NCL Dawn review for first time cruisers 7/3-710

[amybeth28]

Entertainment

 

After reading all the reviews here, we were really looking forward to the shows and on board entertainment. I was careful to plan our day, especially our diners, so that we could experience the evening shows. We caught the main show every night, except for day two in Bermuda.

 

Main Shows: Stardust Theater

 

There is a large production show in the Stardust Theater every evening. The Theater is large with entrances on decks 6 and 7, in the very front of the ship. The theater is beautiful, with purple plush seats, chandeliers and balconies. The stage is large, and most seats have good views. The seats are padded, but there is not a lot of leg room. If you are a tall person you may want to choose an aisle seat or sit at one of the tables in the balcony section.

 

Show times were 7pm and 9pm, with the exception of Elements, which is 6:30pm and 9pm on day 6. We attended the earlier show time on all but one night, when we attended the late show. We arrived 20 minutes early for most shows and were able to get excellent seats. The 9pm show seemed to fill up more quickly and was packed. They will make a special announcement about the Elements show and advise you to get there early, take this advice; the show was standing room only. They do not allow pictures or videos for any of the shows, with the exception of the crew presentation at the end of Elements, on night 6.

 

There is drink service available, but with so many people, you really need to wave your card to get the servers attention. A small tip is useful here if you intend on getting a second drink. We found that it was better to get a drink at another bar and bring it with us.

 

They will sell pull tab instant win tickets before each show. I noticed that the price went down for these tickets later in the cruise. The win rate on these tickets seemed to be very low, judging by how many people were very upset and complaining that it was a rip off. I gave in and bought some on the last night, we won $2:) You can cash the tickets in at the casino.

 

Day 1: Welcome aboard show

 

This show was designed as a preview of all of the shows scheduled this cruise. They had short acts by the NCL singers and dancers. They refer to this group as the production cast in announcements and the freestyle daily newsletter. They also featured a brief performance by the aerialist Jocka and Maria, and the Thrillusionist David Davinci. All of these mini-performances were woven into one complete experience. At the end, they introduced the senior staff on the ship. I thought it was a good show and gave me an idea of what to expect for the rest of the trip. to be continued:)

[kcwiak]

Enjoying your review! I love that you don't sweat the small stuff and let it ruin your vacation! Looking forward to more!

[BabsinTX]

AmyBeth: Excellent review. We'll be on the Dawn in October and your detailed review will be a huge help. I'm already looking forward to your review of your second cruise, whenever it may be!

[EveryBreathYouTake]

We'll be first time NCL cruisers next month and loving all the details you're providing! Thank you - very helpful!

[amybeth28]

Kcwiak, I am glad you are enjoying the review. It would take a lot to spoil a vacation for me! I am grateful to have had the opportunity to experience a cruise to Bermuda!

 

Babsin, I hope you have a wonderful time, I read on these boards that Bermuda in October is beautiful.

 

Everybreatheyoutake, thank you so much! Have a great trip.

[amybeth28]

Day 2: Band on the Run

 

This is a “Vegas Style” show by the NCL production cast. The cast sing and dance to songs from the 1970’s. We thought this show was excellent. The singing was wonderful, everyone sang along because we all knew the songs. The costumes were beautiful and the dancing was fun and energetic. I won’t give too much away in terms of the plot, but we thought it was very good.

 

Day 3: “Jocka and Maria…no net just passionate hearts”.

 

I apologize; this is actually the one we missed. This was “Jocka and Maria…no net just passionate hearts”. We were on a sunset rum cruise excursion this night. Jocka and Maria are the aerialists. We went to a question and answer session with them later in the week. They were fascinating and I am sorry I missed the act.

 

Day 4: Showdown

 

This show was inspired by the American Idol type shows. It was a competition between the four NCL production singers. There was dancing, but not many costume changes. I felt that the Band on the Run, showcased the dancers while this one showcased the talent of the singers more. We really like the elaborate costumes and rapidly changing scenes, so Band on the Run was my favorite. However, these singers were really entertaining and we thoroughly enjoyed the show!

