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We are back from the Breakaway! We sailed 8/7-14 and had a great time! This was our second time on the Breakaway - sailed last year at the same time in 2 balcony rooms(adjoining). This time we (me, DH, DS 12, DD 9) sailed in an Aft PH Suite (12304). We have sailed in a suite twice on the Jewel but never in the Haven so we were looking forward to it after reading all the reviews. I was a bit nervous in general after reading some not so great reviews in general about the Breakaway.

This is a long review but I will break it into sections...

Embarkation - We arrived at the pier at 9:45. There were about 75-100 people in line. Haven line had 3 families in front of us. Security line opened at 10 and we went through very quickly. Were directed to the Haven check in. Check in took 5-10 minutes and we waited in the lounge where they serve snacks.

There was an issue with the guest from the previous sailing disembarking - we heard that there were not enough customs agents so it slowed down the process. There were still people getting off(a steady line of them) at 11.

We embarked at approx. 11:30 and were escorted to the Haven Lounge where Anoop, the concierge, gave us a short information speech. They were handing out sliders and fries and the bar was open. We got our sliders and first drinks and hung out for awhile before going to our room.

Cabin 12304 This was an Aft Penthouse which was an amazing cabin. Large bathroom where you could see the ocean from the shower, very comfy king size bed, nice size living/dining area where the kids slept on the sofa. The sofa opened to a surprisingly large size - I would say it was queen size when open. My kids slept very comfortably with room to spare.

The room is a walk from the Haven but we didn't find it to be an issue at all. We would take the aft elevator to 15, walk across the pool area and use Haven access on deck 15 to get into the Haven area. I would say it took 5-7 minutes (depending on how crowded the pool deck was) to get there so not a problem at all. I think we would've used the Haven area (bar, etc) a little more if we were staying in the Haven but I would not have traded our room.

PreConcierge I received a card in the mail several weeks prior to sailing with the email for requests. I know from reading Cruise Critic that this is hit or miss. We requested that the fridge be emptied so the water we purchased through NCL and some milk could be kept cold in the fridge. We also requested a few different pillows from the pillow menu. I was not expecting much, but when we got to our room, pillows were there, and our water and some milk were in the fridge which had been emptied.

Concierge Anoop was our concierge. As most people have noted on here, he is not warm and cuddly but seems to do his job well. In all honesty, we didn't use him for much. We had reserved everything prior to boarding so we didn't need him. We did have a question about iConcierge (reviewed separately below) which he tried to answer.

One request we did have the assistant who answered the phone was not able to help us with and didn't really seem to try. We booked Cagney's for Friday. When I called to find out on Friday morning what time dinner was for because I lost the paper I had printed at home, the assistant told me our res was for the night before and we had missed it. I asked if she could try and get us in and she immediately told me that there was no space. She didn't call the restaurant or even say that she had just spoken to them and knew it was full. She just said it was full. A couple times walking by I heard Anoop speaking directly to restaurants to try and fit people in, so I guess I expected the girl who answered the phone to at least try. Really not a big deal, but just an observation.

Butler Our butler was Ramona and I cannot say enough good things about her. She was really wonderful. She brought us snacks everyday. M&Ms and Gummy Bear bowls were always full. Cookies everyday. And each day something different - chocolates, chocolate covered strawberries, mini sandwiches, cheese plate, etc. Always smiling and very pleasant. She served us breakfast one day on our balcony and dinner from Cagney's one night also on the balcony. Ramona makes every guest feel special.

Room Steward Our room steward was Ryan and he was great too. Very pleasant and kept the room perfectly spotless. He was not obtrusive at all but very pleasant when we saw him in the hallways.One night we left our do not disturb button on accidentally and he left us a message and a card in the slot to call for turn down service(he cannot knock or enter the room if the do not disturb is on). We saw him the next day and he was upset that he could not tidy up and do our turn down - you can see that he really cares about doing his job well.

Ship Staff I had read numerous reviews about a decline in staff service and was concerned because last year one of the things we loved was the staff on the ship. No concern necessary. All around the ship we found pleasant, smiling crew members who would always smile and say hello as we walked past. Service in the restaurants, bars, etc was all generally very good.

In the entire week, there was one crew member who was not as positive as the others. We ordered room service late one night and the gentleman who delivered it looked angry when he came in. Not sure if he was having a bad night or what, it just seemed so different from what we had encountered from every other crew member we came in contact with.

