Backward Progress on NCL Dawn

Norwegian Dawn Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 5
Helpful Votes: 155

Overall rating:

4 out of 5
Verified Review
Norwegian Dawn

7 Night Western Caribbean (New Orleans Roundtrip)

Sail date: January 15, 2017

Ship: Norwegian Dawn

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 10510

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 7 years ago

Review summary

"Improved" policies on NCL include disallowing carry on of sodas and water and charging $7.50 per day for Pepsi products only, charging a $139/person spa fee for many features that used to be included, taking an elegant dining room and having someone with zero artistic taste paint stripes, circles, etc. across formerly elegant prints, and finally replacing an indoor pool with additional high dollar cabins to further facilitate the separation of "classes" rather than supporting the wonderful process of allowing folks to just be people in community.

 

The staff, everyone we encountered, was wonderful, helpful, smiling, kind, etc. etc. as anyone could have imagined and hoped for.  Our room steward was one of the best we have had in 64 cruises, a waiter in Venetian Dining Room was so great we made sure we got him again.  The ship was clean, most things worked well, the entertainment was good and GREAT, the food was excellent, and the overall experience of the ship and staff were all one could hope for.

 

A couple of the "ports" were particularly disappointing. We travel at least a week a month and have for 25 years. One of the great experiences is getting to meet people where and how they live.  Two stops were basically cruise line owned island shopping centers and had nothing to do with the actual countries of Belize or Honduras. 

 

Overall, what's to gripe about when you get to spend a week on a ship with zero responsibility and being waited on.  We will continue to cruise but will consider other lines a bit more favorably than NCL in the future.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Children's Programs

3 out of 5

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5
Cabin steward was one of the best we have ever had. Bed was uncomfortable, but better than the floor. Bathroom was very tight.

Ship tip

Verify validity of named ports. If you want sun and sea and sand, it probably does no matter. If you want to meet people from other cultures in their own environment, probably need to explore other options.

Ports of call

New Orleans, Louisiana

5 out of 5

Cozumel, Mexico

3 out of 5

Coxen Hole, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras

1 out of 5

Harvest Caye, Belize

1 out of 5

Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico

3 out of 5
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4 Comments

Gwbigdog    2 years ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise.

jenniferwallner    7 years ago

Wait? The indoor lap pool is gone? Ugh. Just purchased the spa pass for the ability to use that pool. Triathlon training won't stop on my cruise! :)

amytrigirl1    7 years ago

Our first cruise was on the Dawn several years ago. The only indoor pool then was the one in the spa. It is still there. Big changes moving Bliss from 12 to 7 (to add the bigger suites on 12), and we did miss the big forward facing windows that Bliss used to have, but the rest of the renovations were wonderful.

flipflop15    7 years ago

when did they remove an indoor pool?

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