Breakaway July 13-20 to Bermuda - The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry

It’s been 2 years since my last cruise to Bermuda. Back then, it was on the Star in a Family suite. I loved the NCL Freestyle concept, food, specialty restaurants, entertainment, etc. but didn’t care for the so-called perks of the suite-life. The backlash that ensued by suite devotees was swift. In order to bring balance to any negative reviews for this latest cruise, I used an anonymous remailer service to find a loyal NCL cruiser from these forums to provide a counterpoint. I don’t know the identity or gender of this individual, so they will be referred to as “Bob.” I will insert Bob’s comments to my review when applicable. Hopefully that will pacify the rabble.

The Plan…

The family suite was a waste to me on my last cruise. I would have been happy with an inside or oceanview cabin. However, there was a deal on a BA (mid-ship balcony) that included OBC and TA discounts. Hmmm… A balcony on the left (port) side meant I could see the fireworks without going to Spice H2O. The balcony wasn’t really much more expensive than an oceanview with the discounts, so I booked it.

The plan changes.

A couple months later, NCL offered the UDP for free with a balcony booking, but the OBC was $100 less. Hmmmm… I really don’t want to go to a specialty dining restaurant every night. I’m happy with the food in the MDR and buffet. Sure, I want to book a night at Moderno and Le Bistro, but that’s about it. However, I’m getting the UDP for 2 people for only $100 in OBC? How can I pass that up? Called the TA and she made the change.

Tip #1: Check cruise prices every Friday.

I booked my trip for July in February. I kept an eye on the prices to see if there were any drops or if a new promotion was introduced. I booked through a discount warehouse travel agency just like I did the last time. It seems that prices change for NCL on Fridays. I kept a link to the cruise date from the website in my bookmarks. If the price dropped, I’d contact my travel agent to get the adjustment. I was very happy with her service. Even after the 45 day last payment deadline, she was able to get me upgrades and additional OBC. I wish that I could provide you with her info, but I believe this would be against the rules.

Tip #2: Get insurance quotes from outside of NCL or your travel agent.

You can get great deals on travel insurance by shopping online. Just search “trip insurance price comparison” for sites that will provide this to you.

Tip #3: Check with your cell phone company for roaming charges

I was surprised that Bermuda is within my T-Mobile plan for data and texting. Calls have a roaming charge, but it’s pretty low. Here’s how you can allow international roaming for data, but not accidentally expose yourself to surcharges.

WARNING! Please verify any advice I give you with your phone carrier. Do not assume what worked for me will work for you!

1. Go to your T-Mobile account online and go to your profile. Click on “Blocking.”
   
2. Turn on “Block charged international data roaming.”
   
3. Turn on your phone’s “Data roaming” option. For Android, it should be under “Mobile networks.” It will give you a scary prompt about extra charges. If you did the above block on your account, you can ignore this warning and should be fine.
   

 

Click to enlarge

Bob’s reply:

I was on the Star 2 years ago and the Family suite perks were the greatest thing I ever experienced. After a fine lunch, we’d come back to our room to discover that our butler had left us more food! We didn’t ask for it. We weren’t hungry for it, but it was there. We usually didn’t eat it, but it was the thought that counts! Whenever non-suite members need to make specialty restaurant reservations, they have to pick up the phone and call the reservations desk. Not me! I picked up the phone and called my butler, who then hung up with me and called the reservation desk. Now that’s service! Our room had a coffee maker. If I wanted coffee when I woke up, I could make it myself. The non-suite cruisers would have to leave their rooms if they wanted coffee. Those thousands of dollars extra I paid for a suite were paying dividends like this constantly.

To be continued….

Thanks for the report!

BTW, perhaps "Bob" could edit your posts for errors. A cruise with a final payment date 45 days out doesn't exist.

Should have been 75. Thanks Bob!

I'm looking forward to this one

The plan evolves.

Last time I went to Bermuda, I did a glass bottom boat excursion that I booked myself. It was half the price of the same kind of excursion through NCL. I also went to Horseshoe Bay Beach and fell in love with the pink sand and clear water. After asking around the forums and doing other research, I decided that the Crystal Caves and Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo (BAMZ) would be a fine choice this time. I also found Coco Reef resort. They offer day passes for $59 a person that includes a free prix fixe lunch menu and children under 11 are free (but no free lunch). Their beach is a private area at the end of Elbow beach. It’s further to travel, but no need to rent chairs or umbrellas, excellent facilities, and lunch is included.

