A Pleasant Big Boat Experience (Breakaway)

[BiglyD]

This is a somewhat detailed experience of my cruise on the Norwegian Breakaway – Bahamas, March 6-13, 2016. I plan to provide day-to-day accounts as best as I can remember in responses to this thread.

 

We booked this cruise mainly for the ship. We had been on several smaller ships (Norwegian Dawn) and wanted to see what the experience would be like on the bigger one. We were not disappointed.

[BiglyD]

Came into the city on Harry Hudson with light traffic at about 11 AM. There was a disabled vehicle in the left lane, but getting around that didn't take long. As we approached 55th Ave., traffic did start to slow, as it usually does due to traffic lights. Signage directed us to exit right for Manhattan Cruise Port terminal. After the light, we stayed to our left to go up the ramp to the second story parking. Going right would allow you to drop-off. Parking is paid as you enter, so have your credit card ready. Cars got backed up (5-10 minutes), as there was only one person handling payment.

 

There were parking areas on both sides of the Breakaway. We drove down to the furthest (Pier 88), made a right and once in, pulled to the side to drop-off luggage near the elevator. The family stayed with the luggage as I parked the car. The lot was about 3/4 full and I had no problem finding a spot.

 

After going down the elevator, we found a porter to take our luggage. Look for the carts with luggage stacked on them and you will usually find a porter loading it. They will be right outside the terminal building as you exit the elevator. Tipping the porter a few bucks, we headed inside to check-in. Lines are determined by deck, so we moved into ours where there was quite a few people. It took us about 30-40 minutes to finally reach the counter. During that time, they announced that loading numbers were not necessary and passengers could board as soon as they completed check-in. After a brief stop at the bathroom, we boarded the Breakaway at 1:10.

 

Once boarded, we headed to Moderno for lunch. They had a buffet that is a sample of what was available in Garden Café. Not great choices, but if you are looking to avoid the crowds, this is definitely the better option.

 

After lunch, we toured the ship and marveled at how much stuff was onboard.

 

Reported for the muster drill in Taste/Savor restaurant. They had signs with numbers corresponding to those on your room card, so we found a table and sat for a few minutes before they started. Much like a pre-flight spiel, the actual muster drill was mainly on how to use the life vest and was over in a few minutes.

 

We headed back to our room for the ship to leave the port. Since we had a balcony on starboard side, our view was mainly of NJ. As we watched the Coast Guard patrol boat escort us out of port, with someone manning a deck gun, an NYPD helicopter came in beside the ship. I mean literally beside the ship, about 100' off the water and began hovering, then going sideways for the length of ship. Pretty cool for not having a view of Manhattan skyline. Got pictures of Lady Liberty as we passed and went on the top deck to go under Verrazano Bridge. It was pretty cold, so it took some effort to stay up there. Got pictures of the boys under the bridge and immediately went inside.

 

My wife and I had UDP, so we tried Cagney's right off the bat. Yes, it is as good as everyone says. My wife had the Filet Mignon and I had the 16 oz. Ribeye. Both were cooked as directed and tasted great. Since it's a la carte, UDP gets you one entrée, with as many appetizers, sides & desserts as you want. The portion of the sides isn't very much, so you will probably want more than one. Asparagus was delicious, but there was only three. Mushrooms were plentiful and was an excellent accompaniment to the steak. Warm Apple Crisp goes great with ice cream.

[BiglyD]

I'm an early riser and a runner, so I went to the gym around 7 AM. The weight room is separate from the cardio room. There were plenty of machines (rowing, elliptical, bike, treadmill) and strangely it was never crowded. Mini-towels are provided and you get a nice view of the ocean, although I'm not sure it's a good thing if you are running and the water is moving from left to right. A slight annoyance is the 30-minute limit on the treadmill. I put in 6 miles for distance and then it suddenly stopped on me halfway through. Once I realized what was going on, in the future I just set it for 30 minutes and repeat. If there was anyone waiting to use the machine (and there wasn't), I would have ended my session. The TVs weren't always working on some and when I tried to get help, no one was around. Oh well.

