Dawn dining and service experiences? Hearing bad things

[shanivy14]

Ahh I'm planning on booking this tomorrow for 7 of us so I'll have a look at an replies in the morning before I book

 

 

Hearing/reading a few things on here about the Norwegian Dawn for bad food, service and dining. So what's the deal? Anyone had good or bad experiences recently?

 

I'm doing the Caribbean from Tampa in Jan 2018 and to be honest food is a big part of i t for me. We've got the specialty dining package for 4 days of a 10 day cruise thrown in. Is it the Standard dining that's not the best or have people thought it was all good

 

. Is service and food really that poor? Less than 12 hours till I book this ship...jeez

Edited July 28, 2016 by shanivy14
made up my own words

[GUT2407]

Where are you hearing bad things, I take all reviews with a grain of salt (Or even a ton) read afewabout cruises I was on and thought are you sure, doesn't match my experience.

[shanivy14]

Where are you hearing bad things, I take all reviews with a grain of salt (Or even a ton) read afewabout cruises I was on and thought are you sure, doesn't match my experience.

 

I saw a few on trip advisor but I've just seen somebody's review of the dawn on here and it was a mostly positive review. Just that the service was poor long wait times, food not very good etc. Then a few were people replying to mainly the same experience

 

Makes me very nervous...

[kjquilts]

You had 25 responses on the thread you started earlier today regarding the Dawn and posted this message

 

"

Thanks guys that's awesome. Can't sleep too exited so safe to say it looks like it's being booked. Even talked my mum and brother into it so we are a party of 7 now lol "

 

The cruise you are looking at isn't until January 2018. Why do you have to book the cruise tomorrow? If you're not sure then just keep researching until you are satisfied it is the right choice. If you book it and change your mind at least for US "bookers" there is a pretty wide window where the cruise can be cancelled without penalty charged by NCL. If you use a travel agent be sure they don't have their own cancellation penalty - there are some out there that do.

 

We loved the Dawn - ate in both the specialty and regular dining venues including the "buffet" and had no complaints. Some meals were excellent and some were maybe just pretty good. There was only one main dish (a fish of some sort) I didn't care for so I ate the sides and picked up a snack elsewhere later in the evening. Could have requested another main dish at the time but didn't think it was necessary. Options is one of the beauties of NCL's dining program. We thought the Dawn crew was wonderful and received great service.

 

After 17 consecutive cruises on NCL we're cheating and taking our first cruise on Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas the end of September. The itinerary is really great, we don't have to fly to the port and NCL has nothing similar so we're stepping out of our comfort zone. We've enjoyed every cruise we've ever taken and expect we'll enjoy this one too. A positive attitude is really the best preparation for a good cruise. If you do book the cruise sign up for the Meet and Greet on the roll call thread and join in on the discussions. Our Dawn roll call was really amazing and the fellow participants really added to our cruise enjoyment. I wish you the best in whatever you decide.

 

Edited July 28, 2016 by kjquilts

[shanivy14]

You had 25 responses on the thread you started earlier today regarding the Dawn and posted this message

 

"

Thanks guys that's awesome. Can't sleep too exited so safe to say it looks like it's being booked. Even talked my mum and brother into it so we are a party of 7 now lol �� "

 

The cruise you are looking at isn't until January 2018. Why do you have to book the cruise tomorrow? If you're not sure then just keep researching until you are satisfied it is the right choice. If you book it and change your mind at least for US "bookers" there is a pretty wide window where the cruise can be cancelled without penalty charged by NCL. If you use a travel agent be sure they don't have their own cancellation penalty - there are some out there that do.

 

We loved the Dawn - ate in both the specialty and regular dining venues including the "buffet" and had no complaints. Some meals were excellent and some were maybe just pretty good. There was only one main dish (a fish of some sort) I didn't care for so I ate the sides and picked up a snack elsewhere later in the evening. Could have requested another main dish at the time but didn't think it was necessary. Options is one of the beauties of NCL's dining program. We thought the Dawn crew was wonderful and received great service.

