Live Blog: Norwegian Breakaway Inaugural Transatlantic Cruise!

[DJHamma514]

Flat Fare from John F. Kennedy (JFK) Airport:

For trips between (to and from) Manhattan and JFK International Airport, the flat fare is $52.00 plus any tolls using Rate Code 2 on the meter. A NY State Tax Surcharge of $.50 will be added to each trip.

[Kenosha Cruiser]

Mike, thanks for a wonderful week of reading and enjoying the many pictures of the Breakaway! My wife and I are anxious to board this amazing ship on june 2nd to Bermuda.

 

Cheers - Ken & Darlene

[cabincop]

Mike great blog I am grateful for your insight. I just want to throw out for 10years I cruised the mediterrean in the fall best time of year to cruise, so think about it. Spain Italy Greece Malta just amazing

[DGP1111]

Thank You, Mike!!

 

Kudos on a job VERY well done!!

 

:) . . :) . . :) . . :)

 

.

[Nice2MeetU]

Great photos!!!

[mooshka]

Mike, thanks so much. I feel like I have been on the ship. I'll be on the last Bermuda cruise in October. My husband and I are also from Philly. We live in Center City. I'm sure our paths have crossed. Thanks for all the info. I am assigned to a mini suite on deck 10. They changed me to deck 12 but I changed back because it was too near all the kids activities. I've been on both the Gem and the Jewel in the mini-suites and loved the larger balconies. I'm trying to decide if I need to change cabins or upgrade. Do you know if those hump balconies are mini-suites?

[karoo]

Thanks for all your wonderful, insightful information. I enjoyed reading it from start to finish.:)

[tati]

Can I ask what deck was the aft balcony you visited?

 

The aft balcony was on deck 13

[tati]

Mike, thanks so much. I feel like I have been on the ship. I'll be on the last Bermuda cruise in October. My husband and I are also from Philly. We live in Center City. I'm sure our paths have crossed. Thanks for all the info. I am assigned to a mini suite on deck 10. They changed me to deck 12 but I changed back because it was too near all the kids activities. I've been on both the Gem and the Jewel in the mini-suites and loved the larger balconies. I'm trying to decide if I need to change cabins or upgrade. Do you know if those hump balconies are mini-suites?

 

On this ship I don't believe that the mini suites have larger balconies. In fact I believe they were very small. The cabin is bigger then a regular balcony and the bathrooms are bigger but not the balcony.

[mamagina]

WOW! Thank you Mike!

All I can say is that in my 10 years reading these boards this was one of the best reviews/blogs I have ever seen! I posted a link to this thread on our May 12 roll call and everyone else is enjoying too.

 

Great Job! Thanks again. I would love to continue following your traveling exploits!

[tati]

That aft balcony on deck 13 looks a little small to me! Worries me because I'm on deck 14 and would love a lounger but it doesn't look like it would fit. Did you see any aft balconies on lower decks? Do they seem bigger?

 

That was our aft balcony on deck 13. Balcony was a nice size balcony with two chairs and a little table. It wasn't until the last day that they put two loungers out there and they fit perfectly with room to spare. During our cabin crawl we had fifteen people on our balcony at one time taking pictures. Lol. However must mention one thing about the aft balcony there is no privacy. Unlike the Epic which is straight at the back of the ship, the Breakaway is angled so anyone above you can look straight down to your balcony. Even the aft penthouse are the same as you can see from Mike's pictures. That was taking from our balcony. No privacy but great cabins and no wind. We enjoyed our balcony almost everyday.

[tati]

Mike just wanted to say it was great meeting you on our trip. We had a great time and your blog is wonderful. So well written. Reading it helped me remember things that I had forgotten about. When asked by a friend to tell her all about the ship, I simply opened your blog and said here you go, read and enjoy. Running the slot pull was fun, glad we won a little cash. Well thanks again Mike. Take care

Gerry and Donna

(Grizzman and Tati)

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

That was our aft balcony on deck 13. Balcony was a nice size balcony with two chairs and a little table. It wasn't until the last day that they put two loungers out there and they fit perfectly with room to spare. ...

 

I'm glad to hear that the loungers finally arrived, albeit a tad late for your full enjoyment.

 

... However must mention one thing about the aft balcony there is no privacy. Unlike the Epic which is straight at the back of the ship, the Breakaway is angled so anyone above you can look straight down to your balcony. Even the aft penthouse are the same as you can see from Mike's pictures. That was taking from our balcony. No privacy but great cabins and no wind. We enjoyed our balcony almost everyday.

 

With the exception of deck 13, I'd imagine that the aft penthouses on all decks (especially 9 and 12) have a variable/reasonable amount of area that would be blocked from prying eyes above - owing to the overhang. The same can't be said for those to the side of you, thanks to the angled divider.

