Norwegian Dawn 6/7/09 Review & Comparision to our Dawn 3/28/09 Cruise

[14ersco]

Since we had just done a cruise on the Dawn from March 28 to April 4 this review will include a comparison between the two cruises. I will post this in daily sections. Our cruise to Bermuda was the middle part of our vacation. Most of the week prior and the week after were spent traveling throughout New England. We had a rental car for the entire time and had parked it at the port. We drove down from upstate New York Sunday morning and arrived at the port at about 10:15 AM. The only sign for the Norwegian Dawn was in the left lane; which actually led to the drop off level. So we handed over our bags to the porter and circled the block to reenter the port. This time we got in the right lane and went up a level to the parking lot. The cost for the week was $210; we had a great rental car rate which made it not much more expensive than making 2 one-way car rentals. It was a very quick check in process; from the time we left the car until we were sitting in the waiting area was around 20 minutes. In Miami Latitudes members were seated with suite passengers and had access to first embarkation and refreshments. In New York we were seated with the general populace based on arrival time, with only a drinking fountain available. While waiting we got introduced to our CC King’s Wharf Rats group leader Luv2Cruz and his DW.

 

On our previous cruise there was a norvo scare; so embarkation was very sterile. This time the bubbly and OJ were available. Crocodile, a children’s counselor was just inside the atrium with registration paperwork and weekly schedule for Kid’s Club. We stopped by the purser’s desk to remove charging privileges from the card of our DS and verified our OBC. Made a stop in Dazzles to drop off our carry-on luggage and then proceeded to eat & drink our way through the samples outside the specialty dining venues. Lunch was in Venetian. Our previous CD Shona had been on the PA inviting guests to either Venetian or the buffet; this time only the buffet was mentioned. We both had the steak which was prepared as ordered and flavorful. There were no other entrees on the lunch menu that interested us and because of CC we knew the menu would not change the rest of the week; so we never went back to the Venetian for lunch. After lunch it was time to pick up our carry-on’s from Dazzles and then up to our cabin. Last time we had a balcony and this time we were in a forward obstructed view cabin. Our cabin attendants were functional and the problems they created were minor. Upon arriving at the cabin it was only prepared and stocked for two single people and not a family of 3. So we set about re-arranging the beds and came up with a very efficient design. I pushed the two twin beds together so that they were flush against the wall under the pull down bed. This left a path along the opposite wall where we placed the end tables. Then I turned the trundle bed perpendicular to the twin beds; between the twin beds and the table beneath the TV. Plus we pulled down the overhead bed and once our luggage arrived placed them on that bed. With this bed arrangement and locations of the built-in furniture this cabin was roomier for 3 than a standard balcony; because of this we are planning on switching out our next aft balcony for an ocean view. We did have to ask to get the twins made up as one bed and to get toweling for our DS. Since every day the attendants went about re-arranging the cabin it became a game to relocate the remote or anything we left lying out in the cabin. They also decided in the middle of the final afternoon to start preparing for the next cruise so they removed the beach towels and restocked & hid the welcome book. For our previous cruise there was nothing in the balcony cabin as a welcome, but this time there was a basket of fruit and a welcome letter with OBC coupons that we had to redeem at the purser’s. There was no note explaining that you had to sign & turn in these coupons; on our previous cruise the OBC was automatically added to our account.

 

At sail away we went to the pool deck to a pre-arranged meeting of our CC roll call. Since we had never sailed out of New York before we left the group to go up to the helicopter landing pad on deck 14 to take photos. I had purchased the honeymoon/anniversary package as a birthday present for the DW; so we toasted Lady Liberty as we sailed by her. The Dawn sailed through the Narrows just after 5 PM and we made our way down to the Venetian to get in line for dinner. For our cruise there was a line to get into the Venetian every night we were at sea and the wait was at least 45 minutes if you arrived after 6 PM. We saw 3 major reasons why this was occurring; first the Venetian appeared under staffed in comparison to Aqua so the time to complete a meal was longer, second the entrée selections in the new fixed dining menus were better in the Venetian; and third (and the worst problem) was the overabundance of people who were given the privilege to reserve a table. On our last night we were sat in the area that is between the stairs and the windows on the starboard side. In that entire area only 3 two-person tables were available and the rest of the area was reserved; over 100 seats that set empty the entire time we were eating except for 3 or 4 people that came in just before 6:30 PM. We also noticed that night no one who was waiting at 5:30 PM could get a seat anywhere near the aft windows; that entire area was also reserved. If NCL is going to block off this many tables as reserved they either need to make Venetian completely reservable for everyone or return Impressions to being a MDR so that those of us in ocean view or inside cabins have a chance at an evening meal someplace besides the buffet. This reserving of tables was not an issue at spring break; except on the first night and the lobster nights.

