amybeth28

Broadway Singer:

They had a Broadway singer from Wicked on the last night. I’m sorry, but I can’t remember her name. It was open seating and we had no trouble finding good seats. She sang a lot of songs from wicked and some other popular hits. She had a lovely voice and I enjoyed the show. The kids thought it was ok, but prefer more active shows.

Howl at the Moon, Dueling Pianos

This show is open seating as well, and goes on for quite a few hours, with folks coming and going. It takes place in the Headliners comedy club, a few evenings during the week. The kids did not have any interest, by DH and I went in for an hour or so. The piano players were very good and they had fun entertaining personalities. I enjoyed the show and would recommend checking it out if your plans allow.

Other entertainment:

The kids LOVED watching deal or no deal. They looked for it in the dailies and would organize their time to make sure they could attend. I could take it or leave it, but it was one of their favorite things. They enjoyed all of these type of things, like dancing with the stars, or other game show like events.

The Breakaway shows movies in both the Atrium and Spice H2O. We watched some of Captain America and Now You See Me 2.

There is music playing almost everywhere on the ship. If you wander around you will definitely be able to find something playing that you like!

Second City Comedy Shows:

You cannot make reservations for the second City shows online before you cruise. When you get on board you can make reservations, either at the box office or through the interactive screens. I think you can do it on your stateroom TV, but ours didn’t work very well. I made reservations at the box office for one show and on the touch screen for another, both worked well. The comedy shows are in Headliners, a small venue near the art gallery. All of the shows seemed to be full, and it seemed like they were sold out toward the end of the cruise.

Scriptless:

This was an improve show which had a family friendly and an adult version. We attended the family friendly one. There were several comedians who made little improve sketches based on the suggestions from the audience. DH and I saw Second City on the Dawn and thought the kids would find it funny.

We followed our routine and went early, then sent the guys to the bar. There is a small bar in Headliners. They also have servers walking around as well. The seats are close together and hard, kind of like unpadded dining room chairs. They have small side tables scattered among the chairs.

We thought the improve show was pretty entertaining. My son really enjoyed it and yelled out several answers. I am always amazed at how people can think so quickly and come up with such funny skits! I actually met a woman in the elevator who said her 12 year old daughter does comedy improv. That is better than Second City. I can’t imagine how hard that must be.

Second City: At sea

After seeing the improv, the kids asked to go see more Second City, so I used the touch screen and reserved the at sea show. This show was some improv, but mostly sketch comedy about being on the cruise. I actually liked this show even better. Although some jokes touched a little close to home, especially the ones about being re routed to the Bahamas and missing Bermuda. This show was also family friendly, and the kids loved it.

We ended up seeing the cast at a nearby table in the buffet. The kids acted like they were having a movie star sighting!

Burn the Floor:

I also reserved this show online before we sailed. My girls dance on a competition team, and I knew they would love to see some professional dancers. We got there 20 minutes early and still found good seats. We developed a bit of a show routine, we would get there early and send DH and DS up to get drinks from the theater bar. My children developed a mild addiction to Shirley Temples. Some of the bartenders would have one ready when they saw my son in line They even insisted that we make some at home. This also helped with them both from getting a bit restless waiting for the shows to start. Neither one of them like to sit still for very long.

The dancers were very talented and the costumes were beautiful. My daughters and I really enjoyed the show. DH and DS said it was “ok, better than sitting through dance competitions”. I thought it was interesting since they both loved Rock of Ages, but it may have been the humor and stronger story line. This show is very much a showcase for talented dancers.

Rock of Ages:

This was definitely our favorite show! It is a musical featuring singing and dancing with an 80’s theme. The music, hairstyles, costumes and stage were absolutely perfect. The story was engaging, basically a love story with comical twists perfectly synced with the appropriate 80’s song.

There are many announcements and warnings about the adult nature of this show. In fact, they ask kids under 13 not to sit in the first 3 rows, and give plenty of time for parents to leave with their children if they choose.

I was really undecided about whether I would allow my teens to see this show. I didn’t want to be disruptive and leave halfway through if it got too disturbing for them. I read the reviews on these boards and talked to my kids, and finally we decided that they could go.

