Jump to content

Dawn Review-The POSITIVE and the negative!


rikatine

Recommended Posts

My sister and I went on this cruise together and left the Hubbys at home. We shared a BA aft balcony 10230.

 

My first time on NCL, and it was better than expected, much better. The ship looked great to me, and I have only sailed on RCCL each time when the ship was brand new.

 

Cabin: Great location on deck 10. A quick trip up to the Garden Cafe, Spa, Gym. A quick trip down to the Venetian, Shops, Blue Lagoon. We had to have the beds separated when we got there and asked for extra bath towels, as there were only two. Us girls need one for the hair. Everything was in good condition, and I loved the size of the shower, much bigger than on RCCL. The balcony is huge, which is why I booked this cabin, and we enjoyed it throughout the cruise. I put the chair from inside out on the deck and moved the little coffee table all the way over to give us more walking space. The first night my sheet was very scratchy and pilly. So the next morning I left a note to please change it, and they did with no problem. Our room stewards Jamie and Daniel did a great job all week. Always with the right amount of towels etc. Jamie was exceptionally friendly and learned our names and was really pleasant. We had towel animals from the second night on.

 

Food: As soon as we got on we went to the Venetian for lunch and had a good meal and adequate service. Not knowing that the fixed menu was gone, we went up to make specialty reservations for the first two nights. We ate at Salsas (2for1) the first night. Michael our server was excellent, very friendly and attentive. The Margaritas were very good and our favorite item were the Chips and Dip(s) that they bring at the beginning and the Spring Rolls. The lobster tacos were good but had a messy cheese sauce, not what we had expected. The flan for dessert was good but not the chocolate cake. Overall a very pleasant atmosphere and meal.

 

Breakfast: We ordered room service coffee every morning. The coffee was good. The sliced fruit plate was good. We went to the Venetian the first morning and the food was fine and so was the service. After the first day we went up to the Garden Cafe to graze and brought it back to our room most days. The coffee up there didn't seem as good. Our favorite items were the Sticky Buns, Choc Croissants, Corned Beef Hash (not from a can), I only had eggs once with ham and peppers mixed in and they were good.

 

Lunch: Other than the first day we again grazed at the Buffet. They did offer the Sushi Restaurant for lunch btw. We were able to find stuff to eat every day Caesar Salad made to order, Pretzel Rolls (so good), the indian food, the fried cod, the fries (with a scoop of gravy from the carving station). There was plenty to choose from including salad bar, breads, sandwiches, hot food, and desserts.

 

Dinner: Our second night we ate at Bamboo(2for1), it was so much food, the ribs are really big, and the apps were fried, the Singapore Noodles were our favorite, and our entrees were good but we were already getting full and the things we ordered were very rich. The service again was excellent. Dessert forget it we were stuffed.

 

We ate four nights at Aqua, and I loved it (service took about one hour each night). The service was excellent three nights and just good one night. The waiter sections are of different sizes and the one night the guy had seven tables and was very busy. Gabriella was our favorite server and was just wonderful. The food was mostly very good. The wild mushroom quesidilla we had three nights it was so good. We also enjoyed some very nice salads, with goat cheese, pear, apple, blue cheese etc. Entrees we liked, Tortellini w/cream sauce, Lobster Tail(Tues), Scallops w/cheese grits, Prime Rib (yum). In addition the bread basket was really good, different rolls every night, one night with calamatta olives. For dessert, I had the Carmel Chocolate Mousse all four nights. It was that good. The MDR coffee is good, not the decaf though. Don't order the crab cake! Don't eat anything you don't like.

 

We ate at Impressions on Fri(2for1). The service was again excellent. We enjoyed the Carpaccio, Caesar Salad, pasta with seafood, the Risotto with Shrimp was very good, as was the Osso Bucco. The pizza was too big and the portions were big so again it was too much food. We did not like either of our desserts.

 

We had wings at Blue Lagoon for lunch on the last day, and they were really good. I ordered the hot ones and they were not too hot which was good for me. We ordered them to go and took them back to our room.

