Supplement to Travel Trade
February 2003

Norwegian Dawn:

Liberating the Cruise Experience

By Marilyn Green

Norwegian Cruise Line’s new 2,240-passenger Norwegian Dawn is a bouncing, colorful, joyous ship that is continuing the conversion of new and past cruisers to the Freestyle experience.

American passengers and the large contingent of Europeans in the Caribbean in January were in full agreement that the choice of restaurants and entertainment liberated the whole cruise experience. Do-as-you-choose runs throughout the ship from the first moments on board, as passengers literally threw themselves into the Jacuzzis and pools and dozens of dancing guests on deck responded to the astonishingly good musicians.

They hit the Pearly Kings English pub, which bulged with traveling Brits throughout the cruise, lined up to play ping pong and pool, investigated the menus in the floating city of restaurants, poured into the enormous and well appointed gymnasium, spa and spinning room and signed up in the dedicated exercise room for aerobics, Pilates and yoga.

They settled in the bars and lounges and brought the substantial number of children on board to the T-Rex Children’s Center with its own pool, movie theater, computer center, arts and crafts area and even a place to nap. Teens headed for the video games and investigated their own disco, while guests tired from long flights rejuvenated themselves with cappuccino and pastries at the Java Café. Wheeled carts of food and drink were set up outside conference rooms.

This ship was enthusiastically, heavily used on the first day and all through the voyage, from the well filled library and card room to the lounge chairs on deck.

Many of the passengers admitted being surprised and even shocked by the hull art, with dolphins and the Statue of Liberty proclaiming the ship’s two homeports, (the Norwegian Dawn in May will move to a single homeport, year-round in New York), but by the second port call people looking back from the tenders were commenting on how quiet other ships looked in comparison. The burst of tropical golds and pinks, raspberry, aqua and green inside lifted the spirits of winter weary guests, and the quality of the entertainment raised them even higher.

The Miami South Beach Rave! Party, with musicians pouring from every corner of the theater and Miami radio and television personalities turning up the beat, drew tremendous enthusiasm, as did the very different “Bollywood”, celebrating the world of Bombay’s film-making with magicians, jugglers, aerialists and belly dancers and the scent of spicy incense. The Stardust Theater, which covers three decks and has the ambience of a European opera house, drew strong approval from passengers and onboard agents. “There’s not a bad seat in the house,” several commented.

Outside the theater, comics, lecturers, dance bands and pianists shared the limelight, all pleasing the passengers with a very high caliber of performance that should be a major asset when the ship sails from New York. English television comedies were often shown in the English pub and European and American films in the cinema and stateroom television.

The Freestyle experience was particularly visible in the passengers’ dress, really resembling the look of a crowd in a diverse city. Couples in bridal dress married or renewed their vows, people headed for dinner wore elegant formal wear, resort wear or shorts, depending on their plans for the evening.

One man gloated that he hadn’t brought a tie; another was just an enthusiastic about the fact that he and his party were dining elegantly every night in a different restaurant, usually meeting first at Gatsby’s champagne bar and showing off their most magnificent clothes.

Those who tried the restaurants with cover charges told fellow passengers over and over again how much such meals would have cost off the ship, and the Impressions and Venetian Room diners contended that the food, ambience and service was comparable to some of the finest restaurants at home, without a fee.

Although the Tex-Mex cuisine restaurant Salsa and the contemporary French cuisine Impressions don’t require a fee, Salsa does require reservations. Impressions is often jammed around 8 in the evening, so guests would be well advised to plan dinner earlier. The same is true for the Asian fusion Bamboo, with a $10 charge. One of the joys on board is to sit at the sushi and sashimi bar and snag the exquisite creations as they come around the conveyor belt. The Teppanyaki room combines performance with wonderful food. Guests also really should not miss dining in the Bistro, where the $12.50 cover charge is a token for the quality of the food and the original Impressionist paintings. Cagney’s Steakhouse, with a 30s theme, features top notch grilled seafood, beef, pork, veal and chicken; passengers described the $17.50 charge as “a pittance.”

Italian food at La Trattoria and contemporary, lighter food at Aqua drew guests right up to the last morning, as did the 24-hour Blue Lagoon and the Garden Café, with excellent and diverse buffets featuring everything from Asian food to traditional breakfast, lunch and dinner spreads, and custom services from omelets and pancakes to miso-based soup cooked especially for each diner. The children’s own area, with its kid-size tables, chair and buffet, was constantly being raided by adults, who sneaked off with the hot dogs, burgers, macaroni, brownies and other goodies.

Staterooms are very well appointed; bathrooms are divided into sections that can be closed off, and the showers are among the best afloat, with drainage so effective that standing in two inches of water is a memory, not a reality.

Suites and mini-suites have DVD, CD and Internet connections. It should be noted that the wireless Internet available from NCL doesn’t work well in the staterooms, but functions perfectly in public areas like restaurants, the pool area, reading room, etc.

From the opulent 5,000-plus square foot villas with private gardens to the simplest cabins, the rooms are colorful, charming, and filled with warm woods and very attractive art. The Penthouse suites, with living rooms, dining tables, walk-in closets and large balconies, are really a practical option for family groups. They interconnect with kids’ rooms, each with a double sofa bed and a Pullman bed, plus a separate bathroom and shower.

The Dawn’s 24-hour exercise facility, as beautiful and well-equipped as a posh health club on land, was in use about 20 hours out of 24. The 37-foot lap pool is a stroke of genius, separating the serious swimmers from the people who want to play. Japanese pools, lazy swimming pools, jacuzzis and cold baths complement the broad range of treatments and services in the spa, as do the basketball/volleyball/soccer court, horseshoes, running and walking on deck.

Agents on board were enthusiastic about the ship, and felt that it will appeal to all but the most solidly traditional cruisers who want a shipwide formal dress code. They did comment that the Internet Café, like the Norwegian Star’s, is located on a balcony in the atrium accessible by stairs, which are difficult for passengers with canes or walkers. While there is a door directly from the hallway on Deck 9, it is a fire door and difficult to open.

Also, passengers with mobility problems had problems entering the Venetian restaurant, which has stairs to the entrance and into the dining room. However, agents could inform their clients that there are elevators that open right into the restaurant — you just have to ask where to find them.

The real story, though, is the dozens of delightful touches on the Dawn. These range from the charming animals twisted from towels and sometimes adorned with passengers’ sunglasses or hats and left on the beds at turndown to the very civilized lifeboat drill, where there is no standing around waiting for passengers who don’t turn up. Instead, their names are noted and they are required to attend a later drill.

Summing up the pleasures of Freestyle Cruising on the Norwegian Dawn is easy. At breakfast on the day of disembarkation I ran into a couple I had met in the gym early on the cruise. The woman had convinced her reluctant husband to try cruising, and he was initially very skeptical.

“Well, will you be cruising again?” I asked.

“What again?” he responded. “We’re not getting off. We booked the next cruise yesterday.”

Norwegian Dawn is alternating Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries out of Miami. Many guests, even groups, were doing back-to-back cruises in January. Beginning May 18, the Dawn launches a series of 7-day sailings to the Bahamas and Florida, roundtrip from New York.