Dawn Review Jan. 31st, the Suite Life

[AdoptAtty]

Catherine and Roberto own a B&B in the DR called Casa Dorado, here is the link to their site: Casa Dorado :: Las Galeras They are so nice and the trip was well worth the money to us!

 

We did tender in the DR

 

Top of the Baths on Virgin Gorda was busy the day we were there, but we got seats easily. It did seem to fill up, but once the covered areas were taken, then people sat out by the pool... might be wise to bring a hat and sun screen, then it wouldn't be so bad out in the sun.

 

Buster... sorry to hear you guys didn't care for the bananas foster. I loved it. Each waiter makes their own, so who knows, yours could have been different than ours... we loved it, but not as much as that coffee kaluah creme brulee... oh gosh, now that was great. It is interesting to me that some people say they could cut their filet with a fork and others, like myself, just weren't that impressed.

 

Smokie... if you will email me, I'll send you photos. Madonnaell@aol.com

First, you are going to have a WONDERFUL time. I hope Ravi is there and not on holiday, I just can't imagine you not really enjoying him as your Butler... he is professional, kind, nice... ok, I'll stop now.

 

Let's see, you will get a short list of liquor to pick your 3 bottles from. We ended up with Jose Cuervo, Vodka and Kaluha. The list is not extensive, but I can't seem to remember a thing other than what we ordered. Seems like there is some kind of scotch and whiskey and I'm sure some other stuff. Think about what mixers you want... Ravi managed to round up a pitcher of orange juice for us and grenadine for tequila sunrises one afternoon. He will also take your water and soda order and keep you stocked.

 

Look in your movie book and order a couple movies when you get on, then you'll have them if you want to watch a movie. We enjoyed that one afternoon.

 

You have a small CD library in your cabin and the TV plays your CDs. You may want to bring a couple of your own CDs. We had our own great sail away party in our suite with friends, our chilled bottle of champagne and some good music on CD!

 

Ravi will give you a pillow menu so you can get the particular type of pillows you want!

 

Try room service breakfast, you can write most anything you want on the card, stick it outside our room and there will be Ravi in the morning. We enjoyed breakfast on the side balcony several mornings.

If you like coffee try the cappuccino maker! I used it a lot and loved it. You can use those tiny cream things they have in the room for you, but if you walk to the buffet line you can just get a big glass of half and half and that seemed to work just fine and I didn't have to open all those darn little things.

 

Each day at 5:30 Ravi will bring snacks... we had so much darn food we couldn't eat it all, you will pick from a list... anyway, I loved the pizza at Impressions so much, one day he brought me one at 5:30.

 

The menus for all the speciality restaurants are in the cupboard in the living room, where the CD library is, the binoculars, the movie book, etc. We gave Ryan our list before we even entered the ship, and they we had a letter with all our reservations spelled out for us. Any time we wanted to change them, we just called Ryan and he took care of it.

 

Figure out your portable phone, you can carry it with you on the ship. I didn't even know that for the first several days. Pre program Ravi and Ryan and then you can call them if you need them. You can call Ryan and say we are on our way to the show and he will meet you and take you to your seats... of course you can just show up and he will be there somewhere. Your shipboard friends can also call you and the phone rings in the cabin and on your portable.

 

My CC friends really seemed to enjoy the visit to the suite. I thought it might appear snotty... like oh, look what I have, but I think we had a nice visit.

 

Hope this helps, you are going to have a GREAT time!!!!

[smokie36]

thanks for info just e-mailed you

[Lovely_Star]

Thank you for the very detailed review I can't wait to experience the Dawn for myself :)

[AdoptAtty]

Smokie, will try to email those photos to you this weekend. Excuse the delay.

[smokie36]

thanks understood

[corky1]

Thank goodness I found your review, We just booked our first REAL suite, have had junior suites before. First time on NCL, having sailed Princess, disney, carnival, and RCL. What are portable phones? Sailing to celebrate my 50th birthday. Unfortantely, not until Feb 2010.

[AdoptAtty]

What are portable phones? Sailing to celebrate my 50th birthday.

