Wiggy Wiggy Wah! Our Dawn Review 7/8 - 7/15

[BeachMartini]

Any questions? Fire away!

 

Who are we?

A group of 4, two couples. Ages 24-26. Both guys took a Greek Isles cruise while travelling abroad in college. I have cruised before, but all before the age of 15. I had the pleasure of sailing on The Norway twice, as well as on a few RCCL ships. My gal pal had never been on a cruise before.

 

Embarkation

All in all, a breeze. We arrived at the pier at about 11:45. It was crowded and the "holding area" was already more than halfway filled. My not so fabulous TA told me all I needed to get on the ship was a photo ID and a print out of my pre-registration from NCL.com. I had a slight heart attack when I realized I needed another printout in order to board the ship. Not to worry, I went to the NCL desk and they wrote one up for me. Crisis averted...I won't make that mistake again! After waiting about 40 minutes in the chairs we moved through security. What a joke. As our bags went through the x-ray machines, the attendants hardly glanced at the screens as bags went through. My friend had no problem bringing on 2 bottles of wine without being asked to pay a corkage fee. We waited on another short line to get our IDs and photos taken. We were on the ship by 12:45. Lunch in the Venetian and then the rooms were ready at 1:30.

 

Food

As soon as we boarded the ship we split up to go make dinner reservations. We selected Cagney's for the first night (we had a 1/2 off coupon from our TA), Teppanyaki for Monday, Salsa's for Tuesday and Le Bistro for the final night. In general, in both specialty and main dining rooms, portion sizes were on the smaller side, which I liked. This way you could order three courses and still move around afterwards! Overall I was very pleased with the food.

 

Cagney's was a great way to start off the trip. Had two orders of the jumbo shrimp cocktail, there were only 3 in each : ) I had the rib eye and it was cooked to medium-rare perfection. I was feeling gluttonous after ordering creamed spinach and garlic mashed potatoes as sides but not to fear, the portion sizes were quite small so it was the perfect amount. My BF had the filet, friends had the whole lobster and the surf and turf. Everything was perfect. We got a bottle of wine, we were in heaven.

 

Teppanyaki was very good, if you like going to Bennihana or other places then you won't be disappointed. This place smelled so yummy as you walked by each night. The chefs were very entertaining, flipping shrimp tails and cracking eggs with one hand. My eyes were bigger than my stomach and I ordered the Imperial Feast. WAY too much food! Hand-rolled avocado and crab sushi, miso soup, ginger salad, fried rice, scallops, shrimp and filet... I think there was a dessert but we didn't make it. One of our group actually ate so much he got sick!

 

Salsa's was just OK. The tapas selection our waiter brought over was not very tasty or attractive. My friend did not enjoy the tamales appetizer. One friend really liked her quesadillas, my BF liked his enchiladas. The fajitas I ordered were sub-par. The chicken was not of very good quality. The flavor was nice though. As for drinks, my BF really enjoyed his margarita, and I my sangria, but we both agreed there was hardly any alcohol in either.

 

The food at Le Bistro was also good. We were sat right next to the open kitchen after we were told that it was the only table for 4 available. But of course when you looked around there were others open. Confusing. The service here was the least attentive of all of the places we dined. The Versace china on the tables was beautiful. My BF and I had the fire star, which was lit on fire tableside and was quite good. The French onion soup was a little bit salty, but the cheese was great. Beware: the "seared" tuna is actually cooked the whole way through. Very tasty crème brulee!

 

Garden Cafe Buffet - Good for breakfast. I really liked the omelet station. We didn't eat any other meals here so I can't really comment on the lunch and dinner offerings, though I did sneak a peak at people's plates as they walked by. Typical buffet food. I don't see why anyone would eat dinner at the buffet when there are so many options for a fantastic sit down meal on board!

 

Chocoholic Buffet - we never made it! We were up in the Spinnaker Lounge for a show and by the time we got out it was 11:45. The buffet line was wrapped halfway around the ship. Too bad we decided to skip it because I heard later on that the line moved quickly.

 

Formal Night - We went to Impressions and this was by far my favorite night in one of the main dining rooms. I believe I had a steak and it was fantastic.

I felt that the majority of people we saw were dressed up. I would call it more semi-formal than formal. Guys in suits/jackets and ties, gals in pretty dresses. Some in gowns. Other nights the attire ranged from jeans and t-shirts to polos and khakis to skirts and capris. We always dressed up to dress code. Made for nicer pictures!

 

 

The Main Restaurants- I was nervous... I had heard such horrible things. But I must say I was pleasantly surprised. We loved the Cooking Light options, especially at breakfast. The last day they offered a delicious veggie and cheese frittata... only 250 calories. Now, I'm sure the pastry I ate on the side added to that count a bit! We didn't have dinner in the Venetian since we had so many breakfasts and lunches there (it's the only dining room open for either). During embarkation we had lunch here, and I guess they were washing the windows, because we started freaking out because we thought it was raining!

