Another review of the Dawn 14 night repo (11/1/09)

[skyedog]

Hi All,
My family recently returned from an excellent cruise aboard the beautiful Norwegian Dawn. This is my first cruise review, so please bear with me.
We travelled on the 11/1/09 Dawn repositioning cruise. This was a 14 night cruise visiting 8 Caribbean ports, departing from New York City. We travelled with 13 extended family members; our ages ranged from 10 months to 60 something. Most of us have cruised several times on most of the mass market cruise lines. 10 of us had previously cruised on the Dawn, some several times. We booked this cruise more than a year prior to sailing. The anticipation of spending 14 nights on the Dawn was really getting to me shortly before the cruise.

Arriving / Check in:
We arranged for a car service to pick us up at our house in NJ at 10:45. We had a very easy drive in through the Lincoln Tunnel and arrived at the pier by 11:30. We were assisted with our checked bags immediately and entered the cruise terminal. We had booked a penthouse suite and knew to look for VIP check in. We quickly passed through security (the suite guests had a separate line to skip the main security line). We did bring several bottles of wine with us in our carry-on bags. Security noticed the bottles and politely directed us to a small table nearby to pay the $15 / 750ml bottle corkage fee. We were charged $30 for a large 3L bottle of sparkling wine. The corkage fees are added to the shipboard account.

We followed the clearly marked signs for VIP guests and were checked in with no waiting at all. The very nice employee took our pictures, swiped a credit card, and answered any questions. Ten minutes later we arrived in the VIP lounge to receive our key-cards. The concierge, Anoop, was taking the first group onto the ship as we arrived in the lounge. A few minutes later Anoop was back to introduce himself. Then one of the butlers escorted us and a few others onto the ship. The check in process was quick and efficient.

We received a complimentary glass of sparkling wine upon entering the ship. It was lunch time, so some of the family went to Cagney’s (open for breakfast and lunch every day as a perk for VIP quests) others went to the Venetian. More on food to follow.

Around 2:00pm there was an announcement that the rooms were ready for guests. We all went to check out our rooms. Our group had booked 5 rooms. We had reserved an AB penthouse suite. Other family members had an AE suite, an AD suite, and 2 mini-suites.

Cabins:
Everyone was very happy with their accommodations. We loved our AB suite, room 11550. This was our third time in an AB Suite on the Dawn (previously stayed in 11050 and 11030). The suite was wonderful as expected and virtually identical to the other AB suites. The suite includes 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, and a living room. One bedroom and bathroom is considerable larger and nicer than the other. The smaller bedroom and bathroom were perfect for my 4 year old daughter. We had a pack and play crib (provided by the ship) set up between the master bathroom and bedroom for my younger daughter. The living room was nice for both relaxing on the couch (which is a pull out sleeper sofa, much more comfortable than the old settee) and entertaining. We had several cocktail parties for as many as 13 people. Some guests were on the balcony, but we were able to all fit and have a great time. The Lavaza pod coffee / espresso machine is a nice amenity. We frequently enjoyed a great cup of coffee on the balcony. The master bathroom is awesome. I was able to watch flying fish and dolphins leaping while showering! The shower has 4 different heads / sprayers. The Elemis bath products are nice, but we prefer the Molton Brown or L’Occitane products they used to offer in the suites. There are more closet and drawer storage space than we knew what to do with (even with 2 kids on a 14 night cruise). The bed and linens in the master bedroom were most comfortable. We slept very well.

After checking out the room, we attended the mandatory safety drill. This was very quick and informative. Some of our bags had been delivered to the room shortly after the muster drill. We unpacked a little and went up on deck for the sail away party. There was a barbecue (chicken and burgers) and live music playing while we cruised down the Hudson River. We all watched John the cruise director lead a dance, ate a little barbecue, and enjoyed a few boat drinks. We saw the beautiful Lady Liberty and sailed under the Verrazano Bridge, out into the Atlantic.

