Norwegian Dawn Review
First Time to Ever Be Disappointed on a Cruise
Rating by category
Additional details
We booked this cruise because we needed some rest and relaxation. We selected NCL based on the itinerary offered (Cozumel, Roatan, Belize, and Costa Maya) and for the embarkation port (New Orleans). We had cruised previously on the Norwegian Spirit in Europe and had a very good experience.
We like the freestyle dining option as we prefer to eat in different venues for the variety. For this cruise, we elected not to dine in any of the specialty restaurants. The Venetian was nice, but the service was sometimes slow. The Aqua was too noisy for our liking. The Blue Lagoon was great for breakfast or a late night snack. The Garden Cafe buffet was a hit and miss, usually a miss. Overall, the food was adequate, but definitely not exceptional. My husband and I and friends traveling with us are in agreement in that we feel the food on the Dawn was of the lowest quality we have experienced on any cruise. We found the food to be much better on the Spirit in 2013. Having said this, I must also state that we absolutely do not cruise to review the food.
We did not book this cruise for the entertainment, but thoroughly enjoyed the music duo that Norwegian had booked for a few weeks to entertain in the atrium. Jose and Patti are very talented performers and it would do Norwegian well to keep them under contract.
Cabin Review
Balcony
The cabin was much smaller than we expected. Floor space was tight between the bed and the walls. Only one person at a time could walk in the space between the foot of the bed and the wall. The vanity area is not well lit. The space was adequate for what we needed, but may pose a problem for larger people. Trying to travel with three adults or older children in a cabin of this size may prove difficult. Storage space is limited and almost non-existent in the bathroom.
Port Reviews
New Orleans
We drove in the day of the cruise. Embarkation was uneventful.
Cozumel
We have been to this port numerous times so we chose to walk around the city. Fortunately, we were docked at Port Lucaya. Our friends wanted to eat at Guido's for lunch so we chose to walk there. Guido's was fine, not fantastic.