Quick Breakaway review 7/31-8/7

[Shannon12]

Quick bit of background...this is my 6th cruise, first with NCL and my husbands 10th, also first on NCL. We sailed with a group of friends for a wedding on board. We were in Cabin 10196, mini suite.

 

We enjoyed pretty much everything we ate. We got the 3 meal dining package with our booking. We ate in Cagneys, Teppanyaki, and Modernos. All three were quite tasty, Modernos being a bit salty, but good never the less. My husband had one meal in the Haven dining room with a friend and he said it was good. I had Wasabi for lunch one day and it was decent. Indian buffet at modernos another and I liked it a lot. Husband had the bavarian buffet for lunch and enjoyed it.

 

The remaining nights we ate in Manhattan Room, Taste or savor (Don't remember which) and the buffet once. The service in the dining rooms was SLOW. We waited forever for our meals and drinks.

 

As I have read here many times, the pool is a joke. I had in my head going that people were just being picky and I would like it, but I just didn't. The chair hogs were out in full effect. I found ONE chair that myself and my husband sat in for a couple of hours and only ONE of the chairs had someone sitting in it. No one EVER came to the other chairs in 2 hours and the people working at the pool just couldn't care less.

 

Our cabin steward was just ok. We asked for 5 consecutive days for one extra towel that we finally got on day 6. Otherwise she made the bed and stuff. Thats all I can really say about that.

 

I never found the ship to be too crowded. I do not know how many people were on the sailing.

 

I really liked Rock of Ages. I saw the Broadway version 3x and thought this was almost as good.

 

Came out even in the casino.

 

We bout the spa passes for the week. That was my favorite party of the ship. Also got a massage which was one of the best massages I have had at sea.

 

Now my big complaint. I like kids, I really do. Have 2 of my own. And the little guys, you barley knew were there. The problem was the teenagers. At two of the night parties (80's and Glow) there were tons of them. Which would be fine if they behaved. They were drunk. They were fighting. There were 3 fist fights in the hour that the 80s party lasted. They were asking people in our party to buy them drinks. When a lady asked the bartender to call security because of a fist fight he said "Sorry, not my problem. I can't do anything about it" When a friend was walking down the stairs and said excuse me, a girl told her to go F herself and find another way down. I did speak to the ship about this. I was taken down to the Chief Security Officers office to sit down and speak with him. He was livid. he asked me to write a letter to NCL because they only give him a handful of security guards.

 

Bermuda was nice. We did the crystal cave and the other one (can't remember the name!) Went to St George. Took the ferry to Hamilton for Harbor Nights. Was a little disappointed in this. A friend rented a private boat for 7 of us and they took us all over the island. That was a highlight. Went to Horseshoe Bay on the last morning and seem to have avoided a lot of the crowds. It was beautiful. Saw some cool fish.

 

Disembarkation was a NIGHTMARE. We had the light blue tag for approx. 9:15am. We finally got through customs at almost noon.

 

Overall the cruise was ok. Not bad, and we still enjoyed ourselves but a bunch of little things that added up. We may try NCL again but not the Breakaway. There was just something about the ship we didn't care for and I LOVE Mega ships.

[Luvcruzing2]

Agree with everything Shannon12 said above. Was on the Bermuda cruise 7/24-7/31 and pretty much the same thing. This was our first NCL cruise, but have previously sailed on Disney, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival. A total of 7 cruises so far.

 

We wanted to try NCL, and thought Breakaway would be a good ship. I had read that the layout of the ship was a little crazy, so I thought I was prepared, but I couldn't understand it at all. The ship felt super crowded all the time to us. Mostly because for some insane reason, they hold a lot of their shows (Newlywed Game, etc) in the Atrium area, which is smack middle of the ship. It only holds limited seating, so majority of people either have to stand, or miss the show.

 

Chair hogs were everywhere. I saw empty chairs for a few hours at a time. I overheard one man tell a NCL staff member that he would be chair hogging the whole cruise and that he purposely got up at 6:30 am to do just that.

