Dawn Cruise from NY to Bahamas - 10/06

[gamblingcruiser]

Hello All - First time user - enjoy this website greatly - so many knowledgeable people to help those of us who are relatively new to cruising. We are thinking of taking our second cruise at the end of Oct. Our first was on the Majesty out of Boston to Bermuda this May/June which we just loved and has turned us into cruise fanatics! We have seen advertised what appears to be a good price on the Bahama cruise from NY on the Dawn - approximately $449 for an inside cabin or $679 for a balcony cabin. Can anyone shed any light as to why this would be so reasonable?? End of October seems a pretty good risk to avoid hurricane weather, but we do realize it is possible to still have bad weather then. Is this the only reason for the lower price? Is there something else we should be aware of? Any insight would help us make our decision to cruise or not to cruise again this year. Thanks!

[Ginamarie]

Hi, we're actually booked on the cruise you mentioned. I'm not sure why this particular week is more inexpensive, but I think it has to do with the fact that it's still at the tail end of hurricane season and most people have a full week of work/school. (October has Columbus Day, November has Veteran's Day, etc.).

[iKarenE]

I'm booked on that cruise too. We didn't know why it was so inexpensive but definitely a deal not tp pass up. A friend just got back this week from the Dawn and said it was awesome! I can't wait!

[firsttimecruiser9/26]

I have taken the Dawn to Florida and the Bahamas two times (mostly because of the great price the second time). I really enjoyed the Dawn but I think that the ports have a little to be desired. The Bahamas are really not the greatest place to visit. I found it very intimidating to leave the ship. There are people all over the place trying to get you to do things. They are very aggressive. In fact the second time that I went I didn't even get off at the Bahamas because it was just me and my two children. I didn't fell safe because of our previous experience. I am not saying that it is dangerous but it was just a little scary. The first time we went I booked a hotel room in the resort opposite to the Atlantis and we got day access to the Atlantis. We had a great time there. The kids and my husband went jet skiing and the beach was empty. The pool and water slides were fun. We didn't go to the dig though because we were too tired.

 

Both times we went also we were not able to go to the private island. The first time was after all the hurricane damage and the second time the seas were too rough to disembark.

 

I don't know if the cruise you are talking about is the same itinerary though. We went to Port Canaveral, FL, Miami, FL and Nassau, Bahamas.

[gamblingcruiser]

Thanks for the responses - looks as tho the fact that it is the tail end of hurricane season and the ports are not a "10" on the excitement scale are the reasons for the lower prices. That works for us - we are more interested in experiencing the Dawn itself than visiting all of the ports. This particular cruise goes to Port Canaveral, the 2 private islands and Nassau. I really would like to visit Atlantis - it's on my short list of must sees. I do understand the scare factor though of venturing out after 8:00 PM when the ship docks. Is it safe to grab a taxi and visit Atlantis that way in the evening? Unfortuantely the ship leaves at Noon the next day - would there be enought time to explore Atlantis that morning before departure? How far is it from the dock?

 

One more question - we live in NH and would be taking the bus from Boston to NY to avoid the hassle of driving our car, parking etc. in NY. Has anyone done this? We are told it is approximately $50 per person for this bus service. Is it worth it? Did the timing work for you? They say it leaves from South Station and drops you off right at the pier in NY. We loved the convenience of leaving right out of Boston on the Majesty, but want to experience the Dawn and this cruise from NY seems the best/least expensive way to do this.

 

It's fun talking about our next cruise ......