This was our 9th cruise and 2nd on Norwegian. We are not fans of "Freestyle Cruising" since you never get the same waiters twice and your tips are pooled. They really are not that motivated. The service isn't bad, but it's not as good as lines where the staff gets to know you and really work for their tips. The food was good but nothing to really rave about. We refuse to pay extra for an optional dining room when we buy a cuise from any line and we're usually happy with the offerings. We never had a bad meal, but again, we never really had a meal that was special. Activities were rare. I don't really know what the cruise director's staff did other than sell bingo cards and strip tickets. Other cruise lines we've been on had so many activities you had to pick and choose what to do on sea days. Our other NCL cruise had few activities, but it was Alaska so there was always something to do on deck. The dawn was one of the dullest ships we've ever been on. There was no theme to speak of. The theater could have been from a old mall in the states. Nothing special at all. The shows were like very good school production, but nothing you'd want to buy a ticket for. I assume Norwegion has a pecking order for the entertainers and the dawn is at the bottem of the list. Read Less

An offer came in our email and the price was hard to beat, so we called RCI to book the March 7th cruise on Jewel of the seas. We decided to upgrade to a superior balcony, cabin 9254 and specifically asked if it was obstructed in any way and was told it was NOT... well they LIED!!!!! it is obstructed on not 1 or 2 but all 4 sides ( including up and down) so our views of the ocean were extremely limited! window washing equipment up and below us, a ladder for the window washer to the right and a hugeeeee i beam to the left!!!!! and for this view i paid MORE than a regular balcony!!!!! to say we were disappointed with our accommodations is an understatement! Boarding was a piece of cake, used capitol parking and we were at the terminal in less than 5 mins!, once inside, they do a great job of directing you to the proper lines and what information to have ready. check in was under 15 mins!, riht up to our stateroom to our major disappointment. went to guest services who told us that there was no place to move us, and that it was not a restricted view!!! i invited them up to the cabin to see for themselves!( nobody ever showed up) on to lunch at the windjammer... food was overcooked and mostly cold by the time that we got there! luckily we knew about the seaview cafe, best food on the ship! wonderful chili and fried fish! Meals in the tides were disgusting at best. Prime rib was raw, had to send it back 2x to get an edible piece, 2nd night the beef tenderloin was MOOING!!! the 2nd piece was so tough you could play hockey with it!, we skipped the 3rd night due to the poor performance... also rolls are COLD! i mean ICE COLD every night, bar service in the main dining room was a hit or miss, usually having to ask 4 or 5 times! no smiles on the waiters at table 144 must have been the end of their tour. another note was that there was NO escargot yet again ( have read this on other reviews) for the entire trip, they substituted with minuscule scallops in the escargot trays! Chops on the other hand was FABULOUS!!! of COURSE ITS A 39.00 UPCHARGE to go to that restaurant, steaks were cooked perfectly, service as it should have been and WARM rolls! everything of any quality has an UPCHARGE on this boat! you cant even get freshly squeezed orange juice without paying 2.50!!! coffee is starbucks and was delightful but again a 5.50 UPCHARGE for coffee!!! the most memorable person was the room service delivery guy he was FANTASTIC!!! as for our room steward, even though asked repeatedly every day, couldn't seem to remember to fill the ice bucket! but room service brought up the ice with a smile 2x a day!!! NOTE..... if you are a smoker..... there is NO smoking in the casino on formal night!!!!! no announcements made, but they not so politely tell you that when you light up on that night! casino was average for a cruise ship, saw people winning 5 and 6 hundred, so the slots were paying, even on the way back! NO free beverages in the casino, even though i had well over 1500 points! major disappointment! BINGO..... DONT Bother!!!!! $48 FOR 4 GAMES OF BINGO and the payouts were only $200 a game!!!!! majorrrrr rip off! Activities were varied and the staff was EXCELLENT!!! got people involved and made it fun to be by the pool! everything on RCI has turned into an " extra" getting your room is inexpensive, but the charges were MORE than the cruise, AND my husband and i DONT DRINK!!!!! all in all ill go back to carnival, where they do NOT nickel and dime you to death! Read Less