Tips and secrets on the Dawn

[emeraldlover1]

This is my first time on NCL, May 30th to Bermuda. Just have an inside cabin, but never having sailed NCL before (only Carnival) I really enjoy seeing these tips.

 

Please keep them coming. Sail in 42 days!!

 

Melissa

 

 

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[lisap71]

I just booked SF Aft Penthouse 10226 for 2015. Hope you post your thoughts on your penthouse when you return. :)

 

 

That's our room!!!! 10226!! Cannot wait!!!!

 

 

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[bguppies]

This is my first time on NCL, May 30th to Bermuda. Just have an inside cabin, but never having sailed NCL before (only Carnival) I really enjoy seeing these tips.

 

Please keep them coming. Sail in 42 days!!

 

Melissa

 

We just got off the Dawn Sunday.

Our first NCL cruise after 12 with Carnival on all sizes of their ships.

 

Extremely similar experience to Carnival.

 

Same games, trivia, etc..same poolside bbq's.

They do have a 4 piece band playing poolside for an hour 2-3 times a day. (decent at best. annoying musical selection poolside. An hour of 70's disco with a 4 piece caribbean band?!?!!?)

The rest of the day is piped in music blaring poolside. (poor music choices by the DJ or whatever. Lots of thumping bass club music.)

 

I'd give the edge foodwise to Carnival.

Crewise to NCL.

Ship is a wash with the Carnival Spirit class or Fantasy class.

(except the Dawn had a stunning amount of "Broken" signs everywhere, all week. Hopefully the engineering staff was just on vacay last week.)

 

I was most excited by the 24 hour option at the Blue Lagoon, versus Carnival's 24 pizza. (I am used to very early AM work hours and still wake up then even on vacation.)

It is really just a few hours for breakfast, then lunch and a few hours of dinner.

Late at night they hand you the same room service menu from your cabin and just order room service to the restaurant.:confused:

Burger took 30 minutes, but it was perfectly prepared and very good.

 

Sadly the buffet was the best food consistently all week.

Good lunch at Cagney's.

Decent breakfast at Cagney's. (but food was no better than the buffet, so I didn't get the raves. Buffet was rarely crowded.)

Poor dinner at Cagney's. (I've had better steak at Golden Corral. Was stunned for a $30 steak house)

Italian was mediocre.

Aqua dining room was very good. (service and foodwise)

 

Hint..when catching an elevator anywhere on the ship from 8am-10pm just jump on the first one you can fit in, no matter which direction it is going, because there was rarely an elevator you could catch going either direction, without waiting for 3-7 to come through. (with 6 folks in their 60's-70's with bad knees/hips and 1 with a still damaged achillies, we couldn't walk stairs even if we wanted to.)

By the third day EVERYONE was hip to this and elevators were even more packed.

 

If I can get an NCL cruise for the same price as Carnival, I'd entertain NCL again.

Definitely not worth paying more for the same cruise though.

[emeraldlover1]

We just got off the Dawn Sunday.

Our first NCL cruise after 12 with Carnival on all sizes of their ships.

 

Extremely similar experience to Carnival.

 

Same games, trivia, etc..same poolside bbq's.

They do have a 4 piece band playing poolside for an hour 2-3 times a day. (decent at best. annoying musical selection poolside. An hour of 70's disco with a 4 piece caribbean band?!?!!?)

The rest of the day is piped in music blaring poolside. (poor music choices by the DJ or whatever. Lots of thumping bass club music.)

 

I'd give the edge foodwise to Carnival.

Crewise to NCL.

Ship is a wash with the Carnival Spirit class or Fantasy class.

(except the Dawn had a stunning amount of "Broken" signs everywhere, all week. Hopefully the engineering staff was just on vacay last week.)

 

I was most excited by the 24 hour option at the Blue Lagoon, versus Carnival's 24 pizza. (I am used to very early AM work hours and still wake up then even on vacation.)

It is really just a few hours for breakfast, then lunch and a few hours of dinner.

Late at night they hand you the same room service menu from your cabin and just order room service to the restaurant.:confused:

Burger took 30 minutes, but it was perfectly prepared and very good.

 

Sadly the buffet was the best food consistently all week.

Good lunch at Cagney's.

Decent breakfast at Cagney's. (but food was no better than the buffet, so I didn't get the raves. Buffet was rarely crowded.)

Poor dinner at Cagney's. (I've had better steak at Golden Corral. Was stunned for a $30 steak house)

Italian was mediocre.

