Breaking Away from NCL after the Norwegian Breakaway

[Chris2018]

The positive:

 

-Many negative reviews state that the Breakaway is an overcrowded ship, but it is large and it is designed to hold a large amount of people. I agree that some areas like the atrium and theatre lack seats to accommodate large groups of people, but other areas like the Garden Cafe always had seating for dining. It is spacious for the most part. If one area is crowded, you can always find another area with no people. I personally thought it was better designed than the Norwegian Gem, which is a smaller ship, but seemed to have more people walking into you for some reason because of its design.

 

-People complain about spring break college students and children, but most people behaved well for the most part.

 

The negative:

 

-Service overall was poor. Waiters tend to forget about you at the main dining rooms. For example, at the Savor restaurant for breakfast, 45 minutes went by without any food. I called the Maitre D' just to ask him what happened and he admitted they forgot about my table. They sent me free merlot wine and chocolate covered strawberries in my room, but they miss the point that you can't appease people with free stuff.....we simply just wanted to eat at the dining room and in a timely manner. Any diner in New York City has better service than this.

 

-Food quality was not good at MDRs (Savor, Taste and the Manhattan Room) and Garden Cafe. Pasta was either overboiled (mushy) or underboiled (aka hard, not el dente). Anyone order the ziti in the Manhattan room? That was hard as rocks (not el dente) plus they mixed hard carrots in it! I've never heard of that before (no real Italian restaurant would do this). It did not taste good at all. Food was loaded with salt and food was not consistent. Mac and cheese sometimes had tons of cheese in it, but on most days, it tasted like only butter was mixed with the pasta with no cheese. The pizza did not have sauce --- it was simply bread and cheese (who knows how NCL makes it red looking when it's so dry with no sauce). Menus rarely changed on a daily basis serving the same food with no taste. There was nothing special about the food at all. Going to a New York diner offered better food quality and service than on this Norwegian cruise.

 

To compare, when Carnival used to leave from New York City, the food and service was a lot better than Norwegian. We had lobster night on two different nights in every free restaurant (not specialty). To compare, NCL doesn't offer lobster, plus couldn't get the most basic food right. The pizza on Carnival is comparable to Blaze pizza which is flavorful and high quality, and I was surprised that NCL's pizza was so dry and flavorless.

 

-Service was slow overall in all restaurants. In the Garden Cafe (buffet), the workers sometimes would not clean tables or restock forks/knives/napkins on tables. It's like the NCL employees simply didn't care. I told my room steward about the low water pressure from the shower and he told me to deal with it, the rest of the ship had poor water pressure also instead of looking into it.

 

-I had an Oceanview room on this ship and it had so many random sounds throughout the whole day. Someone else on this forum described it correctly as a metal scraping sound. There is also a lack of sound proofing as I heard every sound from the cabins next to me (not great for intimate moments during your vacation). This is not acceptable on a brand new ship built in 2013.

 

-The ship skipped Great Stirrup Cay, which would have been the best port of call. The water was not rough at all. NCL must remove it as a port if they truly do not want anyone to visit it. They moved the BBQ from Great Stirrup Cay to Moderno restaurant which had a long line and was overcrowded. It is misleading on NCL's website that Great Stirrup Cay is listed as a port of call and then the public sign up for cruises expecting to visit there, and then they don't visit. They do not skip it for "safety reasons".

 

-The weather was poor and the captain made no announcements at all. On the day we left Nassau, the ship hit a storm and was rocking back and forth violently. The incompetent captain did not make any announcements just like last month when he sailed through the storm. They need to replace this Captain. Whenever he talks, he mentions the barometric pressure and other raw sailing data which no one really cares about.

 

-Parts of the ship were still flooding such as the entrance of the Breakaway Theatre at the Magic Show. They had carpet dryers on. What's really gross is that the carpet smelled like pee/manure, so you have to wonder if a sewage pipe broke there. No announcement made at all about this or other random incidents on board. It's like the Captain and his crew intentionally leaves passengers in the dark regarding the ship.

