Norwegian Breakaway June 23-30 Review

[Georgia_Peaches]

Just off Breakaway yesterday morning and thought I pass along some thoughts about the experience.  Having been on Breakaway back in November, I knew pretty much what to expect in terms of ship and activities.  We had such a good time on our previous cruise, I was ready for another and this time I took my mother.  We stayed in an aft-facing suite 9916 on the starboard side.

 

Embarkation Day:

Easy.  Arrived at the pier via taxi from MIA at around 11:20.  There was no waiting in the Haven check in line so we walked right up to the counter.  We were then escorted to the Haven waiting area.  After a short wait, we were on the ship and having lunch in the Haven restaurant.  I had seared scallops and butternut squash soup.  Outstanding!

 

Initial impressions of the ship and staff were positive and just as I remembered.  Ship crew seemed happy to see us even though they had just said good-bye to the "old" passengers just a few hours before.  After lunch we explored the ship.  I paid close attention to the potential up-selling that people often complain about and did in fact, encounter a great deal of this on the first day.  My take is that since it's the first day, everyone is trying to sell their product/service.  For the experienced cruiser, this is "old-hat" and might be annoying.  To the new cruiser, this can be helpful, especially if you want a particular service.  Anyhow, after day one, we were NEVER asked about an up sell for anything.

 

Entertainment:

We saw Burn the Floor and went to the comedy club and Howl at the Moon.  Burn the floor was excellent and completely different from the first time I saw the show in November.  About the only thing that was the same was the title of the show.  The dance numbers, costumes, and cast were all different.  I enjoyed the show as much this time as I did in the past.  Howl at the Moon is always a great time...and the comedy was, well...shipboard comedy.  Probably the entertainment we enjoyed the most was in the Shakers Martini Bar where the musician would play his piano and sing.  He was excellent and very engaging.  Wish I could remember his name...He encouraged audience participation and even invited people to play the piano with him and of course, sing for the crowd.  And crowded it was!  His little venue was often standing room only and was a lot of fun.

 

Casino:  Spent a good bit of time here....losing.  Machines were tighter than I remember.  There's not a lot of variety in machine to choose from.  I think NCL could mix it up a bit in this department.  And there were a lot of smokers in the casino on this trip.  I'm not a smoker and don't begrudge those who do, but it got heavy at times.  Many people have said that they need to do something about the smoke and the ventilation and I don't disagree.

 

Ship activities:  Plenty to go around for all ages.  We didn't partake in anything offered in the atrium but did pass through during a Q & A about ship life for the crew.  It was well attended and I heard some great questions.  Though I was just passing through to find the library, if I had stayed, I would have been very annoyed by the amount of conversation that was going on independent of the presentation.  There was so much talking, it was difficult to hear.  It's a shame for the people who were there for the session. There's no separation from those who are attending the event and those who just want to socialize at the bar.  I think NCL should consider moving these "lectures" to a more intimate/quiet location so that those who want to socialize at the bar don't hamper the experience of those who wish to attend (and listen to) the session.

 

One side note of interest regarding activities...when we were in Costa Maya I heard/watched a parent obnoxiously attempt to discipline her child in one of the very crowded gift shops.  After walloping her kid a few times on the butt (not saying he didn't deserve it) she got in his face and said quite loudly, "if you don't behave, I'm going to put you in the splash academy.  Do you want the splash academy?"  Now, I don't have small children so I have no experience with on-board activities and programs for that age group, but I found it interesting that she chose to use Splash Academy as a consequence.  Not sure how to interpret that but I did see lots and lots of kids lined up to sign in for Splash Academy, so they must have liked it.

 

Food:

I'll give the usual "food is subjective" disclaimer before digging in.  Over all we thoroughly enjoyed the food.  We had the dining package as a perk and ate at Cagney's, Le Bistro, and the Italian place.  I enjoyed both Cagney's and Le Bistro very much.  The Italian place was just meh.  Mom liked it very much as she had the arugula pizza (yuck) and wanted to go back for another one at a later point.  I had the veal and it was just bad.  No other word for it.  Rubbery and tasteless.  Service was slow and inattentive.  I didn't like it at all and wouldn't go back.

