Live from the NCL DAWN - November 26-December 07, 2006

[lalapodip]

Hi again, Jackie - you are DEFINITELY not boring us! Looking forward to your next installment, especially updates on Le Bistro! :)

 

Laura

[johnql]

Thanks, Jackie. It's fun to read such a detailed review. It brings back a lot of nice memories of my two cruises on the Dawn.

[angeljt]

Day 4 - Wednesday, 11.29.06 - At Sea

 

We set the clocks back one hour last night and I woke up at 4 AM, made coffee and watched the sunrise after reading for a while. I've started reading Running With Scissors, let's see if I finish it. I also brought along six other books, what was I thinking!!!

 

Room service showed up on time at 6:30 AM with fruit, coffee and juice. It looks as if it will be another beautiful day with calm seas.

 

We went to the Venetian again this morning for a late breakfast, and had to wait about 10 minutes to be seated this time. Terry had Eggs Benedict and I had a ham, cheese and herb omelette, we both had bacon and a croissant. They give you way too much bacon IMHO, since we're tempted to eat it all. Not a bad thing, but it's so tough for us to resist bacon since we never eat it at home. While we were eating, a Code Alpha came over the loudspeaker. Later, we were told that someone was ill.

On our last two Dawn cruises, we only dined in the Venetian two times, but we have already been there three times this trip. I guess we will be trying some different things this time. We have never had dinner in Impressions or Aqua, but hopefully we will get there this week.

 

We came back to the cabin and sat on the balcony watching the flying fish, then went to the Internet Cafe to sign up. We bought 100 minutes for $55. and received 15 extra minutes for being Latitudes members and another 15 minutes from a bonus voucher that Joe gave us at the CC meeting. Today they offer 50% off your Internet usage from 4-6 PM. They also offer it one more time during the cruise, I'm not sure when, but will most likely be on another sea day.

 

We went back to our cabin to have a Bloody Mary, maybe two, before the Latitudes party. Terry was playing "Wasting Away in Margaritaville" as I typed. An omen of things to come?

 

We then attended the Latitudes party, and went to the Garden Cafe where we both had a small salad since we had an early reservation for LeBistro. I decided to play Bingo and Terry brought the laptop to the Spinnaker to check his email, etc. I won $177.00 on the small plus sign.

 

We went to LeBistro with Cheryl and Al, and had the Chef's Tasting Menu for two which is Terrine de Foie Gras, French Onion Soup, Chateaubriand or Lamb Rack Dijonaise, and Le Bistro Souffle. We were allowed to substitute the Lobster & Scallop Martini (3 very thin slices of scallops & lobster pieces), and I also had the Mushroom Soup instead of the French Onion. We ordered a bottle of champagne to celebrate Cheryl and Al's new granddaughter.

 

We finally hit a rough spot at Le Bistro, but nothing too bad.

 

Terry and I were not thrilled with the Lobster & Scallop Martini, his Onion Soup was very good, my mushroom soup was not as I remembered, but still good. Maybe it's my memory playing tricks on me.

 

We ordered our Chateaubriand medium rare to rare and it arrived medium well. ) : We're not fussy about many things, but the temperature of meat happens to be one that we are. It was sliced in 6 thick pieces, 3 each. I ate half of one piece and did not enjoy it, and Terry ate 2 pieces and said it was just okay, tender but dry.

 

After some time our waiter asked if everything was okay and I did say that the meat was too well done. He half heartedly asked if we wanted another one and we said no since the others were almost done with their food.

 

Cheryl and Al had the Lobster & Scallop Martinis, Escargots, Frog Legs watercress Veloute, Mediterranean Fish Soup, Bouillabaisse Style, Canard a l'Orange, Creme Brulee and the Le Bistro Souffle. They enjoyed their dinners.

 

After dinner, JP Seidel, the Food and Beverage Director, came to our table to check on everything. We mentioned that Al was disappointed that they no longer had the jalapeno poppers on the menu in Salsa's. He made a call and gave Al his card, telling him to call him the next day to let him know if he wanted them for lunch or dinner since they still had some left from the old menu. Nice touch! I did ask about the Pastrami at the NY Deli, but no go for that.