 

Dessert: In general not that good. The textures were off on most things we tried. I liked the flourless chocolate cake, and the bread puddings were good. By far the Carmel Chocolate Mousse on the MDR menu was the best in any place we went.

 

Entertainment: The Welcome show the first night was very good. The show on the last night was good. In between the Rock night with Night Lite at Dazzles was a blast. I went by myself and sat and watched the crowd (what a show) and the rock music was really good. I really liked Spinnaker Lounge to hang out and listen to a little music before or after the show.

 

Casino: We had a great time at the casino. We played in the slot tourney and won on some slots and tables, but of course overall I was down a bit in the end, fun anyway. It was smokey though, oh well. Got a couple of comp drinks there.

 

Spa: Got the spa pass and enjoyed the spa. The hot tubs are really hot the way they should be and we enjoyed the female relaxation room immensely. The staff was very nice. By having the spa pass we were able to avoid the crowds of the pool deck.

 

Yes there were probably some negatives. Just remember, if you are dining and you don't like it or it is not done right, they will be more than happy to fix it. The food was a little too salty at times, but better than it having no flavor for me. If you need things in your cabin, just ask. It was crowded, but we avoided the crowds very nicely. We never went on the pool deck except the first day. As a matter of fact, we learned how to get places without even having to walk through there. The kids were a little antsy by the end of the week and were running up and down the stairs and in the elevators. Just tell them you are using the elevator now thank you very much.

 

Hope you all enjoy your future cruises as much as I enjoyed mine.

 

Christine

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As far as Bermuda goes. We went to Horseshoe Bay the first day. I took a hike to the left and it was a nice walk. The bus lets you off at the top of a long hill. If you don't want to walk down, the guy at the bottom told us to tell someone walking down to come get you, and he will charge $1 to take you down. It is $2 to ride back up and we did not even consider not doing it. I got some great pictures here. To rent a chair/umbrella it is $10 per item plus $5 deposit per item. It got crowded very fast. There were less people further down the beach, but most people did not bother to walk down.

 

We got the bus pass for three days, and only used it for two, so we gave them to our neighbor to use the last day.

 

The best seat on the bus is all the way in the back. It is elevated so you get a really good view of the coast.

 

We went to the Snorkel Park and really liked it. We got there when it opened so it was uncrowded and we got a palm tree for shade. The snorkeling was good. The park was a lot nicer than I thought it would be with picnic tables w/umbrellas, a bar, a water slide (for kids) they had rentals too but we were just there for snorkeling.

 

The trolley around the dockyard seemed hard to catch, so we mostly walked everywhere.

 

We took the Ultimate Catamaran Snorkel on the last day. It was a nice ride and the snorkeling was okay. Mainly it was very relaxing and scenic and not that expensive. We asked how many were booked (that morning) and it was only 20 out of possible 60, so we booked it. We had the whole front of the boat to ourselves and it was great!

 

Took the ferry to Hamilton, shopped and had a pint.

 

Bermuda was scenic and relaxing.

 

Did not include Bermuda in my main review since it was the Dawns last trip for the season.

 

Hope my review is helpful. Can't believe how long it took to write but it is worth it for all those who helped me to prepare for my cruise. Thank you Cruise Critic Members!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My sister and I went on this cruise together and left the Hubbys at home. We shared a BA aft balcony 10230.

 

My first time on NCL, and it was better than expected, much better. The ship looked great to me, and I have only sailed on RCCL each time when the ship was brand new.

 

Cabin: Great location on deck 10. A quick trip up to the Garden Cafe, Spa, Gym. A quick trip down to the Venetian, Shops, Blue Lagoon. We had to have the beds separated when we got there and asked for extra bath towels, as there were only two. Us girls need one for the hair. Everything was in good condition, and I loved the size of the shower, much bigger than on RCCL. The balcony is huge, which is why I booked this cabin, and we enjoyed it throughout the cruise. I put the chair from inside out on the deck and moved the little coffee table all the way over to give us more walking space. The first night my sheet was very scratchy and pilly. So the next morning I left a note to please change it, and they did with no problem. Our room stewards Jamie and Daniel did a great job all week. Always with the right amount of towels etc. Jamie was exceptionally friendly and learned our names and was really pleasant. We had towel animals from the second night on.

