HELP!!! RE: NCL Dawn

[HLWCruze]

HELP!!! Has anyone cruised on the NCL Dawn before? We booked it today through a travel agent and even though I did my research, I am now freaking out. Been reading reviews that it is not clean, the food is not good, almost everything costs extra money on the ship (such as activities) and even though there are 3 pools, the main pool (which was described as small) is overcrowded, the 2nd pool is an inside pool that you can only use if you purchase a spa package, and the 3rd pool is a kid pool. Advice, please!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is the Dawn one of the lower class NCL ships or are all NCL ships like this? We will be cruising (our very first cruise) in April to the Western Caribbean for 7 days. Is Carnival a better route to go?

[grand isle joe]

Having cruised only once on NCL we will NEVER cruise again....IMHO all the ships of NCL are lowest class...sometimes you get what you pay for..... Good Luck.....

[SadieN]

NCL seems to ba a cruiseline either you love or hate.

For specifics on the Dawn best ask those who love NCL on the Norwegian Board.


Have you sailed already or is your clock wrong?, lol

[travlnblueberries]

Being this is your first cruise, why not just enjoy it for what it is.
I know when DH and I talk about our cruises, and I'll say, What ship were we on? And I find that what I thought was a "not-so-great" cruise line, actually had some really good points. Good enough to sail with them on more of their ships. IMHO, all cruise lines have their good points and not so good. Don't worry and just enjoy. Have a great cruise.

[Suitcasefull]

The only NCL ships I've been on are Spirit and Pearl but enjoyed them very much. Probably you would get better answers on the NCL board.
My personal opinion is that NCL is better in some ways; fair in others. Yes, you can choose to pay extra to dine in other restaurants but we only did that once. Other things to pay for were "extra" games such as Deal or No Deal and maybe Bingo (don't play either). Of course you pay for liquor and sodas (I brought on a 12 pack of Cokes since they only sell Pepsi)
There wasn't anything "wrong" with our trips on those ships. Cabins and ship were very clean, food was fine, crew was fun. Don't know about the trip you'll be on but the pools were managable as far as number of people.
Check out the NCL board but don't let any of the nay-sayers scare you or ruin your trip. Cruises are wonderful vacations.

[dread_pirate]

I just sailed on the Dawn in May.
1) I found it quite clean.
2) The food in the MDR was fine, the buffet was better than I had expected. I didn't do any of the surcharged restaurants.
3) There are a few activities that cost, such as martini or wine tastings, exercise classes, and specialty lunches, but I kept myself quite busy without spending a dime. Dance lessons, trivia contests, parties are all included. All the entertainment is included.
4) Yes, it is true that there is only one real pool. If you want to sit immediately near the pool, you may be disappointed. However, there are 3 tiers of loungers surrounding the pool, and if you're willing to do a few stairs, you shouldn't have trouble finding a lounger.

I enjoyed the Dawn very much. It's a very manageable ship, the staff were wonderful. I really loved the piano bar at Gatsby's.

I never cruised Carnival, so I cannot compare. But if you go in with a positive attitude, you should have a wonderful time on the Dawn.

[CruiserBruce]

The NCL board is here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=107

Yes, MANY MANY MANY people have sailed on NCL Dawn. It sails full, or very near full every sailing.

[janetz]

Originally Posted by HLWCruze

HELP!!! Has anyone cruised on the NCL Dawn before? We booked it today through a travel agent and even though I did my research, I am now freaking out. Been reading reviews that it is not clean, the food is not good, almost everything costs extra money on the ship (such as activities) and even though there are 3 pools, the main pool (which was described as small) is overcrowded, the 2nd pool is an inside pool that you can only use if you purchase a spa package, and the 3rd pool is a kid pool. Advice, please!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is the Dawn one of the lower class NCL ships or are all NCL ships like this? We will be cruising (our very first cruise) in April to the Western Caribbean for 7 days. Is Carnival a better route to go?