 

Day 5: The Second City Comedy Troupe

 

Second city is a group of comedians originally from Chicago, famous for their improvisational skills. If you get to the show early they have Second City trivia on the screen, so many famous comedians started here! We went to the 7pm show, so I am not sure if the 9pm is more “adult” themed. However, I would have been comfortable with my tweens watching this one. We both thought the show was clever and funny and are glad we were able to attend. We ended up seeing the mystery murder lunch and adult act later in the cruise. (I will talk about them in a bit)

 

Day 6: Elements

 

If I only had time to go to one show, I would pick this one! I don’t want to ruin it for you by telling you too much about it. However, there is music, dancing, flying, magic, amazing costumes and more. They really promote this show and you can tell how proud they are to have such an amazing show on a cruise ship. The doors open at 6:00 and 8:30, but people line up well before that. I would suggest that you bring a drink and get there ten minutes before the doors even open. The show involves the whole theater so a seat in the middle is a good choice.

 

Day 7: David DaVinci the Thrillusionist.

 

This is a magic/illusionist show that involves trained parrots. David Davinci is very charismatic and the show was entertaining. I would have loved to see more of the parrots. I should mention that DH thought this was the second best show of the cruise. “Almost as good as Elements”. If you enjoy magic, I would recommend taking the time to see this. We also saw his up close magic show earlier in the cruise.

To be continued:)

[amybeth28]

Other on- Board Entertainment/Activities

 

The freestyle daily newsletter will have a full page, double columned list of all the things to do and experience. The list is organized by times and printed on the second page. The newsletter is perforated, so you can just separate and carry the second page. I did this each day, and then went to the atrium and got a fresh copy from the brochure stand to bring home as a keepsake. In the evening we would look at the next day’s activities and highlight the ones we wanted to attend. There are a lot of interesting things to do and we would have needed 5 cruises to try everything! I will give you an overview of the things we experienced.

 

The oasis pool

 

The oasis Pool is located on deck 12. There is a large open air area on this part of the ship with stairs and layers going up two additional decks. There are lounge chairs on the upper decks, and Bimini grill is at the top. The pool seems to be the center of the action during the day and into the evening. There is almost always music playing, either a DJ or live band. There are two bars, topsiders and Bimini. This is where the large parties, like the sail away and the white hot party, happen. There are often BBQ’s here and people will often bring food from the Garden Café to the pool area to eat.

 

The area has shaded tables on both side, one side allows smoking. There are lounge chairs all around the pool and on all of the levels in the area.

 

There are four hot tubs at the corners of the pool.

 

This area is always very crowded. It is almost impossible to get a chair after 8 or 9 am. It is also difficult to find a table to sit at. We did see a few open chairs way up on deck 13, but nothing was available on the main pool deck. This was a source of frustration for many, the area is just too small. There was also an incident where someone contaminated the pool and it had to be closed for the three days we were in Bermuda.

 

The pool area was fun for the parties and dancing, but just too crowded for us to spend much time there during the day.

 

The White Hot party on the pool deck was very fun. It is a glow in the dark dance party with music and group dances. It starts with the family party at 9pm, where there are games and special line dances for the kids. At 10pm, it moves into the adult party. Finally at midnight there is a White Hot after party in the Spinaker lounge. Don't forget to bring white clothing so that you will glow in the dark. Don't worry you can still attend the party if you don't remember to wear white. more to come:)

Edited July 23, 2015 by amybeth28

[amybeth28]

 

The Murder Mystery Lunch

 

This is an audience participation murder mystery luncheon with the Second City Comedy Troupe. The luncheon itself is on Thursday, the last sea day. However, you need to sign up on Saturday, day 2. The sign ups start at 11, at the credit desk in the atrium. On these boards I had read that the lunch will sell out quickly, but on this cruise there were still seats available the day before. I guess it depends on what cruise you are on. I really wanted to see this because I have never been to a Murder mystery before, so we signed up right at 11. The cost was $20 per person and lunch is included. You will not get a ticket in your state room for this lunch; they will scan your card at the door.

 

The menu was three courses, beginning with a hearts of romaine and shrimp salad. For the main course you could have either roasted chicken leg with potatoes, broccoli and roasted tomato or grilled salmon with similar sides. The desert was mini chocolate éclairs. We both had the salmon. The meal was ok, I liked the sauce on the salmon.

