We enjoyed Valentine's week on the Dawn, a group of 5 family members celebrating my mother's 75th birthday. She and my sister had gone on many cruises with Royal Caribbean previously, but really enjoyed their NCL experience.

No issues with either embarkation or disembarkation, and we found the service in the Venetian dining room to be fantastic--it's a large room, and amazing to watch them keep up with so many people so effectively. Our aft-facing penthouse on the 9th floor was a real treat, and the perks that came with it (often allowing us to skip any lines, breakfast/lunch at Cagney's, butler & concierge service) were certainly worth the added cost and added to our enjoyment.

The evening we tried Le Bistro they were offering a special Valentine's Day menu, not their normal French cuisine, and we didn't care for it or for the service there--I'm sure they were much busier than normal. Breakfasts/Lunches at Cagneys were good, as was dinner at La Cuchina. Garden Cafe was fine for a buffet, and we particularly enjoyed hanging out at the Bimini Bar for the great views. If you're looking for their top-shelf bar, we found Gatsby's to have a better selection of liquor and relaxing piano bar, and we were pleased that we did not take advantage of the alcoholic drinks cost per day plan that was offered, instead paying for a few bottles of wine ahead of time and using vouchers for them at the various restaurants or in the room, ordering other drinks as needed. Read more