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Norwegian Cruise Line

MS Norwegian Dawn

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Reviewed by: Leanne Wales
# previous cruises: 1
Date of Trip: February 2, 2003
Itinerary: Western Caribbean

This was my first cruise, hopefully one of many with NCL in particular. The ship was spectacular, extremely clean and generally provided efficient service. I expected the ship to be full of newlyweds and nearly deads, but to my surprise ,the main age group was between 30-60 year olds.Its an extremely relaxed and casual affair.

The public areas are spacious and very well maintained. There is always someone cleaning, be it hoovering or dusting , and this really shows. The pool area can become congested when there are full days at sea, but take my advice and head for the front of the ship on top deck.The smoke from the BBQ doesn't reach this far and you'll be glad of that. plus, there is always a high turnover of sun beds, so don't despair. The spinnaker lounge is the best place to be for dancing though everyone goes to bed at midnight. I was a little disappointed with this, as I was ready to party all night, but by my second night could understand why. Its best to get up early and make the most of the ports of call. There is a 24 hour casino, but mainly dominated by the americans playing craps. On the whole the public areas were superb.

The food was fantastic.Service though needs to be addressed. My boyfriend and i vowed we would try the sushi and french restaurants ( with the cover charges), however, when we looked at the main dining menus each night, we always decided against paying the extra. The food provided by the main restaurants was exquisite. You are literally able to eat 24 hours if you so wish. The breakfast buffet was enormous, with a variety so vast. The pool side BBQ is also a must, with steaks, salads, burgers, sausages etc. We had room service one night, but purely for the novelty. This menu is limited, and the food average. Overall, the service and surroundings impressed us most in the Impressions restaurant. Its a smaller restaurant and the staff seem more efficient. I personally found a few of the staff in aqua and venetian a little aloof and abrupt, harassed and sometimes miserable. Though obviously, this is just a small handful of staff. Also, don't ask too many questions about the food or beverages, as they don't really know a lot.

The cabins were comfortable, spotlessly clean with ample storage space. We had the 'pauper's' room,(bottom deck with a porthole), but were quite at home there. The bathrooms are clean and well equipped(even has a drying line widow twanky style). The cabins also each have a powerful hair dryer, however NO IRONS!! The cabins are supposedly equipped for 4, though this would be a tight fit, but for 2 it is ample. How much time do you spend in a cabin when in the Caribbean anyway!!!

The Jean Ann Ryan shows ( shown in the theater) were great, however, the night entertainment in the spinnaker lounge was a little like Butlins. I half expected a glamourous granny contest one night! The bands and comedian were all excellent. A few other brits complained the comedian was too american but we found him very funny. horses for courses!

While on board during the day I sunbathed and ate, quite frankly. I did the whole tour of the ship as soon as i got on it, just to find my bearings, which i recommend, as its quite easy to not even see things while on board unless you look thoroughly. I recommend all ladies to visit the spa facilities. They are free to use, and completely idyllic. Away from all the big talk and bustle at the pool side.

We docked in Montego Bay instead of Ocho Rios due to a technical fault at the pier, however this was a good thing, as it gave us the opportunity to see Jamaica in all its glory (?) during our trip to the Dunns Falls. I strongly recommend people who dock in ocho rios to simply get a taxi to these falls and just pay the 10 dollar entrance fee, instead of paying the NCL excursion fee. The falls are only minutes away from that particular port.

Our 2nd port was The Grand cayman islands. Paradise!!!! Just chill out on the 7 mile beach ( the free part!) and then go and buy some diamonds. It's a truly beautiful island that feels safe and clean.

The 3rd stop was Costa Maya, which was a definite disappointment. Its more like an oversized service station stop. Worth doing some kind of excursion here, unless you want to see even more diamonds or swim. The last stop was cozumel, which is a lively resort, again safe and friendly. i personally recommend you using the Mr Sanchos beach resort, which is a 15 dollar taxi journey, but the beach is free with all facilities at hand. also, ladies, treat yourselves to the massage there. 1 dollar a minute of bliss. The other beaches were not free, costing around 7 dollars entrance fee. We took the advice of the taxi man and were grateful for it.

The majority of passengers were obviously American, who mainly seemed to moan. Something not big/good/clean/light/tasty enough, blah blah blah. How ever, the Brits on board like ourselves seemed to be more than happy with our lot. A lot of gay, young and first time cruisers, with casual attitudes and dress codes, making the whole experience a comfortable one.