Norwegian Dawn Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Entertainment was excellent, food mostly mediocre. Crew was generally friendly and helpful. Like that it leaves from Boston so don't have to deal with airlines.

The staff was wonderful, the weather was great( horse shoe beach was the most beautiful beach I have ever been to .

The only issue was that Norwegian wanted to charge a fee to use the sauna( $120 for the week) I could not even use it once or twice for a lower fee. Never been on a cruise that I could not  use a sauna .

Excellent cruise, exceeded expectations. Small details like the coffee cart and cool face clothes being passed out made it a great experience. Plenty of friendly staff. Dealt with issues in a fast and friendly manner.

getting on was a little hectic but we did go right at lunch time. the kids club is great but if you go to kids pool you will not see a waiter ever! same for the kids section of the Garden cafe...

First time on Norwegian, definitely will sail again with them.  On the Dawn, had to book inside room, but it was fine.  We were very happy.  The bathroom as a whole and shower area was bigger than one in a balcony room on the Princess.  Bed and pillows were super comfortable, amazing.  Friendliest staff ever.  Loved being in same port for 3 days, did not feel rushed.  Used public bus to get to Horseshoe Bay Beach.  There were a great many reviews about how crowded this beach would be, but we found it to be perfect for our family of four (although it was end of May).  Rented beach chair for $11, totally worth it.  Snow cone for $4.50, totally worth it. Public showers/toilets and food available here. 

You can easily walk down the beach and find a secluded, less crowded spot, if necessary.  We did not get to Tobacco Beach on the east end to snorkel as planned, but found coves along Horseshoe Bay/Warwick/Chaplin Bay (all within walking distance).  I did not snorkel/swim because the water was frigid, but my husband did and enjoyed it very much.  We purchased snorkel equipment at home and brought with us, but there are opportunities to rent and buy there.

Onboard, best entertainment ever in the theater--David DaVinci, the magician and Second City comedy tour.   Jose and Tammy are great, as well, singing on the atrium stage nightly.

This was our fourth cruise and one of the best from start to finish. Boarding was quick and easy. The sailing was smooth and the weather great. The layout of the ship was excellent. There was always seating by the pool as well as seats in the shade and away from the pool. The drink package made the final bill worry free. They give you a receipt with an 18% tip built in but it doesn't show on your bill. I started adding an additional tip which does show on your bill and goes directly to the server. The whole staff was very friendly and really hustle. The food was excellent and what I would call right sized. The portions were not huge so as not to encourage too much over eating. You could always order more. The classic choices on the menu which seemed pretty run of the mill were actually excellent. The best lasagna I have had in a restaurant. Our only issue was that my wife thought the bed was too hard. We should have said something about it to the steward but we didn't so we coped. Disembarking was not too bad. You end up in a Disney size line but it keeps moving.

Everything about this cruise was outstanding. This was our third Boston to Bermuda and this was by far the best yet. Top notch entertainment, service at every outlet was friendly; food was always tasty and beware of the desserts--you will want at least two if you eat in Garden Cafe. There was always something to do if you were bored sitting in the sun. One big surprise was the quality and size of the stateroom-vastly improved over the Norwegian Majesty.

This was my first cruise to Bermuda on the Norwegian Dawn and I must say I found it to be a great experience except for one mishap...I found a large cockroach in one of my stateroom drawers! I reported it to the reception desk and they called the head of housekeeping who came to my cabin immediately. They also contacted pest control who used an "environmentally safe" product to take care of any further problems. They washed my clothes that had been in the drawer (free of charge) and sent me a complementary bottle of wine and chocolates. I feel that they did their best to rectify the situation. The staff aboard the ship was friendly and accommodating. The food was very good- lots of choices. My only complaint is they did not have many vegetables to choose from. The entertainment was terrific! I would definitely take another cruise on the Norwegian Dawn.

staff was excellent but ship had very little poolside activity and ship in rough shape (missing light bulbs old carpet ect)  stay out of the casino...no action on the slots  

Norwegian always treats their guest like royalty.  Every crew member was down to earth, friendly, accommodating, always smiling and happy.  We did have a little mishap on the reef, but the crew continued on in a very professional manner which put me completely at ease, as did the consistent updates from the captain.  I never felt like I was in danger.  The captain assured everyone that safety was his number one priority, and said that they would not leave port until he was sure that it was safe to do so.  Our room steward Henry was wonderful.  The food was very good (I gained 3 lbs)!  The entertainment was good also.  Fun, fun, fun.  Evan did Karaoke one night and was very entertaining, funny as hell, and absolutely lovable! 

This was our first cruise and it was great!   Even though We had a minor mishap when we were leaving Bermuda ( We were on the ship that was stuck on the coral reef}  Everyone  on the ship was great and we were kept informed at all times what was going on.We would go on another Norwegian Cruise in a Heartbeat!

I went on this with my boyfriend. We are both 29 years old so we definitely enjoyed the night life and things to do throughout the week on the cruise.

The ship wasn't too "pretty" and "glamorous" looking however, who cares - we weren't there for the looks of the ship.

Staff was amazing. I need not meet one rude person who worked there. Everyone was so friendly and so accommodating. They seemed like they actually enjoyed us being on the ship and helping us. 

I think during the coral reef incident.. they could have given us 1 hour of free wifi to contact our families. we asked and they would only give us one phone call as if we were in prison... the captain was amazing and very informative while the incident was occurring.

definitely get a drink package

there was enough complimentary restaurants that were nice so we didn't feel the need to pay for dinner elsewhere. 

shows were awesome

overall, a great time!          

It was a beautiful ship have traveled with Norwegian 4 times and have had a great time. The only thing that I noticed that getting drinks on deck was a lot slower then before and the room steward never introduced herself and never really saw her .  But over all would recommend this cruise to others.

 looking forward to cruising again sometiome.

