Semi live quick update, Breakaway 5/22/2016 to Bermuda

[Maraprince]

O'Sheenan's 3 nights with Dinner Specials (Prime Rib - Day 1, BBQ Ribs - Day 2 and Seafood Basket on Day 7)

 

Was there an extra charge on these 3 night?

 

MARAPRINCE

Edited May 31, 2016 by Maraprince

[SailBreakaway]

When we left Beemuda on Fri the 20th we had a family of stragglers at 310 who took their dear old time as well. Once they got on we pushed. I have video of that. Then after we were about 100' from the pier and maneuvering they called two more names. I walked over to the Windows next to Internet cafe (wife was playing game in atrium) and saw two runners (actually running) up the pier. They eventually stood at the very edge of the pier outside the boarding building doors and waved their arms frantically. I will share with you this thought process, which I've shared with officers in the passenger shipping world: If you have multiple (in this case three!) days at a port and you can't make conservative plans to get back to the vessel one to two hours prior to departure as requested, unless you have a medical emergency, 4000 people are not going to wait for you. Hence the phrase: "Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine"

 

Oh and O'Sheehans Ribs night is the best. Not to mention the late night hot fudge sundaes. Good stuff!! I'm still working off those calories at the gym and will be for a couple more weeks!!

Edited May 31, 2016 by SailBreakaway

[p&lcruisers]

There's a service animal onboard, a bit of accidental poo-poo on deck 7 Aft to be cleaned. Lunch is good, a bit slow, coffee & dessert now, time for a quick nap. No cellular signal with Sprint inside Savor but T Mobile 4G LTE is good.

 

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

 

You must have got on early too !!!! My "lucky husband " stepped in the dog poop by the elevator. Leslie

[julescruisin]

Thanks for the slot machine pics, wow they do have a lot of new machines to play!!!! It was great reading your review everyday and so glad you had a wonderful time. We also love Bermuda and would go every single year if we could!! Happy Cruising:)

[mking8288]

Q&A and followup:

 

MARAPRINCE - No, the 3 specials were complimentary with no extra charges or fees that we know of @ OSH. Enjoy - had the prime ribs, roast beef & beef tenderloin in the MDR (3 different nights) and they're fine.

 

Grilled reuben sandwich, Cajun grouper sandwich and Fish & Chips were all good, served hot (not just "warm") - as were the breaded chicken wings, BBQ sauce served on the side as requested.

 

We did overheard the crew telling pax trying to order takeout at OSH that it's not allowed (again ??) not sure if that's another policy change or whatever, maybe those sailing soon on BA can go "explore" - there's enough food on the ship everywhere, unless one is seasick or confined to the stateroom, just make a trip to one of the venue. Light snack is available upstairs in the buffet from 9:30 PM to 11:30 PM, I took a plate back one night.

 

Boned-in Angus Beef Ribeye (18 oz.) had a $20.99 surcharge + 18% in the MDR, also, Surf & Turf (8 oz. Filet Mignon & 1/2 Maine lobster) or Whole Maine lobster, steamed 1.5 to 1.75 lb) both @ $24.99 + 18% ... didn't noticed anyone near us ordering them as we ate in Manhattan and also Taste/Savor.

 

SailBreakaway - we must've missed the runners as we thought everyone was onboard, the last stragglers that lucky got on surely took their sweet time as if they're on a leisurely walk. Longshoremen in orange safety vests drove up right after them & began releasing the ropes & before we knew/felt anything, ship was going/sliding sideway with the thrusters fully on. We didn't sample the OSH Specials, figured the line & wait to get in would be huge ... last year, they had the lamb also (ones in the MDR were just fine)

 

p&lcruisers - we boarded via AFT gangway early as VIP/CAS/Platinum around 11:20 am - took about 10 minutes to actually get onto Deck 7, I didn't noticed the "pots of gold" on the carpet at the elevators but "HazMat" was on scene already doing environmental duties as we walked past. We dropped off our carry-ons, "hello" to our RS Joao before walking back to Savor for lunch, a # of fellow guests were already seated & waiting for the crew to start the service at 12 noon. The tugboat & fueling barge were still portside. Got our iConcierge activated & book LeBistro for 4 @ 6 PM with the App.