 

One thing I like about cruises is that you can plan your day with all kinds of activities or plan absolutely nothing. We chose the later and just walked around the ship, exploring all that was available. This is a big ship and there is all kinds of nooks & crannies, so I would encourage everyone to take some time just for that.

 

Attended the CC Meet & Greet at 11 AM in LaCucina. There were a lot of people and we got to meet almost a dozen of the ship staff. The wonderful people on our roll call setup a cabin crawl, gift exchange and bar crawl. I would love to report on those activities, but we didn't participate. :(

 

While it wasn't Bahamian weather, it was warm enough for our son to try out the slides and the pool below, which is about 3-4 feet deep and separate from the main pool, with a kiddie pool next door. It is arranged in such a way that kids can enjoy themselves without being exposed to the shenanigans at the main pool, which is real nice. Sure, you can hear the music and the people over the loudspeaker, but there is a building separating the two so you can't visually see what is going on, unless you try real hard. It felt like a different part of the ship.

 

I'm not sure I understand the hubub about the pool being small and such. Maybe my expectations were shaped on my first cruise and seeing how small the pool is compared to a normal pool. If there was only one pool on the BA, I would understand, but there are two (plus kiddie pool, it counts, more or less) on Deck 15 and the one in the Haven. And there are hot tubs everywhere you turn! A pool can only be so big on a boat and based on what I saw, the usage didn't seem to warrant anything larger.

 

Walked up to Headliners to watch Second City and didn't realize a reservation was needed. It wasn't crowded at the time, so they let us in. This is the All Ages show, so family friendly material. They do several different types of shows and this one was all improv. They ask ideas from the audience and create scenes from those ideas. It was entertaining. One of the cast members, Louise, we saw on the Dawn a couple years earlier. Interesting.

[BiglyD]

Arrived Port Canaveral at 12:30 PM, entered port area, spun around and slid into dock with gangway on starboard side. Amazing how nimble this boat is.

 

Gave ropes course a try with my 11 year-old and was pleasantly surprised. There wasn't much of a line and we got rigged up and were on our way. Note: no cell phones our cameras are allowed, so if you don't have someone with you not going on the course, you'll have to take those back to your cabin before giving it a try.

 

Unfortunately, the high winds didn't sit well with the little one, so he had to come down prematurely. There are varying degrees of challenges based on whether you are walking on rope or wooden planks. Each segment is different, so it didn't get boring. For the ultimate challenge, they have a steel plank that goes 4' over the edge. If you make it, just grab the rope and get a picture of your conquest as a reward. With the high winds, it was a bit scary. If your afraid of heights, probably not something you want to try. At the very end of the course is a zip line where you get to sling yourself across the whole deck. Very fun! Whole course took about 15-20 minutes.

 

Our family plays mini-golf on every vacation and this was not going to be the exception. To make up for the failed attempt at the ropes course, the young'n wooped our tail on this 9-hole course. Traversing the paparazzi of the ropes course above, we played through without any pauses for slower players. Each hole has an obstacle, but there seems to be a bump at every entry, so it never goes well. Just play around.

 

We arrived at Port Canaveral at 1 PM and people were disembarking within 10-15 minutes. We were going to Cocoa Beach, so we left the boat later at around 2 PM to miss the crowds, and contacted Uber. There was one uberXL within 14 minutes, so we grabbed it. Unfortunately, he got stuck in traffic and we waited for about 40 minutes before he arrived. In the meantime, a flat rate taxi was waiting in front of Terminal 1 and I asked for their rates, $15 for as many that could fit in the mini-van. Better than $15 per person off the boat. Not knowing exactly where to go, we directed Uber to the Cocoa Beach Pier, but the driver suggested Ron Jon's and a short walk to the beach. My wife likes shopping, so this was a better choice and worked out well. While she shopped, I headed to the beach and grabbed a couple of chairs for $14 for 3 hours. There was a swift breeze that was refreshing, but as the sun went down, it got chilly.