 

Food: As soon as we got on we went to the Venetian for lunch and had a good meal and adequate service. Not knowing that the fixed menu was gone, we went up to make specialty reservations for the first two nights. We ate at Salsas (2for1) the first night. Michael our server was excellent, very friendly and attentive. The Margaritas were very good and our favorite item were the Chips and Dip(s) that they bring at the beginning and the Spring Rolls. The lobster tacos were good but had a messy cheese sauce, not what we had expected. The flan for dessert was good but not the chocolate cake. Overall a very pleasant atmosphere and meal.

 

Breakfast: We ordered room service coffee every morning. The coffee was good. The sliced fruit plate was good. We went to the Venetian the first morning and the food was fine and so was the service. After the first day we went up to the Garden Cafe to graze and brought it back to our room most days. The coffee up there didn't seem as good. Our favorite items were the Sticky Buns, Choc Croissants, Corned Beef Hash (not from a can), I only had eggs once with ham and peppers mixed in and they were good.

 

Lunch: Other than the first day we again grazed at the Buffet. They did offer the Sushi Restaurant for lunch btw. We were able to find stuff to eat every day Caesar Salad made to order, Pretzel Rolls (so good), the indian food, the fried cod, the fries (with a scoop of gravy from the carving station). There was plenty to choose from including salad bar, breads, sandwiches, hot food, and desserts.

 

Dinner: Our second night we ate at Bamboo(2for1), it was so much food, the ribs are really big, and the apps were fried, the Singapore Noodles were our favorite, and our entrees were good but we were already getting full and the things we ordered were very rich. The service again was excellent. Dessert forget it we were stuffed.

 

We ate four nights at Aqua, and I loved it (service took about one hour each night). The service was excellent three nights and just good one night. The waiter sections are of different sizes and the one night the guy had seven tables and was very busy. Gabriella was our favorite server and was just wonderful. The food was mostly very good. The wild mushroom quesidilla we had three nights it was so good. We also enjoyed some very nice salads, with goat cheese, pear, apple, blue cheese etc. Entrees we liked, Tortellini w/cream sauce, Lobster Tail(Tues), Scallops w/cheese grits, Prime Rib (yum). In addition the bread basket was really good, different rolls every night, one night with calamatta olives. For dessert, I had the Carmel Chocolate Mousse all four nights. It was that good. The MDR coffee is good, not the decaf though. Don't order the crab cake! Don't eat anything you don't like.

 

We ate at Impressions on Fri(2for1). The service was again excellent. We enjoyed the Carpaccio, Caesar Salad, pasta with seafood, the Risotto with Shrimp was very good, as was the Osso Bucco. The pizza was too big and the portions were big so again it was too much food. We did not like either of our desserts.

 

We had wings at Blue Lagoon for lunch on the last day, and they were really good. I ordered the hot ones and they were not too hot which was good for me. We ordered them to go and took them back to our room.

 

Dessert: In general not that good. The textures were off on most things we tried. I liked the flourless chocolate cake, and the bread puddings were good. By far the Carmel Chocolate Mousse on the MDR menu was the best in any place we went.

 

Entertainment: The Welcome show the first night was very good. The show on the last night was good. In between the Rock night with Night Lite at Dazzles was a blast. I went by myself and sat and watched the crowd (what a show) and the rock music was really good. I really liked Spinnaker Lounge to hang out and listen to a little music before or after the show.

 

Casino: We had a great time at the casino. We played in the slot tourney and won on some slots and tables, but of course overall I was down a bit in the end, fun anyway. It was smokey though, oh well. Got a couple of comp drinks there.

 

Spa: Got the spa pass and enjoyed the spa. The hot tubs are really hot the way they should be and we enjoyed the female relaxation room immensely. The staff was very nice. By having the spa pass we were able to avoid the crowds of the pool deck.

