EvilBanker

Whilst mulling over where to buy Fox's U-Bet syrup to make my own egg cremes :eek:, I remembered something I appear to have omitted:

Breakaway / Elevators: There are two banks of elevators, forward and aft, with eight cars in each - but not all elevators are created equal. In each group, only half travel beyond deck 15. In what can only be payback for those who abuse the UBP, the ones that do are different in each bank. At the forward elevators, it's only the four most forward that go to deck 16. In the aft, it's one entire side. Much profanity was heard to issue forth from those not realizing the difference (chiefly, from me). Careful observers may note a more subtle difference between the forward and aft lifts; the forward ones have square buttons and square artwork on the wall, whereas the aft set have round buttons and round artwork.

I appreciate your egg cream issue. My family and I are all from NY and my dad costantly bemoans that nobody knows how to make egg creams or ice cream sodas, even if they are on the menu. He has given up on ordering them! He 8 out of 10 times people make him a milkshake.

Thinking back, given the language difference, I could have ended up with some abominable concoction featuring chocolate syrup, seltzer and an actual egg. Fortunately, it was at least a decent milkshake.

thanks for the review-where did you get the idea you weren't talented enough to write a full one? I giggled at several of your wry observations!

Thank you, that's very kind. Paraphrasing Truman Capote, Mitsugirly and SeaDog67 are writers; I'm just a typist. :p

I kept them because we do plan on returning to Bermuda next June on the first cruise out of Boston (Dawn again), but now reading your review i'm not so sure. I knew where the "Zone 6" shuttle was and had NEVER seen a bus there, infact, I never saw anyone even waiting there. How did the bus work? Did it actually come and pick you up or did you go with another shuttle?

The shuttle experience may have been an end-of-season glitch, so I wouldn't lose hope. We ended up so annoyed we just got back on the Breakaway and enjoyed the nearly-empty ship instead (we'd already been to Horseshoe Bay on our first cruise, so we didn't really feel we were missing anything). Later in the day - knowing the Dockyard would be jam-packed on departure day - we prowled around there instead and got to enjoy a crowd-free experience at the Clocktower Mall and Frog & Onion.

Great review, thanks for posting! What type of room did you stay in? Did you go to Howl at the Moon at all? I've heard mixed reviews.

We were in a Spa Suite on deck 14. We were more interested in "Howl at the Bartender," so we didn't attend that show, but passing by noticed a lively crowd that appeared to be having a good time.

I'm not talented or experienced enough to write a full review, but wanted to share a few tidbits about our recent Breakaway adventure, on the 10/11/15-10/18/15 sailing to Bermuda. This was DH & I's third cruise, and the first on the Breakaway (hopefully not the last!).

Breakaway / The Ship: Massive. As others have noted, it is in good repair and crew can constantly be seen cleaning and maintaining. Depending on where you are, the ship can occasionally seem overcrowded (i.e., everyone leaving muster drill at the same time, an event in the atrium), but we didn't notice that being an all-the-time thing. OTOH, we never went near the pool deck, so YMMV.

Breakaway / Crew: Everyone with whom we interacted was cordial - we didn't pick up any of the oft-discussed attitude of "I'd rather clean all the toilets in Grand Central Station with my tongue than talk to you." Even when faced with some appallingly obnoxious behavior on the part of boorish passengers, they seemed to keep it together. I'd have been fired and deported after ten minutes.

Breakaway / Atrium: Every one of the reviews that claims the space is too small for the events offered is absolutely right. Nevermind attempting to attend anything here; just passing near it when something's going on has all the charm of the Port Authority bus terminal during rush hour.

Breakaway Theater / Rock of Ages: DH was eager to see this - me, not so much, but having endured "Mamma Mia" (which uses a similar concept of telling a story via hitherto unrelated songs), I figured it wouldn't kill me. The cast was certainly high-energy and glimmers of talent poked through their performances. Everyone who has ever commented on the uncomfortable seats is spot-on. The metal bar that runs across the back of the seat at tail-bone level starts off as annoying, but over the course of a "105 minute" show, cycles through "uncomfortable" all the way to "painful." Whoever thought this was a good design needs to be forced to sit in one for a few hours. Equally spot-on are those who've reacted with incredulity that families who have attended with children claimed not to be aware of the show's adult nature. The announcements on that topic are frequent and very clear. I amused myself at various points my inquiring of DH things like, "Mommy, why are those girls in their underwear?" "Daddy, what happens if you get a Gremlin wet after midnight?" etc. I slay me.

