NCL Dawn - Bermuda cruise out of NYC

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NCL Dawn - Bermuda cruise out of NYC

This review covers the 7-night NCL Dawn sailing from October 18-25, 2009, This was a round-trip cruise out of New York City to Bermuda. The only port of call was King's Wharf, Bermuda. There was the added highlight of 3 full days in Manhattan before the cruise. NCL Dawn, 7-day Bermuda, Round-trip, Manhattan, October 18 - October 25, 2009.

NCL Dawn Review and Photos

The NCL Dawn was launched in 2002. She carries 2,240 passengers and 1,100 crew. The Dawn is an appropriate ship to sail from New York - she has the Statue of Liberty adorning her hull. She began sailing from the Big Apple in 2003. Itineraries include Bermuda, the Bahamas, the Caribbean and Canada. The Dawn sails from New York to Bermuda from April to early September. She sails from New York to Canada in September and October . She sails from Miami to the Caribbean from November to March. This review covers the 7-night NCL Dawn sailing from October 18 to October 25, 2009, This was a round-trip cruise out of New York City to Bermuda. The only port-of-call was King's Wharf, Bermuda. For us, this trip included a 3-night stay at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at Times Square in Manhattan prior to sailing. We are cruise specialists and when we review a cruise, we look for ways to help you enjoy your cruise as much as you can. We look for frustrations or mistakes we've made or we've observed to help you avoid those same frustrations. This review is divided into 8 sections so you can just jump to those areas of interest. Included are 10 specific tips plus a bonus tip to help you get the most out of this cruise.

Summary

This was a very good cruise with a very relaxed itinerary. The 3 days at port in Bermuda really let us kick back and enjoy the adventure.

With just one port and 4 days at sea, we were able to relax and enjoy our vacation.

If you want, you can to just jump to the sections that are of interest. The tips are highlighted in red font to make them easier to spot in the review.

The weather in New York was cold and rainy when we arrived on October 15. The rain slowed down, but it was still chilly when we boarded on October 18. Dan just brought a hoodie - he could have used a warmer coat on this trip.

The only port of call was Bermuda. We visited 3 main areas in Bermuda: King's Wharf, Hamilton and St. George. We also made a side-trip to Horseshoe Bay.

There was the added highlight of cruising out of Manhattan right past the Statue of Liberty.

The NCL Dawn has 14 decks and comfortably carries her 3,000+ crew and passengers. The public areas look nicer than you might expect for a ship that launched in 2002.

The Dawn's home port during the warmer months of April to September is New York. She cruises round-trip to Bermuda from April to early September and she catches the early Fall colors in Canada and New England in September and October.

Overall.This was our 7th cruise, our 3rd cruise on NCL and our 1st cruise to Bermuda.

We booked a balcony cabin. Our cabin was 10510 on the forward, port side of the ship.

Last June, we sailed on the Norwegian Pearl to Alaska. This cruise on the Dawn was very good, but we would rate the Pearl and the Alaska itinerary higher - at least on our preference list.

In 2008, NCL committed $50 million towards the Freestyle 2.0 enhancements. Improvements have been made to staterooms, onboard activities and dining options. They have also committed to increased recognition, service and amenities for balcony, suite and villa guests.

At the NCL training sessions we attended, we met Kasey and Justin Provencal from Connecticut. Kasey runs Tours Of Distinction Travel and specializes in packaging customized group cruises. Kasey told us that NCL is the best cruise line to deal with for group cruises.

New York City (Manhattan)

Airport to Cruise Terminal. Our flight arrived at JFK airport on Thursday, 3 days before the cruise departed. It was cold and rainy, but we still had a great time.

Norwegian Cruise Line has made Manhattan its home port for the Dawn. It was an aggressive move to place a ship in NYC for regularly scheduled cruises, but it is working for NCL.

New York City. We stayed at the Crowne Plaza Times Square Hotel in Manhattan. The hotel is in the heart of Broadway and is a great base to explore the New York City highlights. Broadway theatres are within walking distance. Central Park and the Empire State building are each about a mile away. The Manhattan cruise terminal is also about a mile from the hotel.

