Not So Good Reviews

[Nikkimouse76]

Should I be concerned that a lot of the reviews of the Norwegian Breakaway are not very good? I am getting worried :(. Opinions?

[pieshops]

Have you ever read a movie review that trashed a movie and then you went to see it and it was great?

 

Reviews must be taken with a grain of salt.

[kcwingwalker]

Have you ever read a movie review that trashed a movie and then you went to see it and it was great?

 

Reviews must be taken with a grain of salt.

 

Completely agree!

[Nikkimouse76]

Oh yes, I completely get that, it just seems the majority of the reviews are not so good. I plan to go with an open mind and form my own opinion :).

[DMH15]

Should I be concerned that a lot of the reviews of the Norwegian Breakaway are not very good? I am getting worried :(. Opinions?

 

WELL, Cruise Critic just named BREAKAWAY best new ship 2013. What does that say to ya?

 

 

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[Debbie1029]

I just got off the Breakaway last Sunday and loved the ship. I had concerns about the number of passengers but crowds were not an issue. Never waited more than 15 minutes for a table at dinner. Also worried about finding a lounger on GSC. No issues there either. Many were added since our visit last January. The decor is sleek and modern. The Waterfront was a great place to enjoy the ocean. You'll love it!

[sailingnut]

I just loved the "Breakaway"! I never felt crowded with so many restaurants and bars to pick from~~dance parties every night almost and met the nicest people~~I want to go back! Also remember fireworks and I too was very scared of the reviews but learned they are not true~~go with a open mind and you will enjoy! Happy sailing and say "hi" to the "Breakaway" for me!:)

[hondarr9]

Breakaway was my first NCL cruise. I was previously loyal to Royal. I enjoyed it so much I canceled my Independence cruise and switched to Epic! Going to miss the boardwalk though.

 

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[quercus alba]

Haven't been on Breakaway, but my wife & I were booking our first ever cruise in 2011 and looking at Epic's first Mediterranean tour. At that point, there was a similar preponderance on negative reviews based on her first few months in service in the Caribbean and inaugural trans-atlantic, so we were a bit nervous also, but decided that on the stiff that really mattered, it looked like we were going to have a darned good vacation--and we did. I think that most new ships go through this phase, where people with disappointments shout loudest.

 

I've been learning that in a lot of life, Happiness = Reality - Expectations.

The Reality of being on a cruise on vacation, on a new ship is awesome. Realistic, NORMAL Expectations for this will ensure your Happiness.

[MCAT48]

I can't wait to go back on the breakaway!

[opalinem]

The bad stuff I've read is :

- pool area overcrowded. Well, I sail in December, so I bet pool will be pretty empty for half the cruise :D On port days, some people will be off the ship.

- long wait for elevators. Don' t care as I prefer stairs: the only thing that stands between me and 20 extra pounds :o

- wait for dinner in the MDRs. That has never happened to me on ncl but anything less than 30 minutes, I can take . They give you a pager that you can bring anywhere, so what's the big deal? If it's really bad, I can do buffet or O'Sheehan or use my free dinner for 2 at Cagney. It's not like options are lacking

- too many kids. Well I'm going on a Xmas cruise, so I sure expect a lot of them! And you know what? I don't mind , they're lively and cheerful + I have one, I was one and if the little darlings decide to crush my toes and break my eardrums, I will operate a strategic retreat to spice, spa, or own balcony for a well deserved kid-free respite

-complimentary food is mediocre. Not my experience on any of my former ncl cruises but it would take something really extreme for me not to enjoy free unlimited round the clock food for a week. Chances are: I'll stuff myself as usual. And if not, I would owe eternal gratitude to ncl for succeeding where all previous attempts at dieting have failed: help me lose weight, oops.

- not enough shows in the theater (not a different one every night): good, more time for after hours mini golfing, stuffing my face (sic), waddling in hot tub with a glass of something, partying in spice, blues jamming in fat cats, wrecking songs during bliss karaoke evenings and admiring the stars in the Caribbean night.

- Rock of ages not appropriate for families. I'm an adult. I can handle the naughty vibe! Nothing wrong with Disney but it can get boring after a while.

