Was your experience on the Breakaway better or worse than anticipated and why?

[danak13]

My SO and I are booked on the Breakaway the week after Thanksgiving.  I have only been on one mega ship on RCCL and, while I enjoyed it, it was not my favorite.  My SO has never done a huge ship. We were on the Pearl the last two cruises we took and LOVED it.  That being said I really want to give NCL's larger ships a try.  I have been reading a ton of reviews and they seem super mixed for this ship.  

 

So I am wondering what everyone's experience was-did you hear all the bad reviews too but were pleasantly surprised when you took the cruise?  Or were you super excited for the ship but left disappointed? 

 

Thank you! 

[Son of a son of a ...]

My biggest complaint about the BA class is lack of interior space during daytime-inclement or cold weather.  Much too crowded.  The ship seemed to be designed for always having a portion of passengers on deck during the daytime.  It is not as bad in the evening when there are shows and specialty restaurants open.  

[Clay Clayton]

Agree with son of a son...

We sailed on BA for the Baltic and the outer decks were rarely open.  Most times it was way too crowded, especially sea days.  

[princess_mom]

Have low expectations and you'll be pleasantly surprised. I sailed Thanksgiving week and knew the ship would be really crowded, read some terrible reviews and was regretting that I booked it. But the shows and entertainment were not crowded and excellent quality. We never had trouble getting a table in the free dining rooms or buffet and food was very good in our opinions. 

Enjoy! 

[OHRiverRats]

We loved our time on the Breakaway. The entertainment was incredible.  NCL's mega ships aren't nearly as big or as hard to find your way around on as Royal's. We absolutely loved Oasis and Allure, but the Away ships are laid out more like the smaller ships. 

[BirdTravels]

We enjoyed the Breakaway. We have sailed on NCL big ships 18 times, all times of the year, and have never regretted one voyage. 

 

We have also sailed on the RCCL Anthem, Allure, Harmony, and Symphony and have enjoyed all of those cruises. 

Edited June 10, 2019 by BirdTravels

[Georgia_Peaches]

We loved Breakaway when we sailed on her over Thanksgiving.  We are about to embark on her again in less than two weeks and I can't wait.  I take the reviews with a grain of salt because even though the ship may be packed with 4000 passengers, each individual cruise experience is different.  I hope you enjoy Breakaway.  If not, well then at least you know!

[dongordon]

3 hours ago, danak13 said:

My SO and I are booked on the Breakaway the week after Thanksgiving.  I have only been on one mega ship on RCCL and, while I enjoyed it, it was not my favorite.  My SO has never done a huge ship. We were on the Pearl the last two cruises we took and LOVED it.  That being said I really want to give NCL's larger ships a try.  I have been reading a ton of reviews and they seem super mixed for this ship.  

 

So I am wondering what everyone's experience was-did you hear all the bad reviews too but were pleasantly surprised when you took the cruise?  Or were you super excited for the ship but left disappointed? 

 

Thank you! 

We loved the Breakaway and have cruised several times on this ship.

We did an Aft Facing Haven Suite once and it was unbelievable with the fabulous Haven Restaurant....needless to say we were spoiled😊

The entertainment was great as well.

We certainly were not disappointed at all.

NCL’s casual freestyle cruising makes it my 1st choice for cruise lines.

 

Don

[mdsgu]

We sailed on Breakaway this past Thanksgiving.  We had fun, of course, but it was probably the least enjoyable cruise we've ever taken.  It was overcrowded, the service was absolutely abysmal, and the food wasn't very tasty.  On the other hand, that class of ship (Breakaway, Escape) is elegantly designed and looks like upscale boutique hotels instead of glitz and glam.

 

YMMV.

[drvmywifecrzy]

What you may experience is longer times getting off the ship, especially if you have to tender

[pixiedust777]

We had no expectations when we cruised on the BA in February.

Ending up having a fantastic time.

Food is subjective but we enjoyed 9 out of 10 nights dinners. Rarely ate lunch. And breakfast....a ton more pickings than I would ever make for myself at home.

Entertainment was decent with Syd Normans quickly becoming our evening go to spot.

Never waited for a drink and by our third day the bartenders at our favourite spot would have our drinks ready if they saw us approaching.

i am just keeping my fingers crossed that we will have the same great time when we return to the BA in October. (First time ever rebooking the same ship on any of the cruise lines we have sailed on!)