Manhattan. During our 3 days in Manhattan, it was cold and rainy, but we really enjoyed our short visit. From street vendors, we found gloves, a scarf for Janean and a stocking cap for Dan - all just $5 each. Then we went for a carriage ride in Central Park.

Some of the scenes in Central Park are recognizable from the TV series CSI New York and from Law & Order.

On our first night in NYC, we walked across the street from the Crowne Plaza Hotel and saw the Broadway Show "Chicago" at the Ambassador Theatre. We both loved the energy and music in this production! On the second night we saw "South Pacific". Janean loved it, but Dan snoozed during the "South Pacific" show.

We were only in Manhattan 3 nights, but Dan managed to eat Cheesecake at least 4 times. This is just around the corner from the hotel. Look at all those choices!

Our room at the Crowne Plaza Times Square was the perfect base for easy access to the highlights of Manhattan. Besides the great location, the accomodations were very comfortable. We really enjoyed the Crowne Plaza "Sleep Advantage" perks and we highly recommend this hotel as a base for any cruise from New York City.

We were in room 1814 at the Crowne Plaza. Some views from the Crowne Plaza at Times Square are spectacular. Our room didn't have the best view, but it wasn't bad - even in the rainy weather.

In Manhattan, we opted for the downtown bus tour. For $55 per person you get 2-full days on these buses. You can hop on and hop off at any point of interest. The tour is also narrated and they provide a helpful map with points of interest plus rain ponchos, if it rains. The top deck is open (which is best when it doesn't rain) and the lower deck is enclosed. This a photo of Radio City Music Hall from the top deck.

Here is a photo of St. Malachy's - one of numerous historic churches you will pass on the downtown bus tour.

The bus tour goes right through the heart of downtown Manhattan. This is a photo of Times Square from the top deck of the bus tour.

We hopped off the bus and walked by the NBC Studios. You can see the window where passers-by wander during the NBC "Today Show" broadcasts. You can also go up to the plaza above the street and get a chance to wave in the background.

We passed a Fire Department New York (FDNY). Dan asked if we could take their photo and they said it would be OK, but only if the pretty lady would stand in the photo with them. What a pretty lady! What a couple of gentlemen! These guys truly are New York's finest!

We also stopped by the Rockefeller Center and snapped this photo. It really was cold enough for ice skating!

We made a stop at Wall Street and Dan rubbed the nose of the famous Wall Street bull. It is said this will bring you good luck in your investments. We hope so!

A highlight of New York was our trip to the Empire State Building. The bus tour will drop you off right in front of the Empire State Building. This is a photo right from the top deck of the bus.

The Empire State Building is the tallest building in NYC. It is 102 floors and 1224 feet tall. It was constructed in 1930 and took just over a year to build.

When we jumped off the bus, we were offered the "Sky Ride" tour to the top of the Empire complete with a "video experience" of NYC and express service to the top of the building. It was more than the regular admission of about $20 per person, but less than the express pass cost. We suggest bypassing this tour-offer. The "Sky Ride" is pretty lame and you don't really get the express pass - you go to the regular line.

It took about 30 minutes to get to the 86th floor observatory. The building is 102 floors tall, but the popular observation deck is on the 86th floor. We didn't go to the 102nd floor, but we heard that the best views are from the observation deck on floor 86 - and who can argue?

We were able to see the Statue of Liberty from the top of the Empire State Building. The views really are incredible.

The observatory deck is pretty crowded. You can stay as long as you like. We spent about 10 minutes on the top deck. It is worth the time and cost to see this view!

All visitors have their photo taken before they climb to the observation deck. They put a backdrop in the photo - it cost us $20 to show ourselves in front on the Empire State Building in this tourist photo. Was it worth 20 bucks?

Another highlight was the view of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. The tour bus drops you off at the free ferry to Staten Island. We didn't take the ferry, but we enjoyed the views from the banks of the Hudson. You can see the Statue of Liberty over Janean's shoulder in this photo.