Onboard:
The evenings and days at sea have blurred together. We really enjoyed our time at sea. We spent lots of time relaxing on the balcony, reading books, even watched a few movies. My wife and I were able to work when necessary, both on the cell phone and internet (we connected to the ship’s internet service via a cable in the suite, not sure if all suites have this or not?) We spent some time in the casino almost daily, even won a very small amount of money playing blackjack. We did some shopping in the duty free store. I was very happy to find bottles of Ron Zacapa XO rum for sale to bring home (I have never seen this on a liquor store shelf in the US). We spent lots of time walking around the ship and listening to the various entertainers.

We were fortunate that we were able to watch the NY Yankees win their 27th World Series Championship while we were onboard. The game was on the TV in several bars and in the suite. It was so much fun cheering them on while having a drink in the Pearly Kings Pub.

We participated in one of the pub crawls, a very interesting experience. Basically you are supposed to drink 5 drinks in 5 bars in 50 minutes. They play a few funny games and “punish” those who do not listen well with more shots. It was lots of fun for about $25. We also participated in a mojito and muddling clinic. There was a very small group of us and the bartender. He made approx. 6 different drinks while explaining how to make them and a little info on each drink. I think this was about $15 / person. There were many other similar drinking clinics and tastings onboard; martinis, beer, Italian wine, a Beringer only wine tasting, margaritas, etc.

The piano players were very nice to listen to. However, by the end of the trip I had enough of the same songs. If I hear “Lady in Red” one more time, I might lose it. There was a guitar player, Tim, who was amazing. He played and sang a variety of rock and roll. At least one of the piano players was a little bitter if someone asked for a song he did not know. The reply was, look at the list, I only play those songs. When Tim was asked a song he did not know, his response was “give me a day to learn it and come back.” I know that he learned at least 7 songs which the audience requested. Tim was also really nice to talk with when he was not performing. Many in our group liked to see Fire and Ice perform. They are a very energetic musical duo. This was not my favorite show. I had no interest in a Tina Turner review or similar shows. Many other guests raved about these performers. The reggae band and the house rock and roll band (forgot their names, Flex and ?) were both very good. We heard them play by the pool and in some of the nightclubs. Several of our relatives participated in Karaoke in one of the bars. They had a great time. They did comment that the ship could use some updated karaoke songs.

I saw 2 of the main shows, Miami South Beach Rave and Bollywood. The shows were OK, comparable in my opinion to a very inexpensive Vegas show. I preferred Bollywood due to the gymnastic / cirque routines. In all honesty, my 4 year old daughter was the only one of the 13 of us that enjoyed the shows. I would not have remained for the entire show, if she was not there with me. Please keep in mind that many, if not most of the passengers loved both shows. There are simply other activities I would prefer to do on the ship. Some of the dancers were very talented, especially the ballroom dancing couple.

We attended a crew party held on the pool deck on night. This was lots of fun. The crew was able to share a few drinks and dances with the guests. The band played late into the night and all had a great time. The theme was “crazy T-shirt party” and the crew had some fabulous t-shirts on.

Food:
Obviously this is a very subjective subject. We were impressed with the food and very impressed with the service. Every night there was something on each menu that I enjoyed. The only meal I did not like was a piece of grouper I had for lunch in Venetian. The fish was overcooked and smelled and tasted very “fishy.” The food may not always be as good as the finest land restaurants. Keep in mind that most of these finer land restaurants charge more for a meal than many passengers pay per night on the Dawn. Considering the limited galley space onboard and enormous quantities of food produced, we were very impressed.

The first night all 13 of us dined in Cagney’s steakhouse. The rib eye steak, shrimp cocktail, and crème Brule were all very good. The service was terrific. The waiters (Vinay and Melroy) were very attentive and friendly. Melroy joked the entire time he was serving a double magnum of sparkling wine we brought on board. They both insisted on cutting the food for the kids. They told us that we were on vacation and to please let them take care of the little things. This was indicative of the service we received for the entire 2 weeks. We did not return to Cagney’s for dinner, even though we enjoyed our meal. We did eat several lunches and breakfasts there and desired another venue for dinner. We also thought that the filet in Le Bistro tasted better and was tenderer (Le Bistro charges only $15 / person vs. $25 / person for Cagney’s).

