NCL Breakaway Bahamas Nov 13 Food and Drinks!

[PierceChristopher]

I got the Cervette Roti Au Beurre (jumbo shrimp), and that was really good also. Again, food not very hot.

 

For desert, mom got the Assiette De Formage (cheese plate), and it was very nice. Definitely larger setup than the main dining room option. The flavor of the blue cheese exploded in your mouth. So delish.

 

I ordered the Creme Brulee, and it was amazing, just as I remembered it. So smooth, not overwhelmingly sweet, just perfect.

 

We “shared” the Fondue Au Chocolate (chocolate fondu), and it was really great. Totally smooth and true chocolate; not syrup.

 

Brought mom back to room and we had a teddy on our bed to help mom fall asleep, not that she needed tons of help after the Remys.

 

After dropping off mom, I met up with companions for a drink before the closing show. I finally ordered the chocolate martini, which I loved. I recently been hoding back on sweets, so this was a change to my old self. I liked it a lot, but I wouldn’t get it all the time because it’s something you may have as a desert instead of an actual desert. Sweet and quite creamy.

 

Went to Burn the Floor again, and loved it (again), regardless of the fact that it was the same show as last time. Still got me all energized, and the fascination I had at their dancing skill had a smile on my face the whole time. At the end of the show the crew did a “farewell” piece with lots of staff on board. They all got on stage and sang and gave us a nice send off (even though we weren’t off for another day). The main point of it was to punctuate the trip’s main entertainment with some great energy and fun. It worked. The whole crowd was super energized and dancing all around. I loved it.

 

 

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[PierceChristopher]

Another night with a huge moon on the sea. It’s a shame cameras can’t capture the depth of the scene for your memories, so all you can do is take some pics for the reminder, and then soak it in for all it’s worth (which for me, I love that stuff).

 

 

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[cincicruisers]

Thanks for sharing with us. I am starving looking at all the food pictures.

[PierceChristopher]

Thanks for sharing with us. I am starving looking at all the food pictures.

 

 

Glad you like! [emoji16]

 

 

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[MCAT48]

No. You will be told it's free however the driver will make a point to tell you that he is not paid and relies heavily on the tips left by the very generous and caring passengers he is transporting... lol

 

We were the last off the shuttle van and the driver said nothing about tips. It's free no obligation to tip.

[MareQ]

We were the last off the shuttle van and the driver said nothing about tips. It's free no obligation to tip.

 

You're lucky then. We took the shuttle 6 times and every single time the tips were mentioned. I didn't care, I'd pay for that shuttle every time, that walk was too long for all of us lol

 

It seemed like all we did was tip people in Nassau. We did a private tour the first day, at Queens Staircase instead of our guide talking, some other guy was there giving us the info and of course mentioned a tip. Plus we tipped our guide. Day two we did the Atlantis Dolphin Swim and beach day booked through the ship, paid over 1k for all of that and of course the bus driver on the way over told us he's not paid for the tour he only relies on tips then made a comment when DH only handed him money. He expected the 4 teens and I to hand him cash as well.

 

In the end we had a great time, great weather and I loved Nassau so all the tips were just a small blip on the radar.

[denatravels]

You're lucky then. We took the shuttle 6 times and every single time the tips were mentioned. I didn't care, I'd pay for that shuttle every time, that walk was too long for all of us lol

 

 

 

It seemed like all we did was tip people in Nassau. We did a private tour the first day, at Queens Staircase instead of our guide talking, some other guy was there giving us the info and of course mentioned a tip. Plus we tipped our guide. Day two we did the Atlantis Dolphin Swim and beach day booked through the ship, paid over 1k for all of that and of course the bus driver on the way over told us he's not paid for the tour he only relies on tips then made a comment when DH only handed him money. He expected the 4 teens and I to hand him cash as well.

 

 

 

In the end we had a great time, great weather and I loved Nassau so all the tips were just a small blip on the radar.