Many people have said that the best kept secret is to go to O'Sheehan's for breakfast. It’s on a different deck than the MDRs and buffet, so it isn’t usually crowded. Sounds good to me!

Tip #4: Excursions are always cheaper when booked yourself.

Don’t be afraid to do excursions on your own. The dockyards are teaming with taxi drivers, mini-vans, glass bottom boats, snorkeling vendors, etc. that provide as good or better service than through the cruise line. Two years ago, I got a glass bottom boat tour for me, my wife and child for $50. This time, I was able to do the caves and aquarium for about $116 for all three of us. Here’s how I did it:

1. Buy an unlimited transit day pass for all members of the group. It costs $15 for adults and $7.50 for children.
   
2. Take the 9:30 AM ferry from the Dockyards to St. George. (45 minutes)
   
3. Go see the sites of St. George. I wasn’t too fond of St. George, so we only stayed an hour. At the ferry station, go up the hill and wait for ANY bus to Hamilton. The map claims only the 1 and 3 bus go to the caves, but the 10 and 11 bus go there as well. The stop for the caves will be next to an ice cream shop on your left. Follow the path to the cave box office. (15 minutes)
   
4. After you’re done with the caves (1 hour), take the 10 or 11 bus to the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo (BAMZ) (15-20 minutes). Admission costs $10 for adults and $5 for children. (2 hours)
   
5. Take the 10 or 11 bus to Hamilton. Walk to the ferry and take the next one back to the Dockyards.
   

The total cost for me and my family: $37.50 +$54 + $25 = $116.50

Through NCL: $99 per adult and $79 per child. You’re dropped off at Hamilton and are expected to find your way back to the dockyard on your own, so add travel fees, too.

Total cost for excursion through NCL: $277 + $10.50 = $287.50

That’s over twice as much!

Bob’s reply:

You cannot compare your homemade excursion to the professional services provided by NCL. When I spent almost $300 for the Caves and BAMZ, I was picked up in a minivan by a driver hand-picked by NCL. I along with 3 other families who saw the value in NCL’s service went on an hour long drive together while our driver told us about things in the general vicinity. One of the families got lost at the caves and we had to wait a hour until they were found. This only shows the dedication of NCL’s “leave no man behind” policy. After the excursion, we were left behind at Hamilton. I forgot to bring cash, so I couldn’t pay the fare for the ferry back and had to hitchhike back to the ship. It was a wonderful way to see Bermuda!

Tip #5: Bring cash.

Many places don’t take American Express and some only take cash. No need to get Bermudan currency. American currency is accepted everywhere.

The price drops…and drops…and drops!

Over the course of the next few months, the price seems pretty stable until the cancellation deadline passes. Then it begins dropping significantly. I get upgraded from a balcony to a mini suite on the 14th floor. (A mini-suite is a balcony with a bigger bathroom.) Didn’t need it, but I’m glad my TA got me something. In the last two weeks, the drop is even bigger. I get offered a “Family Mini-Suite.” It’s exactly the same as the room I had, but it’s on the 12th floor, so it’s closer to the Splash Academy. However, before I can accept, the room can only be booked for two people. The cabin can physically accommodate more, but there’s some kind of fire code regulation preventing the system from booking more than two people to the 12th floor. I get almost $250 in OBC instead. Thank goodness for my TA.

Tip #6: You might be better off booking close to the sailing date.

It’s a gamble, but if you’re not looking for something posh like the Haven, booking a week or two before can offer a SIGNIFICANT savings.

Tip #7: Car service instead of parking.

I live pretty far away from NYC, but a town car only cost me about $150 each way. Parking would have been $280 plus tolls. I used a car service that had lots of “7’s” in their phone number and they were great.

The big day has arrived!

Wow! The Breakaway is magnificent! And huge! The rooms are gorgeous. Check in was a breeze. We dropped our bags off outside our room and went to the buffet. Food was really nice. I had Ratatouille for the first time and loved it.

The first night.

When we go back to our room that night, we notice the whole floor is vibrating. I mean like REALLY vibrating. I can’t believe it. It’s like a jackhammer is going on constantly. I went to customer service to find out if it’s a temporary thing, but they don’t seem to know anything about a vibration. The shaking isn’t confined to the 14th floor, but it’s most pronounced mid-ship. It was the worst in Headliners.

