Breakaway 71 - 7/10 Brief Review

Just a brief (poor man's) review of our recent voyage on the Breakaway from July 1st - July 10th. I see one of my fellow Cruise Critic's posted about her journey roughing it in the Haven :D.

We had originally booked an inside room deck 5 for the 3 of us, myself, DW and our 17 year old nephew. Since there was a price drop we were bumped up to a Family balcony on Deck 12; nice bump up; but in all honesty with the size of the balcony that we had, why even bother.

My nephew attempted the Entourage Teen Club, and lasted about 2 days; he didn't care for it, and we felt the counselors should be a little more pro-active in introducing the kids to one another and engaging them more in their groups, but this did not occur, and my Buddy was left on his own, with us for the rest of the trip.

While basically nice, we felt the ship was too crowded. I joked that they should rename the ship from the Norwegian Breakaway to the Norwegian Wait in Line. It was just too crowded for us.

My show reservations which I secured prior to my departure were lost, so I had to reschedule those, one show conflicted with a dinner reservation I had at Cagney's; they went ahead and cancelled my Cagney's and when I tried to reschedule for another day, the earliest seating I could get was 9:15pm! Ridiculous.

The complimentary restaurants we felt were ok, meals were average, but if you went early enough you could get seated right away.

The ropes course and slides were a nice feature and never got as crowded/lines as I thought they would.

Not a fan at all of the open casino layout on Deck 7. If I wanted to get to O'Sheehan's (on deck 7) I would get there either by decks 6 or 8 as I didn't want to walk through the smoke-filled casino.

I miss the traditional Promenade Deck layout with loungers/chairs, although the Waterfront is a good idea, I really didn't see the outside areas utilized much except for smokers.

The live entertainment was impressive and enjoyable and wide-ranging. Be sure not to miss Howl at the Moon (Dueling Piano's) and Fat Cat's Club.

Crew and Staff were great as always. Theater shows I could have done without; Walked out on both Rock of Ages and Burn the Floor. I enjoy the traditional variety of shows offered in the past. The magician/card trick was impressive, as was the Broadway singer brought on for the final night.

Ports: San Juan 2.5 hour city tour was ok; St. Thomas - zipline tour was good and fun; Tortola - Catamaran Snorkel and Beach was pretty good, some of the best snorkeling I had done, and the beach was nice, but there was rain by that time so we couldn't enjoy it to the fullest. We felt like this could have lasted longer as we were back to the ship by 11 or so, and we didn't depart till 2pm, so even another hour would have been nice; In Bermuda we rented Jet Skis from Somerset Watersports; great operation, a lot of fun, but A LOT of stress trying to get a cab to get there.

Might give Breakaway (Wait in Line) one more try, maybe off season, but I doubt it. You only get one chance at a first impression, and I wasn't thrilled. I do see how many people might enjoy it, and we had a good enough time, but something was missing for us. But all good though.

Appreciate the feedback.

Your observations are pretty much in line with mine. I tried the Breakaway a second time. Won't be looking to do a third if I ever decide to give NCL another chance.

Thanks for posting your thoughts on the Breakaway. My wife and I are going on the 9/18 Bermuda cruise. It's our first time on a megaship, we're trying to keep an open mind since we've loved the Gem, Pearl, etc.

Thanks Bullies... this was basically our first time cruising during peak season, so maybe that added to some of the things I felt; but you couldn't get away from the crowds and the unfortunate need for reservations.

We actually loved the Gem, and would go back on that ship in a heartbeat.

You will be going when the kids are back in school, so hopefully it will work out for you. It is a nice ship for the most part and the crew are just about as good as they get.

You should have fun; we enjoyed ourselves for sure, just all agreed we probably won't be back, but that is just our opinion. I have read many a review that loved their trip.

Make your reservations, and verify them once on board the first day to avoid the mess I ran into.

Good luck and enjoy!

Looking for information on the cost of gelato and how it is served (dish or scoop). Also, is it subject to the 18% dsc?

Thanks.

MARAPRINCE

I have a two week cruise planned on the Breakaway, now I'm concerned.

Not reading rave reviews, food, service is ok, lay-out of the pool area.

Now I'm wondering if I should cancel and book a different cruise line.

I have a two week cruise planned on the Breakaway' date=' now I'm concerned.

Not reading rave reviews, food, service is ok, lay-out of the pool area.

Now I'm wondering if I should cancel and book a different cruise line.[/quote']

 

How many times have you been on the Breakaway before? Twice is enough for me. With two weeks, you should be able to get everything done that you'll want to do even if you miss it the first time around. The biggest gripe will be the slow service that will get on your nerves.