 

 

Interesting... I don't believe that just because someone asks for a tip from all 6 people in a group means you need to give it-- first of all, I'm likely to tip BETTER if I'm not harassed for one; and if I'm with family, we certainly don't all tip-- once is fine.

 

 

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Edited November 25, 2016 by denatravels

[PierceChristopher]

11/19 - Saturday

 

Last day. Savor (again) for breakfast. Had Bircher Muesli, but also got the Huervos Rancheros, and it was fantastic. Outside of the eggs Benedict, the Huervos was my favorite breakfast item all week, with the eggs Benedict a close 2nd. Totally recommended. Getting hungry thinking about them now.

 

After breakfast, I went to the box office to try to cancel the Wine Lovers the Musical reservation. I just wasn't in the mood for it, and neither was mom. I really wanted to relax on deck or go to the spa without any reason to leave. When I got there I discovered there was a 24-hr cancellation policy. I asked them if they could sell my tickets if they needed the seats, but 1.5 hrs before the show, they had 14 seats available. So, it was unlikely I'd get that money back. Annoyed (more at myself for not predicting the cancellation policy), I went about my business accepting it as a $60 loss. Anyway, my spirits were lifted when I saw on the daily (NCL Breakaway Freestyle Dailys 11/13-11/20

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2425691) that Wasabi was open for lunch, but only from 12-2. Nonetheless, it's something I wanted to try so I'll go closer to the 2pm mark. Off to gym and spa.

 

Got to gym, did my workout, and headed into the spa to find a few passengers looking out the window with excitement. It seems there were sightings of dolphins, and I was able to get some on video. Pretty cool.

 

After spa, met up with companions for lunch at Wasabi.

 

I started off with the Shaku-Shaku martini. It was really nice and refreshing.

 

I also ordered the Gekkeikan Traditional Sake for the meal, which was smooth. I ordered the seaweed salad, which was nice. The dressing was tasty.

 

 

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Edited November 28, 2016 by PierceChristopher

[PierceChristopher]

We got the Grilled Dumplings, which were round and on skewers. They were really good, but super hot on the inside so bite in slowly.

 

I ordered the Rock M’ Roll roll, the Crispy Rice “roll”, and companion got the Surf and Turf roll. I loved each one, but the Surf and Turf was the tastiest. We have some really good sushi around where we live in NYC, so it’s hard to say this was the best I’ve had, but it was certainly good, and a nice change of pace from the other meals we’ve been having on board.

 

Rock M’ Roll roll

 

Crispy Rice “roll”

 

Surf and Turf roll

 

Off to the deck for a stroll. The sun was out and I think it was the nicest day so far. Again, the scene of the bight sun on the sparkling water is so great, and love soaking it in for all it’s worth.

 

Brought mom down for some shopping, and took breaks from that and let her shop in peace while I got some rays on the promenade.

 

 

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[PierceChristopher]

We had another day setup for a nice sunset, so we gathered on our balconies to take it in. We had some sparkling wine left, so we finished that off. The sunset was beautiful, and again, left us with tons of time (about 2 hrs) to pack and head down for dinner.

 

La Cucina for the last night. Last time we cruised together we had fantastic (I mean really great) Italian on the Brilliance of the Seas. Ending with specialty Italian may become a tradition for us. We’ll see.

 

Anyways, started off with the server being absolutely amazing. Her name was Querta from the Philippines. I’m in the service industry, so I can tell when someone likes their job, and that enables them to do it well. She was so attentive, was able to predict our needs, and was patient all the way. Being that we didn’t have many amazing servers on the trip, she closed out our last meal with such great sentiments. I filled out a hero card for her.

 

I ordered the Bellini, and loved it. Sometimes (but rarely) I have a Mimosa with brunch after a night of drinking (which some of you, at this point in the review, may be asking yourselves is “when is he ever not drinking”). After having the Bellini, I may consider switching Mimosas for Bellinis going forward. It's made with peach purée (or just peach juice) instead of orange juice, which makes it much less acidic.

