MITSUGIRLYS DAWN TO BERMUDA NOVEL (or review as some may call it)

[mitsugirly]

I'm happily following along on your latest adventure and looking forward to seeing what you did this time around. :) But, no camera charger? Uh oh. :eek:

Heather

 

Thanks for following Heather. Yep, no camera charger and this is the second time this has happened to me....or wait, is it the 3rd? I'm getting so good at this I don't even remember. :o

 

Can't wait to read more about your Bermuda trip!

 

Thanks for being here. :)

[mitsugirly]

I'm so excited I have read all your reviews an will be in the Caribbean on the Dawn in January after finishing Nursing School. I have a 2 &5 year old so you give me guidance in shore excursions for the family. I was waiting for this as your guide to the dawn will be more useful then almost anything else. So thanks in advance -Thea

 

Thanks and glad to have you here along with me on this review and I hope you enjoy the rest of it. Future congrats on finishing Nursing School next year. It's a long hard road, especially with children/families, but well worth it. :)

 

So exited to read your review. We will be on the Dawn in November with our 3 adult boys and then again in Oct of 2016 (just me and the hubby) for a 3 week back to back which includes Bermuda. Thanks for all of the time you spend writing your reviews...they are such fun to read!

 

Thanks for joining me on this review. Glad to have you here.

[mitsugirly]

Always enjoy your reviews/novels :D. We will be on the Dawn next fall going to Canada and New England.

 

We are history buffs and will be spending a few days pre and possibly post cruise - we don't need a fancy hotel - but I am debating on staying near downtown - or going either north or south of the city. Where was your hotel in relation to downtown?

 

We will also be in a suite - did you happen to notice if there was a special check-in and waiting area for the suites? BTW I agree that that cruise terminal looks awful - nothing like the one in Seattle that we are used to :eek:

 

Like you, I also enjoy the climb to the ship :)

 

Looking forward to the rest of your novel :cool:

 

I'm honestly not sure about the distance to downtown, but looking at a map it looks like downtown is super close to the cruise terminal? When I was frantically looking for a shuttle service to take us from the hotel to the cruise pier and pricing, I do remember looking at the mileage to get there and it was like 5.6 miles from the terminal. It's also located right by the subway rail service (somewhere within walking distance from the hotel I was told) and they say it's super easy to catch from there. I remember our shuttle driver telling us about doing it, but we really didn't have time or interest in catching the subway so I kinda tuned out during that speech. :o

 

The hotel is south of the terminal and Boston.

 

What I assumed was the suite waiting area was right to the left of the check in area and behind where they take your pictures. Then to the left of that was the restrooms. They had a big tall cloth/screen up to kinda try to block it off from the area. I assumed that was what they were using for the suite/VIP check in area. As far as a check in area, I did not notice that.

 

Yay, another 'novel' review from Mitsugirly! Plus one I now have a vested interest in, just put a deposit down for Bermuda for next year!

 

 

Glad to have you with me. You'll love Bermuda. It's so pretty there. :)

[mitsugirly]

I'm excited to read this review! I have Bermuda pretty high up on my list of places I'd like to go, and a lot of the activities you choose to do are ones I'd like as well.

 

That's quite the burn you got on your arm from trying to catch that iron. I sure wish you'd stop getting hurt every time you go on a cruise! This coming from a woman who ripped a toenail off on her last cruise.

 

I hope that camera charger turns up somewhere. I cannot imagine you on a cruise with out a working camera. Besides, it seems like you are always so well organized, I can't imagine you would ever forget something as important as a camera charger.

 

I am one of those who has had problems with the color/font on previous reviews. I couldn't read for more than a few minutes at a time. I think this time you've got it right! I have had no problems at all with this one.

 

I am really looking forward to following along as this story unfolds!