I have a two week cruise planned on the Breakaway' date=' now I'm concerned.

Not reading rave reviews, food, service is ok, lay-out of the pool area.

Now I'm wondering if I should cancel and book a different cruise line.[/quote']

 

 

Please keep in mind that I *have not been* on the BA. I am also aware that one has to take bad reviews with a grain of salt. That said, the TREND of bad reviews regarding the BA has put me off planning a trip on that ship. It's noticeable. Grouchy pax, screaming kids in Haven, poor service (maybe in a vicious cycle with grouchy pax) etc.

 

Before anyone jumps on me, no, I have not been on the ship. Simply stating that I've picked up a bad vibe about this particular ship. I love the GA and will probably try the Escape at some point, but BA makes me nervous.

 

Edit: on a whim I checked the CC scores. GA has a 68% "approval" rating, while the BA has 61%.

Thanks for sharing your review with us.

I have a two week cruise planned on the Breakaway' date=' now I'm concerned.

Not reading rave reviews, food, service is ok, lay-out of the pool area.

Now I'm wondering if I should cancel and book a different cruise line.[/quote']

 

I've been on the Breakaway 4 times. 2 good experiences, 1 decent, 1 awful. I was on it a few weeks ago. I think the trick is timing things so it doesn't feel overcrowded/overwhelming and it ended up being one of my 2 good experiences. I tended to go to things later and had no issues with waiting or crowding (e.g. Dinner at 8:45-9p).

 

I thought the food was better this time around than last year. It wasn't haute cuisine but it was fine (still not sure why they don't offer the Spring Salad anymore and only have Caesar Salad as the appetizer). I only ate in Manhattan once and stuck to Savor/Taste for dining aside from the occasional meal at O'Sheehans or the buffet (mostly for breakfast while in Bermuda since it was faster). Shanghai's can be problematic. When I tried to eat there last year soon after it was made complimentary, reservations were ridiculous (like 45-90 minutes) but it has calmed down some what though there still seems to be a wait. Also, my June cruise for sea days had international lunch buffets in Moderno, which was something different and not at all crowded (we had an Indian, a Mediterranean, and a Bavarian themed buffet on the three sea days).

 

I don't do the pool area. It's not worth it, IMO, to try to lay out by the tiny pools or even get in them. That's the one thing that doesn't get better just with how the area is poorly designed. Try the sun deck instead. I skipped the main shows of Rock of Ages and Burn The Floor (saw both already the first time I was on the Breakaway) and instead flipped between Howl At The Moon and Fat Cats. They weren't as crowded, esp Fat Cats, and the night could be spent just enjoying the entertainment.

 

It took me a few trips to find the groove that worked for me on Breakaway (I personally love the Gem as my fave NCL ship) so that I could enjoy it & not feel like a sardine in a tin. Hopefully, you can find it sooner on your trip. :)

Please keep in mind that I *have not been* on the BA. I am also aware that one has to take bad reviews with a grain of salt. That said, the TREND of bad reviews regarding the BA has put me off planning a trip on that ship. It's noticeable. Grouchy pax, screaming kids in Haven, poor service (maybe in a vicious cycle with grouchy pax) etc.

 

Before anyone jumps on me, no, I have not been on the ship. Simply stating that I've picked up a bad vibe about this particular ship. I love the GA and will probably try the Escape at some point, but BA makes me nervous.

 

Edit: on a whim I checked the CC scores. GA has a 68% "approval" rating, while the BA has 61%.

I've been on the Getaway once and while it's basically the same as the Breakaway, two things made it better for me even just the solo trip on it.

1) it never felt as crowded as Breakaway and I'm wondering if it's due to the saturation of ships sailing from Miami (and nearby Fort Lauderdale) to the Caribbean, and thus not as many people onboard. Every Breakaway cruise I've been on has been a sold out ship. My Getaway cruise was not.

2) the Flamingo Grill on Getaway has really yummy Cuban food that I took advantage of for lunch almost every day, and that was a big positive for me. Breakaway Uptown Grill was more burgers and hot dogs.

I have a two week cruise planned on the Breakaway' date=' now I'm concerned.

Not reading rave reviews, food, service is ok, lay-out of the pool area.

