Live Review NCL Dawn British Isles One Way to Amsterdam 6/3/2022-6/12/2022. Lots of Pictures!

[BennyBrun]

The time has come for yet another virtual cruise.  This week and next I will be on NCL Dawn inside room with complimentary dinning plus 3 specialty dinning.  There will be lots of pictures as usual, lots of food and lots of my random thoughts 💭   As always, you got questions I will attempt to find an answer for you!

I selected the Specialty Dinning / Free Wi-Fi Minutes / $50 Shore Excursion Credits as my Free at Seas Offer.  I declined the “free” beverage package due to itinerary and it does not include specialty coffee/juice/bottled water unless you pay more to upgrade the “free” beverage package.  I will not be upgrading my minutes to the unlimited Wi-Fi until middle of the cruise.  I am going to try the international day pass option to see how that works.

 

This will be like mini boot camp with a port stop almost every day with excursion planned at every stop so expect lots of pictures.

[BennyBrun]

Pre Cruise

 

Clear to cruise!  NCL says I have to test 72 hours prior to the cruise because this is an European cruise.  They did offer testing at the pier but they did not make it clear if the testing is free or not so I used EMeD.  Make sure you have spare testing kits as backup!  It’s nerve wrecking when you have to test and something is missing from the kit.

[FionaMG]

Following along. Have a great time Benny. 🙂

[BennyBrun]

15 minutes ago, FionaMG said:

Following along. Have a great time Benny. 🙂

Thank you so much!!  I am excited and nervous about this trip… have lots planned just hope I can keep up 😆… I opted for a few hop on hop off tours hoping to take in the sights so it will be an adventure for sure!  Again can’t wait to read all about your Greece trip and take notes!

[rikitikitavii]

Benny, 

Looking forward to your review. We sail this cruise in September!!

Have a great trip!!

Rick

[ecslady]

Looking forward to this blog especially since I  have never cruised NCL.  Would hear some of your comparison thoughts along the way between NCL and RCL/Celebrity. 

 

I have read that you usually work remotely while on a cruise.  I'm curious as how you handle that? Do you set a certain time of day to work remotely?

 

Have a great cruise! 

[BennyBrun]

3 minutes ago, ecslady said:

Looking forward to this blog especially since I  have never cruised NCL.  Would hear some of your comparison thoughts along the way between NCL and RCL/Celebrity. 

 

I have read that you usually work remotely while on a cruise.  I'm curious as how you handle that? Do you set a certain time of day to work remotely?

 

Have a great cruise! 

Thank you so much!  Most of my cruises are on Royal then Celebrity and a few are on NCL.  I usually pick NCL for exotic/ port heavy / boot camp style type of cruises because I find NCL’s free at seas offer works great for excursions.  I get $50.00 each excursion at every port with no limit so some of my excursions are very very inexpensive!  I always decline the drink package they give away because it does not include quite a few things and what I want to drink always costs more and they try to sell you the premium upgrade.  I take the free specialty dinning they offer but never purchase additional ones because it’s not like most of Royal’s specialty dinning where you can have what you want with no limit (except at Chops with the entrees).  
 

They do offer internet minutes where you USED to be able to upgrade to unlimited with bookings prior to the change but no more so I will be using my day pass option with my phone and upgrade my Wi-Fi plan mid cruise (this was booked in 2020 prior to the changes)

 

That being said I do have two more NCL cruises coming up Greece and then Alaska.  I have said before every cruise line offers something different you have to sail the ones that fits you.  NCL fits when I cruise in Europe where I will spend most of my time at outside the ship.  The ship is just like a floating hotel.

 

I only work remotely while cruising in the Caribbean on Royal / Celebrity.  Wi-Fi is more reliable and I spend most of my time on the ship.  After all how many tote bags can I possibly buy at the straw market in Nassau 😆 

[BennyBrun]

Pre Cruise 

 

I am excited that the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is this weekend… I will miss the parade tomorrow but I will still make my way to Buckingham Palace to join the celebration!!

 

After some research I decided to stay at Hilton Garden Inn at LHR.  This is the only hotel right now at LHR that you can walk to from terminal 2/3 and also where the tube station is located.  At all other LHR hotels you will need to take the Hopper to get to your hotel for a fee and use the Hopper to get back to LHR.  This will make traveling to London much easier.

[PammyMouse]

Following along, we're on the June 13 Dawn out of Amsterdam.  My mother-in-law is using that Hilton Garden Inn on the way back!  

PM

Edited June 1, 2022 by PammyMouse

[BennyBrun]

2 hours ago, PammyMouse said:

Following along, we're on the June 13 Dawn out of Amsterdam.  My mother-in-law is using that Hilton Garden Inn on the way back!  

PM

I think that is a great choice !  Will have pictures tomorrow!

