NCL Dawn March 28-April 4, 2009 Review

[newcruiser07]

Hi,

 

I'm back on the Dawn in May to Bermuda - I have to ask...what's a slot pull?

 

Thanks for taking the time to write this enjoyable review - I can't wait to read your next installment(s).

[Silc]

We waddled out of Impressions and made our way up to deck 12 (I think it was deck 12) - by elevator of course. We didn't want to risk working off all of that food by taking the stairs!

 

On select ships, as a test, NCL is offering Howl at the Moon. If you're not familiar with Howl at the Moon, you may know it better as Jelly Rolls? Still not ringing any bells? Howl at the Moon is dueling pianos (and sometimes, as it was on our ship, drums thrown in for good measure). Get ready for Comparison #7 (and it has nothing to do with Carnival either). Now ordinarily, I love dueling pianos. And I will give our entertainers a whole bunch of credit. They did a fabulous job with what they were given. Unfortunately they were in the showroom at the front of the ship. Not the big one, but the one on the 12th deck. Sorry - the name has totally escaped me right now. The Spinnaker Lounge, maybe? Sounds good. So I'm going to go with it.

 

When I have gone to dueling piano bars in the past, they have been set up more as a theatre in the round atmosphere. If not full round, at least there is always audience around 3/4 of the stage. And we're talking pretty close the the pianos. It's very audience participative. Everyone sings. Everyone claps. They usually drag intoxicated people up on stage to dance to their music, or do goofy things to them. People jump up out of their chairs to dance when a song comes on that they really like. It's bar none fun!

 

As I said, I give our entertainers a lot of credit. I even met them (more about that later), and it was the first time they have worked together, and their first week on the ship. Great group of folks! Unfortunately for them, and like food - this is just my opinion - they had a bad room. The size of the crowd was great - but we were so far away from them, that it was hard to get in the groove with what was going on up on stage. It was more like a show then audience participation. It was a little bit disappointing, but we managed to have fun anyway. At least as long as we were there...

 

Because after eating half of Italy, eventually the lure of the bed was too strong, and we called it a night.

 

I think I forgot to mention, with the exception of the first night, and one other, we did have a towel animal every night. When I first started reading the NCL boards after I booked for the line for the first time, I thought towel animals were a given every night, on every line. Guess not. This is what happens when you live a sheltered, one cruise line life!

 

With chocolate candies and Free Style Dallies in hand, I was off to dream about our next port.

 

Did someone say shopping????

 

Silc

[sweetc02]

Silc-

I really wish I would have seen your performance to the man in the seinfield puffy looking shirt. I know excactly who you were talking to. That guy was absolutely hilarious especially if you went to howl at the moon that night to see him interact with the piano guys!

[Wormy53]

I LOVED your review! We also loved the Dawn. I really liked that size of ship. And we usually sail Princess. Impressions was one of our favorite places to eat. Loved the Spinnaker Lounge. We were there on a New England cruise, and leaving the cruise stop was always a memorable site!! Sounds like you loved all of the things we did!!!:)

[Silc]

Hi,

 

I'm back on the Dawn in May to Bermuda - I have to ask...what's a slot pull?

 

Thanks for taking the time to write this enjoyable review - I can't wait to read your next installment(s).

 

I actually discovered this on a Carnival review last summer while getting ready for our September Legend cruise. I love to gamble, thought it sounded like fun, and brought it to that roll call. It's something I've dragged to every roll call ever since.

 

Here goes...

 

You need to do a little field work the night before to find a $1, three credit max slot machine. It should be a machine that has some kind of bonus game to it. Wheel of Fortune works pretty well. You will also need a pen and paper - the reason why will become eveident in a few minutes.

 

Everyone comes ready with $21. There are two ways you can play. The first is to have everyone put there $21 into the machine all at once (a little more difficult to keep track this way - but some people say it's a better way to "trick" the machine), or you can have people put their $21 in when it's their turn. Either way, you will want to record everyone's name as they are taking their turn. I usually get someone else in the group to do this step. It's a check and balance for when you're done.

