Boston to Bermuda with Young Kids: August 15, 2014--TONS of photos

[lolavix]

Loving your review,, esp the photos!,, we leave next friday and finding pics of the dawn are tough!,, thank you! Looking forward to reading, seeing more...

 

I agree. I feel like the Dawn sometimes gets lost among the posts about the Breakaway. I am so grateful for all I learned about cruising in general, NCL and Bermuda from these boards, that I wanted to give back. You are going to have a great time, though. I wish we were going back with you. ;)

[lolavix]

 

The three closest snorkelers are DH, DD, and DS1.

 

You can see that Horseshoe Baby Beach is pretty popular. It's likely due to its proximity to the entrance and the fact that it's protected. I don't know if the waves are normally as strong as they were the day we were there, but the current at the main Horseshoe Bay Beach was very active that day, as you'll see in a few photos.

 

We decided to move onto the main beach after a little stay at the "Baby Beach". We walked quite a bit away from the main crowd.

 

Although I don't remember the sand looking quite this pink in person, it sure looks pink here. The cove of Baby Beach is behind those rocks.

 

This picture cracks me up.

 

 

The waves were fun.

 

Funny how calm it looked at this moment. You can also see our stuff and how not crowded this part of the beach is. It wasn't hard to find a less crowded spot, which was nice.

[lolavix]

Catching some waves!

 

It looks like he's part of a wave sandwich.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And one just because I like the colors. Almost all of the beach photos have been edited, but this one hasn't.

 

[SeaportMike]

Great trip report. I was on the Dawn from Boston last October, great ship!

[dtiger]

Great review and lovely photos.

[lolavix]

Around this time DH and DS2 walked back to the concession stand to get us some lunch. We had bought pre-packaged snacks with us on the trip.

 

 

This was one of the lunch kits I had purchased prior to sailing.

 

The package is entirely sealed up, and the contents are all individually sealed as well. However, I was nervous about taking them with us, so we left them on the ship. We realized that we probably could have taken them with us, given that they were completely sealed and no one was checking bags to even question us. We figured we might try using them tomorrow, but for today, we ate burgers, hot dogs and water. Cost us $38 and change for lunch, for anyone who cares.

 

After lunch, we decided to move on. We wanted to walk the path to Warwick Long Bay. I had heard it was walkable and it sounded like fun.

 

Parents: If we could do it again, I would not do this with young kids, especially on a hot, sunny day. The path is not right along the beach, and while I knew that going in, I didn't know that it meant we'd be walking up grassy hills through sand dunes for a length of time. The kids were hot and tired, and so were we; we had made the mistake of packing five big beach towels, as well as the snorkeling gear. A few times we weren't sure if we were on the right part of the path, and it was a bit stressful. (Not completely stressful, because we knew we were paralleling the road where the bus was, but we didn't want to have to walk extra if we took a wrong turn.)

 

The views were spectacular, but again, kids don't always appreciate that.

 

This is unedited. And with a water spot on the lens, but still lovely.

 

 

I think we had perked up a bit because we were getting close to our destination.

 

We finally made it to Warwick Long Bay, but were pulled back to Jobson's Cove, for its protection and coziness.

 

 

Look at how clear the water is:

Edited August 24, 2014 by lolavix

[txskier]

excellent review!! great pictures!!

we are on the Dawn next summer to Bermuda!!!

[lolavix]

Unedited photo of this gorgeous cove. There were people who climbed up those rocks and jumped in.

 

 

DS2 is getting a pep talk from DH. While the older two kids were able to snorkel without much trouble, DS2 was still trying to get the hang of it. Note how red they both look...good thing we brought the aloe after sun gel!

 

At this time, DH took the camera and went out to get some underwater photos. I can't do this because I don't have a prescription mask, and I'm blind as a bat without glasses so it would be pointless. This was the first time we were using the camera underwater. I had received it for Mother's Day and had taken it to our local beach, but had not submerged it for any length of time.

 

A few shots with his not really knowing how to use/adjust the settings:

 

The fish is harder to see in the second photo, but it's down toward the left, bottom side of the photo.

