Norwegian Dawn Cruise Reviews - Reviews

All was excellent.Would like to have spent more time in Bermuda.Was told when I booked the trip that we would spend 3 days in Bermuda, were there for 2 days  

Cruise was OK...need more time in Bermuda. Specialty dining was great. Had to complain about music in the Bliss Room at 1:30 in morning...VERY annoying! We had AFT room, so the music vibrated right to us. They gave us a $200 credit & did have them tone in down. Show was great..staff exceptional...all in all...we enjoyed it!

I had reservations about traveling on Norwegian as I usually use Celebrity, but thought to give a chance for the convenient departure out of Boston.  We booked a 2 bedroom penthouse as stated by the booking agent.  When we got there it was not '2' bedrooms, but 1 bedroom, then other bedroom consisted of a cubby hole of a room with a pull out sofa, the mattress encompassing the entire floor space - wall to wall, so in order to get into the bed you has to lunge from the middle of the bed- no floor space on either side- the mattress was neat with the walls.  The mattress was in fact on the floor.  Not ideal for passengers who are disabled, one with a walker, the other in a wheelchair.  The booking agent knew of this when the package was booked. 

NCL is NOT wheelchair/ handicap friendly.  There was no priority line to disembark the boat - we had to circle with the enormous lines and when we exited the boat, we were taken off the ship in a 'garbage' elevator!!!!  Never in my life!!!!  It smelt as though we were in a dumpster!!!  The crew to client ratio is extremely poor.  Most of the staff were not friendly. 

The unlimited drink package was sold as such.  Unlimited drinks.  When we arrived on board, we were told that water, canned soda and juice were not included.  You could purchase a 'hydration' package...but that did not include sparkling water.  a Bottle of San Pellegrino was $6+ and a diet Pepsi was approximately $3.50!!!  The soda they offered at no charge was fountain, which was not carbonated and basically syrup!

A disembarkation meeting for the suite guests was held the day before arrival back to Boston.  The main theme was to alert the suite guests that the gratuities paid daily per person, did not include gratuities for the concierge and the butler even though we paid more per day per person than non suite guests.  The day of arrival, knocks on the door revealed the butler awaiting her tip which envelopes were provided for.

All in all, not impressed.  Will never travel Norwegian again.  I would rather pay for a flight to NY or NJ to travel Celebrity.  Hope this review was helpful.

This was our first cruise and we probably would have never gone on one had my mon/dad suggested it. It turns out is was one of the best vacations we've done in quite awhile.  Everything people told us about cruises was correct.  The staff could not have been more concerned with us and when they found out it was mon/dad 65th they treated them like royality. 

the food, drinks and room were terrific and i'm pretty certain this will not be our last cruise.

Upgraded dinners, UBP ,

not having to shelve out tips unless you wanted to add

Would appreciate a Concierge person for a few hours a day

questions come up as you cruise.  regarding dinner & lounge spots

shows at 7 or 9 in Stardust were not useful if you were dining at 7:30 or 8

Most cruise ships are in a different port every day and that can be hectic.  But the Dawn sits in Bermuda for three days which allows you to take your time to see and do what you want without having to rush back to the ship.  For seniors and couples with little ones, this is ideal.  I actually love being in a different port every day but I brought my mom on this one and it was the perfect pace for her.  As always, the food is awesome, wonderful entertainment and the crew.....I can never say enough about how fantastic the Norwegian crews are !

The best part of the cruise was the service, food and entertainment.  The trip back from Bermuda as smooth and faster than originally planned.  Unforturately bad weather caused the ship to take an alternate course down to Bermuda from Boston.  The additional day at sea caused us to lose one planned day on Bermuda.  We took a shore excursion on a 5 hour mini bus tour of the islands.  We strongly advise NOT to take this tour.  The mini bus was small and uncomfortable and the tour did not allow sufficient time to do any signtseeing in the towns we "drove-by".  The tour guide was interesting with local stops and great vistas.  The snorkel park beach was a disappointment.  There was no good spots to use the snorkel and the beach was more like a pond beach than a beautiful Bermuda beach.  The management of the spot left much to be desired.  We do NOT recommend this as your shore excursion in Bermuda.  You would be better served to take the shuttle to Horshoe Bay Beach.  

After sailing multiple times on NCL on The Boston / Bermuda cruise, NCL has created a wonderful cruise covering: Crews interface, Meals, Activities and Shows. The Food was exceptional and many activities were scheduled. The Live performance were the best we viewed over the last 20 years. This experience makes me not wait for our normal 5-year cycle time on repeat cruises.

We sailed from Boston in bad weather, which gave us major swells that rocked the ship on our way to Bermuda. The captain changed course slightly to try to avoid the worst of the swells. I was on deck five, cabin 5070, precisely because of rough water in the Atlantic--the lower your deck, the smoother the ride. My cabin was fine. The hairdryer worked, the A/C worked, the shower worked. Our cabin steward, Errol, was the sweetest guy in the world and very helpful. My brother had the next cabin, 5072, and he was lucky enough to have Errol, too. His safe needed to be reset by a technician; otherwise, he had no problems. My safe worked perfectly.

