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Joan Schwartz

Age: 47
Occupation: Human Resources Director
Number of Cruises: 3
Cruise Line: NCL
Name of Ship: Norwegian Dawn
Sailing Date: February 15th, 2003
Itinerary: Western Caribbean

I was a little skeptical about taking a cruise on such a large ship. The Norwegian Dawn accommodates over 2,000 people, but we never felt overwhelmed.

The plusses: (1) Embarkation was a breeze. We stayed in South Beach the night before and took a cab to the Miami port. We arrived at the port about 12:15 pm for a 1:00 boarding time. No lines - we were on the ship by 12:30! Our luggage didn't make it to the room until 3:30, but who cares. We learned our way around the ship and had a leisurely lunch. (2) I'm sold on Freestyle Dining. I never much cared for structured dining times on cruises and NCL has done away with that. For dinner, passengers can choose among 3 lovely restaurants that have the same menu but different decor. Go whenever you want; sit with whomever you want. A buffet restuarant is also available. Other restaurants are avaiable for dinner, too - some requiring a reservation and others a reservation and a cover charge. For Breakfast and Lunch one can choose the buffet restaurant or one of the formal dining rooms. A 24-hour cafe and room service are also available. (3) We splurged (it was my husband's birthday) and got a mini-suite. If you can afford it and like some quiet time on your own balcony, it's worth the money. The 2 joined beds made a king-size bed; spacious bathroom; room in the cabin to walk around without bumping into each other. There's also a mini-fridge and mini-safe. (4) The Spa was gorgeous. I treated myself to a manicure, facial, and massage. Though a little pricey, it was worth it. My husband loved the workout room. Lots of new equipment in a spacious setting. (5) If you like casino gaming, the casino on the Norwegian Dawn is good. It has a nice variety of table games at low minimums (Blackjack, Let It Ride, 3 Card Poker, Caribbean Stud Poker) as well as some of the newer slot machines. No live poker, though. (6) Check-out was easy. Everything is charged to your cabin, including tips, so no scrounging around for cash on your last day.

The minuses: Not many. (1) The food was good, but not great. The positive spin on that was that I probably didn't gain any weight! (2) One of our stops, Costa Maya, is not worth getting off the ship for. It's Cozumel about 25 years ago - just a bunch of stores around the port. We weren't interested in any of the excursions at that port, but others were.

Overall: We had a great cruise. Passengers on the ship were of all ages, but tended to be alot of families. We went during the week of President's Day when many school kids are out on vacation, so that may be why there were alot of kids, particuarly teens. (That was never an issue. The teens make fast friends and had their own lounge to hang out in.)

The entertainment was good; some acts were terrific. The showroom is beautiful. Though our cruise was fully booked, we never had a problem getting a seat.

Lastly, the ship is indeed large. There are plenty of elevators to get between floors and maps are everywhere, but it can be a long walk from bow to stern. (The positive spin: Use the stairs to get some exercise and work off the extra calories!) If you don't like to walk or have trouble getting around, you may want to re-think whether this ship is right for you.

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