Breakaway Review, 2/23-3/2

[RikkuCat]

Thanks all - glad that you're enjoying my review! If you're counting down to a cruise on the Breakaway, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

 

Spa:

LOVED IT - I spent SO much time there! When we booked this cruise, we were initially looking at the spa balcony cabins and regular balconies. The difference in cost at the time that we booked was about $400 - and since spa passes cost $199 each, there was no savings. We weren't sure how much DH would want to use the spa, so I didn't really want to pay the full price for a spa pass for him - it would be cheaper to get a regular balcony cabin and to buy one spa pass for me. I noticed that there were a lot of spa balcony cabins still available, so I booked a regular midship balcony and decided to watch the prices - if the price dropped to less than $200 over the price that we paid (i.e. cheaper than our price plus one spa pass), I planned to call NCL and pay the difference to upgrade. About a month before our cruise, I noticed a HUGE price drop - the price for a spa cabin dropped to $10pp less than our original price (mini-suites were also less than our original price, but I was interested in the spa cabin). So I called NCL and asked nicely whether they would be willing to upgrade us - and they were more than happy to do so, as there were still a number of spa cabins unbooked. In the end, we essentially scored free spa passes! :D

 

I'm not sure whether I'd do it that way again next time. We got a great deal this time - but we took the risk of not getting the cabin we wanted. We would have been perfectly happy with a regular balcony cabin, so it would have worked out either way - but I want another spa cabin next time! I guess it'll depend on when we're traveling next time and how the cruise is selling.

 

So, that's the story of how we scored our upgrade to the spa cabin, next post I'll start my actual spa review.

[RikkuCat]

Spa:

If you get a spa cabin or buy a spa pass, you will receive access to the thermal spa suites. This room of wonder includes a hydrotherapy pool, hot tub, saunas, steam room, salt room, heated tile lounge chairs, and regular loungers. It is located foward on deck 15 and if you can stop relaxing long enough to open your eyes, the view is lovely.

 

I don't know how many spa passes they sell, including the spa cabins, but it's a limited-access area. I spent a lot of time there and the only times it was a little crowded was the morning of the first sea day and the morning of the last sea day. My favorite time to visit was in the evening (this was the main reason that we missed many evening activites!) - several times, I had the spa to myself for a while and at most there were 3-5 other people there. The spa closes at 10pm - I closed it out a couple times, wild thing that I am! :D

 

I read a review that mentioned chair hogs in the spa, so I want to address that issue in particular. I NEVER experienced a lack of chairs in the spa - there are many more chairs than people there at a given time. People usually put their things down on a chair and go back and forth to the pool, saunas, etc - so you'll see plenty of chairs with a towel or personal items on them, but I don't consider this to be chair-hogging, I consider it to be using the chair, as most people come back to the chair when they're done in whatever area they were using. There are more than enough chairs, so parking your towel on one while you're in the sauna for ten minutes doesn't sound like a problem to me - maybe others will disagree, though.

 

Some people do park themselves on the tile loungers and hang out there for longer than the 30-minute limit, but I didn't mind this if there were other chairs available. (I definitely sat there for longer than 30 minutes, but I kept an eye on the other chairs and would have moved if there were no empty ones). Some people leave their towels and stuff on the towel loungers while they go to use other areas of the spa - that didn't bother me when the spa was empty (I did it in the evenings), but when the spa was busy, I thought it was inconsiderate of them. Even with this issue, however, there was always a free tile lounger available when I wanted one. You may not find two together, but who cares? Relax and stop talking - you're in the spa! :)

 

Speaking of talking, most people were very considerate and kept their voices low when having conversations. I only experienced one time when people were having a very loud conversation in the hot tub. It was actually kind of funny - I was sitting on a tile lounger at the time and happened to be next to a lady that I kept running into all week at the spa (she was an evening spa-goer as well) and the two of us simultaneously turned around and stared at these folks with the very same look on our faces. I don't think anyone said anything to them - to me, it didn't seem worth the hassle of getting off the tile lounge chair - but they eventually quieted down.

 

I'll continue my spa review this afternoon!

[JuneauMe]

Red Stripe (really? Isn't Red Stripe the go-to warm weather beer?)

Why yes, yes it is!!! Thank you for the info.

[RikkuCat]

Spa, continued:

Ok, I mentioned that the spa thermal suite includes the hydrotherapy pool. It is heated to about 100 degrees and has several different types of jets that you can use, depending on your preference. I liked them all - but WOW, if you use the jets on the sides of the pool, hang onto your bottoms, ladies! ;) Those jets are STRONG and hit me at lower-back height - they feel good on your back, but the ballooning bathing suit bottom issue made me giggle every time! The pool is a nice spot for floating or relaxing with the jets.

 

The hot tub is in the same area as the pool, but with a separate entrance and a seperate (warmer) pool of water. A couple people commented that the water wasn't warm enough for a hot tub, but I thought it was perfect. If you've just come out of the sauna or steam room, it's not going to feel hot in comparison - I think that was the problem for the people who thought it wasn't warm enough.

 

There are two saunas - well, a sauna and a sanarium. The difference is that the sanarium has a little more humidity than a traditional sauna. I generally like the sanarium better, but had a nice sit in the regular sauna one evening as well.

 

Then there's the salt room. I had never been in a salt room before and had to google it before the cruise to figure out what the benefits are. I guess it's supposed to be good for skin conditions and possibly asthma (though I also read that it is NOT good for asthma - go figure). I decided to keep an open mind and try it out. Meh, I thought it was boring in the salt room. Somehow, sitting in a sauna or steam room seems more interesting to me - maybe because I can feel that SOMETHING is happening and the hot air/steam relaxes me. The salt room is cold - well, cold compared to everything else in the spa, anyway. I sat in there for about five minutes on the first day and decided that it was probably a waste of time, since I don't have any skin conditions or asthma. I saw people go in and out all week, though, so some people must have received some level of benefit or enjoyment from it.

 

Furthest down on the "wall of rooms" is the steam room. I'm a bigger fan of steam rooms than saunas in general, so I spent most of my "warm room time" there. Very relaxing. Just outside the steam room is the "rain shower", which is basically not much different from a regular shower except that it has a larger stream of water, so you're supposed to feel like you're standing in the rain. I didn't feel like I was in the rain shower, but it was my favorite spot in the spa to cool off after spending time in the steam room or sauna.

