Dawn Review from 06/03 Cruise

[WeLovetheSea2travel]

We are people who love to travel...we travel all over Europe and love food, wine, beer, and coffee.

 

First of all, we had a great time and met a lot of nice people...:rolleyes:

 

The best thing of the trip was the staff...they were exceptionally courteous.

 

We started off bad. We took a Delta flight from Chicago to NYC. The flight was scheduled to take off at 9:10 and land at 12:16 on 06/03.

Well, the flight was short a flight attendant, so we had to wait 40 minutes until Delta could get another flight Attendant. Then 1 hour into the flight, the Captain said that NYC would not allow us into there air space because the conditions were very bad and we need to go into a holding pattern. Forty minutes later he made another announcement says the the conditions in LaGuardia were detriorating. Hmmm...the boat is leaving at 4:00 and now it is 12:40 EST....I am in panic...no I did not purchase the Insurance...but it is not about the money...it is about experience, preparation, time off of work, etc.

 

Well, we finally got on the boat at 3:30...this was an experience....my wife always knew we would make it, but it would be at the last moment.

 

First 3 days it rained....I have not been out in the sun since last year, and I did not go to a tanning salon... I recommend a few visits to a tanning salon before going on a trip.

 

Love the Art Auction...bought some nice artwork.

The entertainment was great....I thought Matt seemed a bit uptight...

The Martini clinic was exceptional...met some nice new friends (before we started the clinic).

 

The Karaoke was great fun...

There should be a bit more diverse in the music selection in the Dazzles' Lounge..too much hard rap...I like more techno and some rap.

 

Now for the food.

• The breakfast/lunch buffet was awlful. The food was cold and tasteless.
  
• The lunch in the Venetian was pretty bad too.
  • Hamburger...was tasteless (never thought this could happen)
    
  • Seafood Paste...there these dried out noodles with 4 clams (my wife only had 3)....

  [*]The breakfast in the Venetian was good. We had a fresh Omelet. (but we had to make it before 9:30..so much for the night life)

  [*]Impressions was our Favorite...Venetian was too loud (but nice view).

  [*]We ate at both free Specialty restaurants...very good.

  [*]We also ate at the Le Bistro...very good..

  [*]Lobster night was Thursday, and I ordered 2 lobster and Chateaubriand (we split the Chateaubriand)

What helped the bad food was the exceptional staff...;)

 

I would have to say that the food has declined since my trip on the M/S Starward in 1990.

 

 

Food...C-

Staff...A++

Entertainment...B+

Drinks....B

Coffee....C

Private Island---B

Bermuda--C...too expensive

Bahamas--B...great Bar with great music.

 

We will Cruise again...but not sure when....:cool:

[WeLovetheSea2travel]

A couple additional notes:

• If your are ordering the bar setup for the beer, then wait until you get on the ship. You can buy the bucket of beer, where the cost is about 3.50 a beer for domestic, and a bucket consist of 6 beers.
  
• Also.....Bring a bottle opener, the room does not supply one. At first room service told me call them to open a beer :mad: , I said you got to be kidding, but they ended up giving me a bottle opener.
  
• If you like Foster's, they come in 25 oz cans for $6.50.
  
• Good prices on the jewelry on the ship.
  
• Great prices on artwork on the ship.
  
• Bahamas had great prices on perfume.
  
• Liquor prices on the ship are better then both ports.
  
• Price are very expensive in Bermuda.
  
• Every other store was a Jewelry store in the Bahamas.
  
• Bring an umbrella.
  
• Visit a tanning salon before you go.
  
• Visit New York before you go on the cruise, and not after.

If I think of anything else I will added it.

[WeLovetheSea2travel]

:confused: A few more thoughts:

• Cabin 5088 was very nice (ocean view with a picture window).
  • Big enough and enough space.
    
  • We put the luguages under the bed and hung all the clothes.
    
  • Plenty of dawer space and counters.
    
  • Bring an electrical strip...

  [*]Nice fitness area and jogging track.

  [*]Jogging track was a bit tight at the back of the boat, but still very nice.

  [*]The indoor lap pool is very nice...

