Norwegian Dawn 6/26 - 7/3/05

[cliffd64]

I just don't get it.

 

You've booked a cruise. You're especially looking forward to one of the ports. The Captain (or whoever) announces that due to a mechanical problem, you will not be able to go to that port after all. And you will have to get back home 4 hours earlier than scheduled in order to take care of the mechanical problem so that the next bunch of cruisers will be able to have their cruise too.

 

So OK, you're disappointed, I would be too. That's sincerely too bad that it happened. You're maybe even a little mad--why did this have to happen, it's not fair! Understood. You feel let down. It's a bummer.

 

So ... OK. Then what?

 

You let it go. Why can't people just let it go? Why spend the energy gnawing it to death?

 

WHY do you let it take over your whole cruise experience? Why are you still into the whole thing now? WHY do you automatically do the gimmegimme mememe thing? WHY should you get money? A lot of us have missed ports. Had someone be rude, WHY would you think you should? WHY do you feel the ship "owed" you more sea-day activities? Can't you find stuff to occupy your time pleasantly? Like read a book. Watch TV. Meet new people. Eat one of every dessert on board. Make love. Get drunk. Tell jokes. Laugh. Thank your lucky stars you are on a cruise ship and on vacation, that you have the wherewithal to do so. And that you're not dead.

 

WHY do you assume NCL is lying, making up a story, hiding something, trying to get home early because the Captain has a hot date with Rosie O'Donnel? Wait, that wouldn't be right ... well, you know what I mean.

 

What is up with this?! Life is SHORT. GET OVER IT. I'm not a mean person, I'm very empathetic by nature. But this sort of thing just sucks the life right outta me.

 

 

:(

 

 

If everyone thought as rationally, pfizer and other psychiatric pharmaceutical drug companies would be bankrupt :) :) :) :)

[Kell4321]

LOL... now that was funny. I work at a vet clinic in FAirfax, and I just had a drug rep here, and she agrees! LOL

 

Have a good one everyone...

[KB1012]

I having been reading the posts for months but for some reason never joined. After what I have been reading I had to join. I was on the 6/26 and had a great time. Yes we were all disappointed about a missed port but that's life, things happen. Has anyone ever had a perfect trip? I know I haven't. My first cruise we sailed late due to the weather (had to wait for people from the midwest) and missed the sail away party. Rough seas the whole time and canceled excursions due to weather. We received nothing and didn't expect to and guess what no one complained.

As far as missing Nassau, traveling with a toddler I really only had the morning there and wasn't expecting to do that much anyway. In fact the person watching my house didn't recieve a gift because I had planned to buy it in Nassau. Colin mentioned he had his parents on board for thier anniversary and they were disappointed since they had never been there. So everyone was disappointed but how these people handled it was so uncalled for. There were other ways it could have been handled.

 

I have never seen a bunch of adults so immature. Contrary to what they say they were asking for a free cruise or 50% off. They were chanting this as I was sitting in the Java cafe watching the craziness. I felt very bad for the crew and what they had to handle. I thought what we recieved was more than fair. Also as far as the TV was concerned we did not cruise back at 22 knots it was in the 12-15 knot range which you could feel we were going slower than on the way down. Other more reasonable cruisers expressed how displeased they were with the mob and the affect it was having on the all the children aboard.

 

As for the annoucements they were very clear obviously not everyone listened that clearly. I believe they term they used was technical problems before they gave us more specific instructions. I really don't know what has happened to people these days they except everything to be handed to them.

 

All in all it was alot of fun even though there were quite a few rude passengers on board the ship. There was even a small argument on Stirrup Cay between two woman (I know the rudeness is another thread). So I guess you should be laid back and not let all the rude people on board get to, and enjoy your cruise!

[Cosmopolitan]

I having been reading the posts for months but for some reason never joined. After what I have been reading I had to join. I was on the 6/26 and had a great time. Yes we were all disappointed about a missed port but that's life, things happen. Has anyone ever had a perfect trip? I know I haven't. My first cruise we sailed late due to the weather (had to wait for people from the midwest) and missed the sail away party. Rough seas the whole time and canceled excursions due to weather. We received nothing and didn't expect to and guess what no one complained.

