Dawn to Bermuda 6/7-14 2013

[mrshilly]

We were on this cruise as well. We were very glad we were on deck 5 midship on Saturday. Getting ready for the day was interesting to say the least. We made our way up to the buffet for breakfast on deck 12, and as soon as we got off the elevator, you could really feel the rocking and rolling. Thank goodness for sea bands!! We bumped into a few people who were seasoned cruisers, and they told us it was the worst they have felt. We checked the TV when we got back to the cabin, and the sea was at 18-27 feet...yikes. Other than that, we had the best time on our first cruise. We also ventured to Horseshoe Bay on Monday and my family loved the huge waves...although there were warning signs posted for a rip current. We loved Tim Kaminski, and thought Second City was good too. All in all, we will be cruising with NCL again!:D

[mrshilly]

So is the lap pool in the spa?

 

 

Yes, the lap pool is in the spa.

[snorkelmom19]

Glad to hear you had a good first cruise MrsHilly. The waves were fun on Horseshoe on Monday. Later in the day I saw boogie boards for sale at the pharmacy in the Dockyard. Next cruise I may have to pick one up. At least there were no shells or rocks to get slammed into while body surfing--the sand was so soft. I can see why Horseshoe Beach is one of the world's top beaches.

[PathfinderEss]

Enjoyed your review, thanks for taking the time to write and post it.

[katcas]

Great review! There haven't been many recent ones so it was good to read. I am leaving on the 28th! Can't wait. What was the dress code in the dining rooms? Word had it that the main dining room does not allow shorts. What did you dine when you were there? I have 3 teenage boys with me.

Thanks!

[3rdtimecruising]

Dawn to Bermuda 6/7-14

 

 

Well here is my trip report--booked this trip only 19 days before departure and then spent the days scrambling to get it together and learn about the island, replacing swim suits that were making that dreaded crinkly elastic noise and thanks to all the amazing Mega Breakaway reviews it was a lot easier. We knew we wanted to go to Bermuda and were able to snag the last SC-2 bedroom available for half the price of the Breakaway (if one were available according to CFsh). We had a SC suite on the Star Dec 2011 and it was OK, not great, loved the suite but were underwhelmed by the perks. I am happy to report that the perks on the Dawn were outstanding!

 

 

So on Thursday afternoon 6/6 my family flew to Boston and stayed in the Hampton Logan. It was OK. The free shuttle never picked us up at the airport, so we took a cab, and there were some issues with the front desk regarding getting two rooms close together (were promised connecting when booking directly with the hotel). Would probably choose another hotel if staying in Boston again, but late bookers take what's left. Ate dinner at Jeveli's in North Boston--a classic Italian-American old school restaurant. Food was good and prices were reasonable--and the theme from "The Godfather" kept running through my head.

 

 

Woke up on Friday to rain and the beginnings of Tropical Storm Andrea--very ugly, but we were all excited to get on the ship. Cab to ship was pretty painless, stopped to pick up some cans of Coke at a mini-mart on the way. Checking in around 10:40 was easy, no lines even if we were not priority. Escorted to the suite area around 11:00 and met Virginia our Concierge, and Flor our Butler. Flor escorted us onto the ship at around 11:45. We were able to drop off our carry-ons and had a great lunch at Cagney's. We all felt that the food and service at Cagney's was much better than Dec 2011 on the Star.

 

 

Before sail away, the Captain came on and said that the tropical storm would be effecting us starting after dinner. Captain Paul said it would get a little worse--and then a little more worse, and then worse than that and then a little more worse than before and then it would start getting better late in the afternoon of Saturday. Boy was he not kidding! It was a wild ride and very few left their cabins on Saturday morning. The weather in Bermuda was beautiful all three days to make up for the stormy passage.

 

 

My ten year old daughter was not excited to be signed up for the kids club. She had a great time on the Spirit and a horrible time on the Star and hardly used it at all--there were just too many kids in too small a space. On the flight to Boston we had a discussion about going to the kids club--she didn't want to even check it out. So on Friday afternoon we (yes I forced her) to go take a look at Splash Academy. It has been remodeled and is much better than the dark curtains separating the areas on the Star. She got her wrist band which is not removable--much to her dismay. We met Janet from NCL corporate who is in charge of the program, and shared our likes and dislikes of past ships and programs. She wants feedback and seems to be a go-getter. My daughter ended up loving the kid's club--she learned to juggle and balance feathers and throw and catch devil sticks for the circus show. The theme nights were fun--pirates, survivor and spy stuff, to name a few. The counselors were outstanding and all knew her name. There were about 160 kids under 18 on board. That number is expected to more than double in the next couple of weeks as NE schools start summer vacation. So Kudos to Splash Academy for a great week.

