garnet115

Hi.

I received a pre-concierge letter for my trip on the Sky in March (as well as one for my August trip on the BA, go figure) and although it gives me a phone number, it doesn't list an e-mail. Do they want me to make the request via telephone or can I e-mail it back to the same address where it was origianally sent, which is:

 

NorwegianConciergeDesk@ncl.com

 

Thank you all very much!

I sent my requests for my Feb Breakaway sailing to that email address on Tuesday evening, and noted my ship, sailing date, room number, and reservation number at the top of the email. I had a response within 24 hours telling me that all of my preferences were noted for the concierge and team on board.

I will elaborate on the poster above.

 

When you check in do not link your child's onboard account to your credit card, instead tell them it will be a cash account. Either pay the DSC on that card pre-cruise or make sure there is enough in there to cover the DSC. Then only put so much on that account for the week if the child is old enough to know limits or go down each morning or the night before and put what you will allow them to spend each day. The card will then be unusable to them (except of course as a room key) for further spending than what is in the account.

 

You can then relax and not worry about your child's spending habits or putting you in the poor house ;)

That is so great! I want to give my kid a little freedom/responsibility, so long as there is little risk to my wallet!

So if I am reading another thread correctly, there is no way to allow a child charging privileges with limits? (ex: $50)

How do people tend to handle this situation? I wanted to give my dd charging privileges, but with a budget. It seems this is not possible. I guess I either give her nothing, or she gets free reign that I have to monitor daily?

Thanks for all of the replies. I was on the BA for the 1/17 CTN but did not try anything from Carlo's. I just brought back 2 cupcakes for my dd, which she LOVED (but I did not try). I will definitely partake this time around! :D

Godiva - you have me thinking about that pink cake with the bow. That is actually the one that my dd was oohing and aahing over in the pictures! Glad to hear you found it yummy. Interesting that you were told that they learned to bake the cakes on board, because I could swear I once read another thread where someone claimed that the crew told them everything was brought on frozen. Will have to search and see if I can find it...

One of the employees recommended the white chocolate mousse treat. It looked like a little cake but was completely amazing. Just about the best thing I've had on a cruise ship! Not very big but we would never have chosen it if it wasn't suggested to us. Yummy!

 

 

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Ooooo ... that sounds so YUMMY!

I just saw the part about the celebration package. We do this often, and DD loves the cake that is delivered with it.

Thanks. This is good to know. I think I'm being a little silly about all of this, but dd and I have been looking forward to this vacation for months, and it is probably our big vacation for the next 2 years, so I guess I am just overly excited and want to do absolutely everything. I may go with the bon voyage package and just go to the bakery ourselves for a treat another day.

I am preparing for my upcoming cruise and I see on myNCL that I can pre-order a Carlo's cake to be delivered to my cabin. Has anyone done this? Are the cakes good/worth the pricetag? Dd is a cake boss fan, so I thought she would get a kick out of one of the fancy decorated ones. Or maybe I'll order one of the bon voyage celebration packages, which is less $$ and comes with decorations and a cake.

Or maybe I'm just a sucker who wants everything she see's... :o

I must agree with the others that Glacier Bay is the way to go. I did that itinerary on HAL a few years ago and Glacier Bay was one of the highlights. I remember telling my daughter that what she was witnessing was a once in a lifetime experience. That's how incredible it is.

bumping to see if anyone in the night/weekend crowd might have what I am looking for. Thanks!

Moderno can be quite fun for kids. The salad bar has enough to keep them full, as it is quite large. Lots of cheeses and meats. As far as the many different styles of meat that is brought to the table, I'm sure something will tickle their fancy. The best part is the grilled pineapple at the end. It is a pineapple covered in brown sugar and grilled. Quite, quite good.

 

 

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Thanks for the info. I think I am leaning towards Moderno, just because the whole meat carved at the table is an out of the ordinary, fun experience.

Did you know about the Nickelodeon themed breakfast?

Yes, thanks. My dd is 10 yrs old, so I think maybe a little old for the Character Breakfast?

We already have a reservation for Teppanyaki, as well as for Cirque Dreams, but was thinking about booking another specialty dinner. Thinking about Cagney's or Moderno. Thoughts? I know that dd could still order from the regular kids menu if nothing strikes her fancy, but am wondering which is most kid-friendly in terms of both menu and atmosphere.

Does anyone have the Splash Academy programs from the bahamas itinerary on the breakaway? I see this one for the bermuda trip, but was hoping for an updated one:

http://www.beyondships2.com/uploads/8/2/4/5/8245255/n_breakaway_k_dolphins.pdf

I am trying to get my dd excited about the prospect of trying out the kids program while on board.

Thanks!

Sinan was on the 1/17 ctn and at the CC meet and Greet he said that he would be there until early July.

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Great review. Did you go to the solo lounge at all? I was wondering if they had any activities planned for people traveling along.

Loved your review and I also love the Breakaway.

I spent some time in the studio lounge. There were not any planned activities. They did have members from the cruise director staff present to facilitate things during the solo meet and greets, but it was more just a set time for people to hang out than formal activities.

