Breakaway 13 Day Southern Caribbean Review with lots of pictures (plus Haven) again

[ncklhaus]

JoAnn, hope you are finding moments to smile and laugh. Enjoying reliving our cruise through your review

Amy

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Thanks so much Amy. I appreciate it.

It was a pleasure meeting you and hopefully we meet again some day. We are doing Breakaway again for the 7 night Florida, Nassau, and Great Stirrup Cay on December 15th.

[ncklhaus]

Next up:

Drinks by Stefano in the Haven lounge

Dinner in the Haven Restaurant

Casino time

Walking around the ship taking pics of the entertainment

Photographing the Photographers :o

 

OK. I'm back. Next post: Drinks with Stefano in the Haven Lounge

[ncklhaus]

We went to the Haven lounge for drinks before dinner. Our bartender Stefano was amazing. He was like a mad scientist. He used so many different tools to make original drinks.

 

Here he is making what we named "The Stefano" It was delicious!

 

 

 

He used Yuzu in the drink and then some kind of froth, and topped it with Star Anise. I'd never heard of Yuzu before and I meant to order some once we got home but I forgot. Once I finish with this post, I'm going on Amazon and ordering it.

 

 

 

This is Stefano's way of making a larger drink for Mike. Mike wanted a Segrams V.O. with Ginger Ale and a lemon wedge. Mike would drink it real quick and then ask for another. This way he only had to do it once. And yes. It was still covered under the UBP.

 

 

 

I'll be back in a few minutes. I'm going to order the Yuzu now. :D

 

Edited to add: OMG! It was $24 for a 5.7 oz bottle. Yes, of course I bought it. I know. I have a problem. LOL

[ncklhaus]

After our drinks, we went to the Haven restaurant for dinner. They have the same menu every night, but they also have a special each night.

Here is tonight's:

 

 

 

 

 

Melissa just wanted pasta with butter and parmesan tonight

 

 

Butter lettuce and pancetta appetizer

 

 

Prime Rib

 

 

Another view of the Prime Rib

 

 

The Pecan Crusted Chicken.

My friend had it and she said it was strange. The pecans were really big and they were candied. From the description she thought the chicken would have been maple glazed, but it was the pecans. The chicken itself was just ok.

 

[ncklhaus]

I thought this was cool. They use every inch of space on the ships. Here I thought it was just a wall, but it was a linen/storage closet.

 

 

[ncklhaus]

After dinner, I took Melissa to Splash Academy and we went to the casino for a little while.

 

I am not a real gambler but I found that I like the slots on the ships. I especially like the Quick Hits 1¢ machines. I put in $25 and BLAMMO!

 

 

 

 

Yeah baby!

 

This would happen A LOT!

 

 

 

Throughout the cruise I would go to a machine that looked like nobody had hit the Quick Hits in a while, put in somewhere between $20 and $50 and I'd hit the 6 Quick Hits.

 

It was fun. :D

 

So after an hour or so, I decided to wander around the ship and see what was happening.

[ncklhaus]

In the Atrium

 

 

 

 

Headliners

 

 

 

 

 

[ncklhaus]

Savor Main Dining Room

 

 

Taste Main Dining Room

 

 

Mixx bar

 

 

 

[ncklhaus]

Main Dining Room Menu

 

 

 

 

 

[ncklhaus]

I always like to turn the camera back on the Photographers. Tonight was no exception. They were all really good sports about it.

 

 

 

Every time I saw this guy he would smile and give me a fist pound. He thought it was so funny that I didn't want him to take pictures of me.

 

 

[ncklhaus]

I picked Melissa up from Splash Academy and we hit the Garden Cafe on Deck 15. Then we would walk through the pool deck and back to our room on 15.

 

Here's some pictures of the pool deck at night

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ncklhaus]

We got back to the room and this little guy was in my bed!

 

 

Tomorrow would be an early morning. We were going to be in Barbados and we had the Barbados Beach Break scheduled. It was the same excursion we did last year and it did not disappoint.

[Enavigo]

Really enjoying reading your review! It has me excited for our return to the Breakaway in 2 weeks! We re big fans of Stefano too! When we were on the Breakaway in September he had just been promoted to full time Haven bartender. I really enjoyed all is creative concoctions. Especially his old-fashioned with cigar smoked bourbon. We spent a fair amount of time in that lounge :)

 

Really hope he is still onboard in two weeks. I have some recollection that he was going to be on until April and then his contract was up and he wasn't sure if he was coming back. I hope I get one more chance to experience his creations.

[ncklhaus]

Really enjoying reading your review! It has me excited for our return to the Breakaway in 2 weeks! We re big fans of Stefano too! When we were on the Breakaway in September he had just been promoted to full time Haven bartender. I really enjoyed all is creative concoctions. Especially his old-fashioned with cigar smoked bourbon. We spent a fair amount of time in that lounge :)

 

Really hope he is still onboard in two weeks. I have some recollection that he was going to be on until April and then his contract was up and he wasn't sure if he was coming back. I hope I get one more chance to experience his creations.

 

We have his email address. I will reach out and ask him if he will be there.

The old-fashioned was ridiculously good! :D

 

 

I just sent him a message. I'll let you know when I hear back.

[Enavigo]

We have his email address. I will reach out and ask him if he will be there.

The old-fashioned was ridiculously good! :D

 

 

I just sent him a message. I'll let you know when I hear back.