Haven The Haven is everything we read about and more. Quiet, relaxing and fun. The kids swam in the pool and used the hot tubs with DH. Depending on how windy the sea days were (we didn't stay on board on port days), we grabbed loungers either outside or inside and spent the day there. A quick trip downstairs to the Haven restaurant for breakfast or lunch and back up to our spot we went. Really nice. Cold towels were passed around to cool us off. Fruit skewers were served several times. NCL definitely does this right. This was not a cheap vacation by any means but worth every penny!

On the last sea day, it got crowded and there were some chair hogs. I did see some people moving people's books etc when they didn't come back for awhile so they could sit.

Haven DiningFor the most part we ate in the Haven dining room which was consistently very very good. They aim to please and the quality of the food is great. Yes, it is true there is no more lobster. The surf and turf is now filet and jumbo shrimp. Though we were looking forward to the lobster, we didn't miss it. The surf and turf and the scallop dish were our favorite entrees. The boullabaise soup and risotto were our favorite appetizers. The only time it got crowded was the last sea day for breakfast and disembarkation day breakfast. Other than that, it was always a nice quiet meal. They are also accommodating - two nights the kids wanted to get to Splash Academy so we told the waiter and we were out in 45 min. Other than that, dinner in the Haven took between 60-90 minutes.

Ship Miscellaneous

Photos - We had a 50 photo package perk from when we booked. That's a lot of pictures! I wasn't sure we'd have that many to choose from but the photographers are pretty good at taking a bunch in one sitting so there are a bunch to choose from.

Arcade - We had an arcade credit also so the kids had fun with that. Arcade is not very large but there were a few games they liked. They liked the games at O'Sheehan's better but those were not included in the Arcade credit which stinks. We didn't use the whole credit but would have if O'Sheehan's games were included.

iConcierge - DH, DS and myself downloaded the app prior to boarding. For texting it worked fine. For phone calls, there was a problem with the microphone and you could not hear so the phone call function was unusable the entire week. Anoop tried to fix it the first night and then let us know there was a problem. We got a call on the last night that they were crediting the iConcierge charges for all of us.

Other Dining

We had SDP for 3 meals. Used it at Teppanyaki and Cagneys(delivered to our balcony). We didn't use the 3rd meal.

Teppanyaki - As always, great show and great meal. The lobster is still on the menu here and it was very good.

Cagneys - We had it on our balcony and were surprised that temperature was perfect - we though the food would be cold but it wasn't. This is always our favorite restaurant on NCL ships. It didn't disappoint. Porterhouse and Filet were amazing - cooked perfectly. Side dishes are very good.

Uptown Grill - It is a shame this is going away. Great burgers and salad bar. This is a nice place for a quick lunch during sea days and we enjoyed it.

O'Sheehans - We did late night snacks here a couple of times. Wings are great. They haven't improved the spinach dip, but it's a good place for a quick snack.

Buffet - For all the negative comments people have for the buffet, I am always impressed. It's not fine dining but there are a ton of choices and the food is fine. We ate lunch in the buffet a couple of times and breakfast on 2 of the port days when we wanted to get off the ship quickly and thought Haven would take too long. It was perfectly fine.

Splash Academy We have always had a great experience with Splash Academy counselors. This time was no exception. We usually use Splash Academy at night for a couple of hours so they can have fun and we can get some time too. My kids were both in the higher age of their group so I wasn't sure how this would go. My daughter is 9 and in the 6-9 group - would it be all 6 year olds? They wanted to go every night. I was really surprised by my 12 year old - I thought he might feel too old for it - but he had a great time. They made friends and really had a great time. The counselors really do a great job of engaging them and making them feel welcome - they knew my kids' names by the 2nd night.

Bermuda

The first day, we did a day pass at Coco Reef Resort on Elbow Beach. Day pass is $69 for adults and includes lunch and a glass of wine or soft drink. Kids are free but you pay for their lunch. We have done this before and love it here. Pool area is fun for a quick dip. Beach is perfect. Water was very wavy and we had a great time. Lunch was good. It took a very long time but was a good meal and we were in no rush. Taxi is about $43 each way. There is a bus that goes there but drops you off on the main road and you have to walk up the hill to the hotel.

The second day we went to Horseshoe Beach which is always amazing. Because of the wind (which had died down from the first day), they were not renting umbrellas which makes it much hotter. But we spent a lot of time in the water and exploring the coves which are beautiful. We learned from our taxi driver(about $35 each way), that there is no more shuttle taking passengers from the beach to the main road(used to be $2 I think). He said they stopped running it this year.