As far as missing Nassau, traveling with a toddler I really only had the morning there and wasn't expecting to do that much anyway. In fact the person watching my house didn't recieve a gift because I had planned to buy it in Nassau. Colin mentioned he had his parents on board for thier anniversary and they were disappointed since they had never been there. So everyone was disappointed but how these people handled it was so uncalled for. There were other ways it could have been handled.

 

I have never seen a bunch of adults so immature. Contrary to what they say they were asking for a free cruise or 50% off. They were chanting this as I was sitting in the Java cafe watching the craziness. I felt very bad for the crew and what they had to handle. I thought what we recieved was more than fair. Also as far as the TV was concerned we did not cruise back at 22 knots it was in the 12-15 knot range which you could feel we were going slower than on the way down. Other more reasonable cruisers expressed how displeased they were with the mob and the affect it was having on the all the children aboard.

 

As for the annoucements they were very clear obviously not everyone listened that clearly. I believe they term they used was technical problems before they gave us more specific instructions. I really don't know what has happened to people these days they except everything to be handed to them.

 

All in all it was alot of fun even though there were quite a few rude passengers on board the ship. There was even a small argument on Stirrup Cay between two woman (I know the rudeness is another thread). So I guess you should be laid back and not let all the rude people on board get to, and enjoy your cruise!

 

KB1012.....Thank you for sharing your views and your comments. Most refreshing!

May I suggest that you forward a copy of this post to C. Veitch. I'm sure he/his staff would appreciate reading your review and comments regarding the Dawn staff:)

[seahorse]

KB,

 

Thank you for your post........ and a first one at that:D You are very brave to do this considering how these boards are going:eek:

[Starspangle1]

I had sailed on the Dawn last year and for the person that said they couldn't understand all the hype about this cruise well I'll explain. There aren't many cruises that leave out of NY so you take advantage of what does & the Dawn happens to be a beautiful ship. When the cruise that you are taking has certain ports of call then that's what you are looking forward to not really because of those ports but I think any port of call would be better then a day at sea. I mean don't get me wrong, I like days at sea but I also like "a day at the beach". I can understand that sometimes things are out of their control but I think they take that term a little too far. It's got nothing to do with law suit or anything like that or a handout, it's just that too many ports are missed and not for the reason that they make the poor Captain have to go and face people for.

[Baitman19]

I hope all that post about what went wrong on their cruises, don't think that it's just happening on NCL. This happens to all cruise lines. I found a very interesting website; Cruisejunkie.com. Take a moment and go to it and click on Events at Sea.

 

It is very interesting to see what has happened on cruise lines over the last few years. It also has the sanitation scores for the ships on it. Dawn's last inspection 99, before that 100. No wonder you don't hear about any illness outbreaks on the Dawn.

 

 

Monty

[sanfelipe]

I was also disappointed that we didn't make Nassau, (I am a first-time cruiser) but I thought the cruise was great otherwise. One man actually told me that his wife was in the cabin crying her eyes out! I told him that if she thought this was a tragedy, they had bigger issues than a lost day at Nassau....

 

That being said, I do feel that the compensation was somewhat inadequate but I certainly am not going to get myself in a knot about it. I have been told that the cruise ships pay port fees per person of about $120 a piece - I don't know if that is true but if it is, I feel we should have been reimbursed a minimum of that amount per person. I am also a little suspicious of the fact that NCL was able to cruise to their own private island (where they would continue to make money) but not to Nassau. Free drinks did not do it for me - my party did not drink.

CNap, I'm glad you enjoyed your cruise for the most part. As far as the port charges go, that $120 would be for a combined total of all the ports en route, and sometimes the cruise lines have to pay the port charges even if they don't actually pull in. Secondly, the cruise line has bigger expenses when everyone stays on board due to additional food, staff etc. Of course some of that will be offset with the ship's multiple money making opportunities. Actually the cruise lines actually lose money on most passenger's cruise fares. It's the extras they try to make it up on.

