SplashOfWater

Upgrade to the suite. We paid to upgrade from an Oceanview to a Suite on the Dawn last November and it was worth it. More space in the cabin plus breakfast and lunch for suite guests in one of the specialty restaurants. I think the menus were the same ones as the Haven on other ships. You also have a concierge who will escort you off the ship at ports and debarkation (skipping the long lines). If the price is right, do it.

We also find the NCL non-Haven deposits to be very reasonable compared to Royal. You generally have to pay a premium for a refundable deposit with Royal. And I think their deposit for suites is now non-refundable(?) with no option for a refundable deposit. This includes their junior suites.

We stayed in a similar cabin (12702 on the Joy) for an Alaska cruise in 2019. We liked the layout better than the standard oceanview cabin (the bed was sideways rather than facing the doorway). It just felt roomier. There is a wide shelf just below the window with extra storage. Some of the cons are: 1) You need to keep the curtains closed at night so the light from the cabin does not interfere with the bridge (which is above you), 2) there is a relatively long walk to the forward elevators, 3) if you are sensitive to the ship's motion, this cabin may not be for you. Would we book a forward oceanview cabin again? Yes, it was a great cabin.

We sailed on the Dawn in 2017 & 2018 and enjoyed sailing on her again in 2022. The food and live entertainment were good, and the ship was in great shape. She doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the newer mega ships, but that's fine with us. We prefer the smaller ships for a more low-key vacation.

On Jewel we received once a day service in our Oceanview cabin. Our service was completed by late morning or early afternoon. Other guests received service later in the afternoon or evening. The notice in the Cruise Compass stated that Junior Suites and up would still receive twice a day service.

Correct. From our March 3rd Jewel Cruise Compass:

We had the new menus on our Jan 30 Mariner 4-day cruise.

Yes, we had breakfast a couple of times at Johnny Rockets on Harmony last year.

We just got off Mariner and had the early seating. Our SeaPass card and the sign outside the Deck 3 dining room showed 5:30pm, but the Cruise Compass had 5pm. The dining room opened about 5:15pm. MTD was also on Deck 3. The sign and Cruise Compass both had 6:45pm. But it seemed like they started to seat the MTD guests at 6pm at the empty tables.

Received it while on Mariner on the last day of our cruise!

We just got off Mariner too. We found the MDR meals to be a mixed bag. Some dishes were very good and others were mediocre. For instance, on the first night (Welcome Aboard menu), my husband had the prime rib and it was tender and perfectly cooked. I had the fish filet (mystery white fish) and it was nothing special. The length of the MDR service seemed slower than our previous cruises in the fall. I don't think it was an issue with our wait staff. Traditional dining was 5:30pm. It seemed like they started to seat My Time Dining at 6pm (at the available empty tables). The wait staff had to go back to the kitchen and get more appetizers and main courses. It really slowed the dessert service for Traditional dining.

We just got off Mariner and there were only 12oz cans of Bud Light and the bars.

We just got back from a 4-day cruise on Mariner. I had prepaid for the Bud Light bag. Nothing was delivered to our cabin on Day 1. I called Guest Services that evening and the lady said they would email the Bar Manager and it would be delivered in the morning. Day 2 nothing by 1pm, so another call to Guest Services. The lady apologized and said she would contact the Bar Manager. Still nothing by the end of Day 2. I went to Guest Services after breakfast on Day 3 and the lady called the Bar Manager, but no answer. I asked for a refund since this was becoming a hassle and we only had two days left in the cruise. The credit appeared on my onboard account. I hope others have better luck receiving the bag. I've ordered another Bud Light bag for our March 3 cruise. Fingers crossed!

There is a small lounge on Deck 9 above O'Sheehans. You can access it from the curved stairs on Deck 8 in the Atrium or the passenger hallway on Deck 9 near the mid (I think) elevators.

In app: Day 4 - Italian Night

We will be on Mariner for a 4-day tomorrow. The app shows the following menus: Day 1 - Welcome Aboard Day 2 - French Night Day 3 - Caribbean Night Day 4 - ?? (no specific menu listed yet) This is our Sea Day

Enjoy your cruise...and the Dawn!

We had more storage in our Large Oceanview (OA) cabin on Deck 5. In addition to the desk, we had a chest/bureau that had four drawers and two side cabinets each with two shelves. We also had four end tables in the cabin: two open and two 2-drawer. We had a sofa, but I don't believe it pulled out to a bed. I think the Family Oceanview (O4) sleeps 4. There is another Oceanview category (OB) that is a smaller cabin and is missing the extra storage.

We just purchased the bud light bag for our Jan 30 Mariner cruise. Regularly priced at $54.99, but on sale for $43.99. Seems like a good deal!

Mine says "Latitudes", but husband's says "Jade". He gambles more in casino than I do, so maybe casino status.

This looks like the menu we had earlier this month. I enjoyed the seafood paella and my husband really liked the short ribs (sorry, no photo).

I must have been thinking about NCL.

Wow, so a football field length. My husband has some trouble walking long distances. I should have noticed this when I booked the cabin but I'm used to ships having three sets of elevators: forward, mid and aft.

We are booked an aft balcony on deck 9 for later this year on Serenade. I was looking at the deck plans and it looks like there's an aft stairwell, but no elevator. Is that correct? If so, is it a long walk to the mid elevators? Thanks!

Congrats on making it to Platinum! The extra 2 specialty meals and free bag of laundry are great perks. I hope you like the Dawn. We were on her a couple of months ago for a 14-day cruise. She doesn't have the observation/spinnaker lounge or great outdoors like the Jade but she's still a nice ship.