KeithJenner

Correct

Yes, I know it isn’t a big difference. I personally always prepay when booking anyway. All I am saying (and it isn’t a big point) is that you don’t need to commit to prepaying when booking in order to avoid potential increases. I don’t think that was clear from the other posts. No big deal though. I just thought that people having the full information is better than just having half. Whatever.

You don’t actually have to have prepaid in order to protect yourself from price increases. Every time NCL have increased the DSC they have given the option for people with cruises booked to prepay up to a certain point in the future in order to get the old rate, so you still have the option of getting that old rate if you want. Of course that could change in the future, but it has been that way for years.

The discount is applied regardless of when and where booked.

No it isn’t. Apparently you can get it in Le Bistro, but we didn’t eat there so can’t verify that, but elsewhere the champagne available with premium plus is a rose. i thought it was pretty good.

There are no gratuities payable for free at sea. The fee you paid when booking covers you completely. The only time you will pay gratuities on drinks is if you buy anything not covered. For example, you are covered for wine or spirits up to $15 so if you get a glass of wine costing $20 then you will pay the difference ($5) plus the gratuity on the part you are paying, making a total of $6. It isn’t hard to avoid drinks over $15 so this shouldn’t be a problem. The daily charge added to your account is totally separate and covers wait staff, room stewards etc.

I’m not aware of there having been any comedians on the Breakaway recently.

As far as I can tell, currently, yes. However there have certainly been some reports of restrictions earlier in the year. These things can change from cruise to cruise, but it does seem that restrictions happen earlier in the year (I assume where new staff try to get to grips with things). It would not surprise me if there are problems again next year.

1 - You get a specific number of meals, which depends on the room type and length of cruise. For example, on a 7 night cruise it is 2 meals for a balcony or above and one meal for an Oceanview or inside. The actual numbers are on the website. A meal is basically an appetiser, entree and dessert (with sides as appropriate). There are a few uncharge items. 2 - Service charge for a balcony is currently £20 per person per day. 3 - Excursion discount applies to the first person on the booking and can be applied to as many excursions as you take. If you have two excursions in one port then the excursion applies to both. 4 - Yes, you can still bring bottles on. If you have the beverage package they no longer charge you the corkage fee.

The constant benefit is the saving that you make on cruise next vouchers. If you are booking a balcony or above then this will save $250. You don't have to buy onboard though, just purchase the vouchers. For actually booking onboard the offers vary, but the most usual is that you get a small, within category, upgrade. This means that if you book a balcony cabin then you will pay for the next lowest balcony cabin type. It is only a small saving, as the price difference is often not much (sometimes just $50. They may offer other or alternative deals. It changes constantly.

Right, I think that's it. Feel free to ask any questions if you have any, and for anyone going on the Breakaway in the next few months, say hi to Roger from Keith & Pam. 🙂