We had three excursions: Caves/aquarium,(booked through Viator, not NCL), a cruise to the Bermuda triangle at night, and a glass bottom boat cruise. We loved them all, but our guide for the caves/aquarium cruise was a dud. Book this excursion thru NCL, not through Viator, and you'll get a better company. I looked on NCL's site to book this tour, and couldn't find it, which is why I went to Viator. When I got aboard the Dawn, I found that NCL offered the same tour, different company (better company).

The food on the ship was wonderful. I especially love NCL's cream soups, which are super. I also got prime rib and their breaded flounder, both of which were perfect. As usual, the desserts were irresistable. Try the chocolate lava cake--you'll think you've died and gone to heaven. The tiramisu is out of this world.

The entertainment was very good. The ship's band and the ship's dancers and singers are all professional quality. We got two shows from the magician, David Haines, and we liked Second City a lot. One comedian, Julie Barr, was not very funny. My recommendation to NCL is to replace her with someone who had more topical material.

Our trip home was a lot smoother than our earlier voyage. The seas had calmed down. 

I was a little disappointed that we only had two days in port. On the previous Bermuda cruise I took (years ago) with NCL, we had four days in port, at St. Georges wharf, which the bigger cruise ships can no longer use. Still, it seems that NCL should be able to squeeze out three days in port, not just two.

This is my only complaint about the destination--I would have liked to have a third day in Bermuda, to see more of the island.

What NCL needs to do:  bring back the Andes mint candies that the steward used to put on our pillows at night. I really missed them. And bring back the Godiva chocolates that Platinum latitudes used to get. Why did you get so cheap, after raising the prices? NCL can afford the candies, all of them. And I'd really like to have a game room, for those of us who don't spend our time drinking and gambling on the ship. 

The ability to get whatever you want. I didn't always like the upselling on the Cruise but the workers are so very kind. The new ship was fun and very well kept.

Good time.  We may book with them again; but won't ever buy liquor on board.  The last night was a horror show trying to get a $22. bottle of vodka.  We were told 2 or 3 times that it was to be delivered; but were made to produce the receipt before it was delivered despite being told 3 times that it was being delivered.  The idea that we couldn't bring it back to the cabin when we purchased (so that we'd drink it instead of purchasing drinks was moot and unnecessary because we had purchased the drink package),  And the attitude that we got from the delivery person (no apology and accusatory manner were unacceptable).  No one should be treated in this manner.  Jim Riley

Bad weather made the trip down bumpy and wet so on-deck activities were limited.  Bermuda was great as usual although our stay was cut a bit short due to routing around a storm.  Recently renovated, the Dawn is a fine choice with a maximum of about 2,300 passengers.  Crew were friendly but not as attentive as those on other cruises we have taken.  The food in the specialty restaurants and dining rooms was quite good.  The cafe was, as is the case on other cruise ships, a bit of a zoo but the food was good.  Our major issue is smoking being allowed in the casino which spilled over into a lounge that we otherwise enjoyed.  NCL should ban smoking except in interior spaces reserved for the purpose and properly ventilated or specific areas on deck.  Otherwise we were quite satisfied with the experience and would do it again.  One last comment is about the "art" is the Venetian which presents defaced art as "art".   We disagree!

We had fun and came back relaxed so that is all that really matters, but I don't think I would go on another cruise in the near future. I like to be a little be more adventurous on vacation. 

Pros:

* Tapanyake specialty dining was out favorite

* Being in Bermuda for 2 full days really was fun and gave us time to truly explore the island

* Bermuda is beautiful

* Golf at Port Royal was amazing

* There were multiple rounds of trivia every day

Cons

* Most of the food just wasn't that good, we were expecting about the same as we have experiences from all inclusive resorts and the food fell short

* It felt like a continuous upsell the entire trip

* since we were at sea for 4.5 days it would have been nice to see more variety in the events offered 

This was my third time on the Dawn. Why? Because I simply love the crew on this ship. Yes, it's convenient as it leaves from Boston, which is a 40 minute drive from my home. Yes, it's Bermuda, and I love the people there. Yes, it's been updated and looks great. But, also, it's the perfect size....neither too big or small. I've been on other NCL ships and this one has the most efficient, considerate, professional, friendly, hard working and pleasant crew. Yes, there are some better than others, but this ship seems to have the same crew members on it year after year, as I recognize many over the years. That's what keeps bringing me back. They make my cruise. When I get off this ship it's  real letdown, because I so enjoy their company. I travel solo. They spoil me rotten, so I never feel alone. You can make positive and negative reviews about the food, entertainment, etc., but you will never have a reason to say anything negative about the crew. I enjoy all of it. I make good choices on the food because I know what and where the food I like is all over this ship. Entertainment is varied and great. Is it a great value? No. Not for solo travelers, and not just because it's NCL. Cruises are expensive with every single cruise line. But the bottom line is, when I get off the boat, I miss the crew. They made my trip. 

