Breakaway 6/2-6/9 with pics

[Highboy90]

Enjoying your review. Thanks! :)

[graphicguy]

Enjoying your review. Thanks! :)

 

Thanks all for the nice comments. Glad I can help. More to come.

Edited June 21, 2013 by graphicguy

[graphicguy]

There weren't many children on this cruise. I assume it's because school is still in session. But, they did have quite a few things to do for the children who were aboard.

 

 

Large Wii play in the Atrium....

 

 

Pool areas and slides....this was fun even for me...

 

 

[graphicguy]

As on all cruises, artwork was in abundance...especially the art of Peter Max. I know just enough about art to be dangerous. So, while I buy art for my home, I tend to stay away from buying anything on a cruise ship. If you do not know, a couple of years ago there was quite a sensation over possible couterfeits and overinflation of values levelled against the company who conducts art acutions on cruise ships. Never heard the outcome of that.

 

But, if I don't know the true values (and I don't without researching before boarding, if I know the art they'll have aboard for auction) or the actual provenance of the art for auction, I'm not buying.

 

Anyway, there was plenty...

 

 

Interestingly, there was some Disney character art at auction, too. You'd think Disney would claim an exclusive given they have cruise art auctions, too.

 

 

[www3traveler]

Thank You for posting this wonderful review aand the great pictures.

I have a couple of questions for you:

(1) In order to do Walk The Plank, do you have to complete the Ropes Course first?

(2) Did any of the staff members stand out??

 

Mandy

[boyreporter]

This is a great review. Thanks for doing it; I'm grooving on it, leaving on Sunday myself.

 

Oh, and I would have played ball with you. :)

[graphicguy]

Thank You for posting this wonderful review aand the great pictures.

I have a couple of questions for you:

(1) In order to do Walk The Plank, do you have to complete the Ropes Course first?

(2) Did any of the staff members stand out??

 

Mandy

 

Hi Mandy...thanks for reading. Don't know if you had to complete the ropes course before walking the plank. I don't know this for a fact, but one of the other passengers told me it was too windy and the plank was closed. Now, that was on a sea day. And, the sea days were indeed overcast and windy. Never tried it while in port, when the weather was nice.

 

There are a couple of people who stand out.

 

I mentioned, earlier about OKA, the "mixologist" who was usually found at one of the outside bars (usually outside of Ocean Blue). She was fun and outstanding, taking "very good" care of me with her drinks.

 

Everyone at Shanghais was wonderful to me, from the hostess (whose name escapes me right now) to Eric, the Chef.

 

Julie, the Cruise Director, is probably one of the best cruise directors I've encountered (and I usually don't care one way or another about cruise directors).

 

I never had one poor experience with anyone on board.

[graphicguy]

This is a great review. Thanks for doing it; I'm grooving on it, leaving on Sunday myself.

 

Oh, and I would have played ball with you. :)

 

Boy...thanks so much. I could have used a good B-Ball partner. Again, it was windy on sea days. So, maybe that's why I couldn't find anyone. But, I shot a little bit. It wasn't all that bad. Probably should have checked on the days we were in port. But, I was busy doing activities in Bermuda on those days.

[bleier]

Does any one know if there is a site you can go to to look at and or buy the pics they took on the ship?

[graphicguy]

Bleier....I think they throw away all unsold pics when the cruise is finished, unless someone knows different.

[roe2ship]

Thanks for sharing your experience on the Breakaway. I love looking at all the pictures.

 

Do you recall if they inform you what time you sail under the bridge on the way back to NY?

[seafam5]

Enjoying your "All about Me" adventure so far. Thank you for sharing! Did you get to try out the room service dining option for any of the meals? Look forward to your Bermuda impressions!

[graphicguy]

Thanks for sharing your experience on the Breakaway. I love looking at all the pictures.

 

Do you recall if they inform you what time you sail under the bridge on the way back to NY?

 

Roe, thanks so much....if they announced the time they were sailing under the bridge, I missed it. But, I bet someone at Guest Services would know if you are going to sail the Breakaway.

Edited June 21, 2013 by graphicguy

[graphicguy]

Seafam...thanks much....sorry, never used room service given snacks and drinks were 10 steps away in the Studio Lounge. However, if you wanted to eat/drink something that wasn't readily available to you, I saw quite a few empty trays outside cabins every a.m. I know room service on the Epic was good. Would bet it's just as good on the Breakaway.

Edited June 21, 2013 by graphicguy

[MasterLee]

I was at the same sailing as yours, and I echo your comments about food. Too me, most of the foods were way salty. I wrote about this trip here.

http://home.comcast.net/~wise0ldman/site/?/blog/view/16/

[graphicguy]

Master.... Thanks for your input.