 

Just inside the door to the thermal suites, they have a station set up with iced water, as well as a selection of teas and hot water. There are TONS of towels available in the thermal suite for your chair-hogging needs. :D Just kidding! There are locker rooms for men and women in the hallway leading to the thermal suites. If you want a locker, just ask when you're leaving your card at the main spa check-in desk and they'll give you a wristband for your locker. I never used one, since I never carried anything to the spa except my kindle, which I read while lounging. The locker rooms have bathrobes for you to use (I took one back to the cabin and wore it to and from the spa all week), a changing area, showers, toilets, and the ladies' room had hair-dryers.

 

For anyone who is a little nervous, do not be self-conscious about going to the spa. Like anywhere else on board, you will see all sorts of body-types there - it's not just the beautiful people! :) So don't worry and RELAX!

 

More to come later this afternoon!

[Chase19]

Thank you for the post. We are planning a cruise to Bermuda May 25th with two other couples. We are looking forward to the shows and the spa treatments. Our husbands are looking forward to the different restaurants. My question is, does anyone know the prices for the spa treatments? And should any of these be booked prior to boarding including the shows and restaurants.

[CasinoCruzGirl]

Spa:

If you get a spa cabin or buy a spa pass, you will receive access to the thermal spa suites. This room of wonder includes a hydrotherapy pool, hot tub, saunas, steam room, salt room, heated tile lounge chairs, and regular loungers. It is located foward on deck 15 and if you can stop relaxing long enough to open your eyes, the view is lovely.

 

I don't know how many spa passes they sell, including the spa cabins, but it's a limited-access area. I spent a lot of time there and the only times it was a little crowded was the morning of the first sea day and the morning of the last sea day. My favorite time to visit was in the evening (this was the main reason that we missed many evening activites!) - several times, I had the spa to myself for a while and at most there were 3-5 other people there. The spa closes at 10pm - I closed it out a couple times, wild thing that I am! :D

 

I read a review that mentioned chair hogs in the spa, so I want to address that issue in particular. I NEVER experienced a lack of chairs in the spa - there are many more chairs than people there at a given time. People usually put their things down on a chair and go back and forth to the pool, saunas, etc - so you'll see plenty of chairs with a towel or personal items on them, but I don't consider this to be chair-hogging, I consider it to be using the chair, as most people come back to the chair when they're done in whatever area they were using. There are more than enough chairs, so parking your towel on one while you're in the sauna for ten minutes doesn't sound like a problem to me - maybe others will disagree, though.

 

Some people do park themselves on the tile loungers and hang out there for longer than the 30-minute limit, but I didn't mind this if there were other chairs available. (I definitely sat there for longer than 30 minutes, but I kept an eye on the other chairs and would have moved if there were no empty ones). Some people leave their towels and stuff on the towel loungers while they go to use other areas of the spa - that didn't bother me when the spa was empty (I did it in the evenings), but when the spa was busy, I thought it was inconsiderate of them. Even with this issue, however, there was always a free tile lounger available when I wanted one. You may not find two together, but who cares? Relax and stop talking - you're in the spa! :)

 

Speaking of talking, most people were very considerate and kept their voices low when having conversations. I only experienced one time when people were having a very loud conversation in the hot tub. It was actually kind of funny - I was sitting on a tile lounger at the time and happened to be next to a lady that I kept running into all week at the spa (she was an evening spa-goer as well) and the two of us simultaneously turned around and stared at these folks with the very same look on our faces. I don't think anyone said anything to them - to me, it didn't seem worth the hassle of getting off the tile lounge chair - but they eventually quieted down.

 

I'll continue my spa review this afternoon!

 

I'm just loving your review. Like yourself I was able to upgrade to a spa balcony for 3 of us costing us only $180 total we were booked in a BB Balcony this was after final payment we ended up saving $420 because we planned on purchasing the spa passes. Can't wait to go on my cruise in a little over 2 weeks. I really appreciate your review.

[RikkuCat]

Thank you for the post. We are planning a cruise to Bermuda May 25th with two other couples. We are looking forward to the shows and the spa treatments. Our husbands are looking forward to the different restaurants. My question is, does anyone know the prices for the spa treatments? And should any of these be booked prior to boarding including the shows and restaurants.

 

Sounds like you're going to have a blast! I love Bermuda and would love to cruise there on the Breakaway - maybe that will be our next cruise. I think I kept the spa price list - if so, I'll find it later and scan it. I had a couple spa treatments as well - will talk about those next! :)

 

As for booking in advance, I don't think you can book spa treatments prior to the cruise - not online, anyway. We had no trouble getting same-day appointments on the first and last sea days, but if you want a certain date and time, I would suggest visiting the spa on embarkation day or the morning of the first sea day to book your appointments. You ladies should consider getting spa passes as well - I could see a group of girlfriends loving the thermal suite.

 

For the restaurants, we had no trouble getting reservations the same day - but we like to eat late and we're only two people. Since you'll be six, you might want to make your reservations early, particularly if you want to eat during peak times. If a certain time shows as sold out on the website, there will still be reservations left for that time once you board. Note that if you book the restaurants before the cruise, you pay at the time of booking.

 

I'm not sure how easy it is to get standby tickets for the shows, or whether they reserve a certain percentage of the tickets for onboard reservations. I can tell you, however, that when I booked our tickets online about a week before the cruise, only the late shows had reservations still available. Since you don't need to pay in advance, why not make your reservations before the cruise? Especially if you want to go to the early shows!

[RikkuCat]

I'm just loving your review. Like yourself I was able to upgrade to a spa balcony for 3 of us costing us only $180 total we were booked in a BB Balcony this was after final payment we ended up saving $420 because we planned on purchasing the spa passes. Can't wait to go on my cruise in a little over 2 weeks. I really appreciate your review.

Wow, you guys got a great deal, too! Love those price drops, and it was nice of NCL to let us upgrade. My lady couldn't have been nicer about it - she looked at the price and said, "Wow, that's a serious price drop. Why SHOULDN'T you be in a spa balcony?" :)

 

I hope you have a blast on your cruise and enjoy the spa!

