Notes from an NCL Breakaway Mini Cruise - Princess Edition

Hey Everyone:

Decided to do a quick little 2 night cruise on the Norwegian Breakaway out of NYC, and as always thought it might help folks considering NCL in general or the Breakaway specifically to look at it from a Princess perspective.

A couple of notes -

This was only a 2 day cruise. Obviously I didn't have the chance to check out a lot of entertainment and dining options and the ship did not run all of their programs. That said, I think I got a pretty good feel for it.

This was also a cruise out of NYC in January. It was cold. I mean COLD. Not a lot of pool use or lounging about the decks.

Where applicable I will use the Royal Princess for comparison, in that they are generally the same age and passenger count (4000 for the Breakaway, 3600 on the RP) and both are good indicators of the directions the lines are going.

With that in mind, and in no particular order:

Overall Design:

The contrast between the two ships (and by extension the lines) could not be more obvious. The Breakaway is a 'gee-whiz' ship. Lots of bells and whistles, 27 dining options, waterslides, ropes course, etc. The interior design was actually fairly tasteful, as compared to something like Carnival, but the vibe is very different. NCL feels more 'energetic', Princess more..well sedate is the best word that comes to mind. If you are used to the more relaxed Princess environment you probably won't dislike it, but probably will not find it calming. The exception to this is dining, which I will cover later.

Though the pax count is only 400 more, the NB felt larger than the RP.

Cabins:

If you don't like the Royal Princess balconies, you will hate most cabins on the Breakaway as their balconies are even a tad bit smaller. The cabins are smaller too. We had a spa mini suite, and our cabin was about the size of a deluxe balcony (with a bigger bathroom, their spa class has an extended multi-jet shower that Princess doesn't offer. This cabin class also includes access to the Thermal Suite. (If not for the limitations of the Thermal Suite below I would love to see Princess adopt this category, wouldn't take much to retrofit a few minis). Princess has a better cabin design, more drawers as opposed to cabinets, and a more usable closet setup. I found the cabin to be a bit confining and not sure how happy I would be on a 12 day...

Breakaway has a cabin type unique to NCL that I know of, the studio. We did not get to check these out, but these are small cabins that are built for one person and do NOT have a single supplement. In addition, the studio area has a private lounge for solo travelers, with special solo only events. Big plus to Norwegian here.

Speaking of the Spa, or Specifically the Thermal Suite:

Comparing the Royal to the Breakaway I have to think Princess is going in the wrong direction. Princess has put the enclave (and spa) deep into the center of the ship, which means no natural light and a bit of a cavernous feeling. It's also smaller. The NB Thermal Suite was on deck 15 and, well, look at the picture:

That was not all of the heated loungers, by the way. The pool was 2x the size if not more, with more jets, there were also about 30 standard loungers. NCL made a logistical mistake in my book, they sold their usual amount of passes for a long cruise, with only 1 sea day and an average temperature of 31 degrees, it got heavy use. Even with that, if you were patient, you could use any amenity you wanted in a reasonable amount of time, and I suspect during a normal cruise with no wait (they sell 120 plus the spa cabins)

They do not have the aromatherapy areas but they will add it to the steam room on request. If you like the Enclave, you will love the Thermal Suite.

Oh, and its available by the day on NCL if not sold out.

Nickels, Dimes and The Engines of Commerce:

NCL has a reputation as being a line that nickel and dimes you. From our experience its both earned and overstated.

NCL has a significantly higher number of ways to spend your money than Princess. Dining wise, there are about 15 different for-fee options (multiple specialty dining, plus a la carte options and the usual gelato). Pay per view movies cost as well. However, they do not have the plus cost menu options that RCCL does, and more importantly, I almost NEVER felt pressured to buy anything, not even in the spa. Two exceptions were the lunch buffet for sailaway drinks, and the park west folks with their art auction. Even the photographers were far less obtrusive than on our recent Princess cruise. And quite honestly, there was no reason to spend additional money unless you wanted to.

While on the subject of Money:

Given that I still have no idea what Princess was thinking with the Casino on the Royal, the one on the Breakaway beats it hollow. You can move!

NCL dropped the ball on shopping though. Their photo area was well done, but the other stores were cluttered and focused on high end goods mostly. The general merchandise is sold off counters in the middle of the main corridor, which besides being a traffic impediment, struck me as poor security. They had the same general merchandise and sales.

And now a subject near and dear to my heart. Food:

Honestly, my expectations weren't that high based on reviews. The reviewers were wrong.

