DAWN TO BDA 10/11 to 10/18 LONG

[LOWTYD]

Embarkation was smooth as usually out of NY. Checked in at the CAS and VIP counter and was promptly escorted to a private waiting area.

General Information: We walked on board about 12:30, got some hand sanitizer sprayed on and took my first glass of bubbly.
AHHHHHHHH……vacation.
Had a nice leisurely lunch and got to our aft cabin around 1:30. (Little earlier than the room ready announcement but the hall monitor saw my hubby had a bad leg and told us to go on down.) We met our Room Steward Jamie and his assistant, Chris who were very accommodating throughout the cruise. They did their best too keep us with my DH and his bad habits!!! We met our neighbors on either side of us and we all stayed right where were for sailaway.
I had ordered a bar setup so we had a couple cocktails before heading down tot the casino for the CAS party before they opened. They had food and drinks ready for us so we didn’t have to go to dinner and could start handing our money over as soon we hit international waters. Went to a dance party later that evening with some fellow passengers and then we hit the hay.
We had out Meet and Greet at the Star Bar Monday morning. The officers and well as the captain came and each one of them gave a little speech as to what their duties were.
Surprisingly, no one had any questions! One of our Roll Call Members had the Garden Villa and she offered a tour to anyone that wanted to see it.
All I can say is WOW! I don’t think the pictures they show on NCL site do it justice.
The ship itself was clean and constantly being touched up throughout the cruise. We actually saw two gentlemen painting a scratch on the mural on the Promenade deck.
It was a rainy windy sea day Monday. Most people stayed in but there were plenty of morning walkers on the deck. Since this a cruise for us to sit back and chill that is what we did most of the time so I am not going to have a lot to say about the activities. They had a martini clinic, a pub crawl, beer tasting, wine tasting and a mojito muddling clinic during the sea days. (Not all on same day) . The Pearly King Pub had sporting events (football./baseball) I did hear some complaints about the Yankee games not be broadcasted. You would like a ship full of passengers coming out of NYC just might want to see a Yankee playoff game. I don’t know…maybe it’s just me…….
DH got the Spa pass for the week @ $99 (Couples $150) I think I have a fear of spas or something. I never want to go on the ship. He loves it.
Some other activities they had (off the top of my head) where trivia contests, WII games, towel animal clinic, Second City improve seminar, some fitness seminars, basketball, shuffleboard, bingo, cruise rewards, Bermuda Talk,

Food: I thought the food was very good. The whole static menu thing didn’t bother us at all as there was always something we found on it that we enjoyed. We ate at the Venetian 2 nights and Aqua two nights. We did eat in Teppanyaki one night (which is a must for me because it always turns out to be a lot of fun. ) We went with two couples we met on our Roll Call. The food is prepared right in front of you and in my opinion was very good. The only odd thing is the dessert. They used to have ice-cream (such as green tea) but now they have these things that look like tiny silicone breast implants made out of some sort of rice and a liquid center (like melted ice-cream) I like the real stuff better but this was “interesting” to say the least.

We did the Anniversary package ($79) which entitles you to a bottle of bubbly in your room, choc. covered strawberries, a cake and champagne party, a free photo and dinner at LeBistro with a bottle of wine. We went with another couple we met on our Roll Call and we all ordered the beef tenderloin. It was really good. I also has the escargot which is always a treat! The funniest part was when it was time for dessert and they brought the cakes over….I don’t want to ruin it for anyone. We hade the cakes wrapped and sent to out rooms and had some real desert. Crème Brule! Anoop (sp) the concierge was getting frantic since he reserved some seats for Bollywood that night and the show had already started as we were finishing up so the four of us practically ran to the Stardust Theatre. He was so nice and very accommodating. I give this guy a lot of credit keeping track of all this passengers.
Entertainment: Speaking of Bollywood…I thought the entertainment on the ship very good from what I saw. My DH said he could take or leave Bollywood but I was impressed that we were in a Nor’easter and these guys didn’t miss a beat. I would not see it again but was entertained. The Tina Turner Tribute featuring Fire and Ice was very good. This girl could belt it out and strut around just like Tina. I think the drunken guy in front of me really thought it was her!!!
Bernie Martini, the piano player always had a full house. I would listen to him for a while before heading back to my cabin for the night. I did not make it to South Beach and have seen Second City before. The comedian was pretty good from what I saw on the replay.

