NCL Dawn and GSC Villa Detailed Review...with Photos and Videos

[amygutman]

Just back from a wonderful week on the NCL Dawn!

 

About us: Family of 3 – DH and I in our late 40s and our 10yo son. We have been on Celebrity, Disney and RCL on balconies, but our last 6 cruises have all been on NCL and 5 of those in the Haven. We are lucky enough to have Platinum status and after being in H4 two bedroom suites (Breakaway x 2, Escape, Gem), this was our first 2 balcony Owner’s Suite on the June 15^th – 22^nd Florida-Bahamas route, and our first trip on the Dawn. As we have fortunately benefitted from many other CC posters, I am making this review as detailed as possible while fresh in my mind.  My very first YouTube videos of this room, and two from GSC the new Suite Villa Area were just posted ( “NCL Dawn Owner’s Suite with Two Balconies June 2019”, “Great Stirrup Cay Haven / Suite Villas June 2019 1 of 2” and “Great Stirrup Car Haven / Suite Villas June 2019 2 of 2 at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJjKukwlrW07PxVXkeAyhHg/featured), and this review will be posted in parts with a ton of photos. Happy Reading!

[amygutman]

EMBARKATION / DISEMBARKATION

Easy as pie. 10 minutes in line through the screeners, right into the Suite line and check-in. 5 minutes later as Suites / Group 1 was boarding, we were checking in, then 10 more minutes for our private escort up the elevator onto the ship. We spoke to folks who were Platinum Latitudes and folks who were on their first cruise; both stated that despite what looked like long lines in the terminal, they did not have to wait long to board the ship. Our rooms were ready at 1130 – and all rooms ready by 1300. We have found the NY port has always been efficient even with mega-ships. I did notice that the parking lot was full – this would have been an issue if we were driving but we live 90 minutes away and use a car service to avoid any parking snafus. Disembarkation was simple as well – we chose to self-disembark and were off the ship and through customs in about 30 minutes. Despite arriving at the port at 0330(!), due to an issue with NY customs, no one was allowed off the ship until 0845. The self-disembarkation option was scheduled to start at 0730, so there were a number of cranky passengers liming the hallways. Not NCLs fault, but there were limited updates as to the length of the delay.

[amygutman]

STAFF

Cannot have enough positive words of praise for everyone on the ship. They work their tushies off to make sure you are pampered for the week – and do it with smiles. Every restaurant, every housekeeper, every singer…universally positive and cheerful. And it was “honest” cheerfulness – I never felt that the hospitality was forced in any way and am truly puzzled to hear other posters and a few of our fellow cruisers have had 180 degree different experiences. One couple who sat near us at a show said they literally had only met one pleasant crew member the entire trip – this I find exceptionally hard to believe. For us, within a day, our breakfast staff knew my coffee preferences, my son’s waffle requests (syrup and Nutella), and my love for Moscow mules (it’s got ginger in it, so it’s actually a health food if you think about it). We had 3 staff – 2 waiters and 1 housekeeper who remembered our son (not us, clearly our son is much cuter than us) from prior cruises on other ships and made sure to come over and say hello to us and welcome us back to NCL.

 

Our concierge Roel, butler Isidrio, and stateroom attendant Rodel were outstanding. It was a minor inconvenience to not have a concierge “desk” like in the Havens or on the Gem in the Moderno restaurant. Roel however seemed to be everywhere checking on his guests and was only a phone call away. He quickly fixed and re-fixed dinner reservations we made, and personally arranged to escort us off the ship when we missed the priority disembarkation for suites by 15 minutes (you cannot rush a 10 yo in the bathroom, no matter how much you try). We never turned in our vouchers for birthday and anniversary cakes – we are not big cake eaters. And yet – in our room on my birthday and our anniversary – not just a cake, but birthday cupcakes for our son to eat! We did seem to frustrate our butler as we tried to keep him from bringing us more and more snacks in the afternoon – we can only eat so much (although believe us…we did try)! He was super-attentive to our pre-concierge list though and could not keep going out of his way for check on us and make sure everything was great. Our stateroom truly was perfectly clean – and Rodel keep it immaculate. The lack of daily towel animals was not missed – our son collected a few “napkin animals” from waiters which were awesome.