It stopped whenever we were in port. I’ve read about other people complaining about vibration in the aft rooms, but I had no idea about this problem until I experienced it firsthand. This is a serious design flaw of the ship, IMHO.

Bob’s reply:

There is no engine vibration. This is Norwegian’s patented “Magic Fingers” relaxation service it gives to you for free. I sleep like a baby in the vibrating bed. It also soothes my feet after a long day of walking around the ship. There is no design flaw.

To be continued….

So nice to have the point/counterpoint with Bob, who some people may uncharitably call an NCL cheerleader. :D

This post is hilarious and has some helpful tips.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy

Since we had the UDP, I made sure to reserve “Cirque Dreams: Jungle Fantasy” for the first night since it was free. I heard the food wasn’t going to be very good, so I had also booked Cagney’s after the show.

The Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy show was incredible. However, I can’t say confidently that it’s worth $40pp. The food was just as terrible as others have said. I didn’t care since I had a “real” dinner planned afterwards. The acts were slightly repetitious (how many different ways can you do a suspended from the air acrobatics act?), and the show did seem a little long. Nevertheless, it was extremely enjoyable. I almost wish they didn’t do this show as a dinner show. Eating distracts from the action.

Tip #8: Seating at Jungle Fantasy

My first instinct was to get a seat up front. We ended up in the booths at the back, but they were better, IMHO. There are performers all over the room, not just on the stage. You get to sit facing forward and see everything that’s going on the from the rear booth seats.

Dinner at Cagney’s

The UDP allows me to book multiple specialty restaurants in a single night, if I so choose. I originally was going to do La Cucina, but based on the mixed reviews on the forum, I changed it to a safer choice like Cagney’s.

I’ve been to Cagney’s before on the Star. It was pretty good, but not as good as people had claimed. However, it’s a new ship and a new menu since then. Time to give it a whirl!

I don’t know if it was an off night, but the whole affair was a disaster. The food was bland and uninspiring for the most part. We had the shrimp cocktail and were treated to three small shrimps each. I had the iceberg wedge as a salad. It was a tiny little wedge with a dribble of blue cheese. I had the ribeye and my wife had the ribeye with the bone. The quality of the steaks were much better than two years ago, but they weren’t seasoned. We ordered a bunch of different sides and they were actually pretty good, but the fries had no flavor! Not even salt!

The service was very friendly, but agonizingly SLOW! It felt like we were there for hours and probably were. My child fell asleep at the table waiting for us to complete our dinner. My wife eventually decided to bring him back to the room since she lost her appetite for dessert waiting. The waiter kindly offered to have her dessert sent to her room, but it never got there. I waited for the brownie and when I finally got it, it was dry and relatively bland…like the rest of the meal.

Two bad meals on Norwegian. It’s the cruise line that I rave to people about because of the food. Hopefully this is not an omen of things to come.

Bob’s reply:

I’ve been to the best steakhouses in the world, so I speak with some authority on this topic. The steaks at Cagney’s are all USDA prime and are seasoned perfectly. Three hours is not unreasonable time to wait at high end steakhouse. You should have modified your expectations accordingly. You sound like the kind of person who slathers their steak in ketchup! Maybe that’s why you have no taste for a real steak.

Breakfast at O' Sheehan's

I bragged to my family about the “best kept secret” on the Breakaway: Breakfast at O' Sheehan's. While everyone else is piling into the buffet and MDR, we’ll go to O' Sheehan's and have a nice sit down breakfast away from the crowds. The plan seemed to be working perfectly as there was hardly anyone there that morning. O' Sheehan's is great for my wife since she likes to get an omelette. The omelette stations at buffets are usually lined up with people waiting for their turn. A sit down breakfast place makes that easier and since O' Sheehan's isn’t as crowded as the MDR, it should make breakfast a snap! So, we sit down ready to order and…she doesn’t order an omelette. What?! She gets scrambled eggs, just like me. Pffft. Oh well, at least we’ll get served quickly. Nope. For the second time in a row, service is slow. When my meal comes out, the eggs are overcooked and dry. The hash browns are a joke. I get two brown pieces of crispy hash-brown-like-substance each about the size of the quarter. The beans aren’t very good, but the bacon is great. Is this what NCL’s food has become? I followed the advice and it’s been terrible. Is this how the rest of the trip is going to be?