[Kenosha Cruiser]

Nice review with pictures. My wife and I were on the same cruise with you. We had a wonderful time, loved the Breakaway! Like you, we thought the entertainment was the best we ever saw on a cruise line, fantastic!!! Glad you had a good time like us. I to, wrote a 5 star review on cruise critic's member review.

 

Cheers - Ken & Darlene

[capri_mom]

I had nothing but two carry ons...one of which had to be retrieved plane side. By the time I had all my luggage, I had pre-arranged a limo to pick me up (Dial 7). Their instructions were to call when I had my luggage, which I did. I headed out to the passenger arrival area, where within 5 minutes, my Town Car arrived. Cost....$30 to the pier (88) plus toll ($7.50) minus coupon (-$3). So, for $40 with tip, I was at the pier by 12:30 p.m.

 

Thank you for the detailed review. Just wondering who you used for transportation to the port. We are flying in and out of JFK with 2 children and trying to figure out the most economical yet easy to and from the ship. Does anybody have any suggestions?

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[graphicguy]

Nice review with pictures. My wife and I were on the same cruise with you. We had a wonderful time, loved the Breakaway! Like you, we thought the entertainment was the best we ever saw on a cruise line, fantastic!!! Glad you had a good time like us. I to, wrote a 5 star review on cruise critic's member review.

 

Cheers - Ken & Darlene

 

Hi Ken and Darlene...sorry I missed seeing you on the ship. Glad you're enjoying the review.

[graphicguy]

I had nothing but two carry ons...one of which had to be retrieved plane side. By the time I had all my luggage, I had pre-arranged a limo to pick me up (Dial 7). Their instructions were to call when I had my luggage, which I did. I headed out to the passenger arrival area, where within 5 minutes, my Town Car arrived. Cost....$30 to the pier (88) plus toll ($7.50) minus coupon (-$3). So, for $40 with tip, I was at the pier by 12:30 p.m.

 

Thank you for the detailed review. Just wondering who you used for transportation to the port. We are flying in and out of JFK with 2 children and trying to figure out the most economical yet easy to and from the ship. Does anybody have any suggestions?

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

Hi Capri...thanks for reading. I had prearranged my transportation to the pier via http://www.dial7.com. I believe you can still get a $3 off coupon online that you can use. All they instructed me to do is to call them when I had retrieved all of my luggage, which I did. They gave me the limo's car # (which is stenciled on the outside of the car) to look for. I headed out to the passenger pick up area, and within about 5 minutes, there was a Lincoln Town Car that came, # listed on the outside, and picked me up. Very easy and very quick.

 

I used them from LaGuardia. I'm sure they have service from JFK, too. Just go to their WEB site.

 

I've had issues with airport taxis in NYC. On 3 separate occasions, they tried to pull the old "I don't have change for a $50 bill. Meaning for a $25 fare, they were trying to get a $25 tip. So, I now prearrange transport out of NYC.

 

Good luck.

[1witchydiva]

Hi Capri...thanks for reading. I had prearranged my transportation to the pier via http://www.dial7.com. I believe you can still get a $3 off coupon online that you can use. All they instructed me to do is to call them when I had retrieved all of my luggage, which I did. They gave me the limo's car # (which is stenciled on the outside of the car) to look for. I headed out to the passenger pick up area, and within about 5 minutes, there was a Lincoln Town Car that came, # listed on the outside, and picked me up. Very easy and very quick.

 

I used them from LaGuardia. I'm sure they have service from JFK, too. Just go to their WEB site.

 

I've had issues with airport taxis in NYC. On 3 separate occasions, they tried to pull the old "I don't have change for a $50 bill. Meaning for a $25 fare, they were trying to get a $25 tip. So, I now prearrange transport out of NYC.

 

 

 

 

Good luck.

 

 

Thank you so much for an awesome review. :)

 

I was looking for a cab service to get us to the pier. Thanks so much. I forgot all about dial7. You just made the transportation planning so much easier for me. Thanks again. :)

[graphicguy]

BERMUDA....hard to believe, I've been writing about the ship, the food, the entertainment, and haven't even touched upon the deistination.....BERMUDA.

 

This was kind of unusual for me. Ordinarily, I cruise....few days at sea...dock somewhere...rush around to do things where the ship docks...hurry to get back on board....sail to the next place...repeat.

 

Docking at Bermuda for nearly 3 days was sort of different. First, you ship serves to be your hotel. You don't have to leave the ship at a certain time, you don't have to be on board a certain time (except the day you leave).

 

Hmmmmm....what to do, what to do.

