Review: NCL Dawn to Bermuda 6/01/2008 (Very Long)

[AuntieBarb]

Forgive me folks! This is a long one and I’m going to skip the editing step! LOL!

 

About us: This was our 6th cruise aboard the Dawn. Myself (50) and husband (41) have to agree this cruise was easily one of our top cruises yet, thanks to being back home on “our ship”, the companionship of a great group in our CC Roll Call, and so many social activities that left us saying we need a vacation to recover from our vacation!

 

Itinerary: We had only been to Bermuda once before, in conjunction with a cruise to the Bahamas. The opportunity to spend 3 days there was enticing enough, but to also be docked in King’s Wharf for two nights (specific to our cruise) was even better. The freedom to come and go without worrying about “All Aboard” greatly added to the freestyle experience.

 

Embarkation: We arrived at Pier 88 approximately 10:50 AM. The terminal has been completely refurbished and looks great! By far, this was the smoothest embarkation we’ve ever experienced. Immediately upon entering the terminal, our tickets and passports were inspected. Then we followed the queue lines (which were practically empty) directly to the Latitudes Check-in Counter, where we received our Guest Cards and our boarding number (6). Afterwards, we sat in the waiting area for perhaps 15 minutes, before the 11:30 embarkation began. Our number was called for boarding at 11:35!

 

Since we had boarded so early and were well acquainted with the ship, we accepted our glasses of champagne, headed to our favorite spot on Deck 7 outside of Pearly Kings and immediately sank into cruising mode. Ah, life is good!

 

Embarkation Lunch: First we took a stroll up to our stateroom to see if we could place our carry on luggage in the closet. Not a problem!

 

Then we headed to the Venetian, which opened at 12:30 PM. It’s so nice to enjoy a seated luncheon at our leisure, while waiting for the staterooms to be ready. Unlike recent cruises, not once were we stopped by any crew members encouraging us to eat at the buffet. What a refreshing change!

 

Our Aft “BA” Balcony Stateroom 9738: Our stateroom was ready by 2:00 PM as promised and clean as expected. Our excursion tickets were on the bed, along with a Freestyle Daily, and confirmations for our Deluxe Honeymoon Package and $75 OBC.

 

We promptly asked our steward to remove the mini-bar from the refrigerator, so we had room for our favorite creamer and drink mixers. Our bar set-up was there, except one bottle was the wrong brand. A quick phone call to the front desk took care of that.

 

We made ourselves comfortable for a while, in anticipation of the muster drill at 3:30. It was so nice to be back on our ship. Plus having an aft balcony and being able to see the wake all through our cruise was absolutely wonderful!

 

 

The Aft “BA” Balconies are indeed larger than normal on Deck 10. However, contrary to other reports I’ve read, those on Deck 9 are no where near 71 Sq. Ft. In my estimation, they are more on the order of 48 Sq. Ft. The suite balconies on Deck 9 are definitely large and offer lounge chairs, but not the BA’s!

 

 

Sail-away: After the muster drill, we headed up to the Bimini Bar. There we were able to meet up with a few of our roll call members. Eventually we made our way forward for the sight everyone sailing out of NYC waits to see; the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge! We’re finally free!

 

Another Mishap: Many cruises have their “mishaps”, but considering the recent events on a few of the Dawn’s cruises (woman overboard, passenger report of seeing a body adrift, detour inland for medical emergency) we wondered if our cruise would be mishap free. Well around 10:30 PM on Sunday, I stepped out on the balcony before calling it a night. Much to my surprise there were a lot of distant lights which puzzled me, but the first thing that came to mind was fishing boats. So I blew it off and headed to bed. Little did I know that the Dawn had turned around and headed back to NYC. Evidently a woman had a broken bone and had to be taken practically all the way back to the bridge in order to meet up with the Coast Guard. How I missed that maneuver I will never understand. LOL!

