DaisyGoldberg

There's a charity box set up where you pass through the building on your way to reboard the ship so you can donate any local currency/change you end up with when you are leaving for the last time.

Perhaps our LR door did have a key-card lock.

 

So you had a 2BR suite that connected privately to a balcony room, making what could be a 3BR suite (not the Garden Villa)?

If so, which ship/suite? Maybe I misunderstood (likely!).

GC

It was the Dawn, one of the 11th floor 2 BR suites (Opal Suite, 11530). The set up from inside was just like a hotel room that can open up to the adjoining room depending on whether you've booked it that way or not. Just checked the deck plan, and it looks like the room adjoining is a mini suite, not balcony. Deck 11 shows this option consistently. So yes, you could get a 3 BR suite out of it (one of the bedrooms being decidedly inferior ;)) I have no idea how that would work in terms of suite perks, but at worst the family could still share the livingroom and daily snacks and disembark together at ports and at the end of the cruise. (The concierge gave us priority luggage tags to give to our travelmates in an inside room on another deck so that their luggage would be put with ours -- they were able to leave them outside their own cabin)

The sign next to our room actually showed TWO numbers -- our cabin number and another number underneath -- perhaps indicating the designation when they're joined?

Never had a problem getting anything I wanted on previous cruises - 2 weeks ago on the Dawn nothing available at any reasonable hour one week out. Concierge pulled some strings and got us into Le Bistro and Moderno -- which were virtually empty at 6-6:30 through 7:30.

Not sure if this was an anomaly, or they're playing some weird game where they blame lack of availability on the free promotions but in reality aren't filling the restaurants on purpose. Struck us as REALLY strange. We ended up with a Cagney's voucher and two out of three of our meal plan meals unused.

Sailed the dawn a couple of weeks ago -- concierge told us that foreign nationals and people with more than $800 in declarations had to be cleared by customs -- everybody else just needed their passport/keycard to disembark. Also, that NOBODY would get off the ship until they had cleared all the people that were on the list.

And sure enough, they were calling names for a short while before the all clear.

If you bought more than $800 in goods on board you probably should have been on their list, but maybe divided by members of your party it did not amount to that much ?

It was present every lunch and dinner at the buffet on the Breakaway in December, and each day I looked on the Dawn last month.

I remember making a dessert of roti/chutney every day on the Pride of America a few years back, too! (Sweet, hot, cool, yum!)

On a different ship, but I remember that the 2nd bedroom needed a key card. Very odd.

 

It would make more sense to make a second entry to the LR to require a key card if closed, so the smaller BR could be "locked out". (Think of a travel companion or aide? I suppose someone might lock children out, however, so that wouldn't be good!)

There were multiple keyed doors - the main one from the hallway. Then keyed access to the 2nd bedroom. Then keyed access to the living room. So yes, a couple staying in the master could lock a companion from the 2nd bedroom out of the living room, master, and balcony.

This may be because the suite I was in linked to the balcony room next door. So if the suite/balcony room were tied together, you might well lock access to the living room/master, while still permitting the people in the balcony and the kids in the back bedroom to come and go as they please between each other's rooms.

It was a bit of a klunky arrangement, however, because it made for multiple doors held open by rubber wedges which we kept tripping over and kicking out of place all week.

I'm sorry - I threw mine out. However, one word of caution: make your dining reservations early.

I tried to make some a week out, and could only book for one person -- peculiar, since there isn't such a thing as a one top! But I figured it was a glitch and I'd work it out with the concierge on board.

In the suite waiting area, I overheard the concierge saying to a large group of people that they needed to get him their dining choices ASAP because things would be completely booked by the next day. He didn't say the same to us, so I figured he was talking about groups of 10 trying to dine together (should have asked).

At any rate, he told us the next morning that everything was full but he would pull some strings and get us our Moderno and Le Bistro times (which I had booked for 1 already). Everything else was impossible, unless we wanted a 9 pm dining time.

We've sailed on the Dawn a great deal, so it wasn't the end of the world that we didn't use up our free dinners and dining plan (which was a perk), but the truly bizarre thing is that for both our 6 pm Le Bistro and 6:30 pm Moderno meals... the dining rooms were mostly empty! Seriously - maybe two couples present upon our arrival and maybe five tables full when we left at 7-7:30.

They may not have been accepting reservations, but they sure as hell weren't anything close to half full, let alone completely full. Not sure if that sailing they were going purposely understaffed or perhaps some of the galleys were de-commissioned for whatever reason thus reducing the ability to operate at capacity in terms of service?

We were sailing with non-suite passengers, so we had some leisurely meals in the dining room which were better than I remembered.

