NCL Dawn - January 18, 2026
I’m sailing as a solo from Tampa on the Norwegian Dawn. This is the closest port to me, although not my favorite, because it handles only smaller ships, given the clearance issues posed by the huge 4-mile-long Sunshine Skyway Bridge separating the Gulf of America and Tampa Bay. This is my 11th cruise on Norwegian Cruiseline and my 230th cruise overall.
Sunday - January 18, 2026 - Embarkation
I woke early, finished packing for the cruise, and arranged an Uber for a 9:45 a.m. pick-up. The weather is cool and damp, and I hoped to board before the rain. We arrived at about 10:45, which was perfect for my assigned boarding time at 11:00 a.m. I was processed quickly through the Priority line and had only a short wait before we boarded just after 11:00 a.m., just before the rain. No dropping off of bags in cabins, so I went up to deck 12 and the buffet. I had a nice sample plate of various entrees offered and a selection of specialty salads. I then went to my Muster Station, where they scanned my card. My next stop was at Guest Services and the Excursion Desk, where I booked a trip for the Belize port stop. Then I made four reservations for the week at Specialty restaurants. Soon afterward, the cabins were available, and I went down to deck 4 and my ocean-view cabin. My cabin is fine, although both the Television Set and the Porthole are very small. Adequate wardrobe and drawers for a solo, and the bed was comfortable. A bit dated overall. I watched the NFL playoffs on cabin TV, thanks to NCL for allowing it. On my laptop, I streamed an episode of The Closer. I have been watching that classic drama for two weeks, and I am almost through season six. At 6:00 p.m., I went to my first specialty restaurant, La Cucina Italiana, for dinner. I ordered the Speghetti Carbonara Pasta course and the Rib-Eye steak entree. Both were very good, and the steak was cooked perfectly. I enjoyed a very nice Panna Cotta for dessert. After dinner, I retired to the cabin to watch the second NFL game and begin this Blog post. It was a great embarkation day on the NCL Dawn.