 

I know many of you will be happy to hear that the Filet Mignon is back, but only listed with the Surf & Turf, and the Chocolate Fondue is also listed on the menu again. They have added those two items on the last page of the menu. I guess the powers that be at NCL have been reading Cruise Critic and paying attention to their customers. ( :

 

After dinner we went on the Promanade deck for a breath of fresh air and chatted with Cheryl & Al about things past and present.

 

Then it was off to the cabin to retire for the evening.

[angeljt]

Day 5 - Thursday, 11.30.06 - Cozumel, Mexico

 

6:00 AM sure came quickly, and makes the difference between the OS and any other room obvious to us. I try to be very quiet, but all noises seem magnified, finding their way to Terry's ears. Even the comforter being pulled back seems to ring in at a zillion decibels, and tiptoeing sounds like the Jolly Green Giant dancing about.

 

Each evening we get the coffee ready for the morning, using both Folgers coffee packs per pot, one regular and one decaf. We also asked Alfredo for an extra ice bucket seeing that we always use up our ice before our next scheduled delivery. He brought us a champagne bucket a couple of days ago and it has worked out very well for us and is more convenient for all. Ahhh, unlimited Bloody Mary's, martinis and gin & tonics!!! We are definitely on vacation!

I did forget to bring a clock and a night-light. Duh!

 

We watched the sunrise on the balcony again this morning, which many of you will be doing soon too. We didn't hear the phone or the knock for our 6:30 AM room service delivery of more coffee, sliced fruit (honeydew, cantaloupe, watermelon, pineapple & orange), milk and tomato juice. We had been back in the room at 6:25 AM according to Terry's watch, but I guess they were a few minutes early. We called about 7:00 AM wondering if they didn't get our order the night before. We have tipped the girl who delivers our order each morning and she seemed surprised by that the first time.

 

Bloody Mary time before heading to the Garden Cafe for a quick, light breakfast since we were too late for the dining room again. Time sure can get away from you on the ship. The pool was being drained for the second morning in a row, and a waiter told us that someone had broken glass in it both days.

 

We've been to Cozumel many times, but decided to go make some phone calls since I kept getting a busy signal on my cell phone. I sure hope Sprint doesn't charge me for the 10-15 times I tried to call out without connecting. Terry was able to use his Nextel direct connect from the ship in Cozumel in case any of you were wondering about your Nextel direct connect service. It operates via satellite so there is no additional charges involved. (at least that's what he tells me) If any charges show up on the bills, I will post them.

 

We walked around the shops after a short tender, but didn't buy anything this trip. We did meet Cheapo Fillipo along the way, quite a character. He thought we might be interested in a little something to smoke. Sure, just where we want to end up on vacation, in a Mexican jail.

 

We had talked about going to Chankanaab Park again, but decided to return to the ship instead. It's a great park with a beautiful beach, lagoon, museum, restaurant, bathroom facilities and bar. You can also swim with the dolphins (about $130) or just watch people swim with them (free). They also have sea lions, iguanas, many beautiful fish in the lagoon and a zoo. Do a search for more info if you're interested, and they also have a coupon for $2. off the $14. admission. Also check out cozumelinsider.com for more coupons for other attractions.

 

We came back to the ship and Terry took a nap while I went to look for a quiet corner to catch up on my report and do some reading. I ended up in Gatsby's and there were quite a few people sitting in the piano area along with a girl from the Cruise Director's staff. I was sitting toward the back section near the bar but she still came over to me and asked if I wanted to make a 'beaded gecko'. I figured, why not do something different. Evelyn from our CC meeting was there and came and sat with me. We had a nice conversation and ended up with cute little geckos. I might have to go to a couple more of the arts and craft sessions.

