DeltaOne

I hate driving in NYC--have only done it once--but it looks like a pretty short distance after exiting the Lincoln Tunnel.

Right...I think once you exit the tunnel it's three left turns...then you're at the parking ramp.

In March we arrived at 10:45 and the lot was fuller than I expected...maybe 70%? Also, we were hoping to get an accessible space...and got the next to last one.

The Haven boarding area is pretty far down the terminal. We were on the ship by 11:30 am.

About two months ago we booked the Breakaway for March 2018. I haven't been checking the price until today. I was shocked...the price had gone down pretty significantly. Saved $1,000 and also picked up $400 in on-board credit. I'm happy!

Hmmmm,,,, We have sailed in a lot of suites and Havens rooms. And never, ever had our bags delivered any faster than other "regular" passengers. The Priority tags don't seem to carry any weight with the porters or crew.

We have only one Haven experience, in early March, but our suitcase delivery was kind of a mess.

We found one suitcase outside our room door, one suitcase about six or eight rooms down the hallway, and one suitcase inside the crew elevator area kind of pushed off to the side all by itself.

Sailing on the Breakaway in the Haven next week. I know there is a separate check in area, is there also a separate luggage drop off?

While there isn't a separate luggage drop-off area for Haven guests, leaving the ship is easier.

We carried our own luggage off the ship via special Haven elevators and were directed to a Customs line for Haven guests...which was a lot shorter than the regular Customs line. Saved us lots of time getting back to our car.

There was a question previously about the Lavazza Blue machine in our stateroom. We have not tried it yet but have on other cruises. It is ok but is not as good as those made at the bars.

We found the coffee from the Lavazza machine to be okay...but it wasn't easy at all to figure out how to use that thing! Lots of trial and error pressing buttons...

Yeah we are kind of just wanderers and happen upon stuff while on a cruise

Is Charlie Love still performing in Fat Cats? If so, I recommend listening to a set -- he usually starts around 8 or 9 pm. We really enjoyed his shows in early March.

The crowding for the nightly shows in the Atrium is out of control -- one must go very early or you won't get a seat/view at all.

> Eat Eat Eat... time for Second Breakfast in the Haven Restaurant

We were in the Haven in early March. Liked the coffee so much that when we got home we purchased the Bodum french press they use in the Haven and ditched our Keurig (and its expensive K cups).

Your pictures really bring back memories...I recognize the one waiter (but don't remember his name).

Is the one window still fogged up? Is Edgar still the maitre 'd?

Don't overlook the French Dip sandwich on their lunch menu -- it's good. Same for the slow roasted pork belly on the dinner menu...it's good too.

I saw dalies from last week's Breakaway cruise and it has Charlie Love in Fat Cats. So not sure if or when Les will be back.

In early March we really enjoyed Charlie Love in Fat Cats aboard the Breakaway. Highly recommended! I think we were in Fat Cats every evening.

Any know if they have gone back to using ZING ZANG ? last October they were using Mr. & Mrs. T's

On the Breakaway in March one of the bartenders said they randomly switch back and forth between the two brands. The bartenders never know when the switch is coming.

I like Zing Zang. In March they were using Mrs T's...and the Haven bartender doctored it up a bit...he made an outstanding bloody mary! His name was Stefano.

So you can order any item from any other specialty restaurant while dining in Haven? Do you have to pay a fee for that? Meaning if you went to the specialty restaurant you would have to pay a fee, but if you order the same items through the Haven restaurant do you still pay the fee or is it waived?

Not waived. If the food is from a free venue, it's free. If the food is from a venue that charges, you pay the charges (or use specialty dining credits).

In March 2017 we were in 13106 on the Breakaway. This is an accessible Haven room. (One in our party uses a power wheelchair.) While 13106 is all the way forward, it's a long walk to the Haven. The Breakaway has two sets of elevators. The elevator labeled "forward" is actually in the center of the ship. The "aft" elevator is half-way between the forward elevator and the stern of the ship.

So leaving 13106 for the Haven meant a walk from the front of the ship to the middle. This walk was problematic for the wheelchair user in the morning and afternoon/evening hours because the hallway is blocked with four or five sets of steward carts. The width of a steward cart is such that it blocks access for anyone in a wheelchair. The stewards tend to leave their carts at the room doorways. The doorways are inset, so a trip down the hallway for the wheelchair user meant having a helper push the cart forward, allowing the wheelchair user to pull in to the door area, then push the cart back, allowing the wheelchair user to pull forward back in to the hallway. We got to know the stewards along this hallway well, when they saw us coming they were quick to help with moving the cart. But it was common for them to be in a room cleaning and not see us coming.

This cruise was our first Haven experience and we loved it. With the help of the Haven concierge, we learned there is one accessible room on deck 16 (#16128). The room was occupied, we did not get a chance to see in the room. The location is wonderful though -- it's on the Haven deck and only one room is between it and end of the hallway. We've booked 16128 for our next cruise. Not only will we be on the Haven deck, there will be no problems for the wheelchair user with steward carts.

I've seen a few menus posted for Breakaway's Haven Restaurant (but please post more if you have them). But does the menu remain the same each night of change during the cruise?

We were in the Haven on the Breakaway in early March 2017. The Haven restaurant had the same menu each day. One menu for breakfast, one for lunch and one for dinner.

Don't forget: the Haven will also have menus for the other restaurants. Your Haven waiter will gladly show you the other menus and get whatever you order. I think the only thing they won't get from another restaurant is raw seafood.

