Fresh off the Dawn Review!

We just got back from a 7-day Western Caribbean cruise on the Dawn out of Tampa, and we were thrilled with the condition of the ship, service we received on board, and the fun that we had both on and off the ship. This was our second time on the Dawn, the first being last December.

We were very pleased with our oceanview cabin. I was disappointed that our upgrade bid wasn't accepted (last time we got upgraded from interior to balcony), but I kind of expected that because it was spring break week for a lot of colleges. Despite staying in our category, the cabin felt roomy compared to other non-balcony cabins we have had in the past, and we had so much storage space we couldn't even use half of it! We were happy to have a refrigerator in the room (some ships we've sailed on didn't even provide one!) The decor in the room was bright, colorful, and cheery and put a smile on my face the minute I walked in. The bathroom was cramped, but the temperature and water pressure in the shower were excellent. The bed was comfortable for a cruise ship bed.

The entertainment was amazing. There was a Vegas-style production show, acrobats, magic, and comedy, and the showroom was packed every time and for good reason. We liked the casino more than any of the other ships we've sailed on, and we also enjoyed the entertainment at the bars in the evening. Three of the excursions I took were tremendous fun - a horseback ride through underwhelming but still interesting Mayan ruins, a Segway ride through town and by the beach, and a dolphin encounter. But in Harvest Caye I wished I'd stayed at the port - the port was huge with 2 gigantic beaches and a pool with swim-up bar, parasailing, zip-lining, and tons of shopping. The excursion I took, in contrast, was supposed to be a wildlife encounter but I didn't really see any wildlife. I had been hoping to see some manatees as advertised, and not just the tip of their noses poking out of the water...

There is a dizzying array of dining options, both specialty and complimentary. There are 5 complimentary dining venues: 2 main dining rooms (Aqua and Venetian), an Asian restaurant (Bamboo), an Irish pub (O'Sheehan's), and the buffet (Garden Cafe.) I felt as though the food in the main dining rooms was not as good as last time. Some of what we were served tasted like it came from the frozen food aisle of the grocery store. But we had other options that did not. Bamboo and O'Sheehan's were hit-or-miss for us - we loved some of the items on the menu... and others not so much. But luckily the staff were happy to replace anything we weren't happy with until we found options we liked, and for sure we did. As for the buffet - we don't like ship buffets in general, on any cruise line, so we can't really comment on that. There is a huge selection and great views at the buffet if you don't mind the crowds. As for the specialty restaurants, they have been outstanding for us. I have had some of the best meals I've ever had in the specialty restaurants on the Dawn. La Cucina wasn't as good as it was last time (different chef that night?) but it was still great. Teppanyaki was very entertaining as well as delicious. Los Lobos had the best bartender and drinks on the ship in my opinion. And Cagney's Steakhouse blew us away.

The Thermal Suite was worth every penny. It includes a sauna, steam room, pool, 2 different Jacuzzi tubs, heated loungers, and a relaxation room. It was just what I needed after a long day of walking on the big ship and exerting myself on excursions, especially since I have osteoarthritis. It was never very crowded, and at night we practically had the place to ourselves. I slept very well after a blissful relaxation session in the Thermal Suite.

The lido deck was very crowded, and lines were long at the bars. Granted, it was Spring Break so this was really to be expected. It didn't bother us though because we found a nice quiet spot on the promenade deck with loungers, which was close to one of the less-busy bars. Waiter service on deck is limited - primarily close to the pool on the lido deck. Wait service was abundant on the interior of the ship at the bar tables, though. I particularly enjoyed The Cellars, the wine bar.

The ship is beautiful. It is extremely well maintained and I did not detect any sign of wear and tear. The decor is also fresh, modern, and trendy. We love the swimming fish on the carpets that tell you which way is forward and which way is aft, too! On a ship this size it's easy to get lost, so that helped!