 

The "Freestyle" dining was a joke to us. They say you can eat whenever you want, but on day 2, all restaurants were booked solid (even if you were a party of 2). I heard many people complain. Thank goodness I listened to some people on CC and reserved the restaurant I wanted in advance of the cruise, or I would have been out of luck. Yes, they have a lot of restaurants, but they are all so tiny. Even the main dining room (Manhattan) is small. Same for the bars, while a lot of choices, they are all tiny.

 

The rooms are super tiny too. The balcony room I had was the tiniest of all the other cruise lines I had ever been on. I actually laughed when I saw the closet, because it was exactly one foot away from the bed. You would think they would position the beds differently, so that this would not be the case.

 

The best thing I purchased was the spa pass. Thank goodness for that, we spent most of our time there as there was no room by the miniature pool area.

 

As for the teenagers/young adults, a few rotten apples will always ruin it for everyone else. I don't mind people having a good time and partying, so don't get me wrong. The ship was big, so you can imagine the impression a few of them made with me when I recognized them on day 2 of the 7 day cruise. A group of 5-7 of them ran around the halls at 2 am on two days of the cruise drunk and yelling out. They were rude and obnoxious to a majority of people. Sad thing is I saw two of the parents with them on one occasion when they were acting out, and the parents just smiled. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

 

Embarkation was a nightmare for us as well. We were at the pier and checked in by 10 am. Got number 19 (not good). Did not board til 1 pm.

 

We made the most of it, again, thanks to the spa passes, as other than that, there were not a lot of places to hang out at that weren't filled with people.

 

Bermuda was great. Overall, except for 3 staff people who seemed frazzled (so I gave them each a pass for their rudeness), the staff were pretty pleasant.

 

My impression of the Breakaway: too small for the amount of people on it

[fstuff1]

sorry to hear about the rude kids on your trip.

 

i purposely do not book cruises during the summer or winter/spring/easter breaks to avoid the kids.

 

i am surprised that there's only a few security personnel for a ship with 4k passengers?!

[Annmeat]

sorry to hear about the rude kids on your trip.

 

i purposely do not book cruises during the summer or winter/spring/easter breaks to avoid the kids.

 

i am surprised that there's only a few security personnel for a ship with 4k passengers?!

 

the security man was being a bit dramatic, IMHO. We had an incident on the Jewel or Pearl , a much smaller ship, during the nighttime rescue of Cuban refugees in a boat. There was some real hatred for the Coast Guard being displayed and groups of people threatening to throw one man overboard to "go and be with his beloved Coast Guard". Hundreds of people were gathered and quite wild.

 

There were a few security guards around, but when a woman was holding her child over the railing to "see better" the security action started. There were at least 20 security officers breaking up the hate party.

 

I think the security guy on Breakaway was looking for pity or for an excuse as to,drunken teens weren't dealt with. What security officer in his right mind would divulge to a guest the number of personnel on board, especially in this day and age of craziness and terrorists?

[nkwoman]

I'm on the Breakaway now and this is my first time in the Haven. I went for a balcony two years ago and said never again unless it's the Haven. It's like night and day but of course you sure do pay for it! Even Haven had delays on embarkation so beware and they put the alcohol and SDP on our sons card and the soda package on my husbands and they still haven't fixed it but we are having a great time. I've heard a lot about rude kids in the Haven but it's smooth sailing right now. :)

[bam1957]

I was also on the same cruise, 7/31-8/7/2016. I think that I was playing Wheel of Fortune when the Bride and some of the other people from your party were sitting at one of the slots next to it. I have done this cruise to Bermuda before and really love Bermuda and the breakaway. Both times I sailed in a Haven Suite so I didn't have the problem with the crowds when lounging and relaxing. Unfortunately, Norwegian gets a bad rep because parents can't control their kids.

 

Oh but in the evening trying to enjoy some nightlife was a total joke. TOOOOOOOO MANY kids at parties late into the evening. I don't want to party with a bunch of obnoxious kids that are drinking too much because they can and can't hold their alcohol and the little girls dressed like they are street walkers.

 

We attempted to go to the Glow Party. Went upstairs and walked to the entrance and it was so many people that it looked unsafe. It was just no way to even dance or have a good time. We decided not for us and left.