 

The table bread was warm and soft, so really liked that. Mom ordered the Carpaccio di Manzo. She thought it was nice but not as flavorful as she remembers it from restaurants.

 

Companions got the Mozzeralla di Bufala Caprese, and the ceasar salad. The mozzeralla on the Caprese was great, and the ceasar salad was as good as it’s been in other specialty restaurants.

 

 

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[PierceChristopher]

I ordered the Involtini di Melanzane alla Ghiotta, which was two rolls of sautéed eggplant with roasted veal stuffing. It was really good, and I recommend it.

 

On to the pasta dishes. FYI; you can order an entrée-sized portion of the pastas if you like. Mom ordered the risotto, and it was very nice.

 

Companions ordered the Linguine Cioppino, which is seafood in linguini. It was really good.

 

Other companion ordered the Rigatoni, and liked it also.

 

I ordered the beef lasagna, and it was very flavorful, and one of the best dishes I had on the ship.

Edited November 28, 2016 by PierceChristopher

[PierceChristopher]

For Secondi, mom ordered the Filetto di Branzino, which was pan-seared sea bass. She thought it was very nice.

 

Companions both ordered the Filetto di Manzo, which was the filet mignon with gorgonzola crust. That was fantastic.

 

I got the Osso Buco, which was oven-braised milk-fed veal shank, and it was delicious. The meat fell off the bone and was super tender. Sorry pic is out of focus - I must have been getting delirious from the food all week.

 

For Dolci, mom ordered Tiramisu (for “me”), and again loved it. Thought it was light, and not too sweet.

 

Companions ordered Torta di Ricotta (ricotta cheesecake), and the Torta di Ciiccolata e Lamponi (chocolate tart). The ricotta cheese cake was really good, but the chocolate tart was out of this world. The chocolate was rich and smooth, and I may have been able to eat two if I could possibly stuff it in.

 

 

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[PierceChristopher]

I ordered the Affogato, which is espresso poured over ice cream. For such a simple dish, it was fantastic. The ice cream was delicious, and the effect of the hot espresso in the creamy ice cream made it even more so. I may have a new desert favorite to order when I’m out again at Italian restaurants. Sorry, started eating before I took the pic ☹️

 

We also ordered the Panna Cotta alla Vanigila, and that too was fantastic. It was so smooth and sweet, but not overly sweet. The berries made it even better. Totally recommend it (and of course, don't forget the chocolate tart).

 

So glad our last meal, during this somewhat underwhelming dining adventure, turned out great. Great food. Great service. And great company.

 

Brought mom back to the room so I could hang out downstairs for the last night. I went to shakers and ordered the Rum Cake. It was delicious, but super super creamy. It’s something I needed to sip slowly given how thick it was. Glad I tried it.

 

The entertainment for the night was Melvin Harold on guitar, and I really REALLY regret not seeing him perfom until now. His voice was like Tracy Chapman’s style, and I loved it, so much so that I bought his CD (now I need to find a CD player - didn't think that one through clearly after the Run Cake Martini). The other entertainment in Shakers was not my style. The piano player was OK, but compared to Melvin Harold, he was out-shined. I recommend that if you see his name on your Daily (links to all the trip's Dailys above), go out of your way to get a good seat (they’re all pretty good in Shakers), and be prepared to enjoy a really nice night.

 

Woke up next morning already docked in NYC.

 

If you want to see the ship entering NYC Harbor, you'll really need to set your alarms to get up in time. I did that last year, and it was pretty cool, as were the temps outside.

 

We opted to be the last group to leave the ship so we wouldn't have to rush around. I didn't want our mothers to have to stand too long in lines. We comfortably left our rooms a little after 9am (no later because stewards have only 3 hours to completely clean and restock every room). We went to the Whiskey Bar to sit and wait and read, and eventually our group was called. I was hoping there would be much less of a line at that point, but I was wrong.

