Dawn or BA to Bermuda

[NOSaints1]

What's your opinion on either of these, I know the Dawn sails out of Boston and has 4,days in Bermuda, one sea day on the way there and two back, where as the BA has two there, one back and 3 days in Bermuda.

 

The BA has more things to do, restaurants, but going to Bermuda which is better sailing out ofNY or Boston. We've never been on NCL, only Carnival and going on RC next October, so we don't know what to expect and what the ships are like. So if you have any opinions on either of these ships or tips, that would be great

[phoenix1181]

You're trying to compare apples & oranges! We prefer small ships so Dawn will always win over BA.

 

Dawn is not in Bermuda 4 days. She arrives in Bermuda @ 1:00 on Sunday & leaves Tuesday late afternoon. (sorry, don't remember the time)

[NOSaints1]

DayCruise PortsArriveDepart

FriBoston, Massachusetts (EMBARK)---4:00 pm

SatAt Sea------

SunRoyal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda---Overnight

Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda1:00 pm---

MonRoyal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda---Overnight

TueRoyal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda---5:30 pm

WedAt Sea------

ThuAt Sea------

FriBoston, Massachusetts (DISEMBARK)

 

I was just comparing what ships for Bermuda, although BA looks nice

[calmpets]

If the prices are equal, I'd definitely pick the Breakaway, but the Dawn is usually cheaper by a noticeable amount. They have a fairly equal amount of time in Bermuda, but the Dawn arrives on a Sunday when all but the dockyard area is closed. The Breakaway has more bells & whistles (waterslides, rock climbing wall, etc), but if you're not going to use any of that it's not worth paying extra for the access. I'm actually sailing on the Dawn in a few weeks, and I had the same debate before booking, but I don't take advantage of the extra activities the Breakaway offers, and oceanview rooms on the Dawn were about $200-250 per person cheaper. Hope this helps!

[NOSaints1]

Are the staterooms smaller on either ship, one thing is I don't know if you can only book in US dollars or can you book in CDN

[sail7seas]

I sailed Dawn for the first time (NCL for the first time) to Bermuda this summer. After a great many cruises on HAL ships, I was pleasantly surprised with my experience on Dawn. I had low anticipation and left quite satisfied with the experience. :)

 

[NOSaints1]

How was the overall ship I mean, well maintained, public areas, enough things to do, enough dining options

[phoenix1181]

How was the overall ship I mean, well maintained, public areas, enough things to do, enough dining options

 

Dawn is in good shape. Yes, there are some areas that need sprucing up but overall, we haven't seen anything that made us take a second look. She's going to dry dock the end of April next year so depending on when you're planning to go, she may be recently redone.

[sail7seas]

Ship was showing a bit of age but certainly was maintained and clean.

My cabin and particularly bathroom were in very good condition. No carpet stains, no chipped tiles, no stains in tub etc

Plenty of choices for dining. We were aboard a week and never tried all of them. We went to alternative restaurants and to no extra charge and there were some left we hadn't tried.

 

We are 'self-entertainers' so don't look for 'fun games' by cruise staff. We had beautiful weather and the pool was well used by many.

 

I found the crew very friendly, efficient and eager to please.

 

Edited September 20, 2015 by sail7seas

[NOSaints1]

Which one do you find more relaxing, it almost seems the BA to crowded

[biker@sea]

Which one do you find more relaxing, it almost seems the BA to crowded

 

C.C. member Seadog did an Excellent review of Breakaway.

 

Check it out here = http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2251294

[NOSaints1]

Was just watching YouTube videos on both ships, both are nice. How's the food is it up to par or is it hit and miss I've also heard the food was better in the specialty restaurants but not in the MDR

[TougherThanTheRest]

I've been on, and enjoyed, both. For me, it would really come down to which departure city was better for you and price (if those are factors to you.) I found the MDR and buffet similar or both, but the BA had the edge on speciality restaurants--Ocean Blue, the raw bar, and the lobster roll place were all better than anything I had on the Dawn.

[sail7seas]

Was just watching YouTube videos on both ships, both are nice. How's the food is it up to par or is it hit and miss I've also heard the food was better in the specialty restaurants but not in the MDR

 

Food is so subjective. It is hard to know what you like vs what someone writing the review likes. Best is usually to take a general impression from lots of posts.

