Bermuda : Dawn or Breakaway?

[kkpcruiser]

We took our first NCl cruise on the Epic and really enjoyed it. Living close to NYC, I am now looking into the Breakaway but wondering if the price can be justified . The Dawn out of Boston is another possibility for us at close to half the price for a balcony.

I know the Breakaway has more bells and whistles but wonder if the cost is justified. I'm usually one to choose a cruise for the itinerary and these are similar. Therefore I'm wondering if anyone would like to comment if the Breakaway is worth the price.

Thanks!

[Cubechick]

For myself, no. I enjoyed the Breakaway, but consider the pricing ridiculous.

[Medtech2]

We took our first NCl cruise on the Epic and really enjoyed it. Living close to NYC, I am now looking into the Breakaway but wondering if the price can be justified . The Dawn out of Boston is another possibility for us at close to half the price for a balcony.

I know the Breakaway has more bells and whistles but wonder if the cost is justified. I'm usually one to choose a cruise for the itinerary and these are similar. Therefore I'm wondering if anyone would like to comment if the Breakaway is worth the price.

Thanks!

We loved the Epic and chose the Breakaway to go on our first cruise to Bermuda....

 

3 Sea days we want big entertainment options...

[meglet]

Can you tell us a bit more about you and your travel companions? Quiet/outgoing? Kids? Want quiet time? Which is an easier pier for you to get to?

[LegallyBlonder]

We just tackled this decision ourselves! Since we live on Long Island, the Breakaway would obviously be convenient. My husband doesn't care for gigantic ships, but I do think that the Breakaway has the "excitement" factor going for it. In the end though, we decided on the Dawn Garden Villa, for a similar price as two lowest end suites (my parents are joining us) on Breakaway. Since the Dawn sails Friday-Friday, we will also take the opportunity to stay the weekend in Boston to extend the vacation a bit. It's a tough call, but I'm confident that we made the right decision for our family, and CANNOT WAIT to get into that GV!

[Bostonjetset]

We took our first NCl cruise on the Epic and really enjoyed it. Living close to NYC, I am now looking into the Breakaway but wondering if the price can be justified . The Dawn out of Boston is another possibility for us at close to half the price for a balcony.

I know the Breakaway has more bells and whistles but wonder if the cost is justified. I'm usually one to choose a cruise for the itinerary and these are similar. Therefore I'm wondering if anyone would like to comment if the Breakaway is worth the price.

Thanks!

 

My fiance and I are taking the Breakaway to Bermuda in Sept. We are from Boston but they only offer one Sept. date to Bermuda and it didn't work with our schedules so NYC here we come. The Breakaway seems like an AMAZING ship from the pics I have seen but I know people who have been on the Dawn and loved it. The price was a bit better for the Dawn but the Breakaway sailings have just gone down recently [in fact we originally booked an inside "IF" but after the price drops our TA got us into an oceanview "OB" for the same price since we were past final payment and could not get refunded!]. Let us know which one you pick! :D

[dfg1027]

We live on Long Island, NY and have been on the Dawn many times....we have also left for a cruise from Boston (Dream, Majesty) many times, as well as the NY piers. Most times we leave from Boston due to the $$$ and have always marveled about how easy it seemed at the pier.

New York can be crazy !!!

That being said we have chosen the Breakaway from NY for this cruise (9/8/13) only because we have been on the Dawn several times. I agree the prices are crazy on the Breakaway.....cheaper on the Dawn... But it all depends on what you want (on board activities) and whom you are going with...ages, what you are looking for etc etc

Either way you can't go wrong with Bermuda as your destination !!! It is my favorite place to be!! :)

[SissasMomE]

We took our first NCl cruise on the Epic and really enjoyed it. Living close to NYC, I am now looking into the Breakaway but wondering if the price can be justified . The Dawn out of Boston is another possibility for us at close to half the price for a balcony.

I know the Breakaway has more bells and whistles but wonder if the cost is justified. I'm usually one to choose a cruise for the itinerary and these are similar. Therefore I'm wondering if anyone would like to comment if the Breakaway is worth the price.

Thanks!

