Dawn Photo Review Dec 16-23

[Aquahound]

Back to the subject of food. Blue Lagoon. You guys like this concept? :confused: The 24 hour joint is a sit down/menu venue? Sorry, but I didn't get it. I think that space could have been better used.

 

There was an option to order room service pizza, but it had a cost. Really? I've never seen pizza that had to be paid for on a cruise. I guess there's a first for everything. :rolleyes:

 

Room Service. This may be trivial to some, but this one is a bit of a deal breaker for us. You would think a "do whatever" cruise line who touts their many, many dining options would have a little bit of a better room service menu. One of our favorite cruise activities is ordering room service breakfast and eating it out on the balcony. But there wasn't one single hot item on the breakfast menu. And actually, being able to order a hot breakfast would have fixed 2 things...the menu and being able to avoid the horrific service in the Venetian.

 

When I saw the oddly placed table in the room, I thought, at least I can put it on the balcony in the morning for breakfast. Well, so much for that. Anywho, waking up to the sunrise was nice. Would've been nicer with a hot breakfast.

 

Edited January 3, 2013 by Aquahound

[Aquahound]

Here's one more picture of the morning sunrise (taken while hungry).

 

 

[noche_caliente]

Let me inject some kudos here. I loved this Captain. During the Q&A session, someone asked the question "who's driving?" He responded by saying "we have bets on how long it takes for someone to ask that stupid question."

 

When someone complained about the ship rocking and asked why they don't use the stabilizers, his response was "I can bring them in if you like, so you really have something to complain about."

 

Another woman accused him of dumping sewage in Belize. He took a second, shook his head, took a deep breath, and explained it was the sea bottom getting stirred up. I only wish he would have voiced what was on his mind. :D

 

This was one of the best shows of the cruise. ;)

 

Love your review, as always, and this post in particular! Thanks for being honest with your opinions :)

 

PS - have you seen this thread? It's just up your alley! http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1757359

Edited January 3, 2013 by noche_caliente

[Aquahound]

Love your review, as always, and this post in particular! Thanks for being honest with your opinions :)

 

PS - have you seen this thread? It's just up your alley! http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1757359

 

No, I had not seen that thread. Thanks for pointing it out, and even moreso, thanks for remembering my adventure with a lost camera. I'm very flattered. :o

Edited January 3, 2013 by Aquahound

[boopsahoy]

We actually like the Blue Lagoon especially for take out. Like you said the room service menu is lacking but you can get hot food to go from Blue Lagoon anytime and bring to your room. I've also heard that have a pretty decent breakfast.

 

We hated the set time dining and shared table from the past and we were very excited when it changed to freestyle. If I go to a restaurant and there's a wait-rarely-i leave and go somewhere else as there's plenty of choices. But to each his own, its really just peoples opinions and not everyone agrees. We just happen to love the freestyle concept.

 

Thanks for your review and pictures, it helped me get my cruise fix :-)

[marym933]

Thank you for the review. Your pictures are gorgeous! I can't wait to experience the Dawn for myself!

[biker@sea]

Thanks for all your hard work on a very well composed review .

[Aquahound]

Every night from 5:30 to 7, they offered 2-for-1 martinis in the Star Bar. I was told it just started. I don't know if she meant on our cruise, or recently. I was excited because I love martinis and it was one of the few things I liked about Sky. But this brings me to a waste of space complaint about this ship. The Star Bar is a very small lounge and the lounge was packed during this time. There is a curtain separating the bar area from a room with dining tables. I'm not sure what it was...the space looked like a Cagneys overflow room, but I never saw it used. This whole space would be much better served if they just opened it all up to a 180 degree view lounge.

 

The poor waitress in there was stressed as were the 2 bartenders. They never figured it out on our cruise, but hopefully they do soon. During this promotion, they need more servers.

[jjjct]

Loving the review and pictures can't wait for the rest!

 

I have never been on the Dawn and have also been seeing a lot of negative reviews coming from her recently but I've waited 2 years for this cruise and can't wait to set sail and will definitely have a great time. I do appreciate the positive and negative aspects of your review it gives me forewarning about some of the less than stellar aspects.

Hi Surran, we have been on the Dawn before and will be on her in a few days. It is one of our favorite ships(have cruised Jewel, Gem. Princess Line and RCL - 4X) and feel that the negative reviews are from busy winter break ports with too many ships. Spring break reviews seem to reflect that also. That being said, Paul I do appreciate your review and pictures. You have had extensive cruise experience and am sure each line has good and bad - can't please all the people all of the time, including me. Any day on a cruise is Heaven to me.