Bermuda: The sun was rising as we headed into Bermuda. It was beautiful. We watched the 3 stooges from our balcony s trying to get the ropes to tie us up. (note to NCL, you will need to paint the new ding they made with their boat under the word NASSAU)
It was very windy the first day and our ferry to St. Georges was canceled so we took the ferry to Hamilton and caught the bus from there. I think we spent more time on buses than in St. Georges. We checked out the town square, the NCL Majesty was in port at the time, had a beer at the Whitehorse, Went to St. Peters church and looked around the cemetery which I always find very fascinating as I like history, walked up to the unfinished church and to Tobacco Bay to see if anyone was swimming. No ttoo many. Then it was time to head back.

Now pay close attention here because you need to read to the end of this section.
Thursday we were waiting for the bus to take us to the beach and DH decides he is not going to ride busses all day long and wants to get a scooter so we can have our freedom.. I have read too many thing about them didn’t want to do it as I heard too many horror stories. Well, it was great. We went to Glass Bottle Beach and picked two bags of beach glass, checked out the Somerset Bridge, Found a farm, went to Horseshoe Bay, not too many people in the water since it was still windy and overcast. Got a Ginger Beer Snowcone and thought it would taste better if the women added some Black Seal ….and she agreed it would taste better, but didn’t have any….continued on to the Gibbs Hill lighthouse which has spectacular view. You could climb it for $2.50 pp. I think its approx 180 steps. We went to Jobson Cove and swam here for a while and talked to a few others of the Dawn passengers. That pink sand is a great exfoliate by the way. Headed out to Astwood Park and saw cats everywhere. It was very nice there and had great ocean views. We had a great day and started to head back as we were going to meet some folks at the Swizzle Inn on the other side of the island but never made it.
A little bit outside of Somerset we were rounding a curve and going up a hill at the same time which slows down the scooter. A truck was over the center line coming the other way and we had to move left to avoid it…Right into one of those coral like walls. We hit that twice (at least that is all I remember) and the scooter started to slip. DH tried to steady it but it was going down. Luckily the scooter had slowed down some because they don’t have enough oomph to get up those hills so I think it could have been a lot worse.
Without going into all the detail, we were able to walk away from this with minor cuts bruise, broken toes and cracked ribs compared to what could have happened. I know there were quite a few passengers who rented the scooters who made out just fine, but when someone tells you it’s dangerous, you need to listen. I went on the Bermuda threads several times and the people who live in Bermuda said it’s too dangerous. My DH learned his lesson the hard way. He got the brunt of it by the way. If you think you are a safe rider and nothing can happen to you, think again.

Luckily we were able to see all that we did before the accident and the very nice constable and her partner took us back to the ship.
Friday we went to Snorkel Park and started healing the wound in the salt water as suggested by ever Bermudian we spoke to as well as the Paramedics. We did a little shopping in the Dockyard and walked around a bit before heading back for sailaway.
We had a pop up storm hit right before sailaway which gave us a beautiful rainbow to send us off.
We had some really rough seas Saturday and they closed all the decks because of the wind. The barf bags were very visible a there were a lot of Do Not Disturb notices on the status wheels outside the cabins. Luckily we were ok.
We went on another tour of the Owners Suite occupied by another fellow Roll Call member. The OS is really nice if you just have two of you whereas the GV can fit 3 couples. They were in the front of the ship and it was pretty cool during the high sea and wind. I still prefer the AFT but the amenities in the OS were just right!

They had the crew show the last night complete with Fountains. They did not do a Quest game as I had hoped they would have but maybe next time.
All in all it was a great trip and I met some really terrific people through our Roll Call. This was our first trip alone since our honeymoon (normally friends or family come along) and I have to say it was one of the best times I had.

Two more things. The only time I had a problem with a crew member was the Spa Manager who got very snippy with us when we took our printout to her Saturday and said they charges ups for a couple instead of one person. She said something like” Well , that is not how we do things here!!” So I asked “How do you do thing here? She said we don’t adjust last day. How do I know you haven’t come here? “
(Let’s see, DH has a sticker on his card and I don’t. Have you or the six people standing with you ever seen me here?, Would you like to check the security cameras to see if I ever came here? You are ones who are supposed to know who is coming and going.)
In any event, she removed the $150 and charged back the $99. It was already 7:00 at night and we just didn’t have time to discuss her behavior with anyone. She did what was right but she didn’t have to be so snotty/snooty.