The third day we debated a return to Horseshoe or a fishing trip. The kids chose fishing so we booked it the week before we left with Jolly Roger Bermuda. I booked it with Barbara via email and paid when we got there which was convenient. If the wind had kept up I would have cancelled Friday morning. The tour is from 9-1 so it is perfect for the last day when all aboard is at 2:30. It is a 20 minute boat ride about 3 hours of fishing and 20-30 min back. Fishing time was a little less for us because we were not catching anything so they moved to a different spot a couple of times. The kids each caught a couple which made them happy so the trip was good. It was $99 for adults (and kids 12 and over) and $69 for kids.

Note re Sunscreen: Even if it is cloudy and there is no sun(which was the case in the morning on our first day), use sunscreen! My son learned the hard way that sunscreen is a must!

Disembarkation We ate breakfast in the Haven restaurant and as soon as we were done Anoop took us down to deck 7 to walk off the ship. Retrieved luggage, went through customs and were outside waiting for our ride home in 15 minutes.

Another great NCL cruise. Love this ship, the crew and Bermuda!

I have read a lot of negative comments but I really think (barring major catastrophes) that attitude has a lot to do with it. You can go into your vacation (on a cruise or anywhere) looking for the negatives. Or you can go in with an open mind and enjoy the adventure!

Thanks to those of you who have made it this far!

Bird in Jersey, There will be two girls having temper tantrums this weekend! Will be on board this Sunday and my daughter (10yo) has been SO excited at the prospect of lobster every night. She LOVES it and this was going to be her chance to eat it every night for a week.

I am generally not a complainer. However, when you pile some the recent changes together - the water policy, no lobster - I can see how people who are paying good money to vacation, would be upset. Will it ruin my vacation, no! But it is making me wonder what other changes are coming and how it might drive even the most loyal NCL fan away.

We did Crystal Caves last year. I was impressed and thought they were beautiful but I would not encourage anyone with mobility issues to do this.

On the way down it is fine but you still have to be careful as dripping water makes the steps slippery. Once you get down it is a narrow platform walkway that you are on. The journey back is much more difficult. It is the number of steps and the fact that they are slippery, but also the speed. You have to keep up with the group because there are people in front of and behind out and the group has to stay together. I, like a previous poster, had to sit down and catch my breath when we made it to the top.

Hi, we are also booked in an aft Haven cabin for Sept. The only down side I have heard of is the walk to the Haven, which I do not mind at all. My dh and I are always on the go so this will not be a problem. Plus, we need to burn off some of the thousands of calories we will be eating with the SDP.. :D :eek:

Very good point - will need to burn off those calories!

Thanks for your responses!

We are booked in an Aft Penthouse Suite(Deck 12) on Breakaway in August. We've been on Breakaway before but never in a suite - so excited!!

A couple of questions:

1. The Haven Courtyard, lounge etc are all at the front of the ship and we are aft. If you have stayed in an aft cabin, did you still feel it was worth it - did you still enjoy all the Haven has to offer? Will our butler be around even though we are not 'in' the Haven?

2. We usually bring a case of water with us onboard. We now have UBP. Does this eliminate the need for water? Can our butler stock our room with bottled water - is this included in the UBP?

3. I have seen different answers to this question - wondering if someone knows for sure...If we wanted to order Cagneys and have dinner on our balcony, is that included as part of the SDP or do we have to pay the upcharge?

Thanks in advance for your help! :)

Elbow Beach did not get crowded. The section of chairs for Elbow Beach day guests was about half full. If you go there in the morning you should find chairs to rent without a problem. Enjoy - it is beautiful!

Richg35 - Tobacco Bay was clean. The water was very clean. Some spots on the sand looked like people left their garbage behind. But nothing too bad.

I agree the Moderno downfall was unseasoned meat!

everylastbreath - Enjoy your first cruise! I think the experience is what you make of it. There are little things that you can choose to let ruin your vacation, or you can let them be minor things and move on with your day. We heard a couple people describe this as the 'worse cruise ever' - one because she had to wait to be seated at O'Sheehans. The other because the lights flickered in her room. I can think of a number of much worse things to make it the worse cruise ever - I think people lose their perspective or feel like they have a right to complain about everything.

We didn't see the Cirque show - I heard it was good.

