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I have not cruised the Dawn yet (our first cruise is scheduled on the Dawn on 11/2/03), but I have done quite of bit of research and probing for info. Here is what I've found that applies to your questions:

Food: Most food is included. The particular items you ask about should all be included. Food that's not included: Cagney's, LeBistro, Bamboo, premium ice cream at the ice cream bar, and tips for room service. You should be able to eat 24 hours/day between the buffets and room service. As for your kids, Dawn has a part of the Garden Cafe that's kid-sized and made specifically for them. Sounds like your kids might enjoy that. As for menus, I found some sample menus as well as great pictures at this site ... http://www.magwa.co.uk/dawn/ndawnphoto.htm.

Freestyle Dining: This type of dining has received A LOT of criticism, but I doubt you or I will mind it as first time cruisers. The people who tend to criticize it seem to be those who are quite accustomed to traditional cruising, and very interested in meeting new people. I, for one, am not going on a cruise to spend time with anyone but my husband. If we happen to meet other nice people in our age group with similar interests, so be it. But if there's one thing I DO NOT want, it's to feel obligated to "hang out" with some other couple for the whole cruise. Anyway, it sounds like your only concern with freestyle is getting what you want w/o having to repeat yourself every night. If you ask at the beginning of the cruise, they will more than likely be able to accomodate you by switching you to traditional-style dining. But the kids' section of the Garden Cafe may be the better bet if you still want to try a variety of restaurants for yourself (the kids could catch a bite before or after you).

Cabin: No advice on dealing with cabin size, but the pictures I've seen don't look any more cramped than I'd expect on a ship. In fact, they look pretty nice and the newness has to be a factor in that. As for pictures of the cabins, the site noted in the post above is excellent for that. There are some very helpful reviews there as well. Although we've both already booked our cruises with the Dawn, I still find it helpful to read the reviews so I have an idea of what to expect.

Hope this helps. Have fun!

<blockquote data-quote="fuzzlekins" data-source="post: 710241">I have not cruised the Dawn yet (our first cruise is scheduled on the Dawn on 11/2/03), but I have done quite of bit of research and probing for info.&nbsp; Here is what I've found that applies to your questions:Food:&nbsp; Most food is included.&nbsp; The particular items you ask about should all be included.&nbsp; Food that's not included:&nbsp; Cagney's, LeBistro, Bamboo, premium ice cream at the ice cream bar, and tips for room service.&nbsp; You should be able to eat 24 hours/day between the buffets and room service.&nbsp; As for your kids, Dawn has a part of the Garden Cafe that's kid-sized and made specifically for them.&nbsp; Sounds like your kids might enjoy that.&nbsp; As for menus, I found some sample menus as well as great pictures at this site ... <a href="http://www.magwa.co.uk/dawn/ndawnphoto.htm" target="_blank">http://www.magwa.co.uk/dawn/ndawnphoto.htm</a>.Freestyle Dining:&nbsp; This type of dining has received A LOT of criticism, but I doubt you or I will mind it as first time cruisers.&nbsp; The people who tend to criticize it seem to be those who are quite accustomed to traditional cruising, and very interested in meeting new people.&nbsp; I, for one, am not going on a cruise to spend time with anyone but my husband.&nbsp; If we happen to meet other nice people in our age group with similar interests, so be it.&nbsp; But if there's one thing I DO NOT want, it's to feel obligated to &quot;hang out&quot; with some other couple for the whole cruise.&nbsp; Anyway, it sounds like your only concern with freestyle is getting what you want w/o having to repeat yourself every night.&nbsp; If you ask at the beginning of the cruise, they will more than likely be able to accomodate you by switching you to traditional-style dining.&nbsp; But the kids' section of the Garden Cafe may be the better bet if you still want to try a variety of restaurants for yourself (the kids could catch a bite before or after you).Cabin:&nbsp; No advice on dealing with cabin size, but the pictures I've seen don't look any more cramped than I'd expect on a ship.&nbsp; In fact, they look pretty nice and the newness has to be a factor in that.&nbsp; As for pictures of the cabins, the site noted in the post above is excellent for that.&nbsp; There are some very helpful reviews there as well.&nbsp; Although we've both already booked our cruises with the Dawn, I still find it helpful to read the reviews so I have an idea of what to expect.Hope this helps.&nbsp; Have fun!<img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile&nbsp; &nbsp; :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

[QUOTE="fuzzlekins, post: 710241"] I have not cruised the Dawn yet (our first cruise is scheduled on the Dawn on 11/2/03), but I have done quite of bit of research and probing for info. Here is what I've found that applies to your questions: Food: Most food is included. The particular items you ask about should all be included. Food that's not included: Cagney's, LeBistro, Bamboo, premium ice cream at the ice cream bar, and tips for room service. You should be able to eat 24 hours/day between the buffets and room service. As for your kids, Dawn has a part of the Garden Cafe that's kid-sized and made specifically for them. Sounds like your kids might enjoy that. As for menus, I found some sample menus as well as great pictures at this site ... [url]http://www.magwa.co.uk/dawn/ndawnphoto.htm[/url]. Freestyle Dining: This type of dining has received A LOT of criticism, but I doubt you or I will mind it as first time cruisers. The people who tend to criticize it seem to be those who are quite accustomed to traditional cruising, and very interested in meeting new people. I, for one, am not going on a cruise to spend time with anyone but my husband. If we happen to meet other nice people in our age group with similar interests, so be it. But if there's one thing I DO NOT want, it's to feel obligated to "hang out" with some other couple for the whole cruise. Anyway, it sounds like your only concern with freestyle is getting what you want w/o having to repeat yourself every night. If you ask at the beginning of the cruise, they will more than likely be able to accomodate you by switching you to traditional-style dining. But the kids' section of the Garden Cafe may be the better bet if you still want to try a variety of restaurants for yourself (the kids could catch a bite before or after you). Cabin: No advice on dealing with cabin size, but the pictures I've seen don't look any more cramped than I'd expect on a ship. In fact, they look pretty nice and the newness has to be a factor in that. As for pictures of the cabins, the site noted in the post above is excellent for that. There are some very helpful reviews there as well. Although we've both already booked our cruises with the Dawn, I still find it helpful to read the reviews so I have an idea of what to expect. Hope this helps. Have fun!:) [/QUOTE]