 

O'Sheehan's:  my first time there on our last night.  Mom and I were having fun in the casino, despite losing, and had missed our dinner plans for the Haven restaurant.  We were several golden margaritas in when we realized we were hungry.  Dropped in to O'Sheehan's because it was close.  We ordered nachos, a burger, and shepherd's pie (all things I've seen reviewed on CC).  Nachos were fine.  Burger was pretty good.  Shepherd's pie tasted like a hot dog. Mainly because it was a hot dog.  In my head I asked for shepherd's pie, but apparently my mouth said "hot dog".  No worries, we ate it anyway and it was pretty darn good.

 

Haven restaurant:  We enjoyed the food, despite the lack of variety.  I had the sea bass, scallops, and beef tenderloin (spread out over three nights).  All were very good.  We ate lunch in the Haven twice.  The second time was a little "off" in the service and food quality.  Service was very slow from start to finish (nearly 2 hours, without no dessert course) and entrees were presented piecemeal....I got my soup before mom got her salad so I  had something to eat while she did not.  I'm used to courses being presented at the same time so that one person isn't eating in front of the other.  It was just off...like someone's first day on the job.  I happened to mention it to our butler later that day who then told the maitre'd, who then greeted us later that night at dinner.  He apologized for the lunch experience and said they would make it up to us.  They indeed did.  I was happy to know that they are truly interested in customer feedback so that they can take corrective actions when needed.

 

Bars/Drink Service:  As we were on deck 9 and far away from the Haven bar, we got many of our drinks on deck 7 or 8.  We never waited more than a minute or two for bar service.  It was quick and attentive every single time.  We had the Premium Beverage Package and prior to the cruise, I contemplated an upgrade the the Premium Plus however, for us, there didn't really seem to be a need.  There wasn't a cocktail that I wanted that wasn't covered on the regular plan.  Two nights, we had a glass of wine with dinner that was over the price limit.  We paid the difference with our OBC.  For water, we used our own water bottle, and didn't want for specialty coffee as we had a Nespresso  machine in our room.  For me, the PBP will be the way to go.

 

Cabin:  Our stateroom was pretty amazing!  The deck 9 location has the deepest balcony of all the aft-facing Haven suites (or so I'm told).  The bedroom is away from the ocean, so no natural light.  I was OK with this since I like a really dark room when I sleep.  The bathroom faced the ocean and had a wonderful picture window above the tub.  I loved the view while getting ready.  After reading a thread about the plumbing in Breakaway, I was leary about getting a good toilet flush.  For the most part, the toilets flushed consistently, but there were a few mornings on port days, when suction was lost for a brief period of time but would eventually return.  There was no odor in either of our bathrooms.  Aside from the obvious features of this beautiful room, the thing I appreciated the most was the A/C.  I like a cold room when I sleep and have been on some lines (like Celebrity) where I can't get the room cool enough.  This was not the case in this room.  The A/C worked great and was very cool and comfortable.

 

Ports of Call:

Costa Maya:  small little port with lots of crowded shops and vendors.  I liked it but felt claustrophobic with so many people crammed into a small space.  We didn't stay here long as it was just too hot and crowded.

Harvest Caye:  Love this private island.  Very clean beautiful. We rented a clam shell and found one in a shaded area near the kid's water park.  After a few hours, it rained...a gully washer, in fact. We tried waiting it out at a bar but it didn't look as if it was going to let up so we made our way back to the ship...everything got soaked and it cooled off quite a bit.  Spent several hours watching it rain from the shelter of our balcony.

Cozumel:  did some port shopping and had a jumbo margarita and chips and salsa at a place on the square.  Listened to live music and people watched.  There were 5 ships in port that day.  

Honduras:  I can't remember the official port name...but it was not very impressive.  Maybe for those who want to do an excursion it is better.  For us, we walked off the boat at 11 and were back by noon.

 

Passengers and Crew:

We really enjoyed chatting with and meeting some really nice and interesting people on this cruise.  The crew were very attentive and friendly.  I can't say anything negative about any of the NCL employees as each one we encountered represented the company well.  The passengers, for the most part, were also very well behaved.  There was one gentleman, and I use the word loosely, who showed his behind in the Haven waiting area before boarding the ship.  He berated his child and then his wife in front of those who were sitting in his area.  Wife and child moved away from us and were not seen again.  He showed up again in the casino and in the Haven bar and was equally obnoxious both times.  

