Norwegian Dawn Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Norwegian dawn was awesome to Bermuda! The shows were amazing! Bring lots of straws! The patches for your ears work so good. White night was so fun! No free WiFi or anything! The crew on the ship was so fun

The 2-family suite - and the perks which came along with it - made the big difference on this cruise. If your budget allows it, I would highly recommend the suite. Priority embarkation and disembarkation kept the stress levels low. The complimentary breakfast and lunch in the Moderno restaurant were delicious. A limited wi-fi, as well as drink and meal packages were included. The stateroom was well appointed, and the cabin steward was fantastic when it came to making up or turning down the rooms. Although friends of ours raved about the butler that came with the room, ours made a brief appearance during the first day never to be seen again. We didn't anticipate using his services very often but thought that it was strange that he was nowhere to be seen. Deck chairs near the pools were all claimed very early. If you want one, send a family member with towels to 'reserve' your chairs early. They go fast. There were always high-top tables near TopSiders which suited my needs. It was my first time in Bermuda and it surpassed my expectations. We spent quite a bit of time on land. The island was picturesque, and the locals were very friendly and helpful.

I've been on much bigger ships but this was by far our best cruise. Food was good and service excellent. Everyone was so nice. It was nine of us and we had the best time. We met a wonderful family on the ship and they even came and got us at the airport after our flight got canceled on the way back and let us stay the night with them. Burmuda is by far the prettiest and friendliest island we have ever been to. I want to go back there.

The most relaxing vacation i've ever had. The food was out of this world. The staff was awesome. The entertainment was beyond exceptional.

Cabin smelled like sewer the entire sailing. Pranksters always knocked on our door really loud and ran. Food was good. Drinks were weak. Entertainment was bad. The DJ at the lounge at no clue what he was playing for certain themed nights. I actually helped him with the playlist and he played the songs in the same exact order i wrote them down. This ship has potential but they need a lot of updating. The medical staff on the Dawn were phenomenal.

This cruise was ok if you are a cruise person. As a first timer I felt it was overwhelming and frankly annoying. I felt the crew was very unorganized at times. Restaurants had absolutely terrible service. The Venetian and O’sheehans had the absolutely worst service I have ever encountered in my life. I will give them that they responded to my complaints within a day but overall very disappointed with them and I would never recommend them to travelers. The Dawn was on the smaller side but still 2000 passengers. Some rude staff were encountered but otherwise they were ok. Onboard entertainment was pretty good especially for the night shows. Not a lot for adults to really do during the day besides drink by the worlds smallest pool. And beware it could use a few more shaded spots for lounging around. Amenities were ok but they will get you with those hidden and high prices. Get the drink package only if you and your travelers have at least 4+ drinks throughout the day. It seemed like the kids and teenagers had a lot to do so I would recommend for that age group. Could have preferred more time in Bermuda but they were milking on board purchases as much as possible. Debarking the ship was the most unorganized thing I have ever seen. Barely any signs or directions to get off. I would not recommend easy walk off if you have your kids or older travelers.

Had a amazing time on the Dawn!!! Honestly no complaints... Our room was clean and staff was polite and were always there to make sure we were having the best vacation. Food and entertainment were great. Also our time on the island was amazing!!! The island is easy to get around and easy to plan your own excursion. We are already planning another trip for next year :) It was a true relaxing vacation!!!! Here are a couple tips: -Don’t worry about what to wear to dining room they are very relax with dress code -If you don’t have any kiddos best time to use the pool is after dinner time ( first thing to do in the morning is get a lounge chair by the pool) -A dollar can go a long way if you tip the bartenders etc... they will remember you ;) - There are no straws so bring a reusable one -Overall relax and have the best time every :)

The staff on the Dawn make up for the few foibles on board. We felt so well taken care of by staff all over the ship. I cannot wait to return and hope I can cruise to Bermuda on the Dawn again.

Just came home from the Boston to Bermuda cruise! It was so much fun and I have no complaints. The food was delicious, drinks were strong, entertainment was excellent! There was plenty to do on the ship and in Bermuda! We had perfect weather too! Already planning to do it again next year!

