From the Big Apple to the tropics: Norwegian Cruise Line's innovative year-round sailings from New York to the Bahamas and the Caribbean

Cruise Travel, July-August, 2004 by Deborah Williams

Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Dawn has ushered in a new age in New York cruising. For the first time ever a cruise ship is making weekly cruises from New York on a year-round basis. And like the city she calls home, the Norwegian Dawn is big, bold, and beautiful.

She boasts priceless masterpieces by some of the world's greatest artists; she offers a remarkable array of dining opportunities, and activities for just about every age and interest, including top-rated entertainment. The Norwegian Dawn is the sister ship of the Norwegian Star and the third ship designed specifically for the line's 'freestyle Cruising,' which features a dress-up or dress-down and eat when-and-where-you-wish dining concept a philosophy that seems to fit in particularly well for a New York kind of ship.

From the moment "Sex And The City" television star Kim Cattrall christened the 92,250-gross-register-ton/2,240-passenger ship, the Norwegian Dawn has fit right in with the neighborhood. Cattrall said she enjoyed her first cruise in one of the ship's two three-bedroom/5,350-square-foot Garden Villas that offer panoramic views of the ocean and come with butler and concierge services. Each features a roof terrace, a Jacuzzi, a totally private sunning area, and an Italian garden with open-air dining. The two villas can be combined for 10,000 square feet of living space.

One of the wonders of sailing from New York City is the dramatic departure--a thrill that's bard to match anywhere else. The sail-away celebration was full of patriotic music as passengers gathered ondeck and by the pool to watch as the ship passed the breathtaking skyline of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty.

The next day was a sea day time for exploring and discovering surprises around every corner. Many new ships boast of their art collections, but the Norwegian Dawn alone features four original oil paintings by 19th and 20th century masters Renoir, Matisse, van Gogh, and Monet. These paintings, which hang in the ship's signature Le Bistro restaurant, are on loan from the personal collection of Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, chairman of Star Cruises, NCL's parent company. There is something intimate and powerful about dining with the masters, as the ship likes to promote the experience. The food and service is worthy of the artistic masterpieces (and the chocolate fondue dessert provides a dramatic finale for any chocolate connoisseur).

Elsewhere on the ship are 25 original signed Andy Warhol silkscreens, relegated to the inside, where most ships confine their artworks. But the Norwegian Dawn takes art to another level by featuring dynamic images on her gleaming white hull. Walkers on the Promenade Deck are treated to an ocean view on one side and brightly colored murals along the walls designed to portray the happenings inside.

Indoor activities are primarily concentrated on decks six and seven. The Grand Atrium, with its glass-domed ceiling, is the hub. On the landing of a curved stairway is a performance platform where live bands play. The Dawn Club Casino is along the corridor leading to the Stardust Theater. Designed in a European opera-house style, the elegant 1,150-seat showroom spans decks five through seven.

NCL has long been a leader in offering full-scale Broadway and West End productions, and the Norwegian Dawn continues the tradition with three shows--a "Miami South Beach Rave!" party; a showcase of memorable Broadway standards penned by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber (with whom NCL has an exclusive entertainment agreement); and "Bollywood," a celebration of India's traditional film culture. The latter, with its amazing aerialists dropping down from the ceiling, was truly an extravaganza.

The passenger talent show was quite professional, and by far the best I've seen on any ship. As part of the vessel's "Star Seeker" program, a panel of entertainers judges the performers in the weekly talent show. A video of the winner is sent to NCL headquarters with the possibility of winning a free cruise and performing during that sailing. There's also the further chance of a professional shipboard contract. During the summer there is a "Junior Star Seeker" program for children ages 5 to 17.

It's easy to stay in touch with the ship's 24-hour Internet Cafe. NCL is the first line to provide remote wireless internet access (known as "wi-fi") fleetwide. Guests can surf the internet by the pool or in any of the lounges, meeting rooms, atriums, or foyers.

The Norwegian Dawn offers plenty of opportunities for passengers who wish to work off unwanted pounds. The Sports Deck has basketball, volleyball, and soccer courts. The two-deck fitness and spa center boasts state-of-art cardiovascular workout equipment, aerobic and yoga area, steam and sauna rooms, a jet-current exercise pool, an indoor lap pool, whirlpool, and hydrotherapy pool. The heated lap pool has the distinction of being the longest indoor lap pool on any cruise ship; located aft, with floor-to-ceiling windows, it offers a relaxing perch for watching the sea. The pool is part of the beautiful and serene spa, operated by Hawaii-based Mandara, which is owned by Steiner. Exotic treatments on the spa menu have Hawaiian and other Polynesian influences.