Norwegian Dawn Webcam – The Ship That Began NCL Hull Art

The Norwegian Dawn Webcam is a forward ship camera on Norwegian Dawn, a Dawn class ship of Norwegian Cruise Line that entered service in 2002. It looks down from high above the bow onto a large oval tub with two white stairways, a tall mast and a mottled foredeck, then over the rail to the water below. NCL publishes the camera as a still image, with the ship’s name, the date and the time in a small black box at the top left. The camera tilts more steeply than most in the fleet, so the sea close to the ship fills much of the frame. The scene changes with the voyage: moving water and low sun at sea, then coastlines, harbors and terminals near land.

About Norwegian Dawn

Norwegian Dawn was built at Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, and was originally meant for Star Cruises as SuperStar Scorpio before she was delivered to NCL under her present name. She was launched on June 1, 2002, and completed in early December of that year, and she made her maiden voyage in Europe on December 7. The actress Kim Cattrall christened her in Manhattan on December 16, 2002.

She measures 92,250 GT and 294 meters (965 feet), with 15 decks, 2,340 passengers and a crew of 1,032. She is registered at Nassau and flies the flag of the Bahamas, and Norwegian Star is her sister. Her schedules have included transatlantic crossings and cruises to the Bahamas and the Western Caribbean.

Norwegian Dawn Details

What Can You See on the Norwegian Dawn Webcam?

On the Norwegian Dawn Webcam, the oval tub is the landmark, with its pale blue water and a stair on each side. The mast rises through the upper left of the frame, and a piece of machinery sits low on the deck near the point of the bow, which runs off toward the lower right. A railing crosses the very bottom of the picture. The horizon usually stays out of frame or sits close to the top edge, so the water itself becomes the subject, showing swell, wake and color as the ship moves. Low sun turns it silver and gold. Near land, the frame can fill with a quay, a harbor or a terminal, and at night the deck lights keep the tub and mast in view.

Hull Art and Rogue Waves

Norwegian Dawn was the first NCL ship to carry hull art. It began as a way to promote the new vessel and was so well received that the idea spread across most of the fleet, which is why so many NCL ships now wear murals along their sides. None of the art shows on this camera, which faces forward from above the deck.

She has also come through two serious incidents. On April 16, 2005, off the coast of Georgia, she ran into a series of three rogue waves. The third damaged windows on the ninth and tenth decks and flooded several decks, and four passengers were slightly injured. On November 27, 2009, while returning to Miami, she lost all power, and U.S. Coast Guard ships and helicopters were sent to assist. Some power was restored, and she was able to reach San Juan, Puerto Rico, for repairs.

Other NCL Ship Webcams

• Norwegian Jade Webcam
• Norwegian Jewel Webcam
• Norwegian Gem Webcam

Source: Norwegian Cruise Line