 

Everyone gets 7 spins (7 spins x 3 max credit machine = $21). You will have to track how many spins people take. Any winnings stay in the machine until everyone has their chance to play. Once everyone has spun, you pull out the winnings and divide it amongst all of the players. You will need the sheet with everyone's name on it who participated just to make sure everything's above board.

 

Chances are you will have to go to the cashier to get a whole lot of change (if you're lucky enough to win). Again, as a check and balance, I would suggest bringing someone else with you and the money to the cashier.

 

When we did it the first time, we all decided that we wanted to put our winnings back in and keep playing. In fact we had so much fun, we met on our second sea day to do it again! We got so loud at one point that we drew quite a crowd, and strangers wanted to join in. We told them to join us on the second sea day if they wanted to.

 

For those who enjoy gambling it's lots of fun. For those who don't enjoy gambling, it's another opportunity to get to know others who are cruising with you.

 

Hope that helps. If you have any other questions, please let me know. Sometimes I'm not as clear as I think I am!

 

Silc

[Maryfrei]

Loving your review, thanks!:)

[Silc]

A nightmare for many men! It's got to be St Thomas!

 

Once again, a little back ground information. Last spring, remember I said we were on the Destiny, we were in St Thomas on my birthday. It was a pretty big one. Not THE big one, but big enough to necessitate a bit of shopping. My mantra for the day was "When am I ever going to be in St Thomas for my birthday again?"

 

Fast forward one year, and where should I find myself on my birthday? Yes, stepping onto the shores of St Thomas - a shoppers paradise. Now, when we were there last year, we had two missions. Mission number 1 -Get me something sparkly for my birthday - Mission Accomplished. Mission number 2 - Have lunch at Duffy's Love Shack. Mission Accomplished.

 

This year, I didn't have much of a plan. I did want to see if I could find something sparkly to match last years something sparkly, but other than that, I had nothing. I should also mention that last year we never went shopping anywhere other than the immediate port area. What did we know? We'd never been there before. Other than shopping, we didn't have a plan. So we winged it!

 

We met up with a couple of friends from our roll call, and took a taxi downtown. We roamed from shop to shop - each one looking more and more like the next. Tired and thirsty, we found a bar in the middle of an alley way, grab a beer to go, and began the search for someplace for lunch. We ended up at a place across the street from the water. I know it had "Green" in the name, but that's all I have for you. It was an ok lunch. Not the best food I've ever had, but certainly not the worst either.

 

Our feet rested, our bellies full, we decided to walk back to the ship, and stop in stores along the way. It was a long walk, but it was a nice day - a little overcast - but that's not a bad thing while you're out and about on the streets of St Thomas!

 

Finally we found ourselves back by the ship, and my shopping began in earnest. I returned to the store from last year. My thought process being that I had been successful there once before, some maybe the odds were in my favor. No such luck. By now, everything was beginning to look the same to me. We wandered up one side of the pier, and down the other. Finally we stopped at a little store to grab a Corona. I was all for going back to the ship, but cooler heads prevailed. My boyfriend talked me into going into the last row of stores. By now we figured why not? What's another 10 minutes?

 

Well wouldn't you know, I found what I was looking for - in the LAST store! Ok. My boyfriend found what I was looking for, and I didn't even know that that was what I was looking for! YIPPEE!!

 

With my purchase securely on my body, and a big smile on my face, we headed back to the ship to make a cocktail, enjoy our balcony, see if our friends had any shopping luck (we got separated somewhere along the way), and get ready for the cocktail party in the Owners Suite, and dinner at Le Bistro.

 

More to come. Thanks for reading!

 

Silc

[marhun2430]

Sarah! Hi! Now I dont have to write a long review because you have pretty much covered it and then some..its awesome!! Yes we were the ones last year on the jewel! I cant wait to read more...enjoying the memories! How in the world do you remember all of this?? Man...I did drink waaaaayyyy to much! Marnie

[keybiscaynerat]

Love your review- we were on the Dawn with you and it was awesome.