 

Hope some of these answers to your questions have been helpful.

 

[BirdTravels]

In part it is a choice between a newer “mega” ship and a traditional cruise ship.

 

The Breakaway offers more options to do more things both during sea days and while in Bermuda.

 

Arrival: The Breakaway arrives in Bermuda in the morning giving you the option to a full day of touristing vs. the Dawn arriving at 1:00 pm providing more limited activities on your first day (more of a disadvantage).

 

Departure: Breakaway leaves at 3:00 vs. Dawn leaving at 5:30 pm. To a large extent, both offer you a full day ashore on Day 3.

 

Breakaway. During the months of May-September, Hamilton hosts an evening Harbor Nights street festival on Wednesday nights (Breakaway in port). The main street is closed for a big party with food, art, and entertainment. It’s great fun and since you are overnighting in Bermuda, you can stay out until the last ferry back to the pier.

[dcipjr]

I've done both, and I prefer the Breakaway.

 

The Breakaway's Wednesday 8 AM arrival means a full day in Bermuda, and since it's a weekday, everything is open. The Dawn stays later on Tuesday, but I'd rather have the longer day as my first day on the island, since you don't need to be back at the ship at a set time. Plus there's Harbor Nights.

 

I also prefer how Breakaway has two sea days on the way down, and one on the way back. The Dawn has one sea day on the way down, and two on the way back—but I can't shake that feeling that my vacation is coming to an end once we leave Bermuda, so the two sea days weren't quite as fun. I'd rather have them on the way down; they give you a chance to unwind and explore the ship, and just as you're running out of things to do, you arrive in Bermuda.

 

I liked both ships. The Dawn was older and smaller, but it has a nice homey feel to it, a wraparound promenade, and better prices. The Breakaway had way more stuff to do, but still was very relaxing. The crowds didn't seem to be that much of a factor, but I do recommend having a balcony so that you have a private space to retreat to, should things get crowded.

 

I would do either cruise again in a heartbeat, but the Breakaway's itinerary gives it the advantage over the Dawn. I didn't even mention the sailaway out of NYC, which is an awesome experience.

[Mar56]

Are the staterooms smaller on either ship, one thing is I don't know if you can only book in US dollars or can you book in CDN

 

You can book in canadian and your exchange rate is fixed from that point.

[NOSaints1]

Is there a grocery store near the NY pier to pick up some Coke/Diet Coke and is there a place in Bermuda where you can restock

[bbryan5]

I've done both, and prefer the Breakaway. Don't get my wrong, there's absolutely nothing with with the Dawn, but we just enjoyed the Breakaway more.

[spidybabe]

We usually like the smaller more personalized ships. Food equal on most ships. Deciding between ships, prices and port times is never easy, but you also need to remember that on the BA you have the most beautiful sail away ever! The Freedom tower, NY skyline, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and going under the Verrazano Bridge are sights not to be missed. Tough choice

Safe sailing

[Gershep]

Is there a grocery store near the NY pier to pick up some Coke/Diet Coke and is there a place in Bermuda where you can restock

 

 

Not sure if there is a store close to the pier in NY but there is a store/drugstore in Dockyard where you can restock. Prices may be high but we were able to get some things in there.

 

I would also check prices of hotels, car service or parking in both cities to see what additional cost you would have.

[NOSaints1]

Did you work with a TA or booked with NCL

[PATRLR]

How's the food is it up to par or is it hit and miss I've also heard the food was better in the specialty restaurants but not in the MDR

 

I would hope the food in the specialty venues (that you pay extra $$ for) is better. My experience is they are much better.

[SuiteCruiser]

Are the staterooms smaller on either ship, one thing is I don't know if you can only book in US dollars or can you book in CDN

 

You can book in Cdn directly through NCL, you'll have to call in though and make sure you tell them you want it in Canadian.

 

You can also pick a Canadian travel agent, and they do the booking for you, and use NCL's exchange rate which is really good right now.

[NOSaints1]

A TA can also recommend what's a better ship for you right? We do like a variety of food options, but not be bored I like either one any cruise is better than none, all the changes have made lately do you still like cruising NCL