Impressions was my favorite, the second time we ate there we sat in a very posh looking booth. Impressions is beautiful- gorgeous art on the walls.

Aqua was also very nice. Loved the twinkling lights on the ceiling. We ate there on the early side before disembarking at Nassau on Wednesday night.

There was only one night that I left feeling disappointed - lobster night (Thursday at Impressions). The menu said the lobster would be served with drawn butter - however it came to the table doused in a brown sauce. Be sure to ask for it without the sauce. I also thought the lobster had a funky aftertaste, so I didn't eat much of it. Oh well, I just ordered dessert instead!

*People, the food is good, don't worry!!*

 

Blue Lagoon - I didn't eat here, but my BF had the potato skins, which were really more like potato wedges with bacon bits and cheese. Either way, yum! This is where we would come to fill up our water bottles with ice for making drinks, or ice water before hitting the beach in Bermuda or GSC. They also had really good yellow pound cake... it was sitting out, just calling our names each time we walked by. How could we not grab a slice!

 

Bimini Bar and Grill - offered burgers and fries all day. The BEST fries! Seriously! I think we stopped here too frequently! It was also shaded in parts so I sat there when we sailed from Nassau and enjoyed the view moving backwards. Don't miss taking pictures of that adorable lighthouse. I was secretly crying inside because that was the official start of the trip back to New York!

 

Pool Side Buffet- This was offered on sail-away days and it was great. Juicy, cooked to order burgers, chicken, hotdogs. Not to be missed! As much as we enjoyed fancy lunches in the Venetian, we also like eating poolside, not having to dry off or anything.

 

Ports of Call

Bermuda was beautiful. Hot and HUMID! We took the bus to Horseshoe Bay and laid out for a few hours. Once you get off the bus there is quite a sharp incline to walk down. The sand was soft and pink, the water the most crystal clear blue I have ever seen. That beach was just breathtaking. It was very convenient and affordable to rent chairs, umbrellas, etc. The pina coladas we got on the beach were the best we had all trip! I was dreading walking back up the steep hill to catch the bus back in that heat. I was saved - there was a "$1 to the Top" shuttle. Of course my friends made fun of me but I think it was the best dollar spent on the trip! From Horseshoe we took the bus to Hamilton and had lunch at the Pickled Onion. We sat outside, overlooking the water, it was amazing. A little pricey but the food was good - I had a Mediterranean pizza with spinach, feta, Kalamata olives - delicious! Everyone else was equally pleased with their meals. From Hamilton we took the ferry back to the Dockyards and boarded the ship around 4.

 

Great Stirrup Cay - beautiful as well, but not my favorite. I never heard or read an announcement regarding tender tickets. We just got up very early and lined up - and up and up and up- the line started at Deck 6 and climbed up a few floors. We only waited about 15 minutes. The beach was crowded and the sand area was very narrow. It was raining. We were on one of the next tenders back to the ship - where we had the pool all to ourselves. That was wonderful!

 

Nassau - we docked around 8 and after having dinner at Aqua we immediately got off the ship. First stop - The Atlantis. I wish we could have seen more of it, but it was dark out. We walked around The Digs, played a bit in the casino (my friend won $130!) and had some martinis at the bar (he treated!) I don't think we were there much more than an hour. From Atlantis we went to Senor Frogs. That was a good time, had some Kalik's - the Bahamas beer. The next morning we went to the Straw Market and did some negotiating with the locals for some pretty jewelry. We walked up one of the main streets and went in a few stores. It was so humid that day! I was really excited that the Soverign of the Seas was "parked" next to us... that was the first ship I ever cruised on as a kid!

I really wished we had more time in Bermuda, and in my opinion I would have preferred a full day in Nassau rather than the earlier stop at GSC. However, I did not take this trip for the itinerary. I just wanted to be on the ship- sea days were my favorite. We got a great deal and with not having to fly anywhere, we saved a lot of money.

 

Service

Perfect! Wonderful! Everyone (stewards, cruise director staff, waiters) went out of their way to make us feel welcome and comfortable. We have to give a shout out to Nicolletta who was in every dining room, at every meal we ate, asking us how things were and wishing us "Bon Appetite!" We also had a lot of fun with Emanuelle at the Spinnaker Lounge and martini clinic.

 

Motion

I took Bonine everyday to ward off sea sickness. I never felt sick, but boy, you could feel the motion of the ship EVERYWHERE - the casino, watching the shows, on the stairs. It was especially bad on the first two sea days. You'd be walking in the hallway and stumble. It was so noticeable in our stateroom (Deck 10 Forward) that I couldn't even relax in the room on most days because I was too uncomfortable. Is it easier when you sail out of Florida?

 

Our Stateroom

We had an inside cabin. A little tight, but it worked. I was worried about feeling claustrophobic with no window but it was a non-issue. There was tons of storage space - drawers, shelves - everything had it's place and there was no need to lug any sort of over the door organizer. I always travel with a hanging toiletries holder - that is a space saver no matter where I am. The bathroom was larger than I thought it would be.