The NCL Dawn sails past the Statue of Liberty. While on the banks of the Hudson, we saw a Carnival Cruise ship sail past the Statue of Liberty. What a great way to begin a cruise!

Here is a photo of Dan in front of the Statue of Liberty. Note the $5 "I Love NY" stocking cap - clearly a tourist!

We were able to get close to Ground Zero. Construction continues in the area, but we were not able to see the area. We did find this orb which is a fragment from the 911 attack in 2001.

We also made a stop at the Metropolitan Art Museum in Central Park. The tour bus drops you right in front of the museum.

The crowds were pretty heavy at the Metropolitan Art Museum.

A highlight in the museum which you can see are the works by Vermeer. You can see a Vermeer exhibit in the museum store before you even enter the museum.

We also visited the Canal Street district on the Bus Tour. We decided to go back using the subway because we needed another suitcase to carry all our purchases we made. Canal Street is well-known for its world-class, bargain low prices. The NYC subway system is excellent for getting around the city.

New York was a wonderful visit for us. During our 3 days in Manhattan, it was cold and rainy, but we really enjoyed our short visit. The stereotype of New Yorkers is not correct - they are friendly and helpful. The prices we paid were incredibly low for everything except the room and sit-down restaurants. This was our first trip to New York. From the Crowne Plaza at Times Square, we had easy access to all of these activities. We enjoyed pizza, sausages and pretzels from street vendors, cheesecake and bus tours of the downtown areas. We will be back!

TIP 1: Fly to New York City at least a day early and stay at the Crowne Plaza Times Square Hotel on Broadway in Manhattan. This hotel is a prime location for Broadway shows and Manhattan site-seeing. For any cruise it is always safest to arrive a day early so you know you'll make the cruise. Plus you can explore a few New York City highlights or see a Broadway show before you cruise.

Boarding/Cabin

Cruise Terminal. We gave ourselves 3 days in New York ahead of our cruise. NCL cruises out of Manhattan, which is an excellent base for the beginning of any cruise.

Passengers depart from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal at 711 12th Avenue. We departed from Pier 88 on Sunday, October 18. The New York City airports are about an hour from the port. If you choose to take a licensed taxi, the fare is regulated. The airport taxi cost to a Manhattan hotel or to the cruise terminal is $45 plus gratuity. We recommend arriving at least a day early so you can make your cruise without stressing.

TIP 2: Licensed Taxi drivers can only bill you the flat rate fee from the airport to your hotel or cruise terminal in NYC. The same is true for your return trip to the airport. We paid a $45 flat-rate fee for our taxi ride in rush-hour traffic to Manhattan from the JFK airport. We jumped into a non-taxi town car for the trip back to the airport on a traffic-free Sunday morning only to discover the fee was $65 - nearly 50% higher than the licensed taxi fare. Taxi drivers also accept credit cards, which our town car driver did not. Of course, you should tip your driver in either case, but you will save money by sticking to the licensed taxi drivers in New York.

Embarkation & Bubbly welcome. Since we boarded close to noon, our cabin was not yet ready. The cabins are made ready by about 2 PM. If you have a balcony or higher cabin and arrive after 2 PM, you will be personally recognized and escorted to your cabin upon embarkation.

Upon boarding, the Dawn staff greeted us with big smiles and with champagne or orange juice. The Bubbly Welcome lets you know "your vacation has begun". You can let go of the stress of your trip here and start your cruise when you see the bubbly offered as you board. After embarking, we were free to eat at the Garden Café buffet and to explore the ship.

We had arrived at the dock at about 11 AM. We made our way quickly through the check-in line, but our check-in agent did not give us a boarding number. We realized that boarding numbers were being called for the early boarding groups, so we had to return to the counter to get our number. Once we had our number, it was a very short wait to get onto the ship.

Cabin. Around 3 PM we were able to go to our cabin. Our balcony was cabin number 10510 - on deck 10 forward, port-side. As balcony passengers on this cruise, we enjoyed the Freestyle 2.0 upgrades, but we must admit, they were not as good as the perks we enjoyed in our mini-suite on the NCL Pearl last June. This is the small desk right by the balcony in the cabin.

