Norwegian Dawn Review
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We've been fortunate to have sailed on Royal Caribbean (Freedom and Oasis) in the past but once we saw the deal Norwegian had (free air fare for me and my husband and $99 for our daughters, drinks, shore excursion credit and free wifi), we decided to take a chance on this cruise line. We're happy we did.
ABOUT THE BOAT: This is a smaller boat so be prepared, especially at night, to feel the sway of the ship. It apparently was updated a few years ago and it shows: the decor is modern and clean. One of the main dining rooms (Aqua) looks like an upscale New York restaurant. There was only one pool but we never felt like sardines in it - there was enough room in and around it for everyone. There is another pool in the spa but you have to pay for it. We upgraded to a family suite since we have two teenage daughters. We expected they would share the pull out couch but we were thrilled to discover the suite has a pull out couch, a murphy bed AND a king bed. It was awesome! We didn't splurge on a balcony because being on the 12th deck we could easily walk to the pool deck. Our room also came with a nespresso machine which we loved.
ABOUT THE FOOD: I read numerous reviews about the poor quality of the food and I totally disagree. The quality and variety of the buffet (Garden Cafe) was outstanding (better than either RC cruise we were on). One night they even had a huge spread of peel and eat shrimp and oysters. The coffee was always fresh and strong and they had lemon for the water. The options in the main dining rooms were also very good, even for one of our picky eaters. However, if you're hoping for lobster, you'll have to buy it on one of the islands since that's one thing Norwegian doesn't have. Some things to note: they told us that shorts weren't allowed in Aqua but that's not true. The majority of men wore shorts with no issue. Also, the only place we were able to find water was at the bar (if you ask) and at the buffet. The one benefit I liked on RC ships is that they have water dispensers at the end of each bar so you can take water when you want and not have to wait in line.
Cabin Review
Family Suite
We couldn't get over the size of this cabin. It was huge! Both kids had their own bed and we had a king size (comfortable) bed. We even had enough room for a table and four chairs. The bathroom is also large with two sinks, a tub (with bath salts) and a very nice rain shower. While we didn't spend a ton of time in the cabin, it was so nice to not have to literally crawl over each other to get into bed like we had to on the RC Oasis. We did have plumbing issues twice but once was in the middle of the night and was fixed by the time we all got up and the other time was when we were on our way out and it was fixed when we returned (fortunately - good timing).
Port Reviews
Barbados
We walked into Bridgetown.