Just came back from the Dawn

[maja]

Had a wonderful time! Everything was above & beyond my expectations. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them.

 

NCL Dawn: June 13,2004

RCI Voyager: September 5,2004

NCL Dawn: October 24,2004

NCL Dawn: February 10,2005

[CruiseVirginfromBrooklyn]

Jumping up and down, waving hand - I have questions!!!!

 

Glad to hear you had a good time - we're debating between the NCL Dawn and the Carnival Miracle for a cruise in August. We've been on Carnival and know what to expect, what can we expect on NCL specifically on the Dawn. Here are the questions I would love to have answered, if you can't answer all of them, that's ok! Any information you can provide will be more than welcomed!

 

Questions:

 

1) Overall cruise experience? Would you book this ship again?

 

2) What was your biggest disappointment (other than coming home, that's a given ).

 

3) Which restaurant were the best, surcharge is no concern for us.

 

4) Which shore excursions did you select? Would you recommend them?

 

5) How rough were the seas?

 

6) How was the weather, especially in FL, they seem to be getting bombarded with rain this year.

 

7) How was the service overall?

 

8) How was the cruise director? How were the shows?

 

9) How is the casino? Big? Small? Tight Slots?

 

10) Anything you think we might find helpful with our decision will be very welcome.

 

Looking forward to your replies! And thanks in advance!!

 

Vinnie from NY

 

Grand Princess - December, 2001

 

Carnival Destiny - February, 2002

 

Crystal Harmony - July, 2002

 

Carnival Triumph - September, 2002

 

Dawn Princess - December, 2002

 

Grand Princess - March, 2003

 

Celebrity Zenith - July, 2003

 

Crystal Symphony - December, 2003

 

Celebrity Constellation - February, 2004

 

Celebrity Zenith - July, 2004

 

And always open for suggestions and recommendations!!

[luv2cruise450]

Hi Maja...glad to hear that you and Bob (& kids too?) enjoyed another fun Dawn cruise! Tell Bob we said 'hello'! Hope that you had great weather at all the ports! I remember the drenching downpour in Nassau when we sailed the Dawn last August!

Vinnie...Maja is an 'expert' when it comes to the Dawn! And I believe that of the alternative restaurants...her favorite was Le Bistro unless she has a new favorite now!

Happy sailing!

 

Victoria III 4/99 (Yangtze River)

Maasdam 5/00 (W.Med) & 11/01

Veendam 10/00

Zaandam 5/01 (Alaska cruisetour)

Millenium 12/01 & 10/03 (transatlantic)

Amsterdam 5/02 (transcanal)

NCL Star 12/02 (Hawaii)

CCL Paradise 3/03

Noordam 4/03 (transatlantic)

NCL Dawn 8/03

Regal Princess Elaine 3/04 (Yangtze River)

 

[maja]

Hi Vinnie from NY!

(I was born in B'klyn..from Canarsie area!)

Here's my opinion of the Dawn. Hope it helps you come to a decision. Let me know what you decide!

1): Easy answer....Yes! As luv2cruise (hi!) said, I am a Dawn devotee! This was my 4th time and I have 2 more booked for the future. Main reason is I love freestyle. Most days we just decided what & where to eat at the last minute & did what was convenient for us. Another reason I love this ship is it's great crew.

2): Biggest disappointment was finding the only thing to drink for free on the private island was water. I hate when cruise lines cut corners this way. How much could powdered lemonade or iced tea mix cost??? On the other hand I noticed extras such as nice-sized cocktail shrimp at the buffet, free ice cream sundaes by the pool, and the waiter brought my daughter 8 lobster tails without her even asking. (They were the size of jumbo shrimp, but 8?). Bring 4 and put iced tea on the island instead!

3): (In favorite order): Le Bistro is still my favorite. The price of $15 pp is well worth it here. Food is excellent, presentation & service top-notch and you're surrounded by an art collection worth millions. Aqua & Impressions main dining rooms. No charge. Aqua for the best matre d on the ship Florina and for fast service. Impressions for atmosphere and if there's a wait, there's nice seating around a piano player while you wait (which was not long). By the way, all 3 main dining rooms basically have the same menu. The sauces or desserts may be a little different. La Tratoria, no charge. Very good pasta. If you have dinner here you get to watch a beautiful sunset. Bamboo for the all you can eat sushi @ $10. The Tempanyaki grill is pretty good too. Salsa's has so-so Mexican food but the portions are huge, there's live music, and it's located at one of the prettiest spots on the ship. If you want to go casual, Blue Lagoon has great fish & chips, hot wings and other junk food. It's open 24 hrs. The Garden Cafe' has a huge selection and lots of surprises each night. There's a pasta station here also. They also serve afternoon snacks like Celebrity does. The Venetian is very elegant, but service is slow and inconsistent here. Cagney's is over-rated in my opinion.