Like most others on the board, you were better off on a private island than in Nassau. JR

[greenie]

If everyone thought as rationally, pfizer and other psychiatric pharmaceutical drug companies would be bankrupt :) :) :)

 

Or ... in this case, it might be that they have a darn good product!

:D

 

Thanks, Cliff. And thank you, Seahorse! ;)

[NoPiratesPlease]

Look, I FULLY understand that you pay for a product, you don't get everything you pay, you (justifiably) complain, and somebody says "Aw kwitcherbellyachin!" That's something I just don't understand. We've been on the Dawn twice, and are going again in December.

 

But if she, and NCL are the wrong cruise line, post your objection and vote with your feet!

 

We have no intention of ever sailing on Royal Caribbean or Celebrity again. We haven't been on Princess since 1992. Even WindStar lost its charm. And, with the sale of the little jewel, Coronia (following a HORRIBLE placing of her solely sailing out of Southampton), and atrocious treatment on the QE2, we are not planning on returning to Cunard--after 6 cruises.

 

Have any of these lines suffered our avoidance? Probably not. But we'll sail with someone until there's a problem, and we've enjoyed the Dawn, her sister the Star, the one sailing on the Dream, the two on the late Norway, and even the one 3-day on the old Sea.

[jaycee888]

I have to say that I agree with someone being upset as a first time cruiser and missing a port.

 

As a first time cruiser myself I am going on a cruise so I can see a lot of different places in one trip. Not getting to see one of these places for whatever reason would be an annoyance to me and I completely understand that this could happen. It doesn't necessarily mean I will be looking for a free hand out or anything like that, but I certainly do understand a first time cruisers point of being disappointed in missing a port even if it isn't worth seeing in some peoples opinion.

 

I for one chose the Dawn based firstly on the ports of call and secondly on the ships ammenities.

[Charles4515]

I have to say that I agree with someone being upset as a first time cruiser and missing a port.

 

As a first time cruiser myself I am going on a cruise so I can see a lot of different places in one trip. Not getting to see one of these places for whatever reason would be an annoyance to me and I completely understand that this could happen. It doesn't necessarily mean I will be looking for a free hand out or anything like that, but I certainly do understand a first time cruisers point of being disappointed in missing a port even if it isn't worth seeing in some peoples opinion.

 

I for one chose the Dawn based firstly on the ports of call and secondly on the ships ammenities.

 

Having been on nineteen cruises I would have to say that Dawn had the worst ports of call of any of them. That was my expectation before I booked it and my expectations were met. The Dawn cruise should be booked as an enjoyable, nice, easy enjoyable week getaway out of New York, it should not be chosen for it's ports of call.

[SailAways]

It occurs to me that even with all of the negative postings on these boards, and probably other sites, the cruise industry is doing very well and growing. They owe Cruise Critic, and other boards a huge "Thank You!"

 

In thinking about this situation, it seems that knowing of the negative, and understanding that things happen which are unplanned, help keep the cruise lines going. All of their pre cruise literature and information states that ports may be missed, itineraries may be changed - .

 

Can you imagine how this scenario would play out without the boards and all of the invaluable information and advice we receive here? Many people who would hear only "word of mouth negativity", would take it to heart, and vow to never use such and such cruise line.

 

Not so with the informed people who visit these boards. We read all of the negative along with the positive, and ultimately, make our own decisions. We are all adults, and understand that sometimes, bad or unpleasant things do happen.

 

Not so many years ago, we headed out on our two week vacation only to have a horrific accident. We went home and recuperated for the next six months to a year. We were grateful to be alive.

 

We didn't spend time blaming the other guy, or even pursuing any other avenue of compensation. We had been involved in an unavoidable accident - which changed our plans. It did not seem appropriate to blame, or dwell on the negative aspect of this "vacation." It happened, and no amount of compensation could change that.

 

We got well, and got over it. Blaming anyone, and expecting something other than what insurance allowed never occured to us. We were anxious to get on with our lives, and were anxiously looking forward to our next vacation.