So book those meals, even if you end up wanting to change them later!

Just sailed in 2 BR suite on the Dawn. I was a sole adult in the second bedroom, and as others have said, you can use the wedge to partially shut the outside door or leave the bathroom door ajar for light. There was enough room for dressing. For some odd reason the room is key carded, so I believe if you shut it nobody can get in without a key card (I did not test this).

The image above showed the bed when pulled out considerably higher than what I had on the Dawn -- my bed ended up being basically one mattress height off the floor whereas the green bed image above looks like two layers -- perhaps that was unfolded as a twin and when unfolded in my case as a Queen it was lower? This is the sole reason I wouldn't agree to that setup again. I think for kids it's great. I did leave it as a bed all week as I can't imagine adding the extra work for the steward (and I like a nap!) In future, however, I will definitely stick with the Murphy bed option when available, as it was far more comfortable.

We preferred to shower in the small bedroom shower as opposed to the beautiful master shower, as the tile in the master bath was inexplicably slippery when wet. Not sure whether this is ship- or fleet-wide or somebody had somehow applied something slick to the tile that they hadn't been able to remove. The tiles in the smaller bathroom shower were much smaller and provided more security, especially for an older traveler.

The couch in the living room was quite comfortable and roomy enough that it was pretty pleasant to stretch out on with the sliding door open and listen to the sea if you wanted to avoid the sun or stay a bit cooler or warmer (depending).

If you're talking about the 2 bedroom suite on the Dawn, I just finished a trip in one and it should a good fit for a couple with a 9 year old in terms of space and storage. Most kids would enjoy their own room and bathroom! (Caution - the pull out bed basically becomes a mattress on the floor, so for adults it's a bit more of a workout to get in and out of it)

Having previously cruised in the SJ suites on the Dawn (amazing views, no balcony), I was a little disappointed in the 2 bedroom suite. It was a peculiar set up -- from the Master bed you basically have a view of the bathroom. It looks amazing in the videos/photos as you envision yourself bathing at sea... but it's still a bathroom, and the steward puts the shade down every morning, so unless you constantly put it up yourself (by going into the shower/tub), your Master bedroom faces a bathroom and a shaded window. We didn't bother with the tub, but the shower floor was extremely slippery to the point where we used the shower in the small back bedroom for safety reasons.

The toilet has a glass door that is open around the edges, and in our case the sliding doors to the Master bedroom did not work, creating privacy issues (one side was stuck off the track in the wall - the steward said they knew about it). So no bathroom/tub/shower privacy except by the active cooperation of your fellow travelers. And even if the sliding door did work, it didn't look like it was any kind of actively sound proofed situation if you planned, say, to have kids sleeping in the living room and watching tv there after you went to bed. Better than just a curtain (which it also has to separate the Master from its bathroom); not nearly as secure as the back bedroom door, which was identical to the one from the suite into the hallway.

Because our suite was combinable with the balcony room next door, it led to a peculiar setup where there was a keyed entry door from the hallway, then after you passed through the vestibule, you could enter the balcony room beside you (it was secured against us as we hadn't booked it). The second (child's) bedroom/bathroom included in this 2 BR suite was across from that ... also with a keyed door. This door was held open with a rubber doorstop the whole week. I never got around to asking what would happen if I shut it. Presumably the person inside could always get OUT, but if I were putting a kid in there I'd want to make sure I had a key to get IN under all circumstances. Then there was another heavy keyed door to the rest of the suite (also held open with a doorstop). We kicked and tripped over those doorstops all week. I guess, however, that you could lock the Master bedroom/bathroom/livingroom/balcony apart from the back bedroom if you so chose. So that would ensure privacy (if the key card of the person/people in the back room did not open it).

We never got around to asking about this peculiar setup, but if anybody knows I'd be interested. One suite, 2 keyed doors beyond the hallway door, plus an optional third.

I do much prefer the Dawn to the Breakaway. Much smaller ship, yet much better public spaces.

I was there last year on that date (didn't realize until I'd gotten to Hamilton and everything was closed).

The buses ran, the caves were open (that's where I was headed that day, anyway), but all the shops were closed. I believe some museums are open.

I'm sure your tour guide can navigate around any holiday event traffic. On the bus route between Hamilton and St. George I remember people parked on the side of the road walking towards some festivity or other, but it didn't really seem to impede traffic on that main road. For most of the 90 minutes I spent on buses that day I didn't see much of anything going on, which makes sense when people have a day off.

There was absolutely nothing going on at the dock areas in either St. George or Hamilton when I was either coming or going (mid morning, early afternoon).