 

Closing thoughts:

I thoroughly enjoyed my second experience on the NCL Breakaway and wouldn't hesitate to book another cruise on her or her sister ship, Getaway.  The ship is clean and beautiful with a wide variety of dining and activities for everyone.  From the gym to the thermal suite, to just walking the Water Front, we found this trip to be relaxing and memorable.  Even with a hic-up or two, the vacation was perfect.

 

 

[GA Dave]

1 hour ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Just off Breakaway yesterday morning and thought I pass along some thoughts about the experience.  Having been on Breakaway back in November, I knew pretty much what to expect in terms of ship and activities.  We had such a good time on our previous cruise, I was ready for another and this time I took my mother.  We stayed in an aft-facing suite 9916 on the starboard side.

 

Embarkation Day:

Easy.  Arrived at the pier via taxi from MIA at around 11:20.  There was no waiting in the Haven check in line so we walked right up to the counter.  We were then escorted to the Haven waiting area.  After a short wait, we were on the ship and having lunch in the Haven restaurant.  I had seared scallops and butternut squash soup.  Outstanding!

 

Initial impressions of the ship and staff were positive and just as I remembered.  Ship crew seemed happy to see us even though they had just said good-bye to the "old" passengers just a few hours before.  After lunch we explored the ship.  I paid close attention to the potential up-selling that people often complain about and did in fact, encounter a great deal of this on the first day.  My take is that since it's the first day, everyone is trying to sell their product/service.  For the experienced cruiser, this is "old-hat" and might be annoying.  To the new cruiser, this can be helpful, especially if you want a particular service.  Anyhow, after day one, we were NEVER asked about an up sell for anything.

 

Entertainment:

We saw Burn the Floor and went to the comedy club and Howl at the Moon.  Burn the floor was excellent and completely different from the first time I saw the show in November.  About the only thing that was the same was the title of the show.  The dance numbers, costumes, and cast were all different.  I enjoyed the show as much this time as I did in the past.  Howl at the Moon is always a great time...and the comedy was, well...shipboard comedy.  Probably the entertainment we enjoyed the most was in the Shakers Martini Bar where the musician would play his piano and sing.  He was excellent and very engaging.  Wish I could remember his name...He encouraged audience participation and even invited people to play the piano with him and of course, sing for the crowd.  And crowded it was!  His little venue was often standing room only and was a lot of fun.

 

Casino:  Spent a good bit of time here....losing.  Machines were tighter than I remember.  There's not a lot of variety in machine to choose from.  I think NCL could mix it up a bit in this department.  And there were a lot of smokers in the casino on this trip.  I'm not a smoker and don't begrudge those who do, but it got heavy at times.  Many people have said that they need to do something about the smoke and the ventilation and I don't disagree.

 

Ship activities:  Plenty to go around for all ages.  We didn't partake in anything offered in the atrium but did pass through during a Q & A about ship life for the crew.  It was well attended and I heard some great questions.  Though I was just passing through to find the library, if I had stayed, I would have been very annoyed by the amount of conversation that was going on independent of the presentation.  There was so much talking, it was difficult to hear.  It's a shame for the people who were there for the session. There's no separation from those who are attending the event and those who just want to socialize at the bar.  I think NCL should consider moving these "lectures" to a more intimate/quiet location so that those who want to socialize at the bar don't hamper the experience of those who wish to attend (and listen to) the session.

 

One side note of interest regarding activities...when we were in Costa Maya I heard/watched a parent obnoxiously attempt to discipline her child in one of the very crowded gift shops.  After walloping her kid a few times on the butt (not saying he didn't deserve it) she got in his face and said quite loudly, "if you don't behave, I'm going to put you in the splash academy.  Do you want the splash academy?"  Now, I don't have small children so I have no experience with on-board activities and programs for that age group, but I found it interesting that she chose to use Splash Academy as a consequence.  Not sure how to interpret that but I did see lots and lots of kids lined up to sign in for Splash Academy, so they must have liked it.