We ate most of our breakfasts and lunches in Cagney’s steakhouse. The food was great. Some of our favorite breakfasts include: crab-cake eggs Benedict, great brioche French toast, omelets, etc. The French-press coffee was appreciated. It was nice to have the small cold buffet available at breakfast. This option was perfect for grabbing the kids a quick glass of juice and a pastry. For lunch we had jumbo shrimp cocktail, steak, roast chicken, scallops with risotto, lobster, shrimp, and scallop club sandwich, etc. The service at breakfast and lunch was good, but varied with the different servers. The crew in Cagney’s changed about half way through the cruise. The hostess, Roxana, is terrific. She gave my kids so much attention, even when we saw her on shore. Luis, our waiter, searched the ship for Cheerios for my daughter when supplies were running low. Of course he found a few boxes for us, which he set aside. He apologized for not delivering them to our cabin sooner. Later in the cruise Luis removed our daughter’s messy high chair tray during dinner, brought it back to the kitchen to be cleaned in the dishwasher, then rushed it back to us once it had cooled. He was not our waiter that night, but noticed what a mess we had made. Another example of the great service we received.

We ate dinner in the Venetian, Aqua, Impressions, Salsa, Bamboo, Cagney’s and Le Bistro. Bamboo, Salsa, and Impressions offered 2 for 1 dining occasionally. We had the butler deliver room service for lunch, a nice feature after coming back on the ship from a tiring shore excursion. We had snacks and a few light lunches at the buffet. This was fine for a quick meal on the run. It was almost scary having easy access to all of those yummy desserts.

Le Bistro was our favorite restaurant. The fois gras, cream of mushroom soup, filet au poivre, and coute de boeuf were amazing. We spent lots of time there with Ernesto (Le Bistro manager) and Alain the food and beverage manager. They were both really friendly and knowledgeable about food and wine. Le Bistro was quiet both times we dined there. It is a beautiful room, complete with great art work, Versace plates, upgraded stemware, etc. We all felt this was a great value for $15 / person. Thank you to grandma for watching the kids those nights. This is definitely not a kid friendly restaurant in my opinion.

We really enjoyed our dinners and the occasional lunch in the Venetian dining room. The room feels very large and open, with a great view of the stern. There was live piano music in the evenings, which really added to the ambiance. This dining room and aqua offer a fixed menu with several choices for appetizers, entrees, and deserts. These items were available every night. Each night there were also several special items available. These were different each night. There was always something that everyone in our party enjoyed. The lamb shank, chicken breast and mashed potatoes, and French onion soup were some of my favorites on the fixed menu. We had lobster tails (many, many lobster tails) one night in the Venetian. They were cooked right and very tender. The waiter offered to remove them from the shell and poured melted butter as well. The service in the Venetian was very good. It was noticeably slower when we dined with a large group (understandably so). We met so many really friendly waiters and waitresses. Many would stop by to make the kids giggle throughout dinner, even when they were not our assigned waiter. We frequently spoke with the dining room manager and senior staff who could be seen walking around the dining rooms. There was no additional charge for this restaurant and Aqua.

Aqua was our least favorite dining room. We had problems with our reservation 3 separate times. It reminded us of the Seinfeld episode when Jerry tries to get a rental car. They took the reservation, but they did not hold the reservation. The concierge fixed the problem once by moving us to another dining room. We waited a bit the other nights, not a big deal. The Maitre’D in this dining room was very unimpressive. He knew we had a problem with our reservations, but avoided us all 3 times, never saying one word to us. A quick apology or explanation would have helped. The tables seemed very close together in this dining room resulting in a slightly claustrophobic, loud dining experience.

We enjoyed Bamboo. Some in our group really loved it and ate there several time, others thought it was OK. I enjoyed the appetizers (pork buns, chicken lettuce wraps, ribs, soup) much more than entrees. I was probably too full from all of the appetizers to appreciate my entrée (I think I had moo shu pork). We did not try the sushi nor the sake. I think Bamboo is $10 / person.
We also enjoyed Salsa. I ordered an appetizer and soup that were a little too spicy for my tastes, but my wife liked her food. It was great to dine while listening to the live music from the atrium below. I was not very hungry when we ate here so I asked to take the lobster tacos back to the room. The waitress insisted that her assistant waiter would escort us back to the room with our leftovers (which were really good around 2 a.m.). Salsa is $10 / person.

