First and last cruise on Norwegian

Norwegian Dawn Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 4
Helpful Votes: 98

Overall rating:

2 out of 5
Verified Review
Norwegian Dawn

7 Night Western Caribbean (New Orleans Roundtrip)

Sail date: April 10, 2016

Ship: Norwegian Dawn

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: 9615

Traveled as: Singles/Friends

Reviewed: 8 years ago

Review summary

Positive

- Movies all day on 2 channels

- Wifi good

- Entertainers Jose and Patti great

- I was traveling solo in an interior cabin (first and last time for THAT!). I asked them to remove both the table and 1 bed so I could get my mobility scooter in and out of the cabin, which they promptly did.

 

Negative- day by day comments

4/10- Poor markings throughout ship- should have arrows pointing forward, aft (fish on floor don't help much because they're not in all locations); should be signs that say "Port", Starboard" like Holland America has

4/11- Wooden coffee stirrers with room service breakfast- how about a SPOON?

-Should have Lactaid milk- only option offered for lactose intolerance was soy milk

-220 outlet not like other cruise lines (Oceania, Holland America)- my adapters were useless

-Male bingo caller went too fast- I had bingo but didn't get to say it before he called next #; Lorena went at a much better pace

-Cocktails much more expensive than Holland America (Cosmo $12 vs. $9)

4/12- I told my steward- twice, and the front office- twice- about a problem in my stateroom. It never was resolved

4/13- Brought breakfast at 9:16- card marked 9:30-10:00.

- only one of 4 elevators would go down to deck 4 for tender- they didn't tell anybody or put a sign up. I am handicapped, and could not take stairs. There should have been signs posted saying "use this elevator to go to deck 4".

- There was definitely a shortage of information provided to guests throughout the entire cruise- poor/incomplete communication of things that passengers needed to know.

4/14- stewards talking loudly in the hall every morning. I don't mind talking, but their voices were louder than they needed to be. Some guests are still asleep at 8am!

-Tenders only came every 30 minutes- again, not provided with information that the schedule this day would be different than day before; no chairs for handicapped to sit while waiting 20 minutes

- Excursion returned 45 minutes late, missed bingo

- burned tongue on soup

4/15- fiasco at dinner. I was told that if I arrived when the dining room opened at 5, I would be able to have a table by a window in an excellent server's section. I arrived right at 5, but the hostess did not see me on deck 6 (strange configuration of dining room entrance- between decks 6 and 7. Fine for those who can use stairs- not so much for us handicapped folks). By the time she became aware of my presence, the tables by the window at that station were taken by others. I did what I was supposed to do, but once again, poor communication among staff cost me that table.

4/16- talked c Radu, Maitre d' of Venetian about 4/15 incident; he had table by window at Claudette's station for me at 6:30. Great dinner.

- Bingo that afternoon not done well- they made those just wanting raffle results wait for 2 of the 3 games of bingo before the drawing- seen by many of us as an obvious attempt to get them to buy bingo cards. Then they sold instant win tickets in between games, making those of us who did not want them wait.

- No bottles of soft drinks available for sale- and only Pepsi products.

4/17- brought breakfast at 7:40- scheduled for 8-830! Woke me up, and didn't seem to understand or care.

 

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5
meat dry, not as good as other cruise lines

Onboard Activities

1 out of 5
see comments re bingo

Entertainment

5 out of 5
see comment re Jose and Patti

Service and Staff

3 out of 5
see comments re poor communication and unresolved issues

Ship Quality

1 out of 5
multiple shortcomings- showered didn’t work right, hangers were a pain

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5
good size for an interior (horizontal instead of vertical configuration- near elevator.

Ship tip

try to get them to give you complete information!

Ports of call

New Orleans, Louisiana

5 out of 5
One of my favorite cities!

Cozumel, Mexico

3 out of 5
Dolphin Encounter was a good deal- all-inclusive- food and drinks- all you wanted!

Coxen Hole, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras

5 out of 5
good deal on a Philip Stein watch. Fish pedicures! Not much to it, though.

Belize City, Belize

3 out of 5
City tour was ok, but airboat adventure a bust!

Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico Did not visit port

Kohulich ruins not fun- 2 hrs to get there, 2hrs there and 2 hrs to get back! Steep hill to get to main attraction.
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