Dawn Forward or Aft Penthouse?

[jfried8]

Forward is $100 more per person on the Bermuda Cruise... Which would you choose and why?

 

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[CarlsDad]

Forward is $100 more per person on the Bermuda Cruise... Which would you choose and why?

 

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Cabin layout & size (with the exception of the 2 deck 10 SE "bumps" 10000 & 10500) are the same. SE (forward) balconies are huge. SF (aft) balconies on deck 10 are very nice (they're smaller on decks 8 & 9). We spend alot of our time at sea (and in port) on the balcony. In warm climes we usually opt for the forward suites with larger decks. Both suites are wonderful. You'll enjoy yourselves no matter what you choose! Bermuda is wonderful :). Have Fun :) :)

Edited May 7, 2014 by CarlsDad

[CarlsDad]

Balcony on Left is Owners Suite, Middle is SE 10502, Right is 10500. The "Bumps" have smaller (still large) balconies but larger cabins. They (bumps) tend to be more shaded more often during the day.

[Cubechick]

I always go for the aft (unless I can snag an Owner's Suite!.

 

The balconies are more sheltered from the elements and I love the view of the wake.

[Godiva830]

My vote is for AFT. :)

 

 

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[DaisyGoldberg]

You might also consider where you'll be spending the most time -- the spa and main dining rooms at at the rear, as well as the Spinnaker. The main showroom, casino, library, meeting rooms and quiet area of the pool are forward.

[watchdiva]

AFT...no question.

[AF-1]

I would believe that the fwd balcony suites or cabins might get a little windy during sea days; in port with no wind blowing would be fine; but sitting out there at night might get a little chilly and windy. For those who have been in fwd balcony cabins; is my assumption correct?

[rajones007]

(The following is tongue-in-cheek. I'm saying this while still having fond memories of our Princess cruise. But there are drawbacks to the aft that nobody ever seems to mention...and this is what I found out firsthand. This is going to get wordy. Please don't take offense. I'm in a good mood and felt like typing something light-hearted. :) )

 

I once fell for the aft lovers propaganda when I took my Princess cruise. But I soon discovered it's not all it's cracked up to be.

 

First of all, you're miles away from everything. At least it seemed that way. But I can live with that. I need to walk off all the extra calories I consume while on a cruise, so I can deal with the extra long walks.

 

The wake isn't some gentle rolling water that you will find relaxing. No, it's a very noisy super-sized out-of-control washing machine that throws water around so harshly and with such vigor that the sound of it will pretty much drown out any kind of peace and quiet you might be seeking on your balcony. The noise never ends. It goes on and on and on and on. From the moment you leave one port and stop at the next, the propellers do nothing but drive the ship forward and make constant noise. And it isn't calming sleep-induing white-noise either, like many people will lead you to believe. It's just plain NOISE. (We were 7 decks from the waterline, I believe. So it's not like we were that close to the action. There was still a couple decks of cabins below us too.)

 

Sometimes the exhaust fans that expel at the aft will belch out the smell of fresh baked bread. And isn't that a lovely scent? Yes. Yes it is. However, it only does that sometimes. And by sometimes I mean rarely. Most of the time it's just a burnt grease smell that regurgitates from the kitchens deep in the bowels of the ship. Add that to the constant smell of burning oil from the smoke stacks and you have a match made in heaven.

 

Which brings up another thing to consider - the soot. The soot from the smoke stacks will cover anything and everything that's out on your balcony. Want to get up in the morning and sit out on your balcony with a nice cup of coffee and enjoy the smell of burnt toast and greasy sausages that the kitchen exhaust vent offers you each morning? Better get a wet cloth and towel and spend 10 minutes wiping down the furniture and hand-rail first and anything else you might touch with your hands and your feet. So much for relaxing, huh?

 

And whatever you do - DO NOT fall asleep on your aft balcony while under way. You'll wake up looking like Al Jolson.

 

The motion is much worse back there, even more so than forward. I know you need to think of it as a teeter-totter (see-saw, whatever you want to call it), and one end does the opposite of the other. Well, all things are not created equal. When the forward section go up, the aft section goes down. But they never mention that when the forward section goes down, the aft section of the ship not only rises but it also bends and twists. It does this because, I think, it loses uniform support from the water. So it isn't just up and down you feel in the aft. You feel a side-to-side-and-up-and-down twisting motion. You don't feel this twisting motion in the fore of the ship for reasons I can't, but maybe a MIT physics major can, explain.

 

In other words, there is much much more movement in the aft. My room steward on Princess explained it to me in a way even a land-lubber like me could understand. But unfortunately I cannot translate the words from my head to my fingers to my keyboard in any comprehensible way.

 

My wife, who suffers from seasickness as soon as they pull away the gangplank, was sick as a dog in the aft. Seriously, on her knees talking on the big white phone type of sick. The 3 forward cabins we've had since? She still gets nauseous, I admit, but even she says it's nowhere near the motion she felt in the aft. Not even close.

