Review: NCL Breakaway 8/21/16-8/28/16 NY to Bermuda

[nyfltraveler]

This is a pretty lengthy review.......

 

Just returned from the 8/21-8/28 sailing of the NCL Breakaway. As I found other pre-trip reviews helpful, I hope that I can provide insight for a future cruiser.

 

For a frame of reference, we were 2 adults and 2 children (both children under 10 years old) and have previously cruised on this ship during the summer time period (also to Bermuda).

 

NYC Boarding

 

Arrived at the Pier around 10:30a..... Dropped off the luggage and went through the check-in process...The luggage drop at curbside is a bit chaotic but as long as you are willing to tip the porter, they will move you along. Another suggestion is to have all of your paperwork, passports and credit card ready.... makes the check-in process that much smoother.

 

We were on-board before noon. Note, suggest packing what you need for the first afternoon (bathing suits, etc) in a carry-on as the checked luggage didn't arrive until 5pm or so.

 

Once on-board the room was ready so we dropped our bags in the room and grabbed lunch at the Uptown Bar & Grill (Deck 16, upstairs from the Garden Cafe (buffet)). Not many people know about this restaurant. They make fresh, tasty burgers (beef and turkey burgers) which you can customize with many different toppings as well as nice salads.

 

Room

 

We booked a "mini-suite". The room was smaller than expected and the balcony was tiny. Given that we were 4 people, we used the bed, fold out couch and the ceiling opened up to another (upper) bed. The bathroom was surprisingly large which makes this a better choice over a standard balcony cabin. Large stall shower, double sink and enough room to move around. Another note, the hallways where the rooms are located are extremely narrow.

 

Staff

 

Generally the staff was extremely helpful and very polite. Even walking the halls and the ship itself you would always get a "hello", "good morning" etc. The staff in the restaurants would also aim to please.

 

These are all hard working people working for low wages, away from their families for months at a time (will discuss that more below under gratuities).

 

The cabin Steward was a very nice man who knew our names (and the names of the kids), kept the room tidy, was visible (but not on top of you) and yes, made towel animals each night. We had an issue with the room when we first arrived (an odor from the bathroom) and he made sure to address it and be certain that it was resolved to our satisfaction.

 

The cruise director (Dan Dan) was great - he engaged the crowd and could be seen all around the ship.

 

The Captain was a very nice man, who made it a point to keep the guests updated...and he could be seen around the ship talking to guests and staff alike.

 

Food

 

As part of our booking, we received the Ultimate Dining Plan (UDP) which entitled us to dine in a "specialty restaurant" for our dinners. As a result, other than the first night at the Manhattan Room, we did not have dinners in the buffet or the regular dining room (Manhattan, Taste or Savor).

 

We had our breakfasts in the Garden Cafe (buffet). The food was fresh, tasty and the selection was plentiful.

 

For lunch (while on the ship) we alternated between Buffet and the Uptown Grill. Again, the selection at the buffet for lunch was vast and the food was generally good. Note that at the Uptown since the burgers and salads are made to order, You need to be patient as it can take 15-20 minutes to get your food once you place your order.

 

Based on our prior cruising experience, other than the one night in the main dining room we had dinner at Teppanyaki (1x), Cagneys (4x) and Ocean Blue (1x).

 

Teppanyaki is more for the kids. It is no different than Benihana or hibachi restaurant. As for Cagney's steakhouse, the food was generally good as was the service. Being from the NY/NJ area, we often dine at some of the better NYC steakhouses, so I am biased. Nevertheless, while not of that quality, the food was certainly better than an Outback level and the menu had many more offerings than it did in the past (various cuts of meat, different seafood dishes). Worth the price with UDP as you can choose any item without worrying about the price. Their desserts were tasty as well. This trip we also tried Ocean Blue which was very good.

 

The children dined with us at Teppanyaki; otherwise we would take the kids to either the buffet, O'Sheahans Bar/Grill or Shanghai Noodle Bar before they participated in the Splash Academy camp in the evenings. O'Sheahans had typical pub food (burgers, fish/chips, chicken fingers, etc). It was fine. I was disappointed in the quality of the food at Shanghai's. It essentially was the same food served at the Asian station at the buffet. It also gets crowded.

 

At night, the buffet was open with late night snacks and dessert (including soft serve and hard ice cream)

 

Activities/Entertainment

 

There were plenty of activities by day/night, from bingo to a ropes course, rock climbing wall, water slides, trivia and the like.

