Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Dawn

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Conclusion

Unveiled in 2002, the Norwegian Dawn is no longer the newest ship at sea, but it’s still a solid choice for vacationers looking for an affordable, big ship getaway — particularly if you live in New England. The Dawn is one of just a handful of vessels that sail regularly out of Boston, offering spring, summer and fall sailings to Bermuda and Canada for as little as $349 per person per week. That makes it a no-muss, no-fuss option for Northeasterners who want to skip the expense of flying to the big cruise hubs in Florida to reach a ship (just drive up to the pier, park and away you go).

Unlike other ships sailing out of Boston (which in recent years have included the Carnival Glory and Holland America’s Maasdam), the Dawn offers a wide range of restaurants on board, including eateries serving Asian, French, Italian and Brazilian cuisine, a sushi bar and a Japanese teppanyaki restaurant. As on other Norwegian Cruise Line ships, there’s no fixed dinner seating, with passengers eating when they want and where they want on a nightly basis — a formula that will appeal to people who don’t want to be tied down to the more structured schedule found on some ships.

Just don’t expect gourmet dining. We found the food in many of the eateries to be on par with the chain restaurants found across America (think Olive Garden for Italian). The only restaurants that really impressed us were the Asian cuisine-serving Bamboo and French eatery Le Bistro (both of which come with an extra fee).

The Dawn is a particularly good choice for families looking for a cruise out of the New England area, given its wide range of family-friendly on-board activities and lively deck-top pool areas. Starting in late 2012, in addition to sailing out of Boston, the Dawn also will spend several months in the winter sailing out of Tampa, making it a good choice, too, for families in the Southeastern USA who want to avoid a long drive (or expensive flight) to reach the many ships sailing out of Miami and Fort Lauderdale.