- too many extra charges. I plan on starting on the right foot and go to the circus show on the 1st night: boom, 25% off to start. I'll make my lobster roll for free during buffet seafood night. For alcohol, I'm not doing bad either with free bottle of wine I got at booking and I can drink regular coffee instead of capuccinos, I have will power (hum, not sure about that one but... I can always try ;))

- not enough activities in general. Are you kidding? I'm more worried I won't have enough time for everything. Origami, fab abs, towel folding, ice carving demos, cha cha class, cupcake decorating, bungee bouncing , KSC, Atlantis, here I come!! Hey I'm still bringing my kindle and a deck of cards... (Who am I kidding? I'll probably just slouch in a hammock all day, shame on me :cool:)

- fellow passengers are rude. Ha ha I can be rude too. Let's see who wins at that game :p

- there are germs. Yeah, they're everywhere, that's why I'm used to them, they're used to me. We've been living together for... (too many years to count :o)

- cabins and balconies are small. Maybe but the most important is the bed and ncl beds are super comfy (even the worst complainers aknowledge that) + the ship's swaying rocks me to sleep (I don't get that at home) and when I look outside, I see waves instead of traffic jams, I hear them too. Would I trade that for car alarms? Hell, no.

- staff don't grovel enough. Honestly, I don't like obsequious staff anyway. It makes me uncomfortable. If staff is in bad mood, I smile, take it easy, no problem mon. Upbeatness has been known to rub off at times.

- not really free style if one has to reserve shows ahead of time. I can reserve 3 shows on line. Part of the excitement of travelling is the planning. I like my shows late so I'll pick the latest time. Et voila!

- theater seats are not very comfortable. good thing

the shows don't last that long.

- the casino gets too smoky. I knew there was a reason I never gamble!

- one thing that has been uniformly praised is the spa lounge. Relaxation lounges on ncl are subliiiiiiime. lucky for me because I'm addicted to them!

 

Did I forget anything???

 

This is MY vacation and I am firmly determined not to let ANYTHING or ANYONE spoil it. Party poopers: go home.

 

Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait. New ship is always exciting. This one looks gorgeous. Ropes course and slides look awesome. Bring on the Breakaway already, just bring it ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DrNora]

The bad stuff I've read is :

 

- one thing that has been uniformly praised is the spa lounge. Relaxation lounges on ncl are subliiiiiiime. lucky for me because I'm addicted to them!

 

Did I forget anything???

 

This is MY vacation and I am firmly determined not to let ANYTHING or ANYONE spoil it. Party poopers: go home.

 

Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait. New ship is always exciting. This one looks gorgeous. Ropes course and slides look awesome. Bring on the Breakaway already, just bring it ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Can we bottle your FANTASTIC attitude and spread it around??

I HATE the naysaying- whiney pants post-cruise complainers!!! You, Opalinem, have put a BIG SMILE on my face!!!!!

[opalinem]

Can we bottle your FANTASTIC attitude and spread it around??

I HATE the naysaying- whiney pants post-cruise complainers!!! You, Opalinem, have put a BIG SMILE on my face!!!!!

Thanks. I'm ready to have a toast with you, to: more vacations, more new ships and more smiles around. Cheers :)

[BlueJai]

The bad stuff I've read is :

- pool area overcrowded. Well, I sail in December, so I bet pool will be pretty empty for half the cruise :D On port days, some people will be off the ship.

- long wait for elevators. Don' t care as I prefer stairs: the only thing that stands between me and 20 extra pounds :o

- wait for dinner in the MDRs. That has never happened to me on ncl but anything less than 30 minutes, I can take . They give you a pager that you can bring anywhere, so what's the big deal? If it's really bad, I can do buffet or O'Sheehan or use my free dinner for 2 at Cagney. It's not like options are lacking

- too many kids. Well I'm going on a Xmas cruise, so I sure expect a lot of them! And you know what? I don't mind , they're lively and cheerful + I have one, I was one and if the little darlings decide to crush my toes and break my eardrums, I will operate a strategic retreat to spice, spa, or own balcony for a well deserved kid-free respite

-complimentary food is mediocre. Not my experience on any of my former ncl cruises but it would take something really extreme for me not to enjoy free unlimited round the clock food for a week. Chances are: I'll stuff myself as usual. And if not, I would owe eternal gratitude to ncl for succeeding where all previous attempts at dieting have failed: help me lose weight, oops.

- not enough shows in the theater (not a different one every night): good, more time for after hours mini golfing, stuffing my face (sic), waddling in hot tub with a glass of something, partying in spice, blues jamming in fat cats, wrecking songs during bliss karaoke evenings and admiring the stars in the Caribbean night.

