NCL Dawn - Bermuda 8/1 -8/8 Review

[RaMar]

We've been home for three days now and I am still feeling "cruise withdrawl" big time! I don't know if it happens to everyone but it's happening to me worse than ever. This was our 5th NCL cruise and it ranked #1 having taken 20+ cruises over the years. First of all, I didn't want to disembark on Sunday, and had the wild fantasy of hiding under the bed (except for the fact, that the food was so good that I could have never been able to fit). Even the trip from the pier to our home was way too fast and by 10:40 a.m., I found myself home. As I passed by the kitchen, a sudden chill invaded my body and almost freaked out when I saw the stove! I looked at Mark and said, "You are in charge of cooking until I feel better". Well, I haven't had a decent meal in three days and he's usually not allowed in the kitchen.

 

So, with that being said let me start the review. Originally we were not going to sail NCL and had a reservation with another line to go to Halifax. We had done this cruise last August and thought that avoiding air fares would be the wise thing to do. As days went by we reconsidered the itinerary and switched to NCL. I called them myself and booked the trip (a mini suite), and we left it at that because this goes back to sometime in April.

The thought of going to Bermuda for three days was the key factor for booking the cruise and I started the countdown in my head as I always do when I book a cruise. Weeks and months passed and we were becoming more and more excited looking for the magical August 1st day. Until approximately two weeks before the cruise, my phone rang and when I answered it, it was a lovely woman from NCL calling us to offer an upsell. At first I hesitated but it was way too good to pass up. She actually offered us the Owner's Suite!!! She described it so well and it sounded so good that I said yes and in a matter of minutes the switch from the mini suite to the Owner's Suite became a reality. Mark was not around at the time that this call came and I decided not to tell him anything.

 

More to follow soon....

[Kuleiros]

Awesome - good for you - can't wait to hear more! Going oin my 1st NCL, and only 2nd cruise ever (went on a 3-night Disney 3 years ago) on the Dawn in Sept., so cannot wait to hear all about your trip! :)

[Mrs. H.]

Awesome - good for you - can't wait to hear more! Going oin my 1st NCL, and only 2nd cruise ever (went on a 3-night Disney 3 years ago) on the Dawn in Sept., so cannot wait to hear all about your trip! :)

 

What date are you leaving?

[Mrs. H.]

[quote name=RaMar;2556d we were becoming more and more excited looking for the magical August 1st day. Until approxim

ately two weeks before the cruise' date=' my phone rang and when I answered it, it was a lovely woman from NCL calling us to offer an upsell. At first I hesitated but it was way too good to pass up. She actually offered us the Owner's Suite!!! She described it so well and it sounded so good that I said yes and in a matter of minutes the switch from the mini suite to the Owner's Suite became a reality. Mark was not around at the time that this call came and I decided not to tell him anything.

 

More to follow soon....[/quote]

 

I love the penthouse that we book but would like the chance to experience the owners suite. May I ask what the going rate is for that kind of upsell?

[Kuleiros]

Mrs. H. -

 

9/19 - NE and Canada - can't wait! :)

[Mrs. H.]

Mrs. H. -

 

9/19 - NE and Canada - can't wait! :)

 

 

You will see me at the pier.:p

I'll be the one getting off the ship.......CRYING.:eek:

[RaMar]

Continued:

 

The call from NCL made me nuts and for several days I kept it a secret from Mark, but a friend told me that I should let him know so that he could be able to prepare for it and take some nice clothes. When I told him he didn't believe me and it took him a while to process the news.

 

Sunday, Aug. 1: Could not sleep the night before and I was up at 5:00 a.m. Could not wait for the cab to come at 10:00. Our ride into Manhattan was smooth in comparison to the last time when we had a crazy driver and we thought for sure that we would appear on the local news channel. We got to the pier and a porter took our luggage right away, we went inside to check in (11:10 a.m.). The process was quick as always and we were escorted to the VIP area. We met Anoop, the Concierge (great guy), and approx. at 11:30, we were directed to board the ship. As we were walking to the ship, they started calling numbers 1 & 2, to board. For those who do not know, there is a number system to board and your number depends upon the time that you get there. We were told that the cabins would not be ready until 1:30, so we went up to the Garden Cafe to have some coffee. Suite/penthouse guests are allowed to have lunch at Cagney's but they would not be open until noon. You are also entitled to have breakfast and lunch there everyday if you choose. At noon, we went up to Cagney's and had a wonderful lunch, you can choose anything from their lunch menu. After lunch, we walked around the ship waiting until we would be able to get to the cabin.