So sorry I missed your performance in the dining room! It was our 25th anniversary and with 9 & 11 year old boys we decided to go solo since freestyle lets you do just that. Never saw my children, their kids crew is amazing. My only concern every day was deciding if it would be a vodka or rum day... tough decisions. Now I am looking for the Garden Cafe and that really thoughtful young man with the pleasant smile that made up my room every day! My hubby and I are suffering from what we call PCD. It is a common ailment that we get when leaving a ship. It's Post Cruise Depression and it usually lasts a week.

 

We rented a jeep in Tortola and toured the entire island finding isolated beaches that had breathtaking views. Would recommend doing this. It was $90 which included gas and insurance. A great price for a 4 person excursion. Off the beaten path with no crowds. Managed to find roadside stands selling sodas and beers everywhere (and RUM). Hey, I was the passenger.

 

Back to reality and... laundry. We did cruise rewards again and today we were looking for our next adventure.

 

Looking forward to your continued reviews.

[sircharles]

More in a bit. If I can answer questions, please let me know. Sorry, I don't have my Dallies. I meant to bring them home with me, but...

Silc

Hi Sarah,

Great review so far!! I have all of the Daily's except Wednesday. I'll get them scanned and uploaded in the next day or so! ;)

[hophead]

Silc, keep the updates coming, please! We really enjoy your take on the cruise and the ship.

 

When are we going to see more???

[Silc]

Once we returned from our shopping adventure through the streets of St Thomas, took a nap, and a shower, it was time to enjoy the rest of our evening.

 

By the way - I found my receipt, and the restaurant we had lunch at in St Thomas was the Greenhouse. It was a wonerdful place to sit and enjoy the water, have a cold one, and map out our plan of attack for the rest of the day.

 

We had been invited to a cocktail party by Cruiseguys2009. They were the ones staying in the Owners Suite. My nap delayed us, and by the time we arrive, the party was in full swing. It was a great party indeed. Once again we were able to chat with Shona (our Cruise Director), and we met Ray Ray (who is the Assistant Cruise Director). And yes, we did indeed meet the Hotel Director. A very nice guy. In fact, they were all very nice people. Very concerned with our comfort, and making sure we were enjoying ourselves. We also had the opportunity to talk with the performers from Howl at the Moon. Being on a cruise ship was a new experience for them, but they were doing a great job, and enjoying themselves too!

 

We also had a fabulous time getting caught up with all of our roll call friends - finding out what they had been up to since the last time we were all together. Seems like we weren't the only ones having fun!

 

Unfortunately for us, we had dinner reservations at Le Bistro at 7:30, so we had to say our goodbyes. Before I move on to our dinner, I'd just like to thank JW and Jerome for their hospitality, not only that night, but throughout the cruise. They are warm, wonderful, funny men who made our cruise that much more enjoyable. They also gave us a glimpse into a cruising lifestyle that we hope to attain one day. So thank you for that you two!

 

And also I'd like to thank Tracyme for her special Candian treat that she carefully transported from Canada to the ship to the cocktail party. If I ever make it back up to Canada, I'm going to have to track some of that stuff down!

 

Now let's move on to the food! I think I'm on Comparison #8. Once again, I can honestly say that I have never experienced anything like Le Bistro on a Carnival ship. Next to Impressions, it was my favorite place to eat. The four of us had decided to purchase the Romance Package. I'm going to talk about the Romance Package for a minute before I move on to the food we stuffed ourselves with. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, let me start by saying that we thought it was a really great deal. It's $79 per couple. And for us, the cost was well worth it. For your $79 you get a bottle of sparkling wine and chocolate covered strawberries waiting for you in your cabin on embarkation day. The sparkling wine made me happy, and the strawberries were a big hit with my boyfriend. You also get dinner for 2 at Le Bistro (including a bottle of red or white house wine), a cake and champagne party with a free picture (although we never made it to that event), and then on Thursday afternoon, they deliver canapes to your stateroom - which hit the spot after a great day on shore. Since both couples had purchased the package, my friend and I were able to enjoy sparkling wine sail aways a couple of times throughout the week. She's a smart girl! She brought a champagne bottle stopper so it stayed nice and fresh in our fridges!

