sharonann24

We are on the July 13 sailing, also in the Haven. I am hoping for good weather and hitting all ports as we have never traveled this itinerary.The only port that seems out of the way now is Stockholm, but I decided to go with an Alla Tour for that port, since we are also doing St. Petersburg with them. And keep in mind in the Caribbean many ships need to have the tenders to transport people to the port. I want to focus on the positives!

Summer travel anywhere, regardless of whether it is land or sea is always bound to be child intensive. As an educator summer and those winter and spring vacations are the only times I can travel and so although my own children are now adults I know that I will be around many! I do think that parents can and should supervise them more carefully--that is part of being a parent. The beauty of being on a cruise with kids is that they really can't go far, but that doesn't mean that they can't get themselves in trouble. I will also say that last summer we were on the Breakaway to Bermuda, and were fortunate enough to get a bid on a Haven room. That made a big difference because I think my husband would have lost it if we didn't have that piece of solitude. But even in the Haven some of the kids ran amok. By the end of the cruise several people did complain and the parents were addressed. Let's also keep in mind that this bad behavior is also common with some adults, particularly with the abundance of adult beverages. Travel means being flexible!

Quick question about currency—will all the countries (with the exception of Russia and rubles) accept Euros?

Thank you for the great review. We are on the July 13 sailing and will arrive in Copenhagen the day before. Out flight gets in at 105, so I am trying to decide what’s to see that afternoon and evening. I am thinking Tivoli and maybe some of Rick Steves walking tour. Or the free walking tour the following morning also looks great. I think we should aim to board by 2 so that’s is t a lot of time. We are going the Copenhagen tour offered by NCL when we return primarily so I don’t have to worry about storing luggage during the day and getting to the airport for a 530flight.

We will be in the Haven on the July 13 sailing and our flight back home is at 530 so we have some time to fill. I was thinking of taking the tour of the city that ends at the airport to fill the time gap, but now am wondering how late we can remain on the ship and perhaps take the shuttle. Are there specific shuttle times? What is the latest we can stay? I also don’t want to be at the airport any longer than necessary, being the requisite three hours prior.

I loved your review! We will be on the July 13 sailing. This will be our 2nd NCL cruise and 2nd on the Breakaway. Last year was Bermuda. We are in the Haven and it is an awesome experience. We are choosing to do most ports on our own, with the exception of St. Petersburg where we have booked through Alla Tours. That will be both St. Petersburg and Stockholm. The only NCL tour I think I will book will be the Copenhagen tour when we return, primarily because it includes transportation to the airport. We have one day in Copenhagen before we embark so I think it will be a nice way to end. I found the NCL tours to be expensive and would prefer to do other things. I look forward to hearing about any other changes made while in dry dock.

We are doing a private tour for the first time in St. Petersburg and Stockholm through Alla. I saw so many wonderful reviews from the Cruise acritic forums as well as Trip Advisor so I was sole. The cost is also a tremendous savings! My TA was originally skeptical but after her follow up research she supported our decision. The only ship tour we are taking (NCL Breakaway July 13 sailing) is the tour in Copenhagen after we disembark which will also take us to the airport. Our flight is late afternoon and this was a better option than getting a transfer, storing luggage, etc. Other than than we are doing the rest on our own.

We had our first NCL Haven and Breakaway experience last summer to Bermuda in July. I received the bid to upgrade to the Haven, and my second bid was accepted, and it was the best thing that could have happened. As you can imagine, the ship was very crowded for that trip and venue and the Haven made what could have been a miserable vacation with an unhappy husband into a wonderful experience. Priority embarkation, disembarkation, butler service, Haven restaurant, and all previously mentioned perks make this a smart choice. We will be on the July 13 Baltic cruise again in the Haven, also having received a really nice deal. The last time we were outside of the Haven (deck9) but this time we will be inside the Haven Proper in a spa suite on deck 14.

I would agree with all above posts. I am Lifetime but working my way back. I rarely gain on a cruise but I do make sure that I hit the gym for at least 30 minutes on the treadmill each day, unless it is an early port stop. The walking that is involved in the ports usually more than helps work towards those activity points. I think I logged 26000 steps the day we were in Gilbraltar. I focus on fruit, yogurt, occasionally eggs(now zero point so now I may opt for those). If the ship has those lovely crunchy rolls I treat myself to to with a slice of ham and or cheese. Lunches are usually salads. Dinner is lean protein, light appetizer. I do have my wine or Prosecco, but none of those sugary drinks because I really am not a sweet eater. I also usually pass on desert which drives my DH crazy but I would rather have other choices. I don’t deny myself and will try local and special items when on the menu. And yes, water, water, water! We are on the Baltic July cruise and have ever been here before so trying local cuisine will be a treat. I think the key is just not treating this as a food free for all. Unlimited food also means unlimited choices. I think Freestyle will make this an easier experience. And even I feel we can’t access the app we can go “old school” and use a paper tracker! I think you can still get those at a meeting.

I have never been on a Celebrity cruise but we sailed NCL for the first time last summer, and I bid on a Haven suite, and got it. Absolutely loved it--and we are in the Haven again this summer!

We were on the Breakaway for the first time last summer and chose her precisely since she was a New York based cruise! We also will have the pleasure of sailing on the Breakaway in the Baltics in July! Looking forward to the experience again.

I just saw it! Half the price. Think I am sold!

I am seeing a lot about the Alla tours. To be perfectly honest, we have almost never used a non cruise line tour, but after seeing some of the excursion prices I am definitely rethinking this. The one exception may be St. Petersburg, since my TA has said that she would recommend the NCL tour. I am meeting with her next week to discuss all of these options.

