Delightful ports and the best crew in the business made up for a small, somewhat boring ship and a sadly outdated stateroom.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
My elderly mother was traveling with me, and had I known how long she'd have to stand in lines (several separate lines, including stairs) without rest, I would have spent an extra four figures to get a suite and be able to skip some lines.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We loved all the food and have no complaints. The ship did run out of coffee cream for the last two days, which was annoying, but you can't predict everything.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
We played trivia games several times. The cruise director staff member who led the first game of trivia was new and was not aware of the activity cards/signatures, so I didn't know they existed until several days later. The main pool and hot tubs were very nice. This ship doesn't have the modern activities like climbing walls and such.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The musicians were fine (we only listened while walking through areas where they were playing), and what little we saw of the DJs was fine. We did not attend stage shows. The live music was too loud to have conversations in some parts of the ship, which was unfortunate.
Children's Programs
We did not travel with children.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Norwegian crew members are the best in the business. Everyone is extremely friendly and helpful.
Ship Quality
2 out of 5
The ship feels outdated, with its lack of modern activity facilities like those found on large ships nowadays. I think the space taken up by the theatre could be repurposed into space for activities that appeal to more (read: younger) passengers. Stage shows are a huge waste of space. I feel the same about the casino and the cigarette and liquor stores. It all reeks of a different, less enlightened era.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
The size and cleanliness of the cabin were great. We were very comfortable. However, there were a total of TWO US-type electrical outlets, one in the bathroom and one on the counter by the hair dryer. There were no outlets of ANY kind on the walls near the beds. I was expecting US-style outlets and even USB outlets, as on the Norwegian Jade, and I was amazed and appalled to find what I found. I believe the Dawn was refurbished in 2016, not 1986. Surely you are aware, and were then, that people travel with multiple electronic devices that need charging. We ended up plugging nine devices into the one outlet. Surely this is not the sort of thing you mean to encourage passengers to do!
Ship tip
Bring your own (non-surge-protected) power strip, with a long cord, and several European outlet converters, because your stateroom will not have any US-style electrical outlets anywhere near your beds.
We were deeply disappointed not to be traveling to Grand Cayman, and we've been to Key West many times. But we found things to do. It would have been ludicrous for us to pay for excursions here.
We thought Aruba was beautiful. We took a tour bus excursion that included a semi-submarine ride, then we took a sunset sailboat excursion. The sun actually did not set during the sunset sail, but such are ship schedules. It was all a lot of fun.
We did not take an excursion in Bonaire. There was nothing available that met our needs. We went ashore and went shopping. We felt very safe and welcome there.
We thought Saint Lucia was lovely, but we were bothered by the obvious income inequality. We took a tour bus excursion that included historical sites and a lot of driving up into the hills. Our beach time was on a beach where large rocks under the water made it difficult to go swimming, but the water was still delightful.
Antigua was our favorite stop. We took a tour bus excursion that included music, rum punch, lunch, and time on a perfect, pristine white sand beach. Absolutely flawless.
We are natives of the New York area. I spent the weekend in the city, and had a fabulous time, but I do that all the time, so it had nothing to do with Norwegian.
We'd been led to believe there would be a taxi queue available at the port; this turned out not to be true. Next time I sail into New York I will be better prepared.
That was the was the first ship I sailed on and I loved it. Room was very clean and I loved the glass elevators in the atrium. Will always be my favorite ship ♥️♥️♥️
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