Question for those that have cruised Dawn Class and -Away class:

We have only ever done suites on the Dawn for our previous cruises. We are considering either:

A) another suite cruise on the Dawn, or

B) non-suite cruise on an -Away ship (Haven is too pricey for us).

Consider that the ports/destinations are a moot point. For those that have cruised on both, which would you choose?

I'm torn. I know the Dawn, the suites, the overall product... kind of a "no surprises" kind of deal. We enjoy the suite amenities but could get along fine without.

On the other hand, I also like the idea of "new ship" (to us), and my thinking is the novelty of that would compensate for the suite perks and amenities.

Thoughts?

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app

I wouls stick with the Dawn. I think the AWAY ships are too big.

I think it’s worth experiencing the “new” ships at least once. You can always book a balconly or mini-suite then hope for an upsell to The Haven.

Epic and Escape are my two favorite of the big ones on NCL. I also think Royal Caribbean’s Oasis/Allure/Harmony/Symphony are worth experience at least once.

If you like the Dawn sized ships, I’m not sure you’d like the -away ships without the Haven. We’ve been on Breakaway three times, twice in the Haven (H6) and once in a balcony. The two experiences were very different, and very different from our experiences on Jewel class ships or the Star. Breakaway can be very impersonal and crowded. We’ve sworn that we would never sail another -away class ship without a suite!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

We love the Dawn, but will mainly be on the larger ships with all the other choices of things to do. Love the shows and water-slides. Its more of a resort feel on the larger ships. Also more food choices although most are extra $$$.

You might want to try a large balcony mini-suite on one of the large ships. We really love having that private space with loungers.

It all depends if you can manage to be comfy in a smaller room and sharing life with the "unwashed masses"

I’ve done both Dawn suites, breakaway Suites, as well as breakaway balcony and a studio. I am now priced out of the away suites too... but I am Platinum and I have been lucky enough to get vibe passes, which helped to ease the lack of suite perks like those the smaller ships (non-haven) suites. I’m not gonna lie, the haven is awesome if you can afford it! I like the bigger ships with more to do and different outdoor spaces plus the adults only Spaces. I still go back and forth between the smaller and bigger ships to switch it up.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I’ve sailed on both Dawn and Getaway in suites. If I had to make the decision, I’d probably book a spa balcony or spa mini-suite on Getaway. That way you get the amenities of the larger ship, but still have the thermal suite to escape to for some quiet. This was how I managed things on my solo Epic cruise last year (albeit in a studio cabin) - the thermal suite was a perfect oasis from the masses. :) Good luck with your decision, OP. I’m sure you’ll enjoy whichever you choose!

I’ve sailed on both Dawn and Getaway in suites. If I had to make the decision, I’d probably book a spa balcony or spa mini-suite on Getaway. That way you get the amenities of the larger ship, but still have the thermal suite to escape to for some quiet. This was how I managed things on my solo Epic cruise last year (albeit in a studio cabin) - the thermal suite was a perfect oasis from the masses. :) Good luck with your decision, OP. I’m sure you’ll enjoy whichever you choose!

Spa balcony & MS are generally $300-$600 pp more than a normal balcony or MS. Since spa passes are $200 pp, it rarely makes sense to book these IMO

Spa balcony & MS are generally $300-$600 pp more than a normal balcony or MS. Since spa passes are $200 pp, it rarely makes sense to book these IMO

Sure, but spa passes have been known to sell out. I'd rather ensure I have mine. And there are times where it's not that much more to book the spa cabin. Also, the spa cabins are in close proximity to the spa - which to me is a great location. But you're right - I should have also suggested purchasing a pass. Good call!

Sure, but spa passes have been known to sell out. I'd rather ensure I have mine. And there are times where it's not that much more to book the spa cabin. Also, the spa cabins are in close proximity to the spa - which to me is a great location. But you're right - I should have also suggested purchasing a pass. Good call!

I’ve never seen the spa passes sell out. I suppose it could happen, especially on colder itineraries. Sometimes they aren’t available in the cruise planner, but I’ve called and been able to get them over the phone.

I’ve never seen the spa passes sell out. I suppose it could happen, especially on colder itineraries. Sometimes they aren’t available in the cruise planner, but I’ve called and been able to get them over the phone.

I’ve heard rumor of them selling out, so I personally wouldn’t want to take the chance. Which reminded me that you do save $20 a person by reserving them pre-cruise instead of waiting until you’re on the ship. Good tip with booking it via phone - I’ve seen a lot of reports of it not showing available to book even a few weeks prior to cruising, but people have had success calling. :)

We love the Dawn, but will mainly be on the larger ships with all the other choices of things to do. Love the shows and water-slides. Its more of a resort feel on the larger ships. Also more food choices although most are extra $$$.

This matches our feelings almost exactly. We really, really liked the Dawn. But we also really liked the "-Away" class and most recently the Bliss. 2 very different experiences. I say try the big ship, I really doubt that you will have a bad time.

Dawn, all the way. we much prefer the smaller ships for so many reasons, although we do enjoy the larger ships too. But there is nothing like suite life.

I posed the question but in the reverse fashion not to long ago. My first Haven was on a 14 day BA cruise and was totally awesome. But after hearing what folks had to say about dawn i decided to get one of the aft balcony suites in back. I think they call it SF class cabin 10728? Looking forward to it, as i know it wont have all the bells and whistles but was told it offers a more intimate experience.

Dawn is our favorite ship, so I would most likely go for a suite there (which is what we did last month). However, if I had tween/teen/young adult kids sailing with me I might opt for an Away class ship for the activities for them.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

We were suite passengers on the Star and the Dawn, and loved it. We loved the special dining room, we loved the butler snacks, we loved the personal attention.

I was afraid I would not like the larger ships because I couldn't afford Haven and I am not a big fan of crowds.

I only sailed on the Escape because my friend had already booked it.

I loved it. Loved loved loved it.

There are two dining rooms (Savor and Taste) that do breakfast that make up for not having the private Suite dining room.

I missed butler snacks....there is no denying that.

However, I loved the larger ship: the Spice H2O adults only area during the day with the water grotto is brilliant. The shaded waterfront with the comfy sofas is wonderful. All the different bars and places to get a bite to eat mean each day can be different.

The atrium does get crowded during shows, the pool deck is packed on sunny days, and the first day after the muster drill you are going to feel like a sardine in a can.

However, if you don't mind going a few decks above the pool, it is easier to get a lounge chair on the Escape than it is on the Dawn or the Star. And after the first day craziness, everyone spreads out and the big ship feels less crowded than the Dawn or the Star.

We are going to sail on one of the smaller ships (Gem) after two cruises on the Escape, so I'll see if I still love the Escape after I go back to a small ship.

One thing I do like more about the small ships is the shows at night. On the smaller ships, each night there was a different show, and you went to the early show or the late show. You could decide what you wanted to do at the last minute. On the Escape, you needed to book a lot of the shows in advance (or go on stand by) and the same show was shown on more than one night. So the two nights you had time to take in a show, the same show might be on.

At the end of the day, both classes of ships have some pluses and minuses for me. I wouldn't (and haven't) turned down a cruise on either.

I posed the question but in the reverse fashion not to long ago. My first Haven was on a 14 day BA cruise and was totally awesome. But after hearing what folks had to say about dawn i decided to get one of the aft balcony suites in back. I think they call it SF class cabin 10728? Looking forward to it, as i know it wont have all the bells and whistles but was told it offers a more intimate experience.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app