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DAWN Dec.16-23 review

WinnieinWA

By WinnieinWA,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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WinnieinWA

WinnieinWA

Posted
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My DD (38) and I (57)went on this cruise for spending girl time R&R and SUN/HEATand JUST BEING TOGETHER purposes only so I can't comment on the excursions but there were tons of them offered and the passengers I talked to were very happy with their excursions. We did not do all of the things offered so will tell you of my experiences only.

 

Embarkation:

We arrived at the dock via Greyhound transfer from the airport at 11:30 AM. It went smooth as silk. There were short lines and we were onboard having lunch in the Venetion by 12:30 and in our cabin directly after lunch. Our luggage arrived about 3:30. We unpacked and were ready for the vacation of a lifetime.

 

Cabin:

We had a mini-suite with balcony and it was very roomy, clean & well maintained. We had the queen bed made into twins. There was more closet space and drawers/shelves than we could have possibly needed with lots of hangers in closet. There was a tv, bar stocked mini refrigerator, safe, couch, coffee table, dining table with 2 chairs, 2 twin beds, 2 end tables and good lights for reading in bed. There was temperature control for the cabin and one for the bathroom which was roomy with a sliding glass door to seperate the toilet from the sink/tub area. The balcony had 2 comfortable deck chairs that reclined and one small table. There are solid partitions between balconies but do not expect to have complete privacy as sound travels. We found the beds to be very comfortable with 2 pillows each and nice linen. We both slept very well. We were directly over the wake and slept with the door open. We had cabin 11066 and it was quiet except for the delightful sound of the waves. I did hear the bass drums thudding from the pool deck which was above us but it didn't bother me. We spent a lot of timeon our balcony reading and talking and we both loved it! After having a balcony I will never be able to go back to an inside room. :D

 

Ship:

The ship itself was very easy to get around, very clean and very well maintained. There were workers out and about keeping it very clean at all times. There were hand sanitizer stations all over the ship and 2 at the entrance to each food rooms with a crew member stationed at each to make sure you used them before going into any of the restaurants, especially the buffet. The only time we ever saw any kind of a crowd was for the chocolate buffet which was held during the afternoon. We did not attend but saw how long the line was as we were going elsewhere. There isn't a piece of chocolate on earth I would stand in line for. We never had to wait more than a minute for an elevator and even though the ship was full we never felt crowded! The public restrooms were kept immaculate! It was a very smooth sail..just like being in a hotel only wayyy better!:D

 

Safety Drill:

We wore our life jackets and checked in to our assigned stations. Our cabin number that was on our life jackets was checked off a list as we entered. We listened to a short but effective safety drill (in English and then Spanish) and were excused. The process took all of 20-30 minutes. 100 or so people did not show up so they had to attend one the following day putting the crew through extra work.:mad: There were several stations presenting the drill and they were all inside and none were crowded. Your safety station is on your key card. Please show up for the safety drill and be on time.

 

Crew:

We were greeted by every crew member we encountered with a smile, kind word and shown the utmost respect. Our cabin stewards were wonderful and very friendly and treated us like royalty. 60% of the crew are from the Phillipines and there were crew members from 50+ other countries as well including South Africa, Bulgaria, Russia, China Australia, England, Whales, Sweden, France and literally all over the world They all spoke English quite well.

 

Meet & Greet:

Cruise Critic members were supplied a room for an hour (Star Bar) at 10:30 AM on Monday, the first sea day. We were supplied with ice water, coffee, pastries and cookies at no cost to us. We had 50 members who had signed up to meet of which 30 attended. It was very nice to put a face to a username from our roll call and to actually know a few other people on board to say hello to. All of the members were friendly and happy. The Food and Beverage Manager came to talk about NCL and about the ships and to answer any questions we might have. I thought it a very nice touch to have an officer there. He was funny and friendly. I was encouraged to see he was from France where they are known for good cuisine. I'm sorry I forgot his name. Thank you, NCL, for your gracious hospitality to CC members.

 

The Pool:

Upon first glance I thought the pool to be rather small but it was never ever crowded. There were 4 hot tubs surrounding it and they were plenty roomy and never crowded. We did not partake of the pool or hot tubs. There was an abundance of chairs and tables and I never once saw anyone being a chair hog because there were so very many chairs. There were 2 pool bars and a cafe. I never waited for a drink poolside because the service was wonderful but not pushy. The drinks were very good with plenty of booze in them! We spent hours on that deck reading or playing cards or just talking and people watching. We met some delightful people. Everyone I spoke to that was using the pool or hot tubs said they were enjoying it.