We dined in Impressions a few times. The Italian food was a nice alternative from the main dining rooms. The beef carpaccio and osso bucco were both excellent. The service was very good the first night we ate there, the restaurant was about 2/3 full. The second time we dined there the restaurant offered a 2 for 1 special. Every table was taken and the service was very, very slow. I think this restaurant charges $10 / person as well.

Alain, the food and beverage manager, informed us of a new, gourmet tasting dinner being offered on our cruise. 3 or4 nights they had a 5 course dinner for up to 20 guests and 2 senior officers. The dinner was served in a private dining room that is located behind Le Bistro and in the back of Impressions. I believe the price was $75 / person and included 5 very nice wines. 4 of our family members did this and enjoyed it. They were very full and very tired after the 2.5 hour adventure. My wife and I decided to do our own tasting dinner in Le Bistro. The staff was great, serving multiple courses, complete with 3 different bottles of wine.

The ship has an extensive wine list. We had a few of the less expensive bottles (Los vascos cabernet for about $26 / bottle, the house sparkling wine $20 something / bottle and one of the Malbecs for $30 something / bottle). All were fine. In my opinion, there are some very fairly priced bottles and some overpriced bottles, like most wine lists. We really liked the Mondavi Reserve Cabernet. This was only available in ½ bottles (375ml) for $35. The 750ml bottles typically sell for $80-$125 / bottle at retail. I also loved the 1993 Chateau D’Yquem. Alain pointed out this was a good price for an excellent wine and he was 100% correct. The 375ml bottle was $130, compared to approx. $300 at retail in NYC. There were several magnums of champagne available, including Tattinger brut and Tattinger Comtes Rose. We enjoyed several bottles of wine which we thought were priced fairly.

Ports:
Samana : Some of our group did the Cayo Levantado beach excursion through NCL. This was a wonderful day at a gorgeous beach. We took a brief boat ride directly from the Dawn to the island, about 10 minutes or less. There were plenty of lounges, hammocks, etc. We did not feel crowded like we have at some of the cruise lines’ private islands. I had a relaxing back massage on the beach and a few rum drinks at the bar. They had food for sale that looked and smelled great, but we passed. The water was nice and clear, white sand with plenty of palm trees. There were several vendors eager to show / sell their goods (lots of jewelry, counterfeit cigars, coffee, t-shirts, etc). Others in our group did the ATV tour. They enjoyed this tour as well. The rest of the family remained on the Dawn while in Samana. We did not expect much from this port and were pleasantly surprised.

St. Thomas: We basically shopped in town. We have been here many time and wanted to have a quiet day. Saw some good prices on alcohol and cigarettes. Other items seemed priced similar to those in the states. I checked out a few watches, each one I inquired about cost from $4,000 - $15,000! I quickly moved on to the next store. We did not see anyone buying very high end items in the stores.

Antigua: We walked around and shopped near the pier. I took my daughter to a beach. I think we went to Jolly Beach (not the hotel, just the free beach). We met a nice taxi driver, Joseph. Joseph agreed to drive us to the beach, wait an hour or so for us to swim and play, then return us to the pier. I think we paid about $40-$50 for the ride, including a tip. The beach was perfect. Very quiet, less than 20 people within view. The water was not quite as clear as in Samana, but still very nice. There were a few vendors offering lounges and umbrellas, cold drinks, wave-runner rides. They were all really nice and polite, not pushy at all.

Dominica: We walked around the small port city. The taxi drivers here and other vendors were a little more aggressive here, but still very friendly. One of my kids gets car-sick, so we figured we should skip the windy roads up in the hills. The island is beautiful, reminded us of some of the Hawaiian Islands.