Our stewards were very friendly and they made us some cute towel animals - kissing swans, elephants, little things wearing my many pairs of sunglasses! One night there was even a mouse peeking out from under my pillow... with eyes!

I couldn't imagine sleeping 4 in that cabin though. I kept threatening my BF that if he was bad, he would have to sleep on the bunk that folded down from the wall!

 

Public Rooms

The ship itself is huge. I had trouble navigating it at first. However, I remembered tips from this board - the stairways with flowers were in the front, Marilyn Monroe was midship, sunsets at the stern. When all else failed, I just looked out one of the many windows and noted the way the water was flowing. By the end of the week I think I had it down.

 

Bathrooms - plentiful and spotless. And purple, my favorite color! There was only one time I saw a dirty bathroom - that was on Deck 13 by Cagney's and the Star Bar - the toilet had overflowed and there was water all over the floor. I am guessing since it was right by the pool (and prime sun time) it was just over used. I also liked how the trash cans in the ladies rooms were right next to the door - so you could open the door to leave with a paper towel and throw it out on the way out.

 

Atrium - bright and sunny, definitely the central hub of the ship. Cameras set up here for pictures every night. My favorite was the one we took with our bright red solo cups... we bought the one of us all taking a sip from the cups.

 

Overall the Dawn is a beautiful ship, totally clean and new.

 

Activities and Entertainment

Matt Baker, Ingrid, Jeremy, Wayne, Paul and the rest were all great. A little cheesy at times but we loved it. Overall, the activities offered were excellent. There was always something to do. We looked forward to Matt's daily announcements, and always perked up when we heard the chime sound over the PA!

 

Second City - by far our favorite. I thought their first performance was the best. I actually chatted poolside with Topher (one of the cast members) on Wednesday while everyone was at the private island. Nice guy! We went to the improv workshop they offered in the cinema and I even went on stage to participate in one of the exercises. Funny stuff. Their show on Thursday was great too. Lots of audience participation.

 

The Quest - I had posted a question about this game a while back and it was moved to another board because it was "a RCCL activity and had nothing to do with NCL." That couldn't be further from the truth - we played this on Thursday night and had a blast! I won't give it away, but just be sure to get their early and sit in the front!

 

Never got a chance to play Bingo!

 

Bollywood - great dancing, very entertaining, but we thought it was a little random!

 

Fountains - if you haven't seen it, check it out. It's the last night at the end of the crew show. We laughed!

 

Casino - No luck in here! Don't miss the free rum punch at 6pm on embarkation day. I did have some fun playing "Casino War" where the dealer deals you a card, deals himself a card, and whoever has the highest card wins. Quite simple, even for me! A gal I was talking to by the pool said her father won $300 on a slot machine, then came back to the same machine an hour later and hit for another $900! When I asked her which machine, she didn't know. Damn!

 

Art Auction - I was a little intimidated by this... I kept looking at the dollar amounts on the back of the paintings I liked and immediately put them down because they were too expensive! Little did I know that the auctioneer sold them for much less. I was fortunate enough to take home a beautiful beach scene lithograph. $89, plus fees, taxes and shipping and it came to $133. I can't wait until it arrives in the mail!

 

Dazzles - We had some fun here. We liked to watch everyone sing kareoki. We had some William Hungs on board! Some were so advererous they actually got up there and rapped. After a while, you noticed the same people up there. There was an older woman who could really sing... "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," Memories," she was really good! Also thought the four women from NJ who sang "That's What Friends are For" were hilarious... sounded more like "That's What Friends are Fooowwaah!"

 

Pool Area- Chair hogs in FULL EFFECT! You'd see rows of chairs "claimed" by only towels. It got to the point where we took people's towels off the chairs and moved on in. I really liked laying out on Deck 13 forward. It was so windy, you never got too hot. Of course you couldn't turn a page in your book! That hot tub was fantastic as well. Rarely crowded, not scalding hot, and with the wind, the water was blown in your face the whole time. I liked it, just remember your sunglasses! Overall, I think that they pool area is way too small for the ship. They need another pool - we kept calling it "human stew" because there were so many in it. And, on the second to last day, someone pooped in the pool! It was closed for 4 hours to be cleaned, drained and refilled. The funniest part about this was the sign that said "pool closed due to fecal accident." It made me laugh that this has happened so many times they actually had a sign made up!

 

Martini clinic - best value on the ship! We actually missed the first one offered on Tuesday, so we went on Friday. What a smart move! There were only 9 people at the second clinic so everyone got to pick their own four martinis from the extensive list! Normally, the bartender picks the martinis when there is a bigger crowd earlier in the week. Some of the ones we sampled: The Floridian, The Cajun, Totally Wired, Raspberry Torte, Espresso, Chocolate, French martini, French Cosmo, Melontini... they are not full 8oz martinis but close enough! We were feeling good afterwards!

