Opinions about Sailaway Rate or Perks??? BREAKAWAY

We're about to book the Breakaway for the Oct 16th sailing. I have enough points on my NCL MC to do a meta upgrade from OS to Balcony. The rate on a sailaway is about $900pp plus port chgs, etc. If we take the perks we'd do the UDP and internet. Last yr we were on The Jade about the same time in Oct. We found it difficult to get reservations for dining, along with a lot of other people. We ended up doing restaurants that weren't our first choice. We didn't wait until the last days in the cruise to book, either. Waiting in line for the reservations to book sucked, too! Is the Breakaway like this? This is our first time on this class of ships. We've only been on the Jewel class. What's the pros and cons of booking a sailaway rate?:confused:

We're about to book the Breakaway for the Oct 16th sailing. I have enough points on my NCL MC to do a meta upgrade from OS to Balcony. The rate on a sailaway is about $900pp plus port chgs, etc. If we take the perks we'd do the UDP and internet. Last yr we were on The Jade about the same time in Oct. We found it difficult to get reservations for dining, along with a lot of other people. We ended up doing restaurants that weren't our first choice. We didn't wait until the last days in the cruise to book, either. Waiting in line for the reservations to book sucked, too! Is the Breakaway like this? This is our first time on this class of ships. We've only been on the Jewel class. What's the pros and cons of booking a sailaway rate?:confused:

The sailaway rate does not come with any perks.

I also doubt that a sailaway booking can be used as part of an upgrade through the NCL Card, but BoA is in a better position to answer that.

Also...an upgrade is one type of oceanview to another. Moving from an oceanview to a balcony is a cross-meta upgrade...which is a whole different animal. The specific cabin you must book, and the specific cabin to which you can upgrade are determined by BoA.

We're about to book the Breakaway for the Oct 16th sailing. I have enough points on my NCL MC to do a meta upgrade from OS to Balcony. The rate on a sailaway is about $900pp plus port chgs, etc. If we take the perks we'd do the UDP and internet. Last yr we were on The Jade about the same time in Oct. We found it difficult to get reservations for dining, along with a lot of other people. We ended up doing restaurants that weren't our first choice. We didn't wait until the last days in the cruise to book, either. Waiting in line for the reservations to book sucked, too! Is the Breakaway like this? This is our first time on this class of ships. We've only been on the Jewel class. What's the pros and cons of booking a sailaway rate?:confused:

Are you aware that you can book many restaurants online (or telephone), pre-cruise, at the 120 day mark? That should help with the ability to select times and places you desire. If not available at that time, then you still can try booking onboard (most people do that first thing at embarkation if they had not pre-booked.

Are you aware that you can book many restaurants online (or telephone), pre-cruise, at the 120 day mark? That should help with the ability to select times and places you desire. If not available at that time, then you still can try booking onboard (most people do that first thing at embarkation if they had not pre-booked.

No, I didn't know that! Thank you! Are there shows on this ship that must be booked ahead of time, too?

Are you allowed to pick your cabin with sail away rate? If not only reason I would not do it.

Happy planning

Kerri

i'm recently off the Escape...we had the dining package and the internet. Pre-cruise, the prime dinner times were booked....but as soon as we got onboard, I fired up the iconcierge app was able to get pretty much what we wanted....and during the cruise, I made some changes as different times became available (from cancellations) ...it's pretty difficult to make a schedule before hand... (due to the not knowing the entertainment schedule)...

No, I didn't know that! Thank you! Are there shows on this ship that must be booked ahead of time, too?

Are you allowed to pick your cabin with sail away rate? If not only reason I would not do it.

Happy planning

Kerri

No. A sailaway rate can be a bargain, but only if the worst cabin of the type would be OK with you. For an oceanview this could be a partly or fully obstructed view--although even those sometimes sell out because they are discounted relative to those with unobstructed views. Balcony staterooms with obstructed views are rare but do exist on some ships, and there are ships with few or no obstructed views at all (because the lifeboat deck abuts only public or service areas). The sailaway cabin could also be in a potentially noisy location.