 

Nevertheless, the “detour” didn’t impact our schedule in the least, since basically 1 sea day will do the trick cruising to Bermuda.

 

Cruise Critic Meet & Greet(s):

 

1) 1st Sea Day, 10:30 – 11:30 AM at the Star Bar:

 

Anyone who would like to coordinate a gathering for Cruise Critic members can easily do so. After starting a thread in the “Norwegian Roll Call” section of the boards http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=110 , simply email Groupeventdawn@ncl.com (adjusting the ship name accordingly) to schedule your Cruise Critic Meet & Greet. The ship coordinator will advise you of the date, time and location, in addition to asking for a final head count a week before sailing. Simple!

 

We had approximately 35 people confirmed for attendance. NCL was most generous, by providing refreshments and pastries. Conversation was easy, after getting to know each other in the roll call thread. Right from the start, we seemed to have a very nice chemistry between us.

 

3 officers visited our Meet & Greet, to share some of the latest news and field our various questions. We were honored with the presence of Hugo Vanosmael (Hotel Director), Alain Magnier (Food & Beverage Director) and Pedro Serra (Cruise Director); The NCL Dawn “Dream Team”!

 

Immediately following, we were invited by two of our roll call members – Barbara (BarbCT605) and her husband Tony, to tour their Garden Villa. How nice is that?!?!

 

2) Cocktail Parties at the Garden Villa:

 

Barbara and Tony continued to entertain, by inviting our group to not just one, but two cocktail parties in the GV; one on our 2nd sea day and the other for sail-away from Bermuda. Such good times! They made our cruise complete and were the greatest hosts. Thank you ever so much!

 

(Now if you hear rumors about a “Toga Party”, don’t believe a word you hear! ROFLMAO! :D )

 

Deluxe Honeymoon Package: We usually get the Honeymoon/Anniversary Package, because we feel it’s a nice touch for a romantic cruise and a nice deal besides. However, since my husband Paul and I were celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary, we chose to get a larger package. For $229, we received a bottle of champagne and chocolate covered strawberries for embarkation, breakfast in bed the morning of our choice (Eggs Benedict), Canapés delivered to our stateroom one evening, 25 minute upper body massages at the Mandara Spa (wonderful!), a Honeymoon Champagne & Cake Party including a 5X7 photo, in addition to a romantic dinner for two at Le Bistro (delicious) with a complimentary bottle of wine. Very nice!

 

Entertainment: Stardust Theatre:

 

The shows for the week included:

 

1) Welcome Aboard Show (One Show; 9:30PM); variety show including comedian Michele Balan.

2) Gleason Magic

3) Band on the Run (Jean Ann Ryan Company)

4) South Beach Rave (Jean Ann Ryan Company)

5) The Second City Troupe (comedy)

6) Bollywood (Jean Ann Ryan Company), followed by the Officer and Crew Farewell

7) Michele Balan (comedy) & Gleason Magic (One Show; 9:30PM)

 

Sadly, we don’t have much to report about the shows in the Stardust Theater. Either we had already seen the productions, had other social events or were simply too tired to go! We’re sorry to have missed “Band on the Run”, as I understand it was a newer production we hadn’t seen. Everyone we spoke with seemed to really enjoy it; very lively and upbeat. However, we did decide to go see Bollywood again since it has been a while and were not disappointed. It was as great as ever!

 

Other Entertainment/Activities:

 

The casino held “Monte Carlo Night” (t-shirts were available for purchase), with music, show girls and the like. We made our donation very quickly and exited just as quickly! LOL! (Can’t help you with Casino at Sea, since we’ve never joined. However I did see $10 for $20 worth of credits being offered.)

 

Bingo was held on all 3 sea days. I voluntarily restrained myself until the cover all on our last sea day! Heck, I even skipped the “Free Cruise” Bingo. The electronic machines are still steeply priced. If I recall correctly, the “Big Mama” was somewhere around $139; next level down $89, with the least $49 (something like that). I opted for the small one and walked away empty handed. L. The jackpot was over $3000.