 

As for the "possible" changeover of Uptown Grill to Margaritaville, crew/staff working there had no ideas whatsoever and if senior officers onboard knew, they weren't sharing with the rank-n-file in the trenches.

 

julescruisin - yes, DW has her favorite machines, mostly the 4-in-1; and, you can select & play different games on the screen with a single "spin" on the button, also simple to switch from 1 cent to 2 cents to 5 cents, etc. There're lots of "serious" slot players betting the max or close to max play, and we saw hand pays by the attendants nightly ... with the impressions that the pay table were "loosen" up somewhat, until the last 2 or 3 days. But, we managed to recover some of our investments ... still, we left with our contributions onboard and it was all fun & enjoyable, all good & fine.

[SailBreakaway]

Q&A and followup:

 

 

 

MARAPRINCE - No, the 3 specials were complimentary with no extra charges or fees that we know of @ OSH. Enjoy - had the prime ribs, roast beef & beef tenderloin in the MDR (3 different nights) and they're fine.

 

 

 

Grilled reuben sandwich, Cajun grouper sandwich and Fish & Chips were all good, served hot (not just "warm") - as were the breaded chicken wings, BBQ sauce served on the side as requested.

 

 

 

We did overheard the crew telling pax trying to order takeout at OSH that it's not allowed (again ??) not sure if that's another policy change or whatever, maybe those sailing soon on BA can go "explore" - there's enough food on the ship everywhere, unless one is seasick or confined to the stateroom, just make a trip to one of the venue. Light snack is available upstairs in the buffet from 9:30 PM to 11:30 PM, I took a plate back one night.

 

 

 

Boned-in Angus Beef Ribeye (18 oz.) had a $20.99 surcharge + 18% in the MDR, also, Surf & Turf (8 oz. Filet Mignon & 1/2 Maine lobster) or Whole Maine lobster, steamed 1.5 to 1.75 lb) both @ $24.99 + 18% ... didn't noticed anyone near us ordering them as we ate in Manhattan and also Taste/Savor.

 

 

 

SailBreakaway - we must've missed the runners as we thought everyone was onboard, the last stragglers that lucky got on surely took their sweet time as if they're on a leisurely walk. Longshoremen in orange safety vests drove up right after them & began releasing the ropes & before we knew/felt anything, ship was going/sliding sideway with the thrusters fully on. We didn't sample the OSH Specials, figured the line & wait to get in would be huge ... last year, they had the lamb also (ones in the MDR were just fine)

 

 

 

p&lcruisers - we boarded via AFT gangway early as VIP/CAS/Platinum around 11:20 am - took about 10 minutes to actually get onto Deck 7, I didn't noticed the "pots of gold" on the carpet at the elevators but "HazMat" was on scene already doing environmental duties as we walked past. We dropped off our carry-ons, "hello" to our RS Joao before walking back to Savor for lunch, a # of fellow guests were already seated & waiting for the crew to start the service at 12 noon. The tugboat & fueling barge were still portside. Got our iConcierge activated & book LeBistro for 4 @ 6 PM with the App.

 

 

 

As for the "possible" changeover of Uptown Grill to Margaritaville, crew/staff working there had no ideas whatsoever and if senior officers onboard knew, they weren't sharing with the rank-n-file in the trenches.

 

 

 

julescruisin - yes, DW has her favorite machines, mostly the 4-in-1; and, you can select & play different games on the screen with a single "spin" on the button, also simple to switch from 1 cent to 2 cents to 5 cents, etc. There're lots of "serious" slot players betting the max or close to max play, and we saw hand pays by the attendants nightly ... with the impressions that the pay table were "loosen" up somewhat, until the last 2 or 3 days. But, we managed to recover some of our investments ... still, we left with our contributions onboard and it was all fun & enjoyable, all good & fine.

 

 

 

You didn't miss any, we got off the boat the day you got on. It was a week earlier! Thanks again for contributing those great info and sharing your precious time and family's experience. That's what this board is about, it just a cesspool for negativity which sometimes occurs so thank you again and all the best.

[p&lcruisers]

Q&A and followup:

 

MARAPRINCE - No, the 3 specials were complimentary with no extra charges or fees that we know of @ OSH. Enjoy - had the prime ribs, roast beef & beef tenderloin in the MDR (3 different nights) and they're fine.