 

Entertainment-wise, we passed on the shows Burn the Floor (similar to a dancing with the stars episode) and Rock of Ages as these were the same shows we saw on the prior cruise. From prior cruising experience, both were pretty good.

 

At night there are also various lounges with piano players, singers, etc. depending on the genre you preferred.

 

Given that we were traveling with young children we did not partake in the late night activities such as the Spice 2-0 parties although we did stop by the "glow party". Basically a lot of people in a small space dancing.

 

Bermuda

 

Having been there before, we did not need to sightsee. We left the ship on Wednesday and Thursday in Bermuda. On Wednesday we travelled via taxi to a private hotel to visit people we knew visiting the island and spent the day there - unfortunately it rained most of the day. On Thursday we went to a beach affiliated with that hotel. Friday we stayed on the ship until it departed at 3. Unlike the past, all passengers made it back to the ship on-time.

 

Splash (Kids) Academy

 

The children participated in the Splash Academy. This was a well-run operation which the children enjoyed immensely. The camp is split up by age group, under 3, 3-5, 5-9, 10-12...... The counselors have activities tailored to the age groups, whether its arts/crafts, movie time, organized sports etc. The camp was generally open 9-12, 2-5 and 6-10:30. The camp remained open from 10:30p-1:30a at an extra cost per camper. The highlight of the camp is that all of the campers participate in a show in the main theatre on the last full cruise day. This show, I must say, was the best show on the ship. The kids get really into it and it puts a smile on a parent's face seeing them perform. Hats off to the camp staff my kids already miss them. (Note, if you use the kids club, be sure to give a gratuity at the end as the kids club staff does not share in the "service charge")

 

General Observations/Comments

 

The seas were a bit rough on the way back from Bermuda to NY and You do feel the rock of the boat while its in motion. If you have issues with motion sickness, I suggest the wrist bands or Dramamine.

 

There were a wide array of people on this ship, although I would say at least 70% came from the New York/New Jersey area.

 

This is where I may get some pushback, but nevertheless it would be nice if NCL made the entire ship non-smoking. Besides the fact that this is a family ship and even though there are designated smoking areas, the smokers did not respect this.... In fact the designated outdoor smoking areas on Deck 15 were located right by the areas where many children (and adults) congregate.

 

I definitely suggest the Vibe Beach Club or Haven. These are private areas which generally require a room in that section (Haven) or cost money to access (Vibe - age 18+) ; however these areas are much more quiet, relaxing and humane. It is a zoo by the main pool area -noisy, crowded (and the pools and pool area are actually very small).

 

The casino was your typical cruise ship casino, slot machines and table games (blackjack, craps, roulette, hold em

 

The public spaces of the ship were always clean and fresh looking. The crew (of approximately 1600) are well trained and take pride in their work.

 

Beware, the out of pocket charges can add up quickly and while you think that your fare gives you an "all inclusive" trip, there are still expenditures you may need to budget for (tips, water packages, soda or other drink packages, spa, activities such as bingo, etc) *Note if you walk by the spa you will often be solicited by spa staff for a treatment. The services are great - and they do have "specials" - but nevertheless it gets pricey and the cost quoted does not include an automatic 18% gratuity added to the cost.

 

Speaking about tips, I've read many reviews where the gripe has been about the $13.50 per person per day "service charge." Assuming for a moment that these funds actually go to the intended crew members, it's worth the charge. Many of these men and woman (particularly those behind the scenes) work 8-10'months at a time for a fairly low wage. They are away from their families and every dollar counts to them. For example, one waiter in a specialty restaurant explained he is on the ship for 8 months, works 10 hrs a day, 7 days a week and makes $1800 per month in base wages. That's why I changed my position on the automatic tipping. Anything extra these men and woman can get means a lot to them. I am also sure to provide an additional cash gratuity to those I interact with (e.g room steward, restaurant server)

 

All in all, NCL makes the week at sea a pleasant experience and while the trip is certainly not inexpensive, if you think about it, for a couple hundred dollars per person per day, you do get value (room, meals, entertainment, etc).

 

I hope this review is helpful to future cruisers and that I made valid points to those who have cruised already, whether on this sailing or a prior sailing.

Edited August 28, 2016 by nyfltraveler

[bigboiracer]

Great review. I to have two kids who are 4 and 2. I have been eyeballing this cruise for a week. We live in Md so it's easy to get to NYC. I have wanted to go to Bermuda for sometime. Compared to other cruises did you find this to be the most kid friendly adventure or would you have rather took them on a land based vacation?