It is impossible to get reservations for any of the specialty restaurants on the same day, unless you enjoy dinner at 10 pm. No problem making reservations the day before. You can make them with the hostess in the lobby. As far as the other restaurants we didn't make reservations and never waited more than 5 mins for a table. We usually ate at 8pm and made the 9:45 shows in time.

4): The only shore excursions we did were the shuttles in Port Canaveral to Disney and Miami. Both were very reasonable and convenient.

5): We had some strong wind throughout the week but I didn't think the ship was rocking at all. If you've done the Bermuda run, that was probably rougher. We slept with the balcony door open and the wind created cabin creaking some nights.

6): We had great weather. The temps were high 80's most of the week. First day at sea, everyone was poolside getting windburn with temps high 70's I think. Orlando was high 80's with sunshine until around 2pm when it poured for a short time. Miami even hotter and sunny. Private Island was rain off & on mixed with sunshine. Nassau was clouds & sun & hot. Last day at sea was the same except the temps were mid 70's.

7): Service is one of the main reasons I rebook the Dawn. I met maybe 2 staff members who were having a bad day. Other than that, they provided excellent service and with a smile. I'm already feeling blue because I miss the many new friends I made this week.

8): Paul did a good job. My problem is Rich was the CD on all the past Dawn cruises I've taken. In my opinion, he is the best CD I've ever had, so this question is a little hard for me to answer. The shows are all your typical at sea productions except for Bollywood, which is fantastic & different. The comedy acts were very good also. I missed the other shows (magician, game shows, talent show). We were very fortunate that on this cruise Fabio Zini was onboard. His flamenco music had the passengers dancing by the pool & in the lounge every night. I don't think he's staying though. He seems to go from ship to ship and does his own touring also. For great music, singing & dancing, Model Magic was back and they are excellent. The pool band was the worst I've ever heard. Not sure if NCL wanted them to tone down the music or they just didn't have any enthusiasm.

9): Tight slots. I stopped in maybe 3xs. Lost $ quickly. Didn't notice any winners around me either. Good variety of games. Not as crowded as Carnival's casino.

10):Seems like you've been on a few different lines already so you know more or less what to expect and what appeals to you. The food is not A+, but you will have many choices and many good meals. The entertainment is great, the service is great and freestyle really makes a difference.

 

NCL Dawn: June 13,2004

RCI Voyager: September 5,2004

NCL Dawn: October 24,2004

NCL Dawn: February 10,2005

[blandadi]

Thank you - that was great information. We are going on the Dawn in October to Bahamas & Fla. How do you think the weather will be that month?

Also want to take shuttle to Magic Kingdom as we have a 5 yr. old that has got to see Snow White & the 7 dwarfs especially Dopey. Can you tell me how much it cost and how it worked and how much time you had at Disney World. Thank you, Charlotte

[maja]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by blandadi:

Thank you - that was great information. We are going on the Dawn in October to Bahamas & Fla. How do you think the weather will be that month?

Also want to take shuttle to Magic Kingdom as we have a 5 yr. old that has got to see Snow White & the 7 dwarfs especially Dopey. Can you tell me how much it cost and how it worked and how much time you had at Disney World. Thank you, Charlotte<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

Probably cool & hopefully sunny the first day at sea. Warmer than here though since we'll be around N.Carolina by afternoon.

The shuttle bus was terrific. I purchased my tickets online on the NCL website before the cruise. Beats waiting on line while on the cruise. The cost is $30 pp r/t. You'll see all the buses waiting right outside the terminal in Port Canaveral. When one bus gets filled the next one is waiting for new passengers. The ride takes less than 1 hr. Comfortable & new bus with bathroom. You'll be dropped off at the ticket center, which is where you'll pick up the bus later to return also. Buy your own tickets here. From here you need to take the monorail, ferry or bus to the park you will be visiting. You'll have about 6 hrs which should be fine in Oct. when the parks are less crowded, to see everything. The last bus back to the ship was at 5:30. You may want to check the Disney website for information about character appearance times, so that you can plan your day around that special visit with Dopey. Have a great time!