 

Food:

I'll give the usual "food is subjective" disclaimer before digging in.  Over all we thoroughly enjoyed the food.  We had the dining package as a perk and ate at Cagney's, Le Bistro, and the Italian place.  I enjoyed both Cagney's and Le Bistro very much.  The Italian place was just meh.  Mom liked it very much as she had the arugula pizza (yuck) and wanted to go back for another one at a later point.  I had the veal and it was just bad.  No other word for it.  Rubbery and tasteless.  Service was slow and inattentive.  I didn't like it at all and wouldn't go back.

 

O'Sheehan's:  my first time there on our last night.  Mom and I were having fun in the casino, despite losing, and had missed our dinner plans for the Haven restaurant.  We were several golden margaritas in when we realized we were hungry.  Dropped in to O'Sheehan's because it was close.  We ordered nachos, a burger, and shepherd's pie (all things I've seen reviewed on CC).  Nachos were fine.  Burger was pretty good.  Shepherd's pie tasted like a hot dog. Mainly because it was a hot dog.  In my head I asked for shepherd's pie, but apparently my mouth said "hot dog".  No worries, we ate it anyway and it was pretty darn good.

 

Haven restaurant:  We enjoyed the food, despite the lack of variety.  I had the sea bass, scallops, and beef tenderloin (spread out over three nights).  All were very good.  We ate lunch in the Haven twice.  The second time was a little "off" in the service and food quality.  Service was very slow from start to finish (nearly 2 hours, without no dessert course) and entrees were presented piecemeal....I got my soup before mom got her salad so I  had something to eat while she did not.  I'm used to courses being presented at the same time so that one person isn't eating in front of the other.  It was just off...like someone's first day on the job.  I happened to mention it to our butler later that day who then told the maitre'd, who then greeted us later that night at dinner.  He apologized for the lunch experience and said they would make it up to us.  They indeed did.  I was happy to know that they are truly interested in customer feedback so that they can take corrective actions when needed.

 

Bars/Drink Service:  As we were on deck 9 and far away from the Haven bar, we got many of our drinks on deck 7 or 8.  We never waited more than a minute or two for bar service.  It was quick and attentive every single time.  We had the Premium Beverage Package and prior to the cruise, I contemplated an upgrade the the Premium Plus however, for us, there didn't really seem to be a need.  There wasn't a cocktail that I wanted that wasn't covered on the regular plan.  Two nights, we had a glass of wine with dinner that was over the price limit.  We paid the difference with our OBC.  For water, we used our own water bottle, and didn't want for specialty coffee as we had a Nespresso  machine in our room.  For me, the PBP will be the way to go.

 

Cabin:  Our stateroom was pretty amazing!  The deck 9 location has the deepest balcony of all the aft-facing Haven suites (or so I'm told).  The bedroom is away from the ocean, so no natural light.  I was OK with this since I like a really dark room when I sleep.  The bathroom faced the ocean and had a wonderful picture window above the tub.  I loved the view while getting ready.  After reading a thread about the plumbing in Breakaway, I was leary about getting a good toilet flush.  For the most part, the toilets flushed consistently, but there were a few mornings on port days, when suction was lost for a brief period of time but would eventually return.  There was no odor in either of our bathrooms.  Aside from the obvious features of this beautiful room, the thing I appreciated the most was the A/C.  I like a cold room when I sleep and have been on some lines (like Celebrity) where I can't get the room cool enough.  This was not the case in this room.  The A/C worked great and was very cool and comfortable.

 

Ports of Call:

Costa Maya:  small little port with lots of crowded shops and vendors.  I liked it but felt claustrophobic with so many people crammed into a small space.  We didn't stay here long as it was just too hot and crowded.

Harvest Caye:  Love this private island.  Very clean beautiful. We rented a clam shell and found one in a shaded area near the kid's water park.  After a few hours, it rained...a gully washer, in fact. We tried waiting it out at a bar but it didn't look as if it was going to let up so we made our way back to the ship...everything got soaked and it cooled off quite a bit.  Spent several hours watching it rain from the shelter of our balcony.

Cozumel:  did some port shopping and had a jumbo margarita and chips and salsa at a place on the square.  Listened to live music and people watched.  There were 5 ships in port that day.  

