Great time - NCL has certainly dropped the ball in certain areas. I would be pleased to speak with anyone at NCL that would like to talk to me. I can't wait for my next cruise on NCL!!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Smooth but long line and no place for people to sit like in Miami.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Main Dining Room food fell a little flat. Buffett was surprisingly very good. Cagneys and Los Lobos were very good. I was not very thrilled with the LaCuccina - I wish they would have had a few "old fashioned" items - like chicken parm, lasagna or spaghetti and meatballs.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Pool and sun deck were great, although I did notice this time there was less waitstaff for beverages. Casino was fun but too too much smoke. The gift stores were disappointing as well.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
I did not go to any of the shows, however, my husband did and enjoyed them all - especially ELEMENTS.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
This was my 7th NCL cruise and I was somewhat disappointed in the staff this time. Firstly, staff has been cut. There are not as many people around to help you as their used to be. Also, it was very obviously that the crew and officers were not as friendly as in the past. Many of the crew and officers either looked away from you or did not even acknowledge you. Very unusually for NCL. My last problem with the crew was their understanding of the English Language. Either they did not understand the English Language well or they were specifically trained not to understand specific complaints/questions that guests had.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
My third time on the Dawn and it is still one of my favorite ships. The Pearl is my favorite ship.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
I usually stay in a mini suite, however, this time we booked a balcony room. The balcony room was fine. However, I would make a few recommendations should they every reconsider redoing the cabins. First of all they should swap the sofa and the bed space. This way when you walk in the room has more space. The second thing I would change is you really don't need the large square table. I would have rather had a smaller table and a smaller vanity. The closet space was perfect. There was enough room in the closet and drawers.
Ship tip
On any ship you shold bring clip magnets for hanging papers on the wall. Also, the cabins that are two doors down from the elevators is the perfect location. We were on deck 9 and near the elevator and not far from the buffet - I picked this cabin so my husband could get us coffee early in the morning. These are the things you figure out are important to you the more you cruise.
We had a great time in St. Kitts this time. The Port has been extending and we had a wonderful time in all the new shops. The only thing they need more of are restaurants and coffee shops. the local people who work in the shops were so very nice. We did most of our shopping in the shop that has Turtle in the name - sorry did not take a photo
I have not been in Old San Juan since 1980. This port was so nice. Several stores were closed because it was Monday, however, the places we went to were great. I recommend shopping in the Haitian Gallery - fabulous handmade items. We also ate in a local diner - Manolin - an adorable little diner. We sat at the counter - the food and service were great and the price was so reasonable.
We went on our first cruise last May and it was on the dawn. We loved it! The staff we had was all great except customer service could of used improvement. Our next one is on the Getaway so we will see, not sure about a bigger ship but we will see. Good you had a great time.
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