February 2007 maybe the Norwegian Dawn....how cold

[pondst302]

We are looking for a 10 night or longer cruise at a reasonable cost and the February 12, 2007 sailing on the Norwegian Dawn looks promising....it has a really nice itinerary but I have several questions that I hope someone can help with. First, how long do you sail before you can usually use the outdoor pools, etc? I was worried it would be really cold the first several days.....Aslo, my best friend is prone to seasickness and would this be too rough for her (hopefully no "rogue waves")? Should we plan on flying into the NY area a few days before departure and seeing the city (I have been several times but DH has never been to NY) or would this be to strategically impractical?

 

thank you and happy cruising,

 

Athena

[7SeasLover]

My girlfriend (former co-worker) and I flew from Los Angeles to NY the day before we sailed. We toured the city (much to do) and had a blast. It was 10 degrees and needless to say, we have never been that cold in our lives!

 

We boarded the Daw the next morning and the wait was horrible. The only thing that would have made it worse would have been snow, but it was dry. We left port several hours late, but we were really lucky because you haven't seen anything until you've sailed away from Manhattan at night! It was spectacular!

 

I'd say it was 48 hours until we hit warm weather. We had a blast on that cruise. We went from jeans in L.A. to thermal underwear in Manhattan to shorts in the Caribbean. We loved it!

[johnql]

I just returned from the 10-day Spirit cruise out of NYC, an itinerary that's probably very similar to what you're considering. The first full sea day is probably too cold to do much out on deck, but on the second full sea day there were definitely people sunbathing out on deck.

[GMoney]

Hi Athena - I sailed the Dawn at Xmastime. It's probably a safe bet that the first 2 days and last 2 days will not be warm enough to enjoy much outdoors. Generally, the sea conditions are not overly rough, but you'll want to plan ahead and with the apporpriate medications, your friend should be okay (but there is a bit of a risk here, as those who sailed who in the recent Nor'easter will attest). Finally, where you sail from, it's generally a good idea to arrive at least a day early, especially in winter.

[BILLP1]

We just were on the Dawn Feb 2 and we left about 5:30 PM and it was a warm day in New York. The next morning we were off the coast of North Carolina - Virginia border and it was 68 degrees. The next morning we were off the coast of Florida passing Miami and it was 72 degrees. There were many people at the pool by lunch the first day at sea.

[greenie]

I just returned from the 10-day Spirit cruise out of NYC, an itinerary that's probably very similar to what you're considering. The first full sea day is probably too cold to do much out on deck, but on the second full sea day there were definitely people sunbathing out on deck.

 

Pondst, I was on the 2/9/06 cruise too and we had smooth sailing down, during and back up. I don't think you can predict when it'll be smooth or not, so I wouldn't be concerned about that. Just go for it and keep your fingers crossed! Also--we were sunning ourselves (and using the hottub) up until early afternoon the last full sea day. It was only in the 60s by then, but it was still nice enough to enjoy.

 

Happy cruising!

[Robbie I]

I was on the 1/12/06 sailing The ship left right on time.It was 56% that day

with no seas. I guess you can say a cruisers dream day from NY in the winter. In the total 10 days i think the seas were no higher then 4 feet like glass. What i'm trying to say is there is no way of telling what mother nature brings. It was all good for us I hoping the same for you. Make sure you bring duct tape just in case.

[Dolphins]

You will love the Dawn on Valentine's Day as the ship is nicely decorated. We will be sailing on the Spirit at the same time. Don't worry about the weather as it's all pot luck. Just remember it's a great way to spend Valentine's Day.

[pondst302]

I just wanted to say thank you all for your comments and suggestions. I look forward to checking every day and just wanted to say a great big Texas thank you!

 

happy cruising to all,

 

athena:)