 

It was another beautiful day, sunny with patchy clouds that kept it from being too hot, although there was a bit more humidity than our previous days. We have been very lucky with perfect weather so far.

 

We went to Aqua for dinner which was a first for us. This is our 3rd Dawn cruise and we've never been to Aqua or Impressions before, but we're trying to do some different things this time. It's hard to get out of your comfort zone, but we're trying. We both had Onion Soup with smoked chicken and brie and Caesar Salads. I had the Roast Turkey Breast stuffed with Apricots and almonds, Mediterranean Quinoa with Coriander Pan Jus and Cherries Jubilee for dessert. Terry had the Thai Noodles with Chicken and Peanut Sauce and Chocolate Hazelnut Cake with a semi sweet, warm chocolate sauce. We both had cappuccino. Both of our meals were very good as was our waiter, Marian. Her assistant was not quite as friendly or attentive, but still efficient. She may possibly be new or just not having her best day. It must be difficult to smile constantly when you work as long and hard as they do.

 

We went to the casino for a few hours and broke even before returning to the cabin to relax and watch a little TV. It started to thunder along with lightening and we fell asleep listening to the rain.

[angeljt]

Day 6 - Friday, 12.01.06 - Belize City, Belize

 

I woke up at 4:30 AM and stayed in bed for another half hour without any luck trying to fall asleep, so I got up and turned the coffee on. It rained during the night but seems to be clearing up. The forecast for today is cloudy with 50% chance of showers, air pressure 30% and rising, sea temp is 78º, 100% humidity and air temp low of 73º, high of 83º.

 

It seems no matter how quiet I try to be, Terry always hears me. We had our coffee and watched as we approached Belize and the many small surrounding islands. We had coffee, juice and fruit delivered and Terry decided to try to nap so I went to the Java Cafe with my laptop and my book. I ordered an Orange Mocha with Grand Marnier, creme de Almond Expresso with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles. It was delicious, but I couldn't find any sprinkles which wasn't a problem.

OMG, no sprinkles!!! I sure hope this doesn't ruin our cruise! ( :

 

We went for a late breakfast deciding to see how the weather was before venturing off the ship. We took a tender to Belize and shopped for a couple of hours. I found a shadow box with five mounted butterflies for only $12.00, which will be part of a Christmas present for my cousin who loves butterflies. Terry bought a baseball hat and a T-shirt and I picked up a few more things. There was a five minute downpour and the skies cleared up. I snapped another zillion pictures and we headed back on the tender.

 

Terry is going to take another nap and I will head down to Gatsby's to read and make a beaded bandana. It is actually very relaxing to be doing something other than drinking, eating or typing with my hands. ( ;

I was sitting alone and Mikie, one of the Assistant Hosts came along and we chatted for about an hour. We did pool-side trivia with him the other day and he is very personable and sweet. He came aboard the Dawn from Star Cruises two weeks ago, and the Norfolk cruise was his first aboard NCL. I wonder if he was second guessing his decision to change cruise lines at that point! He said most everyone was nice and had a good time. The minority sure can cause a lot of commotion and talk on these boards. I guess there were some people giving the desk staff a very hard time though.

 

Mikie said he is still trying to learn his way around the ship and wants to learn a variety of activities to make things fun and interesting for the passengers. He is a real sweetheart and I think that NCL is lucky to have him on board.

 

Evelyn showed up for the beaded bandana session along with a good size group of people. We also sat with a woman named Moy who was very nice and we proceeded to make our bandanas and joke around. Terry met me there also and Cheryl and Al came to Gatsby's to see if we wanted to dine at Salsa's later on, which we did. I had tried to make reservations for the four of us at LaTrattoria, but they were booked except for 9:00 PM. I did make reservations for Saturday, but when I read the slip she gave me it said Sunday. Guess I better check that out.

 

We met up with Cheryl & Al in the Internet Cafe and I tried to download the pictures of their new granddaughter. They were almost downloaded after about 12 minutes when the Internet connection ended and we lost our progress. We tried again, but didn't have any luck. We did get to see a couple of the pictures, and baby Kaitlynn is adorable. Internet access is much slower than we're used to, but still better than I remember it from our last few cruises.