Barbardos: We signed up for the Silvermoon Catamaran ahead of time. This is a private excursion, not affiliated with NCL. This was our second time on the Silvermoon and we loved it. There were 11 passengers on the boat and three crew members. The service was great, the boat looked brand new, plenty of space for everyone, the food and drinks were fantastic. We snorkeled with turtles at one stop. We then snorkeled over a shallow shipwreck, lots of various fish around. After that we sailed for a bit, then we had lunch and drinks while anchored off of a beautiful beach. This was one of the highlights of the trip for me. Some of our party tried shopping in
Barbardos, but most of the stores in town were closed because it was Sunday. Barbados remains one of my favorite islands.

St. Lucia: We walked around the pier area then took a taxi to a beach. We were not sure which beach to go to, so the taxi driver decided. I do not remember the name of the beach. It was nice, but very touristy and crowded. There were several hotels with bars and facilities right there. We swam and rented wave-runners. This island is really beautiful as well. The green tree covered mountains appear to fall right into the bright blue sea.

Curacao: We walked around the colorful town near the pier. Lots of stores, but prices seemed very expensive on most items. The pastel colors of the buildings were very unique.

Aruba: Of course we shopped some more here, and then went to Manchebo Beach. This beach was very near the pier ($13 taxi ride each way). The beach was right out of a postcard; white sand, blue water, swaying palm trees, etc. There were some larger waves here. We grabbed a few drinks at a hotel’s pool bar and no one seemed to mind when we swam in their pool. Everyone in our family really enjoyed Aruba.

Staff:
Our room stewards were great. Phil and his assistant Gilbert kept our suite very clean. Phil was very personably and spent lots of time talking to my kids. I noticed that if I left a dirty baby bottle in the room, Phil or Gilbert would clean it and leave it on the counter for next time. My daughter had a different towel animal every night for 14 nights. She is usually very shy, but by the end of the cruise she would run into her room after diner, to look for the newest addition to her “zoo.” Then she would run back into the hallway in order to give Phil a big hug and say goodnight. We had mentioned to Phil early in the cruise that our daughter really appreciated the first one and he continued with a new creation daily. I know not all the stewards make the towel animals, but I’m sure they can if one asks.

John, our butler, was simply amazing. We met him the first day and were continually impressed throughout the cruise. He has an infectious smile (even when we had an odd request early in the a.m.). John delivered the usual snacks as well as a few platters of food for cocktail parties. He also provided daily chocolate milk and cookies for my daughter and pineapple juice and bloody mary mix for me. We always had fresh ice for drinks, plenty of coffee and cups and glasses. We had pre-ordered a few bottles of alcohol which were waiting in the room, a great service NCL offers. It was really nice to have a drink in the room whenever we wanted. John brought us any food or drink we asked for. We saw our butler from the last cruise, Ravi. We spoke with him several times, he was always very nice. He appeared to be spending lots of time with the concierge, maybe training for his next assignment? If so, Ravi will be a fantastic concierge.

Anoop the concierge was very helpful. He was very professional, without being stuffy or uptight. Anoop arranged our dinner reservations and helped out with a few other odd requests. I do not want to list all the things that he did for us out of fear that everyone with access to the concierge will begin asking for these favors. I do not know when this guy sleeps. Anoop took care of every single request that we asked of him. He also offered several other services / recommendations which were well appreciated.

We spent a considerable amount of time with the other senior staff and officers (Captain, John the cruise director, Hugo the Hotel Director, Alain the food and beverage manager, executive chefs, dining room managers, etc). They were all sincerely concerned about the guests’ safety and enjoyment. Hugo found us several times each day, sometime just to high-5 the girls and to make them laugh. My 10 month old daughter would yell out, “Da Da” when she saw Hugo. The entire staff from top to bottom really made us feel welcome and special.

Summary:
We had a great vacation and will not hesitate to book another cruise on the NCL Dawn. We ate and drank way too much, and cannot wait to do it all over again. The weather was almost perfect. I think we only saw rain in the evening and the seas were very calm. The entire staff worked very hard to ensure that we had a wonderful trip. Our kids received more attention that I thought possible. There is really nothing I can suggest to improve the service which we received on this ship. The Dawn is in great shape, hardly showing her age. We saw continuous maintenance such as carpet being replaced, painting, plumbing work, etc. I’m sure that one can find a flaw or two if one really searched. Why spend your hard earned vacation looking for flaws? We cannot wait to get back onboard.