NCL does offer a less creative menu than Princess. And their presentation was not as elegant. From a quality and taste standpoint, their main dining rooms however were an easy equal to the MDR on Royal and absent our amazing cruise on the Island probably tied for top 3 all time.

Their buffet was a bit of a disappointment not in terms of quality, but variety - a lot of items were duplicated across stations. They had a lot of line space but did not use it well. They do get props for self-serve juice and wine (card swipe) dispensers in addition to bar service.

I'd place it somewhere between the Royal and the Island in terms of logistics, closer to the 'typical' Princess buffet in terms of quality.

Now here's an important thing. I'll emphasize because this could be a deal breaker for some people. For the most part, there is NO traditional dining on NCLs newer ships!. You can request a standing reservation (same restaurant, table and waiter) but ONLY from 5:00 to 5:30 and subject to availability. All other reservations are made via phone or onboard tech, and you can reserve a time, but only request a server.

NCL uses a system called Freestyle Dining. There are 3 MDRs, two of them are the same and the third is styled after a supper club (but oddly is far larger than the other two). That MDR also has a dance floor and hosts a dance show and/or live band during dinner. The other two have a smaller footprint and really feel like a fine dining restaurant, with many more small tables. I actually prefer them to the larger Princess MDRs. They all offer the same menu on each day, with a base menu and daily additions, I was told on the longer cruises they also have additional dishes specific to each one (the two smaller ones have the same).

If you like AD on Princess, you will like Freestyle, just takes a bit of getting used to.

Casual dining wise they have TWO 24 hour complimentary options, plus others. In addition to the Atrium cafe (think IC), they also have an Irish Pub that has some really good options (unlimited free wings!). No pool pizza, but they do have a burger bar with a lot more options than the Trident.

Also, being based out of NYC, they have hot dog carts around the ship for lunch! Really! With real mustard!

You can happily avoid all of the specialty locations and never go hungry. That said, they have (but not limited to), French, Teppanyaki, Seafood, Steak, Asian Noodle and Sushi venues, plus mixed entertainment venues like a Jazz club and Cirque du Soleil light (requires paid show ticket, but includes dinner). Never heard a bad word about any of them, and raves about the Teppanyaki. Prices range from $15 to $40.

Overall, unless you are wed to TD, I think any Princess cruiser would be happy with the dining on Breakaway.

...and now I am hungry... so, to be continued, maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow.

Questions welcome.

Thank you so much for posting this comparison! Does the Breakaway have a MUTS type movie screen?

Interesting.....

Thanks for your insights

Srpilo

Incredible and awesome review.

We are just off the same CTN on The Breakaway. We are also recently off The Royal on December 19th.

We have sailed NCL numerous times. Princess our last 3 cruises.

We were very much looking forward to a comparison of the lines as well as the newer ships. We allowed the Breakaway some slack for a quick CTN out of FREEZING NYC, and pretty much staying in that climate.

Upon boarding we found Breakaway hallways wider overall. Atrium much less grander. Lots of nice seating areas but the seats were uncomfortable. Not so on The Royal. The public areas, lounges, and restaurants all more aesthetically appealing on The Royal.

Hands down truly no comparison with dining in any respect. We ate specialty on both ships and were nickled and dimed on NCL. On NCL in Cagney's I wanted my filet WITH a lobster tail and that was a $10 surcharge on my already $25 pp extra charge. On The Royal it was, "how many tails would you like?"

Buffets were also not comparable. The salad selections were almost a fraction of what we found on the Royal. Aside from selections quality was lesser in almost all regards on NCL. Most noticeable for us was the breads, pizza, and bagel differences. We are from NY! NCL is touting a ship that is home based NYC. Lets have some real bagels and pizza, please! Truly they were awful, not passable at all.

Also found the buffet selections to be oil saturated. Especially at breakfast.

NCL had a HUGE plus with entertainment selections. They got that going on way above the Royal. We had a ball with game shows, karaoke, bands, shows, and the casino.

Upsells on NCL, please way too much! We sat at a show and were offered to make our drinks a double...No thanks. Then would you like to buy a bottle? Also of noticeable difference cost for the same martini was $1.55 higher on NCL. Bottled water more expensive as well. I don't want to HAVE to eat at specialty restaurants every night to have a decent meal. On Princess we never had to.

Staff of both were so pleasant and genuinely happy to be on their respective ships. That was very nice.

