Semi-Live, Dawn - Canada & New England 5/11/2019, our old favorite

[mking8288]

[mking8288]

Almost there ... OMG. I can see Pier 88 on the live bow cam now as the ship slowed down to 6 knots.

 

Mrs. M said, must we leave ...  Our bags got freshly washed clothes, ready to go. Let's see 😆

 

 

 

At 6:27 am, azipods on as we turned toward starboard & ease into the Pier, feeling the shaking vibrations.

Edited May 18, 2019 by mking8288

[mking8288]

Our cruise tradition, heading to MDR for a sit-down breakfast as the gang of the 8. Express & Special breakfast menu.

 

Random pix around the public area ... and crew luggage waiting to be off-loaded.

 

 

[Iworktocruiseandtravel]

On 5/12/2019 at 3:50 PM, mking8288 said:

Satellite WiFi at sea, slow but not horrible, usable and adequate. I just won't stream with it, not even on premium plan. Internet Cafe onboard is a joke, a corner next to ship's photo center. 

 

FB working fine, Ooma and Google Voice calling worked & connected, WhatsApp VoIP calling over WiFi, all sounded fine on test calls placed.

 

Early dinner at LeBistro at 5:30 and then 7 pm show. More later. 

 

Dailies will get posted by mid-week, as I can, promised.

Thanks for the heads up on the WiFi.   I am thinking of upgrading to an unlimited plan, was debating about which one...  guess the top one isn’t worth it??   Just want to stay in touch with everyone... we have AT&T, so we can text through WiFi if we need to text.  Going on a 14 night end of October, so completely unplugging isn’t realistic with the family. 

[mking8288]

After a full ime to vacate our cabin & hot meal, time to vacate our cabin.

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[seadog67]

Soo looking forward to some eggs benedict this week! Looks great. 

[mking8288]

Almost 8:50 am, still doing walk-off self assist, suites using Fwd gangways ... waiting for yellow Platinum tags to be called. Looked like 😁 more than 1/2 of pax pulling their own jumbo rollers & spinners, sweating & huffing and puffing.

 

Edited May 18, 2019 by mking8288

[mking8288]

OMG. It figures ... 🙄

Heads up again, just got into taxi w porter service, CBP was ckecking passports again at Pier 88, done once at Bar Harbor on the ship. That wasn't the plan. Oh, well, 9:40 and should be home in Queens by 10. 🤓

Edited May 18, 2019 by mking8288

[mking8288]

Almost home, crossing the bridge now - beautiful Manhattan skyline.

[mking8288]

Ok, we need a nap next for being up early.  Home sweet home at 10:05 EDT.  

Edited May 18, 2019 by mking8288

[cmjars]

Thank you for all your post! Have been following this all week 🙂 lobster rolls here we come!

 

We are here at the terminal waiting to board for this cruise 🚢 so excited!

[dexddd]

18 hours ago, Arzeena said:

Going to miss the "MKing Dailies".

Perhaps you will spring out of a corner and surprise us on June 2 on board the Escape. Mrs K says she is already packed LOL!

Or he could test the waters and go Seaside June 22 with us.  However, mostly booked,would have to take a YC interior

[dexddd]

Your BIL doing Meraviglia to Canada and NE?

[Arzeena]

18 minutes ago, dexddd said:

Your BIL doing Meraviglia to Canada and NE?

We are doing Meraviglia Repo from NYC to FLL.

6/22 will be the more or less the deciding factor. I have high hopes for the 6/22 Seaside.

[mking8288]

1 hour ago, dexddd said:

Your BIL doing Meraviglia to Canada and NE?

Yes, they are booked on the Meraviglia in early October with the overnight in Quebec, which they haven't been to ... getting their status match (should've done it last year, being Platinum)  

 

1 hour ago, dexddd said:

Or he could test the waters and go Seaside June 22 with us.  However, mostly booked,would have to take a YC interior

Probably not the Seaside in June ... Mrs. M, however, isn't adverse to YC (hush) interior as she is open-minded about checking out different lines & ships, including Princess.   