 

I'm not a ship arranged excursion kind of guy. I like to more or less do my own thing, regardless of whether I'm alone, or not.

 

So, first order of business, I needed to find transport to some of the places I might want to visit.

 

Do whatever makes you most comfortable, but I chose to buy a 3 day transport pass ($35). You get it at a kiosk about 100 yards from the pier where the ship docks. That allows unlimited water and bus transport all around St George, Hamilton, the beaches, the business areas, the stores, etc. That, my friends, is a screaming deal.

 

The water taxi (actually a big boat that's air conditioned inside) was avaiable to and from the ship just about every 30 minutes. The busses are clean and run regularly.

 

Now, I did rent a scooter the first day, but really could have done just fine with the water/bus transport pass.

 

As a side note, for $15 you can get unlimitied WiFi access for 72 hours right around this same kiosk area. There are signs to where you can buy it. Just follow them. You won't get a signal on the ship. But, there's a nice Pergola where you can sit and have access. The ship's internet access is woeful (think slower than dial up), and very expensive by comparison....even when docked. Another good deal.

 

In all frankness, I probably have 100 pics just of Bermuda. The best thing I can recommend is to venture out. It's amazing what you'll find. All the beaches are reachable by bus (and they are beautiful). And, if you're on your own, you don't have to worry about being constrained by a tour since you don't have to leave to catch the ship.

 

I'll let the pics speak for themselves.

 

My scooter parked in downtown Hamilton...

 

 

 

The fort/original governance area of Bermuda.....

 

 

Great place in Hamilton to take a break for a sandwich and a drink...

 

 

Right behind it is this park which is gorgeous....

 

 

This particular Wednesday, they closed down the main street in Hamilton for a street fair (not sure of they do this every Wednesday, though)....

 

[graphicguy]

Thank you so much for an awesome review. :)

 

I was looking for a cab service to get us to the pier. Thanks so much. I forgot all about dial7. You just made the transportation planning so much easier for me. Thanks again. :)

 

Glad I could help.

[HowardK]

Hello Graphicguy; thanks for a great review. I did a studio on the Epic and loved it and am actually making my final payment today for my Sep 15th sailing in a Studio.

 

I made sure to get a non-connecting room; was yours connecting? I did not have as much of a noise issue but I lucked out on the Epic.

 

I considered doing the Epic again as there are more studios but liked Bermuda and have not been there in 19 years.

 

Also, I did not want to duplicate some of the same shows.

 

Although you preferred the Epic; were there significant improvements on certain areas of the Breakaway?

 

I would prefer if they kept the pool at Spice H20 as well as the bowling alleys

[graphicguy]

Thanks Howard.

 

I didn't know the Studio cabins had connecting doors. So, that's what I had, unfortunately. That's my fault. As I just didn't pay close enough attention when booking. I should have asked my TA if it did. I just didn't think to ask.

 

Improvements over Epic? No....not really. Actually, I consider Breakawat a step backwards.

 

Epic was so innovative. It was first with top notch entertainment (best at sea). It continued with "Freestyle", which they pulled off the best of any ship I've ever been on.

 

While Breakaway has those things, instead of being innovative, I kept noticing the areas of cost cutting over Epic. Innovation was replaced with cost cutting on the Breakaway.

 

From the closset door being poorly built in my cabin, to the lack of thought put into how the shower door's opening, to the lack of insulation in the cabins, to cutting aisle sizes in cabin hallways, the casino entrance/exit, to the cheapening of the chairs in the Atrium, to the pics of the balcony dividers falling apart.....I could go on and on.

 

But, NCL did little more than to take the Epic and go through to take every bit of cost they could cut, regardless of how it affects passengers, and cut it.

 

Now, does that mean I didn't have a great cruise? No...abslutely not. But, as difficult as they made it for those who absolutely need a walker/scooter/stroller, etc to get around, as well as the engineering cost cutting, materials cost cutting, etc, it's clear no one thought about anything except cutting costs with the Breakaway.

 

Add in the fact that NCL raised prices of some of the restaurant venues (Ocean Blue and Spiegel Cirque), before the ship even completed it's first year at sea, and you come away with no other conclusion that cost cutting is the theme of the ship....especially after sailing ships like Epic and Allure of the Seas.

 

I've read where the Getaway is clone of the Breakaway. So, I'm anxious to hear peoples' impressions of that ship (and even more cost cutting).

 

Hope that helps. Hope that wasn't too harsh. As I said, I enjoyed the cruise.

 

Bowling Alleys are still there, as are the hair hockey tables...

 

 

As are Pool Tables, "pop-a-shot" (personal favorites)...

 

Edited June 22, 2013 by graphicguy