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Airtours

MV Sunbird

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Reviewed by:  Tim Grace
# previous cruises: 1
Date of Trip: February 23, 2003
Itinerary: Caribbean - Eastern

Our situation for this cruise was a bit different than anyone else would have. We were a group of 26 college students and faculty on the cruise as an educational requirement (tough schooling, I'd say). It was a fun time onboard the ship, though there were a few requirements for us to do tours, etc in some of the ports of call or around the ship. The Island Calypso cruise was a good itinerary, though the time in St. Maarten could have been lengthened by a few hours.

Everything was well spaced, however it was only a 5 minute trip from the top deck at one end to the bottom deck at the other. 2 banks of elevators and staircases made travelling around the ship a breeze.

The main public areas were well kept, such as the Can-Can Lounge, Oklahoma Lounge, Seven Seas Dining Room, Lido Cafe, Pool Deck, etc. You could see signs of age on the 21 year old ship, but what do you expect for that age - Perfection?

The only area that was somewhat crowded was the pool deck in the middle of the day and sometimes it was hard to find a seat in either of the lounges, but I wasn't in a hurry to get there anyway's, except for the Passenger singing legends when about 15 of us wanted front row seats to cheer on our classmate.

The service made the cruise. Our servers were outstanding with quick and efficient service to blow your mind away. The food was good for the most part, though the fanciness of the dining room wore off on me by about the Thursday.

I did try the Lido Cafe a few times and it was good - less choice than the dining room, however included a self serve salad bar and a more casual style of dining.

Late night buffets were well prepared and pictures abounded.

On the Sunbird, you have the opportunity to eat up to 10 times daily. Coffee on Lido, Breakfast in Dining room or Lido, Elevensies on Lido, Lunch in Dining Room or Lido, Afternoon Tea on Lido, Dinner in Dining room or Lido and the late night buffet, snack time. You won't go hungry onboard.

Our cabin was on the 3rd deck right in the centre of the ship. It was ok for the 3 guys that shared it, though 4 might have been a chore.

Lots of storage space in the closets, and the washroom was a good amount of space, and I found the shower to be better than the one I have at home, pressure wise that is.

For the most part, the staff was always entertaining whether it be by the parade of Baked Alaska's in the dining room or one of the many shows provided by the staff and crew onboard. I quite enjoyed Name That Tune and the deck parties.

Some of the main stage entertainment did a good job, though some (namely Tucker) weren't nearly up to my standards.. His humour was quite british and very perverse.

The broadway style musicals were very well performed for the amount of space they have to work with.

Onboard the activities are always happening. There are two pools to choose from, though only 6 ft deep and about 10 ft long in the deep ends and very salty, they're there and quite refreshing in the hot sun. There were two deck parties put on by the crew (DJ and Oasys - the resident band) which were done extraordinarily well. And Tea time deck trivia was fun, though I didn't play until the last day.

The islands were all fun, though some more time could have been added to St Maarten, which felt quite rushed - in at 8 and out at 3. Tortola doesn't have much on it, except for a cab ride to the beach on the other side of the island, which is a nice, exciting ride over the mountains.

Catalina was fun - a nice day of relaxing on the beach, and Santo Domingo was very hot and I only stayed out about half of the day.

80% british, 20% Canadians - statistic right from the officers on the ship.

Most passengers were nice, though some were rude to us, such as not holding the elevator or pushing us in line. I liked the British Atmosphere, it was very amusing for someone who's only used to North American slang.