way out at sea). I blamed it on the stool, round and sans back support, not ideal for someone (not naming names, cough, me) who threw her back out on day two, bending over to put on a pair of cycle shoes. Honestly, who injures herself before the exercise even begins? And as long as I’m being honest, I had no intention of doing any work anyway. Because sometimes one needs a vacation from the grueling life of a mediocre cruise blogger. But that desk wasn’t wasted. It functioned something like a 20-year-old bachelor’s kitchen counter, piled high each morning with plates and bowls I had no intention of ever washing despite evidence of last night’s post dinner pizza and ice cream. On the morning of debarkation, I left my cabin steward an extra tip with a note of thanks and and apology for allowing myself two guilty pleasures each night – binge watching Virgin River while stuffing myself full of carbs and sugar. Also, the vast amount of surface area intended as a desk appeared in my dreams each night as the Captain cleared the surface of all detritus with a sweep of his arm in a dramatic display of passion before lowering me down onto it because we couldn’t make it two feet to either the bed or couch (why we weren’t carrying on this tryst in the far more spacious and comfortable Captain’s quarters remains one of the many mysteries of my brain). Anyway, hopefully you’ll find a similarly suitable use for the “desk” – it really is a nice feature of this cabin.

Mini Fridge

If you have difficulty with the temperature control in your cabin (I didn’t – but quite a few people were complaining about dysfunctional cabin thermostats), you can always stick your head in the mini fridge while making your case to guest services: “It’s so hot in here I’m literally phoning you from the mini fridge to keep from passing out.” Or, alternatively, you can use it to keep your beverages cold.

USB Outlets Near Bed

While regular outlets were limited (we’ll get to that in a minute), I appreciated having a USB outlet on both sides of the bed so I could keep my phone close by and charging and my small rechargeable fan plugged in and on at night.

Water Pressure and Temperature

I’m a bath person. I inherited that from my dad who once cut a hole in his bathroom wall to install a small television above the bathtub so he could relax while watching his Sunday news shows (These days I couldn’t possibly relax while watching the news – I don’t care how warm the water is or how many aromatherapy bath bombs I drop in hoping to distract my mind from the real bombs). Anyway, showers are already at a disadvantage because I’m resentful they’re not bathtubs. But I was impressed with both the water pressure and the temperature control of my cabin shower on the Sun. The water pressure was so strong – it only took 45 minutes to wash off my post-gym stink.

Moving on. While there was a lot to love about my porthole cabin on the Sun, there were a few things I didn’t love…

What I DIDN’T LOVE About my Porthole Oceanview Cabin on the Sun

Location

Because I paid the “sail away” rate (which amounted to less than $50 per day with no solo supplement) for this cabin, I didn’t get to choose my location. Would I do it again for that price even knowing I’d end up in the worst possible location (short of the mop closet)? Absolutely! I’d move in full-time for that price! But before intentionally choosing a port side cabin on deck 4 forward ask yourself if you’d be happy with accommodations located directly below a music venue (I heard live-music from the atrium bar until after 11pm most nights) at the end of a maze and 12 miles from anywhere to get food. As you’ll note on the deck plan below, the port side hallway does not extend all the way aft. So in order to get to the aft of the ship, you first have to walk forward to the forward stairs/elevators and then either cross over to the starboard side to proceed aft on deck 4, or head up to another deck to go aft.

You may consider that a minor inconvenience, but when you’re trying to balance four plates of buffet (note that the buffet is located aft) snacks, every step counts!

Lack of Three-Prong Outlets

I kept my computer plugged at all times just in case inspiration struck and I decided to work (it never did, lol). With only one three-prong American style outlet in my cabin, that meant I had to root around all over the public areas of the ship to find a place to charge my EV. Ha, just kidding. But the limited outlets reminded me of my husband and I trying to find regular outlets in our parking garage to plug in and charge our EV because we’re too cheap to pay extra for a legit EV spot. Anyway, with only one person in the cabin, I did okay with one outlet, but it may be more problematic if you have two or more people sharing the space.

Bathroom Aesthetic

I’m not sure if this sterile looking all-white bathroom reminds more of a hospital or that load of laundry I pulled out of the wash a few years ago when my then six-year-old poured a whole bottle of bleach in the washing machine like an overachieving “helper” and we were all forced to abandon any rules about wearing white. Honestly, there’s too much pressure to keep things spotless when the only splash of color in a bathroom is the the red sharps container. Like if I wipe my grimy face on a towel it’s going to stand out like a stripper at a debutante ball. Speaking of towels…

Limited Towels

Only two large bath towels were provided in my cabin each day. Fine for the first day, but after a few day’s worth of dessert, my ass alone required two towels…for each cheek. I’m sure I could have requested more, but I didn’t want to hassle my already overworked room steward (he was fabulous, but working SO HARD and such long hours to complete all the cabins he was assigned).

Cloth Shower Curtain

Every time I stepped into the shower and the wet cloth curtain clung to my body tighter than a toddler at the dentist, I gave it an impromptu (and futile) lesson on consent and the importance of respecting personal space and boundaries: “Look, you should ask my permission before touching me like that. It would also help to buy me a martini and some seven layer chocolate cake from the steakhouse first.”

Hair Dryer

The first time my son saw one of these hair dryers on an older NCL ship he said, “Is that one of those phones they had in the olden days, before cars when pigeons delivered the mail?” (I made up that last part about the cars and pigeons, but that was his implication.) At which point I had to remind him that even though I’m not that old, cell phones weren’t really a thing until I was in college and I didn’t have one of my own until after grad school (which he does NOT find a compelling argument for why he can’t have one at 10). Anyway, since seeing our first one of these alleged “hair dryers,” we’ve amassed quite a collection of jokes about, conspiracy theories around, and alternative uses for them. But while we love these hair dryers for ironic purposes, do remember to budget at least three hours should you actually need to dry your hair with one.

Tips for Porthole Oceanview Cabins on the Norwegian Sun

Tip 1: Book your porthole cabin on the starboard side of the ship

If you’re able to select your own porthole cabin on the Sun, I’d suggest choosing something on the starboard side (the right side of the ship as you’re facing forward). I’d also recommend midship or aft instead of forward if you prefer to be closer to dining venues.

Tip 2: Pack extra cruise approved outlets

If you’re cruising with more than one person in your cabin, I’d suggest bringing extra cruise approved outlets like these* (do NOT pack a power strip with a surge protector – it won’t be allowed onboard):

Tip 3: Ask your steward for extra towels on embarkation day

When you arrive at your cabin for the first time, check the towel situation in your bathroom and when your room steward (the crew member who will be cleaning your cabin each day) comes around to introduce themselves and ask about any special needs you may have, mention how many extra towels you’d like each day. That way you don’t have to flag them down when they’re busy and they can just plan on leaving the extra towels as part of their daily service.

Tip 4: Pack a travel hair dryer

I’m never in favor of packing items you don’t absolutely need (minimalist here), but I consider a travel hair dryer an essential item on the Sun. I have this one* and love it (it’s small to pack, but powerful):

Tip 5: Move in to save on rent

Ha! With that, my best tip, I conclude this review and declare…

Class Dismissed!

Looking for a complete ship tour of the Norwegian Sun?

Homework (10 points): Post any questions about or experiences you have with cabins on the Norwegian Sun to the comments. Also, check out my review of an inside cabin and a picture window cabin on the Sun.

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