 

Le Bistro...Once again we found ourselves with serious food decisions to be made. Of course we tried many different appetizers. Two of the biggest hits at the table were the escargot (I love the sauce, but hate the snails), and the mussels. Wow were those mussels good! I could have had them as my main course. But in the end, I was glad I didn't. Instead, I feasted on Filet Mignon. It was very, very tender. It was also very, very good. Unfortunately, I can't remember what everyone else had. I wish I could, because I know there were raves around the table.

 

After dinner it was time to make a dessert decision. They have a cheese trolley! Of course it was wonderful. And the waitstaff came out with not one, but two cakes for our table (it's part of the package). First they sang Happy Birthday to me, and then they followed that up with Let Me Call You Sweetheart. It was a sweet way to end a very enjoyable dinner.

 

Wait! I forgot about the chocolate fondue! How could I have forgotten about the chocolate fondue? Order it, I'm begging you!

 

One other tip we learned when we went to the Italian wine tasting. We were talking with the wine steward afterwards, and told him we would be at Le Bistro for our dinner on Tuesday night. He was nice enough to share a little secret with us. So shhhh, don't tell anyone! If you want to upgrade your wine, you can. When you purchase the package you get a bottle of house red or house white with your meal. BUT, what we didn't know is that you can get the wine list, and upgrade your wine. All you do is pay the difference between the price of the house bottle and the bottle you would prefer to have. Both my friend and I thought that that was a great idea, and had no hesitation making our selections for the additional upcharge. But don't tell anyone, ok?

 

With dinner being over we decided to stop by the casino and see if the gambling Gods were being kind on my birthday. Unfortunately, they weren't, so it was off to bed, take a picture of our towel animal, read through the Dallies, and get ready for our next stop....Tortola!

 

I'll be back later. For some reason my employer frowns on me working on my cruise review at work. Can you imagine the nerve of them? Back to the real world...YUCK!

 

Silc

[Grandpaul]

Silc, another excellent post. I agree about Le Bistro. Every NCL cruise we go on we eat there at least once. The first time it's free so we take advantage of that. The only letdown was on our cruise in January on the Gem they said theyweren't serving chateau briand anymore. Not for dinner at least. I hear they serve small portions for lunch. That was a great meal. And, as you say, finish it off with some chocolate fondeu and that alone made for a great evening.

[Silc]

It must be Tortola! Wahoo! Finally! The port we've been waiting for! Asking yourself why yet? Well, there's a bit of history for this one...

 

Last July or August we were watching an Alton Brown special on the Food Network. He produced a show called Feasting on Waves. During 1 of the 6 or 8 episodes that aired he travelled to Tortola. My boyfriend and I both thought it looked like a great place to go on a cruise. During that particular episode, he also went to a small island called Jost Van Dyke. When we saw JVD we knew that that was a place we wanted to go to one day. On TV it looked perfect. A few months later we got together with our friends to decide where we were going to go on our, hopefully, annual spring cruise. The husband part of our friends had found a great NCL sale that we were all interested in. There were two cruises we were deciding between - western Caribbean, or eastern. When we saw that the eastern route took us to Tortola, our decision was made!

 

So, if you're hoping for a fabulous description of Tortola, I apologize in advance. Aside from the pier where the ship docked (YEA no tender this time!), and the view from the boat we took for our trip to JVD, we didn't actually see Tortola.

 

What we did see was paradise! How lucky we were that some of our roll call folks had been on this same itinerary last year, and had traveled to JVD. Even luckier for us, they wanted to go back again this year. So, with a lot of emailing back and forth with the private vendor they used last year, and a lot of negotiating, our trip was booked. We were all very excited. Thanks for all of your hard work Marnie! I KNOW it's not easy to put an excursion together for 12 people!

 

Ok. Sometimes TV lies, you know? You see something and think it's great on the small screen, but the reality just doesn't live up to all of the hype. Oh so not true this time. But let me start from the beginning...

 

We arrived in Tortola, and were able to leave the ship right around 8:00 Wednesday morning. We all met at the reception desk, and off we went. It was short walk from the ship to where we were meeting our boat for the day. Once our private boat arrived, everyone got settled in, and off we went.

 

The island of Tortola is beautiful. Again I was struck by the lushness of a Caribbean Island.