 

 

Tom

[shoreless]

That was our aft balcony on deck 13. Balcony was a nice size balcony with two chairs and a little table. It wasn't until the last day that they put two loungers out there and they fit perfectly with room to spare. During our cabin crawl we had fifteen people on our balcony at one time taking pictures. Lol. However must mention one thing about the aft balcony there is no privacy. Unlike the Epic which is straight at the back of the ship, the Breakaway is angled so anyone above you can look straight down to your balcony. Even the aft penthouse are the same as you can see from Mike's pictures. That was taking from our balcony. No privacy but great cabins and no wind. We enjoyed our balcony almost everyday.

 

The late-arriving furniture gives me hope that the M6 balconies might also be getting more. I can dream anyway. :)

[graphicguy]

Thanks Mike. Great review that couldn't have come at a better time for me....3.5 weeks until sailaway.

Edited May 8, 2013 by graphicguy

[lady_mac]

Thank you for taking the time and resources to post while on vacation. I

 

really enjoyed reading every word.

[beachmonkey]

PhilaMike...I think that one reason that you did not get a chance to relax and read more during the trip is the time you took to write your review. Thank you!

[big al]

Thank you so much for all your hard work, it was very much appreciated by many of us.

 

Gambee - I noticed you are cruising the CCL Breeze soon..I am considering sailing her for my wife's B'day in Oct. '14...I hope you will do either a live blog or review when you get back..I love reading your posts!!!

 

Big Al

 

P.S.- Choices still include Getaway ( I live in So Florida), new Royal Princess, or the Breeze...

[big al]

Wow Phil, you did a wonderful job of describing our cruise! Art and I were off the ship this morning at 6:20, waited about 15 minutes for a taxi in the line across from Terminal 88. Ride to JFK was about 45 minutes. Wanted to share that story with the readers about to head to NYC. We were talking to a couple in the taxi line behind us and decided to share a cab as we were both headed for JFK. After getting in the cab and heading out the other gentleman noticed that the meter wasn't registering. He questioned that and the cab driver said it was "broken". Our other couple were here visiting from London. He asked then what the price would be and the driver told him $75. I quickly spoke up and told him that I had paid $45 on my last visit and in his broken English he told me that I was wrong......"no one charges that, it must have been many years since you were here". I told him no, that was not the case.

He agreed after going back and forth on $60 plus a tip. When my husband's suit case fell over after being placed on the ground, he kicked it. Not exactly the ending to a wonderful cruise that I expected. So beware and agree on a set price prior to GETTING IN THE CAB! Lesson learned.

 

I had the "hump" balcony and yes, it definately is much bigger than the standard ones. The bed configuration also seemed to determine how much space you had between the bed and the closet. Some of the rooms had two nightstands on either side of the bed. Ours had a much smaller night stand on the other side of the sofa. Something else that has not been mentioned -

there are no drawers for storage. There are shelves in the closet, some storage space in the night stands and two shelves under the television. I could see that two women with a lot of clothing could run into a problem here. My husband and I are light packers and it worked out okay for us.

 

Our friends were in a mini suite lll86, they did not have a bathtub but an extra large shower and beautiful large sink. Their bed was next to the closet also but they had the two nightstand set up with more room next to the door.

 

Loved meeting everyone on our roll call, we had some fantastic people in the group. Some of us met for lunch on the last sea day. We did not collect cabin numbers so were unable to get up with everyone when we decided this last minute.

 

Thanks Mike for sharing all of your beautiful photos. You got many more than we did. I hope our travels will cross again in the future.

 

Whippets: what was your cabin# and also did you like being on the bigger balcony on the hump? How was the balcony in your friend's mini-suite? Thanks....

 

Big Al

[CP50]

Thank you soooooooooooooooooo much for the wonderful review and pictures.:)

[joanc88]

Does Mike or anyone know how much a taxi ride is from Penn Station to the Breakaway pier? We'll be taking the Amtrak down from Boston in late July.

That situation with the taxi driver had me concerned.

Thanks!

Joanna

[whenisthemidnightbuffet?]

Does Mike or anyone know how much a taxi ride is from Penn Station to the Breakaway pier? We'll be taking the Amtrak down from Boston in late July.

That situation with the taxi driver had me concerned.

Thanks!

Joanna

 

This would be a metered fare and assuming traffic is typical less than $10. Penn station is 34th street the pier 55tt and both on the west side of Manhattan

[RIKNAT KAYKAT]

You can find taxi fare online. Just google taxifare nyc and it will give a bunch of sites. Taxi rid

[RIKNAT KAYKAT]

Taxi rides from penn station to pier88 vary between 10 and 20 dollars depending on traffic

[philamike]

Does Mike or anyone know how much a taxi ride is from Penn Station to the Breakaway pier? We'll be taking the Amtrak down from Boston in late July.

That situation with the taxi driver had me concerned.

Thanks!

Joanna

 

My ride from the pier to Penn Station cost ~$11. But of course it always depends on traffic!