Need help deciding - Breakaway or Quantum out of New York

[sdmike]

Hey guys. It's been a while since I've posted here. I see many new faces and many old ones (you know who you are!)

 

I've come for help. My mother is in her mid-70's and is looking to get the extended family together for a trip out of NY either on the Quantum or Breakaway. Now I know I'm on the NCL board, but I know many of you sail both lines :)

 

Both of the trips we're looking at are 9 days. For the 10 of us the Breakaway is around $5k cheaper overall, but that's not a big deal for reasons I won't get into. I have not caught up on my Breakaway reading, or my Quantum reading, so I'm putting this out there to capture some opinions. Here's my view of things so far:

 

Breakaway - It's cheaper and I prefer freestyle dining. There is a current perk where I can get free specialty restaurants, drinks, $50 off excursions, etc., and while this sounds great, I'm afraid of a ship of drunks and specialty restaurants so packed that I can't get a table.

 

Quantum - New ship, but I'm clearly not familiar with how RCI does things, like dining. The kids like the idea of the flowrider, bumper cars, etc., but like I said, it's more expensive.

 

Anyone sailed both? It's been a long time since I've sailed RCI, and it's been a couple of years since I was on the Jewel, and 5 since we were on the Epic. What's the current thinking on the Breakaway?

 

Thanks guys

[SeaShark]

Hey guys. It's been a while since I've posted here. I see many new faces and many old ones (you know who you are!)

 

I've come for help. My mother is in her mid-70's and is looking to get the extended family together for a trip out of NY either on the Quantum or Breakaway. Now I know I'm on the NCL board, but I know many of you sail both lines :)

 

Both of the trips we're looking at are 9 days. For the 10 of us the Breakaway is around $5k cheaper overall, but that's not a big deal for reasons I won't get into. I have not caught up on my Breakaway reading, or my Quantum reading, so I'm putting this out there to capture some opinions. Here's my view of things so far:

 

Breakaway - It's cheaper and I prefer freestyle dining. There is a current perk where I can get free specialty restaurants, drinks, $50 off excursions, etc., and while this sounds great, I'm afraid of a ship of drunks and specialty restaurants so packed that I can't get a table.

 

Quantum - New ship, but I'm clearly not familiar with how RCI does things, like dining. The kids like the idea of the flowrider, bumper cars, etc., but like I said, it's more expensive.

 

Anyone sailed both? It's been a long time since I've sailed RCI, and it's been a couple of years since I was on the Jewel, and 5 since we were on the Epic. What's the current thinking on the Breakaway?

 

Thanks guys

 

Not all that hard a decision....choose the Breakaway.

 

 

RCCL permanently moved Quantum to China.

[Dave85]

Not all that hard a decision....choose the Breakaway.

 

 

RCCL permanently moved Quantum to China.

 

 

Don't give misleading information. Yes, Quantum moved to China, but Anthem of the Seas, a Quantum Class ship, is now sailing from Cape Liberty. I disembarked her on Sunday.

 

Anthem will likely always be more expensive but after having sailed both Anthem and Breakaway we thought Anthem was a cut above in every respect. Don't get me wrong, we had a blast on the Breakaway, but the Anthem had so much more to offer, including two indoor pools for cold days at sea, and an indoor SeaPlex with all sorts of activities such as bumper cars.

 

At the end of the day it comes down to how big a deal the money is for you. You're getting a higher quality product on Anthem, but if the money is too much to justify go on the Breakaway and you'll have a blast.

Edited November 28, 2015 by Dave85

[SeaShark]

Don't give misleading information. Yes, Quantum moved to China, but Anthem of the Seas, a Quantum Class ship, is now sailing from Cape Liberty. I disembarked her on Sunday.

 

Anthem will likely always be more expensive but after having sailed both Anthem and Breakaway we thought Anthem was a cut above in every respect. Don't get me wrong, we had a blast on the Breakaway, but the Anthem had so much more to offer, including two indoor pools for cold days at sea, and an indoor SeaPlex with all sorts of activities such as bumper cars.

 

At the end of the day it comes down to how big a deal the money is for you. You're getting a higher quality product on Anthem, but if the money is too much to justify go on the Breakaway and you'll have a blast.

 

Not misleading at all...I simply answered the specific question that the OP asked. He didn't ask about the Anthem, nor did he ask about the Getaway. Taking it upon myself to assume and answer based on other ships in a class...not THAT would be misleading.

[sdmike]

Not all that hard a decision....choose the Breakaway.

 

 

RCCL permanently moved Quantum to China.

 

My bad. It's the Anthem. Quantum class. Same questions, different name. :)

[sdmike]

 

At the end of the day it comes down to how big a deal the money is for you. You're getting a higher quality product on Anthem, but if the money is too much to justify go on the Breakaway and you'll have a blast.

