We're just back from our long-awaited family cruise on the Norwegian Dawn. It's a great family-friendly vessel that far exceeded our expectations. A lot of research was involved in making this an experience that three generations could enjoy. There were two main reasons why we selected the Dawn - the first was that it left from New York and the second, that children as young as two could participate in the camp. The review will focus on having four young toddlers with us as well as the usual aspects of a cruise experience.

EMBARKATION Our daughter's family flew in from Louisville, Kentucky, a day in advance. We were able to obtain car seats as a courtesy of AAA and we drove two cars to the pier from our home in Queens. It was very easy driving to Manhattan on a Saturday morning, the entrance to the cruise terminal and parking lot was clearly marked on the West Side Highway (unusual in NYC). The parking charge was $180 for seven or more days. Our son and his family drove in from Westchester. You drop off the luggage and passengers at the terminal and take your car up the ramp to the outdoor lot. Hint: Write down the pier number and berth when you leave since we disembarked at a different pier. We didn't have to wait very long at noon to embark because the Dawn had been in drydock for two weeks. Once aboard, we went directly to our cabins to leave our carry-ons. There's a safe that you set with a personal code in the closet.

APPEARANCE OF THE SHIP The Dawn looked beautiful. All the carpets in the public areas were new. The seats in the theaters were also newly upholstered. Our room also was spotless. Our daughter, whose children are one and two and a half, had a mini-suite on the 11th floor. The pull-out sofa (not pulled out) was made up like a bed and a pack-and-play was the baby's crib. It was a tight fit in the room. I thought the mini-suite was beautiful; there's a curtain separating the two sleeping areas and there's a bath tub which is handy for bathing the babies. Read more