Norwegian Dawn Review
NCL Dawn from New Orleans to Western Caribbean
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Additional details
Not rating this a 5, mostly because we did not get the recognition and the perks of being silver latitude members. Getting on the ship went well, getting off a little more confusing, they routed us the long way around the lobby, and we were getting off late enough, they were allowing exit through the lobby area. Just the 3 of us, all senior citizens but pretty active. My sister was with us and it was her first cruise, so overlooked not getting a ship pin or invites to the parties. I guess all of that was supposed to be placed in our cabin the first day, but we didn't get any of it and the lattitudes contact person on board acted like it was our fault, we should have known better when i asked him the last day of the cruise. well, it's been 4 years since we sailed on NCL, so weren't really sure until we checked on our perks when we got back.
it's a good thing the ship is going into dry dock, the public bathrooms need some work! loose toilets, doors that won't lock, etc.... the ship wasn't full, so the upgrade fairy called 3 days before we left and we upgraded to a mini suite with a balcony. loved it! loved it more that i didn't have to crawl up into a bunk bed every night like i would have had to do in the original cabin that we booked. also had a bathtub and a coffee pot!
the food and service was all good, the Chateaubriand was the best we have ever had on a cruise (35 of them), the Escargot was really different, not what we were expecting, more of a mushroom and escargot mix in sauce served between flaky crusts. loved that they served bananas foster! no lobster included for free though. The dining room wouldn't let me take my desert back to my room, darn! I wanted to save it for later. Didn't really like how the 24 hour food place worked though. It could be slow at times to get served, and a limited menu, like sitting down in a cafe for a bite to eat. we didn't utilize the buffet much but was very nice when we did. clean area and good food choices. The ice cream and bbq out by the pool seemed to be offered for only a short amount of time, kept missing it!
Cabin Review
Mid-Ship Mini-Suite with Balcony
Had a balcony and a nice room, could have used a little more closet space and shelves in the bathroom. Great bathroom though with the toilet secluded. My first balcony, so it was super! Room was kept clean for us!
Port Reviews
New Orleans
Always love new orleans, but it was jazz festival and we couldn't get a room booked to stay an extra day so just drove around a bit so my sister could see some attractions.
Cozumel
I guess I would recommend getting a day pass for one of the great beaches and mostly avoid the shopping! you might get a better deal on souvenirs a little aways from the pier, but I just don't think it's worth the hassle anymore! Been to Cozumel over a dozen times and it just isn't fun dealing with the locals any more! Most of the jewelry isn't even made in Mexico now, it's made in china, just like the US. Pick up some liquor, tshirts, shotglasses, handmade pottery at the beach or near the ship, still not a bad price, and just go have a good time!
Roatan
just not much there, should book something for that port, or stay onboard and enjoy the ship! nice christmas store there right at the pier!
Belize City
I like belize, would like to go stay there a few days. again, though, there's not much to do at the pier, nice bar, a little shopping. it's nice that the primary language there is english. should book a tour to go to a nice beach, or go snorkeling. the water often seems rough, but it is a top destination for scuba, and snorkeling. there was a guard at the tanzanite international store that wouldn't let me take a photo of my sister inside of the store. he followed me around the whole time i was in the store, so we didn't stay long. didn't feel very welcome.
Costa Maya
Just have fun here - don't need to spend a bunch of money!