 

For this cruise we were also the test Rats for the new fixed menus that NCL has placed in the MDR’s. Executive chef Messiah has improved the quality and presentation of the food served compared to what was served the last time on the Dawn when he was not there. Since we live in the middle of the US getting fresh seafood is a treat; so we enjoyed many of the entrée selections. Our problems were with the appetizers, soups, and desserts. There were limited selections of each of these items and since they did not change for the entire week we ended up eating the same one or two items each time we went to the MDR’s. The daily chef selections were not appealing to us and were forgettable; though I believe 5 of the 7 nights was some type of whitefish. We asked Hugo about ordering something from the opposite MDR than you were sitting in and he said that would not be possible based on the way the galley is arranged. NCL also seemed to be making buffet chilled soups as unappetizing as possible so NCL could say no one wants to eat chilled soup; because the chilled fruit soups were only offered a few days. Other chilled soups included watercress and avocado/tomatillo; the later tasted like watery guacamole. After thinking about how the menus could be improved and reading other CC posts/reviews I would increase the chef selections to two a night, including desserts and a chilled Fruit soup; all served in both MDR’s. The two fixed menus should switch MDR’s somewhere in the middle of the cruise and those fixed menus should include at least one each major entrée of beef, pork, fish/seafood, chicken/turkey, and vegetarian.

 

Since we had a cabin near the forward elevator/stairs and were one deck up from Dazzles each night ended the same way, being sung to sleep by Rosie from Fire and Ice.

[hophead]

Thanks for what you've posted so far. While we didn't have a chance to sit and chat with you, both DW and I just loved seeing you, DW, and DS tooling around the ship going from place to place. 'Little Cheese' is certainly a great traveller and always seemed to have a smile on his face, so we know he was having fun too!

[14ersco]

On Monday morning we decided to try breakfast in Venetian. As usual the food was very good and the service attentive, but we decided to eat breakfast in the buffet the rest of the week. We never had a problem getting a table in the buffet, could get smaller portions and a greater selection of food choices than was served in the Venetian. At 10 AM we met our CC roll call; some of them were from the King’s Wharf Rats CC group and others were not. This time we were in the Star Bar and the previous cruise was in Dazzles. Dazzles is better choice of venues for a meet and greet. The Star Bar is long and narrow and wrapped around a bar. Since we were at the one end we never saw the people around the other side. In Dazzles we were all able to sit together next to the stage. Also the stage in Dazzles gave the Crew somewhere to stand and not wedged up against a wall.

 

The Crew and Staff of the Dawn are still very good; friendly and helpful. They take pride in being ranked by NCL passengers as the best ship in the NCL fleet for the past six months. For the crew that was on in March many of them recognized us and made sure to say hello at the M&G and throughout the cruise. Whenever Hotel Director Hugo saw us he asked how our cruise was going and listened to any of our concerns (just dining). Even though we were in a lower level cabin Concierge Anshuman checked on us daily to see how the cruise was going and how he could be of assistance. In the Kid’s Club most of the staff was new (still very good) except for Panda and Dora. Group Services Coordinator Ana once again helped Cruise Critic M&G attendees get a spot at the officer’s dinner. This time we declined since the dinner conflicted with Harbor Nights and we wanted others in our group to have an opportunity for the dinner. Also within the dining rooms the staff we had meet previously welcomed us back.