 

-If you didn't arrive at least half an hour to one hour prior to entertainment, all seats in the theatre were taken and you could not see your show, EVEN IF YOU HAVE A RESERVATION. NCL assigned an employee at 7 PM to apologize to people when all seats are taken and to advise people to come back for a later showing at 9 PM. Parents responded to the NCL employee, "but what if you have kids and they cannot come back for 9 PM?" NCL obviously doesn't care about families at all.

 

I will not sail on Norwegian again. My advice to new cruisers is to sail on Carnival and Royal Caribbean instead for a better experience for your money. NCL is a typical corporation which has cut corners to save money at the expense of our vacations.

[cruising_is_life3535]

Hahahaha

[BirdTravels]

Thanks for the review.

 

We have sailed on the Breakaway and her sister ships 9 times (soon to be 11 in the next few months). And would highly recommend the ships, especially for first time cruisers.

[Enavigo]

First, I'm sorry your vacation did not live up to your expectations. That said, I felt the need to discount your comments after the "incompetent captain" comment. What exactly are your qualifications to pass that judgement? And for about the hundredth time, at no time did the captain of the Breakaway sail through the January storm. Even a cursory review of this Board or navigational achieves would show you that he sailed a safe distance behind the storm. It never ceases to amaze me that people feel like the captain of a large vessel owes them regular hugs in the form of storm updates.

 

Again, I'm sorry your cruise did not live up to expectations. I've been on the Breakaway 3 times (including the same cruise) and I loved every one. Looking forward to our Escape cruise to Bermuda in September.

[Njkrewzer]

I don't get all this negativity surrounding the Breakaway. I absolutely loved the ship and can't wait to sail on her again

[june123]

Looking forward to my first Breakaway cruise next year :cool::cool::cool:

[limeyalchemist]

Me too. We are sailing for the fourth time in 29 days and expecting another great trip. Sure there may be glitches, but that happens on any trip, cruise or non-cruise. That's just life. Just enjoy the fact that you are on vacation!

 

I'll post hopefully a detailed and balanced review in 36 days for all you Breakaway fans.

[rabidstoat]

-If you didn't arrive at least half an hour to one hour prior to entertainment, all seats in the theatre were taken and you could not see your show, EVEN IF YOU HAVE A RESERVATION. NCL assigned an employee at 7 PM to apologize to people when all seats are taken and to advise people to come back for a later showing at 9 PM. Parents responded to the NCL employee, "but what if you have kids and they cannot come back for 9 PM?" NCL obviously doesn't care about families at all.

 

They don't overbook the shows but at about 15 minutes before they start they release the standby line, so if you have a reservation and you're not in a seat by then, you may lose out. You need to get there before the standbys are allowed in. Obviously letting them in the second the show started wouldn't work, so they do it a bit before.

[Tapi]

The ship skipped Great Stirrup Cay, which would have been the best port of call. The water was not rough at all....They do not skip it for "safety reasons".

 

The weather was poor and the captain made no announcements at all. On the day we left Nassau, the ship hit a storm and was rocking back and forth violently....

 

The incompetent captain did not make any announcements...

 

They need to replace this Captain. Whenever he talks, he mentions the barometric pressure and other raw sailing data which no one really cares about...

 

I’m a bit confused. In your opinion, the weather was fine to go to Great Stirrup Cay but there was a storm just outside Nassau (a few miles away) that rocked the ship violently? If there were stormy conditions in the vicinity of Nassau, I’m guessing that the conditions in Great Stirrup Cay may not have been as pleasant as you describe. Maybe the Captain wasn’t as “incompetent” as you feel?

 

And I’m a bit confused again. You mention that the Captain made no announcements about the weather, but then you mentioned that he did make announcements that included various weather data including barometric pressure (which is a clear indicator of impending weather conditions that may adversely affect your cruise). You may not care or have the intelectual level to understand these facts, but I consider this information to be very valuable. Once again, maybe your Captain wasn’t as “incompetent” as you feel?

 

Respectfully, it seems to me that your observations about the Captain may have to do more with your limited knowledge and expertise, than with his true competence level.