Second thing: Luis, the coffee dude from Columbia in Cagney’s made us the best pot of fresh pressed coffee. So if anyone from NCL is reading this, give that man a raise!

If I can answer any questions I will try. Again, I didn't do a lot of shipboard activities so hopefully someone else on board this sailing may be able to answer those questions better than I.
I would travel on the Dawn again. (already looking at Southern Carribean) She is a "just my size" ship and the crew was wonderful.

[Harleycat]

Originally Posted by LOWTYD

Embarkation was smooth as usually out of NY. Checked in at the CAS and VIP counter and was promptly escorted to a private waiting area.

General Information: We walked on board about 12:30, got some hand sanitizer sprayed on and took my first glass of bubbly.
AHHHHHHHH……vacation.
Had a nice leisurely lunch and got to our aft cabin around 1:30. (Little earlier than the room ready announcement but the hall monitor saw my hubby had a bad leg and told us to go on down.) We met our Room Steward Jamie and his assistant, Chris who were very accommodating throughout the cruise. They did their best too keep us with my DH and his bad habits!!! We met our neighbors on either side of us and we all stayed right where were for sailaway.
I had ordered a bar setup so we had a couple cocktails before heading down tot the casino for the CAS party before they opened. They had food and drinks ready for us so we didn’t have to go to dinner and could start handing our money over as soon we hit international waters. Went to a dance party later that evening with some fellow passengers and then we hit the hay.
We had out Meet and Greet at the Star Bar Monday morning. The officers and well as the captain came and each one of them gave a little speech as to what their duties were.
Surprisingly, no one had any questions! One of our Roll Call Members had the Garden Villa and she offered a tour to anyone that wanted to see it.
All I can say is WOW! I don’t think the pictures they show on NCL site do it justice.
The ship itself was clean and constantly being touched up throughout the cruise. We actually saw two gentlemen painting a scratch on the mural on the Promenade deck.
It was a rainy windy sea day Monday. Most people stayed in but there were plenty of morning walkers on the deck. Since this a cruise for us to sit back and chill that is what we did most of the time so I am not going to have a lot to say about the activities. They had a martini clinic, a pub crawl, beer tasting, wine tasting and a mojito muddling clinic during the sea days. (Not all on same day) . The Pearly King Pub had sporting events (football./baseball) I did hear some complaints about the Yankee games not be broadcasted. You would like a ship full of passengers coming out of NYC just might want to see a Yankee playoff game. I don’t know…maybe it’s just me…….
DH got the Spa pass for the week @ $99 (Couples $150) I think I have a fear of spas or something. I never want to go on the ship. He loves it.
Some other activities they had (off the top of my head) where trivia contests, WII games, towel animal clinic, Second City improve seminar, some fitness seminars, basketball, shuffleboard, bingo, cruise rewards, Bermuda Talk,

Food: I thought the food was very good. The whole static menu thing didn’t bother us at all as there was always something we found on it that we enjoyed. We ate at the Venetian 2 nights and Aqua two nights. We did eat in Teppanyaki one night (which is a must for me because it always turns out to be a lot of fun. ) We went with two couples we met on our Roll Call. The food is prepared right in front of you and in my opinion was very good. The only odd thing is the dessert. They used to have ice-cream (such as green tea) but now they have these things that look like tiny silicone breast implants made out of some sort of rice and a liquid center (like melted ice-cream) I like the real stuff better but this was “interesting” to say the least.

We did the Anniversary package ($79) which entitles you to a bottle of bubbly in your room, choc. covered strawberries, a cake and champagne party, a free photo and dinner at LeBistro with a bottle of wine. We went with another couple we met on our Roll Call and we all ordered the beef tenderloin. It was really good. I also has the escargot which is always a treat! The funniest part was when it was time for dessert and they brought the cakes over….I don’t want to ruin it for anyone. We hade the cakes wrapped and sent to out rooms and had some real desert. Crème Brule! Anoop (sp) the concierge was getting frantic since he reserved some seats for Bollywood that night and the show had already started as we were finishing up so the four of us practically ran to the Stardust Theatre. He was so nice and very accommodating. I give this guy a lot of credit keeping track of all this passengers.
Entertainment: Speaking of Bollywood…I thought the entertainment on the ship very good from what I saw. My DH said he could take or leave Bollywood but I was impressed that we were in a Nor’easter and these guys didn’t miss a beat. I would not see it again but was entertained. The Tina Turner Tribute featuring Fire and Ice was very good. This girl could belt it out and strut around just like Tina. I think the drunken guy in front of me really thought it was her!!!
Bernie Martini, the piano player always had a full house. I would listen to him for a while before heading back to my cabin for the night. I did not make it to South Beach and have seen Second City before. The comedian was pretty good from what I saw on the replay.

