Help Me! (Need advice Re: Norwegian Breakaway vs Gem)

[nycmode]

Hi, just wanted to preface by saying it's good to be back after a long hiatus. I hope all of you are well.

 

Now to my question ... so I'm about to book a cruise today. I've narrowed it down to NCL ships - Breakaway vs Gem. I really am sort of torn on what to book and would like any kind of tips folks here can provide.

 

So long story short, I've got 2 options for me and my wife.

 

On the Gem, we can book a forward suite (one of those "penthouse" suites at the front of decks 10 or 9) with all the perks like butler service, priority check in/disembarkation, etc.

 

On the Breakaway - the suites are sold out, but the balcony rooms are available.

 

Here's sort of what I'm wrestling with.

I've been on the Jewel before (sister ship of the Gem) and I've been on that same itinerary (Canaveral, Stirrup Cay, Nassau) as the Gem. My wife has not.

 

I'd love to go check out the Breakaway since it's a new ship, and we've never been to Bermuda before (how is it there, by the way?). But at the same time, we spend a lot of time on the ship in our cabins (we like to relax/read on the balcony, in the room etc) so the lack of suite availability is sort of keeping me from booking this ship since we're not a big fan of close quarters.

 

Based on that - what would you guys suggest as the best option? I'd love to hear your recommendations based on your own experiences on either ship or just cruising in general.

 

As always, thanks everyone!

[scaaty]

Personally I'd go with the GEM, as you can see I have a few cruises booked on her and they're all in suites :D

 

Like you, we enjoy relaxing in our cabin and on the aft balcony. We do go to some shows and spend a few hours most evenings in the casino. While reading all of the reviews the Breakaway sounds like it is a destination in itself, it's just not a fit for me. (no flaming please, my opinion for me)

 

Bermuda is beautiful and does have great beaches,DH is a beach bum and he loves it there. We've visited Bermuda both on cruise and a land vacation. So if you want to explore both a new port and a new ship, then go with the Breakaway.

 

Either way, enjoy!!!

[nycmode]

Personally I'd go with the GEM, as you can see I have a few cruises booked on her and they're all in suites :D

 

Like you, we enjoy relaxing in our cabin and on the aft balcony. We do go to some shows and spend a few hours most evenings in the casino. While reading all of the reviews the Breakaway sounds like it is a destination in itself, it's just not a fit for me. (no flaming please, my opinion for me)

 

Bermuda is beautiful and does have great beaches,DH is a beach bum and he loves it there. We've visited Bermuda both on cruise and a land vacation. So if you want to explore both a new port and a new ship, then go with the Breakaway.

 

Either way, enjoy!!!

 

Thanks so much for the first tip :)

 

Other than beaches in Bermuda, is there anything else worth noting? My wife and I are golfers so we're certainly looking to book a day on the links. But we're trying to weigh the benefits of being cozy in a suite versus being a small room on a new ship ... I'm not huge on the Gem destinations but the thought of chilling in our room with a big balcony is always nice :D

 

Love to hear more tips ... it will be very helpful today when I make up my mind (finally lol)

[dcipjr]

Bermuda is wonderful. It's got history, it's got beaches, it's got loads of charm -- there's something for everyone.

 

I'm not much of a golfer, but Bermuda has nine courses (it has the highest concentration of golf courses per square mile of anywhere in the world), so if you want to play the links, you may want to consider going there; it's famous for its courses.

 

The three days in port allow you to go on and off and explore at your leisure, which my wife and I really loved last year when we went on the Star. Even with three days, we felt like there was still plenty to do that we hadn't gotten around to yet. It's definitely not just beaches!

 

We're close to NYC, so for this year it was between the Gem and the Breakaway. With the Gem, we probably could have sprung for a balcony for about the same money as an inside on the Breakaway -- but we both wanted to go back to Bermuda. Plus, the Breakaway is brand-new, and it looks like it'll be a great ship.

 

If it were me, I'd go Bermuda / Breakaway, but I've also never tasted the suite life, so I don't know what I would be missing there.

[boopsahoy]

We had to make the choice between a Gem PH and a breakaway balcony. Ive read the balconies are small. We love the suite lifeand sitting on the balcony, and destination doesn't matter much to us so we went with the Gem.

[RetiredArmyCruiser]

We've done both itineraries - NYC to Florida/Bahamas on the Spirit, and NYC to Bermuda on the Gem and they were very different vacations. We had a wonderful time in the ports on both trips. Trying to choose between the two is like asking do I like my wife's sports car or my truck? Both are great, for different reasons.

 

That being said, I'm going to buck the trend and say to go to Bermuda. For us, part of the adventure is seeing someplace new and experiencing new and fascinating things. We absolutely loved Bermuda, and we didn't spend more than an hour at the beach as it was COLD and the water was FRIGID! The historical value of St. George's is worth the trip alone, and the fact that you golf is an added bonus.

 

You can't go wrong with Florida/Bahamas, either. We had a blast there with our teenage daughter, but for a romantic trip with just your sweetie, Bermuda can't be beat - even if you have to sail in steerage in a balcony cabin :D

[nyc12345]

simply because the balcony is too small on the Breakaway. Plus the Suite life is amazing on NCL...if you can get a suite on Breakaway, that would be a different story...:D

[messy]

Here's another idea - you can cruise to Bermuda out of Boston. I believe the Dawn is going to Bermuda from Boston this season.

 

I know it's a hike to get to Boston from NY but it's doable - then you can book a suite AND go to Bermuda.