 

Grilled reuben sandwich, Cajun grouper sandwich and Fish & Chips were all good, served hot (not just "warm") - as were the breaded chicken wings, BBQ sauce served on the side as requested.

 

We did overheard the crew telling pax trying to order takeout at OSH that it's not allowed (again ??) not sure if that's another policy change or whatever, maybe those sailing soon on BA can go "explore" - there's enough food on the ship everywhere, unless one is seasick or confined to the stateroom, just make a trip to one of the venue. Light snack is available upstairs in the buffet from 9:30 PM to 11:30 PM, I took a plate back one night.

 

Boned-in Angus Beef Ribeye (18 oz.) had a $20.99 surcharge + 18% in the MDR, also, Surf & Turf (8 oz. Filet Mignon & 1/2 Maine lobster) or Whole Maine lobster, steamed 1.5 to 1.75 lb) both @ $24.99 + 18% ... didn't noticed anyone near us ordering them as we ate in Manhattan and also Taste/Savor.

 

SailBreakaway - we must've missed the runners as we thought everyone was onboard, the last stragglers that lucky got on surely took their sweet time as if they're on a leisurely walk. Longshoremen in orange safety vests drove up right after them & began releasing the ropes & before we knew/felt anything, ship was going/sliding sideway with the thrusters fully on. We didn't sample the OSH Specials, figured the line & wait to get in would be huge ... last year, they had the lamb also (ones in the MDR were just fine)

 

p&lcruisers - we boarded via AFT gangway early as VIP/CAS/Platinum around 11:20 am - took about 10 minutes to actually get onto Deck 7, I didn't noticed the "pots of gold" on the carpet at the elevators but "HazMat" was on scene already doing environmental duties as we walked past. We dropped off our carry-ons, "hello" to our RS Joao before walking back to Savor for lunch, a # of fellow guests were already seated & waiting for the crew to start the service at 12 noon. The tugboat & fueling barge were still portside. Got our iConcierge activated & book LeBistro for 4 @ 6 PM with the App.

 

As for the "possible" changeover of Uptown Grill to Margaritaville, crew/staff working there had no ideas whatsoever and if senior officers onboard knew, they weren't sharing with the rank-n-file in the trenches.

 

julescruisin - yes, DW has her favorite machines, mostly the 4-in-1; and, you can select & play different games on the screen with a single "spin" on the button, also simple to switch from 1 cent to 2 cents to 5 cents, etc. There're lots of "serious" slot players betting the max or close to max play, and we saw hand pays by the attendants nightly ... with the impressions that the pay table were "loosen" up somewhat, until the last 2 or 3 days. But, we managed to recover some of our investments ... still, we left with our contributions onboard and it was all fun & enjoyable, all good & fine.

 

We were group 2 to get on the ship. We laughed (after clean up) Everyone wanted to go with my husband to the Casino. We can now tell everyone "Stepping in sh##" does not mean good luck. We lost in the casino.

 

I want to let everyone know our experience on the ship was exceptional. The service was very good. We have been on many cruises and this was the best. We booked for our next cruise today.

[Gershep]

When we left Beemuda on Fri the 20th we had a family of stragglers at 310 who took their dear old time as well. Once they got on we pushed. I have video of that. Then after we were about 100' from the pier and maneuvering they called two more names. I walked over to the Windows next to Internet cafe (wife was playing game in atrium) and saw two runners (actually running) up the pier. They eventually stood at the very edge of the pier outside the boarding building doors and waved their arms frantically. I will share with you this thought process, which I've shared with officers in the passenger shipping world: If you have multiple (in this case three!) days at a port and you can't make conservative plans to get back to the vessel one to two hours prior to departure as requested, unless you have a medical emergency, 4000 people are not going to wait for you. Hence the phrase: "Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine"

 

Oh and O'Sheehans Ribs night is the best. Not to mention the late night hot fudge sundaes. Good stuff!! I'm still working off those calories at the gym and will be for a couple more weeks!!

 

 

Are they still charging for the hot fudge sundae? I still miss the walnut brownie sundae that was my absolute favorite.

[jazzyjody]

We sailed on the 22nd and uptown burger was open for breakfast and lunch. The food there is amazing! So sad they are closing it!