Bars & Premium Plus package. We like to find a bar early in the cruise that we will spend some time at and usually end up getting on very well with the staff. The type of bar used changes from cruise to cruise, but for this one it was always likely to be on the Waterfront. This time the "Sail and Sustain Bar" outside Shakers was an easy choice. The weather was perfect to be outside, the itinerary means that there are often interesting things to watch, and the barman, Roger, is one of the best, if not the very best we have sailed with. We spent many hours there, and as often happens there was quite a collection of people who all made it their regular bar. There was usually someone there to chat to (including someone who lives about two miles away from us). As well as the sail aways from places like Santorini, we had views of thunderstorms, rainbows, warships, sunsets and an erupting volcano. There aren't many bars that can claim all that lot as a view during the course of 10 days. Outside that, we found the bar service to be very good in ,out places. I sat at the bar at o'Sheehans a couple of times to watch Rugby and the NFL and the service was good there (it can sometimes be slow due to the number of people). The barman in Headliners was also very good and when my wife went there by herself for a couple of hours on the day I wasn't feeling great he really looked after her). I can't think of anywhere where the service was slow, although as previously mentioned we didn't use the pool bar. One thing I will mention, I usually tip the bar staff as I go. A couple that we met asked me about it as they were intending on tipping at the end (and did so). I mention this, as I so often read on these boards how you need to slip the bar staff and servers some cash in order to get preferential treatment. I can honestly say that there was no difference between how I was served and how the other couple were. It may be different at the busy bars, but I stick with my view that just being polite and engaging with the staff is the most important thing. This was our third cruise with the premium plus package. Last year we got through lots of champagne both at restaurants and in bars. We knew from these boards that the champagne offer had changed, and therefore went expecting to only have it with meals. There are two rose champagnes available and both were good (Pommery is one, not sure of the other). There were a couple of occasions where we were originally bought Prosecco, bit generally we got the champagne with no problem. The Champagne was available at quite a few other bars, but we generally drank other things outside of the dining rooms. Of the wines generally available at the bars, my favourite is probably the Decoy Cabernet, and this was always available. I used Starbucks two or three times a day and we also got through a few bottles a day of sparkling water each. We didn't get quite the value that we did last year, due to drink ng less champagne, but it was certainly well worth it for us. It isn't a saving, as such, as I would never be paying $12 per glass of wine, and would drink still water rather than pay for the bottles, but it is nice to just not have to worry about it. I was half expecting that this could be the last time we upgrade, but unless things change further we will be buying again on our next cruise.

We only went, so used the one that didn't have someone being dealt with at the desk. If we had gone again we would have gone to Savor.

Dining. We have always enjoyed the food on NCL ships. We have very rarely had anything that we thought was bad. We don't tend to have a big breakfast, so generally grabbed something from the buffet. I have mentioned the Brunch buffet at Modern on Santorini day, and that was very good. When we did go upstairs for breakfast we tended to go to the American Diner instead of the main buffet at busier times. There isn't as much choice there but it is much quieter. We went to o'Sheehans once for breakfast, and it was good. We had also been intending to have breakfast at Taste, but for one reason or another never got round to it. For lunch we generally went to the Buffet, or on days when that would be busy, o'Sheehans. We generally have a snack for lunch and these options are fine. I was more imporssed with the food in o'Sheehans than on recent cruises, although as reported elsewhere it was not quite as hot as would be ideal at times. For evening meals we had 6 speciality meals, ate at the noodle bar once, Manhattan and Taste once each and on the other day we went to o'Sheehans, Manhattan - Very good service. Food was good, but not exceptional. Taste - Slow service as previously mentioned, but the food was very good. Noodle Bar - We went on Santorini day so could get in easily. Otherwise there were long queues. We really like the Asian restaurants on older ships, and prefer the choice there to the Noodle Bar. However, it was still good. We would have probably gone back if it wasn't so busy. Moderno - We went twice, as there isn't a Moderno on any of our upcoming cruises. The first visit was very good, but on the second the meat wasn't great. I wasn't feeling great on that day anyway (I had one day where I felt a bit run down, probably due to over consumption the previous day). We didn't eat much, but I'm not sure I would have even if the food had been great. Service was good both times. Cagneys - This gets mixed reviews lately, but we still like it a lot. I agree that it isn't as good as it used to be, but it still does the job for me. I had the Lamb and really enjoyed it. Service has been very mixed recently, but was very good this time. The lack of non seafood appetisers is odd for a steak restaurant and continues to be a problem for my wife. La Cucina - I really like La Cucina, and think the venue itself on the Breakaway ships is really nice. We were seated in the middle section which is open to the outside but covered. The weather was perfect for that. Food was great as usual as was the service. Ocean Blue - I think I mentioned this earlier, but it was our first time at Ocean Blue, and we both really enjoyed it. The service was excellent. My wife just had soup and fish & chips but she enjoyed them both, whilst I liked all of mine (scallops, chowder and linguini). The best selection of desserts on the ship, but we only had room to share the key lime meringue which was great. I'm looking forward to going back next year on the Joy. Teppanyaki - We enjoy Teppanyaki a lot, but have seen the show so many times that it can be a bit of a drag. We went whilst the ship was still in Livorno so it wasn't too busy or noisy, and the cook was one of the better ones we have had lately. The move from Fillet to Strip (and the removal of Calamari from the seafood) mean that the menu isn't as attractive, but the steak was better than I expected. The reason I tried the steak is that we shared our table with four older ladies who didn't have big appetites so our plates were filled by the cook with large amounts of the food he had cooked but they didn't want. We left most of it, but it does continue a trend in Teppanyaki of us ending up with much more food than we could possibly eat (and than we had ordered). Not a problem, but I hate to see the waste. Overall, the food of a similar quality to our other post covid cruises, with a slight downgrade on a couple of the menu items. I do believe that the food generally isn't as good as it was, say, 5 years ago, but I don't think the difference is significant. I was very happy.

