We chose this cruise based upon the itinerary. We combined both legs of the 7-day cruise because the only port that repeated was Halifax. And Halifax has enough to offer that it can easily be repeated.

Embarkation was fast. Access to our cabin was timely. We had all bags unpacked and put away prior to the muster drill. Muster drill had good and bad aspects: not having to carry around the life vest was good, but standing on the promenade deck was not good. Other cruise lines have had the passengers meet in a public area where they could be seated for the muster drill.

The ship NCL Dawn was okay. The Aqua dining room was our favorite. There seemed to be too much confusion and chaos at the entrance to main dining room"the Venetian. I think the excessive waits for a table at the Venetian is due to the fact that most tables are for parties of 2 or 4. We like to share tables and meet other passengers at dinner. Princess has more tables of 6 than tables of 2. So passengers can be seated quickly without a reservation or a long wait. With our port schedule, we ate dinner at the buffet twice: it was good. We had supper at Blue Lagoon once. This time we did not partake of the pay restaurants. NCL has crossed the threshold of my willingness to pay for a meal, when I already am paying for a meal. Cagney’s was $30--each. I found the food in the dining room was good enough that I did not feel the need to escape the regular menu. Loved the Scottish Bangers at the breakfast buffet. And both times the lobster tail was cooked perfectly! However, I found that NCL’s desserts were lacking. I recommend a variety of ice creams Read more