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

[amybeth28]

 

Jlrf, Thank you very much. I really depended on the combined experiences of the people on these boards and wanted to add to it.

 

Txskier, that is so funny, what did you think of the excursions?

[amybeth28]

 

After the BAMZ we went to the blue pole bus stop to head back to St. George. We could have taken the bus to Hamilton or all the way back to the dockyard, but I thought it might be less bus time this way.

 

We were lucky because a very nice bus driver stopped, even though his bus said off duty. Maybe he took pity on us and the few other people, red and tired from a long fun day? He took us straight to St. George, just making a few stops for other tired looking people.

 

The last ferry back to the dockyard leaves at 5:30. Knowing how crowded the ferries can get, we got in line at 5:00, and there were already quite a few people waiting. This time we sat on the open deck and enjoyed the view and the breeze. This ferry ride felt like an excursion, it was the perfect temperature with the breeze, and the sun was less intense.

 

This was a wonderful day, and I was so pleased that we were able to negotiate the transportation system so easily. We were glad that we had lanyards to carry our transportation passes, and all we brought was sunscreen and bottled water in a backpack.

Next Day 3: Horseshoe bay beach:)

[txskier]

 

Txskier, that is so funny, what did you think of the excursions?

 

We really liked the Rising Sun excursion. It was SO HOT out, we were glad to jump in the water to cool off for an hour or so. The Gosling Rum cruise, we enjoyed this too. Although I did not buy any of the rum on this tour, I broke down the next day when we were in Hamilton and bought a bottle of stuff that is only sold in Bermuda.....I can't remember the name....from the fruit picked in Bermuda:rolleyes:

[anonmom]

Great review! Thanks for including so many details about how NCL/cruising in general work. I'm taking my first cruise in January on the Jade and I've read a lot of great reviews on CC, but yours explains so much stuff that the more experienced cruisers always leave out.

[amybeth28]

Anonmom, Thank you so much!

[amybeth28]

 

Day 3: Horseshoe Bay beach

 

I decided to purchase the Horseshoe bay beach transfer excursion from NCL on our last day in Bermuda. My thinking was based on being a little nervous about being out and about on our own when the ship was scheduled to leave that day. My biggest worry was missing the ship and being stranded.

 

The excursion cost $29 dollars for adults and $19 for children. Most, more experienced travelers, chose to take the bus, a taxi, a scooter or the shuttle. The shuttle is direct, round trip transportation to the beach for $16 round trip per person. If you decide to go independently, there is a large variety of transportation options for your return in the beach parking lot.

 

Now that I have experienced this beach, I would feel comfortable traveling outside of the NCL excursion, without worrying about missing the ship. My plan would be to take the shuttle, but just carry emergency Taxi fare in case I needed it. There are taxis waiting right in the beach parking lot.

 

One other note about transportation, if you take the bus, you will have to walk down a long steep hill to get from the stop to the beach. There is a shuttle bus that will take you up the hill, from the lot to the bus stop for $2 per person.

 

We met our group at the pier in front of the ship and were directed to two little buses a short walk away. When we got on the bus we got a ticket for the return trip. Don’t lose this ticket, they will check and not let you on if you do not have one. One man did not have his and they would not let him on the bus until his wife found it.

 

The bus ride was comfortable and takes you directly to the parking lot of the beach. From the lot, it is a short walk down the path to the beach. Along the way there is a place to buy food and drinks and to rent chairs and umbrellas. There is also a place to wash off your feet and children’s sand toys.

 

To be perfectly honest, I read so many reviews about this beach, and I was a little skeptical that any place could live up to those reviews. I could not have been more wrong! Yes, it is very crowded and full of cruise ship tourists. However, that doesn’t matter in the least.

 

Horseshoe bay beach is the most beautiful places I have ever seen. (Of course, I haven’t been to that many places) It is breathtaking!

