Review of Dawn 2/12/06~Professional Viewpoint

[seahorse]

My name is Ann and I am part of, and an addict of, the Screwball Cruisers:o

 

First and foremost I want to say that I had a great time and met great people.

 

My take on this review is through the eyes of a "regular passenger" and a TA. My DH and I were in a Romance Suite deck 10 aft. We have sailed aft 4x now and we will not sail in any other cabin. We love Freestyle and will not sail any other way (unless we don`t have a choice).

 

We sail full fare as our clients do. We do not expect any "special" treatment. I do not contact anyone, nor correspond with anyone, before hand. We want to experience everything as our clients do.

 

Intro finished.......on with the review.

 

The" NCL Storm of the Decade" IMO was handled very well. I was impressed. I know that a lot of people had to wait a very long time to get on the ship. I think the last passenger got on about 8p. NCL did try their best under these circumstances.

 

We were kept informed once we got on board, the compensation was fine and the itinerary change, for me, was perfect. I am sure that some people weren`t pleased especially if you had shore excursions planned. That was a zoo the next day at the desk. That is one reason that I don`t book them beforehand.

 

I don`t want to be timed out so I will do my next "segment" in another post.

 

Next.......Suite.

[seahorse]

Suite

 

To our dismay we found the suite to be in dis-repair. Furniture in the cabin and balcony broken, stains on rug, as well as being "sticky". Curtains hanging askew and dirty, mirror in vanity broken, dust....dust and more dust. It was what I call surface cleaning, dirty socks under the bed:eek: Coffee pot broken, fridge shelves missing. Then the bed....concave and uncomfortable and on the last day they stripped it when we were leaving and the thin mattress pad was very stained and they were leaving it on....ugh. I wouldn`t even let my dog have it to sleep on.

 

You may wonder...."Why didn`t she complain?".....well, our cabin stewards were Filipino and their country was devastated by the mudslides the day after we sailed. I really thought that it would be cruel to be so nit-picky to do this and that I would let management know when I got home. besides, I really am a "clean freak" and sometimes I have to step back:o .

 

They did give us good service and I "cleaned" the best that I could. The dis-repair was something that they could do nothing about.

 

Next...butler and concierge........

[seahorse]

Butler and Concierge

 

I have stayed in suites before and know what to expect. You learn from cruise to cruise IMO.

 

We are not high-maintenance, but I DO know what to expect.

 

Carmen was our Butler and she was a sweetie and very professional. She did everything that we asked and was friendly. Our needs were met in a timely manner and done beautifully. We had breakfast everyday.....parties.....dinners....special snacks.....espresso delivered with after dinner drinks....even if it wasn`t after dinner:D and it was hot which is important. No complaints.

 

Alex was our Concierge. I know everyone loves Alex.....but.....I was a little disturbed when we did not hear from him except the form letter given at the beginning.........no calls.......no letters........no "Is everything OK. Can I do something for you?" (gosh, I sound like a jilted date:rolleyes: ). We do not like to be "fawned over" but a little attention would have been nice.

 

It became a "test" after a while and a "joke" with the suite next door. The one time that we asked for dinner reservations at Salsas, he gave us the times that I got when I called down to the desk:( .

 

IMO he gives a lot of attention to the "Higher End Suites" and perhaps he should have an assistant.

 

I wouldn`t book a mini-suite just for a concierge, it is a Butler or nothing for service.

 

Next-----food changes

[Momof2kids]

Keep it up! I'm enjoying hearing about your cruise.

 

We'll be cruising on the Dawn's 4/26 sailing with our two kids.

[seahorse]

Food Changes

 

Backround........I was a professional chef in my former life:rolleyes: and always a "foodie". I do know quality and presentation. I am also a vegetarian but that does not negate my views. I can see and smell, that is how I cook, I have an educated "nose";)

 

The food quality, quantity and variety have changed. This is not a good change. It is a cost cutting measure, bottom line. I think it is to get more people to eat in the pay restaurants as well.