 

It was about time to pack up and go to the bus stop. DH handed me the camera and I went to look at what he photographed. It was then that I realized that the camera would not let me review the photos. It also wouldn't let me adjust the settings. We knew that this might be an issue, because we had received a notification from Olympus which said that our camera fell within a bunch of serial numbers where they had noted issues with water leaking into the mode dial, and they were offering a free repair. Well, I guess we hit the jackpot with that particular camera, since ours seemed to be suffering from the water leakage issue. We hadn't received the notification until two weeks before we sailed, and since we hadn't submerged it for any length of time yet, we didn't know if our camera would actually be affected. We didn't want to try it out for leakage prior to the trip, because we wouldn't have time to send it for repair. We figured we'd take our chances and if it leaked and we got no underwater photos, so be it. I would still be taking our Pentax, so we'd be OK for photos.

 

And, as it turns out, the camera would take photos and all the photos we had taken that day were fine when I viewed them on my DSLR. We just couldn't alter the settings or look at what you photographed. I was happy about the photos being OK and the camera being usable, and am planning to send it for repair this week. We continued to use it at the beaches, as you'll see.

 

We packed up and walked back up the hill to the street. We looked around and spotted the bus stop about 100 yards down the street and walked to it. We wanted to get on the #7 bus going back to the Dockyard since it would be the most direct route. The bus took about 35-40 minutes to get back to the Dockyard. We took the last bus back, which on Sunday arrives at Warwick Long Bay around 4:50 or so.

[aquarianne11]

Thanks for the review and wonderful photos. Looking forward to more!

 

How long did it take you to walk from Horseshoe Bay to Warwick? We are really interested in doing that next week. I'm just not sure if my daughter can handle it. We have a little one who just turned 7.

 

Thanks :)

[lolavix]

Seaport Mike--We loved the Dawn. DS2 doesn't understand why we can't go back right now.

 

dtiger--Thank you.

 

txskier--Thanks! You are going to love the Dawn.

 

Aquarianne11--I am going to have to estimate, because the time stamps on my photos are misleading. We had lunch and packed up after I took my last photos at Horseshoe Bay and so I don't really know when we started walking. We started from the very eastern-most part of Horseshoe Bay and only peeked at Warwick Long Bay because we liked Jobson's Cove. We were hot and tired when we started, so that probably slowed us a bit. I would say maybe 25-30 minutes? I would try to carry as little as possible as well. I read that you can wade around the rocks rather than take the path, but you'd need water shoes. It didn't look like we could do it the day we were there because the tide was coming in, but I'm thinking that walking along the water might be easier. I hope this helps. The other option would be to take the bus, but you'd have to walk up and down the long driveways twice...or you could do the two beaches on two different days. We loved Jobson's Cove so much that we returned on our last day, which I haven't described yet...but our focus was going to be beach time, so that might not be your family's. :)

[Susan4000]

Thank you so much! I will be on the Dawn in October and have been feeling blah right now. But, your review and photos are getting me fired up! I am looking forward to more!

Edited August 25, 2014 by Susan4000

[FitchburgWIFamily]

Thank you so much for taking the time to post so many wonderful pictures of the ship...especially for posting the dailies. My kids are more excited than ever for our spring break cruise on the Dawn.

[aquarianne11]

Seaport Mike--We loved the Dawn. DS2 doesn't understand why we can't go back right now.

 

dtiger--Thank you.

 

txskier--Thanks! You are going to love the Dawn.

 

Aquarianne11--I am going to have to estimate, because the time stamps on my photos are misleading. We had lunch and packed up after I took my last photos at Horseshoe Bay and so I don't really know when we started walking. We started from the very eastern-most part of Horseshoe Bay and only peeked at Warwick Long Bay because we liked Jobson's Cove. We were hot and tired when we started, so that probably slowed us a bit. I would say maybe 25-30 minutes? I would try to carry as little as possible as well. I read that you can wade around the rocks rather than take the path, but you'd need water shoes. It didn't look like we could do it the day we were there because the tide was coming in, but I'm thinking that walking along the water might be easier. I hope this helps. The other option would be to take the bus, but you'd have to walk up and down the long driveways twice...or you could do the two beaches on two different days. We loved Jobson's Cove so much that we returned on our last day, which I haven't described yet...but our focus was going to be beach time, so that might not be your family's. :)

 

 

Thank you very much for the info. At least, we now know what to expect. I guess we'll have to see how she is feeling that day.