 

.

 

[perditax]

I’d been on all the other away ships before my BA cruise in mid April. I’d kept an eye on those bad reviews (higher in frequency than for the other away ships) as well as their failed health inspection. I tried to manage my expectations but I was still bummed by how dirty the ship (and my Haven stateroom) were. I’ve typed this out a few times in various threads, and now I kind of wish I would have taken pictures, because if nothing else it might have lit a fire under NCL to get more staff on the ship, which I think is the main problem. (None of the crew seemed to have any time to do anything.)

 

But that was two months ago now and they’ve changed home ports. Hopefully I just saw the ship at a low point. 

[rattanchair]

On the Breakaway now. Category H6  $9071. Read CC reviews of several on The Haven, which made us try NCL. Dining is a big determinate for us. We do not want to venture out of the Haven enclave for our meals at specialty dining. We have the 3x dining package as a perk. Read that they would accommodate suite guests with entrees from specialty restaurants brought to the Haven dining room. This not true! The concierge said that this can be accomplish only through room service and could not guarantee that the meal would be hot or as good as expected. Tried at lunch today in Haven to pre- order dinner off the Main dining room menu with the maitre d' and was told it was not possible. Did not go so far as to find out if we would be charged for this perk if we ordered specialty entree as room service. Feel perk only applies to actually going there. Such is life.

 

[Jenjohncourt]

Had a FANTASTIC time on the Breakaway last year out of Copenhagen for a Baltic cruise. Had a balcony room, beverage package & dining package. Food was delicious. Loved Le Bistro & Moderno the best. Syd Norman's was our hangout each night. Rock of Ages is excellent! Roberto was our cruise director. Loved him. 

[perditax]

12 minutes ago, rattanchair said:

Read that they would accommodate suite guests with entrees from specialty restaurants brought to the Haven dining room. This not true! The concierge said that this can be accomplish only through room service and could not guarantee that the meal would be hot or as good as expected. Tried at lunch today in Haven to pre- order dinner off the Main dining room menu with the maitre d' and was told it was not possible

 

I’ve always thought this particular perk (“you can get anything from any restaurant delivered to Haven restaurant!”) seemed really improbable, at least these days.

[MJSailors]

danak13

As you can see, there are varying opinions of the Breakaway posted here.

Perhaps, opinions are made based on past cruising history and personal likes and interests.

You mentioned that you and your SO enjoyed two cruises on the Pearl,which I assume is a mid-size ship.

Based on that information, I might say you could be disappointed in the Breakaway.

My DH andI have sailed on the ship from NYC to Bermuda.

Since NYC is our home port,we chose the Breakaway for convenience.

To be honest,we did not like the ship at all.

As others have said, interior spaces are crowded,especially the Atrium at the center of the ship as most activities,deomonstrations and some entertainment are held there in an area where there is limited seating. Some people appeared to get seats early in the day and remained in their spots well into the afternoon.

Smoking is allowed in the centrally located casino. The smoke wafts down into the Atrium area and particularly near Le Bistro,the French themed specialty restaurant.

The buffet area can become quite congested during busy meal times and we felt the quality of the food there was so-so.

We went to the MDRs Taste or Savor for many breakfasts and lunches.

We spent a good amount of time on our balcony.

A few months after the cruise,we took a Princess cruise to the Caribbean.We have been cruising with Princess since 2004. It was a pleasure to be on the Regal Princess after our experience on the Breakaway!

As I said ,personal taste and cruise history influence a person’s opinion of a ship.

I do think that passengers in the Haven cabins/suites might have a more positive opinion of the Breakaway than those in regular cabins. The Haven affords a higher level of service and a distance from the crowds in the public areas of the ship,therefore, a more satisfying experience.

Passengers who may be taking their first cruise may also like the Breakaway as they do not have a frame of reference.

You do have a choice because I think you are in a time frame where you can still cancel the cruise based on others’ reactions.

However, you could take the cruise and then form your own opinions and either continue with the Away class ships or book smaller ships or explore other cruise lines.

Perhaps,if you do take the Breakaway cruise,you could return to CC with a review of the cruise and your own opinions of the ship.