[amygutman]

ROOM

Room 10506 “Park Avenue Suite” is a wonderful 2 balcony owner’s suite. Spacious, well-laid out and fully-kitted including coffee-maker, free movies, mini-fridge (in this room category includes soda, water, and 3 bottles of alcohol of your choice). We loved both balconies – the front balcony was spacious enough for 2 loungers, 2 chairs, a small table and the best location on the ship for sail-away for which all the front balcony passengers were out celebrating. There is no shade on this farthest left balcony which led to some very warm afternoons. The divider between front balconies is a triangle-angled metal divider so you can clearly see your neighbors when looking over the railing. Also, be aware that you are directly under the bridge – if you choose to be in your undies, that’s up to you, but I am sure the captain does not wish to see your “moon over the Bahamas”. 😊 Lights off in the cabin at night unless your curtains are closed to avoid steering challenges, but that is a small price to pay. Watching the Caribbean stars shine bright without any other lights is spectacular.

 

[amygutman]

As you can see from the above posted photos, the side balcony was wonderful for room service and snacks. The table sat four easily, and our butler said he could put a lounger there for us if we had wished as there was plenty of room. This balcony was shaded, and super comfortable. The wall of windows from the living room made for some spectacular inside room views of the ocean as well. Important note: the divider to the side balcony next to us has a very wide front opening. We did not notice on day 1, but at night you can look into the bathroom window not just from our side-balcony, but I’m pretty sure you can do it from the balcony next door if you looked through the cracks. Just pull down the shade at night when the bathroom is illuminated to avoid any shared nakedness (the photo below is taken from the window right above the tub)!

[amygutman]

Another perk is the 3 bottles of alcohol with mixers and unlimited soft drinks in the mini-fridge. We never were lacking for water, Pellegrino, Pepsi products (regular, diet, mug root beer, Sierra Mist), a bottomless carafe of iced tea and my almond milk for coffee. I will repost the alcohol choices with this review, but it is a bit ridiculous for 2 adults as we ended up with: 2 bottles of “Platinum Welcome Wine”, 1 bottle of Moet and Chandon (anniversary greetings from the concierge), 1 bottle of Platinum wine for our Cagney’s perk, then 1 bottle of Tito’s vodka (proof that gluten-free does NOT equate to “healthy”), 1 bottle rum, and 1 bottle Jameson’s whiskey. Good lord. We gave away 2 bottles of wine, but ended up getting a carry-all from the shops to bring our haul home to share with friends. And – we became the mythical unicorns who got the pillows of our choice from the “pillow menu”. 2 soft and fluffy, 2 firmer and springy. Did we need them? Nope. But it was cool to say “hey…I won the pillow lottery!!!”.

[amygutman]

For those considering using this room for 2 families, there is a separation between the bedroom and living room – both curtains and a retractable glass door. However, the pull-out couch really can only sleep one adult comfortably (2 kids yes, but not 2 teens for certain). The in-room eating nook was a wonderful place to eat during the one rainy afternoon of the trip, and because it was “bumped out” of the room, took up no space in the living room. Closets were more than adequate, including tons of drawers and shelves, 2 hanging closets, and a small dressing table. We always take advantage of the laundry deal on the half-way mark on the ships (free bag for Platinum, or $19.95 for 1 bag non-pressed for anyone) – this means we usually don’t have much clothing to unpack or store.

[amygutman]

That dressing table in the closet is under one of the 3 outlets in the entire cabin. I am glad we were forewarned by others on CC, as we brought cruise-approved multi-plugs with European adaptors. The other outlet is to the left of the bed (European), and there is a hidden outlet by the TV in the living room (European). Very odd – especially since there were a ton of outlets on the H4 on the Gem. If you had a CPAP or assistive device, you will need an extension cord. The other odd thing was having only 1 (small) safe in the room – we are used to 2 safes that could easily store our passports / wallets / cash in one and our small electronics in the other. This safe was tiny and almost full between passports and wallets. Apparently, you can request an additional safe, but it wasn’t a big deal. Would book this room again in a minute – checked to see if was available on our next Gem cruise in November, but sadly already sold out…and I can see why! Here is the whole room video on YouTube: 

 

[amygutman]

RESTAURANTS / BARS

Let me start by saying we are not “foodies” – I work a ton of 12 and 24 hour shifts and live off of cold coffee and scraps in the staff lounge. However, we enjoy trying new things, and are generally happy if the food is cooked well and served with a smile. We are as happy at the buffet as at specialty restaurants and rarely complain about meals – even if everything is not exactly as we hoped.