 

Some of the regular crew was on vacation on our last cruise. The executive chef Messiah from the Kingdom of Bavaria is very personable. At the M&G and Latitudes parties he gave his own grand introduction (with yodeling). Our DS was disappointed, and the photo shop lost a sale, because Capitan Hakan Svedung decided to not do the Kid’s Club Cookies with the Captain; where the kid’s get to tour the bridge and have their picture taken with the Captain. It was announced that the Captain will be taking out the Epic next year. Cruise Director John was back, but we only saw him at the M&G and Latitudes parties, at the end of a couple of shows, and he led his staff through a funny Fountains production. We never saw him out and about on the decks; just his staff. CD Shona was on our previous cruise; she is a warm and caring person and was out mingling with the guests every day. John also seemed to be trying out new sayings; there was no more “pancakes & sausage”; now it was “crackerjack smashing” and “dream vacation of a lifetime”. During the overhead announcements it sounded like he was using queue cards; he would pause before doing one of the sayings and would start over if the saying was not done exactly the same as before. We switched Assistant Cruise Directors with the Majesty while we were docked in Bermuda. So we started with Sinan and finished with Joel. On our previous cruise we had Ray-Ray. All of them were not too annoying with their bingo announcements.

 

The rest of the day we spent relaxing; DW purchased a day pass to the spa and I went to the quiet deck to read. Since this was a sea day DS decided (as usual) to spend most of the day in Kid’s Club; only coming out long enough to eat quick meals in the buffet. This evening when we tried to get in to Venetian at 6:15 PM the wait was already 45 minutes; so we went to Aqua and were seated in a few minutes. As mentioned in other reviews Aqua appeared to be the MDR training area. There was a positive side to that since there appeared to be almost double staff; a trainee serving you and a senior mentor watching in the background. We were involved in a trainee mistake that was handled quickly and seamlessly. This evening we were the only occupied table in our waiter’s area and after the DW had finished her entrée he picked up her plate and then without asking he attempted to take my plate while I was eating. Once I was done eating another waiter who had been standing along the back wall came by and took my plate after asking if I was finished. This same waiter then served our dessert and after dinner drinks. We noticed our original waiter was now stationed by the galley door and he was arranging the plates for the other waiters. We never asked for this switch, it just occurred, and if this how NCL trains new waiters it is very well done.

 

The main evening shows were the same as before and we had seen all of them; so we only went to our favorites – the Jean Ann Ryan Company productions. The story line of Bollywood (Friday night) had been changed slightly though still enjoyable; South Beach Rave (Tuesday night) seemed disjointed (no apparent story line or theme); and this evening Band on the Run was another fine production of 70’s and 80’s music. We went to this show with Barry (Luv2Cruz) & Carol and Mike (Cruisingsince81) & Jen. After this show the cast was available for photos and to greet the audience. We then did our usual last act of the evening; get DS from Kid’s Club and take him to the buffet for another meal. This evening Rosie was doing a very good adaptation of Tina Turner.

[bocamom61]

I am really enjoying your trip report! Can't wait to sail on the Dawn!

[*Luv2Cruz*]

Hi Dave!:)

 

Plenty of detail just like I expected!;) If you haven't done so already, make sure you checkout my pics and vids in my signature. What a surprise, you guys are in a lot of them! We really enjoyed meeting you and your family and hope we get the chance to cruise together again!:D

[Tracyisme]

Hey Dave, glad to hear u guys had a good, safe trip...seems it may not have been as good as March??? Maybe was the crazy company in March?LOL

 

We are still planning on going next March..just seems like a long way away. We are going to New Orleans in August, and will do four days on the Fantasy...picked it up for a great deal, so that will have to do until March...

Give the Mrs and the lil sailor a hug for us here in Ontario, looking forward the the rest of the review...

\

Tracy

[ETski]

Thank you 14ersco for the great Dawn review. Very detailed and informative so far can't wait to read more. We will be on the Dawn, for the second time in yrs in Sept. can't come soon enough.

[14ersco]

Hi Dave!:)

 

Plenty of detail just like I expected!;) If you haven't done so already, make sure you checkout my pics and vids in my signature. What a surprise, you guys are in a lot of them! We really enjoyed meeting you and your family and hope we get the chance to cruise together again!:D

 

Afternoon Barry,

 

Yes we have already looked at your photos & videos. :cool: Erin wants to know how she can get a digital copy of Carol, Erin, and that sweaty hunk Adam. :D

 

Kings Wharf Rats II the summer of 2011 sounds like an interesting idea.

[14ersco]

Hey Dave, glad to hear u guys had a good, safe trip...seems it may not have been as good as March??? Maybe was the crazy company in March?LOL

 

We are still planning on going next March..just seems like a long way away. We are going to New Orleans in August, and will do four days on the Fantasy...picked it up for a great deal, so that will have to do until March...