Everyone has an opinion. Ignore the negatives and decide for yourself. We sailed the dawn right after our Oasis cruise, and we had a great time.The staff was great. Loved the freestyle option. Yes, there is one pool unless you pay extra and that to me was the only drawback. In my humble opinion I think you will have a great time. I have done one Carnival cruise and once was enough.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=107

[Dorset Cruiser]

Originally Posted by HLWCruze

HELP!!! Has anyone cruised on the NCL Dawn before? We booked it today through a travel agent and even though I did my research, I am now freaking out. Been reading reviews that it is not clean, the food is not good, almost everything costs extra money on the ship (such as activities) and even though there are 3 pools, the main pool (which was described as small) is overcrowded, the 2nd pool is an inside pool that you can only use if you purchase a spa package, and the 3rd pool is a kid pool. Advice, please!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is the Dawn one of the lower class NCL ships or are all NCL ships like this? We will be cruising (our very first cruise) in April to the Western Caribbean for 7 days. Is Carnival a better route to go?

We sailed on NCL Jade a couple of years ago. Nothing wrong with it and in fact the food and service was excellent. Liked the fact that the shower had doors instead of the clingy curtains. A lot of pay restaurants but the MDR food was
very good. The Italian pay restaurant was superb, much better than the much feted Sabatinis on Princess cruises, probably the second best pay restaurant we have been to on a ship (the best was one of supper clubs on Carnival!). The ship was a bit gaudy as it was originally used for the Hawaii trips but the pool was good. Our fav cruiseline remains Princess but if the right itinerary came up we would go with NCL again and the prices are very competitive.

[Arzeena]

Originally Posted by HLWCruze

HELP!!! Has anyone cruised on the NCL Dawn before? We booked it today through a travel agent and even though I did my research, I am now freaking out. Been reading reviews that it is not clean, the food is not good, almost everything costs extra money on the ship (such as activities) and even though there are 3 pools, the main pool (which was described as small) is overcrowded, the 2nd pool is an inside pool that you can only use if you purchase a spa package, and the 3rd pool is a kid pool. Advice, please!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is the Dawn one of the lower class NCL ships or are all NCL ships like this? We will be cruising (our very first cruise) in April to the Western Caribbean for 7 days. Is Carnival a better route to go?

WHAT!!!! NO way!
The Dawn is a beautiful ship! You will love it!
My first NCL cruise was on the Dawn. I loved it. Great crew and staff. Great ship. DO NOT WORRY. It is not dirty at all. It is a really lovely ship. Go for it!!! Happy cruising!

[weltek]

We sailed the Dawn in Dec., 2012. A few thoughts:

1) Best crew I've encountered in six cruises. Always friendly and attentive.

2) Best food I've had on NCL ships in the MDR. Seems there was more attention to temps than on some others (e.g., my steak was perfectly done, everything was hot that was supposed to be).

3) It was very clean.

4) There weren't enough quiet spaces inside to read when the weather was bad (on our return day). Library was full, lounges were being used for activities, and windowsills in hallways was all we could find.

5) You are right about the pools. If it's a "prime cruise season" cruise, you may find the main pool can get crowded, and yes, you have to pay for the spa area "adults only" pool. That's how they keep it quiet and not crowded. However, we cruise in the "off weeks" of the winter, and it's never been much of a problem to find two chairs or take a dip in the pool.

6) There is plenty included so you don't have to pay "extra" for anything. Many people leave with only the Daily Service Charge on their accounts. You have two MDRs (with very similar, but not identical menus), the buffet and another free option that has "comfort food" (usually called The Blue Lagoon) on all ships. Oh-and room service is free (except 12-5 am when there is a 3.95 fee...used to discourage drunken waste). If you choose to have a special dinner, there are great specialty restaurants. For $10-25/pp you can have a special meal in a small venue. Moderno, Le Bistro and Cagneys are all excellent!

[spunkyhungry]

I sailed on the Dawn in June, and I loved it! The ship was clean and beautiful. The food was delicious; seriously, I was impressed. I ate in the dining room, buffet, room service, and several specialty restaurants. I didn't have to pay for any activities except for excursions, which you'll pay for on any cruise. The only activities that would require paying money would be things like wine tasting, bingo, casino, and spa. There are numerous activities included in the price, such as production shows, comedy group, game shows, trivia, scavenger hunt, contests, parties, karaoke, etc. Also, on our cruise the pool was not crowded at all, even on sea days. One time I was in the pool with only 1-2 other people, and this was on a sea day!

[6monkeys]

We sailed on the Dawn and loved it! We had a great conceirge and butler. The staff and crew were very attentive. The only thing I did not like was the free style. We like having a specific waiter each night. Relax and enjoy it is going to be great! If yyou like wine do their wine tasting