Aqua dining room was very good. (service and foodwise)

 

Hint..when catching an elevator anywhere on the ship from 8am-10pm just jump on the first one you can fit in, no matter which direction it is going, because there was rarely an elevator you could catch going either direction, without waiting for 3-7 to come through. (with 6 folks in their 60's-70's with bad knees/hips and 1 with a still damaged achillies, we couldn't walk stairs even if we wanted to.)

By the third day EVERYONE was hip to this and elevators were even more packed.

 

If I can get an NCL cruise for the same price as Carnival, I'd entertain NCL again.

Definitely not worth paying more for the same cruise though.

 

Thank you for your opinion. I have not had any issues on Carnival and truly believe that your vacation is what you make it. I have not always enjoyed all the food selections but certainly did not go hungry or have it ruin my trip. I have enjoyed the entertainment, etc.

 

I am taking this cruise at is is out of Boston and I don't have to fly to the pier. I am paying more for an interior cabin than I normally pay for a balcony, but really wanted to take my Mom on a trip as she was depressed all winter with the weather, and she doesn't get to travel much anymore on her limited income.

 

The trouble with traveling out of Boston is there are really only summer cruises which always cost more.

 

I have friends who have only been on one cruise with RCI and fancy themselves experts. They had discussed taking another cruise with RCI and felt the price was good. I found the exact cruise (same dates and itinerary) with Carnival for the same room $400-$500 cheaper per person. That's a lot of money that I would rather keep to myself. Not saying I wouldn't try RCI, but can't justify the price difference. Just my honest opinion.

[bguppies]

Thank you for your opinion. I have not had any issues on Carnival and truly believe that your vacation is what you make it. I have not always enjoyed all the food selections but certainly did not go hungry or have it ruin my trip. I have enjoyed the entertainment, etc.

 

I am taking this cruise at is is out of Boston and I don't have to fly to the pier. I am paying more for an interior cabin than I normally pay for a balcony, but really wanted to take my Mom on a trip as she was depressed all winter with the weather, and she doesn't get to travel much anymore on her limited income.

 

The trouble with traveling out of Boston is there are really only summer cruises which always cost more.

 

I have friends who have only been on one cruise with RCI and fancy themselves experts. They had discussed taking another cruise with RCI and felt the price was good. I found the exact cruise (same dates and itinerary) with Carnival for the same room $400-$500 cheaper per person. That's a lot of money that I would rather keep to myself. Not saying I wouldn't try RCI, but can't justify the price difference. Just my honest opinion.

 

Exactly.

Did not let the poor specialty dining ruin the cruise for me. (just left Cagney's and walked down one floor and got something yummy at the buffet, before returning to our cabin.)

Something catastrophic would have to happen to ruin a cruise.

 

DW and I have tried forever to find a RCCL or NCL cruise for a similar price to Carnival, for when we like to cruise. (Off times in September and early Dec and mid Jan-mid Feb)

DW scans prices for those times, for the ports we can drive to (Charleston, jacksonville, Tampa and Port Canaveral) and she can never find an NCL or RCCL for what we can find for the same itinerary on Carnival.

 

This cruise was for my Parent's 50th and thus their choice, so we FINALLY got to try NCL.

 

Glad to see it is a very comparable product to carnival, with just more, extra $ dining choices.

 

Did like having the extra choices, just wish the food had not been so disappointing in the specialties all week.

But the food in the buffet and main dining rooms were equal to what we have had on our many Carnival cruises.

 

If we were suite people, I have to say, the suite benefits would definitely sway me to NCL over Carnival's "suites".

 

But as we are insides or occasional balcony people, NCL would have to meet the price point of Carnival, for sure.

Edited April 18, 2014 by bguppies

[nanagirl]

Best unknown secret on the Dawn, at least until repositioning, is to book dinner in LaCuchina and insist to only be sitting in King Cesar's section. When you are seated, don't look at the menu, only tell him what ingredients you prefer not to have. He'll take care of everything and deliver the best upcharge meal you'll have on the Dawn. Trust me, I've done this four times. My final suggestion is that if you intend to go back (we did 3 times our last trip) is to tip him commensurately (at least the $15 upcharge, times 2 for the both of you). Also, if King acknowledges that you understand, be prepared to tip Gil (Virgil) the chief chef accordingly. This is from the voice of experience.

 

Thanks so much for this tip. We will be on the 10/17/14 trip to Bermuda in a suite. I was wondering what you told them NOT to serve you. We are pretty adventurous but things like squid ink would not be well received. ;)

Do you remember what they did serve you?