 

Thanks Dave. How does the new Dynamic Dining Choice approach work? Is it a lot like freestyle, or is it a hybrid. Money is always an issue, but my mother received an inheritance from a good friend who passed away last year and wants to use it for a cruise for all of us. I want to be a good steward of these funds and not go crazy, but it's not a problem. I really appreciate you input having been on both.

[sdmike]

Not misleading at all...I simply answered the specific question that the OP asked. He didn't ask about the Anthem, nor did he ask about the Getaway. Taking it upon myself to assume and answer based on other ships in a class...not THAT would be misleading.

 

While you are technically correct, you could have assumed I had the wrong ship name since I was referring to a specific cruise. Do you have an opinion on the options? Thanks

Edited November 28, 2015 by sdmike

[SeaShark]

While you are technically correct, you could have assumed I had the wrong ship name since I was referring to a specific cruise. Thanks though.

 

I could have made a lot of assumptions, but I choose not to. Instead I choose to give you the benefit of the doubt and take you at your word by answering the question that you asked.

 

FWIW...the "mistake" could have just as easily have been the Breakaway...for all I know you could have been planning a cruise in China. Also, technically correct is still correct.

[sdmike]

I could have made a lot of assumptions, but I choose not to. Instead I choose to give you the benefit of the doubt and take you at your word by answering the question that you asked.

 

FWIW...the "mistake" could have just as easily have been the Breakaway...for all I know you could have been planning a cruise in China. Also, technically correct is still correct.

 

ok, let's try this again. Since you now know that I'm referring to a summer cruise out of NYC/NJ (specifically June 30 on the Anthem out of NJ) versus a trip out of NY on the Breakaway (on July 1), do you have any opinions to share on the options? Thanks

[david_sobe]

Hey Mike

Long time no see. Welcome back!! I have not sailed Breakaway but sailed her sister ship Getaway. I know you are a big lover of NCL Epic and me too. I thought Getaway was actually a step down from Epic on almost every level except the waterfront. The spa, gym, Bliss, and restaurants are bigger and better on Epic. Even Spice is better on Epic. Having said that $5k is nothing to sneeze about. That is HUGE and is such a difference that Breakaway would be hard not to book. RCCL has something called "anytime" dining which is identical to freestyle. I would vote new ship but the savings would lure me to Breakaway. Breakaway also has Rock of Ages which is something I would love to see. On the flip side RCCL has some amazing innovative things on Anthem. I saw a video of the ship and was blown away. I would love to Sky dive at sea.

Good luck with your decision and keep us posted.

Edited November 28, 2015 by david_sobe

[Dave85]

Thanks Dave. How does the new Dynamic Dining Choice approach work? Is it a lot like freestyle, or is it a hybrid. Money is always an issue, but my mother received an inheritance from a good friend who passed away last year and wants to use it for a cruise for all of us. I want to be a good steward of these funds and not go crazy, but it's not a problem. I really appreciate you input having been on both.

 

 

The systems are similar, but the biggest difference is the RCI system is far more dependent on reservations and I would certainly recommend making reservations if you decide to go on Anthem. We made reservations ahead of time for each night on Anthem and we were always seated within 5 minutes, and usually immediately. The system ran smoothly in all but one of the restaurants (the Grande) where we didn't care for the food or service. Some people complain about having to make the reservations, but in actuality they are very easy to make and you can change them on board either using the Royal IQ app, or the low tech solution of visiting the staff member at the podium outside each restaurant.

 

As far as the quality, my DW Is a foodie and she strongly disliked the included dining fare on the Breakaway. We did think that the specialty dining on Breakaway was quite good. On the other hand, we had far more hits than misses with the included food on Anthem, and overall the choice of menus among the five included dining rooms (including the smaller Devinly Decadence) was far superior to what NCL is offering on Breakaway. Restaurant service was about the same. As far as specialty dining goes, we ate at Jamie's Italian on Anthem which was excellent.

 

I hope this helps, and I'm happy to answer any further questions!

[sdmike]

Hey Mike

Long time no see. Welcome back!! have not sailed Breakaway but sailed her sister ship Getaway. I know you are a big lover of NCL Epic and me too. I thought Getaway was actually a step down from Epic on almost every level except the waterfront. The spa, gym, Bliss, and restaurants are bigger and better on Epic. Even Spice is better on Epic. Having said that $5k is nothing to sneeze about. That is HUGE and is such a difference that Breakaway would be hard not to book. RCCL has something called "anytime" dining which is identical to freestyle. I would vote new ship but the savings would lure me to Breakaway. Breakaway also has Rock of Ages which is something I would love to see. On the flip side RCCL has some amazing innovative things on Anthem. I saw a video of the ship and was blown away. I would love to Sky dive at sea.

