Thinking of booking NCL Breakaway (1st timer) would love input

Hello,

I have a hold on the NCL Breakaway for spring break in March with my kids (13, 10 and 6). My husband and I have traveled on Disney about 7 years ago, and RCCL many times before and without kids. Currently we have two adjoining balcony rooms on hold.

 

- Curious for those of you who have sailed both NCL and RCCL, are they comparable?

- Has anyone sailed out of NYC on the Breakaway in late March? Are you able to use the outside areas much? How are the ports? (Thinking Port Canaveral may be a snooze?)

- Thoughts overall on nickel and diming once on board? The cost is a lot to start and then we have to add everything like gratuity, excursions, etc.

 

Any other tips are appreciated! Thank you!

Breakaway has a lot of the bells and whistles that the kids will love. We have sailed on her a few times and are sailing again tomorrow for NYE. In order to cut costs have you considered one balcony and one inside ? In regards to nickle and diming..NCL is no different than all the other mainstream cruise lines. They all have a service charge, They all charge extra for excursions etc.

My DH and I have sailed on the Breakaway twice as it is out of nearby NYC and it was cruising to Bermuda ,a favorite vacation spot for us.

The first time was fine, the second time was the last time.

We found the interior public places to be very busy. The atrium is very small and,on one level, it is the central location for entertainment,a bar,coffee bar, internet area and guest services.

The casino opens out onto the atrium and we did notice the smoke odor coming from the casino into the atrium.

Your children may enjoy the water slides,rope course and mini golf.

They may also enjoy the kids’ clubs.

However, I think there will be quite a crowd of passengers on the cruise you selected because it is during Spring break.

On our second Breakaway cruise, we noticed a good number of passengers who apparently considered the drink package limits to be a goal rather than a suggestion.

A caveat to my view of the Breakaway is this-we have had many cruises on Princess since the first cruise on the Sapphire Princess in 2004.

We appreciate the attractive interiors of those ships, particularly the open feel of the atriums. The outside decks have a spacious feel.

We are young thinking sixty year olds that enjoy traveling and cruising.

The demographics on the Breakaway seemed to be younger passengers, some with children.

Give the Breakaway a try. You may enjoy the cruise.

If you don’t ,you could try another cruise line.

Hope you enjoy your vacation with your family.

I never cruised before and Breakaway was my first ever cruise that I went on with NCL, which I enjoyed it.

The cruise would be best for children, but as you mentioned late March - it is around spring break so the cruise ship would probably be totally booked and crowd are more crazy with their drink package (alcohol).

 

Outside areas - depends on the weather. If it is too cold, the pool would not be accessible but they do have hot tubs.

Might not be able to use it on the first day.

 

Port Canaveral - most cruisers stay on board at this port. If this is your first time here, you can choose to do the coco beach if the beach is your thing to do. For other tours like Disney, the space center, etc - it is not so worth it in my opinion for the time limited.

 

Nickel and Diming - All cruise lines do it. You just need to pick the right vacation package / the best deal as well as not to use like the room service beside the complimentary breakfast. NCL have the free at sea promotion as well as the distinctive voyages that you can combine if you choose any of those cruises that have these promotions. The distinctive voyages packages have the free excursions, free WiFi, free phone calls and the free air credit & the free hotel credit - need to book through NCL.

We've been to Port Canaveral numerous times.

 

The last time (last month) I figured we'd stay on the ship...but I found a great excursion. It was to the Orlando Eye (large ferris wheel), Mme Taussaud's and an aquarium. The good thing is that it's indoors...so although a rainy day...and our shipmates had disappointing experiences at the "more popular" excursions, we stayed dry and had a great time. It's really good for kids too.

Thank you all for the feedback so far!

- Curious for those of you who have sailed both NCL and RCCL, are they comparable?

I think that you will find NCL more kid friendly. A nice family vacation. Lots to do for the kids. They will love the kids and teen programs.

- Has anyone sailed out of NYC on the Breakaway in late March? Are you able to use the outside areas much? How are the ports? (Thinking Port Canaveral may be a snooze?)

You will quickly get to warm weather. Kids are indestructible and would be in the pool while it is snowing. We like the space center tour at PC.

 

- Thoughts overall on nickel and diming once on board? The cost is a lot to start and then we have to add everything like gratuity, excursions, etc.

No nickel or dining. You can spend nothing (other than daily service charge) and have wonderful cruise.

Took my wife, my teen and preteen 4 years ago from Christmas to new years for 7 days to Bahamas and we had a great time. We are booked again this February during pres week for 9 days as they included a stop in Miami.

 

The ship is big with lots of people but if you reserve your dinners and shows ahead of time you'll be fine. Never been on RC but have sailed Celebrity many times with the last time this past May with my wife to Bermuda. With out a doubt there are more activities for the kids on Breakaway than Celebrity but would not know about RC. But then again my 21 year old just wants the sun, a nice beach and a lounge chair and my 16 year old son wants to explore.

 

Overall you can't go wrong on any cruise. Some ships cater to families while others are geared toward the older crowds looking to relax.

