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Inaugural 2-night Cruise to Nowhere - Thoughts and pics


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Just got off the Norwegian Breakaway this morning and overall, I have to say that I am very impressed! I have sailed Epic twice and feel that Norwegian took the customer feedback very seriously - both good and bad - and made a very improved version of Epic.

 

I have not had a chance to read through the reviews, comments, and questions about Breakaway yet, other than to see a thread about how small the balconies are (which is very true...), so apologies if I repeat a lot of "duh" information :)

 

Our cruise was a 2-nighter to nowhere, so the casino was able to open and most of the ship ran like a normal cruise, with the exception that drinks and specialty restaurants were free, with a few exceptions. Due to this, my reaction to crowd size and other aspects may be very different than if this was a "normal" cruise.

 

I will start with my random thoughts and then post some pictures shortly. If you have any questions, let me know!

 

Christening Ceremony

  • This was an event that was nice in theory, but the execution had some technical difficulties. Some of the performances went on for way too long, the Bermuda speaker was just plain bizarre (Caesar Salad references?!), Buddy Valastro cannot read a teleprompter to save his life ("My good friend, Geoffrey Zak-ran!"), and there were frequent cuts to nothing or microphones going out during performances. The presentation also started nearly 30 minutes late, so I think Norwegian needs to step up the production values (and maybe rehearse?) in the future. Luckily, the rest of the experience onboard was great!

Stateroom

  • We were in a spa balcony room on the 14th floor and I thought it was wonderful. The room is exactly the same as a normal balcony room, but with slightly different decor and normally free access to the "Hydrotherapy Courtyard" (aka Thermal Suite). The room feels so much bigger than on Epic.
  • ...with the big exception of the balcony, which is tiny. As others have pointed out, it's barely wider than the chairs on the balcony and I don't see how more than 2 people could fit out there. However, I think that since Breakaway is sailing from NYC, there will be much of the year when the balconies aren't usable until the ship gets down to the Caribbean and I prefer the more spacious interior to providing more balcony space. I know there will be many who disagree, but I'm not a huge balcony-user.
  • The bathrooms are enclosed again and VERY well laid out! There is lots of counter and shelf space and the shower is huge! The water pressure is not that great though. Shower gel and shampoo are provided again in dispensers and there is a lower bar to assist women in shaving their legs. Our toilet's flushing button seemed a bit wonky and sometimes wouldn't flush the first few times. The first time it happened, we thought, "Oh no, we're on a Carnival ship!!" but then it worked, most of the time. :)
  • For some reason, it feels like there is less storage space in the room than Epic, but maybe it's only because Epic "hid" a lot of storage around the room. The closet was a good size and had several shelves and there were lower cabinet sections.
  • The mini coffee-maker provided in the room is a great addition, although the coffee provided is not so great.
  • Side note: A room type of every category was available to tour onboard and we got to most of them. My one comment is that the mini-suite is almost identical to a balcony room, but you get a bigger shower and double sinks. The double sinks reduce the counter space you have and if the shower water pressure was as light as our room, there's no need for a shower that big unless you want to throw a party in it. Save your money and skip the mini-suites!

Dining

 

  • Ocean Blue ($35pp normally)