[meatball_nyc]

What a helpful review, Rikku.

Thank you.

I could use a spa treatment or two right now!

 

Happy Cruising!

 

 

~Robin

Norwegian Breakaway July 2014

Carnival Miracle 2010

Carnival Legend 2006

[RikkuCat]

Spa Treatments:

No vacation is complete (for me, anyway) without a massage! I learned on my first cruise that the spa runs daily specials, so on this cruise, I checked out the daily specials to see if there was a good deal on a treatment that interested me. They also have lower prices on treatments on port days, so if you're planning to stay on board at one of the ports (I know some people aren't crazy about this itinerary), that's the time to get a spa treatment. While I like a good bargain, I also like to get off the ship and we had plans for all three ports, so I did not take advantage of the port day specials this time. Also note that they sell day passes to the thermal suite on port days, so if you want to try it out without commiting to a full week, that's a good opportunity - I think it is $30. If you get a treatment, you can also add on a day pass to the thermal suite for $30 - so if you're planning to do this, it's in your best interest to book your appointment for the morning so you can enjoy the thermal suite for the rest of the day.

 

On the first sea day, I got a regular Swedish massage, which was GREAT! They ask you if you prefer a male or female therapist, so if you have a preference, let them know. Once you check in, you are escorted to a "relaxation room" that has dimmer lighting and "comfy" chairs that look suspiciously like classier dentist chairs. :p You're given a form to fill out - similar to what you would see as a first-time visitor at most spas. It asks about your stress level, areas of tension, allergies, general health. You also have an opportunity to add on another service for a minimal price (add-ons are things like eye treatment, thermal suite pass, hand and foot massage, scalp massage, etc). Once you're done with your form, your therapist will greet you and escort you to a treatment room, where you'll both sit down and go over the form. This is your opportunity to tell her what areas you want her to focus on, what type of pressure you like, etc, and to ask any questions that you have. Then she'll leave the room so you can get nekkid (you can keep your undies on if you want) and lie on the table facedown under the sheet. During your massage, the lights will be dimmed (my therapist let me choose from a variety of colors - I went with purple) and the room will be scented with an aromatherapy scent of your choice. Don't worry about feeling exposed - they follow the draping practices of US spas, so you will be covered except for the particular area that she is working on. My massage was PERFECT - she got a knot out of shoulder that has been there for what feels like MONTHS. LOL, it's back now that I'm back to real life! It was the perfect way to start a week of relaxation - glad I did it the first day.

 

On the last sea day, I saw that the spa special was a "20-20-20" special, which is your choice of three 20-minute treatments, totaling 60 minutes. There were a number of choices: options like a mini-facial, back massage, hot stone massage, scalp massage, foot massage, etc. I thought it was a great deal and hey - it had been a whole 5 days since my last massage! :D I decided on the mini-facial, back massage, and hot stone massage for my three options. My therapist was not the same one I had earlier in the week, but she was just as good. Treatment started with the back massage, followed by the hot stone massage. I was so relaxed during the massage that I didn't even notice that she had moved on to the hot stone massage until I heard the stones click together. I had never had a hot stone massage before and was interested to try it, but I've always been worried that the pressure would be too light. Whenever I see photos of a hot stone massage, it's a row of stones sitting on someone's spine - I've always wondered how much it would help, which is why I had never tried it before. I'm so glad that I did, because it was PERFECT. Somehow those stones got a knot out that had been missed earlier in the week - I think I've lived with THAT knot long enough that I thought it was part of my spine! I don't have back issues, either - just some normal tension from sitting in a desk all day and the stress of a fairly demanding job. I can only imagine how great a hot stone massage would be for someone who actually has back pain. I'm definitely getting a hot stone massage my next trip to the spa! The facial was nice as well - very relaxing. I have sensitive skin (which I mention 1000 times when I get a facial) and always worry a little bit about whether the products will irritate my skin. They use Elemis products in the Mandara spa, which are pretty gentle - and I'm sure she used the gentlest options for me after I lectured her about my sensitive skin, LOL! I had no problems and my skin looked and felt great afterwards.

 

I've seen people complaining about the spa prices here on CC, and I think that your expectations are probably based on where you live and whether or not you are used to going to a spa. I live in a major metropolitan area and I'm familiar with the prices at several of our local spas. In comparison, I found the prices to be reasonable on board - either lower or comparable to what I'd pay at home and the experience is comparable. In comparison to what my mom pays at her local spa (small town), the prices on board are very high - but the experience is much nicer as well. The 20-20-20 deal was $120 and the regular massage was around $120 or $130. I pay about $120 for a massage and about $100 for a facial at home, so it's pretty close for me. I believe I have a spa price list in the pocket of my suitcase, so I'll check that later and scan it if I have it.

 

I've also seen people on CC complaining about "hard sells" of products after a treatment. I did not experience a hard sell on either the Star or the Breakaway. Particularly after a facial, it is normal for a therapist to talk to you about your skincare and make a recommendation. It's quick and not a hard-sell at all - I just listen politely and ask them to write it down for me so I can consider it later. I actually really liked the Elemis lavender mask that was used for my mini-facial. I didn't check the price on board because I have plenty of skincare products at home, but I think I'm going to get that after I run out of what I have now.

 

Next up: Ports

[opalinem]

Wow great review, thanks for sharing! We sailed the Breakaway in December: best cruise and best ship EVER!!! We simply had the time of our lives! I expected to prefer medium size ships but soooo not... The breakaway is an absolute riot, impossible to get bored + tons of quiet spots to relax and also tons of possibilities for just walking around, mingling or avoiding crowds are equally easy... Food, drinks, entertainment and activities, all a blast, we took 10 lobster tails to our cabin on lobster night, lol, best mini-golf at sea, best drinks, atrium giant screen high definition and awesome, specialty coffees top notch, burn the floor and jazz club, just fab, we loved impac too, the wave pool: most fun pool ever and rarely crowded (it's not the main pool but the one next to the kids pool, all pools heated at perfect temp), deck 7 promenade: best view when the ocean is rough, don't miss it, deck 8 promenade and all the top decks: best couches and seashell beds to lie around, so comfy and romantic, cabins and balconies a dream, amazing views all around, the ship itself is stunning. One thing: the spa is fantastic but also very, very hot- I had to escape to the wonderfully cool and refreshing salt room from time to time(and very, very expensive). I was happy with my one day pass (jut make sure you at least visit it). We loved spending maximum time outdoor, loved that you can watch some rock climbing from the jogging track. Tours (Atlantis) were great too.