One quick note -- in GSC there's quite a hike from the meeting area to the boat that takes you out to the stingrays -- probably a 5-10 minute walk, not terribly strenuous, but full sun and quite a bit more exertion than some in our group were apparently ready for. They waited for everybody, but if mobility is an issue it's one you might take into account. It's possible they could arrange some other means of transporting less physically able passengers. Once you're on the boat you get off at a dock and go into the water where you walk/swim a short distance a ways into waist/chest-deep water (average sized adults). As I recall it was deeper where the dock was and we swam a ways to where we could stand/walk more easily. A person in our group had expected no swimming and chose to remain on the dock, which was a shame.

It was a really enjoyable animal encounter. It is an enclosed area, but they explain how they open and close it and how different rays will go away and sometimes come back with friends later.

I have had trouble collecting my photograph from them, however -- saw the proofs and placed the order and was told they'd contact me but now can't get a response to emails asking when I will get my glossy. Beautiful photo - hope I get it one day!

One note about the buses -- great way to get around, but there don't tend to be shelters and the sun can be hot. If it's mid-day be sure to take along a hat, sunscreen, and water!

I find the Dawn superior to Breakaway for sitting outside and reading, which is my major cruise activity! Sometimes you can grab a lounge chair on the promenade deck (there aren't that many, and people will be passing between you and the view ;)) but your best bet to avoid full sun is on 13 outside of Cagney's/Moderno. There's not a lot of foot traffic, you can hear the music from the pool area if you want to hear it, but not so loud that you can't ignore it, or for it to interfere with your own earphones. If you want shade you need to choose your time and side of the ship accordingly -- the shady side can fill up fast. For full sun, the front of the ship is very popular, and there are multiple levels of lounge chairs overlooking the pool. In the evening it can be really pleasant to catch a breeze and read, or watch any poolside activities.

There are also comfortable lounges closer to the pool area.

I found the Waterfront on the Breakaway pretty disappointing. Some of the furniture looked inviting, but once you sat on it you could see the internal support was shot. It was basically the ship's smoking section (at least on the cruise I was on), as people would set up with friends and literally spend the day there smoking. In general I didn't think the Breakaway provided anything close to the outdoor space the Dawn does for just relaxing.

Was wanting to look at MDR menus, to plan what night to make reservations for the Speciality Restuarants. I really like O’Sheehans for breakfast too.

I get to eat in Moderno for breakfast ( Suite Perk), but will try it at least once.

It doesn't help much with pre-cruise meal planning, but you can ask your butler for copies of the week's menus. Then you can ask the concierge to switch reservations for you if you have already made plans for that evening.

I've sailed in suites on the Dawn a bunch of times, but my only time in the Haven was on the Breakaway. The pool is quite small and while there is seating near it, there are also multiple tables for overflow from the Haven restaurant set up very close by. It's not really a pool that people lounge around (or swim in). If swimming is a goal, the Breakaway is not really built for it.

Upstairs in the Haven there are plenty of lounge chairs and if it's a quiet week it's a great place to get away from the busy ship. As others have noted, you don't have any control over fellow passengers, however, and loud children make for a VERY loud Haven. The second floor is open to the pool area below, so if kids are playing in the pool/hot tubs, their voices will echo pretty loudly. (Conversely, they keep the music pretty loud, which also makes for the opposite problem -- when you're the only one up there, you're going to hear the piped in music echoing around pretty loudly, which was kind of obnoxious with Christmas tunes)

There's a good sized area outside which is probably quite nice in ideal weather, but I was on a winter cruise and it was so windy even in the Caribbean that hardly anybody used it. Your itinerary may be different.

If you bring a good pair of headphones you should be all set if you just want to stretch out and read, nap, or chill in the Haven (second floor).

They have something called Dress up or Not Night -- usually there are lots of photographers available in the atrium or other public venue for taking portraits of those who want them taken. There will be people done up to the nines, and others in shorts and t-shirts. Feel free to wear whatever makes you happy!

Not sure Haven is my thing for most vacations, but on the Breakaway the ability to get out of the hustle/bustle and the expedited boarding/disembarkation were well worth it. For a once in a lifetime trip where getting the most out of your time ashore is important, I think for this ship it's definitely a good choice if you can swing it.

On boarding day they definitely had one elevator set aside for Haven guests only (I had walked by it and when I asked another staff member he personally ushered me over to the waiting cab and I was taken directly to 16). At other various times during the week a concierge will get in the elevator to escort you directly via key card access off the ship or to the showroom. On the last day they took us down the freight elevators to the head of the disembarkation line.