That is all for now....:eek: :)

[mak3mak]

i also just returned from that cruise and was very pleased about my experience. i entered the mr.sexy legs competition haha and participated in 'the quest' at spinnaker's.

 

freestyle cruising --> the cruise is what you make of it. the dawn provides what you need: the rest is your doing.

 

-- i thought the food was pretty good..this coming from someone who eats anything and everything though.

[WeLovetheSea2travel]

Additional Information....it is like a good wine..it happens over time.

 

• Anniversary package is definitely worth it.
  • Bottle of sparkling wine and fresh strawberries the first day
    
  • Guaranteed reservations at the Le Bistro and no cover charge.
    
  • Bottle of domestic white or red wine.
    
  • Sparkling wine and cake party with picture
    • we missed this, it was at 1:00..at the pool

    [*]I am missing something, but I can not remember...

  [*]Check your bill everyday...I had no problems

  [*]We recieved the 54/person on board credit for the port tax reduction.

  [*]Save your self some money, get a taxi from the airport to the port.

  • taxi charged $30 for 2 oneway, and it was very easy....but we used the transfer $120 round trip...we had some friends who used the taxi and they beat us to the ship form the airport, and from the ship to the airport.:mad:

[yuckylucky]

Additional Information....it is like a good wine..it happens over time.

 

• Anniversary package is definitely worth it.
  • Bottle of sparkling wine and fresh strawberries the first day
    
  • Guaranteed reservations at the Le Bistro and no cover charge.
    
  • Bottle of domestic white or red wine.
    
  • Sparkling wine and cake party with picture
    • we missed this, it was at 1:00..at the pool

    [*]I am missing something, but I can not remember...

  [*]Check your bill everyday...I had no problems

  [*]We recieved the 54/person on board credit for the port tax reduction.

  [*]Save your self some money, get a taxi from the airport to the port.

  • taxi charged $30 for 2 oneway, and it was very easy....but we used the transfer $120 round trip...we had some friends who used the taxi and they beat us to the ship form the airport, and from the ship to the airport.:mad:

 

Have you (or anyone reading this) had the $79 anniversary package? I was wondering what kind (read: brand) of wine is given with dinner at Le Bistro.

 

We can't wait for our $54 credits either! We can use them for the anniversary package :) Just not sure if we'll order it (celebrating six years of marriage...14 years together...yes, it took him a while to come around)... ;)

[immargaret]

Have you (or anyone reading this) had the $79 anniversary package? I was wondering what kind (read: brand) of wine is given with dinner at Le Bistro.

 

We can't wait for our $54 credits either! We can use them for the anniversary package :) Just not sure if we'll order it (celebrating six years of marriage...14 years together...yes, it took him a while to come around)... ;)

 

The anniversary package is paid for in advance, when ordered so the on board credit won't help you with that.

 

The wine was pretty good, about a $22 value. If you would like a better bottle of wine they will apply the $22 credit towards a more expensive bottle.

 

We love the anniversary package and for us it's a great bargain.

[yuckylucky]

Thanks so much for the heads up! Silly me wasn't thinking...I have to order it in advance and therefore, DUH, the onboard credit won't help! LOL...

 

Well, it's great to know that if we wanted to select a different bottle of wine, we have the option! It does sound like a great bargain. Although I'm confused about the cake party...is it one party for all who bought the package? That makes sense. WeLovetheSea2travel said it was by the pool which is also where the souvenir pic is taken, is that correct? For some reason, I was thinking the keepsake photo was one of those pictures you choose when you're getting bombarded all over the ship to have a picture taken in front of any backdrop.

[WeLovetheSea2travel]

They were California wines, both semi dry, but you had your choice of white or red. The wine was about $5 to $10 (if you were to buy it in a store), and it was good.

 

You need to pay for the package before you go on the ship, so call NCL to order the package, and ask for an email conformation. We did not need this, but it was a precaution.

 

You will get the credit after a few days on the ship, it took 3 days to show up on the bill, but it was there.

 

You will not be able to use the $54 credit for the anniversary package, since you will only get the credit once you are on board.