My children were ok, and thought it was hysterical. However, they are pretty mature and have seen some rated R movies. There were some blatant sexual references and innuendo, and some graphic humor. Some of the costumes were revealing, but no more so than some other Broadway type shows. There were two moments when I looked at DH and winced a bit, and my son did repeat some of the more colorful parts later that night. My children are convinced that we made the right decision to let them attend; I am a little less convinced. I think it depends on the family and individual teen, but in general, I would say the show is 15-16+ for most families.

Overall, I am glad we saw the show. Knowing what I know now: I definitely would attend and would be fine with my 16 year old attending, I am still not sure about my 13 year old twins. (My twins are reading my review and would like me to add that they thought is was hysterical!)

Cirque Dreams dinner show:

I reserved this show for the second night of the cruise because we were very excited to experience a cirque type show. I have never seen anything similar, so I can’t compare this show to other cirque type shows. I believe the cost to reserve online was about $4o per person.

A staff member at the box office near the theater, advised me to get in line for the show at least 30 minutes before start time. We arrived 40 minutes before the show and there was already a line forming. For the best seating, I would say you need to get in line 45 minutes early. I’m not sure if this is true for shows later in the week. Everyone in your party needs to bring their ship card because they will scan each one at the door.

Everyone of the staff member, from the hostess to the wait staff is dressed in beautiful bird like costumes. They will tell you to “follow the bird” to your table. The inside is decorated in an elaborate jungle theme and there are long rectangular tables. The shorter end of the table is near the stage and they fan out like sun rays. There are some booths around the edges, but I think that may be premium seating. They will seat you with other people.

The people who are at the end of the table, closest to the stage have a wonderful view. I found that, as the third seat into the table I had to keep moving my head around and tried to view the show in between my children’s heads. I think the tables near the sides probably have better views for everyone than the very middle table. The stage does rise up, so I think it helps to be taller if you are at the far end of the table. There are also characters that roam around the entire room.

The show was wonderful, and a lot of it was aerial work with people doing acrobatic routines on a giant ring or ropes. There was juggling and some magic as well. The costumes were animal themed and beautiful and it was hard to take your eyes off of the performers. The lighting and music really added to the show and provided a mysterious “jungle” feel.

The show included a 3 course meal, from a set menu, which was served during the performance. The main course was surf and turf with filet and shrimp. I thought the food was ok, maybe a bit overcooked. I would have been happier if the show did not include a meal and took place in the theater. The performers were so entertaining that we didn’t want to glance away to eat, and my kids barely touched their meals.

Overall, I am glad that we went to the show. The kids really loved it! Knowing what I know now, I would get there earlier and try to get a table with a better angle. I would also arrange my children so that the shy one was not seated next to people she did not know. I would also stagger my family with the shortest ones closest to the stage. (all of my teens are actually taller than me!)

The first night I did not book a show because I wanted to attend the welcome show and it was open seating. I am not sure if all ships have it, but on the two cruises I have been on so far, the first night has a welcome aboard show. It has a brief appearance from all of the performers on the ship. It is kind of like a preview of the entertainment offered during the week. It was entertaining and made us really look forward to the other shows, especially Rock of Ages. I would recommend making time to see it if it fits your plans!

On the Breakaway there are some shows that you can reserve online before you sail or reserve them on board the ship, like Cirque dreams, Burn the Floor and Rock of Ages. There are some shows that you can reserve once you are on board, like the second city comedy shows. There are also some like the welcome show and the Broadway singer that are open seating. Even if you don’t have reservations, you can try to get into a show by joining the standby line.

If you want to get good seats you need to get to a show at least 30 minutes early. When you make reservations, you reserve your space but not a specific seat. Also, as many have said, the seats in the theater are a little uncomfortable, you may want to fold a sweater and put it over the bar at the back of the chair seat. They have servers in the theater so you can order drinks while you wait. They also have a bar at the entrance.

Garden Café:

I thought it would make sense to review all of the dining options at one time, rather than day by day.

The Garden Café is the complimentary buffet located on deck 15, near the pool area. The café is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night snacks. There is a huge variety available in the buffet. There are many different sides to the buffet that offer the same things. There are also special stations that offer made to order omelets, crepes, pasta and carving stations. These special stations can become very crowded and create a back up in the lines. We often found that if one part was very crowded, we would just walk past the crowds and circle around and eventually we would find a part that was much less crowded.

There are several beverage stations, and a few bars inside the café. They serve juice in the mornings and flavored water at other times. There is also coffee and tea available at all times. I also saw self service wine dispensers. I did not try them because we had the UBP and the dispensers are not included in the package.