 

Vibration in the aft? Yes. Constant vibration from the engine and/or propellers. By about day 3 I didn't notice it as much, most likely I was accustomed to it by them. The vibration was always there, but it seemed to go up and down with the speed of the ship. The slower the speed = the more vibration. So you felt it every morning at 5am as the ship slowed as it approached our next port.

 

I would take the forward cabin 10-15 minute bow thruster vibration in the morning as we're docking, compared to the steady early morning 2-3 hour vibrations of the engines/propellers any time.

 

Now, to curtail the common misconception that it is windy in the forward section. The side balcony on any forward cabin is not any more windy than a side balcony further aft of the ship. I don't know how that rumour was started. It doesn't even make sense.

 

The front facing balcony is NOT windy either. Yes, you get some breeze when you stand right at the rail, but on the balcony itself it's not too windy that you can't use it. We sailed the Dawn in the DOS with 2/balconies during her repo from Tampa to Boston last spring and my wife and I stood on the front balcony almost every day while underway. Even the final 3 sea days out in the rough Atlantic heading north. The problem is opening that damn door to get out there. It's a big heavy steel door and once you open it, yes, the wind that enter the cabin can be extreme.

 

So no. The forward facing balcony's are not windy. Not any more windy that if you stuck your head over the railing on your port or starboard balcony. The shape of the ship itself ensures the wind flows right up and over the front of the ship.

 

Anyways. All that being said, after our Dawn cruise, if all things were equal, I would take a forward facing cabin over an aft cabin any time I had the chance. Any time. Without hesitation. There's less movement. You tend to be closer to most activities, it's quieter (and cleaner) out on your balcony, and the view looking forward is much more spectacular than aft.

Edited May 9, 2014 by rajones007

[AF-1]

rajones007, thank you for your honest opinion. I have read on other threads about forward and aft balconies. Some people say the noise, vibration, and soot, will differ from ship to ship. I've read that Jade aft balconies are not that noisy, especially on deck 9,10; they also say no soot from stacks at all, and although you can see the wake you don't really hear it. I'm only talking about Jade. I also sailed in the back of Allure of the Seas; didn't hear much of anything. I asked this question about Jewell; here was the reply: Norwegian Ships are some of the quietest ships I know. On deck 10 you honestly do not hear the engines you do hear the water when sitting outside on the balcony but that is one of the things I love about an aft wake facing cabin. I have been on other lines in the aft where it was louder or the noise echoed but not on Norwegian.

__________________

Lisa

Edited May 9, 2014 by AF-1
added content

[Bandit 10/10/09]

Balcony on Left is Owners Suite, Middle is SE 10502, Right is 10500. The "Bumps" have smaller (still large) balconies but larger cabins. They (bumps) tend to be more shaded more often during the day.

 

Hello Craig and Lisa. It was fun sailing with you. 2013 dawn repo

 

Julie and Steve.

 

Ps we loved the aft deck on deck 10 we stayed in balcony

[CarlsDad]

Hello Craig and Lisa. It was fun sailing with you. 2013 dawn repo

 

Julie and Steve.

 

Ps we loved the aft deck on deck 10 we stayed in balcony

Howdy :) It WAS fun! Are you going to do the Boston to New Orleans Repo in October 15'?

[Love my butler]

Forward penthouse much too windy. Go with the aft.

[AF-1]

Forward penthouse much too windy. Go with the aft.

 

You are not the first person to mention this. Thanks

[cpcanuck]

I haven't actually experienced a forward PH yet - only the aft PH on the Dawn. I wonder if the "noise' that several describe at the aft of the ship is on the much larger ships like BA & GA where the engines are understandably larger and will thus emit more noise.

 

On the Dawn - there was a slight but noticeable vibration particularly as we started to move and set sail and when we docked, and the engines slowed down as we moved into place at the pier. There was some movement (rocking sension), and after a couple of days I adjusted and was fine with it - But I have been in mid-ship cabins where I felt the same thing - so I'm not sure that it's that significant to be concerned about unless you are sensitive to motion sickness - which would be the same forward or aft.

 

What I would be concerned about when considering a forward suite is the amount of wind during sea days when I would be more likely to want to sit and enjoy my balcony. I've heard some say that as long as you are sitting down it isn't a problem - but I like to stand at the rail and look out and would hate to be bombarded with wind if the ship was moving at a fair clip. Aft cabins never have this issue.

[rajones007]

What I would be concerned about when considering a forward suite is the amount of wind during sea days when I would be more likely to want to sit and enjoy my balcony. I've heard some say that as long as you are sitting down it isn't a problem - but I like to stand at the rail and look out and would hate to be bombarded with wind if the ship was moving at a fair clip. Aft cabins never have this issue.

It really isn't windy, contrary to popular belief. Like I said earlier, we were in the DOS w/2 balcony on the Dawn and we found the front balcony to be much more usable than we expected. The air rolls over the front of the ship, so it doesn't have as much effect as you're led to believe.

