We booked this cruise knowing that, since it embarked on Easter Sunday, there'd be plenty of kids aboard for their spring breaks. We booked a balcony suite and signed up for the spa ($115 for two for five days--a bargain). The balcony and spa gave us plenty of privacy and quiet. Still, no kid will ever walk when he or she can run, so the thumping of feet down corridors (and shouting) were constant companions.

Embarcation: the scene outside the terminal at noon was chaotic. But,once inside, NCL's people had us moving quickly and courteously through registration and security, and we were on board quickly. But, since rooms weren't ready until 2 p.m., we were shunted to the Garden buffet. There were two entrances, but NCL didn't think to steer people to both--only one. Result: more than a half hour's wait to get in. Their bad.

Dining: Uneven. Our most recent NCL point of reference was Pride of America (Hawaii, 12/08). The Dawn's buffet was definitely dumbed down compared with PoA--more like a cafeteria, few if any ethnic choices, no omelet stations, horribly overcooked hot dogs and hamburgers. But the Asian soup one day was wonderful. We didn't use the premium dining rooms. Service in the two standard dining rooms (by mostly Filipino waitstaff) was polished and professional. Portions were modest (fine with us) and nicely presented. But service was inexplicably slow on two nights. The NY strip steak, as on PoA, was of indifferent quality and tasted as if it had been thrown on the grill frozen. But the prime rib one night was excellent, as was the curried chicken and shrimp. Soups and appetizers were excellent. Desserts were standard. Sign of the times: espresso, which was included on PoA, cost extra on Dawn. Read more