Give the Mrs and the lil sailor a hug for us here in Ontario, looking forward the the rest of the review...

\

Tracy

 

Hi Tracy, Good to hear from you & we are also still planning on next March. Will not be sure until late Oct. when vacation days will be selected. :( The Little Cheese (His Bermuda cruise name) doesn't yet know that for his birthday we are taking him to a NASCAR race. :cool: I still can't forgive him for rooting for Kyle Busch; just cause he has M&M's on the side of his car. :rolleyes:

 

Two differences between the cruises were JW/Jerome and their open door & open bar; and the other was the nature of a NCL Bermuda cruise. Much like our Hawaiian cruise on those days when the ship is docked overnight many people either stay out longer during the day or go back out after dinner. So being on land becomes a bigger focus of the port days rather than being on the ship. Both cruises had great CC people who we enjoyed meeting and may see on a future cruise. Luv2Cruz is already talking about a King's Wharf Rat II group cruise to Bermuda in 2011.

Dave

[14ersco]

Tuesday we woke to another great day and relaxing morning. On the cruise to Bermuda the sea was nearly smooth with 1 to 2 feet waves and sunny days in the 70’s. In Bermuda the days were in the 80’s with just a couple 5 to 10 minute passing showers. After a nice lunch in the Blue Lagoon DW went to the French wine tasting in Le Bistro and I went to the gift shop for rum tasting. There were 11 rums to taste and a small group of us worked our way through all 11 (plus seconds) from the least aged / harsh tasting (silver rum) up to the best / smoothest (Bermuda’s own, Goslings Black Seal). At 4 was the honeymoon/anniversary package champagne, cake, and photo party in the Star Bar. This hour also happened to be when Kid’s Club was not available to a child without a parent (pizza party). So DS came with us to the Star Bar and we got a family photo. The next hour DS went back to Kid’s Club and we went to the Latitudes Party in the Spinnaker Lounge. There were a large number of the CC roll call attending and we sat with CarRex. NCL provided music by Josie & Patti and a selection of rum drinks. After this party it was back to the cabin to retrieve a bottle of wine that was provided by the CC group cruise travel agent. We returned to Aqua this evening and had supper with DS and Luv2Cruz & his DW.

[14ersco]

It was an early start Wednesday so that we could be done with breakfast before we arrived in the Dockyards. The Spirit was delayed in leaving this morning and was still tied to Heritage Wharf. So the Dawn docked at King’s Wharf this week. A little before 8 AM we went down to wait for the doors to open and were the second family to step onto Bermuda. I must thank the CC people who post on the Bermuda boards; they were very informative and this made it easier to maximize the time we had in Bermuda. The Visitors Center on the dock was not going to open until 8:30, but having read on CC that there was another Visitors Center within the Dockyards we went looking for this building. It was easy to find, just beyond the ferry landing and next to the bus stop. The sign said Closed, but the lady who worked there (the first of many friendly and helpful Bermuda residents) said she was just opening and could sell us bus/ferry passes. For 3 days it was $28 for adults and $14 for children. At 8:20 the first #7 bus of the day arrived and we were at Horseshoe Bay before 9. At this time it was an empty and peaceful beach. We went over to the right and the sheltered cove just beyond the sand dunes. Of all the beaches we visited Horseshoe Bay had the best facilities; very clean bathrooms with changing facilities, rental equipment ($10 for a beach chair), food ($5 for a hamburger), and gift shop. Soon Luv2Cruz arrived and he hung out with us for a couple hours. In this cove were a school of Sergeant Majors, a few Bermuda Bream, and two large (3-4 ft) Rainbow Parrot fish. The family who we sat next to while waiting for embarkation arrived; their 2 kid’s are about the age of our DS; so the kid’s played together. The closer it came to noon the more crowded the beach became; though far left remained fairly empty.

 

Our 2 families decided to walk the South Shore trails to check out some of the other beaches. While walking down Horseshoe Bay I stopped to say hello to CastawayCruiser & DH and Seahound & DW. We went by Stonehole Bay and Jobson’s Cove and stopped for more beach time at Warwick Long Bay. The only facilities here were some disgusting pit toilets. In the early afternoon the other family continued down the beach and we headed up the hill. A person’s idea of what can be called a steep hill is based on where they live and fitness level. We had been reading on the CC boards about how bad the hills were in Bermuda and how you need to take a taxi when going uphill. Our perspective: What Hills? Nothing we walked was any steeper than the street between our mailbox and front door.