Always an amazing cruise bartenders extremely nice, food was good and our room was so convenient. Staff was always helpful and I love every second of it.

like i said before, if you want to go a low budget cruise without all the fluff and good entertainment, the Dawn is a good cruise.

Embarking was a breeze. It was pouring by the time we got to the terminal so I dropped off the luggage and my family and went to park the car and by the time I got back we were passing security and boarding within 20 minutes. Once on the show we went to have a late lunch at O’Sheehans but were interrupted due to the 3pm lesson. The hostess should have told us that we would have to clear the dining room at 2:55pm before sitting us down at 2:40pm. The bar on deck 13 was really crowded but if you know how to handle a crowded bar like us you will find a seat and be happy. The food at O’Sheehans was ok not much to rave about but my teenage girls liked the wings and went back every chance they got. The only restaurants that I would frequent next time would be Cagney’s and La Cucina. I tried Moderno’s but it was just ok. There was plenty to do as far as activities and you will never be bored unless you really tried. Bliss lounge was fun. We went just about every night to listen to music and hangout. Disembarkation was a breeze because I pick the pink tags and we were the last color getting off. The room was clean and cozy and we were never without clean towels or bed sheets. Christian mad sure if that! The buffet was ok, I went for breakfast and then an afternoon snack. My 14 & 16 year old girls made some friends and went about doing there own thing with dinner reservations a few times. Overall we enjoyed the cruise and will definitely try another Norwegian ship again.

We returned from the Boston to Bermuda cruise a week ago. This was our second time doing this particular cruise, and overall, we loved it! Getting onboard was so easy this time...we were told to choose a time, which we did online. We got there at our appointed time and it was a breeze! Our luggage arrived shortly after we got onboard; there was an issue with my husband’s CPAP machine missing but they were right on it and it arrived soon after. Onboard, we had awesome days at sea. The pool area is always crowded and somewhat small; people go up there at the crack of dawn to save seats. We know this and don’t usually use the pool area, we go to the hot tub at the front of the ship ~ it’s less crowded. Our kids used the pool and the hot tubs that were near the pool. Again, this is the main “hub” and it’s always crowded. There was always a “line” for drinks at the bar in this area and it went slow...it always took awhile to get a drink and my suggestion for NCL would be to be implement some sort of “line” system, maybe with ropes or something, as people gathered in a “clump” and you never really knew who was next which led to confusion and some “disagreement” between cruisers ~ seems like a simple fix. The food onboard was “so-so”; we weren’t overly impressed! The buffet was rather boring and had lots of the same things repeatedly and everything sort of tasted bland. There was always pizza, though, and sometimes there was something that was surprisingly tasty! We are at Carney’s and although the meal was good, the quality and quantity seems to have gone downhill since we last ate in there 5 years ago. Overall, we weren’t very impressed with the food. There was one place we ate a few times, opened 24 hours, O’Sheehans, I believe, that was ok...I enjoyed the fish and chips and my son liked the burger, although he likes anything! We also had them deliver the complimentary breakfast each morning (muffins, fruit, coffee) ~ it was always great and you can order the night before on a card you leave outside your door and they’ll deliver it the next day at the time you choose! Our room was great, always clean and comfortable. We had a balcony room, the kids were across the hall in an inside cabin ~ I liked their bathroom better - more open! Our cabin attendant was always pleasant! We also attended many shows onboard and we really enjoyed them all. We saw a magician, a comedian, Elements, and another show; we usually had dinner and went to the 9:00 show. We would usually go a little early; some of them got crowded. We also went to the casino briefly and played Bingo. I thought Bingo was expensive but...we were on vacation! We didn’t win 😝. There is so much to do on the ship, you can be as busy as you want to be...or not! My one disappointment was that we booked this cruise as a graduation gift for my daughter and brought her and my son along. They have a “teen club” which we thought would be great for them. It ended up that the club was only for 13-17 year olds; because my daughter had turned 18, she couldn’t participate and was lumped in with the 18-25 year old age group...that was not her scene; she would have enjoyed hanging with her brother and the others in the teen club. Maybe NCL could give 18 year olds the choice - many are not ready for the whole “drinking/partying” vibe that most in the older group were into. My daughter was fine, though, and found other things to do on the one or two occasions when her brother hung out at the teen club. That’s all! Happy cruising!