 

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Edited March 10, 2018 by Tapi

[newmexicoNita]

OP, it is sad when someone has such a horrible time they can't really think of anything positive to say. I have sailed the Breakaway and am not a fan of mega ships but it beat the other two we have cruised.

 

Of course I wasn't on your cruise but when we sailed her last year we loved the Manhattan room. I don't know the last time you sailed Carnival. Many lines have discontinued Lobster, not to mention the Lobster that used to be offered was not worth eating. I think many miss it just because it was Lobster. I wonder how many know the difference between good and bad Lobster.

 

As for the weather, so you missed GSC, You do not know what the sea may have been like. Do you think the Capt made the decision based on nothing? As for not going there anymore, for heavens sake, NCL owns the island. We have been on HAL when they had to skip their private island, the same with NCL. It is better to be safe than sorry. You said GSC would have been the best of the ports you were to visit. Didn't you know ahead of time which ports were on this itinerary? Why did you book the cruise it the ports were not to your liking?

 

I doubt anyone is going to pick apart everything you had to say but I do think your negatives may have been a little over the top or you expected too much.

[Son of a son of a ...]

Breakaway reviews tend to vary by itinerary. Bermuda cruises are rated much better than Caribbean cruise. Cruise for the ports and not the ship, especially with the Beakaway. If you want a better ship-experience, then go on the huge Royal ships or Disney with kids. Alternatively, wait for Bliss.

[Barb Nahoumi]

Op,

 

Sea conditions might not have been good for the tendering into GSC, If something went wrong, that would have been catastrophic. We as passengers have to trust that the Captain is looking out for our safety.

[BNBR]

People sure are funny about $4.99 lobster tails.

 

Although I do agree, NCL is very much subpar compared to Carnival and Royal.

[mjkacmom]

Carrots are an ingredient in a bolognese sauce, a common Italian tomato based meat sauce. NYC area diners are great, most cruise lines would have a hard time duplicating their fresh food and fast service. GSC is a big money maker for NCL, drinks and excursions. The captain was criticized recently for attempting to tender recently, it can be very dangerous unless conditions are close to perfect.

 

Personally, I don’t think pasta does well when mass produced. A dish featuring protein seems to be a better option (we are a family of 7, so I got to sample pretty much everything). One side of the menu doesn’t change.

[April42749]

I thought the buffet (5 sailings, most recent 2/2-2-16) was fabulous. Unlimited varieties of all kinds of food!

 

Although our sailing was smooth, I thought the captain made too many announcements.

[thistimeplease]

Looking forward to my first Breakaway cruise next year :cool::cool::cool:

 

You will love this ship, we changed from only doing land vacations to loving cruising because of the BA. I dismissed this review after reading the complaints about mac and cheese, pizza and not enjoying a bottle of merlot and strawberries. I have worked in many upscale restaurants and mistakes happen and I think they handled it correctly.

[AmboyValentino]

OP has been very militant about his opinions on his BA trip, and has posted in a couple of threads about the same thing. Maybe he felt the need to create a thread this time. However, I always noticed that in his previous posts, people on the same cruise as him have always been fairer about their opinions, and that things weren't as bad as OP said. So take that whatever you would. I only noticed because I'm researching for an upcoming BA trip, and I've picked up on who posts negative reviews, and was surprised to say it's usually (but not always) the same people.

[PTC DAWG]

Another hit and run negative review...I dismiss it...

[ColeThornton]

"-The weather was poor and the captain made no announcements at all. On the day we left Nassau, the ship hit a storm and was rocking back and forth violently. The incompetent captain did not make any announcements just like last month when he sailed through the storm. They need to replace this Captain. Whenever he talks, he mentions the barometric pressure and other raw sailing data which no one really cares about"

 

 

Huh? ;p

[FredZiffle]

I, for one (and perhaps the only one judging by the previous comments), appreciate all reviews, not just the positive ones. The OP gives specific examples of what he didn't like and doesn't just speak in generalities. You can choose to discount or discredit certain points if your experience was different, but things like poor service, poorly conceived dishes, and creaking sounds in cabins are all things I want to hear about. And, if the OP says they were turned away from the theater at 7PM for a 7:30 show, that's useful info since it shouldn't be happening that early.

