Breakaway 10/3-10/10 quick overview

[skeeter195]

I would like to share a quick review of our Breakaway cruise.  

 

First I would like to thank Jamie for what seemed like tireless work that helped so many of us on the first few cruises to Bermuda this year.  I am very organized and would have gotten through the whole pre cruise mess but Jamie made it so much easier for me with all of her constant updates.  Thank you again.

 

Embarkation:

-mostly quick(40 minutes from bag drop to walking on the ship)

-the antigen test was a breeze

-the PCR test was a very unpleasant jab into both nostrils for 3 of the 4 in my group

 

Our room: 16712

-we had a 2 bedroom haven suite

-we had a broken A/C unit that caused a leak on day 1 that soaked the 2nd bedrooms floor

-there was an attempt to fix it all week with no success

-the living room zone(3 zones in the room) was never fixed and did not get colder than 81 degrees

-both bedrooms got to around 73 degrees at best

-the room was immaculate and kept that way the entire week(Francis our steward was awesome)

-we had breakfast delivered 5 times along with the basic afternoon snacks by Willy(our butler) who was also awesome

 

The Haven lounge and restaurant:

-the lounge was small and the bar sometimes crowded

-there was plenty of seating in the lounge and in the nearby courtyard

-the bar waiters were always there no matter where you were with smiles and drinks in hand

-the restaurant was OK

   -we had an issue the first night.  we were told a 20 minute wait for a table which was fine. It ended up being an hour and 15 minutes which was not.  We understand the first night may be busy and we even said that we would go to a different restaurant if the wait would be more than the 20 minutes.  After half an hour we were kind of stuck there as it was now 730pm and most places were packed.  When we were finally seated the meal was fine until my medium rare steak came out almost well done and my wifes  medium well filet came out way undercooked.  I could not eat mine and my wife picked at hers.  We were asked if we wanted something else but at that point we were done with the Haven experience for the night.  

   -Aside from the first night blunders the restaurant was more than fine for the rest of the week

   -the surf and turf lobster tail was good but it was only a 3 oz tail

   -the desserts were much better than normal

 

Haven sun deck, pool and hot tubs:

-never crowded at all 

-bar waiters always around 

-the upfront smoking area on the sun deck though needs to go.  it makes no sense to have the smoke blow back onto the sun deck where others are not smoking

  

Shows:

-We saw Six and it was really good with the girls telling their sad story in a very funny way

-velvet was fun and upbeat.  the songs though were not what we thought they would be but still very entertaining

-Howl at the moon was fun as always with more talent than i have seen on previous cruises

-leo is leo, very good as always and he seems to pop up everywhere

 

O'shehans:

-we only ate in the bar area for snacks a few times and it was as good as always except for the fish and chips which were bland and not crispy

--bowling was $6.18 per game and fun 

-great for watching what is going on in the atrium from above

 

Pool deck and slides:

-we only passed through but it never seemed crowded

-only the slow blue slide was open this week

-water level problems with the other 4 supposedly 

-the band and pool games were rocking when we were walking past and seemed like a good time

 

Casino:

-typical casino time just a lot less crowded

-limited tables open

-only one poker tournament out of 5 actually got started

-the cash game poker though got going every night between 9-10

-slots seemed mostly full, not totally full like on previous cruises

-table point system is horrible, worse than ever before

 

 

Overall our trip was excellent.  There were mistakes which are understandable but not in the Haven.  The A/C and the first night restaurant problems were unacceptable.  Both things should have never happened but if they did they should have been rectified immediately which they were not.  I just hope whomever is in the room we had has the A/C fixed this week.  I would give the service on the ship a 98 out of 100, it was that good.  Smiles everywhere, staff remembering our drink and food preferences no matter where we went.  I know it was easier for the staff with such low numbers of guests but we were really made to feel special.  We always have tipped well but this cruise our tips seemed to be appreciated that much more, it felt good to see the staff so happy.  

 

I am sure that I have forgotten some things so ask away if you want to.

 

 

 

 

 

[psac]

We were also on the same sailing in the Haven.  If you don’t mind, just adding on instead of a separate post. 
 