 

Thank you! Very kind of you, much appreciated :)

[ncklhaus]

Thank you! Very kind of you, much appreciated :)

 

He leaves for vacation on April 9th. :D

[Enavigo]

He leaves for vacation on April 9th. :D

 

Oh this is great news! Thank you :)

 

If you have any recommendations of his drinks I should try let me know :)

[ncklhaus]

Oh this is great news! Thank you :)

 

If you have any recommendations of his drinks I should try let me know :)

 

I have friends on Breakaway now hanging out with him in the Haven. I will let you know if he comes up with anything new. Definitely try the one with Star Anise.

[luckyinpa]

i didnt use the haven bar that much so never noticed his name but he was amazing. i stood at the end of the bar for just some sodas and he asked for about 6 peoples orders then proceeded to get them all..correct.

[Lisi024]

Joann,

Your review was excellent...thank you so much for taking so much time!! I hope all is well with your dad and the rest of your family...

 

Lisa

[lindalu56]

What a wonderful second review of your Breakaway & Haven experience...it's like being on the cruise all over again with your wonderful photos of the ship and the really amazing food/drinks on board. I am sorry to hear of your dad's illness and am sending along prayers for your family during this very difficult time.

 

You had a much happier day in Tortola. I don't know if you were aware that in Tortola, BVI, on day six of our cruise, we lost a passenger due to drowning. We were on the 4x4 jeep explorer and beach excursion (it was an NCL sponsored excursion). The two jeeps and 12 passengers had a few stops at different spots along the way on the island for photo opportunities. We ultimately arrived at a beach called Long Bay Beach to enjoy the sun and sand. It was absolutely beautiful and serene---so isolated that we were on the only ones on the beach. So isolated that there were no bathroom facilities, not even beach chairs. (The drivers stopped at the local airport first so we could use the restroom first!) About an hour after arriving at Long Bay beach, a 47 year old passenger was apparently having trouble in the water and upon hearing the screams of his fiancee, was pulled out by the other members of our group. CPR was started and never stopped until such time as an ambulance arrived at the beach---which took well over half an hour! The two jeep drivers had no emergency equipment with them (and neither knew CPR). Luckily we were with passengers that did and they valiantly tried to keep Ed alive. Sadly all of our efforts were in vain as he never recovered. I want to warn future cruisers of this dangerous beach and excursion. Hopefully, after this tragic event, this particular excursion is no longer an option. It was horrific to witness and needless to say the rest of our cruise was a challenge to enjoy fully, remembering the shocking events of that day.

 

 

I am glad we upgraded to the Haven spa suite---you said we wouldn't regret it and we certainly didn't. I absolutely recommend everyone do it at least once just for the extra-special experience. I look forward to the rest of your review!

[UnaPalomita]

What a wonderful second review of your Breakaway & Haven experience...it's like being on the cruise all over again with your wonderful photos of the ship and the really amazing food/drinks on board. I am sorry to hear of your dad's illness and am sending along prayers for your family during this very difficult time.

 

You had a much happier day in Tortola. I don't know if you were aware that in Tortola, BVI, on day six of our cruise, we lost a passenger due to drowning. We were on the 4x4 jeep explorer and beach excursion (it was an NCL sponsored excursion). The two jeeps and 12 passengers had a few stops at different spots along the way on the island for photo opportunities. We ultimately arrived at a beach called Long Bay Beach to enjoy the sun and sand. It was absolutely beautiful and serene---so isolated that we were on the only ones on the beach. So isolated that there were no bathroom facilities, not even beach chairs. (The drivers stopped at the local airport first so we could use the restroom first!) About an hour after arriving at Long Bay beach, a 47 year old passenger was apparently having trouble in the water and upon hearing the screams of his fiancee, was pulled out by the other members of our group. CPR was started and never stopped until such time as an ambulance arrived at the beach---which took well over half an hour! The two jeep drivers had no emergency equipment with them (and neither knew CPR). Luckily we were with passengers that did and they valiantly tried to keep Ed alive. Sadly all of our efforts were in vain as he never recovered. I want to warn future cruisers of this dangerous beach and excursion. Hopefully, after this tragic event, this particular excursion is no longer an option. It was horrific to witness and needless to say the rest of our cruise was a challenge to enjoy fully, remembering the shocking events of that day.

 

 

I am glad we upgraded to the Haven spa suite---you said we wouldn't regret it and we certainly didn't. I absolutely recommend everyone do it at least once just for the extra-special experience. I look forward to the rest of your review!

 

Wow, this is very sad and tragic to read :( Did he have a heart attack? The remoteness of the beaches are definitely something to consider. Even a "popular" beach like Brewer's Bay (with that beach shack) on Tortola was 20 minutes from the port.

[UnaPalomita]

I have friends on Breakaway now hanging out with him in the Haven. I will let you know if he comes up with anything new. Definitely try the one with Star Anise.

 

We just got back from our two week Breakaway southern Caribbean cruise. We ended up loving it! Also loved Sandy at the Raw Bar. He says hello :) Easily the best meal by far on the ship if you love seafood.

 

Need to catch up on your review!!

Edited February 14, 2017 by UnaPalomita
Typo

[lindalu56]

Wow, this is very sad and tragic to read :( Did he have a heart attack? The remoteness of the beaches are definitely something to consider. Even a "popular" beach like Brewer's Bay (with that beach shack) on Tortola was 20 minutes from the port.

 

Sadly it was a drowning. I think we are very fortunate, in the USA at least, to have a very quick response to an emergency or a 9-1-1 call. On remote foreign islands that response time is severely lacking--at least that was the case in Tortola, in my opinion. If we ever cruise again I will make sure the beaches we visit have lifeguards and are not so dangerously remote. After hearing what the family had to go through afterwards makes me realize I will never travel out of the country again without travel insurance either. It has been a life changing and eye opening event for us.

[badstina]

Love the pics. Thanks for Sharing

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums