Norwegian Dawn Review
So many positives, and only a few negatives
Rating by category
Additional details
First of all - the staff are amazing. We were never anything other than delighted with the staff and their service, or their pleasantness. The food was also very delightful - we rarely ate in the buffet because frankly, I have zero restraint, but in the dining rooms the food was beautifully presented, sensible portion sizes, excellent temperature and flavour. Our room was lovely - we were on deck 5, had more than enough room for the two of us (let's face it, we don't spend much time in our room anyway), and the beds were extremely comfortable. I suppose the decor was a tiny bit tired, but comfort is far more important. We loved the excursions that we chose, and truly appreciated that the captain made some last minute changes to our itinerary that not only allowed us to avoid having to tender, but also gave us Harvest Caye to ourselves as the only ship in port!
For negatives - well, it really depends on your perspective:
a) the musicians were talented, but the volume just too loud for some of the venues (the small lounges and atrium)...we were quite happy that our room was mid-ship and on deck 5, so away from the sound. However, some people like it loud, so it's a question of personal taste I guess.
Cabin Review
Nice sized bathroom, good sized window, very comfortable beds, lots of drawer and closet space, and kept very nicely by the room steward (we had Leonardo, what a sweetie).
Port Reviews
Costa Maya
We enjoyed Chacchoben's Mayan ruins - our guide Paplo (jr, his dad works there too) was very well informed and gave a stellar tour. The bus ride to the ruins from the port was extremely comfortable. The walk is easy, but the ground is a bit rough so keep an eye out so you don't trip. The Port 'village' is really quite nifty, lots to do and see, and although vendors certainly try to attract you, they are not terribly pushy.
Cozumel
We did the Island Discovery and Chocolate tour - very comfortable transportation, very interesting tour. Also got to see the stingless bees at the bee sanctuary - very cool. Enjoyed the chocolate tasting, the tequila tastings and the honey tastings. Felt it was well worth it, and we still had lots of time to shop in Cozumel if we wished to.
Harvest Caye
LOVED IT - made for a stellar beach day - like being at an all inclusive resort re amenities (although food and drink isn't part of the package). Ours was the only ship in port, so there were lots of lounge chairs to go around.
Roatan
We went to Gumbalimba Park - I really enjoyed the tour, which encompassed plants and animals, and was SUPER excited to have monkeys climb on me, and birds sit on my shoulders. Enjoyed the pool after (it was a scorching day) - once you go, there is no set time to return to the ship as long as you ensure you catch the last transport, which was nice. NOTE -you can't really bring anything in with you (like bags etc) so make sure you bring some money in a pocket to tip the animal trainers, they deserve it. The transportation to the park was in very small vans, a bit squashy, but I am not complaining, as it's all they have...so just making you aware.