Dawn Canada/NE Sept 6-13 -"Review"..

[jaja]

NCL DAWN Canada/NE September 6-13th 2009

“Review”

Well not really a review….but some answers to questions that have come up recently and observations

This was our 7th cruise -3rd with NCL..1st on Dawn.

Embarkation: Fabulous !!! Best experience we have ever had…leaving from NYC.. extremely efficient and pleasant pier staff…arrived at pier 11:45 and was eating lunch in dining room at 12:15…

Debarkation: Also well run….no problems…..

Staff: Awesome !!...Best and friendliest we have experienced…..

Ship: Great….clean, nicely decorated and easy to navigate..

Itinerary: this was a partial repeat for us…with Bar Harbor and Newport being new….Bar Harbor (Arcadia National Park) was the highlight for us….not to be missed !! Newport was also very good (despite the weather!)

Cabin: clean and pleasant (inside –deck 9)….though NCL insides are very small…we found it adequate as usual…stewards were wonderful….

Freestyle Dining: we love the concept….never had to wait…(though I should note..we eat early..) always got table for 2 ..which we prefer..

Food: MDR: excellent.. no complaints from me ! Note: new menus (combination of fixed and daily specials) very nice….See my post of photos of daily menus.. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1058768

Specialty: LeBisto ($15 pp)…very good, as was Salsa ($10pp)…

Excursions: Booked 3 through NCL…well run with great guides and transportation , fair price

Casino: again wonderful staff, (though I must say the slots were “very tight”..so do not plan of winning !!!!)

Entertainment: we did not attend any shows, but did enjoy the great music being played all along deck 7……esp: piano music in lounge next to Le Bistro…..

There is probably much more I can say…..so ask any questions…..

[HarpHarp]

We're doing the same cruise in 2 weeks:D

 

What excursions would you suggest?

[jaja]

We did the Arcadia National Park tour in Bar Harbor..($49 pp) and the Grand Mansions & Newport Highlights ($55 pp) in Newport- (both booked via NCL online)-enjoyed both very much...we always do an "all around" tour when we visit a port for 1st time...

In Boston (since repeat visit for us)--we booked the NCL shuttle (onboard)...$16 pp..round trip to Quincy Market....

 

Hope this helps..

[sweetannie]

When was formal night? I am glad to hear you always got a table for 2, that is something we also prefer, and had a hard time with that on Princess. What did you do in Halifax and Saint Johns????

[jaja]

When was formal night? I am glad to hear you always got a table for 2, that is something we also prefer, and had a hard time with that on Princess. What did you do in Halifax and Saint Johns????

 

 

"dress up or not" night was first sea day..Monday....

 

 

We had been to Halifax before..so we just walked the "boardwalk"

Also had been to St.John before....we actually stayed on ship and relaxed..

(we we had visited those ports before ==we did an all around tour of each -that was on Carnival)

[LOWTYD]

NCL DAWN Canada/NE September 6-13th 2009

 

“Review”

 

Well not really a review….but some answers to questions that have come up recently and observations

 

 

Well I think it's a review! No one said they have to be so detailed!:) Straight and to the point. I'm glad you had a good time. Last time I was in St. Johns I went to O'Leary's pub. Oh my!:D

I did see your post on the menus and thought they looked appetizing enough for me. What kind of entertanment do they have on the Dawn right now? I know you didn't go to the shows but maybe remember what they were or who was entertaining in the other venues? I was wondering if it will remain the same when we do Bermuda in October. Thanks for any info.

[bahama2]

We did the Arcadia National Park tour in Bar Harbor..($49 pp) and the Grand Mansions & Newport Highlights ($55 pp) in Newport- (both booked via NCL online)-enjoyed both very much...we always do an "all around" tour when we visit a port for 1st time...

In Boston (since repeat visit for us)--we booked the NCL shuttle (onboard)...$16 pp..round trip to Quincy Market....

 

Hope this helps..

 

is this near Chinatown and Little Italy?Thanks for the info. Jeri:)

[jaja]

Well I think it's a review! No one said they have to be so detailed!:) Straight and to the point. I'm glad you had a good time. Last time I was in St. Johns I went to O'Leary's pub. Oh my!:D

I did see your post on the menus and thought they looked appetizing enough for me. What kind of entertanment do they have on the Dawn right now? I know you didn't go to the shows but maybe remember what they were or who was entertaining in the other venues? I was wondering if it will remain the same when we do Bermuda in October. Thanks for any info.

 

Band on the Run

Gleason Magic

South Beach Rave

Second City

Bollywood

Dave Henan..Comedy

[saltmom1]

Quincy Market is not too far from the North End. It's very walkable. Chinatown is near the Common and the Theatre District. You could walk it. Easier to take the "T". Blue Line then Orange line to Chinatown. Faneuil Hall is in Quincy Market BTW

[jaja]

is this near Chinatown and Little Italy?Thanks for the info. Jeri:)

 

not sure....don't have map handy --but I do believe we saw Little Italy from bus on the way...kind of close....

[thecatsmeow]

Thanks for posting your thoughts. Glad you enjoyed your cruise. The Dawn was a fun and beautiful ship. She got us hooked on cruising. :D

 

Joyce

[LOWTYD]

Band on the Run

Gleason Magic

South Beach Rave

Second City

Bollywood

Dave Henan..Comedy

 

 

Thanks for the info. Can anyone else elaboate on any of these shows/entertainers?