 

Note of caution: If you are going into Hamilton via bus after leaving the Warwick Long Bay beach I would recommend going left on the main road to the bus stop. We went right and that bus stop was about a third mile around a blind corner and the stop was only about 3” of grass between the curb and stone wall. We got off the #7 bus at the corner of Front and King (first downtown Hamilton stop) and walked up King St to Fort Hamilton. Our first stop at the Fort was for a clean bathroom and to change out of our beach clothes. We were the only tourists and the few others there appeared to be locals sleeping off the afternoon. After a quick circle of the grounds we went underground to get to the moat and tropical gardens. Our next stop was a few of the shops along Front St that were recommended by Jason; the NCL shopping consultant. Jason is very knowledgeable not only of the best shops, but also general Bermuda information. His Monday sea day Port & Shopping Guide talk is worth attending or seeing on the TV in reruns. Then it was back to the ship via the ferry from Hamilton to the Dockyards.

 

Once again tonight there was a 45 minute wait in Venetian and it was only 6:30 when we arrived. So we went back over to Aqua; which was only half full. Since Kid’s Club did not start until 8 PM when docked in Bermuda our DS came to dinner on those nights. I was looking forward to surf n turf this evening, but it was only available in the Venetian. So I went and ordered both the steak & potato and the seafood extravaganza. This way I was able to work around the restrictive NCL menus and still get surf n turf. Earlier I had gotten a NCL birthday cake card and had slipped it to our waiter. So when it came time for desert a group of the waiters strolled over to our table a surprised DW with a rendition of Happy Birthday and presented her with a NCL cake. After dinner we got back off the ship and went for a sunset stroll of the Dockyards and to listen to the Bermuda frogs. Now docked at Heritage Wharf was the black painted Russian Tall Ship.

[MNmomof4]

Thanks for the review.....great details...looking forward to the Dawn in January...our first time on NCL

[franncos]

I may be going on the Dawn in Aug and traveling with my 12 yr old daughter. How was the kids club? ALso did you have to wait to be seated for dinner?

 

Thanks

[14ersco]

I may be going on the Dawn in Aug and traveling with my 12 yr old daughter. How was the kids club? ALso did you have to wait to be seated for dinner?

 

Thanks

 

Never having had a 12 y/o (yet) not sure I can give you a complete answer. From what I have read on CC 12 can be a tricky age. Your DD will be in the 10-12 group; who are still kept within the Kid's Club and have a structured program. Once a kid is in the teen group (13-17) there is less structure and more groups roaming around the ship. So if your DD is okay with hanging with kid's a couple years younger than her it should be good. Personally our DS was a month out from moving up to the next group and he said some of the activities were "babyish" and did not attend. Of course 2 months earlier when he did the same program with some of the same counselors he loved everything that was presented. Since he already knew what was going to be presented the counselors allowed him to help lead some activities. NCL has a strict age policy; you can not move up to the next group until your birthday. So if your DD was to turn 13 during the cruise she could only move up to the teen group starting on her birthday.

 

For meals our DS only went down one deck to the buffet so that he could maximize his time in Kid's Club. We always had a 45 minute wait at Venetian if we arrived after 5:30, but it was usually walk right in for the Aqua. Of course we were the test Rats for the new fixed menus and it appeared like people preferred what was offered in the Venetian over Aqua. Hopefully will learn to better balance the new menus to move some of the people to balance the loads in the MDR's.

 

NCL web site for Kid's Club:

http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/cruiser/cmsPages.html?pageId=FreestyleFamilyFun

[14ersco]

Well I was going to write some more of the review tonight, but got taken out by a Rum Swizzler. :rolleyes: Made up a jug for myself by following the recipe from the Swizzle Inn....

 

and I should have know there was going to be problems when the first ingredient was 8 oz. of rum. :eek:

 

At least I do not feel what the dentist did to me for over an hour today.

 

More review tomorrow...

[peg013]

Well I was going to write some more of the review tonight, but got taken out by a Rum Swizzler. :rolleyes: Made up a jug for myself by following the recipe from the Swizzle Inn....