 

It took us about 45 minutes to get out to JVD. It was well worth the trip, and hopefully all the work that went into it. If I thought Playa Rincon was paradise, I don't have a word big enough to describe JVD. Our base camp was the Soggy Dollar Bar - home of the Painkiller. I'm thinking they call it that for a reason? There was also something called a Soggy Man??? I'll be honest with you, I stuck with beer all day. I'm just not a huge tropical drink kind of girl.

 

The water was crystal clear. The sun was incredibly warm and strong. The beer was icy cold.

 

If your facing the Soggy Dollar, and you look to the left, the next place is Gertrudes. If you look one more to the left there's One Love. This was why we had traveled all this way. Our goal for the day, One Love. You see, it had been featured on Feasting on Waves. It was the place, that when he saw it, my boyfriend said "I want to go THERE!" So there we went. We actually strolled over for lunch. I think there were 8 of the 12 on the trip who went? We had jerk chicken quesadilla's, lobster quesadilla's, shrimp, wings, and johnny cakes. If you're not familiar with johnny cakes just think of going to the fair and ordering fried dough - only smaller, and a bit more dense, and with a hole in the middle. Unfortunately, when we got there, we were told they weren't making johnny cakes that day. Really? But we've traveled over 3,000 miles just to get here for them! Of course it's not like we walked or swam...

 

A couple of minutes later our waitress came out and told us that they were going to make them for us. Whew! They too were worth the wait! In addition we had frozen bannana drinks. I know I said I'm not much of a tropical drink kind of girl - but those drinks could have changed my mind! As we were digging in to our feast, our waitress brought out a huge silver bowl with the legs from the Caribbean lobsters they used to make the lobster dishes. They were chilled, a lot of work, but absolutely incredible! Thank you ladies of One Love! I hope some day to come back to your beautiful island and stay for a while one day!

 

And now, since no one is going to cook and serve me dinner, I must go. Hopefully I'll be back later tonight to finish the rest of the story...

 

Silc

[coka]

I rushed home from work and immediately logged on to continue reading your review Silc. Thank you for the ideas of what to do on the islands. I was only on the Dawn once for a two nighter...and I can not remember the name of a male/female singing duo in a bright red lounge to which I can not remember the name. I remember the woman had a fantastic voice...gave me goosebumps to hear her sing. Were they by chance on your sailing? I am hoping they are by the time I sail. It sounds like everyone including the cruise critics had a great time this week.

Looking forward to more!

 

coka

[Silc]

In reality, it was actually rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. But at least I wasn't the one who had to cook it!

 

Now where was I? Oh yeah, JVD!

 

After our feast at One Love, we decided to head back to our chairs at Soggy Dollar, rest, relax, and enjoy the rest of our time on the island. My boyfriend and Michael decided to do a little snorkeling. So they strolled over the hill with their gear, and dove in - so to speak. If they hadn't gone to the water after they got over the hill, they would have eventually ended up on the other side of the island. From what I'm told, the other side of the island is just as fabulous as the side we were on. Maybe I can get one of our friends to sign on and tell you about it!

 

Back to the snorkeling. They said it was "good". Not great, not excellent, but "good". But, they also said they had fun swimming around seeing what they saw. While they were flipping around, our boat captain came ashore and said we had to get going. Another JVD note - you actually have to swim in to get there. The water's not deep enough to handle bigger boats. It's actually how the Soggy Dollar got it's name. Folks in boats would stop by, swim in, order a drink, and pay with...wait for it... soggy dollars!

 

While we were all sad to leave our little slice of heaven, we loaded up our dry bags, waded out, and began the big swim. Got to tell you, it was WAY easier swimming to the beach then it was swimming back out to the boat. I know that the waves had something to do with it, but I can also attest, that for me, the beer had a bit to do with it too. Drinking beer in the sun all day seemed like a good idea at the time...

