Just off breakaway (8/24/14); brief review and answer any ?s

[BermudaBound2014]

We sailed 8/17-8/24. Had a wonderful time! My 19th cruise over the past 25 years. I have no line loyalty; here are my brief thoughts as I wait for the plane.

 

The GREAT:

1) b6 balcony with our own chaise. Spent the sea days relaxing in peace and quiet.

2) speciality dining food (Although dinners were most often 2-3 hours- so don't go in a hurry)

3) burn the floor and rock of ages

4) free fall water slide

 

The Good:

1) savor/taste for breakfast or lunch

2) fat cats (Charlie love), Angel, and fire n ice

3) service was always pleasant

4) guest services went out of their way to contact my ta to resolve a obc credit issue.

5) guest services sent someone to knock on our door as a wake up call the last day as our phone quit working.

6) osheans is a great concept. So nice to have late night sit down service.

7) loved self debarkation and not having to pack last night- also had room service today ( many lines force you to buffet on debarkation ).

8) 13.95 pitchers every night

 

The challenges

1) we worked to avoid the crowds. This meant no pool during the day. Even spice h20 was packed with no loungers available after 9 am and the atrium is simply too small of a venue to hold many events making the ship appear even more crowded than necessary.

3)we did Udp and loved it- but reservations days in advance are a MuSt. In my opinion, NCL is no longer "free-style" as I found myself eating and visiting shows according to a set schedule with limited flexibility. Example: on Tuesday I tried to make reservations for cagneys on Saturday night (they were already booked); tried for Friday (again booked). Settled for the Only time slot available- Thursday at 9:30 pm. The cirque show was unavailable day 1 before anyone boarded despite what I was told by NCL personal prior to sailing about holding 2/3 of seats until embarkation.

 

The UGLY:

1) there are 2 entertainer acts that simply do not belong on this caliber of cruise. I have no idea how anyone at NCL found these acts worthy. I don't want to name names as sometimes entertainment is as personal as food, but if you are on the breakaway In the near future I bet you'll be able to identify them from decks away :)

 

All in all I'd rank this a solid 9 out of 10! The breakaway is a breathtakingly beautiful ship and sailing in/out of NYC was an extra treat. I'd sail her again in a ny minute .

[meatball_nyc]

Welcome home and thanks for the review.

I've been reading about some changes to the public transportation in Bermuda. When we were there the first week of July we were able to take the bus marked SPECIAL to get to Horseshoe Bay Beach and back. Worked out great.

Now I've heard they have eliminated these with shuttle vans that cost $16 round trip to the South Shore Beaches.

Did you happen to notice any long lines of pax waiting for these shuttles?

Thanks in advance.

Glad that you had a great cruise on Breakaway. We plan on sailing her again early next June. She's a great ship :)

Happy Sailing!

 

 

~Robin

Every Day at Sea is a Great Day

Edited August 24, 2014 by meatball_nyc

[BermudaBound2014]

We did the 3 day unlimited pass. I did not notice any long lines at the docks; but i did notice busses labeled "special" so they still running.

 

She really is a stunning ship- especially the lighting! Everywhere I looked beautiful chandeliers. Enjoy her in June!!

[meatball_nyc]

Good to know! Thanks so much.

Have to agree with you on how beautiful a ship she is.

Can't wait to sail on her again.

Safe travels home :)

 

 

~Robin

Every Day at Sea is a Great Day

[umbrino]

Where were the 13.95 pitchers served??

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[quillwercruisers]

We did the 3 day unlimited pass. I did not notice any long lines at the docks; but i did notice busses labeled "special" so they still running.

 

She really is a stunning ship- especially the lighting! Everywhere I looked beautiful chandeliers. Enjoy her in June!!

 

What is the 3 day unlimited pass?

[BermudaBound2014]

O'Sheehans had $13.95 ($15.81 w/gratituity) 24 hours a day- anything on-tap- we stuck w/Heineken and new castle. Not much more than we pay back home. Great deal IMHO :)

[BermudaBound2014]

3 day unlimited hop-on/hop - off bus and ferry pass was 35.00 for all 3 days- 25.00 for 2 days. We rode bus to port royal golf course- rode ferry to st george and then bussed around island with ferry from Hamilton back to dockyard. We used public transportation less Than we figured we would and should have gotten just the 2 day pass so consider that. Very economical way to see the island considering a taxi from dockyard to golf was 26.00 each way plus tip. Highly recommend.