 

Someone said to me......."Tell your clients to eat in the pay restaurants." This is not an option. You cannot tell people "the food is not that good....you paid for this cruise with your hard-earned money.....so I suggest that you PAY MORE to get a good meal". Not a good thing. I hope they go back, but something tells me they will not. So I can not make this a selling point for NCL.

 

Maybe I could consult with them on how to have good food on a budget:rolleyes: I did run Corporate dining rooms.

 

BTW.....OXTAILS is Peasant Food......prunes are for the elderly....and vegetarians eat other foods besides eggplant:p

 

Next...drinks and service.

[seahorse]

Drinks and service

 

I did not notice that the drinks were "watered down".....but......we would have drinks at sunset with friends from our bar set-up and wine with dinner, so after dinner drinks?? I probably couldn`t tell:o

 

The Martini Clinics were great. I thought when I saw the large crowds that it would be a "disaster" but they had more bartenders and it went slow but steady...5 the first time and 4 the second time. First time they were much better then the second but that was my preference. You could order plain ones if you didn`t want to try a certain one.

 

Over-all I thought service on the ship was lacking but I attributed that to the storm. A lot of them were supposed to go on vacation but couldn`t fly out and their replacements couldn`t get in. I think that they were over-worked and disappointed by our cruise. I did see a difference from other cruises.

 

I have to comment on the Casino Director (sorry, can't remember her name) she was so gracious. We were supposed to have our sail-a-way at 6p in the Star Bar but they had a Gamblers function at that time. She invited us in and comped us drinks and food. No one else showed up but we had a lovely time. She acknowledged us throughout the cruise.

 

Next....Lat. and VIP Parties.

[greenie]

Thanks for this, Ann. I am interested in your take on things both as a TA and as a fellow (chick?) cruiser.

 

I agree with you about the food changes from last year. I wondered if it was just the Spirit or NCL-wide. Guess your comments answer that question.

 

Last year there wasn't a dinner menu in the main dining rooms that did not have at least 2 items that I looked forward to ordering. This year, there were at least 3 out of 10 dinners when I looked elsewhere for food. And a couple that were just so-so choice-wise. I'm not that picky an eater! I love cruiseship food!

 

Everything I ate on board I enjoyed to one degree or another. But it's unusual and a little disturbing to think there are going to be about half the cruise when I could care less what's offered in the free eating venues. I've always so enjoyed eating in the main dining rooms on ships. I would hate to think this trend is here to stay. Thank goodness for La Trattoria--we ended up eating there 3 times. Twice by default.

[tinkerbell1951]

Drinks and service

 

I did not notice that the drinks were "watered down".....but......we would have drinks at sunset with friends from our bar set-up and wine with dinner, so after dinner drinks?? I probably couldn`t tell:o

 

The Martini Clinics were great. I thought when I saw the large crowds that it would be a "disaster" but they had more bartenders and it went slow but steady...5 the first time and 4 the second time. First time they were much better then the second but that was my preference. You could order plain ones if you didn`t want to try a certain one.

 

Over-all I thought service on the ship was lacking but I attributed that to the storm. A lot of them were supposed to go on vacation but couldn`t fly out and their replacements couldn`t get in. I think that they were over-worked and disappointed by our cruise. I did see a difference from other cruises.

 

I have to comment on the Casino Director (sorry, can't remember her name) she was so gracious. We were supposed to have our sail-a-way at 6p in the Star Bar but they had a Gamblers function at that time. She invited us in and comped us drinks and food. No one else showed up but we had a lovely time. She acknowledged us throughout the cruise.

 

Next....Lat. and VIP Parties.

Ann, you are doing a great job. Cinci

[Frick_&_Frack]

BTW Alex does have an assistant (which we found out when Alex was ill during the 2/2 cruise).

[seahorse]

Parties,

 

IMO the Special Parties on the ship were the best that I have been to. The variety of the drinks and food were great.