 

I expect we will approach our upcoming cruise with the same attitude. We will enjoy being on vacation, and seeing more of this beautiful world. If something changes the itinerary along the way, so be it. We will still be on vacation, and having another wonderful time.

[seahorse]

Having been on nineteen cruises I would have to say that Dawn had the worst ports of call of any of them. That was my expectation before I booked it and my expectations were met. The Dawn cruise should be booked as an enjoyable, nice, easy enjoyable week getaway out of New York, it should not be chosen for it's ports of call.

 

I totally agree. People have to be sold on the 7 day this way, great ship, so-so itn.

 

Now the 10 and 11.......that is a different story:)

[snugglepup]

I sailed with my family on the Dawn 5/29 and had the best time. I am sure you were looking forward to seeing all the ports of call as we were. Keep in mind you don't have that much time to take in Nassau; therefore, the few hours spent at the Atlantis can also be spent on the ship with so much to offer. If you really want to see the Atlantis just stay there for a few days on a different vacation. You will really get your money's worth compared to a few short hours walking through the Dig which is costly. Other than the Atlantis the town of Nassau is nothing compared to that beautiful floating hotel. Be happy with your $200 credit and thank your lucky stars for having Colin on the cruise with you. That alone should make you smile. If you said they changed your itinerary and cruise director in the same week than I would be disappointed too.

[Cocoasmommy]

We sailed on the Dawn on 6/12. A few weeks after booking the cruise and final payment, we received notice saying that there was an itinerary change and that our stay in Nassau would be by 8:00 p.m. and stay overnight, depart by 12:00 p.m. the next day. We were very disappointed because I've never been to the Bahamas, we had saved for a very long time. This was our first vacation in 10 years. But I didn't cancel the cruise. At least we would be there and get a chance to see it, albeit briefly.

 

I think it is important to point out a few things from my perspective. We are not experienced cruisers either. Before 6/12 I had nothing to go on and intended to make the best of things so my husband and children could have a great time. I have been dreaming about seeing what real Caribbean water looks like and couldn't wait to see Nassau. I've never been to the Bahamas and was really excited until the itinerary changed.

 

What I realized on this vacation is what almost everyone has stated here. Your vacation is what you make of it. Considering everything that happened to me (got sick, children sick, worst sunburn ever, had to miss excursion etc.) I have nothing but wonderful memories. I enjoyed the Dawn incredibly and have not one bad thing to say about her, the Captain, crew or staff. I knew going in that there could be storms or other variables that would affect our itinerary - and experienced the mild disappointment in changing our time at Nassau at the very beginning. I now know from researching that your itinerary CAN change for the BETTER.

 

What I can't understand is, what the problem is? Everyone cruising the Dawn now knows that her time in Nassau is brief. Even though the itinerary is overnight, you don't get to see anything by the time you get off the ship. Not too many people were getting off the ship when we docked in Nassau because most people were eating or cleaning up after the long day on the beach at Great Stirrup Cay. There was not too much daylight left, and all that would have been available was shopping (about an hours worth) and the casino at the Atlantis. Now, I have small children and we were able to see the Dig but that was about it. The next morning, my husband went to feed the Stingrays while I stayed in our cabin treating my sunburn. We heard that most of the shops don't even open up until 10 or 11 a.m. and you have to be back by 11:30. While I don't agree with others that Nassau is no big deal, it is to those of us that have never been there. However, it's not so great that not seeing it would ruin our entire vacation. It is such a SHORT visit at an ODD time to begin with, that it's not worth the energy to complain about it. It is not NCL's fault that a passenger isn't interested in Florida. If a passenger wants to they still could have a nice time in Port Canaveral, Miami, and Great Stirrup Cay. 3 out of 4 isn't bad and $100 is a generous offer. 7 out of 7 days gives you a cabin, 3 other ports of call to visit, unlimited (delicious) food, entertainment and excellent service.