[$hip$hape]

We sailed 8/17-8/24. Had a wonderful time! My 19th cruise over the past 25 years.

I have no line loyalty; here are my brief thoughts as I wait for the plane.

.

Thank You for the timely review !

 

I noticed your date/time stamp of 11:34 AM.

How was your disembarkation and ground transportation?

More so, what time did you get to (which) airport?

Edited August 24, 2014 by $hip$hape

[Locknar]

We sailed 8/17-8/24. Had a wonderful time! My 19th cruise over the past 25 years. I have no line loyalty; here are my brief thoughts as I wait for the plane.

 

The GREAT:

1) b6 balcony with our own chaise. Spent the sea days relaxing in peace and quiet.

2) speciality dining food (Although dinners were most often 2-3 hours- so don't go in a hurry)

3) burn the floor and rock of ages

4) free fall water slide

 

The Good:

1) savor/taste for breakfast or lunch

2) fat cats (Charlie love), Angel, and fire n ice

3) service was always pleasant

4) guest services went out of their way to contact my ta to resolve a obc credit issue.

5) guest services sent someone to knock on our door as a wake up call the last day as our phone quit working.

6) osheans is a great concept. So nice to have late night sit down service.

7) loved self debarkation and not having to pack last night- also had room service today ( many lines force you to buffet on debarkation ).

8) 13.95 pitchers every night

 

The challenges

1) we worked to avoid the crowds. This meant no pool during the day. Even spice h20 was packed with no loungers available after 9 am and the atrium is simply too small of a venue to hold many events making the ship appear even more crowded than necessary.

3)we did Udp and loved it- but reservations days in advance are a MuSt. In my opinion, NCL is no longer "free-style" as I found myself eating and visiting shows according to a set schedule with limited flexibility. Example: on Tuesday I tried to make reservations for cagneys on Saturday night (they were already booked); tried for Friday (again booked). Settled for the Only time slot available- Thursday at 9:30 pm. The cirque show was unavailable day 1 before anyone boarded despite what I was told by NCL personal prior to sailing about holding 2/3 of seats until embarkation.

 

The UGLY:

1) there are 2 entertainer acts that simply do not belong on this caliber of cruise. I have no idea how anyone at NCL found these acts worthy. I don't want to name names as sometimes entertainment is as personal as food, but if you are on the breakaway In the near future I bet you'll be able to identify them from decks away :)

 

All in all I'd rank this a solid 9 out of 10! The breakaway is a breathtakingly beautiful ship and sailing in/out of NYC was an extra treat. I'd sail her again in a ny minute .

To dovetail on this post, I was on the same cruise and while I generally don't post here (this being only my second post)....

 

The Ugly: People! Not as in crowds but as in behavior...so many glasses, beer bottles, etc. left on the floors by the elevators, in plant pots. Yes "you" are on vacation...but that does not mean treating such a beautiful ship as as trash can. Not to mention, this is home to around 1700 people...key word being "home"; ie. not your trash can.

 

Along those lines...kids. No, not all kids and by and large there were no problems/issues. However, exceptions being those parents that simply dump their darlings in the Atrium Cafe (where the crew tried several times in vain to find their parents), or the parents that let their darlings run around the inside entrance of Cagney's/Maderno's and climb all over the bar while the bar tender was not looking. Vacation does not mean letting your kids run wild and ruin it for everyone else.

 

The not bad but less then good: Food, specifically the dinner service in Taste/Savor/Manhattan and the Garden Café. Everything was fine...but, the overall quality of the food has declined over the years (this is not specific to the Breakaway...I've noticed a decline from my first cruise on the Dawn almost 12 years ago). It seems, as Norwegian has pushed more the paid for dinning the "included" dinning has suffered a bit.

 

Show booking is a bit limited. For shows like Rock of Ages, no problem in that there is one show w/several dates and times. Second City though, they do 3 different shows w/different dates and times...but you can only book one.

 

The whole booking thing does seem to move away from the entire "Free Style" concept. For special shows like Rock of Ages, Blue Man (Epic), etc. where there are limited showings I can see the booking concept to ensure everyone has a chance. But booking for other shows like Second City, Martin Brock, etc. not so much. Sure, you can wait in the stand-by line...but what fun is that?

 

The Good: Really everything else I can think of.

