garnet115

No experience with the Breakaway but have sailed solo on the Allure of the Seas which is larger. I have MS and use a rollator but rent a mobility scooter when cruising to better manage the large ship. Had absolutely no problems with crowds because of the vast size of this ship.

 

If your father is comfortable using and operating a mobility scooter than

this is something to be considered for the cruise. NCL has only one approved rental vendor which is www.Specialneedsatsea.com

Thanks. I don't recall him ever using a scooter. Do you think it would be difficult for him to operate?

My parents are thinking about booking Breakaway to Bermuda in August for a family vacation. My father has serious mobility issues and generally uses a wheelchair or walker.

Any CCers with this type of limitation been on the ship and able to give advice? I have sailed Breakaway before and told my parents that I didn't think it was a good choice for them due to layout and crowds, but they seem set on booking. Any thoughts or useful info that I can pass along?

CTCruiser001 - Thank you SO much for all of your insight and advice. You have really put my mind at ease. I will definitely encourage my dad to get the scooter rather than wheelchair. Not sure if he'll go for it, but as long as he can generally get around, we'll be happy. Fingers crossed that there is still an accessible cabin available the week we want to go. :)

Go to the special interest board and click on cruising with disabilities. Ask your questions there. People will be glad to help and explain what to do. Be sure to book an accessible room and rent a scooter.

Thanks. I will post there. My parents will only sail if they can book an accessible room; they simply cannot do it any other way. My dad will definitely have a wheelchair. I don't know if he's ever used a scooter. Is there any reason why you suggest a scooter vs. a wheelchair? Would he have difficulty operating one if he is not used to it?

I was on the Breakaway in January and I used a wheelchair. I had no problems at all. Staff was very helpful and I found dinning and shows very accommodating. I am sure they will enjoy the cruise especially with being docked in Bermuda there is no rush to get off the ship.

I can't tell you how relieved I am to see this response. Thank you! My parents have been to Bermuda and are not so concerned with getting off the ship - for them this is more about spending time with the kids and grandkids. But I would hate for them to be on the ship and feel like they can't get around or participate in the activities/entertainment due to mobility limitations. We were on a HAL cruise a few years ago and were shocked at how unhelpful the shipboard staff were. I am so glad to hear that was not your experience on Breakaway. I sailed her in February and found the staff to be lovely, but had some concerns about the ship size/layout for my parents.

My parents are thinking about booking Breakaway to Bermuda in August for a family vacation. My father has serious mobility issues and generally uses a wheelchair or walker.

Any CCers with this type of limitation been on the ship and able to give advice? I have sailed Breakaway before and told my parents that I didn't think it was a good choice for them due to layout and crowds, but they seem set on booking. Any thoughts or useful info that I can pass along?

I was in a studio on the breakaway back in January. Thought it was great. The layout was cute and it felt far more spacious than the square footage would imply. The lounge was nice, too, and I did meet some people to dine/see shows with. I highly recommend.

Which ship were you on? Did you guys use the tub as a hot tub? I am wondering how big it is. (If it is big enough for us to put on our bathingsuits and go in like an outside one)

 

Thank you for all your responses. Does anyone know which balcony is better.

 

 

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We were on breakaway. The tub was nice in theory but took forever to fill so we only used it a few times. Not big enough for 2 of us - just 1 at a time.

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Not sure if it matters to you, but the Spa Suite is a king bed that cannot be split, so you and dd will be sharing the bed. I believe (someone correct me if I am wrong) that the courtyard suite has a pullout couch.

FWIW I stayed in a Spa Suite with my 10yo dd back in February and we had a great time.

Is Cagney's itself open for Haven guests (or any guest) for Breakfast/Lunch?

 

If open, is Cagney's Breakfast/Lunch a buffet?

No, it is only the Haven restaurant. At breakfast in the Haven there was a regular menu, but also a small buffet with breads, fish, fruit, cereal and the like. Very nice all around.

That is really disappointing. I'm starting to rethink NCL. Ridiculous. At least Disney has a tween program for kids 11-13. I can't see my almost 13 year old hanging out with the 10 year olds. And I have heard that they mix them with the even younger group.

 

This must be why NCL gets such bad reviews for the kids clubs.

And if they had a group of 11 to 13 year olds, someone would complain that their 13 year old should be able to go to the teen club with the 14 year olds. I believe NCL is pretty strict about their age guidelines, because otherwise there would be a barage of these requests to handle on every sailing.

More complicated than that. It is at the complete opposite end of the ship.

 

Just as an FYI, NCL doesn't give you the extra point per night for Latitudes if you upgrade to a suite...you have to make the initial booking into the suite. As long as your TA/PCC canceled and made new reservations (under a new number) for you, you should be fine. However, if you still have the original reservation and were just upgraded, you'll miss out on those points. IMHO, you should be entitled to 3 points per night on your booking.

I think that as long as it is not an upsell or a "free" upgrade, you still get the points. On my last cruise, after final payment, I self-upgraded to a suite when prices dropped (just paid the difference). I still got the extra points for being in a suite.