Good luck with your decision and keep us posted.

 

Hey David!! Thanks for the input. I appreciate it. One concern I have about those "innovations" is that they can be crowded/full, pay, or broken. I remember the bungee thing on the Epic that my kids never got to use because it was broken. Thanks for your perspective on the Breakaway. We truly loved the Epic, and I'd almost hate to go onto the BA or GA and be let down.

[Dave85]

I could have made a lot of assumptions, but I choose not to. Instead I choose to give you the benefit of the doubt and take you at your word by answering the question that you asked.

 

 

 

FWIW...the "mistake" could have just as easily have been the Breakaway...for all I know you could have been planning a cruise in China. Also, technically correct is still correct.

 

 

Or, you could just try and be helpful instead of focusing on giving people a hard time. You should try it sometime.

[sdmike]

The systems are similar, but the biggest difference is the RCI system is far more dependent on reservations and I would certainly recommend making reservations if you decide to go on Anthem. We made reservations ahead of time for each night on Anthem and we were always seated within 5 minutes, and usually immediately. The system ran smoothly in all but one of the restaurants (the Grande) where we didn't care for the food or service. Some people complain about having to make the reservations, but in actuality they are very easy to make and you can change them on board either using the Royal IQ app, or the low tech solution of visiting the staff member at the podium outside each restaurant.

 

As far as the quality, my DW Is a foodie and she strongly disliked the included dining fare on the Breakaway. We did think that the specialty dining on Breakaway was quite good. On the other hand, we had far more hits than misses with the included food on Anthem, and overall the choice of menus among the five included dining rooms (including the smaller Devinly Decadence) was far superior to what NCL is offering on Breakaway. Restaurant service was about the same. As far as specialty dining goes, we ate at Jamie's Italian on Anthem which was excellent.

 

I hope this helps, and I'm happy to answer any further questions!

 

Thanks Dave. I appreciate the feedback. How flexible do you think dining will be with 10 of us? It might be a bit hairy to move reservations around, I would think.

 

Oh, I think RCI is offering $300 per stateroom OBC if I read the offer correctly. This would help bring the cost down a bit versus BA.

[Dave85]

Hey David!! Thanks for the input. I appreciate it. One concern I have about those "innovations" is that they can be crowded/full, pay, or broken. I remember the bungee thing on the Epic that my kids never got to use because it was broken. Thanks for your perspective on the Breakaway. We truly loved the Epic, and I'd almost hate to go onto the BA or GA and be let down.

 

 

Totally understand your point here. As you're sailing at a time when lots of families (with filled 3rd and 4th berths) will be cruising you can expect a higher demand for those attractions than when I sailed. With that said, all of the fun innovations (iFly, bumper cars, North Star, Flowrider, Circus School, room escape game, etc.), are included in the price of the cruise. :)

Edited November 28, 2015 by Dave85

[Dave85]

Thanks Dave. I appreciate the feedback. How flexible do you think dining will be with 10 of us? It might be a bit hairy to move reservations around, I would think.

 

 

 

Oh, I think RCI is offering $300 per stateroom OBC if I read the offer correctly. This would help bring the cost down a bit versus BA.

 

 

With 10 of you you'll definitely want reservations. To move those around with so many people you will almost certainly need to visit the friendly staff at the desk to help you out.

[meatball_nyc]

Hi sdmike

 

Our first trip on Breakaway was a family group of 10. We made no reservations for any dinner MDR. Showed up at the Manhattan Dining Room at 7:30pm and were seated all together at a table for 10 about 10 minutes later.

Hope this helps. Hope you enjoy your cruise no matter which you choose!

Happy Sailing!

[sdmike]

Hi sdmike

 

Our first trip on Breakaway was a family group of 10. We made no reservations for any dinner MDR. Showed up at the Manhattan Dining Room at 7:30pm and were seated all together at a table for 10 about 10 minutes later.

Hope this helps. Hope you enjoy your cruise no matter which you choose!

Happy Sailing!

 

Thanks. I agree with you. I've not had issues with a larger group (we had 14 on the Epic) as walk-ins to the more formal dining room. We're also not above a good buffet :). I guess that's where I have a bit of concern about the RCI ship because we quite often don't know what or where we want to eat until we're hungry. :)

[chars]

I will be going on the Breakaway for the 5th time next month. I really haven't seen bar fulls of drunk people in spite of the drink package. Since it will be a large family cruise and money isn't an issue, are you planning to cruise in the haven? If so, I think you will have a great time. I can't comment on the RCCL cruise, but have not been disappointed on the Breakaway. The haven area would be a great area for your entire family, and is pretty quiet, compared to the rest of the ship.