 

After 17 consecutive cruises on NCL we're cheating and taking our first cruise on Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas the end of September. The itinerary is really great, we don't have to fly to the port and NCL has nothing similar so we're stepping out of our comfort zone. We've enjoyed every cruise we've ever taken and expect we'll enjoy this one too. A positive attitude is really the best preparation for a good cruise. If you do book the cruise sign up for the Meet and Greet on the roll call thread and join in on the discussions. Our Dawn roll call was really amazing and the fellow participants really added to our cruise enjoyment. I wish you the best in whatever you decide.

 

 

I'm confused for why your quoting me on my other post? I know i posted thst message but im not sure i get your point . After that I read about the dining.

 

As for booking tomorrow its when we have the money lol. Coming from the UK and flights alone will be an extra 3500. So it's just when we all have to book

 

Thanks I'll check out the roll call, sounds like a really good idea ☺ and thank your food experience sounds pretty positive

Edited July 28, 2016 by shanivy14

[LrgPizza]

You asked for people's "recent" dining experiences. However, even if they were better last month than they were a few months ago, those will have absolutely nothing to do with what your dining experiences might be a year and a half from now.

 

 

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[jm485]

Personally, I've usually found that when I'm uncertain about something and pressured to decide about it, the best decision is to pass on it. Better to wait to be more certain before agreeing, even if it means completely passing. Do you really want to spend the next 18 months fretting over this?

 

 

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[punkincc]

Personally, I've usually found that when I'm uncertain about something and pressured to decide about it, the best decision is to pass on it. Better to wait to be more certain before agreeing, even if it means completely passing. Do you really want to spend the next 18 months fretting over this?

 

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Having never cruised before, I don't know how this poster could ever be "certain" about any cruise they book. Pick any ship, and the OP will be able to find many negative posts and people who did not like the ship for one reason or another, and here we go again!

 

Sadly, I think this poster is one who will never make a move for fear of the unknown. He has been told by many people that this is a fine ship and he will have an enjoyable cruise. If he chooses not to believe that, it's his loss.

[Ktuluorion]

I've found that over the past couple of years MDR dining on NCL as a whole has gone quite a bit downhill. The last couple of cruises that we were on, meals lasted about 2 hours each time and many were subpar.

 

I like that the specialty options are there to combat this, but i've also noticed a decline in those venues.

 

With that said, if you book a suite the breakfast and lunches for those rooms are fantastic and the dining highlight of our last cruise. Service and food were a+ there.

[jackparts]

We were on the Damn Dawn in 2014. Issues with NCL were in boarding and leaving the ship due to customs and NCL knowing the problems and not alerting the passengers beforehand. Quality and service of food has never been a problem with NCL. Please remember that the Damn Dawn has just been gone over in a major way and there are bound to be problems to be worked out. Toilet problems in 2014 and reports are that it is still a problem. Passenger caused or ship problems, still? Anyway, 2018 is far enough away to book now and watch for comments. Plenty of time to cancel later. Remember NCL has been cutting back industry wide so $$ will go up and service and quality will probably go down.

[jackparts]

I forgot to mention that we will again be on the Damn Dawn in November. Hopefully my expectations will be met. If not, any cruise is better than no cruise.

[tclancy77]

Just off Dawn this morning: Was in OS with 2 Balconies: For dinner we ate in Cagney's twice, La Cuccina, Le Bistro, Venetian MDR twice and Aqua once. We did not have a bad meal among the four of us during the trip. The couple of times we went to the Garden buffet for lunch we were pleasantly surprised (from reading reviews of complaints) by the quality and variety of food offered. Quality was superb and service was good and sometimes great. I would be happy to answer any questions you have.

 

Also: The crew has its act together on this ship. We all felt that there was a genuine desire to make sure you were having a great cruise and vacation: which we did!

Edited July 29, 2016 by tclancy77
Fix typo

[slhopper]

Please understand that to a VERY large degree, your cruise experience is going to be what YOU make of it. My husband and I took our first cruise ever this past New Years on the Dawn. I researched and planned (I do that) and it was what fit our wants and needs best.

 

SO MANY PEOPLE complained about the Dawn. It was old, dirty, toilets don't work, food was bad, service was slow, new CEO ruined NCL, prices too high, and we were going to ACTUALLY BE KILLED by the nickle and diming.... :D

 

Bob and I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!

 

Was the food as good as on X cruise line? No idea, but we thought it was good to great each meal we ate.

 

Was our cabin (inside) as good as it could be? Dunno, it was small, it was clean, our cabin steward was friendly and helpful and the (very few) things we asked for were done quickly.

