MITSUGIRLYS BACK TO BELLY SKY CRUISE review and pictorial
Ship Pictures
So the moment you've all been waiting for....the SHIP TOUR!!!
We will start with the lowest deck (that has things other than rooms of course).
DECK 5
The atrium. As always, I love these atriums that go up to the top floor and are open with the glass elevators. This would be just what I loved.
It was just like the Sun and had 2 glass elevators on each side of the atrium and then around the hall there were more regular elevators. The layout was exactly like the Sun. The steps curving up to the next floor:
Walking away from the atrium, you will find the Palace Restaurant...or one of the MDR.
They have a lovely replica ship of the Sky there.
The Sky was a little different with the restaurant downstairs. If you remember, we were escorted from this floor, into a hallway that had steps that led us down to La Cucina for our VIP lunch when we boarded on the Sun. On this ship, it was Le Bistro that was downstairs. We did not go down there because we had not intentions of eating there and of course I should have went just to take pictures and forgot. But, it's set up the same way as the Sun was...just a different name/restaurant.
So, then you make it to the other MDR located on the back of the ship...The Crossings.
It was set up the same as on the Sun with the open type atrium up several floors in the entrance.
You can tell this use to be NCL's Hawaii ship with a lot of it's decor still remaining on the ship.
That completes the 5th floor of the ship. We will head up to the 6th floor now.
deck 6
Staying at the back of the ship, you will come to the Stardust Lounge on both the 6th floor and 7th floor. I will show you pics from both.
In this next picture, you will notice these bars in front of the seats. I really can't imagine who would come up with such an idea to put in a theater because they pretty much block your view of the stage as you peep through them during shows.
The seating was pretty much the same as on the Sun. They had the regular round chairs and the couch chairs and tables in front of you to put your drinks and such. It was just a little more elegant looking to me.
Walking out of the theater, you will come to a hallway with the library (which either I didn't notice it or it was exactly the same as the Sun and I didn't realize I hadn't taken pictures of it).
Then you are in the hallway with the pictures the ship takes of you. I didn't really take a picture of this area again. It's the same as the Sun and just a long hallway with your pictures everywhere and things that you can buy, duty free, like cameras, extras, scrapbooks, bobble heads and so on.
Then you come to Captain Crooks bar. It was also basically the same as the Sun and had pretty ships in a glass display in there. (You can see part of the photo gallery in the background in the following picture).
Next up is Dazzles Night Club. This was the place for parties at night and after hours and they also played games and had contest here during the day.
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I did notice that the Sky didn't seem to be as clean as the Sun was. It just seemed "older" to me and didn't have the upkeep that the Sun did. But, I guess you can expect this with a ship they are now running as 3 and 4 day cruises.
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Just inside of Dazzles, they had one of their coin machines. (This was located in the Sports Bar on the Sun). We did try to get some coins out of here...we were unsuccessful...more on that later.
Some days you would find that this hall and room was covered with their art collection.
Then you are back at the atrium again.
Now on NCL's page of blueprints for the Sky, you will see, located there off to the side of the atrium, it says "SHOP" on both sides. But it doesn't tell you what the "shops" are.
On one side there is a shop just like on the Sun, which I did not go in but a few feet because of all of the people movers in the way. This time I would go in and explore and find out what it was. It's a shop with everything in it for the price of $10!! I managed to get a really nice beach bag in there (since I managed to lose mine somehow). On the opposite side, there is a jewelry store.
Looking into the atrium.
There really isn't anything around the atrium area but places to sit. The Internet cafe was not located here on this ship.
So this is a "small" ship and you are once again to the end of this deck. On to
DECK 7
At the front of the ship is the kids club...or Splash Academy. I have to say, I really liked the way they had this one decorated compared to the boring look of the one on the Sun. It was brightly colored and looked more "exciting".
The hallway was pretty cool too with the decor and the peep holes.
Directly across from Splash Academy was an arcade room. Now on the Sun, this was the teen club.
Since the Sky is designed just like the Sun, it also has the "weird" floor that you have to go down the steps to access your rooms on "6a". There is no elevator access to these rooms and you can only climb the steps up and down to get to them.
You then come to the Casino.
Up next you will come out at the Coffee Bar.
Some displays along this hallway for the shopping area behind the wall.
Also beside the coffee bar they have an area to purchase watches and things. (The NCL blueprints does not list this area).
On the other side of the coffee bar is where their Internet Cafe was located.
Of course since it's only a 4 day cruise, there are different prices than what you would find on the 7 day cruise.
On the opposite side, you have the duty & tax-free Tradewinds.
On a small long hallway, right in front of the Internet Cafe, there is this small area to buy cz jewelry.
So we are at the end of the floor...ending at the Stardust Lounge again, which I have already covered.
DECK 8
Next up is our Interior Room.
