Sailing on the Dawn was not what I expected.

[Nashna]

The Dawn was not my first choice for a cruise to Bermuda from Boston. When we booked our cruise, The Dawn was the only ship that had balcony staterooms available. We were sailing with two other couples and The Dawn schedule, departure port and balcony stateroom availability made it our only choice. This was my 42nd cruise. I have sailed on mass market and luxury cruise lines. I had very low expectations for the NCL Dawn based on their reputation as well as reading some of the Cruise Critic and TA reports.

 

We drove to the cruise port and parked at the Mass Port Parking Lot on Congress Street. My husband dropped us off at the pier and drove to the parking lot. There is construction all around the port and finding the garage was very difficult. Unfortunately, the garage attendant gave instructions to park on the third floor to meet the shuttle. About 50 passengers waited in vain for over 45 minutes on the third floor for the bus. Finally, after several calls to Mass Port, someone came to inform the gathering crowd that the shuttles were located outside the parking garage. There were no signs at the shuttle stop or in the garage.

 

 

Once we were in NCL's control, things worked like a charm. We checked in at 11:30, just as the cruise director was announcing that it was open boarding. Five minutes later, we were onboard and were able to meet our friends from Texas in the lounge. I declined that first bloody mary and headed up to Bamboo to change some of our dinner reservations. When I arrived there were 6 other groups in front of me and I expected a long wait. Suddenly, two more reservationists arrived to help out and my wait became 4 or 5 minutes. A friendly, helpful lady made the changes, got us reservations for 6 at Le Bistro on the last night and reminded me that I had one night left to reserve. I was impressed. She also thanked me for knowing exactly when and where we wished to dine each night as it really speeds up the line. There was one couple who were speaking with a reservationist when I arrived and was still talking to her 15 minutes later when I left. Please...check out your dining options online prior to boarding.

 

We decided to have a leisurely lunch in the MDR and were all very pleased with our meals. Just as we were getting up to leave, we were informed that our rooms were ready. We were impressed by the quality of the lunch as well as the room readiness. We ended up having all our breakfasts in the MDR as the service was quick, friendly, the food was hot and delicious . Plus the setting was elegant in the Venetian. My only complaint was looking at those ugly desecrated prints on the walls. Thanks to cruise critic, I was able to let our friends know that the art work was universally panned.

 

Our balcony staterooms were tiny. I had read the reviews on TA and CC so this was not a surprise. The bathroom was more than adequate. I had brought all my own soaps, lotions and shampoos which was fortunate. The balcony was small. It had two comfortable deck chairs and a tiny little table. We requested bathrobes from our cabin steward the first afternoon and they were in our rooms after turn down service. I had heard they would be skimpy, so I requested extra sized. They were huge and very warm. We had a chilly departure from Boston and I truly appreciated their warmth. Our steward was great. He always made up our rooms as soon as weleft. Just don't forget to change the donot disturb sign outside your door.

 

First night's dinner was at Cagney's to celebrate ourfriend's actual 50th anniversary. My ribeye steak was outstanding. It was as good as any that I've had at a fine beef house. In fact, we were on Seabourn in January and we never experienced that quality of meat on our 12-day cruise. The Cagney staff did a grand job of helping us celebrate. It was the first of many wonderful meals on the Dawn. Le Bistro also did an amazing job on our last night. By then, we were used to hearing "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" sung by the staff and we sang along with them.

 

We saw a few shows and danced a few nights. The entertainment was fun and engaging. We did not get to see all of the shows as we tended to dine a bit later. The music throughout the ship was excellent.

 

There were cons. Yes, finding space by the pool was a challenge. However, we soon discovered the forward 13th deck and it became our favorite. The Garden Café is poorly situated so that you are forced to fight the crowds carrying trays and going in different directions. We opted to forgo the Café for breakfast and lunch and just used it for a mid day snack of cookies and ice cream at 2:30pm. Yes,the ship's layout could be better. WhiteNight was a bust. The music was super loud and the dance area is weirdly placed away from the tables. This was a big disappointment as it is typically a cruise highlight for us. We left after 30 minutes and headed down to the lounge by Le Bistro where we had an enjoyable evening listening and singing along. A huge con was the paltry bread offerings for my Celiac husband. Toast was the only alternative bread offered to him in any of the restaurants. Blueberry muffins were the only muffins/pastry offered throughout the cruise.

 

We did one NCL excursion, The Rum Swizzle Sunset Cruise was outstanding. We docked in Bermuda at1:00pm and spent the afternoon at the dockyards shopping. We came back to the Dawn, had a light snack and changed for the Sunset Sail. At this point it had been mostly cloudy during the day. By 6:00pm, it was sunny. We had a delightful sail with lots of loca information provided by our guide. The rum and soft drinks flowed and we saw an amazing sunset. I highly recommend this excursion. On our second day we took the ferry to Hamilton and rented Twisy'. We traveled along Bermuda’s South Road ending up in St. George’s. We all loved the Twisy’s. I strongly suggest that you rent one from Current in Bermuda. They are so much fun. Our last day was spent at the amazing Horseshoe Beach. It is not to bemissed.

 

I can't praise the NCL Dawn staff enough. They were amazing. They were friendly. They truly did everythingthey could to make sure we were having a good time. Impressive.

 

I regret listening to the naysayers who panned NCL and The Dawn. Once onboard, any hesitation we had over the quality of our week’s cruise quickly dissolved. We had a great cruise experience on The Dawn. We were looking for a fun time with old friends celebrating a big milestone. TheDawn delivered.

Edited June 29, 2018 by Nashna
spacing

[cruise4kicks]

The Dawn is my favorite NCL ship. Glad you had a nice time!

[Match Game 72]

Thank you for the detailed review. It sounds like a lovely cruise.

[2Oldpeopleinlove]

Lovely. Thanks for this. We'll be going Boston to Bermuda on Dawn in September, and we can't wait!

[Maniacal Cruiser]

Next time you cruise contact NCL ahead of time with any special dietary needs and they will be addressed fully.

[Love my butler]

Next time you cruise contact NCL ahead of time with any special dietary needs and they will be addressed fully.

 

Actually, they won't be. The ship will not load anything extra for your diet. They will simply use what they have in stock and help you work around the menu. Been there, done that. Many times.

[pieshops]

Actually, they won't be. The ship will not load anything extra for your diet. They will simply use what they have in stock and help you work around the menu. Been there, done that. Many times.

And how is that any different then what the previous poster said? Did you expect them to have a seperate shopping list just for you?

[newmexicoNita]

The Dawn was not my first choice for a cruise to Bermuda from Boston. When we booked our cruise, The Dawn was the only ship that had balcony staterooms available. We were sailing with two other couples and The Dawn schedule, departure port and balcony stateroom availability made it our only choice. This was my 42nd cruise. I have sailed on mass market and luxury cruise lines. I had very low expectations for the NCL Dawn based on their reputation as well as reading some of the Cruise Critic and TA reports.

 

We drove to the cruise port and parked at the Mass Port Parking Lot on Congress Street. My husband dropped us off at the pier and drove to the parking lot. There is construction all around the port and finding the garage was very difficult. Unfortunately, the garage attendant gave instructions to park on the third floor to meet the shuttle. About 50 passengers waited in vain for over 45 minutes on the third floor for the bus. Finally, after several calls to Mass Port, someone came to inform the gathering crowd that the shuttles were located outside the parking garage. There were no signs at the shuttle stop or in the garage.

 

 

Once we were in NCL's control, things worked like a charm. We checked in at 11:30, just as the cruise director was announcing that it was open boarding. Five minutes later, we were onboard and were able to meet our friends from Texas in the lounge. I declined that first bloody mary and headed up to Bamboo to change some of our dinner reservations. When I arrived there were 6 other groups in front of me and I expected a long wait. Suddenly, two more reservationists arrived to help out and my wait became 4 or 5 minutes. A friendly, helpful lady made the changes, got us reservations for 6 at Le Bistro on the last night and reminded me that I had one night left to reserve. I was impressed. She also thanked me for knowing exactly when and where we wished to dine each night as it really speeds up the line. There was one couple who were speaking with a reservationist when I arrived and was still talking to her 15 minutes later when I left. Please...check out your dining options online prior to boarding.

 

We decided to have a leisurely lunch in the MDR and were all very pleased with our meals. Just as we were getting up to leave, we were informed that our rooms were ready. We were impressed by the quality of the lunch as well as the room readiness. We ended up having all our breakfasts in the MDR as the service was quick, friendly, the food was hot and delicious . Plus the setting was elegant in the Venetian. My only complaint was looking at those ugly desecrated prints on the walls. Thanks to cruise critic, I was able to let our friends know that the art work was universally panned.

 

Our balcony staterooms were tiny. I had read the reviews on TA and CC so this was not a surprise. The bathroom was more than adequate. I had brought all my own soaps, lotions and shampoos which was fortunate. The balcony was small. It had two comfortable deck chairs and a tiny little table. We requested bathrobes from our cabin steward the first afternoon and they were in our rooms after turn down service. I had heard they would be skimpy, so I requested extra sized. They were huge and very warm. We had a chilly departure from Boston and I truly appreciated their warmth. Our steward was great. He always made up our rooms as soon as weleft. Just don't forget to change the donot disturb sign outside your door.

 

First night's dinner was at Cagney's to celebrate ourfriend's actual 50th anniversary. My ribeye steak was outstanding. It was as good as any that I've had at a fine beef house. In fact, we were on Seabourn in January and we never experienced that quality of meat on our 12-day cruise. The Cagney staff did a grand job of helping us celebrate. It was the first of many wonderful meals on the Dawn. Le Bistro also did an amazing job on our last night. By then, we were used to hearing "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" sung by the staff and we sang along with them.

 

We saw a few shows and danced a few nights. The entertainment was fun and engaging. We did not get to see all of the shows as we tended to dine a bit later. The music throughout the ship was excellent.

 

There were cons. Yes, finding space by the pool was a challenge. However, we soon discovered the forward 13th deck and it became our favorite. The Garden Café is poorly situated so that you are forced to fight the crowds carrying trays and going in different directions. We opted to forgo the Café for breakfast and lunch and just used it for a mid day snack of cookies and ice cream at 2:30pm. Yes,the ship's layout could be better. WhiteNight was a bust. The music was super loud and the dance area is weirdly placed away from the tables. This was a big disappointment as it is typically a cruise highlight for us. We left after 30 minutes and headed down to the lounge by Le Bistro where we had an enjoyable evening listening and singing along. A huge con was the paltry bread offerings for my Celiac husband. Toast was the only alternative bread offered to him in any of the restaurants. Blueberry muffins were the only muffins/pastry offered throughout the cruise.

 

We did one NCL excursion, The Rum Swizzle Sunset Cruise was outstanding. We docked in Bermuda at1:00pm and spent the afternoon at the dockyards shopping. We came back to the Dawn, had a light snack and changed for the Sunset Sail. At this point it had been mostly cloudy during the day. By 6:00pm, it was sunny. We had a delightful sail with lots of loca information provided by our guide. The rum and soft drinks flowed and we saw an amazing sunset. I highly recommend this excursion. On our second day we took the ferry to Hamilton and rented Twisy'. We traveled along Bermuda’s South Road ending up in St. George’s. We all loved the Twisy’s. I strongly suggest that you rent one from Current in Bermuda. They are so much fun. Our last day was spent at the amazing Horseshoe Beach. It is not to bemissed.

 

I can't praise the NCL Dawn staff enough. They were amazing. They were friendly. They truly did everythingthey could to make sure we were having a good time. Impressive.

 

I regret listening to the naysayers who panned NCL and The Dawn. Once onboard, any hesitation we had over the quality of our week’s cruise quickly dissolved. We had a great cruise experience on The Dawn. We were looking for a fun time with old friends celebrating a big milestone. TheDawn delivered.

though I have not read many truly negative comments about the Dawn I still was not a happy camper when she was the only NCL ship going to Bermuda in early May. I had sailed her once, it was ok, but took forever to even learn our way abound the ship. This past time, we were very happy. Like you the crew was outstanding; by far the friendliest we have ever encountered and we have about 40 times.

[newmexicoNita]

Actually, they won't be. The ship will not load anything extra for your diet. They will simply use what they have in stock and help you work around the menu. Been there, done that. Many times.

I think you are wrong about this. I sometimes wonder what you really know about NCL and why you are so negative when it comes to the cruise line?

[PATRLR]

I think you are wrong about this.

You write that you "think" so you really don't know.

I sometimes wonder what you really know about NCL and why you are so negative when it comes to the cruise line?

So you really don't know if what he wrote was right or wrong but you still go out of your way to criticize? That says a lot about you.

[deliver42]

Your review is a perfect example of why not to put too much credence in negative reviews on CC.

[Laszlo]

If you think your balcony on the Dawn was tiny keep away from the Breakaway, Escape etc.....

[Nashna]

Next time you cruise contact NCL ahead of time with any special dietary needs and they will be addressed fully.

Always do that prior to a cruise. My husband ordered special pancakes the day before. His issue was the lack of bread/muffin options. Princess, Seabourn and Celebrity all offered a large variety of rolls, breads and muffins. The Dawn just offered sliced white bread and blueberry muffins.

[Nashna]

And how is that any different then what the previous poster said? Did you expect them to have a seperate shopping list just for you?

 

When you have 10 percent of the population needing a GF diet, it makes sense to have the products on hand for every sailing. The blueberry muffins were frozen. The bread tasted like it was frozen. It's not like we were expecting the pastry chef to whip up special bread options just for him. They could easily be frozen to make it convenient for the cruise line. Other mass market cruise lines offer many more GF options.

[Nashna]

Your review is a perfect example of why not to put too much credence in negative reviews on CC.

 

 

I enjoy reading the reviews and cruise information available on CC. I retired from the travel industry 2 years ago and had actually sailed on two NCL short inaugural cruises 10 to 15 years ago. Then, NCL's reputation in the industry was not the best. They were ranked slightly above Carnival and below RCCL. Reputations can be changed and obviously NCL has worked to improve. However, I probably won't sail on them again. We have booked a cruise on the super family friendly Allure of the Seas for our children and grands and a Viking Ocean cruise for next year. Our cruise on the Dawn was with old friends who wished to go back to Bermuda where they spent their honeymoon. When we travel as a couple, we prefer to sail on ships with smaller crowds. Having said that, we totally enjoyed our time on The Dawn.

[Nashna]

Lovely. Thanks for this. We'll be going Boston to Bermuda on Dawn in September, and we can't wait!

 

 

Have a wonderful cruise. I'm sure You will be impressed by the wonderful service and fantastic Bermuda. Enjoy!

[pieshops]

When you have 10 percent of the population needing a GF diet, it makes sense to have the products on hand for every sailing. The blueberry muffins were frozen. The bread tasted like it was frozen. It's not like we were expecting the pastry chef to whip up special bread options just for him. They could easily be frozen to make it convenient for the cruise line. Other mass market cruise lines offer many more GF options.

 

part if the issue (and I am in the foodservice business) is even if it is 10 percent , it is still a very small percentage, I would say that number is probably pretty representative of allergies and intolerance as a whole. So in my kitchen, if we need a gluten free or peanut free option and we ALWAYS assume it is an allergy, we do not make it in house as for some even mixing in a container that has had peanuts etc in it before poses a problem. I would assume NCL does the same thing or they would have to have a completely seperate, nut free kitchen, gluten free kitchen etc etc and this is not realistic so freezing and bringing in pre made product is a necessity. As far as selection, I have no experience with the selection but I would say if this is true this is something great to speak to the food and beverage director, write out a comment card or write a letter to corporate or all 3

[Beachiekeen]

We loved the Dawn! The pools were crazy so we stuck to the thermal suite. The layout was weird but once we got the hang of it, it was fine. Glad you enjoyed it!

[Barb Nahoumi]

I do remember seeing a selection of GF foods in the buffet.

[Fogfog]

TY for your review and for the info re NCL and GF options (or lack there of)

Helpful

[Love my butler]

I think you are wrong about this. I sometimes wonder what you really know about NCL and why you are so negative when it comes to the cruise line?

 

I know I am right about this. After many dozens of cruises on NCL I have learned many things about NCL. I have both positive and negative things to say about NCL but the cheerleaders only focus and attempt to refute the negatives. Selective focus. It's ok. I will still concentrate on trying to post honest opinions and facts no matter how much it bothers the cheerleaders.

[newmexicoNita]

If you think your balcony on the Dawn was tiny keep away from the Breakaway, Escape etc.....

totally agree. In fact almost all the NCL ships have small balconies but at least they are big enough for the 2 chairs and a small table.I guess that is all we really need.

[pieshops]

I know I am right about this. After many dozens of cruises on NCL I have learned many things about NCL. I have both positive and negative things to say about NCL but the cheerleaders only focus and attempt to refute the negatives. Selective focus. It's ok. I will still concentrate on trying to post honest opinions and facts no matter how much it bothers the cheerleaders.

this is your opinion, others have opinions also, you are not wrong in your opinion as others aren't wrong in theirs - I have had a completely different experience then some I have seen you describe, that does not make me a NCL Cheerleader just someone who has a different experience

[umpisoccer]

We have sailed on the Dawn 4 times now and have loved every trip.

 

Sent from my SM-G935V using Forums mobile app

[salzdt]

We sailed on the Dawn June 8th for the first time. We chose the Dawn because she was one of the smaller ships and we wanted to go to Bermuda. We drove to Boston from Long Island and would do it again. We had a great time, and agree that the pool area was crowded, but we found a spot the worked for us. Service was wonderful and entertainment was fantastic.