 

Music- We loved the guys who played at the pool and GSC, Rythem Explosion. I also liked some of the songs played over the PA system at the pool... who knew an Enrique Iglesias song could sound good when re-recorded reggae-style? Modal Magic who performed in the Spinnaker Lounge were also good - those gals can sure belt out those high notes. How many times can you sing "Celebrate good times, come on!" before going nuts? :) My only gripe? The whole trip sounded like it was on "repeat." They need a little more variety!

 

Havana Club - I sat in here while the guys smoked cigars. It was a good time. The service was a little slow (BF waited quite a while for a cut) but we made some friends in there and had some good conversation. Since the cigar bar was enclosed in glass, and right next to Gatsby's Piano bar, Le Bistro and Impressions, a lot of people stared inside or put there face up to the glass and peered in. It was funny, and made us feel like VIPs!

 

Final Thoughts

This was an amazing vacation. I actually teared up when we were disembarking in NYC. I would do it again in a heartbeat - I'm totally sold on cruising. I think my next cruise will be a different ship and line, if only so I can experience something else - there are so many options out there. Do I recommend NCL? Oh yes- and I'll be back! 4.5 out of 5 stars, 9 out of 10 - best vacation I have taken in a very long time.

 

 

See my pics! http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=12a99cu0.45xgko4c&Uy=-u7sae4&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=1&UV=794588863578_401209890108

[trish1c]

Any questions? Fire away!

 

Food

As soon as we boarded the ship we split up to go make dinner reservations. We selected Cagney's for the first night (we had a 1/2 off coupon from our TA), Teppanyaki for Monday, Salsa's for Tuesday and Le Bistro for the final night.

 

Welcome home. Glad you had a nice cruise.

 

About these dinner reservations in the specialty restaurants . . . I thought you could only make reservations the day of. Am I wrong?

 

You also mentioned that you arrived at 11:45. We were actually thinking of getting there about 1:30 -- 2 pm to avoid sitting in the chairs. We don't have to be the 1st people on the ship. Is this a good idea or a bad idea?

[BeachMartini]

Welcome home. Glad you had a nice cruise.

 

About these dinner reservations in the specialty restaurants . . . I thought you could only make reservations the day of. Am I wrong?

 

You also mentioned that you arrived at 11:45. We were actually thinking of getting there about 1:30 -- 2 pm to avoid sitting in the chairs. We don't have to be teh 1st people on the ship. Is this a good idea or a bad idea?

 

I believe the "reservations desk" can only take reservations for day of. If you call or stop by the restaurants, you can make them for as far in advance as you wish.

 

You don't have to be the first person on the ship... but we wanted to start our vacation as soon as possible. Come early or come later on, you are going to have to wait at least a little bit.

 

ENJOY!!!!!:cool:

[yuckylucky]

Great review! Enjoyable to read! Can't believe your service in Le Bistro wasn't exactly what you'd expect! We ate there twice b/c we loved it...but yes, the service on the ship as a whole was excellent in our opinions as well. And yes, it sure gets windy on Deck 13 forward!!!

 

Definitely try different cruiselines...you'll see some things (like chair hogs) are on every line and you'll also begin to notice the subtleties of each line. They all have their pros & cons...I would go back with NCL as well...but I still love Celebrity and the spirit-class Carnival ships.

 

trish1c: Yes, you can make reservations for the whole week: either call from your room, go directly to the restaurant, or use the desk in the Grand Atrium Deck 7. I preferred going directly to the restaurant. Getting there at 1:30pm won't be a problem either...you definitely won't be 1st on the ship since most people seem to arrive around 11:30am noon-ish. I think the Venetian stops serving lunch at 2pm though so you'll have the buffet available. We liked getting on the ship and eating a sit-down meal in the Venetian as our first meal on the ship.

[nemo269]

thats great to hear. my fiancee and I are leaving this saturday. we are looking so forward to this cruise. thanks for the great review.

[nemo269]

i have one more question. when you brought the luggage up to the xray machine. can you have locks on your luggage or do they need it open just in case they see something. thanks

[MartiniGal]

Great review. We leave this Saturday and are very excited.

 

Nemo269 -- there is a cruise critic gathering on Sunday at 10:30 am in the Star Bar. Hope you and your fiancee can join us.

[trish1c]

trish1c: Yes, you can make reservations for the whole week: either call from your room, go directly to the restaurant, or use the desk in the Grand Atrium Deck 7. I preferred going directly to the restaurant. Getting there at 1:30pm won't be a problem either...you definitely won't be 1st on the ship since most people seem to arrive around 11:30am noon-ish. I think the Venetian stops serving lunch at 2pm though so you'll have the buffet available. We liked getting on the ship and eating a sit-down meal in the Venetian as our first meal on the ship.

 

Thanks for the info. We were actually thinking about having lunch somewhere in the city to thank our friend who will driving us to the port. In December in NYC, I can't say I'm all that much of a hurry to board. When I'm someplace warm, & it's cold here, I'm usually one of the 1st in line. :D

 

BTW, your screenmane & avatar are adorable. Both brought a smile to my face.