Bermuda / The Horseshoe Bay Beach Shuttle: Our one big disappointment of the trip. We checked with the Welcome Centre to find out where to go for the shuttle and were directed to the "Zone 6" sign, which when we arrived, had very clear signage that it was indeed the right spot and clearly stated that it was $16 round-trip. As we waited for the bus, a succession of touts from the mini-bus stand waaaay down at the other end arrived to tell us that we were in the wrong place, and that they go to "all the beaches for $14," which then morphed into, "There is no shuttle anymore." Unexpectedly for a place like Bermuda, they got increasingly aggressive and we returned to the Welcome Centre by the ship to complain. The gentleman behind the desk reconfirmed that there IS a shuttle and that it's $16 R/T, but could not understand why we were complaining about the unauthorized touts, stating, "What is your problem, it's $2 less?" My respect for the Bermuda Tourism Office is now nil.

Bliss (the Ultra Lounge): Bliss on the Gem was a fun, quirky space with lots of visual interest. On the Breakaway, the animated flames at the door are the most exciting part; once inside, you discover - a rectangular room. DH muttered, "Where's the rest of it?" when we walked in. Admittedly, we stopped in mid-afternoon and it could well have a different vibe when it's open, but it seemed little more than a spot for hip nonagerians to sip their Ensure coladas.

Cagneys: Much bigger and much darker than the versions we've visited on the Star and the Gem, to the point that some neighboring tables were using the lights on their phones to read the menu. The food was as expected (and very much enjoyed), but we did confirm what others had reported about the slow pace of service. Since the wait staff seemed to be continually on the run, either the kitchen was the culprit, or (more likely from what we could observe), they simply have too many tables to cover and many of them are a significant distance from the kitchen/pick-up area.

Glow Party: We enjoyed the White Hot Party on our first cruise aboard the Star. Our second, on the Gem, was dismal, and DH left after half an hour, so weren't quite sure what to expect for the White Hot Party's successor, the Glow Party, on the Breakaway. The weather cooperated in allowing the event to be held in the aft Spice/H2O area, and it was spectacular. Lots of energy, lots of fun, lots of cool "special effects" that demonstrated the space was designed for these type of events.

La Cucina: This was DH's pick, so my commentary on the menu wouldn't be sporting. The service and food were both good, and the loud table of 12 adjacent to us provided inadvertent dinner theater as the elder of two brothers traveling with their families attempted to control the atrocious manners of their herd of children. My personal favorite line: "I'm gonna stuff that ******* napkin in your ******* mouth if you don't shut up." It was like dinner with the Gotti family.

Le Bistro: C'est magnifique. Service was prompt, attentive and cordial. We visited Le Bistro twice on this trip (thank you, UDP promo!), and I was totally psyched to finally try the "Fruits de Mer" - until it arrived on the table and DH blurted out, "It looks like a Hot Pocket." It really, really did, and I was really, really glad I'd never before paid to try it (it was tasty, but wouldn't have been worth the cover charge plus the upcharge). On our second visit, I had the rack of lamb, and that was very nearly a religious experience.

Maltings: Excellent bar staff with quick service, but if you're sensitive to tobacco smoke, you'd probably want to avoid - the cigar lounge is adjacent, and Maltings on the Waterfront was the preferred area for cigarette smokers to congregate. The guitar player sets up shop here for 3-hour "sets," and while his playing his excellent, I'd bet his parents would like to know what he did with the money they gave him for singing lessons.

Moderno: There seem to have been some menu changes since we tried this last year for the first time on the Gem, notably the addition of two fish dishes, a Brazilian shrimp stew (which arrives in a pot exactly like those in which the side dishes are served), and "Baked Cod in Banana Leaves," which the waiter was careful to advise was made to order and would take 40 minutes to be served (we skipped it). Our waiter, Rubie, was funny, fast and attentive, and earned a Vacation Hero card for summoning the fabled grilled pineapple for us "out of sequence."