Honduras:  I can't remember the official port name...but it was not very impressive.  Maybe for those who want to do an excursion it is better.  For us, we walked off the boat at 11 and were back by noon.

 

Passengers and Crew:

We really enjoyed chatting with and meeting some really nice and interesting people on this cruise.  The crew were very attentive and friendly.  I can't say anything negative about any of the NCL employees as each one we encountered represented the company well.  The passengers, for the most part, were also very well behaved.  There was one gentleman, and I use the word loosely, who showed his behind in the Haven waiting area before boarding the ship.  He berated his child and then his wife in front of those who were sitting in his area.  Wife and child moved away from us and were not seen again.  He showed up again in the casino and in the Haven bar and was equally obnoxious both times.  

 

Closing thoughts:

I thoroughly enjoyed my second experience on the NCL Breakaway and wouldn't hesitate to book another cruise on her or her sister ship, Getaway.  The ship is clean and beautiful with a wide variety of dining and activities for everyone.  From the gym to the thermal suite, to just walking the Water Front, we found this trip to be relaxing and memorable.  Even with a hic-up or two, the vacation was perfect.

 

 

Thanks for the review.  Glad the Haven restaurant was so good in making up for your lunch issue.  We found both the service and the food in the Getaway Haven restaurant to be exceptional on our last trip. 

It is sad that, with all the money they spend to be in the Haven, that some people just have no class.  Legally, the "gentleman" you mentioned could be arrested for what he did in the waiting area.  Would his "classy" move been worth the cost of a lost trip?  I feel very sorry for his wife and child.

[YankeesFan4Life]

Thanks for the great review!  I'm 40 days out from BA and cannot wait!  Although I'm not booked in Haven, I am still looking forward to all the other amenities the ship has to offer.  I do love hot dogs, but I may stay away from that Shepherd's Pie! 😉

 

[graphicguy]

Love the AWAY ships....especially the Haven!  Glad you enjoyed it.

[Mike D.]

Thanks for your review.  Good read.  I was in the Haven on the Breakaway in January and also had a wonderful experience.  

 

You mentioned the A/C.  I travel with "Nanuck of the North" who thinks sleeping in a refrigerator is perfect.  He got his own bedroom (I took the "kids bedroom" in a 2 bedroom Haven Family Suite) and he nearly got the A/C to hang icicles from the ceiling.  Ugh.  But the living room and "my" room were kept a reasonable temperatures since there were 3 separate thermostats that actually worked.

 

Costa Maya:  I grab a "taxi" at the back of the Costa Maya port (costs $4 US) and ride into Mahahual.  There is a great strand to walk on, lots of hotels, restaurants and massages on the beach.  Nice place to spend an afternoon.  I generally walk back to the ship (probably 45 minutes) and get my steps in for the day.

 

Honduras:  I expect your port was Roatan.  I'll echo that it is a place for an excursion, not for walking around in the port area.  Inside the port is OK but my hoofing around the port area was, uh, unrewarding.  

 

Thanks again.

[GA Dave]

1 hour ago, Mike D. said:

Thanks for your review.  Good read.  I was in the Haven on the Breakaway in January and also had a wonderful experience.  

 

You mentioned the A/C.  I travel with "Nanuck of the North" who thinks sleeping in a refrigerator is perfect.  He got his own bedroom (I took the "kids bedroom" in a 2 bedroom Haven Family Suite) and he nearly got the A/C to hang icicles from the ceiling.  Ugh.  But the living room and "my" room were kept a reasonable temperatures since there were 3 separate thermostats that actually worked.

 

Costa Maya:  I grab a "taxi" at the back of the Costa Maya port (costs $4 US) and ride into Mahahual.  There is a great strand to walk on, lots of hotels, restaurants and massages on the beach.  Nice place to spend an afternoon.  I generally walk back to the ship (probably 45 minutes) and get my steps in for the day.

 

Honduras:  I expect your port was Roatan.  I'll echo that it is a place for an excursion, not for walking around in the port area.  Inside the port is OK but my hoofing around the port area was, uh, unrewarding.  

 

Thanks again.

The beach area in Mahahual.