Slides go out into the bottom of the slide - not into a pool. Crowds at the ropes course and sides depended on the time. Embarkation day and first sea day my kids did the slides a few times without waiting. Ropes course seemed to always be crowded when we were in that area.

There is always something going on on the ship. While some of the later night entertainment and shows are not appropriate for the kids, we were never looking for things to do. Food/cooking demonstrations, Second City early show, movies - there was enough to keep the kids entertained when they weren't at Splash Academy.

We thought Teppanyaki and Cagneys were definitely worth it for specialty dining. That said, the main dining rooms are good meals. If you don't want to spend the additional money you are still getting good food.

As for things to pack, hats for the kids - I almost forgot them. The sun in Bermuda is HOT and the hats help. Also we bring one of those plastic containers that you hang around your neck when going ashore - it holds our money and sea pass cards while we are in the water. Other than that, normal vacation stuff. Pack less than you think you will need. I always forget that we will be in bathing suits most of the day and don't need so many clothes.

We are just back from our first time on the Breakaway (August 9-16) to Bermuda. It was an awesome vacation! Because I read all the info I can before we cruise, I thought I'd give our feedback on our experience.

We (myself, DH, DS 11, DD 8) have been on Royal Caribbean twice and this was our fourth time on NCL. First time on Breakaway. We stayed in two adjoining balcony cabins (13710 and 13712).

Ship

The Breakaway is a beautiful ship! Restaurants, common areas, etc all really nicely designed. We liked the flow of the ship. It is huge but so easy to get around and find where you are going. If you do get disoriented, there are ship layouts at each elevator bay that show you where you are and what is on each floor. There are also touch screens in numerous areas that let you look at restaurant availability, show options and times and even show you how to get to where you want to go.

The Atrium is set up nicely where you can sit in the Atrium to watch a show or sit one level up in the bar by O'Sheehans and still see the show.

Pool

The kids pool is the only area I felt that was not designed well. One side is where one pool comes down. The other side is the Nickelodeon area which is a big hit - especially with the younger kids. But the pool itself is not very big(I know it's a cruise ship) and has this weird barrier in the middle. Between the adult and kids pool seems like a bit of wasted space that they could have used to expand both pools a bit. The adult pool get VERY crowded on sea days.

Chair hogging was in full force. There was no enforcement of the 30 minute rule. I didn't see anyone fighting but one of the crew members told me that security is called at least once a week because people get in fights over chairs. I went out before 7 on the sea days to get seats and stayed there. By 7:30 all of the chairs were taken but I was one of maybe 20 people who were actually there. I was surprised by the number of chairs still empty at 12 or 1 that were held by towels early in the morning. It wasn't fair to people who came up at 8 and had nowhere to sit but watched all these empty chairs sit there for hours. A couple of times if my kids were still sleeping I would let people use my chairs until my kids got there. It is just a waste of space to have people hold chairs for a whole day and come up at noon to start using them.

Service

We were pleasantly surprised with the amazing service on the ship. I had read some pretty mixed reviews of crew not being friendly, long lines at the bars etc, but we didn't encounter this. I don't think there was one crew member we walked by who didn't greet us. We got to know some of our waiters and bar servers and it was a pleasure to talk to them and learn about life on the ship. Our room steward, Gemel, was very efficient without being in our way. Our cabins were kept spotless, kids loved the towel animals as always, and Gemel was very pleasant.

Cabin

We opted for two adjoining balconies to give us a little more room and because the extra bathroom is a big plus. The room was nice with lots of storage space. Four people can sleep in a balcony room but we definitely would've been a bit cramped. With two rooms there was plenty of storage for my family of packrats and we were not tight on space at all. With the two rooms it was nice to spend a couple hours relaxing in our room in the afternoons - we could all spread out. We couldn't open the balcony divider due to safety reasons. Our room was right near the bridge - I got the feeling that if we were in a room further back where there was less chance anyone would notice, that this wouldn't have been a problem. This was fine. Balconies are very small with two chairs and a small table. There is really not much space to move. We could look down several decks below us to the wider balconies and next time I would definitely book earlier and go for those. The wider balconies have chairs and a table and have a lounge chair. We brought library cards to put in the light slot and they were not removed. This way we could leave the AC on when we left the room and the room was a nice temp when we returned.

Dining

Overall we thought the food was very good. There were some hits and a couple of misses but on a ship serving over 4,000 passengers, I was impressed with the variety and quality of the food.