 

NCL Dawn: June 13,2004

RCI Voyager: September 5,2004

NCL Dawn: October 24,2004

NCL Dawn: February 10,2005

[CruiseVirginfromBrooklyn]

Maja - thanks for all the great information. Sounds like the Dawn is absolutely worth trying. Actually looking forward to it! One question I didn't get to ask is how are the cabins? We're debating between a mini-suite and a full blown suite. Have any insight to which is better. I remember when the Dawn first came out, somewhere in the back of my mind, I believe someone posted that the full blown suites have two baths or a bath and a half (maybe like an extra sink or something - don't know) but, if you could confirm that, it would be wonderful. I'm pumped up about the Dawn now! My only slight concern is your statement about the food not being A+ - can you tell me what to expect... I certainly don't expect gourmet food like dining at the Water Club or River Cafe or like we found on Crystal but, I do hope it is a bit better than a dirty water hotdog off a vendor in Yankee Stadium. Could you elaborate on that. Otherwise, THANK YOU! You really have me excited about giving the Dawn a try.

 

On a personal side note - Bay Ridge here Born, raised, and now married and still in Bay Ridge!

 

Vinnie from NY

 

Grand Princess - December, 2001

 

Carnival Destiny - February, 2002

 

Crystal Harmony - July, 2002

 

Carnival Triumph - September, 2002

 

Dawn Princess - December, 2002

 

Grand Princess - March, 2003

 

Celebrity Zenith - July, 2003

 

Crystal Symphony - December, 2003

 

Celebrity Constellation - February, 2004

 

Celebrity Zenith - July, 2004

 

And always open for suggestions and recommendations!!

[Cruisebunnie]

Maja, could you tell me when and about what time you found shrimp at the buffet. We're going on the Dawn in August and can't wait. We went on the Majesty on a repo cruise a few years back and other than lobster night there wasn't a shellfish to be found.

[davy jones]

Hi all,

 

I just returned from the same cruise. I will try to answer some questions.

 

1. The overall cruise experience was excellent. I would definitely return again.

 

2. My biggest problem with the cruise had nothing to do with NCL. It was the behavior of a few extremely rude passengers. I guess you will have this when there are 2000+ passengers.

 

3. We ate in every restaurant except Bamboo and Cagneys. Le Bistro was the excellent. Venetian, Impressions, and Aqua were very good. Aqua was my favorite of the three. Salsa was very good. The Italian restaurant was average.

 

4. We did all ports on our own, so I can't speak about shore excursions. Kennedy Space Center was very good. South Beach in Miami. Atlantis and shopping in Nassau. I love the private island, but it is a little small for a ship of the Dawn's size.

 

5 and 6. The weather was very good. A little windy at times, but the ship handles it very well. Very little motion.

 

7. Service was very good overall. One night, we ordered a snack from room service and it never came. That was the only real problem.

 

8. Paul Baya was the CD. He was fine. Jean Ann Ryan shows were excellent. There were four comics. I saw three. Dave Heenan was not very good. The Vietnamese juggler/comic was the best. The magician/comic was OK. My daughter saw the other comics and liked them. Fabio played excellent Flamenco guitar. The house band was good.

 

9. Did not play in the Casino.

 

11. We had two inside cabins. They are fine for two. Small, but adequate. Very functional. Warning: The hot water is very hot.

 

Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions.

[gold523]

Davy- Thanks for your review. What types of rude behavior did you see?

[davy jones]

gold523

 

The overwhelming majority of the people were very nice.

 

There was some chair hogging and people trying to move avoid the lines. That wasn't much of a problem.

 

The worst behavior was on Great Stirrup Cay. One woman shoved her chair under our beach umbrella and stayed. She became angry and rude when I asked her to move. We had also rented floats for the day. One of them was taken (the float rental place gave us a replacement) and several times during the day, people tried to take ours when we were not in the water. I guess they thought they were free, but one fellow was rude when I explained that they were rentals and not for the taking.

 

Again, 10 to 20 cads on a cruise of 2000+ people isn't much, but it is still sad to see.

[maja]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Cruisebunnie:

Maja, could you tell me when and about what time you found shrimp at the buffet. We're going on the Dawn in August and can't wait. We went on the Majesty on a repo cruise a few years back and other than lobster night there wasn't a shellfish to be found.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

Hi Cruisebunnie. Sorry, but the meals from one day to the next sort of blended in by now and I'm not sure what night it was. I know it was at the end of the week. Either Wednesday, Thurs or Friday. You can always ask one of the supervisors in the Garden buffet. They open at 5:30 & I saw it around 5:15.

 

RCI Voyager: September 5,2004

NCL Dawn: October 24,2004

NCL Dawn: February 10,2005

 

[maja]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by davy jones:

Hi all,

 

I just returned from the same cruise. I will try to answer some questions.