 

Ports of call:

Samana

St. Thomas

Great Stirrup Cay (weather diverted us to Nassau, British Virgin Islands)

Tartola:

This is one stop we did get off the ship. There were mini taxi's just off the ship to take you to the shopping mall at no charge. The mall was huge. We then took a regular cab into town for a small fee. A person could easily have walked to town from the ship or the mall but I was having ankle problems so was unable to walk too much. The town is small but nice and there are hundreds of jewelry shops and a lot of souvineer shops. DD and I took an excursion around the island in a saffari type covered truck and were given facts about the area and other islands. It was a good excursion. The only drawback was the trash and litter everywhere (large dumpsters overflowing, abandoned furniture, cars and appliances etc.) spoiling the beautiful countryside.

 

Immigration:

Before entering the US Virgin Islands every passenger on board had to go through immigration. US to one area and non-US to another. It was done in a very organized and orderly fashion and took us about 15 minutes. They just need to see your passport and another ID.

 

Weather:

Heavenly!

75-85 degrees F all 7 days with a sprinkle of rain one afternoon that lasted a few minutes. The sun is very hot! Lather up with sun screen if you are going to be in direct sun. There was a little cloud cover on a few days that was welcome to me....it was still very warm.

 

Entertainment:

There was so much to do and see! We enjoyed the 2 Jean Ann Ryan variety shows that we attended. We also saw the comedian and slight of hand card artist both of which we enjoyed. The cruise director and staff had many different things going on at all times and I can't imagine there wasn't something for everyone to enjoy. We are early risers so were sound asleep for most of the later evening activities so can't comment on them but our cabin neighbors on both sides of us said they were having a blast in the evening hours. I never once heard a complaint about any of the entertainment. We did stay up for the Quest and found it hilariously funny! Do not ask me about the Quest because what happens there stays there.:D

Don't miss the Newlywed/Not so Newlywed show. It was a riot. Unfortunately I missed it live but it was shown on tv the next day.

 

Fellow Passengers:

People from all over the globe were onboard! I'd say about half were traveling as a family of 4-8ppl, very friendly and willling to talk about their homeland and we enjoyed telling about ours. The majority of passengers were caucasion and about half of them were about 50 or older. Every passenger I spoke with spoke English. We saw 4-5 ppl in wheelchairs. There were very few children and since the ship has lots of children activities we rarely saw them. The ones we did see were very well behaved. There were a few babies but we rarely saw or heard them. There were lots of teens from 12-19. Every one of them that I saw or spoke to were delightful and very well mannered with the exception of 2 American teens that I had to step in to reprimand because they were loud and using foul language in an elevator lobby. They were an embarrassment to me. The 20+ somethings were mature and we never saw anyone drunk or acting like fools.

 

Of course there were the few old fogies who wouldn't be happy with anything!!!!! I pity them and their poor pathetic lives and I doubt they have ever been happy.

 

The Spa:

DD and I had one hour full body massages that were wonderful and only $75. while in a port!

 

I've saved the best for last. You should know that my daughter has traveled around the world and eaten in the finest restaurants in several countries. I am a gourmet cook so my family and I have always eaten well. I have dined in many 4 & 5 star restaurants. Food is subjective but I will tell you of our impression. We are not really fussy but have high expectations concerning fresh food.

In a word: FABULOUS!!!

 

Food and Restaurants we ate in:

 

Venetian: Large main dining room.

Our favorite. We never had to stand in line and we ate anywhere between 6PM-9PM. I never saw a line waiting to be seated. We dined alone for 5 nights and with another couple the first night. The room is very elegant with lovely linen, good cutlery & fine glassware. We had breakfast there daily about 8AM from a full menu with choices for every taste and we had dinner there 5 nights. The dinner menu was every bit as varied with many options for all tastes. The Hors d'Ouvres, soups & salads we ordered were delicious and served at proper temperature. The main courses were fabulous and you could have as many of anything at every meal as you wished. The desserts were very much to our liking and are partial to lighter desserts so we were very happy. Again, I believe there was something to please every pallette. I had 1/2 bottle of wine each night and they kept the second half to present to me on the next night. I took advantage of their special which was a good wine for $30.00 per bottle. The wine list was extensive from about $25 to over a hundred or more per bottle. Enough of a variety for every taste and wallet. The service was impecable and courses timed perfectly. Dinner usually took about an hour for us. We had a delightful cappucino after every meal at no extra charge. It is on the menu but in fine print. Of the 5 nights we ate there we had Leg of lamb, Lobster Thermidore, prime rib, fish, rack of lamb, beef loin roast & Carribean lobster. The sides were complimentary to the entree and very tasty. Each of our courses were beautifully presented and very good and our main course was absolutely delicious. The serving size is European but we only asked for more than one entree on one occassion because after 5 courses we were usually very satisfied but not stuffed. There is the option of Carribean lobster at every evening meal and the 3 times we had it we found it to be cooked to perfection and absolutely wonderful. So every night was lobster night if you so choose.