 

After a couple of hours at the beach, we headed back and connected with Uber and surprise! We got the same driver! 14 minute wait and he actually made it in that time. Total cost for Uber to Cocoa Beach and back from Cruise port was $30 for six people.

[BiglyD]

Arrived Great Stirrup Cay around 9 AM and anchored off shore. Tenders came out immediately, two large double deckers (450) and two small (~200) and were loading on starboard side. First tender (large) left Breakaway around 9:30 AM with a few people on top deck. Second tender (large) left at 9:42 with no one on top deck. It appears those were for crew, because right after the second left, there was announcement for Tenders A,B & C to head down to the theatre.

 

Don't forget to make reservations for a tender. I didn't know about it until I was playing around with iConcierge application. It was real easy to make and we nabbed reservations for Tender A. We made it to the theatre at 10 AM and they checked our cards and led us to our seats, where we waited for about 30 minutes. They mentioned that they were only using half the capacity of the tenders for safety reasons. At 10:30 we left our seats single file to the exits to the tenders. We noticed a group of staff standing-by as we boarded and they too boarded after all the passengers were loaded. We finally left the Breakaway at 10:50 and made to the island at 11:00. They say it is a 20 minute ride, but it was much shorter that that.

 

Once on the island, we made our way to the beach and found some empty chairs under some palm trees. The shade wouldn't last too long, as the sun moved, but it was better than nothing. Unless you rent a cabana/shell, don't expect any shading on the beach, because they don't rent umbrellas.

 

Rented snorkeling equipment for $30 (snorkel/goggles/fins/vest). They said a vest was required, but asked if we needed one, which we didn't, so I guess it wasn't really required. Snorkeling isn't very good in the beach area. Yes, you can see some fish, but there isn't much diversity. Water is predominantly shallow and where it gets deep, the current/waves makes it more effort than it's worth. The beach itself is a mix of sand and rock, mostly sand, but enough rock to make it annoying.

 

There was volleyball, which my son took part, and other activities available. We mostly just sat on the beach. I was a little disappointed there wasn't some kind of floating playscape, the kind with slides and diving boards.

 

Buffet was decent. Hamburger, chicken & ribs with assorted salads. Without sauce, the ribs are tasteless. Burgers were better option if you are looking for any flavor. Waited in line for food for about 15-20 minutes, so that was fun. They do have hot dog carts and a couple of burger only grills near the beach, so if you don't require a salad/chicken/ribs, I would use those instead.

 

We left the island about 3:15 PM and was able to board a tender fairly quickly and they were filling them up, using both decks. If they are landing in both forward and aft, getting off the tender should go quickly, but if not, you could be waiting on the tender until it opens up for a while. The last tender arrived at the ship at 6:05.

 

It was about 6:30 PM and the boys were off to Garden Café for dinner and it was time for us to use the UDP, but we didn't have any reservations. So, we went freestyle and popped by a few we preferred to see if there was any availability. Cagney's & La Cocina were a bust, so we checked out one of the monitors with all the dining options listed and their reservation availability. Teppanyaki showed yellow (Almost gone) for 7 AM and we went straight there to score a reservation for two.

 

Teppanyaki is not much different than any other hibachi restaurant we've been. 8 people are seated at a grill/flat top and a chef cooks food in front of you in an entertaining way. Our chef did just that, singing several popular songs while banging every cooking utensil at his disposal. The banging was more than other places I've been and it did get a bit much after a while, but he was certainly trying to please. I enjoyed the Filet Mignon and Lobster, both cooked perfectly. My wife had chicken w/Udon noodles which she liked. For desert was the green tea flavored cake & ice cream. Discretely polling all the men at that table, we had the same answer to describe the cake…"different." I didn't finish it. It was a flavor that I don't believe belongs in a cake. The ice cream was OK.