Next up, the itinerary. Now my experience is obviously quite different from many people who were on this cruise. We have done many of the ports before so could be much more relaxed during the days. However, it really is a very good itinerary. There is a nice mix between the islands and the big city ports.Personally, there are Eastern Med ports that I prefer to these, but as a group they really hit the spot. Of the new ports, I liked Messina a loot (well, Taormina really, but Messina looked nice as well). I forgot to mention this earlier, but I would recommend taking a walk to the gardens (Villa Comunale), which are a really nice place with great views. Valletta was nice, but didn't wow us. I think that it is more a place to pick some specific places to see, rather than just walk, and we will plan things better next time. Of the others, I like Mykonos as a place to wander and stop for a drink when you fancy. We had considered doing the tour to Delos, but it sold out whilst we were deciding. It can be done on your own, but the port times weren't perfect for that. Next time. Santorini has been discussed on this thread already. All I will say is that it is worth seeing if you can. Check which other ships are in port. The queues can be avoided heading out, but getting back onboard you will have the cable car/tender bottleneck. We fixed that by heading back early but that won't work for everyone. Athens is a fantastic city. We have been a couple of times, including a weekend before a cruise last year. There is plenty to do there. The Acropolis is the obvious star, but I really enjoyed the Panathinalko Stadium, followed by a walk across the National Gardens to the Parliament where the changing of the guard is always fun. If you have the energy then a hike up to the top of Lycabettus will give you the best views in the city. On to Italy, and Naples. I don't particularly like the city itself, but the surrounding area has some real highlights. We have been to Pompeii a couple of times and in many ways I prefer Herculaneum. We haven't yet been to Capri, and intend to head down to the Amalfi Coast on a non cruise trip at some point soon to explore the area better. Finally, Livorno. This has never been a particularly successful port for us. We have been many times, but the weather hasn't been good on a few occasions (including once not docking). We have done Pisa and it is a nice city. We haven't yet made it to Florence (which again we intend to visit separately some time). Everyone we spoke to onboard who went to Florence enjoyed it, and many were tired, and not particularly enthuiastic, beforehand. We were going to do the Cinque Terre on your own tour, but decided to keep that for next time, as we have Livorno as the final port on our next cruise, with a slightly quieter few days beforehand. And I nearly forgot Rome. One of my favourite cities in the world. We have been there a few times, including extended stays, and there is still quite a list of things we haven't done yet for the next trip. One warning I will give (and often do on these European itineraries). Just consider what you have planned and make sure that you have some down time too. We met many people who were on tours, some of them very long, for 9 consecutive days. People react to this differently and many have no regrets, but I have had people say to me at the end of cruises (including this one) that they felt they had too much planned. "I don't need to see another ruin" was something we heard many times, which was particularly unfortunate when the next ruin was Pompeii, the best of them all. I'm not saying to anyone to miss a port or anything like that, but just consider what you have planned, and whether it is right for you.Naples and Livorno can be hard days and you don't want to start them fatigued. But most importantly, enjoy them.

If you haven't been on a ship with a waterfront before then you are in for a treat, especially on an itinerary like this. It will obviously be a bit cooler then, but still nice to be able to sit out there.

