DAWN - Boston to Bermuda - First Time Cruiser Review

[BingoSlots]

A little bit about me:

 

I'm Amanda, 29 y/o from the Boston, MA area. I am not too well traveled but have been to places such as Aruba and Hawaii. This was my first time on a cruise ship and happy to report I will be returning. :p

 

I happily won this cruise for 2 through my local casino (gifted an inside cabin, only responsible for port fees/taxes). My guest I brought along was my boyfriend, Al, who is 31 y/o and also from the Boston area. Our total cost for the 2 of us was $801.00 (port fees, taxes, and insurance). $400 a person for a 7 day cruise to Bermuda? I'll take it. Oh yeah, this also included the UBP for free (with the exception of the taxes, roughly $70 a person, and included in that $801.00 price tag). :)

 

We were all set up with an inside cabin, deck 11, room 11529 for the sailing out of Boston on 10/9/2015. I want to give a shout out to all the seasoned cruisers on this board who had helped me through the "what to expect" questions as well as what to pack, bring, etc. Those little tips went a LONG way...

 

We arrived at the Black Falcon Terminal around 10:30am. We sat in a bit of traffic, which was mostly due to the Coast Guard's routine drill. We entered the terminal and noticed a line all the way down to the end of the street and wrapped around :eek:

 

Was this to check in? Nope, this was the taxi line for the folks who just departed the ship. Whew, that would not have been good. Those poor people would be waiting a long time as the taxis were barely arriving. The police officer standing nearby noticed we were sort of lost and helped direct us where to go. We found the line for the baggage porter, tipped him $5 for 3 bags, and went on our way to check in.

 

Since we booked this trip sort of last minute, we missed the window and was unable to get passports. My boyfriend never had one, I did but lost it a few years back during one of my moves. We used our birth certificates and had no problem. They do make you sign a waiver indicating that if you do get left behind in Bermuda (or any other international port), you will be unable to fly back to the United States. The check in attendant joked and suggested to just remain in Bermuda. He was pleasant and helpful and also gave us a map to show us where the MDR and buffet that would be open when we board. He also circled our cabin deck and area and suggested which elevators. Overall, a good experience to check in.

 

The other detail to mention, since we are Casinos At Sea guests we got priority boarding. We were not sure what this meant, exactly, so we followed the signs for CAS check in. We were not given a number (our boarding pool number), so we asked one of the attendants. She explained because we are CAS we did not need one and sat us in the "1" boarding group. SWEET! :D

 

There was a bit of chaos thereafter due to the Coast Guard drill. We were told we would be boarding, then told no, then moved to a different area, and stayed there for about 30 minutes. Finally, it was our turn to board the Dawn.

 

We made our way up to the buffet area as we were the first group to board. There was no one there! Awesome! We had a nice lunch and noticed the lines growing as we enjoyed our food. When we got up to leave and explore the ship, the line was wrapped around towards the elevators. Just in time!

 

As for the food in the buffet, we noticed it differed. The first meal we had when we boarded it was great. All of the food was hot and delicious. I always found the desserts to be great. However, the other times we opted to dine in the buffet we found the food to be mediocre. It was often cold (or luke warm) and some of the dishes were watery (like the eggs). Honestly, for the buffet, we were both pleased. We liked the idea of going there at our leisure whenever we were hungry or just wanted a quick snack.

 

We wanted to check out our cabin and the announcement had been made (by our cruise director, "Dingo" Dave) that the cabins were still being cleaned but you were able to drop your carry on luggage off and see where you'd be spending the week. We made our way to deck 11, one floor below the buffet, by walking through the pool area and down the front stairs.

 

We found our cabin, 11529, was open. Here's the deal: inside cabins are not for everyone. We talked to multiple folks and had recieved different opinions from them all. Some said that the inside cabin was the best way to go for seasickness (being first time cruisers, we did not know if we would truly get seasick) and others argued its better to get an oceanview or balcony for seasickness as you can ground yourself by looking at the horizon or even the water. Others insisted it was too small, others said it was the best because it gets nice and cold and the balcony cabins can tend to be hot.