Now I'm wondering if I should cancel and book a different cruise line.[/quote']

When are you booked on the BA - 2 weeks, doing a B2B like Canada/Bermuda or Canada/Bahamas or Bahamas/Caribbean ?? We've done the BA 3 years in a row but the 7 nights, PC & Nassau twice & most recently, Bermuda - our favorite islands (4th time visiting)

 

Reviews from those in "ordinary" class focused on the lower decks are going to be different than the Haven higher above or in those corner suites with the butlers & concierge, as you should expect the "findings" to be a little jaded, as it should. Overall, the ship's outdoor decks - once it hit warmer waters - are typically packed, the pools being far too small and if it rain/poor weather - foregetaboutit. The Waterfront is generally not not crowded, smokers on port side so we prefer starboard, second hand smoke isn't our "thing".

 

Majority of the crew, 90% are good, some are great but nobody really exceptional - the close contacts with Room Steward was very good, but we stopped short of nominating a "Hero" this time - he was doing his job, responsive and all, just nothing exceptional and going truly above & beyond. We tipped him cash at the end of the cruise as he refused/declined to accept it earlier, asking us & our friends next door to hold on and wait - this is so strange, the first time the NCL Room Steward did that in our 20 years of cruising.

 

MDR food - it's banquet food - was better than March, 2015 and O'Sheehan's was empty on 2 or 3 occasions that we ate there during off-peak time, service was friendly & prompt, good food temperature (important for food safety). Overall, as NCL veterans but not loyalist with the pom poms, staffing level was adequate but not sufficient, 90 minutes to eat a full dinner is too slow for us and we are usually fast tracker - especially with the limited choices & fewer selections on the menu (since last year ... actually, going further back - just gotten worst, IMHO).

 

In our Semi Live Update, which anyone can search here on CC & track down easily (just in case you haven't seen it earlier) - we focused a little differently & avoided commenting on food as opinions are highly subjective by nature, and even - services, for that matter. But, rather on the nuts & bolts of the BA, internet, WiFi, prices, the islands, Platinum perks, etc.

 

It's clear to us that maybe a small # of crew members, less than 5%, do not demonstrate that Norwegian, "home-away-from-home" spirit that was once the line's signatory image, bow to stern, top to bottom. The M&G was obligatory, short & no Q&A, just like the Platinum reception/cocktail held outdoors in H2O, when it used to be in Fat Cats - the "pulse" and "sensations" of the Breakaway was very different, compared to 2014 when we sailed her the first time ... nothing to do with the fireworks.

 

Dinner in LeBistro took 2 solid hours and that's with the complimentary voucher, imagine that - never that bad, and it was busy. Manhattan MDR was the worst & that's where we had a bad server ... didn't ruin our evening, DW was pissed off enough to tell me to report & write him up for it (I decided to just let things go on the spot ... not going to blow up on a customer service issues)

 

NCL can brag about 18 specialty restaurants & dining options, etc. - whatever the latest counts are - only if they really do offer a semi-full and variety menu choices in each of them, not 3 or 4 items as starter and as entrees, and then dare to go a la carte and find reasons to pile high the supplemental charge that do not go to the crew, leaving us with the freestyle choice of tipping more, cash or otherwise. This is especially true for us living in the metro NY area - whether it's Five Guys or Hibachi Grills or fresh seafood at City Island - not going to deal with making reservations.

 

The 2 major production shows, seeing it twice was enough so we didn't bother booking it this time, and, yes - grown ups walking out early & in the middle, and they weren't in a hurry for dinner.

 

While reviewing my paragraphs here, I see that several other CC'rs also commenting as well - most definitely, concurred on the not so positive "vibe" - on the most recent one. Some things were better than 2015, others better than 2015 - yet, others remained status quo.

 

DW spend a lot of time in the non-smoking section of the casino all week long, but I do too - far less time - playing; and, the second hand smoke/odor is something we don't need. It's always busy there, nice & all - I remained doubtful that the promised partition alone will address the problems by itself - the exhaust/cleaning/filtration system of HVAC as a supplemental add-on should be a top priority ... probably waiting for dry-dock & not sooner. Just don't feel like wearing N-95 masks.

 

I said more than enough and to the OP, intention here is NOT to hijack but compliment and validate some of the comments written here & on another recent/newer reviews - our sailing was over 6+ weeks ago (end of May).

 

We don't care for being toasted like red lobster and never bothered with the open decks, except when transiting and only ate in the crowded buffet like 3 or 4 times max - the crowding experienced by others didn't impact us, but - it can be a major headache ... on sea days, all the chair hogs disappeared - how come - it was wall-to-wall with a ship full of pax not going anywhere.

 

On the milky runs, the "smart" travelers stay onboard while the herds rush off to do their fancy tours on land - except, more & more are doing the same and staying onboard, even on stop like GSC - if tendering is a "Go".