Bermuda: The sun was rising as we headed into Bermuda. It was beautiful. We watched the 3 stooges from our balcony s trying to get the ropes to tie us up. (note to NCL, you will need to paint the new ding they made with their boat under the word NASSAU)
It was very windy the first day and our ferry to St. Georges was canceled so we took the ferry to Hamilton and caught the bus from there. I think we spent more time on buses than in St. Georges. We checked out the town square, the NCL Majesty was in port at the time, had a beer at the Whitehorse, Went to St. Peters church and looked around the cemetery which I always find very fascinating as I like history, walked up to the unfinished church and to Tobacco Bay to see if anyone was swimming. No ttoo many. Then it was time to head back.

Now pay close attention here because you need to read to the end of this section.
Thursday we were waiting for the bus to take us to the beach and DH decides he is not going to ride busses all day long and wants to get a scooter so we can have our freedom.. I have read too many thing about them didn’t want to do it as I heard too many horror stories. Well, it was great. We went to Glass Bottle Beach and picked two bags of beach glass, checked out the Somerset Bridge, Found a farm, went to Horseshoe Bay, not too many people in the water since it was still windy and overcast. Got a Ginger Beer Snowcone and thought it would taste better if the women added some Black Seal ….and she agreed it would taste better, but didn’t have any….continued on to the Gibbs Hill lighthouse which has spectacular view. You could climb it for $2.50 pp. I think its approx 180 steps. We went to Jobson Cove and swam here for a while and talked to a few others of the Dawn passengers. That pink sand is a great exfoliate by the way. Headed out to Astwood Park and saw cats everywhere. It was very nice there and had great ocean views. We had a great day and started to head back as we were going to meet some folks at the Swizzle Inn on the other side of the island but never made it.
A little bit outside of Somerset we were rounding a curve and going up a hill at the same time which slows down the scooter. A truck was over the center line coming the other way and we had to move left to avoid it…Right into one of those coral like walls. We hit that twice (at least that is all I remember) and the scooter started to slip. DH tried to steady it but it was going down. Luckily the scooter had slowed down some because they don’t have enough oomph to get up those hills so I think it could have been a lot worse.
Without going into all the detail, we were able to walk away from this with minor cuts bruise, broken toes and cracked ribs compared to what could have happened. I know there were quite a few passengers who rented the scooters who made out just fine, but when someone tells you it’s dangerous, you need to listen. I went on the Bermuda threads several times and the people who live in Bermuda said it’s too dangerous. My DH learned his lesson the hard way. He got the brunt of it by the way. If you think you are a safe rider and nothing can happen to you, think again.

Luckily we were able to see all that we did before the accident and the very nice constable and her partner took us back to the ship.
Friday we went to Snorkel Park and started healing the wound in the salt water as suggested by ever Bermudian we spoke to as well as the Paramedics. We did a little shopping in the Dockyard and walked around a bit before heading back for sailaway.
We had a pop up storm hit right before sailaway which gave us a beautiful rainbow to send us off.
We had some really rough seas Saturday and they closed all the decks because of the wind. The barf bags were very visible a there were a lot of Do Not Disturb notices on the status wheels outside the cabins. Luckily we were ok.
We went on another tour of the Owners Suite occupied by another fellow Roll Call member. The OS is really nice if you just have two of you whereas the GV can fit 3 couples. They were in the front of the ship and it was pretty cool during the high sea and wind. I still prefer the AFT but the amenities in the OS were just right!

They had the crew show the last night complete with Fountains. They did not do a Quest game as I had hoped they would have but maybe next time.
All in all it was a great trip and I met some really terrific people through our Roll Call. This was our first trip alone since our honeymoon (normally friends or family come along) and I have to say it was one of the best times I had.