The sand is pristine, pink tinted, and soft. The pink is not a vibrant color, it is muted and more of a slight glow. The grains of sand are very fine. It feels like silk on your feet, so very different from New England beaches.

 

The water is very blue, warm and clear. There are almost three different beaches here. In the middle, it was the most crowded and there were waves. The waves were big enough that people were getting knocked over if they were not watching. We love these types of waters and stayed here forever, just bobbing over the waves.

 

To the right side there is an area enclosed by rocks that is very calm, perfect for young children. To the other side is a series of little coves, caves and grottos. There were secluded areas that just one family or couple was enjoying.

 

There are rocking cliffs and people were jumping from high rocks into the water. A lot of people had snorkel gear and wear snorkeling into the grottos to see the beautiful fish.

 

I would come here again, over and over; it was simply the best beach I have ever experienced. My only regret was that the excursion was only 4 hours in total. to be continued:)

[amybeth28]

 

A few other thoughts, tips and experiences of the Cruise:

 

The shore excursion desk:

 

The excursion desk is in the Atrium. There are staff there during the day and you can talk with them about the excursions. When the staff are not available you can fill out a form and place it in a drop box. They will charge your account and leave the tickets in your room the night before the excursion.

 

Guest services:

 

The Guest services desk is located in the Atrium right near the excursion desk. It looks like the lobby desk in a hotel. There are usually three stations at the desk. The staff here can help with almost anything you need. We went to this desk a few times. Every other day, I would ask for a printout of our charges so far. Just so that you are aware, the service charge will be added daily and printed under just one person’s name. We also went on the roughest sea day for some sea calm medicine. I asked if I could take it while wearing the patch. They immediately called the nurse, who said no and recommended tea.

 

I should mention that a few people talked about the staff at the desk being rude or not helpful. This was not our experience, but we stopped by only if we were walking by and there was no line. We also did not have any complicated issues to address.

 

Getting around:

 

All the carpets in the hallways where the rooms are have a fish pattern on them. The fish always “swim” toward the front of the ship. You can become disoriented in these hallways, so I always followed the fish and found our room.

[Ctrinh225]

Thank You for the review. Was gonna plan a CTN out of New Orleans in November on the Dawn. Just to ease my cruising blues before my Escape Cruise in March. [emoji12]

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[amybeth28]

 

I thought that the staff did a wonderful job keeping the ship clean. However, the Dawn does need dry dock to address the broken public restrooms and the minor things that need to be fixed. The restrooms were the only thing that impacted my cruise, especially since our room was on the 4th floor.

 

A few items that I found helpful:

 

A large travel mug for coffee

 

Insulated water bottles to fill with ice water to take off the ship

 

A lanyard for the ship card, ID and transportation pass

 

A lot of small bills for tips

 

A bag of common over the counter medicine

 

Sealed granola bars to take off the ship

 

Extra swimsuits, they dry slowly

 

My shampoo, the one on the ship is generic

[anonmom]

So, how did they know if people were taking fruit off the ship? Were they literally checking each bag as you got off? Were there any sealed items available on the ship, or were you pretty much just taking your own granola bars, etc. off the ship with you?

Edited August 8, 2015 by anonmom

[amybeth28]

 

Anonmom,

 

On the first day they asked everyone, and seemed to check bags randomly. I would say maybe 1 in 5 bags were checked. The frequency of checks decreased each day. They have a limited variety of sealed food available in the duty free shops, mostly candy, for about double what you might pay in Boston. After reading these boards, I decided it was worth it to just pack a box myself.

[anonmom]

Ugh, that's a bummer. I was definitely hoping to pack snacks from the food that is included in the cruise price. :/

[3rdtimecruising]

Hi Amy,

 

Sounds like you had a fun time on our favorite ship... We leave in three weeks for our 16th cruise and 8th cruise to Bermuda ! We live in Boston and with a drop off just 20 minutes away we are on vacation in no time.