 

 

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[nyfltraveler]

Great review. I to have two kids who are 4 and 2. I have been eyeballing this cruise for a week. We live in Md so it's easy to get to NYC. I have wanted to go to Bermuda for sometime. Compared to other cruises did you find this to be the most kid friendly adventure or would you have rather took them on a land based vacation?

 

 

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Certainly a kid friendly adventure. I'd suggest giving it a try.

[easyboy]

Thanks for your review. I also hope they do something about the smoking issue.

[Clarea]

Excellent report, thanks!

[nyfltraveler]

Excellent report, thanks!

 

You're welcome.

 

To respond to another note I received, in the restaurants be prepared to dine as opposed to ear. In other words, service is not fast for the sit down restaurant meals. Often 1.5 hrs.

[luckyinpa]

great review except its a reminder that uptown is going away by my cruise :(

[arsa]

Excellent review! We leave in 13 days and I cannot wait.. I do agree with you on the automatic tipping - all the cruises we have been on have been wonderful because of the hard working staff on-board.

[nyfltraveler]

Yes. It was shocking to hear how many people did not leave something extra to the Cabin steward or a sit down restaurant waiter.

 

 

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[cincicruisers]

Thanks for sharing your review with us.

[kateissiobhan]

Thank you for your review.

I am in agreement with you in regarding the 13.50 daily service charge. We will also tip bar service, wait staff and especially the cabin steward. These people work long hours for such little pay. I have sadly seen fellow cruisers publicly berate and humiliate staff as if they were slaves. It's appalling.They are polite through the tantrums and yet continue to provide service to those abusive patrons. Who is perfect every minute in their jobs? There are other recourses to rectify poor service. These are fellow human beings and should be treated with dignity and respect.

[BrandoMan13]

Thank you for your review.

I am in agreement with you in regarding the 13.50 daily service charge. We will also tip bar service, wait staff and especially the cabin steward. These people work long hours for such little pay. I have sadly seen fellow cruisers publicly berate and humiliate staff as if they were slaves. It's appalling.They are polite through the tantrums and yet continue to provide service to those abusive patrons. Who is perfect every minute in their jobs? There are other recourses to rectify poor service. These are fellow human beings and should be treated with dignity and respect.

 

I definitely tip bartenders and tip waiters even though we pay the DSC and in some cases the 18% for the SDP. It just feels like the right thing to do if they provide great service.

 

What would a decent tip be for the cabin steward? At a normal hotel id probably leave approx $5 per night, but in that case I'm not paying any DSC.

[nyfltraveler]

Yes Kate. It's quite interesting how some of the passengers treated the staff and how many people would not give additional gratuities to bartenders, waiters and Cabin steward. These workers are often on the ship for 8-10 months at a time working 7 days for what the us would consider less than minimum wage. The cruise lines are able to get away with that by registering the ships in the Bahamas and other countries which do not have minimum wage laws.

 

 

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[PelicanBill]

We gave an extra $20 to our cabin steward and an extra $5 to a specialty restaurant waiter. I wanted to give an extra $5 to our dining room waiter one night but she was really bad. We saw her twice during the entire dinner and even the assistant did not refill our water glasses until I hunted her down.

I also have a bundle of $1s for bartenders and added a dollar or two when ordering more than one drink. Or gave a $5 to start if I was staying near a pool bar (spice H2O for example). He would have my next drink ready for me when he saw me walking toward the bar!

[optimusprime82]

Good write up. My wife and I are sailing on the Breakaway in 40 days.

 

Not that we watch a ton of TV while cruising do you recall the channel lineup on the Breakaway? I like watching TV before bed and we're also going to be gone during the middle of the college football season. I'm a little "worried" about missing a specific game. If we can't watch it in the room hopefully one of the bars will carry it.

[Diane123boys]

Good write up. My wife and I are sailing on the Breakaway in 40 days.

 

Not that we watch a ton of TV while cruising do you recall the channel lineup on the Breakaway? I like watching TV before bed and we're also going to be gone during the middle of the college football season. I'm a little "worried" about missing a specific game. If we can't watch it in the room hopefully one of the bars will carry it.

 

There was 1 channel of favorite"movies" and 1 of "series" 1 sports channel but I believe that was Football(soccer) couple of news channels and a bunch of informational channels . but I am not an american football fan but everyplace I saw was Soccer - even in the restaurants on the island!!

[riclop]

Thanks for the review.