 

Aqua:

 

Smaller Main dining room. It was lovely but different than Venetian and just not our cup of tea. The same food and service..delightful!

 

Blue Lagoon:

I wandered down there for a midnight snack of hot wings and was not disappointed. They were hot and delicious. I also had a hamburger another day and it was dry. I would recommend you stay away from the burgers but that's just my opinion because I like them cooked medium and juicy. Service was great.

 

Garden Cafe:

The buffet option.

We had brunch there while waiting for debarkation. I was stunned by the abundance and variety of food!!! :eek: When we passed the entrance of this cafe on our way to the pool each day it was always busy. It looked like people with children, teens and the younger adults ate a lot of their meals here. They even had a child sized buffet. I'm not a buffet person but I was very impressed with the quality of the food there. We enjoyed our light brunch there very much. It was also nice to get a plate to take poolside and eat outside. It would have been nice if there were trays available though. That is my one and only complaint. It is impossible to carry silver, plate, bowl, juice, milk and coffee to the table or the pool or to your cabin. It takes several trips.

 

Le Bistro:

DD saw they had rack of lamb on the menu so we dined there the second night at 6PM. We called at about noon and had no trouble making a reservation. Had we known the food was as good in the main dining rooms and we would have rack of lamb one evening I wouldn't have gone to this one and pay the extra fee.

 

We ate lunch only on embarkation and debarkation day. What we had was delicious! I only wish I could have eaten 3 meals a day. There is no way every person on board that ship couldn't find something they liked at every meal.

 

 

Attire:

During the day it was shorts, tank tops, t-shirts, capris, swim suits, jeans, slacks & sun dresses. I did not see anyone inappropriately dressed.

 

Evening:

Ladies wore long gowns, cocktail dresses, sun dresses, evening pant suits or co-ordinating pants or skirt sets. Men wore tuxedos, suits and ties, slacks and sport jackets, long sleeves with ties or a nice casual shirt with slacks. When we ate our evening meal the majority of people were dressed as you would be going to any fine dining establishment. We saw no jeans, t-shirts, tank tops, flip flops or anyone not dressed appropriately with the exception of one poor family whose luggage did not arrive and they ate very early in the main dining room on the first night wearing very casual traveling clothes.

 

Overall experience:

 

Vacation of a lifetime! Fabulous!!:D

 

Thank you, NCL, for making a week spent with my daughter a dream come true.

 

Forgive any spelling/gramatical errors. If you have any questions that I am able to answer I will be happy to do so..just ask.

 

Happy Cruising.

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JackieL

JackieL

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Thank you for your review. I will be booking the Dawn from NY to Bermuda in June, and my kids and I have never cruised NCL before. My biggest worry was the food, since I've read so many rotten comments about it.

 

My best friend will be traveling with me with her kids and they have never cruised. I did not want her to be disappointed.

 

Your review alleviated my concerns! Thanks again.

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Ravensfootball

Ravensfootball

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Posted

WinnieWA,

 

After reading your review I can't wait to set sail in March. It sounds like you two had a good vacation. Do you recall if any of the 2.0 initiatives have started on board the Dawn as of yet? Also, do you recall what time of day the Chocolate buffet started, I read either 2/3:OO p.m. or 10:00 p.m. I am with you about standing in line for chocolate, but I love to get pictures of the creativeness of chefs.

 

Thanks,

Ravensfootball:)

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WinnieinWA

WinnieinWA

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WinnieWA,

 

After reading your review I can't wait to set sail in March. It sounds like you two had a good vacation. Do you recall if any of the 2.0 initiatives have started on board the Dawn as of yet? Also, do you recall what time of day the Chocolate buffet started, I read either 2/3:OO p.m. or 10:00 p.m. I am with you about standing in line for chocolate, but I love to get pictures of the creativeness of chefs.

 

Thanks,

Ravensfootball:)

 

After just now reading NCL's press release regarding 2.0 I will tell you of my experience of things I enjoyed but I have not cruised since my first cruise on NCL's Norway back in 2001 so that is all I can compare it to.

 

1.

  • Lobster Galore - Lobster in the main restaurant on multiple days and in one restaurant every night of the cruise;

Carribean Lobster was available several nights (4 I think) in the main dining rooms.

 

2.

  • An enhanced nighttime dining/ambience in the action station restaurant with table cloths, muted lighting and enhanced service;

The linen, silver, glassware were lovely and the lighting was muted and the service was fabulous! Every meal was cooked to perfection, beautifully presented, proper temp. We were delighted with each and everything we ate. Cappucino and Latte was available at each meal at no extra charge.

 

 

3.

