After having been on both the Gem and the Pearl, we so looked forward to Bermuda on the Dawn! This ship does not compare to those other NCL beauties nor is the food, service or decor any competition for them. Whereas the newer ships are colorful and cheery, the Dawn is plain and dull. There is no seating in the main atrium other than one small banquet for 8 people, a problem when you are waiting on the long lines for help at the desk.These mini-suites are slightly different than the Gem and the Pearl, and not for the better. It is very difficult to open the closet door without hitting the bed and the shelves inside the closet are less convenient than the placement on other ships. The balcony is average and we had no problem with it. The bathroom is roomy enough, but for those who are not so limber, it is very difficult to get in and out of the bathtub/shower without falling. There is no grip bar to assist you, so be very careful. It is for that reason alone, that if we ever cruise with NCL again, we would choose a balcony cabin with the stall shower. Our cabin had a nasty mildew smell about it and there was nothing to be done for it. The food in the main dining rooms was just average, but the problem was the new menus. They remain the same all week. Even the desserts are the same every day. This is supposedly an experiment that will eventually be implemented on all NCL ships we were told. It seems obvious that the object is to push us into the paying dining rooms, but I am offended by that. We did try the Italian restaurant, which was also just average and Cagney's, which was a step above but has also changed their menu to a very limited few choices, all for $25.00 additional. Even the buffet was lacking on this particular ship.The room stewards were fine, totally unobtrusive and never went above and beyond for anything. I did notice that a few sodas were never replaced in the fridge, but we didn't really care.The entertainment was okay, with kudos to the comedian Dave Heenan who was hilarious on stage and friendly in the hallways, dining rooms, etc. The Cruise Director John was pleasant enough and we enjoyed him most of the time.