Honestly, I do not understand the complaints about this ship AT ALL. It's definitely been my favorite to date, never had a better time on a ship before and I'm trying to save to go back on it this summer!!!

ETA: I almost forgot. The staff/crew absolutely rocked! Had the best chats with the barmen, dancers are adorable if you get a chance to meet them, had to write a "hero card" for our amazing room attendant who went our of her way to please us. Big "wow" and "thumbs up" all around

in that department (Hope some of them read this board haha)

Edited March 7, 2014 by opalinem

[RikkuCat]

Wow great review, thanks for sharing! We sailed the Breakaway in December: best cruise and best ship EVER!!! We simply had the time of our lives! I expected to prefer medium size ships but soooo not... The breakaway is an absolute riot, impossible to get bored + tons of quiet spots to relax and also tons of possibilities for just walking around, mingling or avoiding crowds are equally easy... Food, drinks, entertainment and activities, all a blast, we took 10 lobster tails to our cabin on lobster night, lol, best mini-golf at sea, best drinks, atrium giant screen high definition and awesome, specialty coffees top notch, burn the floor and jazz club, just fab, we loved impac too, the wave pool: most fun pool ever and rarely crowded (it's not the main pool but the one next to the kids pool, all pools heated at perfect temp), deck 7 promenade: best view when the ocean is rough, don't miss it, deck 8 promenade and all the top decks: best couches and seashell beds to lie around, so comfy and romantic, cabins and balconies a dream, amazing views all around, the ship itself is stunning. One thing: the spa is fantastic but also very, very hot- I had to escape to the wonderfully cool and refreshing salt room from time to time(and very, very expensive). I was happy with my one day pass (jut make sure you at least visit it). We loved spending maximum time outdoor, loved that you can watch some rock climbing from the jogging track. Tours (Atlantis) were great too.

Honestly, I do not understand the complaints about this ship AT ALL. It's definitely been my favorite to date, never had a better time on a ship before and I'm trying to save to go back on it this summer!!!

ETA: I almost forgot. The staff/crew absolutely rocked! Had the best chats with the barmen, dancers are adorable if you get a chance to meet them, had to write a "hero card" for our amazing room attendant who went our of her way to please us. Big "wow" and "thumbs up" all around

in that department (Hope some of them read this board haha)

 

I agree completely - we loved it! So funny that you thought the spa was hot and the salt room comfortable - I thought the spa room was the perfect temperature and the salt room too cool. DH would probably agree with you, since he gets hot much easier than I do - he couldn't spend more than 20 minutes on the tile lounger without getting uncomfortably hot!

[scopewest]

Thank you for your review. I love all the details!!

[RikkuCat]

Port Canaveral

Honestly, I don't get why people don't like this port stop. OK, actually I do get it - you can't walk anywhere. Personally, I like the FL space coast and think it has a lot to offer. I enjoyed my previous visits there and we had a good time there on our stop last week. If you rent a car, there's a lot you can do nearby. The National Park near the space center is VERY nice and the space center itself is one of the coolest places to visit in the US. But I digress - this trip, DH was interested in fishing.

 

For any fishermen (or wannabe fishermen) reading this, there is some great fishing in that part of FL. We initially looked at charters, but they all seemed to depart before noon, which didn't work with our times in port. Apparently there's some AWESOME fishing in the local canals, including inside the National Park (also, shore fishing there), but since DH isn't experienced with that type of fishing, we decided to go with the closest and easiest option, which was Jetty Park.

 

When you're sailing into Port Canaveral, you sail right past Jetty Park - it's on the port side, long jetty and a beach on the far side as you're entering the harbor area. It's about a five minute cab ride to get there - it's a five dollar per car charge to park, but we didn't get charged in a cab. The beach looked nice and clean - pretty quiet the day we were there as well. They have a snack bar there (didn't check out the selection, though), as well as a small gift shop where you can rent fishing gear and get bait.

 

DH had researched local fishing and made the plan for the day. He wanted to stop at a local bait shop to rent gear, get advice, etc, and picked a certain shop after some research. I think the big draw of this particular shop is that they sell beer as well! :p We brought an insulated reusable grocery bag ($2 at our local grocery store) to keep the beer cold during the day - we have used this method before and while it doesn't keep your drinks as icy cold as a cooler, it works surprisingly well and packs well. We took a cab to the bait shop (the driver was happy to wait for a few bucks) and bought our beer, bait, and a throwaway bait knife. Unfortunately, the shop didn't have rental gear (DH thought they did, I guess he didn't call to confirm), but we knew we could rent gear at Jetty Park and the advice we got from the local guys was worth the stop. We will try to go with them on their charter next time we're in the area. After this brief stop, we continued on to Jetty Park, rented gear ($15) and proceeded to the jetty.

 

DH fished all day and had a great time, though he didn't end up catching anything. The jetty was full of nice people - mostly locals, with a few people mixed in who we're staying in the area or camping at the park. We met a CC member who was staying there for a week before departing on a RC cruise. The local folks had some great advice about fishing spots - we may rent a car and try fishing at the naval base across the harbor next time.

 

I didn't fish that day (I occasionally fish, but I prefer deep sea fishing), but I had a great time watching, chatting with people, and observing the wildlife. There were wild dolphins swimming around all afternoon just beyond the jetty. I spent an absurd amount of time trying to photograph them, but all my pics look like random ocean photos with a dot somewhere! Lots of pelicans, kingfishers, and other types of birds. And sea turtles! I saw a BUNCH of tea turtles - so cute! I also saw a sea gull who had a fishing hook caught in him, poor thing. He was hanging out near us for a while, but I couldn't find a fish and wildlife person to help and I didn't have any gloves - I'm sure he would have pecked me to death if I had tried to help him. There's a lot to observe at Jetty Park - I had brought my kindle and expected to do some reading, but I never touched it all day and never felt bored. We had to return the fishing gear at 4:30, but that was enough fishing for DH. We took a walk along the beach while we finished up the last of our beers (they went faster than expected, since we shared with the folks we met on the jetty) - nice way to end the afternoon.