There is indoor and outdoor seating available. On the cooler days, indoor seating was hard to find during peak times. The staff are plentiful in the café and they quickly clear tables. I was amazed at how they kept the place so clean and the dishes filled and hot when serving so many people!

We ate breakfast in the buffet on most days. They had everything from yogurt and cereal to eggs Benedict. They offered pancakes, French toast, pastries, hot cereal, breakfast meats and much more. For lunch, they always have sandwiches, hot dogs and burgers, but they also have a wide variety of other foods. For dinner, they had themes such as seafood or Caribbean night. We really liked being able to try different and unusual foods. I thought the food was very good, in general. The kids really liked the buffet. The Nutella crepes were a favorite, as was the hard and soft ice cream.

Great review! We leave in 14 days and traveling with our 7 year old. We also did the Dawn last August. How was the weather? I'm guessing it will be cool the day we leave long range forecast say 60ish. Any suggestion on anything you wish you packed but, didn't?

Hi,

I do wish I had packed some more sweatshirts, it was very chilly on deck for the first few days and the last day. I am really glad that I brought a power strip because there was only one outlet.

O’Sheehan’s:

O’Sheehan’s is a complimentary restaurant that is open 24 hours a day. They serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and drinks. The menu remains basically the same, however, they do add specials some nights like ribs.

O’Sheehan’s can get very crowded, and there can be a wait for a table during peaks times. This is especially true when there is popular entertainment in the Atruim because some folks will get a table at O’Sheehan’s to watch or listen to the entertainment.

O’Sheehan’s has several TV’s and plays different kinds of sports. They also have an entertainment area with air hockey, skeeball and bowling, for an additional fee. My kids liked to play air hockey in there and it costs $1.50 per game.

We found the food served at O’Sheehan’s to be wonderful. DH loved the Nathan’s hot dogs, everyone loved the wings and my daughter really liked the Sheppard’s pie. The service does take awhile, so this is not usually a place for a quick bite. However, it is worth the wait. My kids would go there together and order 3 different flavors of wings to share while they hung out and watched the game shows in the atrium.

I'm sorry that I am posting so slowly, it has been hard returning to real life after vacation!

The Noodle Bar:

DH and I really wanted to try the noodle bar. It is a small complimentary restaurant inside the casino. It has high chairs and bar type seating. Each time we went the hostess told us that the wait would be about an hour. Finally, we decided that we would wait the hour, after all it must be good if it was so popular! The hostess gave us a pager and warned us that it would not work on the outside decks. The pager buzzed in about 45 minutes.

We were seated right in front of the kitchen, which was nice because we could watch the chefs. The menu has dim sum, different fried rice dishes, and different noodle bowl choices. We ordered spring rolls and pot stickers to start. They were served quickly and tasted fresh and delicious! I ordered the fried rice and DH ordered a spicy noodle bowl. The rice was good, and the noodles were very very spicy. Overall, it was worth the wait.

We just got back from the Breakaway. I live near Worcester as well. We drove in and parked at the pier. It was about 3.5 hours and it was a pretty straightforward drive. Parking was $280 for the week. Have fun!!

Having been on the Dawn and reading these boards, I knew that we needed to plan for up to 2 hours for dinner. In most cases, it took about 90 minutes. I was very impressed with the service in all of the main dining rooms, but especially the Manhattan room. Our waitress always asked if we had reservations for an early show. On one night we were trying to make a 7pm show, and she informed her helper that we needed faster than usual service. They were both very efficient and we were able to enjoy all 3 courses and still made it to the show on time.

One thing that I did struggle with was my 13 year old son and the meals in the dining room. He is an active kid, always on the go. It is a struggle to get him to sit down for a meal at home, never mind a 3 course, 2 hour dinner. He did not want to have to wear a collared shirt and pants. I did manage to get him into a polo shirt and we compromised on a nice pair of shorts.

I had a vision of a nice slow meal with all of us sharing our thoughts and experiences about the cruise. However, after struggling with “are we done yet” over and over on the first night, I decided to allow him to bring his phone to dinner. I normally don’t allow phones at the table, and I do believe that 13 is old enough to behave in a restaurant, but decided to compromise for the greater good I am wondering what other parents think about this and how they have balanced restless teens with the slower pace of the dining rooms?

