NCL Breakaway July 31

• Departure – We drove to Pier 88 and got on the end of a line of cars on the Arrival ramp. After about 5 minutes, I realized the line was not moving. Hey allow people to park there while waiting for dis embarking passengers. We were given a boarding “phrase” instead of a number. We waited for about 2 hours. There was not enough chairs for people to sit. Someone finally walked past us calling out boarding number 1. When I showed them our boarding “phrase” they said we should have boarded already.

• Cabin – We had lunch in the Savoy room. When we got to our room, there was cloths and toiletries still in the room from the prior cruise.

• Restaurants – We ate breakfast in the Savoy and dinner in the Manhattan room. We NEVER got a “hot” meal. When I put butter on my pancakes, it didn’t melt. The toast came to us toasted only on one side. The dinner menus were very limited. I ordered a steak medium. I tried to send it back because it was under cooked. The waiter argued with me. When I got the second steak, it was over cooked. The waiter argued with me again.

• Pool – Never enough chairs and the music was very loud. People would save chairs and never show up for hours.

• Lounges/Shows – You have to reserve seats for every show. There is a cover charge for some. The Lounges were very small. The music was very loud in both the shows and Lounges.

• Disembarkation – We did not get off the ship till 11:20AM.

Yikes! Sorry you had such a bad experience.

It sounds like most of your complaints aren't with NCL. The port is in charge of parking, employing folks checking you in, and the building (not big enough for the Breakaway). NCL wants passengers off of the ship ASAP, but sometimes there are oroblems with the port (usually customs) which delays disembarkment, and therefore embarkment).

Lol you were supposed to go to the departure ramp not the arrivals!! They are very good at directing traffic so not sure what your issue would have been

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Welcome home. Sorry your cruise had some issues. Sounds like many were isolated as there are several new reviews posted and none of them seemed to mirror your experience.

Thank you very much for sharing your cruise experience with us, with a fresh view - it seemed you've not sailed NCL in a long time vis-a-vis other lines. It is appreciated and welcomed here.

With respect to the boarding process, I would say part of that is within NCL and part of it with port authorities/CBP (and that's beyond what the lines can do). Been keeping our eyes out for ship's recent arrival pattern & time - this past weekend, both the GEM and Breakaway arrived back "just in time" on the dot's & tee's - whereas in the most prior sailings - the "norm" has been early arrival at the pier, typically 7 AM with Express coming off the gangway around 7:45 (vessel cleared shortly before) and Priority Disembark around 8:15. Folks have been expecting the same routine, although posted arrival time has been 8 AM (and, in some case @10 AM ... then nicely surprised that the ship quietly sailed under VZ Bridge at 5:30 to 6 AM.) When gangways were not down & ready until 8 AM++ instead of 7 AM - it created issues for everyone and not helping for a fast & smooth turnaround for crew or passengers.

When we last sailed this May, ship was "early" and we boarded @11:15 as VIP/Platinum. Our room was just finished by RS, ready at 11:45 but the stateroom for our friends next door wasn't - typically, goal is to have all the cabins ready by 1 PM. OP, if you got there earlier than 1 PM - the turnaround was probably still in full motion ... especially, given the BA class ship's staff ratio and resources, to be expected & not a surprise. We just dropped our carry-onbags off & left for lunch @Savor, and told RS to take his time to finish up whatever is necessary.

As for food in MDR and even the buffet, that's pretty much what we've come to expect - a giant "catering" and/or banquet operation daily for maybe 5,000 passengers in various venues, just about impractical for hot food to be served, with a few exceptions. Having been to Behind The Scene Tour on the BA do made one realize & appreciate the magnitude of their gallery operations - and, the distance/walk for wait staff from the back to the dining area with a dozen covered plates balanced over their shoulder, not an easy job.

Having said all that, we are by no means cheerleading for NCL and it's takeaway mode lately, under current management (without calling names, LOL) as the COO has been with the line for many years and not an outsider by any means. I would've considered having a small conversation with the head waiter in the MDR about the server's attitude. Was this waiter in Manhattan MDR, wondering if he was the same one we had one evening ... and, over a nice request for extra creamer for coffee (after our meal) - DW was pissed off enough to ask me to get his name and find the head waiter (but, I decided to just let it go.) - LOL. Now, we are both fueling the "negativity" as claimed by some on the other thread, which I am trying to stay out of & neutral about.

Shanghai Noodles & O'Sheehan's seemed to, IMO, served food closest to hot and/or at least at "proper" temperature (without bringing & using my NSF-certified food therometer to test it) - true also for some of the fresh items in the buffet, however, it's just too crowded for our preference on sea days.

As for shows & lounges, thankfully - we sailed twice before & knew about the issues & seeing the big ones twice were enough ... our vision for sailing is to just relax & have some fun. Likewise, we avoided the pool deck areas mostly - problem isn't with the # of chairs and the hogs; but, it's the size of the small pools. Hence, the Jersey shore resorts on the weekend are better for us - lots of pampering, still crowded but nowhere as bad as on the summer sailings.

