Review of Dawn - 6/16 Sailing - LONG!

[tantine]

After reading some negative reviews regarding service, etc. on the Dawn I was a little nervous going into this cruise....boy was I surprised!

 

We had a WONDERFUL time - and were it not for missing my children (who we left at home) I would've been very willing to stay on the ship. The ship itself is beautiful and so well laid out that you don't notice the other 2,000 passengers most of the time. Overall is was a relaxing and fun vacation.

 

Embarkation: We got to the pier at 1:45 (traffic on the LIE - you don't expect it on Saturday noontime but there is - beware). Waited in line maybe 15 minutes and were on very quickly. Cabins were ready so we dropped of our stuff and went to explore.

 

*Note - Take the advice of other posters and dial 7555 immediately to book restaurants for Saturday and Sunday.

 

Cabins: We were in 11650 (minisuite) and it was great. I'm glad we did the minisuite over the balcony for the price. It gave us a little extra room and made spending time in the cabin easy and enjoyable. The balcony was GREAT and I spent many an afternoon reading and just enjoying the sounds of the sea.

 

Food: Made reservations no problem for Sat and Sun. Didn't worry about the rest of the week as we booked through the casino and they booked the rest of the week for us. I heard from only one or two people that they couldn't get the reservations they wanted at Impressions (the new Italian place) and Teppanyaki. All the restaurants were great - Cagneys, Le Bistro, Teppanyaki, Salsa. You felt like you would going out to a very good restaurant. Impressions wasn't spectacular but was a good Italian meal.

 

*Note - If you want Teppanyaki(hibachi), make those reservations first. It's very limited (they only seat like 20 people) and the food is great.

 

Garden Cafe was good for breakfast and lunch. It's a buffet and exactly what you'd expect. Dinner I went once and wasn't too impressed - I'm glad we ate good the other nights.

 

Venetian we did for lunch a few days and the food and service were very good.

 

Room service is very limited menu but is good for a snack or if you skip a meal and need a quick bite to hold you over until a late dinner. Pizza was probably the best thing on there. Also, you can place a card on your door to order breakfast (muffins, fruits, yogurt) and eat on your balcony - nice to just relax that way.

 

Chocolate buffet the last day (in the afternoon) was fabulous! Definitely somewhere you feel the crowd but they run it so efficiently that you don't wait too long. Line up early (like 10-15 minutes before it opens) because there is a line.

 

Beware the coffee everywhere is strong.

 

*Note - Cappuccinos and espressos are free in the restaurants so enjoy!

Also, the restaurants with the extra charge were 1/2 price from 8:30 on so take advantage of that.

 

Service: Service was wonderful all over the ship. Servers in the restaurants were friendly and talkative and always willing to get us what we wanted. Room stewards were great - always working around us if we were spending time in the room - they would just come back later. Never needed anything in the room.

 

Entertainment: Matt, the cruise director is hilarious. What a great showman - he really made every show funny and he's got great energy.

Best show was Romano Frediani and the Bollywood - WOW! Gleason magic was good, talent show was okay, Second City was good. All the shows were worth checking out - we went to a couple just to see if we'd like them and ended up staying for all of them.

 

Game shows are definitely great - so funny to see what people will do. The Newlywed Game, Quest and the Truth game were too funny.

 

Definitely lots of opportunities for people with all interests to get involved and have a good time. I was surprised by the variety and the quality of entertainment - we had 4 very diverse people in our group and we all thought the shows were very good.

 

*Note - Don't sit in the front row as it's a little low and with Bollywood especially it was a little unnerving to be that close as they fly out over the audience. Sit back a little bit and I think you'll be better off.

Also, for the game shows in the Spinnaker Lounge, get there early as they fill up fast and it's tough to find seats.

 

Casino: We are casino people and were surprised by the size of it and variety of machines. My husband who loves table games was able to get a seat no problem most nights. Not very big payouts - I didn't really see anyone winning too much (and heard of more than a few who lost big) but it is fun. Levi (bar server) in the casino is wonderful - friendly and very pleasant. All the dealers (except a couple here and there) were friendly and fun.

 

Tip: Play the Apprentice (1 cent) machine - there's only one so you may have to lurk until it's free. Also the Lobster 1 cent machine to the right of the bar and the 2 cent (or 5 cent) machines along the back wall. These seem to give at least something to play with so that you aren't constantly feeding money into the machines.

 

Islands:

Bahamas: I got sunburned the first at sea day and didn't go to Paradise Island (just some downtown shopping) but I've been there before and the rest of our group went. Cabbage Beach is as pretty as my husband remembered (though a little trickier to get to since Atlantis keeps building) and the Atlantis is always fun to walk through and check out.