Taste/Savor:

We ate at both Taste and Savor and found the experience to be similar to the Manhattan room. The real difference is the size and the different décor. It was hard to get the kids to understand that all the dining rooms had the same menu. My daughter would look at the Taste menu and then say “let’s see what they have at Savor”. She is a very smart girl, but somehow could not quite believe that they are all really the same restaurant, lol.

I know that it is freestyle dining and that the complimentary dining rooms have open seating, but I decided to make reservations online before we sailed. I like having a plan for each day and also I did not know how crowded the Breakaway restaurants might get.

The first night I made reservations for the Manhattan room at 5:30. When we arrived there was a huge line and there seemed to be a lot of confusion about whether there was a separate line for reservations and walk- ins. It was just a large jumble of people who were quickly getting frustrated. As people began to become more upset, a hostess came along and said that there is just one line and directed everyone into it. The line then started moving and folks seemed to settle down. I did not witness this type of confused angry crowd while dining on any other night. I think people were tired and upset over the itinerary change and just wanted to sit down to a quiet dinner.

We did not eat in any of the specialty restaurants on this cruise, unless you count the cirque dinner show. I did hear from many other cruisers that the specialty restaurants are fabulous, especially Ocean Blue and Cagney’s.

The Manhattan Room:

We were absolutely amazed when we entered the Manhattan room, it is really beautiful. There is a back wall that is just glass with an incredible view of the ocean and the ships wake. There is a dance floor and on some nights the Burn the Floor dancers provide entertainment while you dine. We didn’t see them, but we did get to listen to the Manhattan Room band one night during dinner.

For those who do not know, all of the main dining rooms share the same menu each night. You can look at the menu outside each of the restaurants. Some items are offered every day, while others change. The menu lists appetizers, entrees and desserts. Most choices are complimentary, but you can order a few items for an extra charge, such as lobster. We stuck with the complimentary items.

You are able to order as many appetizers, entrees and desserts as you like. My daughters usually ordered an appetizer each and then one to share. The kids really enjoyed trying new things like the crab and cheese soufflé and the pistachio crème brulee. I thought the food was well seasoned, prepared well, and presented beautifully. I especially liked the chocolate lava cake. In general, our food was served hot. There were a few items that were just slightly warm, but still tasted good. I do wish the bread was warm, but I can’t imagine how they could possibly accomplish that:)

Loving your review so far, nice job! It's weird reading about events I was there for from another person's view!

Thank you! I agree, I always love to read the reviews of the same cruise. There is so much going on that you can't do and see everything. Sometimes, I read them and ask myself how I could have missed so many things!

Hmm, my oldest went to the teen club at 14 and 17, the next one at 15, they are 2 years apart and weren't close at the time, so they made tons of friends, and we never saw them. However, their siblings were 10, 10, and 12 on our last cruise, and they wanted nothing to do with the clubs. On our next cruise, they will be 14, 14, and 16. I really hope they branch out and hang out with other kids (only because it was really neat to see how long my older kids kept in touch with their new friends, even having meet-ups). However, dd13 and dd15 are so close, share a room, bff's. All I can do is encourage! Nice review, we loved the BA.

Yes, I had visions of my kids making friendships that lasted beyond the cruise. I have read that so many kids do! I guess mine will have to remember together:)

After checking out our room, we decided to take the kids to sign up for the Entourage teen club.

Entourage:

It was very easy to sign the kids up for entourage; the counselor greeted us in a friendly way and scanned the kids cards. I signed the agreement and we received a schedule of events. The space looked like a nite club, with flashing lights, large TV’s, an air hockey table and large couches and loungers.

I expected my kids to really enjoy the teen club, however they only went a few times during the week. They did enjoy the time they spent there, playing air hockey and video games. However, they spent most of their time in other parts of the ship.

I think they were less interested because there are 3 of them and they are very close. They formed their own little group and didn’t feel the need to make new friends. They did meet other teens in the pool area and sports deck and did spend some time with them, but mostly they enjoyed the ship together.

Thoughts on Entourage:

I am really surprised that my kids did not spend more time in the teen club! If I was a teen I think I would have spent most of my time in such a youth friendly space, but it is their vacation and they had a blast on their own.

More tomorrow!

After lunch we decided to head to our room and see if it was ready. We had a family ocean view room on deck 5.

