Norwegian Dawn Review
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I am just off the Norwegian Dawn with my DH and DD (10). DH and I are in our early fifties and this was our fifth cruise, the third with NCL. We all loved this cruise.
We live in NH and flew out of Logan Airport in Boston the day before the cruise. I had booked out pre-cruise hotel at the Conrad in Miami and the cab there from Miami Airport was about $35. When we got to the Conrad, imagine how we felt when we found out that we had been upgraded from a standard room to a two bedroom, two (luxurious) bathroom apartment with ocean and city views! WOW! What a beautiful hotel and the staff could not have been more pleasant and welcoming. We walked to La Moon Columbian restaurant on 8th Ave. and had a delicious meal, although in hindsight I should not have ordered so much food (I think I was on Cruise Appetite already!). We ate breakfast down the street on Saturday morning and got a cab to the Seaport ($30 including tip) around noon.
Embarkation was quick and painless. We were welcomed on board Deck 7 with champagne and there were many NCL staff members mingling with the guests offering directions and answering questions. Our first impression of the ship was that it was pretty although the colors were a little loud. The restaurant reservation table was right there and we booked Bamboo ($15 cover for each adult and $7.50 for DD) for that evening. We then went up to Deck 13 and registered DD for the Kids Crew and met the staff and then picked up lunch at the buffet on Deck 12 and took it out on deck to eat it. DD had her swimsuit in her bag and she and a few other kids enjoyed the hot tub. Then it was time to check out our cabin (around 2:00- they made an announcement.) We had booked a Mini-Suite for the first time and it was really nice. They aren't suites at all- just larger balcony cabins with a much bigger bathroom with a tub and a sofa instead of a loveseat with a curtain that goes all the way across. I always over pack to an insane degree but there was room to store all the stuff I brought, half of which we never used. We ate early at Bamboo (we enjoyed this very much) and then DD was off to the Kids Crew. DH and I enjoyed a drink in the Pearly Kings Pub and relaxing on deck and then used the hot tub with DD after she (reluctantly) left the Kids Crew.