Norwegian Cruise Lines'
Norwegian Dawn is a 92,250-gross-ton megaship completed in late 2002. This vessel provides every imaginable onboard attraction to please the young and the young at heart. She represents the informal "Freestyle Cruising" image that the line touts. The ship accommodates 2,224, more in the school vacation periods when the upper berths are in use, and carries a crew of mostly Norwegian officers and an international staff, largely Filipino and eastern European.
This ship now makes her home in Miami year-round, making week-long cruises through the eastern Caribbean to ports that include St. Thomas, Antigua, Barbados, St. Lucia, Curacao and Great Stirrup Cay, NCL's private island for those who like energetic beach crowds and steel bands, along with swimming, snorkeling and parasailing.
For the active, facilities include a combination basketball and volleyball court, a golf driving range, gym and spa, swimming pools, hot tub, a wading pool and a jogging track. NCL prides itself on entertainment, and the Stardust Theater mounts big music and dance productions and solo acts, while game shows, cabaret acts and a late-night disco are showcased in the observation lounge Spinnaker. The exuberant Caribbean Deck Party takes place by the pool. The best show is Bollywood, with the Jean Ann Ryan Company, and loaded with amazing special effects.
Additionally, there is a sports bar, video arcade, Internet center, casino, a disco for teens and fanciful play areas and a separate pool for young children. For those who seek quieter pursuits, a library, reading and writing room are available, and so is a venue for cards and games.
No ship afloat, other than sister Norwegian Star, has more restaurant choices. But to dine around, especially in the evening, a plan of action is required. Reservations are taken for six of the 10 restaurants by phone, and at the atrium desk from 8 am to 5 pm for that evening and the next. When the facility is closed, phone or pay a visit in person during restaurant hours beginning at 5:30 pm. Although there is no dress code (other than no shorts, jeans and T-shirts in the restaurants at night), most passengers are neatly attired, and some men wear jackets.
Le Bistro may be the best of the lot, a French cafe with tables placed adjacent to original impressionist, post-impressionist and pop-art paintings by well-known artists, or in the open wine cellar. The menu, with a $12.50 basic charge, runs to escargots in rich garlic butter, cream of forest mushroom soup, tender filet mignon topped with foie gras, and salmon in a sorrel cream sauce. Cagney's, decorated with evocative gangster-era photographs and newspaper clippings, features five types of high-quality steaks for a $15 charge and tasty appetizers such as oysters Rockefeller and crab cakes. Some tables are within view of the open kitchen, while others share the cozier piano bar.
For an Italian meal at no extra charge, La Trattoria offers a limited printed menu, but three changing specials of the day give it appeal. While the Teppanyaki Room ($10-$15) is often well-booked for the theatrical Japanese grill performance, the sprawling adjacent Pan-Asian Bamboo ($10) rarely seems busy. The Tex-Mex Salsa (no charge) overlooking the atrium or the sea benefits from live music and tasty items such as tapas, black bean soup with peppers, and chicken fajitas. No reservations or charges apply to the three main restaurants, offering different menus and variable service experiences, or to La Trattoria, Salsa, the 24-hour Blue Lagoon dispensing hamburgers and fries, or the vast self-service buffet with a separate small furniture section for kids.
Cabins range from inexpensive insides to plentiful ocean-view cabins with private balconies, and all the way to NCL's signature garden villas, the largest accommodations at sea. The pair of three-bedroom 5,350-sq-ft suites boasts a living room furnished with a grand piano, entertainment center, kitchen, butler and concierge services, outdoor dining area, private Italian garden for relaxing, hot tub and roof terrace. Concierge services, especially useful for making dining reservations and booking tours, come with the minisuites and full suites.
With such a wide variety of eateries and so much activity onboard, passengers should enjoy their sea days aboard the Norwegian Dawn.