The room, 5772:

I was concerned about fitting 5 people in one small cruise ship room, however I was pleasantly surprised by the clever design of this space. The bathroom is directly to your left when you enter. It had a large rectangular sink with two separate faucets. There was a large shelf above the sink and several small cabinet spaces below the sink. There really was plenty of space to organize all of our belongings, of course this did not stop my teenage daughters from filling every single nook and cranny and arguing over whose hair brush was infringing on the other’s space My son found a place for his toothbrush and declared that he was “unpacked”!

There was a bathtub with a removable shower head. The tub was big enough for my son to “have a soak” I do have to say that the water pressure was very low and it was difficult for my daughters who both have long hair.

There were plenty of towels, and there is a sign that asks you to hang up wet towels if you will use them again. If you would like fresh towels, you leave them on the floor and your room steward will replace them. After we got home, I needed to remind my son that there is no room steward here so he better pick up his own towels!

There is a short hallway which opens up to a full size bed. There are 2 side tables with little shelves. There is a closet along the wall with a section with hangers and a section with shelves. There is a small safe in this closet. It is easy to use, but will not fit a full size laptop. There is additional storage under the bed for suitcases.

The hallway continues and there is a curtain that separates the full size bed area from the rest of the cabin. Past the curtain there is a sofa, which folds down into another full size bed. There is a pull down bunk as well. Opposite the beds there is a counter with drawers underneath. There is also another closet with hangers. There is a mini fridge which functions like a hotel mini bar. You can ask your steward to empty it so your children and husband will not be tempted by the drinks and sodas, they are expensive!

There is a hair dryer under the cabinet. There is one outlet, so I brought a power strip so that my children could charge all of their electronics. The window is large and offers a great view!

There are switches on the wall that say do not disturb and make up the room. The switches activate lights on the outside of your door. If you leave the do not disturb light on, the steward will not be able to make up the room or provide turn down service.

There is a slot by the door to slide in your key card. If you do not put a card in the slot, the lights and temperature controls do not work. I brought a grocery store rewards card and just left it in the slot the whole week.

At one point our toilet would not flush for a few hours, I heard this was a ship wide issue and was fixed.

Thoughts about the room:

It is small, like all cruise ship rooms, however there are so many clever space saving features that we could comfortably unpack and organize our belongings. My children’s area was a complete disaster by day two, but they didn’t seem to mind the jumbled piles of clothes. They just threw their stuff into the closet when I told them to make it easier for the steward to make the beds. Of course, my children loved the towel animals that our steward left for us. They took pictures and tried to make their own. Over all, I was impressed by the room!

Once we boarded the ship, I could see how amazed my children where. They could not believe that we were inside a ship. They kept saying that it felt like they were in a huge hotel. I had shown them videos and pictures, but they just could not grasp how big a cruise ship really is until they got inside. I think they were expecting a larger version of their grandfathers fishing boat, lol.

They wanted to explore immediately, but I had signed up for lunch with our roll call group. We headed directly to Taste, which is one of the complimentary dining rooms along with Savor and The Manhattan Room. There is a bar called Mixx directly in between Taste and Savor. We decided to order drinks and the bartender told us a funny story about the origins of a Tequila Sunrise. I am not sure his story was true, but the kids thought he was very funny! We headed into the dining room and were welcomed by the hostess and shown to a table with other cruisers. The server came over immediately and offered us menus and a choice of red or white wine. They even asked my 13 year old if she wanted red or white wine. She gave me a sly look, but smart girl that she is, she declined. lol

My twins and I all ordered the fish and chips, while DH ordered a shrimp salad dish. My 16 year old had eaten snacks during the entire car ride and was not hungry. She was also tired from the ride and still a bit overwhelmed.

When the waiter noticed that she looked a little overwhelmed and did not order any food, he came back with a plate of chocolate cookies for her. I was so impressed by his kindness and that he took the time to notice that she was a bit off and tried to cheer her up! She quickly perked up and then had to defend her cookies from the twins!

The food was well prepared, served hot and tasted fresh. We were able to have a nice conversation with some experienced cruisers and I was glad that we decided to attend the luncheon.

