Dawn - first BIG cruise

[whatawonderfulworld]

Greetings all. I have been on exactly one tiny cruise...it was a cruise to nowhere out of NY on Carnival Legend. It was simply wonderful. Now my DH has agreed to come out and give it a try himself.

 

We are taking the Dawn out of NY in October for a 7 day trip (granted, it's not a BIG BIG cruise, but it's alot longer than the CTN!). Our best friends will be joining us. Secondary to my concern that my husband might feel closed in on his very first cruise, we opted for a minisuite.

 

When I went on the Legend, being in a minisuite allowed us to board a little more quickly in NY. Are there any benefits to our being booked in the suite with NCL? Is there a concierge? Will we have terry robes in our room?

 

We will have our tips automatically charged to our room however I've read some forums where they are advising to tip the room service server. Is that correct?

 

What was your experience on the private island? It sounds absolutely divine!

 

Quite frankly, I am looking forward to just relaxing. On the CTN, I loved just sitting and watching the water pass by. There is so much to be said for being near the water.

 

Anyway...I'm all ears!

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Ciao,

WAWW

[CruisinMK]

Minisuite has no special boarding or tender privs on NCL. You do get a concierge, but no butler. The main difference is the bigger size room, often a good choice for those with 3 in a room

 

The reviews of the Dawn look pretty good, I'm hoping to try it myself for a Canada/New England cruise.

[Big Al B.]

Mike is correct, no boarding or tender perks. There should also be robes for you. They may not be there when you check in since the robes all have to be laundered after docking. If not there, double check with your steward. The concierge can help you with reservations for the restaurants. If you do use his services, he is not in the tipping pool.

 

You are correct in that you should tip the room service person each time, about $2 is what I have done. There will be a frige with a mini-bar in your cabin. If you want to use it as a fridge, ask the steward to empty it.

 

The tip I can give you for the private island is to try and get on the earliest tender you can since the place fills up quickly. It's a fun place. The Dawn is a beautiful ship and your husband should not feel hemmed in at all. And you never know, we had booked a minisuite for our 11 day Western Caribbean and got a great upsell to a Penthouse suite.

 

Enjoy your cruise. I see there are roll calls for the 15th and 29th already. They can be a great way to begin to meet some of your fellow cruisers. If you don't see your date, start your own :). Have a great time!

 

Roll Calls: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=349

[Smellytoes]

I was on the private island the other day. I got on the first tender (thanks Claudio) over and sat in my chair and watched as the place filled up. If you are not on the first few tenders you will not get a chair anywhere on the beach. The island itself was one of our favorite stops. I wish we had spent the whole day there.

[whatawonderfulworld]

Thank you all for your words of wisdom. Although I'm a bit surprised that being in the minisuite does not have any perks, I can live with it.

 

And Big Al, I'm taking your advice and heading over to the Roll Call for our cruise.

 

Can anyone explain to me what an upsell is and how one can obtain it?

 

Thanks again.

 

W A W W I W B

[Cosmopolitan]

Thank you all for your words of wisdom. Although I'm a bit surprised that being in the minisuite does not have any perks, I can live with it.

 

And Big Al, I'm taking your advice and heading over to the Roll Call for our cruise.

 

Can anyone explain to me what an upsell is and how one can obtain it?

 

Thanks again.

 

W A W W I W B

 

Upsell ~ you can upsell to a higher category for a discounted price.

 

If you booked directly through NCL...call their upsell department and tell them that you are interested in an upsell.

If you do not like their final price, you do not have to take the upsell.

If you booked through a TA...tell them to call NCL to get an upsell price for you. If you do not like the price, do not take it.

You will LOVE the Dawn...it is beautiful and the service is wonderful.

I agree...sitting and watching the water and world go by is "heaven"

I don't know your itinerary but October is a great time to cruise.

Enjoy every moment:)

[Mis94]

Wow, I just read this and was disappointed to see that mini suites can't board along with the other suite pax. On our previous 3 cruises (non NCL) mini/junior suites boarded with the other suites in the "express" line. This really stinks as we're travelling for the first time with our 2.5 and 4 year olds!

 

Gotta try again to get an upsell!!!:confused:

[CarlNcl]

> Will we have terry robes in our room?

 

I was recently on the Jewel. I visited an AF during disembrkation and it did have cotton Robes. I would think the Dawn would be the same.