 

I am a very detailed sort of person and I notice little things......like when they serve wine.....if they put it in a proper glass.....little things mean a lot;)

 

Ports for this cruise.....next

[seahorse]

Ports,

 

Not my favorite part of the world......Jamaica (I do like Jamaica),,,,,,Cozumel, Belize, Roatan.

 

Jamaica.......BEWARE:eek: Do not buy any Duty Free Alcohol on the Island. I shopped and searched for a special bottle of Scotch for my son......never got it....."Lady, it will be delivered to the ship" Yea, right:rolleyes: Never had this happen to me before in my many yrs. of cruising. Ran around like idiots on the ship looking for it......BTW no one on NCL would help us.

 

Caymans was no problem.

 

Jamaica.........just walked around, been there many times.

Cayman......walked around (is there a pattern here?;) )

Roatan.....Hired a cab and went to the "attractions".

Belize......I didn`t get off the ship. DH did, he liked it.

Cozumel......Been there many times so I was anxious to see the damage.

I was surprised to see that there are so many buildings done on the main street.

I was dismayed to see that they were all Silver Shops:eek:

 

So I am not a good judge here........the ship and cruising is my thing.

 

Next.......in summary

[seahorse]

I am not a good judge of the shows either, been there done that.

 

We did enjoy the Jazz pianist, I think his name was Selwyn, he wasn`t the one with the "exploding" pocket handkerchief:D He was an excellent musician (My husband is a professional musician) we followed him from venue to venue.

 

As of now, the Star Bar is non-smoking......yea........I hope that they don`t change this. There were a LOT of people there at night. More then other years. It is refreshing.

 

In conclusion....

 

Will I continue to sell NCL??.........Yes, but I have to sell it in a different way. I feel the value has diminished. I do hope they "raise the bar", they lowered it after all:rolleyes: Other cruise lines are knocking at their back door in NY. Why dumb-down your product:confused:

 

Will I sail NCL again........YOU BET........I love Freestyle. You can enjoy your family and friends with no "rules" dictating your day or evening.

 

Thank You for reading my opinions.:)

[BarbCT605]

Butler and Concierge

 

Carmen was our Butler and she was a sweetie and very professional. She did everything that we asked and was friendly. Our needs were met in a timely manner and done beautifully.

I wholeheartedly agree -- Carmen was our butler, too. She told us (last January) that she'll be going on vacation sometime in April.

Alex was our Concierge. I know everyone loves Alex.....but.....I was a little disturbed when we did not hear from him except the form letter given at the beginning.........no calls.......no letters........no "Is everything OK. Can I do something for you?" (gosh, I sound like a jilted date:rolleyes: ). We do not like to be "fawned over" but a little attention would have been nice.

I agree, also! Claudio was our concierge & we received the form letter (with restaurant reservation sheet) at the beginning of the cruise, and another at the end. In the middle, probably some more letters about the ports.

 

I had read on these boards that Claudio was a great concierge, but I thought the same thing: no phone calls to check in with us even once!

 

With respect to concierge, there was BIG difference from being in AA (last June) versus AD (last Jan.). I assume that they have too many suites to take care of.

 

Thanks for your review, Ann!

[SailAways]

Double post, sorry!

[SailAways]

Great, concise, and revealing review.

 

Causes one to question exactly what is going on.

 

I agree, Freestyle cannot be beat - we loved this from the get-go, and don't want to give it up.

 

But also, we feel as you do about many things.

Thanks Ann!

[johnql]

Ann, thanks for the detailed, candid review.

[seahorse]

Thanks for this, Ann. I am interested in your take on things both as a TA and as a fellow (chick?) cruiser.

 

I agree with you about the food changes from last year. I wondered if it was just the Spirit or NCL-wide. Guess your comments answer that question.