 

We had an excellent dinner at Salsa's and the same waiter, Glen, and his assistant Grace. They did a great job and Grace is a lovely girl and also very sweet. We have not tipped every time in the main dining rooms, but we have when the service was outstanding which it was this evening.

 

Al had called JP Seidel numerous times today without any luck. It seems the phone would ring, but no one answered. So much for the Jalapeno Poppers....

 

Terry ordered a Margherita and I brought my martini from the cabin along. I had Taquitos, Southwestern Spicy Spring Rolls, Sopa de Tortilla, the Big Tex Beef Burrito, the Mexican Cinnamon Churros and Cappuccino. I was stuffed along with everyone else. I ordered way too much food. I guess I shouldn't skip lunch anymore. Oh, wait a minute!!! We stopped in the Blue Lagoon after the beaded bandana session because Terry said he couldn't wait for dinner. I had the Tomato Soup and Terry had the noodles. I feel like a little piggy....

 

Terry ordered the Quesadillas, Spring Rolls, the Burrito and the Berry Tostada. Cheryl and Al both had the Crab-meat & Shrimp Quesadilla with cheese and Spicy Mango Salsa. Al had a Ensalada de Caesar, BBQ Pork Back Ribs, and they shared the Churros. Everyone but me had the Berry Tostada. Cheryl also had the Sopa de Tortilla and the Burrito. We were all stuffed!!!

 

We went to the cabin and changed to head down to the casino for a bit and then headed up to bed. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ..Sweet dreams!!!

[angeljt]

Day 7 - Saturday, 12.02.06 - Roatan, Honduras

 

Slept late this morning.....4:45 AM!!! ( ; The temp is 79º, with 86% humidity and slight seas with a forecast of clouds and showers. We will arrive in Roatan at 8:00 AM. Terry just headed out to the Internet Cafe to check his email. I just went out on the balcony and the clouds seem to be breaking up a bit and the sky is much brighter than just a short time ago. Room service just arrived with our fruit and coffee so I'll be back later.

 

A little about Roatan.....

We've just docked in Roatan, one of The Bay Islands of Honduras, very green, and it is very pretty with a population of 30,000. It is the largest of the three islands with the others being Utila and Guanaja. Coxen Hole is the largest city and capital of the Bay Islands. The island is 35 miles long and an average of three miles wide, lying 40 miles off the north coast of Honduras. The people speak Spanish and English and the currency is Lempira. Apparently they are still coming back from the widespread devastation of Hurricane Mitch in 1998. The number of North Americans and Europeans have grown dramatically over recent years, and the fresh water supplies are being strained, making the need for a modern infrastructure apparent.

 

We went into Roatan and walked around, looking in the little shops and the straw market. Terry bought a couple more T-shirts since it seems he brought mostly black ones with him. Not a wise choice for the tropics.

 

They sell mostly carved mahogany, homemade jewelry and the usual island stuff. A little girl said to Terry, 'Mister give me a dollar, I know you have plenty of them'. That's not a way to get a penny from my husband. Maybe if she asked in a nicer way, but not like that. The people were not pushy and quite friendly. They appear to be quite poor and the houses where the shops are are in disrepair. They are at sea level and there was a lot of standing water in the yards. Dogs and little kids seem to constantly walk in front of the traffic, and I was a bit nervous that one of them would be hit by a car. The dogs did not look well cared for which made me sad. I didn't want to stay in town any longer and we came back to the ship for a Bloody Mary or two.

 

Terry took a nap while I showered and we're heading to the pool for pool games and pool side trivia. We found a table by the pool and Terry went up to the Bimini Bar to get something to eat, but it didn't open until 3:00 PM. He went into the Garden Cafe and came back with two PASTRAMI SANDWICHES!!!! Hooray!!! The pastrami was cold, not heated but it was delicious. We watched the pool games and played trivia then I headed to Gatsby's to make flower combs for Caribbean night. Terry went back to the cabin to play his guitar and change his strings.