To be fair we had 10 days of tropical weather on The Royal. That affects your mood. Until we experienced The Royal on Princess The Jade on NCL was our favorite ship. Happy to continue our study...:D

Yes, my kids would have loved NCL Breakaway and liked the Royal. So in the end it all depends on your audience.

They do not, at least not in the same mode. On the rear of the they have Spice H2O which is used for different events and has a large screen that would work for movies, and also inside the atrium is a very large screen.

The waterslides precluded a slide at the main pool area..

Thank you so much for posting this comparison! Does the Breakaway have a MUTS type movie screen?

Seems like a lot of the upsell was bar? We don't drink, which may have accounted for the difference (didn't do specialty either).

Incredible and awesome review.

 

We are just off the same CTN on The Breakaway. We are also recently off The Royal on December 19th.

 

We have sailed NCL numerous times. Princess our last 3 cruises.

 

We were very much looking forward to a comparison of the lines as well as the newer ships. We allowed the Breakaway some slack for a quick CTN out of FREEZING NYC, and pretty much staying in that climate.

 

Upon boarding we found Breakaway hallways wider overall. Atrium much less grander. Lots of nice seating areas but the seats were uncomfortable. Not so on The Royal. The public areas, lounges, and restaurants all more aesthetically appealing on The Royal.

 

Hands down truly no comparison with dining in any respect. We ate specialty on both ships and were nickled and dimed on NCL. On NCL in Cagney's I wanted my filet WITH a lobster tail and that was a $10 surcharge on my already $25 pp extra charge. On The Royal it was, "how many tails would you like?"

 

Buffets were also not comparable. The salad selections were almost a fraction of what we found on the Royal. Aside from selections quality was lesser in almost all regards on NCL. Most noticeable for us was the breads, pizza, and bagel differences. We are from NY! NCL is touting a ship that is home based NYC. Lets have some real bagels and pizza, please! Truly they were awful, not passable at all.

 

Also found the buffet selections to be oil saturated. Especially at breakfast.

 

NCL had a HUGE plus with entertainment selections. They got that going on way above the Royal. We had a ball with game shows, karaoke, bands, shows, and the casino.

 

Upsells on NCL, please way too much! We sat at a show and were offered to make our drinks a double...No thanks. Then would you like to buy a bottle? Also of noticeable difference cost for the same martini was $1.55 higher on NCL. Bottled water more expensive as well. I don't want to HAVE to eat at specialty restaurants every night to have a decent meal. On Princess we never had to.

 

Staff of both were so pleasant and genuinely happy to be on their respective ships. That was very nice.

 

To be fair we had 10 days of tropical weather on The Royal. That affects your mood. Until we experienced The Royal on Princess The Jade on NCL was our favorite ship. Happy to continue our study...:D

 

Yes, my kids would have loved NCL Breakaway and liked the Royal. So in the end it all depends on your audience.

Side note - do you have ANY clue why A> we needed to clear customs and B> they only had like 5 agents on??

Incredible and awesome review.

 

We are just off the same CTN on The Breakaway. We are also recently off The Royal on December 19th.

 

We have sailed NCL numerous times. Princess our last 3 cruises.

 

We were very much looking forward to a comparison of the lines as well as the newer ships. We allowed the Breakaway some slack for a quick CTN out of FREEZING NYC, and pretty much staying in that climate.

 

Upon boarding we found Breakaway hallways wider overall. Atrium much less grander. Lots of nice seating areas but the seats were uncomfortable. Not so on The Royal. The public areas, lounges, and restaurants all more aesthetically appealing on The Royal.

 

Hands down truly no comparison with dining in any respect. We ate specialty on both ships and were nickled and dimed on NCL. On NCL in Cagney's I wanted my filet WITH a lobster tail and that was a $10 surcharge on my already $25 pp extra charge. On The Royal it was, "how many tails would you like?"

 

Buffets were also not comparable. The salad selections were almost a fraction of what we found on the Royal. Aside from selections quality was lesser in almost all regards on NCL. Most noticeable for us was the breads, pizza, and bagel differences. We are from NY! NCL is touting a ship that is home based NYC. Lets have some real bagels and pizza, please! Truly they were awful, not passable at all.

 

Also found the buffet selections to be oil saturated. Especially at breakfast.

 

NCL had a HUGE plus with entertainment selections. They got that going on way above the Royal. We had a ball with game shows, karaoke, bands, shows, and the casino.

 

Upsells on NCL, please way too much! We sat at a show and were offered to make our drinks a double...No thanks. Then would you like to buy a bottle? Also of noticeable difference cost for the same martini was $1.55 higher on NCL. Bottled water more expensive as well. I don't want to HAVE to eat at specialty restaurants every night to have a decent meal. On Princess we never had to.