OP, Bermuda has always been great - how was your time there :cool: We seemed to discover something new & different each and every time we visit.

Looks to me that looking at your cruise history NCL is not for you.

Thank you very much for sharing your cruise experience with us, with a fresh view - it seemed you've not sailed NCL in a long time vis-a-vis other lines. It is appreciated and welcomed here.

I want to say "Thank You" to you for a very reasonable response!

I've had better experiences in the MDR and with embarkation/disembarkation, but I can see how those things could happen. The service on the Breakaway has gone downhill. It takes way too long to eat unless you count self-service options like the buffet.

If chairs are taken and no one is sitting in them for hours, what about moving their stuff and taking the seats for yourself?

Sorry you had such a disappointing experience and thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Lol you were supposed to go to the departure ramp not the arrivals!! They are very good at directing traffic so not sure what your issue would have been

 

 

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It was the Departure (upper) ramp. Sorry!

• Disembarkation – We did not get off the ship till 11:20AM.

Lucky! I'm going to try for that next time. :D

Sorry your cruise wasn't the best.

If chairs are taken and no one is sitting in them for hours, what about moving their stuff and taking the seats for yourself?

I would so do that. To bad, to sad. :p

If chairs are taken and no one is sitting in them for hours, what about moving their stuff and taking the seats for yourself?

There were 4 chairs next to us that hadn't been used for several hours. When the people came back and found others sitting there, they wanted me to tell the new people that they were there first.

It sounds like most of your complaints aren't with NCL.

Huh? Most of the issues reported are with NCL. Toiletries and clothes from the previous occupants, bread toasted on only one side, inability to cook a steak to medium.

When I looked for chairs in H2O there were chairs with towels on it. The people sitting next to them said that they were there for 3 hours and haven't seen Anyone use them. So we told security and they removed the towels. An hour latter the people came back and said that was their chairs. We told them security told us we can use them. So they called security and security told them that they removed their things and we could use the chairs. They weren't a happy group but left cursing all the way.

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There were 4 chairs next to us that hadn't been used for several hours. When the people came back and found others sitting there, they wanted me to tell the new people that they were there first.

"Sorry dude, there is a 60 minute time limit on holding chairs."

Confront a chair hog with facts and they will usually back down.

"Sorry dude, there is a 60 minute time limit on holding chairs."

 

Confront a chair hog with facts and they will usually back down.

Exactly. If this happened to me, I'd prob just say, yea I think they left these towels here a few hours ago but I'm not really paying attention. Have a good one guys!

Huh? Most of the issues reported are with NCL. Toiletries and clothes from the previous occupants, bread toasted on only one side, inability to cook a steak to medium.

At least 3 had to do with embarkment, 1 with disembarkment, 1 with other passengers. The food complaint is valid, I'm not sure if the cabin issue was due to the delay, and needing reservations for shows is pretty well known n all mega ships with over 4000 passengers (plus there are usually seats available if you wait until they open up seating for those without reservations).

"Sorry dude, there is a 60 minute time limit on holding chairs."

 

Confront a chair hog with facts and they will usually back down.

Why would I want to confront anyone on my vacation; especially when NCL doesn't care.

Why would I want to confront anyone on my vacation; especially when NCL doesn't care.

I don't think they are implying a real confrontation but simply stating the facts/rules will usually defuse the issue. I would have used that same line if someone asked me to vouch for them that they are there first.....especially if they were hoggers. It's up to everyone to help

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Years ago on our cruise two women went nuts about the sun lounger. I could not hear the argument but I could see tempers flaring. They were getting into slapping/hitting each other. Three men stepped in and separated the two. Security was called and they talked with the ladies. Both of them left after that.

Other times you hear the chair hog coming back and yelling that the chair is hers. I have yet to see any men coming to blows over chairs, just women.

I know it's wrong for the chair hogs to not come back, but I am a scaredy cat and would probably burst into tears if the chair hog decided to go postal. I just walk around till I find a open chair.

Since we're on the topic, this deserves a re-post.

Why would I want to confront anyone on my vacation; especially when NCL doesn't care.

I don't... what??

Of course you wont get a seat if you just stand there and hope someone offers it up to you. Chair hogs put their stuff down early because they figure no one will call them on it.

It's survival of the fittest, they are not in chair, you take chair, too bad for them when they come rolling back around hours later. Passive people get no chairs, its how things work. People aren't nice so you call them on that and just take a seat.

Simply standing around and saying "Oh well, I guess I wont get a chair because people have some towels down for hours" and then moping away in self pity will guarantee you wont get a chair.

I am not talking about kicking someone out after 5 minutes when they go grab a drink, NCL sets a timeline and posts that, it was an hour last time I was on board, if they arent around for an hour the chair is yours.