[bahama2]

Jaja & Saltmom1 for the quick response. Now if anyone else knows how to get to Little Italy I'll be set. :p

[jaja]

Jaja & Saltmom1 for the quick response. Now if anyone else knows how to get to Little Italy I'll be set. :p

 

Try going to Boston section of "port of call"--there are some very knowledable people there who can tell you how to get there :)

[HappiestWhenCruising]

We had a great time on this cruise. We stayed in an inside room for the first time (deck 5). We found it to be very spacious and quiet regarding engine noise. However, there was banging on pipes all through the night and constant noises from the crew area (behind our room) and doors slamming from the hallway cabins.

 

Here are some random comments:

1. John the Cruise director was very annoying with his constant interruptions with announcements. They were heard only in the hallways, not in the rooms, but we'd open the doors to listen in case it was something important (often it wasn't).

2. Although he was annoying with his announcements and repetitive phrases, he really did do an excellent job of trying to get everyone on the ship involved. He went out of his way to make sure you were having a good time and I do believe he genuinely loves his job and the people that come aboard.

3. This being the first time the crew was going to New England (prev. going to Bermuda), they had a lot of things screwed up or just didn't know the answers. Ex. We signed up for the Murder Mystery dinner which said it was on Bar Harbor night, Thursday Sept 11. The 11th was Friday and no one seemed to know exactly if it was Thursday or Friday. Raffles were not held when they were supposed to, so we missed some of them. And oh by the way, you have to be present to win any of them. The tv would show that we were 90 miles from the next port, then 12, then 50, so being inside, we couldn't really tell when we arrived, unless we went up top.

4. The entertainment as a whole was great. We might have been in the minority, but we did not like the commedian at all. We tired of his act quite quickly and didn't find him funny. Bollywood was the best and most elaborate show (costumes and dances). Unfortunately they were leaving for vacation right after our cruise and so was John the CD. Not sure who they are replacing them with. Band on the Run was very good. We enjoyed the line dancing instructions and the special dance nights. Had a lot of fun at the White Hot Party night.

5. Food on this ship was very good. We had no problems getting into any of the MD rooms for dinner for the 2 of us. We ate at Salsas one night and Impressions on another. Both places were excellent and well worth the $10 fee. The buffet offered great choices. My only comment about eating on the ship is that every single eating venue was extremely noisy. It was often hard to talk over the noise of clanging dishes and glasses. It was odd how the acoustics in the eating areas were so bad, and yet all over the ship in the evenings they had many areas with different musical entertainment and when you walked from one place to the other, the sounds from each venue didn't overlap. It was quite nice in the evenings walking around the ship and hearing the different types of music being offered.

6. Embarkation and debarkation went very smooth. We opted to take our luggage off the ship ourselves and had no problems. Tendering at the 2 ports and getting on and off the ships at the other 3 ports went very smoothly as well. Great job in these areas. Some people had problems a couple times, though, as the gang plank became very steep as the tide came in throughout the day, making it very difficult for people in wheel chairs or with canes to manuever their way up or down.

7. We walked around ourselves in the 2 Canadian ports. They were hilly, but very nice and there were plenty of things to see/do near the ship. In Maine we went Whale watching through NCL and were happy that there was enough time beforehand to get some lobster rolls and do some shopping. We were late getting back, but the ship waited for us since we had booked through them. In Boston we took a boat (harbor) and bus tour which gave us a very good overview of the area. I was a bit disappointed that they don't let you know in advance that even though we docked there, you had to pay to get to the city. $16 for the bus, and not sure about taxis, but because of this, we just waited on the ship for our excursion bus to pick us up. In Newport we toured 2 mansions, also through NCL. There was time for shopping in the town later. Although it rained while we tried to shop, it didn't stop us and it didn't really rain for that long. We were happy to have seen the mansions earlier in the day before the rain, because we had heard they stopped the tours later in the day to keep them from getting all wet inside. The mansion tours were great as they gave you headsets so you could tour at your own pace. Very impressive mansions.

8. The casino took a lot of our money! But I had booked our room through CAS, so we at least got free drinks while we gambled, so that eased our pain somewhat! We both had a great time and spent a lot of time there. Although they allow smoking in there, I really didn't think it ever got too bad.

9. Because this is a port intensive cruise, it seemed like there were too many things planned at the same time or too close together. I guess you really can't complain about that, I think its just because of the schedule.

10. This was my 10th cruise (2nd with NCL). My sister's 5th cruise (1st with NCL). Both of us had a wonderful vacation. The Dawn was a great ship, the crew was great, the food was great, the ports and weather were great. Both of us will cruise with NCL again (me in Jan on the Star), she just bought a future cruise deposit. So anyone booked on this ship or this itinerary should figure that you, too, can have a great time. Was everything perfect? No. But given the number of people on the ship I think NCL does a great job of providing an excellent oportunity for a wonderful vacation. A lot of it depends on what you make of it. Look for the good and you will find it. Its your vacation, don't spend it trying to find things to complain about when you get back.

[metgame24]

Just wondering how the weather was. Where nights cool on the water and could you get in any pool time?

[neverthought]

Thank you so much for the reviews. We are doing this cruise in 11 days. Good to have some insight as to what to expect. This will be our 3rd or 4th on the Dawn, and we love her, her crew and all the services provided. Thanks again jaja and happiestwhencruising.:)

Neverthought

[jaja]

Just wondering how the weather was. Where nights cool on the water and could you get in any pool time?

 

I actually felt comfortable at night...twice needed a jacket..

I saw no one in pools. ..but some in hot tubs..

[Dolphins]

Glad to see that recent cruisers have found the Dawn as wonderful as we always have. Looking forward to boarding her again for the 7th time in October.

[jaja]

Glad to see that recent cruisers have found the Dawn as wonderful as we always have. Looking forward to boarding her again for the 7th time in October.

 

Oh yes!!! The staff really was wonderful..as was the ship --looking forward to sailing her again:D