Like you , I have been planning this trip since last year. We booked it last August. I shall be retiring (early)from my teaching post this summer so this is a celebration treat, using some of the lump sum I get.
We love to travel, and if we come a long distance to the States, we like to do it well because it will probably be a once in a lifetime trip. There are so many other places to see in this world and not enough time (or money!) to do everything, so we make the most of it while we can.
I think the Dawn is a good choice. The ships with weekend sailings seem to be stacked up in the ports, but there is less traffic for us, according to the port calendar I found.
Regards,
FF