 

I really like Norwegian but I need to find a cruise with less kids but still a nightlife. Not sure what that cruise is but maybe it's really about timing.

[Letsgo 2]

Quick bit of background...this is my 6th cruise, first with NCL and my husbands 10th, also first on NCL. We sailed with a group of friends for a wedding on board. We were in Cabin 10196, mini suite.

 

We enjoyed pretty much everything we ate. We got the 3 meal dining package with our booking. We ate in Cagneys, Teppanyaki, and Modernos. All three were quite tasty, Modernos being a bit salty, but good never the less. My husband had one meal in the Haven dining room with a friend and he said it was good. I had Wasabi for lunch one day and it was decent. Indian buffet at modernos another and I liked it a lot. Husband had the bavarian buffet for lunch and enjoyed it.

 

The remaining nights we ate in Manhattan Room, Taste or savor (Don't remember which) and the buffet once. The service in the dining rooms was SLOW. We waited forever for our meals and drinks.

 

As I have read here many times, the pool is a joke. I had in my head going that people were just being picky and I would like it, but I just didn't. The chair hogs were out in full effect. I found ONE chair that myself and my husband sat in for a couple of hours and only ONE of the chairs had someone sitting in it. No one EVER came to the other chairs in 2 hours and the people working at the pool just couldn't care less.

 

Our cabin steward was just ok. We asked for 5 consecutive days for one extra towel that we finally got on day 6. Otherwise she made the bed and stuff. Thats all I can really say about that.

 

I never found the ship to be too crowded. I do not know how many people were on the sailing.

 

I really liked Rock of Ages. I saw the Broadway version 3x and thought this was almost as good.

 

Came out even in the casino.

 

We bout the spa passes for the week. That was my favorite party of the ship. Also got a massage which was one of the best massages I have had at sea.

 

Now my big complaint. I like kids, I really do. Have 2 of my own. And the little guys, you barley knew were there. The problem was the teenagers. At two of the night parties (80's and Glow) there were tons of them. Which would be fine if they behaved. They were drunk. They were fighting. There were 3 fist fights in the hour that the 80s party lasted. They were asking people in our party to buy them drinks. When a lady asked the bartender to call security because of a fist fight he said "Sorry, not my problem. I can't do anything about it" When a friend was walking down the stairs and said excuse me, a girl told her to go F herself and find another way down. I did speak to the ship about this. I was taken down to the Chief Security Officers office to sit down and speak with him. He was livid. he asked me to write a letter to NCL because they only give him a handful of security guards.

 

Bermuda was nice. We did the crystal cave and the other one (can't remember the name!) Went to St George. Took the ferry to Hamilton for Harbor Nights. Was a little disappointed in this. A friend rented a private boat for 7 of us and they took us all over the island. That was a highlight. Went to Horseshoe Bay on the last morning and seem to have avoided a lot of the crowds. It was beautiful. Saw some cool fish.

 

Disembarkation was a NIGHTMARE. We had the light blue tag for approx. 9:15am. We finally got through customs at almost noon.

 

Overall the cruise was ok. Not bad, and we still enjoyed ourselves but a bunch of little things that added up. We may try NCL again but not the Breakaway. There was just something about the ship we didn't care for and I LOVE Mega ships.

 

Sorry you had that kind of experience with unruly teens,just goes to show you the upbringing they have......I blame the parent?parent 100% for the way their kids/ teens behave......

Marion

[Bonobochick]

 

The rooms are super tiny too. The balcony room I had was the tiniest of all the other cruise lines I had ever been on. I actually laughed when I saw the closet, because it was exactly one foot away from the bed. You would think they would position the beds differently, so that this would not be the case.

 

 

They do have some cabins where the couch is next to the closet instead of a bed. The cabin with the couch by the closet and bed(s) by the balcony was preferable, IMO. I remember when my friend and I had the twin beds in a balcony cabin that she had the one closest to the closet & it was annoying how little space there was between her bed and the closet.