[SailBreakaway]

Are they still charging for the hot fudge sundae? I still miss the walnut brownie sundae that was my absolute favorite.

 

 

 

Yes they are. 4.75$ if I recall, however for what you get both quality (really good) and quantity for that small amount of money it's well worth it. Truth be told you might have seen a guy smuggling one up to the 15th floor on he forward elevators at 2am a couple times!! Guilty as charged!

[mking8288]

OSH has the complimentary warm Apple Pie a la Mode and that was good enough for me, not too sweet except that ice cream melted fast.

 

Here are some more OSH food pictures not uploaded before w our limited data at sea:

Reuben & open-faced Turkey sandwiches, hotdog, breaded chicken wings, etc.

 

There was a comment earlier from LocalTracks (oh, hi ... must be ESP) that one of the chef wasn't wearing gloves in the food prep area while cutting the raw beef steak (and weighting each one on a scale) - apparently, during the regular BTST later last week, another CC - Rafinmd, Roy captured him in a different photo wearing clear latex gloves, so whatever - nobody got stomach illness from the steakhouse cuts ... yet. Here, found that pic on his paid tour, same chef - https://solocabinchallenge.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/butcher.jpg - while writing his live BA review. (click for link)

 

And, it's a "no" for Beef Wellington, we ate nightly in one of the MDR except Day 1 in LeBistro, and I am 95% certain it was not served or available - didn't check out the latest specialty dining menu.

 

I do missed OSH's chef salad as I made a light & healthy meal out of that along with soup & fruit plate ...

 

Services were prompt & DW is the only one out of the 4 receiving the post-cruise NCL survey, and gave credits for the improvement in the comment section ... still noted about smoke in the casino area, as we spend lots of time hanging out there.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

Edited June 1, 2016 by mking8288

[LocalTracks]

MKING8288, if there was a award for best thread here on Cruise Critic, you should win hands down! Thank you very much for taking the time to share your vacation experience with everyone!

 

One last question - do you recall seeing Beef Wellington on any menu during your week?

 

Thank you again! Hope to hear from you again!

[chapchap]

Thank you for the absolutely excellent "almost live" review! I feel like I'm (almost) there with you!

 

Great pictures throughout - by the way, was anyone else a bit surprised that the guy cutting the steaks was not wearing gloves?

One question/request - please let me know if you see Beef Wellington on the menu at any venue. My DS had it five years ago on our last cruise and is hoping it will be available next month.

 

Keep up the GREAT work!!!

 

Unless, he was also working with another meat item, such as pork, or with another food item, such as dairy or veg, or "ready to eat" food items... he's fine. I'm sure he's washing his hands regularly. I'm pretty positive the ships galley staff are following and exceeding food safety standards/practices...

[mking8288]

Got my own post-cruise NCL survey reminder today, for some reasons, I didn't see initially in my In-Box ... done, took care of it.

As you can see, we got towel animals except 1st night, and little chocolate mints on the bed. Ice buckets filled & fresh towels whenever we placed them on the floor.

 

Look at DW's photos & going to try something different on sharing the stories about food on the Breakaway as it's changed, opinions are always subjective in reviews ... let these pictures of the typical breakfast choices in MDR speak for itself - you decide - plenty of protein, carbo & calories. We only ate once for breakfast in the buffet, there are more choices - including yogurt, hot & cold cereal choices, and variety of bakery items, etc. Coffee is on the weak side for my taste, IMO.

 

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

Edited June 2, 2016 by mking8288

[mking8288]

On desserts in the MDR, some items were repeated, more often than I expected, thus less variety. Still, some were very, very good & not over sweet ... good for keeping our A1C #s below 6.0

 

 

Footnote/tips for others who would like to do their own blog/review of an upcoming cruise: these smartphone pictures are directly uploaded via Tapatalk w/o using another cloud service or server, optimized for mobile viewing. To reduce data usage while at sea or roaming (even with unlimited packages, when satellite connections are "slower" - use your own photo editing "App" to condense or resize them first ... as most of them are 12M to 15M, hi-resolution pictures much too large even for the typical 24" HD monitors.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

Edited June 2, 2016 by mking8288

[mking8288]

Gershep - here's an alternative dessert for you, Bananas Foster in the MDR

 

LeBistro's

French press coffee served ... and I forgot to bring my SS tumbler to take 1/2 pot of unfinished coffee with me, lol.

