Norwegian Dawn to Bermuda - aft penthouse vs. front penthouse?

[KateQ22003]

Good morning,

 

I am getting ready to book the Norwegian Dawn to Bermuda for the end of August; the only suites left with a balcony are aft suites or the penthouse suites at the front of the ship. Anyone who has sailed in both, which one is preferred? I'm concerned about the front suites due to the wind during travel, but the appear to be larger than the aft suites.

 

Any advice?

Kathy

[jpcdds6]

Aft. The views are mesmerizing. The bow penthouses are a little larger and the deck is enormous, but windy on some days at sea. The price is also steeper. Perks are identical in both cabins. We always sale aft penthouses on Jewel and Dawn class. Best bang for your buck in the fleet.

[biker@sea]

10726 or 10226 :cool:

[jpcdds6]

10726 or 10226 :cool:

Corner Aft. Deck 9 or 10. That's all we have sailed on Jewel or Dawn class since 2004.

[df5250]

Aft if you can get deck 10. Those penthouse balconies are great!! The balconies on 9 are much smaller, but the cabins are similar in size. Avoid deck 8. There have been many reports of noise from Bliss lounge directly below.

 

 

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[KateQ22003]

Thanks for the recommendations all; aft it is! :)

[biker@sea]

Thanks for the recommendations all; aft it is! :)

 

Caution : NOT deck 8 Aft.

8 is loud till the wee hour's with the night club below on deck 7.

[BirdTravels]

We love forward facing balconies. We have been in a Deck 9 forward balcony (huge balcony) and we sailed in 10000 to Quebec last year. The two center suites on Deck 10 have more space since the room follows the contour of the bridge bump out. BUT,,, it makes the balcony smaller.

[Still Dreaming]

We loved our forward penthouse on the Dawn!! Huge! When laying down on lounger reading a book, no wind. It was windy if we were standing at the rail.

[DCT61]

Never experienced wind on the forward balcony. We were in 9502. The balcony was huge and we loved seeing where we were going. We took our parents on a west coast cruise on the STAR a few years later and got them an aft facing penthouse suite. After seeing both, we preferred the foreword suite.

[NH Cruisers]

10500 FWD penthouse on Dawn was our favorite stateroom to date aboard a ship. We liked it over the Aft penthouses. The bump out under the bridge that makes a huge balcony a little smaller, makes the stateroom a little bigger. Wind was no issue on our Bermuda cruise. We will be sailing in a 2 br family suite in September, so we will see if the FWD 10500 holds up as the favorite.

Edited August 6, 2017 by NH Cruisers
Wrong stateroom number

[stoneman56]

We always go forward. Never had a problem with wind, there is a perspex shield goes about chest height. Aft you get the noise of the props during docking, not great at 6am, up front its quiet as quiet can be, and because of the slant the balconies get lots of sun.

[KateQ22003]

Post update: we went with a forward suite! The balcony is much bigger (which we use a lot), and the cabin is larger as well. My big concern is the wind on the balcony, but you all have alleviated my fears. Thanks for all your help!

[jpcdds6]

To each his own. I still prefer aft penthouses. The view of the wake alone gets my vote. And I kinda like the hum of the engines.

[biker@sea]

To each his own. I still prefer aft penthouses. The view of the wake alone gets my vote. And I kinda like the hum of the engines.

 

For me it's the Ride.

Aft. has more shimmy.

Forward has more bounce and slap.Even more so on the slow return from Bermuda.

Edited August 8, 2017 by biker@sea

[emptynest1958]

Can anyone tell me about the Norwegian Star? We're looking at a

Mediterranean cruise next year in a penthouse. Are the lower deck aft penthouse balconies private and covered ( for shade) or are they overlooked by the rooms above? It is difficult to see on the photos.

 

 

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[cruiser1955a]

Can anyone tell me about the Norwegian Star? We're looking at a

Mediterranean cruise next year in a penthouse. Are the lower deck aft penthouse balconies private and covered ( for shade) or are they overlooked by the rooms above? It is difficult to see on the photos.

 

 

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Nobody can see you from the above deck(s), they are very private. I would avoid deck 8 due to noise issues from the club below. Not sure how much it affects the outer penthouses though. The outer penthouses also have a wrap-around balcony, allowing views to the side & back.

[emptynest1958]

Thank you cruiser1955a; that is very helpful.

 

 

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[biker@sea]

Post update: we went with a forward suite! The balcony is much bigger (which we use a lot), and the cabin is larger as well. My big concern is the wind on the balcony, but you all have alleviated my fears. Thanks for all your help!

 

 

So what's the Verdict ??

 

How was the wind?

[cruiser1955a]

Thank you cruiser1955a; that is very helpful.

 

 

 

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You are welcome.

I should have added that they are covered, but shade depends on the sun's position. We just returned from a week in 9732 on the Dawn (sister ship to Star). We had morning shade on the way to Bermuda, and late afternoon shade on the way back.

These suites are wonderful. Very little wind, peaceful view of the wake, and the smell of fresh baked bread & pastries all day (the bakery vents are just below these cabins). Unfortunately for us, the Dawn has blocked access to the "wrap-around" balcony, although we could still peek around the partition for the side view. The Star has not blocked access to them.

This is also a VERY low traffic area. In fact, the corner penthouses are about 12 ft down their own private hallway. Very quiet. Easy access to the main dining rooms & buffet, and Bliss nightclub, but you will be walking the full length of the ship to get to the casino & theater.