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Norwegian Dawn just got off the ship


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My first time on the Norwegian Dawn. Wonderful vacation. Everything was perfect (almost), even the storm. The sea was rough the last day and the winds were fearful. The captain finally announced that he was not going to fight it all anymore and cut the engines. It was a bit unsettling when all was quiet. I think it had a lot to do with what he did in the previous cruise involving the storm and he decided to play it safe and, as he said "ride it out" instead of plowing through.

 

Some thoughts about the voyage....Service was wonderful in the restaurants and at reception, but if you had a specific question that needed some interaction or decision making, the language barrior was evident. All of the staff were prepared to converse in simplicity, but once you needed some details, they could not answer, just repeat their answer.

 

Also, giving the fact that all passengers had paid substantially to sail, it would have been a nice gesture to provide bottles of water free of charge when we disembarked for the shore excursions! No one would dare embark on a tropical locale without proper hydration.

 

The disembarkation procedure was a joke. Our color was orange,which was the last, and we decided to go down to deck 7 at about three levels before our color was called to make sure we were ready. When we started down the stairs, we were greeted by a staff member who told us to go down to 6 and not to worry about the colors because they were not checking them. So, this is a word to the wise on future sailings, get down there as soon as you can, because they don't check colors of tags. Also, someone should instruct passengers on the procedure to get a longshoreman to bring a cart. We stood there for a while, one in our party in a wheelchair, before we realized that we had to stand on a line to get a longshoreman.

 

And, even though I had a lot to say about disembarkation, the embarkation procedure was tedious and long, three hours, not a perfect first impression for a vacation that advertised as stress free.

 

Although the thrill of departing and arriving in New York harbor was exciting, it is easier and more comforting to embark from Miami, where the seas are kinder.

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not to worry about the colors because they were not checking them. So, this is a word to the wise on future sailings, get down there as soon as you can, because they don't check colors of tags.

 

Gee, how fun would that be if everyone did that?

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They were letting you leave early because of the wheelchair. Please everyone, don`t do this, it will end up in a worse experience then it could be:eek:

 

What you discribed, unfortunately, is normal embarking and disembarking in NY.

 

Can you give us your good experiences on the cruise? Love to hear them:)

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Thanks for posting a review. Got to go to work no time to read it now but I printed it out and will read it later. I'm surte I'll have some questions, we cruise in a little under 2 weeks!

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Just got off this cruise too. Will post more later but I totally agree that embarkation and disembarkation was a nightmare...worst of any cruise I ave been on. We were in a suite and had to be extremely pushy to keep asking at the pier to get priority embarkation. We did but the whole thing was a disorganized mess. Then the VIP disembarkation was a joke. The VIPs don't get off until after all the "express" disembarkation (those who carry their own luggage off) people are let off. This took at least an hour. The whole express thing slows the enitire procedure down for everyone and should be eliminated.

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I've never understood the rush to get off a ship, unless the only option out of dodge was an early flight.

 

My goal is to be about the last person off the ship - to enjoy every last second!

 

(Also, the Port of New York is a mess for every cruise leaving out of the city; it isn't an NCL specific problem.)

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Just got off this cruise too. Will post more later but I totally agree that embarkation and disembarkation was a nightmare...worst of any cruise I ave been on. We were in a suite and had to be extremely pushy to keep asking at the pier to get priority embarkation. We did but the whole thing was a disorganized mess. Then the VIP disembarkation was a joke. The VIPs don't get off until after all the "express" disembarkation (those who carry their own luggage off) people are let off. This took at least an hour. The whole express thing slows the enitire procedure down for everyone and should be eliminated.

 

NYC is special :D :eek:

 

It is unusual for express to go before VIP. Never happened on my trips from NYC. I wonder if they did it this way because they were still setting bags with the ship arriving so late on Mothers Day. I would not be surprised in NYC that a number of dock workers called in "sick" :rolleyes:

 

If the ship was cleared but the hall not ready letting express off first would speed up the total process.