 

We hadn't eaten since a mid-morning breakfast at Uptown, so we were STARVING by the time we were ready to leave Jetty Park. All day, we had asked the locals their recommendation for a local restaurant, and while several were mentioned, The Grill came up the most often - so we decided to check it out. We called a cab (get a card from the cab company when you take one in the morning - or you can just google local cab companies, since your phone will work) and it was about a two-minute cab ride. I think we could have walked it, but our feet were a little tired after standing all day on the jetty. The Grill was a neat spot - it has an indoor seating area as well as an outside tiki bar and seating. I bet it's a lot of fun to hang out there when the weather is a little warmer. We chose to sit outdoors - I needed to put my sweatshirt on once the sun went down, but it was comfortable out there. The drinks there were great - I had a watermelon daiquiri (frozen) and DH ordered a hurricane. We ended up switching because he liked mine better, so I recommend that one! :D The hurricane was pretty good, too. We started with the smoked fish dip, since it came highly recommended by a couple people on the jetty. It WAS really good, but strangely served with packets of crackers. Whatever - still good, so we went with it. I got their shrimp Cuban sandwich for dinner (delicious, but spicy - I like spice and loved it, but if you don't like spice, it's not a good choice. The shrimp is marinated in Sriracha sauce - so good!) and DH had shrimp alfredo, which he liked, but I thought it was kind of Olive-Gardenesque. We went back to the ship around 7:30 and I enjoyed some spa time as we sailed out of PC.

[RikkuCat]

Great Stirrup Cay

GSC was the only stop on this cruise that I hadn't been to before, so I wasn't 100% sure what to expect. The reviews seemed to be pretty mixed - some people absolutely love it, others make it sound like the most miserable place on earth. (Sidenote: I find negative reviews to be pretty amusing. People complain about the silliest things, so you have to take them with a grain of salt - but sometimes there are grains of truth or legitimate unfortunate experiences mixed in with the whining and I like to be able to anticipate problems, so I still read them). Based on what I had read, I thought GSC would be a pretty fun day - I have rarely met a beach that I don't like, and if a couple of rocks are the worst of your problems, it's not a bad day in my book.

 

This was our first time tendering on a cruise, and I never really found out how the tender tickets worked. There had been notices in the dailies and you could pick one using your TV, but I ignored all of that because we had booked parasailing, which was supposed to be our tender ticket. When we arrived at the theater, nobody checked tickets or anything - they just sat us down in the order in which we arrived. There weren't many people there yet. After a couple minutes, they started marching everyone to the tender boat. Once it filled up, we were off to GSC!

 

Our parasailing tickets just said "before noon" rather than a particular time, so we went straight to the shore excursion desk to figure out where we needed to be. Signed the waiver and were told to return at 10:10. We had a little more than a half hour, so we went over to the main beach area to check it out. We knew that there were several beach areas and that we didn't want to be at the first one all day, but we didn't think we had time to find our perfect spot before parasailing. There's only one thing to do at the beach with half an hour to spare - we went straight for the water. Water temperature was a little chilly when you first got in, but as soon as you got used to it, it was perfect. We played in the water a little bit and went back to the shore excursion desk at 10:10 for parasailing. Turns out everyone else had been told to be there at 10, so we were the last ones to arrive at the boat.

 

Parasailing was SO MUCH FUN! We had five groups of two on our little boat, and since we were the last ones to arrive, we would be the last to parasail - which was fine. There were two crew members, the driver and the guy who hooked you into the harnesses and stuff. If you brought your camera, they offered to take photos of you while you were up there. They talked to everyone to find out who was scared, who wanted to be dipped in the water and who did not, who wanted a slower ascent, etc. We said we wanted to go as high as they would let us go, speed was fine, and yes to being dunked in the water. We went up VERY high and it was incredibly peaceful up there. And they DUNKED us - everyone else who opted for the touching the water basically skimmed their toes, but they dunked us up to our waists. The entire experience was a blast and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. DH told me afterwards that he had been a little nervous when we were up there, but he had a big smile on his face the whole time.

 

To be continued!

[RikkuCat]

Great Stirrup Cay, continued:

After parasailing, we picked up our stuff from the main beach, which was getting more crowded. (If you like being near the music and don't mind a crowd, I'm sure the main beach area is a lot of fun - we are quieter people and are happier with a quieter spot). We had seen five beach areas when we were parasailing and we knew that another one would be quieter and more to our liking. We ended up at the third one, just in front of the higher-numbers cabanas. I don't know whether they were the large or small cabanas - looked nice, though. We had thought about getting one, but the cost seemed high for two people. This little beach was almost empty and we had no problem finding chairs in the shade of a helpful palm tree. There was a little bar nearby for drinks, so we got a bucket of beer and relaxed on the beach for a while. We had brought our snorkel gear and after a while, I decided to see what I could see.

 

I snorkeled just off that beach - there were a lot of fish around the rocks and underwater rocky ledges just past the swimmers. The water was calm and pretty clear, easy to see. After about an hour of snorkeling, I got out to reapply my sunscreen and give the underwater camera a break, as it's only supposed to be submerged for an hour at a time. We were both getting hungry and didn't want to miss lunch, so we walked further down to the lagoon, where we had heard that there was a second lunch area. I don't know how crowded the lunch area was at the main beach, but the line at the lagoon lunch area was pretty short and we got through quickly. They have hot dogs, burgers, ribs, chicken, potato salad, rice, beans, fruit, and some dessert items. We got what we wanted and decided to eat there rather than carry our food back to our beach. It was good - I think anything tastes better on the beach, must be the smell of sunscreen or something!