 

Being in a suite, we took advantage of the suite breakfast in Moderno…and oh boy…do I just love that French press coffee. I have a French press at home and it just tastes SOOO much better on a cruise. A wide variety of fruits, pastries, salmon / charcuterie, and then plenty off-the menu choices that many other CCers have posted on previously. The suite lunch is lovely as well, but honestly, I usually just get a large salad from the Garden Café. My son loves “Cagney’s fries”, so he loves the suite lunch option. Sadly, late in life has brought a nasty wheat intolerance which limited my usually massive ingestion of NCL’s glorious pretzels that I love so, so much. I had 2 on day 3, and immediately regretted it (as did my poor DH and son who got to hear me whine about my belly cramping for hours). But the pretzels were there in all of their glory – I am sad to miss my special cruise treat!

 

Teppanyaki, Le Bistro, La Cucina: did not eat at these venues on this trip – sorry for no info. Lots of smiling people coming out of each of those venues though if that helps!

 

Garden Café: The seating area is arranged beautifully and is very open and inviting. Not having an outdoor eating area like the Great Outdoors though is disappointing – it’s one of our favorite places on the Gem. There is plenty of outdoor seating / eating areas by the pool, but not with the aft expansive ocean view. I had a fresh juice (carrot, apple and celery) as my mid-morning snack most days ($3.95 charge even with UBP). Lunch had similar options every day, but certainly an adequate number of options with salads, hot foods, sandwiches…same for dinner, along with themed nights for at least 5 of 7 nights. We tended to grab late-night fries and ice cream for our son here, and scoped out the options. The salads I had for lunch were fresh and I never lacked for any fresh veggies. The staff were really on-top of sanitation – I saw them remove an entire section of cookies when a gentleman grabbed a handful with his hands rather than tongs.

 

O’Sheehan’s: Per DH and son, terrible. It’s located above the atrium, but because of the odd atrium set-up, you cannot really see the activities going on below. They said the late night fish and chips was “soggy and sad”. However, DH said the bar service (almost) made up for the one meal they tried.

 

Cagneys: Outstanding meal, outstanding service. I have heard about bad steaks and bad service, but our waiter Carlos was top notch, and because he remembered us for our Moderno breakfasts, actually brought all of our usual drinks and my son’s chicken tenders right over to the table without taking the order. My tuna entrée and appetizer was tasty, and my husband said his porterhouse was perfectly cooked. Plus – sitting by the windows watching the sun set was romantic as heck.

 

Moderno: Smaller than even on the Gem, but still fantastic. Absolutely personalized service. The salad bar was as always wonderful, and my DH says the meat choices were cooked to perfection.

 

Los Lobos: Oh my… that Guac. Lord have mercy. I thought after reading all of the other posters that there is no way the table-made guacamole was that good and am happy to say I was wrong…it IS that good! It’s dinner and a show, and it’s wonderful. We immediately cancelled our Teppanyaki reservations to eat at Los Lobos twice, and between the two of us we tried practically everything on the menu. Highly recommend – and if you like alcoholic beverages, do not leave without trying the Mexican mule. I couldn’t feel my feet after drinking one…but damn it was good!

 

Bamboo: Wonderful – with the music in the bar right below us it was dinner and a show. The dinner was as always very good (we have eaten at Shanghai on every NCL ship we have traveled on) but the star of the show was DH surf-and-turf roll and the steamed Chilean sea bass. I am 6 months new to the world of pescatarianism after 37 years as a vegan, and this is literally the best piece of fish I have ever tasted. Light, flaky – DH said if he wasn’t so full he would have ordered a piece for himself. We ate here twice, and were so, so happy both times.

 

The only bar I hit was the coffee bar in the atrium ~ great service, and personally never had any lines but it did appear crowded at times. Considering the bottles of alcohol and mixers that came with our room and the UBP we used in the restaurants, there wasn’t really any need to hit the bars.