We prebooked the specialty restaurants. Looking back I would prebook again. When we wanted to switch reservations to a different restaurant (we had Moderno booked twice but didn't love it the first night so wanted to choose something different), all the times we wanted were booked. I imagine if you book as soon as you board it would be fine but a couple days in it looked like places were booked except for early or late.

Savor/Taste - We ate here three nights. Food was good and I thought there was a good variety to please everyone. One of the nights service was slow and kids wanted to get to kids club so we ordered dessert when they brought dinner so it would arrive faster and it was fine.

Garden Café - We did most breakfasts, a couple of lunches and one dinner here. It is a buffet with a ton of options. Most stuff was good. A couple of things were not but that's the beauty of a buffet. You don't like it, don't eat it - get something else. Omelet station in the morning was good - sometimes a long line but good omelets. Pasta station at lunch and dinner also good. Kids loved the pizza, mac and cheese and chicken fingers. Also visiting the buffet after kids club was a must to get cookies and ice cream.

The only thing I didn't realize is that the buffet closes. I thought it was 24 hours for snacks. We left kids club late one night (after 12) and went up but there was no food and ice cream machines were off. The guy there told us they close at 12.

Moderno - We were really looking forward to this one - we love churrascaria restaurants in our area. We were a little disappointed. It was good but not great. None of the meats wowed us. The salad bar was really good though.

Cagneys - One of our favorite restaurants. Appetizers, dinner and dessert were all really good. Side dishes are on the smaller so not really enough to share with the family but you could order more than one. Really a great meal!

Teppenyaki - Our favorite! Our chef was great - great personality and really made the dinner a pleasure. Food was really good. Kids loved it! Dessert here is not great but have dinner here and get dessert somewhere else.

O'Sheehans - Service was slow here and a couple times late night there was a line to be seated. They seemed a bit overwhelmed each time we went. Late night menu changes at 11 which I didn't know. They offer 5 or 6 items - not the mozzarella sticks and chicken fingers (late night food in my opinion) that were were expecting. Chicken pot pie was surprisingly good. Chicken wings were mushy.

Outdoor Grill - This place gets rather crowded at times. Good burgers and good salad bar - you pick your items and they mix it for you. An easy place for a good quick meal.

Ocean Blue (Snack Bar) - We went to Ocean Blue on one of the sea days to get lobster rolls ($10 each). You order at the window on deck 8 and sit down with your number - the food is brought to you. The lobster rolls are good - they are a little on the small size but my kids loved them.

Entertainment

We didn't pre-book any shows. Didn't go to any of the main ones(Burn the Floor or Rock of Ages). I was surprised by the number of options every night. You could sit in the Atrium and be entertained all night. Or move around to Fat Cats and Headliners and still be entertained. There are some great music acts (the Beatles tribute by Angel was great) and a variety of other shows - comedy, game shows, cooking demonstrations. We liked them all. Second City did a couple of great shows too. A couple of nights there were movies at Spice H2O which was nice. There is something for everyone.

Splash Academy

My daughter was in the 6-9 age group and LOVED it. She went every night and asked to stay for late night. My son was in the 10-12s and liked it a lot - he made some friends and had fun. He didn't opt to stay for late night and signed himself out after the evening session. It amazes me how this great group of people keep these kids entertained and happy. Most of the time the parents picking up their kids left without them because the kids wanted to stay longer. This is a really great program.

The last sea day there is a 'Sea Superstars' show which is the kids club putting on a circus show. Really cute and you can see how the counselors work hard to put this on with the kids.

Casino

The casino is great - good layout and good variety of machines. Not good at paying much money but still fun. The bar waiters/waitresses here are really friendly and nice to talk to.

Bermuda

It was very nice to have more than one day in Bermuda - we love this beautiful island!

Elbow Beach

The first day we went to Elbow Beach. Taxi ride is approx. $45 each way. We had done day passes last year to Coco Reef but didn't reserve them this year - we weren't sure what day we would go there. When we got there at 9:30, they told us no more day passes were available. We didn't see one cruise ship passenger the entire day and most of the lounge chairs for the resort remained empty all day - there were maybe 8-10 people on the Coco Reef chairs. We could have sat there all day even though we didn't have a day pass - no one came down from the hotel.

