Norwegian Breakaway Review: Baltic Sea Cruise

[GlamorousGirl]

I recently finished touring the Baltic Sea on Norwegian Breakaway. Ports of call included Copenhagen, Berlin, Tallinn, St. Petersburg, Helsinki, and Stockholm. The Breakaway is a huge ship, with a capacity of 3,963. On the upside, there was a lot of room on board for a wide variety of restaurants, bars, lounges, clubs, entertainment venues, shops, and different kinds of deck areas. On the downside, the size gave the ship a less personal, less intimate feel than some of the other ships I'd sailed on.

 

I booked a studio cabin. It was cramped, but with trendy decor in both the cabin and hallway, a locked door for studio guests only (think "velvet rope," gave the studio cabins more of a VIP feel), and studio lounge with complimentary specialty coffee (lattes and cappuccinos - from a machine but still very good and far better than the "default" NCL coffee or paying a premium at the cafe), I greatly enjoyed my stay.

 

There were a dizzying variety of restaurants to choose from, both complimentary and specialty. The specialty restaurants are excellent, and the complimentary ones hit-or-miss, but once you figure out what you like they will keep you well satisfied. The complimentary options include a few different "main" dining rooms, an Irish pub open 24 hours, the buffet, and an Asian restaurant (arrive VERY early for the last option!) The drinks were great except for the fact that no straws were provided - and there was no warning ahead of time. Had I known, I would have brought a straw of some kind. It's nearly impossible to drink a frozen beverage effectively with no straw. It was an embarrassing slurp-fest!

 

The thermal suite was outstanding! It had regular loungers, a therapy pool with a waterfall and different types of jets, a hot tub, heated loungers, a sauna, a sanarium, a steam room, a salt bath, rain showers, and complimentary tea and flavored water. Went there every single day.

 

Customer service was extremely courteous and friendly. I was always greeted with a smile, and any issues I had were resolved promptly and completely to my satisfaction.

 

The entertainment was outstanding. Some are free, and others come at a cost. I found the paid shows to be well worth every penny. Get there early to get a good seat! I can't stress that enough! All in all the Cirque Dreams show was my favorite, full of spectacular acrobatic feats. The shows in the Spiegel Tent come with a meal. I didn't know this and ate beforehand! That goes for the Cirque show and the Wine Musical. The Burn the Floor ballroom dancing show was spectacular as well (that one is in the main theater and does not come with a meal.)

 

As many people as were on this ship, I still managed to find some nice quiet areas out on deck. This is one of the things I find critical to a great cruise. Of course if you're into a more lively vibe, there are plenty areas of the ship like that too. Because we were in Northern Europe the weather wasn't as sunny and warm as some other destinations, so there weren't so many people out on the Lido, but depending when and where you go it could be very busy. The water park is very impressive, and a rock climbing wall, mini golf, basketball court, and rope course are available too.

 

I enjoyed the shore excursions, but in many cases they felt rushed. Luckily there were 2 days in St. Petersburg, Russia - you really need it! Berlin is actually a 2 hour train ride from the port - so you have 4 hours of travel and not nearly enough time to see Berlin. I felt as though I'd only gotten a brief introduction to it, but was still glad to have had the experience. The excursions on the Baltic cruise were very expensive compared to excursions in, say, the Caribbean.

 

If you're wondering about customs in Russia - it was a breeze! Just head out early. I found immigration and customs in Russia more expeditious than immigration and customs in the U.S.! And no, you don't need a visa, as long as you book an excursion through the cruise line. Since there is an overnight stay, you are able to book 2 daytime excursions plus one evening excursion. St. Petersburg was, without any doubt, the most exciting place I have ever visited!

 

If you can get over the impersonal feel of being aboard a huge cruise ship, I highly recommend the Breakaway and the Baltic Sea itinerary in particular.

 

I filmed a complete tour of the ship here, that hopefully can better illustrate what it's like to be aboard the Breakaway:

 

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[kenrod]

Thank you for your review. I also enjoyed the video.

[Markj]

Got back off this a couple of weeks ago! Excellent video - how did you manage to film areas with no-one in the shot , that must have taken some doing! :p

[Dgoddess61]

Yes, great video....I too am wondering how you filmed this without a bunch of people in it? What time of day did you film this?

[GlamorousGirl]

Thanks for the positive feedback! I actually got up at 4:00am to film most of it! Because of the "white nights" phenomenon in the Baltic, it was light outside even at that time. I like to get up early to do this out of courtesy more than anything else - I know a lot of people don't like being caught on film. And something like the casino would be impossible to film during the day. Places where the door was locked and not open that I wanted to capture (like the Ice Bar, Le Bistro, and the retail shops) I had to wait until daytime.

[Noodle77]

Thanks for the review -- I am thinking about this itinerary solo in '19. Were there a lot of solos on board? Did you take all ship-sponsored excursions?