 

We heard people complaining ON the ship and we read many complaints here... but honestly, our experience was WONDERFUL because we went into our trip INTENDING TO ENJOY IT. We expect things to go wrong, that is life.

 

My honest opinion is this, if you are the kind of person that yells at the waiter when you go out to eat and your steak is overcooked... you are going to find plenty of things to be mad about on this, or any other, cruse. If you are the kind of person that rolls with the punches and makes the best out of whatever situation you are in, you will have a WONDERFUL TIME on this, or any other, cruise.

 

Legitimate issues like plumbing problems are understandable and I am NOT downplaying how that COULD ruin a trip if not dealt with properly by NCL. I am just talking about all the little things. I hope you choose to have a wonderful time :)

[navybankerteacher]

NCL is inexpensive for basic cruising - but offer many options for those who want a quality experience: The Haven, specialty restaurants, etc.

 

Ask yourself why the basic price is low.

[tclancy77]

Please understand that to a VERY large degree, your cruise experience is going to be what YOU make of it. My husband and I took our first cruise ever this past New Years on the Dawn. I researched and planned (I do that) and it was what fit our wants and needs best.

 

SO MANY PEOPLE complained about the Dawn. It was old, dirty, toilets don't work, food was bad, service was slow, new CEO ruined NCL, prices too high, and we were going to ACTUALLY BE KILLED by the nickle and diming.... :D

 

Bob and I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!

 

Was the food as good as on X cruise line? No idea, but we thought it was good to great each meal we ate.

 

Was our cabin (inside) as good as it could be? Dunno, it was small, it was clean, our cabin steward was friendly and helpful and the (very few) things we asked for were done quickly.

 

We heard people complaining ON the ship and we read many complaints here... but honestly, our experience was WONDERFUL because we went into our trip INTENDING TO ENJOY IT. We expect things to go wrong, that is life.

 

My honest opinion is this, if you are the kind of person that yells at the waiter when you go out to eat and your steak is overcooked... you are going to find plenty of things to be mad about on this, or any other, cruse. If you are the kind of person that rolls with the punches and makes the best out of whatever situation you are in, you will have a WONDERFUL TIME on this, or any other, cruise.

 

Legitimate issues like plumbing problems are understandable and I am NOT downplaying how that COULD ruin a trip if not dealt with properly by NCL. I am just talking about all the little things. I hope you choose to have a wonderful time :)

 

After plunking down $ for the Suite and adjoining balcony both my DW and I were disappointed (serious buyers remorse) by the many reviews that were written about Dawn post dry dock. We kept waiting for the other shoe to drop while on the cruise and it never did. We had the usual small bumps that surface in any vacation but nothing that justified the level of apprehension we were feeling after reading some of the reviews. We have cruised HAL twice, RCL once, and this was third NCL. We thought the food on this Dawn cruise was the best we've experienced cruising (not perfect but really good). When we came across a food item that did not meet expectations we adjusted (e.g. Hash Browns at breakfast not that great but house breakfast potatoes excellent). All the entrees were very good to excellent during breakfast and dinner. The garden buffet had some things that did not look great but there were a number of items that did look great...so we never had any issues with the food and quite the opposite: quality, preparation and taste were great.

[tclancy77]

Please understand that to a VERY large degree, your cruise experience is going to be what YOU make of it. My husband and I took our first cruise ever this past New Years on the Dawn. I researched and planned (I do that) and it was what fit our wants and needs best.

 

SO MANY PEOPLE complained about the Dawn. It was old, dirty, toilets don't work, food was bad, service was slow, new CEO ruined NCL, prices too high, and we were going to ACTUALLY BE KILLED by the nickle and diming.... :D

 

Bob and I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!

 

Was the food as good as on X cruise line? No idea, but we thought it was good to great each meal we ate.

 

Was our cabin (inside) as good as it could be? Dunno, it was small, it was clean, our cabin steward was friendly and helpful and the (very few) things we asked for were done quickly.

 

We heard people complaining ON the ship and we read many complaints here... but honestly, our experience was WONDERFUL because we went into our trip INTENDING TO ENJOY IT. We expect things to go wrong, that is life.