 

Yes there were probably some negatives. Just remember, if you are dining and you don't like it or it is not done right, they will be more than happy to fix it. The food was a little too salty at times, but better than it having no flavor for me. If you need things in your cabin, just ask. It was crowded, but we avoided the crowds very nicely. We never went on the pool deck except the first day. As a matter of fact, we learned how to get places without even having to walk through there. The kids were a little antsy by the end of the week and were running up and down the stairs and in the elevators. Just tell them you are using the elevator now thank you very much.

 

Hope you all enjoy your future cruises as much as I enjoyed mine.

 

Christine

 

 

how was the room we are booked in the cabin next door 10730 was the balcony great ??? do you by chance have any pictures that you can post?? thanks

Jan

ps do you remember what slots they have in the casino ?? any of the newer ones

Link to comment
Share on other sites

how was the room we are booked in the cabin next door 10730 was the balcony great ??? do you by chance have any pictures that you can post?? thanks

Jan

ps do you remember what slots they have in the casino ?? any of the newer ones

 

I will try to post my pics. Don't know the names of the machines. I played a quarter machine in the back. When you hit the girl with the pigtails you got to play the video game on top. I won money on that one. Teesa, from the same cruise may know more.

 

The balcony was great!

DSCF0019.jpg.0004e1053cba1e92e54cad36774db60c.jpg

DSCF0018.jpg.83abce93050270397e7e601c8ddfe00b.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for your review of the ship and of Bermuda!! It sounds like you had a really nice time! But I sure hope its not the last trip of the season because we are scheduled to head to Bermuda on the Dawn on 18th of October!! And we are all really really looking forward to this trip!!

I think they squeeze in a few Canada/New England trips right now and then head back to Bermuda for a few trips!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for your review of the ship and of Bermuda!! It sounds like you had a really nice time! But I sure hope its not the last trip of the season because we are scheduled to head to Bermuda on the Dawn on 18th of October!! And we are all really really looking forward to this trip!!

I think they squeeze in a few Canada/New England trips right now and then head back to Bermuda for a few trips!!

 

Oops sorry, I knew that didn't sound right when I heard it. They actually did say it was the last trip at one of the shows, but I guess they meant for a few weeks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good review, Rikatine. Thanks for taking the time. My 3 friends and I are also going to Bermuda on Oct. 18 for a gal's getaway. Was interested to read about the 2 for 1 dinners. Do you remember what time you usually went to the Aqua for dinner? Also was there a charge to snorkel at the park? Thanks.

 

L.L. (looking forward to Tuesday dinner)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good review, Rikatine. Thanks for taking the time. My 3 friends and I are also going to Bermuda on Oct. 18 for a gal's getaway. Was interested to read about the 2 for 1 dinners. Do you remember what time you usually went to the Aqua for dinner? Also was there a charge to snorkel at the park? Thanks.

 

L.L. (looking forward to Tuesday dinner)

 

We ate at 6pm at Aqua. You can make reservations up until 6pm and after 8:30pm I think. But it seemed like a good time to walk in also.

 

Snorkel Park is free, and an easy walk from the ship.

 

The 2 for 1 was great. Had intended to try Le Bistro and Cagneys, but just didn't get to it with the 2for1 and enjoying Aqua so much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Christine did you get the spa pass for the whole week or just on a daily basis? Did you check out the price of massages, by any chance? Thanks.

 

L. L.

 

We got the weekly pass. The prices were in the $150 and up range I think. They did run $99 specials. And on the last day $89. We also got invited for 30% off as spa members toward the end of the week.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My sister and I went on this cruise together and left the Hubbys at home. We shared a BA aft balcony 10230.

 

My first time on NCL, and it was better than expected, much better. The ship looked great to me, and I have only sailed on RCCL each time when the ship was brand new.

 

Cabin: Great location on deck 10. A quick trip up to the Garden Cafe, Spa, Gym. A quick trip down to the Venetian, Shops, Blue Lagoon. We had to have the beds separated when we got there and asked for extra bath towels, as there were only two. Us girls need one for the hair. Everything was in good condition, and I loved the size of the shower, much bigger than on RCCL. The balcony is huge, which is why I booked this cabin, and we enjoyed it throughout the cruise. I put the chair from inside out on the deck and moved the little coffee table all the way over to give us more walking space. The first night my sheet was very scratchy and pilly. So the next morning I left a note to please change it, and they did with no problem. Our room stewards Jamie and Daniel did a great job all week. Always with the right amount of towels etc. Jamie was exceptionally friendly and learned our names and was really pleasant. We had towel animals from the second night on.