 

After staying in the cabin for a week I will say that we were totally satisified with it. There was only 2 of us, mind you. I noticed down the hall from us a family of four was staying in an identical inside cabin and I cringed. I could not imagine more than 2 people in that room. The other plus side is that staying with your husband/wife or boyfriend/girlfriend definitely makes it easier. Most of the times we ran inside to change and luckily we can do that in front of one another. If we had to get ready in the bathroom with the door shut, I would imagine it would get annoying and feel crowded. The bed was big (I think it was a king as it was bigger than my queen at home) and comfy. The linens were good too but will more to say on that topic. We got two towels for the pool, two towels to shower, two hand towels and two face clothes, as well as a towel rug for after the shower. The shower is big to my surprise! I was expecting a small stall but this had plenty of room. Water pressure was ehh, but it was hot and stayed hot. This served us just fine. They provided shower gel and shampoo, neither of which we used, as we brought our own tolietries.

 

Fridge was filled but there was still room for our two water bottles we brought - Brita personal filter system ones - best advice I can give. BTW, the tap water is 100% safe. You can taste the chlorine a bit but as soon as we put it through the Brita filter the taste was gone. It was great!

 

Our cabin steward, Ronaldo, was really nice. He greeted me and welcomed me and my boyfriend on board. Gave us a card and told us to call with any questions or if we need the room made up during the hours he is not in the halls (between 12pm-6pm). We actually had to use him once (bf had too many drinks one night and slept until 2pm.. :rolleyes:) during those times and he was there within 15 minutes to clean. We left him a $40 tip at the end since he was so accomodating and all the lovely towel animals! :p

 

For the first night at sea, we went to the casino for a bit. I instantly started to feel the waves (the casino on the Dawn is in the bow) and went back to my cabin to get my motion sickness patch. I ended up retiring for the night as I wanted to just be in bed. My boyfriend played at the casino and discovered the claw machine... oh the deadly claw machine. $1 per swipe gets you a try to win $100 in a stack of $1s. Well.. after a few drinks.. a "few" swipes turn into a lot of swipes. Let's just say he came to bed at 2am and woke me up gently to tell me he thinks he "swiped" a little too much. How much? You will find out on the next segment when I move on to Day 2!

 

Thanks for reading! I'll take any questions you guys may have...

 

Also, I am hoping to figure out how to post pictures. If I do I'll glady share them!!

[pathubia]

Thanks for posting!! I am on the Dawn next month!!

[Mandy412]

Can't wait for the rest. I'm a first timer next month and can't get enough reviews!

[BingoSlots]

Here are some pictures of our cabin, inside room 11529, before I start the Day 2 review.

 

Sorry for the luggage. BTW, these are just the pictures from my iPhone. BF needs to give me his camera so I can upload all the good pictures and post them in my review. :p

 

 

 

[Snowrose]

Looking forward to the rest of your review! We're on the Dawn in 10 days! :D

[BingoSlots]

DAY 2:

 

Woke up early and didn't want to wake the bf up so I went up to the library area to check out the books. They had quite a selection! I had brought my kindle with me but always prefer having a real book in hand. I ended up borrowing a book out later that day when the library attendant was there and finished it by the second to last day.

 

Headed to have a light breakfast at the buffet and everything was suitable. Coffee was good by my standards. I know I've read people complain about the size of the mugs that are available and I agree that they are on the small size. They had "to go" cups that burnt your hand if you only had one cup (had to double up) that were ridiculously small. Another note: Bring a travel mug from home if you are a coffee drinker. I did enjoy the variety of teas they offered! I am very into herbal tea and they had a mango tea that I loved. Even took a few bags home in my luggage. ;)

 

By then I went to get the bf up and found him showered and dressed. He was eager to see the bill from what he racked up at the casino claw machine the night before. He had originally told me he thinks he played about 40-50 times (which would equal $40-$50 dollars at $1 a swipe) but then in the aftermath thought he might have played more.

 

We got to guest services and the rep handed us what looked like a book report. $180 in charges from the claw machine!! :eek:

 

Little to say he was shut off from that claw machine for the duration of the cruise. HAHA

 

We lounged at the pool for the rest of the day and played a bit in the casino. I had my first good hit that day - around $300 on the RIO dancing girls machine. Woohoo.

 

That night we ate at the buffet because the wait was too long (close to an hour) at both of the MDRs. We were starved. Buffet was good quality but seemed to be cold or luke warm. It was a hit or miss. The desserts were always good and I enjoyed the cheesecake the most!

 

We had a nightcap at Gatsby's, spent a little more time in the casino, before calling it a night.

 

Interesting note: As I explained we were Casinos At Sea invited guests. When we first boarded the ship and came to our room to unpack, we received an envelope with our "Lucky" cards as well as our "House" cards. The House cards allowed us to have unlimited beverages (including alcohol) while playing in the casino.