If you vape or smoke, the Dawn is also a good ship for you. There is a cigar lounge that is very nicely furnished and extremely convenient to the action on the ship, right next to one of the bars and 2 restaurants and near the casino. Smoking is also allowed on the promenade deck on one side - our favorite place outside to relax and have peace and quiet. It is also allowed in the casino. We vape, and it was nice knowing we were not bothering others while still not feeling like we were being treated like second class citizens.

Service was excellent. I have seen other posts on these boards where people said their experience with service on Norwegian has been lacking, but that was not the case at all for us on this cruise. Staff was very friendly, courteous, and efficient. Two servers even remembered us from 3 months ago - I was very impressed!

I would definitely sail on the Dawn again, and definitely recommend the Dawn to anyone planning a cruise. I hope this review has been helpful.

I filmed a complete tour of the ship here:

[YOUTUBE]KaqPWBvwUew[/YOUTUBE]

I love the Dawn. Have been on her twice out of Boston. Thanks for your review, brought back memories.

We were on the Dawn 2016 and then brought friends in 2017 (she was in Dry dock sometime between March 2016 and March 2017.

We loved it too! thanks for the review, you brought back many great memories

Thank you for your review. We will be on the Dawn in Jan 2020 but I expect the "refresh" will be worn off by then.

Very much enjoyed your review. Great video, too!

Thanks for reminding us what we love about this ship. Will be back on her in August:cool:

Thank you for the review. We will be sailing on the Dawn in June out f Boston to Bermuda

Thank you for a wonderful review!

Excellent review and nice video. We sail on her in Feb 2020.

Thank you - on Dawn week on Sunday...cant wait

Your video is fantastic! We're not on Dawn again until October but I'll be re-visiting your video multiple times between now & then!

Thank you for your review.

Keith

Thanks for the review; just what I remember from last year. Can't wait to sailing back on the Dawn next Nov!

It’s so nice to hear someone say something so positive. I’m on the dawn Sunday and this was exactly what I needed to see!! Thanks so much

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Great video!

Great video; ship looks beautiful. I love the Dawn and hope to sail on her this summer. Thanks for the review.

Tracy

We cruised the Dawn 2/24 to 3/4 2018 and the embarkation was slow and disorganized.

The disembarkation was a total disaster. Took 2 1/2 hours to get off the ship and that is with the priority disembarkation luggage tags. Picking up the bags when we finally got there was another ass ache. Terminal 2 at the Tampa port leaves a lot to be desired.

Other than that the cruise was ok.

We just got back from a 7-day Western Caribbean cruise on the Dawn out of Tampa, and we were thrilled with the condition of the ship, service we received on board, and the fun that we had both on and off the ship. This was our second time on the Dawn, the first being last December.

 

We were very pleased with our oceanview cabin. I was disappointed that our upgrade bid wasn't accepted (last time we got upgraded from interior to balcony), but I kind of expected that because it was spring break week for a lot of colleges. Despite staying in our category, the cabin felt roomy compared to other non-balcony cabins we have had in the past, and we had so much storage space we couldn't even use half of it! We were happy to have a refrigerator in the room (some ships we've sailed on didn't even provide one!) The decor in the room was bright, colorful, and cheery and put a smile on my face the minute I walked in. The bathroom was cramped, but the temperature and water pressure in the shower were excellent. The bed was comfortable for a cruise ship bed.

 

The entertainment was amazing. There was a Vegas-style production show, acrobats, magic, and comedy, and the showroom was packed every time and for good reason. We liked the casino more than any of the other ships we've sailed on, and we also enjoyed the entertainment at the bars in the evening. Three of the excursions I took were tremendous fun - a horseback ride through underwhelming but still interesting Mayan ruins, a Segway ride through town and by the beach, and a dolphin encounter. But in Harvest Caye I wished I'd stayed at the port - the port was huge with 2 gigantic beaches and a pool with swim-up bar, parasailing, zip-lining, and tons of shopping. The excursion I took, in contrast, was supposed to be a wildlife encounter but I didn't really see any wildlife. I had been hoping to see some manatees as advertised, and not just the tip of their noses poking out of the water...