 

Staff of both were so pleasant and genuinely happy to be on their respective ships. That was very nice.

 

To be fair we had 10 days of tropical weather on The Royal. That affects your mood. Until we experienced The Royal on Princess The Jade on NCL was our favorite ship. Happy to continue our study...:D

 

Yes, my kids would have loved NCL Breakaway and liked the Royal. So in the end it all depends on your audience.

Side note - do you have ANY clue why A> we needed to clear customs and B> they only had like 5 agents on??

Duty Free shopping needs to be claimed. We were off the ship quite early and no lines at all. My sister got off around 10A and said the lines were crazy. It was a sheet of ice when we disembarked just prior to the sky opening up and pouring.

Yes, as far as the up-sells we encountered, they all related to liquor and specialty dining.

Apparently someone cut in line around 10 and started a fist fight at the top of the escalators.

And consider my comments on upsell amended.

Duty Free shopping needs to be claimed. We were off the ship quite early and no lines at all. My sister got off around 10A and said the lines were crazy. It was a sheet of ice when we disembarked just prior to the sky opening up and pouring.

 

Yes, as far as the up-sells we encountered, they all related to liquor and specialty dining.

Apparently someone cut in line around 10 and started a fist fight at the top of the escalators.

 

And consider my comments on upsell amended.

Oh boy! That would do it.

OK, what is CTN? Something two nights? The only 2 nights I've ever sailed on were pre-inaugurals.

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Thanks, you two, for the great comparisons of NCL vs. Princess. Can't wait to read the rest. :)

Cruise to Nowhere...

OK, what is CTN? Something two nights? The only 2 nights I've ever sailed on were pre-inaugurals.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Thanks to both of you. We had considered perhaps someday trying an NCL Hawaii cruise and both of your detailed and objective comparisons are very helpful!

Loonbeam;

Thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts. I am intrigued about NCL. I might have to read up on NCL.....:):):)

Bob

....and we're back..

So where was I. Oh yeah, food.

http://www.magicaladventuresawait.com/blog/archives/10-2014

A couple more food notes:

As part of the birthday package, you get a 10" cake. That's insane for 2 people, or 4 people, given that there is no place to store it (they cannot store it in room service once you cut it).

Unlike Princess you cannot request the mini-bar be emptied. You can have it locked. You can empty it yourself I suppose (we didn't bother)

So, Entertainment:

I'm torn on this one (and a big reason was the short cruise). In terms of staging and quality, Rock of Ages beats anything on Princess. Two of the cast had been in the broadway production and others had broadway and off-broadway credits. And their stage is better. Their theater has cupholders but no side aisles.

You can reserve access, either on TV or at the Box office (main shows are free). Seating opens to standby 10 mins prior. They may not let you in late.

Rock of ages was a 1 hour and 45 min show.

So why am I torn? Rock of Ages was listed for Mature Audiences. And boy did it need to be. Language, 'skimpy' clothing, general raunch and groping. Yet people brought kids (they were warned at the door). The show was well done, but I am not sure its the right choice for a ship designed for families!

Other options included a group from Second City (didn't get to see it, I had the time wrong) and Cirque (pay). Plus the usual cruise activities, games etc. (Side note, the cruise director (Julie - yes, seriously) was excellent and EVERYWHERE, even dancing out on stage for one number in Rock of Ages instead of one of the cast. - She was the CD who launched the Breakaway and I think is their most senior. Sam and Brent are the only two Princess CDs I have seen yet who come close.)

It's hard to judge the daily activities because of the compressed schedule.

Because Rock of Ages is the only show, I might have concerns about variety on longer cruises, but I assume they bring on performers, etc.

One area where NCL comes out ahead is venues - they have the Jazz club, the comedy club, the nightclub, the main theatre, the atrium screen, Spice H20, and a stage at the main pool, allowing them to offer more diversity than Princess can.

Did you say pools?

I guess pools don't make money. The 2 main pools are probably the same size as the Royal, with the addition of a kids water play area next to the main pool. They do have the waterslides as well, 4 of them I think, 2 traditional, two 'drop' style. Obviously they were not in use. There are more hot tubs than on Princess (10 on the upper deck).

I was told the back pool was designated adults only at times.

They have a towel exchange program. Pool towels will be in your room on boarding, they can be switched for fresh any time at the pool area. This is a much better option than carrying soaking wet towels to the room.