We are on the July 13 NCL Breakaway sailing and am also thinking this is the best way to deal with travel from the port to Stockholm. I think then I will try to get tickets to the Vasa and any of the other main attractions through Trip Advisor. I was disappointed about the change of port. This is our first Baltic cruise and I am looking forward to seeing the main sites.

We are on the NCL Breakaway July 13 cruise and I am wondering with docking now in Nynashamn and with a brand new train system that may have glitches if we might be better off with an NCL tour. I am doing my research now.

We just booked our trip last week for the July 13 sailing and I also received the notification yesterday about the change. I am just starting to book shore excursions so I appreciate the insight. We have never been to the Baltics so I am eagerly anticipating this trip. I do tend to go with the cruise excursions particularly if port time is tight.

We are also considering the same cruise, also in the Haven. We like Cagney and the French restaurant. Teppenyaki was good but too much food! The Haven dining room is also very good!

WE sailed the Breakaway last summer to Bermuda and enjoyed it. We are now seriously considering the new Baltic intinerary this July. I think this will give the whole experience a different flavor. My biggest issue is the size of the pool area and the crowds but we were in the Haven and also went to a couple of the less crowded deck areas.

We just returned from our first NCL cruise and enjoyed Cagney's, Le Bistro and La Cucina. We also went to Teppnyaki anfpd though it was entertaining and the food was good it just was too much. I would not go back. We did not do Ocean Blue as I am not really a seafood lover but would consider it if we ever traveled NCL again.

We just got back from a week on the Breakaway and were in the Haven. My husband does like to dress for dinner so we packed accordingly. We were in the Haven and ate in the Haven restaurant and saw shorts, pants, people ready for the pools, etc. We were also pleasantly surprised at the number of people on the ship who did "dress up" in the evening, which was more than I hD anticipated. We always felt comfortable and enjoyed the experience. The only place I saw a gentleman get turned away for main dining room entry with shorts was Le Bistro, but they did seat his party in the outside area. Wear what you like!

No lobster last week. Just shrimp.

Just returned from the BA on Sunday and I have to say it was probably about 40/60 slacks to shorts ratio, with most men also wearing some form of collared shirt. The only restaurant where men with shorts were not permitted was Le Bistro the Night we were there pe but they were allowed to sit in the outside area, just not the main dining room.

The pool area in the Haven is small but we were just content to cool off. We spent most of our time on the sundeck and loved the fact that we could have sun and shade options.

We booked the Breakaway in early June, and selected this cruise because the ship sailed from NY and we could drive to the pier from CT rather than fly. This made our trip so much easier (although I can't wait to go back to Europe, but that is another post!). I read several of the posts about the crowded pool area and was a little concerned about how my DH would react for an entire week. When we got the offer to bid for an upgrade to the Haven we decided to go for it, and our offer was accepted.

From the moment we entered the pier and started the embarkation process our "Haven experience". We were quickly ushered to the priority embarcation area where we received our cruise cards, etc. We waited approximately 15 minutes and the boarding process began. We were escorted to the Haven lounge because the staterooms were not ready. The sunroom/dining area of the Haven is beautiful! Anoop, the concierge and his staff welcomed us, the waiters were ready with beverages and sliders as snacks and our trip began!

Our stateroom though not in the Haven proper was spacious and lovely. We had an H7 cabin and were very happy. The service we received from our steward Arvin and butler Jeffrey was fantastic. One of the days we went ashore we missed lunch and Jeffrey made sure that we had a tray of sandwiches waiting along with the other afternoon treats.

The best thing about this experience was the sundeck and mini pool area which meant we didn't have to deal with the MASSIVE crowds at the pool. It was extremely crowded from the start of the cruise and impossible to find anywhere to sit in peace. Lots of kids and teens, even spilling over into the corridors outside the 15th and 16th deck. I know this is prime family vacation time and there were many large groups, reunions, etc. which is wonderful, but that was not the vacation experience we wanted this time.

The Haven restaurant service was excellent! I celebrated my birthday on the last night of the cruise and they really did a wonderful job. We also loved the specialty restaurants, especially La Cucina, Cagney's and Le Bistro. Teppanyaki was entertaining but way too much food!

The concierge staff assisted with changing reservations, answering questions and generally enhanced the experience.

Disembarkation was also a breeze as Haven passengers had a separate line. We left the ship at 830, and exited, collected luggage, went through customs, located our car and were on the highway back to CT by 9 and home at 1015!

Needless to say this was a wonderfully relaxing vacation experience and I would probably do it again. Although DH and I traveled alone (we are now empty nesters, active and in our 60's) there were many families, singles, etc.also in the Haven.

The only issue we had was with the pool area in the Haven which is small, and had two hot tubs. There were children in the pool and they were extremely noisy, with virtually no parent supervision. We generally tried to ignore them by remaining on the sundeck, but it was very distracting. The last day of the cruise they were so rowdy that many of the passengers, not just us, complained. They were finally asked to leave, but again this was more a parenting issue.

All in all we are happy with our decision to upgrade. This was our first NCL cruise and I will be considering NCL again in the future--in the Haven! Missing it already!

We avoided the beaches on the first day and it was a good cal! Everyone we spoke to who had gone to Horseshoe on that day agreed it was overcrowded and not a good experience. We opted to walk around the Dockyard early morning and then took the ferry to St. George. The NCL ferry was back in service which was a wonderful FREE perk! We spent a few hours over there and the returned. We did Elbow Beach on Thursday. We arrived around 1045 and were able to secure the last umbrella, but no chairs. It was crowded but manageble and reasonable. An hour later a family of four left and we were able to get their chairs! We saw Horseshoe on our way back to the ship around 430 and it was still packed! So glad we went to Elbow!