Overall the cruise was great. Food and drinks were very good. Didn't feel drinks were watered down. Staff very good. Small pool, tough to get seats on last 2 days at sea. But by then we could use a break from the sun. Not a heck of a lot for the kids (14 & 15). But they Met other kids thru teen center every night. Enjoyed their freedom. Cruise was convenient we didn't have to fly (5 of us)to get there.

I just got off my third cruise on the Dawn to Bermuda! I love the size of the ship as it is just right for me and my 15 year old. Already booked again for his 16th Birthday as we celebrated his last 4 birthdays on cruises! The teen club is wonderful. I love the aft/balcony rooms!

A lover of Bermuda and nice to visit once again.....

Had a great time on the Boston to Bermuda cruise. Enjoyed the entertainment, the staff members were always pleasant and the food was good. Unlike some of the reviews, we found the food in the Cafe to have a different menu everyday. Breakfast was only somewhat different but the variety is enough to try something new daily. There were plenty of places for quiet reading on a lounge chair and plenty of things to keep you busy. We did find that staff was not well informed so it does pay to double check with another member, if you have a question. We couldn’t find a soda vending machine and were directed by 4 members to different places. This time, asking another member didn’t work because we never found it. The iConcierge app is a must if you want to communicate with fellow travelers, see a running total of expenses as you go, know the locations of events and have a handy list of daily activities. Several improvements could be made to the app, such as descriptions of activities and closing times. The best tip we received was to take a shoe hanger with many pockets to hang on the bathroom door. All toiletries, aspirin, lotions, etc. were visible and kept the counter clear in a small space. We didn’t use the WiFi or soda package right away. When we tried, we were told they weren’t in our records. I had a printout of Norwegians confirmation of the purchase but we had to wait 4 days for the Customer Service to honor the purchases because Headquarters isn’t open on the weekend and they needed them to confirm. With only 3 days left, we cancelled it. Bermuda was beautiful and everyone was pleasant. A cab or shuttle to Horseshoe beach cost $42 each way. Our cab driver to Crystal caves was nice enough to wait for us to drive us back. I stepped on coral at Snorkel beach after one step into the water. Bring water shoes!

