Dawn review Jan 20-27

[skeeter195]

We have cruised 11 times, with the last 5 being on NCL(2002-2008). We are not picky, but want things to be nice and stress free on vacation. I am a personal chef, and know what great food is and how it should be prepared. I will eat anything from burgers, tacos and pizza to the finest meats and sauces as long they are prepared the right way.

 

Here are the highlights and the lowlights(if that is a word) of our Dawn trip from Jan 20-27.

 

Highlights

-Very easy getting on the ship, arrived 11:35 on by 11:55

-Very clean and well kept ship. Some things are worn, but not too bad

-Rooms clean and ready by 1:00

-Very nice and efficient stewards

-2 dinners in Venetian very good

-1 dinner in impressions excellent. The best food and service of the week.

-1 dinner at teppanyaki(sp) very good, even though it is the same old routine

-1 dinner in Aqua good

-2 lunches at the Sushi bar with my 14 year old son, very good with enough variety. I even had the Sushi chef make a few rolls that I make at home.

-Contrary to others, we really liked Bard Rocket, the magician

-Second city was very good

-Game shows and shows in Spinnaker were good and funny

-Free top shelf drinks in the Casino when playing at the $25 and $50 tables

-St Thomas. Coki beach was excellent, we got there early and went all the way to the left and were alone for most of the day. Also the snorkeling off the beach was excellent, watch out for the black sea urchins though. Lots of fish, Sgt majors, rainbow, rock, and cuddlefish along with lots of others.

-Tortola, the dolphin swim was a once in a lifetime experience.

 

Lowlights

-We were asked 7 times to eat at the buffet after boarding instead of going to Venetian. Not a very good first impression at all.

-The overall service has slipped over the past few years. This cruise was the worst overall by far. Most staff are friendly, but not all, some not even saying hello after we said hello to them.

-The spa staff was even more pushy than ever.

-The tender(life boats were used) back from Samana. We got back to the ship and were getting ready to unload back onto the Dawn when they shut the doors and decided that this was a good time wash the outside of the tender. There were about 75 people crammed in this little boat and it was hot, not to mention the air was stale and not moving and the fumes. We sat in there for around 10 minutes while again they were washing the outside of this thing.

-Salsa meal was good except it took 2 hours, which is fine, but not when it was taking 15 minutes between courses. We ordered 3 rounds of drinks, but only 2 showed up.

-Le Bistro, what a joke. The only good things were the paintings on the walls. There were 6 of us. 2 of the 6 appetizers were wrong. 1 salad was forgotten. Five of the entrees were brought out with the covers on them and then the waitress told me that mine would be another minute or two and should everyone wait or start without me. I told her to have everyone else start and I would wait. Well 15 minutes later mine finally came out over cooked. This is totally unacceptable and nothing was done and nothing was said by us. My wifes stuffed chicken was raw on the inside also. Le Bistro was bad to say the least.

-We could not get reservations in Impressions the last night(sat), even though we tried first thing Friday morning, disappointing.

-Drinks were incosistent, the same drink one day was not made the same the next day.

 

Overall we had a good time, but will probrably go with another line on our next cruise.

 

Ask any questions at all

[hazz24]

We have cruised 11 times, with the last 5 being on NCL(2002-2008). We are not picky, but want things to be nice and stress free on vacation. I am a personal chef, and know what great food is and how it should be prepared. I will eat anything from burgers, tacos and pizza to the finest meats and sauces as long they are prepared the right way.

 

Here are the highlights and the lowlights(if that is a word) of our Dawn trip from Jan 20-27.

 

Highlights

-Very easy getting on the ship, arrived 11:35 on by 11:55

-Very clean and well kept ship. Some things are worn, but not too bad

-Rooms clean and ready by 1:00

-Very nice and efficient stewards

-2 dinners in Venetian very good

-1 dinner in impressions excellent. The best food and service of the week.

-1 dinner at teppanyaki(sp) very good, even though it is the same old routine

-1 dinner in Aqua good

-2 lunches at the Sushi bar with my 14 year old son, very good with enough variety. I even had the Sushi chef make a few rolls that I make at home.

-Contrary to others, we really liked Bard Rocket, the magician

-Second city was very good

-Game shows and shows in Spinnaker were good and funny

-Free top shelf drinks in the Casino when playing at the $25 and $50 tables

-St Thomas. Coki beach was excellent, we got there early and went all the way to the left and were alone for most of the day. Also the snorkeling off the beach was excellent, watch out for the black sea urchins though. Lots of fish, Sgt majors, rainbow, rock, and cuddlefish along with lots of others.

-Tortola, the dolphin swim was a once in a lifetime experience.

 

Lowlights

-We were asked 7 times to eat at the buffet after boarding instead of going to Venetian. Not a very good first impression at all.

-The overall service has slipped over the past few years. This cruise was the worst overall by far. Most staff are friendly, but not all, some not even saying hello after we said hello to them.

-The spa staff was even more pushy than ever.

-The tender(life boats were used) back from Samana. We got back to the ship and were getting ready to unload back onto the Dawn when they shut the doors and decided that this was a good time wash the outside of the tender. There were about 75 people crammed in this little boat and it was hot, not to mention the air was stale and not moving and the fumes. We sat in there for around 10 minutes while again they were washing the outside of this thing.

-Salsa meal was good except it took 2 hours, which is fine, but not when it was taking 15 minutes between courses. We ordered 3 rounds of drinks, but only 2 showed up.

-Le Bistro, what a joke. The only good things were the paintings on the walls. There were 6 of us. 2 of the 6 appetizers were wrong. 1 salad was forgotten. Five of the entrees were brought out with the covers on them and then the waitress told me that mine would be another minute or two and should everyone wait or start without me. I told her to have everyone else start and I would wait. Well 15 minutes later mine finally came out over cooked. This is totally unacceptable and nothing was done and nothing was said by us. My wifes stuffed chicken was raw on the inside also. Le Bistro was bad to say the least.

-We could not get reservations in Impressions the last night(sat), even though we tried first thing Friday morning, disappointing.

-Drinks were incosistent, the same drink one day was not made the same the next day.

 

Overall we had a good time, but will probrably go with another line on our next cruise.

 

Ask any questions at all

 

Kind of sounds like my experience on the Dawn. We went RCI Explorer this past year and loved it. Like you said there were many good thins but the bad outweighed them.

[heid5]

Any reports from people on board who went on a whale watch in Samana and either enjoyed it or not??