Did you mention the mattresses?

I didn't. Royals are better, the ones on the breakaway were fine, but no pillow top, and if you get them together, you get the seam...

Also, there is little underbed storage, that's where the life jackets are (but this frees up room in the closet.

So what about the Bells and Whistles. The WOW factor as it were...

They do have some really unique touches. On the longer cruises they do fireworks on night. There is an ice bar that you need to wear fur capes (provided) to go in. There is a 1 drink minimum, but if they are no busy, they might let you in, and there are non-alcoholic options. We kept forgetting to stop in.

They have some epic waterslides as I noted. A really cute 9 hole mini-golf course (as compare the epic fail on the Royal), a climbing wall, a large video arcade with both regular and ticket games.

The real impressive piece was the ropes course. It's a well designed single tie in system that allows for a lot of maneuverability and different challenges. You can even lean out over the side of the ship if you want. I really wanted to try it but just too cold for me.

This is only a small part of it:

If you have active kids, I honestly have to give the nod to NCL over Princess.

Speaking of Kids:

The kids clubs in terms of facilities seemed to be on a par with Princess, maybe a little better (the rooms used by 3-12s had a video floor, etc.) But most of the program seemed to be staff driven as opposed to facility driven, and they do make use of the upper deck facilities when available. So quality depends a lot on staffing. There is a teen lounge on the upper deck as well, a little nicer than Princess.

Because of the compressed schedule, there was no special programming, just sampler activities in each age group (they do more full day activities on the longer cruises.)

NCL has a partnership with Nickelodeon, which allows them to do meet and greets and show the Nick channel...

Speaking of channels...

They do have interactive TV. Movies are PPV but newer than Princess and channel selection is very limited. They do have a nav channel. They also have a partnership with the Rockettes, so there is a channel dedicated to that. The interactive features are good, from reservations to bill checking, you can even book their version of an FCC ($250, you get $100 OBC NOW, can cancel in 30 days for $150 and can use on any 6 day or more cruise in 4 years).

They Like Books:

The library is much larger than the closet on the Royal, but is only open limited hours (and also doubles as a small Rockettes display. In addition to paper books they also loan out Nook E-Readers (not sure of what is loaded on them) and they have sudoku puzzles out at all times.

There is also a decent size card room next to the library with board games available.

How was the dress code?

Significantly more casual than Princess. There is NO formal nite (they call it 'Formal or not') and it is only a suggestion, there is no enforcement in dining rooms. The two smaller dining rooms are cruise casual at all times, the manhattan room is smart casual (no t-shirts, shorts, flip flops). There are some themed nights.

Hmm. What else..

One thing about the ship is other than the windows (which I understand the logistics of cleaning in NY in Feb, is that the ship was designed in such a way to look clean, even when it may not be. Because of the design,you really have to look to find imperfections. I have always noticed on Princess that the design palette seems to emphasize them.

Last but certainly not least, I want to talk about staff...

Now, I have rarely had a complaint about Princess staff. But the NCL staff impressed the heck out of me. EVERY single person we met seemed genuinely enthusiastic about their job, and you always got a smile and a greeting. I see that on Princess too, but sometimes it feels forced, like they do it out of rote. I never felt that here, not once.

Having met the HD, I think it all flows down from upper staff. One thing I noticed was that upper staff pitched in whenever. I saw senior staff assisting people with seating in the buffet, headwaiters help clear tables, etc. I do not find it a coincidence that our best cruise on Princess followed the same pattern.

I do not know if this is a Breakaway thing or NCL culture, but it contributed very positively to the overall tone of the cruise, and realizing its a short turnaround cruise, which is hard on the staff, made it even more remarkable.

Almost forgot...

The Breakaway does NOT have a wraparound Promenade deck. They do have one that goes most ways around called the Waterfront, which also features outdoor seating for many dining venues (obviously not in use). There is also another outdoor deck below, similar the Royal Promenade.

So, the verdict.

Honestly, if you are one of the more 'traditional' Princess cruisers, I am not sure NCL is the best fit for you (by that I mean cruisers who prefer a more sedate atmosphere, set dining times and staff with shared tables, etc).

For our part, we are already considering booking the NCL Escape next year if it ends up fitting our plans (as always, itinerary takes priority). We found the food to be good, the entertainment to our liking, the rooms a bit small but doable and the staff excellent.

There was one thing I didn't like but might do anyway.