    • We were lucky enough to snag a much-coveted reservation for Ocean Blue by Geoffrey Zakarian and we were blown away! The food, service, and overall experience were top-notch and comparable to NYC fine dining. I saw Mr. Zakarian in the restaurant quite a bit and he seems to be taking his new venue very seriously.
    • The dinner starts with mascarpone cheese bread, which is some of the best bread I've ever had!
    • We were only allowed to order one starter per person, which is different from every other specialty restaurant experience I've had onboard Norwegian. I don't know if this was because the cover charge was waived and they wanted to save on supplies or if this will be the normal procedure for paying customers. We tried the fried calamari and beef tartare and both were excellent. I highly recommend both!
    • For entrees, I had the Dover Sole with meuniere sauce and my partner tried the scallops with pork belly. The sole was cooked perfectly, but there were no accompaniments or sides served with it, so it got a bit salty and one-note after a while. Some vegetables or rice with it would be nice. The scallops with pork belly, however, were out-of-this-world! I would say the pork belly is actually the star of the dish, but that's not a complaint! There were enough different textures and flavors with this dish to make it amazing.
    • I tried the dark chocolate souffle for dessert and my partner had the apple strudel with cardamom. I loved my souffle, but the cardamom in the strudel reminded me too much of biting into a pod in Indian food. Our waitress also brought the assortment of petite-fours, which were very nice too.
    • We were lucky enough to be seated on the Waterfront during the fireworks at the Statue of Liberty! To be dining outside with fireworks and Lady Liberty looking back at you - that's an incredible experience!
    • The number of seats was very low for Ocean Blue, in my opinion. I don't know if Norwegian thinks it won't get as many diners or what, since the cover charge is significantly higher than they've had at other venues. The menu is very refined - I expected some form of fried shrimp or fish and chips and found none, although this may make it less accessible to a broad market. I would highly recommend Ocean Blue for a special occassion or if you're a dedicated foodie - you won't be disappointed!
    • There are two other Ocean Blue venues - the Raw Bar and on the Waterfront, which is a take-away window. The Ocean Blue on the Waterfront items range from $5-10 per item and the Raw Bar has a selection of oysters and crudo and is a pretty limited menu. We did not try either of these options - only the main Ocean Blue restaurant.

     

    [*]Le Bistro ($20 pp normally)

    • What can I say - Le Bistro is one of my favorite specialty dining options. It was fantastic as always and our servers did a great job. I love the escargot, mushroom soup, duck 2 ways, and pork tenderloin. For dessert, you can't go wrong with the Chocolate Napoleon - especially if you enjoy Nutella!
    • On Breakaway, they've incorporated a "sidewalk cafe" seating section that is open to decks 7 and 8. It's a nice idea in theory, but with the casino only one deck up, it ruins the illusion when the slot machines and craps table are so loud.

     

    [*]Wasabi (sushi, a la carte normally)

    • I snagged a seat and tried a spicy tuna and red hokkaido roll. I thought there were too much rice compared to the amount of filling, although maybe they were trying to save on ingredients as this venue was mobbed every hour of the day. I shouldn't make a judgement call on this one until I've dined in a normal situation.

     

    [*]Garden Cafe (complimentary buffet)

    • I'm torn on the layout of this Garden Cafe. On the one hand, I think it manages crowds very well, but on the other hand, it feels like you're walking a marathon down a mile-long buffet line on either side to scope out all the options. By the time you've made the journey, your food is cold. I prefer the setup on Epic or the Jewel class of ships, but can understand the thinking behind it.
    • The food selections were very similar to past Norwegian sailings, but I think the quality is improved. There was also breakfast flatbread, which was a welcome new addition.
    • This Garden Cafe has the full roll-out of other complimentary beverage options at lunch/dinner, including lemonade and flavored waters. I think Epic was still lacking these options back in January, but I can't remember.
    • There is a decent amount of outdoor seating available, but it feels like most is very covered or in the shadows.

     

I'm still working on uploading my pictures, so will try to post those shortly and also cover the service, public areas, and recreation next!

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Service

  • All the crew members were excellent and I was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of familiar faces from Epic. It's great that Norwegian transfers some experienced crew to start the Breakaway off on the right foot. Our servers in Ocean Blue and Le Bistro were exceptional and nearly everyone was smiling and seemed so excited to be on such a great new ship.
  • The one exception to the excellent service was the Atrium Cafe, where we met the most surly workers I've encountered on any cruise. Not sure what was going on there!