 

Fresh fruits are nicely presented

 

Mussels were good, just a bit skinny (off-season ???) but escargot baked in buttered garlic sauce were yummy, as always.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

Edited June 2, 2016 by mking8288

[Gershep]

Will definitely try that Banana Foster in a couple of weeks. Thanks!

[mking8288]

Time to put some final thoughts on our cruise last week before memories fade -

With 2 full sea days sailing out to Bermuda, we cruised around 12 knots or less in very, very calm seas - at times, as if we're not moving - we barely felt the slight rocking motion when we had 8' to 10' seas during the late overnight hours - especially when we're deck 5, midship - portside, forward of the AFT elevators ... which we find very convenient, easy to walk up to the MDR & the specialty restaurants, and, of course, the casino.

 

Quiet spots - surprising, even on a full ship and packed atrium lobby with activities going on, the adjacent internet cafe/center is a good place to sit, read & glaze at the sea - which was calm and smooth.

 

We ran into dozens of crew members as it's by one of their main corridors above "I-95" one deck below on #4. Almost every one of them say hello & friendly greetings as we pass by, and we always return the gesture - sometimes, we smile & do ours before they are within 5' to 10' (it's one of the crew expectations they are trained & reminded, daily - one of the 30 "Today's To Do") There're a few isolated crew members that, apparently, chose to a little less, by avoiding eye contacts and pretending that they're busy as we approach ... perhaps, this helped (maybe) explain some of the observations & feedbacks from others that sailed on the BA recently.

 

Packing rain gears, based on several weather forecasts including BDA's own local forecast, thunderstorm & rain/showers were expected - so we took along hooded windbreakers & rain poncho ... well, never needed or used it (I know some were "caught" during those brief 10 or 15 minutes passing showers) ... next time, going to trim our luggage weight a bit more - worst case, buy one of those $2 plastic poncho sold on the islands, as necessary.

 

Service animals - as noted in the Freestyle Dailies and seen, there're at least 2 or more of them onboard and they're trained, accompanied their owners and sat quietly next to the dining table (aside from the "minor" accidental #2 during boarding that was promptly cleaned up)

 

Ship Pins for BA - they are still available at the Shorex Desk, just ask & they will cheerfuly give them to you (also, ask for our Yellow Priority Luggage Tags ... early in the week, lines are short & no wait)

 

Ship's Photographers - they are around ... sometimes, just one working in the MDR and not necessary stopping at all the tables. Wave & flag him/her down if you would like your pictures taken. Yes, the Latitude discounts are given even for the 10-Photo or 20-Photo packages, etc. - just make sure to ask for it & show your keycard. Lowered those prices nicely.

Edited June 2, 2016 by mking8288

[Gershep]

I might have missed it if you posted, how were the seas coming back?

[mking8288]

Stateroom tips/info & misc -

Here's the location of the bathroom's 110-220 volts outlet, rated for shaver use only (low amp) - high above at the corner of the mirror, where the LED night light (USB powered using the iPhone/iPad charger) Lots of shelf space above & even below the sink area (for soiled laundry ... especially if there are 3 in the stateroom, each packing two 28" suitcases for the week, yes, quite a few packing that way for a tropical sailing, LOL)

 

The standard/regular stateroom's height adjustable shower heads & it swing

 

BTW, we learned from our RS on the last evening, that the 3 missing suitcases were never found or returned, all from the same stateroom ... imagine not having really almost anything to use for the cruise. We always packed one full set of clothes, medications & essentials with our hand luggage as carry-on at all times ... had our share of delayed & mis-routed bags flying domestic & international.

 

We have & made full use of all 4 electrical outlets on the desk, 2 @ 110 volts and 2 @ 220-240 volts with inexpensive adapters (actually, I left one behind, not a big deal ... got plenty around) as the smartphone/tablet/iPad charger is dual voltage as is the Sony Viao notebook PC (use it mainly for MP4 video playback) with the "Big Blue" bluetooth speaker.