 

I can say that I saw alot of fellow passengers complaining and whining about anything and everything. We saw people who seemed to get on the ship determined to have a bad time because of the change in itinerary. The best was 4 days into the cruise, we were at the Garden Cafe having breakfast. A man went up to the staff and created quite a fuss because his room was right below and the restaurant was too noisy. He complained so much that senior staff came in to handle his complaints and take down his information. I don't think he didn't know what deck/cabin/location he booked BEFORE the cruise and that it was below a restaurant!?!?!?! We couldn't understand all the negativity. Does everyone want a freebie these days? The Dawn is a beautiful ship. All of our food was delicious. The entire staff bent over backwards and delivered excellent service. The entertainment was fantastic. But if the destination is the be all and end all and your entire vacation is riding on only one port of call then cruising isn't for you, and you'd be better off flying to it and staying in a hotel.

[DaisyL]

The Dawn is a beautiful ship. All of our food was delicious. The entire staff bent over backwards and delivered excellent service. The entertainment was fantastic. But if the destination is the be all and end all and your entire vacation is riding on only one port of call then cruising isn't for you, and you'd be better off flying to it and staying in a hotel.

Excellent, although your entire post and views are right-on, I think your conclusion says it best ...

[2Cruise4Ever]

Cocoasmommy ~ it's so refreshing to see a first-time cruiser (and first-time poster) with such a positive attitude :) My DH and I and our 2 children (2 and 7) were on the same cruise with you. We also knew about the itinerary change and were somewhat disappointed. We'd been to Nassau before, but our kids hadn't. We knew that there were 2 things we wanted to do: shop and see Atlantis. We still did both. We saw Atlantis the night we docked (the dig was free at night) and we shopped the next morning. BTW, we were off the ship by 8:00 a.m. that day and all the shops were open. We still had a blast.

 

 

Yesterday, my boss returned home from his first cruise: RCCL Grandeur of the Seas 5 day cruise to Bermuda. His first and I had talked it up big time!!! I gave him such great expectations having been on 4 cruises and one of them to Bermuda. And, wouldn't you know it? The ship had propulsion problems within a day of leaving Baltimore. Instead of going 22 knotts, they were chugging along at about 15 knotts. Result? less time in Bermuda. Less than 24 hours in fact. I, of course, was mortified because I knew he'd be upset. Well, the dedicated man that he is came into the office after returning. I braced myself for his bad mood. Ya' know what? He came in smiling and told me how wonderful his trip was. Why? good attitude. He wasn't even a little disappointed about the short stay. He loved the ship, the crew, the pax, the food, everything! He and his wife loved it so much that she is going on with me on my next cruise: ladies weekend out on Carnival in September.

 

My philosophy has always been this: My worst day on a cruise is still better than my best day at work!

[kasius]

No big deal. Trust me, I'd much rather have another sea day over Nassau. Rude people, difficult port to get out of. A better island to resort on than cruise to.

[saslis]

While I agree you are not missing much when skipping Nassau, I disagree with the rude people.

 

We did a walking tour that I had pulled from online the morning we were there, and encountered many nice people on our walk. We had drivers pause to let us cross and greet us with a welcome to Nassau. We talked to a gentleman at the bottom of the Queen's Staircase where we learned the history of the staircase, Fort Fincastle, and other Bahamian information. When we finished he did say he would accept tips (hey, they do rely on tourism), and we were happy to do so and had already planned on it. We learned a lot from him about local culture and he answered our questions. We spoke to local students in the Nassau Dunkin Donuts regarding their uniforms, school times and even traded for a few Bahamian bills for our school age children. The service was definitely slower than what we are used to, but we were in a different culture.

 

Our cab driver to Atlantis the night before was informative and gracious for our business.

 

While there are certainly bad apples everywhere, the people of Nassau are not in general rude.

[naragonl]

While I agree you are not missing much when skipping Nassau, I disagree with the rude people.

