Breakaway/NCL secrets

So when I sailed Carnival for the first time I used these threads and boards to learn secrets of the ship and line.... like FREE wine at dinner in specialty restaurant on first night.... and details on their bev package (which was very new)... and best time to not see a line at restaurant for anytime dining.

So what secrets are there on NCL or Breakaway for someone that knows pretty much nothing about NCL and Breakaway.

Sailing in February... and I do not just want freebies.... just looking for the things that I might miss if I am not paying attention..... which with the UBP I may miss alot!

My biggest tip would be to join your roll call for meet and greets, slot pull, cabin crawl, pub crawl, etc.

Enjoy the waterfront. Grab a drink and watch the sunset. Beautiful!

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Enjoy the waterfront. Grab a drink and watch the sunset. Beautiful!

 

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Heard the waterfront is being replaced with Margeritaville?

Loved the picks I found online of The Waterfront and figured that would be one of our 2 or 3 go to places.

Heard the waterfront is being replaced with Margeritaville?

Loved the picks I found online of The Waterfront and figured that would be one of our 2 or 3 go to places.

Uptown is being replaced by Margaretville not the Waterfront

The vibe is a great place to go and be away from the young crowd , you can get a pass at headliner on the first day there is a limited amount of pass availlable

To help with the crowds, Moderno serves a complementary buffet lunch on sea days -- one day was German, one Mediterranean and one Indian. The Indian food was my favorite.

The buffet is crazy busy during embarkation - go to Savor or Taste and have a leisurely lunch and christen your UBP. O'Sheehans is also open and an option.

The deck just outside of Vibe has a hot tub and bar and is not as crowded as the rest of the decks most days. Bring those large towel clips as it can get windy up there and you don't want to chase your towel.

There are snacks, like cheese and crackers, in the back of the casino late at night - if you're hungry and don't want to go to O'Sheehans or just need a bite not a plate of food.

Not a secret, but book your shows, dinner reservations etc as soon as you are able -- 100 days for Haven guests, 90 for all. I didn't our first time on the BA and felt like I wasted vacation time booking and changing reservations - that was in 2013, before iConcierge. Definitely Download iConcierge at home and while you are waiting to board, you can access and start booking your comedy shows, etc.

the waterfront is also a great place during the day to relax and read in a quiet comfortable environment.

Enjoy your cruise!

we only sailed once on NCL, Breakaway Dec 2014.... Not much of a heads up but, If you get lost easily like my wife and get turned around easy. When you're in the hallways outside the cabins look down at the carpet. the fish "swim" towards the front of the ship.

we only sailed once on NCL, Breakaway Dec 2014.... Not much of a heads up but, If you get lost easily like my wife and get turned around easy. When you're in the hallways outside the cabins look down at the carpet. the fish "swim" towards the front of the ship.

What a great tip. Thank you!

Some great tips for sailing on NCL Escape. Prebooking shows is a must, as is taking advantage of the UBP promotion. UDP is also worth it as most restaurants on-board are a la carte. Brat Pack the best show by far! Make it a point to check out the parties in Spice H2O they are much more lively than similar activities on RCI ships, IMHO. Do all of the sports/pool stuff early in the day, before the crowds form. Tryout Food Republic, best food on the ship.

Thanks for all the great tips so far!

I cannot wait until February 26th!

I will def be making reservations for everything ahead of time.

There are a few 'free' things you have to pay attention to [mainly in the beginning of the trip]. There's a wine tasting with a painting exhibit or something you have to sit through (I can't remember what it was), and there were also tastings of liquor near tradewinds on a particular day. Pay attention to your daily activities sheet and find out whats in store.

Check guest relations for a free pen (meaning ask to borrow a pen lol) vs buying the more expensive pens in the shops & another popular one is wait until the end of the cruise to buy any souvenirs as they are usually on sale.

If you want to see anything that takes place in the Atrium (breakaway) arrive 15 mins early if you want a seat. If you can't get seating in there go to the bar seating upstairs and you can look down and see the show.

Going to the jacuzzi is best at night. 3/4 times my fam and I tried to go at night there was barely anyone there..in the daytime it was crowded.

If you book w/a travel agent or NCL try and mention if theres a b-day they might give you a "free" treat.

Lastly, research your excursions make sure they are worthwhile and also check things you can do on your own to save money. But check on safety and time restrictions.

if you like to snorkel , have drinks, and have a good time. Book rising sun 2 catamaran swim and snorkel. The captain and crew are super fun and chill. The group I went with had the most fun doing that excursion. Even more fun than driving the mopeds around the island and beach hopping at the local off non tourist spots. If beach hopping an riding mopeds is your thing, check out grotto bay and elbow bay beach clubs, crystal/fantasy cave, turtle beach. We did that from about 9-6 on day one.

Always been booking my own NCL cruise or almost every vacation ourselves through online or search engine. Last time from our Cruise Critic members, I've learned that they were saying price match if booked by agent. So we tried this time booking NCL Breakaway for NYC departure on Feb 19th 7day Bahamas/Florida cruise. It was painless and wonderful. The agent even gave us free anniversary cake, free queen size bed upgrade, and free pillow upgrade. Definitely would recommend it. The entire call took less than 5 mins. Recommend to do your homework on the room number and make suggestion to the agent. Otherwise, they would just pick the next computer generated room number for that category.

Heard the waterfront is being replaced with Margeritaville?

Loved the picks I found online of The Waterfront and figured that would be one of our 2 or 3 go to places.

The waterfront is the promenade deck with restaurants and bars that circles Deck 8. The small outdoor Uptown buffet has been replaced by Margaritaville

"The Waterfront, a quarter-mile oceanfront promenade lined with restaurants, bars and spectacular views."

Not a secret..but 8 laps on the Breakaway jogging track is a mile. On recent sea days, Margaritaville Restaurant had a breakfast buffet which was not over crowded. I saw some folks bringing the throw pillow from their room to pad their Theater seat. In the Breakaway Garden Cafe buffet, they have premade eggs Benedict along the backend of the buffet which was usually not too crowded.

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My biggest tip would be to join your roll call for meet and greets, slot pull, cabin crawl, pub crawl, etc.

How do you find out about a Pub Crawl?

How do you find out about a Pub Crawl?

Join your Roll Call! Check the Roll Call section of the forums and find your specific sailing. If no-one has posted about a Pub Crawl yet, post yourself and see if anyone is interested.

See you on the ship! We're going the same week. If you start a pub crawl let me know. We're in!

See you next Sunday! We are on your cruise too! Thanks for this thread it has some good tips. Read Nancys tips on our roll call she is great! Vicki