Bob’s reply:

Everyone with a discerning palate knows hash browns should be no bigger than a 1962 silver dollar. Your eggs sound like they were cooked perfectly. Stop complaining about the slow service. That’s part of the NCL freestyle charm!

The buffet

We did the buffet at lunch. Might as well see what it’s like. What I though was going to be a madhouse (like when we first boarded), everything was pretty pleasant. The crowds weren’t too bad and the food selection and quality were excellent. Oooooooh! Hard and soft serve ice cream! The buffet is great! We had all of our breakfasts and lunches at the buffet since then and it was enjoyable each time.

Don’t be afraid of the buffet.

Tip #8: Seating at the buffet

Check out both sides of the buffet. One side is usually less crowded than the other. The front usually has food choices not available on the sides.

Dinner at Le Bistro.

Le Bistro is avoided by some guests due to the “dress code.” The main courses are great and the vanilla crème brulee is my favorite dessert on the entire ship. The berries and sable cookie are indescribably good. For an appetizer, I recommend the steamed mussels. They’re better than the ones at Ocean Blue (more about that much later.) The long toasted bread with the salmon whip (whatever that stuff is called) is perfect for dipping in the cream broth! I also tried the “Les Quatre Cornets,” but I didn’t care for them. They were more of a novelty and not very tasty. The escargots are reminiscent of a scampi and the onion soup is pretty good. The Fruits De Mer is incredible! The puff pastry is simply the best I’ve ever had. I had the rib eye later in the week and it was even better in tenderness than the steak at Cagney’s.

The Chocolate Napoleon was a bit too rich for me, but the profiteroles were very nice.

We had some of the best food and service at Le Bistro. Now this is the NCL I remember!

Tip #9: Le Bistro and the UDP

The Bistro Specials, which would ordinarily incur an additional $10 charge, are included in the UDP. Take advantage!

To be continued….

Totally enjoying your review! Thank you so much for taking the time and for so succinctly entertaining those of us with a sense of humor. ;):p:cool:

Cheers,

Alison

LOL I'm loving your review, especially the rebuttals from "Bob." Bob's picture is hilarious too. Keep it coming!

What a great and detailed review! Really creative approach to telling your story and at the same time offering up some light-hearted teasing directed at the ever present cheerleaders. Every cruise line has them on their respective boards. I look forward to the rest of your review. Nice work!

Really enjoying your nice review.

You're funny!! :D

really enjoying the review (s) and they way you are handling it

PS if you come to Canada you can buy Sheridan :D

Great review so far........ a lot of fun and good information :)

This is hilarious! Really enjoying reading it!

The weather

The weather report for the three days in Bermuda went something like this: Wednesday: Wind and clouds, Thursday: Wind and clouds, Friday: Thunderstorms.

Damn!

Most people have said that if there is clouds and rain in Bermuda, they will usually pass quickly. Of all those three days, Wednesday would probably be the best for the beach since the closer to Thursday, the more rain their will probably be.

Looks like Wednesday is going to be the beach day. That’s the plan.

Coco Reef Resort

It was really windy and cold that Wednesday morning. I was going to take the ferry to Hamilton and then take a cab to the resort, but I wanted to get there ASAP, so I took a cab directly from the Dockyards. Luckily I brought plenty of cash since the taxi ride cost $42 not including tip.

The resort is beautiful and the staff is very friendly. However, the weather was horrendous. The sand was covered in seaweed as most of elbow beach seems to be. Some of the workers were scooping it up with a rake. We tried to make the best of it, but when it started raining, we ran for cover inside the resort. Luckily we didn’t have anyone who was elderly or had a physical handicap in the group. The path down to the beach is very steep. We decided to cut our losses and have lunch, then leave. I wasn’t expecting much. The menu items were mostly sandwiches. I ordered a Cuban sandwich and my wife got a fish sandwich. Surprisingly, they were both really good. The brightest spot of the day was lunch. We called a taxi to take us to Hamilton and returned by ferry to the Dockyard.

I wish I could be more positive, but it was ultimately a waste of time and money.

Oh, and the weather for the next two days were gorgeous.

Comedy Magician Michael Finney

He was great! I’d tell you not to miss his show, but my cruise was his last performance.

