1st time Norwegian

[Studio472]

To this point, I've sailed only with Royal Caribbean, which I like and have few complaints about. We live in Pennsylvania & have only sailed out of Florida ports (just worked out that way).

 

My wife & I want to take a short getaway cruise 2-3 nights this coming Nov-Jan. It has to be over the weekend and we can't take more than one day off work. (Burning all our vacation time in Alaska next month) We quickly realized there are very few options in this category of cruises. due partly to the new regulations going into effect Jan 2016. I looked at ports & cruise lines all across the East Coast and even considered Carnival.

 

If we factor in airfare we're looking at about $1,000 for the Florida ports. Eventually I conceded that we might have to settle for a 2-night cruise. We found the Norwegian Breakaway on Dec 11th out of NYC. Balconies cost the same as insides (because it's winter?). This options works great since we can park in Statten Island, take the free ferry and avoid parking at the pier.

 

So that leads us to Norwegian. I've never cruised with them. Breakaway is a newer ship and looks pretty cool (ice bar pun!). We think this is a great way to get a taste for Norwegian without committing a full week+ cruise.

 

What can you tell me about Norwegian? Good, the bad & the Ugly please!

[punkincc]

You are on the Norwegian board so what you hear will be mostly from Norwegian fans. The products are very similar. Many think NCL superior when it comes to entertainment options and dining options. On a short cruise, you will be hard pressed to cram it all in. We like the Waterfront concept on this class of ship. Dining is Freestyle, meaning you eat when and where you feel like it, but you are free to make reservations when and where you like. We love the specialty restaurants and usually do 3 per cruise. There is live entertainment and a dance floor in the Manhattan main aft dining room. There is one Cirque type Dinner Show for a fee in its own venue. There are two other smaller MDRs as well as well as several other complimentary dining venues including one 24 hour restaurant.

 

Dress is Freestyle. Long pants, jeans OK, and a collared shirt, closed toe shoes in the aft MDR and Le Bistro at dinner, otherwise you can wear shorts if you wish anywhere else. Or dress up as much as you like.

 

The negative is that NCL has a gung ho new sheriff in town, out to make a name for himself, guns blazing. Their communication with booked passengers seems to have suffered and new fees and changes seem to be coming on a weekly basis. Much controversy re whether these are good or bad changes, but I think you can have a fantastic time regardless.

Edited July 21, 2015 by punkincc

[mizLORInj]

Just do it. :) It's a good way to see what the NCL Breakaway is like! My first exposure to NCL was on a 2 nighter in 2009. I've been back many times. (although as you can see, I've been on others too!)

[Charlie4]

As far as Inside rooms, I think the Breakaway has the smallest, yet best rooms. They are very quiet.

[johnlatte]

The good: The line produces a fine product. I've sailed both RCI and NCL and over all prefer NCL because of the laid back atmosphere and generally better itineraries. The service has always been great, and I can sail in better accommodations (suites, Haven etc.) for better value than I can on RCI.

 

 

The Bad: The company seems to be in a state of transition. There have been several changes to policies, prices etc. in the last 6 months that have many people upset. The latest row is now about changing port times without notifying guests of these changes and/or the thought process behind them. That seems to be the number one issue; the total lack of communication surrounding these changes. This has upset "the faithful" that are most vocal on this board. I was pretty ambivalent in regards to most of these changes (don't use room service, had no problems with DSC increases), however short changing customer by shorting port times, may be the last straw for me. I sail primarily for the ports of call, not necessarily the ships. So this is a big deal in my book. Overall I still think NCL offers the best value, but I am starting question the onslaught of changes the company is making without clearly communicating the vision of the company's future.

[Studio472]

The Bad: The company seems to be in a state of transition. There have been several changes to policies, prices etc. in the last 6 months that have many people upset. The latest row is now about changing port times without notifying guests of these changes and/or the thought process behind them. That seems to be the number one issue; the total lack of communication surrounding these changes. This has upset "the faithful" that are most vocal on this board. I was pretty ambivalent in regards to most of these changes (don't use room service, had no problems with DSC increases), however short changing customer by shorting port times, may be the last straw for me. I sail primarily for the ports of call, not necessarily the ships. So this is a big deal in my book. Overall I still think NCL offers the best value, but I am starting question the onslaught of changes the company is making without clearly communicating the vision of the company's future.

 

Over on the RCL boards you'll hear a ton of complaints about pricing. I thought it was RCL only, when I spoke with my travel agent, he told me prices are going up across all cruise lines. I'm guessing that between Concordia being far enough in the past and the economy heading in the right direction that the lines can get away with raised prices. That's going to be great news for Carnival. When bookings start lagging at RCL/NCL/HAL there will be another correction and prices should come back down. I guess i just need to book far enough in advance and hope I'm actually getting a deal.

 

We did go ahead with the reservation for the Dec 11, 2015 sailing. Wish we had more time for a longer cruise but we simply don't. Looks like there are so many dining options. I'm surprised to see one of the shows has a fee. I've always expected 'entertainment' to be included in the price.