We're booked on the Dawn in a 2 bedroom family suite on the 11th floor next month and I was assuming (from the cabin layout drawing) that the balcony would have lounge chairs instead of chairs. When I look at videos, however, it looks like either one is possible.

Is there any way to have lounge chairs brought if they are not present when you arrive at your cabin? One of the attractions of this suite was that my mother would be able to kick back and relax on a lounge chair in the privacy of her own balcony.

I would make my decision based on how much you like a more private breakfast/lunch venue and the value/need for expedited boarding/tenders, so it might be very dependent on itinerary. If you're not rushing to get off the boat in each port, or you don't really care about suite breakfast/lunch/snacks, that will make a difference.

I don't really use Cagney's for lunch more than a couple of times in a week, don't eat half the stuff the butler brings, and priority tenders don't matter at all on the Bermuda trip. But when we did a back to back on the Dawn to Quebec, being in a suite paid off BIG TIME when it came to customs/immigration on our return (just before stopping in Maine). The line for non-suite passengers stretched around the ship, as bad as disembarkation day. Then there was a delay, which means people were in line for an hour before the line even started moving.

Those of us in a suite had been escorted to a lounge to wait comfortably, and when the process began, we were taken to our own customs/immigration officer, and basically paraded by him in about 10 minutes, tops. We were done, and the main line had barely moved. I'm sure it easily took another 90 minutes or more for the process to be completed, but we were free from that stress/hassle.

So it all comes down to measuring your priorities. Priority escort is the highest perk in my mind - to others it doesn't mean much.

If you like the idea of eating at Los Lobos, you don't want to use your dining plan meal for that (unless you really intend to order everything on the menu!) The servings are huge and the prices are low -- if you pay out of pocket, you could easily share an appetizer and each get an entree for under $35 (combined) and not have room for dessert . Plus chips and salsa which they bring for free. You can look at the menu and see that the entrees are usually under $10 (or were last time I went). We're big eaters and there was a LOT of food left over for us.

As others have pointed out, be sure to alert them that you do NOT want your meal plan charged for that meal. Since the entrees in Cagneys/Le Bistro can run over $20, you get the most for the plan in those restaurants.

I really enjoyed the speed boat around the island with a 90 minute period in St. George. You can book it for less money once you're there (but check the timing on the company website to see if space is available at a convenient time). The stop in St. George coincided with that re-enactment/comedy show they do by the dock where they dunk the lady. Not a lot of shade there, though.

If they have trouble boarding a boat, frankly the ferries (NCL and local) will get them to the two major towns and the local bus between Hamilton and St. George gives you some pretty nice views. When I got off the NCL ferry in Hamilton, there was a little tram that stopped just outside the information office - presumably that was a city tour you could take without walking much.

I've done the glass bottom boat and the famous houses tours and both times ended up sitting in full sun perched uncomfortably on a hard seat. They pack people in and I wouldn't say either was value for money.

This next trip we're going to hire a cab/tour for a few hours. For four people it's a great value to see precisely what you want to see, especially when you have older folks who might have accessibility issues.

Sort of related, I also priced mini-suites on the Dawn and they are not *that* much less expensive than the full suite. Which I find interesting because for the additional ~500 or so (from what I've seen), you get the larger cabin and all of the extra suite perks. Just something I noticed.

Caution - mini suites do NOT come with suite perks. You basically get a bathtub, that's about it. It's a slightly larger balcony room with a bathtub.

Here's a situation I haven't seen discussed here before (forgive me if it has been). Have a cruise booked in June and got the offer to upgrade. Took a look at prices and we decided to just skip the upgrade process and change our room directly. PCC at NCL took care of it, got all travel docs with new information, no problems.

I keep getting emails enticing me to upgrade from the room I let go a month ago. When I log into NCL there's a full page banner inviting me to upgrade from the room I let go a month ago. I called my PCC who said not to worry about it.

I have the paperwork listing my correct, upgraded cabin number/category. My vacation summary on My NCL shows the correct (new) cabin number/category. But I can't help but be concerned that somehow the bidding people didn't get word and I'm going to get to the ship and there will be an issue.

Anybody run into this before?

We love the SJ suites - the windows give gorgeous views and it's an easy walk to the pool. There can be good lounge chairs available up outside Cagneys/Moderno that are a bit less crowded than in the pool area (and a bit further away from the loud band music, though you can still enjoy it). No fancy slides (the ones in the kiddie pool are pretty small).

The front elevators also seem to be the fastest for getting around the ship and avoiding midship congestion -- you can move quickly to any floor but the one Cagneys/Moderno are on (13, I think).

Have a wonderful time!