Tip #14: Check the dailies before you sail and put the events you care about in your phone’s calendar

Smartphones have calendars with reminders built in. Dining reservations, showtimes, trivia, etc. can all be entered into your phone through a web interface. For Android phones, go here:

https://www.google.com/calendar

Log in with your Google account and add events from the dailies. It will sync with your phone. One little gotcha… NCL ships change time zones depending on the destination. For Bermuda, that means an hour ahead and then back on the return trip. The easiest way to handle this is to change the time zone of the appointments, not the actual time it occurs.

Tip #15: Airplane mode

If you’re not using Wi-Fi or 2G/3G/4G data on your smart phone during your trip, turn on airplane mode. It will save battery life and ensure you don’t accidentally get charged with out of network roaming rates.

Ah, but what about using the iConcierge app? Airplane mode disables Wi-Fi. Yes, but if you turn Wi-Fi back on after airplane mode is enabled, only Wi-Fi will work while all other communications, (mobile data, Bluetooth, etc.) remain disabled.

The $20 for $40 Casino Deal

On Friday when the ship immediately leaves port, the casino reopens. At that time, they will offer you $40 in promotional casino credit for only $20. It can either be slot credit or chips. You can charge it to your account and will deduct from non-refundable OBC. There is no surcharge, just like slot tournaments, bingo, or instant win tickets.

Tip #16: I want to play in the casino, but I’m scared. Help!

Best advice to give someone (other than don’t gamble) is don’t play the slot machines. People play them because they’re easy, but the odds stink. If you’re going to play the slots, my advice is to go for the $1 machines with a single pay line. Don’t get suckered in by the penny slots. They’re over 50 cents a pull if you play all the lines, and yes, you would need to play every line to get the maximum odds payback, which is still crap.

Here’s my advice for gambling without knowing what you’re doing.

1. Go to the Craps table and bet $10 on the pass line. If you win, you’ll get another $10 in chips.
   
2. Go to the Baccarat table. Bet as either the player or banker. Never bet a tie.
   
3. Don’t play the slots.
   

Tip #17: Write down the phone extensions you need often.

Got a child in the Splash Academy? Find out the phone extension and write it down. None of the phones have it in their autodial, but for some reason, the Spa has an entry on all house phones throughout the ship. Did you buy the phone and text messaging option in the iConcierge app? Your phone now has a number that can be dialed from any phone on the ship. Write it down and leave it in your room in case other people need to contact you.

Splash Academy

The kids’ programs at the splash academy are great, but there are some REALLY annoying things that aggravated the hell out of me.

They close for lunch and dinner

Want to go to a fancy restaurant and a show while the kids are at camp? Sorry, you can’t! The Splash Academy is closed between 12:00pm-2:00pm and 5:00pm-7:00 pm on sea days. It’s not even available as an extra charge. It’s simply not an option. Port days have a lunch and dinner option, but that’s ass-backwards in my opinion.

Passwords are pointless

When you first register your child, they ask you to choose a password. You have to type it in while they aren’t looking. Okay, that kind of makes sense. Anyone who finds your card can’t check your child out without the password. I get it. However, when you go to pick up your kid, they ask you to tell them the password out loud in front of everyone. ***? That’s not a secure system! Nobody is supposed to know the password but me. Not even the people who work there. And what good is a password if I have to reveal it to the world?

They don’t ask about the iConcierge app

I bought the phone and messaging service for our smartphones. What I didn’t realize until halfway into the trip is that Haven guests get a private cell phone they can carry with them. The Splash Academy staff always asks where you’re going to be when you drop off your children. The father dropping his kids off in front of me said to “just call him on that portable phone from his cabin.” That’s when it clicked in my head. I told them that, “I had the iConcierge app on my smartphone. Can I give you my number, too?” Lo and behold, there’s a list of parents’ numbers on the wall.

They should have asked me about this when I registered. If there was an emergency, they could contact me wherever I am on the ship!

The Splash Academy isn’t very “freestyle” friendly

What if there’s an activity your child doesn’t want to do? Can they do something else? Can they go off and play the Wii-U? Can they draw or do crafts? Nope. Everything is very regimented. If freestyle is a great idea, then why doesn’t NCL extend it to the children?

This leads me to a general observation about NCL…

Freestyle is mostly dead

Easy, Bob! Listen carefully. I said mostly dead.