 

M

[Laszlo]

We loved Bermuda so much where going back again. First time was on the Gem, September on the Breakaway. We did the Fl, Nassau run on the Gem last year and thought it was only so so. Golfing in Bermuda is great, so I have heard. My wife and I are beach diving people so will be on the beach for a day, renting a boat the second, not sure about the third. Nothing beats being docked for 3 days and having a floating hotel!!! You can always get a spa pass on the Breakaway

 

Personally going to Bermuda is a heck of a lot nicer than going to Nassau.

[teakea]

Here's another idea - you can cruise to Bermuda out of Boston. I believe the Dawn is going to Bermuda from Boston this season.

 

I know it's a hike to get to Boston from NY but it's doable - then you can book a suite AND go to Bermuda.

 

M

That is exactly what I did. I booked the Breakaway for a balcony and on rethinking it I cancelled and rebooked in a suite on the Dawn. Love the suite-life and Bermuda so...best of both worlds.

I'm sure you'll have a great time whatever you choose.

[nycmode]

Ah after giving it a lot of thought (no shortage of thanks to everyone who offered advice here) - we've opted for the Breakaway ... It was really hard to say no to the suite life (I was booked on the Haven on the Jewel ... it was sooooooooooo nice lol), but I think the folks who loved Bermuda really sold it for us :)

 

Thank you all SO much for your tips - they were incredibly helpful. It's no wonder the folks on this board/community have a great rep, thanks everyone for being so awesome!

 

PS - is there anything else I should know about Bermuda?

I booked one of the shore excursions already - a day at the Port Royal golf course, booyah!

[Highlander1]

Breakaway and Bermuda by a long shot. A new ship, and Bermuda is so far nicer than the other itinerary. Of course, I'v never stayed in a Suite so maybe I'm missing something really special but for the trade-offs, I don't think this race is even close.

[RetiredArmyCruiser]

 

PS - is there anything else I should know about Bermuda?

I booked one of the shore excursions already - a day at the Port Royal golf course, booyah!

 

Check out the Bermuda forum in the Ports of Call section. There's a ton of info there. We had a great time in Bermuda. So clean, so historic, and so relaxed.

 

[scaaty]

Ah after giving it a lot of thought (no shortage of thanks to everyone who offered advice here) - we've opted for the Breakaway ... It was really hard to say no to the suite life (I was booked on the Haven on the Jewel ... it was sooooooooooo nice lol), but I think the folks who loved Bermuda really sold it for us :)

 

Thank you all SO much for your tips - they were incredibly helpful. It's no wonder the folks on this board/community have a great rep, thanks everyone for being so awesome!

 

PS - is there anything else I should know about Bermuda?

I booked one of the shore excursions already - a day at the Port Royal golf course, booyah!

 

Enjoy your cruise, I'm sure you'll love Bermuda!!!:D:D

[coffeecat]

good choice! You should keep checking NCL everyday to see if a suite opens up...I have seen several open up on our sailing that were previously booked. You might get lucky with that.

 

have a great cruise!

[Tralfie]

Since the suites are sold out on Breakaway, what about an aft-facing balcony? The rooms aren't that much smaller than a suite, I don't think, and the balconies are much nicer than the regular (incredibly small, apparently) balconies. I've actually booked myself in an aft-facing balcony for my Breakaway cruise in March (which is to Florida/Bahamas, not Bermuda).

 

I suppose either way, you win... I mean, you're goin' on a cruise, right? :)

 

Richard/Tralfie

[nycmode]

Ha ha indeed :)

 

Honestly everyone's input has really helped a lot in our decision. I spoke to our cruise consultant today and said we are definitely interested in upgrading if something opens up ... I'm going to do what I did before (and what folks are suggesting here) and just stalk the site and see if something pops up.

 

I'm so down with an aft cabin if possible. I had a corner aft balcony/suite on the Celebrity Silhouette and it was fantastic. I seriously didn't leave my suite other than to eat, see a show or play in my obligatory texas hold em tournaments (made it to the final table, woo hoo!). I LOVED that balcony that I actually felt awful when I left it ... read a lot of books, saw a lot of amazing islands drift away in the distance. I miss the ship's wake.

 

I hope we'll get lucky with the Breakaway, but as you guys said - it's a win/win, after all we're on a cruise with great people on a brand new ship :)

[bob brown]

If you really want a 'win-win'....do what I am doing....taking a cruise on the Gem to New England/Canada in October for a week, then in January, doing the first 12 day Caribbean on the Breakaway.

For us to afford that, we are in an inside on the Gem, and an oceanview on the Breakway. Since we spend little time in our cabin, the cabin is low on our list of priorities, so our choice is perhaps not for everyone.....

Have been to Bermuda (on the Veendam), and agree it is much nicer than any of the Caribbean ports. Will go back there again, perhaps next year.

[Barb Nahoumi]

Ah after giving it a lot of thought (no shortage of thanks to everyone who offered advice here) - we've opted for the Breakaway ... It was really hard to say no to the suite life (I was booked on the Haven on the Jewel ... it was sooooooooooo nice lol), but I think the folks who loved Bermuda really sold it for us :)

 

Thank you all SO much for your tips - they were incredibly helpful. It's no wonder the folks on this board/community have a great rep, thanks everyone for being so awesome!

 

PS - is there anything else I should know about Bermuda?

I booked one of the shore excursions already - a day at the Port Royal golf course, booyah!

 

Good Decision. I love Bermuda, and would choose it over the Florida-Bahama itinerary any day. Since we live here in Massachusetts, we go to Bermuda aboard the Dawn. No Flying or long distance driving.

 

You will enjoy Bermuda so much, that you won't be spending much time in the cabin while there. Lots to see and do.