We booked this room so that we could get the cheapest rate possible since this was an add on cruise that we hadn't really budgeted for.
I thought I would be funny and pick THE EXACT SAME ROOM that we had on the Sun. Room 8313. It of course was not the same, the layout was different, which was disappointing. It also was located the opposite direction than it was on the Sun. We were the first door as you turn right off the elevators on the Sun. This time we had to turn left and were 2 doors down. Oh well. I thought it would be funny to have the same room number and less confusing already knowing where our room was from the previous week.
My daughter and her family had the room right before ours. My son had the room right after ours. We PURPOSELY decided to give him and his gf THAT room (instead of Kendras) to play a joke on him and mess with him the entire cruise. It was a handicapped room for the hearing impaired. It had a doorbell and lights that went off in the room when someone rang it or called. The first time we did it, they thought they had hit something in the room. The next time they thought something was wrong with the ship. They never could figure out how to turn it off and it lasted for quite some time. hehe
So heres our room...like always small.
The decor reminded me of going into grandma's house with old gold picture frames and flowers. It wasn't really appealing. Give me pictures of the ocean or beach or something "cruise" related.
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The small couch that pulled out into a bed for the 3rd and 4th persons....YIKES it was small.
The closet with the safe. This safe was super easy to lock and unlock. Just put in a code and you are done. Nothing like the old safes in the Sun rooms.
Notice the drawers below it. This is what you had to put your things in. That was pretty much IT! Other than the few hangers you had in the area next to it to hang a few things. The storage in this room was ridiculous and it's the WORSE that I have come across on any of the NCL fleet. I have always found that even though the rooms are small, they make the most of every inch of space they can for storage. This was the exception on this ship. I can't imagine spending 7 days on it and having your things everywhere.
Ok, you see this thing under the desk in the room??? I never could figure it out until we heard the announcements come across it one day on the cruise. It only happened 1 time and not with all the announcements. I have always wondered why you could never hear any of the announcements in your room and are forced to open up the doors to hear anything. I hate that.
The plugs available at the desk.
The bathroom was exactly the same as the Sun almost.
Of course it was just as small as the Sun and rounded with the shower curtain that loved to hug your body. However, at least I was able to take my knowledge from the Sun cruise and apply it here to keep it from sticking to me.
Notice the 3 towels here? Because there are 3 of us right? This is the thermostat that no matter how many times I turned it to a little warmer, I would come back to a freezing room and the steward having it on full blast Alaska mode.
Here's your "comfy" bed...it was hard as a brick! The phones were a lot different on here. You just dial the room number without a prefix before it. I kept messing this up because I was use to dialing the way it was on the Sun.
Notice anything here? See anything in the carpet? You had to use a lot of force to get your closet door open to use it. It drug the floor and carpet. Ugh
There's a hook to hang your....whatever on it.
A place to put your key card. No this did not control the lights like it does on some of the ships. They worked no matter what.
For those of you that needs to know pricing
Oh almost forgot...the drying line in the bathroom...it wasn't in the shower (can you imagine in this shower???), but across the bathroom itself.
We got a lovely down comforter...that was tore apart at the seems and while sleeping, it would bug the crap out of me because I would go to pull it up and only get what seemed to be a sheet while the rest of it remained down. Ugh
This is the hairdryer they provide for you
This is the couch pulled out into a bed. I can't imagine having to pull it all the way out for 2 more people to sleep there and someone from the regular bed having to get up to use the restroom. You would be climbing over them. The worse ever.
We had them just make up the couch for Sakari to sleep in. There was no way I wanted to deal with going over that thing. I tried it several different ways. Although she is getting a little too big for just sleeping on a couch this size. It won't last much longer.
Deck 11
The Outrigger Lounge. This lounge sets at the very front of the ship. On the Sun, this space is occupied by suites. Instead the Suns Observation Lounge is located on Deck 12. If you remember correctly, it was the room that had the really nice wooden floor that I liked so much.
This lounge wasn't as nearly nice to me.
Wicker chairs...how comfortable can this be?
These lights looked like they should have been on the "Sun" somewhere instead...
I don't know...the entire room really did nothing for me.
On one side you had the aerobics and fitness center, you know...the place I'm allergic to?
The odd thing about this area was it was down the hall that you use to get to the Lounge in the front of the ship. It's different than the Sun, which is a winding walkway from the elevators, down this hall and out the doors. If you are on the Sky, you will never have to wind down that hallway to get out...you will see why in a minute.
On the opposite side is the same thing, but you will find the spa, salon and "pampering" area...another thing I don't go to, but we did explore this area after getting on the ship to take pictures and act as if we were interested just so that I could see it.
One thing that I did learn during this cruise (and I'm not sure if it was just this ship or they offer this fleet wide), they told us that we are welcome to use the steam rooms at any time during the cruise...for free! I seriously wanted to do this and I'm not sure why I didn't remember it. I'll have to see if this is the norm for most of the ships and check it out.