We also had massive problems with the Haven restaurant. Our last trip on the Escape pre-Covid we loved the Haven restaurant and even cancelled our last Specialty because the Haven was so good. This time was the opposite— the Haven restaurant was SOOOO PAINFULLY SLOW, and the food was uneven (to be generous), we added an extra specialty because we just couldn’t take it anymore.  Waiting 30 mins after ordering for a single appetizer each, and then 45-60 minutes for the main after we were finished with the appetizer was the norm.  We even complained to the Matre D Alan on the second night because we had the show booked, and I directly asked him if there were problems with the kitchen because of the long time off, and he just deflected the question and said he would rush the food, and that the pork chop I ordered took extra time to get the right temperature— even though the night before took just as long with no pork chop.  We had to rush eat our dinner when it finally came and not get dessert so we could make the show. This was after getting there exactly when they opened at 5:30 and we pre-planned our orders from the app and didn’t even take menus. Just like you had, our steaks were ALWAYS the wrong temperature all week.  There were four of us — one night three medium filets came out one medium well, and two very well dones.  The best item I had all week was actually that pork chop that I ordered “chefs recommendation” and came out medium, maybe a drop under, which I don’t mind at all (it was delicious), but I’m sure some people would’ve balked at it.  My FIL’s medium prime rib was basically rare. We did see other people sending back items cooked wrong, but we never did that because we didn’t want to wait any longer!  It’s also a very steak-heavy menu, so it’s hard to avoid.  

Ok, that out of the way…Everything else was fantastic!  
 

The indoor/outdoor sun deck servers (El, Peter, Marko, Javier) were maybe the best we’ve had on any cruise, loved them all. Drinks themselves were great, bartenders were on point for sure. 
 

Teppanyaki, Ocean Blue, and La Cucina were all way better than we were expecting, especially after the Haven restaurant being so disappointing.  If they could keep their quality after the long break, the Haven should’ve been the same.  Would highly recommend all three in the order listed. Teppanyaki was exceptionally good this trip.  

 

SIX and Burn the Floor were both REALLY good, with Six totally surprising us, had no idea what to expect, and the six of them were amazing. Must see, and now we want to see it on Broadway when we get the chance. 
 

The room itself (regular Haven courtyard room) for us and my in laws in their separate room were both fine. We had no temperature issues at all, my wife loves the room cold and we had to actually raise the “thermostat” at night because it was too cold!  Some cosmetic things in the bathroom but nothing major. Room attendant (Rose), Butler (Jonathan), and Concierge (Monika) were all excellent.  
 

We were very happy to be on board!!!

[skeeter195]

More on the food.  

 

The best:  I will be making all of these this weekend at home

-Tomahawk pork chop in the Haven, perfect sear and medium inside.

-Duck breast in le Bistro, medium rare, great flavor

-Pork belly app in Haven

-I would have included the lamb in the Haven but bacon was used instead of panchetta which was almost raw.  The lamb itself was perfect.  

 

The worst:  Somethings do not always make the grade

-Spinach dip in O'Sheehans.  It was a rue based dip like a thickened chicken broth with spinach in it.  It was still good though when drinking and wanting something quick

-Blueberry dessert in the Haven.  Just to "gooey" and lacking in flavor

-Veal in the Haven.  Way to salty, someone slipped up here

[egurbi]

Did you spend any time in the thermal spa, and if so, can you provide any commentary on that?  Thank you.

[skeeter195]

Sorry.  None of us went to the spa.  The gym was crowded though both in the mornings and afternoons on the first few days.

[AmberMurmer]

2 hours ago, egurbi said:

Did you spend any time in the thermal spa, and if so, can you provide any commentary on that?  Thank you.

I was on this sailing in a Haven Spa Suite so we spent a lot of time in the spa. Other than the 1st full sea day which was moderately busy in the mid afternoon, the rest of the times we were there it was mostly empty. There were some issues with the hot tub not working correctly but the thermal pool was just as hot and worked great. We never had to wait for a warm lounger except that first busy day.

[Seany527]

Oh God. These Haven reviews are not good at all😞.

[psac]

1 hour ago, Seany527 said:

Oh God. These Haven reviews are not good at all😞.

it really depends on how much the Haven Restaurant is the center of your Haven experience, and whether or not it improves over time after the relaunch.  Aside from the restaurant dinners (breakfasts really didn’t have the same delays, lunches we didn’t experience in the restaurant much, but the “pool menu lunches” were fine as well), the rest of the Haven experience was amazing as usual.  
 