Two more things. The only time I had a problem with a crew member was the Spa Manager who got very snippy with us when we took our printout to her Saturday and said they charges ups for a couple instead of one person. She said something like” Well , that is not how we do things here!!” So I asked “How do you do thing here? She said we don’t adjust last day. How do I know you haven’t come here? “
(Let’s see, DH has a sticker on his card and I don’t. Have you or the six people standing with you ever seen me here?, Would you like to check the security cameras to see if I ever came here? You are ones who are supposed to know who is coming and going.)
In any event, she removed the $150 and charged back the $99. It was already 7:00 at night and we just didn’t have time to discuss her behavior with anyone. She did what was right but she didn’t have to be so snotty/snooty.

Second thing: Luis, the coffee dude from Columbia in Cagney’s made us the best pot of fresh pressed coffee. So if anyone from NCL is reading this, give that man a raise!

If I can answer any questions I will try. Again, I didn't do a lot of shipboard activities so hopefully someone else on board this sailing may be able to answer those questions better than I.
I would travel on the Dawn again. (already looking at Southern Carribean) She is a "just my size" ship and the crew was wonderful.

Great review! I'm still working on mine.

You are right about the scooters. Hubby is an experienced biker and has ridden/driven all over the world and he still pulled out onto the right side of the road at one point. The other issue with the scooters is that the rentals are only 50cc, with two people they hardly get out of their own way much less the way of vehicles with more power.

I agree with you about the Dawn. I'm already looking ahead to the next trip.

[DawnGirl]

Excellent review, Lowtyd! I'm glad you enjoyed the ship as much as we have!! And, I agree, those scooters are a hazard - a very tempting hazard.

[lilcruzr]

Lowtyd, I'm so happy you and hubby are all right and were able to enjoy the rest of your cruise. We will be leaving this Sunday. I'm so excited. Do you remember when the Latitudes party and the Champagne and cake party were? Did they have a msytery dinner? Thanks for the wonderful review!

[peg013]

Glad to hear you had a great time on the Dawn and in Bermuda. Hopefully your experience with the scooters will reinforce the warning: DON'T RENT SCOOTERS! It's just not worth the chance. I'm glad you got off as "easy" as you did. Heal quickly!

[LOWTYD]

Originally Posted by lilcruzr

Lowtyd, I'm so happy you and hubby are all right and were able to enjoy the rest of your cruise. We will be leaving this Sunday. I'm so excited. Do you remember when the Latitudes party and the Champagne and cake party were? Did they have a msytery dinner? Thanks for the wonderful review!

The Latitude party was on a sea day and I want to say Tuesday but not sure. The cake and champagne may have been the same day. I think we went from one ot the other! You will recieved an envelope in your cabin with youe party invitations so you can keep track. We walked down to the Latitude's Party (Spinnakers) and the line was really long to get in so we blew it off. They did have a Murder Mystery dinner (it may have been a brunch.) and it was $20 pp. They put the sign up in the Daily.
Have a gerat trip. I wish I was going again

[redgrave]

great review i am going to be on the dawn on the 25th, do you remember if they had any specials (2 for 1) in the speciality restaurants during your cruise!!

bobby

[LOWTYD]

Originally Posted by redgrave

great review i am going to be on the dawn on the 25th, do you remember if they had any specials (2 for 1) in the speciality restaurants during your cruise!!

bobby

No, they did not have any 2 for 1's that I saw. Le Bistro is only a $15 addtional charge and I thought the food was excellent. Cagney's and Teppanyaki's are $25. Depending on what you are looking for, you can get a nice piece of meat at Le Bistros and save $10!

[Gingee]

I saw that the wind was strong. Was it hard to walk and was it scary?

[karen_cpa]

Thanks so much for the review! We are leaving this coming Sunday and are getting so excited!

I'm so sorry to hear about your scooter incident, but you walked away to talk about it, so that's something!

If you don't mind me asking - did you see a lot of children on your cruise? DD will be 2 and I'm hoping there will be a few others her age on board.

Thanks!!

[BikerAl]

So glad you guys were not hurt worse. As you can see from my screen name, I have ridden a scooter for years, but not those underpowered ones. I personally think they have no business on any road where they don't have enough power to keep up with traffic. They are getting more popular in te US, and are a hazard to navigation.

I am also happy to read your positive review of the Dawn. We sail her in 354 days.

Al

[DDelFarn]

Originally Posted by LOWTYD

Embarkation was smooth as usually out of NY. Checked in at the CAS and VIP counter and was promptly escorted to a private waiting area.