 

Did you listen to the piano player at Gatsby's.. Ariel has been on the Dawn, The Gem and the no longer NCL ship the Spirit. We love him and hope he is still doing Boston to Bermuda.

 

Hope you get to book another cruise real soon... It is addicting

 

Ann and Bernie

[LadyVeritas]

Hi amybeth28 Just wondering if they ask for a $300 deposit per cabinor per person?

[amybeth28]

Lady,

It is $300 per cabin.

[tropicgirl52]

Getting around:

 

All the carpets in the hallways where the rooms are have a fish pattern on them. The fish always “swim” toward the front of the ship. You can become disoriented in these hallways, so I always followed the fish and found our room.

 

Although all of your info has been great and really appreciated I think this is the best LOL.

I was on my first cruise in June and was forever getting lost going to my room.

Will be sailing on the Dawn in January and am really enjoying all the reviews you have written. Thanks!

[Jancruz]

We are sailing on the Dawn September 11 from Boston to NE/Canada and I printed the whole thread with the exception of the itinerary..thanks for all of the good information..looking forward to our first trip on NCL in 40 years...

Jancruz1

[antsnanny]

 

Gosling’s Sunset Rum Cruise excursion

 

I booked this excursion, online, for day 1 because I didn’t want a deadline when we self explored the island. It was a little difficult to find a variety of reviews for this excursion. I found plenty of reviews for the sunset cruises, but not Gosling’s rum cruise. However, the ten or so that I did find all seemed positive. The cruise is 1 and ½ hours and cost $54 per person. ($57 if you book on the ship). It leaves right from the pier in front of the ship.

 

The crew was very engaging; from the first moment we met the young woman who took us to the boat. It was a boat with two floors, both covered with open sides. The main presentation is on the top floor, but the drinks are made downstairs.

 

There was one gentleman who could not do stairs and sat on the bottom floor, I am not sure if he heard the presentation. However, I could hear him laughing and chatting with the woman who prepared the drinks. Of course, I can’t speak for him but it sounded like he enjoyed the trip. On the top deck there were plastic lawn type chairs. They were stable and comfortable.

 

The trip is a slow cruise around the island as the sun sets. It is one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. By the time we set out, at 7:30pm, it had cooled down and there was a slight breeze. I hate to say anything is perfect, but this cruise around Bermuda was as close as I have experienced!

 

As we cruised around the island, our host gave a presentation about the history of rum making on the island and the Gosling brand. He also sprinkled in information about the houses we saw and his experience living in Bermuda.

 

There was a sampling of different drinks. Starting with a rum swizzle, light rum, dark rum, a dark and stormy and aged rum. Our host explained the flavors and characteristics of each one and demonstrated how to make drinks with them. I had no idea that rum was so complex. Finally, we had a sample of three different flavors of rum cake.

 

These samples were larger than I expected and I felt like I had experienced two or three full drinks and a dessert! They do have a bar, but no one used it. I am not sure you would have time, between samples.

 

They offer duty free bottles, which you can buy and they will deliver to the ship. Children can go, but I would not recommend it. On this excursion, everyone tipped the crew, and it seemed like that was the expectation. The cruise returned on time.

 

Overall, I would highly recommend this cruise if you enjoy rum, or just for the beautiful cruise around the island! More to come:)

 

 

Really enjoying your review and I have been on more cruises than I should admit. We use to sail on the Dawn when she sailed out of NYC but haven't been on her since she left NY many years ago. Finally, were leaving on Friday from Boston to Bermuda on the Dawn. Your review is awesome, bringing back a lot of memories. Were also thinking of doing the Gosling’s Sunset Rum Cruise and Im pretty sure your review made our decision for us. Glad you enjoyed it and were now looking forward to it. Thanks for taking the time and for your very comprehensive review of the Dawn.

[pugetmandm]

Thanks for the great review--this will be our first NCL cruise--we leave from New Orleans and are very excited.