 

I really like the open-ocean promenade concept. Do they have events in the area or is it more or less a boardwalk?

[CruisinHarvey]

How do they get away with this cruise? I thought the US stopped all cruises to nowhere from US ports.

 

Also the waterfront will useless for you at that time. Everything outside will be closed down due the cold.

Edited July 22, 2015 by CruisinHarvey

[emcelh]

How do they get away with this cruise? I thought the US stopped all cruises to nowhere from US ports.

 

Also the waterfront will useless for you at that time. Everything outside will be closed down due the cold.

 

I think the ban takes effect later than this one.

[MrsPhoenix91]

How do they get away with this cruise? I thought the US stopped all cruises to nowhere from US ports.

 

The ban is in effect on 1/1/16, so they chose the right month for that particular cruise.

[punkincc]

I'm surprised to see one of the shows has a fee. I've always expected 'entertainment' to be included in the price.

 

I really like the open-ocean promenade concept. Do they have events in the area or is it more or less a boardwalk?

 

That show is the dinner show I mentioned. It is a Cirque type show and well worth the money. It is a fixed menu, pretty equivalent to a meal in the MDR. If you do not like it, just grab something else before or after the show.

 

No, the Boardwalk is not big enough for events. I have heard they have live music at one of the bars, but we never ran across any there on the sister ship, Getaway, but we were mostly indoors at night. But I believe Fat Cats, the Jazz venue which has actual top performers for extended stays, backs up onto the Boardwalk and you can sit out there and hear the performance. But, as someone else said, it could be very chilly. Don't miss Howl,at the Moon, the dueling piano venue.

[CruisinHarvey]

I can understand taking something like this is summer, or out of some place warm. But, New York in winter? I'd think they'd be giving those cabins away, just to get somebody to spend some money on board. You'll need to be inside the entire time. Isn't it easier to just get a hotel somewhere? You wouldn't have to go through all the embarkation and disembarkation hassle.

[punkincc]

I can understand taking something like this is summer, or out of some place warm. But, New York in winter? I'd think they'd be giving those cabins away, just to get somebody to spend some money on board. You'll need to be inside the entire time. Isn't it easier to just get a hotel somewhere? You wouldn't have to go through all the embarkation and disembarkation hassle.

 

Yeah, but you'd be schlepping around cold and crowded NYC on foot and in taxis running to dinner and entertainment. What hotel outside of Vegas has the number of dining and entertainment options offered by this ship. And the cruise is probably much less money if you figure out the cost of the equivalent NYC hotel room, dinners and equivalent entertainment. Plenty of NYC residents in driving area who would be interested in a cheap short getaway which offers what this cruise does.

[laurabegorrah]

I can understand taking something like this is summer, or out of some place warm. But, New York in winter? I'd think they'd be giving those cabins away, just to get somebody to spend some money on board. You'll need to be inside the entire time. Isn't it easier to just get a hotel somewhere? You wouldn't have to go through all the embarkation and disembarkation hassle.

 

We did a C2N on the Breakaway in Jan 2014 - it was actually not too bad. It had more of a party feel than a relaxation feel, but there was always plenty of inside activities to keep us occupied. It helped that we had a spa Haven suite, so we had access to a few indoor pool side lounging options, but even without that, you can get far enough south on that sea day to get up into the 60s, and there were a lot of people in the hot tubs.

 

I thought it was a great way to get to know the ship a bit, and check out some of the new (at the time) dining and entertainment options.

[motleyfan]

To this point, I've sailed only with Royal Caribbean, which I like and have few complaints about. We live in Pennsylvania & have only sailed out of Florida ports (just worked out that way).

 

My wife & I want to take a short getaway cruise 2-3 nights this coming Nov-Jan. It has to be over the weekend and we can't take more than one day off work. (Burning all our vacation time in Alaska next month) We quickly realized there are very few options in this category of cruises. due partly to the new regulations going into effect Jan 2016. I looked at ports & cruise lines all across the East Coast and even considered Carnival.

 

If we factor in airfare we're looking at about $1,000 for the Florida ports. Eventually I conceded that we might have to settle for a 2-night cruise. We found the Norwegian Breakaway on Dec 11th out of NYC. Balconies cost the same as insides (because it's winter?). This options works great since we can park in Statten Island, take the free ferry and avoid parking at the pier.

 

So that leads us to Norwegian. I've never cruised with them. Breakaway is a newer ship and looks pretty cool (ice bar pun!). We think this is a great way to get a taste for Norwegian without committing a full week+ cruise.

 

What can you tell me about Norwegian? Good, the bad & the Ugly please!

 

I was on the epic and they also have a ice bar I will tell you it's incredible, but I guarantee you won't last more than 10 minutes in there lol.

[4774Papa]

Since you have so little time off, it seems flying to Florida for a cruise would not be wise. Cruising out of NYC makes a lot of sense.

NCL is a lot of fun, hope you give it a try. Great entertainment, great specialty restaurants and prices are reasonable.