 

[AmyJA]

Thanks for the report GP.

 

I always lean something from them.

 

 

[cincicruisers]

Thank you for sharing your review with us.

[Shoppie124]

Thanks for the report!  How was Cozumel with 5 ships in port?  We’re on the Breakaway in 55 days in the Haven!  So excited!

[Georgia_Peaches]

37 minutes ago, Shoppie124 said:

Thanks for the report!  How was Cozumel with 5 ships in port?  We’re on the Breakaway in 55 days in the Haven!  So excited!

I find Cozumel to be spread out enough that we didn't really notice 5 ship's worth of crowds.  I like the NCL docks closer to the main square, near the duty free mall.  It was us and a smaller MSC ship at this location.  Two Carnivals and maybe a RCCL docked about a mile away...by car.  We walked to the square from the duty free mall and sat outside at a local bar to people watch.  Open tables everywhere.  You're going to have a blast!

[newmexicoNita]

20 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Just off Breakaway yesterday morning and thought I pass along some thoughts about the experience.  Having been on Breakaway back in November, I knew pretty much what to expect in terms of ship and activities.  We had such a good time on our previous cruise, I was ready for another and this time I took my mother.  We stayed in an aft-facing suite 9916 on the starboard side.

 

Embarkation Day:

Easy.  Arrived at the pier via taxi from MIA at around 11:20.  There was no waiting in the Haven check in line so we walked right up to the counter.  We were then escorted to the Haven waiting area.  After a short wait, we were on the ship and having lunch in the Haven restaurant.  I had seared scallops and butternut squash soup.  Outstanding!

 

Initial impressions of the ship and staff were positive and just as I remembered.  Ship crew seemed happy to see us even though they had just said good-bye to the "old" passengers just a few hours before.  After lunch we explored the ship.  I paid close attention to the potential up-selling that people often complain about and did in fact, encounter a great deal of this on the first day.  My take is that since it's the first day, everyone is trying to sell their product/service.  For the experienced cruiser, this is "old-hat" and might be annoying.  To the new cruiser, this can be helpful, especially if you want a particular service.  Anyhow, after day one, we were NEVER asked about an up sell for anything.

 

Entertainment:

We saw Burn the Floor and went to the comedy club and Howl at the Moon.  Burn the floor was excellent and completely different from the first time I saw the show in November.  About the only thing that was the same was the title of the show.  The dance numbers, costumes, and cast were all different.  I enjoyed the show as much this time as I did in the past.  Howl at the Moon is always a great time...and the comedy was, well...shipboard comedy.  Probably the entertainment we enjoyed the most was in the Shakers Martini Bar where the musician would play his piano and sing.  He was excellent and very engaging.  Wish I could remember his name...He encouraged audience participation and even invited people to play the piano with him and of course, sing for the crowd.  And crowded it was!  His little venue was often standing room only and was a lot of fun.

 

Casino:  Spent a good bit of time here....losing.  Machines were tighter than I remember.  There's not a lot of variety in machine to choose from.  I think NCL could mix it up a bit in this department.  And there were a lot of smokers in the casino on this trip.  I'm not a smoker and don't begrudge those who do, but it got heavy at times.  Many people have said that they need to do something about the smoke and the ventilation and I don't disagree.

 

Ship activities:  Plenty to go around for all ages.  We didn't partake in anything offered in the atrium but did pass through during a Q & A about ship life for the crew.  It was well attended and I heard some great questions.  Though I was just passing through to find the library, if I had stayed, I would have been very annoyed by the amount of conversation that was going on independent of the presentation.  There was so much talking, it was difficult to hear.  It's a shame for the people who were there for the session. There's no separation from those who are attending the event and those who just want to socialize at the bar.  I think NCL should consider moving these "lectures" to a more intimate/quiet location so that those who want to socialize at the bar don't hamper the experience of those who wish to attend (and listen to) the session.