[4merlurker]

Thanks for the great review! Would love to view your photos but need a password. :(

 

~Connie

[BeachMartini]

Thanks for the great review! Would love to view your photos but need a password. :(

 

~Connie

 

 

Try this:

 

login: vacationpix@yahoo.com

password: vacation

[sweetpea-2]

nice review....we also loved the Dawn and are going again....and I was one who thought the food was pretty good also

[kenteecruisin]

Great review & loved your pictures as well. We are going on the Dawn on 8/5. Just one question (at the moment :o) What was the club like - what kind of music?

[BeachMartini]

Great review & loved your pictures as well. We are going on the Dawn on 8/5. Just one question (at the moment :o) What was the club like - what kind of music?

 

From 11-12, Dazzles was kareoki (spelling). After that ended, they played a lot of rap/hip hop music- nothing too heavy, stuff you can dance to. They also take requests. The bar staff was dancing and singing behind the bar... very funny

 

I forgot to mention this in my review, but there is also a "Dazzles 2"

There is a door to it from inside the main club area. We went in-- it was teen makeout central! The lights were low, kids were paired off on cushy couches and loveseats. We immediately turned around and walked out hysterically laughing.

 

I did notice a large number of high school and college kids... you can drink wine and beer at 18 on board with parental permission. I was looking around and thinking "there is no way these guys are 21!"

 

Regardless, everyone was well behaved and had a great time!

[yuckylucky]

Thanks for the info. We were actually thinking about having lunch somewhere in the city to thank our friend who will driving us to the port.

 

With so many yummy places to choose from for lunch in NYC, I can't say I blame you at all! :D And that's a great way to say thanks!

 

BTW, your screenmane & avatar are adorable. Both brought a smile to my face.

 

The name is because of my yellow lab. I was torn between Beeker and the Swedish Chef for the avatar...I'm a nerd at heart and love to cook! Although I'm a bit neater than the Swede...borg dee borg dee borr!

[newmexicoNita]

Any questions? Fire away!

 

Who are we?

A group of 4, two couples. Ages 24-26. Both guys took a Greek Isles cruise while travelling abroad in college. I have cruised before, but all before the age of 15. I had the pleasure of sailing on The Norway twice, as well as on a few RCCL ships. My gal pal had never been on a cruise before.

 

Embarkation

All in all, a breeze. We arrived at the pier at about 11:45. It was crowded and the "holding area" was already more than halfway filled. My not so fabulous TA told me all I needed to get on the ship was a photo ID and a print out of my pre-registration from NCL.com. I had a slight heart attack when I realized I needed another printout in order to board the ship. Not to worry, I went to the NCL desk and they wrote one up for me. Crisis averted...I won't make that mistake again! After waiting about 40 minutes in the chairs we moved through security. What a joke. As our bags went through the x-ray machines, the attendants hardly glanced at the screens as bags went through. My friend had no problem bringing on 2 bottles of wine without being asked to pay a corkage fee. We waited on another short line to get our IDs and photos taken. We were on the ship by 12:45. Lunch in the Venetian and then the rooms were ready at 1:30.

 

Food

As soon as we boarded the ship we split up to go make dinner reservations. We selected Cagney's for the first night (we had a 1/2 off coupon from our TA), Teppanyaki for Monday, Salsa's for Tuesday and Le Bistro for the final night. In general, in both specialty and main dining rooms, portion sizes were on the smaller side, which I liked. This way you could order three courses and still move around afterwards! Overall I was very pleased with the food.

 

Cagney's was a great way to start off the trip. Had two orders of the jumbo shrimp cocktail, there were only 3 in each : ) I had the rib eye and it was cooked to medium-rare perfection. I was feeling gluttonous after ordering creamed spinach and garlic mashed potatoes as sides but not to fear, the portion sizes were quite small so it was the perfect amount. My BF had the filet, friends had the whole lobster and the surf and turf. Everything was perfect. We got a bottle of wine, we were in heaven.

 

Teppanyaki was very good, if you like going to Bennihana or other places then you won't be disappointed. This place smelled so yummy as you walked by each night. The chefs were very entertaining, flipping shrimp tails and cracking eggs with one hand. My eyes were bigger than my stomach and I ordered the Imperial Feast. WAY too much food! Hand-rolled avocado and crab sushi, miso soup, ginger salad, fried rice, scallops, shrimp and filet... I think there was a dessert but we didn't make it. One of our group actually ate so much he got sick!

 

Salsa's was just OK. The tapas selection our waiter brought over was not very tasty or attractive. My friend did not enjoy the tamales appetizer. One friend really liked her quesadillas, my BF liked his enchiladas. The fajitas I ordered were sub-par. The chicken was not of very good quality. The flavor was nice though. As for drinks, my BF really enjoyed his margarita, and I my sangria, but we both agreed there was hardly any alcohol in either.

