NCL Breakaway vs RCCL Grandeur

[labeachcomber]

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All cruise ships now have a pool area with slides for the kids so the Breakaway is not offering anything different in that area.

 

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I beg to differ. The Breakaway has FIVE multi-storied waterslides. Which Royal Caribbean ship has that?

 

The Breakaway also has a ropes course.

 

I think these two activities alone should sway the OP towards the Breakaway with the kids in mind.

 

I'm a loyal Royal cruiser. But you're talking about one of the largest and newest ships of Norwegian's fleet. If you're deciding purely on a "how much is there to do" basis, then the answer IMO is easy, and it's the Breakaway all the way. Let's flip the question around, and ask if you'd rather go on the Norwegian Sun or Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas, is there any doubt?

[Bluewake]

I have been on the Grandeur twice and the Breakaway once. They are very different ships and we liked them both. You have to accept a ship for what it is, not criticize it for what it is not. In my opinion, the Grandeur is a smaller and classic ship with lots of wood, great tall glass windows that create a bright interior, understated decorations (e.g not "loud" as some Carnival ships can be), decent sized cabins and basic recreational options. The Grandeur has a "homey" feel because of the size and fact that it carries fewer passengers...very easy to get to know and navigate. My only complaint about the Grandeur was a sewage smell on one side on the lower decks. Not sure if that still is an issue but doesn't seem to be a problem on the higher decks.

 

The Breakaway is a much larger and newer ship which comes with more of those "new ship features" such as multiple alternate restaurants, recreational options (e.g. zip line, small pin bowling, huge basketball court, mini-golf, etc), multiple bars and lounges, and the best entertainment we've had on any cruise. We thought that it was much nicer than some other ships we've been on in terms of tasteful decorations, etc. Although, I must admit that I may be the only person who finds the Peter Max hull decorations to be something a less than talented fifth grader could have created! (sorry - my apologies to art lovers). The Breakaway is much larger so that takes away from the "community feel" but it also is easy to get around (and we commented on how we thought the hallways were wider than other ships) . I do agree with some posters who claimed it was a bit on the "bouncy" side and we think the cabins are a bit smaller on the NCL ships. But gotta love those larger NCL bathrooms!!!

 

As for service, I have to admit that I find the dining staff on Royal Caribbean to be much more attentive than on NCL, largely attributable to the freestyle dining program, I think. I noticed no difference between RC and NCL in terms of room stewards and other staff. When it comes to food, however, we believe Royal Caribbean to be far superior....both in the MDR and the buffet.

 

The itinerary is the main issue for us. We've done the Bahamas itinerary so many times that it's hard to get excited about the Grandeur's route. No doubt, others may feel the same about Bermuda. With kids, I might think the Bahamas would offer more options than Bermuda. I know when my son was younger, he didn't think there were a lot of interesting things to do in Bermuda but he always seemed to enjoy Bahamas excursions. All comes down to what you and your family prefer.

 

Just choose a ship for what it is. An older ship such as Grandeur just will not have all of the features of a newer and larger ship. For us, that's okay!

 

Whichever you choose, have a great cruise.

Edited March 23, 2014 by Bluewake

[Cruisegirl6]

laebeachcomber hello- Honestly, how many slides can a 7 year old want and a 1 year old? Perhaps a child over the age of 11 would like diversity, but sometimes too much for young children overwhelms them and is just too much. I also don't think the children be on the slides very much each day so that is another thing the OP needs to consider. You also have nearly twice as many passengers on the Breakaway than the Grandeur which means more kids which sums up the ship needs to accommodate them so they have more slides.

 

Yes, the Breakaway has ropes but the OP children are 7 and 1 year old, they won't be doing ropes trust me at that age.

 

You can't ask me to compare NCL vs RC there is no comparison, from my experiences in cruising both lines RC wins without blinking.

 

I went on the Breakaway with an open mind also thinking perhaps it would be my best ship/cruise yet, but it just didn't even hold up to a fraction of that, too many negatives that ship had for us all. So, is bigger better my answer is not all, it all depends upon the ship and the layout.

 

Bluewake your absolutely correct, each ship line and ship are all different. We never said we had a bad cruise on the Breakaway we just said there were too many negative things for us on her and we rather not go NCL again. I believe the smaller ship be best for the OP who has two children at the age of 1 and 7. I do believe she will have a stroller and the Breakaway is such a "crowded" ship I feel she have difficulty with the stroller getting around the ship.

 

The OP did not mention about wanting to go to the specialty restaurants, I am ASSUMING with two children that young especially one being the age of 1 year old, she won't.

You talk about the zip line and basketball court, her children won't be participating in such events they too young.

 

I do agree with you about the tacky Peter Max hull design, ugh lol and totally agree with you about the food better on RC. I also agree that the bahamas would be better with children that age.

 

I simply just giving my advice and suggestions to the OP based on the fact she has two very young children. I definitely have to say her best bet overall is to go with the Grandeur.

[William W]

Was on breakaway last july all none RCCL people love her. All RCCL people and me hated her. If you never been on a RCCL ship go on breakaway you will have the time of your life but if you been on a RCCL or DCL ship go on grander.

 

We have been on Allure, Liberty, Navigator, Vision and Legend and Disney Magic. We did enjoy the RCCL and DCL services and foods. Not so much on the NCL Dawn. The part I wasn't sure is whether NCL will offer better complimentary food and service on the Breakaway than the Dawn. But based on what I have read so far, it doesn't appear to the case.

 

I beg to differ. The Breakaway has FIVE multi-storied waterslides. Which Royal Caribbean ship has that?

 

The Breakaway also has a ropes course.

 

I think these two activities alone should sway the OP towards the Breakaway with the kids in mind.