Do they send you luggage tags, or do you print them with e-docs? I've seen a couple of different answers when I search this question. I don't know if this is something they used to do, but discontinued, or if they still mail you luggage tags if you are in the Haven. How long before sailing do you get the Haven info?

We were in a Haven suite in early March. I had printed the luggage tags from the online check-in page. We received luggage tags, and the Haven info, from NCL about 30 to 40 days before the cruise.

Where do I begin....Haven on the Breakaway is HEAVEN!!!! Everyone is so great. Edgar is the Maitre'd and he is one of a kind

We were on the Breakaway, in the Haven, on the 3/5/17 sailing. On our debarkation day, 3/12, Anoop said he had one more week then on to holiday.

I agree on Edgar, the maitre 'd in the Haven Restaurant. He made every visit to the Haven restaurant more enjoyable. Great guy.

Stefano, one of the Haven bartenders, is a true mixologist. He made great drinks!

What is your favorite food on the Breakaway? Looking for suggestions and pics if you have them... Cheers!!!

If you're in the Haven: slow roasted pork belly (on the dinner menu), french dip (sandwich on the lunch menu), goat cheese galette (also on the lunch menu).

We enjoyed a dinner at Wasabi. We enjoyed a dinner at Ocean Blue...this is maybe silly but the bread/rolls were fantastic. Our appetizer and entree? We didn't make the best choices...so I won't criticize them.

We had the ribeye at Cagney's and it was fantastic. It was enough for three people...but it was very good!

I'm coming in from Long Island and just booked a car service one way for my family of 4 for $168!!!! I'm seriously considering driving in and parking at the pier. Does parking fill up? Do you need reservations?

We were on the 3/5/17 sailing of the Breakaway. Arrived at the pier at 10:45 am. One in our party uses a wheelchair so when paying I asked about the handicapped parking. Was told "there might be some on the other side...I'm not sure."

Went down the aisle...no handicapped parking. Up the other side...found just two handicapped spaces remaining. I grabbed one, the car behind me grabbed the other. Regular parking wasn't full...but appeared to be nearly full at 10:45 am. I was surprised it was that full by that early hour.

Our last time there, in 2015, we also arrived between 10:30 and 11 am. Paid and the security guard noticed our handicapped license plate and let us park right in front...just behind his vehicle and tent. Loved it!

This year, no security in sight...not sure what to think about that.

You don't even need the iconcierge app for iMessage to work. Just put phone on airplane mode and turn on wifi. Don't log in, just turn it on. Only works with iMessage. No charges, no wifi needed. One note, pictures won't send or receive.

We used iMessage all week on the Breakaway earlier this month. Works great for those on-board and at home.

I was a little disappointed that one can't send pictures, but texting worked great.

One thing about the seats in the theater....I hated them. There is a bar across the bottom that makes them very uncomfortable.

So true. The theater seats are horrible. Any attempt at sitting up tall and straight quickly begins to bring on pain.

does anyone know what time the first group of passengers typically start boarding the ship?

On the 3/5/17 sailing boarding started at 11:15 am for Haven and folks with special needs.

You basically avoid the line on the ship. You don't avoid any other lines or crowds.

We disembarked the Breakaway in NYC last Sunday (3/12/17). They had a special line at Customs for Haven folks. It saved us a lot of time as even at 8 am the regular line for Customs was pretty long -- I'd guess 30 minutes or so.

We had our luggage with us, but they also had a special area for luggage for Haven folks.

One of the two elevators (that take you to the parking deck level) was out of service last Sunday -- we waited longer for the elevator than the entire disembarkation from the Haven lounge, to Customs, to walking out to the street entrance.

Have you ever tried Zing Zang mix? That's become my favorite. Plus I like mine with tequila.

Agreed. Zing Zang is great and it's available almost anywhere.

I also prefer a bloody mary with tequila. It's called a bloody maria.

However, I willsay I found another gem in the Haven, his name is Stefano. I don'tthink he worked anywhere else on the ship except the Haven. Anhonestly, I'm so sorry to say that, because it means most people willnot get the pleasure of having a chance to enjoy some real artistry.He is a mixologist and knows his stuff.

I agree with you on Stefano. We were on the Breakaway the week after you and Stefano made the best bloody mary I've ever had.

Anoop is great too. I believe he goes home for holiday next week.

Edgar, the maitre 'd for the Haven Restaurant is great too. He made every visit to the Haven Restaurant nicer.

Paul from Maryland; so you had Haven access; but your suite was located on a lower deck? Is that correct?

Yes, that's correct.

My adult son cruises with us and he uses a power wheelchair, so we need an accessible room. There is an accessible room on the Haven deck, but it was booked. So we took a room on deck 13.

Cagney's great steak I recommend the porterhouse

 

The layout of the ship is broken up on the top decks by the pool it really does not flow that great.

We got the ribeye steak at Cagney's. Everyone seems to say get the ribeye, and our waitress said it was her favorite. It was a great steak, it really was. But, at 16 ounces, it's enough for three people!

The thing I noticed about the Breakaway layout was that the forward elevators aren't forward at all -- they're right in the center of the ship! That made for long walks from the "forward" elevator to our room -- which was at the front of the ship.

The aft elevators are kind of centered between the mid-ship "forward" elevators and the stern.

Please tell me if you carried your own luggage or if not, were the pieces in a separate area for easy retrieval.

We did carry our own luggage. Sorry, I don't know if they put the Haven luggage in a separate area. Perhaps someone else will chime in and tell us.