Background Information - this cruise was taken by my husband (47), my two adult children (25, 22), and me (47). It was my husband's and my 3rd cruise, all on NCL, and my children's first. My husband and I stayed in an aft balcony, and my kids stayed in an inside across the hall.

Hotel Info - we stayed in a Springhill Suites just outside of Tampa. Nice big room for 4 adults, with 2 queens and a foldout couch. Also had a mini-fridge and microwave. There was an outside pool and jacuzzi, but we didn't use them - it was a little cool for us, but there was a family out there having fun!

Ship Info - our two previous cruises were both on the NCL Sun. This was our first time on the Dawn, and we really liked it. Nice atrium, bigger than the Sun. The pool area was on the small side, though, and very slippery. There is some evidence of wear and tear, but nothing I'd consider a deal-breaker for me. The two rooms were above the Spinnaker Lounge, and the music was loud enough to hear the words to sing along - luckily for us, we are night owls and sound sleepers, so it didn't bother us too much. The balcony room was above the bakery - amazing aromas met us daily! The rooms were smaller than those on the Sun, but the bathrooms were larger. Read more