 

We got ready and went to meet Cheryl and Al at the Star Bar for martinis. We had two Expresso, a Sour Apple, and a Peach Beamer Martini before heading to LaTrattoria for dinner at 7:30 PM. I had made a reservation for Saturday, but when I looked at the reservation slip, it said our reservation was for Sunday. I tried to change it, but they didn't have any openings for Saturday. Well, JP Seidel, the Food & Beverage Director had promised Al the Jalapeno Poppers from the old menu, and when he called to request them for dinner they changed the menu. It's amazing what the the Head of Staff can do!!! We recognized our waiter, Reymond, from last year as he approached our table.

 

Terry had the Calamari appetizer and the rest of us had the Mozzarella Caprese. I had the Pasta e Fagioli, which only had two pieces of pasta in it, but was very good. Terry had the Insalata Caesar and Cheryl had the Insalata Tricolore salad of radicchio, arugula, frisee, cherry tomatoes and balsamic dressing. Elvis, the Maitre' brought us a very large plate of the Jalapeno Poppers and they were delicious. Terry and I shared the Penne with Marinara Sauce, a 10 inch pineapple & pepperoni pizza and a Tiramisu. Cheryl and Al both had the Land & Sea which consisted of a Veal Medallion, Shrimp Scampi, Grilled Polenta, spinach, artichoke and mushroom sauce. The both had the Sinful Chocolate Velvet Cake and shared a Strawberry Cheesecake. We all had cappuccino and headed out on deck before all coming back to our room to check out the pictures of Kaitlynn again.

 

We advanced our clocks ahead an hour tonight and all went off to La La Land. I wanted to go to the casino, but I would have fallen asleep at the slots.

 

I know this is lengthy, but I figure some people may have questions about the food. I have all of the menus and will scan then in when we get home.

[angeljt]

Questions answered and FYI's

 

EileenN and CTBob, have a great cruise!!! I wish we could stay on the ship with you! You will have a wonderful time with this crew and staff. I haven't seen any slots hit big yet, but I haven't spent as much time in the casino as I would like yet. That will change during our last sea days.

 

Monte, we met up with the Bar Manager last night in the Star Bar and asked about Eka for you. She is on vacation and will be coming aboard at the end of our cruise. He said I would leave a note for her. I will try to remember to do that for you. The Star Bar is very quiet these days. It seems the vote is for it to turn back to a smoking bar. On our last cruise, we spent time there each night but have only been there twice so far this time.

I'm guessing that I could also leave a message for Claudio if you'd like.

I will be posting all of the menus when we return.

 

Lastingtouch, I'm sorry to be teasing you, but it's a good tease when you have a cruise planned so soon. ( :

 

Cosmo, thanks, yes it did all work out very well indeed, and the Dawn is still a wonderful place to be!

 

Emjayel156, make sure you ask for the mattress topper on your first day since I believe they sometimes run out of them.

 

Lalapodip, Yes, we are having a great time and I hope some of this info helps you in preparing for your upcoming cruise.

 

Smellytoes, I have all of the menus including the first night. We drive from MA to CT where we lived for 14 years and stay the night before with our friends in New Fairfield. We also stay there a night or two upon our return, stretching out our vacation time. Also it only leaves us with a one hour drive to NY. We would probably take the bus if we didn't stop there.

 

Whatawonderfulworld, I will tell Jean-Michel when I see him again. I forgot to tell him earlier. I'm happy you are here in your dreams with us and I'm sure you will enjoy the Pearl and meeting Jean-Michel in September. He is very nice and a warm person as is his friend, Christian.

 

AuntieBarb, What a wonderful way to spend your Christmas. You will enjoy all of the trees and decorations that are already up. I have a lot of pictures and will post them to my webshots when we return.

 

Leona1, Yes, Claudio will be back on your cruise along with Eka. I know there are other changes coming, but I'm not sure when.