[Studio472]

I was on the epic and they also have a ice bar I will tell you it's incredible, but I guarantee you won't last more than 10 minutes in there lol.

 

I'll bet it doesn't get too crowded then!

Edited July 22, 2015 by Studio472

[Studio472]

That show is the dinner show I mentioned. It is a Cirque type show and well worth the money. It is a fixed menu, pretty equivalent to a meal in the MDR. If you do not like it, just grab something else before or after the show.

 

No, the Boardwalk is not big enough for events. I have heard they have live music at one of the bars, but we never ran across any there on the sister ship, Getaway, but we were mostly indoors at night. But I believe Fat Cats, the Jazz venue which has actual top performers for extended stays, backs up onto the Boardwalk and you can sit out there and hear the performance. But, as someone else said, it could be very chilly. Don't miss Howl,at the Moon, the dueling piano venue.

 

With so many dining options, and so few meals on a 2 nighter, I think it will be easy to skip this show. Definitely worth checking out, but we have to pick and choose with so few days.

 

Bummer about the boardwalk being closed, thanks for the heads up!

[Studio472]

I can understand taking something like this is summer, or out of some place warm. But, New York in winter? I'd think they'd be giving those cabins away, just to get somebody to spend some money on board. You'll need to be inside the entire time. Isn't it easier to just get a hotel somewhere? You wouldn't have to go through all the embarkation and disembarkation hassle.

 

We are still considering a hotel in the city. It's an anniversary 'getaway' so we were hoping to make it special. If you factor in all the costs of spending a weekend in NYC, the cruise isn't that bad an option.

 

I do think this particular sailing is overpriced, but it's the only one that fits our short travel window. I'm trolling for price drops daily. NLC.com the best place for that?

[Studio472]

Since you have so little time off, it seems flying to Florida for a cruise would not be wise. Cruising out of NYC makes a lot of sense.

NCL is a lot of fun, hope you give it a try. Great entertainment, great specialty restaurants and prices are reasonable.

 

We have it booked. Unless something we can't pass up comes along in the next 2 months, we're pretty committed.

 

I have no issues with NCL, I had heard (in the past) that the food wasn't as good but it sounds like the line has made a big effort to improve. I'm curious to see how it compares to RCL. Not that RCL food is amazing, it's just my only benchmark.

[jb456]

 

If we factor in airfare we're looking at about $1,000 for the Florida ports. Eventually I conceded that we might have to settle for a 2-night cruise.

 

Since you have a short time off - this might not be ideal for this current trip your considering but for future trips read below.:)

 

You should take a look at the cheap airlines Spirit and Allegiant. They both service all different airports in PA that fly to Orlando Sanford, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Punta Gorda. So all cruise ports in Florida are basically covered.

 

Looking quickly from Latrobe to Fort Lauderdale select dates in December are $63 each way....a checked bag is $30 each way.

 

Between those two airlines you can fly for around $200 round trip each with a checked bag each.....no where near the $1000 price you found :)

 

We just got tickets for $34 each way on Spirit.

Edited July 22, 2015 by jb456

[4774Papa]

We have it booked. Unless something we can't pass up comes along in the next 2 months, we're pretty committed.

 

I have no issues with NCL, I had heard (in the past) that the food wasn't as good but it sounds like the line has made a big effort to improve. I'm curious to see how it compares to RCL. Not that RCL food is amazing, it's just my only benchmark.

We have not cruises RC, but cruise a lot on Celebrity as well as NCL.

Celebrity's food is better than NCL. However, NCL's reasonably priced specialty restaurants make up a bit for that.

 

I didn't even know NCL had two day cruises. We are retired and generally cruise 14 day cruises. We have done a couple of 7 day cruises.

 

What you will find if you cruise longer cruises is a very different clientele.

 

The real short cruises draw more people from what I would characterize as the general population, as well as younger people.

 

The longer the cruise, the more retired, older people and more well traveled.

[Studio472]

Since you have a short time off - this might not be ideal for this current trip your considering but for future trips read below.:)

 

You should take a look at the cheap airlines Spirit and Allegiant. They both service all different airports in PA that fly to Orlando Sanford, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Punta Gorda. So all cruise ports in Florida are basically covered.

 

Looking quickly from Latrobe to Fort Lauderdale select dates in December are $63 each way....a checked bag is $30 each way.

 

Between those two airlines you can fly for around $200 round trip each with a checked bag each.....no where near the $1000 price you found :)

 

We just got tickets for $34 each way on Spirit.

 

I did check the discount airports. I tried more options than most would consider. The key here is that I can't travel on 'select dates' which don't coincide with the cruise in this instance.

 

Flights must be AM Friday & afternoon/PM Monday. Not finding rates under $200/pp round trip, regardless of flying out of Atlantic City or Latrobe. LBE would be a 5 hour one-way drive also.

 

$500-600/cruise $400/airfare (not including bags, airport transfer to cruise ship, parking at airport etc).