[bean24]

We will be doing a family group cruise on the Dawn in June, and will also be in our first suite. Great to hear how well it went for you

[cruisinreunion]

What a nice review. Thank you for an enoyable reading. We are also sailing on the Dawn in April and look forward to experiencing her as you did...lol from an inside cabin point of view though. someday I will be in a penthouse suite, but for now, am happy to be able to go inside. glad to hear the food in the MDR's were good, as well as the entertainment. I am sure my kids will enjoy it as did your daughter and we all know when they are happy, we are happy. Thanks again and glad you had a nice vacation

[LTC]

We were on the same cruise as well and had a wonderful time. Great review.

[AuntieBarb]

We were also on the repo with you. Thank you for the wonderful review. The Dawn and her staff/crew truly deserve the high marks in my opinion!

[k4btzs]

Thank you for sharing your trip with us. It sounds like you had a great time. Maybe one of these days I will get to experience the suite life but until then its nice to read about others experiences.

[tampadee]

I'm curious, is there a $25 charge for eating in Cagney's for breakfast or lunch?

[WinnieinWA]

Thanks so much for a terrific review. She's my favorite ship.

[halos]

It was such a great cruise!! I am surprised that no one who has reviewed this repo has yet to mention how blessed we were with weather!! I have never in 13 cruises, have seas that calm for one day, let alone 14 days straight!! It was totally amazing. Add that to the great crew and you get one heck of a great cruise!!
We have vowed to sail the Dawn again as well....

[skyedog]

Originally Posted by tampadee

I'm curious, is there a $25 charge for eating in Cagney's for breakfast or lunch?

Breakfast and lunch were included and were only available for VIPs (suite customers, casino guests, etc). Dinner is $25 / person and is open to everyone.

[DMH15]

Thanks for a very enjoyable review. I spent only two nights on the Dawn, but I loved getting dressed up and going to Le Bistro. Sitting by the Renoir and dining off the Versace plates! I was in heaven. My favorites are Dawn's LB and Sun's Il Adagio. Thanks for taking me down memory lane!

[tbmrt]

We're leaving on the Dawn this Saturday (just 5 nights though) and then heading to the Sky for 3 more nights).

Heard there may be a White Party, a toga party and a Caribbean party.

[terrymtex01]

Hey Skyedog.. I think I remember you and your family. Did you have a little adorable girl and a baby with you specifically?? If you are who I think you are, we rode down in an elevator with you and your wife one day after lunch in Cagneys and I commented to your wife what adorable children you have and you made a comment they were now full from lunch and you were all about to go take a nap.

Not for sure if that was you, but your description of your group on the cruise with you sounds like who I am thinking of.

I did enjoy reading your very fair review and agreed with almost every thing. Mostly "Lady in Red". LOL. I swear it seemed you could not go anywhere on that ship to get away from that song.

[Light716]

Great review! You're getting me very excited for my upcoming cruise on the Dawn! You mentioned the casino and I have a question that I don't know if you can answer, but if you can, thanks in advance. I don't know if you play craps or not, but if you happened to see the craps table, do you know if the minimum bet was $5 or $10?

Thanks!
Cindy

[r2mach1]

Thanks for the great review!! Makes me even more excited for our upcoming cruise!

I have a question for you. From the pics I've seen the AB still had an old style CRT television. Do they still have the old TV in the living room or have they been changed out to a flat screen?

Thanks.

[dtiger]

Nice and interesting review. That's great you all had a good time.

[zazou]

thanks for the review! very informative!

[sue402001]

Thanks for posting your review, I can't wait to board her in 1 week!

[Beachbum1944]

Hey r2mach1, I see you are going on the Dawn in Feb. We are doing the Jewel repo in April. Hope you have a nice cruise and Happy Thanksgiving.

[Dolphins]

Always happy to hear that others have enjoyed the Dawn as much as we always have. We look forward to boarding her again (for the 7th time) in September.