As others have said, only a passport is required. However, IF you are traveling alone with your child and you have different last names, you may need to bring the birth certificate to prove that you are the child's parent. When I went on Breakaway with my dd, I was asked why we have different last names. I offered up the birth certificate, but the woman didn't check it. That's not to say she wouldn't have been in her right to ask for it.

Someone posted this link on another thread:

http://www.shipdetective.com/ships/pdf/norwegian_getaway_handouts/getaway_dailies.htm

I know David mentioned that the airports close early before a storm but so do the cruise ports. At that time the ships will leave (early) with whoever is on board (or not).

 

I'm not trying to discourage you at all but you have to know why the fares are so much lower during hurricane season.

 

Also, the same people who are telling you to go and don't worry are the same ones who will be saying what do you expect, you booked a cruise during hurricane season. :p

Thanks, I understand the risks - I'm just trying to fully evaluate them. I would plan to fly in the day before the scheduled departure, so hopefully that would cover early departure.

FYI - TA reports that these offers cannot be combined. :( Oh well, it was worth a try. Now to figure out which deal works better for me...

Thanks all. I have my TA pricing cancel for any reason travel protection for me, although she says I would only get back 80% of the cost if I used it. But I think I would feel better knowing that if forecasts get bad a week before, I can cancel and not be too much $$ out of pocket.

I don't care about port changes - in fact for the itinerary I am looking at I would welcome it! I don't care much for the Easter Caribbean itinerary since I've been there before, but the overall price/perks that I can get on this particular sailing just seem too good to pass up. I would just enjoy being on the ship.

In 2011 I was coming home from an Alaska cruise when Irene hit NY. Our flights were substantially delayed (although in retrospect, the extra 24 hours it took me to get home is nothing compared to what could have been), and I wound up using an extra vacation day to cover the time out of office. It was exhausting, but I certainly don't regret taking that trip, which was fantastic. I guess this is me talking myself into it - I went to Alaska, for which hurricane season was never a consideration, and my trip was still impacted.

Does anyone know if the Freesome offer is combinable with the OBC for using american express? I will ask my TA but thought I could get a quick answer here.

Thanks!

Book the 8/2 cruise I'll be on. I've been on vacation on land and had 2 hurricanes go over me (Bertha in the Outer Banks NC and Charlie in Disney World).

 

Statistically speaking I am hurricane proof at this point (the odds are in my favor I won't be hit). Usually cruise in August and haven't got hit yet. Closest was a few years ago where the one passed south of Cuba (I think) the week before my cruise.

Wish I could take that insurance and sail with you, but have to wait until the week of either 8/16 or 8/23. I think I would be less worried going the week of 8/2, which feels less "prime" in terms of hurricanes.

I am so close to pulling the trigger and booking a mid-august cruise on Getaway. With the Freesome deal, the incredible suite prices, and the OBC my TA would give me, it is almost too good to pass up. Not thrilled about flying (would prefer to do Breakaway to Bermuda, but it is far more expensive), and my only other hesitation is hurricane season. It makes me nervous.

What are others' thoughts/past experiences?

The pool cannot be seen from the restaurant but can be seen from the lounge and sundeck. Also, there are tables by the pool for dining there if you wish.

Does anyone know, if you download the app do you need to purchase the ship's WiFi? We will be giving our 13 year old some freedom on this cruise and it would be helpful to be able to text her on the ship, do both of us have to download the app, and both of us purchase the WiFi in order to use this? Thanks!!

No, you don't need to pay for wifi. You need to pay a one time fee for texting on each device, but no additional wifi charges apply for the app. You will both need to download the app and pay the fee to text on board.

Thanks for all the great responses. You have helped a lot.

 

I have never felt like a 3rd class passenger on any crusie ship but have not sailed on one as big as Getaway before nor have I ever noticed "reserved areas". With such hype on the Haven and Vibe it just seemed as if these areas were large and everyone else would be crowded around a small pool area. I am glad to know that is not the case and we are looking forward to a great cruise! Thanks again.

You may feel that areas are crowded (after all it is a 4000+ passenger ship) and that the pool areas are smaller, but it will have nothing to do with Haven/Vibe. I recently stayed in a Haven suite and a month prior stayed in a studio cabin. Overall, my onboard experiences did not vary widely based on these extreme opposite cabin locations. Relax and enjoy! :)

Thanks for the advice. I researched most of the online TA's talked about here on CC, then called the lowest priced one. They beat the Gross Total on the NCL guest confirmation by $168 but were $100 less on the OBC offered.

 

So for a net $68 would you switch to the TA's offer?

Personally, for that differential I would not. To me it is worth it to have control of my reservation and be able to call NCL directly if I choose to. That said, I have a TA who I like, and who I think has done well for me, so I will likely continue to use her and give up some of that control But I don't think I would do it for a small differential from a large online TA with whom I have no history.