 

Unlike the HDTV input in the balcony stateroom we stayed in last year, the Sole brand HDTV is tightly wall-mounted against the wall & there really was no "working" room to disconnect the HDMI-1 connector to use my our input/connection to stream music/video (standalone WiFi inTRAnet setup)

 

# # #

(Gershelp) ... coming back, seas was perfectly calm, we speed out of the Wharf at 16 to 18 knots, made the SG turn clearing the reefs doing 20 to 21 knots, then slow down a bit to 18 knots (Capt. explained during his daily 10 AM quick briefing from "The Bridge" ... that it's using only 3 engines, as with all 4 engines going - it's top speed is rated at 24 knots (even faster if wind conditions are favorable, like those gale force wind we're riding along on the GEM in 2012 against a Northeast leaving NY, where we did 25 knots :eek:)

 

Not once did we had waves of more than 5 ft. - mostly 1 to 2 ft. seas, unbelievable & too good to be true, but it was. Well, Breakaway also navigated a somewhat different course in both directions - initially, wasn't sure if that Code Alpha onboard Monday might result in a Medevac. Then, on Friday, there was a Code Bravo ... that apparently crew members jumped quickly into action, along with some panic (well informed) passengers (which, turned out to be an announced surprise drills from the Bridge, as only the senior officers knew about it ahead of time)

 

Not directly related to the BA, there was a scooter accident with injuries that we came upon - details apparently didn't made the local news last Thursday (riding the #7 bus back to Dockyard from Hamilton, just past the Rotary near the main hospital stop with the new ER ... very nice exterior) From the RCI & Bermuda boards yesterday, updated since - an experienced motorcycle rider on his honeymoon got into a scooter accident yesterday with injuries and was send to the ER, - not getting into the details, Google or read it over there. Just exercise common sense & use the public transport; and, check one's insurance coverage while abroad before consider renting one.

Edited June 2, 2016 by mking8288

[leekel619]

There was another scooter accident this past Monday involving a passenger on the Anthem of the Seas. Hit a van.

I read about it in the Royal Gazette. It didn't sound like he was going home on the ship. Serious head injuries. Small article and a photo.

We go to Bermuda every year and we always see victims of scooter wrecks. Some worse than others. I'm sure some we don't see or hear about.

 

I was wondering if travel insurance pays for those accidents. I googled it. Some articles said yes, but the insurance ends when the trip is over. So if you need more medical care....

 

Some said certain engine sizes are not covered.

 

One quote said something about when you go on vacation/over seas, you feel like nothing will happen and you take more risks. Because...you're happy...on vacation!! Care free.

 

Be careful.

[Gershep]

Thank you for answering my question about the sea conditions. Hope we get as lucky. Last time on BA it was smooth going to Bermuda (longer sea days helped that), rocky coming back and very windy. Not too bad considering years ago I was on a ship back from Bermuda after a hurricane.

 

I pray that those in the scooter accidents are doing better. There was a time we always rented scooters but not any more. My son's who are in their 20's always want to rent them but it's not happening when I am there.

[mking8288]

Odds & Ends, (highly) subjective opinions about some of the dining venue & food on the Breakaway ... differences are given.

 

Plantinum's complimentary bottles of sparkling wine and we picked 2 bottles of wines from the list as our selection, retailed locally for about $10 each or less ... took them home, maybe put it to good use to marinate some meat for the weekend. Those "almost free" Aquafina 20 oz. bottled water @ $3.25 each (if purchased onboard) while we're in the casino were nice (tipped the server ... cash, naturally)

 

We took 3 larger 1.25 liter bottles of Ginger Ale & Coke for the week in our small carry-on roller, port security in NYC didn't ask or visually "inspect" them - thru the X-Ray scanner & we easily boarded ... but, not going to check or bring a caseload of bottled water.

 

PPV Movies (in-room): it's $9.95 per movie rental via stateroom's interactive TV (unless you are comp'd in Haven) - here's a snapshot of some of the choices. Better yet, download & transfer some to your own iPad, tablet or netbook/notebook PC ahead to enjoy and for the "kids" to watch, or, be prepared for $$ ... perhaps, using OBC.

 

Cigarettes by the cartoon - basically, popular brands like Marlboro & Newports, B&H are $72 for 2 cartoons ($36 each) sold onboard in the duty-free shop (which remained closed while docked in BDA, including cosmetics.)