 

We all loaded onto the boat, and headed back to the pier. This is where the adventure begins. Suddenly there was a loud noise, then black smoke came pouring out of one of the engines. Looks like we lost an engine. No problem, right? Well...remember when I started my JVD story I told you that the boat ride to the island was about 45 minutes long. We were only about 10 minutes into the trip back when we lost the engine. Uh oh...Now what? Looking at my watch I had the sinking sensation that we weren't going to make it. Let me tell you, if you've never experienced that feeling, count your blessings.

 

New plan. Our boat could make it to a closer pier in about 10 or 15 minutes, and they would call ahead for a taxi to be ready and waiting for us. The taxi could get us back in about 20-25 minutes. Fabulous! We got to the pier, hopped into the taxi (one of those safari type vehicles), and took off like a bat out of you know where! We passed on the left, we passed on the right. We got stuck behind front loaders, and then over took them when the coast was clear. Every time we went around a corner I craned my neck to see if I could see the ship. Not yet...Not yet...Not yet...YES! There she is. The beautiful, glorious Dawn! By now it was about 3:45 - we were supposed to be back at 3:30, but we made it!

 

It was on Wednesday, April 1, 2009 that my boyfriend and I became "those people". Ever sailed to Cozumel? Stood on deck, or on your balcony and laughed at the drunk people who come running back late to the ship. Yup. That's Dan and I. We're those people. It's a great story now. One the four of us will enjoy telling over and over again to anyone who will listen. But at the time, it was kind of nerve-racking!

 

Let me stress, this wasn't an NCL sponsored excursion. They have no fault in this, and had we been late enough, they could have, and would have, left without us. Would it stop me from booking another private excursion? Nope. Maybe I'm an adrenalin junky?

 

Also can't blame the company we used to book the excursion. How could they have possibly known that that was going to happen? And our roll call friends who set it up? It's all good on their part too. It was just one of those thing.

 

The last part of this adventure wasn't ours. While we were waiting to leave Tortola, they kept paging the same two people over and over again. Turns out, we weren't the last ones on the ship after all. After we had already set sail, the pilot boat brought two people to the ship. Had them strapped right on the bow of the boat, and they climbed up the rope ladder on the side of the ship, and were able to finish their cruise with the rest of us.

 

What a GREAT day!

 

Silc

[Silc]

I don't remember seeing the couple that you described, and there were very few places on the ship that we didn't get to. Let me check in with the folks we were traveling with and see if anyone else remembers them!

 

Silc

[marhun2430]

Thank goodness I had alot to drink that day or I probably would have been so nervous figuring out what to do if we miss the ship! I had a blast on the cab ride back...what an adventure that was. I felt like we were on the amazing race carribean version! Tortola is really pretty at a thousand miles an hour!

[mom2NnB]

Silc:

 

Was your Samana excursion booked with Catherine? or someone else? Can you email me at mstephan2@nycap.rr.com and let me know who you booked with?

 

We will be there in February 2010, and want to do an excursion with the kids. DH and I were there this past February, but as I broke my foot on board, could not do any excursions in Samana. I would hate to make it to Samana a second time and not get to see it.

 

TIA.

Mara

[Nickymjw1]

Silc

 

Sarah, great reviews!!!! Wow, it is taking me all night to read.

 

I just wanted to add one thing about JVD. The boat can take you to a dock by Foxy's bar. Then you can get a cab for $5/pp to take you to the Soggy Dollar beach/bar.

 

I am so glad we were not the ones having to climb up the ladder!! There is no way I could or would have done that! I would just have to stay behind!!!

 

It was a wonderful day though. Even though very nerve wrecking now looking back at it we can laugh about it! :p

 

And loved lunch with you guys at One Love! Lobster quesadilla was amazing!

 

Nicky

[Silc]

I'm going to start this one with Comparison #9. NCL offers all guest an amazing opportunity. Up until mid day Tuesday you can out your name in for a drawing to have dinner with the Officers. How cool is that? Seriously! You could find yourself sitting at dinner at the Captains table! The only other place I've seen this done was on the Love Boat! And my luck, I would have ended up with Gopher!

 

One other tip, before I tell you about our dinner. From what I could tell, by looking around our immediate area, everyone from our roll call's Meet and Mingle who signed up for the dinner, was drawn to attend. Just a little helpful hint.