Recreation

 

  • Ropes Course
    • RUN to the new ropes course - I have not had that much fun in a long time! When it was first announced, I was skeptical and didn't really understand the appeal, but after trying it, I'm converted! It's a ton of fun for both children and adults, as long as you don't mind being a bit off the ground ;)
    • You have to sign a waiver and get a harness/safety line from the staff. Be sure to bring a pair of sneakers as flip-flops are not allowed. Also try to have someone hold onto the stuff in your pockets as they have to be empty when you're up there. It's a bit of a shame, since you can't take pictures from the view up there, although some people have already been breaking this rule. If they accidentally drop their camera on someone below... :eek:
    • I would recommend getting there early or finding an off-peak time as some of the sections can turn into bottlenecks with many people up there. The ropes course doesn't have a set path - there are several options at each junction - and there's no real time limit for being up there either, so it could get pretty crowded.
    • Don't miss the zip line over the rock-climbing wall, which was my favorite. The other challenge for thrill-seekers is the Plank - which sticks out over the ship and has an activator that takes your picture when you venture far enough out! Give your best thumbs-up and you can find the pictures for $19.95 later in the Photo Gallery.

    [*]Water Slides/Pools

    • The Free Fall slides are a unique and thrilling experience. You are required to wear a foam board on your back as you go up to 40 MPH as you fall!
    • From the moment the "coffin door" is closed on you and the countdown starts, the experience goes so quickly that you don't even have time to react! The sensation of having the floor drop out from underneath you is insane and like nothing else I've ever done!
    • The other 3 slides are much more tame. As fun as the Free Fall was, I miss the Epic Plunge and think it has much broader appeal.
    • The pools are very small again and I prefer the much more open feeling that Epic has on the pool deck. Breakaway feels like the main pool is partitioned off from the other pool and kids splash zone. It's hard to explain, but you feel the difference immediately.
    • Most of the loungers on deck 15 are shaded, so the sun worshipers will have to flock to deck 16.

    [*]Spice H20

    • The size of Spice H20 has been reduced dramatically from Epic. Gone are the tiered levels and multitude of seats, so I think this area might get pretty crowded when the weather is nice and I'm sure chair-hogs will abound.
    • One change I really appreciate is getting rid of the laughably small pool in Spice from Epic and adding a waterfall cool-down section, which makes more sense to me.
    • For the 80's party, the smaller size of Spice made the party feel more energetic, as often times on Epic, people would spread out so much during parties that it lost the energy of the space.
    • The fireworks were a fantastic addition - they are semi-coordinated with 80's tunes and the show uses "We Didn't Start the Fire" as a sort of countdown before the show begins. This should be a real crowd-pleaser.

    [*]Hydrotherapy Courtyard/Thermal Suite

    • This section of the spa, which costs $146 for a 7-day cruise or is included with "spa" category rooms, is nice for relaxation. Day passes are also available for $39, but the spa staff warned that they normally won't have day passes available on sea days as the week-long passes have priority and usually sell out.
    • The layout of this section features great windows at the front of the ship and there are many padded loungers and heated tile loungers looking out. However, the hydrotherapy pool is smaller, all the facilities are now co-ed (even Epic had tiny single-sex saunas and steam rooms), and there is no view of the ocean from the sauna, which was a really cool feature on Epic. The Salt Room is included and seems like a gimmick. The jets on various sections of the hydrotherapy pool are now button-operated, so they'll turn on for a set amount of time and shut off, which is probably more energy efficient. I also miss the outside section that Epic's spa has, which very popular. I don't think they will have issues with not selling enough passes, but this is one area where I prefer Epic's design.

    [*]Ice Bar

    • Even after 2 sailings on Epic, I still hadn't visited the Svedka Ice Bar, so was excited to try it on Breakaway. It was smaller than I expected, but another unique experience. The Yellow Cab cocktail I tried was delicious! We only lasted about 20 minutes :)

I'll post some thoughts on the public spaces and entertainment next and pray that my pictures will speed up their syncing!

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Hooray, the pictures have loaded! Apologies in advance - these are all from my iPhone.

 

Some hull art to start with. I have to admit, it looks much better in person than I expected!

 

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Carlo's Bakery made a cake for the occasion:

 

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Sailing past Hoboken:

 

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Some fireworks pics from the Waterfront outside Ocean Blue:

 

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Our Ocean Blue dining experience

 

Mascarpone bread to start:

 

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Calamari and beef tartare appetizers:

 

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Dover Sole:

 

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Scallops with Pork Belly:

 

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Dark Chocolate Souffle:

 

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Apple Strudel with Cardamom:

 

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Passing under the Verrazano Bridge:

 

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The "Rocketini" signature drink - half pina colada and half strawberry daiquiri:

 

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Some Carlo's Bakery treats in the Atrium Cafe (a la carte pricing), cannoli was around $3.50:

 

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I loved the chandelier and the various color patterns it displays!