One great thing about Princess is its pretty egalitarian. There are activities for frequent cruisers and they get some perks, but everybody pretty much gets the same treatment. On NCL they have the 'Haven' which are premium cabins. ONLY the Haven guests get to use a private domed pool, a special dining venue with a more upscale menu, reserved seating section for shows and other things. Think airplane first class. It does create a bit of a have/have not atmosphere I am not sure I am fond of, but then again I don't like it on airplanes and I still use miles to fly FC.

Can I see your photos?

Sure! Full set of ship photos here.. I have more, ask if there is something special you want to see...

Hope this helps!

Thanks for the review. We are considering a cruise on the gem this year.

I wish Princess would stay in the Caribbean a little later. The gem is the only itinerary that fits our schedule.

Thanks for the side-by-side Princess/Norwegian comparison. I'm going on my first Princess cruise in two weeks, and I'm looking forward to a new experience. I have high expectations for my four nights aboard Crown. I'm just hoping the weather will hold in the low 70s so I can get my pool fix.

A review of my cruise history shows I've mostly sailed with Norwegian. Your take on the line matches my own experience fairly well, I think. I haven't been on Breakaway-class, yet, but I did just sail Epic (the precursor to Breakaway). And I'm booked on a B2B on Escape in 2016. Maybe I will see you aboard.

Just a minor clarification: there are five water slides on Breakaway. And at least on Epic, they did schedule movies on the big screen at Spice H2O on some nights. They don't give you blankets and there wasn't any popcorn, so it wasn't the full MUTS experience. But, Epic has the largest video screen at sea, so the movie presented well.

Thanks again for your post.

Looking at my photos I just saw the 5th one.

The screen at H20 on the Breakaway is much smaller than MUTS. Probably 20feet high/wide max.

Thanks for the side-by-side Princess/Norwegian comparison. I'm going on my first Princess cruise in two weeks, and I'm looking forward to a new experience. I have high expectations for my four nights aboard Crown. I'm just hoping the weather will hold in the low 70s so I can get my pool fix.

 

A review of my cruise history shows I've mostly sailed with Norwegian. Your take on the line matches my own experience fairly well, I think. I haven't been on Breakaway-class, yet, but I did just sail Epic (the precursor to Breakaway). And I'm booked on a B2B on Escape in 2016. Maybe I will see you aboard.

 

Just a minor clarification: there are five water slides on Breakaway. And at least on Epic, they did schedule movies on the big screen at Spice H2O on some nights. They don't give you blankets and there wasn't any popcorn, so it wasn't the full MUTS experience. But, Epic has the largest video screen at sea, so the movie presented well.

 

Thanks again for your post.

Thank you for taking the time to post such a detailed comparison. We've never sailed NCL but have been curious. I appreciate your review!

....and we're back..

 

So where was I. Oh yeah, food.

 

http://www.magicaladventuresawait.com/blog/archives/10-2014

A couple more food notes:

 

As part of the birthday package, you get a 10" cake. That's insane for 2 people, or 4 people, given that there is no place to store it (they cannot store it in room service once you cut it).

 

Unlike Princess you cannot request the mini-bar be emptied. You can have it locked. You can empty it yourself I suppose (we didn't bother)

 

So, Entertainment:

 

I'm torn on this one (and a big reason was the short cruise). In terms of staging and quality, Rock of Ages beats anything on Princess. Two of the cast had been in the broadway production and others had broadway and off-broadway credits. And their stage is better. Their theater has cupholders but no side aisles.

 

You can reserve access, either on TV or at the Box office (main shows are free). Seating opens to standby 10 mins prior. They may not let you in late.

 

Rock of ages was a 1 hour and 45 min show.

 

So why am I torn? Rock of Ages was listed for Mature Audiences. And boy did it need to be. Language, 'skimpy' clothing, general raunch and groping. Yet people brought kids (they were warned at the door). The show was well done, but I am not sure its the right choice for a ship designed for families!

 

Other options included a group from Second City (didn't get to see it, I had the time wrong) and Cirque (pay). Plus the usual cruise activities, games etc. (Side note, the cruise director (Julie - yes, seriously) was excellent and EVERYWHERE, even dancing out on stage for one number in Rock of Ages instead of one of the cast. - She was the CD who launched the Breakaway and I think is their most senior. Sam and Brent are the only two Princess CDs I have seen yet who come close.)

 

It's hard to judge the daily activities because of the compressed schedule.

 

Because Rock of Ages is the only show, I might have concerns about variety on longer cruises, but I assume they bring on performers, etc.