O'Sheehans: I'm now convinced this is where NCL starts off new wait staff. Our waiter was cordial but seemed to struggle with the language to the point that we had to show him on the menu what we were ordering. The food was served promptly, but then (G-d forgive me), I let the New Yorker in me come out and ordered an egg creme. The waiter had no idea what it was, and pointing to it on the menu didn't seem to help. He finally scribbled something on his pad, and when he returned almost twenty minutes later, I got a milkshake ... *sigh*

Savor (one of the small MDRs): Service was prompt and attentive, and the food was as expected. We didn't have the time (or the digestive capacity) to visit Taste or the Manhattan Room.

Shakers (the martini bar): Our favorite of the bars, with a fun, high-energy staff. The piano player was good, although (IMHO) the speakers were waaaay too loud, making it difficult to converse using your "inside voice." After several cocktails, you just went with the flow and got loud like everyone else.

Shanghai (the noodle bar): Excellent food, but sitting elbow to elbow with strangers made for an awkward dining experience if you weren't well-choreographed - it felt like being in the middle seat on an airplane. If you go, try to get a seat on the end if you're at the stand-alone tables, or with an empty seat next to you if you're at the counter.

Wasabi (the sushi bar): We've enjoyed the sushi bar on our other cruises, but the Breakaway's version was disappointing. Gone from the menu were the sushi platter and the sashimi platter (we'd typically order one of each and share). Now, the menu lists seven or eight types of rolls, some with cutesy names like "Californication Roll," and the page for sushi and sashimi just shows a price for each, wholly omitting what type(s) were available or the quantity you were buying. Queries to the waitress revealed they only had three types of fish (salmon, tuna and yellowtail). With such a limited selection, all of the rolls were basically the same thing but in different wrappings, with the exception of the "Crispy Rice Roll," which turned out to be tiny gobbets of fish swimming in an unidentifiable sauce atop what looked like a Tater Tot. We didn't even finish that one. Whoever sets the menu for this restaurant has obviously given up even trying.

Alas, we didn't get to try Carlo's Bake Shop, the Manhattan Room, room service, the Sabretts cart, Taste, the Uptown Grill, the main pool, the ropes course or walking the plank. Next trip. :)

Sounds like a plan! Scary that it's four weeks from today, and I've got about six weeks worth of work to do beforehand. :eek:

Been a little "apathetic" myself as it is less than 30 days to my wedding date. UGH so much to do so little time. Can't wait to finally relax on this cruise! We must make a plan to meet for a toast!

Absolutely! We usually eat dinner early so we can make it to the nightly FOD event, so barring anything truly weird, you should see us there, ready to toast away. :)

We're Mike and Jason, btw.

Six more weeks to go! The "regular" roll call for this sailing seems very apathetic, so it might be up to us to get the party started (LOL).

Thank you so much for letting us know you'd posted in the HAL forum - I'd never have thought to look there for your review otherwise.

As a neophyte to the cruising lifestyle, I've spent the last three years seeing the world through the eyes of the more experienced here on CC. Your posts in the various forums (like "Ask a Cruise Question"), have always stood out for their elegance and grace, and I've been eagerly awaiting your thoughts on NCL since you first mentioned you'd be giving them a try.

Wherever your travels take you in the future, may you have smooth seas and calm winds.

We got the same e-mail yesterday regarding our October BA cruise, and DH forwarded it to me, adding "Hahahahahahaha" at the top.

For some itineraries, it might be nifty, but sailing back and forth to Bermuda twice in a fortnight didn't seem all that appealing to us. YMMV, of course.

100 days to go - and DSO has now been promoted to DH, so this will sort of be our honeymoon as well! :D

With only two cruises under our belts, we're hardly seasoned, but the BF and I have a made a point of doing NCL's FOD/LGBT meet-ups every night we've been aboard, even if that has sometimes meant sitting in an otherwise empty lounge for a while.

The way we figure it, we're probably going to be enjoying cocktails somewhere anyway, and those who are "fashionably late" will be less inclined to poke their heads in, see an empty bar, and trudge slowly away disheartened that no one attended. In the meantime, we get our own bartender and full run of the place.