This was a great time with friends. We enjoyed the food in all the dining areas but, felt like they should change things up in the Garden Café. (same thing everyday). We had a mini suite on deck 11 and heard the chairs moving above us all hours of the day in the garden cafe. The entertainment was great, as was the food, Gio and Agus who took care of our room. The port was horrible for getting on, no signs anywhere saying you couldn't carry the luggage on found out just prior to getting on escalator, it took 2 hours to get to our room from the start. Parking was great. It was nice to only drive 2 hours to get there.

Some of the workers were awesome, but I found most not to be so friendly. I have been on many cruises and have never found this to be true until now. Also, I got a mini suite, paid a lot of money for it. It was just about the same size as a normal room, very disappointed in that. The specialty restaurants were great, the main dining room was great, the buffet was good too, even tho I am not a big buffet person. Didn't get to use the pool because of high winds and bad weather, the pool wasn't opened. I bought internet service, so I was always connected (worth the money). 

The little things were neglected. ( not enough seating at activities, changing/canceling activities without letting people know) Crowd control was not good.

My husband & I are both experienced (over 40 cruises) cruisers.  Overall we enjoyed the cruise on Norwegian Dawn.  There were certainly areas for improvement, but we did not see any "showstoppers" until the final day.

My husband has Atrial Fib, an occasional fast heartbeat.  He is under the care of a specialist. We know what to do.  When this happens, he needs to sit down or if that does not work, lie down (feet above head) and that restores the heart to normal sinus rhythm.  If neither of those work, call the ambulance.  In the ~10 years since this was diagnosed, we called the ambulance once.

On departure day, we left our cabin and were in the public areas when my husband had an incident.  I immediately got him seated.  After 15-20 minutes the heart rate was still racing.  I found a crew member and told her we needed a bed for my husband to lie down.  She arranged for a wheelchair and my husband was taken to the medical center.  We did not ask to go to the medical center, I told them we did not need a Dr, just a bed.  I was told there were beds in the Medical Center.  When we got to the Medical Center, I again explained what was happening and that all we needed was a bed for him to lie down.  We were directed to a room -- it was dark, quiet, and had a bed. Perfect.  He lay down.  He color improved,  He lay quietly on the edge of sleeping for approximately 15-20 minutes.  It was all good.

A medical center person came by and was clearly surprised to see us there.  I explained what had happened.  She asked politely if we wanted to see a Dr.  I responded politely, no it was good.  My husband was getting what he needed:  laying down and resting.  She left. She was back a few minutes later, asked a few appropriate questions (are you dizzy? etc) and again asked:  "would you like to see a Dr?."  My husband said no, this is what I need,   

Then the wheels came off the cart. We were told, since my husband was refusing medical treatment, he needed to leave the medical center immediately.  It was a liability to the medical center to have him there.  No concern about his condition, no offer to find an alternate bed, no recognition that the ONLY thing he needed medically was being refused -- just leave.  I was outraged.  The woman left.  My husband assured me his heart rate was now under control and we could safely leave.  Otherwise we would not have risked his health and would have agreed to the totally-unnecessary Dr review.  We prepared to leave.  

Then the woman came back with a form I could sign -- a waiver of liability. She explained if I signed it, he could stay.  I would have PREFERRED to give my husband another 15-20 minutes of rest so I read it.  It stated we were leaving the medical facility against Drs orders and they would not be liable.  I explained this waiver of liability form was not appropriate to the situation. We were not leaving against Dr orders, we had not seen a Dr.  We were leaving because she TOLD us to leave because we REFUSED to see the Dr.  And in any case, the form essentially said we had to leave.    

So we left. Without the aid of the wheel chair which was now magically gone. Tacky, really tacky.

I complained to the cruise line customer service desk AND wrote a letter to the cruise line.  To date, I have not had a satisfactory response.

Medical care is a critical service that we all hope we NEVER need to use.  However, if I do need to use it I would like to have confidence that the medical staff is at LEAST as concerned about what the patient needs as they are about liability.  Not on the Norwegian Dawn apparently.

Great way to travel from New Orleans to Boston. Price was great.  Entertainment was best we've had on a cruise.  Most people on the cruise were over 60yo.  So, entertainment was aimed at us. However, food was a little bland-also aimed at us I guess. There seemed to be a lot of smokers.and a lot of smoking areas around the ship. So, second-hand smoke was a problem.   As usual, staff and crew were friendly and always helpful.  In the process of looking for other re-positioning cruises.

The entertainment and food was excellent.  The staff was extremely friendly and efficient.  the cruise director should be the "Cruse Director of the Year" . Could not  have asked for better.  The beds were comfortable . Rooms were efficient. Restaurants were comparable to a 5 star restaurant.  Overall, this cruise could not have been any more enjoyable. Thank you for one the pleasures of our life.  We are looking forward to many more cruises with Norwegian.