[MoyCoy]

I'm on the Breakaway now and this is my first time in the Haven. I went for a balcony two years ago and said never again unless it's the Haven. It's like night and day but of course you sure do pay for it! Even Haven had delays on embarkation so beware and they put the alcohol and SDP on our sons card and the soda package on my husbands and they still haven't fixed it but we are having a great time. I've heard a lot about rude kids in the Haven but it's smooth sailing right now. :)

 

 

I will be sailing in the Haven next month. How is service in the Haven, poolside? I heard service in the Vibe was wonderful. Cold fruit and spray mists etc. Is the experience similar in the Haven?

[DeltaOne]

I'm on the Breakaway now and this is my first time in the Haven.

 

Are chair hogs a problem at the Haven pool?

 

Do you need reservations to dine in the Haven restaurant?

[vince_g]

Chair Hogs are not a problem by the haven pool, probably due to the fact that the pool is about 7 x 9 feet and 3 feet deep at max. It isn't a pool for real swimming or even going underwater.

 

The restaurant and bar are the best thing about the haven, imo. You do not need to make reservations, but it is a small venue, so if you want to dine at peak times, you might want to secure one.

[Shannon12]

One other thing...we all bought the iConcierge app. It stopped working by day 3. Had to get a refund. I had to go to customer service 3x before they would give me the money back. By the end they were just giving it back right away.

[Diane123boys]

Sorry you had that kind of experience with unruly teens,just goes to show you the upbringing they have......I blame the parent?parent 100% for the way their kids/ teens behave......

Marion

 

Frankly we are cruising in 2 weeks on the Breakaway with a 21yo( turning that on the 15th) and a 19 yo ... both boys.. if ANYONE sees my boys acting disrespectful, ugly or rude? you have my PERMISSION (and my husbands) to put hem in their place! and their place meaning In the ROoM for TIME OUT!!!

 

Oh I have so little tolerance for the ugly teens - thankfully mine arent that way !!!

[roe2ship]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I'm thinking about trying Breakaway again and you reminded me of the slow service in the MDR. Ours was the same way with some unpleasant staff a few nights. <sigh>

 

What was the entertainment like every night? Are there any new theater shows and comedians? We LOVED Rock of Ages, didn't care for Burn the Floor at all.

[Crusin6]

Frankly we are cruising in 2 weeks on the Breakaway with a 21yo( turning that on the 15th) and a 19 yo ... both boys.. if ANYONE sees my boys acting disrespectful, ugly or rude? you have my PERMISSION (and my husbands) to put hem in their place! and their place meaning In the ROoM for TIME OUT!!!

 

Oh I have so little tolerance for the ugly teens - thankfully mine arent that way !!!

 

 

Lol so you are giving blanket permission for a total stranger to take your kids key card....ask your kids their cabin number....and to bring them to the cabin and put them there?

 

 

I know you think your suggestion is a good one but please understand that even in normal circumstances that is a very poor idea....but on the breakaway out of NYC in August....lets just say you have no understanding about the demographic you will be encountering on that ship.

 

 

But please realize that it does not represent NYC in general....it's just that the crowd on that ship....will represent every negative aspect of NYC

 

 

Yes...I am a New Yorker and won't sail ncl in the summer out of NYC

 

Celebrity to Bermuda perhaps but never ncl

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[mking8288]

Thanks all, for several contributory report and review of the Breakaway summer sailing to Bermuda. We last sailed her (a 3rd. time, LOL - out of convenience, purely to relax, 30 minutes from port being a plus) this May so everything written above here is very much valid ... the cheerleaders will be along shortly (or, maybe not) to blast everyone for the negativity :rolleyes: :eek:. Don't worry about them, everyone is entitled to her/his opinions as critics - enough pom poms being waived these days.

 

Without children, we have the choice - like others - to not sail during the over-crowded summer & school break period ... made worst, IMO, by the KSF promotion so ship must be close to maximum lifeboat capacity, as the last minute fire sale (Sail Away Rates) surely helped to fill the remaining unsold cabins at rock bottom prices for newbies looking for bargins. Even for the 3rd. week of May, it was quite crowded with lots of children & some teens - and, yes, the pool area and outdoor decks were packed full, although the chair hogs didn't seemed too bad - the crowd was most definitely visible on all 3 sea days. Nice once when're at Dockyard, but many also stayed onboard or returned early - the buffet was always 75% plus in full occupancy.