 

 

My soon to be 18 year old had a good time in the teen club. there were 16 teens signed up. The room was great with large flop pillows and game systems and dance floor. She had a good time with many of the activities--Would You Rather and learning some new dances, and made some friends by the end of the week.

 

She really liked the counselor Simba from Canada.

 

 

Our room steward was Terry. He was fabulous and when we would turn the dial on our room to "make up" or "turn down" it was done quickly. He made an amazing array of towel animals and was very personable. He hosted the towel animal demonstration this week.

 

 

Flor, our butler, was sweet and efficient. We didn't do any in-room dining this week, but she did always answer the phone quickly. Our toilets stopped working and I called her and within minutes they were fixed, and she followed up with us to make sure it was fixed. Our fruit bowl was replenished and we received more cookies and treats than could possibly be good for us.

 

 

Virginia the Concierge was great. We waited in no lines, we had invitations to all the parties, early admission to the chocolate buffet, priority disembarkation on our first day in Bermuda, reserved seating, etc.

 

 

My husband has some medical issues that are not obvious to the casual observer due to after effects from chemo, so what the average able-bodied visitor to Bermuda might do was not practical for us. Long walks and standing on packed buses or lines was not an option for us as a group. So we spent more than the average visitor on taxis. On Sunday we reserved a day pass at Coco Reef,(just east of Elbow Beach) which included lunch, pool, private beach, chairs, and umbrellas, showers and bathroom facilities for $49 for those over age 12, just the cost of lunch for children. I thought it was a good deal and the lunch was yummy. It cost about $42 for the taxi (25% Sunday surcharge). Did see a few washed up Portuguese man of war jellyfish, so do watch out for these.

 

 

On Monday we spent the day at Horseshoe Bay Beach. Took a taxi for around $27 + tip and rented chairs and umbrellas. The surf was very high but It was fun for us to body-surf. It also was fun to explore the coves on both sides and there were some large, well fed parrot fish in the cove just to the right as you enter the beach. The beach truly is spectacular with the rocks and soft sand and clear water.

 

 

On Tuesday we thought about going to St George, but really wanted more time in the water, so we returned to Horseshoe very early in the morning and stayed until lunchtime. The surf was a little less rough and my youngest really enjoyed playing in the water and snorkeling in the cove. We grabbed a taxi back--which was very easy--and had them drop us at snorkel park. We were curious about what was out there, and having our own gear made it inexpensive. A good ways out there was quite a bit of some purple coral and sea fans and a variety of fish and one cannon. There was a pretty good rip current that was trying to pull me further out, so do be careful. This is also definitely a place to wear your water shoes, as the rocks are rough. Maybe next time we will book a snorkel tour from a boat, but after going through the tropical storm, I just wanted some land time. The beach at snorkel park was very crowded--we just snorkeled a while and walked back to the ship to shower and change. We shopped for a few hours in the dockyard--fun to watch the glass blowing, and made a few purchases for co-workers and family.

 

 

The food we had on board was overall very good. We only ate in one specialty restaurant--Moderno. It was good, though it was kind of strange--the picador kept walking past us with the meat and did not serve us even though our table was green side up. I finally said something to the waiter after only getting five of the courses and it taking an hour and a half. It was just too long a wait for me and truth be told I am more of a seafood/chicken person. I didn't think the salad bar was that great either. Good concept, poorly executed. The meat eaters in my family thought the meat was good, with the exception of the pork ribs which were tough.

 

 

Breakfast and lunch at Cagney's was soooo much better than on the Star. We didn't feel like dinner after the large lunches. We ate twice at the aft main dining room, twice at the mid ship main dining room, and once each at blue lagoon, Moderno and the buffet. We were happy with the selection and quality of what was offered.