 

 

Well, we have the UBP so this was a wash. Or was it? Turns out, this includes BOTTLED WATER and ENERGY DRINKS (Red Bull, etc)! This was awesome. BF and I grabbed two bottles of water each time we were in there and brought them back to the room to the fridge.

 

Now, you can get the CAS player's card in the casino and if you gamble enough (I think it was 1,500 points) you are entitled the "House" card for the rest of the cruise. If anyone is a gambler, I suggest signing up for the player's card the first day at sea.

[jdemps]

DAY 2:

 

Woke up early and didn't want to wake the bf up so I went up to the library area to check out the books. They had quite a selection! I had brought my kindle with me but always prefer having a real book in hand. I ended up borrowing a book out later that day when the library attendant was there and finished it by the second to last day.

 

Headed to have a light breakfast at the buffet and everything was suitable. Coffee was good by my standards. I know I've read people complain about the size of the mugs that are available and I agree that they are on the small size. They had "to go" cups that burnt your hand if you only had one cup (had to double up) that were ridiculously small. Another note: Bring a travel mug from home if you are a coffee drinker. I did enjoy the variety of teas they offered! I am very into herbal tea and they had a mango tea that I loved. Even took a few bags home in my luggage. ;)

 

By then I went to get the bf up and found him showered and dressed. He was eager to see the bill from what he racked up at the casino claw machine the night before. He had originally told me he thinks he played about 40-50 times (which would equal $40-$50 dollars at $1 a swipe) but then in the aftermath thought he might have played more.

 

We got to guest services and the rep handed us what looked like a book report. $180 in charges from the claw machine!! :eek:

 

Little to say he was shut off from that claw machine for the duration of the cruise. HAHA

 

We lounged at the pool for the rest of the day and played a bit in the casino. I had my first good hit that day - around $300 on the RIO dancing girls machine. Woohoo.

 

That night we ate at the buffet because the wait was too long (close to an hour) at both of the MDRs. We were starved. Buffet was good quality but seemed to be cold or luke warm. It was a hit or miss. The desserts were always good and I enjoyed the cheesecake the most!

 

We had a nightcap at Gatsby's, spent a little more time in the casino, before calling it a night.

 

Interesting note: As I explained we were Casinos At Sea invited guests. When we first boarded the ship and came to our room to unpack, we received an envelope with our "Lucky" cards as well as our "House" cards. The House cards allowed us to have unlimited beverages (including alcohol) while playing in the casino.

 

 

Well, we have the UBP so this was a wash. Or was it? Turns out, this includes BOTTLED WATER and ENERGY DRINKS (Red Bull, etc)! This was awesome. BF and I grabbed two bottles of water each time we were in there and brought them back to the room to the fridge.

 

Now, you can get the CAS player's card in the casino and if you gamble enough (I think it was 1,500 points) you are entitled the "House" card for the rest of the cruise. If anyone is a gambler, I suggest signing up for the player's card the first day at sea.

 

How much do you have to spend to get 1500 points in the casino? do table games count?

[BingoSlots]

How much do you have to spend to get 1500 points in the casino? do table games count?

 

 

Honestly I'm not sure. I racked up around 2,600 points but I hit a big jackpot and played a lot. I also bet high. I know some folks bet 30-40 cents a whack on the penny slots whereas I do $3-$5 a whack.

 

I think it really depends on what you spend AND the amount of time you spend at the casino. I noticed there was a countdown session clock when I used my card so it tracked time spent.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[EaglesWin]

How much do you have to spend to get 1500 points in the casino? do table games count?

 

You get 1 point for each $5 through a slot machine, 1 point for every $10 on video poker. So if you play slots, you need to run $7500 through the machine.

 

Table games provide points at a much slower rate, so if you want points, don't bother with table games.

[BingoSlots]

You get 1 point for each $5 through a slot machine, 1 point for every $10 on video poker. So if you play slots, you need to run $7500 through the machine.

 

Table games provide points at a much slower rate, so if you want points, don't bother with table games.

 

That makes sense. Thanks for providing that info - however, makes me feel uneasy knowing how many points I got AND how much money I ran through the machines. :eek:

 

The table games are always slower to get points! I have always been a slot player, but have friends/family who love the tables. They spend more money gambling than I do and get half the amount of perks as I do.

[BingoSlots]

Good news and bad news...

 

BF brought the camera over last night, but forgot the cord to upload the pictures to my computer. :rolleyes:

 

Should have those pictures up tomorrow or Friday the latest. In the meantime I am writing up my Day 3 summary.

 

Hopefully I gain some more readers..

[jethrojam]

I went on dawn as a first timer. Making a review is hard, thanks for doing it!