 

It took me a while to figure this one out... we had a regular phone in the bedroom and a portable phone in the living room. The portable phone has its own phone number, but also rings when your stateroom is called. So, if you take your portable phone with you and your are out and about, you can get your cabin calls, but you can also call your cabin and your cabin can call you. You can also call others and they can call you. I hope this makes sense.

[Rickdabear]

First of all, that was one of the most in depth reviews I've ever read. It was balanced and well written. My only question is: Why didn't you post it in the review area? This is not a critizism. I have seen in a lot lately in these areas. Is there something wrong with the review area? Am I in the dark about something (more than normal)?

 

Once again, that was probably one of the best reviews I've read on the board as far as depth and balance goes. I thank you for writing it. I've sailed on the Dawn, the Spirit and the Jewel and all have been good for me. I'm glad you seemed to have enjoyed your trip.

Da Bear

[AdoptAtty]

Thank you for your compliment.

 

I did "post" it on the review section, but only today did I receive my "approval" Email telling me my review is really posted. You submit it, but it is not automatically posted to the board. It took them weeks to post it. I have no idea why. I guess they read each one and approve the content. I wonder if anyone has been rejected? Maybe I should look and see if they cut anything.

 

Maybe this could be my start to a new career... a friend always tells me she knows I was a travel agent in another life. I love to travel, plan it, and of course I love to eat... I'm guessing there is a lot of competition for those types of jobs! Oh well, back to work for me, but I can dream.

 

This is the "official" link

 

The Suite Life! - NCL Review by AdoptAtty

[tubbsbrown]

I had already left the house and didn’t know we would be staying in a suite where they provide the water and soda for you.

 

AdoptAtty,

 

I enjoyed your review about the Dawn. I am sailing to Bermuda on 6/7/09. We have the AC suite, 10000, next to the one your friends had and I am quite excited. I do have a question about the "provided water and soda". Was this just available to the Owners Suite or did your friends in the Penthouse suite also get the free bottled water daily?

 

I have also read different things on the boards about a free bottle of sparkling wine in the "suites" (not sure if that's 1/2 size or full size) and 3 bottles of Liquor. I guess I've always assumed those perks were for the OS and above. Could you please tell me what your friends experienced in their AC suite in regards to the above?

 

Thank you for your detailed review!

[AdoptAtty]

Hi Tubbs, I'm headed to your city for a meeting at the end of the month... just before my Star cruise out of Vancouver!

 

I saw that my friends had bottled water, but I believe they charged for it, so of course, I just gave them mine. I'm not certain on that one. They did not have 3 bottles of liquor, but of course, I shared that as well... in fact they took two partials home that we didn't finish. They did have a bottle of sparkling wine, on ice, when we arrived and they did have the beautiful, fancy coffee maker (which we loved!). I thought their room was really cute. I loved the colors! You are going to have a ball! If Ravi is your butler, please tell him Madonna said hello. (How many passengers named Madonna could he have had?) He was so wonderful!!!

 

If you have any more questions just ask away. You are going to have a GREAT time!

[megr1125]

very nice review! thanks for taking the time to share...we are considering NCL for the future and you provided tons of helpful info!

 

thanks again!

[AdoptAtty]

You're welcomed and if you sail on the Dawn, I believe you will enjoy it. I think your attitude also has a lot to do with how you enjoy your cruise. Wherever you go, on whatever ship, have a great time!!

[tubbsbrown]

Thanks for the info, AdoptAtty.

 

It's been kind of a challenge to find info on the AC rooms, but we're really looking forward to the cruise.

 

We FINALLY got some blue-sky warm weather here today. Makes us Portlanders move outdoors to enjoy the spring blossoms. Should be beautiful by the time you get here!

[tubbsbrown]

I have one last question about tipping the Butler and Concierge. What is the proper way to do that? Will they have you add that to your room charge account or do you offer that in cash?

 

I've never had to think about tipping the butler before :o

[terrymtex01]

OP..thanks for the great review. We will be on the Dawn for the first time this Nov and you have just made the wait seem all that much longer. I am so glad you had a great time on your cruise. I knew from the first paragraph of your review you would be someone fun to be on a cruise with.