[amygutman]

ENTERTAINMENT

The small venues were wonderful – we spent many hours in the Bliss lounge listening to a variety of singers from Motown to Jazz, random singers – happy to see Ian our favorite trombone player from the Gem (he’s the most enthusiastic trombonist we have ever seen – literally steals the show away from the dancers at times). We usually love going to Broadway-type shows on these cruises and were a little disappointed that there was only one mail show, but it was no big deal. We did not hit the opening night show – but watched it on the TV the next day. The comedian and featured singer seemed very talented, but not enough to drag us away from sing-alongs and other events going on at the same time. We also bought the arcade package which includes all of the “green” games – there were at least 10 of my son’s favorites from prior cruises, and at $2.50-$5.00 a pop for some of the interactive games, the $130 cost was money well spent. We had a blast – and for such a small ship, there were a reasonable number of options – we probably spent $50 alone on the Jurassic park shoot-out game.  Trivia was hopping on the cruise – it’s one of favorite things to do, and there was such a fun competitive camaraderie among the cruises. We really had a blast. We are so terrible at these games…but we actually tied for the win for general knowledge (I covered sciences, DH covered random useless trivia, and son covered pop culture – a triple threat team!).

 

Canvas for U was as usual a blast. This is a paid activity at $35 / person and is a cruising tradition for us. The Dawn staff was pretty ballsy setting us up in a carpeted (!) area for this session – palm trees on a beach. There were about 30 of us, and by the end, everyone was laughing and checking out everyone’s work. We have a collection of terribly executed paintings from our past 4 sailings, and they make us giggle every time we pass them in the hallway.

 

We did not participate in the welcome party, white-hot party, or any of the themed nights – too loud and too late for us! No Mr Sexy Legs (from what they showed on the TV, it was definitely not PG-13 – made us uncomfortable even watching the video highlights). We did have fun at Deal or No Deal (which I have never even heard of before), and thought the magician was decent – his charming personality made up for some predictable tricks.

 

A big downside to us was missing our Haven pool, and only got in the very small pool and overcrowded pool deck once. One of the joys of cruising is watching my son play in the pool any time he wants while I quietly read, and he really could not do this on this cruise. The pool oddly did not have a shallow end – 5’5” to 6’ deep – very difficult if you are not a proficient swimmer. The Kids pool was very crowded, and the two times we tried to get in, I was anxious enough about the unruly shenanigans going on, and did not let my son go in. Disappointing, and likely a deal breaker on a summer sailing when we had great balcony time to relax, but he really missed swimming. Small compensation was our room’s jetted tub with bubbles – not a ‘pool’ but he got some quality splash time in. Speaking of “splashing”, we did not enroll our son in the Splash Academy (despite a personalized invite – nice touch). We were having too much fun as a family, and he really had no interest in the activities offered. He’s not a sporty kid, and not into group activities – so we will pass until our next sailing where we will try again.

[amygutman]

CASINO

Good lord it was smoky, and when you need to pass by or through to get to anything on the 6^th floor, really irritating. I love to make my “donation” nightly at the casino, but I was really put off by the lack of ventilation. Maybe it’s just the small size, but the smoke was super-pervasive. The variety of machines was decent – I am a penny slots gal, and there were enough machines to keep me amused. I did play a few spins on the more expensive machines and managed to come out even which is all I ever hope for. Funny (and somewhat inappropriate) story – a very happily intoxicated older woman sat next to me and announced in a very (very) loud voice that she had “Just won a hand job”! Myself and the 3 other folks sitting at nearby slots did a spit take and could not stop laughing. The guy next to me said “My dear…I hope you mean a hand “pay”, because if they are giving away hand “jobs” for prizes, EVERY ONE would be playing slots”.

[amygutman]

GREAT STIRRUP CAY VILLA

Run…do now walk to book this area for your next trip. As the millennials say “I just can’t EVEN….”. This was heaven on earth and to us well worth every penny of the $499 – which was really $399 with our Platinum discount and $50 shore excursion credit. 2 years ago we spent the day in a large cabana and said emphatically that NOTHING could beat that. We…hold my pina colada and watch this.

 

We were in Villa 27, smack in the middle of a row of beautifully built and landscaped villas. The landscaping is such that each villa is very private, but if you wanted to engage your neighbors you absolutely could. You start with the priority tender then a short walk to the island excursion desk, then another short walk to a large golf-cart that takes you right to the villas. Unlike the large cabana area, the villas are very accessible for differently abled – concrete sidewalks and golf carts. The beach itself is 10 yards away from the villa door but is at a fairly steep incline. The sand is fantastic, but the first 10 feet are pretty rocky. The water was warm and clear as a bell. We had wonderful fish and actual stingray sightings – the protected cove even got me into the water without protest – and I usually have to be dragged kicking and screaming into the water (I LOVE the ocean, just not swimming in it if that makes sense).  The yellow floats are included, and the waiters not only bring your drinks to your loungers (of which there are plenty and all are shaded), but right to the water’s edge. Talk about service!

