sallybrown2012

Has anyone done the Dolphin Cove/Dolphin Swim excursion on Jamaica with Princess? We're trying to figure out if we can have two people in our group do the Swim, and one do the excursion without the swim (my mom can't do the swim with the dolphins) but all of us be on the trip together. I can't find any way to call or email to clarify this. I'm hoping that if we sign up for the different trips and then talk to the excursion desk when we get on board we can take care of it, but I'd hate for it not to work out.

I'm also interested in your general impressions of the Dolphin Cove park.

Many thanks.

Is the Retreat pool separate from the Sanctuary - in other words, it is an adult pool with loungers that anyone (adults) can go into and use, without an extra charge?

I was so surprised by this thread that I had to read it! I've gone on many cruises, including several on different Princess ships, and the Royal is by far my favorite. We're signed up to try the Regal this winter. I love the pool areas, including the adult only pool area, which is always peaceful and has plenty of space to stretch out and relax. And the movies under the stars are fantastic. No complaints about balconies or food or entertainment. I loved all of it!

It looks like I can get a decent rate at this hotel in February - any experience with this one? It looks like it isn't too far from the port, and there are restaurants/shops within walking distance? All comments are appreciated (and thank you to the person who responded to a previous post with a mention of what I think is this hotel).

We're looking for a reasonably priced hotel - don't need anything fancy - but it would be great to be able to walk to restaurants and maybe shops. Is this one a good choice? Any other suggestions? Just one night pre-cruise.

We have had some of our best vacation experiences using private guides (our tour guide in Bermuda was phenomenal) and I'm curious about people's experiences, if any, with private guides on Cozumel. We'd like to see the San Gervasio ruins early in the morning, maybe do a quick tour of the island, then spend the afternoon on our own in the town. Any thoughts or recommendations would be much appreciated.

My family is a big fan of Princess. We are trying to convince my sister to come with us next time, but she is on a non-dairy diet. Does anyone have experience with this type of thing on Princess - are they receptive to special dietary requests like non-dairy? Many thanks.

Definitely contact Ralph - you can tell him that Sandy from his 8/16 tour recommended him. His website is Winsometransport.com. His wife also does tours and I'm guessing she is equally awesome!

Hi!

First, the Murder Mystery lunch. It was really fun. First - get there early. We started to line up at La Cucina (the restaurant where it was held on the ship) at about 11:40, because we are a bit crazy with the early bird thing, but it got us seats right up front even though we are a party of six (they could just barely fit us at one table, it is really set up for groups of four or five). They start seating at about noon, and sit you at the tables.

I would guess there were maybe 80-100 people there. You are asked to participate by writing a catch phrase on a post-it, and then occasionally asked to shout things out (a location, an item, etc.), which is is improvisational component of the show. No one had to get up and actually participate personally.

It was offered once, on the last sea day, and cost $20 each. They started announcing it on the first sea day (first full day of the cruise) so you could sign up at guest services. The food was pretty much the same quality as the main dining rooms, but just one appetizer (dull salad), chicken or fish, and dessert. Don't go expecting special food! It lasted until about 2:00. We got a little antsy towards the end, since there were other things we wanted to do, and they took an "intermission" first for serving the entree, and then for serving dessert - I think they should have just kept going through it. I didn't notice a particular age group being there, just a sampling of the regular passengers; my teens had a few friends there, there was a couple with a baby, and older folks.

I hope I answered your questions - it really was a lot of fun, and I do recommend it. Just get there early so you aren't seated at the back!

I believe Second City will be on the Dawn next month, although I'm not positive. They really were a lot of fun, and added a lot of interest to the (many) sea days on the Bermuda cruise.

Yeah, if we hadn't already paid the mandatory tip, our room steward may have been our first one ever to receive a less than suggested tip. But of course these guys know they are getting the required amount (at least, I hope they actually get it).

We just returned from our Boston to Bermuda cruise and I wanted to share my thoughts while they are still fresh in my mind.

Overall, we had a great time. Any concerns about the Dawn being worn were for naught – the ship looks perfectly nice, with the exception of the seats in the theater which did seem to need reupholstering. The entertainment was excellent – much, much better than Princess (which is my main comparator – we have also sailed Disney, but that’s a different ball of wax). Having the Second City troupe on board was wonderful – we saw their mainstage show, a Murder Mystery lunch, a workshop, and their adult improv show. The food was pretty good, similar to Princess. Embarkation was a breeze, as was disembarkation.