[apiary311]

We've been on the Dawn several times, and noticed one thing that was different this past January - they did a craft each day, even port days, in Pearly Kings. Usually around 9 am. I enjoyed this, since we don't usually rush off the ship as soon as it docks, and this was something to do while we waited for the initial rush of crowds to debark. No charge for the crafts, either.

[newmexicoNita]

We just got off the Dawn Sunday.

Our first NCL cruise after 12 with Carnival on all sizes of their ships.

 

Extremely similar experience to Carnival.

 

Same games, trivia, etc..same poolside bbq's.

They do have a 4 piece band playing poolside for an hour 2-3 times a day. (decent at best. annoying musical selection poolside. An hour of 70's disco with a 4 piece caribbean band?!?!!?)

The rest of the day is piped in music blaring poolside. (poor music choices by the DJ or whatever. Lots of thumping bass club music.)

 

I'd give the edge foodwise to Carnival.

Crewise to NCL.

Ship is a wash with the Carnival Spirit class or Fantasy class.

(except the Dawn had a stunning amount of "Broken" signs everywhere, all week. Hopefully the engineering staff was just on vacay last week.)

 

I was most excited by the 24 hour option at the Blue Lagoon, versus Carnival's 24 pizza. (I am used to very early AM work hours and still wake up then even on vacation.)

It is really just a few hours for breakfast, then lunch and a few hours of dinner.

Late at night they hand you the same room service menu from your cabin and just order room service to the restaurant.:confused:

Burger took 30 minutes, but it was perfectly prepared and very good.

 

Sadly the buffet was the best food consistently all week.

Good lunch at Cagney's.

Decent breakfast at Cagney's. (but food was no better than the buffet, so I didn't get the raves. Buffet was rarely crowded.)

Poor dinner at Cagney's. (I've had better steak at Golden Corral. Was stunned for a $30 steak house)

Italian was mediocre.

Aqua dining room was very good. (service and foodwise)

 

Hint..when catching an elevator anywhere on the ship from 8am-10pm just jump on the first one you can fit in, no matter which direction it is going, because there was rarely an elevator you could catch going either direction, without waiting for 3-7 to come through. (with 6 folks in their 60's-70's with bad knees/hips and 1 with a still damaged achillies, we couldn't walk stairs even if we wanted to.)

By the third day EVERYONE was hip to this and elevators were even more packed.

 

If I can get an NCL cruise for the same price as Carnival, I'd entertain NCL again.

Definitely not worth paying more for the same cruise though.

Thanks for your comparisons of the two lines: I totally agree with the pool music. It is too loud and not all that great: a little goes a long way. As for Cagney's I think you just got a steak, it can happen. I have rarely heard anyone complain about the quality of the meats in Cagney's.

 

Thanks for the info on the elevators. We are going on the Dawn in 8 days. I should have taken the time to have a knee replacement a few months ago or certainly my next shot before we left: I didn't and now I am dreading all the walking on the ship. I can not do stairs. I can go down them if I have to but certainly not climb them unless it is an emergency.

[bguppies]

We've been on the Dawn several times, and noticed one thing that was different this past January - they did a craft each day, even port days, in Pearly Kings. Usually around 9 am. I enjoyed this, since we don't usually rush off the ship as soon as it docks, and this was something to do while we waited for the initial rush of crowds to debark. No charge for the crafts, either.

 

Pearly Kings was the exclusive home of trivia at 9AM (10AM one day), 2 ish and 6PM every day of the cruise last week.

Arts and Crafts was still there either just before or after the morning trivia.

 

Bill

[Vicki'sMom]

I just booked SF Aft Penthouse 10226 for 2015. Hope you post your thoughts on your penthouse when you return. :)

 

That's our room!!!! 10226!! Cannot wait!!!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

 

We'll be in that suite 10/10/14!! :D I will be sure to post here about our experience -- and any tips we come up with! ;) This thread has been most helpful in preparing us for our first time on Dawn! :)

[garycarla]

Best unknown secret on the Dawn, at least until repositioning, is to book dinner in LaCuchina and insist to only be sitting in King Cesar's section. When you are seated, don't look at the menu, only tell him what ingredients you prefer not to have. He'll take care of everything and deliver the best upcharge meal you'll have on the Dawn. Trust me, I've done this four times. My final suggestion is that if you intend to go back (we did 3 times our last trip) is to tip him commensurately (at least the $15 upcharge, times 2 for the both of you). Also, if King acknowledges that you understand, be prepared to tip Gil (Virgil) the chief chef accordingly. This is from the voice of experience.