 

1 hour ago, Arzeena said:

We are doing Meraviglia Repo from NYC to FLL.

6/22 will be the more or less the deciding factor. I have high hopes for the 6/22 Seaside.

Not sure if we wanted to do a last minute Escape again but you got the invite to do the Upgrade Bids - we booked 2 of the Dawn cabins about 10 days out, and got rooms assigned the day after, and the same afternoon, the "Let's Get You Upgraded" emails pushed out ...  Good luck in getting a nice one !

 

S & I heading down to the Jersey shores next weekend and then 5 of us are doing a land trip over to greater Toronto in pursuit of food, with the currency exchange advantage ... a nicely equipped 2 BR suite.  Calendar is open otherwise for latter part of June, LOL.

 

New tagline ?? "will cruise on last minute specials" - probably not going to keep our million+ valued homes here in NY instead of one of those Newport Mansion,  too far from nearest cruise ports & major airports ... there is interest for those time-shares or serviced condo units for a week or two, LOL.   

Edited May 18, 2019 by mking8288

[mking8288]

Well, instead of Room Service or taking a walk to the MDR, ended up with calling for a take-out delivery since the "Gallery" is definitely closed - partially - this weekend.  

 

Speaking of ... while the cigarette smoke on the Dawn is a given when transiting thru Deck 6's casino, we managed to avoided hanging out there at all for most of the week, too port-intensive & busy most of the time ... Mrs. M decided to limit her nominal donations, given the "tight" payback.   

 

Roll Call's scheduled or plans for a Slot Pull got cancelled as they're said to be busy with scheduled tournaments ... although, the group could still do it by picking a machine & skip any assistance from the casino hosts, i.e. donation of a bottle or 2 of champagne, as some of us would've cheerfully donated ours to make it happen.  

 

The odor of greasy smoke, coming from grease filter traps - overdue from periodic & regular steam cleaning, however, was definitely noticeable - each & every time we walked past Deck 7's Bamboo Restaurant (while it is closed,) most likely from Teppanyaki with up to four exhaust systems are in use each evening - it's something that Mrs. M noticed.  Memo to NCL, get it serviced soon & properly, those filters are soaked with butters & grease - a serious fire safety hazard - left a message for the GM onboard to look into it.  

 

[mking8288]

On ship's WiFi, data usage & costs, and caution on connectivity (YMMV): 

 

For our cruise week, between Canada & the US waters with 3 devices, aside from the "free" NCL satellite WiFi minutes (a total of 330 given) - we "technically" used about 2.5 (extra) GB worth of 4G LTE data, at a costs equivalent of about $25 USD only ... would probably be half of that if it wasn't for those uploads - on our Google Fi account's line.  That's a bargain compared to upgrading our WiFi, which still won't provide coverage off the ship in ports - final cost is actually free, zeroed out b/c of our recent Fi service credits issued, with trading in an older smartphone.  

 

Somehow & somewhere between Bar Harbor, ME and Newport, RI - satellite WiFi at sea became nearly unusable, slow & unresponsive and I wasn't sure if the HTTP errors were due to CC or not.  Unlike the Breakaway, Escape & Gem, where I have used & tested out their WiFi systems & network, the Dawn would be ranked on the bottom and not recommended for streaming or VPN use, especially if uploads are important (benchmarked speed test results posted - look up above for details. 

[mking8288]

On refilling drinking water, here is one for those who continue to NOT a clean cup at the dispenser. Just follow the pictorial guide ... [emoji2960]


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[mking8288]

Portside view of the Atlantic Ocean ... and here is a set of mystery storage location, somewhere on the lower passenger deck. 

 

No idea what's behind those stainless steel doors (pretty sure it is not provisioning) & it is not a stop on the Behind The Scene tour either,  could that be ... 

