Breakaway Review, 2/23-3/2

[cperk97]

O'Sheehan's

We liked O'Sheehan's - great spot. It has two sides - the bar side has a very limited menu, but there are more options on the restaurant side. DH liked the corned beef sandwich and had that a couple times. I liked the chicken pot pie, but I think it's been slightly over-hyped around here. Mozzarella sticks were good, but the wings were hit or miss. The first evening, we had some great wings there - but when I ordered them again later in the week, the meat was very funky, fatty and stringy. Gross. We didn't like the spinach artichoke dip, either - I read a review that said it was runny and that was the case for ours as well, so I would say skip it unless you want it soupy. DH had a milkshake there and we tried a couple of the frozen drinks on their menu, but with the exception of the mudslide, everything needed some more flavor. We didn't try O'Sheehan's for breakfast, but we ended up there a couple times for lunch because it's the only place to eat if you want a late lunch.

 

I have heard they have added more drink options there, mostly juice and lemon aid. Did you happen to notice this? Thank you in advance.

[Les_Bill]

Wow RikkuCat what a great review! My DH and I were on the Breakaway last October doing the same itinerary as you and had a blast, so much so that we are going again this September to Bermuda.

[meatball_nyc]

Loved reading your review Rikku.

 

Thank you for your positive attitude and details.

 

My son and I swam with the dolphins in Tortola a few years ago and will never forget it! They were wonderful.

 

Appreciate you taking the time out to share your adventures with us.

 

Happy Sailing!!

 

 

 

~Robin

Norwegian Breakaway July 2014

Carnival Miracle 2010

Carnival Legend 2006

[jdvmd]

Thanks for your comments!

[pepsiguy]

Unless anyone has questions or I missed a major point, I think this pretty much wraps up my review! Thanks for reading, and I hope those who are sailing on the Breakaway soon have as great a time as we did!

 

I almost forgot - the day that we docked in Port Canaveral (Tues 2/25), we were hanging out on the deck 7 promenade waiting to disembark and we saw a guy being escorted off the ship in handcuffs. Anyone know what happened? Just curious.

 

We'll probably cruise next sometime in 2015. We're itching to book another one (we joked a bit about how long we could stay on board before running out of money!), but between this cruise and the trip we have planned in June, we're maxed out on vacation time and vacation budget for this year! Our June vacation is a family trip with DH's family (14 people total, parents, brothers, kids, etc) to Vieques, which is a tiny island off the main island of Puerto Rico. I'm looking forward to the pristine beaches, riding around in a jeep with no top, snorkeling, and time with family. If anyone has been there and has tips, let me know - I've been haunting the trip advisor board! Depending on what else is going on in life, we'll probably look at spring or fall 2015 for our next cruise and will definitely consider the Breakaway again - in a spa room, LOL! :D

 

Thanks so much for a fantastic review. We are sailing on the BA in 2 weeks and I've been reading reviews for weeks. Yours was very informative. Tell me you took notes since your review was very well written. Thanks again

[bingo3]

Thank you so much! I know this took a lot of time to compile and write. I sail the end of May and very much appreciate your insights. :)

Debbie

[christinalvt]

Thanks for a great review, I enjoyed it very much and it helped dispel the myths/bad reviews I have read.

When you go to Vieques, you have to go to the Bioluminescent Bay. There is a chart on this page to show the best nights to go (when there is no moon or very little):

http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/biobay-and-moon/

 

Have fun!!

 

Christina:)

[RikkuCat]

I have heard they have added more drink options there, mostly juice and lemon aid. Did you happen to notice this? Thank you in advance.

 

I didn't notice, sorry - but I don't remember seeing non-alcoholic drinks on the menu at O'Sheehan's at all, so it could be that they have them, but you have to ask. My non-alcoholic drinks of choice are usually just water or iced tea (and the iced tea on board is WEIRD!), so I probably just didn't notice.

[RikkuCat]

Wow RikkuCat what a great review! My DH and I were on the Breakaway last October doing the same itinerary as you and had a blast, so much so that we are going again this September to Bermuda.

 

I'm so jealous! Our previous cruise was to Bermuda and it was our first time there. I really loved Bermuda - it has so much to offer and we barely scratched the surface on our previous trip. I think the combination of the Breakaway and Bermuda would be a great cruise, though I also like this itinerary - it's a good trip for relaxation, whereas I'd want to do more in Bermuda.

 

We've talked a little bit about taking DH's parents with us on our next cruise. They have been on one previous cruise - 20 something years ago, but they loved it. They're the type of people who will have a great time wherever you take them, but I think they'd really enjoy freestyle cruising, the Breakaway, and Bermuda. I bet they'd get hooked!

[RikkuCat]

Loved reading your review Rikku.

 

Thank you for your positive attitude and details.

 

My son and I swam with the dolphins in Tortola a few years ago and will never forget it! They were wonderful.

 

Appreciate you taking the time out to share your adventures with us.

 

Happy Sailing!!

 

 

 

~Robin

Norwegian Breakaway July 2014

Carnival Miracle 2010

Carnival Legend 2006

Why thank you for your nice comments! We loved the dolphins - it was definitely a bucket list thing for both of us, and now we're already engaged in a "lively debate" about which one of us gets to go again once our yet-to-be-conceived future children are old enough to go! :D

 

I'm really glad that we bought the DVD and photos as well. We'll probably watch the DVD once and forget about it for years, but I'd rather have it and never watch it than regret NOT buying it! I also have to decide what to do with our dolphins photos - I may have to retire some old photos from the walls to make space. But that's one of the best parts of taking a vacation, right - that you also have to redecorate when you get home!