 

Thanks for writing and posting your review.

[AdoptAtty]

I'm not sure what is "proper," but I can tell you what I did... I had some note cards with envelopes and wrote a note to each the butler and concierge and put their tip in there. I also tipped our room steward, but not as much as our butler... and I just found him in the hall (I was out of cards) and thanked him and handed him the cash. I've now added note cards to my packing list for cruises.

[tubbsbrown]

Great advice! Tipping "rules" have changed so much over the years on the difference ships. I like the notecard idea!

 

If we get Ravi, I will indeed tell him Madonna said "Hi!"

 

Thanks for your help. Enjoy YOUR cruise in May!

 

-Melissa

[Sea Hound]

We were in the room adjacent to the Star Bar, which has many widows and is full of natural light.

 

AdoptAtty -- it would seem to me that the widows would want a lower light level in the Star Bar!;)

 

Seriously -- thanks for a GREAT and THOROUGH review! I'm glad your cruise went well! I can't wait for the next two months to pass by so I can enjoy the Dawn "suite life"!

 

Sea Hound:D

[pould]

Can I ask a quick question about the AA cabin?

 

At the moment we're booked into an AB - myself and my wife, our 12mo son and my wife's parents. The plan is for my son to sleep with us in the master bedroom (in his own portable cot obviously) and my parents-in-law in the second bedroom.

 

If we get offered an upsell to the AA, will there be room for all of us? I can't quite tell from the small floorplans.

 

Grateful for any advice.

 

Peter O

[AdoptAtty]

If we get offered an upsell to the AA, will there be room for all of us? I can't quite tell from the small floorplans.

Peter O

 

Peter, I don't think so! There is a lot of square footage, but 1 King bed, and then in the living room a not so comfortable couch and a chaise type chair. Maybe they allow a cot and someone to sleep on the couch... but I'm thinking the couch would not be comfortable. The Owner's suite we had connected to an AC and also to a somewhat regular balcony room... now for sure you could do that. OR see if there is a close by inside (cheap) cabin for your in laws and then you all "share" the living room in your suite. Of course there is the issue of, do your in laws get to use suite privileges... I would guess somewhat, but don't know if they'd give them all .... are they going to kick them out of Cagny's for breakfast or lunch? will they give them priority tenders? I'm guessing you could get away with some of it.

 

If you get the call, start talking... tell her or him, there are 4 adults, you need something that can accommodate all of you, maybe two rooms, etc. My friend's upsell call offering a balcony ended up with me working it to get an Owner's suite and attaching AC.

 

Terrymtex, sorry to make your wait longer... but hopefully I gave you lots to look forward to! I hope you have a great time!

[bermuda lover]

Lovely review and now before I get excited, does the soda and water and 3 bottles of liquor and sweets every night hold true for any suite (penthouse AD) on the Spirit, or was this just for the OS?

 

This is our 20th wedding anniversary and I want this to be as memorable as possible.. thanks for any information..

Lisa

[AdoptAtty]

I do not belive it is for any suite. I belive the liquor is for the more expensive suites... for exampe on the Dawn and Star at the Owner's Suite level. I do believe bottled water was provided to our friends in an AD. FYI... in the past I've packed a cardboard box (I use a box that holds paper we use in my office) with small bottles of water, soda and juice... marked it as such, and gave it to the porters with my luggage.

 

Have fun!!

[AdoptAtty]

FYI, here are a few photos of the cabin

 

 

living room....

 

 

 

 

from the bed room, out to the living room

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

bathroom and dressing room....

 

 

 

 

[AdoptAtty]

the front small deck, off the bedroom

 

 

I don't have good photos of the great side balcony, that is where four of us (we had friends in the adjoining suite) had breakfast each morning

 

this is Ravi, setting up for breakfast.... the two sets of sliding glass door from the living room open to the balcony, and that square window is the window over the tub in the bathroom... so this balcony is along the side of the ship

 

 

 

wherever you go, if you have Ravi as a butler, you will be well taken care of!!!