We just returned from an incredible vacation on the Norwegian Dawn. My husband and I with our three children went with my mother, my sister and her family, my brother and his family. All together we had 7 adults and 8 children, ranging in age from 5 to 15. I will mention that one of the main reasons we all had such a great time is because we were a group - we could all split up and do our own thing, and then meet for dinner later.

My first impression of the ship was how beautiful it was (and having never been on a cruise before, the size of the ship was pretty amazing). The rooms seemed small to us, but once we got used to it, there was no problem at all. The people taking care of our room kept it very clean, and we had plenty of hanging space as well as drawers. Make sure to bring your own shampoo and soap, though. They just have a dispenser in the shower.

Another tip - bring a carry on bag with your bathing suits. Your luggage may arrive later in the day, and if the weather is nice, you can go for a swim as the boat sails off.

We had a beautiful sailing day, and the party outside by the main pool was so much fun, with great music and drinks, and the sail around Manhattan is always breathtaking. Immediately we were on vacation.

At Port Canaveral, we took a taxi to the Nasa Space Center. We all enjoyed it there, but we had about an hour of heavy rain, so we didn't do everything we wanted to do.

The next day, we docked in Miami. This was a great day for our entire group. Some went to play golf, some went to the Everglades (the air boat ride) and loved it. The rest of us took a taxi to South Beach. We went to the ocean and then had lunch at a wonderful little cafe across the street - so many places to choose from, they all look great. Afterwards, we went shopping and then headed back to the boat. I would have loved a little more time here.

The next day we were at a lovely private island, Great Stirrup Cay. It was a little rainy that morning, so there was no "mad rush" to the little island(it turned out to be gorgeous and sunny). We found a little area with chairs by the beach to keep our things, and despite the crowd, loved this day. We went snorkeling, and also rented floating rafts. There was a Jamaican band and a big barbeque. We stayed on the beach for most of the time, and found that throughout the day, people headed back to the boat - so after a while, it didn't seem too crowded at all.

The next day, and last port we visited was Nassau. We had to be back on the boat by 1:30 PM, so not much time to do anything - and it rained almost the entire time, so that "put a damper on things". I went to the Straw market and, maybe because of the rain, it was so packed with people, I had to get out of there. My girls had their hair braided, and my husband took the kids on a horse and buggy ride through the town. I met someone on the ship who said he went to the Atlantis and loved it- that might have been a better alternative. You also have an option of going to the Hilton Hotel, I think for $15 per person.

The only problem with this stop is the little amount of time you have.

Regarding the restaurants on the ship, the French restaurant, Le Bistro (this is also where you can view the amazing paintings), and Cagney's (steak house) we by far the best. Make sure to reserve early (you can do it 1 day before). Right next to Cagney's there is the Star Bar. This bar has a clubby atmosphere, and is a great place to meet for a martini before dinner at Cagney's.

The Main restaurants are the Venitian (grand, beautiful room), Impressions, and Aqua. We never ended up eating at Aqua, but the other two were good, not great, a little like banquet food.

Bamboo is another specialty restaurant. We ate there on the first night and the sushi was just OK. The pricing was also a little confusing for sushi, but in the end didn't amount to much anyway.

There is also Salsa, the Mexican restaurant and an Italian trattoria, and I did not eat at either. People seemed to like Salsa, though - you need reservations here, as well.

The kids liked the Garden Cafe, because it is buffet style. I was only there for breakfast (I am not a fan of buffets in general), and it was a little difficult finding a table. The kids also loved going to the Blue Lagoon, a sort of fast food place - kind of like a diner.

During the day, there is also a poolside barbeque - too much of a crowd for me, and the Bimini Bar (overlooking the pool) where you could have lunch.

I love the "freestyle" concept, it was great to try all different types of restaurants. There are small surcharges for dining at Le Bistro, Cagney's and Bamboo. I didn't mind paying extra - it was worth it.

Now for the "Entertainment"

The live shows at the Stardust Theater were very good. I went to two of Jean Ann Ryan's Company shows, "Music of the Night" (songs written by Andrew Lloyd Weber), and "Bollywood" (a Cirque du Soleil-type performance). There were also comedy shows and variety shows, which I did not see. There is a movie theater, which the older children enjoyed.

There were even art auctions, which I loved to attend. We all ended up buying some pieces, and it was a learning experience as well. I would strongly recommend going to one of the auctions (there were 3, and I went to 2, both with different works of art).

There was always something going on, between Bingo, Shuffleboard, Golf putting competitions, Games for the family - like Family Feud or Jeopardy, Yoga and Spinning classes(this was a very tough class!). At night you could see a show, or sit at one of the many bars, including the Havana Club - a cigar bar, which the men in our group loved. The Casino was also a lot of fun. We even did Karioke at Dazzles a couple of times. Some of the singers were actually pretty good (not me - I just had fun).

It is impossible to mention everything there is to do. The best part about it is you can do all these things, or just enjoy your day by the pool (if it is a beautiful day at sea, get your chairs early or you might be out of luck), or work out in the gym and have a massage. Something for everyone to do.

Colin, our cruise director was one of the funniest people I have ever met - he was the perfect MC for most of the major onboard activities. With his humor and wit, we are still laughing at his jokes.

I was a little worried before I got onto the ship, some people who reviewed the ship complained about rude behavior (in adults) and a large number of unruly children. I found neither.

Regarding the dress code - it is resort casual. Most people liked this. During the evening, people dressed up a bit (most of the main restaurants require no shorts or T-shirts after 5:00), and then there is one optional formal evening in which people got quite dressed, there were some tuxedos, mostly jacket and tie. There are always photographers present - it is a great opportunity to take some formal shots of the family.

Regarding disembarkation - better to hang back and relax in your cabin as long as you can, just to avoid the crowds. All in all, a very organized disembarkation.

It was a vacation until the very end.

Have a wonderful cruise!!!!