General Information: We walked on board about 12:30, got some hand sanitizer sprayed on and took my first glass of bubbly.
AHHHHHHHH……vacation.
Had a nice leisurely lunch and got to our aft cabin around 1:30. (Little earlier than the room ready announcement but the hall monitor saw my hubby had a bad leg and told us to go on down.) We met our Room Steward Jamie and his assistant, Chris who were very accommodating throughout the cruise. They did their best too keep us with my DH and his bad habits!!! We met our neighbors on either side of us and we all stayed right where were for sailaway.
I had ordered a bar setup so we had a couple cocktails before heading down tot the casino for the CAS party before they opened. They had food and drinks ready for us so we didn’t have to go to dinner and could start handing our money over as soon we hit international waters. Went to a dance party later that evening with some fellow passengers and then we hit the hay.
We had out Meet and Greet at the Star Bar Monday morning. The officers and well as the captain came and each one of them gave a little speech as to what their duties were.
Surprisingly, no one had any questions! One of our Roll Call Members had the Garden Villa and she offered a tour to anyone that wanted to see it.
All I can say is WOW! I don’t think the pictures they show on NCL site do it justice.
The ship itself was clean and constantly being touched up throughout the cruise. We actually saw two gentlemen painting a scratch on the mural on the Promenade deck.
It was a rainy windy sea day Monday. Most people stayed in but there were plenty of morning walkers on the deck. Since this a cruise for us to sit back and chill that is what we did most of the time so I am not going to have a lot to say about the activities. They had a martini clinic, a pub crawl, beer tasting, wine tasting and a mojito muddling clinic during the sea days. (Not all on same day) . The Pearly King Pub had sporting events (football./baseball) I did hear some complaints about the Yankee games not be broadcasted. You would like a ship full of passengers coming out of NYC just might want to see a Yankee playoff game. I don’t know…maybe it’s just me…….
DH got the Spa pass for the week @ $99 (Couples $150) I think I have a fear of spas or something. I never want to go on the ship. He loves it.
Some other activities they had (off the top of my head) where trivia contests, WII games, towel animal clinic, Second City improve seminar, some fitness seminars, basketball, shuffleboard, bingo, cruise rewards, Bermuda Talk,

Food: I thought the food was very good. The whole static menu thing didn’t bother us at all as there was always something we found on it that we enjoyed. We ate at the Venetian 2 nights and Aqua two nights. We did eat in Teppanyaki one night (which is a must for me because it always turns out to be a lot of fun. ) We went with two couples we met on our Roll Call. The food is prepared right in front of you and in my opinion was very good. The only odd thing is the dessert. They used to have ice-cream (such as green tea) but now they have these things that look like tiny silicone breast implants made out of some sort of rice and a liquid center (like melted ice-cream) I like the real stuff better but this was “interesting” to say the least.

We did the Anniversary package ($79) which entitles you to a bottle of bubbly in your room, choc. covered strawberries, a cake and champagne party, a free photo and dinner at LeBistro with a bottle of wine. We went with another couple we met on our Roll Call and we all ordered the beef tenderloin. It was really good. I also has the escargot which is always a treat! The funniest part was when it was time for dessert and they brought the cakes over….I don’t want to ruin it for anyone. We hade the cakes wrapped and sent to out rooms and had some real desert. Crème Brule! Anoop (sp) the concierge was getting frantic since he reserved some seats for Bollywood that night and the show had already started as we were finishing up so the four of us practically ran to the Stardust Theatre. He was so nice and very accommodating. I give this guy a lot of credit keeping track of all this passengers.
Entertainment: Speaking of Bollywood…I thought the entertainment on the ship very good from what I saw. My DH said he could take or leave Bollywood but I was impressed that we were in a Nor’easter and these guys didn’t miss a beat. I would not see it again but was entertained. The Tina Turner Tribute featuring Fire and Ice was very good. This girl could belt it out and strut around just like Tina. I think the drunken guy in front of me really thought it was her!!!
Bernie Martini, the piano player always had a full house. I would listen to him for a while before heading back to my cabin for the night. I did not make it to South Beach and have seen Second City before. The comedian was pretty good from what I saw on the replay.

