Norwegian Dawn Review

4.0 / 5.0
3,018 reviews

Not Spectacular, but a Good Choice

Review for the Western Caribbean Cruise on Norwegian Dawn
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citylights
6-10 Cruises • Age 60s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
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Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service

Additional details

Sail Date: Apr 2015
Cabin: Family Inside
Traveled with children

We cruised for the 2nd time on the NCL Dawn. It's a nice ship. Not spectacular in terms of it's decor & accommodations, but the entertainment is EXCELLENT & this is what drew us back to the Dawn. Jose & Patti do not disappoint. The nightclubs & music is excellent. The shows were entertaining. The food, while ok, left much to be desired. Princess has NCL beat with their menu & hospitality. I prefer a cruise where the Hosts offer us drink, yet have rarely experienced this on the NCL. NCL is a more appropriate for family cruising, imo, & why we continue to return to NCL.

Unfortunately, we thought we would save $$ since we were traveling as a family this time, and we booked GTY inside cabins. Not a good idea, as we not only were placed on Deck 5, near Aft, but we were in the same hall as the Water Treatment Room & the stench was unbearable!!! Fortunately our other family party was Deck 5, near Fwd (they were fine). How common of a problem the bad odor problem is, I cannot say. As a result, I will be choosing our Stateroom from now on. On a positive note, to give credit where due .... NCL moved us out of this room when I complained that the gasses were making me ill (I am a cancer patient), and they offered us an onboard credit for our trouble. Thank you NCL!!

Our first room was 5639. This is the last room in the mid-ship section, and next to the door where the crew gathers for their fun. It was quite loud at times, but I can sleep thru anything & was not bothered by this. Just outside our door however, was a problem with a leak of some sort, twice. We were awakened to the noise of shop vacs & drying fans & I feared having our cabin flooded. While our room was accommodating it appeared to be smaller than other inside cabins, and the remote did not work well (it was also missing it's back). The Room Steward was the WORST we have ever encountered (perhaps this was his training ground?). We never saw him before mid-afternoon, and the 2nd day of our cruise, I had to call for towels.

Cabin Review

Family Inside

Cabin I1

5639 was a HORRIBLE room for us on this cruise. The worst problem of all was being in the same section as the ship's malfunctioning Water Treatment System. The sewer gas fumes were so bad that I had to be moved from our cabin to a higher deck (I am a cancer patient). NCL is to be applauded for keeping a cabin vacant on this ship so that we could be moved!!! Thank you NCL.

5639 is the last room in the mid-ship section, and next to the door where the crew gathers for their fun. It was quite loud at times, but I can sleep thru anything & was not bothered. Just outside our door however, was a problem with a leak of some sort, twice. We were awakened to the noise of shop vacs & drying fans & I feared having our cabin flooded. While our room was accommodating it appeared to be smaller than other inside cabins, and the remote did not work well (it was also missing it's back). The Room Steward was the WORST we have ever encountered (perhaps this was his training ground?). We never saw him before mid-afternoon, and the 2nd day of our cruise, I had to call for towels.

Port Reviews

New Orleans

We did our own "family excursion," by walking Bourbon Street. It was quite entertaining, and I could only wish that we had more time (& better weather) for exploring this area & the French Quarter of New Orleans.

Cozumel

We chose to walk the main street of Cozumel to explore. I highly recommend Mr. Chili's for drink &/or a meal. While we didn't stop there on this trip, we have visited Mr. Chili's on previous trips. The food is very good & the people who work there are exceptionally friendly & accommodating.

This trip we chose to hang out at the Barracuda Hotel and No Name Bar. The accommodations with an umbrella table & swimming pool was great, but the service wasn't very good, and the food was mediocre at best. I paid $9 or $10 for a frozen drink & had to ask for a 2nd shot of alcohol (& I am NOT a drinker, due to a medical condition). The drink also melted far too quickly. We ordered guacamole & salsa with chips & was shocked that it tasted so bland (I make better). For $9 or $10 (each dish) I expected better. We won't revisit this place.

Belize City

We did not venture any further than the cruise port, nor did we stay very long as it was insanely crowded. Most of the shoppes carried knock off purses & such, & the t-shirts were over-priced. I "get that" for a struggling place/economy, but didn't appreciate feeling robbed for something that I'd pay less for at home. We did stop for drinks at the end of the port (on the water). Wish I could remember the name of this place ... the service, entertainment & drink was excellent.

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