[RikkuCat]

Thanks so much for a fantastic review. We are sailing on the BA in 2 weeks and I've been reading reviews for weeks. Yours was very informative. Tell me you took notes since your review was very well written. Thanks again

 

LOL, no I didn't take notes - I just have a pretty good memory! I also read a lot of reviews and I really appreciate detail. I also really like reviews in which the reviewer's personality shows through - that always helps me decide how much weight I want to give to their opinions, so I hope my personality came through to some extent in my review. I'm not as critical as some and it takes a lot to ruin my day (ESPECIALLY on vacation), but I also like to know what to expect so I can adjust my expectations accordingly, so I tried to point out little hiccups and things that might bother or inconvenience others, like the slow elevators.

 

Have an awesome trip!

[RikkuCat]

Thanks for a great review, I enjoyed it very much and it helped dispel the myths/bad reviews I have read.

When you go to Vieques, you have to go to the Bioluminescent Bay. There is a chart on this page to show the best nights to go (when there is no moon or very little):

http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/biobay-and-moon/

 

Have fun!!

 

Christina:)

 

Thanks for the info! We're definitely going to the bio bay - in fact, that's the next thing we need to plan, especially if our whole group wants to go together. I have to look into it further, as I read something recently that indicated that the bio bays in PR (not sure if the Vieques one is affected or not) have been experiencing "blackouts" lately due to the deaths of the microorganisms - very sad. They're not sure what is causing it, but the blog I was reading mentioned that they are taking it very seriously and increasing environmental regulations in an effort to fix the ecosystem.

 

I'm glad I could help make you feel at ease about the Breakaway. It's not perfect, but it really is a lovely ship and the negatives about it are all very minor, at least in my experience.

[RikkuCat]

Thank you so much! I know this took a lot of time to compile and write. I sail the end of May and very much appreciate your insights. :)

Debbie

 

You're welcome, and have a great trip!

[LazyDays64]

I didn't notice, sorry - but I don't remember seeing non-alcoholic drinks on the menu at O'Sheehan's at all, so it could be that they have them, but you have to ask. My non-alcoholic drinks of choice are usually just water or iced tea (and the iced tea on board is WEIRD!), so I probably just didn't notice.

 

I love iced tea, I'm curious, what made it weird?

 

christinalvt, we're on the same cruise. :) It can't get here soon enough!

[RikkuCat]

I love iced tea, I'm curious, what made it weird?

 

christinalvt, we're on the same cruise. :) It can't get here soon enough!

 

I've thought that the iced tea on both NCL cruises had a funny taste. Maybe it's made from a powdered mix? If not, it could be the brand of tea that they use to make it? Or that they make it in huge batches? Or maybe I've never gotten it when it was fresh - who knows!

[jdvmd]

I've thought that the iced tea on both NCL cruises had a funny taste. Maybe it's made from a powdered mix? If not, it could be the brand of tea that they use to make it? Or that they make it in huge batches? Or maybe I've never gotten it when it was fresh - who knows!

It is a ready made syrup. I have no problem with it. Is is the way I make at home? No but I am not serving thousands of people daily either.

[RikkuCat]

It is a ready made syrup. I have no problem with it. Is is the way I make at home? No but I am not serving thousands of people daily either.

 

Thanks for the info - that must be why I think it tastes weird. I certainly don't have a serious problem with it and will drink a glass of it here and there, but I prefer water.

[LazyDays64]

Is the tea sweetened or unsweetened? I'll drink either one as long as I can put lemon in it.

[jdvmd]

Is the tea sweetened or unsweetened? I'll drink either one as long as I can put lemon in it.

Unsweetened.

[LazyDays64]

Thanks! :)

[cruise crew member]

thank you so much for your review the best one todate...maybe I missed it butdid you happen to visit Vibe Beach Club we're leaving on the 16th and were planning to buy week passes for there....any input:p

[christinalvt]

I love iced tea, I'm curious, what made it weird?

 

christinalvt, we're on the same cruise. :) It can't get here soon enough!

 

Yes, I can't wait! I saw that you are on the roll call, or else I would have told you about it. Counting down the days!

Christina

 

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk

[LazyDays64]

Thanks Christina! I see you're from Carmel, NY, I don't think that's all too far from where I am in CT. I'm in Torrington, I think you're a little over an hour away from there. Right now I feel like I won't be warm again until we're on our cruise, even though the temps haven't been as cold as they were.

[RikkuCat]

thank you so much for your review the best one todate...maybe I missed it butdid you happen to visit Vibe Beach Club we're leaving on the 16th and were planning to buy week passes for there....any input:p

 

No, we didn't get Vibe passes this time. While we had nice weather for the most part, it would have been a little chilly for me to get much use out of Vibe passes on the sea days, and we had plans for the port days. We might get them for a future cruise, depending on the time of year. It should be warmer by your cruise - hope you get a lot of use out of them!

[wyknotcruz2da]

Hey there,

Great review!!!!..it was DH and I that you met on the way to Blue Lagoon..it was so nice chatting to you both:)..we really enjoyed our cruise as well and reading your fantastic review helped me relive it..already starting to plan the next one..Thank you for your fantastic review :)