 

One thing I wish I knew is that they feature drinks on the menu, but there is no table service in the restaurant before or during the show. You have to go outside to Gatsby’s bar to get the drinks. Since no one knew this until they sat down, the bar got pretty crowded pretty quickly. The featured drinks were a dark and stormy,(ginger beer and rum) and Stormy nights, a beautiful multi layer drink served in a martini glass. This was probably the most beautiful drink I have ever seen, and one of the most interesting to taste. The cost was $9.75, and it was included in the UBP.

 

The show was fantastic, the plot depends on information given from the audience and they improvise from there. We were seated in the front row table with another couple. They included people from the audience in the show, but you did not have to get out of your seat to participate. There were several older children there, and I would feel comfortable bringing tweens or teens to this show. This was one of our favorite things on the cruise and worth the time and cost if you have never been to something like this. More to come.:)

[ALS1214]

I did not know the pool was closed in Bermuda . I was lucky to always find a table on the side of the pool to sit at. Had luck on the non smoking side . Next cruise I'll have to try a stormy night as my friend said it was delicious .

[biker@sea]

I did not know the pool was closed in Bermuda . I was lucky to always find a table on the side of the pool to sit at. Had luck on the non smoking side . Next cruise I'll have to try a stormy night as my friend said it was delicious .

 

The pool was only closed because of Contamination. ( not normal )

 

The ship would have to wait till it was out to sea to dump the dirty pool water.

 

.

[cherylatwork]

 

The show was fantastic, the plot depends on information given from the audience and they improvise from there. We were seated in the front row table with another couple.

 

 

Great review! We were on this cruise also, Hubby and I may be the other couple you were seated with :D

[Fitzyk23]

This is such a great review. Thanks for posting.

[amybeth28]

Biker@sea, thank you for clarifying. Although, at first I assumed they DID close it due to being in port, but later learned that this was an unusual situation.

 

ALS1214-I’m glad you were able to get a table. The stormy nights was wonderful, it had raspberry and orange vodka, blue Curacao, peach snaps, lime juice and grenadine, all in layers!

 

Cherylatwork-That would be a nice coincidence! Did you like the cruise? What did you think about the luncheon?

 

Fitzy, Thanks so much!

[amybeth28]

 

Port and tour presentation-Stardust Theater

 

This was a slide show presentation about Bermuda and what was available in the port. The pictures were very nice, but I had done extensive reading on these boards and others about Bermuda. We left after about ½ hour. If I had not done a lot of research, I would have stayed. As it was, cruise critic was the best source of information for us!

 

Bingo-Spinnaker lounge

 

We played Bingo on the night they advertized it as “Bargain Jackpot Bingo” These cards were a lot less expensive than the other Bingo games, they also came with the instant win strips. The game was a coverall and if you got Bingo in 47 numbers or less you won a jackpot. If no one won the jackpot, the game goes on and the winner gets a cash prize. The jackpot was $4000, but no one won it. The winner of this game won $700, if I remember correctly. We had a great time playing, and the bargain prices were just right for us, you can get a starter card for $10.

 

We got there early and got comfortable seats with a table. The drink service was quick and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Children can “help play”, but need an adult to claim the prize. I thought the pace was good and was impressed that some people can play 10+ cards and still keep up! They have different Bingo games each day with different prizes and card prices. If you have never played, or are hesitant about the price, look in the Freestyle daily for the Bargain Bingo game. On our cruise it was day 6 at 4pm. to be continued:)

[amybeth28]

Norwegian’s night out

 

Norwegian’s Night Out happens on day 2 and it is the “dress up…or not” night. People have the option of dressing up, or staying with the resort casual look that is typical of the rest of the cruise. You can meet and get your picture taken with the Captain and other ships’ officers. The pictures are in the atrium from 6-6:30 pm.

 

After dinner there is a Norwegians night out party in the spinnaker lounge. At the party there is a DJ who plays music from the 50’s to today. The party was fun and pretty well attended. The party started at 10:45pm.

