NCL Dawn - Southern Caribbean from San Juan

[ladycabby]

Cruised on the DAWN 12/15 before the refurbishment, liked the ship a lot. We were in a mini suite. Just booked again, for the 12/0/2017 sailing out of San Juan, never been to San Juan or to any of the other islands, so I will be keeping my eye on this thread as well. The Dawn is a great little ship and I am looking forward to seeing the improvements. We were lucky enough to book the same cabin that we were in last time!

[lovecruising72]

So I booked this on Sat the 18th of Mar. On Monday the sale changed offering more OBC. I called this morning and got an additional $200 OBC. We're now up to over $800 OBC! :cool: Check out yours' date=' you never know.[/quote']

 

Welcome to the group! You really scored!

[katiecat]

I'm booked for the Dawn again third time and looking forward to seeing her look!

I guess you call it the re-positioning cruise when they change ports from San Juan to Tampa? Now the one way tickets with connecting flights might scare me but it will all be worth it.

[Pmelba33]

For those of you who have flown into San Juan recently, do you still get a taxi form from the agent in the baggage area?

[capsgirl71]

The Dawn was our first NCL cruise, and we loved her! Can't wait to see the changes they made to her. We are on the 12/10/2017 sailing, from San Juan, PR.

[Russ Lomas]

I'm booked for the Dawn again third time and looking forward to seeing her look!

I guess you call it the re-positioning cruise when they change ports from San Juan to Tampa? Now the one way tickets with connecting flights might scare me but it will all be worth it.

We are on the 10 day cruise previous to you on the Dawn for New Year. We are traveling with a couple of friends and families. One couple who is traveling with us is doing the 10 day New Year cruise with us and then the B2B leg on the 10 day trip to Tampa with you. Flying home from Tampa mid-week should be dirt cheap.

[mugtech]

Hyatt House. $175/night plus tax, includes free breakfast in a suite with bedroom, living area and kithcenette. Also, very close to Pan Am pier.

We stayed there also, was an easy trip to the port. Only complaint was even though we reserved 6 months ahead of time we did not get into our room until 3 PM. The staff there can advise you on great Puerto Rican restaurants within walking distance. A $10 cab ride will get you to the pier, we could see the Gem from the front of the hotel. We did b2b and saw 10 different ports plus had great times in San Juan. Dawn a bit smaller, you will enjoy.

[mugtech]

For those of you who have flown into San Juan recently, do you still get a taxi form from the agent in the baggage area?

Was the deal in 11/16.

[Cruzn Bills Fan]

For those of you who have flown into San Juan recently, do you still get a taxi form from the agent in the baggage area?

 

Yes you do.

[School bus driver]

Hi, We are booked on the Dawn for December 17, 2017 Southern Caribbean from San Juan...was wondering if there are any other Geo-cachers on board ? Am looking to see if interested in private tours for geocaching at the various ports.

[Gampy1967]

We are booked on the Dawn out of San Juan too! Not until March of 2019 though and we are doing a B2B so I am interested in what people have to say.

 

We booked the March 24, 2019 out of San Juan for our 20th Anniversary. I thought I was the only one crazy enough to book that far out. We wanted to do something nice for our 20th and my wife has never been on a cruise so we booked it. Looking forward to it.

[brookie848]

What pier does NCL use?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

Hyatt House. $175/night plus tax, includes free breakfast in a suite with bedroom, living area and kithcenette. Also, very close to Pan Am pier.

 

We are on the 11/12 cruise and we are using Pier 4 in Old San Juan (our PCC sent us this information and someone else on our role call got the same information). So, if you are booking the Hyatt House in order to be close to the Pan Am pier, this may not be the best move.

[TSUmom]

We booked the March 24, 2019 out of San Juan for our 20th Anniversary. I thought I was the only one crazy enough to book that far out. We wanted to do something nice for our 20th and my wife has never been on a cruise so we booked it. Looking forward to it.

 

I am glad I am not alone on booking way early. We have wanted to sail from San Juan for a long while. We could not decide which itinerary we wanted so just thought why not do both. We have never done a back to back and the price was right. The Dawn will be small compared to our last few cruises but with only one sea day on each leg we will be busy off ship and not need all of the "extras" We are on the 3/3/19 to 3/10/19 and the 3/10 to the 3/17 sailings.