 

Back to our beach after lunch, I was eager to get back in the water and see what we could see out near the rocks. DH decided to join me this time and we checked out the fish at our beach, checked out the fish at the next beach, and swam out to the rocks to see what was out there. The rocks were the best snorkeling spot we went to all day, though there were a lot of fish near any rocky ledge that we swam by. Out near the rocks, I ran into a barracuda, which was exciting. On the way back to our beach from the rocks, DH saw a large ray - four or five feet across. I was a little ahead of him and had the camera, so unfortunately I missed the ray and we didn't get a photo of it. Back to the beach, we moved down a couple more chairs so we would still be in the shade and enjoyed the sun for a bit. I eventually went back in the water, but I never ended up seeing the ray. We packed up and went back to the tender area at about 4:30. It was a great beach day!

 

To address negative comments that I read about GSC:

 

1) It's too rocky. Depends on the part of the beach. On the main beach area, I saw a couple rocks in the sand - not more than I've seen on any other beach, though. Once you get out into the water, there are rocks in a few areas, but they are easy to avoid. I don't think you need water shoes there unless you're, you know, someone who likes to complain about everything. The second beach area we walked past looked a little rocky - so we walked right past it. I would wear water shoes if I was going to hang out there all day (some of the best snorkeling was off that beach, BTW). The third beach, where we sat, was nice and sandy - few rocks. When you got into the water, there were some large rocks - they are easily avoided, however, and there are fish hanging out near them. That would be a good spot to take kids snorkeling. I didn't really notice the fourth beach because the few times I walked past it, I was on a mission to get food, beverages, or to find a bathroom. The final beach is the lagoon, which is quiet, shallow, peaceful, and very calm. This is the spot I'd pick if I had small children.

 

2) It's too sunny. Erm, it's a beach - what do you expect? Just kidding - I understand the complaint, but it makes me wonder whether people use their powers of observation. In addition to the cabanas and clamshells that are available to rent, there are covered picnic areas and plenty of palm trees. We found a shady spot under a palm tree and were able to move our stuff down a few chairs all day as the shade shifted. Just leave the main beach area and you'll be amazed at what you"ll find.

 

3) There's nothing to do. Are you kidding me? There's a whole world under the ocean to explore - rent some snorkel gear if you don't have your own. It's the easiest thing in the world to do - just try it! Or swim in the ocean. Or sit on your bum and read a book - how often do you get to do nothing all day? Or explore the island, check out the shops, eat/drink, or try an excursion. If none of these things appeal to you, stay on the ship. If THAT doesn't appeal to you, stay home, LOL!

 

I will continue tomorrow with Nassau/Blue Lagoon, and whatever else I haven't covered yet!

Edited March 8, 2014 by RikkuCat

[meatball_nyc]

Loved #3 the best.

 

 

 

Robin

Norwegian Breakaway July 2014

Carnival Miracle 2010

Carnival Legend 2006

Every Day at Sea is a Great Day

[kato92]

Great job Rikku....sorry to have missed you at the M & G....probably saw you around the bars tho..... We did have the beverage package and felt it was well worth it. Martinis were included. My wife had grey goose martinis and grey goose drinks included. Also, expresso martini and lemondrop martini included. Most frozen drinks included too. WInes by the glass at $10 or under covered most of the wines on board. Mimosas or bloody marys in the morning were tasty.

We thought the ship and the activities on board were the best.

To add to your entertainment...Cirque and rock of ages were very good. We also loved Slam Allen. Bought his CD.

[iceburg1]

Thank you for the post. We are planning a cruise to Bermuda May 25th with two other couples. We are looking forward to the shows and the spa treatments. Our husbands are looking forward to the different restaurants. My question is, does anyone know the prices for the spa treatments? And should any of these be booked prior to boarding including the shows and restaurants.

Hi Chase19,

 

Here are 2 links to Breakaway's spa treatment prices:

 

http://cruisewithgambee.com/norwegian-breakaway-vibe-spa-kids-club/

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1956418

 

Also, why don't you come and join our roll call for May 25? :) Here's the link:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1853824

[RikkuCat]

Great job Rikku....sorry to have missed you at the M & G....probably saw you around the bars tho..... We did have the beverage package and felt it was well worth it. Martinis were included. My wife had grey goose martinis and grey goose drinks included. Also, expresso martini and lemondrop martini included. Most frozen drinks included too. WInes by the glass at $10 or under covered most of the wines on board. Mimosas or bloody marys in the morning were tasty.

We thought the ship and the activities on board were the best.

To add to your entertainment...Cirque and rock of ages were very good. We also loved Slam Allen. Bought his CD.

 

Hi, so sorry to have missed you! Makes me wonder how many CC people I saw around the ship and talked to without knowing it! Good to know about the beverage package, thanks for the martini info. I bet a lot of bartenders will give you the "unincluded" beers as well if you ask nicely and tip them well. I still don't think we drank enough this cruise to make the package worth it, but this is all good info for next time! Glad you guys had a great time, too - I heard great things about Cirque.

[RikkuCat]

Nassau

I love the water and everything related to it, so Nassau is a fun spot for me. I had been there once previously (not on a cruise) and had a great time. This trip, we had a hard time choosing between several options that interested us - did we want to get resort passes, snorkel, or some other excursion? At first, we skipped over the more expensive excursions since we knew we'd have a good time regardless of how much we spent, but as the cruise got closer, we kept coming back to swimming with dolphins. Neither of us had ever done it before and we had both always wanted to, so we figured there's no time like the present!

 

If you want to swim with dolphins in Nassau, you have two options: Atlantis and Blue Lagoon. And you also get to choose between a "dolphin swim" and "dolphin encounter." The encounter is in shallow water and the swim is in deep water. We were more interested in the swim. If you do it at Atlantis, the basic dolphin swim ticket does not include access to the water park, but they have an option that includes both as well. I read some reviews and people were saying that you don't really have enough time to do both. When we looked into Blue Lagoon, it seemed like a more natural setting for the dolphins and we liked that they focus on conservation. So we chose the Blue Lagoon dolphin swim.