 

One area where NCL comes out ahead is venues - they have the Jazz club, the comedy club, the nightclub, the main theatre, the atrium screen, Spice H20, and a stage at the main pool, allowing them to offer more diversity than Princess can.

 

Did you say pools?

 

I guess pools don't make money. The 2 main pools are probably the same size as the Royal, with the addition of a kids water play area next to the main pool. They do have the waterslides as well, 4 of them I think, 2 traditional, two 'drop' style. Obviously they were not in use. There are more hot tubs than on Princess (10 on the upper deck).

 

I was told the back pool was designated adults only at times.

 

They have a towel exchange program. Pool towels will be in your room on boarding, they can be switched for fresh any time at the pool area. This is a much better option than carrying soaking wet towels to the room.

 

Did you mention the mattresses?

 

I didn't. Royals are better, the ones on the breakaway were fine, but no pillow top, and if you get them together, you get the seam...

 

Also, there is little underbed storage, that's where the life jackets are (but this frees up room in the closet.

 

So what about the Bells and Whistles. The WOW factor as it were...

 

They do have some really unique touches. On the longer cruises they do fireworks on night. There is an ice bar that you need to wear fur capes (provided) to go in. There is a 1 drink minimum, but if they are no busy, they might let you in, and there are non-alcoholic options. We kept forgetting to stop in.

 

They have some epic waterslides as I noted. A really cute 9 hole mini-golf course (as compare the epic fail on the Royal), a climbing wall, a large video arcade with both regular and ticket games.

 

The real impressive piece was the ropes course. It's a well designed single tie in system that allows for a lot of maneuverability and different challenges. You can even lean out over the side of the ship if you want. I really wanted to try it but just too cold for me.

 

This is only a small part of it:

 

 

If you have active kids, I honestly have to give the nod to NCL over Princess.

 

Speaking of Kids:

 

The kids clubs in terms of facilities seemed to be on a par with Princess, maybe a little better (the rooms used by 3-12s had a video floor, etc.) But most of the program seemed to be staff driven as opposed to facility driven, and they do make use of the upper deck facilities when available. So quality depends a lot on staffing. There is a teen lounge on the upper deck as well, a little nicer than Princess.

 

Because of the compressed schedule, there was no special programming, just sampler activities in each age group (they do more full day activities on the longer cruises.)

 

NCL has a partnership with Nickelodeon, which allows them to do meet and greets and show the Nick channel...

 

Speaking of channels...

 

They do have interactive TV. Movies are PPV but newer than Princess and channel selection is very limited. They do have a nav channel. They also have a partnership with the Rockettes, so there is a channel dedicated to that. The interactive features are good, from reservations to bill checking, you can even book their version of an FCC ($250, you get $100 OBC NOW, can cancel in 30 days for $150 and can use on any 6 day or more cruise in 4 years).

 

They Like Books:

 

The library is much larger than the closet on the Royal, but is only open limited hours (and also doubles as a small Rockettes display. In addition to paper books they also loan out Nook E-Readers (not sure of what is loaded on them) and they have sudoku puzzles out at all times.

 

There is also a decent size card room next to the library with board games available.

 

How was the dress code?

 

Significantly more casual than Princess. There is NO formal nite (they call it 'Formal or not') and it is only a suggestion, there is no enforcement in dining rooms. The two smaller dining rooms are cruise casual at all times, the manhattan room is smart casual (no t-shirts, shorts, flip flops). There are some themed nights.

 

Hmm. What else..

 

One thing about the ship is other than the windows (which I understand the logistics of cleaning in NY in Feb, is that the ship was designed in such a way to look clean, even when it may not be. Because of the design,you really have to look to find imperfections. I have always noticed on Princess that the design palette seems to emphasize them.

 

Last but certainly not least, I want to talk about staff...

 

Now, I have rarely had a complaint about Princess staff. But the NCL staff impressed the heck out of me. EVERY single person we met seemed genuinely enthusiastic about their job, and you always got a smile and a greeting. I see that on Princess too, but sometimes it feels forced, like they do it out of rote. I never felt that here, not once.

 

Having met the HD, I think it all flows down from upper staff. One thing I noticed was that upper staff pitched in whenever. I saw senior staff assisting people with seating in the buffet, headwaiters help clear tables, etc. I do not find it a coincidence that our best cruise on Princess followed the same pattern.

 

I do not know if this is a Breakaway thing or NCL culture, but it contributed very positively to the overall tone of the cruise, and realizing its a short turnaround cruise, which is hard on the staff, made it even more remarkable.