We went next door to Elbow Beach Resort and rented two chairs and an umbrella for $75. They tried to get us to rent two additional chairs for our kids because everyone must have a chair. I wasn't going to spend $150 for chairs for the day so we rented 2. My kids were in the water ALL day so they never needed a chair. We had lunch at the restaurant at Elbow Beach Resort. Lunch was $100 - it was good - not $100 good but it was fine.

A couple times people came and put their towels on the sand and they were asked to rent a chair or leave. The Elbow Beach Resort staff really sticks to this and keeps the beach private. The Coco Reef staff does not.

This was an expensive day but this beach is amazing. Really one of the most beautiful beaches I have seen. My only regret is that we didn't take more pictures. It was wavy and the water was gorgeous. On the way back the taxi driver stopped above Horseshoe Beach so we could see the great view - it was VERY crowded. That's a beautiful beach too.

St. George

The next day we took the 9:30 ferry to St. George. We took a taxi to Crystal Caves ($12). Our taxi driver Ivan offered to come back for us in an hour and drive us to Tobacco Bay. This turned out to be a great idea. Some of the distances are not that far and are walkable but it is a lot of uphill walking.

The caves are amazing. I was not really that interested in going but am so glad we did. Absolutely beautiful! $64 for 4 people. There are 80-something steps down into the caves which is fine because the guide (who was great) stops often and tells a story. The same steps coming back up are a little tougher because he doesn't stop and we were breathing heavy when he got back up. Definitely wear sneakers.

After the cave Ivan drove us to Tobacco Bay but stopped at the Unfinished Church first so we could take some pics. I was so disappointed when we got there and read the posted sign that due to a recent survey of the property, the structure is unsafe and no one could go inside. So we took a couple of pics outstide and went on our way.

Tobacco Bay

What a great beach - it is small and it does get crowded, but we were there early enough that it wasn't crazy crowded. Very different from Elbow Beach. No waves and you can walk out 100 feet and still be waist deep. It is a great place for the kids and the snorkeling was amazing. We saw schools of fish swimming right by us and if you go in and to the right there are amazing fish there. Water shoes are recommended. There are rocks. When we were there a girl cut her foot on the rocks pretty bad - there were people there to help administer first aid.

Didn't realize this would be so long! Any questions, please ask!

So excited for our Breakaway cruise to Bermuda in 1 month!

But I just realized that my kids' (ages 8 and 11)passports expired in May.

I have read that closed circuit US travel(starting and ending in the US doesn't require passports) but I want to make sure.

Do I pay the money to get them rushed or can I bring their birth certificates?

The downtown beach in St. Maarten was good. Definitely not the best beach in St. Maarten. But we wanted to do some shopping so this was our best option. It did get crowded but the water is clear and beautiful.

We purchased day passes to Coco Reef for our trip last week. We took a taxi each way - wanted to maximize our beach time! About $45 each way for 4 of us - we were there in less than 1/2 an hour. Enjoy your day there - beautiful beach and nice pool area! Even though it rained for a little while, we had a great day!

Just off the Explorer 9 Nt. We (myself, husband, son (10), daughter (7)) sailed on 8/14. This was our 6th cruise(the kids' 3rd) - we have sailed Norwegian and Royal. We had an amazing time!!

I had concerns after reading reviews about the ship falling apart and sub par food - I am glad to say we were pleasantly surprised! This was a sold out sailing but we rarely felt the crowds (except for debarkation - more to come on that later).

We stayed in Grand Suite 1568 and loved it!

Ship

The ship is in much much better shape than I expected. I read about how worn she looks -ripped carpets, rust, etc. and I can say we didn't see that. She is wonderfully maintained, clean and a really nice ship. A little rust on our deck but nothing shocking. We didn't see ripped carpets anywhere. There are some areas that could be updated but overall this is a very nice ship.

Stateroom

Grand Suite 1568 was great. Lots of space for storage. Refrigerator did not have too much in it to begin with so we were able to put in some water bottles that we brought on with us. Room is well maintained. Kids slept on pull out couch and were comfortable. Even with the bed open at night there is plenty of space to move around. Curtain closes to provide the bed area with privacy which helped when 4 of us were showering and getting dressed at the same time. Balcony is a nice size. Lounge chair and table with 2 chairs. The 4 of us could hang out there without being crowded at all. Marvin, our room steward, was very good. We didn't see him much but he kept the room clean and well stock with towels, etc. Pulled out the bed each night for the kids. Towel animals 4 nights. Great room!

Food

Overall, we were again pleasantly surprised!

