explorer or breakaway

[Red-Sol]

I have done the two big girls from Royal..of Oasis and Allure. I have also done the two big ones from NCL of Epic and Breakaway. While there were some very nice features on the Royal ships I don't see myself going back any time soon. They just aren't the same. NCL Freestyle wins hands down. The passengers and crew on NCL ships know how to have fun..on Royal there is an attitude of "lots of noses in the air" :D I just don't get it and won't be going back to try and find out why. NCL Rocks!

[angelinaxox1]

I have been on the Explorer twice, the second time being just this past summer. I was never bored, but we were a group of 20. To me, i find the food to be similar in taste on all the ships. However, my biggest concern with the ship was her age which was evident in our stateroom. The closet door was broken and kept swinging into us. The water in the sink ran from hot to scalding hot. My sister ended up with a burn mark. Hopefully, they have fixed these issues since I sailed, but if I were picking a ship, I would choose the newer ship unless I really didn't like that ship's itinerary.

[opalinem]

Wow it looks like there are a lot us :eek: Let's get that "RCCL disloyal" club going!!! :D I must say the itinerary/ports were fabulous on my RCCL cruise but I agree with what all of you mentioned about the ship itself (including attitude). It's hard to define exactly but ncl ships have a certain "je ne sais quoi" that brings me back to them. They feel more modern/fun and I agree it's more of a "vibe" than anything else (+ free style dining of course)

[tiffygirl]

I have done the two big girls from Royal..of Oasis and Allure. I have also done the two big ones from NCL of Epic and Breakaway. While there were some very nice features on the Royal ships I don't see myself going back any time soon. They just aren't the same. NCL Freestyle wins hands down. The passengers and crew on NCL ships know how to have fun..on Royal there is an attitude of "lots of noses in the air" :D I just don't get it and won't be going back to try and find out why. NCL Rocks!

 

that sums it up for me too! it was a different feeling on my royal cruise..yes I know the allure and oasis are great ships but the amount of money, I cant justify it. plus knowing I will have a rocking good time on ncl for a lot less. also, other than the boxing ring , which was my favorite feature of the ship(I LOVE BOXING)...nothing grabs my interest for me to pay an extra $500 or $600 per person to sail on it....but I will because family member want to try them as they really enjoyed royal.

 

maybe my expectations were too high??? nah....I don't think so.

[Red-Sol]

that sums it up for me too! it was a different feeling on my royal cruise..yes I know the allure and oasis are great ships but the amount of money, I cant justify it. plus knowing I will have a rocking good time on ncl for a lot less. also, other than the boxing ring , which was my favorite feature of the ship(I LOVE BOXING)...nothing grabs my interest for me to pay an extra $500 or $600 per person to sail on it....but I will because family member want to try them as they really enjoyed royal.

 

maybe my expectations were too high??? nah....I don't think so.

 

I'm with you Tiffy..I honestly do not expect to stray from NCL again. On our Breakaway cruise we bought a cruise certificate as we are confident out next one will be with NCL. What an exciting lineup you have coming up in you siggy! Is the Epic back to back? We may consider doing the Getaway next maybe some time in the spring...who knows maybe we will see you in April! :)

[tiffygirl]

When we were on Freedom of the seas we bought a future cruise credit, so I have to cruise royal again. I looked at the Quatum of the Seas at first but now starting to reconsider as the pricing is expensive and the itinerary I don't like. it maybe the oasis if I can find a 'cheap' price.

 

unfortunately they are not back to back. the first one in Dec is my solo party cruise:p. well I raved on and on to my family how great NCL is and how much cheaper they were, so they took my advised and wanted to sail her for our "family" cruise in January. At he time it sounded like a good idea. My family cruise I don't drink or 'party'.im a really good girl :rolleyes: but when I travel solo I gets it in.:D so its a month gap between the 2 cruises so I can only hope that im 'forgettable":p;)

 

You have to try Getaway!! :D. my sail date in April 4/5/14 is actually the cheapest week in the year to sail on her. Getaway priced lower than Epic and Breakaway for that same week as well. So I had to jump on the deal. Im looking forward on sailing on the Getaway as they are introducing a few new features for that ship!

[DrNora]

Multi-line family thoughts: We switched from Disney to NCL when the kids outgrew Disney, and then left NCL because they did not do the Caribbean in the summer. Had done the Pearl/Gem/Jade and Jewel. RCL is simply not as as NCL. I had stopped even looking at the NCL page because we had accumulated so many Royal cruise credits...then I started reading about Breakaway. I had booked Explorer for nine nights for hubby's 50th. Our usual RFS was WAAAY out of price range- they sure hose you for 2 extra nights...so we booked side by side OS ...THEN I heard about Getaway!! While I would prefer a drive to Jersey rather than a flight to Miami, it was a no brainer. The NCL experience ( we have only been in the Haven/Courtyard ) is simply miles above the RCL experience. Have done Freedom class, Vision class and some others. We did try Grandeur out of Baltimore last summer- she was refurbished and lovely, but the Port Canaveral/Nassau route is so D U L L. Loved our trip as usual, but there were limited activities( yes, she is a tiny vessel..)and not much for the kids to do. I would rather sail 7 nights on NCL than 9 nights on Royal. Perhaps after Explorer is refurbished we will try her, but I am looking forward to being back on the NCL ships. Even WITH the added hassle of flying.

Edited November 10, 2013 by DrNora

[DrNora]

I look forward to Tiffy Girl's review of Getaway..April is right around the corner!!!!

Edited November 10, 2013 by DrNora

[mpcaruth]

If prices are comparable, I would definitely sail the Breakaway.

 

We have sailed the Explorer, and though we had a great time overall, the Explorer can tend to be so calm and scheduled that it was actually boring at times. No problem for us, as we were sailing without the kids, we took that opportunity to catch up on sleep.