At 1:25, we started making our way all the way forward to get to our suite. When I opened the door, our mouths dropped and we just stood there speechless for several seconds. When we spoke, all you could hear was "Oh my God" over and over again until I said to Mark, "Snap out of it and let's look around". The Owner's Suite was/is a dream!!!

Beautiful and so big that my sister's first floor in her house is smaller in comparison. The decor is a bit retro and the colors are truly vivid on the beautiful painted murals. Two balconies, one adjacent to the livingroom area with a round wicker table and four chairs; the other is way up front right next to the bedroom with two lounge chairs and small table, and plenty of sun everyday. It is right under the bridge, so keep your bathing suit on at all times! The king size bed is comfy and there are mirrors over the bed (great feature) and a first for us. Right next to the bedroom is a huge bathroom, beautiful aqua tiles and marble floor, a jacuzzi tub with a flat screen t.v. on the wall. The bathroom has a large porthole window which allows tremendous light in and you get a great view. The toilet and shower are in separate glass enclosed areas, and there's a phone where the toilet is (don't know why). The shower is wonderful with two showers, jets (my favorite area)!. There is also a huge closet right next to the bathroom with two safes(two people could easily sleep there).

I forgot to mention that there is also a half bathroom by the front door as you walk into the suite. We also had a very nice dining area with a gorgeous floral mural. So much stuff that it took us a while to absorb it, not to mention the number of light switches all over the suite.

 

I will continue later because today will be my first attempt at cooking since we got back. Say a prayer for me! Will continue the review tonight.

[RaMar]

Let's wrap this up. So much for the suite: The Dawn is still a great ship despite the fact that one afternoon we had a minor power outage which probably lasted 2 minutes and I am sure that people took advantage of it, especially some caught in the elevators at the time that it happened.

 

Loved being 3 days in Bermuda, wonderful beaches and don't miss Horseshoe Bay! Fantastic!!! We had sunny hot days while in port and it was wonderful.

 

Loved the food, had lunch at the Garden Cafe one afternoon and it was very good. Had dinner in our suite two nights and both times were terrific meals. Had dinner at:

 

Le Bistro: Superb!

Cagney's: Excellent

Impressions: A bit disappointed, thought the food lacked real Italian flavor and I am a big fan of Italian cuisine.

Bamboo: It was good, but a bit spicy (perhaps what I ordered).

 

I am thrilled that I changed our original plans and chose NCL. Met wonderful people and had a fabulous time.

 

To: Kelly & JoAnn: We are so glad that we met you and had a wonderful time! If you read this, stay well and hope to see you again.

 

In closure: This was a fabulous cruise, thanks to Jessica from NCL who called to offer this amazing bargain. Thank you again! But no matter in what cabin you are, I feel that just getting away from the daily grind is a prize in itself. I am fortunate to have had so many experiences over the years, and you must always remember that a day on a cruise is a trillion times better than a day at work!

 

Hope that you enjoy your future cruises and now that I finished this review, I will answer any questions if you have any. Bon Voyage to all!

[JoKe]

Hi from JoAnn & Kelly!!! We absolutely loved reading your review all week long! We felt that we were back on the cruise once again! It certainly helped us get through the work week. You were right-it was a fantastic time..especially the Owner's Suite Dinner! We can't wait to see you both once again....let's plan a cruise when we get together! :)

[MiamiSpartan]

My boss was on that trip, too and loved it!!

[RaMar]

Hi from JoAnn & Kelly!!! We absolutely loved reading your review all week long! We felt that we were back on the cruise once again! It certainly helped us get through the work week. You were right-it was a fantastic time..especially the Owner's Suite Dinner! We can't wait to see you both once again....let's plan a cruise when we get together! :)

 

Hi! It's been so hard to be back, we'll definitely plan something together! I miss that cruise sooo.. bad! Take care!

[RaMar]

My boss was on that trip, too and loved it!!

 

I think that everyone loved it. The only sad faces that I saw including mine were on disembarkation morning.

[Kuleiros]

RaMar -

 

Enjoyed reading about your trip, thanx for posting, glad you had a good time!

 

Mrs. H. -

 

Hope you have a fantastic trip, and that the wonderful memories you will have will keep you from looking TOO sad upon your return!

[RaMar]

RaMar -

 

Enjoyed reading about your trip, thanx for posting, glad you had a good time!

 

Mrs. H. -

 

Hope you have a fantastic trip, and that the wonderful memories you will have will keep you from looking TOO sad upon your return!

 

It was awsome!

 

Mrs. H: Have a great time!

[Mrs. H.]

Thank you. I'm sure I'll have a terrific time. Going to get the luggage out ot the attic today. :D