Edited January 3, 2013 by jjjct

[Aquahound]

You have had extensive cruise experience and am sure each line has good and bad - can't please all the people all of the time, including me. Any day on a cruise is Heaven to me.

 

That is a very fair statement, and I agree 100%. Thanks for your thoughts. :)

[debnjoe1438]

Leaving Tampa is one of my favorite sail-aways. We followed Carnival Legend out the channel. Dawn goes under the Sunshine Skyway bridge at 6:30.

 

 

 

Thanks for posting the time for going under the bridge. I hope to get some pictures in about 24 days. :D

[chet the jet]

Paul thanks for the great review. I loved the pictures you took of the ship. We will be on the Dawn in Sept-Oct on a New England-Canada cruise but that time of year we will most likey not be outside much. I do love to just walk or sit and watch people. This review gave me an insite of just where and what I wanted to do. Seeing we have 12 port stops in 14 days no need to have to do a lot of things on the ship.

[Cupcrazy]

Thanks for the great review & pictures!

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for your great review and your awesome pictures.

[clean1owner]

Good recap so far, but you left one out. Poor MDR service. That's a big one, at least, to me it is.

 

 

Sad to hear about the declining MDR service. Of all the lines I have sailed, NCL service ranked a very close second to Disney.

 

Thanks for the honest review. I sail the Dawn in 11 days and look forward to a great experience.

[clarkg]

I will start by saying that I loved the review.

I will not take the Dawn because they destroyed the wonderful forward facing observation room( Spinnaker Lounge) and put it down stairs so they could cram even more people on the ship.

Your comment about the Blue Lagoon left me puzzled especially after your comments about how bad the MDR was for breakfast. The best kept secret on NCL is breakfast at the Blue Lagoon. Fast Service with a smile. It is also great for a midnight snack.

[david_sobe]

Great review aquahound. The pictures were fantastic. Sorry you had some serious service issues. That definately can happen. But since you are from the Conch Republic, you are very low stress anyway so I know you still had a great vacation ;)

[gambee]

I have to say that I am not a fan of the kids in the Aft section, that area is great for an adult quiet area.

[Aquahound]

I will start by saying that I loved the review.

I will not take the Dawn because they destroyed the wonderful forward facing observation room( Spinnaker Lounge) and put it down stairs so they could cram even more people on the ship.

Your comment about the Blue Lagoon left me puzzled especially after your comments about how bad the MDR was for breakfast. The best kept secret on NCL is breakfast at the Blue Lagoon. Fast Service with a smile. It is also great for a midnight snack.

 

Excellent post that brought a lot to my mind.

 

Let me first address the Spinnaker. Was it originally up front, like on deck 12? :confused: I ask because from up on 13, I saw the row of windows below and knowing that usually indicates a lounge, I went looking for it, only to find a bunch of suites. Are you saying they eliminated a lounge that made a lot more sense than the current Spinnaker and changed the space into rooms? If that's true, that was a terrible move.

 

While in this space usage frame of mind, let me express one more opinion. Although I am now Gold on NCL, you can see from my signature my NCL history. This was my first time on this style of NCL ship. What's up with those 2 Garden Villa suites that overlook the pool....2 rooms that take up an entire deck? Do people really spend that kind of money to go on a NCL cruise? Sorry, but this is just one more thing I don't get. Good for them, I guess, but for that kind of money, I would want the entire ship to be top notch, not just my suite. To me, it just seems like it would have made a lot more sense to leave Spinnaker where it was and chop up that Garden Villa space a little more with many smaller suites instead of 2 gigantic suites. Again, Aquahound's thoughts only.

 

But on to your second thought. Blue Lagoon. Remember, this was my first time on a ship with that venue. In my room, there was zero literature of what was offered throughout the ship, so it wasn't until day 2 or 3 I walked up to the hostess in that space and said "what is this?" Until then, it just looked like part of Moderno to me. Now, the reason we didn't try it....really, 2 reasons. One, I forgot about it and two, the in-laws are gluttons for punishment and still wanted to go to the MDR because despite the lack of service, it still beat the cattle herd in the Garden Cafe. Lesson learned, I guess. But it still doesn't exonerate them from providing such poor service in the MDR.

[Aquahound]

But since you are from the Conch Republic, you are very low stress anyway so I know you still had a great vacation ;)

 

You just hit the nail right on the head. I live in a very low-stress, laid back atmosphere. After all, it's 75 degrees right now. ;) For the most part, we are not the type to go around making complaints to supervisors, etc. We see something we don't like and simply don't do it again. That sorta describes my Dawn cruise. I wasn't going to waste my time complaining about this, that and everything. I just simply won't book that ship or any similar ship again. That said, I have no problem letting the world know how it was by way of this review. ;)

 

And hopefully in writing this review, my personality shows in my posts. For the most part, I'm just not offended easily. :)

Edited January 3, 2013 by Aquahound

[SMSACE6]

Thankyou for your honest review and excellent photos! I would love to sail out of Tampa again some day.:)

[Barb Nahoumi]

From the Quiet Zone, you could get a pretty good view of the bow.