[BennyBrun]

Pre Cruise 

 

This is not the cruise that I can gamble to arrive on the day of departure … it is the kind of cruise that you need to arrive a day before … so Delta here I come!

[BennyBrun]

Pre Cruise

 

My fellow English pals warned me about the chaos at the airports and with budget airlines right now so originally I had planned to fly into Paris first then into LHR but to be safe I opted for LHR directly and skip the sight seeing in Paris…also plan ahead and get to the airport early.  I don’t even want to think about AMS right now!

[Max and Ruby]

@BennyBrun following on this cruise.  We were supposed to go to London in 2020 and well, well know what happened. Grrr.

 

Someday we will see what you will be seeing the next 10 days! Enjoy!

[BennyBrun]

1 minute ago, Max and Ruby said:

@BennyBrun following on this cruise.  We were supposed to go to London in 2020 and well, well know what happened. Grrr.

 

Someday we will see what you will be seeing the next 10 days! Enjoy!

Thank you so much!!  You will be able to learn from my mistakes lol 😂 through this virtual cruise and make your cruise even better!!!  Feel free to ask questions … this is my first time on the Dawn!

[BennyBrun]

Pre Cruise 

 

Get to the airport early… 

[BennyBrun]

Pre Cruise…

 

Delta to LHR … I got a great deal on a Premium Select Seat (before the oil crisis) so I can rest before I see the Queen 😂 

[BennyBrun]

Pre Cruise

 

Goodie bag from Delta … my plan is to eat, have a sip of wine then sleep 💤  and ignore the 319 movies.

[KeithJenner]

Following. We are doing this cruise (in reverse) in September. As we are British I know the ports quite well already, but I’m following to see how the logistics go in port (and in case you find anything I’ve previously missed).

 

We use the HGI at Heathrow regularly. It is a decent and good value hotel, with an above average breakfast for a British hotel. We stay there when we are in the area, not just when using the airport. It’s an excellent choice and the tube station is very handy.

 

Have fun this weekend. I’m keeping well out of that lot. 🙂

[BennyBrun]

Pre Cruise

 

Touched down around 7:15AM and out at baggage claim around 7:40AM.  There was a line at border control that moved very quickly via automated system!

[BennyBrun]

2 hours ago, KeithJenner said:

Following. We are doing this cruise (in reverse) in September. As we are British I know the ports quite well already, but I’m following to see how the logistics go in port (and in case you find anything I’ve previously missed).

 

We use the HGI at Heathrow regularly. It is a decent and good value hotel, with an above average breakfast for a British hotel. We stay there when we are in the area, not just when using the airport. It’s an excellent choice and the tube station is very handy.

 

Have fun this weekend. I’m keeping well out of that lot. 🙂

Thanks so much!  Please add your input if you would like to the ports I will be visiting be happy to learn from the local!  I am only here for today (Thursday) for the weekend festivities so will miss most of it any way!

[BennyBrun]

Pre Cruise…

 

It is a walk from terminal 3 to terminal 2 with luggage to check in to the Hilton Garden Inn but I have to say it is very convenient and all underground.  When you arrive at Terminal 2 take the lift to level 1 and walk across towards the Hilton Garden Inn sign and you are there!

[BennyBrun]

Pre Cruise

 

Hilton Garden Inn King Room … nice clean and modern!  Make sure you pack a converter kit if you need to use electronics from the US that does not use USB.

[insidecabin]

17 hours ago, BennyBrun said:

Pre Cruise 

 

I am excited that the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is this weekend… I will miss the parade tomorrow but I will still make my way to Buckingham Palace to join the celebration!!

 

After some research I decided to stay at Hilton Garden Inn at LHR.  This is the only hotel right now at LHR that you can walk to from terminal 2/3 and also where the tube station is located.  At all other LHR hotels you will need to take the Hopper to get to your hotel for a fee and use the Hopper to get back to LHR.  This will make traveling to London much easier.

 

A lot of LHR hotels have the local TFL bus options that go to the terminals and are a lot cheaper(used to be free) than the Hopper at £1.65 (each way).

 

The thistle(premier inn over the road)  are very handy for T5 as the bus(423) stop is just outside <5min on the bus( to the arrivals level there are a few guides around.

Google has the bus stops marked you can see which buses go to the terminal and which hotels are close for central bus station(T2/T3)

 

also TFL has a map

https://www.heathrow.com/content/dam/heathrow/web/common/documents/transport/Heathrow_area_map.pdf

 

[insidecabin]

We are jumping on a Princess UK trip just as you get off  interested in the latest reports from the ports.

 

Also looking at Dawn for later in the year.

 

Although the dining package list restrictions never had a problem with extras/swaps other than the extra entre charge, always come away full.

 

the free at sea dinners got cut back on bookings from  Jan 2022,  inside 10 days now only gets 1 meal with a upsell for 2 more(£60pp in the UK) 

 

[jimbri]

Looking forward to your review.  Have a great time!