 

Spinnaker’s Lounge had several theme nights, including “Dancing Through the Decades”, “70’s Night Disco Groove Party”and “White Hot Party” (t-shirts were available for purchase). There was also late night adult shows, such as Comedian Michelle Balan, Second City Scriptless, Plus of course, the usual game shows “Not so Newlywed”, “Bazillionaire”, “What’s My Line”, “The Friendly Feud”, “Liar’s Club” (loads of fun) and “Quest” (always hilarious; adults only).

 

Pool barbecues, ice carvings & one evening party that I know of “Dancing Under the Stars”.

 

Add special seminars, martini or margarita clinics, art auctions, etc., there is plenty to keep you busy! You’re free to do whatever, so have fun planning your days!

 

Dining Experience: We’ve always been pleased with NCL’s food and never cower at paying a surcharge when we’re in the mood. We enjoyed breakfast and lunch at the Venetian daily, except while in Bermuda. We also had dinner there 3 times, in addition to great meals at Impressions, Salsa’s, Cagney’s, and Le Bistro.

 

The main dining rooms served lobster 2 nights; Grilled Tails on Formal Night (Optional of course) and in a seafood and pasta dish later in the week (didn’t get to try it, but heard it was very good).

 

Salsas is still free, although reservations are recommended. I had Beef Fajitas and my husband had Lobster Tacos. Both were excellent! The margaritas were pretty good too!

 

Impressions was always our favorite of the main dining rooms, but it was equally enjoyable as a specialty restaurant. Appetizers, soup, salad, pasta and several delicious main entrees topped the old "La Trattoria" by far! The only negative IMO was being served 4 Lobster Raviolis. I thought that serving was quite small, given that most restaurants serve 6 minimum. Nevertheless, they were delicious!

 

Cagney’s offers Surf & Turf nightly, but we opted to enjoy King Crab Legs. The serving was more than generous and they were completely sliced open making it all the more enjoyable to eat!

 

At Le Bistro (included in our honeymoon package) we both chose the spiced scallop appetizer, as well as the asparagus appetizer, with Beef Tenderloin – cooked to perfection - for our main course. All were excellent! We topped it off with Crepes Suzette, which made for one fantastic meal.

 

Ports of Call/Excursions:

 

Day 1; We purchased our 3 day bus/ferry passes for $28 per person. Then we rode the 40 minute ferry to St. George’s. There we hiked our way over to Fort St. Catherine’s, stopping at the Unfinished Church along the way, as well as Tobacco Bay. For anyone planning to visit Fort St. Catherine’s in the next month or two, you may be surprised to find it closed for renovations as we were. It was a scenic hike regardless. We finished up our visit by having lunch at the White Horse. Our sandwiches were very good; most averaging $13-$15.

 

 

Later that evening: The only excursion we booked was the Evening Glass Bottom Boat at $49 per person through NCL. We made the best of it, but really weren’t impressed and found it to be terribly disorganized. First they shuffle everyone into the lower deck of the boat, sitting around the exterior walls (if there’s room) in those plastic deck chairs. If the lower deck is full (as was the case for us), some passengers were directed to go up top (same chairs there too).

 

Once we reached the reef, they had everyone get up and go to the outer deck, so they could lift up floor panels and railings that surrounded 4 “wells” about 6-9 feet deep with a small viewing window at the bottom. That was hardly my idea of a glass bottom boat and made viewing terribly uncomfortable on the lower back or neck. The vendor’s excursion description gives the impression that the reef would be all lit up for night viewing. The problem was it was still daylight outside. All the same, it was interesting and our tour guide, nicknamed “Rush”, was most informative. Plus, we got to feed the fish bread at the end, which they obviously look forward to.