 

Thanks for your review, Chris.

[NYcruzzer]

I don't get all this negativity surrounding the Breakaway. I absolutely loved the ship and can't wait to sail on her again

 

 

 

Most of the recent negativity is due to weather related issues . The common thread in many of these reviews were rocky seas and missing GSC . They seem to complain about everything else because they're pissed the weather didn't cooperate . I was on the breakaway NYE. Knew the risks is sailing out of NYC in the Winter. Done so many times . Will do it again next December .

 

 

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[OvaDaTop]

I don't get all this negativity surrounding the Breakaway. I absolutely loved the ship and can't wait to sail on her again

 

I just came off Breakaway 2 weeks ago from the 9 day sailing and I echo your comments. Great ship, great time, great food, great service. I don't understand what people expect with 5k plus people onboard. There will be some waiting or lines, some food may not be up to par but again it is not a gourmet 5 star NYC or Vegas $200 per head serving.

 

This poster got me thinking when they started talking bad about the Captain and moreover that they skip GSC on purpose. RIDICULOUS.

 

I recommend NCL and Breakaway to anyone who wants a fun cruise.

[katyjeka]

We LOVE NCL and will continue to travel with them. The Breakaway is our least favorite ship as we love the smaller ships. NCL may not be the line for you BUT you are entitled to your opinion. I posted a review a few years ago about our cruise on RCCL and people got upset over it. My review was based on honest feelings of both my dh and I. That is way I put little merit in reviews as everyone is so varied in their thoughts. Funny side note, we have only been to Great Stirrup Cay three times in our ten cruises with NCL. A wise travel agent told me years ago that you cruise for the ship(the ship is your vacation) any island you are able to stop at is a bonus as cruiselines can not control the weather. It took three tries to finally make it to Grenada as the weather would never cooperate....This was definitely not NCL's fault.

[bam1957]

We love the Breakaway. Food, service and entertainment was always good. We are waiting to sail her again after dry dock and can't wait to sail her again.

[GUEST080219]

There is one thing I needed a while to understand and accept and that is that NCL is doing what the majority of their guests like even though for me it sometimes is so unbelievable bad and wrong. I wasn't on the Breakaway but on the Gem with bad weather and a change in the itinerary as well. I was annoyed by the lack of information, especially useful information. The information delivered to the cabin was pretty much similar useless as the captains mornings navigational and weather update "we are expecting adverse weather" and "be careful" which is for me not exactly informational. Even when asking Guest Services for a detailed forecast and data they were unable to deliver it at first. During the discussion someone in white brought a printout of the forecast map though. Later that evening they actually had three printouts with forecasts in 12h intervals showing the original and modified route with sea state and wind information. Exactly what I believe should have done from the beginning on and even delivered to every stateroom. Then there would have been no doubt why we did what we did. They could have even done a lecture about it on the following sea days. Even the next announcements no word about the additional information available at Guest Services.

 

But whenever I talked to people the next days the itinerary change and weather was a topic but no one had a clue and surprisingly no one cared enough to actually ask for more information. So if that is the standard of response they get from their guests, why should they do announcements like you and probably I would expect and enjoy? Risking more follow up questions and work for them than just keeping quiet.

 

Similar on a longer repositioning cruise a while ago. I talked to the F&B director why there was nothing inspiring and out of the ordinary NCL offerings done on the additional sea days. Edutainment sessions from the different F&B departments, food offerings combined with entertainment during the night. Something creative to try out with the many days normally not available on their regular itineraries. He was pretty and honest and admitted that they are not putting in more effort which might have a low guest response as the overwhelming majority was absolutely happy with what was offered. And looking around the next days he obviously was correct.

 

I still believe that this laziness of NCL will get back at them in the near future but so far there is no reason for them to try harder. So don't blame the cruise line, blame the fellow guests ;)