The balcony cabin was smaller than our mini-suite cabin on the Pearl. The bathroom has a standing shower, with a separate toilet enclosure and a sink. There was also a tiny love seat, adequate drawers and a small closet. There is a queen bed with 4 pillows. We discovered 2 more pillows in our closet. The extra pillows are nice. The bed included an upgraded mattress, but it was harder and not as comfortable as the mini-suite mattress on the Pearl. We had to request an egg-crate mattress cover so Janean could sleep comfortably.

Our cabin steward was Bali from India. Bali did a great job for us! He remembered our names and greeted us whenever he saw us. He was quick and stealthy at cleaning our cabin. There is only one power outlet in the cabin - here just below the mirror by the hair dryer.

Our balcony was small and was partially enclosed by the hull of the ship as you can see in this photo. This was not the best balcony we've been in and we would recommend a different balcony cabin, if you have the choice. The balcony was OK, but we would recommend the mini-suite as a slightly higher-priced option. The advantages of the mini-suite compared to a balcony are the full-size bathtub, better bedding, a larger balcony and the extra storage space. We were pretty tight on storage space in this cabin.

TIP 3: The new pillow-top mattresses on the Dawn are very comfortable, but still might be a little firm for some people. Test your bed in your room the moment you arrive. If you find it too firm, find your cabin attendant early and request an egg-shell mattress cover. They are available in limited quantities on a first-come, first-served basis. The front desk staff on the Dawn wasn't very helpful on a number of issues, including this one, but Bali our cabin steward took care of this request for us.

On the way out of port from NYC, we cruised past Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.

On the day our cruise ship left New York, it was overcast and rainy. The top of the Empire State Building was hidden in the clouds when we cruised by.

Sailing past the Statue of Liberty is a great photo opportunity and a fun way to start the cruise.

You will see her from several different angles as you cruise off to Bermuda.

Cabin choices. The Dawn offers a variety of cabin categories ranging from an inside cabin on deck 4 up to an exclusive Garden Villa or Courtyard Villa on deck 14.

There are also ocean view, balcony, mini-suite and suite cabin options. Suites include a queen-size bed, a living area, dining area and concierge service. The inside and ocean view cabins are about 150 square feet. Balcony and mini-suite cabins are about 200 square feet and have private balconies.

All cabins feature TV, coffee-maker, and mini-bar. Guests in the suite category receive exclusive access to Cagney's Steakhouse for breakfast and lunch. Suite guests can also make restaurant reservations for the entire cruise on the first day. Suite guests also receive snacks in their room each day after selecting their choices from a daily menu and VIP disembarkation as they are escorted off the ship ahead of the crowd. Of course all guests receive the infamous works of art with towels.

Dining, Wine & Spirits

The dining.The heart of NCL's Freestyle Cruising is the dining plan and options. We love the NCL dining options combined with the casual attire option, NCL's Freestyle Cruising provides a wide array of dining choices.

Main Dining Rooms. The galley on the ship serves all the dining rooms. This was part of our Behind the Scenes tour on the Dawn. There are more photos of that tour later in the report.

The new Freestyle 2.0 boasts of "Lobster Galore" with lobster served twice each week in the main dining rooms. The desserts are great for all meals during the week! Dan didn't pass on many desserts. The main 2 dining rooms are on deck 6.They are the Venetian and the Aqua Restaurants.

We had one dinner at the Le Bistro on deck 6, which has an additional cover charge of $15.00 per person. The meal was great, but the meals in the "free" main restaurants were equally impressive. We still don't understand the draw to the extra cost restaurants when the food is so spectacular and abundant in the main no-charge restaurants. Of course, if you want to "splurge" the cover charge of $10-$25 per person isn't bad.

We ate most of our dinners in the Venetian Restaurant with its great panoramic wake-view windows and excellent service. Due to a restriction, we were not able to use our NCL Cruise Reward credit purchased on our last NCL cruise as credit on this cruise. We saved our "splurge" money for shore excursions and souveneirs.