 

1. The overall cruise experience was excellent. I would definitely return again.

 

2. My biggest problem with the cruise had nothing to do with NCL. It was the behavior of a few extremely rude passengers. I guess you will have this when there are 2000+ passengers.

 

3. We ate in every restaurant except Bamboo and Cagneys. Le Bistro was the excellent. Venetian, Impressions, and Aqua were very good. Aqua was my favorite of the three. Salsa was very good. The Italian restaurant was average.

 

4. We did all ports on our own, so I can't speak about shore excursions. Kennedy Space Center was very good. South Beach in Miami. Atlantis and shopping in Nassau. I love the private island, but it is a little small for a ship of the Dawn's size.

 

5 and 6. The weather was very good. A little windy at times, but the ship handles it very well. Very little motion.

 

7. Service was very good overall. One night, we ordered a snack from room service and it never came. That was the only real problem.

 

8. Paul Baya was the CD. He was fine. Jean Ann Ryan shows were excellent. There were four comics. I saw three. Dave Heenan was not very good. The Vietnamese juggler/comic was the best. The magician/comic was OK. My daughter saw the other comics and liked them. Fabio played excellent Flamenco guitar. The house band was good.

 

9. Did not play in the Casino.

 

11. We had two inside cabins. They are fine for two. Small, but adequate. Very functional. Warning: The hot water is very hot.

 

Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

Hi davy jones,

Sorry we missed you up at the Bimini Bar. I think the fact that the muster drill ended early (was that the most painless drill or what???) may have caused most of us to miss one another since we were to meet at 5 and by that point the small group that came right after the drill broke up.

 

RCI Voyager: September 5,2004

NCL Dawn: October 24,2004

NCL Dawn: February 10,2005

 

[bragstarr]

Maja--I'll be getting on Dawn when you get off in February! ANyway, I have this question posted on another thread but I'll try here also. I have heard that Monday is the optional formal night, but I am trying to find out what night is the Presidents Dinner in the main dining rooms. I heard Friday, but I also heard this is lobster night. Do you have any newsletters or menus that would straighten this out for me?

 

Thanks, Robin

 

PS My husband grew up in Bayview in Canarsie!

 

Explorer of the Seas (Western Caribbean) 12/7/02

Serenade of the Seas (Canada) 9/25/03

Majesty of the Seas (Bahamas) 2/16/04

Norwegian Dawn (Bahamas) 2/20/05

 

Until we sail the Dawn!

 

 

[maja]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by CruiseVirginfromBrooklyn:

Maja - thanks for all the great information. Sounds like the Dawn is absolutely worth trying. Actually looking forward to it! One question I didn't get to ask is how are the cabins? We're debating between a mini-suite and a full blown suite. Have any insight to which is better. I remember when the Dawn first came out, somewhere in the back of my mind, I believe someone posted that the full blown suites have two baths or a bath and a half (maybe like an extra sink or something - don't know) but, if you could confirm that, it would be wonderful. I'm pumped up about the Dawn now! My only slight concern is your statement about the food not being A+ - can you tell me what to expect... I certainly don't expect gourmet food like dining at the Water Club or River Cafe or like we found on Crystal but, I do hope it is a bit better than a dirty water hotdog off a vendor in Yankee Stadium. Could you elaborate on that. Otherwise, THANK YOU! You really have me excited about giving the Dawn a try.

 

On a personal side note - Bay Ridge here Born, raised, and now married and still in Bay Ridge!

 

Vinnie from NY

 

Grand Princess - December, 2001

 

Carnival Destiny - February, 2002

 

Crystal Harmony - July, 2002

 

Carnival Triumph - September, 2002

 

Dawn Princess - December, 2002

 

Grand Princess - March, 2003

 

Celebrity Zenith - July, 2003

 

Crystal Symphony - December, 2003

 

Celebrity Constellation - February, 2004

 

Celebrity Zenith - July, 2004

 

And always open for suggestions and recommendations!!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

Hi Vinnie from NY:

I don't have any personal experience with either of these 2 types of cabins. From what I know, the mini suite isn't much different than the regular veranda cabins in size or configuration. It's slightly larger but not by much. You also get limited concierge services. The suites are another story. You can get a glimpse of from the link below. I'd love to stay in one of these someday! I was able to visit the penthouse suite this past week. If I had that cabin, I'd probably stay inside most of the cruise!!

The bathroom was larger than a regular cabin! 2 sinks, separate toilet area, whirlpool tub with a flat screen TV, and a window to look out at the sea, shower area with about 7 shower heads and a huge vanity area. The living room/dining area had 2 cocktail tables a couch and chairs large flat screen TV. cordless phone, a dining room table, and a bar/counter/shelves area. There's a small veranda which surprised me. The bedroom has sliding glass-etched doors, a queen bed (doesn't separate), various lighting effects another TV. and a large dressing area with loads of shelves and closet space. Amenities include a private butler, concierge service,etc,etc.