These risks don't keep people from booking sailaway rates. For some sailings that I've checked recently, sailaways were sold out even though nothing else was. I have my eye on an itinerary for which I would book a sailaway balcony if any are still available when I find out whether I can travel at that time.

No. A sailaway rate can be a bargain, but only if the worst cabin of the type would be OK with you. For an oceanview this could be a partly or fully obstructed view--although even those sometimes sell out because they are discounted relative to those with unobstructed views. Balcony staterooms with obstructed views are rare but do exist on some ships, and there are ships with few or no obstructed views at all (because the lifeboat deck abuts only public or service areas). The sailaway cabin could also be in a potentially noisy location.

 

 

These risks don't keep people from booking sailaway rates. For some sailings that I've checked recently, sailaways were sold out even though nothing else was. I have my eye on an itinerary for which I would book a sailaway balcony if any are still available when I find out whether I can travel at that time.

Do they have certain cabins set aside for the sailaway rate?

Do they have certain cabins set aside for the sailaway rate?

When I've examined deck plans of some of the ships, I've seen a small number of cabins designated as sailaway rates, but any cabin of the type could be assigned. Of course everyone who books a sailaway rate is hoping that one of the better cabins of that type will be the only one still available.

We're about to book the Breakaway for the Oct 16th sailing. I have enough points on my NCL MC to do a meta upgrade from OS to Balcony. The rate on a sailaway is about $900pp plus port chgs, etc. If we take the perks we'd do the UDP and internet. Last yr we were on The Jade about the same time in Oct. We found it difficult to get reservations for dining, along with a lot of other people. We ended up doing restaurants that weren't our first choice. We didn't wait until the last days in the cruise to book, either. Waiting in line for the reservations to book sucked, too! Is the Breakaway like this? This is our first time on this class of ships. We've only been on the Jewel class. What's the pros and cons of booking a sailaway rate?:confused:

Well, factor in the price that is not at a sailaway rate with the perks added on. The internet and the shore excursion credits - these you do not have to pay anything extra for. But the dining and the drinking package, there is gratuity added on. Some will not pick the drinking package as they will not be able to break even or go above the value of the package.

For the Breakaway, please reserve for shows as well as any of specialty dining ahead of time. This also include shore excursions if booked through NCL. You can reserve by calling the shore excursion line. Shows and restaurants, you can reserve on NCL site. If any of the ports you visit use tenders - you can reserve for it through the TV in the stateroom.

Do they have certain cabins set aside for the sailaway rate?

The sail away rate is what’s called a guarantee cabin. You will have no idea where they could place you. For this reason I would never book a sail away.

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I always thought that the Sailaway rate was a gty rate and it could be any cabin that was open whenever they assigned it to you. Then I seen something that listed them as Sailaway Cabins and started thinking that they set certain cabins aside for them and when they were gone that the rate wouldn't be available. That's what confused me.

I always thought that the Sailaway rate was a gty rate and it could be any cabin that was open whenever they assigned it to you. Then I seen something that listed them as Sailaway Cabins and started thinking that they set certain cabins aside for them and when they were gone that the rate wouldn't be available. That's what confused me.

Not all gty, but lowest gtys like IX, OX etc.

Not all gty, but lowest gtys like IX, OX etc.

Thank you!

I've booked numerous Sailaway rates and always been happy with the cabin assignments. Can be a great bargain if you don't care about where you may end up.

Do they have certain cabins set aside for the sailaway rate?

We recently booked a cruise 8 days before the sail date - booked a "sail away" balcony. Before I booked it, I did a mock booking to see what balcony cabins were left and wrote down the cabin numbers. 3 days after booking (5 days before we sailed) we were assigned a mid-ship balcony cabin that was not showing as available a few days earlier. We were very happy with what we got! I don't think anyone knows how this works, if they set some aside or what!