Dawn advice for 2016

Hi everyone!

I'm looking at another cruise for September of 2016, aboard the Dawn out of Boston to Bermuda for 7 nights. We want to stick to the first or second week of September, as my and my partners birthdays are in September.

I was looking at an aft facing penthouse (SF), but was unsure of deck preference on this particular ship. I've done tons and tons of research on the Breakaway, for a cruise in December of this year, and the resources for that ship seem to be awesome (that Google doc), but can't seem to find anything like that for the Dawn. We were also considering, to be easier on the wallet, an aft facing balcony (B1). Again, unsure of prime location.

Just looking for anyone out there that has been on the Dawn, possibly in one of these cabins, or maybe even on this itinerary itself that could give me a few words of wisdom. I appriciate all the help in advance!

Thanks!

The forward facing are larger. little windy at night but great views at all times. I really liked the room

A word of caution. I would avoid sailing Labor Day weekend. It is also a holiday in Bermuda leaving you with limited bus and ferry service on both Sunday and Monday.

BTW, we do prefer aft as you are sheltered from wind. Do avoid deck 8 though as you are over the Spinnaker Lounge which can be noisy.

Thanks for the advice so far!

Good point about Labor Day, I didn't even think about that!

We sailed in a deck 9 aft penthouse last summer. The balcony is mostly wind free. The bakery vents the ovens out the stern. The smell of baking bread & pastries each morning & afternoon is heavenly while you're relaxing on the balcony.

As previous post said.....avoid deck 8. The Spinnaker is the loudest night spot on the ship, and stays open latest. Many people have complained about the booming below their suite. We didn't hear any of that on deck 9.

That does sound lovely!

Also, what is the common consensuses of the aft facing rooms? To me, watching the wake at sunset or sunrise, or with the reflection of the moon beaming off the wake, just sounds so peaceful and relaxing. However, especially on a smaller ship like the Dawn, how bad is the vibration from the prop(s)? Or other cons of aft facing cabins?

That does sound lovely!

 

Also, what is the common consensuses of the aft facing rooms? To me, watching the wake at sunset or sunrise, or with the reflection of the moon beaming off the wake, just sounds so peaceful and relaxing. However, especially on a smaller ship like the Dawn, how bad is the vibration from the prop(s)? Or other cons of aft facing cabins?

Dawn is only small compared to the new mega ships. Also, she has azipods. No propeller vibration.

That does sound lovely!

 

Also, what is the common consensuses of the aft facing rooms? To me, watching the wake at sunset or sunrise, or with the reflection of the moon beaming off the wake, just sounds so peaceful and relaxing. However, especially on a smaller ship like the Dawn, how bad is the vibration from the prop(s)? Or other cons of aft facing cabins?

We loved the aft view. Sunset & sunrise views are spectacular over the wake. We didn't notice any vibration, except for briefly when ship is slowing to a stop. It was the most peaceful balcony we've been in. There were no "cons" about the aft cabin. We only had one "suite lounger" on our balcony upon arrival. We spoke to the butler and found a standard lounger out there the next morning, after breakfast. We spoke to the steward and he swapped it quickly. The comfy, padded loungers are a nice perk. And did I mention the wonderful bakery scent ? (Just kidding. It was really a nice treat)

The best cruise video I've taken is a sunrise from my aft balcony, over the wake, while pulling into Boston harbor, with ships crossing in the distance.

That sounds awesome! Really looking forward to it.

I too like the aft and watching the wake. The balconies are usually less windy too. Since the Dawn was the predecessor to the Jewel Class there are lots of similarities. Having last been on the Pearl in an aft suite on deck 10 in Alaska I would say the Dawn would be similar. The exception is what is on deck 11 - on the Pearl it was mini suites - on the Dawn it is the spa. The spa would probably be quiet for the most part. Deck 10 has the largest balconies - depth wise. and they get smaller as you go lower.

As for vibrations, yes there are some - even with azipods. I remember a sea day heading out of Ketchikan and heading to Victoria BC. We were at near top speed and as long as we were going straight all was well, however when they adjusted course- very slightly by turning only one pod - there was lots of vibrations. I could tell from the wake they only turned one pod. I did not notice the vibrations as much when we were going slower.

Thanks for the info on the deck 10 balconies. Hopefully we can lock something in on deck 10.

I'm thinking about waiting until we sail in December on the Breakaway, to purchase a FCC to use for this Dawn sailing in September 2016. What are the chances of an aft facing penthouse still being available at that time?