The down sides: First, the ship itself didn’t have some of the features I love on the Princess ships, but that’s something I knew going into it (for example: no adult pool, no movies under the stars, no movie theater, really poor selection of movies/tv on the cabin televisions). Honestly the lack of movies at night was less of a problem than I anticipated because the evening entertainment in the theater was so good. The personal service was very variable – although we didn’t have problems getting seated in the dining rooms, some nights we had really bad service from our waiters, and most didn’t introduce themselves or ask us what we wanted to drink, or offer any advice, chat, etc. We also weren’t thrilled with our room steward – he seemed offended whenever we asked for something (and our requests were not unusual).

As for Bermuda, it was beautiful. We had arranged a private tour for the six of us with Ralph Richardson of Winsome Tours, and he was beyond fantastic – let me know if you want more info on him. The second day we took a cab to Horseshoe Bay. Taking a cab was easy, and the price is pre-set. The beach is really lovely. It has amenities (chairs to rent, changing rooms, showers, food for sale), lifeguards, and a fantastic view. The third day we went parasailing in the morning. We had planned to go to another beach, but there was a significant rainstorm so that didn’t happen.

I’m happy to answer any questions.

We haven't sailed on NCL before. On other ships, we have enjoyed getting our formal photos taken (my favorite is just in front of a white background, but others have been nice too) before going to dinner one or two times during the week. Can anyone tell me what kind of photo opportunities we might find on the Dawn? Do they have a variety of backgrounds? Different ones each night? Do the lines get long? Do you have a particular strategy for when you decide to get pictures taken?

Many thanks.

Thanks for all the responses. Anyone know what night it is on?

What's the White Hot Party like? Location - on deck? Music? Do people dress up? Do they buy the t-shirts?

I'm cruising with my teens and mother in law in a few weeks, and they are planning on bringing white to wear... it would help to know more of what to expect.

Many thanks.

We'll be traveling on the Dawn from Boston in August. What's the best time to arrive at the port to minimize wait times before we are able to get on the ship?

Does anyone know if the ship restricts minors from leaving the ship without a parent or guardian? We'll be in Bermuda for three days -- could an older teen just walk off during the night?

Can anyone tell me if the Dawn shows movies up on deck in the evenings? We've loved this on Princess cruises, but it looks like the Dawn may not have this feature. What does happen up on deck - music in the evenings? Any tips are appreciated.

I hope you haven't been overwhelmed with requests - but I would love your doc too, Jenesaisquoi. My email is skahn@mbbp.com.

We aren't sailing until August, but I'm definitely a planner. One of the things I need to look into is what reservations can be made before leaving (someone mentioned dinners in the MDR, also shows, but that might just be on other ships).

Many thanks to all for the tips. We've never sailed NCL before, although have done many great trips on Princess and DCL.

I saw some comments about making reservations for shows on other ships - anyone know if you can/should make reservations for shows on the Dawn?

Anyone know if you have the ability to make reservations for shows on the Dawn?

We are doing the Boston to Bermuda cruise in August, and my mother in law is wondering what time she should plan her return flight from Boston. What is disembarkation like? Can we get off as early as we need to? Any suggestions are welcome.

We have had great success using private tours in other destinations, and are looking for a tour company to use while in Bermuda (during one of our three days, traveling on the Norwegian Dawn). We're first time visitors to Bermuda, consisting of 6 people (my two teens, husband, mother in law and sister in law.

Any suggestions/recommendations are welcome.

We've never taken a cruise from Fort Lauderdale; I understand the port is not far from the airport. Any thoughts on whether one would be able to comfortably make an 11:00 am or 1:00 pm flight out of Fort Lauderdale on debarkation day? We're planning on taking a cab, assuming that's an option. Many thanks.

We did the eleven day Med cruise last summer. We rented a tux, but my husband failed to try it on right away, and it fit terribly - really terribly. He wore it anyway, but most men just had suits on. We should have saved our money and just brought a suit from home - it would have looked better and been entirely appropriate.

We'll be on her in August - would love to hear more.