 

We disembarked around 9 or 9:15 to find our tour meeting spot - turns out it was two feet from the gangway where all the other tours meet, so we walked down the pier a little ways and found a shady spot to sit down and do some people-watching. We picked the right spot, because the line for Blue Lagoon started forming right in front of us a few minutes later, so we got our wristbands quickly and joined the crowd waiting in the shade. After chatting with the people next to us for a bit, we realized that it was someone from our roll call! Small world, because I hadn't made it to the M&G - she figured it out based on where we're from and the fact that we were on the same excursion! Great detective work on her part! They were doing the sea lion encounter. After a brief wait and chatting and our CC friends some more, we were off to the Blue Lagoon ferry, which was a short walk down the pier. The ferry ride to Blue Lagoon took about 45 minutes to an hour - it could probably go faster, but it's a nice ride past Atlantis and the celebrity homes on Paradise Island.

 

When we arrived at Blue Lagoon, they split up the beach day people, sea lion people, and dolphin people. Our group was seated on benches and watched video of dolphin encounters while they waited for something - but one of the dolphin handlers arrived soon for a brief introduction. It was brief, but probably a little longer than it needed to be - still, I liked learning about their conservation efforts, which was one of the reasons we picked Blue Lagoon over Atlantis.

 

After the introduction, they split up the dolphin swim and dolphin encounter people. They brought us to a "strip down area" (LOL, that's the only way I can describe it. We were told to leave everything on the benches except our bathing suits, so everyone was stripping down! They have lockers for your valuables, but they are small, so bags, clothing, towels, and anything else you bring must stay on the benches) and then to get your wet suit and life jacket. Wet suits were optional and life jackets were mandatory. I chose not to wear a wet suit, as I wasn't cold in the water the day before. More than half of our group chose to wear the wet suits. (Ladies: my sister warned me that if you're wearing a two-piece bathing suit, you might feel like you're going to lose your bottom during the foot push, since you move so quickly. If you are worried about this, just wear the wet suit. That said, I wore a tankini/no wet suit and did not feel like my bottom was going to come off!)

 

We went down to the dolphin swim area and were instructed to sit down on the platform. The dolphins came right up to us to say hi while everyone was arriving. (Note: if you are on one of the ends of the row of people, you may have to go first - so if you want to watch others with the dolphins before you go, stay in the middle. I ended up being first, but didn't mind). We had two dolphins to interact with, but two others were in the enclosure during the swim. The two others were juveniles and we weren't allowed to touch them, but they wanted to keep them near their mothers. Our dolphins were female - the male dolphins were in another enclosure. Their names were Dot and Amico.

 

Once everyone was ready, they had us get in the water, swim out a bit, and form a row. The two dolphins swam by in front of us a couple times so we could touch them - they feel very silky! Then they had each family group pose for a photo with one of the dolphins, and each person individually posed for a kiss on the cheek from one of the dolphins (these were the photos you could buy at the end). After that, we went back into a row and they had two people at a time (we were first) go up front for a date with a dolphin. We got a hug, danced with the dolphin (this was a riot!), got a kiss, fed them a fish, got another hug or kiss, and then the dolphin ended the date by either laughing at you, spraying water at you, or chasing you away. I got laughed at - I guess my dolphin didn't think much of my dance moves!

 

After everyone had their dolphin date, they swam past us again so we could touch them some more, then they did some tricks and showed us how fast they could swim, etc. At that point, everyone had to get out of the water and sit on the platform because it was time for the finale: the foot push. They gave us a short description of what to do: lie face down in the water, flex your feet, lock your knees, and when the dolphins start to push you, arch your back and hold your arms out of the water. They moved the two younger dolphins out of the enclosure and Dot said goodbye as well because they were moving Princess in for the foot push. Princess is their oldest dolphin - 47 years old. The life span of wild dolphins is 12 years, but they can live much longer under human care. Princess is in great shape - she just had a baby 4 months ago!

 

Guess who got to go first? I jumped back in the water, trying to keep track of how I was supposed to position each body part! I swam to the spot they sent me to, assumed the position, and had just enough time to think that two dolphins were heading my way when they touched my feet and we took off. SO. MUCH. FUN. We had to buy the DVD and the photos!

 

To be continued!

Edited March 8, 2014 by RikkuCat

[RikkuCat]

Nassau, continued:

After the dolphin swim, we bought our photos and checked out the gift shop. There were three ferries that afternoon heading back to Nassau: at 1:00, 2:00, and 4:00 (not sure why they don't have a 3:00 option, since that would be perfect). We were originally planning to stay at the beach for the rest of the day and take the last ferry back, but after seeing how slow the ferry moved on the way there, we thought that might be cutting it a bit too close, as our all-aboard time was 5:30. We decided to take the 2:00 ferry back, which gave us about an hour and a half left at Blue Lagoon. We went back to the dolphin area and spent some time watching the dolphins. The baby dolphin was 4.5 months old and he was SO CUTE! We watched him play with a stick for a while - he was tossing it around and having a ball.

 

After watching the dolphins for a while, we went over the to beach area. We had brought our snorkeling stuff because I had read somewhere that there was snorkeling at Blue Lagoon (they rent snorkel gear, so you'd think there would be something to see), but if there was, I didn't find it in the 15-20 minutes that I spent in the water. A few fish, that's all. If I had had time to go further out, I might have been able to find a better spot - but I wouldn't bother to bring our snorkel stuff if we went there again. DH stayed on the beach while I was in the water. By the time the 2:00 ferry showed up, we were ready to leave.

 

All in all, I would definitely recommend the dolphin programs at Blue Lagoon. If we had booked the beach day, however, I would have been disappointed. The beach area felt small and congested, with inflatable water toys and slides taking up a lot of the water area. It would be a great choice for families with young children, but I don't think I'd recommend it for couples. It's also worth noting that we came back with some sort of bites all over our torsos. They looked like flea bites, though we spent a very short time at the beach and didn't notice any sand fleas. Not sure what it was, but when we got back to the ship later, we noticed that we had both been bitten quite a few times.

 

We had a nice ferry ride back, past the fancy houses and Atlantis, and past the Breakaway and the Carnival Pride docked. Since the ferry pickup location had been so close to the ship and our clothes were wet, we decided to hop back on board, change into dry clothes, and then go back out to do some shopping and have a drink and a bite to eat. To our surprise, the ferry docked much further away from where it picked us up - convenient if you wanted to go shopping immediately, but an uncomfortable walk when you're still wet. By the time we made it back to the ship, we didn't feel like going back out again, so we got cleaned up and decided to grab a late lunch at O'Sheehan's.