 

Sent from my SM-T810 using Tapatalk

We've been on the Breakaway and feel that you'll have a great time. In the past when our daughters were younger we cruised in adjacent balcony rooms and had a blast. They made friends on each cruise so this will be a good cruise for that as it will be packed with kids. In Port Canaveral we did the everglades tour via air boat, after the boat ride a local exotic animal rescue put on a show, showing snakes, crocodiles, etc. with a picture taking session after. At your kids ages they may enjoy this. As far as nickel and diming, there's a number of threads of people's perceptions on this. Basically, other than the service charges you pay additional for whatever you want. No one forces you to do anything. Enjoy!

I was on the BA this past April when NJ schools were on break. Lots of kids (I would guess 1,000-1,500), so I think your week will be the same. I heard that the kids programs filled up quickly so be sure to sign them up when you board if that's on your agenda.

 

You may be able to save some money by, as one poster suggested, considering booking a balcony and an inside cabin across the hall. However this may not be feasible with the ages of your children or your comfort level of having them there. You would book one of adults and one child in the balcony cabin, and the other adult and two children in the inside. Could save you up to $900 based on current rates. Once onboard you can get cardkeys made for the other room as you see fit.

 

Port Canaveral: There is very little at the port beside a restaurant, so either plan an activity/excursion or stay on the ship. The ship was fairly active that day on my cruise, but lots of people leave the ship.

 

Weather varies, but you may be able to use the outdoor attractions by the second day.

 

Spending: You can limit spending on your children's cards if you like. Taking a cab to the beach is usually much cheaper than booking a similar beach excursion through the cruiseline.

 

Good luck with your decision and have a great trip!

Just disembarked from the Breakaway following a 9 day cruise to port Canaveral, Miami and Nassau Bahamas. There were 1600 kids on board which was expected given that many schools were on break. Some were noisy and annoying but most kept to themselves. I always found a quiet spot to tan or just relax.

 

Although we did not tender at Great Stirrup Cay due to high waves, overall it was a great trip and we got an extra day in Nassau . The ship is big and lots to do but my biggest gripe was the atrium. That was way too small for the events that took place there. Just trying to find a seat was an incredible task and always a competition with people hurtling over chairs.

 

Would I do this trip again? Probably not as this was the second time on the BA with a bit longer itinerary than 4 years ago. I prefer Celebrity and traveling off peak times.

 

Planning on Celebrity to Alaska for the next one....

 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

On our second Breakaway cruise, we noticed a good number of passengers who apparently considered the drink package limits to be a goal rather than a suggestion.

Is this something new, I didn't think NCL had limits on their drink package?

Is this something new, I didn't think NCL had limits on their drink package?

Didn't see too many abusing the package on my trip this past week. There were some exceptions being loud and obnoxious but overall most people I saw seemed to be ok. Speaking of the drink package I had the Ultimate Drink Package which unlike celebrity did not include top shelf liquor or bottled water. The wine was mediocre. I'm a single malt drinker and I never heard of the brand included in the package- Glenmorngie. For Macallan or glenfiddich there was additional cost. Overall the package was still good enough to cover beers, mixed drinks and sodas.

 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

I'm sailing on the March 3 Breakaway - first time on this ship.

 

About the weather. I've sailed twice out of NYC the last week of February. Both times by noon the 2nd day it was warm enough for my New England family to be out on deck. So there is a a 24-36 hour time period where indoors is your best option. On both of those sailings it was rough enough on the return that the outside decks were closed.

 

Hoping not too many people abusing the UBP our week. Sounds like we will be avoiding the atrium.

Edited February 25, 2018 by joyful1nh
Realized how old OP is.

Hello,

I have a hold on the NCL Breakaway for spring break in March with my kids (13, 10 and 6). My husband and I have traveled on Disney about 7 years ago, and RCCL many times before and without kids. Currently we have two adjoining balcony rooms on hold.

 

- Curious for those of you who have sailed both NCL and RCCL, are they comparable?

- Has anyone sailed out of NYC on the Breakaway in late March? Are you able to use the outside areas much? How are the ports? (Thinking Port Canaveral may be a snooze?)

- Thoughts overall on nickel and diming once on board? The cost is a lot to start and then we have to add everything like gratuity, excursions, etc.

 

Any other tips are appreciated! Thank you!

We went on the same cruise 3/27 last year with our 9&13 year old. Overall, it was a great time!

 

The weather.... it was freezing and sleet on sail away day. We shivered our butts off to see the Statue of Liberty, Ellis, and Freedom Tower. It was cool, but would have been WAY better if it was warmer. You just never know that time of year. By day 2 it was warm enough to be outside but still too chilly for us to enjoy any water activities with the wind. Honestly, the only days that I'd say were truly warm enough were port days. We still had a blast, just indoors... so adjust your expectations accordingly.

 

As far as ports- we are beach lovers, so that's what we planned. Cocoa Beach - the water was freezing, we didn't stay long. GSC was our absolute favorite day. Water was chilly but fine after a few minutes of getting used to it. We did Blue Lagoon in Nassau and it was nice, not mind blowing. Same water temp.

 

I'd definitely plan something else for Port Canaveral or stay on the ship and enjoy the outside stuff.

 

Our kids had a great time and begged for another cruise this year!

Oh, and we really didn't feel nickel and dimed at all. There's plenty to do for free. We scrambled to spend obc on the last day.