There are many types of suites on the Dawn. Each is different in some way from the other. Ask your TA for more info which would help you with your decision.

I love the food on the Dawn. Don't worry, it's far from those hot dogs you described. In my opinion, the dining room menus are your average cruise ship choices. Personally, I thought the food was much better than Royal Caribbean's.

I've been on so many cruises that at this point, I guess I might be somewhat used to the menus and looking for something extraordinary.

I found the appetizers were different but the entrées were no surprises. Each night you will find fish, beef and something else like veal, pork or chicken. I liked the idea that steak & chicken were on the menu every night. The food always arrived hot and the presentation was good.

If you don't want to go into the dining room for dinner, you have lots of other options. When I took the 10 nighter there were nights we just "grazed" the ship going from one spot to another. Tapas at Salsa's, salads at the buffet, fresh fish & chips at the Pub, wings at Blue Lagoon, stir-fry at the vegetarian buffet, bbq by the pool, chicken kabobs at Bimini Bar. See what I mean!

Hope this helps!

 

 

http://www.virtualtoursusa.com/norwegiandawn.htm

 

RCI Voyager: September 5,2004

NCL Dawn: October 24,2004

NCL Dawn: February 10,2005

 

[maja]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by bragstarr:

Maja--I'll be getting on Dawn when you get off in February! ANyway, I have this question posted on another thread but I'll try here also. I have heard that Monday is the optional formal night, but I am trying to find out what night is the Presidents Dinner in the main dining rooms. I heard Friday, but I also heard this is lobster night. Do you have any newsletters or menus that would straighten this out for me?

 

Thanks, Robin

 

PS My husband grew up in Bayview in Canarsie!

 

Explorer of the Seas (Western Caribbean) 12/7/02

Serenade of the Seas (Canada) 9/25/03

Majesty of the Seas (Bahamas) 2/16/04

Norwegian Dawn (Bahamas) 2/20/05

 

Until we sail the Dawn!

http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=006400&cdt=2005;2;20;16;00;00&timezone=GMT-0500

 

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

Hi Bragstarr!

Are you doing the 10 nighter? If so,here's what I have from my Freestyle Daily from last trip:

• Thurs=Bon Voyage Dinner

Friday=Optional Formal-Welcome Dinner

Sat=Italian Dinner

Sun=Freestyle Dinner

Mon=Freestyle Dinner

Tues=Caribbean Dinner

Wed=Star Spangled

Thurs=President's Dinner

Fri=Optional Formal-Farewell Dinner

Sat=Chef's Dinner

 

If you aren't doing the 10 nighter, let me know. I have the Dailys from 7 nighters I can look at for you.

 

P.S. I know exactly where your husband grew up. I miss B'klyn till this day. Wish more of my family & friends were still there because we hardly ever visit anymore.

 

RCI Voyager: September 5,2004

NCL Dawn: October 24,2004

NCL Dawn: February 10,2005

 

[henryf]

Hi Maja, Great reviews. One somewhat related question: Any idea what happened to your October 24, 2004 roll call thread? Some respondents were nearby to us in Hackettstown. Maybe out paths will cross--if we recognize each other--on the 10/24.

Thanks.

[maja]

Hi Maja, Great reviews. One somewhat related question: Any idea what happened to your October 24, 2004 roll call thread? Some respondents were nearby to us in Hackettstown. Maybe out paths will cross--if we recognize each other--on the 10/24.

Thanks.

Hi Henry,

I'm actually on the new board for the first time here. Didn't get to see that our thread is missing yet. I guess I will wait a day or two & see if there are some kinks that need to be ironed out, then if necessary we'll start a new one.

[bragstarr]

Maja,

 

Alas, I am doing the 7 day, and will be waving at you as you get off the ship and I get on. It's Presidents' Week, LI schools are closed, and we wanted to take my 17 year old son, being that it will be his last major vacation with us before he goes off to college in Fall '05. Maybe the year following I will take the 10 day!

 

I think I have most of it :confused: , but if you could just list for me the theme nights in the main dining rooms for the week, I'd appreciate it. As of now, I think Monday is formal night (but no idea if it's a special dinner), Wednesday is Presidents' Dinner, Thursday is Caribbean night, Friday is Lobster night and Saturday is Italian night. Somewhere in the mess I want to eat in Salsa and the Teppanyaki bar.

 

Thanks, Robin