My family and I just returned from the Breakaway October 9th-16th. I have been on one other cruise, the Dawn to Bermuda last July. This was my children’s first cruise, and I was very nervous about bringing them. I have a 16 year old daughter and 13 year old twins. I am so thankful for these boards and all of the wonderful tips people have shared. I wanted to return the favor and share my experience and the things that I learned. I am still very new to cruising and so I am writing this review for first time cruisers or first time cruisers with teenagers. I am a nervous traveler and like to know as many details as possible so, more experienced cruisers may find the details in this review a bit boring :)

I loved my cruise on the Dawn, but decided on the Breakaway after reading these boards because I thought the water slides, rock wall, ropes course, sports center, arcade and mini golf would be a better fit for my children. I also wanted to take them to Bermuda because I have been there and felt confident navigating the island. I did not plan any shore excursions because the island is so easy to explore independently, even for a nervous traveler like myself. However, due to a hurricane we were not able to go to Bermuda. Instead we went to port Canaveral and Nassau. I did not research these ports because the change was last minute, so it turned into a real adventure for someone who plans things out months in advance, lol.

I am going to have to post this review in stages because we all returned to our normal, busy lives the day after we returned. My kids are still unpacking and fighting over the washing machine!

The port of New York/Embarkation:

We live in MA about 3.5 hours away from Manhattan and decided to drive to the terminal and park at the pier. We arrived at about 10:30 am. It was a pretty easy drive and I was relieved to see the signs clearly indicating when to get off the parkway and how to enter the parking structure. We paid as we entered ($280 for the week). They accept both credit cards and cash. There are plenty of attendants to direct you through the structure and to a space.

They have a security dog who will sniff your car and you will need to open the back or trunk. I was half afraid our luggage would spill out, since my kids jammed everything in the back of the minivan! Everyone but the driver can get out right at the freight elevator , with the luggage, and the driver can then find a spot to park. The elevator brings everyone down to the ground level and you can then go to the left and give your bags to a porter. We tipped the porter $3 per bag and proceeded to the first check point with our carry- on bags.

I read on these boards that there can be a delay in getting your luggage delivered to the room, so I made sure everyone packed their essentials and an outfit appropriate for dinner in their carry ons. We showed our documents at the first check point and then an attendant directed us to another security screening. It is similar to airport screening, but you do not need to take off your shoes. You will go through a metal detector and then will be directed to another attendant who gives you a card with a boarding number. This attendant will direct you to a check in line. They will also give all of the adults a health screening form.

When you get to the desk, you will be asked for your passport or birth certificate and photo ID. You will also give them your cruise documents and the health form. You will need to give them a credit card. I believe that you can use cash as a deposit, but have read that it is not a good idea to use a debit card. They may place a number of holds on your debit card which could take up to 30 days to release the funds. They will take your picture and give you a ship card.

You use your ship card to pay for everything on board, from drinks to the gift shop. The casino takes cash, but everything else is charged to your account by swiping your ship card. You can restrict your children’s ability to charge to the account. I allowed my children access, but asked them to get my approval before swiping their cards. I read many horror stories about children who did not understand the cards and ended up charging hundreds of dollars in the arcade!

After, you get your card you will be directed to an area to sit down and wait to get onboard. They will make announcements when it is time to get on the ship. The haven guests go first and then they begin to call boarding numbers. When you get to the gangway, you will swipe your card and be directed onto the ship. It is time for the cruise to begin!!!

Thoughts on embarkation:

The process was very easy and there are plenty of staff to guide you through. However, there are A LOT of people in the terminal and it can be noisy and a bit overwhelming. My 16 year old daughter was a little nervous about all of the people; she is shy and had a hard time with the noise and crowds. My twins are a bit more adventurous and had a great time watching all of the action. I bought them lanyards with plastic holders for their ship cards. As soon as we got them, I had them put the cards in and keep the lanyards around their necks.

It worked really well, and I could immediately see if they had misplaced their cards. We all had different colors so that I could easily see whose card was sitting on the bed instead of around their necks!.

Lady,

It is $300 per cabin.

Anonmom,

On the first day they asked everyone, and seemed to check bags randomly. I would say maybe 1 in 5 bags were checked. The frequency of checks decreased each day. They have a limited variety of sealed food available in the duty free shops, mostly candy, for about double what you might pay in Boston. After reading these boards, I decided it was worth it to just pack a box myself.

I thought that the staff did a wonderful job keeping the ship clean. However, the Dawn does need dry dock to address the broken public restrooms and the minor things that need to be fixed. The restrooms were the only thing that impacted my cruise, especially since our room was on the 4th floor.

