Norwegian Dawn Review

Nothing Norwegian about it, and nickle & dimed to death.

Review for the Western Caribbean Cruise on Norwegian Dawn
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Nibiru
10+ Cruises • Age 90s

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Sail Date: Dec 2013

This was my third NCL cruise and it will definitely be my last, no matter what! We were constantly cold as the A/C was on full-force in all the public rooms .I didn't expect to need a wool sweater or fleece jacket, so only brought a light sweater and pashmina for evening. Free-style cruising, with no Captain's Welcome Cocktail Party or special theme nights isn't as nice as on the usual non-freestyle cruises. We missed getting dressed up and having a theme nights in the dining rooms and onboard entertainment by local entertainers. The only disco is for teens, and very little opportunity to dance. We ate in the Venetian and Aqua dining rooms, the Garden cafe(teria) for breakfast & lunch, or poolside, and Le Bistro and the Asian restaurants for something different. The food was ample, good and the lamb shank was delicious! We found the service staff to be friendly and efficient. There were many family groups and it seemed to be good for disabled passengers.

There was very little to do that did not entail extra fees, indicated by the many asterisks on the daily schedule. Bingo cards were sold for $40 each session, gambling involved charging your cc - no stopping in and playing the slots for awhile, it was charge your card in advance, so we didn't do those normal cruising things. I had to use the internet in an emergency so because it was once I didn't buy $100 worth, and it was 75 cents a minute (slower than glaciers) and a $3.75 charge to log in. Even soft drinks were extra. Lotteries! Raffles! Anything to separate you from your money.

Port excursions in Belize, Roatan & Cozumel were great! There were scores of choices and we enjoyed ours very much. But the port talks only involved buying diamonds and tanzanite, nothing about the places. The entertainment was OK. Tim Kaminski, the comic, was hilarious, and Chicago's Second City group tried hard with what suggestions they were given for impromptu comedy but they didn't have much to work with. The dancers & singers were fine. But it's a cheap cruise and you get what you pay for.

Cabin Review

The best thing about our cabin was the thermostat, which enabled us to warm up after being frozen to death in the public areas. Our cabin was relatively spacious for the 2 of us, beds comfortable and I was able to get a soft pillow the third night out, which helped a lot. Service and cleanliness were top-notch, and the bathroom was more than adequate for a ship.

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