So while I won't be doing any of the "luxury" spa stuff while on a ship until I become rich and famous someday...or at least until I can overcome the fear of having a perfect stranger put their hands on my body, then I'll just have to "tour" the place pretending to be a potential customer on each ship. I forgot to play that part on the Sun cruise to get pictures.
So no, I'm not the person to ever ask during a review or a port how the massage was, because I will never be able to tell you that info. ;)
Now on to the middle area where the elevators are.
Remember on the Sun how you came up the glass elevators and you had to walk around this room, then wind your way back and forth down the hallways to come out to the pool area?
Well not on the Sky. When you came out of the elevators, you were surrounded by glass and could see right out to the pool deck. It was beautiful. There are chairs around the area that you can sit and relax in. Then of course since this has the atrium that goes from the 5th floor up to the top, it is all open to see down.
I loved this area and the way it looked. It was so much nicer than the Sun.
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Once out onto the pool deck, this round stair area was actually the towel hut.
Right past the towel hut was the smoking section.
Huge open pool deck of course
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They had the round shower area under the steps just like the sun.
This are was right outside of a restaurant called Il Adagio.
I'm just a little confused about just what is Il Adagio. I know it's in the same place as Moderno on the Sun and you were allowed to eat in there for breakfast for free. However, this place also had lunch. It seemed to be a pasta bar and it was free is all I knew and I liked it.
They served pasta: pick your own type and own sauce and they cook it up there in front of you. Then they also had a PIZZA station as well. Woo hoo. I was going to actually find pizza on this cruise!
Now according to NCL's website, this is an Italian restaurant that has a cover charge. :confused:
Maybe it use to have a cover charge and they no longer do? Or maybe it does in the evenings and they serve different food? I'm not really sure myself.
Behind this restaurant is a place that said it was the teen club. I peeked in for a moment.
Then there is the "Longboard Bar" behind that. This is equivalent to the Sports Bar on the Sun and had things you would find at the Blue Lagoon/O'Sheehans, but of course was only open during certain hours.
Out back was the Outdoor cafe and was the same as the Sun, across the entire aft of the ship.
On the opposite side would be the Garden Cafe and for some reason I didn't get any pictures of it. It's set up the exact same as the Sun is and the buffet is very same with plenty of seating...unless the ship was overcrowded. :rolleyes: Then even with all the seating provided you would be lucky to find any seat available.
They had the ice cream station and the crepe station as soon as you walked in from the pool deck.
The a small section that curved around with basically the same thing on each side with maybe a variation or two from each other.
Up to the 12th deck at the back and inside.
To the right you have Cagneys.
To the left you have a place called The Plantation Club.
Walking outside you will have the sports deck with shuffleboard and golf driving nets.
Also a basketball and volleyball court.
The sundeck area (notice they didn't have the nice blue spongy things on this deck to keep your feet from burning on the hot surface like the Sun did.)
In the middle of the ship there's the same type of bar as the Sun called the Champs Bar.
And now we have made it to the front of the ship.
I really liked this area. It was the KIDS area. Remember the Sun had theirs on the side of the ship. Well this one is on the front of the ship and was really cool with a waterfall that the kids loved.
We would also find that the adults loved to try to hang out at this hot tub as well even though it's the "kids area". :rolleyes: Only is was x20 more than on the Sun.
Like I said before, if you come to the kids area to use the hot tub and children get in there and you have an attitude about it, try going to the ADULT hot tub area where you are supposed to be to avoid it. You know, the hot tub where all the adults complain about if there's any kids around the area and they want an "Adult only" pool and hot tub? That would be your area. ;)
So that completes the actual "ship" tour of the floors.
Here's a little extra added bonuses of things I took around the ship.
The one thing I noticed about the Sky was the elevators all looked the same inside (where the Sun was different in each)
Notice all the fish swimming in the same direction? On the Sky it was the exact same carpet except you had 1 little black fish swimming the opposite way every foot or so. (You know, NCL's trademark fish type of thing?) I missed that on this. Sakari and I made fun of the black swimming fish on the Sun. It was fun.
You know how the new ships have the touch screens that you can see anything about the ship? You can make reservations to eat, shows, maps and so on? Well the Sky has it too!
Now onto my tour of the stairways...as I always do. I did this on the very first day (and drug my family along with me) to get it over with. LOL
I don't know...I really liked the stairways on this ship. It was so different than a lot of the others and I liked it better than the Sun. It was "interesting" and I liked how it went from top to bottom. When you were in the hallways and looking up or down at the stairs, you always noticed the stairway, unlike if there's just a picture of something hanging on the wall there. :)
Ok, so I am at the end of the ship photo tour. Back to our first day on the ship located here ----->