 

 

 

Day 2: Today was beach day. Getting to the bus was easy, thanks to the trolley service provided. We had previously enjoyed Horseshoe Beach during our prior visit to Bermuda, so we opted to go to a different beach. We chose Elbow Beach. The public area is without amenities, although there was one vendor renting chaise lounges and umbrellas, but refreshments were available to either side by heading over to the resort areas. Elbow Beach is also on the South Shore, so the ocean is comparable to Horseshoe. IMO, it was a beautiful beach and far less crowded. The water was chilly, but nice enough after you got used to it. The downside is that there aren’t any taxi drivers to take you back up the hill when you leave. The climb isn’t all that bad, provided you have no health issues or handicaps.

 

 

Before heading back to the ship, we went to the Frog & Onion at Dockyard for a late lunch. I couldn’t get my mind off of the Cornish Pastie I had the last time we visited, so I ordered one again along with a nice salad. They didn’t disappoint. Nice lunch for about $13.

 

Day 3: The Dawn had to make way for a RCCL ship coming in, so we moved out to anchor in the Great Sound off of Hamilton. NCL had several tenders in operation, including 3 of their lifeboats and it only took 27 minutes to reach shore. The part that was frustrating is the tendering process. However the aggravation is by no means NCL’s fault. I will never understand why passengers head to those stairwells before their numbers are called. All they do is cause added congestion, making it difficult for others to navigate the stairs. Luckily, we had priority tender tickets and made our way through relatively quickly (Thanks to Jim & Judi or we would have been standing in the back of the line!)

 

We walked the recommended route in Hamilton covering the key tourist attractions, including the Bermuda Historical Society Museum, City Hall, Bermuda Cathedral, Parliament and Fort Hamilton.

 

Along the way, we made sure we stopped in to get our souvenir passport stamps. Then we made our way back down to Front Street for a Rum Swizzle or two at Docksider’s. Another popular drink is a Dark & Stormy, which is quite good and the rum is very smooth. A local informed us that these are really tourist drinks, but we enjoyed them all the same. We weren’t able to give it a try at one of the Rum Swizzle Inns, because they are located near St. George’s and on the South Shore near Horseshoe Beach. Hopping on a bus at this point was not an option for us. We did a little window shopping and boarded the tender around 3:30. Come to think of it, we didn’t have lunch! LOL!

 

Disembarkation: We arrived on time and docked at Pier 92. Our driver wasn’t going to be near the port until around 9:30 AM, so we opted out of the Express Disembarkation. VIP Disembarkation was scheduled to start at 9:15AM, but by then the whole process was backed up because one of the gangways was broken. Meanwhile, as we headed for Dazzles as instructed, some passengers blocking the elevators so much as told us to go up to deck 8, because the line was filed all the way down the hall. LOL! Tempers were obviously rising a bit by then. Luckily we knew where the back door into Dazzles was located, the crew managed to clear the halls and we were off the ship by about 9:45AM.

 

Miscellaneous Comments:

 

> Our cruise to Bermuda was the calmest seas we have ever experienced out of NYC; slight to moderate. Other than a couple passing showers, we had pleasant temperatures in the upper 70’s with plenty of sunshine. The water temperature in Bermuda was what I call “NJ chilly”, around 74 degrees, but still enjoyable after the initial shock!

 

> Although the Dawn is several years old now, she is still a beauty and well maintained.

 

> Out of our entire cruise, we only experienced poor service once and it probably was because he was overwhelmed. However, we brought it to the attention of the Asst. Matre’d, the waiter was addressed and that’s where it ended.

 

> Thank you for taking good care of us, Frank! Our room was always tidy, towels were always fresh, bedding was always made up or turned down at just the right times and we loved your friendly greetings and big smiles! We couldn’t ask for more. Enjoy your time back home in Costa Rica when you go on vacation!

 

> A big thank you going out to Hugo for making our 20th wedding anniversary all the more special. Your attentiveness was greatly appreciated! Thank you as well for inviting us to dine with you!