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk
 

Edited May 18, 2019 by mking8288

[mking8288]

Let's go back & do a quick overview, highlight some of the observations and pleased, do follow Seadog's "Live" post this week, sailing to Canada & New England ... 

 

We sailed this time as the "gang of 8" - with 3 Insides, 1 upgraded to an Oceanview (porthole - Deck 4 portside & forward) and 1 booked as OV mid-ship, Deck 5 ... portside.  No issues with any of our cabin locations (Deck 9 forward) or noise from above, next door or in hallways at night.  

 

The Dawn sailed from Miami without pax, taking 2 days to NYC and they're able to do mainteance, replaced items - among them, 750 mattresses - deep cleaning & flushing lines, etc. as told by the General Manager during the M&G, taking Q&A and explaining about the towel animals, paper straws, etc. - for an extra 15 minutes, very kind & exceptional, as the senior officers are known to do a quick presentation, welcome & then march off ... other ranking officers did.  (P.S. our beds were very comfortable & not squeaking, not sure if it is one of the brand new ones, good enough) 

 

There're under 2,300 passengers on the sailing and less than 70 children, making the ship full but feeling not crowded - a blessing to not to make show reservations for the Stardust Theater.   DW and I ate most of our meals in the Venetian MDR, once at O'Sheehan's and didn't do Aqua MDR at all - booked but ended up doing Bamboo 1 night (reservations required onboard but not in advance) and Teppanyaki on another (it had 2 empty tables 2 nights ago for the 5:30 seating - 16 vacant chairs, only 2 singing & dancing chefs to entertain either 13 or 14 guests)   

 

For port days, the MDR were closed leaving the buffet as the only options - still, didn't seemed too crowded; and, always able to find an empty without sharing with someone else.  For mid/late evenings - especially with shows going on, the buffet ran smoothly.  Unlike the mega/+ ships, if the buffet was doing theme nights - it wasn't heavily marketed ahead.  To a lesser scale, OSH had nightly specials on most days, again ... not heavily promoted.  

 

We're hoping to see a rollout of any possible 2019 fleet-wide MDR menu to try out - no, can't do - same old ones we've seen & ate off this January on the Escape (refer to that for the full collection w. pix) - same is true for Specialty Dining, Breakfast, OSH and Room Service.  Between, portion served (entrees & starters as well as "sides") in the MDR appeared most definitely to be downsized - good news is that shrimps continued to be available in most menus without an upcharge.  

 

MDR staff are friendly & teamed up well, sometimes extra ones would help us being mostly eating together as a table of 8.  The gallery does have good days and also very slow days, tell the server that you are rushing or wanted to make a show and they try hard to please ... as a whole, be prepared for 90 minutes to go thru a 4 to 5 course meals without rushing.  

 

We had no trouble finding a time to book LeBistro for 8 once onboard, Moderno & Bamboo was a bit more difficult but we managed, plan for 90 minutes to 2 hours for a full dinner service - portions reminded us of the old "Cooking Light" era. 

 

Opinions on food are always subjective & highly personal, I try to avoid grading & stay as fair and neutral as possible - those pictures tell the stories, you decide.  For those with hefty appetite and to cut down on extra wait time, order an extra starter or two initially, and an extra entrees to share with your mate/spouse/partner/friend, etc. (or, finish it yourself, easily ...)  We had no problems whatsoever ordering extras eating in (free) Bamboo - suffice to say, it has improved.  Sushi dining, including the sushi counter was virtually empty & deserted of guests in the evening - not a surprise but empty chairs at Teppanyaki was a shock.  

 

Buffet switched to a late night snack option from 9:30 pm onward & is closed after 11 pm, no more mid-night snacks, not there - go to OSH for their late night menu, above the atrium, always someone eating there when it is open ... check the Freestyle Dailies to confirm whether it is open or closed for breakfast and/or lunch on port days. 