 

I think it depends on when you're going. I'm not willing to deal with the crowds during the summer with a postage stamp sized pool ;) so we switched over the Dawn. Also, in all fairness, we are on the Getaway in April, and our Bermuda cruise is 2 months after that. I really didn't want to do the same ship 2 months later by sailing BA.

[sailingnut]

I have been on the Dawn in 2009 out of NYC~~it was very nice~~now taking the Breakaway in October to Bermuda again~~this will be my fourth time in Bermuda~~taking a studio cabin and paid a little over a thousand for it! Happy Sailing!:)

[Cubechick]

We just tackled this decision ourselves! Since we live on Long Island, the Breakaway would obviously be convenient. My husband doesn't care for gigantic ships, but I do think that the Breakaway has the "excitement" factor going for it. In the end though, we decided on the Dawn Garden Villa, for a similar price as two lowest end suites (my parents are joining us) on Breakaway. Since the Dawn sails Friday-Friday, we will also take the opportunity to stay the weekend in Boston to extend the vacation a bit. It's a tough call, but I'm confident that we made the right decision for our family, and CANNOT WAIT to get into that GV!

 

Would totally have done the same thing. The GV can't be beat.

 

Along the same lines we booked the 9-day Caribbean Gem versus the 12-day Breakaway even though the BA has the better itinerary....because we could get the OS on the Gem for the same price as a B1 on the BA.

[bladeguy]

I would either save some money and go on the Dawn or spend the same amount on an upgraded cabin or suite on the Dawn. The Breakaway is pricy. Next year the Breakaway prices should be lower that this year and all the debugging will be done.

 

The Dawn has a great crew who strive to make everyone happy. It is our favorite NCL ship. So, I admit to being a bit biased.

 

Whatever you decide, enjoy your cruise.

[kkpcruiser]

Can you tell us a bit more about you and your travel companions? Quiet/outgoing? Kids? Want quiet time? Which is an easier pier for you to get to?

 

I am traveling with DH. After several fabulous cruises with our kids, they are on their own now and its just the two of us. We love the evening shows , loved howl at the moon and enjoy lounging on deck a few hours a day ( we LOVED the adult area of the Epic!)

 

We are early risers, Enjoy seating as a 2 at dinner and are not big drinkers, though the martini tasting sounds like a great plan to me.

We are from central CT so NYC or Boston are equidistant. I did think it would be very cool to sail by the Statue of Liberty and cruise down the Hudson!

 

I'm reading a few in depth reviews on the breakaway now and the small size of balcony cabins a d the balcony area itself seems to keep coming up .

[meglet]

If it's you and your DH, my advice is Dawn - with lower prices you may be able to get a suite which would give you some nice perks and more room. Dawn (and probably any ship) is REALLY crowded in the summer. See if you can book before the middle of June when schools get out. You might have recliners on your private balcony, butler service so you could have full breakfast or lunch or your verandah. Quieter bkfsts and lunches in Cagney's. I haven't yet been able to swing a suite on NCL but all the perks I've read about are wonderful.

[Cruiser Bruiser]

Did sixteen nights on the Dawn last autumn, and I never got bored. I spent most evenings in Gatsby's in Bar City. Loved Le Bistro. Loved Bollywood. Loved the spa pass. Plenty for two adults to do on the Dawn. Good luck with your choice.

 

Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2

[Barb Nahoumi]

For the sake of price and convenience, we choose Boston and the Dawn for Bermuda. However, we have traveled to New York to sail the Jewel for the Bahamas itinerary.

 

I can't see spending twice as much money for the Mega-Ship Breakaway, when the Dawn is so handy. We had great times on the Dawn----the food, service, and entertainment are very good. No complaints at all.

 

We enjoy the Dawn and Jewel class ships.

[Lovemygreekgeek]

I think the Breakaway sounds great, but I love that the Dawn is small, and I loved my cruise on the Dawn last year. Actually I loved it so much that I'm back on the Dawn again this year! I loved the staff on the Dawn (see my review) and I loved all the little places to hang out during the day. If you like all the regular cruise activities (trivia, bingo, poolside fun, dancing etc) you'll like the Dawn just fine, but if you're looking to try out all the newest activities at sea (and are willing to pay a premium) then the Breakaway is for you.