 

The food at Le Bistro was also good. We were sat right next to the open kitchen after we were told that it was the only table for 4 available. But of course when you looked around there were others open. Confusing. The service here was the least attentive of all of the places we dined. The Versace china on the tables was beautiful. My BF and I had the fire star, which was lit on fire tableside and was quite good. The French onion soup was a little bit salty, but the cheese was great. Beware: the "seared" tuna is actually cooked the whole way through. Very tasty crème brulee!

 

Garden Cafe Buffet - Good for breakfast. I really liked the omelet station. We didn't eat any other meals here so I can't really comment on the lunch and dinner offerings, though I did sneak a peak at people's plates as they walked by. Typical buffet food. I don't see why anyone would eat dinner at the buffet when there are so many options for a fantastic sit down meal on board!

 

Chocoholic Buffet - we never made it! We were up in the Spinnaker Lounge for a show and by the time we got out it was 11:45. The buffet line was wrapped halfway around the ship. Too bad we decided to skip it because I heard later on that the line moved quickly.

 

Formal Night - We went to Impressions and this was by far my favorite night in one of the main dining rooms. I believe I had a steak and it was fantastic.

I felt that the majority of people we saw were dressed up. I would call it more semi-formal than formal. Guys in suits/jackets and ties, gals in pretty dresses. Some in gowns. Other nights the attire ranged from jeans and t-shirts to polos and khakis to skirts and capris. We always dressed up to dress code. Made for nicer pictures!

 

 

The Main Restaurants- I was nervous... I had heard such horrible things. But I must say I was pleasantly surprised. We loved the Cooking Light options, especially at breakfast. The last day they offered a delicious veggie and cheese frittata... only 250 calories. Now, I'm sure the pastry I ate on the side added to that count a bit! We didn't have dinner in the Venetian since we had so many breakfasts and lunches there (it's the only dining room open for either). During embarkation we had lunch here, and I guess they were washing the windows, because we started freaking out because we thought it was raining!

Impressions was my favorite, the second time we ate there we sat in a very posh looking booth. Impressions is beautiful- gorgeous art on the walls.

Aqua was also very nice. Loved the twinkling lights on the ceiling. We ate there on the early side before disembarking at Nassau on Wednesday night.

There was only one night that I left feeling disappointed - lobster night (Thursday at Impressions). The menu said the lobster would be served with drawn butter - however it came to the table doused in a brown sauce. Be sure to ask for it without the sauce. I also thought the lobster had a funky aftertaste, so I didn't eat much of it. Oh well, I just ordered dessert instead!

*People, the food is good, don't worry!!*

 

Blue Lagoon - I didn't eat here, but my BF had the potato skins, which were really more like potato wedges with bacon bits and cheese. Either way, yum! This is where we would come to fill up our water bottles with ice for making drinks, or ice water before hitting the beach in Bermuda or GSC. They also had really good yellow pound cake... it was sitting out, just calling our names each time we walked by. How could we not grab a slice!

 

Bimini Bar and Grill - offered burgers and fries all day. The BEST fries! Seriously! I think we stopped here too frequently! It was also shaded in parts so I sat there when we sailed from Nassau and enjoyed the view moving backwards. Don't miss taking pictures of that adorable lighthouse. I was secretly crying inside because that was the official start of the trip back to New York!

 

Pool Side Buffet- This was offered on sail-away days and it was great. Juicy, cooked to order burgers, chicken, hotdogs. Not to be missed! As much as we enjoyed fancy lunches in the Venetian, we also like eating poolside, not having to dry off or anything.

 

Ports of Call

Bermuda was beautiful. Hot and HUMID! We took the bus to Horseshoe Bay and laid out for a few hours. Once you get off the bus there is quite a sharp incline to walk down. The sand was soft and pink, the water the most crystal clear blue I have ever seen. That beach was just breathtaking. It was very convenient and affordable to rent chairs, umbrellas, etc. The pina coladas we got on the beach were the best we had all trip! I was dreading walking back up the steep hill to catch the bus back in that heat. I was saved - there was a "$1 to the Top" shuttle. Of course my friends made fun of me but I think it was the best dollar spent on the trip! From Horseshoe we took the bus to Hamilton and had lunch at the Pickled Onion. We sat outside, overlooking the water, it was amazing. A little pricey but the food was good - I had a Mediterranean pizza with spinach, feta, Kalamata olives - delicious! Everyone else was equally pleased with their meals. From Hamilton we took the ferry back to the Dockyards and boarded the ship around 4.

 

Great Stirrup Cay - beautiful as well, but not my favorite. I never heard or read an announcement regarding tender tickets. We just got up very early and lined up - and up and up and up- the line started at Deck 6 and climbed up a few floors. We only waited about 15 minutes. The beach was crowded and the sand area was very narrow. It was raining. We were on one of the next tenders back to the ship - where we had the pool all to ourselves. That was wonderful!