 

One side note of interest regarding activities...when we were in Costa Maya I heard/watched a parent obnoxiously attempt to discipline her child in one of the very crowded gift shops.  After walloping her kid a few times on the butt (not saying he didn't deserve it) she got in his face and said quite loudly, "if you don't behave, I'm going to put you in the splash academy.  Do you want the splash academy?"  Now, I don't have small children so I have no experience with on-board activities and programs for that age group, but I found it interesting that she chose to use Splash Academy as a consequence.  Not sure how to interpret that but I did see lots and lots of kids lined up to sign in for Splash Academy, so they must have liked it.

 

Food:

I'll give the usual "food is subjective" disclaimer before digging in.  Over all we thoroughly enjoyed the food.  We had the dining package as a perk and ate at Cagney's, Le Bistro, and the Italian place.  I enjoyed both Cagney's and Le Bistro very much.  The Italian place was just meh.  Mom liked it very much as she had the arugula pizza (yuck) and wanted to go back for another one at a later point.  I had the veal and it was just bad.  No other word for it.  Rubbery and tasteless.  Service was slow and inattentive.  I didn't like it at all and wouldn't go back.

 

O'Sheehan's:  my first time there on our last night.  Mom and I were having fun in the casino, despite losing, and had missed our dinner plans for the Haven restaurant.  We were several golden margaritas in when we realized we were hungry.  Dropped in to O'Sheehan's because it was close.  We ordered nachos, a burger, and shepherd's pie (all things I've seen reviewed on CC).  Nachos were fine.  Burger was pretty good.  Shepherd's pie tasted like a hot dog. Mainly because it was a hot dog.  In my head I asked for shepherd's pie, but apparently my mouth said "hot dog".  No worries, we ate it anyway and it was pretty darn good.

 

Haven restaurant:  We enjoyed the food, despite the lack of variety.  I had the sea bass, scallops, and beef tenderloin (spread out over three nights).  All were very good.  We ate lunch in the Haven twice.  The second time was a little "off" in the service and food quality.  Service was very slow from start to finish (nearly 2 hours, without no dessert course) and entrees were presented piecemeal....I got my soup before mom got her salad so I  had something to eat while she did not.  I'm used to courses being presented at the same time so that one person isn't eating in front of the other.  It was just off...like someone's first day on the job.  I happened to mention it to our butler later that day who then told the maitre'd, who then greeted us later that night at dinner.  He apologized for the lunch experience and said they would make it up to us.  They indeed did.  I was happy to know that they are truly interested in customer feedback so that they can take corrective actions when needed.

 

Bars/Drink Service:  As we were on deck 9 and far away from the Haven bar, we got many of our drinks on deck 7 or 8.  We never waited more than a minute or two for bar service.  It was quick and attentive every single time.  We had the Premium Beverage Package and prior to the cruise, I contemplated an upgrade the the Premium Plus however, for us, there didn't really seem to be a need.  There wasn't a cocktail that I wanted that wasn't covered on the regular plan.  Two nights, we had a glass of wine with dinner that was over the price limit.  We paid the difference with our OBC.  For water, we used our own water bottle, and didn't want for specialty coffee as we had a Nespresso  machine in our room.  For me, the PBP will be the way to go.

 

Cabin:  Our stateroom was pretty amazing!  The deck 9 location has the deepest balcony of all the aft-facing Haven suites (or so I'm told).  The bedroom is away from the ocean, so no natural light.  I was OK with this since I like a really dark room when I sleep.  The bathroom faced the ocean and had a wonderful picture window above the tub.  I loved the view while getting ready.  After reading a thread about the plumbing in Breakaway, I was leary about getting a good toilet flush.  For the most part, the toilets flushed consistently, but there were a few mornings on port days, when suction was lost for a brief period of time but would eventually return.  There was no odor in either of our bathrooms.  Aside from the obvious features of this beautiful room, the thing I appreciated the most was the A/C.  I like a cold room when I sleep and have been on some lines (like Celebrity) where I can't get the room cool enough.  This was not the case in this room.  The A/C worked great and was very cool and comfortable.

 

Ports of Call:

Costa Maya:  small little port with lots of crowded shops and vendors.  I liked it but felt claustrophobic with so many people crammed into a small space.  We didn't stay here long as it was just too hot and crowded.