One of our servers in the Venetian was Donald Velasquez. He is pictured here in the crew show. Donald was very good at providing personalized and quick service. And, like most servers in the Venetian, he was always smiling. The abundant smiles are contagious.

TIP 4: Eat a dinner in the Venetian Restaurant early in the week. We loved the Venetian. The venue with its panoramic wake view, the service and the food are so wonderful, you may choose to eat most of your meals here and save your money from extra pay dining options for use on other activities during your cruise.

All cruise lines have their formal nights. NCL does too. But we love the NCL Freestyle invitation to "dress up (or not)". We chose to dress up one night and we chose "or not" the other 6 nights.

If you want a family photo or need a professional photographer, the prices and logistics are great on a cruise. And it seems to be much less stressful while you are Freestyling.

Garden Café Buffet.The Garden Café on deck 12 is the main buffet option on the Dawn. The Garden Café has specialty stations where guests can make selections without standing in line for unwanted choices. There are times when the crowds can get really chaotic at the Garden Café. If you plan well, you can avoid the crowds. Sometimes though, it will just be very crowded and busy. There were a few times we couldn't find a seat after we had our plates filled from the buffet.

TIP 5: If you get frustrated with crowds in the Garden Café, sneak down to the Venetian or the Aqua for a more tranquil and civilized breakfast or lunch. Complimentary meals are served in these two restaurants and many passengers never try them for breakfast or lunch.

Extra pay options.For a charge of $10 to $25 per person, you have these specialty dining options: Impressions (Italian), Salsa (Mexican), Le Bistro (gourmet French cuisine), Bamboo (Sushi), Tepanyaki (Asian) and Cagney's Steakhouse (steak and seafood). Lobster dishes are on all specialty restaurant menus. Le Bistro and Cagney's Steak house both offer a 32-ounce premium Angus beef steak, Maine lobster and Alaska king crab legs.

Room service has been upgraded for guests in all staterooms, and there are expanded options for suite guests. Mini-bar options have been expanded, and guests can talk to their cabin steward to customize their mini-bar choices.

Beer, Wine & Spirits onboard. The minimum price for most drinks, including beer is $5.95 plus auto-gratuity. On this cruise there were daily tastings - for wine, beer, whisky, mojitos and other drinks of interest. The cover charge for each tasting was $15.

Every day you could buy a bucket of beer - pay for 5 and receive 6.Otherwise, you just pick your drink of choice and order by the glass or by the bottle.

We both enjoyed the quiet ocean views in the Pearly King's Club on deck 7 just aft of the shore excursion desk. Dan loved the beer and we both loved the English Pub motif.

If you do purchase a bottle of wine and have it re-corked for your next meal, you just have to make sure you get your wine slip before you leave the restaurant so that you can have your remaining wine brought to your table at the next meal. If asked, NCL will allow you to bring wine onboard and they will charge you a $15 corking fee to open it and serve it to you or they will store it for you until the end of the cruise.

Cruise Rewards note. NCL will give you $100 onboard credit if you make a $250 deposit for a future cruise. You can use the credit for a cruise within 4 years. This is a great offer if you plan to cruise on NCL again. We purchased the Cruise Reward on our last cruise in June 2009. Due to a restriction, we were not able to use our NCL Cruise Reward credit on this cruise. If you buy the Cruise Reward certificate, read the back of the form before you sign. There aren't many restrictions, but one of those restrictions on the back of the form prevented us from using our cruise credit on this cruise.

The Ship

The ship.The Dawn will accommodate 2,240 guests. It is easy to find your way around this ship. This cruise was not full to capacity, but public areas were very crowded at times.

Areas that can be crowded include the Garden Buffet, the Spinnaker Lounge (we missed a few events here because we couldn't find a seat) and the Stardust Theatre. We've mentioned how to deal with some of those issues in other sections of this report.Below is a description of the Public areas From Top to Bottom on the Dawn.

Decks 13 & 14. Up on Deck 14 aft are the sports court and the garden villas area. On deck 13 is the jogging track, sun deck and the Bimini Bar & Grill - where we never saw either food or drink served during our cruise. It could have happened, it was just never open when we went by. Cagney's and the Star Bar are mid-ship on deck 13. The Kid's Center and Teen Club are aft on deck 13.

