We traveled from Minneapolis on Sun Country airlines through Hobbit Travel and the flight was good, pickup at airport was smooth and even getting the port terminal was fairly quick. Lots of people have to move through this process and I feel NCL employees do a good job of personalizing it. We were on board ship, enjoying our welcoming drink. We choose to go to the dining room, Venetian and it was a good choice. This is the most beautiful dining space of any ship we've been on. The meal was excellent, the service was prompt but not rushed. Just what we needed after a very early morning. We could not go to our cabin yet, but walked around the ship learning where everything was. After 3:00 we were able to get to cabin and were very happy with it. Room was exceptional clean, bathroom was spacious by ship bathroom standards, bed was very comfortable and balcony was private. Another bonus was the ability to put luggage under bed, it made the closet actually workable. Safe worked on first try. Everything worked, nice! We left Miami and it was fun to pass the other ships in port, especially those doing the muster as we passed. A comment on the muster, it was the easiest we've had. It also seemed the shortest, it is nice to get it over with. Other cruises we've left from San Juan and it seemed to take much longer, we had to meet in a public room and then move to the lifeboats. On NCL we went to our designated spots and waited briefly and then done. Ports: Our first port was Samana which we opted out of. We've been to the Dominican Republic before and it didn't interest us, even though the tendering seemed to be uneventful with using both sides of ship. It was a great time to hit the spa which I loved and definitely considered the best I've encountered. The peacefulness of the area, the lap pool and spas, very comfortable showers and steam room are worth the extra cost. To me it is better than paying extra for dining options. Visited spa a few more times this cruise. Treatments was reasonable and worth it. We took shore excursions in St. Thomas and Tortola and both were excellent. The beaches on these islands should not be missed and on Tortola we had lunch at Cane Paradise Beach and it was excellent, I would recommend it. We went to Nassau instead of Great Stirrup Cay which made some people happy, because I heard a loud cheer when captain announced it. We had not been to either so it made no difference. We couldn't do any research so on Nassau we walked around the town and visited some interest museums, stores etc and got a feel for the city. Saw Atlantis in distance which we might do next time. I love being docked, it gives you the freedom to come and go more easily. Dining on the ship was wonderful. We did the main dining room and I love freestyle, sat in a different area each night, servers was friendly and prompt and food was very good. Portions was very adequate and just the right size. Please people, if you want lots of food go to the buffet and eat. I'm trying to be conscious of what I consume. We were prepared to dine at one of the other place, but even after checking the menus felt the main rooms offered what we were looking for. We ate at Aqua and it was great and service was very good, but we loved the setting of the Venetian. We ate mostly breakfasts on the Garden Cafe and found the selection excellent and food good. It did get crowded at times and seemed cramped unless you walked into another section. Other ships buffet area do have better seating and space area. We enjoyed visiting the Garden Buffet before bedtime to have a cup of evening tea, very comfortable. Also I loved the chocolate buffet. On other ship the elaborate chocolate display seems somewhat wasteful and too much of a good thing. NCL Dawn's chocolate buffet was delicious and more restrained which I like is a good thing. Getting off this ship was smooth even though people lined up early for express departure and I'm not sure if it was necessary, but we had an early flight so felt we had to. I thinking keeping my luggage with us was good since I didn't have to think about what went into my carry on. Entertainment on this ship was by far the best I've had on any cruise. The singers and dancers did a great job and were approachable after their first show and it was fun to talk to them. Each show was very well done, the comedian Dave was very funny and for the first time in any of my cruises I went to each of of comedic show and enjoyed each one. An added bonus was the Second City group. Improv comedy is challenging, but I enjoyed each of their show very much. In summary, this was a very good cruise and I would recommend the NCL Dawn to my cruising friends. It was relaxing, refreshing and lots of fun. I didn't use the casino or bars so I have no comment on drinking and gambling. Service was exceptional all around, from our cabin stewart to the captain which we saw a couple of time, more than any other cruise. All personnel were very approachable and answered questions and concerns in a very professional manner. Thanks to all!