 

With all the stuff happening lately and NCL's corporate altitude - I don't know what else to say, try a coin toss and if you find a nice last minute deal with flexibility in travel plans - it's probably still worth it. I am truly surprised at the room inventory now for this summer and those last minute prices - heck with the freebies. Maybe go, just hold tight to the credit card, cash & no extra charging or spending to the onboard account.

I've been on the Getaway once and while it's basically the same as the Breakaway, two things made it better for me even just the solo trip on it.

 

1) it never felt as crowded as Breakaway and I'm wondering if it's due to the saturation of ships sailing from Miami (and nearby Fort Lauderdale) to the Caribbean, and thus not as many people onboard. Every Breakaway cruise I've been on has been a sold out ship. My Getaway cruise was not.

 

2) the Flamingo Grill on Getaway has really yummy Cuban food that I took advantage of for lunch almost every day, and that was a big positive for me. Breakaway Uptown Grill was more burgers and hot dogs.

Preaching to the choir on FG. :) I was so happy it hadn't been replaced by a crappy M'ville on my cruise last month. I like it for breakfast too, or at least I like the cheese pastries. :) GA is my solo ship of choice. I'd still like to try the other studio ships, and will probably branch out whenever they do, sadly, nuke FG.

Interesting observation about the possible passenger loads. I've only sailed "big" ships so far, but I know how to deal with the boarding-day situation. GA did feel crowded on our first sea day last month, but the weather was terrible (tropical storm) and EVERYONE was inside. It was fine after that day. I've also always tended to book GA within PIF, if not very close to sailing, and never had trouble making reservations for dining or shows. But I also eat early. I was even able to get reservations for MDQ, and it was a hot ticket on my June cruise, as it had just debuted.

Ok, wrapping this up, because at this point I'm just putting off going to the office, and I'm going to end up booking another cruise if I don't stop. :)

Thanks Bullies... this was basically our first time cruising during peak season, so maybe that added to some of the things I felt; but you couldn't get away from the crowds and the unfortunate need for reservations.

We actually loved the Gem, and would go back on that ship in a heartbeat.

You will be going when the kids are back in school, so hopefully it will work out for you. It is a nice ship for the most part and the crew are just about as good as they get.

You should have fun; we enjoyed ourselves for sure, just all agreed we probably won't be back, but that is just our opinion. I have read many a review that loved their trip.

Make your reservations, and verify them once on board the first day to avoid the mess I ran into.

Good luck and enjoy!

We go on the Gem every year and we worry that we are missing something not trying the Breakaway. Now I think we made the right decision booking the Gem again..

We go on the Gem every year and we worry that we are missing something not trying the Breakaway. Now I think we made the right decision booking the Gem again..

I think everyone should try something themselves once. I am pretty casual and laid back, and like my space. Some readers may be more outgoing, enjoy the crowds, and meeting and mingling.

I would take everything you read with a grain of salt and understand it is that one person's opinion.

The Breakaway wasn't quite for us; but we did enjoy ourselves. I always say if you don't have a good time on a cruise it's your own fault. lol.

Good luck and happy sailing.

I have a two week cruise planned on the Breakaway' date=' now I'm concerned.

Not reading rave reviews, food, service is ok, lay-out of the pool area.

Now I'm wondering if I should cancel and book a different cruise line.[/quote']

 

Nauti,

 

I'd recommend going and checking it out for yourselves. I've read tons of reviews on this site, Trip Advisor and others prior to cruises and land vacations. Even though there's tons of good information and tips, quite a few times I've wondered what ship some reviewers were on and resort they went to as my opinion was entirely different. This is a good thread with honest opinions without being totally negative.

I have to say a big thank you to all of the folks that took the time to share your views and insight on the BA.

My biggest concern is the food and service, that's what makes or breaks a really good cruise.

Hi. Thanks for your review. Can I ask you if you had your dinner confirmation with you and showed then when you didnt have your ressie? I am going to make sure I bring my confirmations after readinf they didnt honor your confirmed time. Thanks.

Hi. Thanks for your review. Can I ask you if you had your dinner confirmation with you and showed then when you didnt have your ressie? I am going to make sure I bring my confirmations after readinf they didnt honor your confirmed time. Thanks.