 

You can also pre-order snacks for the villa - I included the list below of options. Honestly, between the "welcome to the villa chips and salsa" and the buffet that is opened for I believe 2-3 hours, I can't imagine wanting any more food!

 

[amygutman]

In regards to the staff, from my initial count, there appears to be about 1:3 ratio cruisers:staffers. Literally, there was a wall of staff – from your private escort to the villa with a private tour of the villa and facilities, the waitstaff in the bar / buffet area, more bartenders / waiters than any human could want, and supervisors checking on you constantly but not intrusively to make sure you were well-taken care of. Our waiter Rickson was awesome – hard-working and kept on top of us the entire day to make sure we had everything we needed.

 

The villa itself – dang. Private shaded deck, AIR CONDITIONING!!! Movies, coffee, snacks, fruit, storage, a safe, refrigerator stocked with water (that you are welcomed to take back with you on the ship if unopened) and a clean, private, and resort-quality bathroom. Shower was wonderful with soaps, shampoos, lotion – tons of fluffy towels and a toilet you do not have to share with the masses. This alone was worth the price. Honestly … when you are stepping in puddles in a beach community bathroom and trying to convince yourself that it’s just shower water, you dream of a bathroom like this.

[amygutman]

Treated myself to a massage at the spa - it’s located to the left of the villas near the entrance and it has the most gorgeous décor. The walls of windows overlook the water – Catherine, my masseuse, asked me if I wanted the curtains opened or shut – definitely open! There are loungers on the back porch and hot tubs. At some point, the plan is to open up the villa facilities (beach, restaurant but not villas themselves) to anyone who books a spa service (kind of like a thermal spa day pass). The price is similar to those on the ship – but NO SALES PITCHES!!! Personally, I hate the sales pitch – I know that the massage therapists have to try and sell products, but it really takes the relaxing mood away. Having just a wonderful massage was an absolute treat. I think it was $150 for the hour – which is way less than most 5 star resort massages.

[amygutman]

Lunch was heaven. This was not your average buffet – sure, there were hamburgers / hot dogs / turkey burgers, etc, but also fresh shrimp salads, tons of vegetarian options, sandwiches, steamed and roasted veggies. I definitely over-ate (and over-drank)… and then desserts. That coconut rice pudding with toasted coconut was outstanding – my son ate the chocolate pudding cup before he figured out it had bananas as an ingredient…which in our book, counted as his “fruit serving” of the meal 😉. You had the option of eating at the covered restaurant area, having your plates being taken back to your villa by the staff, or having a waiter actually grab you selections from the villa – I am not sure if this is “standard” treatment vs really helpful wait staff, but our neighbors with decreased mobility sure appreciated the extra assistance. When the day was drawing to an end, I absolutely did not want to leave, but it was great being able to shower and change into clean clothing before hopping onto the tender. We did have a little show on the way back. Apparently a young lady decided to mis-behave on the island and got to take a tender back all to herself…as we were pulling up to the ship, she was shouting obscenities and hand-cuffed with multiple security officers helping her aboard. I would love to hear the backstory on that episode!

[amygutman]

Cool update: I happened to meet one of the island assistant directors who gave me a run-down of all of the short and long term projects on the island. In the next 6-8 months, they anticipate the next phase of villas to be completed, including multiple 2 bedroom villas. The large suite lagoon area will be dredged out again, and a large opening built into the current seawall to make the area a protected ocean cove. On the opposite side of the island they have started the process to install pilons to make an actual pier – the director said that they have had so many unhappy customers due to missed island days from tender issues, that this pier construction is a priority. With the RCL right night door, they really have no choice to ensure no revenue loss to another cruise ship company. He also said they are in the process of putting in two large pool areas, a water slide / amusement park area, finishing the zip lines, and adding new restaurants. The majority of the venues will be free, with some paid options i.e. new excursions, rentable covered cabanas by the pools, and some paid restaurant items. He was hoping to have everything done in 18 months, but I think NCL time somethings is more like “G-d created to world in 7 days” and each “day” is a millennium 😊

 

[amygutman]

OVERALL IMPRESSION

The Dawn is a great small ship – tons of activities despite not having many of the bells and whistles of the mega-ships. There are certainly some quirks, like elevators leading to some floors, but not all, the garden buffet dead-ending at Los Lobos (you can’t make a giant circle to the ice cream maker on the left side), hidden nooks and crannies that were fun to hide out in, but getting to them was a challenge, and an atrium that is beautiful, but not really functional as a central activity area. I miss not having a Great Outdoors and Spinnaker – 2 of my favorite places on any ship.