[Turtles06]

Mike, I'm an NCL fan as you can see from my cruise history below, but my spouse and I recently returned from the Anthem TA and were just blown away by this ship. We aren't big fans of mega-ships, and were surprised we enjoyed Anthem as much as we did, but we did. She is stunningly beautiful and has incredibly unique public spaces, like Two70, which has to be seen to be believed. And North Star is just amazing.

 

And for the kids -- Anthem is pretty much an amusement park at sea. North Star, bumper cars, flowrider, simulated sky diving (Ripcord by iFly). Incredible.

 

Dave above is correct that with ten people, you really will want to have dinner reservations, but we found them easy to make in advance on line. The key is getting everything to work around the three shows that need to be reserved, but I suspect you'd have similar issues on Breakaway.

 

Anthem is not perfect; we found the food and food service in some of the "complimentary" venues to be subpar. RCI really needs to make improvements there.

 

We haven't sailed Breakaway (have no interest, really, given what I've read) so I can't give a comparison, but in case this is helpful to you, here are my detailed comments (by subject), with photos, about our Anthem sailing:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2277588

 

Enjoy whatever you decide!

Edited November 28, 2015 by Turtles06

[sdmike]

I will be going on the Breakaway for the 5th time next month. I really haven't seen bar fulls of drunk people in spite of the drink package. Since it will be a large family cruise and money isn't an issue, are you planning to cruise in the haven? If so, I think you will have a great time. I can't comment on the RCCL cruise, but have not been disappointed on the Breakaway. The haven area would be a great area for your entire family, and is pretty quiet, compared to the rest of the ship.

 

Thanks Chars. Good call. I'll price out the Haven and see how crazy the prices get. That would certainly up the experience. I appreciate the feedback.

[sdmike]

Mike, I'm an NCL fan as you can see from my cruise history below, but my spouse and I recently returned from the Anthem TA and were just blown away by this ship. We aren't big fans of mega-ships, and were surprised we enjoyed Anthem as much as we did, but we did. She is stunningly beautiful and has incredibly unique public spaces, like Two70, which has to be seen to be believed. And North Star is just amazing.

 

And for the kids -- Anthem is pretty much an amusement park at sea. North Star, bumper cars, flowrider, simulated sky diving (Ripcord by iFly). Incredible.

 

Dave above is correct that with ten people, you really will want to have dinner reservations, but we found them easy to make in advance on line. The key is getting everything to work around the three shows that need to be reserved, but I suspect you'd have similar issues on Breakaway.

 

Anthem is not perfect; we found the food and food service in some of the "complimentary" venues to be subpar. RCI really needs to make improvements there.

 

We haven't sailed Breakaway (have no interest, really, given what I've read) so I can't give a comparison, but in case this is helpful to you, here are my detailed comments (by subject), with photos, about our Anthem sailing:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2277588

 

Enjoy whatever you decide!

 

Thank you! I will check out your thread and ask any questions. Thanks for taking the time to respond. :)

[bellevuemountain]

Found this thread with someone who did both and gives a highlight of pros / cons for each

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2278498&referrerid=0

 

Good luck!

[SuiteCruiser]

Hey Mike!

 

Great to see you again!

 

There have been A LOT of changes at NCL since you left, and with the promos for dining and booze packages, it's gotten to the point where you really need reservations in the specialties way ahead of time, or you'll be stuck with 6:00 or 9:00 dinners, especially for a big group.

 

The specialties now have an 18% service charge on top of the bill, Cagney's, La Cucina and Le Bistro are now a la carte, not just a flat fee.

 

I won't go on as I'll get beaten up, but there are a lot of differences, so it's worth a good read to see if they will affect you or not.

 

I've never been on the Quantam Class ships, so can't help you there either. I'm still happy sailing NCL for the time being, but I just wanted you to be aware that things are different now with the new leadership in place.

[sdmike]

Hey Mike!

 

Great to see you again!

 

There have been A LOT of changes at NCL since you left, and with the promos for dining and booze packages, it's gotten to the point where you really need reservations in the specialties way ahead of time, or you'll be stuck with 6:00 or 9:00 dinners, especially for a big group.

 

The specialties now have an 18% service charge on top of the bill, Cagney's, La Cucina and Le Bistro are now a la carte, not just a flat fee.

 

I won't go on as I'll get beaten up, but there are a lot of differences, so it's worth a good read to see if they will affect you or not.

 

I've never been on the Quantam Class ships, so can't help you there either. I'm still happy sailing NCL for the time being, but I just wanted you to be aware that things are different now with the new leadership in place.

 

Thanks for chiming in! Nice to see you're still around :) I appreciate the info on the changes, and it tells me that I need to do a lot more research over the coming months before going on whichever ship I end up on. It's a catch 22...I love surprises, but I hate them on a cruise :)