 

Bermuda has been very high on my list for about 3 years now. I don't know what took me so long to actually get there. Well, yes I do actually, the prices are sky high compared to our cheaper Caribbean cruises we are use to taking. Plus with it being available in the summer months, it's even higher at the "nicer" weather times compared to the cooler spring/fall months, which would make it not worth it to us to go. :p

 

I know, I feel like I'm danger prone when it comes to cruising. I normally am not a klutz when home I promise. But since I was getting ready to leave on a cruise...something just has to happen. :D

 

Me without a camera charger for my cameras is like a dog without a bone in his future. It sucks! However, I do have to say that due to things like this, that's how I managed to get my awesome cameras I have now (not having the charger to my Canon D10's forced me to have to purchase whatever camera I could find on the ships at the time and that happened to be the Olympus Tough I now own and have used for the last few years on the cruises). So I guess some good came of it. :p

 

Glad this font works better for you, and hopefully others as well. :)

 

Since I just found and finished your Carnival review (it helped to look for it on the carnival page and not the NCL page, go figure, duh), it's super exciting to be reading your Dawn review so "soon". I L-O-V-E the Dawn and Bermuda. Can't wait to hear what you thought. I only go into obsessive plan mode when travelling with kids, so currently trying to persuade hubby to do a last minute Dawn cruise with no planning in July, but we'll see if your review spurs him along.

 

LOL, yea Pride, not Pride of America. :p I wondered how many people would think that. Oops.

 

I hope my review helps with the hubby. ;)

 

Glad to have you along for the review and I hope you enjoy it.

[cruiser1955a]

There is a separate line for suite check-in, just to the right of the standard check-in counter. The suite waiting area is just a roped off seating section, with a tent set up for coffee & pastries. There's a few seats in the tent, but most are just in the roped-off area.

[mitsugirly]

dcipjr-Thank you so much for doing this review! So many of us love cruising vicariously through your reviews! I know I have been looking forward to this one in particular, since you're going somewhere I've been!

 

Our own cruise on the Dawn was probably my least favorite cruise. We still had a great time, and it was much better than working, but it rained every day in Bermuda—there were periods without rain, but it was cloudy and overcast the whole time. Except, naturally, for when we were leaving, when brilliant sunshine came out to remind us of what we had missed. What a tease!

 

If that wasn't bad enough, my phone took a dip in the ocean—yeahhh, that's what happens when you get to the beach, and it's raining, and you decide to just make a mad dash for the warm ocean waters, and forget to take your phone out of your pocket. 0/10, would not recommend. :rolleyes:

 

It was still Bermuda, but the wet weather and personal electronics kind of dampened the whole cruise.

 

The good thing is that we have a chance to redeem ourselves coming up in 7 weeks!

 

We're headed back to Bermuda on the Breakaway, with my wife's sister and her husband—it'll be the first time that we've cruised with family or friends, and their first time cruising. I have an aft balcony (which I've lusted after since the first time I cruised, and stood at the back watching the wake). So we're excited to have people with us, hoping for good weather, excited to be cruising out of NYC again, which is only 2 hours from our house.

 

I'm counting the days. :D

 

Hi and glad to have you here along with me for the review. Happy you enjoy my reviews as well and even happier I get to finally do one that involves going to BERMUDA!!! :D

 

So sorry you had that rotten rainy weather. I have read so many reviews of cruisers complaining about their cruise because of the weather and others chastising them for complaining about it because "a cruise is better than being at work" but after last November on our Sky cruise and having "icky" weather, I completely sympahtize with anyone who has had one of these cruises. You wait for so long for the cruise to come, you saved and used your hard earned money to go and you did all this planning and everything gets turned upside down when bad weather strikes. It really does alter the way things turn out and I know that first hand. Yes, I still make the best of it, but it ends up being one of the least favorite cruises.

 

I'm so glad you get a redemption cruise. I seriously hope you have excellent weather this time around!!! Leave the phone out of the pockets this time please. :p

 

You are very lucky to be so close to a cruise port. Some day I hope to be within driving distance to SOMETHING cruise related. LOL :D

[mitsugirly]

I'm leaving for Bermuda in 4 weeks. We had a great time last year on the dawn with only one drizzly cool day in Bermuda. I'm hoping for great weather this time. Looking forward to the rest of the review

 

Thanks for joining me and I hope you have perfect weather this time around. :)

 

 

Hey Mitsugirl I don't know if you remember me but I was on the Epic with you and I love reading your reviews.