 

Would we choose this ship again? Despite the truly wonderful experience, if offered this ship vs the Gem (similar size / class for comparison), we would go with the Gem. This cruise was thousands less than an H4 Haven 2 bedroom for the same week (almost a savings of 50%) on the mega-ships. The staff were friendly, the food outstanding, the addition of the GSC Villa area now makes the Bahamas destination for us vs a “meh” itinerary, fun entertainment, and honestly, one of the most relaxing vacations we have ever had. However, with the Gem being a similar sized ship plus the Haven pool area, I can honestly say that I would book the Gem over the Dawn if that was an option – but only because we admittedly are “Haven-spoiled” and the lack of a small pool we all agreed was a deal-breaker. If you do not care about a pool and are all about the relaxation, fun, food and overwhelmingly fantastic service and staff, the Dawn would be a perfect option for you. It is a family-friendly, more-affordable, super-personable ship that definitely has wide appeal and we are grateful for a wonderful vacation experience.

 

Thanks to the CC community as always for helping with decision-making and planning, and it would be my pleasure if I can help answer any specific questions. I'm headed right into a crazy work-week so I will apologize in advance if the answers aren't immediate. Oh...@Juvesgirl...I apologize but I snuck in to room 10502, not 10510 after the residents disembarked this morning. I took a ton of photos, but they probably aren't what you are looking for. I am truly sorry - I thought I was being so sneaky!

 

Happy travels! Amy

[kitty-sail]

50 minutes ago, amygutman said:

STAFF

C

 

Our concierge Roel, butler Isidrio, and stateroom attendant Rodel were outstanding. It was a minor inconvenience to not have a concierge “desk” like in the Havens or on the Gem in the Moderno restaurant. Roel however seemed to be everywhere checking on his guests and was only a phone call away. He quickly fixed and re-fixed dinner reservations we made,

 

 

Roel is the very best. Can't say enough about him.

Edited June 23, 2019 by kitty-sail
shorten

[amygutman]

23 minutes ago, kitty-sail said:

 

Roel is the very best. Can't say enough about him.

A true gentleman - always smiling. Was a pleasure to have him on the ship. 

Amy

[AlexandNessa]

Enjoyed your review, thanks! 

 

We are on 10506 in 3 weeks, primarily to try the Villas and see our favorite butler who is now on the ship. :) We were in 10006 a few years ago, and I have to say I like its blue bathroom better, not a fan of that teal/green. 😅

Edited June 23, 2019 by AlexandNessa

[FLcruisergrl]

Great review! We were in villa 26 last week and miss it already! The first thing I did when we got home was book another villa for our December cruise!

[Pitzel]

In the past, there was a $50 credit to order items off of the cabana food/beverage menu. Did you get a credit for the villas, or have they done away with the credit?

[AlexandNessa]

1 hour ago, Pitzel said:

In the past, there was a $50 credit to order items off of the cabana food/beverage menu. Did you get a credit for the villas, or have they done away with the credit?

Oh right, I'm curious also. We've always had one, but like you, I heard they did away with it. 

 

Also, Amy, can you tell me what shower amenities they have, like body wash, a shower pouf? A shower before heading back sounds good, but not if I have to lug a toiletry bag! Thanks! 

[FLcruisergrl]

2 hours ago, Pitzel said:

In the past, there was a $50 credit to order items off of the cabana food/beverage menu. Did you get a credit for the villas, or have they done away with the credit?

No, there is not the credit. You can order from that menu, but you pay. We got the shrimp and the fruit platter for $19/ each.

[kitty-sail]

16 hours ago, amygutman said:

However, with the Gem being a similar sized ship plus the Haven pool area, I can honestly say that I would book the Gem over the Dawn if that was an option – but only because we admittedly are “Haven-spoiled” and the lack of a small pool we all agreed was a deal-breaker.

I know what you mean about the pool. Have been Haven only mega ships for the past 5 yrs and decided to try the Dawn recently. I didn't miss the Haven restaurant but I did enjoy the Haven pool and lounge area.  Booked another Dawn cruise for end of yr,  because I so enjoyed the small ship - plus Roel and the very friendly smiling staff really made a difference.  To compensate for the lack of Haven pool/ lounge, I'm getting spa passes which I think will fill the pool void.