Edited October 13, 2021 by psac

[justhappy]

59 minutes ago, Seany527 said:

Oh God. These Haven reviews are not good at all😞.

I am hoping they filled out the surveys, if they still offer them, or better yet, brought  these problems to the attention of the hotel manager.

[skeeter195]

I do not want to sound to negative here.  This was a top 3 cruise for us for sure.  The A/C and first night dinner were IMO black marks that need attention.  Overall though the trip was a huge success.  The staff was fantastic even the guys trying to fix the A/C could not have been nicer.  We had at least 4 workers and 2 suits trying to fix the problem.  

 

At the end of the day when I sit back and think about our trip I am happy.  We do not complain or look for issues but sometimes things do happen.  I tried to be honest with my review of our week.  

[justhappy]

1 minute ago, justhappy said:

 

 

Edited October 13, 2021 by justhappy
Duplicate

[psac]

9 minutes ago, justhappy said:

I am hoping they filled out the surveys, if they still offer them, or better yet, brought  these problems to the attention of the hotel manager.

We noted all of this on the surveys and my wife did the separate form for follow-up, but haven’t heard back yet. We thought about raising this to the concierge or F&B manager or whatever they’re called, but enjoying our coconut mojitos took precedence at the time.  We did raise this to the Matre D as I mentioned while we were experiencing it first-hand, so at least he was aware of the issues. When we went back the last night things did go a little quicker, so hopefully it’s a trend in the right direction for future sailings. 🤷‍♂️ 

Edited October 13, 2021 by psac

[skeeter195]

We had mentioned the A/C issue to Monica the concierge on day 1.  She then asked us every day how it was and if it was fixed.  It was never fixed and by day 5 we were done trying.  Monica was very nice and was truly was trying to fix the problem that was beyond her control.  She made trips to our room to see for herself and even came into our room with and officer(maybe an engineer?) one afternoon.  She gave us $400 OBC which was a nice gesture but it really did not help the situation.  Losing the living room part of our room put a damper on the whole 2 bedroom experience.

 

Alan the Maitre D approached us in the courtyard the second day and said that he knew what had happened(we never said anything the night before).  He was blunt and not trying to make excuses and wanted us to know that he would make sure that these things did not happen again.  He was an extremely nice and funny guy but was not happy with the way his operation was handled that evening.  

 

[bstel]

just out of curiosity, what was the sailing capacity?

[psac]

1 hour ago, bstel said:

just out of curiosity, what was the sailing capacity?

it was low, heard varying numbers all around 1600 total passengers, give or take. 
 

When leaving the Haven it felt like the ship was fairly empty, in a really nice way. Not as crazy as usual. 

Edited October 13, 2021 by psac

[trex-de]

2 hours ago, skeeter195 said:

We had mentioned the A/C issue to Monica the concierge on day 1.  She then asked us every day how it was and if it was fixed.  It was never fixed and by day 5 we were done trying.  Monica was very nice and was truly was trying to fix the problem that was beyond her control.  She made trips to our room to see for herself and even came into our room with and officer(maybe an engineer?) one afternoon.  She gave us $400 OBC which was a nice gesture but it really did not help the situation.  Losing the living room part of our room put a damper on the whole 2 bedroom experience.

 

Alan the Maitre D approached us in the courtyard the second day and said that he knew what had happened(we never said anything the night before).  He was blunt and not trying to make excuses and wanted us to know that he would make sure that these things did not happen again.  He was an extremely nice and funny guy but was not happy with the way his operation was handled that evening.  

 

We love Monica. She was our concierge a couple of years ago on the Gem (I think). Just amazing service. 

[robandlil]

The rest of the ship may have been 60%, but I’m thinking the haven was 100%.  People are bidding on upgrades to the haven, so it’s going to get filled.

[psac]

3 hours ago, robandlil said:

The rest of the ship may have been 60%, but I’m thinking the haven was 100%.  People are bidding on upgrades to the haven, so it’s going to get filled.

Yup, that’s exactly what we heard, and what we could see for booking availability the day before boarding. Haven was all gone, but everything else was available. 
 

but… I think not having kids on board made the Haven never feel full, even though there were always people around. The Haven pool was rarely used at all (we dipped our feet in it for 30 mins the port day when the roof was open), and the hot tubs were used on occasion, and usually just one but not both. Plus maybe with less people overall more people used the rest of the ship since it wasn’t crazy when you left the Haven.