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We thought disembarkation was fine--so we sat in Bamboo for 30 minutes before we could leave--that was no hardship (gave me a last opportunity to take more pics!). It was certainly MUCH better than what we experienced with Carnival or RCCL. Our only problem was in finding our driver (or him finding us) as we'd gone to the sidewalk with the porter/bags and apparently the driver went upstairs to wait. But that of course has nothing to do with NCL.

 

Embarkation, on the other hand--oye. Very disorganized, very confusing. It took me asking 3 different NCL people about VIP waiting area before someone agreed (and agreed quickly and courteously) that having an AA suite means we're allowed to wait there too! Then when we went and got checked in, the lady did not give us the right papers. She handed us a simple receipt and pointed us to the final step, saying clearly and more than once "This is all you will need to give them to get onboard." Um, WRONG. So we had to go back to her (in hordes of people) with the irritable rep at the boarding gate to asdk for what she should have given us in the first place. She outright lied to her supervisor and told her she'd given us the right stuff and Joe had put it in his pocket so must have lost it! We couldn't believe it!

 

Anyway, we finally got the right paper and all went well. No one escorted us to our cabin, though, as I'd heard they often did. That was OK with us, I just thought someone would be doing that and thought it'd be a little cool. The boarding rep who dealt with the "fibbing" one muttered to a co-worker (this is madness here!) so obviously agreed with us that it was a confused mess to get on board.

 

OH well--as long as we GOT onboard is all that really matters!

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NYC is special :D :eek:

 

It is unusual for express to go before VIP. Never happened on my trips from NYC. I wonder if they did it this way because they were still setting bags with the ship arriving so late on Mothers Day. I would not be surprised in NYC that a number of dock workers called in "sick" :rolleyes:

 

If the ship was cleared but the hall not ready letting express off first would speed up the total process.

 

Getting off the Star in LA wasn`t much better, except the porters were "nicer".

Express got off first then shore excursions then the VIP`s THEN going through immigration and customs. Sloooooooow process, but it was more organised.

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Greenie: How was the Owners Suite? Am sorry to hear about disembarkation and embarkation. We waited only 2 minutes in Bamboo and were taken off even before the time we were told to arrive, before the announcement that the ship had cleared. Longshoremen were waiting for us - never saw so many at one time and they approached us. My family found our luggage and were on of the first to get down stairs on the elevator where both our limo drivers were waiting (mine could not believe we got down to him at 10:35 given the ship berthed at 8:25am and he knew we had to retrieve luggage.

 

 

Thanks for you review Cindy, both your experiences sound like a typical Carnival Cruise from NYC and the Skipper's Club for suites that never is. Unfortunately bottled water is only given gratis on premium lines such as Radisson, Crystal. Even Cunard and Celebrity do not provide bottled water as you disembark for ports.

 

For someone in a wheelchair if you request assistance you can obtain priority embarkation and disembarkation – a rep wheels the person in the WC on and off the ship.

 

Jeanne

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Embarkation, on the other hand--oye. Very disorganized, very confusing. It took me asking 3 different NCL people about VIP waiting area before someone agreed (and agreed quickly and courteously) that having an AA suite means we're allowed to wait there too!

 

Embarkation sounds so hectic! :confused:

 

Greenie, What time did you arrive at the pier?

 

Barb

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I've never understood the rush to get off a ship, unless the only option out of dodge was an early flight.

 

My goal is to be about the last person off the ship - to enjoy every last second!

 

(Also, the Port of New York is a mess for every cruise leaving out of the city; it isn't an NCL specific problem.)

I agree with TrinaLC and NJCruiser21. What's the rush to get off the ship? Who wants their wonderful cruise vacation to end? After a nice breakfast, we go back to our cabin and watch all the goings on from our balcony and maybe turn the TV on.

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I agree with TrinaLC and NJCruiser21. What's the rush to get off the ship? Who wants their wonderful cruise vacation to end? After a nice breakfast, we go back to our cabin and watch all the goings on from our balcony and maybe turn the TV on.