[RikkuCat]

What a helpful review, Rikku.

Thank you.

I could use a spa treatment or two right now!

 

Happy Cruising!

 

 

~Robin

Norwegian Breakaway July 2014

Carnival Miracle 2010

Carnival Legend 2006

 

Thanks - so could I! When I went back to work on Tues, my body said, "what is this TENSION that I'm experiencing?" and demanded a return to the spa. I want one of those cat chairs (tile loungers) for home.

[RikkuCat]

I think I've covered pretty much everything except disembarkation - which was the easiest and fastest thing ever. We do easy walk-off, and even later in the easy walk-off period (around 8am, they had just called the first couple of colored tickets), there was no wait at all and just a couple people in front of us when we got to customs. If I missed something or anyone has questions, just post and I'll keep rambling about the topic of your choice! :D

 

Since I had read so many Breakaway reviews before our cruise, I felt like I had a pretty good understanding of the common complaints - so I'd like to address them and let you know how our experience compared.

 

Common Complaint #1: It was too cold to sail this itinerary in the winter/the weather sucked

I don't understand this complaint. Do people really book a cruise out of NYC in the winter and expect it to be warm the whole time?

 

Common Complaint #2: This itinerary is boring

Along with #1, this complaint makes me wonder who is holding people hostage and forcing them to book an itinerary they don't like at a time of year that they think is too cold. Do people not look at the itinerary or date when they book cruises?

 

Common Complaint #3: The ship is too big

Yes, it is a big ship. Some people like that (we did) and others don't. The only way to know for sure whether you'll like it is to try it - but I think if you know your own travel preferences, you might be able to make an educated guess on whether or not you'll like it. We noticed the size of the ship most when it was in port - pulling into PC, for instance, we felt like they were trying to park an office building and we were very impressed with how carefully the ship was maneuvered. Docked in Nassau, we were next to the Carnival Pride and the difference in size between the two ships was very noticeable. On board, however, it didn't feel huge to us. You can walk to any other point on the ship pretty quickly.

 

Common Complaint #4: It's too crowded

I either don't remember or never found out how many people were on the Breakaway our week - if anyone knows, let me know. We did not think it was too crowded, but we also didn't spend much time at the most popular areas, such as the pool deck, buffet, or shows. We never encountered more than a very short wait to get off the ship at ports, but we were disembarking as early as possible at PC and GSC - maybe we beat the crowds on those days. Maybe it is crowded on the Breakaway and we just avoided the crowds without knowing it.

 

Common Complaint #5: Staff is rude or disinterested

The people who say this must have indeed been on a different ship than we were, because we didn't encounter a single rude crew member. Everyone had a smile on their face and was working hard to please you. Personally, I don't want the crew members to kiss my feet - so maybe I'm just not as critical as some. Our steward was outstanding, every waiter we had was great, and some of the bartenders were fantastic. Even the bartenders who didn't seem to know their craft as well were very sweet.

 

Common Complaint #6: Service is very slow

Must be another appearance by Bizarro World Norwegian Breakaway because we never experienced slow service. In fact, we found the service in the casual restaurants (O'Sheehan's, Taste/Savor for breakfast and lunch) to be very speedy. Service in the Manhattan Room, which seems to get the most complaints for being slow, was perfectly paced the night we were there, which was busy. Same with the speciality restaurants - courses were paced perfectly. But then again, we heard the people at the table next to us at Cagney's complaining about slow service when theirs was the same as ours, so I guess there is no pleasing everyone. Just keep in mind that when you order a multi-course meal at a nicer restaurant, you are there for the ambiance as well as the food - you aren't going to finish four courses as quickly as you eat a simple dinner at home and the waiter is not going to rush you through your courses (I would HATE that).

 

Common Complaint #7: Elevators are slow/not enough elevators

Yes, they seem pretty slow - this is true. We often chose to climb or descend 6-8 flights of stairs rather than wait for an elevator. I thought there were plenty of elevators and didn't miss the midship elevators, but I also have no problem moving around.

 

Common Complaint #8: Passengers on this ship suck

What? I read this too many times to count - people were hating on fellow passengers and complaining that people from NY/NJ aren't nice. That's not very fair, since there are whiners and jerks on ANY ship. We met plenty of very nice people - some from NY/NJ and others from other parts of the US and Canada. That said, my only complaint about this cruise (slow elevators are not a complaint, just an observation) was rude or obnoxious fellow passengers. HOWEVER, that is usually my biggest complaint ANYWHERE - that some people we encounter are jerks, annoying, or impossible to please. It isn't related to any certain group of people - it's a HUMAN thing and something you'll encounter anywhere you go. I wish that they would shut up, lighten up, and have a good time - or at least complain somewhere out of my hearing range, LOL - but they are a fact of life.

Edited March 8, 2014 by RikkuCat

[RikkuCat]

Unless anyone has questions or I missed a major point, I think this pretty much wraps up my review! Thanks for reading, and I hope those who are sailing on the Breakaway soon have as great a time as we did!

 

I almost forgot - the day that we docked in Port Canaveral (Tues 2/25), we were hanging out on the deck 7 promenade waiting to disembark and we saw a guy being escorted off the ship in handcuffs. Anyone know what happened? Just curious.

 

We'll probably cruise next sometime in 2015. We're itching to book another one (we joked a bit about how long we could stay on board before running out of money!), but between this cruise and the trip we have planned in June, we're maxed out on vacation time and vacation budget for this year! Our June vacation is a family trip with DH's family (14 people total, parents, brothers, kids, etc) to Vieques, which is a tiny island off the main island of Puerto Rico. I'm looking forward to the pristine beaches, riding around in a jeep with no top, snorkeling, and time with family. If anyone has been there and has tips, let me know - I've been haunting the trip advisor board! Depending on what else is going on in life, we'll probably look at spring or fall 2015 for our next cruise and will definitely consider the Breakaway again - in a spa room, LOL! :D