 

We didn't order free Breakfast/Room Service at all, but did notice a few isolated trays, cups & dishes left outside the doorways as we strolled some of the corridors (Deck 4, 5, 8 and 9 ...) - we always leave our dirty plates inside the stateroom for the RS to remove them.  

 

There wasn't a single (trained) service animal onboard - rather uncommon - but fair # of motorized scooters & wheelchairs, along with walkers/rollators & canes.  

 

In the Hotel Dept or Housekeeping area, cabins are well kept & maintained for a 16 years old ship that had a full month's worth of drydocking work done 3 years ago, except for the single 110V outlet (bring a power tap/adapter plugs for the 2 different type of 220V outlets)  - even suite guests "complained about it" and there is no (zero, none) USB outlets whatsoever ... sorry, CPAP users.  

 

The 2 Insides on Deck 9 Fwd had a slightly different bathroom configuration, no sliding door for the small & tight toilet area - great for those of above average body size & height/waistline, etc.   Otherwise, these bathrooms are "efficiency" in design & functional, just "mind" your elbows & knees ... water temperature is fine and flow rate adequate, ours being on the lowest pax deck ... our fellow travelers didn't have any complaints either.  The bathroom door latching mechanism in ours were not closing properly without an extra push, probably from excessive wear & tear, being slammed and/or simply being out-of-alignment after nearly 2 decades of service ... reported as a maintenance issue, not a deal breaker (subtract 5 points.)  

 

Insides & Oceanviews are no longer provided with an ice bucket and refilled daily with ice, except on request to one's Room Steward ... Of course, coffee/hot-water (1-cup) maker no longer defacto standard - except by request.  Our Room Steward was friendly, cheerful & always saying hello to us, knew & called us by our first names - but with numerous cabins to clean, do sometimes take longer to get to ours.  She does check with us about plans & timing, etc. - but Mrs. M felt that she didn't quite meet/exceed the threshold for getting a Vacation Hero Card declaration.  Nevertheless, we (usually) cash tipped her toward the end of the cruise for her service directly - whether she is obligated to share/turn it in for sharing, that's not for us to worry.  

 

Our welcome bottle of sparking wine was waiting for us, as staterooms were ready at 11 am when we're able to early board the ship last week - it was obvious the 2 free (larger) NCL "Premium" bottled water for us were downsized (across the board for all Platinum ... sometime, between this January & now) - we somehow ended up 2 plates of chocolate-covered strawberries, (freshly trucked in ??) delivered on Day 2. 

 

No formal / written Welcome back/abroad letter for Latitude members (going green ??) placed in the stateroom ... except for the folded card with the 3 coupons.  A pre-recorded voicemail was pushed to our cabins about the Latitude gathering/cocktail, held at 12:30 pm on Day 2 at the Bliss Lounge ... from the CruiseNext/CD team; and hosted by the CN team only, not a single senior/ranking officer, aside from Luz, the fun & cheerful CD herself, was present or introduced themself at this brief gathering - free drinks were floating around as well some mini-munchies.  If we were NOT at the CC Meet & Greet/Mingle and got the chance earlier in the morning to see who's who among some of the senior officers - like most did not, clueless would be a good way to describe it, until the farewell on Day 6 up on stage inside the Stardust Theater (seats are fine but not enough legroom, just like the BA as it is better on the Escape ... like fly coach class these days on United, American or Delta)

 

Time to pause, take a peek at seadog67's live blog and see how things are on the Dawn now ...   (to be continued, with some final thoughts & comments - going thru digital notes later.) 

 

 

Edited May 19, 2019 by mking8288

[mking8288]

On 5/15/2019 at 4:58 AM, amygutman said:

... Canvas by U? 👏

 

Yes, guess where it was held - Deck 6, Starboard side in the "wide" hallway area just outside the Stardust Theater, we walked by there twice during the week while it was going, about 12 cruisers, busy & creative ... and, a security officer "happened" to be in that area ?? watching.  Surely made use of every available "floor space" on the ship. 