Decks 9-12. On deck 12 is the Spinnaker lounge with great forward views and views. Just aft of Spinnaker are the Cinema, Library and pool deck. Aft on Deck 12 is the Garden Café and the Fitness Center. Deck 11 - aft is the spa. The rest of the deck is passenger cabins.

Deck 8 is mostly passenger cabins, but mid-ship you will find the Salsa Tex-Mex Bar & Restaurant. The Internet Café is accessible just above the Salsa area.

On deck 8, just above the front desk and the Atrium and just below the Internet Cafe are some outstanding (and quiet) seats and tables. This is a hidden gem on the Dawn.

Tip 6: Seats in the Salsa Restaurant area are wide open during non-dining hours. You can access the internet with your laptop, read, watch the sea from the outside windows, people watch on the interior balcony side, or enjoy your favorite drink in this relaxing, open space above the ship's atrium. This is a quiet, relaxing ambiance that few passengers discover.

Deck 7 is the Promenade Deck with a wrap around walking path completely around the deck. Aft is the main store on the ship. Just forward of the store are the Blue Lagoon 24-hour Food Court and the Pearly King's Pub. Next are the Shore Excursion desk, the Java Café and the Front Desk. Then you have the Tepanyaki, the Bamboo Sushi Bar, Dazzles Lounge, the Art Gallery and the Photo Gallery. Forward on Deck 7 is the Stardust Theatre Balcony section.

Deck 6 forward is the Stardust Theatre, middle section. The Dawn Club Casino is just aft of the Theatre. Next are Impressions Italian Restaurant, Champagne Bar, Wine Cellar, Havana Club and Le Bistro. Mid-ship and aft are the 2 main restaurants - the Aqua and the Venetian.

Tip 7: Visit the casino and register for the NCL players club. Even if you don't gamble much, you will want to play the free coupons. You can get $20 slot money for $10. You can get $15 chips for $10. You get a $5 free match on craps. You get a $5 match on roulette. You get a coupon which is the same as an ace at blackjack for a single bet of $5 to $25. You get a free spin for a chance to win a cruise for two. For the not-so-high-rollers, there are also 2-cent slots.

Decks 4 & 5. Deck 5 forward is the Stardust Theatre, lowest section. All other parts of deck 5 are passenger cabins. Deck 4 is all passenger cabins and the medical center.

Onboard Entertainment

The entertainment. The Showtime productions by the Jean Ann Ryan Company are the highlight entertainment events on this cruise. They are a professional company of Broadway-style singers, dancers and acrobats. They are very good! They featured 3 shows in the Stardust Theatre and you don't want to miss these shows.

If you like comedy, don't miss Dave Heenan. He did several great comedy shows including an adults-only show, which was R-rated at most. The Second City Comedy Club is another fun group. They are the comedy troupe from Chicago's famed Second City. They improv and sing and entertain all ages.

There is also a Stardust Magical show which was fun. Piano player Bernie Martini does a wonderful job covering tunes by Frank Sinatra including a crowd favorite on this cruise - "New York, New York". There are plenty of other musical entertainers, shopping talks, port information and onboard activities by the cruise director and staff.

There was a very entertaining event called the Pub Crawl where you pay $25 per person and get 5 drinks at 5 bars in about an hour. We were glad we didn't attempt that one, but the noisy procession looked fun and it was also entertaining for non-participating spectators!

TIP 8: If the Dawn is full when you cruise, seats might be filled well before some events start. We missed a few events in the Spinnaker Lounge because there were no seats by the time we arrived. If your cruise on the Dawn is full, then get to shows and events you really want to see at least 10-15 minutes early - maybe more, especially in the Spinnaker Lounge. If you show up right on-time, there may not be seats left.

Behind the Scenes Tour. We added this to our Entertainment Section because even though it is listed as a shore excursion, you can participate in this Behind the Scenes Tour during a day at sea. After 7 cruises, it was fun to peak behind the scenes. We had access to areas of the ship that you normally don't see. Pictured here is the dressing room for the Stardust Theatre.