 

Any other port, and I'll agree.

 

In NY, if you don't get out early, you meet everyone coming in at the same time getting ready for the next cruise. Both the arrivals and departures have to pass through the same second level, and it can get REAL ugly.:eek:

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I feel it is better to get off in a timely fashion. There isn't anything to do except eat breakfast. There are no activities, pool is closed, etc. We stayed in our cabin and watched the action from our balcony (which wasn't much) That water sure is brown! We were off by 10:45 (deck 11). I felt it wasn't too bad disembarking. We found our luggage fairly easy, then we went down in the elevator to the street level and handled our own luggage and just walked across the street to be picked up. It looked worse for the people getting on buses. Now embarking was another story. That took forever. It was the worst I ever experienced in NY.

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Haven't met a cruise yet where I loved embarkation. I do however take it in stride. It's vacation afterall. I didn't have any trouble getting off the Dawn (after my husband pried me from a railing I was clining too refusing to leave...)

 

Have to approach any vacation with a "whatever happens" attitude. Everyday life is stressful enough. No problem mon!

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We arrived at the pier about 11:15 AM. There were signs (very clearly)pointing you to VIP, Latitudes and all other passengers.

 

We showed our ticket and were pointed upstairs to the VIP/Latitudes area. We again showed our ticket and were pointed to the VIP area. Latitudes sat in the same upstairs area, just across the room from us.

 

Coffee, Tea, Orange juice and Water were available to all passengers....free of charge and as much as you wanted. Also, they served sandwiches, and pastries the whole time we were up there.

 

In looking over the railing to below, passengers were seated on folding chairs, seemed to be hundreds of them. I believe that those that arrived the latest, had to stand as there were several lines of people but, I believe they can only accommodate so many chairs in that area. They must leave room for the lines to board the ship. Also, the arrival ship was still disembarking.

 

Beverages and pastries, etc., were also being served downstairs. We could see the set-up from above.

 

From my experience, this system worked very well. Last year we were all just standing around upstairs breathing down one anothers necks. This new way of seating the passengers was much more organized and enabled them to serve drinks, etc., while we were waiting. Staff was very friendly to all.

 

We began boarding immediately after disembarkation of the previous sailing. I could see the doors for disembarkation and, as soon as the last passenger walked through, they closed those doors and opened our doors. We were immediately brought downstairs.

 

More later, in the office, have to do some work :( Oh, I was on the may 1 sailing from NY.

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I would rather wait on the Dawn or any NCL ship than disembark from any other line. We have been on others that everybody with the same color tag had to meet in a lounge or another place. We were always told to be there so early and then we would have to wait, wait, wait. I like sitting over an extra cup of coffee and people watch till it is my time to go.

 

Jeanne

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I've never really had big problems with either getting on or off a ship except the NCL SEA when we were on a repo cruise from Miami to NYC and that wasn't bad just took a long time. We had more time to enjoy the end of our cruise.

 

I go expecting the worst so no matter what. it's not all that bad in the end.

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I go expecting the worst so no matter what. it's not all that bad in the end.

 

I'd rather sit for 4 hours waiting to get off the ship or 4 hours waiting in line to get on the ship, then sitting for even an hour at work or in class! :eek:

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I appreciate the fact that we can wait in our rooms instead of a lounge crowded with people anxious to get off early. I make sure I have a pot of coffee and some pastries etc to enjoy while we wait. The TV works and it doesn't hurt to catch up on the news. Last time there was even a decent movie on. I even remember being able to take a 'power nap' in comfort while we waitied. It's a much better system than any other line I've been on.

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My cabinmate's friends who are travelling with us said they want to be first off the ship. hell no! :D I'll be on there as long as I can.

 

I'm with you on that one. We stayed in our cabin until the last minute--read, stood out on the balcony looking at NY, napped, I even took a bath!:)

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