An upgrade in bedding and sheets, pillows, duvets;

An upgrade in towels and bathrobes;

An upgrade in in-room amenities including coffee maker and expanded TV offerings;

 

We had a mini suite and it had a 4 cup coffee maker and 2 prepackaged filters of Folgers coffee each day, decaf also with sugars and 2 creams. The bedding was yummy and the pillows down. The mattresses were fine in our opinion and we slept great. The towels were all big and fluffy and the robes looked brand new. We didn't use the tv.

 

We had a concierge available which we utilized to make reservations in Le Bistro.

 

The chocolate buffet was from 1:30-2:30PM and my DD wanted to take pictures also but couldn't get near it. I think every passenger but us were standing in line for it. (Yes, I do believe we were listing starboard for that hour... LOL just joking):D

 

To be honest that is all I can comment on. I hope I helped you in any way. I'm sure you will have a delightful time on the Dawn.

 

Enjoy!

 

Winnie

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WinnieinWA

WinnieinWA

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How were the seas? I know this time of the year there can be a lot of rocking and rolling. Glad you had agreat time. We leave Sunday. Can't wait.

 

It was smooth as glass until we reached close to Great Stirrup Cay and then we were diverted to Nassau, Bahamas due to the weather. I really did not notice any difference in the smoothness of the sailing. Each day was perfectly calm to me. :)

 

Hope that helps.

 

You'll have a terrific time.....it was wonderful!:) :)

 

Winnie

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dukedevil99

dukedevil99

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Hi Winnie!

Sounds like you had just as great a time as we did! I was on the 12/9-16 trip and did not want to come back even though we had a hurricane, lol! I just posted my review. We were first-time cruisers and had a blast. Can't wait to book another one!:D

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sun~

sun~

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Sounds like a wonderful vacation!!! I am glad to hear that all went well. One of these days I would like to go on the Dawn as well. I have heard what a beautiful ship it is and it is great to hear the food and service was excellent too!

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coffeebean

coffeebean

Posted
Posted
WinnieWA,

 

After reading your review I can't wait to set sail in March. It sounds like you two had a good vacation. Do you recall if any of the 2.0 initiatives have started on board the Dawn as of yet? Also, do you recall what time of day the Chocolate buffet started, I read either 2/3:OO p.m. or 10:00 p.m. I am with you about standing in line for chocolate, but I love to get pictures of the creativeness of chefs.

 

Thanks,

Ravensfootball:)

 

The OP mentioned that Lobster was available every night in the main dining room. This is one of the new features of 2.0.

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bklynangel

bklynangel

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Thank you for your review. I will be booking the Dawn from NY to Bermuda in June, and my kids and I have never cruised NCL before. My biggest worry was the food, since I've read so many rotten comments about it.

 

My best friend will be traveling with me with her kids and they have never cruised. I did not want her to be disappointed.

 

Your review alleviated my concerns! Thanks again.

 

We are cruising to Bermuda out of New York on June 29th. I didn't have a problem with the food and I had the best time ever. I'm hoping I can find more people who will be on this sailing...What days are you sailing?

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WinnieinWA

WinnieinWA

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We're seriously considering a change from RCCL to NCL (mostly because of Freestyle 2.0), and the Dawn would be our ship. This review is SERIOUSLY weighing in favor of the switch!

 

 

LOL.. I'm going Feb 24-08, on RCCL to Mexico so I'll get to see what RCCL is all about and then we can compare.

 

I was on NCL SS Norway Dec. 2001 when they had only traditional dining. We loved it then but we didn't have a clue about cruising and were there just to get away. This year I have chosen NCL because of Freestyle. My DD and I needed quiet time together so eating at a table for 2 each evening was great for us. When the rest of my family goes in August we will all be able to do whatever each couple wants so that Freestyle will work better for us.

 

I'll be on RCCL in Feb and chose a large table to join......hopefully I'll find some interesting tablemates. I'm sure I will! So this works for me this cruise.

 

Some of the Freestyle 2.0 are in place.

 

Winnie <----> retired and wanting to cruise on evey line available! :D

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WinnieinWA

WinnieinWA

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We are cruising to Bermuda out of New York on June 29th. I didn't have a problem with the food and I had the best time ever. I'm hoping I can find more people who will be on this sailing...What days are you sailing?

 

 

Go the the Roll Call forum and if you can't find one for your date then start one. It's fun to chat with folks before the cruise and you may end up doing things with them on the cruise.

 

Winnie

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WinnieinWA

WinnieinWA

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I was excited to see your review! We are sailing out in March with two teen girls who have never cruised.

 

This is a dumb question I am sure. What is 2.0?

 

Check out the Roll Call Forum and if there isn't one for your sail date then start one. You might find several people who have kids the same age as yours traveling. :)

 

Freestyle 2.0 is NCL's new policies...several which pertain to food. Use the search on this site and you'll find several threads about it. ;)

 

Winnie <----> using new laptop and not knowing how :eek:

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