 

and I should have know there was going to be problems when the first ingredient was 8 oz. of rum. :eek:

 

At least I do not feel what the dentist did to me for over an hour today.

 

More review tomorrow...

 

Enjoy your Swizzlers and start again tomorrow.:D

[*Luv2Cruz*]

Afternoon Barry,

 

Yes we have already looked at your photos & videos. :cool: Erin wants to know how she can get a digital copy of Carol, Erin, and that sweaty hunk Adam. :D

 

Kings Wharf Rats II the summer of 2011 sounds like an interesting idea.

I emailed you the pic! Hope we get to cruise together again soon!:cool:

[CastawayCruiser]

Great review! I just love re living this cruise through all of the reviews... We were all in awe of your family's cruise planning and ability to make the most of every minute. I still hope to see you guys on the Amazing Race some day!!!

[14ersco]

Well a little time off for the 4th of July. That ice on our tent sure was a change from the warm Bermuda sun.

 

Thursday was our longest day off of the ship; over 12 hours. We tried for the 7:30 ferry to Hamilton, but of course this was the only time this week that the Bermuda public transportation system was on schedule and we watched the ferry leave as we came off the Dawn. So instead we took the #8 Express (late) and experienced why there are shirts that say “I survived the Bermuda buses”. Our driver even speeded through a school zone! Following some locals we got off this bus at Crow Lane (which is just outside Hamilton), crossed the street and got on the #1 bus towards Grotto Bay. We stopped to tour Fantasy and Crystal Caverns. We thought Fantasy cave was the best, because it had unique features not seen in other caves and it was the least damaged by man. In Crystal it was sad to see formations removed to make room for the trail and lighting attached to the formations. After the caves we walked a couple blocks to the Swizzle Inn for lunch with Luv2Cruz, SeaHound, CastawayCruiser, and their spouses. It was a great time to hang out and talk over Rum Swizzles. We thought the food was average, but the drinks were very good.

 

After lunch everyone went their separate ways; we swaggered on a bus to St. George’s. From there we went up to the Unfinished Cathedral on the way to Tobacco Bay. Spent a couple hours here; DW did some snorkeling. DS messed with the crabs, and I just waded among the schools of fish in the crystal clear water. We left there to walk the road along the shore. Passed a beach at St. Catherine’s Fort that look inviting; next time we will need to spend an entire day at these beaches. Our destination was the sea glass cave at Alexandra Battery beach. We planned our arrival to be about an hour before low tide; which made access to the cave very easy. We were going to take the ferry from St. George’s back to the Dockyards, but with a lot of time to wait we opted to get on a bus to Hamilton. Our arrival in town was just as Harbor Nights was starting. This week it was on Thursday to coincide with the Tall Ships. After one quick walk through the vendors we boarded the ferry to the Dockyards.

 

This evening was dinner in the buffet at about 8 PM. For the food that had someone working the area, pasta and tortilla station, the food was fresh and warm. In other areas without service, like the carving station, the food was left to cool under some weak warming lamps. In comparison to our March 28 trip it appeared like less effort was put into the buffet. In March for evenings in the buffet the tables were set with napkins and utensils and a candle. Now there was nothing special about the buffet, but still plenty to choose from and a good alternative to avoid the wait in the MDR’s. DS went with Kid’s Club to the 9:30 Magician show. Also this evening was the Chocolate buffet at 10 PM. Same packed buffet with gluttony and waste of average tasting desserts throughout the area. Ice sculptures were somewhat larger than March, but this time there was no band playing. The Magician ran long and the kid’s did not return to the Kid’s Club until 10:45 PM. For his end of the evening snack DS skipped the buffet since only the chocolate desserts were available and instead we went to the Blue Lagoon.

[14ersco]

Well last nights post should have been titled June 11. Time to wrap up this review:

 

