Dawn Review - Part 2 of 2

The Excursions - Continued

Miami – The Everglades Airboat Ride.

($49 Adult/$38 Child). The tour guide shared volumes of info as we took the nearly one hour drive out to the Everglades. We were given earplugs to protect our ears from the loud motor noise of the boats before boarding one of the waiting airboats. The ride took us deep into the everglades. “…Where you will encounter breathtaking panoramic views, lush vegetation and tranquility. You will be amidst alligators, native flora and fauna & other exotic wildlife in their habitat as you thrust through this River of Grass system.”

With the racket the fleet of boats made, I wondered why any wild creature would hang around for these visits. Yet we saw several gators on our journey. The boat ride itself lasted less than forty minutes.

TIP: Bring bug spray! It’s very buggy here!

Then we headed into the wildlife show. Nice presentation that included a large iguana, a timid otter, a baby alligator, a shy cougar, and a nasty crocodile. Then there was a photo-op for everyone with the show’s host and Snappy the young alligator.

We had time to wander around before being herded back to the busses for the trip back to the ship with a short detour to drop off anyone who wanted to shop at the mall that was a short walking distance to the ship.

Nassau – Forts & Pirates

($33. Adult/$22. Child). This tour started with a long wait in the hot Caribbean sun. Departure time was to have been 9:20 but was delayed for unknown reasons. Two Pirate characters did their best to entertain the group before we finally headed off for the long walk off the pier and onto the waiting bus fleet. This tour included stops at Fort Fincastle, The Queen’s Staircase and Fort Charlotte. Each stop was remarkable more for their views than the presentation by our guides.

The highlight of this trip was something not listed on the itinerary: a stop at one of Nassau’s beautiful beaches. We were allowed time to wade in the warm water and our guide offered to take some posed photos. This stop had me wishing that we had done an outdoor or beach activity instead of wandering through the musty old forts.

We then headed to Nassau’s Pirate Museum. The NCL excursion guide calls this the “best pirate attraction in the world.” I’d call it a moderately interesting stop for history buffs and children. The guide’s presentation was lost on us; we were at the back of a pack of people that was too large for each stop through the displays.

Entertainment

The music of the band “Rhythm Explosion” became the ever-present backdrop for our time around the pool. They were tireless and entertaining. One of our ‘postcard moments’ was the solo piano player at the Java Café who paused to have a short conversation with our son after we sat watching him for a while.

We saw two shows: “The Wonders of Charles Bach” a wonderfully unusual but highly entertaining magic, illusion, comedy and dance routine. We also saw the trademark “Bollywood” show. I’ll readily admit that Bollywood wasn’t my kind of thing and at one point I was lured to sleep, but my wife positively loved it.

We attended some other events: The magician, Charles Bach, did an “Ultimate Death Defying Houdini Escape” from the depths of the Oasis pool after being wrapped in chains and padlocks. The cruise director, Paul Baya, did a very interesting presentation on the behind the scenes inner workings of the ship.

Kid’s Crew Program

We went into this trip worried that our ten-year-old son would resist our efforts to send him off to the ship’s day care program. They did a wonderful job keeping him involved and interested in their activities. Truth be told, he couldn’t wait to go back each morning and each night.

That said, to the Kid’s Crew Staff’s credit, he is a tough behavioral challenge and has irritated the most professional and experienced day care providers. (We adopted him from an abusive home.) They waited until the second to last night to mention that he had been a problem all week and then finally expelled him from the center on the final evening.

Our only negative comment on this front is that the program’s hours ended up driving our plans. Children couldn’t be dropped off until 7 PM each evening with return pick up by 10 pm or additional fees would be charged. There was also a requirement for pre-registration for the later hours. We found this limiting and our evenings weren’t as spontaneous as we would have liked.

The Fitness Center and Spa

Despite my pre-cruise plans to the contrary, I only used an Elliptical machine for a decent workout once during this trip. I will note that while most U.S. gyms have standard Precor machines the Dawn has a brand called “True.” I’ve never seen before, but it was a solid workout.

The Spa Area is one of the most quiet, peaceful and relaxing spots on the ship. The large square whirlpool near the lap pool has loungers in the tub that are a great place to unwind. The locker room has a steam room, sauna and Japanese plunge baths. I thought the steam room was one of the best I’ve ever used; the temperature was always regulated and never too hot or too cool. It quickly became part of our nightly routine that as my wife and kid showered back in the room; I’d head to the spa for some time in the steam and shower in one of the spa’s three stall showers.

Separating You From More of Your Money

The Photo Gallery

I quickly tired of NCL’s efforts to use every opportunity to separate us from more of our money. Nowhere was this more evident than in the Photo Gallery area. Quick example: we purchased the $79.00 anniversary package. That package comes with one 5 by 7 photo. We didn’t like any of the pre-printed 5 by 7s they had of us and they wouldn’t do smaller reprints of any of the larger photos. Although their 5 by 7s retail for $9.95 each, they would only give us a credit of $5.00 towards the purchase of a $25.00 8 by 10, not the retail price of the 5 by 7 at $9.95.