 

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The glass stairs in the center are a bit freaky - consider it a warm-up to the Ropes Course!

 

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Atrium Bar is nice and big:

 

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Better placement of front desk and excursions makes for better flow and less lines blocking walkways:

 

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Taste and Savor main dining rooms are decorated nicely and feel like a Celebrity ship:

 

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Mandara Spa - Hydrotherapy Courtyard

 

Pool is smaller than Epic and doesn't have as many massaging waterfalls:

 

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Plenty of heated tile loungers with sea views though!

 

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The various sauna, steam room, and Salt Room locations:

 

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Padded loungers, also with sea views:

 

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Men's Locker Room area:

 

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The Waterfront (I didn't get many pics of it - fail! There will be many others posting though, I'm sure)

 

Looking towards the aft from Fat Cats:

 

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Looking down onto deck 7 shuffleboard court:

 

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Watching the lifeboat drills:

 

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Looking up from Ocean Blue on the Waterfront:

 

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Svedka Ice Bar (So hard to take pictures in this place - almost all of mine are unusable as the people appear too dark)

 

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More food pics!

 

Spicy Tuna and Red Hokkaido roll at Wasabi:

 

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Pork Tenderloin at Le Bistro:

 

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Chocolate Napoleon at Le Bistro:

 

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Close-ups of some of the Carlo's Bakery items in the Atrium Cafe:

 

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Spa Balcony Stateroom - Deck 14 (cont)

Desk area - note 2 US outlets and 2 European outlets. Coffee maker is European plug:

 

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Bathroom:

 

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Left-hand side of the closet:

 

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Right-hand side of the closet:

 

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Very nice review and really fabulous pictures. Thanks for posting!

 

I have to say the Ocean Blue entrees are very small and then to have no sides to them....really?:rolleyes: I don't think I ever had a main entree anywhere that is not served with some sort of vegetables/potato....at least something on the side.

 

I'm getting very excited for my Breakaway cruise.:)

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great review!!

 

Where is the entrance to the spa?

 

Can you sign up for a time at the ropes and the zipline?

 

What exactly is included in the thermal suite spa pass??

 

Thanks in advance!!

 

Entrance to the spa is at the front of Deck 15.

 

The Ropes Course includes the zipline - they are not two separate attractions.

 

From the Breakaway site:

Norwegian Breakaway also boasts one of the largest Thermal Suites in our fleet with steam, dry sauna, a Vitality pool, hot tubs, waterfalls and heated tiled lounges that ensure relaxation. Within these tranquil walls, guests can experience the Salt Room, a dramatic grotto surrounded with layers of salt crystals to help cleanse the body. Simply inhale, exhale and be well.

 

From my tour, there is a steam room, dry sauna, slightly less hot sauna (or something), salt room, heated pool with massaging waterfall and massaging jets, one hot tub, padded loungers, heated tile loungers. The men's locker room had lockers, a few showers, a changing room, and the usual bathroom setup.

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Very nice review and really fabulous pictures. Thanks for posting!

 

I have to say the Ocean Blue entrees are very small and then to have no sides to them....really?:rolleyes: I don't think I ever had a main entree anywhere that is not served with some sort of vegetables/potato....at least something on the side.

 

I'm getting very excited for my Breakaway cruise.:)

 

The sole definitely could have used a side dish, but the scallops with pork belly was varied enough and included two fried anchovies, which my partner loved, but I'll take a pass on ;)

 

For the high cover charge, I hope they start allowing multiple appetizer courses and/or add some side dishes to the entrees.

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The Free Fall slides do not permit any jewelry to be worn. My husband was looking forward to this so much but can't get his wedding ring off :( We'll see if he goes to the jewelry store to have it cut off so he can go on it when we're on her at the end of the month. There were several others that had the same problem.

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