 

We met at the Reception Desk at 7:15. We were chosen to sit with the Chief Engineer. Again, I have to say, how cool is that?

 

I really and truly wish I could remember his name. He is such a nice man. Very soft spoken, very funny. He was more than happy to answer all of our questions. He told us stories and entertained us with funny anectdotes from his past, and current career. What a wonderful experience.

 

Of course there was food! Our dinner was in the Venetian. Looking back around the table in my mind, I want to say that most everyone ordered the Prime Rib. It was one of the best pieces of Prime Rib I've had in a very long time. We drank wine (thank you for the wine, NCL!), we talked, we laughed. I even met two women at our table who were from our home town, and of course work for the school system. The world hasn't gotten any bigger! Then it was time for dessert! I'll let you guess what I ordered for dessert...Cheese! And of course capucchino!

 

We had a wonderful evening. Hats off to NCL for providing their guests with this experience.

 

After another 2+ hour dinner, we were more than happy to stop in the casino for a while, and then head back to our cabins, take our picture of our towel animal (it's how we know that one day has ended, and when the next day begins - it's tradition!), and check out what was in store for us on our second day at sea!

 

More tomorrow...

 

Silc

[capecodmommyx2]

I am having so much fun reading your post. I was on the Dwan too this past week! I was my 1st cruise EVER.... I can't wait to do it again! I just signed on to CC.com (found out about on the ship) from others in your group.....AKA man in puffy shirt. Can't wait for your next post.... I was traveling with kids...and I just wanted to add something about the kids crew program!!!! AWESOME you could be a kid during the day and an adult at night..... Was able to go to dinner and enjoy! I was traveling with my mom and some other family members.... and I was My Moms B-day as well in St.Thomas! Happy Birthday! :o

[Silc]

Silc:

 

Was your Samana excursion booked with Catherine? or someone else? Can you email me at mstephan2@nycap.rr.com and let me know who you booked with?

 

We will be there in February 2010, and want to do an excursion with the kids. DH and I were there this past February, but as I broke my foot on board, could not do any excursions in Samana. I would hate to make it to Samana a second time and not get to see it.

 

TIA.

Mara

 

With my friend who booked the Samana excursion for us. I am 99% sure that it was Catherine, but I don't want to steer you wrong!

 

You broke your foot on board? Yikes! That will put a damper on your vacation...

 

Silc

[Silc]

Sarah, great reviews!!!! Wow, it is taking me all night to read.

 

I just wanted to add one thing about JVD. The boat can take you to a dock by Foxy's bar. Then you can get a cab for $5/pp to take you to the Soggy Dollar beach/bar.

 

I am so glad we were not the ones having to climb up the ladder!! There is no way I could or would have done that! I would just have to stay behind!!!

 

It was a wonderful day though. Even though very nerve wrecking now looking back at it we can laugh about it! :p

 

And loved lunch with you guys at One Love! Lobster quesadilla was amazing!

 

Nicky

Now that you mention it, I forgot that when we were talking about our trip to JVD that you guys mentioned the dock and the taxi. If we had done it that way, I really doubt we would have made the ship!

 

And I agree. There's a part of me that thinks I would have been standing on the dock with you crying and waving goodbye to Dan, Michael and Kathryn as opposed to climbing up that ladder!

 

S.

[Silc]

I am having so much fun reading your post. I was on the Dwan too this past week! I was my 1st cruise EVER.... I can't wait to do it again! I just signed on to CC.com (found out about on the ship) from others in your group.....AKA man in puffy shirt. Can't wait for your next post.... I was traveling with kids...and I just wanted to add something about the kids crew program!!!! AWESOME you could be a kid during the day and an adult at night..... Was able to go to dinner and enjoy! I was traveling with my mom and some other family members.... and I was My Moms B-day as well in St.Thomas! Happy Birthday! :o

 

Cruising and Cruise Critic. Glad you found both of them, and glad you enjoyed your first ever cruise.

 

But be forewarned...they're both VERY addicting!

 

I'm a transplanted Massachusetts girl! Nice to see a little bit of "home" in your screen name...Thanks for the birthday wishes, and wish your mom the same for me!

 

Silc