Harvest Caye:  Love this private island.  Very clean beautiful. We rented a clam shell and found one in a shaded area near the kid's water park.  After a few hours, it rained...a gully washer, in fact. We tried waiting it out at a bar but it didn't look as if it was going to let up so we made our way back to the ship...everything got soaked and it cooled off quite a bit.  Spent several hours watching it rain from the shelter of our balcony.

Cozumel:  did some port shopping and had a jumbo margarita and chips and salsa at a place on the square.  Listened to live music and people watched.  There were 5 ships in port that day.  

Honduras:  I can't remember the official port name...but it was not very impressive.  Maybe for those who want to do an excursion it is better.  For us, we walked off the boat at 11 and were back by noon.

 

Passengers and Crew:

We really enjoyed chatting with and meeting some really nice and interesting people on this cruise.  The crew were very attentive and friendly.  I can't say anything negative about any of the NCL employees as each one we encountered represented the company well.  The passengers, for the most part, were also very well behaved.  There was one gentleman, and I use the word loosely, who showed his behind in the Haven waiting area before boarding the ship.  He berated his child and then his wife in front of those who were sitting in his area.  Wife and child moved away from us and were not seen again.  He showed up again in the casino and in the Haven bar and was equally obnoxious both times.  

 

Closing thoughts:

I thoroughly enjoyed my second experience on the NCL Breakaway and wouldn't hesitate to book another cruise on her or her sister ship, Getaway.  The ship is clean and beautiful with a wide variety of dining and activities for everyone.  From the gym to the thermal suite, to just walking the Water Front, we found this trip to be relaxing and memorable.  Even with a hic-up or two, the vacation was perfect.

 

 

Thanks for the review. We will be on the Breakaway in Oct. We have sailed her once before and though we are not huge lovers of mega ships, plus we sailed her during the spring break with kids, kids everywhere and miserable weather we liked her well enough to repeat. 

I agree with you on Le Cucina or whatever. We have rarely had a memorable experience at any of them. Oh the island you were referring to was probably Roatan. if so,  there is a  lot of great excursions to book. It is one of our favorite ports, but others feel like you. 

[YankeesFan4Life]

No offense to anyone in particular, but is there a need to quote the ENTIRE OP's post?

[Georgia_Peaches]

19 hours ago, Mike D. said:

 

 

Honduras:  I expect your port was Roatan.  I'll echo that it is a place for an excursion, not for walking around in the port area.  Inside the port is OK but my hoofing around the port area was, uh, unrewarding.  

 

Thanks again.

Yes, Roatan.  Thank you for refreshing my memory.  If we stop there again, I will definitely consider an excursion!

[GA Dave]

9 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Yes, Roatan.  Thank you for refreshing my memory.  If we stop there again, I will definitely consider an excursion!

We did the Tabayana Beach Party through NCL when we were in Roatan.  Included lunch, etc.  The water on the west end is absolutely beautiful.  The place was really nice, except for the constant hawkers walking the water's edge.  The Tabayana security folks kept them away from the loungers, etc., but you could not get to the water without having to deal with them.

 

[JenTX4NYC]

Thanks so much for your review! Any chance you saved the Dailies?

[CozGurl]

Thanks for the review. We don't leave on Breakaway until January. Would someone answer some questions I still have?

 

I've read that Moderno has a free breakfast and lunch buffet. Is that everyday or just sea days? 

 

How was Spice H2O? We're always looking for a relaxing adults only area. No pool but a fountain? 

 

Can men wear dress shorts in the Manhattan for dinner?

 

There is a port or two where we'll stay on the ship. What is open?

[Two Wheels Only]

27 minutes ago, CozGurl said:

Can men wear dress shorts in the Manhattan for dinner?

 

This varies by ship so it's best to check the dailies. The most recent Breakaway dailies that I have seen (last month) show that long pants are required in Ocean Blue, Le Bistro, and the Manhattan Room.  

[rattanchair]

On 7/3/2019 at 2:25 PM, Two Wheels Only said:

 

This varies by ship so it's best to check the dailies. The most recent Breakaway dailies that I have seen (last month) show that long pants are required in Ocean Blue, Le Bistro, and the Manhattan Room.  

Dear TWO, You are correct. On the June 9 sailing a gentleman was denied dinner access to those three venues in shorts. Now had he been in the Haven, he would have no problem getting seated.