Background – I am single woman who was traveling alone, and so I booked a studio room. I wasn’t looking for the “party atmosphere” that goes with the territory on 2 night cruise, but instead took it as a quick getaway and opportunity to unplug and relax.

Day 1:

I arrived at the pier shortly after 11 am. Check in was pretty quick, and it was not insanely crowded. When I was checking in, I could see people in wheelchairs still disembarking from the prior cruise. Once you got past the check in, there was a table set up where you could book spa appointments and purchase the spa pass. I bought the pass ($45 for the 2nt CTN). Boarding did not begin until 12:30, when they called boarding group numbers numerically. I was in group 25, and it was not too long of a wait. FYI – because it was short cruise, there was no opportunity to check any luggage (why even bother having luggage tags with the edocs?), but they did allow people to check their luggage in the Bliss Lounge upon embarkation, to be picked up once cabins were ready. Since I just had my one bag, I didn’t bother with that – it seemed more trouble than it was worth.

Boarding is on Deck 7 Forward, which made it very convenient to stop at O’Sheehan’s for a quick lunch. As I finished eating, they announced that cabins were ready, so I headed straight to Deck 10 to settle in. I found the Studio without difficulty, and quickly unpacked. The studio cabins are very nice – just fine for a solo traveler. While I had ample storage for the 2 nt, I am not sure that I would have had enough storage on a full 7 nt (or longer) trip. My only problem with the set up in the studio was the sink was a little too shallow. It was impossible for me to wash my face without dripping water all over the floor. My other complaint is that my particular cabin (10523) was at the end of an interior hallway and was adjacent to a crew prep area, which made for a LOT of noise, even at night, making it impossible to get a decent night’s sleep. I wouldn’t recommend that cabin, but others seemed happy with their studio cabins, so I don’t think it was a universal problem. The studio lounge is very cute, but I was surprised upon arrival that the neither the coffee machine nor the wine machine worked. After much complaining from other passengers, the coffee was finally fixed by the next morning, but the wine remained out of order for the duration. There is a bartender in the studio for 1 hour in the evenings during the “solo meet up.” The bartender was very nice and I enjoyed chatting with him and some of the other studio passengers both nights before dinner. In fact, overall I found the staff on the Breakaway to be very friendly and helpful. I was always greeted with a smile wherever I went.

I spent most of the afternoon exploring the ship, which is enormous. I don’t think that I saw everything, especially on the exterior upper decks. It was quite a lot to take in. I spent a lot of time walking around on the Waterfront, which I loved, but couldn’t use the rest of the trip due to the cold and wind. I could see myself spending a lot of time there if the weather were more cooperative. I sat in the Atrium for a while, and enjoyed a coffee drink from the Atrium Café while I people-watched. I also stopped in at the spa, took a tour, and decided to splurge and book a massage for the following afternoon. For the record, the complaints about smoke from the casino are spot on. While I was able to tolerate it, I found decks 7 and 8 reeked of smoke, which I definitely noticed any time I was on those floors. The muster drill was relatively quick and efficient. My station was in the theater, where there were staff members waiting to direct you to your assigned section and swipe your card to record your attendance. I am not sure why so many other reviews that I’ve seen complained about the process – it was far better than my last cruise where we had to stand outside amid a sea of people in complete chaos.

I went to the solo meet and greet in the studio lounge, where I met another solo passenger who I had dinner with at Taste, and then went to see the 10pm show of Rock of Ages. Dinner at Taste was very pleasant. There had been a huge line at the Manhattan room, so we just went down the stairs to Savor/Taste, where we had our pick of which restaurant to eat in and were seated immediately. Dinner was pleasant. My appetizer was great, and my entrée so-so. We then attended Rock of Ages, which was fun, although a bit long. Was it the best show I’ve ever seen? No. But was it entertaining and better than your typical cruise ship fare? Absolutely. After the show I decided to call it a night and went back to my cabin.

Day 2:

After being woken by awful noise at 5 am, I couldn’t get back to sleep. I turned the tv on for a while, and then gave up, showered, dressed, and went to have breakfast in the Garden Café. The buffet was still fairly empty at that hour (my guess from all the drinking and partying that I observed then night before is that most passengers were sleeping in late anyway). The food was fine – typical buffet breakfast, and I found a nice table at the aft window where I could watch the wake and read while I ate. The staff in the buffet were lovely, and even came around offering me fresh coffee now and again, which I appreciated. After breakfast, I walked around the ship some more, and stopped in at the CC Meet and Greet (Thanks again to minivanmommie for organizing). Both the hotel director (Hugo) and cruise director (Sinan) came to the meet and greet, and were just lovely. They were both clearly quite busy, so I appreciate that they took the time to speak with us.