 

Overall, she preferred our local hibachi restaurant and I thought the flavor was a tad bit better here. We did agree that it was a departure from the other cruise food we've had over the past few days.

 

We had reservations for Rock of Ages at 9:30, arrived at 9:10 and the the theater was about 3/4 full. They mentioned if you didn't have reservations, they would let you in at 9:20, if any seating was available. I wouldn't take the chance. Make the reservation and get there early.

 

The show is a mix of rock songs of the 70's & 80's, a love story, let's save our rock institution from the evil German developer, tongue & cheek comedy with over acting, breaking of the fourth wall and sexual content that makes this a mature only show. It was unique and entertaining. Definitely "not your grandmother's musical." It's almost a two hour show with no intermission, but it didn't feel that long. Aside from a few moments with just dialog, the show was all rock-n-roll jumping from one scene to the next. Narration kept it moving and enjoyable. The orchestra, a four piece rock band that was onstage and visible throughout the show (except the drummer, didn't see him back there until curtain call), was excellent. The voices & dancing were all top notch. Must see.

[BiglyD]

Arrived at Nassau just before 7 am, entered port, spun around and backed in with gangway on port side. Cleared by local authorities and gangway opened at 7:50 AM.

 

We had breakfast and left the boat around 9:30 AM to do a little exploring before our tour reservation. Found our way over to the Queen's Staircase and made our way back to Festival Place, stopping at several stores on the way.

 

There were many people vying for our business in Festival Place, whether it be taxi service or horse drawn carriage. They are easy to ignore, but there are quite a few of them. If you have a question about transportation, there is an officer there that will answer questions.

 

Not particularly excited about the excursions from the boat, mainly due to cost, we booked a local tour about a week before leaving. We utilized a travel internet site for recommendations and had to make a call to Nassau to give CC info for deposit. Promptly at 11 AM, we were met by Nick, who led us away from Festival Place to a large van that was quite comfortable for the four of us. After giving Nick our points of interest, we were on our way to:

 

• Rum Cake Factory – there was a place for us to view them making the cakes, but nothing was being made and we just browsed the shop.
  
• Conch & Fish Stand – this was a cool stop, they showed us all the types of fish they catch (speared) and demonstrated how the remove the conch from the shell. As an added bonus, we got a very large bowl of conch ceviche, which was incredible. All kinds of vegetables with the right amount of spiciness.
  
• Graycliff – this is a large beautiful complex that has all kinds of stuff going on and Nick provided and unlimited supply of information. It also has a hotel, which we didn't go.
  
• Chocolate factory – not a lot of variety, but enough to satisfy your chocolate needs.
  
• Cigar factory – observed several people making cigars. Pretty interesting.
  
• Bat Cave – close to a beach, we were met with someone standing by the cave that went right into the history of the cave. Saw some fruit bats (about ¾" in size) flying around.
  
• Toured west side of island that included:
  
• Baha Mar resort
  
  
• Lyford Cay
  
  
• Flipper Cove

  
  

 

Overall, Nick was a great guide. He was constantly pointing things out and providing great information about the island, the businesses that operate there and answered any question we had. Aside for a long stretch of highway on our way back, I don't think Nick stopped talking, which was a good thing.

 

The tour lasted 3 hours and cost $50/hr. and we tipped another $40 for a total of $190 for four people. So, if you aren’t in the mood for the beach/snorkeling and want a nice tour of Nassau, this is definitely a more affordable option.

 

We liked Cagney's so much, we made reservations for 6 PM. Since we were leaving port at that time, we wanted to try eating outside to enjoy leaving the island. Luckily, they were able to accommodate our request. As we sat down, what was glaring sun slowly transitioned into a beautiful sunset. Couldn't have planned it any better if I tried. We ordered the same meal and it was as delicious as it was before. Unfortunately, after the sun went down, the breeze cooled things down quite a bit. It was a bit uncomfortable towards the end of the meal, but certainly worth it.