 

I'm a loyal Royal cruiser. But you're talking about one of the largest and newest ships of Norwegian's fleet. If you're deciding purely on a "how much is there to do" basis, then the answer IMO is easy, and it's the Breakaway all the way. Let's flip the question around, and ask if you'd rather go on the Norwegian Sun or Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas, is there any doubt?

 

I think that's what make the decision so difficult. I think I would enjoy the Breakaway's "hardware" more, but I would enjoy RCCL's "software" such as food and services.

 

Even though I prefer Bermuda over the Bahamas. But another consideration is I would need to pull my 7 years old out of school for a week if I were to go on the Breakaway, whereas I don't have to do that for the cruise in August.

[labeachcomber]

laebeachcomber hello- Honestly, how many slides can a 7 year old want and a 1 year old? Perhaps a child over the age of 11 would like diversity, but sometimes too much for young children overwhelms them and is just too much. I also don't think the children be on the slides very much each day so that is another thing the OP needs to consider. You also have nearly twice as many passengers on the Breakaway than the Grandeur which means more kids which sums up the ship needs to accommodate them so they have more slides.

 

Yes, the Breakaway has ropes but the OP children are 7 and 1 year old, they won't be doing ropes trust me at that age.

 

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I believe the smaller ship be best for the OP who has two children at the age of 1 and 7. I do believe she will have a stroller and the Breakaway is such a "crowded" ship I feel she have difficulty with the stroller getting around the ship.

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I simply just giving my advice and suggestions to the OP based on the fact she has two very young children. I definitely have to say her best bet overall is to go with the Grandeur.

 

YMMV, of course, but my 7 year old nephew would be on those waterslides all day during sea days. The more variety, the better. He would also definitely do the ropes course, albeit with his father perhaps in back of him just to make sure he stays safe.

 

I feel that on the larger ships, they are so big that you never feel crowded. This isn't like trying to navigate a stroller at a New York subway stop. It's a huge ship and you are never going to be shoulder to shoulder at all times with people.

 

Some people prefer the smaller ships. I'm of the mindset that on a cruise, I want the most options for things to do, so that comes with the bigger ships. I know that's not true for everybody, as you can see from the various opinions.

[Cruisegirl6]

Trust me some parts on the Breakaway will feel like your in the NY subway.

 

The slides are not the main thing about going on a cruise.

 

OP I am here to answer YOUR questions and give you my advice (not to argue with others), your best choice will be the Grandeur. Whatever you choose may you have a wonderful cruise.

[iheartbda]

I'm sort of in a dilemma between going on NCL Breakaway vs the RCCL Grandeur.

 

We are currently book on the Grandeur in 2 category M for a 7 nights Bahamas sailing during the last week of August. And with the NCL Kids Sail Free option, I can do a 7 nights Bermuda cruise on the Breakaway but the 4 of us will be staying in 1 interior guarantee for the same price.

 

I have been always want to do Bermuda as I have never been there. And I have been to the Bahamas and the Caribbean multiple times, in fact, we would be doing a Freedom cruise in December this year.

 

We were on the NCL Dawn this past December, and I would not say we hate it. But we enjoy RCCL more.

 

As they are price similar, the questions really boils down:

-2 inside vs 1 inside cabin

-Bermuda in May vs Bahamas in August

-As I think Grandeur definitely trumps the NCL Dawn, is the Breakaway is much superior to the NCL Dawn. At least enough for me to give NCL another chance.

 

Any feedbacks will be much appreciated.

I would suggest posing yout question on the NCL board as well. There are a couple of posters here that did not care for NCL and thery stated why, To be fair, what is important to one person may have no significance to another. Give the NCL people a chance to tell you why they like it which may temper some of the negativity here.:)

 

I have any number of friends who love NCL and wouldn set foot on Royal Caribbean. NCL must be doing something tight since their ships sail just as full as other lines. You're only getting one side of the story by posting only here.;)

[heeb]

Though I have never been on the GOTS I have been on 14 cruises with the smallest ship being the Celebrity Summit all the way up to the Oasis. You are not comparing Apples to Apples. I have been on the Breakaway and there is so much to do on it for both the adults and the kids that its a no brainer. I believe your most likely leaving from New York. Leaving from the city was so easy. Parked my car next to the ship at the terminal and was able to get right on and right off the ship and out of the city in no time. The entertainment is going to be far superior to the GOTS. I will not get into the pluses about having a balcony cabin vs inside cabin right now. Your most likely in Bermuda 2 days vs three days with NCL. Bermuda is a wonderful island with lots to see from beautiful beaches to historic sites. I prefer the three days better. I have been to Bermuda both in May and in June and May can be a lot cooler and June is better beach weather. You can go by van to the beaches or take the water taxi to Hamilton. St. Georges is a great place to visit and a must see.. Good Luck!:cool:

[William W]

Just to give a closure to this thread. At the end of the day, we decide to stick with our original booking on the Grandeur.

 

At the end of the day, in no particular order, I think it boils down to:

- We prefer having 2 cabins instead of a smallish inside cabin on the Breakaway

- We don't have the pull the kids out of school for a week during for the cruise on Grandeur as compare to the Breakaway in May

- We have never been to Baltimore, so we thought it may not be a bad idea to visit the City and Washington DC in August.

- Hotels and parking is cheaper in Baltimore as compare to Manhatten.

- We got $100 obc / cabin on the Gradeur as we booked under the WOW sale.

- We primarily dine at the main dining room, and we didn't particularly enjoy the "included" food on the NCL Dawn. Based on reading reviews and looking at the menu, it doesn't look like the Breakaway offering is signifcantly different.

 

I guess we will try to catch Bermuda next year, and see if they would offer any deals on the Liberty or NCL will come out with a new main dining room menu.

 

Thanks everyone for the feed back.

[Big_G]

Thanks for reporting back.