On Friday the Bermuda public transportation system was back to normal (running late) and we were easily able to catch the ferry scheduled at 7:30. This ferry did not go directly to Hamilton as listed on the schedule, but instead stopped at Rockaway Wharf for about 20 minutes to pack the ferry with commuters. We finally arrived in Hamilton just before 9. This gave us about an hour to look at the Tall Ships before going on our glass bottom boat tour. Taking the advice of bdaguy on the Bermuda CC boards we booked with Aquatic Bermuda. The boat is the Coral Reefer and it is a smaller size boat with the glass covering the majority of the bottom. Going with Capitan Tony and Aquatic Bermuda is a good choice if you want a smaller group and a longer boat tour. For our tour there were only 7 of us booked. As we left the dock Capitan Tony asked if any of us had time constraints and none of us did; so he added on to our tour. We started by sailing along side the Tall ships and then past some of the historical/famous homes of Hamilton. Then we traveled around some of the nature preserve islands of Hamilton Harbor. To get to the reef we went under Waterford Bridge and through the islands off of King’s Point. The Coral Reefer has such a shallow draft we were in the same general area as another tour group was snorkeling. After passing a couple turtles and 9 Beaches we headed out to the wreck of the Vixen. The Vixen was blown up by the British to block a channel, but she did not sink as planned. So her bow is still sticking out of the water and she is an angled artificial reef teaming with fish. Our tour was to end at noon, but at that time we were still at the Vixen. Capitan Tony did not cut our reef time; he just extended our tour. The Coral Reefer is also small enough in size to pass under the Somerset Drawbridge. We made an unplanned stop here for DS to use the restroom; Captain Tony just pulled his boat up to a dock at the local gas station so that DS could run inside. We got back to Hamilton at 1 and we just had to walk a few steps down the wharf to catch the ferry to the Dockyards.

 

After a quick lunch in the buffet we went back out to the Dockyards for our last couple hours in Bermuda. We went to the Rum Cake store and after tasting each flavor sample we selected our stash of Rum Cakes to bring home. Then it was off to Snorkel Park for DW & DS and I was off to the Frog & Onion. While they were in the water DS did see a jellyfish; so they moved back onto the beach. After I finished my pint we headed back to the Dawn about 15 minutes before last embarkation.

 

As we were leaving Bermuda the Captain did a sailing along the shore of Bermuda all of the way to St George’s. As we entered open water the gift shop reopened with another rum tasting and sale prices for Bermuda rum. Goslings’ rum was 2 bottles for $26; whereas in our town a single bottle is $28. This evening DS went with the Kid’s Club to dinner. The buffet opens a special section just for the kid’s dinner and they provide a selection of favorite kid’s food items. We went to the Le Bistro as part of our honeymoon/anniversary package. This was a far superior dining experience than the one we had in Cagney’s at spring break. In Cagney’s the steak was prepared bland enough to be baby food, the room was noisy, we had a single waiter who provided service not much better than in the MDR’s, and the view was of sweaty joggers running by the window. In Le Bistro the steak was prepared to order and did not need a sauce to add flavor, the room was quiet and darkened, we had two waitresses’ who were attentive though not hovering, and we were seated next to a stained glass window with fine art work on the other wall. Each course we ordered was well prepared and presented. A bottle of house wine was included as part of the package. Also included was the waitresses’ coming by the table at the end of the meal and singing, Let Me Call You Sweetheart. This evening was Bollywood; which the Kid’s Club attended as a group. So that we could be right in the action we got seats in the middle of row five for the show. The salute to the officers and staff followed the show.

[Sea Hound]

Great review and comparison, Dave! We hope to sail with you, Erin, and Sean again sometime!

 

Sea Hound:D

[14ersco]

Yes there is an end to this review:

 

Saturday was our third sea day and our last full day on the Dawn. The morning was spent gathering all of our stuff and getting them in their proper bags. One invaluable item I purchased on this trip at a LL Bean outlet was a digital luggage scale. On our flight home I was able to balance out our luggage and get them all in the low to mid 40 pound range. If NCL starts enforcing their 50 pound rule I will also use this scale before embarkation. Today was our only cloudy and drizzly day this week. We also had rougher seas with about 6 feet waves. This afternoon the Conrad Weiser High School Band of PA performed a concert in the Stardust Theater. To insure we could get into Venetian for surf n turf on the final night we arrived at the front door at 5 PM. Other passengers had the same idea and the line was over 50 by 5:30. Our waitress this evening said she was missing her daughters first birthday, because her 9 month NCL contract started when her daughter was only 10 months old. Tonight was the crew talent show and a very funny Fountains show. It was good to see these shows return; they did not occur on our last cruise.