 

We much prefer livelier ships, but we had such a wonderful deal on our Bermuda cruise on the Explorer, that it was hard to pass. We once took a 9-day cruise on Royal's Grandeur of the seas, and that ship literally shut down at 10:00 pm.

 

 

You should pick between the Breakaway and the Explorer based on how active you want to be. Do you like crowds and lots of choices, or do you want laid back, calm and relaxing? I personally, like extremely active vacations.

[mjkacmom]

Just off of the Breakaway, during a NJ school holiday week - best cruise yet! The shows were amazing, so much to do, so many dining choices (really wanted to get sushi and a lobster roll, but ran out of appetite - next time). My older kids LOVED the teen club, the 10 - 12 year olds preferred to hang with us (didn't really give it a chance), and the younger set of kids seemed to love it (our cabin was on that deck).

 

The ship is brand new, very sleek. Lot's of time with Dora and Sponge Bob, if you want it. As a family of 7, we experienced no waits for dinner, even though the ship was super-full. Little ones seemed to love the Nick pool area (splashing and wading in 50 degree weather!).

 

Getting on and off the ship was SO fast and easy. Left our cabin this morning at 9:15, and were tossing in laundry at home by 10.

 

We passed by the NJ cruiseport exit on our way home this morning, but I think NYC is easier - after you are through the tunnel, you are parking your car within 10 minutes.

[roe2ship]

OP, I replied to you on the Royal boards and I noticed on this thread you have made your decision. Enjoy!

 

I have to add that I don't know why people judge an entire cruise line with just one cruise. Things can be different from ship to ship or sometimes week to week on the same ship. Personally I think it is unfair but...oh well.:rolleyes:

[opalinem]

Just off of the Breakaway, during a NJ school holiday week - best cruise yet! The shows were amazing, so much to do, so many dining choices (really wanted to get sushi and a lobster roll, but ran out of appetite - next time). My older kids LOVED the teen club, the 10 - 12 year olds preferred to hang with us (didn't really give it a chance), and the younger set of kids seemed to love it (our cabin was on that deck).

 

The ship is brand new, very sleek. Lot's of time with Dora and Sponge Bob, if you want it. As a family of 7, we experienced no waits for dinner, even though the ship was super-full. Little ones seemed to love the Nick pool area (splashing and wading in 50 degree weather!).

 

Getting on and off the ship was SO fast and easy. Left our cabin this morning at 9:15, and were tossing in laundry at home by 10.

 

We passed by the NJ cruiseport exit on our way home this morning, but I think NYC is easier - after you are through the tunnel, you are parking your car within 10 minutes.

My daughter is 15. Can you tell me more about the teen club? Do they have a lot of organized activities? Did your kids stayed until 1am? Did they go on the ropes course or climbing wall with the club? Did they have (pool) parties? Thanks!

[tiffygirl]

I look forward to Tiffy Girl's review of Getaway..April is right around the corner!!!!

 

haha! You are so right. its time to pay for it! I just may do an edited review of the Getaway with pictures. Therefore since its edited, I won't be giving minute by minute action (what happens on the "Ship" stays on the "Ship"):p:D:o... but just daily overview. Then again, once the fun begins I forget to take pictures then my days begin to blur together. Actually the more I think about I'm probably not the best person to do a in depth review. :D:D:eek:

Edited November 11, 2013 by tiffygirl

[mjkacmom]

My daughter is 15. Can you tell me more about the teen club? Do they have a lot of organized activities? Did your kids stayed until 1am? Did they go on the ropes course or climbing wall with the club? Did they have (pool) parties? Thanks!

 

I'm not sure exactly what they did in the club - I know they played some games and it was the place to meet up every day. I don't think they do organized activities outside the club, but the kids DO hang out together (my kids went to meals almost every day with their new friends, even headed off to Nassau in a group when we arrived early due to missing GSC).

 

Apparently, I'm the only parent who enforced the 1 am curfew (I did make an exception the last night). Honestly, it's because I sleep better knowing where my kids are, not that I didn't trust them.

 

My kids really loved the lead counselor (Phil?). My 15 year old can't wait for a meet up already. We ran into them all of the time on the ship, and everyone seemed well behaved. I know one kid got kicked out of the club for a half hour for jokingly slapping my ds - I think they are well monitored while they are in there.

[opalinem]

Oh that's all great news :) Thanks for all the details!

[ibcnusoon]

After being on the Breakaway 2 weeks ago and only going to Port Canaveral and Nassau, all I have to say is thank goodness the food was great and the entertainment, well, very entertaining!

 

Because other than that the itinerary was horrible, as well as the cold weather.

 

From now on we are booking strictly itinerary and if it were me, I'd definately book the Explorer's Bermuda/Caribbean itinerary over Breakaway's itinerary.

 

We loved sailing home to New York and being less than 2 hours from home. Looking forward to Carnival next year and flying south to San Juan (and warmer weather) and arriving back in New York City and only a short car ride home. :)

[ibcnusoon]

My daughter is 15. Can you tell me more about the teen club? Do they have a lot of organized activities? Did your kids stayed until 1am? Did they go on the ropes course or climbing wall with the club? Did they have (pool) parties? Thanks!

 

My DD is 17 and loved Entourage! It took her a while to get adjusted, the first 2 nights it took some getting used to and some pushing from me to get her more involved, but by the 3rd night she was gone all day to Entourage and met some great friends!

 

From what I understand 1am is the curfew and even if the kids are out past 1am there was always aN NCL employee somewhere telling them that they were not to be out and about past curfew. DD said that they couldn't be served a soda at any of the bars or order food in O'Sheehans after 1:00 a.m. because of the curfew.