Breakaway January 8-15, 2023

[www3traveler]

18 minutes ago, like2cruise said:

pandncruisers or cruiseinmeme~We are on the Breakaway 2/5/23.  Just a couple of questions if you don't mind.  More because I am a planner than anything.  So by the old muster drill...everyone onboard had to go to an assigned area on deck and stand there during the drill at 3:30pm?  Did you have to take your life jacket?  Were you able to get any Specialty Dining reservations that you wanted while onboard?  We are hoping to get our prebooked reservations on better dates & times!  How is the food in the dining room?  Is the noodle bar open or lunch on the Sea days?  Did they charge you taxes for drinks while in New Orleans?  Did they charge you taxes for drinks sailing from New Orleans before International waters?  Was availability of most of the alcohols that are listed for the open bar, seem available? Was there a Dress up or Not night onboard?  I am thinking they did away with that designated night?  Was Rumours at Syd Norman's offered and if so, is it still super popular and hard to get in to?  Any questions that you can answer is much appreciated!

(1) Muster Stations are located in various locations indoors (on some of the smaller older ships, they are outside under your assigned lifeboats).  IF it ever becomes necessary lifejackets will be provided at your Muster Station.

 

(2) I have always been able to go to the Restaurant Reservation Desk (next to Guest Services) to get what I needed.

 

(3) A very small tax is collected until the Gulf of Mexico (8 hours or so after leaving New Orleans).

 

(4) There has been a "Dress Up or Not Night" the evening of the first Sea.  Totally optional.

 

Enjoy your cruise and the City of New Orleans (one of my very favorite places).

[pandncruisers]

You don't need to take your life jacket to the drill.  The noodle bar was not open for.lunch yesterday which was a.sea day.  The food is fine in the restaurants which we have been to so far.  I don't think a dress up night has been mentioned yet.  The alcohol drinks wine and whiskey has been available so far.not sure about rumours.

[Sand and Seas]

1 hour ago, like2cruise said:

.....  Was Rumours at Syd Norman's offered and if so, is it still super popular and hard to get in to?  Any questions that you can answer is much appreciated!

We just got off the Breakaway on Jan 8th and went to three separate shows at Syd's.  We learned to get in line early but always got a good seat that way.  It was kind of fun talking to others in line while we waited.  (One couple brought a deck of cards to pass the time.)   

 

We had met a nice couple who we were seated with at Shanghai's early in the cruise and told them not to miss Syd's.  (You need to line up for Shanghai's too!)   They loved Syd's too and were so excited to have found out about it early in their cruise.  

 

Rumours was our favorite.  Great singers and an awesome band.  Lead guitarist was amazing.

[cruisinmeme]

4 hours ago, like2cruise said:

pandncruisers or cruiseinmeme~We are on the Breakaway 2/5/23.  Just a couple of questions if you don't mind.  More because I am a planner than anything.  So by the old muster drill...everyone onboard had to go to an assigned area on deck and stand there during the drill at 3:30pm?  Did you have to take your life jacket?  Were you able to get any Specialty Dining reservations that you wanted while onboard?  We are hoping to get our prebooked reservations on better dates & times!  How is the food in the dining room?  Is the noodle bar open or lunch on the Sea days?  Did they charge you taxes for drinks while in New Orleans?  Did they charge you taxes for drinks sailing from New Orleans before International waters?  Was availability of most of the alcohols that are listed for the open bar, seem available? Was there a Dress up or Not night onboard?  I am thinking they did away with that designated night?  Was Rumours at Syd Norman's offered and if so, is it still super popular and hard to get in to?  Any questions that you can answer is much appreciated!

I will try to answer the questions 

 

since we did not do the safety drill life vest ?? Have not had to take life vest to a drill in forever though.

yes they was charging tax on drinks while in NOLA . I don’t drink but my daughter and granddaughter sure did. They had the package and was actually charged for the drink and took three days to have it come off the bill. 
very few people dressed up. Like really dressed up. Never even saw anything about it either. 
reservations once on ship was a ***** show. There was 3 of us making them so one night we needed to switch from 2 people to 3 in Cagney’s . We got it done but by the skin of our teeth.  Try and do any changes fast.  Also glad we had dinner reservations in plain old dinning room because it got full fast. 
noodle bar- oh brother. The line is unreal. My plan was for Friday while kids went to sushi. After hearing about line I got on it at 4:00 (opens at 5:00) already had people in line. Once we all went in the people had to wait another hour because that is how long it takes to serve everyone. Once all cleared out the next group goes in.   Was not open at lunch.  I would probably stand In line ann hour again but .who knows. 
it is good but too much food for me. The combo fried rice was my favorite and couldn’t eat ll the rest of the food. 
I know nothing about Syd Norman’s .

hope this helps. 
I will say 3rd time on breakaway. Twice out of Nola and once out of Miami and never seen it so crowded everywhere. We came out of the dining room wedn evening and it was jammed up lines for.Both taste and savor. The lobby stayed packed. On past cruises sometimes sea days it was like a ghost town, not this cruise.

[Mechman]

I heard that they changed the port arrival times for Costa Maya and Cozumel on last couple cruises?  Did you experience the delays that the letter said?  Did you really not get into Cozumel until 10:00 AM instead of 9:00AM?  We have a 10:30 excursion..not sure I can disembark in time if we really arrive at 10:00.

[cruisinmeme]

4 hours ago, Mechman said:

I heard that they changed the port arrival times for Costa Maya and Cozumel on last couple cruises?  Did you experience the delays that the letter said?  Did you really not get into Cozumel until 10:00 AM instead of 9:00AM?  We have a 10:30 excursion..not sure I can disembark in time if we really arrive at 10:00.

Yes. The schedule was changed. Cozumel was 10:00-5:50 (not as posted on itinerary. Can not remember costa Maya but it was messed up. We was suppose to be there at one time, ship was running slow (due to some problem) but as it turns out we were not as late as planned.  I had read one sailing they flip flopped Cozumel and costa Maya. 
surely if you have outside excursion the leader will see the ship is delayed and will not take off before everyone is there.