 

Just a little surprised that you've read some of the earlier reviews & knew what to expect, and, still shocked ... mildly at some of the things experienced. We're in a balcony, upgraded from oceanview but 2 of us also "survived" the week in a regular inside, no windows, LOL - we made the best out of our vacation on the cruise.

 

Well, NCL isn't suppose to serve alcohol to minors and those 18 to 20 are supposed to be served with written parental consent only - cheers to "free" UBP or whatever, or, NOT.

 

I am a little disappointed that the iConcierge didn't work that well on the BA, and I had used it and find it to be quite acceptable, obviously not fast nor 100% reliable, but it was working for the most part. I knew that the paid/calling & text feature wasn't quite up to expectation & "stable release" standards unlike most popular Apps these days - and, not helping is the delayed rollout of NCL's "SpeedNet" promising 4X better performance, overdue for July 2016, now a week+ overdue.

 

As the mess during disembarkation yesterday morning, the BA was "just in time" docking at the pier around 8 AM, as scheduled - that seemed not to help with a busy turnaround involving perhaps 10,000 pax in total (double occupancy is a little over 4,000 but she typically sailed full with 4,500 to almost 5,000 as max)

 

As for NCL, stockholders are happy (90% institutional owned) - I guess in knowng that the ship is full.

 

It is nevertheless, great to read about the views of the infrequent CC'rs sailing on ships like the Breakaway in sharing their experience, much obliged and appreciated.

[Demonyte]

The "Freestyle" dining was a joke to us. They say you can eat whenever you want, but on day 2, all restaurants were booked solid (even if you were a party of 2). I heard many people complain.

 

 

Freestyle dining has never been about "eat whenever you want", it's about not having fixed dinner times and table assignments - just like in restaurants on land. Also being able to make a reservation is very different from getting a table as a walk-in.

 

We (party of 2) have never had any problems getting a table with Freestyle dining (Freestyle Cruising is why we fell in love with NCL in the first place), but then again we are flexible and understand that there is no way they can guarantee that everyone could be accommodated exactly where they want, when they want.

[KevintheIrishDJ]

I posted this, but it has been deleted:

 

NCL Breakaway July 31

• Departure – We drove to Pier 88 and got on the end of a line of cars on the Arrival ramp. After about 5 minutes, I realized the line was not moving. Hey allow people to park there while waiting for dis embarking passengers. We were given a boarding “phrase” instead of a number. We waited for about 2 hours. There was not enough chairs for people to sit. Someone finally walked past us calling out boarding number 1. When I showed them our boarding “phrase” they said we should have boarded already.

• Cabin – We had lunch in the Savoy room. When we got to our room, there was cloths and toiletries still in the room from the prior cruise.

• Restaurants – We ate breakfast in the Savoy and dinner in the Manhattan room. We NEVER got a “hot” meal. When I put butter on my pancakes, it didn’t melt. The toast came to us toasted only on one side. The dinner menus were very limited. I ordered a steak medium. I tried to send it back because it was under cooked. The waiter argued with me. When I got the second steak, it was over cooked. The waiter argued with me again.

• Pool – Never enough chairs and the music was very loud. People would save chairs and never show up for hours.

• Lounges/Shows – You have to reserve seats for every show. There is a cover charge for some. The Lounges were very small. The music was very loud in both the shows and Lounges.

• Disembarkation – We did not get off the ship till 11:20AM.

[Sizzlechest]

Freestyle dining has never been about "eat whenever you want", it's about not having fixed dinner times and table assignments - just like in restaurants on land. Also being able to make a reservation is very different from getting a table as a walk-in.

 

Reminds me of the Henry Ford quote about the Model T: "You can have it in any color you want as long as it's black." That's Freestyle Dining in a nutshell.

[nkwoman]

Quick answers right now about things in the Haven this week on Breakaway- there is no issue with chair hogs on Haven sundeck. I was up at 7am and no one was out yet. You could go out at 10am and there were plenty of loungersPlenty of offers of drinks and snacks. I did not see any cool towels or misting today on the deck. For those complaining of the Haven pool- yes it's small- I was pleasantly shocked at how much my daughter (12) loves it because she usually has it to herself and most of all- it's chlorine, not salt water.