After the Meet & Greet I headed to the spa. This is when I started to get VERY frustrated. The spa was completely packed. My guess is that because people were unable to use the outdoor decks, they substituted the spa for the pool deck. There was not a lounger (thermal or regular) to be had, and much to my dismay, chair hogs were rampant. The therapy pool, steam room, sauna, etc. were full to capacity. The spa was anything but relaxing – not even a quiet space for some solitude as I had hoped. I wish that there had been more staff in the spa who might have enforced some of the basic rules (no saving loungers, limit the thermal loungers to 30 minutes when others are waiting, speak quietly so as not to disturb others). I heard several passengers complaining and demanding a refund for the pass. On my way out, I asked the receptionist what time things slow down so that I could come back later. She advised 3pm, which was perfect since I had a 3:45 massage appointment.

Around 12:45, I decided I was hungry for lunch. The buffet was too crowded for my taste (but that was expected at prime lunch time) so I thought I would head down to O’Sheehan’s, but when I arrived there there was a long line/wait, so I went down to the aft end of the ship to the Manhattan Room, where there was another enormous line. I figured no problem, just had down to Taste or Savor like I did during dinner the prior evening. But when I got there, both of those dining rooms were closed. I wound up getting on line at the Manhattan Room, where they took my name and gave me a beeper. I probably waited about 10 minutes to be seated. I had a decent lunch (the popcorn shrimp appetizer was yummy!). The Manhattan Room was clearly understaffed for the crowd, and the poor waiters were constantly running. My waiter was very apologetic and kept thanking me for my patience.

After lunch I was fed up with the crowds and so went back to my cabin to relax a bit (especially since I was exhausted from being awakened at 5!). I then headed back to the spa for my massage. The spa was delightfully uncrowded at that time and I was ecstatic. My hot stone massage was absolutely heavenly, one of the best that I’ve had. I then went back up to the spa area and relaxed on one the thermal loungers (there were plenty available) until I managed to peel myself away to get ready for dinner.

I caught the tail end of the solo meet and greet in the studio lounge, where I had a nice chat with some of my fellow studio passengers. I went back down to Taste for dinner, where I was seated right away and my waiter was very attentive. After dinner I sat in the Atrium for a while listening to IMPAC, which was a pretty good band. I remained there to watch “Dancing with the Breakaway Stars”, which paired up passengers with cruise staff for a dance contest. Dancers from Burn the Floor were the judges. I have to say, that was one of the most entertaining things I saw my entire time on board. It was a lot of fun to watch. After that I stopped in at Howl at the Moon, but wasn’t taken with it, so I moved on. I walked around a bit more, and then went to my cabin, where I packed my bag and went to bed.

Disembarkation:

I was again awakened around 5 am, so I got up early, finished my packing and went down to Savor for breakfast, which opened at 6:30. After eating, I sat in the Atrium until self-disembarkment began at around 7:30. I was out pretty quickly, barely stopped when my customs form was collected at the terminal, and headed out to the taxi stand. Easy Peasy. I was home in my Manhattan apartment by 8:15 am.

Final thoughts:

All in all, I enjoyed myself. I got what I wanted out of it: I nice weekend away. Yes, there were a few bumps and opportunities for improvement, but I had a good time. I will be back on the Breakaway next month with my daughter for a week long trip to FL/Bahamas. I am curious to see how my experience differs on a longer trip. I am very hopeful that better weather will mean opportunity to use the outdoor space, and therefore generally less crowded in the indoor venues.

I just paid $45 for the 2 nt on Breakaway.

I have been told it is $199 for a 7 nt cruise.

I am in a studio on the Breakaway 2 night CTN this coming weekend. When prices dropped, my TA called NCL to try and get me OBC and I was offered free upgrades to a balcony and then a minisuite. I opted to stick with the studio as a solo traveler, but could have easily upgraded.

Whether or not you would be upgraded will depend largely on how well the cruise sells, and then also on how diligent you are in tracking prices and following up with NCL.

My understanding 3 cans of any of the listed. Bring some of your own on board. You will need them. 3 is for a day if you ask me.

Thanks for the quick reply. Sorry if I am being dense - is it a choice of three cans total, or three cans of each selection (9 cans total)?

I know that if I get bar set up, then I am entitled to 3 mixers for each bottle. how much of each mixer would I receive? (assuming cans of soda, how many of each selection?)

Given the prices, I am not sure that the bar set up works for me since I am a single adult in my cabin. There is no way I would consume an entire bottle in a one week trip, so I may be better off just going to the bar. But I am trying to figure it all out.

Thanks!

If you are really concerned, I would book a cabin on the port side of the ship. If you look at the deck plans, I think those are directly below other cabins, whereas the ones on the starboard side are below the fitness center.

I stayed in a Haven spa suite. A lounge chair would definatly fit length wise. You MIGHT be able to squeeze 2 in each corner. I didn't try it but it would be a tight squeeze. Enjoy!

Thanks for the info!

We saw this cabin on a cabin crawl. I think it would fit.

Cool! Thanks!

I am thinking about what to put on my list for the pre cruise concierge, and I saw another thread where someone asked the concierge to have loungers on the balcony. I know the balcony for this suite is too narrow facing out, but am wondering if it might be nice to have one positioned lengthwise as a replacement for one of the chairs. Do you think that would fit?

Thanks!