 

With the higher upcharges & "simplified" specialty dining menus (fewer choices at the base/a la carte pricing) - we see no reasons to pay extra for specialty meals. If you have one of the packages or deals, good for you & enjoy. LeBistro looked pretty full each night as we often walked by ... even in the "outdoors" lobby's roped-off sidewalk area.

 

General dining, especially for lunch - the lack of variety compared to before is pretty clear & obvious as we usually avoid the buffet. Granted, there are still some excellent choices - even for the MDR ... if I need to or wanted to, alternate between grilled and poached salmon every night. Red snapper was fine, just a notch "fishy" - a little bit more ginger in the cooking would "fix" it for me. Didn't even get around to sample the Steak Frites (N.Y. Strip cut)

 

There's a line and often a wait for eating (free) in Shanghai Noodles nightly, the portion size is most definitely petite and on the small side, about 1/3 less compared to a year ago (when it was still a paid venue) - soup based noodles are only 1/2 full. It's not uncommon for diners to order at least 3 if not 4 items per person to make it a full meal. Well, good news are that it's cooked to order and come out hot & fresh tasting - except for the pot stickers or dumplings (frozen & not so much in flavoring ... skip them unless you are a big eater) Spring rolls are okay, nothing to write/email home about - very similar to the ones served in the MDR one evening.

 

We didn't see a lot of room service trays or dirty plates/cups in our hallways during the week ... not really different than our previous BA sailings. Twice, we left a plate outside our stateroom (interior corridor) late night - without tripping anyone else walking by and it was still there in the morning, apparently no special efforts to collect & clear them ... just have to wait for the Room Steward to do it when they come around in the morning for their AM tasks (8 AM or later, I believe is their typical schedule.)

 

Manhattan MDR was packed full & book solid for Day 7 - go early or better yet, see if you can reserve it ahead of time and our dinner service took over 2 years, good thing we're not rushing anywhere & almost done packing up to leave the next morning. On other days, it wasn't bad even when we showed up other than our confirmed time and were able to quickly get seated for 4 people. Service and food temperature-wise, Taste & Savor are better, faster & meals came out "hotter" with the cover on the plate (gallery is on deck 6 AFT, difference in the "runners" need to take the escalators up & down to the gallery - and it's a much longer walk.

 

For those paying more $$ upgrading/upselling/booking their stay in Haven, things are probably different and better ... And, I wonder what if this is for a longer TA or repo crossing and longer itineraries ... B2B too.

 

On major shows, entertainment & bars/lounges - we seen both ROA and BTF and Cirque dinner show before, thus skipping them, nor do we drink alcohol, so ... someone else can tell the story on their review. The Duo of Alvin & Emily performed in the altrium - really good, sometimes to a standing room crowd.

 

We've sailed with NCL to know what to expect these days, hopefully and set our expectations accordingly ... we found some nice surprises and have a great time, enjoyed our cruise and made good use of what we received. Our friends don't sail NCL that often and they brought 2 CruiseNext certificates at 50% off last Friday onboard (in lieu of taking OBC) for only $250 - to use in the next 4 years, likely with their next land-based casino offers again - email confirmation received & credited yesterday in their MYNCL online account. Yes, the sales pitch was definitely full on vs. the toned down "Bingo" time announcement that used to be very annoying.

 

Wrapping up with more collections of food pictures we took, enjoy them - my "bad" for causing anyone to feel hungry - LOL, go take a meal break. Already "missed" BDA, just checked the live webcams again - rain/showers are gone from earlier this morning, still cloudy but there's always something to do while vacationing.

 

For those sailing soon to Bermuda, on the BA (or the Dawn) ... enjoy & hopefully, you get some extra tips going thru this thread/blog. Do come back & share your unique experience too.

Edited June 2, 2016 by mking8288

[mking8288]

Hallway is clean & clear

 

Dessert, this was from the buffet ... don't ask about calories

Starter @ lunch - MDR

Vegetable Pad Thai, with tofu ... not impressed at all. - dinner @ MDR

Escargot & Egg Roll as starter in MDR (dinner)

 

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

Edited June 2, 2016 by mking8288

[mking8288]

This update contained screenshots as we took them of the NCL Breakaway's WiFi intranet signal, it is a very good wireless N signal at both the popular 2.4 Ghz band and the less congested 5 Ghz band, from diagnostic Apps I used while connected.