 

Food: As soon as we got on we went to the Venetian for lunch and had a good meal and adequate service. Not knowing that the fixed menu was gone, we went up to make specialty reservations for the first two nights. We ate at Salsas (2for1) the first night. Michael our server was excellent, very friendly and attentive. The Margaritas were very good and our favorite item were the Chips and Dip(s) that they bring at the beginning and the Spring Rolls. The lobster tacos were good but had a messy cheese sauce, not what we had expected. The flan for dessert was good but not the chocolate cake. Overall a very pleasant atmosphere and meal.

 

Breakfast: We ordered room service coffee every morning. The coffee was good. The sliced fruit plate was good. We went to the Venetian the first morning and the food was fine and so was the service. After the first day we went up to the Garden Cafe to graze and brought it back to our room most days. The coffee up there didn't seem as good. Our favorite items were the Sticky Buns, Choc Croissants, Corned Beef Hash (not from a can), I only had eggs once with ham and peppers mixed in and they were good.

 

Lunch: Other than the first day we again grazed at the Buffet. They did offer the Sushi Restaurant for lunch btw. We were able to find stuff to eat every day Caesar Salad made to order, Pretzel Rolls (so good), the indian food, the fried cod, the fries (with a scoop of gravy from the carving station). There was plenty to choose from including salad bar, breads, sandwiches, hot food, and desserts.

 

Dinner: Our second night we ate at Bamboo(2for1), it was so much food, the ribs are really big, and the apps were fried, the Singapore Noodles were our favorite, and our entrees were good but we were already getting full and the things we ordered were very rich. The service again was excellent. Dessert forget it we were stuffed.

 

We ate four nights at Aqua, and I loved it (service took about one hour each night). The service was excellent three nights and just good one night. The waiter sections are of different sizes and the one night the guy had seven tables and was very busy. Gabriella was our favorite server and was just wonderful. The food was mostly very good. The wild mushroom quesidilla we had three nights it was so good. We also enjoyed some very nice salads, with goat cheese, pear, apple, blue cheese etc. Entrees we liked, Tortellini w/cream sauce, Lobster Tail(Tues), Scallops w/cheese grits, Prime Rib (yum). In addition the bread basket was really good, different rolls every night, one night with calamatta olives. For dessert, I had the Carmel Chocolate Mousse all four nights. It was that good. The MDR coffee is good, not the decaf though. Don't order the crab cake! Don't eat anything you don't like.

 

We ate at Impressions on Fri(2for1). The service was again excellent. We enjoyed the Carpaccio, Caesar Salad, pasta with seafood, the Risotto with Shrimp was very good, as was the Osso Bucco. The pizza was too big and the portions were big so again it was too much food. We did not like either of our desserts.

 

We had wings at Blue Lagoon for lunch on the last day, and they were really good. I ordered the hot ones and they were not too hot which was good for me. We ordered them to go and took them back to our room.

 

Dessert: In general not that good. The textures were off on most things we tried. I liked the flourless chocolate cake, and the bread puddings were good. By far the Carmel Chocolate Mousse on the MDR menu was the best in any place we went.

 

Entertainment: The Welcome show the first night was very good. The show on the last night was good. In between the Rock night with Night Lite at Dazzles was a blast. I went by myself and sat and watched the crowd (what a show) and the rock music was really good. I really liked Spinnaker Lounge to hang out and listen to a little music before or after the show.

 

Casino: We had a great time at the casino. We played in the slot tourney and won on some slots and tables, but of course overall I was down a bit in the end, fun anyway. It was smokey though, oh well. Got a couple of comp drinks there.

 

Spa: Got the spa pass and enjoyed the spa. The hot tubs are really hot the way they should be and we enjoyed the female relaxation room immensely. The staff was very nice. By having the spa pass we were able to avoid the crowds of the pool deck.