 

Food:

- La Bistro is by far the best deal on the ship when it comes to paid for dinning; $20 and well worth the extra. Cagney's was also excellent, but at $30 is starting to push the limit.

- Two words; lobster roll! Available only on sea days on the Boardwalk, its excellent (though $10, so a limited indulgence)

- Noodle Bar, very reasonable and tasty

- Savor/Taste/Manhatten for lunch, the shrimp burger was surprisingly good (as was everything else)

- O'Sheehans, a great spot to hang out w/wings, burgers, and other "pup" type fair.

 

Entertainment:

- Rock of Ages, excellent.

- Howl at the Moon - Katie, Ned and Rhonda killed! This is also where many of the cast/musicians from Rock of Ages and other shows hang out when they are done

- Cirque Dreams was simply amazing

- Wine Tasters, while a bit on the corny side (it's suppose to be) was a great time.

- Martin Brock*, funny and a good show

- Second City, great as always

 

Crowds:

This cruise was sold out/fully booked, and while there were obviously crowds it never really had the over crowded feel (the way the Epic did when we sailed on that).

 

Staff:

Awesome. Very attentive, very willing to help fix something if its wrong or help make your vacation experience be worth remembering; this goes from Sr Staff to everyone else. Approachable, willing to listen, etc.

 

*In talking to Martin Brock, and confirmed by others....Norwegian is doing away with their magic/comedian acts (the exception being the Illusionarim on the Getaway). Booo! I've really enjoyed the magic/comedian acts over the years...and very disappointed Norwegian is dropping them from the entertainment lineup.

 

Off-shore stuff:

Tobacco Bay has some great snorkeling, and Horseshoe Bay lots of beach and nice water...and for those comfortable swimmers that like to snorkel head out to the rocks in the center (not as good as Tobacco Bay for snorkeling, but was still a lot of fun). By comfortable, those that can swim some distance and where being in 30 - 40 ft water does not bother you.

 

Now, a local I was talking to mentioned that the place to go for snorkeling was someplace called Church Bay...no idea where that is, what it is like, etc. so just throwing out what a local mentioned.

 

The Snorkel Park there at the Dockyards...its ok, and if snorkeling once you get out beyond the crowds the water clears up. A word to the wise - avoid the area to the left; rocks, rocks, rocks, and did I mention rocks? The rocks that don't feel like a spear being jabbed into your foot are smooth and SLIPPERY, and slipping and falling into the spear like rocks is not fun (I did not, but I saw many that were less fortunate).

 

Lots of little shops and such at the Dockyards....and one thing to try is what they call Ginger Beer (its not really beer); VERY different from ginger ale and quite good.

 

Lastly, the Swizzle Inn in Hampton. I'd read up on it and it tends to get mixed reviews. Service was a bit slow at first, and it is EXPENSIVE (remember, island...they import all that stuff) it was very good, and the Swizzle is well worth trying.

 

Overall, 100% agree with BermudaBound2014...a beautiful ship, and one I'd sail again anytime.

Edited August 24, 2014 by Locknar

[BermudaBound2014]

We self Disembarked w/our luggage. They cleared customs around 8:10. It was slightly chaotic with elevators merging in line, but all in all I think they did a great job! some long lines waiting to get throuvh customs but we were through customs and in a cab around 10 (plenty of cabs available). We were at laguardia by 10:30. $44.00 plus tip yellow cab. You could do it faster if you got to O'SHEEHANS around 7:00 am to be first off :)

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the report!

[wasiii]

Thanks for the reviews everyone.

 

wasiii

[$hip$hape]

We self Disembarked w/our luggage. They cleared customs around 8:10. It was slightly chaotic with elevators merging in line, but all in all I think they did a great job! some long lines waiting to get throuvh customs but we were through customs and in a cab around 10 (plenty of cabs available). We were at laguardia by 10:30. $44.00 plus tip yellow cab. You could do it faster if you got to O'SHEEHANS around 7:00 am to be first off :)

Thanks for the information !

For us, four weeks to go!

[Locknar]

The only other items I can think of to add....

 

- We did the bus/ferry pass, which worked out great on the way to Tobacco Bay and then to the Swizzle Inn. After that...not so much; it rained, buses were full and didn't stop and then it was a LONG ride back. The second day we did a taxi to Horseshoe Bay, it was about $32 but WAY faster.

 

- The self disembarking is the way to go if you can manage the luggage part. We got moving around 7:30 and were loaded, in the car and moving before 9.