 

Thankfully, we had reservations for Second City at 11 PM, because the stand-by line was pretty long when we arrived at 10:45. This was their skit show and was thoroughly enjoyable. I prefer this to their improv, as they tend to perform bits they know work. There are several shows and I recommend you catch at least one. It is entertaining.

[BiglyD]

After dropping off the youngest at Splash Academy, wife and I headed to the slides. At first, it didn't look like the Free Fall slide was open, but after seeing a couple of people go, up I went.When you get in, you step on the platform and lean back, crossing your arms. As soon as they close and lock the lid, a countdown begins, starting at 3. When the platform disappears, your stomach goes straight to your throat as you fall, then gently leveling off as water starts to woosh all around you. After a slow turn, you hit a pool of water and it's over. It's quick, but exhilarating. Gave it a shot a second time in the other tube and the experience was the same. The slides are just fun, so you gotta give'm a try.

 

Changed and gave the Ropes Course another try. Why not! Tried the more difficult challenges and enjoyed ourselves.

 

Tried Digital scavenger hunt, but it requires a team of four or more and since it was just Diane and me, we moved on.

 

Made a dinner reservation at La Cucina for Friday at 5:30 PM on the iConcierge application earlier in the week. The application doesn't allow you to review reservations, but we were able to do so on the cabin television. When we went to check-in, they said it was for Saturday. We insisted it was for Friday and thankfully, they accommodated us. We were seated at a window table, so we had another great view of the ocean and the setting sun.

 

We notified the waiter that we would be short on time, as we wanted to get to the theatre early for the 7 PM show. She understood and took our order, short appetizers and dessert. We had to do our part to get out quicker, which kinda sucks, because at La Cucina, theirs is a four course meal, insalada/anitpasta, pasta, entrée & desert. Oh well! Oh, if you want the pasta to be your entrée, that will work, too.

 

Pasta dishes were great and the moment our waiter disappeared with our dishes, she returned with our entrées. Veal Scaloppini was delicious and my wife enjoyed her pasta dish, which was plentiful. The waiter had done such a good job managing the timing of our food, when we finished our entrées, we had almost a half-hour more than needed. We were tempted to try dessert, but opted to save the calories for another time. Great service.

 

Got to Burn the Floor 20 minutes ahead of curtain. This showing was not as crowded as Rock of Ages, so we may have gotten away with showing up 5-10 minutes before curtain. This show is about an hour long and focuses on dance, specifically the many variations of ballroom dance. The dancers were very energetic and displayed a mastery of technique and interpretation. Each number included a soloist, sometimes combining for a duet. I hadn't seen a show in this format before and really enjoyed it. It was clear the performers were top notch and the audience responded in kind.

 

One thing to note on reservation for this show in iConcierge. When I made it, it kicked out my two sons, who are under 18, noting that the show was for mature audiences. I don't believe this to be the case. There was nothing outwardly offense I saw, but I'm sure if they wanted to go, we wouldn't have had any problem getting them in.

[BiglyD]

This was mainly going to be a rest/relax/do much of nothing day, but the wall climb was the last thing I needed to try to make this trip complete. They opened at 3 PM and we went down just after to find a few people ahead of us. They fit you for a harness, shoes and helmet, so make sure to bring socks.

 

There are three choices to climb, easy, medium & hard. At first, there was only one operator, so it went kinda slow, but when they added another, it went fairly quick. It's good just to watch at first to see what works and what doesn't. The operators try their best to make sure you make it to the top by showing you were to put your feet, pulling the rope to get you higher and pushing you to continue, when you probably just want down. Let's not forget the galley, made of family, friends, people waiting their turn and those just walking by, encouraging the climber to ring the bell at the top and receiving a quick applause for their reward. No pressure, though.