 

Also, the credit is dependent on how much you paid already for the taxes, we paid $138.54 for port taxes and received a $54 credit.

 

Final note: Get the package, it was worth it. Le Bistro ($30 for 2) + sparkling wine ($25 ship cost (approx.)) + picture ($25) + cake and sparking wine party + bottle of wine ($25 ship cost) + 2 special treats delivered to your room.....

[ILoveScotland]

DH and I will be on this cruise on August 5th. Tell me about the $54 credit. I don't know anything about it.

 

Also, say more about wine packages.

 

Thanks. I really enjoyed what you had to say about the Dawn, and we're excited about the cruise as much as the sea days as the ports. DD and family live in New Jersey so we're going up four days early to visit and then she'll drive us to the port on the day we sail. DGD who just turned 12 and I are going to have a day in Manhattan as well before the cruise.

[yuckylucky]

ILoveScotland: The $54 credit refers to the change in port charges. When I booked our trip, we paid $ 136 per person for port charges. Since our booking, the port charges dropped to $82.43 per person, hence the $54 difference. So, the credit depends on how much you paid. Some paid the $82.43 already and therefore will not have a credit. Others paid less than I did but more than the new charge and therefore their credit will be less than $54 also. Look at your docs and see what you paid. I had encouraged other on our roll call thread (Dawn 6/24) to call NCL to be safe (even though I had called and was told the credit would be there). It appears other posters found the credit waiting for them as well so I think it's safe to say we'll be fine!

 

WeLovetheSea2Travel: I'm going to order the package. My mom is coming with us so she is going to take our daughter to dinner one night so we can go to Le Bistro. Thanks for the info!!!

[mappa2]

welovethesea2travel --- we were on your cruise also. i thought the

dining room food wase pretty good but the buffets were really boring

and we just stayed with hamburgers etc.

i noticed the 54.00 credit p.p. when i got my statement but i had no

idea what it was for. i took it happily.

note you thought the anniversary package was a good deal.

what was the cost of the package?

we enjoyed the cruise. it is a fun ship.

 

 

larry

[ILoveScotland]

Yuckylucky, as I was reading your post the mail came with our documents. We were charged $136, so I'll call NCL to see what I need to do. Or, should I call the TA?

[immargaret]

note you thought the anniversary package was a good deal.

what was the cost of the package?

larry

 

 

Bon Voyage & Special Occasion Gifts

 

Romance Packages at Sea

HONEYMOON / ANNIVERSARY PACKAGE

* Prices are subject to change. A 15% gratuity will be added for all massages and wraps

Item #504 - $79.00 per stateroom

• Sparkling Wine and strawberries in your stateroom upon embarkation
  
• Canapés delivered to your stateroom one evening
  
• Honeymooners' Champagne and Cake party
  
• Honeymoon photograph
  
• Romantic dinner for two in the Bistro with a complimentary bottle of wine
  

[yuckylucky]

ILoveScotland: I called NCL directly and not my TA but I'm sure it's something a TA should handle for clients. Do whichever makes you more comfortable. I called the 800 # for NCL and selected the 'existing reservation' option. The guy I spoke with was really nice.

 

Mappa2: There are several packages available. We were talking about the $79 one...if you go to the http://www.ncl.com website, you'll see the list under More Info.

[ILoveScotland]

YuckyLucky, I called the TA since she's so wonderful. She didn't know about the credit but is checking into it for me.

 

Now...wine packages. I've found all kinds of packages on the NCL web site but nothing with a wine package. Is that something we buy on board? We were on the Majesty last fall as a first cruise and just bought wine as we wanted it.

[WeLovetheSea2travel]

• Dinner Reservations:
  • You do not need any reservations in the non-Specialty Restaurants, i.e., Impressions (Our favorite), Venetian, and Aqua (we never ate here).
    • We usually ate between 8:00 and 9:30, and never had to wait, well maybe just a few minutes because we always asked for a window seat.

    [*]La Trattoria and Salsa's (no charge Specialty Restaurants) we ate at La Trattoria once and twice at Salsa's.

    • Find out what day the lobster is being served and eat in the non-Specialty restaurants.
      