 

We did a walking tour that I had pulled from online the morning we were there, and encountered many nice people on our walk. We had drivers pause to let us cross and greet us with a welcome to Nassau. We talked to a gentleman at the bottom of the Queen's Staircase where we learned the history of the staircase, Fort Fincastle, and other Bahamian information. When we finished he did say he would accept tips (hey, they do rely on tourism), and we were happy to do so and had already planned on it. We learned a lot from him about local culture and he answered our questions. We spoke to local students in the Nassau Dunkin Donuts regarding their uniforms, school times and even traded for a few Bahamian bills for our school age children. The service was definitely slower than what we are used to, but we were in a different culture.

 

Our cab driver to Atlantis the night before was informative and gracious for our business.

 

While there are certainly bad apples everywhere, the people of Nassau are not in general rude.

 

Nice post (I've never been to Nassau), and was having some hesitation about Nassau, however your description of the walking tour (I'll look it up) sounds fun, Can you tell me how long it took, because it will be more than likely a decision betweeen The Atlantis or walking tour, it would be nice to fit both in though.

_________________________________________________________________

I did a quick web search and found this after I originally posted

 

The Nassau Walking Tour departs twice daily (except Sundays) at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. from the bust of Sir Milo Butler in Rawson Square. Tours last approximately 90 minutes.

[Cocoasmommy]

Thanks for the comments everyone. The Dawn wasn't my first cruise after all, but it was for my husband and my children. I went on a 4 day cruise on Royal Caribbean about 12 years ago. It was the worst vacation ever. Only recently did I discover that we were on a "booze cruise" to St. Thomas. The weather was horrible (December) and the beach at St. Thomas (Megan's Bay) ended up to be extremely small and the water was filthy, which could have been because of a storm. There were other factors that made it a terrible trip, and the main one being that my father passed away only a few short months before the trip and I put too much hope in that it would help alleviate our grief. Either way, I swore I would never cruise again because of this one experience. I was at first very uncomfortable when my husband suggested a cruise for our first ever family vacation. But the price and convenience were too hard to pass up. It was also much more appealing when considering the alternative of flying with toddlers.

 

I'm so glad I didn't let my first experience get in the way of cruising again. I realize the reason for the bad experience was certainly poor timing and I was only 19 at the time. Also, after researching (and reading this website) cruising has changed alot in 12 years. It really is unfair to judge an entire industry or one cruise line on one experience. Just decide ahead of time that you are going to have a great time no matter what, and you will.

 

That being said, I also wanted to say that I thought the Captain's main responsibility was the safe passage of some 2000 passengers and 1300 crew, not a PR man. He's not responsible for handing out refunds so I think the way this situation was handled was more than acceptable.

 

2Cruise4Ever, I'm so glad you had a nice time and were able to enjoy Atlantis! I wonder if our children ever crossed paths in the Kid's Crew? Our kids had such a great time there and loved the girls in charge of the daycare. They all work so hard to make it nice. There's a bunch of other places I'd love to see, but if the opportunity presented itself, I wouldn't hesitate to cruise the Dawn again on the exact same itinerary. I'd do a few things differently, like bring my Mom so that she could enjoy it just as much as we did.

[saslis]

We did not due a commercial tour, but a self guided one. http://dest.travelocity.com/DestGuides/0,1840,NETCENTER%7C6166%7C%7C%7C0251010008%7CF,00.html

 

This is the site I printed it from.

 

We visited Atlantis at night to view the dig and the grounds. It was not lit up like I expected outside. The dig is free at night.

 

We probably spent a good 2 hours in the am with our Dunkin Donuts stop and shopping at the Straw Market at the end.

[jrose529]

saslis,

Thanks for the link. :D

[harrodsfan]

The name of the board is CruiseCritic... not GreatCruises or OhHappyDay. It is reality, as such, the bad along with the good gets posted. It all has a place here so others researching cruises can read real opinions. And they all should be taken as such... even mine!

Great comment....Id o want to hear the bad as well as the good. I know that there are whiners out there...but there are also people with valid points of view.

Sometimes one just needs to vent. This should be a safe place to do that.

I tend to look at the bad with a sense of humor. That helps me deal with it.

But sometimes that is difficult. So keep the comments coming..good and bad!