 

Maryfrei, Zeno, Maurick, and BarbCT605, Thank you for your well wishes. We sure are having a fantastic cruise!!!

 

I hope I didn't miss anyone and will catch up on any other questions as soon as I can.

 

A few FYI's....

They have offered the two for one in Bamboo, Cagney's and LeBistro each night so far between 5:30 PM and 6:00 PM. If you like your steaks rare, make sure you order them that way. IMHO, they tend to overcook rather than undercook them. You can always have them cook it a bit more if it is too rare for you. Next time I will order mine VERY rare.

 

 

I will try to answer everyone's questions, but if I miss anything or anyone, please repeat it. I printed out all of the pages at the Internet Cafe in Cozumel the other day since it is easier and requires less time than on the Dawn's Internet. I only printed out the pages up to that point, so I will have to answer any others later.

The IC in Cozumel had access for $1.00 per hour!!!! It is close to the dock and you can also make phone calls to the US for 39¢ a minute. Printing is 30¢ per page.

 

There was a Western Union office in Belize which offered phone calls and Internet, but it was closed.

 

Internet was available in Grand Cayman for $12.00 per hour. Phone cards were $11. for 20 minutes.

[Maryfrei]

Hi Jackie,

Massachusetts had it's first snow yesterday, think what you're missing:rolleyes:!

[EileenN]

You are a doll. We can't wait until Thursday, but will think of you as we get on board and you get off. Not fair is it?

Sounds like you had a good time. Would you cruise again this time of year? It is hectic getting ready.

[lastingtouch]

Angeljt, You have this posting "Live" thing down! :D Just love it!!!!

Can't wait for our turn. If you do remember, that would be great if you could leave messages for Claudio and Eka. Let them know the Strattons will be back Jan. 28th. They are the best! ;)

 

Thanks again

You're the Best! Enjoy!

Diane & Monty

[swoosh2005]

do they still have the conveyor belt for all you can eat sushi in the Japanese restaurant?

[Zoliss]

:) WoW, ive read everything you wrote Angel and really like this. Even if english is not my primary language (as you can see in this message hehe) everything ive seen in your message was a pleasure for the eyes. You are certainly a person who have no problem to make friends everywhere. I cant wait now to go on this boat 07/01/07. Have a good time for the end of the cruise and start a new career as a novelist (or maybe it is your job hehe :) ).

[Pisti]

Angeljt: I have been reading your posts with great interest. We will be on the Dawn Dec 28 (10 days). Looking forward to your posting the menus. Have seen the 7 day but not the 10 day. Thanks again for the interesting reading.....Joan:)

[palmtre2]

Thanks so much - I was wondering how I would make it until April.... Thanks to people like you, sharing your cruises, I just might survive!!!!

 

What bars can you smoke in on the Dawn???

[lastingtouch]

do they still have the conveyor belt for all you can eat sushi in the Japanese restaurant?

Yes ditto! Angeljt, there are rumors no more "all you can eat" is that true? :(

[angeljt]

Day 8 - Sunday, 12.03.06 - Georgetown, Grand Cayman

 

Wow, I can't believe room service called before I was awake this morning. It is the latest I've slept so far. She was 15 minutes early which was fine with us. Sleeping until 6:15 AM is late for me!!! We had our usual coffee, juice and sliced fruit.

 

We stayed in the cabin relaxing and then headed up for breakfast before leaving the ship for Grand Cayman. We walked around the town looking in a few shops and then took a taxi to the beach. It was $4. per person each way or a dollar or two more to go further down the beach. We had asked to be dropped at one of the hotels further down, but our driver let us out at the closest one. I guess she wanted to get back for more fares. The beach was beautiful and the water was the perfect temperature. We walked a ways down from the hotel where we were dropped off and found a quiet area to sit in the and and play in the water. There was a step down about 10-15 feet into the water, but you could still stand up.