You are now in my area and going to the place where my family loves to go. We try every year to go to Bermuda and we are going this year in October. The best ship for us is the Dawn where we just drive to the port, park the car and get on the ship and head to Bermuda.

 

 

Hey there. How have things been? Still cruising the NCL family? Glad to have you with me on this review. You are so lucky to be able to go to Bermuda every year. How's the weather in October? I would think it would be a little too cold for someone like me who loves the water, but I know the prices are a lot cheaper during that time.

[mitsugirly]

Yaaay. Perfect timing for me with this review. I go to Bermuda on the breakaway in September for the first time. Your reviews are the best!!!

 

Thanks for joining me. I hope you enjoy the review and thanks for the comments. I would love to do the BA to Bermuda some time....If only they'd have the KSF promo for that ship I'd do it! :D

 

It's not a mirage...there really is a Dunkin Donuts on every street in the Boston area. DD started in Quincy, MA (just over the river from your hotel) so that is why there are so many around here. One time I counted that I pass 7 on my way to work (about 3.5 miles from my house.)

 

I totally believe you. They were everywhere...and I commented that to my husband. It was kinda funny after seeing so many. LOL

[mitsugirly]

Hey Kim!! I travelled all the way over from the Carnival board for this review!! GREAT start. We've loved our cruises to Bermuda and can't wait to relive it again through your eyes!! :)

 

Hi there Jamman! Glad to have you along. I REALLY wish there was a Carnival ship that went to Bermuda...DURING the summer months and not after RC and NCL pulls out of there in the fall. I would so take one to Bermuda. Which ship did you go on there? Did you do a review for it? If so I would love to see it.

[Jamman54]

Hi there Jamman! Glad to have you along. I REALLY wish there was a Carnival ship that went to Bermuda...DURING the summer months and not after RC and NCL pulls out of there in the fall. I would so take one to Bermuda. Which ship did you go on there? Did you do a review for it? If so I would love to see it.

 

It's been 6 or 7 years since we were last there on the Explorer of the Seas. Also cruised there back in 2001 on Celebrity's Zenith, where we actually docked in Hamilton and St. Georges. I did conventional, not picture, reviews back then, and I guess they are floating around on the web somewhere.

 

Would love to do a Bermuda cruise on the Breakaway, but Carnival keeps giving me offers I can't refuse! :)

[jimswims]

I am looking forward to reading more of your review. I live about 20 miles from the port, just up the coast, so the Boston to Bermuda is a popular cruise for us. Bermuda is one of my favorite places! We have been on the Dawn a few times now and will be returning on her again next year.

[mitsugirly]

It's been 6 or 7 years since we were last there on the Explorer of the Seas. Also cruised there back in 2001 on Celebrity's Zenith, where we actually docked in Hamilton and St. Georges. I did conventional, not picture, reviews back then, and I guess they are floating around on the web somewhere.

 

Would love to do a Bermuda cruise on the Breakaway, but Carnival keeps giving me offers I can't refuse! :)

 

 

I would love to be on a cruise that docked at Hamilton. It seems much more convenient to get to everything from there. But I know only the smaller ships can go there to dock. :( I would love to do the Breakaway there but they are just so darn expensive compared to other cruises.

[Sotermarler]

Love your Dunkin Donuts comment. As a former Bostonian, I can tell you that Dunkies is the Starbucks of the east coast!

 

I wish they had Bermuda cruises when I lived there. Your description of the weather is exactly why I don't want to fly there from sunny AZ to cruise down south. It's great for the New Englanders though. I bet you heard a lot of great Boston accents while on board.

[ourfamilylovescruising]

Love your reviews!!