 

We dressed up a little bit; I wore a nice, but comfortable silky dress and a shawl, while DH wore a shirt and tie. I felt like we fit right in with most people’s choices. However, I saw people in everything from polo shirts to a few in tuxedos. There were women in evening gowns and children in suits and fancy dresses. Some people didn’t dress up at all. I think you will be comfortable in anything that you choose to wear. This is the night that they serve the Lobster pasta in the Garden Café. We didn’t get to try it, instead we had dinner at Aqua. I do wonder if anyone on here did and how it was?

[amybeth28]

 

Karaoke- Pearly Kings pub

 

They have Karaoke in the pub every night. Sometimes it says karaoke madness and sometimes adult karaoke in the freestyle daily. We watched Karaoke, a little bit, almost every evening. We never planned to go, but we would be walking through the Pearly Kings pub and hear a fun song and just have to stay for a drink and listen.

 

The energy and enthusiasm of the crowd was contagious. In the earlier hours there were some older children singing. There was a mother and daughter(?) who sang Taylor Swift type songs, and it was wonderful. The crowd was so supportive and you could tell that this young woman would remember this for a long time. What I loved most about this event was that everyone received a positive response from the crowd whether they had a great voice, a great deal of enthusiasm or just a great deal to drink..lol.

 

As I mentioned previously, the table service was good and there was one waiter who was invited to sing with a group of enthusiastic cruisers. He didn’t sing, but he did cheer them on! I will say that we were both surprised at how talented some of these singers were. I would recommend stopping by the Pearly King for Karaoke, if you have time! to be continued :)

[amybeth28]

 

The Dawn Casino

 

We visited the casino several times during our cruise. I only play the slot machines, so I cannot really speak about the table games. However, I did notice that there seemed to be plenty of room at the tables if you did want to play. They do offer gaming classes, and I might take one the next time we cruise. They also offer a lot of tournaments on both the tables and the slots.

 

Although the casino is small, there was always plenty of room and machines to choose from. They have video poker, traditional slots (with bars and cherries) and the slots that have character themes and lights. I’m sorry if I am not describing these well, I am not much of a gambler in my everyday life. I saw slots ranging from $1-1 cent. I prefer the $.25 pull slots with simpler themes. When I played these I won $200. I did try a game with a goldfish theme and ended up leaving with an extra $100. Although, I am still not sure how these work. They are colorful and fun and have a lot of bonuses and extra spins! My strategy is that I start with $20 and print a ticket when it gets over $120. I give the ticket to DH and then put another $20 in, if I lose this, we will be finished for the night. At the end of the cruise, we cashed in the tickets and felt lucky. I don’t really think this is a sound gambling strategy, but it does keep me from spending all of our money..lol.

 

DH is a terrible gambler and will lose his budgeted money quickly. He did win about $70 on a penguin themed slot, but lost it all in 10 minutes. He is mainly the person who gets the drinks and holds the money:)

 

There is a lot of smoking in the casino, it didn’t bother us, but some people were commenting on it, so I thought I should mention it. I had heard that there is a non smoking section, but didn't see it. I thought there was plenty of ventilation, and didn't have an issue at all.

 

The servers seemed to focus on the table players, but the bar service was good and it gave DH something to do other than lose more money :) . He really enjoyed talking to the friendly bar staff and people who were gambling at the bar. I enjoyed our time in the casino. Hopefully, there is someone with a little more experience in casinos to give a review about how this casino measures up:) To be continued:)

[cherylatwork]

 

Cherylatwork-That would be a nice coincidence! Did you like the cruise? What did you think about the luncheon?

 

 

 

 

We loved the show (dirty diapers/Nicole Kidman/Plymouth Rock) :D but the lunch was just OK. Like you stated earlier it was too bad they didn’t have bar service during the show or intermission. Hubby was in line at Gatsby’s for 15 minutes to get our drinks. We both had the chicken and by the time he made it back to the table his food was cold. But all and all it was a great time and a great cruise :D

 

Cheryl

[dblane]

Great review, thanks. We will be on the Dawn in September for the first time.