 

My honest opinion is this, if you are the kind of person that yells at the waiter when you go out to eat and your steak is overcooked... you are going to find plenty of things to be mad about on this, or any other, cruse. If you are the kind of person that rolls with the punches and makes the best out of whatever situation you are in, you will have a WONDERFUL TIME on this, or any other, cruise.

 

Legitimate issues like plumbing problems are understandable and I am NOT downplaying how that COULD ruin a trip if not dealt with properly by NCL. I am just talking about all the little things. I hope you choose to have a wonderful time :)

 

After plunking down $ for the Suite and adjoining balcony both my DW and I were disappointed (serious buyers remorse) by the many reviews that were written about Dawn post dry dock. We kept waiting for the other shoe to drop while on the cruise and it never did. We had the usual small bumps that surface in any vacation but nothing that justified the level of apprehension we were feeling after reading some of the reviews. We have cruised HAL twice, RCL once, and this was third NCL. We thought the food on this Dawn cruise was the best we've experienced cruising (not perfect but really good). When we came across a food item that did not meet expectations we adjusted (e.g. Hash Browns at breakfast not that great but house breakfast potatoes excellent). All the entrees were very good to excellent during breakfast and dinner. The garden buffet had some things that did not look great but there were a number of items that did look great...so we never had any issues with the food and quite the opposite: quality, preparation and taste were great.

[James_Elmore]

After plunking down $ for the Suite and adjoining balcony both my DW and I were disappointed (serious buyers remorse) by the many reviews that were written about Dawn post dry dock. We kept waiting for the other shoe to drop while on the cruise and it never did. We had the usual small bumps that surface in any vacation but nothing that justified the level of apprehension we were feeling after reading some of the reviews. We have cruised HAL twice, RCL once, and this was third NCL. We thought the food on this Dawn cruise was the best we've experienced cruising (not perfect but really good). When we came across a food item that did not meet expectations we adjusted (e.g. Hash Browns at breakfast not that great but house breakfast potatoes excellent). All the entrees were very good to excellent during breakfast and dinner. The garden buffet had some things that did not look great but there were a number of items that did look great...so we never had any issues with the food and quite the opposite: quality, preparation and taste were great.

It seems that if people have a good experience they are way less likely to tell about it.

 

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[Marine Mom]

You had 25 responses on the thread you started earlier today regarding the Dawn and posted this message

 

"

Thanks guys that's awesome. Can't sleep too exited so safe to say it looks like it's being booked. Even talked my mum and brother into it so we are a party of 7 now lol �� "

 

The cruise you are looking at isn't until January 2018. Why do you have to book the cruise tomorrow? If you're not sure then just keep researching until you are satisfied it is the right choice. If you book it and change your mind at least for US "bookers" there is a pretty wide window where the cruise can be cancelled without penalty charged by NCL. If you use a travel agent be sure they don't have their own cancellation penalty - there are some out there that do.

 

We loved the Dawn - ate in both the specialty and regular dining venues including the "buffet" and had no complaints. Some meals were excellent and some were maybe just pretty good. There was only one main dish (a fish of some sort) I didn't care for so I ate the sides and picked up a snack elsewhere later in the evening. Could have requested another main dish at the time but didn't think it was necessary. Options is one of the beauties of NCL's dining program. We thought the Dawn crew was wonderful and received great service.

 

After 17 consecutive cruises on NCL we're cheating and taking our first cruise on Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas the end of September. The itinerary is really great, we don't have to fly to the port and NCL has nothing similar so we're stepping out of our comfort zone. We've enjoyed every cruise we've ever taken and expect we'll enjoy this one too. A positive attitude is really the best preparation for a good cruise. If you do book the cruise sign up for the Meet and Greet on the roll call thread and join in on the discussions. Our Dawn roll call was really amazing and the fellow participants really added to our cruise enjoyment. I wish you the best in whatever you decide.

 

 

Good answer! Although I favor NCL, I have been on the RC Explorer of the seas and really liked that ship. The ice show was awesome! I hope you enjoy your cruise.

[conine2965]

We booked late so did not get dining plan. Ate in main dining rooms every night found food to be from good to great could not complain about one meal. Service was excellent

[b00br]

Just stepped off the Dawn a couple of days ago, our third NCL cruise in 18 months. Although I wouldn't call any one thing a dealbreaker, I can easily say that the service on this ship fell far short of our other cruises. I'll break it down, both good and not-so-good:

 

Guest Services:

 

We had 3 interactions with them and found them to be dismissive and quick to assert they were right (often without making an effort to fully understand the issue).