 

I am like you my oldest is 30 and has a daughter that is 6 and my youngest is 11 so they are more like brother and sister then uncle and niece and they are just a like so they fight like cats and dogs. lol:cool:

[Jamman54]

I would love to be on a cruise that docked at Hamilton. It seems much more convenient to get to everything from there. But I know only the smaller ships can go there to dock. :( I would love to do the Breakaway there but they are just so darn expensive compared to other cruises.

 

Kim, I found a link to my old Zenith review, and a photo of my crew back then. What a blast from the past!

 

Celebrity Zenith to Bermuda 2001

 

Edited June 14, 2015 by Jamman54

[New2cruise1483]

Yay! You're starting your Dawn review! We had our first cruise ever on her in January 2014, and loved her! I can't wait to see your pictures and read your thoughts about her :D

[nancynana9950]

Glad you're back and doing the review. I've enjoyed reading your other reviews. We will be taking the Breakaway to Bermuda in October. It will be our third time in six years. First was a five day on Explorer OTS late September 2011 then a seven day on Breakaway late September 2013. It was hot in Bermuda both times. We booked this trip last December when rates were reasonable and the promos were great. Then in February there were several price drops and the KSF promo was added so my daughter and her family booked too. Glad to hear Sakari loves Splash Academy. I hope my 3 G-kids like it too. Just curious what was your favorite port so far? We've sailed from Canaveral, Tampa, Bayonne, Miami, and Manhattan. Thought Tampa was best.

[mitsugirly]

Love your Dunkin Donuts comment. As a former Bostonian, I can tell you that Dunkies is the Starbucks of the east coast!

 

I wish they had Bermuda cruises when I lived there. Your description of the weather is exactly why I don't want to fly there from sunny AZ to cruise down south. It's great for the New Englanders though. I bet you heard a lot of great Boston accents while on board.

 

 

I know a lot of people absolutely love Starbucks but my hubby has to have his Tim Hortons. He is so hooked on that stuff. I don't drink coffee, so I have nothing to compare them with. LOL

 

I have learned several things while cruising from multiple cruise ports...so far, cruising from the eastern coast (at least during the spring) is just too cold for me and NOLA is another unpredictible port for us. The only time we've had perfect weather is port canaveral and miami.

 

Love your reviews!!

 

I am like you my oldest is 30 and has a daughter that is 6 and my youngest is 11 so they are more like brother and sister then uncle and niece and they are just a like so they fight like cats and dogs. lol:cool:

 

Thank goodness ours don't fight at all (Brayden is always too busy destroying stuff when he's over ;)), but since Sakari is the sister of Kendra, my daughter Kendra calls her "sissy", which means that my grandson Brayden calls her that as well. It confuses a lot of people, including my grandson who ask his mother a few weeks ago why she didn't want "sissy" anymore and gave her away. Kendra didn't know what he was talking about since she does have a 1 year old daughter (his ACTUAL sister) at home and he was talking about sissy being given away. He clarified when he said "Why does sissy get to live with mawmaw and I don't? Because you didn't want her?" LOL :eek: It gets even more confusing when you add my oldest sons (who is 28) daughter to the mix, who is ALSO the same age, but younger by only 7 months. :p

[mitsugirly]

Kim, I found a link to my old Zenith review, and a photo of my crew back then. What a blast from the past!

 

Celebrity Zenith to Bermuda 2001

 

 

Awesome. Thanks for the link. I'll look it over tonight some time. I appreciate it....and would you just look at you guys back then? Wow, the kids were so young.