 

I'm new to wall climbing, so I went with medium, considering it didn't appear too much more difficult than easy. Hard has the wall coming outwards, requiring strength and dexterity a few may have, but not this guy. After getting rigged, I just started climbing and it went rather well. There were a few spots of hesitation, but it lasted all of about 1-2 minutes. After ringing the bell, leaned back and waited to be let down. Whew! Good feeling.

 

Had early dinner at O'Sheehan's. This place was always crowded with a line of people waiting to go in. This time was no different, but they sat people pretty quickly and we were given a large window booth within 5-10 minutes. Went in wanting a burger, but decided on the Irish faire instead, shepherd's pie and Irish stew. Service wasn't great. After eventually taking our order, the waiter informed us he was leaving and another waiter would take over. We were never informed who that person was and the service got worse. The Irish stew was supposed to be an appetizer, but when they delivered the shepherd's pie, the stew wasn't even included. After informing the waiter of my order, they brought the stew out within minutes. Both were real good. The stew is more of a soup, with finely chopped cabbage, carrots, potatoes & roast beef in a broth. After completing our meal, we waited for about 10-15 minutes to get our desert order taken. The Apple Pie a la mode was delicious, but I prefer the pie to be warm/hot. Not a complaint, just personal preference.

 

Went to the arcade with the youngest and played best 2 of 3 in air hockey. Then braved the cold and got one last round of mini golf.

[BiglyD]

Disembarkation went real quick! We did the Self-Assist, so when they announced they were ready at around 7:35 AM, we headed down. No big line. In fact, there was just a small stream of people leaving. I would guess from the moment we left our room till we got to the car on Pier 88 was about 15-20 minutes. Yea!

 

I'm sure this had a lot to do with 1) getting to port real early (1-2 AM) and 2) daylight savings time. The roads leaving NYC (Hudson & Hutchinson Parkway) were eerily empty. I can't convey how much I appreciate Sunday embarkation/disembarkation. Traffic going into and out of the city was awesome! We went on the Dawn out of Boston and it was on a Friday. Not only did you have to take an additional day off, but then you get to deal with rush hour traffic. Not good.

 

That's it! Hope you enjoyed.

[canadianbear]

Loved reading your detailed review. We've yet to try NCL but our friends and son have and enjoyed it. One of these days we will although I'm a little nervous about getting lost on big ships!!

 

Thanks for taking the time to post.

[KirkNC]

Thanks for your report.

[OneWord]

Lovely.

[ChitownKaye]

Very nice! Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences. It's appreciated!

[Marine Mom]

Thank you for your review. We are sailing on the breakaway in 14 days and cannot wait!!!!!!

[HowardK]

I enjoyed reading your review, you did an excellent job writing it. Your Nassau and Port Canaveral portions were of interest to me. I did the same route for the second time, and stayed on the ship on those two ports last time around. I found those were good days on the ship, but might go back to Kennedy Space center next time I go from NYC.

[Keith1010]

Great report.

 

Keith

[Cruise-mom]

Great report, thanks.

[Clarea]

Thanks for the detailed report.

[Lady Arwen]

We'll be on Breakaway in 7 weeks, so I was really interested in your report. Thank you so much for sharing....now I'm even more excited!

[ennazus]

Thank you! Great report! :D

[ncklhaus]

Really enjoyed reading this. Thanks for sharing.

[BiglyD]

My Cruise Critic review was just published. In case your interested,

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=529138

 

There is some duplication of content seen on this thread, but it is a more overall comment on the cruise with some pics.

[BiglyD]

Panorama of NYC port facing south from our balcony. Pier 88 parking just below.

[BiglyD]

Great Stirrup Cay - this is the main beach area. If you want to get a chair(s), make sure to get on the first few tenders. Also, not much shade anywhere unless you get a gazebo or shell.

 

The dark areas you see in the water is rock, so be careful. My son came back pretty scraped-up.

 

[Sugy]

:) What a great report. :cool::):rolleyes: