Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Dawn to Bermuda 8/24-8/31

Burrata

By Burrata,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

 Share

Recommended Posts

Burrata

Burrata

Posted
Posted

Dawn August 24th-31st, Boston to Bermuda

 

CC has been a great resource for planning this cruise! This was our third cruise on NCL but our first on the Dawn. We had great weather the entire trip and would happily cruise there again.

 

Embarkation: We live close to Boston so it made more financial sense to take a taxi/Lyft/Uber to the dock rather than pay for parking. We arrived at about 1pm and after dropping off our bags, we went right through security and had a very short wait to check in. Easy peasy!

 

Cabin: 10708, category BB aft. Balcony was adequate, found a place for all of our stuff and it was quiet. Our cabin steward stopped by and introduced himself within the hour. He kept our cabin very clean, created a daily towel animal and filled the ice bucket everyday. Everything we needed! There is only one outlet for 110V, plan accordingly.

 

Dining: We had made one dinner reservation online using promo SDP (Los Lobos) and wanted to make the other two as quick as we could. We had a short wait to make those reservations after 1:30 once it was announced that rooms were ready. Booked Cagney’s and La Cucina.

 

We ate breakfast in The Venetian everyday except for one. Really enjoyed having a quiet and filling breakfast to start the day. We are early birds and usually were down for breakfast at 7:30 ish. We also ate in The Venetian for lunch one day as well.

 

We ate in the Garden Cafe for lunch everyday except for two days (MDR one day, in Bermuda the other). I am fairly certain I had Indian food everyday! Hubby usually went for sandwiches or salads. We tried to go when it wasn’t too busy and we never had trouble finding a place to sit. Staff were coming around constantly clearing off tables and keeping the area clean.

 

We had the SDP as a perk and ate at Los Lobos, La Cucina, and Cagney’s. Loved the freshly made table side guacamole at Los Lobos! LIked it so much we ate there another night a la carte. The rest of the menu items are fine, husband really like the chicken enchiladas with mole sauce, it was spicy, just the way he liked it.

 

La Cucina was delicious! The caprese salad with fresh mozzarella was very good and the risotto was equally good. Hubby had a lasagna which he enjoyed.

 

Cagney’s is excellent! For me, the beet and goat cheese salad and the tuna steak which I asked for rare and it was! Just a light sear on both sides, it was divine. Hubby had the petite fillet which was cooked to his liking. We ordered three sides to share (broccoli, mac and cheese, and creamed corn). One of the few times we had desert and we shared the seven layer cake (chocolate) with ice cream.

 

The other nights we ate at Aqua or The Venetian. Husband had to make sure he had the flounder at least twice. Easy to get a table when we wanted and service was fine.

 

Didn’t take pictures of any of the menus but did notice they were basically the same when we were on the Breakaway in February 2017 and 2018. Old favorites that are tried and true. (flounder anyone?)

 

Excursions: I booked two excursions through NCL. The first was the Aquarium, Cave and Highlights tour for our first day in Bermuda. Thought it was good way to get some first day sightseeing and an overview of the island. The driver was informative and we learned a lot about Bermuda. We enjoyed the Crystal Cave and thought the aquarium was nice. The zoo part was an odd mixture of animals. Seeing lemurs wandering around at your feet is something new. We were dropped off in Hamilton and were able to make the 4:45 pm ferry. This was on a Sunday.

 

Second, NCL excursion was the Bermuda Triangle Shipwreck Snorkel. Using the Latitude discount plus the $50 shore excursion credit made this a bargain for one person. The actual company used for this tour was Bermuda Water Tours and it had a glass bottom as well. There were 21 people on this excursion. We motored off to two shipwrecks, the Constellian and the Montana. They provided the snorkel equipment and gave pool noodles for floatation. The water is so clear and I got some good video using a GoPro. Lots of fish too. Went on the Monday.

 

The third excursion I booked independently online and in advance was Restless Native’s Sunset & Swizzle Cruise. For the two of us, it was just under $100. The commentary was long winded and mostly about wealthy people who have houses in Bermuda and how expensive everything is. Once he stopped talking, it was a peaceful and pleasant way to spend the evening. There were tasty and unlimited rum sizzles and bite sized freshly made chocolate chip cookies. This was on Monday night.

 

Next time we visit, I would book excursions independent of the ship but having a discount and a shore excursion credit was nice.

 

Bermuda: We were the only cruise ship in port on Sunday. Taxis and minivans were parked very close to the ship. Once another ship came into port later on Monday, the taxis/minivans moved down to the assigned spots. It was hot but not too humid. We did some looking around the Dockyard/Clocktower mall on Monday. Bought a small ornament from the Bermuda craft market. Paid with US dollars and never saw a Bermudian dollar. On Tuesday, we went to Horseshoe Bay Beach via minivan. We didn’t leave the dock until EVERY seat was filled. Didn’t know you could have fold down seats in the aisles! Arrived at 10am and proceeded to walk away from the gathering crowds and found some shade and quiet. The water is clear and the perfect temperature. I had my mask and snorkel and saw some fish near the rocks including a huge parrot fish. My husband could see it clearly even without a mask. Shared a fish cake sandwich, onion rings and two large Dark and Stormies at the Rum Bum beach bar. The minivan driver going back did a detour to the highest point of Bermuda and a bay were turtles can be seen (saw about 5 swimming around).

 

Onboard activities: Walked around the promenade almost everyday, some loungers on each side on deck 7 but usually taken. Could find quiet places to grab a lounger and shade on the upper decks. The lounge on deck 9 also a good place to read, play cards, or relax. Behind the Scenes presentation was informative and provided a handout with tons of technical stats about the Dawn. Q & A with officers also interesting, people asked some really good questions. Husband did martini tasting (fee) enjoyed it and learned something as well. We like peace and quiet most of the time and we could find that on the Dawn.

 

The Dawn: Crew was excellent, very friendly and helpful. Felt very comfortable and relaxed. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. The only “negative” about this cruise was CruiseNext. We went to the Latitudes cocktail party which in disguise was a pitch for CruiseNext. A talk about the new ships was done by CruiseNext. They even called our cabin twice and left voice mail messages. We just avoided anything done by CruiseNext. That was only negative on an otherwise wonderful time.

 

Wasn’t planning to write so much but will happy to answer any questions. I only scanned three dailies because they pretty much repeat, but still have them if any has anything specific they need to know.

 

Day 1

 

Day 4

 

 

 

Day 7

Link to comment
Share on other sites
newmexicoNita

newmexicoNita

Posted
Posted
Dawn August 24th-31st, Boston to Bermuda

 

CC has been a great resource for planning this cruise! This was our third cruise on NCL but our first on the Dawn. We had great weather the entire trip and would happily cruise there again.

 

Embarkation: We live close to Boston so it made more financial sense to take a taxi/Lyft/Uber to the dock rather than pay for parking. We arrived at about 1pm and after dropping off our bags, we went right through security and had a very short wait to check in. Easy peasy!

 

Cabin: 10708, category BB aft. Balcony was adequate, found a place for all of our stuff and it was quiet. Our cabin steward stopped by and introduced himself within the hour. He kept our cabin very clean, created a daily towel animal and filled the ice bucket everyday. Everything we needed! There is only one outlet for 110V, plan accordingly.

 

Dining: We had made one dinner reservation online using promo SDP (Los Lobos) and wanted to make the other two as quick as we could. We had a short wait to make those reservations after 1:30 once it was announced that rooms were ready. Booked Cagney’s and La Cucina.

 

We ate breakfast in The Venetian everyday except for one. Really enjoyed having a quiet and filling breakfast to start the day. We are early birds and usually were down for breakfast at 7:30 ish. We also ate in The Venetian for lunch one day as well.

 

We ate in the Garden Cafe for lunch everyday except for two days (MDR one day, in Bermuda the other). I am fairly certain I had Indian food everyday! Hubby usually went for sandwiches or salads. We tried to go when it wasn’t too busy and we never had trouble finding a place to sit. Staff were coming around constantly clearing off tables and keeping the area clean.

 

We had the SDP as a perk and ate at Los Lobos, La Cucina, and Cagney’s. Loved the freshly made table side guacamole at Los Lobos! LIked it so much we ate there another night a la carte. The rest of the menu items are fine, husband really like the chicken enchiladas with mole sauce, it was spicy, just the way he liked it.

 

La Cucina was delicious! The caprese salad with fresh mozzarella was very good and the risotto was equally good. Hubby had a lasagna which he enjoyed.

 

Cagney’s is excellent! For me, the beet and goat cheese salad and the tuna steak which I asked for rare and it was! Just a light sear on both sides, it was divine. Hubby had the petite fillet which was cooked to his liking. We ordered three sides to share (broccoli, mac and cheese, and creamed corn). One of the few times we had desert and we shared the seven layer cake (chocolate) with ice cream.

 

The other nights we ate at Aqua or The Venetian. Husband had to make sure he had the flounder at least twice. Easy to get a table when we wanted and service was fine.

 

Didn’t take pictures of any of the menus but did notice they were basically the same when we were on the Breakaway in February 2017 and 2018. Old favorites that are tried and true. (flounder anyone?)

 

Excursions: I booked two excursions through NCL. The first was the Aquarium, Cave and Highlights tour for our first day in Bermuda. Thought it was good way to get some first day sightseeing and an overview of the island. The driver was informative and we learned a lot about Bermuda. We enjoyed the Crystal Cave and thought the aquarium was nice. The zoo part was an odd mixture of animals. Seeing lemurs wandering around at your feet is something new. We were dropped off in Hamilton and were able to make the 4:45 pm ferry. This was on a Sunday.

 

Second, NCL excursion was the Bermuda Triangle Shipwreck Snorkel. Using the Latitude discount plus the $50 shore excursion credit made this a bargain for one person. The actual company used for this tour was Bermuda Water Tours and it had a glass bottom as well. There were 21 people on this excursion. We motored off to two shipwrecks, the Constellian and the Montana. They provided the snorkel equipment and gave pool noodles for floatation. The water is so clear and I got some good video using a GoPro. Lots of fish too. Went on the Monday.