Windjammer: We had read about the crowds and subpar food. At times it was crowded but never crazy. We could've taken our food into Portofino but we never needed to. We always found a table within a couple of minutes. A couple times we needed to wait until a table was cleaned but that's it. Plenty of choices - some good, some not great. There was always something to choose - we never went hungry.

Room Service: We ordered three times - once for breakfast and twice after returning to the ship from a port. About an hour wait each time. Burger was undercooked but chicken fingers and pizza were good. Spinach and artichoke dip was great!

Johnny Rocket's: Ate lunch here one day. Jess our server was great - entertained the kids with magic while we waited - very pleasant. Great milk shakes!

Portofino: Ate here twice - amazing dinner. Waiter Alex was great - he recommended dishes and brought a couple of dishes for us to try. Really a great meal! TBone steak, filet, and seafood tower were all very good. Risotto appetizer was great!

Main Dining Room: Our waiter Augustine and asst. Rosario were very good. Pleasant and professional. They were good about getting us served in a good amount of time - with kids wanted to get to the kids club, we didn't want to take 2 hours for dinner and we never needed to say it - they kept the meal moving. A couple of nights the menu items didn't sound appealing so we ordered from the classic choices which are available every night. There was never a night that we couldn't find something to eat-most nights we were very pleased with our choices. Some nights better than others but overall the main dining room was very good. Kids could order off kids menu or regular which gave them more choices. There was only one night we had to send food back - kids both ordered steak from the kids menu - the cut was not good and you could see when they came out that they were not good. Not a problem at all - they ordered something else and were served within minutes.

We went a couple times for lunch and once for breakfast. My husband was asked to change out of a tank top the first time we went for lunch. A couple days later the same woman asked my son to go change. Both times there were people walking in and already seated who had tank tops on. I don't have an issue with the woman enforcing their policy but it needs to apply to all - didn't seem fair. And her attitude about it was not nice at all. This was the only instance of a staff issue for us.

Adventure Ocean

I was concerned about the Kids Club because I couldn't seem to find much info about it - wasn't sure if they offered anything good. I'm so glad to say there was no reason for concern. Staff are enthusiastic and always running an activity. We did not go during the day. Usually during the evening session after dinner and a couple of nights kids wanted to stay for late night (after 10pm - cost if $7 per hour per child). The kids absolutely loved it! There were a couple of theme nights (pajama night, pirate night) which they enjoyed and a talent show on the last sea day which was cute. They made friends and enjoyed the activities - it was a nice way to get some adult time on a family cruise.

There seemed to be a lot of kids unattended around the ship. I don't mean the teenagers that you expect to see hanging around. A lot of kids my own kids age (7-10) walking/running around. You can make your child a self signer meaning he/she can sign themselves in and out of Adventure Ocean which explains all the kids hanging around. We did not do that. Heard a couple of people looking for their kids after they signed themselves out and parents didn't know where they were.

Barbie Experience

$199 - Barbie, Barbie blanket and pillow case, tote bag in the room when we embarked. Mermaid dance class, fashion workshop and fashion show activities during the cruise. We felt it was worth it - our daughter loved it!

Casino

Great staff both casino staff and bar servers. Slots were hit or miss - you could win or lose very quickly. A couple of people around me hit pretty good ($800, $1,000, $5,000) so I guess it is possible!

Staff

This is the area in which this cruise blew others away. There was not one crew member that we passed who didn't say 'hello'. All of the staff we encountered seemed genuinely happy and concerned with guests' happiness. Though we did get to know a few staff members and they did tell us about their intense work schedules, etc., you don't see it in their service. We were really amazed at the level of service.

Concierge

Denzil is great! Very professional and he knows his stuff. Concierge lounge on deck 9 is a little drab with no windows. We used 19th Hole which most people seemed to us. Savio is an excellent bar server who knew our names after the first day. Great appetizers - kids loved them, good drinks - awesome view!

We were invited as suite guests to a special dinner in the Windjammer which was amazing. Food was spectacular, décor was beautiful. We sat with Leigh (Cruise Director) and Jason (Beverage Director) and had a great time.

Ports of Call

Bermuda - Coco Reef Resort Day passes($59/person, no charge for the kids - includes lunch which we didn't have). Taxi $45 each way for the 4 of us. Nice taxi ride lets you see a little bit of the island. It was raining on our way to the resort but it stopped. Rained again while we were on the beach but not for too long. 10 people on the beach, 5 people at the pool. Absolutely gorgeous - a perfect beach day (except for the little rain!)