- Rock of ages not appropriate for families. I'm an adult. I can handle the naughty vibe! Nothing wrong with Disney but it can get boring after a while.

- too many extra charges. I plan on starting on the right foot and go to the circus show on the 1st night: boom, 25% off to start. I'll make my lobster roll for free during buffet seafood night. For alcohol, I'm not doing bad either with free bottle of wine I got at booking and I can drink regular coffee instead of capuccinos, I have will power (hum, not sure about that one but... I can always try ;))

- not enough activities in general. Are you kidding? I'm more worried I won't have enough time for everything. Origami, fab abs, towel folding, ice carving demos, cha cha class, cupcake decorating, bungee bouncing , KSC, Atlantis, here I come!! Hey I'm still bringing my kindle and a deck of cards... (Who am I kidding? I'll probably just slouch in a hammock all day, shame on me :cool:)

- fellow passengers are rude. Ha ha I can be rude too. Let's see who wins at that game :p

- there are germs. Yeah, they're everywhere, that's why I'm used to them, they're used to me. We've been living together for... (too many years to count :o)

- cabins and balconies are small. Maybe but the most important is the bed and ncl beds are super comfy (even the worst complainers aknowledge that) + the ship's swaying rocks me to sleep (I don't get that at home) and when I look outside, I see waves instead of traffic jams, I hear them too. Would I trade that for car alarms? Hell, no.

- staff don't grovel enough. Honestly, I don't like obsequious staff anyway. It makes me uncomfortable. If staff is in bad mood, I smile, take it easy, no problem mon. Upbeatness has been known to rub off at times.

- not really free style if one has to reserve shows ahead of time. I can reserve 3 shows on line. Part of the excitement of travelling is the planning. I like my shows late so I'll pick the latest time. Et voila!

- theater seats are not very comfortable. good thing

the shows don't last that long.

- the casino gets too smoky. I knew there was a reason I never gamble!

- one thing that has been uniformly praised is the spa lounge. Relaxation lounges on ncl are subliiiiiiime. lucky for me because I'm addicted to them!

 

Did I forget anything???

 

This is MY vacation and I am firmly determined not to let ANYTHING or ANYONE spoil it. Party poopers: go home.

 

Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait. New ship is always exciting. This one looks gorgeous. Ropes course and slides look awesome. Bring on the Breakaway already, just bring it ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

EXCELLENT POST!!! Well done!!!

[Vinegarjoe10]

My wife and I sailed Breakaway 10/13- 10/20. It was our first cruise. It was our honeymoon.

 

WE. HAD. THE. BEST. TIME. EVER.

 

Anyone who posted negative things about their cruise on the Breakaway are probably the same type of people who win a million in the lottery and complain about having to pay the taxes, lol.

 

Have a great cruise NikkiMouse76 !!!!

[psbtrvlr]

Should I be concerned that a lot of the reviews of the Norwegian Breakaway are not very good? I am getting worried :(. Opinions?

 

I stopped paying attention to reviews when I started looking at reviews for the cruises that I had went on........ The reviews sounded like we were on completely different cruises! You really just have to go and make up your own mind.

[kcwingwalker]

I stopped paying attention to reviews when I started looking at reviews for the cruises that I had went on........ The reviews sounded like we were on completely different cruises! You really just have to go and make up your own mind.

 

So true!

[B6ConMe]

I love figure skating! The reason I mention it is due to the way they used to score the skaters.

 

Take the worst score.............heave it! throw it out!

Take the best score...............heave it! throw it out!

 

What you have left is what the majority of people feel, the ship, the food, the entertainment and the overall experience.

 

It is far more likely that you will be in the majority than not... so from what I've read... I'd say the Breakaway is a fab ship with fab crew with great food wonderful selections of entertainment options and... having seen some of the great pics from this ship.......IMHO .... you have nothing to worry about except worry itself.