So, just some general observations to finish off. I was planning on doing this yesterday, but the journey home unravelled once we reached Heathrow and sat in the plane for an hour whilst they found us a gate. Than meant that we didn't clear the M25 before Ruch hour, and then when the next motorway on our journey was closed in a place it really went downhill from there. Anyway, first thing to cover is the ship generally. This is my third time on the Breakaway. The first was the first transatlantic 10 years ago and then we also did a Caribbean cruise in 2019. I like the Breakaway a lot. The waterfront is one of my favourite places at sea, and we spent a lot of time there. We didn't go up top very often, mainly just to grab a snack from the buffet if we wanted breakfast or lunch at a time it would be quiet. We did go to Spice a couple of times, but kept well away from the pool area. The ship appeared well maintained, and overall the staff were good. We haven't cruised since a year ago, and I was expecting a reduction in service, but other than a couple of isolated examples, the service was generally very good or excellent. We got the aft balcony as I don't like the tiny standard balconies on the Breakaway/Getaway. We usually pick a club suite with large balcony, but the deck 9 arts are excellent. Quiet and close to decks 6,7 and 8. The balconies are huge and we sat out there quite a lot, although it did get too hot at times. I love the aft location anyway and would certainly pick those rooms again.

Yes, a perk of higher levels is "priority restaurant & entertainment seating", which most of the time is a phantom perk, but once or twice a cruise it does seem to work. When they see your card they will sometimes try to find you a nice table. On this cruise there were two occasions where they obviously tried to seat us in nice tables, and this was one of them.

Onboard there will be a desk set up for restaurant reservations and changes. It varies by ship (and sometimes be sailing), but it is always very clear where it is.

Finally day 10 dailies. I will catch up with some general comments later.

It depends. On ships that sail from and return to Barcelona without leaving the EU then currently yes I believe so. if it leaves from Barcelona and ends somewhere else then I’m not sure. I believe that other than that you are ok.

Just a little more about last night, as it was a very interesting day. The waterfront bar was a great place to be. Soon after sail away we passed an aircraft carrier and a couple of other warships, and then passed Stromboli as it was getting dark. We had quite a good lava show from the Island. We went to Taste for dinner, and had the worst service of the cruise. Overall we have found the service to be good, but it took 90 minutes to get two courses. They changed where we were going to sit due to latitudes, and it was quite a nice table, but I think that it meant that we were an extra person for the server and he struggled to cope. The food was good though. Then o’Sheehans. We had been talking to this guy before the game started and he was really nice. I wastched the game with a couple of other people who were sitting at the bar and when there was about 5 minutes left on the clock the guy came back completely drunk. He was banging on the bar and shouting obscenities. We ignored him, and the. He took off his hat and kept telling me that he was bald, whilst putting his bald head in front of my face. We asked the barman to call security and then he punched me (not hard) on the arm and reached over and grabbed by beer, which he took a mouthful of That’s when I walked away and I spoke to security when they came. He went away with them and we watched the last bit of the game, but I had missed quite a bit. A truly bizarre experience, and not something I have experienced before on a ship. I was all set to go to guest services today to discuss it with them, but have decided to just put it down as one of those experiences.

Today we did the Pompeii on your own tour. We have been before with a guide so wanted the opportunity to explore by ourselves. After the free at sea and latitudes discounts the tour cost us 1p each, so it made sense. We had 2 and a half hours at Pompeii, which was plenty in the heat. Buying tickets for entry took about 10 minutes. We got there just as it opened at 9am so it was relatively quiet to start with. We managed to get quite a few pictures without anyone else in them. A good day, but we didn’t take enough water with us. Also forgot the suntan lotion, but we seem to have got away with it.

Ok, catching up again, here are day 9 dailies.

The coach parks a short walk away from the entrance and then they walk you to the entrance and you meet up at the same place at the end. The meeting point is in the blue circle and the coach will likely be across the Via Plinio (and a little way down the road). You then enter the site and walk west, parallel to the Via Plinio and enter the main site where the map says Pompeii Walking. Of course things can change, but I think that is fairly fixed.