[Cruzinnana47]

amybeth28 - You are doing such a good job with this review of the Dawn. By separating the review in sections, it's very easy to follow - for new cruisers and cruise vets alike. ;) You're giving a lot of helpful info. & tips to help people plan their time on the ship.

 

I've been following with interest as we will be sailing on the Dawn again next spring (out of NOLA). Although we sailed on the Dawn previously, it was back in 2004, when the ship was still fairly new & based out of NYC, doing a FL-Bahamas itinerary. So it's nice to read your review and see what has changed on the ship. We remember having a great time on our cruise in 2004 and hopefully will enjoy our upcoming one in 2016 as well.

 

Wonder if you spoke to anyone who mentioned the Chef's Table dinner?

[amybeth28]

 

Dblane, I hope you have a great trip!

 

Cruzin’ nana,-Thank you very much, I hope you enjoy your trip! I’m sorry, but I didn’t hear anything about the chef’s table.

[amybeth28]

 

Who wants to be a Bazillionaire game show-Spinnaker

 

There are several different types of game shows that happen during the cruise. The games are run by the cruise staff and people in the audience sign up to participate. In some games there are cash prizes, some give away NCL merchandise. If you play deal or no deal you could win a cruise or $5,000. The only game we attended was who wants to be a Bazillionare, they had two games and picked someone from the audience to be the contestant.

 

If you want to play, you put your name in a bowl and they picked two. The prize was a bag of NCL stuff, like cups, hats and a Frisbee.

 

They ran the game from a laptop and had a projector. It was a casual and laid back game and if the contestant was about to choose the wrong answer, the staff would cough or say something funny. It was fun to watch and we learned some interesting trivia. I wish we had attended the other shows because I heard many people talk about how fun they were. I guess I will have to cruise again to play

 

Close Up Magic with David DaVinci -day 5 in the spinnaker lounge at 8pm

 

We got to this show early and got front row seats because DH loves magic. They had a table with 2 chairs set up on the dance floor and a video camera set up with a large screen behind the table. It looked like you would have had a good view from any seat. The magician chose two people from the audience to sit at the table and watch his tricks up close. The camera would aim at his hands, and project the image on the huge screen, so you could see each trick clearly. The show involved a lot of amazing card tricks and other close up tricks.

 

One of the best parts was watching the reaction of the two people who were watching him at the table. They were stunned by the performance! David DaVinci is very entertaining and charismatic and he talks about his life and love of magic while he performs. If your schedule allows, I would recommend seeing this show, it was fantastic! more to come:)

[amybeth28]

 

Second City adult unscripted- spinnaker lounge Day 7, 10pm

 

This show is definitely adult themed, and I would not even bring teens to this show. They also had a family unscripted the previous evening. The troupe asks for suggestions from the audience and then creates funny skits, based on the suggestions.

 

This show was really crowded! We arrived about 15 minutes early and it was hard to find seats. I wish we had gotten there earlier. We did eventually find seats, thanks to a kind gentleman offering the extra ones at his table, and were able to see most of the show. There were many people standing in the back.

 

I was a little hesitant to attend because I am not usually a fan of “adult’ humor. However, we really enjoyed the other Second City Shows, so we decided to try it. I am glad I went, it was pretty funny. There wasn’t any swearing but some definite sexual themes and jokes. The audience was laughing enthusiastically and I didn’t see anyone who was put off by the jokes. We really enjoyed all of our experiences with this troupe and liked that they all had such distinctive personalities, but melded well together. To be continued:)

[Barb Nahoumi]

I enjoyed your review of the Dawn which DH and I recently sailed on for Bermuda. We skipped Second City, to watch Patti & Jose, whose performance in the Atrium was excellent.

 

We did not dine in any specialty restaurants, because the MDRs were satisfactory. We noticed that the Garden Cafe' had featured selections each night, so we tried that ocassionally.

 

For an older ship, the Dawn is in good shape, although she needs some work. There were stalls in some of the public bathrooms that were out of order. Hopefully, they were fixed by now.

 

Will we cruise on her again? Of course.

[amybeth28]

Barb, I am glad you had a good cruise! Patti and Jose were not on our cruise, and I was a little disappointed because they seem to be a favorite on these boards.