NCL’s Breakaway has expanded the entertainment and dining options more than ever before. To be more precise, they’ve expanded the entertainment and dining options that require planning and reservations more than ever before. To give NCL credit, they’re tweaking things to help improve the experience. A couple months ago, Rock of Ages was performed only on port days. Now they’ve intelligently switched the Thursday performance to Tuesday. The times for dinner and shows used to prevent early dinners with early shows. They’ve recently staggered times more so you don’t have to play “Sophie’s Choice” when choosing between limited-time events. Nevertheless, the push towards pay entertainment and the UDP is counter to the freestyle experience.

I walked by the theater to modify a reservation for Rock of Ages that I made weeks prior. There were people trying to make reservations, but most of the shows were already sold out. I spoke to a woman next to me in the theater during Burn the Floor. She told me a year ago, she was able to walk into any show without a reservation. She saw Rock of Ages twice on her last cruise. Now the theater is packed every night and people are waiting on standby for no-shows to get in.

I don’t mind the planning. I like it, personally. It served me well on this cruise. Other people will not. Maybe this kind of change is inevitable. The Breakaway is a big ship, but that doesn’t mean everything is super-sized. The pool is relatively small and so is the theater. They’ve packed a lot of different things on this ship, so any time large groups of passengers want to do the same thing at the same time, the experience suffers.

Bob’s reply:

Freestyle is not dead, mostly dead, or even partially dead. It is alive and kicking. These reviewers who make these claims are spreading lies. The infidels are committing suicide by the hundreds on the gates of the Breakaway. Be assured, freestyle is safe, protected. Just look carefully; I only want you to look carefully. Do not repeat the lies of liars. Do not become like them. Once again, I blame Cruise Critic before it ascertains what takes place. Please, make sure of what you say and do not play such a role.

To be continued…

The weather

 

This leads me to a general observation about NCL…

 

Freestyle is mostly dead

 

Easy, Bob! Listen carefully. I said mostly dead.

 

There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive. With all dead, well, with all dead there's usually only one thing you can do… Go through his clothes and look for loose change.

 

Gotta love Miracle Max!

Thanks for the review.. love the tips which I plan on using during our upcoming Dec cruise.

Great tips.

Quick question about seating at Jungle Fantasy. Is it true, if I want a table for 2, I must come early to get it? I do not want to sit at the big tables with other folks, so what can I do to ensure I get a table for 2?

Great tips.

 

Quick question about seating at Jungle Fantasy. Is it true, if I want a table for 2, I must come early to get it? I do not want to sit at the big tables with other folks, so what can I do to ensure I get a table for 2?

Yes, but be careful what you wish for. We spoke to people who were at the tables who said they had to strain to see the show. We were three people with another couple at a big booth and it wasn't bad.

Teppanyaki

The most popular restaurant on the Star two years ago was Teppanyaki. It was the first to be booked solid every night. I had no desire to go there, but not because I didn’t like Japanese hibachi food. I’ve been to those kinds of restaurants before many times. I’ve seen the all the gags before. It was funny the first time. Now, the jokes wear thin.

I had the UDP, so I figured I’d give it a try. On the Star, there were only two (maybe three?) cooking areas, which is why it was so crowded all the time. Breakaway’s Teppanyaki can accommodate much more people.

The first course was miso soup and salad with ginger dressing. Pretty standard for a place like this. The soup was bland and the salad was forgettable. It was more like coleslaw with bland creamy dressing. Uh oh. This isn’t turning out too good.

The menu at Teppanyai is confusing. They list “classics” and “combinations,” which imply those are the only options. However, they are not!

Tip #17: Lobster, Filet Mignon, Scallops, Udon Noodles, Oh My!

Pick and choose whatever meats, fish, and noodles you want off the menu to make your own combination. I had Lobster, Filet Mignon, Scallops, and Udon Noodles for my order. Even the waitress taking the order wasn’t sure that could be done, but it can.

The main course was outstanding! It’s the best Japanese hibachi meal I’ve had anywhere. And the entertainment was great, too. It wasn’t a carbon copy of Benihana. They threw in a few new jokes of their own.

The most confusing part of the menu is the dessert section. It lists Green Tea Cake, Cashew Nut Brittle, and Fresh Fruit Sashimi. However, the Cashew Nut Brittle is shown in the wrong font. It looks like the Green Tea Cake is made of Cashew Nut Brittle. That can’t be right.