[nyfltraveler]

Good write up. My wife and I are sailing on the Breakaway in 40 days.

 

Not that we watch a ton of TV while cruising do you recall the channel lineup on the Breakaway? I like watching TV before bed and we're also going to be gone during the middle of the college football season. I'm a little "worried" about missing a specific game. If we can't watch it in the room hopefully one of the bars will carry it.

 

Other than Fox News, MSNBC, a European sports channel and a movie channel there was nothing else. You are not going to get to see your USA pro or college sports. Licensing fees for satellite too expensive.

[disneygirl]

Thank you for a really great review! We sailed on the Norwegian Gem 8/19-8/27

Our next cruise will mostly likely be the breakaway.

 

I have to say I was quite excited when I read that Dan Dan was your Cruise Director! He was our on the Gem 2 years ago and that was one of the best cruises I have ever had!

His Cruise Staff team was amazing, on the Gem this time, they may have been new so that was a bit more disappointing.

 

I have a question about the smoking area on the ship, I do agree that they really need to crack down if there is only one or a few areas and if people are smoking where they should not be then they need to asked to go to that specific area.

 

Friends of our who want to sail with us on the Breakaway were curious about the Outdoor Seating for the Restaurants and if they each have their own smoking area OR if it is just one specific area at all. Would you happen to know this?

 

Also in regards to the Spa did you happen to use or see their Thermal Suite? We love the on The Gem and look forward to it every time we cruise.

 

Thank you!

[Heckah]

Good write up. My wife and I are sailing on the Breakaway in 40 days.

 

Not that we watch a ton of TV while cruising do you recall the channel lineup on the Breakaway? I like watching TV before bed and we're also going to be gone during the middle of the college football season. I'm a little "worried" about missing a specific game. If we can't watch it in the room hopefully one of the bars will carry it.

 

If you can't get it in the room, you can't get it in the bar. I don't know about college, but they had NFL games. I would imagine they would have college games, but it would be at the mercy of what is fed to the ship. You'll probably get a game, but not necessarily the game you want.

[optimusprime82]

Other than Fox News, MSNBC, a European sports channel and a movie channel there was nothing else. You are not going to get to see your USA pro or college sports. Licensing fees for satellite too expensive.

 

Not that I'll lose too much sleep over it but it sounds like NCL is pretty far behind some of the other lines as far as TV offerings. With that said, I'm not sure if that's actually a bad thing. If you're spending that much time in your room watching TV why are you cruising anyway?

 

If you can't get it in the room, you can't get it in the bar. I don't know about college, but they had NFL games. I would imagine they would have college games, but it would be at the mercy of what is fed to the ship. You'll probably get a game, but not necessarily the game you want.

 

Both Carnival and RC offered local channels out of Florida (even when we departed from San Juan). I've watched a bit of college football in my cabin and in the "sports bar" on board, again Carnival and RC. I'm somewhat surprised to hear that NCL doesn't have a similar arrangement but I guess I'll have to be patient and see what's offered on board when we get there.

 

Hopefully the Buckeyes will take care of the Badgers and I'll be able to enjoy it on the DVR when I get home.

[DPurcell58]

How did you get so many dinners? Was Ocean Blue included? I was on your sailing and heard it wasn't. We thought Cagney's was great. I'm sorry they are removing Uptown Grill. We found Spice /H20 in back of ship during the day, no need to pay for Vibe. There were chairs, bar, hot tub, waterfall for cooling off. Loved Howl at the Moon piano players, great! Customs was crazy getting off, not enough windows open, got a porter and got out.

[Varavfan]

Thank you for your review. I am cruising on the Breakaway with my husband and 2 other couples that are friends. Looking forward to it all. I am also questioning where they allow smoking, and hope the smokers stay where they are allowed to smoke. I read something saying this ship allows smoking on balconies, is this true? Thank you!

 

 

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[BrandoMan13]

Thank you for your review. I am cruising on the Breakaway with my husband and 2 other couples that are friends. Looking forward to it all. I am also questioning where they allow smoking, and hope the smokers stay where they are allowed to smoke. I read something saying this ship allows smoking on balconies, is this true? Thank you!

 

 

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From what I've read that is not true. But apparently some decide to smoke on their balconies anyway.

[Varavfan]

From what I've read that is not true. But apparently some decide to smoke on their balconies anyway.

 

 

Thanks for letting me know. I think that original post was from a few years ago when they allowed it still. So happy to hear it's not allowed!!

 

 

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