 

Yay! You're starting your Dawn review! We had our first cruise ever on her in January 2014, and loved her! I can't wait to see your pictures and read your thoughts about her :D

 

Glad to have you here with me. I hope you enjoy the review. :)

[pdmartyn65]

I know a lot of people absolutely love Starbucks but my hubby has to have his Tim Hortons. He is so hooked on that stuff. I don't drink coffee, so I have nothing to compare them with. LOL

 

Maybe he is part Canadian? Personally, I can't stand Starbucks (although their blonde roast is passable in a pinch). We took 2lbs of Timmy's with us on our Panama Canal on the Sun. Nothing like a fresh cup of Timmy's first thing in the morning! :)

[MandyMommyof2]

I have been stalking the boards for your Dawn review ;) I am joining along. A Bermuda cruise is on my list!!! Bummer about the camera charger!! I remember one "road trip" vacation, I left my husbands and mine entire "hanging wardrobe" of clothing on our bed :eek: This of course gave me the opportunity to shop for new clothes, but I had already outfit planned to those. :) Can't wait to hear all about your week!!!

[biker@sea]

Awesome review !!

 

You would hope some day an NCL Exec. would figure out to put Dunkin Donuts on the dang BOSTON SHIP .

 

Carlos bakery is good for the New York ship but we want Dunkins and Fenway Franks . :D

 

I too have more to see in Bermuda . ;)

 

Did you try the Internet Cafe on Dawn ?

 

.

[mitsugirly]

Glad you're back and doing the review. I've enjoyed reading your other reviews. We will be taking the Breakaway to Bermuda in October. It will be our third time in six years. First was a five day on Explorer OTS late September 2011 then a seven day on Breakaway late September 2013. It was hot in Bermuda both times. We booked this trip last December when rates were reasonable and the promos were great. Then in February there were several price drops and the KSF promo was added so my daughter and her family booked too. Glad to hear Sakari loves Splash Academy. I hope my 3 G-kids like it too. Just curious what was your favorite port so far? We've sailed from Canaveral, Tampa, Bayonne, Miami, and Manhattan. Thought Tampa was best.

 

Sakari always loves the kids club since she first started cruising. The staff has always been amazing and she loves the activities they do.

 

We have sailed from Port Canaveral, Miami, NOLA, Tampa, Baltimore and Boston now.

 

We absolutely LOVE NOLA because there's so much to do and see around there all within walking distance from the hotels and everything. The only problem is...it's just been either cold or rainy nasty weather the last few times we were there (had awesome weather the first time around, but it was in September and the others were in December).

 

I have to say that Tampa was a good experience because of crossing under the bridge...which was neat.

 

But Miami...I know it's a big hustling bustling cruise port, but I tell ya, we have had fast and efficient service out of that cruise port. With it being such a big place, you would think that things would not go as smoothly but they do.

[mitsugirly]

Maybe he is part Canadian? Personally, I can't stand Starbucks (although their blonde roast is passable in a pinch). We took 2lbs of Timmy's with us on our Panama Canal on the Sun. Nothing like a fresh cup of Timmy's first thing in the morning! :)

 

Haha, nope not Canadian. He just loves his Tims! Everyone gets him gift cards for Tims for Christmas because he's there almost daily. :D

 

I have been stalking the boards for your Dawn review ;) I am joining along. A Bermuda cruise is on my list!!! Bummer about the camera charger!! I remember one "road trip" vacation, I left my husbands and mine entire "hanging wardrobe" of clothing on our bed :eek: This of course gave me the opportunity to shop for new clothes, but I had already outfit planned to those. :) Can't wait to hear all about your week!!!

 

Glad to have you here and welcome. I hope you enjoy the review. Although all the times I have left my charger at home, I really didn't want to have an excuse to buy a new camera, but it worked out great those times. However, it was NOT an option this time....later on that to come. :(

[mitsugirly]

Awesome review !!

 

You would hope some day an NCL Exec. would figure out to put Dunkin Donuts on the dang BOSTON SHIP .

 

Carlos bakery is good for the New York ship but we want Dunkins and Fenway Franks . :D

 

I too have more to see in Bermuda . ;)

 

Did you try the Internet Cafe on Dawn ?

 

.

 

You would think that Dunkin would approach NCL for something like that out of Boston wouldn't you? :D

 

We did not try the internet cafe after all. The hubby decided to shut down his internet website and the other selling sites during the cruise this time (it's a first and I have to admit it was weird). But Kendra did try it on the last day.