    • Figure you schedule out ahead of times.
      • Days at Sea, Bahamas (8:00 you can visit the island), lobster night, etc.
        
      • No panic in making your Reservations, just make them before COB Sunday if you want prime time, and COB Tuesday if want to get in.
        
      • We always had reservations so we do not know what it would be without.
        
      • We did have reservations for 2 at the Salsa and invited another couple to join us, and no problems with that.

      [*]We made our Reservations for the Le Bistro on Sunday and had no problems getting in at anytime on Tuesday.

      • But you should book these Restaurants early if you want to get in primetime.
        
      • Primetime is subjective, but 7:30 to 8:30.
        
      • The late show started at 9:30 and early show started at 7:30.

[yuckylucky]

YuckyLucky, I called the TA since she's so wonderful. She didn't know about the credit but is checking into it for me.

 

Now...wine packages. I've found all kinds of packages on the NCL web site but nothing with a wine package. Is that something we buy on board? We were on the Majesty last fall as a first cruise and just bought wine as we wanted it.

 

What I was referring to along with WeLovetheSea2Travel and immargaret is the anniversary package. It's not really a wine package but for $79, you get the following (I copied and pasted from the NCL website). It's the same thing immargaret posted:

 

HONEYMOON/ANNIVERSARY PACKAGE - $79 per stateroom

• Sparkling wine and strawberries in your stateroom upon embarkation

• Canapés delivered to your stateroom one evening

• Complimentary sparkling wine and cake party

• A keepsake photograph

• Romantic dinner for two in Le Bistro with a complimentary bottle of wine

 

Soooooooooo, when I was asking about types of wine, I was wondering what kind of wine you get with your dinner at Le Bistro and got wonderful feedback (as usual) from fellow CCers.

 

I'm not sure if this cruise has it but I've been on cruises in the past where there has been a wine tasting for a nominal fee. I know for a fact that the Dawn has a martini clinic and margharita tasting...just not sure about the wine part.

[suzy671]

Was there a charge to use the spa?

[northgoingzax]

I was on the 6/3 - 6/10 trip as well, and:

 

There was a charge of $15 a day or $60 for the whole 7-day trip to use the spa facilities, which is apparently a recent change.

 

Also, as far as booking restaurant reservations, we were able to get in everywhere, but some of the popular spots like Cagney's weren't available after mid-week, and when I tried to book Salsa on Sunday for Monday, we had to go at 9 PM. I got the feeling that the later in the week you booked the reservations for, the more open it was. Just my .02.

[noanker1]

Does anybody know if the gym facilities are also $15 per day/$60 per week or is it limited to the pool/sauna/steamrooms?

 

Thanks

[WeLovetheSea2travel]

We used the Fitness room 3 times, and it is Free.

 

• It has a nice set of dumb bells, 10lbs to 75lbs.
  
• Machines for bench, tricep pushdowns, military press, situps, curls, etc.
  
• Plenty of treadmills and elliptical machines.
  
• A room with plenty of bicycles.
  
• A lap pool
  
• outside jogging track (5 laps for a mile)

All Free...well no additional cost...:rolleyes:

[monicajay]

Is the lap pool still free? I had understood from another thread that they were now charging for it. Is there more than one indoor pool? I'm not interested in the indoor hot tubs but like to swim laps instead of a treadmill. Thanks for your answers.

M.

[Mis94]

Is the lap pool still free? I had understood from another thread that they were now charging for it. Is there more than one indoor pool? I'm not interested in the indoor hot tubs but like to swim laps instead of a treadmill. Thanks for your answers.

M.

 

The lap pool is free...we used it on our 5/13 cruise. The only problem is we had cool/rainy weather a couple days and it was a very popular pool since it is heated...lots of people standing around in it and very hard to do laps! Enjoy!

[WeLovetheSea2travel]

Another note about the Fitness room:

• Bring athletic shoes, they will not let you workout in sandals or no shoes.
  • some people tried, but they turned them away, it is for your safety
    
  • They have workout towels in the fitness area too

  [*]Bring you own beach towels, this way you don't have to wait in line to get one.....