Here are some of the costumes worn by the performers in the NCL Dawn shows in the Stardust Theatre. The actors have very little time and very little space to make their costume changes during performances.

Domingo Estrada of Honduras is the Provision Master on the Dawn. He is in charge of ordering all supplies to serve 16,000 meals per day on the Dawn. He conducted the tour of the kitchen and bakery areas on the ship. How can you not enjoy this tour when you see Domingo's smile?

We were escorted through all the kitchen areas on the Dawn and watched in amazement as we learned how much food is prepared in stellar fashion each day. Everywhere we went, the employees smiled and waved - they enjoyed showing us their skills and handicrafts in their kitchen on the Dawn.

We also enjoyed the tour of the bakery area on the Dawn - especially the aromas! Janean particularly enjoyed the bakery. They have machines that make rolls in seconds!

We also toured the NCL Dawn Laundry facilities. The washers and dryers are massive, as expected. What we didn't know about were the machines that automatically fold the sheets and towels. The efficiency of these machines is amazing.

During the Behind the Scenes tour we spotted our own clothing already cleaned and on the rack. We had ordered the "full bag" special the day before. You can clean as many clothes as you can put in the bag for $24.99... we stuffed the bag pretty full!

An opportunity you will like on the Behind the Scenes tour is the chance to visit the bridge of the ship. The Dawn was docked in King's Wharf when we did this tour.

Janean got right up next to the helm of the ship, but she didn't want to touch it. Do you think she looks nervous?

We were surprised to learn that the entire ship can be controlled with a tiny little joystick. This isn't a joystick you hold in your hand - it is a joystick you hold between your finger and your thumb.

Crew Show. Of course, on every NCL cruise you get to see the cruise staff perform. This is always a fun and entertaining part of an NCL cruise.

Bermuda

Bermuda. Bermuda is group of 180 separate islands about 550 miles east of Savannah, Georgia. The seasons and climate are similar to what you find in Georgia or Florida.

The largest islands are connected by bridges and a causeway. The group of Islands forms a J-shape.

The NCL Dawn docks at King's Wharf, which is at the end or lower "tip of the J". This is the clock tower right in King's Wharf. There is plenty to do within easy walking distance of the ship.

We spent a day in King's Wharf. This is Dan in the fortress courtyard. You can see the historic governor mansion in the background above his shoulder.

We also spent partial days in Hamilton (in the center part of the J) and in St. George (at the northern most "top of the J".

Bermuda is a British Dependent Territory. The Governor of the country is appointed by the Queen of England. English is spoken in Bermuda and the island is said to be "more British than England".

Shore Excursions. There is only one port of call on this itinerary. Conveniently, you can walk off the ship in King's Wharf, Bermuda. Here is a photo of the Dawn docked in port at King's Wharf.

For the 3 days in port, you can come and go as often as you like. There are historic sites within easy walking distance of the dock. There is shopping close by for souveneirs, clothing, food & drinks. There is also a glass-blowing shop and a rum cake bakery in King's Wharf.

The bus and ferry rides can be caught within steps of the dock. Here we are enjoying one of our ferry rides for just $4 each.

We really enjoyed this easy-going 3-day schedule. It was very relaxed and gave us plenty of time to explore Bermuda since this was our first visit to the island.

On day 1, the line was a bit long to get off the ship, but after the initial rush, it was easy to get off the ship. Getting back on the ship requires a visit to the Bermuda port authorities and then another pass through the NCL Dawn security screening. The lines at the NCL security to re-board were oddly long and slow.

Tip 9: Keep your NCL card with you ALWAYS! From the time you board on day one until you disembark at the end of the cruise - keep that card with you wherever you go. In Bermuda, you need a photo ID to pass through the Bermuda port authority for re-boarding. If you don't have your NCL card, you go through a second line. The same is true for every time you go through NCL security to get on or off the ship - including the final disembark. Plus you can use the card for all onboard purchases. Just keep that card with you at all times throughout the cruise.

