Dawn vs Jewel

[MNmomof4]

I am currently booked for a 9nt on the dawn and I'm wodering if the Jewel would be better. We are first time NCL cruisers with 2 young kids. Which one has a nicer pool area. Dawn has 5 ports in a row. The price is $600 for an extra 2 nights for the 4 of us. Can anyone tell me the differences between dawn and jewel and which ship they think would be better for little ones? The new dawn menu makes me a little nervous.

 

I appreciate any insight you have

[PangeanSir]

I am currently booked for a 9nt on the dawn and I'm wodering if the Jewel would be better. We are first time NCL cruisers with 2 young kids. Which one has a nicer pool area. Dawn has 5 ports in a row. The price is $600 for an extra 2 nights for the 4 of us. Can anyone tell me the differences between dawn and jewel and which ship they think would be better for little ones? The new dawn menu makes me a little nervous.

 

I appreciate any insight you have

 

How little are your little ones? We've been on both with our kids (they were 8 & 9 while on the Jewel and 10 & 11 when we were on the Dawn). The two ships are very similar in layout, but the Jewel has the advantage in that it has a fair-sized water slide that our kids spent a lot of time on (5 straight sea days on the TransAtlantic would have seemed like an eternity without the pool and water slide).

 

The Dawn has only a small waterslide and childrens' play area at the back of the ship which is a great feature as long as your kids are young enough to enjoy it. For adults the pool area on the Jewel seemed more crowded (because of the large water slide occupying part of the space), whereas the tiered stadium layout of the Dawn seemed to provide more options if you wanted to see the pool, but not actually get splashed.

 

P.

[MNmomof4]

Thanks Pangean. My kids will be nearly 3 and just turned 4 by the time we sail. The pool looks nice on the dawn

[craigers]

The Dawn is one of the few ships that doesn't have an outside eating area in the back of the ship. For me that's a strike against the Dawn.

[PEPI2]

I haven't been on the Jewel..but have been on the Dawn and the smaller children totally loved the Dino children's pool area off the aft of the ship...super cute..slides that were perfect for them as well as wading pools for them.

[jeepndd]

I can't speak for the Jewel, other than noting it seems to have two pools, on the same deck area yes but two pools. The Dawn has a little kid pool on the back of the ship and one so-called small adult pool that jams up with the kids that won't use the kids pool. The last at sea day on our cruise it was a very hot day and someone's 5 year old used it as his personal toilette. 2,700 people on board, it's a hot day and the pool is closed for cleaning so they can drain, sanitize, and refill it. We were so glad we had a balcony on that cruise, lol! I will never sail on the Dawn again, well if it was free maybe but that won't happen.

[kayhil3]

I can't speak for the Jewel, other than noting it seems to have two pools, on the same deck area yes but two pools. The Dawn has a little kid pool on the back of the ship and one so-called small adult pool that jams up with the kids that won't use the kids pool. The last at sea day on our cruise it was a very hot day and someone's 5 year old used it as his personal toilette. 2,700 people on board, it's a hot day and the pool is closed for cleaning so they can drain, sanitize, and refill it. We were so glad we had a balcony on that cruise, lol! I will never sail on the Dawn again, well if it was free maybe but that won't happen.

Yes and I am sure that would never happen on another ship!

[jeepndd]

It was a first for me, but then it was the first ship I had ever been on with only ONE adult pool. Every other ship I've ever been on had at least two pools and one was truly an adults only pool. I'm a parent but I love the adult only pools. I enjoy being able to get in the pool without having kids jump on me while they dive in the pool. I also enjoy how peaceful and quite it is in comparison.

 

Besides, you know every kid in that pool is peeing in it. :p