Bermuda: The sun was rising as we headed into Bermuda. It was beautiful. We watched the 3 stooges from our balcony s trying to get the ropes to tie us up. (note to NCL, you will need to paint the new ding they made with their boat under the word NASSAU)
It was very windy the first day and our ferry to St. Georges was canceled so we took the ferry to Hamilton and caught the bus from there. I think we spent more time on buses than in St. Georges. We checked out the town square, the NCL Majesty was in port at the time, had a beer at the Whitehorse, Went to St. Peters church and looked around the cemetery which I always find very fascinating as I like history, walked up to the unfinished church and to Tobacco Bay to see if anyone was swimming. No ttoo many. Then it was time to head back.

Now pay close attention here because you need to read to the end of this section.
Thursday we were waiting for the bus to take us to the beach and DH decides he is not going to ride busses all day long and wants to get a scooter so we can have our freedom.. I have read too many thing about them didn’t want to do it as I heard too many horror stories. Well, it was great. We went to Glass Bottle Beach and picked two bags of beach glass, checked out the Somerset Bridge, Found a farm, went to Horseshoe Bay, not too many people in the water since it was still windy and overcast. Got a Ginger Beer Snowcone and thought it would taste better if the women added some Black Seal ….and she agreed it would taste better, but didn’t have any….continued on to the Gibbs Hill lighthouse which has spectacular view. You could climb it for $2.50 pp. I think its approx 180 steps. We went to Jobson Cove and swam here for a while and talked to a few others of the Dawn passengers. That pink sand is a great exfoliate by the way. Headed out to Astwood Park and saw cats everywhere. It was very nice there and had great ocean views. We had a great day and started to head back as we were going to meet some folks at the Swizzle Inn on the other side of the island but never made it.
A little bit outside of Somerset we were rounding a curve and going up a hill at the same time which slows down the scooter. A truck was over the center line coming the other way and we had to move left to avoid it…Right into one of those coral like walls. We hit that twice (at least that is all I remember) and the scooter started to slip. DH tried to steady it but it was going down. Luckily the scooter had slowed down some because they don’t have enough oomph to get up those hills so I think it could have been a lot worse.
Without going into all the detail, we were able to walk away from this with minor cuts bruise, broken toes and cracked ribs compared to what could have happened. I know there were quite a few passengers who rented the scooters who made out just fine, but when someone tells you it’s dangerous, you need to listen. I went on the Bermuda threads several times and the people who live in Bermuda said it’s too dangerous. My DH learned his lesson the hard way. He got the brunt of it by the way. If you think you are a safe rider and nothing can happen to you, think again.

Luckily we were able to see all that we did before the accident and the very nice constable and her partner took us back to the ship.
Friday we went to Snorkel Park and started healing the wound in the salt water as suggested by ever Bermudian we spoke to as well as the Paramedics. We did a little shopping in the Dockyard and walked around a bit before heading back for sailaway.
We had a pop up storm hit right before sailaway which gave us a beautiful rainbow to send us off.
We had some really rough seas Saturday and they closed all the decks because of the wind. The barf bags were very visible a there were a lot of Do Not Disturb notices on the status wheels outside the cabins. Luckily we were ok.
We went on another tour of the Owners Suite occupied by another fellow Roll Call member. The OS is really nice if you just have two of you whereas the GV can fit 3 couples. They were in the front of the ship and it was pretty cool during the high sea and wind. I still prefer the AFT but the amenities in the OS were just right!

They had the crew show the last night complete with Fountains. They did not do a Quest game as I had hoped they would have but maybe next time.
All in all it was a great trip and I met some really terrific people through our Roll Call. This was our first trip alone since our honeymoon (normally friends or family come along) and I have to say it was one of the best times I had.

Two more things. The only time I had a problem with a crew member was the Spa Manager who got very snippy with us when we took our printout to her Saturday and said they charges ups for a couple instead of one person. She said something like” Well , that is not how we do things here!!” So I asked “How do you do thing here? She said we don’t adjust last day. How do I know you haven’t come here? “
(Let’s see, DH has a sticker on his card and I don’t. Have you or the six people standing with you ever seen me here?, Would you like to check the security cameras to see if I ever came here? You are ones who are supposed to know who is coming and going.)
In any event, she removed the $150 and charged back the $99. It was already 7:00 at night and we just didn’t have time to discuss her behavior with anyone. She did what was right but she didn’t have to be so snotty/snooty.

Second thing: Luis, the coffee dude from Columbia in Cagney’s made us the best pot of fresh pressed coffee. So if anyone from NCL is reading this, give that man a raise!