This was my second time on this same cruise. The first time I went was in September of 2012 and it was incredible. Actually better than the cruise I took in the bahamas and USVI on the Epic last year. This time around I went with a group of 17 other people. We made it a great time but definitely had some issues. It was near impossible to book reservations at the specialty restaurants for our size group and when we could we were told we would be put into two tables and ended up with three or four. Norwegian should figure out a way to better accommodate large groups. The staff on this trip was great, we had one particular bartender who was working at the Moderno Bar who we went to everyday, His name was Sal. He was great and truly made the trip better!

I was a little disappointed when the ship was pulling out of Bermuda and hit the reef. We were stuck on the reef for a while. My fiancé and some of the members in our group have anxiety and some of the members in my party did not eat their meals while we were at Cagney's and this happened. It was nerve wracking at the time and for the most part ruined our dinner, but nothing was done about it. Otherwise the captain was great with keeping us informed with what was happening and the crew remained calm. The 15% voucher towards a future cruise probably could have been a little more but was appreciated for some recognition. We also received one extra day on the Island, which was great! 

My biggest complaint about the cruise would be the entertainment. The entertainment on this ship was absolutely horrible. I looked forward to it, as on the last trip it was amazing. This time I wanted to get up and walk out of just about every show.(Which I didn't) 

Overall I had a great time tho. You make of it what you want and all 18 of us did that! 

The crew of the Dawn was fantastic.  They are all so very friendly.  Smooth sailing from Boston.  Dockyard in Bermuda is very pretty and convenient little tram takes you from the ship and around the dockyard.  Getting around Bermuda is very easy with their public bus transportation.  You can go into Hamilton, switch buses at the bus depot and arrive in St. George with ease.  Also, the bus to the beach is easy as well.

I was on the ship the week that we hit a reef leaving Bermuda.  The Captain and his crew always kept us well informed of the situation and kept everyone calm.  Professionalism at its best!  I would definitely recommend NCL to Bermuda.

We were disappointed with the quality of the food and the crew was not as friendly as the crew on other cruise ships we have traveled on.  You have to walk through a smoky casino to get to some areas of the ship.  And we hit a reef leaving Bermuda.

Not impressed at all.  Unhappy that there were more restaurants you had to pay additional money to go to than were included in the trip.  Activities kind of sucked too.  Little to no Customer Service on the ship and at JetBlue Cruises.  Not enough seating for Shows so you would have to get there early and wait for doors to open in order to get a seat.   Other guests told us not to judge cruising by this cruise since it was the worst one they had ever been on.  This came from a number of different people we met during the week.   So, lose my email since I have no interest in ever going on another cruise and most especially will never cruise on a Norwegian ship again unless they are giving it to me for free.  BTW, on a positive note, when we ran aground in Bermuda on May 19, 2015, the Captain kept us informed quite regularly and handled the situation very professionally.  I never felt worried while they were assessing the ship and determining its safety.  

Everything was wonderful....the food, shows, staff.  Although the boat had a minor mishap with the steering and we had to return to the island all was well.  The only problem my husband had was when he went to go for his shore excursion which was at 150 pm the tour was cancelled when he went down, therefore he wasted a whole day and it was too late to book another excursion.  This is the reason for the 4 stars for it this didn't occur they would have received the 5 stars.

Structurally, the cruise was excellent in regard to staff, entertainment and food.

Missing were unstructured options for Seniors!!!!  Similarly minded seniors and solo travelers need opportunities and options on and off board, e.g. a quiet place for bridge or other games, a think tank, future planning, problem solving, etc.

Also, many talented individuals would love the opportunity to give back via lectures, demonstrations, etc.  Many senior do not know how to operate their cell phones with all their options.  Most are not on FACEBOOK or other social net works.  Many do not operate a computer and would love more information as to its benefits.  Many would like tips on art, maybe impromptu classes, tips on travel,  places to go, etc....in other words, opportunities to share their historical experiences with others.  Learning does not stop at age 22!!!   Enough already with the activities and games that cater to other age groups requiring high energy levels and late night activities.  Many seniors want to 'mellow out."

Tours and excursions are fine.  Give the seniors opportunities to use their creative juices without a cruise director hovering over them like Mother superior.

  Also, seniors only cruises would be a draw as would more efficiency cabins for solo travelers. 

These suggestions would not cost anything.  Just set aside a little space for brain storming and quiet conversation!.  I had to individually approach others for conversation.  Usually the result was beneficial for both parties.  A lot of time is spent on corralling children.  Seniors need a pasture of their own.

All cruise lines should take notice.  Carnival only had 1 opportunity for bridge and that was at 9 AM.  Hookups with solo travelers are fine as long as there is a compatibility of interests.

Flexible food is terrific; now we need flexible opportunities.

Very truly yours

PJG

I enjoyed my 7 day cruise to Bermuda. I felt that the fine dining was good and pool area fun with plenty of room for all guests. The Band was great and music choice really made you feel like you were on vacation. The most impressive feature on the Norwegian Dawn was definitely the employees. I was so blown away by their friendly disposition each and every day despite working long hours 7 days a week. They couldn't be more helpful from our room steward, to the dining staff to the casino attendants. Truly a delight to encounter these wonderful individuals. On the downside, I wish there were more TV channels on board, drink prices are much too high and the buffet area and food was just "OK." They should invest in new, cloth napkins since they are pretty worn an left lint on every single article of clothing worn. I also wish the nightly entertainment was better especially in the main lounge. I was discouraged to find only one dining room open 24 hours with very limited food choices. I think there should be more dining options for those guests who want to eat late night after going to the casino or show. Overall, I would recommend this cruise to others.