A few items that I found helpful:

A large travel mug for coffee

Insulated water bottles to fill with ice water to take off the ship

A lanyard for the ship card, ID and transportation pass

A lot of small bills for tips

A bag of common over the counter medicine

Sealed granola bars to take off the ship

Extra swimsuits, they dry slowly

My shampoo, the one on the ship is generic

A few other thoughts, tips and experiences of the Cruise:

The shore excursion desk:

The excursion desk is in the Atrium. There are staff there during the day and you can talk with them about the excursions. When the staff are not available you can fill out a form and place it in a drop box. They will charge your account and leave the tickets in your room the night before the excursion.

Guest services:

The Guest services desk is located in the Atrium right near the excursion desk. It looks like the lobby desk in a hotel. There are usually three stations at the desk. The staff here can help with almost anything you need. We went to this desk a few times. Every other day, I would ask for a printout of our charges so far. Just so that you are aware, the service charge will be added daily and printed under just one person’s name. We also went on the roughest sea day for some sea calm medicine. I asked if I could take it while wearing the patch. They immediately called the nurse, who said no and recommended tea.

I should mention that a few people talked about the staff at the desk being rude or not helpful. This was not our experience, but we stopped by only if we were walking by and there was no line. We also did not have any complicated issues to address.

Getting around:

All the carpets in the hallways where the rooms are have a fish pattern on them. The fish always “swim” toward the front of the ship. You can become disoriented in these hallways, so I always followed the fish and found our room.

Day 3: Horseshoe Bay beach

I decided to purchase the Horseshoe bay beach transfer excursion from NCL on our last day in Bermuda. My thinking was based on being a little nervous about being out and about on our own when the ship was scheduled to leave that day. My biggest worry was missing the ship and being stranded.

The excursion cost $29 dollars for adults and $19 for children. Most, more experienced travelers, chose to take the bus, a taxi, a scooter or the shuttle. The shuttle is direct, round trip transportation to the beach for $16 round trip per person. If you decide to go independently, there is a large variety of transportation options for your return in the beach parking lot.

Now that I have experienced this beach, I would feel comfortable traveling outside of the NCL excursion, without worrying about missing the ship. My plan would be to take the shuttle, but just carry emergency Taxi fare in case I needed it. There are taxis waiting right in the beach parking lot.

One other note about transportation, if you take the bus, you will have to walk down a long steep hill to get from the stop to the beach. There is a shuttle bus that will take you up the hill, from the lot to the bus stop for $2 per person.

We met our group at the pier in front of the ship and were directed to two little buses a short walk away. When we got on the bus we got a ticket for the return trip. Don’t lose this ticket, they will check and not let you on if you do not have one. One man did not have his and they would not let him on the bus until his wife found it.

The bus ride was comfortable and takes you directly to the parking lot of the beach. From the lot, it is a short walk down the path to the beach. Along the way there is a place to buy food and drinks and to rent chairs and umbrellas. There is also a place to wash off your feet and children’s sand toys.

To be perfectly honest, I read so many reviews about this beach, and I was a little skeptical that any place could live up to those reviews. I could not have been more wrong! Yes, it is very crowded and full of cruise ship tourists. However, that doesn’t matter in the least.

Horseshoe bay beach is the most beautiful places I have ever seen. (Of course, I haven’t been to that many places) It is breathtaking!

The sand is pristine, pink tinted, and soft. The pink is not a vibrant color, it is muted and more of a slight glow. The grains of sand are very fine. It feels like silk on your feet, so very different from New England beaches.

The water is very blue, warm and clear. There are almost three different beaches here. In the middle, it was the most crowded and there were waves. The waves were big enough that people were getting knocked over if they were not watching. We love these types of waters and stayed here forever, just bobbing over the waves.

To the right side there is an area enclosed by rocks that is very calm, perfect for young children. To the other side is a series of little coves, caves and grottos. There were secluded areas that just one family or couple was enjoying.

There are rocking cliffs and people were jumping from high rocks into the water. A lot of people had snorkel gear and wear snorkeling into the grottos to see the beautiful fish.

I would come here again, over and over; it was simply the best beach I have ever experienced. My only regret was that the excursion was only 4 hours in total. to be continued:)

Anonmom, Thank you so much!