If I can answer any questions I will try. Again, I didn't do a lot of shipboard activities so hopefully someone else on board this sailing may be able to answer those questions better than I.
I would travel on the Dawn again. (already looking at Southern Carribean) She is a "just my size" ship and the crew was wonderful.

I'm sad to hear you had a negative issue with the spa. I had a similar issue last year on the Spirit. Karan (the concer) was furious the spa manager tried to hide it from him and said he would deal with it. Can you describe the spa manager? (I'm hoping it's not the one I wrote to NCL about last year!)

[LOWTYD]

Originally Posted by Gingee

I saw that the wind was strong. Was it hard to walk and was it scary?

It wasn't scary, but it may be to someone who has never been in that situation. The closed off all the decks so you couldn't go outside. I have been in very strong winds on a ship and it is very diffucult to walk. If you are talking about walking in general, you swagger now and then. It kind of fun watching people walk down the hallways. You just have to plant your feet the right way and hope for the best.

[LOWTYD]

Originally Posted by karen_cpa

Thanks so much for the review! We are leaving this coming Sunday and are getting so excited!

I'm so sorry to hear about your scooter incident, but you walked away to talk about it, so that's something!

If you don't mind me asking - did you see a lot of children on your cruise? DD will be 2 and I'm hoping there will be a few others her age on board.

Thanks!!

I did see some younger children as well as older kids on the cruise. Not as many as you would say during a school break. It's funny, the young kids didn't seam phased at all by the rocking and rolling.

[LOWTYD]

Originally Posted by DDelFarn

I'm sad to hear you had a negative issue with the spa. I had a similar issue last year on the Spirit. Karan (the concer) was furious the spa manager tried to hide it from him and said he would deal with it. Can you describe the spa manager? (I'm hoping it's not the one I wrote to NCL about last year!)

I normally would get thier name but like I said, it was late the last night and we just wanted to get the bill corrected so we could get to dinner.
I wil check to see if anyone on my Roll Call knows. I really don't remember what se looked like. I think tall, dark hair and European. That probably didn't help much!

[Luv4dacruise]

Thanks for the review. I find it funny that you enjoyed Bollywood so much and were amazed that they didn't miss a beat. My reasoning is if you didn't know bforehand, Bollywood has been on the Dawn since 2002, so they've had 7 years of practice

That being said they shoudl be able to go through a full blown category 5 hurricane and not miss a beat

Happy Cruising!

[Bxtwilight]

Without going into all the detail, we were able to walk away from this with minor cuts bruise, broken toes and cracked ribs compared to what could have happened.

Who cracked their ribs?

[LOWTYD]

Originally Posted by Bxtwilight

Without going into all the detail, we were able to walk away from this with minor cuts bruise, broken toes and cracked ribs compared to what could have happened.

Who cracked their ribs?

No me!!! DH went for a check up when we got home. He was having discomfort on his left side so figured he'd better go have himself checked out.

[Harleycat]

Originally Posted by LOWTYD

No me!!! DH went for a check up when we got home. He was having discomfort on his left side so figured he'd better go have himself checked out.

Cracked ribs can be very painful and take a few days before you really feel it. When we were in the Outer Banks we rented a Wave Runner. Since you met Mr. Harleycat, you know he had the "need for speed". He made one turn way too fast, hit a wave and I went flying off the back. I didn't feel anything right away but on the drive home my back and chest were hurting more and more and I couldn't move my right arm much. I went to the Orthopaedic Surgeon and sure enough, I had cracked some ribs. There is not much they can do for them either. Painkillers and keep as immobile as possible. I think Mr. Lowtyd can handle that!

[LOWTYD]

Originally Posted by Harleycat

Cracked ribs can be very painful and take a few days before you really feel it. When we were in the Outer Banks we rented a Wave Runner. Since you met Mr. Harleycat, you know he had the "need for speed". He made one turn way too fast, hit a wave and I went flying off the back. I didn't feel anything right away but on the drive home my back and chest were hurting more and more and I couldn't move my right arm much. I went to the Orthopaedic Surgeon and sure enough, I had cracked some ribs. There is not much they can do for them either. Painkillers and keep as immobile as possible. I think Mr. Lowtyd can handle that!

LOL! Yes Mr Lowtyd is doing the best he can. He is still a lot of pain and pretty much crashes (no pun intended) around 8 pm. Gets that pillow propped up on his side and off he goes. Im' still mad at him.......