There was a huge line waiting (in the cold outside weather - wear warm clothes) to get into the customs terminal. There is lots of crowd control required considering the space in the customs terminal, but Norwegian should consider allowing passengers to remain seated in the ship in a designated area. There was a considerable amount of standing in that line, I'm guessing as much as 30 minutes or more. At lease we had a view of our home for the past week.

 

 

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[PierceChristopher]

Time to say goodbye. Not one of my most memorable trips, but a good one overall. I'll do it again no doubt, and hopefully we'll have better luck with the ports and weather.

 

Please feel free to contact me if any of you have any questions. I've already s en some great ones come through.

 

All the best! [emoji106]

 

 

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[luckyinpa]

in retrospect, do you advice self disembark (if able to)or at least being in the first group?

[PierceChristopher]

in retrospect, do you advice self disembark (if able to)or at least being in the first group?

 

 

If able, and don't mind waking up that early, self-disembark is pretty smooth. Otherwise, first group should be good also, but to be honest, I've only done self assisted and last group in the past. In the end, I'm willing to bet all exiting groups face varying, but similar, issues in the customs hall.

 

 

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[cruising_scientist25]

Can't wait .... Will be on the December 18th ⚓️[emoji484][emoji907]. [emoji319]

 

 

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Me too! We're paying today! I can't wait!

[MareQ]

in retrospect, do you advice self disembark (if able to)or at least being in the first group?

 

We self disembarked and were in the Haven. The only Haven advantage was getting off via the crew elevators and perhaps a full 60 second less wait for the escalators.....:) You have to manhandle your own luggage till you get down to the first level then just grab a porter. The porter was the biggest time saver. It's well worth the extra money. Even though we walked off and had no line, once you got to customs it was backed up already. The porter however just walked us right to a free customs agent and we cleared as soon as I showed him my passports. We left our room at 8:25 met the concierge, went down crew elevators, scanned off the boat, walked, walked, walked,walked some more lol, grabbed a porter, cleared customs and were outside waiting for the car service at 8:41.

 

Self disembark and get a porter.

[luckyinpa]

We self disembarked and were in the Haven. The only Haven advantage was getting off via the crew elevators and perhaps a full 60 second less wait for the escalators.....:) You have to manhandle your own luggage till you get down to the first level then just grab a porter. The porter was the biggest time saver. It's well worth the extra money. Even though we walked off and had no line, once you got to customs it was backed up already. The porter however just walked us right to a free customs agent and we cleared as soon as I showed him my passports. We left our room at 8:25 met the concierge, went down crew elevators, scanned off the boat, walked, walked, walked,walked some more lol, grabbed a porter, cleared customs and were outside waiting for the car service at 8:41.

 

Self disembark and get a porter.

 

you beat me. we were out of haven at 9 and in car by 915. i thought that was good. but it was not self assist.

 

agreed about the porter, anyone who doesnt do that is cheap. yea i said it. the snake for the customs was pretty decent even at that early hour. when i saw all people had options for porters i thought wow. why not everyone? plus was longer walk to my car then i thought. this time ill have 2 kids in tow so porter for sure.

 

taking luggage down the escalator wouldnt be toooo bad. ill have to ask my travelmate how important getting out early is

[dobiemom]

PierceChristopher, thanks for the food pics and especially the menus. Do you happen to have the Le Bistro dessert menu?

[PierceChristopher]

PierceChristopher, thanks for the food pics and especially the menus. Do you happen to have the Le Bistro dessert menu?

 

 

Glad to share. Here's the Le Bistro dessert menu. Sorry for not posting it before. Let me know if you can't read it.

 

 

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[riclop]

Thanks for the review.

[dobiemom]

Glad to share. Here's the Le Bistro dessert menu. Sorry for not posting it before. Let me know if you can't read it.

This is perfect, thanks! I just wanted to see if the chocolate Napoleon is still there... and it is! ;)

[traveler1980]

I'm glad this review resurfaced. I really appreciate all the details and I'm looking into the resortforaday now. Thank you!

[cage keeper]

Thank you for posting this amazing review. Making a list of your drinks to put on my "must try" list.