[cmurchake]

I'm doing the 1/6/2019 sailing on the Dawn out of San Juan. Not sure if others have embarkation at 9pm, but if they do, what time is check-in? Is it similar to the 4pm embarkations in Miami where you can get to the port around 11 and be on the boat around 12?

[LakeWinniMom]

We are on the 11/12 cruise and we are using Pier 4 in Old San Juan (our PCC sent us this information and someone else on our role call got the same information). So, if you are booking the Hyatt House in order to be close to the Pan Am pier, this may not be the best move.

 

 

I just call NCL and they also confirmed that the Dawn sailing on 11/19 will also use Pier 4 in Old San Juan. The PCC mentioned that they use different piers for different ships.

[TSUmom]

For those of you who have flown into San Juan recently, do you still get a taxi form from the agent in the baggage area?

 

Silly question but what is a taxi form?

[OriginalFlamingo]

Silly question but what is a taxi form?

 

Good question! I was wondering the same!

 

:confused:

[OriginalFlamingo]

We booked La Terrazza de San Juan. I can't officially recommend it, because I have never been there, but it looks cool and gets good TA reviews.

[Bocadude85]

I'm doing the 1/6/2019 sailing on the Dawn out of San Juan. Not sure if others have embarkation at 9pm, but if they do, what time is check-in? Is it similar to the 4pm embarkations in Miami where you can get to the port around 11 and be on the boat around 12?

 

We are sailing the same itinerary as you but on 1/27/19. We have never sailed out of San Juan but we did have a embarkation time of 9 pm in Venice last year and we were onboard the ship by 12pm.

[cmurchake]

We are sailing the same itinerary as you but on 1/27/19. We have never sailed out of San Juan but we did have a embarkation time of 9 pm in Venice last year and we were onboard the ship by 12pm.

 

This is great news! Thanks

[OriginalFlamingo]

We are looking at doing a Segway tour on embarkation day. Wondering when we HAVE to be on the ship. It looks like the tour is 1:00 p.m., so I don't think we can count on getting on and then back off and over to the tour office before 1:00....Tour probably lasts until 3:30 or 4:00...

[TSUmom]

Good question! I was wondering the same!

 

I found this on a ports of call thread. Thought I would share with you.

 

:confused:

Posted January 3rd, 2016, 10:24 AM

You get in the taxi line and someone will come up to you and ask where you want to go and they will put this on a form which shows where you are going and how much luggage you have. They give you this form which shows the total for your ride. The 2 times I was there it was easy and fast. It is a pretty good system. No worries about being asked for more money when you get to your destination.

[Cruzn Bills Fan]

We are on the 11/12 cruise and we are using Pier 4 in Old San Juan (our PCC sent us this information and someone else on our role call got the same information). So, if you are booking the Hyatt House in order to be close to the Pan Am pier, this may not be the best move.

 

Last year when we cruised Gem out of San Juan NCL used the Pan Am pier and traffic on embarkation day was a nightmare! We're on the 11/26 cruise and if what you're saying (were told) is true this is great news!!

[Russ Lomas]

After reading some previous comments about whether the Dawn would be sailing from the Pan American pier or from Pier 4 in Old San Juan for our sailing on December 28th, I decided to call NCL and ask them. The first answer she gave me was that we sail from the Pan American pier and it said East port. I mentioned that others had said it was from Pier 4 in Old San Juan for their sailings on the Dawn and she investigated and said that the Dawn will in fact use the WEST port in San Juan, which is at Pier 4 in Old San Juan. So I am guessing our sailing on the Dawn will leave from Pier 4 in Old San Juan, but since the agent seemed a little unsure of the details, I am still not 100% sure (although I am leaning to believing the West port is where we sail from). Personally, I prefer this side since it is very easy to check-in and then spend time in Old San Juan for the afternoon without having to take cabs back and forth to the ship. Also nice since we disembark at the same pier and have a lot of time to kill before our flight home, so we plan to drop our luggage at Barrachina's while we spend more time in Old San Juan.

[nicsmama649]

My husband, son(8), and I have been on 2 NCL cruises and have loved both. We have sailed the Epic and the Getaway. I am currently looking at booking a southern carribean on the dawn in 2019. I really want to do a southern carribean intinerary. My only concern is that we have only sailed the big ships. Without the water slides and extra activities will there be enough to entertain my son without getting bored? He does love the kids club and would have lived there on the getaway. How do the childrens programs compare between the bigger and smaller ships?