We just needed a break from work - close to retirement, this was a decision we made a couple weeks prior to sailing, We had cruised NCL twice before (transatlantic and eastern caribbean), Princess many times, Carnival and Oceania.

While the Western Caribbean hasn;t been our favorite, taking the DAWN out of New Orleans seemed like the right price / value equation, We chose the unlimited beverage package and upgraded specialty dining (3) as our booking incentives, For that we paid for an obstructed ocean view on Floor 8.

The location on the ship was ideal - just down the hall from O'Sheehans, which we used many times for breakfast, snacks and certainly our beverages of choice. While table service was spotty there, bar service was excellent, and food a convenient alternative to finding the way to Venetian, or trekking to the horrid buffet on 12. Did I say horrid ? Clearly the worst buffet I've had on a ship in at least 15 years. There;s really no redeeming social value to it .. Think Golden Corral on an average day .. The three specialty restaurants we chose were very good to outstanding: Cagney;s was good to very good. La Cucina (cioppino fra diavlo and veal osso bucco) excellent, and Le Bistro outstanding .. The two major dining venues (Venetian for all three meals) and Aqua for dinner had decent food served with a smile. We were lucky enough to get window seats most visits .. the only complaint about Venetian is its evening dress code - men must wear long pants - I got turned away wearing a dress pair of shorts with a collared shirt (ladies get away with most anything). At all of these the UBP (unlimited beverage plan) was cheerfully accepted. while i would never pay 79 / day for it, paying the 100 service charge for this billing perk made it very convenient and cost efficient, Read more