[Big E Dawg]

We were on the Breakaway in early May. We have also been on the Getaway and the Escape. We’ve done Spa rooms and Balcony. All of our cruises have been awesome. This last one was great weather, awesome bartenders, a clean ship, fun passengers and great cruise excursions. We are easy to please though. When something doesn’t work out or is a problem we just move on and don’t let it ruin our cruise. 

 

Yes, the atrium can get crowded at times. Yes it can be hard to Find a Lounger at times. Not every meal will be memorable. Not every drink will be provided within 3 minutes. And yes, the pool area can be extremely crowded. 

 

We are creatures of habit. Exercising early (6:30 am) then a quick breakfast. We then head to a higher deck for sun and drinks. Usually on deck by 7:45 am. Lol. I know that’s early. And I could have almost any Lounge chair I wanted at that time. For us, getting close to the vibe bar, having restrooms near us and a quiet spot for our morning sun worship makes us happy. Then, when the crowds come...and you know they will, we move on to our next part of the day. We enjoy the spa amenities and a relaxing lunch. 

 

In the evening, a dinner and a dance are fun in the Manhattan Room and then we head out to Headliners for Howl at the Moon or  a show. 

 

So, as others have said, you can make it fun and exciting. You can make it quiet and relaxing. Once you are on the ship, you can limit the number of times you experience crowds or you can jump right in the thick of things. The ONLY time the crowds ever got to me was at embarkation  and that was simply because there was an issue with boarding from our area and all 16 groups were in the terminal at the same time. Almost elbow to elbow. But by 12:45 we were on the ship and all was forgotten. 

 

So it’s up to you. Are you high strung or laid back. Do you let things go or get frustrated and let it affect the rest of your day and week? If you expect to have a lot of fun but know that not everything will be perfect, I think you will have a blast. Enjoy your cruise!!!! 

 

And I just booked the Escape in December! Can’t wait to go again. 

[davy jones]

20 hours ago, danak13 said:

My SO and I are booked on the Breakaway the week after Thanksgiving.  I have only been on one mega ship on RCCL and, while I enjoyed it, it was not my favorite.  My SO has never done a huge ship. We were on the Pearl the last two cruises we took and LOVED it.  That being said I really want to give NCL's larger ships a try.  I have been reading a ton of reviews and they seem super mixed for this ship.  

 

So I am wondering what everyone's experience was-did you hear all the bad reviews too but were pleasantly surprised when you took the cruise?  Or were you super excited for the ship but left disappointed? 

 

Thank you! 

We sailed BA twice in the last 18 months and are booked again this summer.  Once out of NYC and the latter our of NOLA   The two cruises were longer "off season" cruises that tend to be less crowded.  FYI- the NOLA cruise was the week after Thanksgiving (11 nights).   We traveled as a couple in a MS and a standard balcony.  We did our homework beforehand and enjoyed both sailings.

 

It is a mega ship, and does have a relatively space to passenger ratio.

 

We tend to zag when others zig to avoid crowds.  Our breakfasts in the buffet were earlier than the large crowds, so little problem there.  We don't have to be near the pool, so that was not an issue for us.  That said, there were usually loungers to be found on the pool deck, just not adjacent to the pool.  (they were off season cruises with older crowds tough).  If you just show up at one of the MDRs at prime time, there may not be a table waiting for you.  Therefore, we made dinner and show reservations online before the cruise and comedy reservations soon after boarding.  

 

BA is not our favorite ship.  It is a good ship with a number of flaws that have been reported here many times.  The atrium is grossly overused during the day for all kinds of trivia, demonstrations, etc., while the theater and lounges sit empty.  (You don't need to use the large TV screen everything!)  It needs another pool.  Some bars will get crowded, particularly the atrium bar and O'Sheehans, but we never had to wait more than few minutes for a drink.  Spice H2O is pretty much wasted space, unless you want to bask in the sun near a smoky bar.  I also see how open casino design can affect those sensitive to low levels of cigarette smoke.

 

That said, we find the food quality and options to be better than Royal and Carnival.  Night time entertainment is very good to excellent.  Overall service is quite good.  The gym is good.  We were always able to find a lounger suitable to us during the day.  

 

We chose BA for the summer family cruise because it is the only week that everyone could make it.  Since it is prime season, we are concerned about the larger crowds.  We have an angled balcony, if it is too crowded, we can always relax there.  We already have made dinner and show reservations, so that should be okay.