 

Last year there wasn't a dinner menu in the main dining rooms that did not have at least 2 items that I looked forward to ordering. This year, there were at least 3 out of 10 dinners when I looked elsewhere for food. And a couple that were just so-so choice-wise. I'm not that picky an eater! I love cruiseship food!

 

Everything I ate on board I enjoyed to one degree or another. But it's unusual and a little disturbing to think there are going to be about half the cruise when I could care less what's offered in the free eating venues. I've always so enjoyed eating in the main dining rooms on ships. I would hate to think this trend is here to stay. Thank goodness for La Trattoria--we ended up eating there 3 times. Twice by default.

 

Greenie,

 

My DH said the exact same thing "There is nothing that I want on the menu tonight". He did eat (of course:rolleyes: ) but there was no joy in his chosing......there was no "WOW" factor. It was "Oh well, I guess I`ll have this tonight":(

 

For all of the times that we have been on the Dawn we have never made it to La Trattoria. Don`t really know why:confused:

[Cinnamon Seahorse]

DH and I have sailed NCL many times, but not since 2000. Freestyle is going to be a new experience, and I think our group of eight will enjoy that.

 

The majority of our group have never sailed NCL. Based on what I've been reading on the board, I've started "hinting" that the food may not be what they have experienced on other lines. I'm also planning on hosting dinners at Teppanyaki, Le Bistro, and Cagneys.

 

It's sad to hear about the decline in variety of food choices, and the general unfavorable trend in food opinions. Granted, we didn't choose this sailing for the food, but it sounds like NCL is shooting itself in the foot in this area. Good variety and good food has always been a big draw for cruisers.

 

Looking forward to this sailing, and so appreciative of input from you, Greenie, and others who have posted about the reality of the Dawn. On the plus side, our friends should be pretty impressed when they see our Owner's Suite (aka Party Central). Here's hoping our butler is more capable than our thoroughly inept butler on the Celebrity Millennium a year ago. He was so awful that it would take some real effort to do a worse job.

 

Carla

[greenie]

On the plus side, our friends should be pretty impressed when they see our Owner's Suite (aka Party Central). Here's hoping our butler is more capable than our thoroughly inept butler on the Celebrity Millennium a year ago. He was so awful that it would take some real effort to do a worse job.

 

Carla

 

OH I am sooooooooooooooo jealous! Which OS will you be in? You are going to love love love it.:) But you probably already know that!

[seahorse]

DH and I have sailed NCL many times, but not since 2000. Freestyle is going to be a new experience, and I think our group of eight will enjoy that.

 

The majority of our group have never sailed NCL. Based on what I've been reading on the board, I've started "hinting" that the food may not be what they have experienced on other lines. I'm also planning on hosting dinners at Teppanyaki, Le Bistro, and Cagneys.

 

It's sad to hear about the decline in variety of food choices, and the general unfavorable trend in food opinions. Granted, we didn't choose this sailing for the food, but it sounds like NCL is shooting itself in the foot in this area. Good variety and good food has always been a big draw for cruisers.

 

Looking forward to this sailing, and so appreciative of input from you, Greenie, and others who have posted about the reality of the Dawn. On the plus side, our friends should be pretty impressed when they see our Owner's Suite (aka Party Central). Here's hoping our butler is more capable than our thoroughly inept butler on the Celebrity Millennium a year ago. He was so awful that it would take some real effort to do a worse job.

 

Carla

 

All of you can have dinner served in your suite one evening......how great will that be:D Just give the Butler plenty of time.

[hilltopfamily]

BTW.....OXTAILS is Peasant Food......prunes are for the elderly....and vegetarians eat other foods besides eggplant:p

 

Yes! I really could not believe the limited choices in the Seven Seas & Four Seasons (which were always identical) on the Sun. Ox tails??? Unbelievably, my SIL ordered it and said it was "good" but really, not at all the kind of thing I look forward to when dressing up for dinner! As someone above said....there was no "wow" factor when looking at the menus. Always more of "what sounds like it might be good" vs. "wow, I can't choose between x, y, & z".