 

Almost forgot...

 

The Breakaway does NOT have a wraparound Promenade deck. They do have one that goes most ways around called the Waterfront, which also features outdoor seating for many dining venues (obviously not in use). There is also another outdoor deck below, similar the Royal Promenade.

 

So, the verdict.

 

Honestly, if you are one of the more 'traditional' Princess cruisers, I am not sure NCL is the best fit for you (by that I mean cruisers who prefer a more sedate atmosphere, set dining times and staff with shared tables, etc).

 

For our part, we are already considering booking the NCL Escape next year if it ends up fitting our plans (as always, itinerary takes priority). We found the food to be good, the entertainment to our liking, the rooms a bit small but doable and the staff excellent.

 

There was one thing I didn't like but might do anyway.

 

One great thing about Princess is its pretty egalitarian. There are activities for frequent cruisers and they get some perks, but everybody pretty much gets the same treatment. On NCL they have the 'Haven' which are premium cabins. ONLY the Haven guests get to use a private domed pool, a special dining venue with a more upscale menu, reserved seating section for shows and other things. Think airplane first class. It does create a bit of a have/have not atmosphere I am not sure I am fond of, but then again I don't like it on airplanes and I still use miles to fly FC.

 

Can I see your photos?

 

Sure! Full set of ship photos here.. I have more, ask if there is something special you want to see...

 

 

Hope this helps!

Nice review & comparison...you forgot to mention O'Sheehan's Irish Pub that is open 24/7 with FREE fish & chips, ribs, etc...my friend Roy & wife tried the Breakaway last year..they are almost Diamond on RCI, and have also cruised the Ruby Princess ( which they liked a lot)..it was their 1st time on NCL, and LOVED it! They went to Bermuda..Roy said the shows & meals BLEW away anything on RCI..his fav was Teppanyaki, which is my 2nd fav after Le Bistro- the escargots there is fab, and the fruit fondue for dessert ( a pineapple bottom filled with fruit dipped in CHOCOLATE!!) was divine...they also liked Cagney's and Moderno's, the Brazilian steak place..they also said EVERY night there was a great show ( don't miss the Cirque dinner show), Rock Of Ages, and Burn The Floor latin dancing show...yes. balconies were a bit small, but doable...they liked it so much, they just booked another 12 night cruise on the Breakaway 2/1!! The thing about Norwegian, it's about LOTS of options & things to do..I am going on the 3 night Regal cruise 4/12, so I will see how I like this new ship..I have only done the Grand before..I'm a cruise agent with 30+ cruises behind me on all but Costa & MSC for mainstream lines...the new Escape looks fantastic, with even more options- you can see her on YouTube or the NCL website...again, nice comparison...

Big Al

Thanks for the very informative review.

We have sailed many times on Princess but decided to try NCL to Bermuda last September on BREAKAWAY. I have read many times on these boards how Princess MDR was much better than NCL. Having just returned from STAR PRINCESS for comparison, I think NCL's MDR was every bit as good. I was frankly surprised because I assumed NCL would push their upcharge dining by providing less than wonderful choices in the MDR. We found that was NOT the case - the service and food both very good in the MDR. We only did two upcharge evenings and both were great. Also agree with your observation that crew attitudes were superb - but found STAR PRINCESS to be the same.

We would absolutely cruise NCL again.

Hi Loonbeam!

Thanks for your detailed review. I've been cruising Princess exclusively for the past 20 years and love it (only the new Royal disappointed).

Our group of 18 is trying the Breakaway this July. Mobility problems for one of the gang makes leaving out of our "backyard" much easier than flying down to FLL. Many in the group were concerned about NCL. We heard a lot of..if you like Princess, you will hate NCL.

I will share your thoughts with the gang..I think we are going to enjoy the ship. It is really all about the company .

I'm actually excited about leaving out of NY. So disappointed Princess pulled back their sailing out of NY (only New England sailing and a Caribbean sailing in Nov.) My last NY sail was on the Oceanic back in 82.

Thanks again!!

Thanks for the review..we loved the breakaway

Can someone answer this question, please? I always arrange for low/no sodium meals on Princess and prefer traditional dining so that the headwaiter and waiters become familiar very quickly with my diet. Actually, the headwaiter brings me the next night's menu as we are finishing our meal so that my dinner for the next night can be made to meet my dietary requirements. Has anyone had any experience ordering special meals on NCL Breakaway? From what Loombeam has described, its seems impossibly difficult, if at all.

Thanks,