Actually, the Green Tea Cake is a cake with a scoop of green tea ice cream, and a wafer thin cashew brittle. Why does it mention the tiny piece of brittle, but not the ice cream? It makes no sense! I hate green tea ice cream, so this wasn’t something I wanted. My wife noticed someone at another table with strawberry ice cream. Apparently, you can get other flavors of ice cream, but it’s a secret. What they don’t offer, but should, is fried ice cream. Even though the first course and desserts were poor, the main course and entertainment more than made up for it. I was very impressed and would do it again.

Ocean Blue

After the fiasco on the first night, I changed our last night’s reservation from Cagney’s to Ocean Blue. If there was going to be a time to try this upscale dining experience, it would be now when I have the UDP. Ocean Blue is $49 per person normally, but there’s a 20% discount if you have the UDP.

The dinner was a mixed bag of great and not so great food. We tried the calamari and muscles as appetizers. The calamari was outstanding, but the muscles were small and sandy. We had the muscles in Le Bistro twice and they were incredible both times. Ocean Blue, which is a mostly seafood high scale restaurant offered an inferior product. I would have like to try some of the other appetizers, but unlike the other specialty restaurants, multiple appetizers would have incurred additional charges.

Earlier in the week, I caught the end of a cooking demonstration in the Atrium. There were chefs making crab risotto from Ocean Blue and they were giving out samples. The risotto was cooked perfectly, but I wasn’t impressed by the flavor. Now that I was having dinner at Ocean Blue, I decided to avoid the risotto and got the sea scallops instead. My wife got the wild salmon. I liked my meal very much. My wife said her salmon was a 10/10. We both got the charred broccoli as our side and we both found it terrible. I wonder if chefs throw in a poorly prepared item on the menu on purpose just to troll their guests in an “Emperor’s New Clothes” kind of way? “Hmmm, this broccoli is crap, but this is a fancy restaurant, so it must be good. The chef is a genius!”

The desserts were excellent. I had the apple strudel and my wife had the warm chocolate flourless cake.

Was Ocean Blue good? Mostly. Is it worth the upcharge? No, not really. There are so many good dining options on the Breakaway, you can avoid Ocean Blue. It’s not that special.

Bob’s reply:

Ocean Blue is on the Breakaway, so it must be good. But, it is not a NCL restaurant, so it’s okay if it’s bad. But, if the restaurant is bad, then that makes the Breakaway bad. But, if the restaurant is bad, that means the other restaurants that are run by NCL are better. WARNING! DIVIDE BY ZERO! ERROR! ERROR! SYSTEM OVERLOAD! BZZZZZZZZDPT!

Moderno

Moderno is probably my favorite specialty restaurant on NCL. Most people, usually men, make the rookie mistake of avoiding the salad bar and fill up on meat. Many women, conversely, avoid Moderno because they think it’s just meat, meat, and more meat. Don’t get me wrong. The meat is the star of the evening. However, the salad bar items are incredibly good. There’s a selection of cheeses, vegetables, and cold cuts that should not be missed.

Only minor complaint about the service is that they sometimes repeat the same meat selections when they come around. I suggest trying one of everything to find out your favorites. Don’t just take what they give you. If you want to try the lamb chop and it hasn’t been brought around yet, then ask for it. Don’t load up on any one meat until you know what you like.

Moderno is home to my second favorite dessert: coconut flan. I’m not a big fan of flan, but there’s something about the way it’s prepared that makes it stellar.

To be continued…

Great review. Do you know if Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy is at 5:15 or 5:45 I have noticed they moved it to the earlier time. If it is earlier do you miss the Statue of Liberty or any part of the sail away? Thanks

Great review. Do you know if Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy is at 5:15 or 5:45 I have noticed they moved it to the earlier time. If it is earlier do you miss the Statue of Liberty or any part of the sail away? Thanks

No, you don't miss the Statue of Liberty. I got plenty of pictures. However, I didn't notice the time change until I was playing around with the TV menus and noticed it was at 5:15. I would have missed it! I later noticed that they sent a paper notice about the time change to the room. I don't remember seeing it prior to the show. Considering that was on the first night, they should have alerted me ASAP.

Keep the review coming, this is a great format! Can you shoot me an email below?