 

> The NCL Staff and crew members were hospitable, friendly, courteous and smiling as always. Thanks for making us a part of your family! We’ll miss you!

 

OK Barb - wrap it up! UnclePaulie, feel free to add as you wish!

[twinky53]

That was a wonderful review and the pictures you added to help the story along were great. This is sure to make future cruisers very happy they selected the Dawn! Great job!!!

[BarbCT605]

Great review, Barb!

 

Your pics are gorgeous.

 

I'd forgotten about returning toward NY for the medical emergency. I remember seeing the shore lights on the horizon off the bow.

 

I can vouch for the "Band on the Run" show. If anyone heard wolf-whistles coming from the balcony area -- that was me -- appreciating the male dancers.:o I'm glad I remembered to bring my eyeglasses!:eek:

 

Ahhhhh, yes, this was a great cruise.:D

[JackieL]

Thank you so much for a great, well-organized review. Going 6/22 on the Dawn and cannot wait!

[goodml]

Great review! Thanks for taking the time to post it.:)

[unclepaulie]

Our Steward's name was Frank. The Costa Rica part is correct.

 

UNCLE PAULIE!!!!!

[AuntieBarb]

Our Steward's name was Frank. The Costa Rica part is correct.

 

UNCLE PAULIE!!!!!

 

LOL! How the heck did I get that messed up? Thanks hon! :D

[AuntieBarb]

Thanks for fixing my boo-boo, Laura!

[ellell]

Hello AuntieBarb,

 

Congratulations on the 20 years together. You still know how to enjoy each other company. Good for you! Any hints for the rest of us with a little less time together? Thanks so much for such a detailed review. You are a great writer, reading your post made me feel like I was on the cruise with you!

 

 

 

ell

[unclepaulie]

Basically it is a power struggle. Barbara has all the power and I struggle.:p

 

UNCLE PAULIE!!!!!

[jasperdog]

Many thanks for your review. My wife and I will be making our maiden voyage on the Dawn this fall. You said that this was your 4th time on the Dawn. Did you observe any of the amenities that Freestyle 2.0 is offering or has it not taken place on the Dawn yet?

Loved your photos!!!

[AuntieBarb]

Hello AuntieBarb,

 

Congratulations on the 20 years together. You still know how to enjoy each other company. Good for you! Any hints for the rest of us with a little less time together? Thanks so much for such a detailed review. You are a great writer, reading your post made me feel like I was on the cruise with you!

 

ell

 

Thank you, ell! You want hints? See below.........

 

Basically it is a power struggle. Barbara has all the power and I struggle.:p

 

UNCLE PAULIE!!!!!

 

[ellell]

Basically it is a power struggle. Barbara has all the power and I struggle.:p

 

UNCLE PAULIE!!!!!

 

Good one! Uncle Paulie. I will tell it to my DH. My favorite saying is:

Until death do us part. Now the question: Who will kill whom? :confused:

 

Ell

[jameybano]

Congrats on 20 years together!

[AuntieBarb]

Many thanks for your review. My wife and I will be making our maiden voyage on the Dawn this fall. You said that this was your 4th time on the Dawn. Did you observe any of the amenities that Freestyle 2.0 is offering or has it not taken place on the Dawn yet?

Loved your photos!!!

 

Thank you! Enjoy your cruise!

 

Actually, it was our 6th time aboard the Dawn! :)

 

Freestyle 2.0 is still underway, some of which (bedding) is more time consuming between cruises. We can only speak for "balcony" enhancements.