 

The third excursion I booked independently online and in advance was Restless Native’s Sunset & Swizzle Cruise. For the two of us, it was just under $100. The commentary was long winded and mostly about wealthy people who have houses in Bermuda and how expensive everything is. Once he stopped talking, it was a peaceful and pleasant way to spend the evening. There were tasty and unlimited rum sizzles and bite sized freshly made chocolate chip cookies. This was on Monday night.

 

Next time we visit, I would book excursions independent of the ship but having a discount and a shore excursion credit was nice.

 

Bermuda: We were the only cruise ship in port on Sunday. Taxis and minivans were parked very close to the ship. Once another ship came into port later on Monday, the taxis/minivans moved down to the assigned spots. It was hot but not too humid. We did some looking around the Dockyard/Clocktower mall on Monday. Bought a small ornament from the Bermuda craft market. Paid with US dollars and never saw a Bermudian dollar. On Tuesday, we went to Horseshoe Bay Beach via minivan. We didn’t leave the dock until EVERY seat was filled. Didn’t know you could have fold down seats in the aisles! Arrived at 10am and proceeded to walk away from the gathering crowds and found some shade and quiet. The water is clear and the perfect temperature. I had my mask and snorkel and saw some fish near the rocks including a huge parrot fish. My husband could see it clearly even without a mask. Shared a fish cake sandwich, onion rings and two large Dark and Stormies at the Rum Bum beach bar. The minivan driver going back did a detour to the highest point of Bermuda and a bay were turtles can be seen (saw about 5 swimming around).

 

Onboard activities: Walked around the promenade almost everyday, some loungers on each side on deck 7 but usually taken. Could find quiet places to grab a lounger and shade on the upper decks. The lounge on deck 9 also a good place to read, play cards, or relax. Behind the Scenes presentation was informative and provided a handout with tons of technical stats about the Dawn. Q & A with officers also interesting, people asked some really good questions. Husband did martini tasting (fee) enjoyed it and learned something as well. We like peace and quiet most of the time and we could find that on the Dawn.

 

The Dawn: Crew was excellent, very friendly and helpful. Felt very comfortable and relaxed. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. The only “negative” about this cruise was CruiseNext. We went to the Latitudes cocktail party which in disguise was a pitch for CruiseNext. A talk about the new ships was done by CruiseNext. They even called our cabin twice and left voice mail messages. We just avoided anything done by CruiseNext. That was only negative on an otherwise wonderful time.

 

Wasn’t planning to write so much but will happy to answer any questions. I only scanned three dailies because they pretty much repeat, but still have them if any has anything specific they need to know.

 

Day 1

 

Day 4

 

 

 

Day 7

Very nice review: glad you enjoyed yourself. We are always impressed with the service on NCL but we thought the Dawn was even one step up. The only place we differ is Los Lobos. I know everyone seems to like it. We were not impressed. The guacamole was good but not nearly spicy enough for us. We felt the same with the rest of the food. Now, let me explain we were born and raised in So. Ca, lived for 13 years in Dallas and 7 in NM> So we are lovers of hot salsa.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Burrata

Burrata

Posted
  • Author
Posted

newMexicoNita, I know what you mean about things not being spicy! Our waitress wanted to make sure hubby was okay with spice level of the mole, I guess some people have complained. The second time we had the guacamole we asked for it spicy and it was perfect!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Bob46

Bob46

Posted
Posted

We were on this cruise also. Had a great time. The crew was fantastic and always asking how our day was going. The food was very good in the Main Dining rooms, even better than our specialty choices of Cagney's, La Cucina, and Moderno. The breakfast in the buffet was surprisingly good with some of the best scrambled eggs I've had (powdered or real). We spent time at O'Sheehans and the Wine Cellar.

 

We live in Maine so driving to Boston was easy. This was our first time on this Bermuda Cruise, but won't be our last.

 

One warning...there is a deadline for Duty Free purchases in Bermuda. The last day I went to the Rum store at the Dockyard. A sign said that the duty free deadline for the Dawn was 1:00 PM. Since it was after 2:00, I couldn't get the duty free price. 1 Liter Gosslings 80 Black Rum was $16 duty free, $38.00 after 1:00 PM.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
warb

warb

Posted
Posted

Regarding, filling up Minivan Taxis before they leave. A few years ago, there was

 

someone checking to make sure vans were full. I think it was on Private Taxis behalf,

 

because cheaper rate Vans cut into their business.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Snowysmom

Snowysmom

Posted
Posted

I was on the cruise before you. DH and I were so tired of the Cruise Next pitches. We got to the point where we were making jokes about it. We did enjoy Los Lobos, LeBistro, and Moderno for our specialty meals. It is nice to be able to drive to the port. Thanks for your review.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ladybug02191

ladybug02191

Posted
Posted
Epic_Bear and Jember, are you having post-cruise withdrawals like I am?

 

We totally lucked out with the weather and it seems everyone behaved themselves : )

 

I was also on this cruise with my family (first trip to Bermuda)---we had a great time and the weather was gorgeous! I have definitely been having food/drinks/relaxation withdrawal. It's been a l-o-n-g first day back to work here---:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...