 

You will have a good time with minimal waits, if you plan and have a good mindset.

 

 

  

[rattanchair]

On board the Breakaway, day 2, H6 Haven. Being in an H6 at the back of the ship adds a little hassle and thought before you leave your cabin to go to the Haven enclave at the front of the ship and up to deck 16, should you forget something. The two floor Haven pool deck has a wonderful covered atrium, air conditioned, quiet, not crowded. Have not seen any pets on board. Understand that the butler for the H6 cabins has to service 12 cabins, 2 on each floor, so the only way of contacting this butler is by phone, which we did today to inquire who to contact because our toilet would not flush. Brought to Burn the Floor last night by Haven concierge via service elevator and through black walled and ceiling corridor to stage right before anyone allowed into theatre. Told to sit anywhere. Had four rows roped off further back, stage left, only for Haven guests that were not escorted early on. Found that the best sits are the ones further back at the end of an isle for a quicker unnoticed early exit should the need arise. B the F was high energy. This service is a plus to avoid the crowds.

[peteukmcr]

Our Breakaway experience was extremely positive especially as it was a last minute replacement for an Oasis of the Seas transatlantic that was cancelled. 

 

My review, including 3 videos (ship, cabin tour and ports) is here 

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2660960-ncl-breakaway-21st-april-2019-review/

[rattanchair]

Was your experience on the Breakaway better or worse than anticipated and why?  Your question is quite timely for we are on the Breakaway on day 3.  We were told that we could not order Main Dining room or Specialty restaurant items into the Haven dining room. To throw salt into my wound , my DW overheard the same person who denied my request, to offer another passenger the opportunity to have something brought in from Teppanyaki to the Haven,  last night.  I did not wait around to see what it was, but I am deeply offended and will never sail on another NCL ship again.  Thank you for my opportunity to vent.

[IrieBajan54]

Agree with Son and son. I have sailed the BA twice and don't care for it. About 4000 passengers. On my TA which had inclement weather most of the way, it was too crowded in the interior. The other cruise was 14 days to the Southern Caribbean out of NY. The first two days out and last two days back, it was just overcrowded. Also, smoke is a real problem drifting into La Cucina and in the area just outside.

 

Like OP, I have cruise many, many times on the Jewel Class ships and just love the layout and space ratio.

[cruisinmeme]

We just got off the Breakaway Sunday June 9th. I had seen so many bad reviews i was thinking what have we done. I somewhat have walking issues but i did fine walking all day long. Actually the layout is better than the smaller ships.

i will say after about 10 NCL cruises in recent years the food was awesome. I swear the choices seemed to be more than in the recent past. None od us had a bad meal. My cabin was kept clean morning and night. 

Only negative i can really complain about is the fact we had to snake all through the casino to debark. I am a former smoker and it irritates me to be around smoke. My eyes burned. They had the air purifiers going and true nobody was smoking but it was still an issue. Then the NCL workers was constantly rerouting people off the ship. Basically putting people in front of people that had been in line for over an hour. NO THIS WAS NOT IN THE PORT.  WE WERE STILL ON THE SHIP WHEN THIS HAPPENED. 

We had plenty of room on the ship because we had awesome weather. I guess it would be a mess if all those people were pinned inside.

 

[newmexicoNita]

For us, it wasn't a truly perfect cruise, but that had more to do with spring break and over 1/2 those on the ship were kids and not always well behaved kids, plus the weather sucked. So, yes the crowds were very much noticable. This was about 3 years ago and we hadn't even thought spring break as we always connect spring break with March and this was April. We did travel with our daughter and son in law. The ship was not dirty in anyway, the food was satisfactory if not outstanding and the service was from ok to really good, considering how full the ship was.

I will have to say, we had sailed, at that time on 3 mega ships,, The Epic, one RCI ship and one Princess. They are not really our thing, but we must have had a decent time or we wouldn't be cruising her again this Oct. 

[dexddd]

We sailed BA once, in the best room on the ship and overall the ship just gave us a bad vibe based on many little things adding up to not wanting to sail on it or GA again.

 

As pointed out, most of it had to do with crowding pretty much everywhere and service that was just plain bad a few times.

 

If the outside areas are closed or not usable, you really feel it on the inside of the ship.