 

- We had several cold showers. Not lukewarm, but downright cold (60 degrees). Not just at prime times, but all sorts of times (including 11:30pm). It was especially a problem when the ship was in port. When the ship was moving, it was fine. From the time we called Guest Services and they said they would send a plumber, It took about 16 hours for follow-up and by the time they did, the problem had self-corrected. They claimed we were the only ones to complain and we received a chocolate strawberry and some assorted chocolates from our steward the next night as an apology. Would definitely be interested in hearing from others about water temperature.

 

- At Teppanyaki, we were charged for cocktails we didn't order. The waitstaff took everyone's room keys at the start of the meal and apparently mixed them up with other diners at our table. Not a huge deal, but it took two visits to Guest Services and more or less being told we were liars and it was impossible that they could have billed the wrong passengers before they removed the charge.

 

- There was a pretty major misunderstanding about our free specialty dining promo that resulted in us exhausting our free meals by Day 4. Not the end of the world, but the treatment from Guest Services was pretty much the same as with our other issues.

 

Dining:

 

- We had a number of service issues (long waits, empty drink glasses) and order accuracy issues at the main dining room. The chicken parmesan (one night only on Day 5, I believe?) was excellent. The chocolate chip muffins at breakfast were also really good. Eggs were hit-or-miss. If you dislike cold toast, order a bagel instead.

 

- We were quite happy with Garden Cafe (buffet). They didn't always have the greatest variety but everything we did eat was good and worth seconds.

 

- O'Sheehan's was excellent and served as our go-to when we had a bad meal elsewhere. They had great burgers (be sure to specify temperature as they will not ask and the default is somewhere around medium/medium-rare) and the grilled chicken sandwich with chipotle mayonnaise is also worth ordering. The buns for both sandwiches were amazing. The sweet Thai chili wings are also excellent, but be sure to ask for extra ice water! If you prefer boneless chicken tenders over bone-in wings, you can ask for them (they are on the separate kids' menu). There are 2 tenders and a handful of fries per order.

 

- Maybe we just ordered the wrong thing (Kung Pao chicken) or went at the wrong time, but Bamboo, the Asian restaurant that recently converted from specialty to complimentary, was terrible. It was like a stir fry you'd make at home gone wrong. Also avoid going later at night if you're sensitive to tobacco smoke, as it is situated directly above the cigar bar. If you do want to try it anyway (we saw some noodle bowls at other tables that didn't look so bad), be sure to make reservations. We decided to try it after our specialty dining ran out and it was booked almost solid the entire rest of the week.

 

- We went to Cagney's 3 times and Teppanyaki once. On our first visit I was shorted a side dish. On our second visit I asked for a fisherman's platter with just shrimp and ended up with 5 lonely shrimps on a big plate. Definitely recommend not making that same mistake. The next time I ordered surf & turf and substituted shrimp for lobster and that worked out a lot better. Teppanyaki, besides the charges for drinks we didn't order, was excellent. The portions were massive. Had we known we had so few specialty meals, we would have taken the leftover back to our room as a few other folks did.

 

Stateroom:

 

Other than the water issues and occasionally smelling tobacco smoke in our room (not the balcony, but our actual room), the stateroom was fine and our steward was great.

 

Other:

 

- Mandara Spa - If you're interested in some swimming and hot tub therapy in a peaceful setting, I would highly recommend purchasing a weeklong spa pass. We went at least twice a day and except for Day 7, never had to share the whole place with more than 3-4 other people at a time.

 

- Debarkation was quite the cluster-you-know-what. I recommend going down to Deck 7 early. They did not announce that the ship had cleared customs until about 8:50 and by then, debarkation was already well underway and the line was massive.

 

 

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Edited July 31, 2016 by b00br

[sullyd]

Are there many options?

[kathybelcher2433]

I love, love, love Cruise Critic if for no other reason than to lower expectations. And of course the cruise over delivered after all of that.

 

I also cannot fathom keeping such close tabs on my experience to note each and every time things are not executed to perfection. I am generally too busy having fun to notice.