 

I'll highlight the ones we noticed:

 

http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/pressroom/pressRelease.html?storyCode=PR_122007_Freestyle2.0

 

NCL will immediately begin to roll out Freestyle 2.0 fleet wide. Highlights of the different onboard initiatives include:

• Freestyle Dining:
  • An increased investment in food of $50 million before we deliver our first F3, equating to a 20 percent increased investment in food per passenger per day plus major fleet-wide capital investments;
    
  • Lobster Galore - Lobster in the main restaurant on multiple days and in one restaurant every night of the cruise;
    
  • A signature specialty dish in every restaurant (i.e. 48oz Porterhouse in the steak house, chocolate fondue tower in the action station restaurant)
    
  • An enhanced nighttime dining/ambience in the action station restaurant with table cloths, muted lighting and enhanced service;
    
  • One or two alternative restaurants open for lunch on sea days;
    
  • A new and expanded room service menu;
    
  • A "bubbly welcome" - a welcome aboard glass of bubbly for everyone;
    
  • A Taste of Freestyle on embarkation day - samplings from all of the specialty restaurants;
    
  • A major hardware investment to bring all buffets to Norwegian Gem/Norwegian Pearl "action station restaurant";
    
  • An investment in back of house to refine the reservations process and system.

  [*] Stateroom Experience:

  • 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;
    
  • Addition of sofa beds to suite categories.

  [*] Balcony and mini suites

  • A distinctive colored key card for ship wide recognition;
    
  • An "at your service" hotline;
    
  • A separate check-in for balcony and mini suite guests;
    
  • A personal escort to stateroom; (was offered, but not accepted)
    
  • Priority disembarkation.

  [*] Suites and Villas:

  • All suites and villas to have concierge and butler service
    
  • Welcome champagne in suite/villa;
    
  • Upgraded canapés every day;
    
  • Private breakfast/lunch in Cagney's Restaurant
    
  • An exclusive concierge lounge;
    
  • Priority disembarkation;
    
  • Priority restaurant reservations;
    
  • Dedicated Butler presence in the Courtyard*;
    
  • Private breakfast/lunch in the Courtyard*.

  [*] Onboard activities:

  • An enhanced educational, entertainment and lifestyle program - NCL "U":
    • A range of new classes such as Improv, organic cooking, bartending, sommelier, etc.;

    [*] An enhanced Health and Wellness program;

    [*] An enhanced Pool Deck experience:

    • Entertainment taken upscale
      
    • Drink flags on all deck chairs
      
    • Pool of indulgence - Evian spritz, cold towels, etc.
      
    • Quiet zones and times

  [*] Past Guest Latitudes program:

  • A new program with various tiers rewarding both spend and frequency;
    
  • A new range of tangible, meaningful and deliverable benefits;
    
  • A staffed concierge lounge for Latitudes members.

[AuntieBarb]

Congrats on 20 years together!

 

Thank you!

[AuntieBarb]

For anyone interested, here is the activity schedule for all 7 days (2 posts). Day 4,5 and 6 we were in port at Bermuda.

 

 

 

[AuntieBarb]

 

 

 

[jasperdog]

Thanks again.....you are a fountain of information.

[AuntieBarb]

Thanks again.....you are a fountain of information.

 

You're most welcome! I'd love to preview the Freestyle Dailies prior to sailing. It's quite useful getting a head start on plans, although there's no guarantee everything will be exactly the same from cruise to cruise.

[goodml]

Yay!! If we had a little icon that showed me jumping up and down and clapping my hands I'd use it right now!!:D

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to post these.

[AuntieBarb]

You're welcome! :) When is your cruise?

[halos]

Basically it is a power struggle. Barbara has all the power and I struggle.:p

 

UNCLE PAULIE!!!!!

ROFLMAO!!

You crack me up Paulie. :D

 

Barb, GREAT review!!!! :D

[goodml]

You're welcome! :) When is your cruise?

 

:) It's Oct 12th. Our first with NCL and our first time to Bermuda. I'm off work for a few weeks and I've been gathering so much info it's finally starting to seem real.

 

After reading the dailies I'm now busy planning how to finish up at the martini tasting for me in time to get to the beers of europe tasting for my hubby.:D

[herb]

Reading your review is getting us even more excited when it's finally our turn to sail on the Dawn in August... Thanks for the detailed review :)