 

We got up early on Sunday to watch the Dawn go by Lady Liberty as we were eating in the buffet. The disembarkation was a 100% better than Miami. For New York there was no crowds in the buffet, no one pushed to get off, and there were no long lines to swipe off the ship. We had chosen tags to get off at 9:40. Since we had to be out of our cabin by 9 we headed down to the promenade deck to watch the activity on the dock. This time NCL had 2 gangways open with 2 stations to swipe off the ship for each gangway. This was 4 times more disembarkation stations than Miami. By 9:20 all of the colors before ours had been called, the disembarkation staff was all standing around, and there were no other passengers in sight. So we disembarked and found our luggage waiting for us; along with all of the other colors still to be called. The only challenge exiting was to locate the elevator that went up to the parking deck; there was no signage. The New York pier is well designed; as we were picking up our luggage and going through customs on the ground floor, the passengers for the next cruise were checking in on the second floor, and our car was waiting for us on the third floor. We were driving to our next stop on our vacation within 45 minutes of leaving the Dawn.

[14ersco]

Overall we had a very good cruise and plan to return to Bermuda in a few years. The Norwegian Dawn is still a nicely kept ship; except for the mismatched and stained carpet in the cabin hallways. The food for the dining experiment was tasty, but became boring after a few days. The biggest problem is getting a seat in a MDR. It is not Freestyle dining for those of us in an inside or window cabin; since we can not make reservations. For those in the lower categories the only way to avoid long waits is to go at 5 or 8 PM. NCL created this problem when they converted the third MDR into a specialty dining. On a cruise ship with traditional dining the ship needs to have one seat for every 2 passengers; so that everyone can eat within 2 seatings. The Norwegian Dawn had this ratio when it had 3 MDR's. Now with only 2 MDR's there is about one seat for every 3 passengers.

 

Going on a CC group cruise made this trip easy to plan and significantly cheaper. Lu2Cruz is a good trip leader; he allows you to decide how active you want to be in the group. Some group members only took advantage of the great rates and were not heard from again; while others were very active on the roll call and at on-board group activities. Our roll call consisted Kings Wharf Rat group members and others who booked the cruise on their own; all were welcome at the activities.

 

If anyone is looking to go the Caribbean next spring Luv2Cruz is leading a group on the Carnival Miracle on May 15, 2010.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=987404

There has also been some talk about a Kings Wharf Rats II cruise to Bermuda in 2011. :cool:

[14ersco]

Great review and comparison, Dave! We hope to sail with you, Erin, and Sean again sometime!

 

Sea Hound:D

 

Good to meet you and Lynn. Maybe on another cruise we can also meet the DD.

 

Dave

[ETski]

Overall we had a very good cruise and plan to return to Bermuda in a few years. The Norwegian Dawn is still a nicely kept ship; except for the mismatched and stained carpet in the cabin hallways. The food for the dining experiment was tasty, but became boring after a few days. The biggest problem is getting a seat in a MDR. It is not Freestyle dining for those of us in an inside or window cabin; since we can not make reservations. For those in the lower categories the only way to avoid long waits is to go at 5 or 8 PM. NCL created this problem when they converted the third MDR into a specialty dining. On a cruise ship with traditional dining the ship needs to have one seat for every 2 passengers; so that everyone can eat within 2 seatings. The Norwegian Dawn had this ratio when it had 3 MDR's. Now with only 2 MDR's there is about one seat for every 3 passengers.

 

Going on a CC group cruise made this trip easy to plan and significantly cheaper. Lu2Cruz is a good trip leader; he allows you to decide how active you want to be in the group. Some group members only took advantage of the great rates and were not heard from again; while others were very active on the roll call and at on-board group activities. Our roll call consisted Kings Wharf Rat group members and others who booked the cruise on their own; all were welcome at the activities.

 

If anyone is looking to go the Caribbean next spring Luv2Cruz is leading a group on the Carnival Miracle on May 15, 2010.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=987404

There has also been some talk about a Kings Wharf Rats II cruise to Bermuda in 2011. :cool:

Great review, glad you had a nice time in Bermuda. Bermuda is such a gorgeous island, my favorite. I had a question regarding MDR reservations. You mentioned that you could not make reservations if you stayed in an inside and ov cabin for the MDR. Is that true? We are sailing in Sept. on the Dawn and on other NCL cruises I have alway been able to make them. We have always stayed in inside or OV. I know that things change from time to time. It I remember correctly there was a podium in the atrium where you could do this. Any other helpful hints would be appreciated.