 

Nassau - we docked around 8 and after having dinner at Aqua we immediately got off the ship. First stop - The Atlantis. I wish we could have seen more of it, but it was dark out. We walked around The Digs, played a bit in the casino (my friend won $130!) and had some martinis at the bar (he treated!) I don't think we were there much more than an hour. From Atlantis we went to Senor Frogs. That was a good time, had some Kalik's - the Bahamas beer. The next morning we went to the Straw Market and did some negotiating with the locals for some pretty jewelry. We walked up one of the main streets and went in a few stores. It was so humid that day! I was really excited that the Soverign of the Seas was "parked" next to us... that was the first ship I ever cruised on as a kid!

I really wished we had more time in Bermuda, and in my opinion I would have preferred a full day in Nassau rather than the earlier stop at GSC. However, I did not take this trip for the itinerary. I just wanted to be on the ship- sea days were my favorite. We got a great deal and with not having to fly anywhere, we saved a lot of money.

 

Service

Perfect! Wonderful! Everyone (stewards, cruise director staff, waiters) went out of their way to make us feel welcome and comfortable. We have to give a shout out to Nicolletta who was in every dining room, at every meal we ate, asking us how things were and wishing us "Bon Appetite!" We also had a lot of fun with Emanuelle at the Spinnaker Lounge and martini clinic.

 

Motion

I took Bonine everyday to ward off sea sickness. I never felt sick, but boy, you could feel the motion of the ship EVERYWHERE - the casino, watching the shows, on the stairs. It was especially bad on the first two sea days. You'd be walking in the hallway and stumble. It was so noticeable in our stateroom (Deck 10 Forward) that I couldn't even relax in the room on most days because I was too uncomfortable. Is it easier when you sail out of Florida?

 

Our Stateroom

We had an inside cabin. A little tight, but it worked. I was worried about feeling claustrophobic with no window but it was a non-issue. There was tons of storage space - drawers, shelves - everything had it's place and there was no need to lug any sort of over the door organizer. I always travel with a hanging toiletries holder - that is a space saver no matter where I am. The bathroom was larger than I thought it would be.

Our stewards were very friendly and they made us some cute towel animals - kissing swans, elephants, little things wearing my many pairs of sunglasses! One night there was even a mouse peeking out from under my pillow... with eyes!

I couldn't imagine sleeping 4 in that cabin though. I kept threatening my BF that if he was bad, he would have to sleep on the bunk that folded down from the wall!

 

Public Rooms

The ship itself is huge. I had trouble navigating it at first. However, I remembered tips from this board - the stairways with flowers were in the front, Marilyn Monroe was midship, sunsets at the stern. When all else failed, I just looked out one of the many windows and noted the way the water was flowing. By the end of the week I think I had it down.

 

Bathrooms - plentiful and spotless. And purple, my favorite color! There was only one time I saw a dirty bathroom - that was on Deck 13 by Cagney's and the Star Bar - the toilet had overflowed and there was water all over the floor. I am guessing since it was right by the pool (and prime sun time) it was just over used. I also liked how the trash cans in the ladies rooms were right next to the door - so you could open the door to leave with a paper towel and throw it out on the way out.

 

Atrium - bright and sunny, definitely the central hub of the ship. Cameras set up here for pictures every night. My favorite was the one we took with our bright red solo cups... we bought the one of us all taking a sip from the cups.

 

Overall the Dawn is a beautiful ship, totally clean and new.

 

Activities and Entertainment

Matt Baker, Ingrid, Jeremy, Wayne, Paul and the rest were all great. A little cheesy at times but we loved it. Overall, the activities offered were excellent. There was always something to do. We looked forward to Matt's daily announcements, and always perked up when we heard the chime sound over the PA!

 

Second City - by far our favorite. I thought their first performance was the best. I actually chatted poolside with Topher (one of the cast members) on Wednesday while everyone was at the private island. Nice guy! We went to the improv workshop they offered in the cinema and I even went on stage to participate in one of the exercises. Funny stuff. Their show on Thursday was great too. Lots of audience participation.

 

The Quest - I had posted a question about this game a while back and it was moved to another board because it was "a RCCL activity and had nothing to do with NCL." That couldn't be further from the truth - we played this on Thursday night and had a blast! I won't give it away, but just be sure to get their early and sit in the front!

 

Never got a chance to play Bingo!

 

Bollywood - great dancing, very entertaining, but we thought it was a little random!

 

Fountains - if you haven't seen it, check it out. It's the last night at the end of the crew show. We laughed!

 

Casino - No luck in here! Don't miss the free rum punch at 6pm on embarkation day. I did have some fun playing "Casino War" where the dealer deals you a card, deals himself a card, and whoever has the highest card wins. Quite simple, even for me! A gal I was talking to by the pool said her father won $300 on a slot machine, then came back to the same machine an hour later and hit for another $900! When I asked her which machine, she didn't know. Damn!

 

Art Auction - I was a little intimidated by this... I kept looking at the dollar amounts on the back of the paintings I liked and immediately put them down because they were too expensive! Little did I know that the auctioneer sold them for much less. I was fortunate enough to take home a beautiful beach scene lithograph. $89, plus fees, taxes and shipping and it came to $133. I can't wait until it arrives in the mail!