[jamepa2001mx]

What about the menus... at complimentary restaurants? Do you have pics of them?

 

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[GlamorousGirl]

I think there were a lot of solos on board because there are a lot of studio cabins, which you have to be sailing solo to book. But not many attended the first meet up set up by the solo concierge (yes - there is one!) and I didn't see people in the studio lounge often when I went in there. I didn't attend any of the other solo events after that first one so not sure if more people attended the activities after the first day. About 8 people showed up for the first meeting - 7 women and 1 man! There was a whole schedule of meet ups, entertainment, and dinners for solos to participate in.

 

I did sign up for the cruise line's excursions. For the Baltic itinerary they have a package deal where you get every port except Tallinn for one discounted rate at a big savings over booking them individually. Some of the ports on this itinerary it would be difficult or impossible to do independently. St. Petersburg, Russia you either need a Russian visa or an authorized excursion - the cruise ship's excursions qualify. If you want to go to Berlin it's 2 hours from the port - so the logistics of doing that would be complex and risky. I got the package deal and then booked separate Tallinn and St. Petersburg evening excursions through the cruise line separately. Most of the excursions in the package deal are "best of" tours.

 

I'm sorry that I don't have copies of any menus. The Asian place was mostly noodle and fried rice dishes, and appetizers like spring rolls and potstickers. The line started forming to get a table half an hour before it opened and many people were turned away, so get there early if you want to try it. The pub had sandwiches, burgers, fajitas, and typical pub fare like shepherd's pie, fish & chips, and a variety of wings. The offerings in the main dining room were very typical of the other cruise ships I've been on - an assortment of Italian, chicken, fish, and always a vegetarian option, etc. Sorry I can't be more helpful with that question.

[jamepa2001mx]

I think there were a lot of solos on board because there are a lot of studio cabins, which you have to be sailing solo to book. But not many attended the first meet up set up by the solo concierge (yes - there is one!) and I didn't see people in the studio lounge often when I went in there. I didn't attend any of the other solo events after that first one so not sure if more people attended the activities after the first day. About 8 people showed up for the first meeting - 7 women and 1 man! There was a whole schedule of meet ups, entertainment, and dinners for solos to participate in.

 

I did sign up for the cruise line's excursions. For the Baltic itinerary they have a package deal where you get every port except Tallinn for one discounted rate at a big savings over booking them individually. Some of the ports on this itinerary it would be difficult or impossible to do independently. St. Petersburg, Russia you either need a Russian visa or an authorized excursion - the cruise ship's excursions qualify. If you want to go to Berlin it's 2 hours from the port - so the logistics of doing that would be complex and risky. I got the package deal and then booked separate Tallinn and St. Petersburg evening excursions through the cruise line separately. Most of the excursions in the package deal are "best of" tours.

 

I'm sorry that I don't have copies of any menus. The Asian place was mostly noodle and fried rice dishes, and appetizers like spring rolls and potstickers. The line started forming to get a table half an hour before it opened and many people were turned away, so get there early if you want to try it. The pub had sandwiches, burgers, fajitas, and typical pub fare like shepherd's pie, fish & chips, and a variety of wings. The offerings in the main dining room were very typical of the other cruise ships I've been on - an assortment of Italian, chicken, fish, and always a vegetarian option, etc. Sorry I can't be more helpful with that question.

Thanks!!! you have been very kind with the info.

 

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[mybagsarepacked]

Thank you so much for this thorough review and video tour. We are on this ship and cruise in three weeks. Thank you!!

[njkate]

Thank you so much for this thorough review and video tour. We are on this ship and cruise in three weeks. Thank you!!

Here is a tip as I just got off, pack hoodies and windbreakers because except the one day in Berlin it was cold and windy in port and on ship.

[mybagsarepacked]

Here is a tip as I just got off, pack hoodies and windbreakers because except the one day in Berlin it was cold and windy in port and on ship.

 

Thank you!!

[Oceansaway17]

I have been in studio cabins on several ships. There are a fair amount of solos who are part of a larger group and so and older aunt or grandpa would be in the studios.

 

Just back back from Baltics and I think all ships doing that part of the world need to have a cover over the pools. Otherwise everyone is in the adult quiet area or inside the ship in all the lounges. On seas days if chilly and windy, ya might just have to eat and go back to the room to relax.

 

I found all the cities very crowed. Best to travel in May or September and avoid the summer kiddies and teens as well as other(sometimes rude) Europeans. Helsinki was a clean city and their history was interesting.

I was on a smaller ship so we got to dock in town for Stockholm. Suggest anyone who did a larger ship, then go back and do a mid to small ship. Tallinn was hectic and hard to walk. In fact all over the Baltics and Norway I would say uneven surfaces and cobblestones need to be walked CAREFULLY with closed toes shoes.