It amazed me that they would rather throw pre printed pictures away than sell them for reasonable prices. You can pay $25.00 for an 8 by 10 that is already printed, or it goes in the trash. Whoever designed this sales model should go back to business school. There’s serious money to be made here with a different approach that will result in higher customer satisfaction levels.

Souvenir Cups

Beware of this little got-cha. There’s a special every day that is served in a ‘special souvenir cup’ for only $3.75. Know that the cup is $3.75. The drink is extra. Souvenir cups are available for purchase the last full day of the cruise in the atrium.

Draft Beer at the Pool

NCL please note. I tried to order a draft at the pool one afternoon and was told by the server that the beer was ‘no good.’ He said the beer kegs were too far away. I ordered a Foster’s Oil Can instead that could have been much colder. It came with a mug that was intended to have frozen liquid inside but was fully defrosted. And they wonder why guests try to smuggle booze on board?! It was the only beer I ordered all week.

Miscellaneous Notes:

Soda Cards

We choose the soda cards for our son and ourselves. These worked fine except when we were at the pool area and had to wait what seemed forever to have our drinks delivered. It seemed that the wait staff was more interested in chasing ‘revenue/tipping’ opportunities than delivering soft drinks that got them nothing in the way of tips or sales. We would have gladly retrieved our own but each drink had to be requested. I was surprised that this wasn’t a self-service card swipe system.

Gift Shop

We were disappointed by the selection of souvenir merchandise that was available in the NCL gift shop. The depth and selection needs to be improved.

The Laundry Room

We hadn’t planned to do laundry but it became necessary. The laundry room had three small washing machines (roughly 1/2 the size of a load at home), three driers and two ironing boards. The machines are free. Detergent is $1.00 and you can bring your own.

It’s What You Make It

We quickly learned that a cruise is what you make of it. We went into this vacation planning to do as much as we could, knowing we could sleep and rest when we got back. I’m glad we chose the excursions we chose and did the things we chose to do. There are things we wouldn’t do again, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.

Before our trip, I read these boards and accumulated as much advise as I could. I familiarized myself with the deck plans of the ship and had a good sense of where things where and how to get there. I even created a couple of quick reference sheets that we kept in the room so we could quickly determine which deck we needed to go to as we went to each activity or meal.

This was our first cruise. We can’t wait to go again. Please feel free to ask any questions.

Great Review!! Thanks!!! Did you go to any of the bars/disco at night?? If so, how were they??

Terri

John, thanks for an interesting review. With living here in FL, I'll probably never get the chance to cruise on the Dawn, but I always enjoy reading about it.

I so agree with your statement "a cruise is only what you make of it". We are about to go on our fourth and have loved practically every minute of the previous trips.

Glad you enjoyed yourselves.

Thanks for your information, especially about the NASA tour. We're planning on doing that with our 18 year old son, although I'm going to rent my own car and not be at the beck and call of NCL. Also will note the time of the Martini class--sounds like a good place to loosen hubby up! As for me, I'm more interested in the chocoholic buffet than the vodka....:D

Thank you for a thorough review. We are thinking about trying the Everglades tour with our 14 and 11 year old children. Did you think it was worth the time and money? Can you feel much motion on the airboat? Thanks for any help.

Great Review. Was the Anna Y Los Vintos quartet still performing in the atrium?

Hi John,

Thanks for your fine review. I am in need of your assistance.

Wife and I are having a senior moment. Although we sailed the Dawn last year, we don't remember whether or not there was a "formal nite". I do not remember whether or not I brought my tuxedo on board!

We are sailing the Dawn out of NYC in January 2005. This is a 12 nighter. Do we need formal wear.

Thanks

Sy)sybird0617)

Dolfinmusic; Sorry, no experiences to report on the bars and disco night activity.

Ontheopenseas; Yes, the Everglades tour was worth the time and money. With speeds of 35 to 40 knots, the ride is much like riding in a covertable with the top down.

Dolpins; Yes, the Atrium was still filled with the mellow sounds of the Anna Y Los Vintos quartet.

Sybird; There is an OPTIONAL formal night. Ours was on Monday.

Lib0007 & Bragstarr; Thanks for the positive feedback!

Looking forward to hearing Anna Y Los Vientos again when we board the Dawn on Nov. 28th.

Thanks for the GREAT review! We're going in April. About the Everglade excursion...do you remember the name of the air boat company? How many people were on your boat? Was it a 1 hour bus trip to get to the air boats? Thank you so much!

Hi Marianneyaya;

Thanks for the kind words. Yes, it is nearly an hours ride out to the air boats. The place is called 'Everglades Safari Park.' They have a web site if you want to learn more. Each boat holds about 30 to 35 people, they're not the small boats shown in the pictures on the site or they ones many of us remember from the TV show 'Flipper.'

Enjoy the countdown to your trip in April!

John