 

While connected to the ship - anyone traveling & concerned about speed & coverage - if you have the choice, select 5 Ghz band as it is better overall - very good on upload speed. Latency is still high but adequate, nothing compared to Fios or fiber-optical land signals. There might be a few dead spots somewhere on the ship but it has multiple WiFi hotspots with overlapping channels covering the bands, using NEC gears from what I can see/ascertain - vs. Cisco hardware.

 

If you have NCL's free WiFi 250 minutes plan, you are lucky as it turned out, it's more than just a 250 minutes worth, you get 1,000 MB worth of data or 1GB, and it is not time/minutes-based ... continue to use it until you've exhausted using all 1,000 MB worth of data, at pretty reasonable speed for a satellite connection (slower than those on RCI or land, but very usable, IMO) on the paid/free WiFi inTERnet connection. The value of this "large" plan is currently $125. For very light use, to check emails & messages, the medium plan of 300 MB for $59.00 might be all you will need for a typical 7 days of crusing ... once docked, you can use land-based WiFi, paid or free or your own cellular data plan - which can be a lot less, inexpensive or plain dirty cheap (like ours, on Fi Network for $10 per GB of 3G data, not 4G LTE data like using it at home in the US, but for international roaming data for 120+ countries ... including the Caribbean islands, apparently Bermuda is part of this coverage - unbeatable in value, IMO)

 

The ship's "free" WiFi inTRAnet is running a lot faster, as much as the hardware itself to use the free functions in the iConcierge APP.

 

Dockyard has paid WiFi, the nearest/closest tower signal or hotspot/booster is near the Wharf's building on the outdoors, if you walk & look at the poles along the pier (on the side closest to the buildings - it's clearly marked) From deck 15 or 16, you will pick up and "see" the WiFi signal on your devices, but it is not usable nor dependable. From deck 8 on the Waterfront facing the walkaway, the signal is stronger & better, and usable - find a lounger or sofa, get comfortable & go online - make sure you have a spare battery pack as it might be useful for those extended sessions.

 

From deck 15, only picked up a few WiFi signals

 

From the screenshot, you will also see "other" WiFi signals at Dockyard, some are for the merchants & businesses ... while others might be available for ship passengers to use, need to ask & most of them are secured by passwords & log-in, etc.

 

Compared to above, on deck 8 (Breakaway) - picked up quite a # of other WiFi signals, many are secured.

"WiFiZONE by TBi" is the paid WiFi plan that you want to connect to, after buying the plan - 3 days for about $15 USD (current pricing)

 

In contrast, we have both T-Mobile prepaid coverage, it's a little pricey but still not bad for voice & texting, did NOT test or use slow 2G/Edge data as we had Fi Network coverage for faster 3G/HSPA or HSPA+ data access, inexpensive & a good, working signal that didn't drop on deck 15, sitting by the windows near the buffet. Coming down to deck 8's Waterfront, this cellular signal is solid, strong and very dependable - it's faster than what the stats shown. Uploads to Tapatalk, FB and other cloud media was quite fast - coverage is by "Digicel"

 

For our 7 day Bermuda cruise, we used the "free" NCL 250/1GB plan and once on the island, with coverage from Dockyard to St. George's and of course, in Hamilton - we spend an extra $3 USD for almost 200MB worth of data plus 5 minutes worth of voice calling, at 20 cents a minute ... thank you, Google for the "Fi NetworK" - which is a good use of T-Mobile & Sprint's CDMA network ... on our Nexus devices.

 

We also have a Fi Network data-only nano Sim, activated and it was good for use on the iPad Mini and on the iPhone 5S, both unlocked - taking full advantage of the inexpensive data access and making free WiFi calling on Hangouts.

 

The uploaded screenshots should help explain & illustrate the summary here - for those with technical appreciation of what's involved - better alternatives & choices to the global plans offered by VZW, AT&T and even T-Mo's "regular" plans for travelers ... and, of course, saving money over NCL's satellite plans, which are expensive by virture of the design.

Edited June 6, 2016 by mking8288
merged Pix uploaded via Tapatalk with desktop posting