 

There is a dizzying array of dining options, both specialty and complimentary. There are 5 complimentary dining venues: 2 main dining rooms (Aqua and Venetian), an Asian restaurant (Bamboo), an Irish pub (O'Sheehan's), and the buffet (Garden Cafe.) I felt as though the food in the main dining rooms was not as good as last time. Some of what we were served tasted like it came from the frozen food aisle of the grocery store. But we had other options that did not. Bamboo and O'Sheehan's were hit-or-miss for us - we loved some of the items on the menu... and others not so much. But luckily the staff were happy to replace anything we weren't happy with until we found options we liked, and for sure we did. As for the buffet - we don't like ship buffets in general, on any cruise line, so we can't really comment on that. There is a huge selection and great views at the buffet if you don't mind the crowds. As for the specialty restaurants, they have been outstanding for us. I have had some of the best meals I've ever had in the specialty restaurants on the Dawn. La Cucina wasn't as good as it was last time (different chef that night?) but it was still great. Teppanyaki was very entertaining as well as delicious. Los Lobos had the best bartender and drinks on the ship in my opinion. And Cagney's Steakhouse blew us away.

 

The Thermal Suite was worth every penny. It includes a sauna, steam room, pool, 2 different Jacuzzi tubs, heated loungers, and a relaxation room. It was just what I needed after a long day of walking on the big ship and exerting myself on excursions, especially since I have osteoarthritis. It was never very crowded, and at night we practically had the place to ourselves. I slept very well after a blissful relaxation session in the Thermal Suite.

 

The lido deck was very crowded, and lines were long at the bars. Granted, it was Spring Break so this was really to be expected. It didn't bother us though because we found a nice quiet spot on the promenade deck with loungers, which was close to one of the less-busy bars. Waiter service on deck is limited - primarily close to the pool on the lido deck. Wait service was abundant on the interior of the ship at the bar tables, though. I particularly enjoyed The Cellars, the wine bar.

 

The ship is beautiful. It is extremely well maintained and I did not detect any sign of wear and tear. The decor is also fresh, modern, and trendy. We love the swimming fish on the carpets that tell you which way is forward and which way is aft, too! On a ship this size it's easy to get lost, so that helped!

 

If you vape or smoke, the Dawn is also a good ship for you. There is a cigar lounge that is very nicely furnished and extremely convenient to the action on the ship, right next to one of the bars and 2 restaurants and near the casino. Smoking is also allowed on the promenade deck on one side - our favorite place outside to relax and have peace and quiet. It is also allowed in the casino. We vape, and it was nice knowing we were not bothering others while still not feeling like we were being treated like second class citizens.

 

Service was excellent. I have seen other posts on these boards where people said their experience with service on Norwegian has been lacking, but that was not the case at all for us on this cruise. Staff was very friendly, courteous, and efficient. Two servers even remembered us from 3 months ago - I was very impressed!

 

I would definitely sail on the Dawn again, and definitely recommend the Dawn to anyone planning a cruise. I hope this review has been helpful.

 

I filmed a complete tour of the ship here:

KaqPWBvwUew

thanks for such a wonderful review and the video show. it makes me want to start packing for our trip on the Dawn in 1 day less than 6 weeks.:)

Thank you for posting this great video of the Dawn, which is one of our favorite NCL ships. We have had numerous cruises on her from Boston to Bermuda, one repo-cruise, and looking forward to our next one in October.

Like Phoenix 1181 said, I'll watch this video over again.

Thank you - on Dawn week on Sunday...cant wait

Me too and can’t wait!

Jenn

Myrtle Beach[emoji267]

Loved your review! We are booked on her in Sept - it will be our first time on Norwegian. Can't wait!

enjoyed the review and the video.thanks.

Thank you so much for this extremely thorough review and video. I'm sailing on the Dawn in 34 days! Can't wait!

Is the relaxation room part of the spa or separate?

Love your video! Sailing on the Dawn this Sunday and can’t wait! Do you remember which nights each show was? Trying to figure out some plans

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Thank you for the review. We're scheduled to be on the Dawn in January, so this tells us a lot. The video is a great help!