 

 

The entertainment was a mixed bag for us. We really enjoyed the band Midnight Review on the Star, on the Dawn, there was no real bluesy/rock music to dance or listen to which was disappointing. The acrobat team put on an excellent show. Band on the Run was OK and Bollywood was entertaining. Second City was having an off night or the group just didn't work well together for us, and we usually enjoy them. That brings me to the comedian, Tim Kaminsky. His shows were a riot. He was also very visible on the ship, often to be found in Pearly Kings. In fact, he was there for trivia, and lo and behold he wanted to switch papers with my group--all I could think was please let a few of my answers be right!! I don't want to be an elephant or flying monkey or the butt of jokes for cruises to come. We actually ended up winning and he was very funny with my 10 year old playing with the popcorn handshake gag. (check out his bling! wow is all I can say!) . They no longer make you carry around slips of paper for chatzkies at the end of the cruise for participating in games. We won 2 beach balls, a deck of cards and 4 can coolers during the week. We all liked Gio the Cruise Director and staff with the exception of the assistant who we found overbearing. Fountains was great with Tim Kaminsky participating. I tried out Bingo for the first time--guess I'm not a bingo fan--cause I would like to have that hour of my life back.

 

 

The week was over all too soon--boy those last sea days go quick! We did priority disembarkation with assistance. We left our stateroom at 8:40 walked off the ship at 8:45, through security, found our luggage and were in a cab at 9:00. We got to the airport by 9:15 ($27 cab ride +tip) and were at the gate bored to tears at 9:30 for a 11:40 flight. There was no line to get through security at 9:15, but by 10:00 there was a long wait--so if you have a early flight and no priority disembark you might want to do easy walk off.

 

As an avid water lover/snorkeler I would love to have gone to Church Bay Beach which is west of Horseshoe a few miles. We pulled over in the taxi to look and the snorkeling looks to have been great--will have to save it for another trip.

 

 

Thanks again to the many recent Dawn and Breakaway reviews, I'll be glad to answer any questions.

 

Thank you for a wonderful review...;)

This will be our third Dawn cruise to Bermuda and our 7th cruise there. We love the island and find it so easy to navigate the Dawn... I too am a chemo side effect patient and recently developed heart failure from Adriamycin... I am a young grannie of two 64 year old and do not let anything stop me, but walking is now a bit more difficult. We love the little beach at the pier and are hopeful that I can take the tram from the ship this year. We will go to Hamilton by Ferry and have lunch at our favorite "Hog Penny Pub" where we have been enjoying great food and rum swizzles since our honeymoon in "72...

We have cruised on the Gem, Spirit, Majesty and really are very happy with the Dawn and love that it is just a twenty minute ride from home...We also cruise Holland American every March and have cruised with Royal twice. But honestly Norwegian does it best for the perks...

So glad you had fun.. We have a aft penthouse, last year too, and loved Virginia... Love Cagney's and all the perks of early embarkation, special seating at shows etc... It is a good life. I have fought hard as I am sure your husband has and wish him good health and many more cruises in your future with your young family. We did a family cruise right after my treatment in '11 and it was fantastic for all of us.

I love reading happy cruisers reviews.

Ann:)

[snorkelmom19]

The only places that you must be resort casual (no shorts or T's or flipflops) is the Main Aft dining room (after the first night) and LeBistro. We also didn't dress up except for a few nights.

 

The Aqua dining room has almost exactly the same menu as the aft dining room, and you can wear shorts. You don't have the high ceilings and it is a little louder, but the food is coming from the same kitchen.

 

Your boys might also like Blue Lagoon which has wings and burgers etc. it is across the atrium from Moderno on deck eight. And of course there is always the buffet--check both sides because the food was different on each side.

 

Have a great cruise!

[snorkelmom19]

I hope you have excellent weather and are able to enjoy the beach. The Hamilton Pub sounds fun. This is our third cruise since finishing chemo, perhaps our last family vacation since my oldest is starting university in a few short weeks---I hope there are many more for you too. Have a great cruise! Will look forward to reading your review.

[pathubia]

Thanks for posting!! We were in 11020 on the May 17th sailing, and have already booked it again for next year!! We loved Flor and Virginia!! I usually dont spend any time in the cabin, but brought my dad who has parkinsons and some dementia, so we stayed in the suite some afternoons and watched movies, he sundowns around 4-5...

[Lovemygreekgeek]

I hate to reveal the big secret, but the Spa Pass is about the best money I spent on the Dawn last year! The lap pool is in there and two large hot tubs (one was a Thalassotherapy tub). The loungers are great, it's always quiet and relaxing. I'm running right to the Spa when I get back on the Dawn in August. I can't wait!!

[cherylroslyn]

Oh yes the shower on Saturday was an interesting thing! Glad you had a good cruise too New Penn Cruiser. We were only 3 cabins back from the front of the ship and it felt like we were hitting speed bumps and then a shudder--my youngest asked what we hit and her Dad said "just a giant squid" so if your travels on Saturday on the nearly empty public areas you saw a little blond girl yell "yup another squid!" That was us!