 

- Be prepared, the trip back from Bermuda to NY will be rough. Not sea sick, ship pitching about like the SS Minnow rough but you'll be rocking...between the ships speed (+20 knots on the way back) and the head winds (since weather generally moves west to east and on the way back you are moving roughly east to west).

Edited August 24, 2014 by Locknar

[English101]

Just curious...is there any Mexican food on board??? Chips/salsa, fajitas, tacos, etc. Thanks.

[BermudaBound2014]

Just curious...is there any Mexican food on board??? Chips/salsa, fajitas, tacos, etc. Thanks.

 

There is every kind of food you can possibly think of. No problem finding Chips/Salsa/etc.. at the lunch buffet. I can't speak for the dinner buffet, but my guess is there is plenty there too :).

[illiniwahoo]

Im considering booking a last minute cruise in just a few weeks on the breakaway. So I'm worried about show availability. Did you ever do the line with no reservations? Did you get in?

[CinAndTheCity]

Was there a pub crawl? If so, what day/time was it (if you have the Dailies to reference)?

 

Thanks!

[BermudaBound2014]

Im considering booking a last minute cruise in just a few weeks on the breakaway. So I'm worried about show availability. Did you ever do the line with no reservations? Did you get in?

 

We made reservations for Burn the Floor, Rock of Ages, and one Comedy Central show prior to boarding. We were able to get into each with reservations, but did note people being turned away at both burn the floor and rock of ages and the lines for Rock of Ages were HUGE (the wound all the way into the hall near the elevators). We also heard from someone who was turned away from Rock of Ages 3 times and never did get in. With that being said, in September things should start to become less crowded. Breakaway isn't a ship I'd recommend without reservations; it's just too big. We struggled getting decent dining times days in advance also. With a little planning, the food and shows are TERRIFIC; but a 'wing-it' cruise this is not (imho).

[Locknar]

Just curious...is there any Mexican food on board??? Chips/salsa, fajitas, tacos, etc. Thanks.

There was a "Mexican Night" in the Garden Cafe, but beyond this I don't recall much in the way of chips/salsa, tacos, etc.

 

Was there a pub crawl? If so, what day/time was it (if you have the Dailies to reference)?

 

Thanks!

There is, but I don't recall the day...I want to say day 2 but that is just a guess. There are also Martini, Beer, Margarita, and Wine (in addition to the Wine Tasters show in Spiegel) tastings.

 

Im considering booking a last minute cruise in just a few weeks on the breakaway. So I'm worried about show availability. Did you ever do the line with no reservations? Did you get in?

For the big shows (like Rock of Ages) that would be rough, smaller shows like Martin Brock you can likely just walk in.

 

A word of caution re bookings. We had booked Wine Tasters using one of the touch screen monitors in the hall & it indicated we were all set. Much to our surprise, when we shows up they had no record of the booking...but being a less popular show we got in no problem.

Edited August 25, 2014 by Locknar

[English101]

There is every kind of food you can possibly think of. No problem finding Chips/Salsa/etc.. at the lunch buffet. I can't speak for the dinner buffet, but my guess is there is plenty there too :).

 

Thank you!!

[Laszlo]

Im considering booking a last minute cruise in just a few weeks on the breakaway. So I'm worried about show availability. Did you ever do the line with no reservations? Did you get in?

 

You should be fine, my wife and I went the weekend after labor day last year and had no problems getting in any place. The ship was about 85% full. Their was still a large amount of teenagers

[conandrob240]

You should be fine, my wife and I went the weekend after labor day last year and had no problems getting in any place. The ship was about 85% full. Their was still a large amount of teenagers

 

Last year, there was no UDP. I have found it had a large impact on dining availability.

[BermudaBound2014]

Last year, there was no UDP. I have found it had a large impact on dining availability.

 

I agree! I also think that because the new menus were initially getting poor reviews many people (myself included) opted for UDP when we normally wouldn't have. If you select UDP, you really need to eat 5 plus nights to make it worth while economically, therefore I think more people are likely to eat at specialty restaurants the majority nights of their cruise (myself included).

 

IMHO; UDP has changed the dining game. I think it's a terrific value and would do it again in a heartbeat; but next time I'll make reservations as soon as they become available for every night of the cruise. I would prefer to have more flexibility; but I understand how/why restaurants on the mega ships are filling. I suppose the flip side is that complimentary dining will be less busy for those that do not choose UDP :).