[tymike]

Hi! I sailed on the Dawn two summers ago and just sailed the BA. The ships, as you know, are very different. We stayed in the Haven on the BA and in a suite (no Haven) on the Dawn. We found the service overall more personalized on the smaller Dawn, but the Breakaway is shiny new and because we were in the Haven we didn't have to deal with what were obviously very crowded sea days on the pool deck. (Truth be told, we only actually used the Haven pools once...on the last sea evening!).

 

We have the Gem booked for next summer, and personally speaking, I am looking forward to the smaller ship again. We also didn't have anything pre-reserved on the Dawn and had wonderful seats and service in all the venues....including the theater. I wan't all that crazy about having to plan so much on the BA considering it's a "Freestyle" cruise.

 

I don't know if I could have enjoyed the BA nearly as much without the 'haven' of the Haven...and I mean that more due the quiet atmosphere and larger rooms. I know I am not the type to lay out by any pool all day, but the smooshed people in and around the main pools on the BA actually made me anxious whenever I walked through.

 

The BA's waterfront was terrific, though, and the lobster roll and crab toast at the waterfront seafood window was to absolutely die for! Best food I had on either ship without a doubt!

 

Good luck with your decision, and have a great cruise no matter which ship you choose!:)

[LSEA]

I am asking myself the same question. But I must be missing something, when I check the NCL website, it doesn't seem like the pricing is really all that much different between Breakaway and Dawn. Am I overlooking something? September / October cruises...

[kkpcruiser]

I am asking myself the same question. But I must be missing something, when I check the NCL website, it doesn't seem like the pricing is really all that much different between Breakaway and Dawn. Am I overlooking something? September / October cruises...

 

The prices have come down on the Breakaway from when I first started considering it for a cruise ..at least in sept/ oct. September is a possibility but I'm noticing many cabin options then are only GTY.... And I won't do that.

 

Tymike: I agree that on a ship like the epic or breakaway, the freestyle option loses its purpose. I'm ok with that though as I am a planner and like to know what I'll be doing each day and evening rather than wing it.

 

I've read many breakaway reviews that discuss the way the ship handles itself on the return to NYC. Several posters suggest its a design issue since there has t been a smooth return yet. That sort of concerns me esp if I book for sept / oct with hurricane potential. Are the return trips home from Bermuda, on the Dawn also rough?

 

Thanks for everyone's thoughts and sharing your experiences! I m still mulling this over.

[tx121]

We took our first NCl cruise on the Epic and really enjoyed it. Living close to NYC, I am now looking into the Breakaway but wondering if the price can be justified . The Dawn out of Boston is another possibility for us at close to half the price for a balcony.

I know the Breakaway has more bells and whistles but wonder if the cost is justified. I'm usually one to choose a cruise for the itinerary and these are similar. Therefore I'm wondering if anyone would like to comment if the Breakaway is worth the price.

Thanks!

 

Go in Sept--it's only $599/person!

[momo24]

The prices have come down on the Breakaway from when I first started considering it for a cruise ..at least in sept/ oct. September is a possibility but I'm noticing many cabin options then are only GTY.... And I won't do that.

 

Tymike: I agree that on a ship like the epic or breakaway, the freestyle option loses its purpose. I'm ok with that though as I am a planner and like to know what I'll be doing each day and evening rather than wing it.

 

I've read many breakaway reviews that discuss the way the ship handles itself on the return to NYC. Several posters suggest its a design issue since there has t been a smooth return yet. That sort of concerns me esp if I book for sept / oct with hurricane potential. Are the return trips home from Bermuda, on the Dawn also rough?

 

Thanks for everyone's thoughts and sharing your experiences! I m still mulling this over.

 

I am on the BA in three weeks so I really don't know but I read here that the rough trip back is because they are going faster to get back to NY in one day rather than the two days going to Bermuda.

[peg013]

I am on the BA in three weeks so I really don't know but I read here that the rough trip back is because they are going faster to get back to NY in one day rather than the two days going to Bermuda.

 

The Dawn, the Gem and the Star all did the same itinerary with 2.5 days over and 1.5 days back to NYC. The only reason they go slow slowly on the way over is because they need to wait for the Dawn to depart since they both share Heritage Wharf. Sometimes it's rough, sometimes it's not.