Dawn is only small compared to the new mega ships. Also, she has azipods. No propeller vibration.

And of course azipods are the ships propellers. So yes, there is vibration when running at higher speeds, but most noticeable when backing down or maneuvering. Some like the bow, to see where their going and some like the stern, to see where they've been. Our only issue beyond the vibration is the soot can be pretty good depending on wind and motion. Be careful before sitting down or touching things.

Hi rsullivan

DEFINITELY deck 10. There's a thread on CC listing cabin and SF balcony sizes for Dawn. The deck 10 balconies are so deep you can have your loungers facing out to the sea as opposed to foot to foot on deck 9. Look on youtube for Dawn 10226 (I think it is) and there's a video of the cabin and balcony. If you go for a regular aft balcony, go for deck 10 also. The one thing that surprised me was the noise out there from the churning of the water. Louder than just white noise, so it wasn't as relaxing as I had anticipated. (silly me, not even thinking about the noise.) I'm going to bring earplugs this summer as I've got another SF booked for August.

I'll have to look for that video on YouTube. I'm really leaning towards waiting until December to purchase a FCC while onboard the Breakaway, but am wondering if there will still be SFs available at that time.

As far as waiting until Dec 15 to book - I wouldn't - do some mock bookings and you will find that the deck 10 balconies for late Aug. early Sept are few and far between. I think there were 2 left on the Sept 2 cruise, none for the week prior and all for the week prior to that. So if you can be flexible with your dates - I would book now.

Thanks for the heads up! I guess I'll book tonight!

Hi -

I hope you were successful in booking something on Deck 10!

My husband and I have stayed in aft-facing suites 9232 and 10726 on the Dawn (Boston to Bermuda), and my sister, mom and I have stayed in aft-facing balcony 10230 (not a suite), also to Bermuda. Both balconies on Deck 10 were much greater in depth than the suite on Deck 9! The balcony on 10230 was not as wide as suite 10726, but we were able to fit three loungers and a table out there easily. No breezes, great views, plenty of space, private and quiet - what's not to love!

If you want to save a little, the aft-facing balconies on Deck 10 are great. But you can't beat the perks that go with an aft-facing suite on Deck 10. Good luck!

Well, we have decided to just focus on our cruise this December, and then just use a FCC to book a future cruise. Oh well, gotta take it one step at a time.

We were in Bermuda on the Dawn last Labor Day & there were no issues with the buses. We spent the day at Elbow Beach, then a catamaran Swizzle cruise, followed by dinner at the Frog & Onion. The weather was perfect, & we're planning the same cruise on the Dawn in 2017. We had a mini-suite on Deck 10 & will do an Aft suite next time.

I know for sure that I want to be in a suite on the Dawn. Hopefully they will start releasing 2017 information so we can at least start looking at September '17 cruises.

We're booked on that Sep 2 sailing to Bermuda. Labor Day is a major holiday there and occurs the day after we arrive. Most shops and restaurants are closed and transportation is limited. However, all ship's excursions operate and the beaches never close. Also, all hotel restaurants are open. We always rent scooters, so we never have to worry about transportation. We used to live on the island, so are used to driving around. Bermuda is great in September. Well, it's great anytime but the weather is still warm in September and it's not as crowded . . . until Breakaway arrives. Come join us. There are two people on the roll call already.

How are the 2 bedroom family suites on the Dawn? We're thinking about those now too, and we're just wondering if anyone had stayed in them previously, and what their experiences were.

We've stayed in the SC category on the Jewel class several times. Very nice cabins. The 2nd bedroom is tiny with very limited storage space. It's fine for children or munchkins.

Does anyone have any idea when the early 2017 sailings will be out for the Dawn (Boston)?

We're trying to maybe plan for an early 2017 cruise, but want to stick to the Dawn.

I too am VERY interested in the 2017 Dawn schedule for the Boston to Bermuda itinerary. 2017 will be a milestone birthday for me and I hope to get a group together for a fun-filled cruise to celebrate. If anyone learns more information about the 2017 calendar please post here - I'll subscribe to this thread and check back...

I must say that one of our absolutely best cruises was the Boston to Bermuda on the Dawn in May 2014 for our dear friends' 50th wedding anniversary - there were 22 of us for their "50th Jubilee at Sea". We had a ball!! The Dawn is such a great ship for a group and Bermuda is the best port evah!! No airfare, people wearing Pats jerseys and Sox t-shirts - what more can a girl want?!