 

Yes there were probably some negatives. Just remember, if you are dining and you don't like it or it is not done right, they will be more than happy to fix it. The food was a little too salty at times, but better than it having no flavor for me. If you need things in your cabin, just ask. It was crowded, but we avoided the crowds very nicely. We never went on the pool deck except the first day. As a matter of fact, we learned how to get places without even having to walk through there. The kids were a little antsy by the end of the week and were running up and down the stairs and in the elevators. Just tell them you are using the elevator now thank you very much.

 

Hope you all enjoy your future cruises as much as I enjoyed mine.

 

Christine

 

sounds like you had a great time, noticed that the speciality restaurants had a 2 for 1 special was there desginated times you had to dine to enjoy the special pricing? And if so do you remember what times they were? I will be on the dawn next month.

 

bobby

Link to comment
Share on other sites

thank you so much for the pictures was there any reasons you did not like being on the aft?? i think we will love that cabin:o:o:o

 

I must have missed where they said they didn't like being on the aft......I know they said they loved the balcony???? Or are you just asking if there are any negatives to being aft?

 

We were in 10230 and 10730 in May/June on the Dawn. The cabins and balconies are wonderful! The only negatives are the long walks to the entertainment at the front of the ship (good for not gaining as much on the cruise) and occasional soot that appears on the balcony. If you see tiny black dots out there DO NOT SIT DOWN or lean on the railing before telling your room steward to clean off the soot. We had it 2 mornings out of 7 but as long as you don't get it on your clothing, it's not a big problem. If it's too early to find the room steward just sit on a towel until later.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OP thank you for taking the time to post your review. We are sailing on the Dawn for the first time Nov 1st and you have made me even more excited than I was. Hope they keep the menus exactly like they are right now.. 8-). (and the two for one specials).

 

Terry, I remember you saying Doug likes the changing menus, so I think you both will be happy. I didn't realize how much I liked going to see the menu of the day since I hadn't cruised in a few years. Enjoy your cruise on the Dawn. Christine

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I will try to post my pics. Don't know the names of the machines. I played a quarter machine in the back. When you hit the girl with the pigtails you got to play the video game on top. I won money on that one. Teesa, from the same cruise may know more.

 

The balcony was great!

 

Hmm...looks like the "aft" balcony rooms have a deeper balcony...room for loungers. I will have to remember that. Nice review, thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Dawn is one of our two favorite NCL ships--the Star is the other. We were saddened when Impressions was changed from a MDR to the Italian restaurant, because it was always the best MDR. Somehow, the service was faster, pleasanter, and the food tastier there. Also, it was quieter.

 

I'm kind of an iconoclast for saying this, but we've usually never really enjoyed Le Bistro on any ship, including the Dawn. Only the first time we were on the Jade, with Armando was still there as the whip-cracking HD, was their Le Bistro superb.

 

Recently, on the Star, after being seated with 5 at a table crowded for 4, cheek-by-jowl with a very noisy next table, in chairs that were killing my back, Simone (our concierge extraordinaire) asked the Maitre d' to re-seat us in Soho but serve us Le Bistro food (as they share the kitchen). THAT made a huge difference. All of a sudden it was quiet, roomy, and on comfortable chairs--what Le Bistro should be. So...in 24 cruises on NCL we've only REALLY enjoyed Le Bistro twice.

 

OTOH, we RARELY have had a bad meal or a bad time in any Cagney's on any NCL ship (our SECOND time on the Jade being a rare exception. Dwen Bins is an awfully nice man--too nice to be a Hotel Director and it shows--things didn't work as well on the Jade for use after he replaced Armando.

 

We've been on all 4 Jewel-class ships, but still prefer the Star or Dawn to all of them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • Special Event: Q&A with Laura Hodges Bethge, President Celebrity Cruises
      • ANNOUNCEMENT: Set Sail on Sun Princess®
      • Hurricane Zone 2024
      • Cruise Insurance Q&A w/ Steve Dasseos of Tripinsurancestore.com June 2024
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...