 

Dazzles - We had some fun here. We liked to watch everyone sing kareoki. We had some William Hungs on board! Some were so advererous they actually got up there and rapped. After a while, you noticed the same people up there. There was an older woman who could really sing... "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," Memories," she was really good! Also thought the four women from NJ who sang "That's What Friends are For" were hilarious... sounded more like "That's What Friends are Fooowwaah!"

 

Pool Area- Chair hogs in FULL EFFECT! You'd see rows of chairs "claimed" by only towels. It got to the point where we took people's towels off the chairs and moved on in. I really liked laying out on Deck 13 forward. It was so windy, you never got too hot. Of course you couldn't turn a page in your book! That hot tub was fantastic as well. Rarely crowded, not scalding hot, and with the wind, the water was blown in your face the whole time. I liked it, just remember your sunglasses! Overall, I think that they pool area is way too small for the ship. They need another pool - we kept calling it "human stew" because there were so many in it. And, on the second to last day, someone pooped in the pool! It was closed for 4 hours to be cleaned, drained and refilled. The funniest part about this was the sign that said "pool closed due to fecal accident." It made me laugh that this has happened so many times they actually had a sign made up!

 

Martini clinic - best value on the ship! We actually missed the first one offered on Tuesday, so we went on Friday. What a smart move! There were only 9 people at the second clinic so everyone got to pick their own four martinis from the extensive list! Normally, the bartender picks the martinis when there is a bigger crowd earlier in the week. Some of the ones we sampled: The Floridian, The Cajun, Totally Wired, Raspberry Torte, Espresso, Chocolate, French martini, French Cosmo, Melontini... they are not full 8oz martinis but close enough! We were feeling good afterwards!

 

Music- We loved the guys who played at the pool and GSC, Rythem Explosion. I also liked some of the songs played over the PA system at the pool... who knew an Enrique Iglesias song could sound good when re-recorded reggae-style? Modal Magic who performed in the Spinnaker Lounge were also good - those gals can sure belt out those high notes. How many times can you sing "Celebrate good times, come on!" before going nuts? :) My only gripe? The whole trip sounded like it was on "repeat." They need a little more variety!

 

Havana Club - I sat in here while the guys smoked cigars. It was a good time. The service was a little slow (BF waited quite a while for a cut) but we made some friends in there and had some good conversation. Since the cigar bar was enclosed in glass, and right next to Gatsby's Piano bar, Le Bistro and Impressions, a lot of people stared inside or put there face up to the glass and peered in. It was funny, and made us feel like VIPs!

 

Final Thoughts

This was an amazing vacation. I actually teared up when we were disembarking in NYC. I would do it again in a heartbeat - I'm totally sold on cruising. I think my next cruise will be a different ship and line, if only so I can experience something else - there are so many options out there. Do I recommend NCL? Oh yes- and I'll be back! 4.5 out of 5 stars, 9 out of 10 - best vacation I have taken in a very long time.

 

 

See my pics! http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=12a99cu0.45xgko4c&Uy=-u7sae4&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=1&UV=794588863578_401209890108

I felt like I was enjoying myself as much as you reading the review. There is nothing more fun than reading about someone elses positive experiences especially when they are young. You could have been my granddaughte or one of them writing about their cruise experiences. thanks for sharing with us: as for not getting rich in the casino; not many do. The Lobster, same thing with me on Celebrity last Dec. I did not enjoy mine at all; it didn't have a bad taste but a horrible consistancy. Everyone else at our table loved theirs. NMNita

[snorklinbarb]

What an enjoyable review!

 

Laughed when I read about your lobster. It says with "drawn butter and nantua sauce" - that's the awful brown stuff!:eek: In just about every review I've put up, I've advised not taking the sauce or at least asking for it on the side. This time in Impressions they actually left me the whole "boat" of drawn butter instead.:D

 

Sounds like you all had a great time.

 

p.s. Hi Trish! See you're going on the Dawn. You'll love it. If you change your mind about lunch in the city and arrive early (before noon), there's a special Lat. waiting area upstairs. We were surprised how few people actually found their way up there, and embarkation is right after the Suites are called. Enjoy!:)

[cdaystravel]

Allyscud wrote...

Quote: They also had really good yellow pound cake... it was sitting out, just calling our names each time we walked by. How could we not grab a slice!

 

 

 

No matter where were headed on the ship my son always found a route that took us past the pound cake.:D

[T1130]

I enjoyed your review and pictures!:)

[trish1c]

p.s. Hi Trish! See you're going on the Dawn. You'll love it. If you change your mind about lunch in the city and arrive early (before noon)' date=' there's a special Lat. waiting area upstairs. We were surprised how few people actually found their way up there, and embarkation is right after the Suites are called. Enjoy!:)[/quote']

 

Thanks Barb! I was hoping I'd run into you on these boards somewhere. Do you still have my e-mail? I think I lost yours. :o Can we communicate off list? I'd love insight from you & Bob about the Dawn. Please say hi to him for me. We have to get together one of these days!