From the photos, you probably can guess which shore excursion we liked best.

Our top-rated shore excursion was the NCL's Dockway Segway Experience in King's Wharf. The 2-hour segway tour of King's Wharf is conducted by Rob of Segway Tours Bermuda.

Dan was really nervous about whether he could stay balanced on the segway. He has a bad hip and needs a hip replacement soon. His balance is terrible. But after a short coaching session with Rob, Dan hopped on and took off.

We both REALLY had fun on the segways. If you haven't seen a segway, it is a 2-wheeled human transporter which is gaining popularity in Bermuda and in other parts of the globe where traffic congestion and air pollution may be concerns.

Rob was on his segway leading our group and pointing our history and points of interest as we cruised along on our individual segways.

From our fast & smooth segways, we listened to Rob's personalized tour of King's Wharf on our wireless headsets.

We glided effortlessly through the historic Royal Dockyard with visits to the Glassblowing and Rum Cake factory, the Victualing Yard, the Maritime Museum and Commissioners House, the Defense Heritage Exhibit and the Clock Tower Mall.

We enjoyed this segway tour so much that we took another segway tour during our visit to St. George.

Tip 10: Book the Segway Tour in King's Wharf. It is great fun for all ages! Grown-ups will feel like kids and you will save your feet for other walking activities. It is also very informative with a first-hand, up-close look at historic points of interest. The cost is about $80 per person for the 2-hour segway tour. Remember your camera - you will get comfortable enough on the segway to steer with one hand while you take photos with your other hand.

The 3 main areas to visit when you dock at Bermuda are King's Wharf (the port used by NCL), Hamilton (also used as a port for cruise lines) and St. George. Of course, there are also plenty of beautiful beaches you can reach via a short bus ride of 15-45 minutes.

We took the $4, 20-minute ferry ride to Hamilton on one day and the $4, 40-minute ferry ride to St. George on another day. We also took the 20-minute bus ride to Horseshoe Bay beach.

In St. George, we paid $75 each for another Segway Tour. Again, the segway tour is highly recommended! The paths in St. George cruise along a golf course, through town and on a path along the coast. This is a really fun excursion!

The St. George Segway Tour has incredible views along the north coast of Bermuda.

In St. George, you can also put yourself or your friends in shackles. Perhaps this will make you feel better about the Gossling Black Rum you have consumed during your visit.

Here are a couple of extra shots from St. George. It is worth the $4 ferry ride to visit St. George.

On our last day in Bermuda, we also took the 20-minute bus ride to Horseshoe Bay for a visit to the beach. You can use this same bus stop to see the lighthouse.

We enjoyed the visit to the beach, but we had a hard time seeing the much-publicized pink color in the sand. Look at this photo. Ok, maybe there is some pink there, but in person, it looked pretty tan and white to us. Still, the beaches are beautiful and the sand is silky fine.

Moongates. Hey couples and lovers... when in Bermuda, look for the Moongates. These are the circular arches in masonry or bricks. If you kiss below the moongates, you will be assured a long and happy life together. Don't take our word for it. Here is the proof. And there is a moon gate right by the cruise terminal.

We loved Bermuda and we will return. Here are a few parting photos before we cruise back to New York. This was a local steel drum band. They were really good!

Here is a last shot of Janean having fun on the segway with the Dawn in the background. Look at that smile.... ahh.....

Just pretending... but this would be a fun gun to fire!.

Disembarkation

Disembarkation. The disembarkation process was a little slow. We chose to walk off early with our own bags because we had an earlier flight to head back west. The early disembarkation line formed about an hour before the 8:15 am scheduled start. The disembarkation started a little later than expected. Passengers began getting off the ship around 8:45 am. With light Sunday traffic, we easily made our 11:15 am flight. This was a very good cruise. Here are a few shots from the last day.

Bonus Tip: If you have the option to book a flight for 1 pm or later, you can take your time, sleep in and have a leisurely breakfast. If your flight is at noon or earlier, you will want to choose the early easy walk-off option.

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Ok... so you just want the Ten Tips? Here they are.

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