 

The concierge told us if we're going fast and into a stiff headwind, then yeah, it can get windy up by the rail. But otherwise it's very usable. On our 12 day repo Tampa>Boston, I think there was one day when we found it too windy. You get a steady light breeze sometimes, which is nice on those hot days.

 

The view from the front is spectacular, especially early morning port days as you slowly watch the island appear on the horizon. And late at night laying out there and looking straight up at the stars is something no other balcony on the ship can offer.

 

The aft view has got nothing on forward view, in my opinion. I've done both, so I'm not just repeating what I've read.

[tymike]

I've sailed in a forward penthouse on the Dawn, an OS on the Jewel (with a forward and side balcony) and the DOS on the Breakaway which is also forward and on deck 16. If we were sitting down, wind was never an issue on a forward facing balcony. My kids and niece actually slept on the balcony (huge!) on the Breakaway on the way to and from Bermuda. No wind problems at all. They slept indoors while in Bermuda due to the heat.

 

I've always wanted to sail aft because of all the wonderful things people post about it on CC...I even had an aft penthouse booked on the Jewel but got upsold to the OS. Loved it!!!!

 

I'm booked on the Gem this summer in an OS (forward) and on the Pearl next summer in an OS and a forward penthouse. I love looking ahead to where we are headed!!!

 

Someday I'll try aft, but for now, forward has been wonderful and I'm staying with it!:)

[cpcanuck]

It really isn't windy, contrary to popular belief. Like I said earlier, we were in the DOS w/2 balcony on the Dawn and we found the front balcony to be much more usable than we expected. The air rolls over the front of the ship, so it doesn't have as much effect as you're led to believe.

 

The concierge told us if we're going fast and into a stiff headwind, then yeah, it can get windy up by the rail. But otherwise it's very usable. On our 12 day repo Tampa>Boston, I think there was one day when we found it too windy. You get a steady light breeze sometimes, which is nice on those hot days.

 

The view from the front is spectacular, especially early morning port days as you slowly watch the island appear on the horizon. And late at night laying out there and looking straight up at the stars is something no other balcony on the ship can offer.

 

The aft view has got nothing on forward view, in my opinion. I've done both, so I'm not just repeating what I've read.

 

That's good to know! I still have it on my bucket list to stay in one of these forward cabins - and I appreciate your insights abour your experience with wind on the balcony.

[sverigecruiser]

Forward is $100 more per person on the Bermuda Cruise... Which would you choose and why?

 

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Defenitely forward for the better view.

[Bandit 10/10/09]

Howdy :) It WAS fun! Are you going to do the Boston to New Orleans Repo in October 15'?

 

We are doing the rome to Miami repo cruise..... Epic. 14 day plus. 4 day. 18 days total leaving 10-22-2014

[jaxjag8]

I just did a forward PH on the Dawn in January, it is too windy to use the balcony after you leave port. I like being able to use my balcony at night. But in a forward when you want to go outside it is a big hassle. You have the big "submarine" door to open and all the lights have to be off because you are directly under the bridge. I could turn around and wave at them. We have booked an aft PH next because I want to be able to use my balcony other than when in port.

[cruiselife4me]

Maybe because we're from Michigan, but we used the forward balcony all the time. I heard people say it was too windy but I was in the Caribbean so it was great!

 

The balcony is so HUGE!! We had stateroom 9500 and it was AMAZING!! You could put two aft balconies in the forward balcony. No lie.

 

Edited June 4, 2014 by silver_cloud
Add pic

[chrisnleigh]

Howdy :) It WAS fun! Are you going to do the Boston to New Orleans Repo in October 15'?

 

Craig and Lisa

We lost your e-mail during a comuter freeeeeeeeze. Send us a note. We are doing the Dawn repo Nov 7 2014 Boston to New Orleans.

Chris and Leigh

We were your neighbours on the repo that you had problems with your eyes from scuba.

chrisnleigh@hotmail.com

 

 

Thanks

Take Soon

[untailored bostonian]

Maybe because we're from Michigan, but we used the forward balcony all the time. I heard people say it was too windy but I was in the Caribbean so it was great!

 

The balcony is so HUGE!! We had stateroom 9500 and it was AMAZING!! You could put two aft balconies in the forward balcony. No lie.

 

We had one of these forward penthouse's and on a couple of sea days we were restricted from using the balcony due to the winds. Next time we will book a aft penthouse.

Edited July 14, 2014 by untailored bostonian

[kcwingwalker]

Last cruise on the Jewel we had the forward OS and probably would not book it again.

 

While the forward balcony was HUGE there were some drawbacks.

 

1. We were directly under the bridge and was told no lights that would interfere with the bridge. So cabin curtains closed every night. You could use the balcony at night but in total darkness.

 

2. While the ship was underway it was usually too windy to stay on the balcony for very long.

 

3. Late one evening I awoke to the sound of running water and found we were sailing through a squall with heavy rain. The rain was leaking into the cabin from the bottom of the doorway (regular door, not a slider) to the balcony. Grabbed some towels and did a quick mop up and all was well.