 

Great Stirrup Cay: Beautiful beach - just a great day to lay around and do nothing. Some people did parasailing which looked like fun. If renting the big floats, don't just close your eyes and float - I can't tell you the amount of people who had to be 'rescued' because they either drifted too far or floated into the tender lane. Tendering is easy and quick - you're there before you know it. I didn't see the bugs everyone talked about but I brought a Neat Sheet to put under the towels so that may have helped.

Water is ultra clear - you can see cool fish without any snorkel gear - beautiful.

 

Bermuda: Now I know why people who go to Bermuda keep going back. We'd definitely go back - what a beautiful island. The locals are all friendly and helpful. We took the ferry from King's Wharf to Hamilton (about 20 min. - $4 each). Gave us a good look of the northern part of the island. Shopping in Hamilton is great - I had read not to shop in Bermuda because it's expensive and not worth it - I found some great shopping and got some really great things. From Hamilton took taxi to Horseshoe Beach. Nothing I read could accurately describe it - the sand really is pink! The water was cold but so beautiful and you could swim way out and still stand. Only thing was that the sand is so fine, it sticks to everything so be prepared. After the beach we took a taxi back to the ship and really got to see some more of the island - we had a great driver who pointed out resorts and other spots along the way. Only thing we didn't see was St. George's. Since we spent so much time on the beach we weren't sure we'd get back in time if we went over there so we'll do it next time.

 

Disembarkation - We did express. Ship was cleared a little past 10 - we had gotten on line in front of Bamboo on deck 7 at like 9:30. Once ship was cleared, we were off and in the car in less than 15 minutes.

 

Wonderful vacation - would definitely sail the Dawn again though it is moving, but we're definitely fans of Norwegian.

 

Beware that the sun does burn even when it seems cloudy - I'm still paying the price for that one!

[optics]

Thanks for the informative review... we are sailing this coming Sat (30th) on the Dawn and look forward to the trip.

 

Based on your post, it sounds like you can not make dinner reservations on the first day for the entire week. Can you confirm this? We sailed on NCL back in 2005 and were able to make ressies for the entire week as soon as we boarded the ship. Any feedback you can provide will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[just crusin]

Thanks for that great post We leave this weekend on the dawn and are so looking forward to this cruise. I to dont care to much for the Bahamas I will get off and shop, But will absolutley get off in Bermuda I have been there 35 years ago on a ship called the DORIC and loved it.

Im glad you had a great time:)

[2Cruise4Ever]

Thanks for the informative review... we are sailing this coming Sat (30th) on the Dawn and look forward to the trip.

 

Based on your post, it sounds like you can not make dinner reservations on the first day for the entire week. Can you confirm this? We sailed on NCL back in 2005 and were able to make ressies for the entire week as soon as we boarded the ship. Any feedback you can provide will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

What category cabin are you in? If you're in AF or below, no you cannot make ressies for the entire week on the first day. They changed that because it's unfair for people who embark at 3:00 when many others embark at 11:00 a.m. and make the ressies first and the restaurants are booked quickly. If you're in an AE or above, you can make them for the week. Otherwise, you can make them the day before.

[tantine]

Dialing the 7555 reservations #, you can only book one day in advance (unless you're in the higher categories as pp stated). However, I understand if you're in a room w/concierge service and contact your concierge he/she can make the reservations for you. I never saw or contacted the concierge so I can't confirm as the casino host made the reservations for us.

 

Enjoy!

[2Cruise4Ever]

Dialing the 7555 reservations #, you can only book one day in advance (unless you're in the higher categories as pp stated). However, I understand if you're in a room w/concierge service and contact your concierge he/she can make the reservations for you. I never saw or contacted the concierge so I can't confirm as the casino host made the reservations for us.

 

Enjoy!

 

That's what designates the AE's and above vs. the AF's and below; the concierge service. We were in an AB and our concierge, Claudio, was awesome! Unfortunately, he's on vacation now and then going to the Gem. I don't know the name of the woman who replaced him.

[nyflush]

Great review I think we will do Bermuda almost the same way you did this time. Sounds like you had a great Cruise:)

[optics]

Thanks for the feedback re: ressies. We are in CAT AF, so it looks like we'll make our ressies each day. I can understand NCL's policy on this. Thanks again - I appreciate it!

[margeg]

Always something new to learn on CC. Did not know about the discount after 8:30 pm for pay restaurants.

 

Thanks for the info.