 

Beach time is also our priority. Trying to get as much beach time as we can before fall and winter arrive. :)

 

Thanks again! :)

[lolavix]

Susan4000--I'm glad I could help cheer you up. You are going to have a blast. :)

 

FitchburgWIFamily--You are very welcome. I find that there are not that many detailed reviews of cruises with kids, so I figured I could help with that. Your family will enjoy the Dawn for certain.

 

Aquarianne11--You are very welcome. I heard someone the next day on the cruise talking about the beach walk and they said it would be more of a challenge with kids. My kids are pretty game for most things, but the heat and the time of day contributed to a long walk. You could start at the spot you think you might least likely want to stay and then walk first, before you spend any time in the sun and water. I'm thinking that our mistake is that we did the walk toward the end of the day.

[lolavix]

We arrived back at the Dawn a little after 6 and went back to our room. I snapped a few shots from the balcony.

 

 

 

 

I mentioned to DH that we had a reservation at 6:30 at the Venetian and we decided to try to get there. As I mentioned before, I had made reservations for each night for the MDRs and only used one of them. This is the one we used.

 

This is where having two bathrooms came in handy. We all managed to take quick showers and headed out to the Venetian. It was a nice change from the Garden Cafe, and the kids enjoyed going back.

 

I ordered a crabcake of some sort. It came with sweet potato fries:

 

DH ordered spaghetti carbonara. I think there was shrimp or something else in the dish.

 

I don't remember what the kids got. I know it was nothing fancy from the adult menu, though. ;)

[lolavix]

For dessert, I got the chocolate volcano and it was tasty, even though the inside didn't gush the way I've had it on other occasions.

 

A few other desserts for our table:

 

The kids like the show "Cutthroat Kitchen" and the week before we sailed, they saw an episode where the participants had to make tiramisu. They had no idea what it was. We got an order of tiramisu so the kids could try it.

 

 

Parents: This is one nice thing about cruises. You can order things for the kids to try since everything is already paid for. And of course, this tiramisu certainly didn't go to waste anyway.

 

Our waiter took a liking to the kids and told them stories and jokes. Before we left, we got a photo.

I didn't crop this so the ceiling would remain in the photo.

 

After dinner, we all went back to the room and noticed some new friends.

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

Thank you so much for this review and the pictures. I will be heading to Bermuda on the Dawn next May for the first time and can't wait. We will have our 6 year old in tow and this will help put things into perspective for us with distances (although she is always up for ANYTHING and has more energy than both of us put together).

 

I'm definitely book marking this to read several times when it gets closer to our cruise (and after I am done with my 2 cruises in November and can start a little more in-depth planning on Bermuda).

 

Which model Olympus do you have? I have both the 630 and 830 and they are my favorite cameras. I have gotten to the point that I don't even bother to take my DSLR on cruises with me anymore because the quality of the pictures I get with my Olympus is amazing. I didn't realize that they have a recall on some of them. Where do you find what models/serial numbers?

[lolavix]

DH wanted to rest so I took the kids to the Happy Family Deck Party, out by the Oasis Pool.

 

It had face painting...

..and balloons...

...and dancing

Who remembers the Macarena? I do, but it was long before my kids' time.

 

 

We didn't stay that long--maybe 40 minutes or so. We went back to the room and DH said he was done for the evening. DS2 had been pretty tired last night, so he stayed with DH. I dropped the older two off at Splash Academy and I went to the 9:30 showing of

 

We had seen a preview of his show at the Welcome Aboard show. He continued with some of the same themes he had started the night before--his relationship with his girlfriend and mother were common. He was entertaining and I enjoyed the show, although I wish DH had been with me.