 

Relax...cruise like a NORWEGIAN... enjoy :D

[opalinem]

I would like to add that some of those complaints simply do not hold water (pun intended). Let's take the one about the shows ("very few and they charge for them, what a scandal") Is it true? Breakaway has a dance show (burn the floor), a Broadway musical, a magic show and they've now added the "welcome on board" show and fire and ice concert + the crew talent show and the splash academy show on the last day. But they also have howl at the moon dueling pianos and 2nd city comedy shows. It's not because they are in a different venue (Headliners) that they are not shows. They are! That makes 9 different complimentary shows total for a 7 day cruise. (And most of them happen on several days and times to give people flexibility with scheduling). To which one could add the "mini-shows" from the dancers + band in the Manhattan dining room and yes there are 2 extra-charge dinner/shows in the spiegel tent and nobody forces anyone to attend if they'd rather not. Of course, at night, they also have the dance parties in spice, the indoor disco, karaoke, a jazz club, bars with piano, game shows in the atrium... How can anyone claim that Breakaway is not competitive in terms of entertainment? Some people are just never happy.

Same thing for the day activities. Breakaway has all of the usual: ping-pong, shuffleboard, game room, casino, arts and crafts, art auctions, shopping, gym classes, dance classes, spa, bingo, tastings, towel folding, ice carving, arcade, excursions and so on and so forth but when you add all the sports: mini golf, rock, ropes course & zip line, 5 slides, trampoline, pools and hot tubs, indoor: bowling, darts, air hockey, etc and then you read reviews saying "there is nothing to do" :eek: , really? You can only scratch your head...

[valleyvillage]

Oh yes, I completely get that, it just seems the majority of the reviews are not so good. I plan to go with an open mind and form my own opinion :).

 

CC's review page says 66% loved it. Now, that's a majority! Open mind = fun time! Bon Voyage.

[Nikkimouse76]

Awesome reviews everyone! Thank you so much! I am very excited for our cruise! I admit that a lot of the reviews were completely ridiculous (blurry screen when boarding the ship, not enough tv channels, wifi stinks, etc), what stuck with me the most was the lack of pools and the rude staff. Other than that I was okay!

[bobg529]

Awesome reviews everyone! Thank you so much! I am very excited for our cruise! I admit that a lot of the reviews were completely ridiculous (blurry screen when boarding the ship, not enough tv channels, wifi stinks, etc), what stuck with me the most was the lack of pools and the rude staff. Other than that I was okay!

 

 

I was on the inaugural sailing out of NYC in May and I was one of those people who posted mostly negative comments. But as the summer passed I had second thoughts and I sat down to analyze my trip. OK, the balconies ARE small and so is the pool. But I really believe that I expected way too much. I think we all did. There is much to be said for constructive criticism mind you, because this is how the customers help the cruise line to do a better job next time. That's a good thing. And you know what, I actually had a wonderful time! There were at least 10 good or great things you could think of for every negative one. The staff was very nice and always attentive. The food was terrific. I personally LOVED Rock of Ages. The spa was outrageous. The UBP allowed me to have a blast and not worry about the bill, lol. I now fondly miss my time on Breakaway and think of her often. And I have promised myself that I will sail her again someday armed with realistic expectations and the aforementioned UBP. And I will have a ball. I'm sure you will too! Happy sailing. :)

[Medtech2]

Should I be concerned that a lot of the reviews of the Norwegian Breakaway are not very good? I am getting worried :(. Opinions?

I feel the majority have actually been positive. I never did get around to posting an "official" review, just the one in my signature. Perhaps I should buckle down and write it, so as to even out these all powerful numbers...

 

We enjoyed our cruise. Period.

[uncleboo]

Hi all

i read all the reviews too before I sailed on breakaway. They were many negative and i was very concerned and almost cancelled. I wish i had went with my gut feeling. I have cruised over 25 times and this ship was awful.

 

70% of the passengers on the cruise were unhappy with the cruise.

the food was lousy service slow shows mediocre at best. crowded. too smookey form the casino. Atrium to small for large gatherings.

 

not enough staff they are rude and do not have proper training or customer service skills.

This was not my 1st ncl but it is my last.

I found hair in my food. I had problems daily and had to go to the information desk on a daily basis

 

1 lady on the cruise showed me a photo of her sheets they had poop on them.

 

awful trip to many people . all they have is bars and specialty:confused::confused::confused: dining venues

 

i would not tell my worst enemy to go on this ship

it really sucks

 

alot of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ down the drain

[legion3]

66% cruise critic loved it isn't really that good of a score. Majority number or not.

 

That said the internet has become the place for complainers and conspiracy theorists. It gives them a forum with which to spew with a great deal of cover.

 

Lets face it without complainers why even read cruise critic? If every review was positive then how useful would that be?

 

Why the internet? Porn, conspiracy theories and complainers...everything else is just a waste of time.