We’ve been looking for a Panama Canal Cruise and the Dawn’s itinerary were the best that we found. We were first-timers at all the ports visited. The cruising into Panama Canal was the best part! We stayed on the ship and experienced going through the east and west lanes. There was a speaker on the PA the whole time who explained what was going and was very helpful and informative. My husband especially went to the different parts of the ship to see the crossing twice. They also opened the crew’s area at the bow and had beverage service for viewing. Also viewing from the promenade deck was great as you’re able to see the operations eye-level. We were at Gatun Lake for a couple of hours and turned around. It was great to see the crossing again. So worth staying at this ship instead of taking an excursion.

We also liked Curaçao for its cleanliness and Dutch architecture. Our coffee plantation excursion in Costa Rica was great. We are planning on visiting Costa Rica and explore it more. What a beautiful country and people. We also went on a horseback ride (first time) at Roatán Bay. That was fun! Harvest Caye was our beach time, no excursions taken. We did the Cacchoben Mayan Ruins Deluxe excursion. Small group of 10 only and well worth the extra $ as we didn’t have to deal with the large crowd. Cartagena Old city and fort were beautiful but the vendors were just relentless. As for Aruba, wished we went straight to the beach instead of doing the Best of Aruba excursion. There was not much to see except for the beautiful beach but were only there for 30 minutes. We didn’t get off the ship at Santa Marta.

This was a wonderful and relaxing cruise for us. We met some fun folks and the staff and crew were so accommodating and welcoming. Our first time on the Dawn, planning to take her again in Venice. Our mini-suite balcony was a great size for this 15-day cruise and the location near the spa, which we bought the unlimited pass, was perfect. I used the spa and it’s lap pool almost everyday (I miss my daily swim that I’m now back home).