 

The show ended with plenty of time for me to retrieve the kids. Got back to our rooms and got us settled for bed.

 

And that is the end of day three! Up next is our full day in Bermuda.

[lolavix]

Mitsugirly--I want to thank you for your extensive reviews of your cruises. I read your most recent one and focused on the details of traveling with young kids, and then I went back and read some of the earlier ones (Christmas time when you sailed from New Orleans sticks out in my mind). I actually asked for the Olympus based on how well your photos turn out. :) I have the TG-850, and DH received an email from Adorama with the repair information. I'm guessing you are probably safe since the information he received is specifically for the TG-850 (and your cameras are still functioning). I was just grateful that it continued to work on the beach, and we have a few more photos of snorkeling coming up. In this case, I was glad that I had my DSLR with us because I would have had no way of knowing if the camera was still taking photos, since we didn't have a laptop with us to read the card, and if I had relied on just the Olympus, I would have wondered the entire trip if I would have any photos.

[jethrojam]

Just wanted to say great review so far. Not too many extensive pictorials of the Dawn, so I am loving this for our trip next may. Thanks :)

[Ask4fun67]

One more of Splash Academy

 

Every day when you'd drop the kids off, you'd see a banner like the one above, telling you what the day's theme would be. (This is not the drop off area, but an example of the banner.)

 

Not of Splash Academy, but to show that the older kids (ages 13-17) also have their own space and things to do.

 

A few more random photos that I didn't include earlier:

 

Each staircase has a landing, and there is artwork on the wall of the landing. I was amused by this one:

 

There are these helpful TV screens which show which restaurants have availability. This information is also available on your TV.

 

 

 

In case we've forgotten where we are.

 

I think that's it for the mini-tour. I obviously don't have photos of everything on the ship, but at least some of the kid-friendly places are represented.

I enjoyed your post and pics. I am cruising for the first time in Dec to the Southern Caribbean, but my dream is Bermuda.

 

April & Steve

[lolavix]

Jethrojam--Thank you. Now that I think about it, you're right. I read a lot of NCL reviews, because I figured some things would be the same among ships, and I read a lot of Bermuda reviews. I'm glad this can fill that void a little bit.

 

Ask4fun67--Next cruise, Bermuda then? You'll love your first one as well, I'll bet. :)

[pathubia]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

 

I wonder how the bus changes are now, I will have to jump to the Bermuda page to see...

 

We cruised in May and are cruising again in October....October will be my first cruise without kids, and I am really looking forward to the "quiet"...

[lolavix]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[lolavix]

 

Page 8 is the same as posted for Day 3's Dailies, if you need to see the restaurant hours.

_____________________________________________________________

 

A bonus for being docked facing Heritage Wharf was the view we had early morning. This was at 6:30 AM.

 

 

 

 

Once in awhile, you'd see a person or two stroll along.

 

We actually put in for a wake up call this morning. We had plans to go to Tom Moore's Jungle and St. George's. My preferred sequence would be St. George's first, but that would mean getting on the 9:30 ferry, and I had a feeling that many would have the same idea. Not to mention, Grandeur of the Seas had joined us and there were double the number of people wanting transportation.

 

We went to the Garden Cafe and had breakfast. My kids were still amused by the mini boxes of cereal, and my daughter had added hard boiled eggs as another favorite. We went back to the room, packed up, and were headed over to the ferry by about 8:45.

 

There were lots of folks who had the same idea. The line for the St. George's ferry looked very long, so we decided to do Tom Moore's Jungle first. Thinking back, the line to St. George's was long, but we probably would have fit on that ferry. I'm basing this on the line we saw in the evening, coming back from St. George's. Everyone managed to fit on the return ferry, and that line looked even longer.

 

Rather than wait until 9:30 to see if we'd make the St. George's ferry, we took the 9 AM ferry to Hamilton.

 

I posted a photo of the Dawn from the ferry for Day 3. This is a closer view of her. My kids, of course, pointed out the slides from the T-Rex pool.

 

Grandeur of the Seas

 

And together...