I can only speak for myself, but I had reserved 2 shows and one dinner (Cagney's) prior to leaving for our trip; only the show reservations did not appear, the dinner reservation was ok. I had forgotten copies of my paperwork at home, so after a few days I went to check to see when my show reservations were as I knew they were on the 2nd half of my trip; this is when they told me I had no show reservations. I didn't make a big fuss over it, as I am not that type of person, what did bother me though, was when I needed to reschedule my dinner reservation, only 9:15pm was available; to me that is absolutely ridiculous, again I didn't make a fuss, and just did not reschedule; figure it was more money in my pocket.

My recommendation to you would be to confirm your reservations on the first day or two of your trip, you can do this on the TV in your stateroom. Guest Services can only tell you about show reservations and you would have to to Dining Services to check on dinners.

Hope this helps

I have to say a big thank you to all of the folks that took the time to share your views and insight on the BA.

 

My biggest concern is the food and service' date=' that's what makes or breaks a really good cruise.[/quote']

 

Food was fine in my opinion, nothing great, but nothing horrible either. Other than a few hiccups, service was very good.

I can only speak for myself, but I had reserved 2 shows and one dinner (Cagney's) prior to leaving for our trip; only the show reservations did not appear, the dinner reservation was ok. I had forgotten copies of my paperwork at home, so after a few days I went to check to see when my show reservations were as I knew they were on the 2nd half of my trip; this is when they told me I had no show reservations. I didn't make a big fuss over it, as I am not that type of person, what did bother me though, was when I needed to reschedule my dinner reservation, only 9:15pm was available; to me that is absolutely ridiculous, again I didn't make a fuss, and just did not reschedule; figure it was more money in my pocket.

 

My recommendation to you would be to confirm your reservations on the first day or two of your trip, you can do this on the TV in your stateroom. Guest Services can only tell you about show reservations and you would have to to Dining Services to check on dinners.

 

Hope this helps

Thanks so much!

I am one of the posters with some negative things to say, primarily the smoke issue from the casino and plenty of people smoking outside the smoking areas, more and more as the week progressed. Despite that my husband and I still enjoyed ourselves and enjoyed the opportunity to see Bermuda at a leisurely pace. We are not avid cruisers. This is our 5th cruise since 2002 and the first on Norwegian.

We did not do any of the specialty dining as we live close into NYC and I am in the city every day. We enjoy fine restaurants all the time and could not imagine that a French or an Italian restaurant on a ship is going to equal any places we go to here or certainly not those we experienced in recent trips to Quebec City or Paris. That said the meals in Taste, Savor and Manhattan Room were for the most part fine. Service was fine although sometimes discombobulated. You need to have a place setting with a coffee cup to actually have coffee, Manhattan Room.

We had breakfast in either Taste or Savor every day other than disembarkation when we ran up to the buffet and were pleasantly surprised how good it was. Two nights I had ordered meals that were not especially great, grouper in the Manhattan Room and one night Mahi Mahi, but also had a very fine swordfish and duck on other nights. I only have salad for lunch and my husband doesn't usually have lunch, but we did go one day to the Uptown Bar & Grill for burgers and that was fine.

We still enjoyed ourselves and found it relaxing. I had made reservations at Taste, Savor and Manhattan for the first three nights and had no problems the other nights although they get more crowded as the week goes on.

My feeling was that it is a one week cruise on a large mass market ship. It is not meant to be a life changing experience.

I have to say a big thank you to all of the folks that took the time to share your views and insight on the BA.

 

My biggest concern is the food and service' date=' that's what makes or breaks a really good cruise.[/quote']

 

We just got off the BA Sunday July 17th. Honestly we won't be going on the BA again, we had a wonderful time, we always do. It is just too many people and not enough space for everyone. 1 tiny pool for close to 5,000 people, the chair hogs were unreal, especially at Spice H2O. They showed movies in the small atrium with the air hockey and bars being so noisy you couldn't hear the movie. I will be writing a review as soon as I get my thoughts in order. I made our SD reservations early and had no issues at all, the MDR always had a wait even for 2 guests. Loved Rock of Ages, best show I have ever seen on a ship it was fantastic. I am happy we went, we wanted to try a mega ship and found out it is not for us. It's OK, we had a great time and Bermuda is the most spectacular island~we love it. Next year we will be back on The Dawn!! Happy Cruising:)

Thanks for posting your thoughts on the Breakaway. My wife and I are going on the 9/18 Bermuda cruise. It's our first time on a megaship, we're trying to keep an open mind since we've loved the Gem, Pearl, etc.

We too Love the Gem and the Jewel but they dont compare to the Breakaway. We will be taking our second voyage on BA in Nov with our kids. They wanted to try the mega ship and although we had a great time when we sailed before, we still much rather sail on the smaller ship.