That is so cute.......I'm gonna have to use that....but my little girl is 24 tomorrow!!!!!

[cherylroslyn]

We have booked Moderno too. Now with two bad reviews I'm thinking of cancelling. Did anyone try any other specialty restaurants? What about the Teppanaki (sp) place?

If you want Teppenaki I suggest booking it online before you even board...or right away when you board....they sell out very fast as the restaraunt is very small.

[Fins2theleft]

Thanks for the review. It's good to see that the Dawn still pleases.

[cherylroslyn]

Thank you for a wonderful review...;)

This will be our third Dawn cruise to Bermuda and our 7th cruise there. We love the island and find it so easy to navigate the Dawn... I too am a chemo side effect patient and recently developed heart failure from Adriamycin... I am a young grannie of two 64 year old and do not let anything stop me, but walking is now a bit more difficult. We love the little beach at the pier and are hopeful that I can take the tram from the ship this year. We will go to Hamilton by Ferry and have lunch at our favorite "Hog Penny Pub" where we have been enjoying great food and rum swizzles since our honeymoon in "72...

We have cruised on the Gem, Spirit, Majesty and really are very happy with the Dawn and love that it is just a twenty minute ride from home...We also cruise Holland American every March and have cruised with Royal twice. But honestly Norwegian does it best for the perks...

So glad you had fun.. We have a aft penthouse, last year too, and loved Virginia... Love Cagney's and all the perks of early embarkation, special seating at shows etc... It is a good life. I have fought hard as I am sure your husband has and wish him good health and many more cruises in your future with your young family. We did a family cruise right after my treatment in '11 and it was fantastic for all of us.

I love reading happy cruisers reviews.

Ann:)

OMG I was just reading your post wishing I was on your sailing....and lo and behold we are both sailing on August 30, 2013!!!!

 

 

You have a very nice attitude and outlook......

 

 

I am taking my mother with me on this cruise and she has also sufferend from cancer and the terrible treatments.... She had to have her lung removed, so whe can't sprint like she used to.

 

This will be her first cruise and I am trying to find some things to do that will not tire her out...she too has trouble wlaking long distances but more so standing around....... I am so used to going to Bermuda with just me and my daughter, I've been there seven times since 2007.... But with mom's health I will probably have to get a tour driver rather than take a bus around the island.....

 

I want my mom to get to see some of the beauty of the island.....

Come back to the roll call if you want just to say hi!!!!!

 

hopefully I will get to meet you on the ship!!!

[cherylroslyn]

I hate to reveal the big secret, but the Spa Pass is about the best money I spent on the Dawn last year! The lap pool is in there and two large hot tubs (one was a Thalassotherapy tub). The loungers are great, it's always quiet and relaxing. I'm running right to the Spa when I get back on the Dawn in August. I can't wait!!

Wow you are on my cruise too!!! I have always done the spa pass and I agree that it is the best money I spend on the ship.......

 

They seemed to have raised the price yet again.....it is now supposedly 149 pp. And no couple rate...... I did couple for 199 in 2011...seems like a big increase.....

[cherylroslyn]

Thanks for the information. That really helps. We leave in two weeks. I think I will change our reservations once we board.

 

I have another question abut the pools. Is the lap pool located in the spa? Do you have to buy a spa pass to use it?

 

Also for the rocky start of the trip did they give out free sea sick meds?

They have always given out free Bonine on the NCL ships I have been on......

[jdarch]

I'd love to hear more about the day pass at Coco Reef. This sounds like something we'd like to do on our upcoming cruise. Could you please give me info on how to set something like this up? I look forward to hearing from you!

 

We just got back on Sunday from Bermuda on the Breakaway...My DH and I did a day pass at Coco Reef with 2 other people from our roll call. That way we could split a taxi..much easier to get there by cab. It was great...for $49 we had use of their private beach..their pool..changing rooms and loungers and umbrellas.. it rained in the middle of our visit so we had lunch..great time..after lunch the weather was beautiful so finished out our day on the beach. When we were ready to leave we called the same cab driver and he came back and took us back to the ship..Had a great day :)

[mrshilly]

Wow you are on my cruise too!!! I have always done the spa pass and I agree that it is the best money I spend on the ship.......