 

We met up with Jean-Michel and we all went in the water and talked for a while. J-M picked up a good size rock/coral when we were in the water and it had a small white catfish the same color as the rock, clinging to it. Jean-Michel left something on our towel and we went looking for and found him before we headed back to town.

 

We stopped at the duty free shop near the pier pier and bought some liquor. They also offered Internet access at $12.00 per hour, and phone cards at $11.00 for 20 minutes. Being Sunday, a most of the shops were closed, but some do open when cruise ships are in port.

 

We bumped into Sherrie and Joe and all tendered back to the Dawn together. We showered and changed and headed for the Venetian but it closed at 1:30 PM. I guess we should pay more attention to the Dailies. ( : It seems we keep missing the dining room hours and end up in either the Blue Lagoon or Garden Cafe. Both are okay for something quick, but we don't want to eat as many meals there as we have been. Pay attention to dining times and plan accordingly if you prefer the dining room.

 

Terry went to the Pearly King's and sat at the bar with Sherrie and Joe and watched the Dallas and Giants game. I went to arts and crafts and made a balloon flower before meeting up with Terry and heading back to the room to relax and read for a few hours.

 

We met up with some of our CC friends in Gatsby's at 8:00 PM to have a last of the 30's drink with Sherrie before her 40th birthday tomorrow. We sat around, chatted and laughed until around 9:30 PM when we decided we had better get to the dining room unless we wanted BL or GC food again.

 

We were seated in an aft window and chose not to have the Fire and Ice New Zealand Green Lip Mussels. We're definitely not going to eat anything that has green lips!!! Terry had the Pineapple in Rosemary Syrup with Wild Berries (lots of berries), and I had the Baked Ham & Walnut stuffed Buckwheat Crepe Pear Salad with Port Wine Reduction. Terry thought it was too tart, but I thought it was excellent. We both had the Farm House Style Chicken Broth with Ditalini Pasta, Root Veggies and Thyme, which was very good with a little bite to it. We also both chose the Sauteed Veal Piccata with Parmesan egg-crust, Mushroom Risotto and Lemon-mustard sauce. The veal was very tasty, but you have to like lemon.

 

We stopped in the casino and played for a while at some point during the late afternoon, but I can't remember when.

 

We headed back to the cabin and off to dreamland again......

 

Each island approaching morning, I have chatted with our Jade Suite neighbors over our balconies. It is their first cruise and they have their two young daughters with them. They are all very nice and we haven't heard a peep out of the two very well behaved girls. There are some kids on the cruise and they have all been very good so far.

 

Just some observations...... Yesterday there was a very hefty man in at the Garden Cafe without a shirt or shoes, which we were surprised to see. We also saw people standing in front of a sign in Aqua a few nights ago with shorts and others in jeans. The sign said No Shorts or Jeans allowed in the dining room. I really don't care what people wear, but I'm sure I would be the one to get booted if I wore them. ( : You can now wear jeans in LaTrattoria.

[angeljt]

Day 9 - Monday, 12.04.06 - Ocho Rios, Jamaica

 

We slept until 7:15 AM when room service called 15 minutes early again. The sun was already up and we were pulling into Jamaica to dock. It's 82 with 52% humidity and sunny.

 

Our safe wouldn't open this morning, and the front desk sent someone to take care of it which took him about 10 seconds, and within minutes after he left, the desk called to make sure someone had taken care of it.

 

We strolled off the ship and were offered many taxi rides. We decided to take one and Shorty took us through the commercial area, the rainforest and then to Dunn's River Falls. We decided not to make the climb since we were told it would take an hour to climb both ways and we had flip flops and Tevas on, so we went back out to the cab. He asked if we would mind waiting a few minutes since he had dropped off two men from the Dawn after a 2 hour tour and he was to take them into town. He doesn't collect his fare until the tour is over and they hadn't paid him yet. We waited a short time and they didn't show up so he took us to a shopping area and went back to find them while we poked around the shops. They were mostly jewelry and T-shirt shops, so it didn't take us long to finish. After a while, everything looks the same and we are not big on buying the usual souvenirs.

