Sun Dancer II cabin recommendations

[erik337]

Hi,
I'll be aboard the Sun Dancer II in Belize during August 2011 and would like to hear recommendations on cabins to request or avoid. Since I'll be there in the hot part of the summer, cold air conditioning is most important. Secondly, I'd like a quiet cabin, away from the engines and main traffic/activity areas.
Thanks in advance!

 

[Damselfish]

Lower numbers are further forward, furthest from the door to the dive deck and stairs to everything else, so will have fewer people going past your door. Though traffic and quiet really isn't a huge issue in general. Also further from the engines, so I would assume quieter in that regard - but we've stayed in one of the master cabins (#2 or 3) all 3 times we've been on here so can't really compare from first hand experience. As far as A/C, we never had issues including one trip in July (my husband likes it refrigerated) and I've never heard anyone else complaining of issues. Stuff seems to generally work well on this boat. I think I've heard people express a preference for #7 being a bit larger, but wouldn't swear to it.

Cabin #1 is the only guest cabin on the lower deck and much larger, but close to the engine room and another flight of stairs to get to.

 

[DeputyDan]

Cabin #1 is the loudest and as damselfish said is downstairs.

You want a cabin on the starboard side (right hand side) I think they are the even numbered cabins.

The reason being is that whe you are docked the water is shallow and the (left) port side A/C does not work very well. Alot of people will get a room at the Radisson for that friday night due to being uncomfortable in their rooms while docked.

 

[Rand]

Thanks to the other posters for their info.

I'm booked on a June 2011 trip on this boat. The dive shop has several room classes booked and I get my pick of either master or deluxe. My wife will be with me and we are looking for a queen/king bed.

Is there any significant difference between the room classes other than price? The pictures and descriptions of the rooms seem almost identical. It does appear that the deluxe rooms are either twins, or twins pushed together to make a king. Any good reasons to pick one over the other?

Also, the wife is a little prone to seasickness. Are there any rooms that are better or worse for people with seasickness issues?

 

[BrianOrange]

I think I was in Cabin 8 last June. It's either the first or second room on the right as you enter the boat from the dive deck. So it's very close to where a lot of people may be but I noise was never an issue whatsoever. I slept great. There was a cranking noise each morning (maybe it was the tender boat being put in the water) which was kind of loud but again, did not disrupt me.

I, too, read stuff about the AC on the boat when in port. All I can say is that I was perfectly fine and I didn't hear any other passengers complain about this. It's a non issue to me.

This is a great, great boat. You will really enjoy your time.

 

[hypersonic]

Also, the wife is a little prone to seasickness. Are there any rooms that are better or worse for people with seasickness issues?

On our trip we had cabin 3, the farthest forward. Liked the window since we could see both forward and out to the side.

But, the first nite crossing was very rough.

My wife spent the nite hanging her head in the waste basket.

I spent the nite on the bathroom floor with my head in the shower, both sick as dogs.

Many in the crew got sick as their bunks were even farther up in the bow.

It was the only time in my life that I have been sea sick or air sick or car sick.

As the boat pitched up and down with the waves, the pivot point was back near the stern so the aft cabins did not see near the range of motion that we had forward.

 

[Damselfish]

We had a crossing like that on one of our trips in particular. Fortunately I still don't get seasick, but I did have to hang onto the bed all night to keep from falling out.

 

[lmorin]

My wife and I had the first cabin on the left when entering from the dive deck. Everyone had to pass by us. This was absolutely NOT a problem. We liked being so close to the dive deck and to the stairs to the dining deck. We had heard the comments about starboard berths being cooler during the Friday night in port. We were on the Sun Dancer in early June of last summer and it was hot. Not a problem. When tied at the dock, we kept the shades pulled as completely as possible. They got warm and that side of our cabin became a little warmer than normal, but the AC handled perfectly well after dark. The only negative about our cabin was a rattle under the hallway floor from some compressor related fan. The sound went laterally into our room. The fan was activated intermittently and bothered us the first night, but the combination of sun, diving fun and related fatigue soon removed that as an irritant.