Dawn review 11/28 to 12/9

Was going to post on Friday but had family matters to take care of.

My wife and I thought this was the best cruise we have had on the Dawn (3rd cruise with 4th in April). We had only one negative comment to make and that will be at the end.

The talk about the itinerary that went on for months on these boards we think was settled very will by NCL.

St. Croix

Antigua

Barbados

Dominica

St. Thomas

Tortola

The weather was almost perfect at all the ports. We had a great time in all the ports and all the excursions went well and were really interesting. Even the half day in Tortola was great because we got to see most of the island in the short amount of time. Our favorite stops were Dominica and Tortola. Two very beautiful islands. St. Thomas was nice but too commercial.The scenery was so good on all the islands I took more than 500 pictures and short movies. We bought many items but just from the local's of each Island.

Even the food on board seemed to be a little better than normal and the crew more friendly and there seemed to be almost no lines at the restaurants. I even was able to get pictures of the famous "chocolate spectacular"

We had a AD suite at the stern of the ship and the views were spectacular. I had read on these boards that there might be a soot problem but we never encountered it. However they were right about the movement of the ship is more pronounced in the back but we loved it because the more the ship rocked and rolled the better our sleep was. (we must be sick people) and it was rocking and rolling when we first left NY and when we returned to NY. The AD suite was a decent size and so was the balcony but be warned it is ONLY for two people.

The only negative was the "first women butler" who was nice enough but this job seemed just a "stopover" to her next promotion. She left my wife and I with the feeling that it was a bother to call her.

With that aside it was a great cruise and we would like to do it again in 2006 (we already have 2 other cruise booked for 2005 besides the Dawn in April)

Thanks for the review- we are on the Dawn 1/20 so it's great to read recent reviews.

Did you eat any of the specialty restaurants? Can you rate them? Many kids on board? Clothes during formal night-how formal?

Debbie

We only saw one child the whole cruise and they said their were more than 300 on board. I know the whole top at the back of the boat are for kids only with everything including a pool and play rooms. We had meals at every restaurant except for the sussi bar. Cagneys and La Bistro's were the best, but La Trattoria was not bad but has a limited menu. We only wore a suit and dress once for dinner and pictures.

300 children? On the 11/28 Dawn? Is it possible?...there were 150 Germans on board and I saw them EVERYWHERE...I only saw (maybe) 20 children all week. One (named Amy, 7 years old) introduced herself to my wife and I in the hottub and said -I'm not kidding about this- "Enough about me, where are you two from?" and, as her father was dragging her away, "Wait, I don't think I got your names..." Great kids, really well behaved, and plenty of fun. It was a pleasure to cruise with them...

We saw very few kids on this cruise and they were mostly well behaved. I still wonder how they get out of school for almost 2 weeks after their days off the previous week for Thanksgiving?

sailed on the dawn 11/28, first time on ncl line, have sailed on celebrity, and holland america. expiernced free style dining for the first time and found it to be outstanding. the gourmet dinners at le bristro and cagneys were great do not miss them. it seems they have a good childrens program on this ship, they even have a little section in the buffet for the kids to have breakkfest, and lunch with little tables and buffet section just for them.

the customer service on this ship was the best that we have encountered since we started cruising. if we had a problem it was immediately fixed, with call backs to ensure our satisfaction, we were really impressed. will definetely sail on the dawn again, you will have a wonderful time. just remember do not try sneaking alcohol on board even in your suitcases. peoples suitcases were confiscated and sent to a room on the ship, and the people were advised to go to this room to pick their luggage up. when they arrived they had to open their luggage and their bottles were taken until the end of the cruise. we were walking by this room when a couple came out of the room and the wife was yelling at her husaband about the bottles in the luggage it was funny.

The only negative was the "first women butler" who was nice enough but this job seemed just a "stopover" to her next promotion. She left my wife and I with the feeling that it was a bother to call her.

I'm very surprised by this as we had Lani, the first woman butler on NCL, last January on our Dawn cruise. She offered spendid service, at any time of the day, yet was inobtrusive, as I found most of the service staff to be. I was mortified when the boys called for room service in the wee hours of the morning, but she brought it with a smile.

She also commented to us that she was being looked at for a higher position, but was not interested, as she loved her present position as a butler.

I hope we're lucky enough to see her again on our next cruise.

It was only our opinion and a “feeling” we both had. We still left her a very good tip because as far as service it was good. We had breakfast every morning between 6:30am and 8:00am and she was never late and also provided other requests without delay. We will have her again in April because we will have the same room. I will post a review and I hope our ”feeling” will change

and you know, we can all have bad days-a professional shouldn't let that affect them, but we all know that it can.