 

11 hours ago, amygutman said:

... arcade pass ... Do you know if that option is available on the Dawn? It is not listed on the website as a purchase option under "activities" - that is where we found it for the Gem.

 

Honestly, I don't have an answer for you - might be buried in the fine prints on the Freestyle Dailies, will check with an update if found - less than 70 children on our cruise during our week.  Maybe, see if seadog67 can find out for you.  

[Buckeye10640]

mking8288 thanks for all of the info, we will be on this cruise in june.  have not been on NCL in many years and first time trying out an inside room, we are on deck 9 mid.  I am a "i need coffee first thing in the morning" person. do you know if it is possible to request and receive an in-room coffee maker?  i assume its a 'keurig' type...i could bring my own k-cups.  Thanks!

[mking8288]

2 hours ago, Buckeye10640 said:

... a "i need coffee first thing in the morning" person. do you know if it is possible to request and receive an in-room coffee maker?  ... could bring my own (flat pods).  Thanks!

 

Buckeye, you will find that some things have changed while others remained pretty much the same, cruise with an open mind - and, all should be just fine, regardless of your cabin category.  Deck 9 midship is a good location & should be quiet - one of the fellow CC'er on our Roll Call had a sideway inside (forgot which deck) as a solo & he liked it - and, you are steps away (a minute or less) from the *** Lounge, lots of comfortable seating.  

 

You can request a single-cup coffee/hot-water maker from your Room Steward (and, filled Ice Bucket - if desired) on embarkation, just give her/him a chance on a hectic turnaround day.  We didn't (our friends on Deck 9 did) as we're on port intensive schedule & didn't bother with it.  RS will provide all the pre-filled flat pods with coffee (regular/decaff) - sugar/substitute & creamer as needed daily. It is a Hamilton Beach 1 cup coffee maker - on Amazon & eBay, etc. that brew up to a 8 oz. cup ... but, the freshly brewed cup isn't a very strong one (IMHO) and you get the tiny 6 oz. cup.  Look like this ... 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HAMILTON-BEACH-HDC200S-Coffeemaker-1-Cup-Plastic-Black-and-Silver/382049166060?epid=24019271436&hash=item58f3e7a2ec:g:tkAAAOSwldRaFG7J

 

Use 2 pods for a stronger morning kick, or buy your favorite ones to bring along (available in our local ShopRite) .  

[amygutman]

13 hours ago, mking8288 said:

 

Yes, guess where it was held - Deck 6, Starboard side in the "wide" hallway area just outside the Stardust Theater, we walked by there twice during the week while it was going, about 12 cruisers, busy & creative ... and, a security officer "happened" to be in that area ?? watching.  Surely made use of every available "floor space" on the ship. 

 

 

Honestly, I don't have an answer for you - might be buried in the fine prints on the Freestyle Dailies, will check with an update if found - less than 70 children on our cruise during our week.  Maybe, see if seadog67 can find out for you.  

Thanks for answering - less than 70 kids sounds great!

I don't mean that to sound like I'm awful, but my son has special needs and always had a rough time in the kids club so the arcade has been a fun place for both him, my husband and I. That being said - the games add up quickly!

 

Having a Haven area is worth the price so he can enjoy a quieter area, his "own" pool, and doesn't have to fight crowds and kids who...lets be honest here...are sometimes pushy and mean. I'm excited about our DOS, but bummed about not having a Haven pool.

 

I am hoping that the kid pool area is less crowded than the general pool area. As the Dawn doesn't have all of the kid-friendly bells and whistles of the Escape, maybe this will finally be the cruise that he has a blast in a less crowded kids club. 

 

Thank you again - your daily updates were just wonderful!

Amy

[Lionessa15]

Thank you for this great trip report, I'll be on this ship doing the same route in less than a month so it was very RTMI!

 

Would you mind giving a summary of what the weather was like? Trying to figure out what kind of weather to expect is really confounding my packing list!