[ce2000]

seahorse, I appreciate your review. I was on the NCL Jewel between Christmas and New Year's day, and was very disappointed in the food in the main dinning rooms, except for breakfast. Tsar's Palace did serve a very good breakfast each morning that I ate in there. When the food isn't very good, the service doesn't much matter, though the service in the main dinning rooms was generally pretty good. I thought about going down and having the gratuity adjusted to compensate for the poor food in the main dinning rooms, but didn't. Is there something else that I could have done to show my displeasure with the quality of food? This was the first time that I have sailed with NCL and was looking forward to trying the freestyle concept, but this didn't work for us. We usually cruise as a family and we make up a party of 10 or 12 people. It was difficult getting resevations made in the specialty restaurants for a party this large, we did eat in Cagney's one evening and the food was great, but we paid for it. Before this cruise I was under the impression that freestyle meant that I could eat where I wanted, when I wanted, but that was not the case. It was necessary to make reservations well in advance. That just is not what I would call freestyle. I did not know where or when I wanted to eat two or three days before hand so that I could make the necessary reservations. I know that this is more difficult with a party of 10 or 12, and I'm sure since this was the Christmas Cruise, the ship was probably full so perhaps this wasn't normal, but it was my first cruise with NCL and I was somewhat dissappointed. Howerver the ship is very nice, the only ship that I have been on that was better was the Celebrity Summit.

[seahorse]

seahorse, I appreciate your review. I was on the NCL Jewel between Christmas and New Year's day, and was very disappointed in the food in the main dinning rooms, except for breakfast. Tsar's Palace did serve a very good breakfast each morning that I ate in there. When the food isn't very good, the service doesn't much matter, though the service in the main dinning rooms was generally pretty good. I thought about going down and having the gratuity adjusted to compensate for the poor food in the main dinning rooms, but didn't. Is there something else that I could have done to show my displeasure with the quality of food? This was the first time that I have sailed with NCL and was looking forward to trying the freestyle concept, but this didn't work for us. We usually cruise as a family and we make up a party of 10 or 12 people. It was difficult getting resevations made in the specialty restaurants for a party this large, we did eat in Cagney's one evening and the food was great, but we paid for it. Before this cruise I was under the impression that freestyle meant that I could eat where I wanted, when I wanted, but that was not the case. It was necessary to make reservations well in advance. That just is not what I would call freestyle. I did not know where or when I wanted to eat two or three days before hand so that I could make the necessary reservations. I know that this is more difficult with a party of 10 or 12, and I'm sure since this was the Christmas Cruise, the ship was probably full so perhaps this wasn't normal, but it was my first cruise with NCL and I was somewhat dissappointed. Howerver the ship is very nice, the only ship that I have been on that was better was the Celebrity Summit.

 

I am so glad that you did not adjust your tips. That only hurts the servers. They are not to blame.

 

Let management know in Miami your displeasure, that is the only way this is going to change.

 

Freestyle is difficult when you have a large group and it being Christmas made it more so.

 

So glad that you enjoyed the ship.

[Cosmopolitan]

DH and I have sailed NCL many times, but not since 2000. Freestyle is going to be a new experience, and I think our group of eight will enjoy that.

 

The majority of our group have never sailed NCL. Based on what I've been reading on the board, I've started "hinting" that the food may not be what they have experienced on other lines. I'm also planning on hosting dinners at Teppanyaki, Le Bistro, and Cagneys.

 

It's sad to hear about the decline in variety of food choices, and the general unfavorable trend in food opinions. Granted, we didn't choose this sailing for the food, but it sounds like NCL is shooting itself in the foot in this area. Good variety and good food has always been a big draw for cruisers.

 

arla

 

What ship...what date?

[Dolphins]

Appreciated your experience and insight. Hope NCL is paying attention.

 

Regarding the concierge, I think they just have too many cabins to give personal attention to them all.