 

They seemed to have raised the price yet again.....it is now supposedly 149 pp. And no couple rate...... I did couple for 199 in 2011...seems like a big increase.....

 

We got the spa pass last week and it was $146 per person, with no couple rate. We ended up getting it anyway for the 4 of us (myself, husband and kids who are 18 & 20). and we loved it! Not sure if I would do it again though, as we did not use the spa the last 3 days because there was so much other stuff to do! :)

[maxshadoe]

I found it a little too short, I swin a lot in a 25 yd pool and on the dawn everytime I did I turn, a couple of strikes and time to turn. This year the spa pass went up to $149 per, did not do it.

[cruising2012]

I would be interested to know from you what was included in the $146 per person spa pass. If our 6 year old decided to explore the kids club it might be a nice outlet for us. Thank you in advance.

[JENNIEB]

This question is for jdarch--

 

We are doing the day pass at coco reef in August. Was the beach rocky? Can you tell me how long did it take to get there from the ship and what was the cost for cab ride each way? Also, can you give me the name and info of the cab driver that took you? If you have any photos from Coco Reef I would love to see them!

 

Glad you had a nice cruise

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Jennie

[mrshilly]

I would be interested to know from you what was included in the $146 per person spa pass. If our 6 year old decided to explore the kids club it might be a nice outlet for us. Thank you in advance.

 

The spa pass included the use of the Women's and Men's locker rooms. The locker rooms had lockers, showers, toilets, steam room and sauna. It also had a hair dryer and body lotion, towels and bathrobes. The spa area had the lap pool, the hot tub, and a thermal hot tub that had abed in it that you lie on, as well as loungers looking out the aft end of the ship with floor to ceiling windows. there was also complimentary ice water and various hot teas. Off of the spa there were a women's lounge and Men's lounge. Each had loungers you could curl up and read a book, take a nap, or just look out the floor to ceiling windows...ahhh :cool:. If you are not sure, you can take a tour before you decide. That's what we did, and were told they only had 10 pass left for the week, so we signed up. (whether that was true or not I don't know, cause we did hear them tell somebody else the same thing about 1\2 hour later) Again, not sure if we would do it again, cause we did not use it the last 3 days of our trip, as we were busy doing other things, that being said, I'm glad we did it this time!

[Cruiser Bruiser]

Oh yes the shower on Saturday was an interesting thing! Glad you had a good cruise too New Penn Cruiser. We were only 3 cabins back from the front of the ship and it felt like we were hitting speed bumps and then a shudder--my youngest asked what we hit and her Dad said "just a giant squid" so if your travels on Saturday on the nearly empty public areas you saw a little blond girl yell "yup another squid!" That was us!

 

I've been in a Deck 4 ocean view on the Dawn, also just a few cabins back from the bow of the ship, and that is exactly what it sounds like! It's impossible to think that you aren't running over something. They closed our port hole cover for one full day because the swells were flowing above the port hole. (That was during Hurricane Sandy.) I guess that's better than having the glass crack. :p

 

Thanks for your review! :)

[maxshadoe]

With the DD and two grandkids back living with us, the cruise is the only time DW can RELAX. She loved the spa, took a dip in the lap pool and then she would head to the women's quiet room, overlooking the stern, with soft comfortable loungers and some sort of aroma machine. She would fall asleep immediately. Complete relaxation.

The two years she used it, there was never more than a dozen people in there (first week of June). I don't think they ever 'sold out'.

[Lovemygreekgeek]

Wow you are on my cruise too!!! I have always done the spa pass and I agree that it is the best money I spend on the ship.......

 

They seemed to have raised the price yet again.....it is now supposedly 149 pp. And no couple rate...... I did couple for 199 in 2011...seems like a big increase.....

 

Heyy roll call!

 

We'll definitely be getting the spa passes again despite the increase :( My bf is also a cancer survivor actually, and we went on the cruise last year as a celebration for him finishing his chemo, so the spa pass was a great way to enjoy lounging without sitting out in the sun. It was a little tough getting around Bermuda in the heat, but we made it. We enjoyed going to the Crystal Caves, which was underground and quite cool, although it is a bit of walking. We did use public transportation to get around, but this time we may arrange for a tour instead. Bf is done with chemo/radiation/etc for now, but he's still not quite back to normal, and we try not to spend too much time out in the sun.

 

We had a ton of fun on the ship last year, and we're looking forward to a great week! We love to play trivia and see the shows at night. Hopefully we run into you at the meet and greet!