Typically, once others see signs of life, we get company. Mind you, when I opined to the BF that we were like the little specks that a hail stone coalesces around, he told me lay off the frozen drinks, so YMMV. :eek:

Hi taking my honeymoon on this cruise.:D

Congratulations, and "welcome aboard." We'll have to be sure to offer up a toast in celebration!

The rules regarding debit card disputes differ from a credit card dispute. You need to go to your local police station and file a report. Without this, the bank is not obligated to return the money stolen from your account.

As someone who deals with this on a daily basis - and with respect to all the fabulous information you've shared across many, many postings - this is incorrect. While your bank can suggest that you file a police report (which is mostly for your own peace of mind), or even request that you file a police report (typically done when they think a claim of fraud may not be truthful), they cannot require you to. The Electronic Fund Transfer Act, implemented via Regulation E, requires only that you notify your financial institution timely (by law, within 60 days of your receipt of the statement that contains the unauthorized charges). If you live (or your account is domiciled) in Massachusetts, the timeframe extends to 4 years.

You can make the initial notification by phone (and with some banks, via their online banking system); in some cases you may also be required to notify in writing (normally using a form they send after you've originally reported the issue).

"Reg E," as it's called, also limits your liability (the amount varies, depending on when you notify), although any decent bank waives that and will not hold you responsible for any unauthorized transactions on your debit card.

To steal a line from the dearly departed Sy Syms, "An educated consumer is our best customer." :)

DW's breast of chicken from the Every Day menu, and mine - today's special, prime rib w. baked potatoes, sweet corn & broccoli (can easily sliced it with a regular knife, unlike the lamp which needed a steak knife to cut)

Would that be considered a light meal?

Seriously - thanks for the awesome review and pictures!

3 months since we booked, and now only :eek: 200 days to go!

DD and I had our passports stamped at the Customs building next to the Deliverance in St. George Harbor.

As did DSO and I on our first cruise there. The agent had to hunt around for the stamp and then had to adjust the date, but was very cordial.

Do you get cell phone reception while you are in port in San Juan? I have AT&T and it shows on their map that you do, but still am not sure. Don't need to call or text bad enough to pay roaming charges.

 

 

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Was there this past October and used my AT&T phone (and its data capabilities), just fine in port - but I was careful to flip it back to "airplane" mode just before we left the dock.

[substitute quote, as normal functionality not available]

When I sent an email to the president, CEO and other executives, I received a call within hours from Katherine at the Executive group, who informed me that the Executives I sent this email to asked her to call and say that they are not going to do anything. She was just told that she had to call me. Not with any solutions, though. She was a little bit nicer, but WHAT AWFUL POLICIES.

[End of substitute quote]

Well, I guess now we now the real reason Kevin Sheehan resigned. :cool:

Hi, I don't plan on using my cell phone to make calls, but want to use to take pictures, do you know if I will be charged roaming fees? no one is available on att chat otherwise I would ask them. thanks!

Ditto what Underwatr said - the camera works just fine even if the phone is in airplane mode. I've toted it all over Europe and on several cruises, with nary a problem.

So if I have a travel package good for US including Puerto Rico and USVI...can I use my phone at port? On the ship at the ports???

I had no trouble - or unexpected charges - using my AT&T phone (and web/apps) in San Juan or St. Thomas this past October, whether on the ship or ashore. I just flipped it back to "airplane mode" before departure.

Hope the savvy cruisers can share their experiences and save me from an unnecessary multi-hour call to NCL customer service.

Our freshly-made booking comes with all three of the Freestyle Choice offers - the dining package, the beverage package and the onboard credit - and the amenity confirmation we were e-mailed does show all three ... but online, NCL.com only shows the UDP and OBC. Is it normal for it not to display the UBP? :confused:

DSO and I just booked this one. Any other friends of Dorothy along for the ride? :p

My Pearl cruise is going to Tortola this december. I am worried it may be changed or cancelled. Been reading that many ships are having Tortola dropped. Does anyone have any additional info about Tortola? I know they are updating the pier in a major way, but it seems like some ships are stopping there sometimes. What's the skinny?

Just off the Gem yesterday, and our final port of call was Tortola. The Gem tendered here, likely due to the major construction underway at the pier area.