 

This sounds very interesting. Tell us more about what they "whip up" for you.

[scm200]

just booked 10/31 Boston to Bermuda - - back to a balcony for us, celebrating a big milestone birthday for my Mom (won't advertise which one but she acts way younger than she is)

 

we have enjoyed the Dawn in the past, it is a nice ship and we love going out of Boston. I wonder if there will be any Halloween activities -- Trick or Treat anyone!

[lisap71]

We'll be in that suite 10/10/14!! :D I will be sure to post here about our experience -- and any tips we come up with! ;) This thread has been most helpful in preparing us for our first time on Dawn! :)

 

 

You will be on just before us!!! I cannot wait!!! I hope u will post again after the cruise to give us some insight on anything not already covered in this thread. Only 184 more days to go lol. I'm sooo excited!!!

 

 

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[mariawinnell]

We will be getting off the ship on. 10/31

Wondering for the kids if anything is planned for Holeween

 

 

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[princess_sophie]

We will be getting off the ship on. 10/31

Wondering for the kids if anything is planned for Holeween

 

 

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We will be getting off 10/31 too. We are in your roll call I believe. I've been looking around Boston to see if anything is going on. I want to be safe but I want the kids to have fun too! Let me know if you find anything out and I'll do the same for you.

 

 

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[Vicki'sMom]

You will be on just before us!!! I cannot wait!!! I hope u will post again after the cruise to give us some insight on anything not already covered in this thread. Only 184 more days to go lol. I'm sooo excited!!!

 

 

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:D 162 days for us!!! Yes, I will definitely post here after our cruise! ;)

[sebas030]

We will be getting off 10/31 too. We are in your roll call I believe. I've been looking around Boston to see if anything is going on. I want to be safe but I want the kids to have fun too! Let me know if you find anything out and I'll do the same for you.

 

 

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Have a look at what Salem has to offer...I am sure that Halloween in the "witch town" is particular.

 

 

 

 

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[mariawinnell]

We will be getting off 10/31 too. We are in your roll call I believe. I've been looking around Boston to see if anything is going on. I want to be safe but I want the kids to have fun too! Let me know if you find anything out and I'll do the same for you.

 

 

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I will keep watching for kids activities

 

 

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2003 S/S Norway

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2009 Sky

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2010 Gem

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[SAPMAN]

I am on the Dawn from Quebec City to Boston in Sept. Is there anywhere that I can see the times for the main shows on board? I want to book my specialty dining so I can be at the show area 30 min. ahead so I can get a decent seat. Do the Main Shows all start about the same time?

 

Is there a link to pictures of the Daily Schedule as a guideline?

 

Thanks.

[FitchburgWIFamily]

On the Star, we went to guest services to get my mother's key card "coded" to call the one elevator that goes all they way down to the deck the MDR is on.

 

She could then avoid the grand stair case that leads into the MDR from the deck above. Which, since she uses a walker, was a good thing.

 

Does anyone know if the Dawn has the same elevator access for disabled passengers?

[Demonyte]

On the Star, we went to guest services to get my mother's key card "coded" to call the one elevator that goes all they way down to the deck the MDR is on.

 

She could then avoid the grand stair case that leads into the MDR from the deck above. Which, since she uses a walker, was a good thing.

 

Does anyone know if the Dawn has the same elevator access for disabled passengers?

 

All ships need to be built to accommodate disabled passengers so yes, there is exactly the same setup on Dawn.

[laughingarcher]

We'll be on the Dawn 12/21/1014, our first Christmas cruise! Anyone have good stories re: holiday cruising to share? Any special holiday touches we can look forward to?

 

We're doing the Western Caribbean run (Belize, Cozumel, Costa Maya, Roatan) which is also new for us, so would love to hear your suggestions for those ports!

 

Love finding quiet nooks and shady spots on the boat. Please keep the Dawn secrets and tips coming! I've tried searching the general NCL forum, but it's so huge it'll take forever! :-)

 

Cheers and happy cruising!

[vent1020]

Just reviving the thread. We'll be on the Dawn for the November 30th 7 day Western Caribbean.

 

Would love to hear some more tips/hints for the Dawn.

[Megamixer]

Has anyone ever requested a coffee pot and gotten it that had an ocean view cabin instead of a balcony or suite?

[mag]

As of last summer, there was also a closed off room next to Gatsby's - the cigar room. My Dad loves Cubans, so we spent a few hours with him and martinis in that little area. Comfy chairs too!

 

 

This room is still there and it is a beautiful space to sit and have a cigar or cigarette and relax. Many were enjoying.