I had thought about getting Vibe passes at first but am glad I didn't. I wasn't over there but all is peace and tranquil on the Haven side- no out of control kids at this point.

 

I like the Haven restaurant but am looking forward to some specialties just to mix it up a bit.

[DeltaOne]

Quick answers right now about things in the Haven this week on Breakaway- there is no issue with chair hogs on Haven sundeck. I was up at 7am and no one was out yet. You could go out at 10am and there were plenty of loungersPlenty of offers of drinks and snacks. I did not see any cool towels or misting today on the deck. For those complaining of the Haven pool- yes it's small- I was pleasantly shocked at how much my daughter (12) loves it because she usually has it to herself and most of all- it's chlorine, not salt water.

I had thought about getting Vibe passes at first but am glad I didn't. I wasn't over there but all is peace and tranquil on the Haven side- no out of control kids at this point.

 

I like the Haven restaurant but am looking forward to some specialties just to mix it up a bit.

 

Sounds good, thanks for the info. We'll be in the Haven for the first time next March and am trying to learn all I can about it now.

 

The Haven pool sounds perfect to me. We're not looking to swim or go underwater...just get wet and cool off.

Edited August 9, 2016 by Paul from Maryland

[mjkacmom]

I posted this, but it has been deleted:

 

NCL Breakaway July 31

• Departure – We drove to Pier 88 and got on the end of a line of cars on the Arrival ramp. After about 5 minutes, I realized the line was not moving. Hey allow people to park there while waiting for dis embarking passengers. We were given a boarding “phrase” instead of a number. We waited for about 2 hours. There was not enough chairs for people to sit. Someone finally walked past us calling out boarding number 1. When I showed them our boarding “phrase” they said we should have boarded already.

• Cabin – We had lunch in the Savoy room. When we got to our room, there was cloths and toiletries still in the room from the prior cruise.

• Restaurants – We ate breakfast in the Savoy and dinner in the Manhattan room. We NEVER got a “hot” meal. When I put butter on my pancakes, it didn’t melt. The toast came to us toasted only on one side. The dinner menus were very limited. I ordered a steak medium. I tried to send it back because it was under cooked. The waiter argued with me. When I got the second steak, it was over cooked. The waiter argued with me again.

• Pool – Never enough chairs and the music was very loud. People would save chairs and never show up for hours.

• Lounges/Shows – You have to reserve seats for every show. There is a cover charge for some. The Lounges were very small. The music was very loud in both the shows and Lounges.

• Disembarkation – We did not get off the ship till 11:20AM.

 

Why did you state that your thread was deleted? It's right on the first page.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2387987

[bookmama22]

Drunken passengers in general a problem. We were on the Breakaway on the June 19th departure and there was a young man travelling with his family members, not sure how old as I did not see him myself but my husband was in the elevator with his father who was telling people that Security was escorting his son off the ship in Bermuda...and he would have to fly home, he was not being permitted to return to NY. There was security posted in front of another cabin to not let the very drunk woman out and let her roam around the ship.

 

One of my colleagues has told me that she and her husband always travel the Breakaway out of NYC in early October.. never any issues with kids but of course rough seas and very windy weather.

[Gregor4500]

For those complaining of the Haven pool- yes it's small- I was pleasantly shocked at how much my daughter (12) loves it because she usually has it to herself and most of all- it's chlorine, not salt water.

 

She probably had it to herself because people like me will wait for others to leave the tiny pool before taking my turn cooling off. The pool is small, it's not suitable for spending a lot of time in or others won't get a turn.

 

The Jewel class ships this is especially true.

[Demonyte]

Reminds me of the Henry Ford quote about the Model T: "You can have it in any color you want as long as it's black." That's Freestyle Dining in a nutshell.

 

 

You clearly misunderstood what I wrote, I wasn't describing traditional dining.

 

There are a lot things "wrong" with NCL but dining isn't one of those.