EMBARKATION About as straightforward and easy as we have had on a cruise. We started and ended in Boston (I'll do a separate review on the port). We arrived at the port around 10:00 and were on board between 11:00 and 11:30. I'm a frequent cane user and decided to use one on the cruise this time. Seeing my cane, the folks at the port let us board a little early with the "special assistance" group. That was a new thing for me but I, somewhat reluctantly, have to admit it was quite helpful. Our luggage showed up at our room sometime before 2:30, which was about as early as it ever has. We made sure to tip the luggage handlers well when we dropped off our bags. SHIP The Dawn is an older ship but it is well maintained and is kept well functioning and very clean. The layout takes a day or two to get accustomed to, but no more that that. The ship is elegant and beautiful, with common spaces that are understandably smaller than the Breakaway- and Epic-class ships. There are sufficient elevators for the number of passengers. The one negative that NCL needs to address is the cigarette smoke odor in Gatsby's and on the passageway above. It's not repelling but it is unpleasant. It was not so 'thick' that it caused any issues with my asthma, but did caused us to choose other places on the ship to 'hang out'. BALCONY CABIN Our port side, forward balcony cabin was 10528. It was sufficiently roomy, the bed was firm and about as comfortable as we've had on a cruise ship. We had no issues with doors, odors, bathroom fixture operation, or anything else. Our room steward, Anil, kept the room impeccably clean, was warm and charming, and was very helpful. A request for distilled water for my CPAP yielded a gallon jug in short order. We made sure we tipped him well both on the first day and on the evening before disembarkation day. Although it was just forward of the forward elevators, there was no 'traffic-noise'. We always make sure to pick rooms that have cabins above and below so there were no noise issues at all. We love the ocean views, sounds, and breezes from the balcony and firmly believe the cost of the balcony cabin is worth it for all that can afford it. On the other hand we've had both balcony and mini-suite staterooms and, with just the two of us, have found no substantial advantage to the slightly larger mini-suites. Might be different for 3 or 4 travellers sharing a stateroom. DINING We took most of our meals in the Venetian main dining room. The food was always excellent, there was always a selection of new entrees on the menu each day. The staff was attentive, friendly, and fun - especially if you took a few moments to get aquainted with them. Occasionally we had meals in O'Sheehans. It was also very good and the wait staff was great there, too. The food and staff were also great in the Bamboo Asian fusion restaurant. Topsiders is good for what it is: Fast and filling. We choose to reserve the Garden Buffet for snacks and meals when you're in a hurry and only ate one full meal there. It was all good, we have no complaints, the 'Washy-washy, Happy-happy' folks are a hoot, but it will likely never be our first choice. The Atrium bar staff was amazing. The staff in the Sugar Cane Mojito bar was kind enough to take time to educate us on mojitos and help us pick out a couple to suit our tastes. Despite the occasional claim on the forum that the drinks are 'watered down' we found them to mixed 'just right'. There are enough dining and bar venues on board we didn't get to all of them, even over a 7 day cruise. ENTERTAINMENT We love the nightly production-style shows the smaller ships offer and the production cast on the Dawn was talented and energetic. For us it's a 'must see' every evening they are on stage. The magician was amazing and very entertaining. Others will have a different opinion, but the comedienne did not align very well to our style of comedy and we chose other entertainment over her show. The thing you trade for the great production shows is that there are fewer 'club-style' venues than on the larger ships. Jose and Patti were excellent and packed the Grand Atrium every evening. The other entertainers on board were also good, but fewer and less diverse than on the larger ships. We still prefer the smaller ships, but will cruise again on the large ships if the timing and itinerary work out, and will enjoy their advantages when we do. DISEMBARKATION Again, disembarkation went about as well as it ever has. We always have few enough bags we do the walk-off option. We stood on a constantly moving line for 45 minutes or so, and were off before 9:30. OVERALL We found the staff to be as fun and friendly as any cruise and maybe more so. Everyone from the wait staff, to the photographers, to the bartenders, to the Cruise Director's staff was great. The Dawn has a lot to offer and we would definitely choose the ship again given the right time and itinerary.

Overall a great trip! First time on NCL and would do this itinerary again!

This cruise is especially awesome because of the freedom you get by docking for a few days. It's really nice to be able to come and go when you like. This was the second time on the same itinerary and ship. Several upgrades have been made to the ship. We really enjoyed the added specialty dining. We had the ultimate drink and dining package which really added to the enjoyment of the cruise. Overall, the cruise was fantastic! The staff was - as usual - amazing! Especially our room steward that hung birthday decorations and gave me a birthday cupcake. The view from our balcony was great! It was so relaxing to sit out and read with the sound of the ocean in the background. I much prefer this to the loudness in the pool area and sun deck. It was also very enjoyable to have the balcony slider open at night so you could hear the water as you sleep. It would be really nice to see more substantial free activities on sea days. It gets old when everything you do they are trying to sell you something. There was a craft available one day, but it was when we were in port. The library has really limited hours if you want to check out a book. Our room was for the most part great. The bed was comfortable and room was a decent size. The rooms do not seem to have gotten any upgrades recently. It would have been really nice to have another power outlet. Only one in the main cabin and one in the bathroom. My husband didn't like having to charge his apple watch in the bathroom. Additionally, the thermostat in the room left much to be desired. The buttons were worn out and the thing blinked all the time. This is an issue when you are a light sleeper. I had to cover it up with an envelope. Some times when we came in, it would be sweltering hot - the "quick cool" button worked well but the up and down did not.