Front desk gives you towels. Lounge chairs and umbrellas are already set up on the beach.

St. Maarten - We rented chairs/umbrellas once we got off the water taxi (we would have gone to one of St Maarten's better beaches but we wanted to do some shopping too), and then went shopping. Returned an hour later - beach had gotten very crowded. Glad we got the chairs before we shopped. 4 chairs 2 umbrellas, 10 drinks (water, soda, beer) - $40. Spent a relaxing afternoon on the beach with our ship in the background. Would have been nice to have a couple more hours - we could've gone further into the island.

Puerto Rico - Our plan was to walk to El Morro, tour the fort and walk back. Once we exited the ship, there were people selling tours - 1 hour tour of the city - $10 per person. It was very hot - we chose the tour. Air conditioned bus, approx. 20 people. Driver was very informative and knowledgeable. Tour stopped in two places for photos - the Capital and El Morro. Tour ends either in the shopping area or back at the ship. We shopped and walked back to the ship.

Labadee - We had reserved a cabana on Barefoot Beach - Over Water #2. Absolutely amazing. This was our best day! They tell you that a golf cart will take you to barefoot beach but we couldn't find one and finally found someone to tell us where Barefoot Beach is. Not a far walk at all - we did take the golf cart back at the end of the day.

Beach is beautiful - you need water shoes. Entry to the beach is rocky - we forgot our water shoes in our cabin and I wish we had taken them. There are floating mats which we spent most of the day on.

The cabana is beautiful and relaxing - a nice way to get out of the sun. Labadee is HOT and the water was very warm. Barbeque was very good. A short walk to the buffet and you can sit at the tables closeby or take it back to your cabana. We had a wonderful day in Labadee.

Soda Package

We bought the soda package for myself and my son. When we had our cups with us, it was nice to have the package and fill up the cup on our way back to the cabin or on our way out to the pool. There were a couple of times we passed the machines and wished we had brought our cups. We were lucky to be one floor from Windjammer - my son enjoyed this brief freedom of going to Windjammer to get us a drink or some cookies.

Photo Package

We had prepaid for the $299 photo cd package. All photos on cd no prints. Our cd has over 140 photos - we got some nice family shots so to me this was worth is. You have to check your acct at the kiosk to make sure your photos are on your acct and that they are of you. A couple of times we had photos of other people in our acct so we had them removed. The first day the offered a $50 upgrade to get all the prints as well. We took the offer and the last night picked up our photos and cd. We have over 100 prints - that's a bit much - not sure we needed to do that. If you take this package, you need to find your prints around the studio and give them to the staff to add to your envelope.

Debarkation - A disaster. Told to meet in Concierge Lounge at 9:00 for debarkation at 9:15. (We had #2 tickets). Self debarkation was called 6 or 7 times. Then they called tickets 1-8. This results in hundreds of people crowded stairs, elevators, everywhere. Denzil got us an elevator but once we got off at 1 it was chaos. Pushing, yelling, a potentially dangerous situation while you wait for one man to scan everyone's card off the ship and then wait for the shuttle. Once we were in the terminal it was quick - luggage, customs and out the door. But you'd think after all these years Royal would have some up with a better process for getting all these people off the ship!

Overall a wonderful trip - amazing weather, great crew, ship and food.

Really a great time. I didn't realize I had this much to say - If I missed something, please ask!

Thanks for your review! We are on the Explorer on 8/14 and can't wait but I have seen some of the reviews and was getting a little nervous! Glad to see you had a great cruise!

Thanks for the info!

We leave on 8/14 on the Explorer - last time we cruised from Bayonne was years ago. We are driving and parking at the port. With all the construction, etc, what are the best directions to get to the port? We would probably be coming across the Outerbridge from Staten Island.

Thanks in advance!

DonnaK, We are traveling from Long Island. What route do you take? I've heard so much about the confusion in the area and it's been awhile since we cruised from there.

We are on EOS in August - will Denzil be back? Have heard great things about him.

DH got a card from Atlantic City Hilton last year and went to check it out. He did receive a voucher for a balcony cabin free for 2 people on NCL. We decided to bring the kids and upgrade the cabin type so the voucher value was applied to the price of the cruise. He got it again this year but the cabin type was an inside. We used it again to book but had to pay more because the voucher value was less due to the different cabin type. Still not a bad deal.