 

He picked us up and took us through the mountains before bringing us back to the ship area where we bought some Rum Cream and cigarettes at $20 per carton. The liquor store right at the pier before you return to the ship is much cheaper than the ones in the place where he dropped us to shop.

 

He also pointed out the mountains where Bob Marley was from and we saw Mick Jagger and Barbra Streisand's houses from quite a distance. We were both dissappointed with our taxi tour and the cost, but it was a beautiful, sunny day, and we were on a tropical island! No problem, mon!!!

 

We came back on the ship and went to the New York Deli for another late lunch. Then we sat by the pool and listened to Rhythm and Harmony before Terry went to the cabin for a nap and I headed down to Gatsby's to do a little typing before arts & crafts. Today we will be making a picture frame magnet and I sat with Evelyn and Moy again. They are both very nice and I'm enjoying my time talking with them.

 

We had pasta for dinner and decided to head back to the cabin around 8 PM. We told our room stewards not to bother with our cabin tonight and played cards for a while to try to keep me awake. It wasn't long before I decided I could play cards in my sleep. ( ;

[angeljt]

Only Tapas and Star Bar are nonsmoking

[angeljt]

Yes ditto! Angeljt, there are rumors no more "all you can eat" is that true? :(

 

 

Yes, the conveyor is there but can't testify for the all you can eat as we don't do sushi.

[lalapodip]

Hi, Jackie - I just wanted to wish you a wonderful last night onboard the Dawn! Your installments have been very informative and fun to read. :) Thanks again.

[Sybird]

Hi Angeljt,

Thanks for your wonderful reviews. Although we have sailed the Dawn four time, we still are able to learn.

We will take #5 on Jan 7 and must ask a favor- can you confirm(requires work) that the head of housekeeping is named Cesar Hapa. We met him on our Jan "06 Dawn cruise and told him that we were returning in 2007 and wanted to meet with him again.( You cannot believe the extent of his responsibilities)

Welcome home and thanks for keeping us on board for the past 10 days.

Sy & Marcella( sybird0617)

[Baitman19]

Jackie,

 

Welcome home:mad:

 

Or should I say back to reality. Glad you enjoyed your cruise, but isn't that how it's supposed to be.

 

We had dinner with our friends last night that are traveling with us on 1/28 and decided on or excursions. It's funny but we had picked the same excursions before we had dinner.

 

Thanks for all the info. Eka makes the best martinis and Claudio is the best. We had told them we wouldn't be back until 10/07, but Claudio said "You'll be back before then" He was right.

 

Now all I have to do is work out an upsell to the GV.

 

Thanks for your blog, We needed the fix. I was getting tired of the whining and complaining over the last few months.

 

Thanks again and Happy Sailing,

Monty

[angeljt]

Thanks for all the nice comments. We are in New Fairfield, CT staying with our good friends for a few days. I will try to answer all of you as soon as I can.

We had a fantastic cruise with a great group of CC members and other really nice people. We did not want to get off the Dawn when she docked. We had beautiful weather in NY also. We were still out on the pool deck on our last sea day and I wish the same for all of you. I closed the casino on our last night and got up very early yesterday morning, so I was dragging a bit yesterday. Terry answered the sushi question for me and posted the last two days that I had finished typing. Maybe I can get him to sign up for CC's now! :D

I will talk with you soon.

Jackie :cool:

[MikeyP]

Only Tapas and Star Bar are nonsmoking

 

Is that to say that one can smoke in all the restaurants, or is Tapas a bar?

[Baitman19]

Is that to say that one can smoke in all the restaurants, or is Tapas a bar?

 

There is NO smoking in any restaurant. The Tapas Bar is in the Salsa Restaurant. The Star Bar is the ONLY entirely non-smoking bar on the ship.

Smoking is only allowed on the port side in public lounges and on the open deck.

Cigar & Pipe smoking is only permitted in the Havana Club & on open decks.

 

I hope this answers your question

Happy Sailing,

Monty