Norwegian Dawn Review
Rating by category
Additional details
For our first cruise we decided to leave from close to home and depart from New Orleans. There are limited choices from this port and we decided on the Norweign Dawn since it was a 7 day trip and had good destinations.
The ship while older was maintained well. Our cabin and public areas were kept very clean and everything on board worked well. While the ship was at full capacity there were very few times when it felt crowded. There were always places to go on board to avoid crowds. I did a lot of reading on the crusie critic forums before departure which provided useful tips and helped me plan appopriately.
The food selection was varied and the quality was good. We did not pay to eat at surcharge restaurants and were happy with the food. We preferred the Venetian dining room at the rear of the ship since the decor was slightly nicer than the Aqua. It was a treat to dine with white table cloths and have such attentive service. For dinner we often ordered 2 appetizers to offset the smaller portions of entrees. The variety of entrees were good with 6 popular items on the menu every day and 8 items changed daily. We enjoyed the free style dinning since we could eat where and when you want. If you want dinner at the most popular times, there is sometimes a short wait. Breakfast and lunch were eaten at the buffet or dinning rooms.
Cabin Review
Mid-Ship Inside
Since I was concerned about sea sickness and cost conscience, we selected a cabin in the middle of the ship as low as possible. Our cabin location was on a small hallway off the main passageway. We liked it since it was surrounded by other cabins but away from people walking through the passageway. The space was small but well designed. It has good storage space and a small safe for money and valuables. The bathroom area was also well designed and I was impressed with the shower. With the beds pushed together, there was just enough space to walk around the bed. The only downside to the interior cabin was the lack of a place for both of us to sit and enjoy room service.