 

 

Walking to the stern, we found the kids pool. I like that the kids area is so far separated from the main pool. I'm not sure who designed those water fountains, but we got a pretty good laugh out of them (dirty minds). I guess they just go along with the rest of the design around the ship.

 

.

 

 

 

 

.

 

The small pool at the bow is for the crew

[Aquahound]

The small pool at the bow is for the crew

 

Right. Did you think I said otherwise. :confused:

[che5904]

Excellent post that brought a lot to my mind.

 

Let me first address the Spinnaker. Was it originally up front, like on deck 12? :confused: I ask because from up on 13, I saw the row of windows below and knowing that usually indicates a lounge, I went looking for it, only to find a bunch of suites. Are you saying they eliminated a lounge that made a lot more sense than the current Spinnaker and changed the space into rooms? If that's true, that was a terrible move.

 

While in this space usage frame of mind, let me express one more opinion. Although I am now Gold on NCL, you can see from my signature my NCL history. This was my first time on this style of NCL ship. What's up with those 2 Garden Villa suites that overlook the pool....2 rooms that take up an entire deck? Do people really spend that kind of money to go on a NCL cruise? Sorry, but this is just one more thing I don't get. Good for them, I guess, but for that kind of money, I would want the entire ship to be top notch, not just my suite. To me, it just seems like it would have made a lot more sense to leave Spinnaker where it was and chop up that Garden Villa space a little more with many smaller suites instead of 2 gigantic suites. Again, Aquahound's thoughts only.

 

But on to your second thought. Blue Lagoon. Remember, this was my first time on a ship with that venue. In my room, there was zero literature of what was offered throughout the ship, so it wasn't until day 2 or 3 I walked up to the hostess in that space and said "what is this?" Until then, it just looked like part of Moderno to me. Now, the reason we didn't try it....really, 2 reasons. One, I forgot about it and two, the in-laws are gluttons for punishment and still wanted to go to the MDR because despite the lack of service, it still beat the cattle herd in the Garden Cafe. Lesson learned, I guess. But it still doesn't exonerate them from providing such poor service in the MDR.

 

Let me address a couple of things here

Yes the spinnaker used to be upfront on deck 12. Wonderful airy bright room, beautiful for viewing if you wanted to sit and read for a bit and watch the ocean. Much better for activities but very underused for the most part for that large an area on the ship. I'm assuming for that reason NCL eliminated it and put beautiful family suites in it's place.

 

You have had a bad experience, room steward and Venetian on this ship (sorry I can't take the cosmetic negatives very seriously as I can't see how palm tree lights and cheesy artwork on the promenade would affect someones vacation):rolleyes:. You didn't enjoy this ship, I get that, well noted and totally understandable why you state you would not do this ship again or any in that class. But yes people really do book the Garden Villas and do so, I imagine, because they do love the ship. We loved our time on the Dawn and her sister ship the Star and luckily didn't experience what you did.

 

Sorry that your information book was not in your cabin. However, we got our welcome booklet in the mail prior to sailing with everything noted that was on the ship and a card once we arrived with a map and again everything that was on the ship. The information book that was suppose to be in the cabin resembles all hotel info books, I believe it has a blue vinyl cover. In it is again what is available on the ship as well as the all day room service menu

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1657996&highlight=room+service+menu see post #2 for the all day available.

 

You say about the bad service (hit and miss) in the Venetian, did you try the other MDR Aqua, perhaps the service would have been better there and you wouldn't have had to wait.

 

Sorry this cruise was not up your expectations, happy sailing on your next one.

Edited January 3, 2013 by che5904

[Aquahound]

Paul thanks for the great review. I loved the pictures you took of the ship. We will be on the Dawn in Sept-Oct on a New England-Canada cruise but that time of year we will most likey not be outside much. I do love to just walk or sit and watch people. This review gave me an insite of just where and what I wanted to do. Seeing we have 12 port stops in 14 days no need to have to do a lot of things on the ship.

 

Good point. That's another thing I noticed about Dawn. There really weren't any places inside to just sit and watch the sea go by. This is probably another issue that suffers as a result of Spinnaker being moved. I don't know what Blue Lagoon and Moderno used to be, but those would've been great locations for something more comfortable, rather than dining tables.

 

As for people watching, I'd say the best place is in the Atrium near the Java Cafe.