NCL Spirit or Dawn to Bermuda

[AngelOfDistress]

I'm considering a cruise to Bermuda next spring and I don't know which one to take! Both are the same price, both have the same itinery. One leaves from NY and the other one from Boston.

 

I would like to try a cruise that leaves from Boston but the Spirit is older and smaller then the Dawn.

 

The most important factor for me is the kids club. Which one is the best for a 4 yo?

 

If the 2 of them are quite equal, which one would you choose?

 

Is the kids club open all day while in Bermuda?

 

Thanks for your help :)

[jimswims]

I'm considering a cruise to Bermuda next spring and I don't know which one to take! Both are the same price, both have the same itinery. One leaves from NY and the other one from Boston.

 

I would like to try a cruise that leaves from Boston but the Spirit is older and smaller then the Dawn.

 

The most important factor for me is the kids club. Which one is the best for a 4 yo?

 

If the 2 of them are quite equal, which one would you choose?

 

Is the kids club open all day while in Bermuda?

 

Thanks for your help :)

 

I have been on both and enjoyed both of them. We did not have a multiple day stay in Bermuda when I went on them however. We had a 1 day stay coming back from the Caribbean. However, I have done the Majesty from Boston to Bermuda 2 times and really like to be in Bermuda for several days. We live very close to Boston and are going on the Spirit next year.

 

The kids club used to be paid sitting when in port. This may have changed as part of the Freestlye 2.0 changes in 2008. I did hear that Kids Club would be open when in port but we did not sail NCL this year with kids so I cannot be sure. The NCL website may help.

 

The Spirit is going in for a drydock this fall so it will be refurbished for next year.

 

The back pool area on the Spirit is so much better than the kids pool area on the Dawn. We loved this area and spent a lot of time back there. My kids did not go into the Dawn kids pool at all and it is so much smaller. Since your child is 4 either would be OK but the Spirit has much more room and some nice shady spots back there.

 

Cabins can be a problem for families on the Spirit. If you are only 2 or three people there is no problem and many choices for you. If you you need a cabin for 4, there are only inside cabins or a few ocean view cabins for 4 on deck 4.

 

There are no adjoining inside or ocean view cabins on the Spirit. The only adjoining/connecting cabins are in the balcony category. The suites on the Spirit also can only accomodate 3 passengers max. The Dawn has better cabin choices and we stayed in an AB Penthouse with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. It was a great cabin for our family of 4. The Dawn has lots of cabins that adjoin/connect.

 

Given all of this, we prefer the Spirit. We liked the layout better and also the Kids program better on the Spirit. For some reason, the ship did not seem as crowded as the Dawn did. The Spirit was originally built for Star cruises and for the Asian market. We liked the decor of the Spirit much better than the Dawn. The Atruim on the Spirit has much more natural light and was a great place to sit and relax. This area is much darker on the Dawn and there was always a lot of noise. I also thought that the open deck areas were much nicer on the Spirit.

[AngelOfDistress]

Exactly what I needed to convince hubby to go on the Spirit even if it's an older and smaller ship! Thank you :)

[kat89447]

Just got off the Spirit in June with kids ages 2,4,6,and 10. They do have kids club during port for a fee. Also they have late night sitting from 10:30 to 1 am for a fee. We had a balcony and there was room for two adults and a child in that type of room. My brother and his wife had connecting rooms for their boys (4 and 6). Storage space is limited in rooms, but we had enough. Bathrooms were great. I have to agree about the kids pool area. It is amazing. Great water slides, a toddler pool and a kids hot tub. We never had a problem finding a chair or lounger by the pool and there are decks over looking the area. (think ampitheatre). Plus Raffles is accessable from the kids area which was great for lunch. There is also a bar a tier or two above the pool. The full stern view is amazing.

Kids club was great for that age group as well. They have lots of different activities and they also had some down time for the younger ones so the ones that needed some quiet time could get it. A cruise ship is very stimulating for the younger ones and even if they have given up their naps at home you will find that a rest time is needed on a cruise. My dd 10 even rests for an hour or so before we get ready for dinner. So much sun and activity makes them tired easily. The Spirit is also a nice size for families. It's big enough without being so big it is a chore to get from one area to the other. My dd liked it better than Disney Wonder. Boston is also a great city so take a day to enjoy it. Your daughter will love the aquarium if you have a chance to go.

[katyjeka]

We spent 11 nights on both the Dawn and Spirit with our 3 dd's. We loved both ships but felt the Dawn was more family friendly. The Dino pool on the Dawn was great(The Spirits was nice, but it seemed so windy and not as private)The 2 main restaurants seemed larger and we never waited a minute. We had connecting balconies, both cruises, and found the Dawn seemed so much nicer.(I guess that will be corrected on the Spirit w/dry dock)We also found seating around the main pool was easier to find. Both are great, but I would take Dawn over any ship, any line, we've sailed before. She really is wonderful. Have a great time. Janice

[14ersco]

We were also deciding between the Spirit and the Dawn for next summer with a 5 y/o to Bermuda. Have not yet sailed either ship, but finally decided to go with the Dawn on the official Cruise Critic group trip of June 7, 2009 (see signature for links) for the following reasons:

 

The group price brought the cost for the Dawn below the Spirit, plus the group has on-board credit and other freebies.

For the first week of June the schools in New England are not yet out; so there should be less crowds in the kid's club.

The Tall Ships will be arriving while we are in Bermuda. http://www.tallshipsraces.com/atlanticchallenge/

 

Still will sail the Spirit; just might be the Western Caribbean in 2010.