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Breakaway review Oct 9-16, first cruise with teens


amybeth28
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My family and I just returned from the Breakaway October 9th-16th. I have been on one other cruise, the Dawn to Bermuda last July. This was my children’s first cruise, and I was very nervous about bringing them. I have a 16 year old daughter and 13 year old twins. I am so thankful for these boards and all of the wonderful tips people have shared. I wanted to return the favor and share my experience and the things that I learned. I am still very new to cruising and so I am writing this review for first time cruisers or first time cruisers with teenagers. I am a nervous traveler and like to know as many details as possible so, more experienced cruisers may find the details in this review a bit boring :)

 

I loved my cruise on the Dawn, but decided on the Breakaway after reading these boards because I thought the water slides, rock wall, ropes course, sports center, arcade and mini golf would be a better fit for my children. I also wanted to take them to Bermuda because I have been there and felt confident navigating the island. I did not plan any shore excursions because the island is so easy to explore independently, even for a nervous traveler like myself. However, due to a hurricane we were not able to go to Bermuda. Instead we went to port Canaveral and Nassau. I did not research these ports because the change was last minute, so it turned into a real adventure for someone who plans things out months in advance, lol.

 

I am going to have to post this review in stages because we all returned to our normal, busy lives the day after we returned. My kids are still unpacking and fighting over the washing machine!

 

The port of New York/Embarkation:

 

 

We live in MA about 3.5 hours away from Manhattan and decided to drive to the terminal and park at the pier. We arrived at about 10:30 am. It was a pretty easy drive and I was relieved to see the signs clearly indicating when to get off the parkway and how to enter the parking structure. We paid as we entered ($280 for the week). They accept both credit cards and cash. There are plenty of attendants to direct you through the structure and to a space.

 

 

They have a security dog who will sniff your car and you will need to open the back or trunk. I was half afraid our luggage would spill out, since my kids jammed everything in the back of the minivan! Everyone but the driver can get out right at the freight elevator , with the luggage, and the driver can then find a spot to park. The elevator brings everyone down to the ground level and you can then go to the left and give your bags to a porter. We tipped the porter $3 per bag and proceeded to the first check point with our carry- on bags.

 

 

I read on these boards that there can be a delay in getting your luggage delivered to the room, so I made sure everyone packed their essentials and an outfit appropriate for dinner in their carry ons. We showed our documents at the first check point and then an attendant directed us to another security screening. It is similar to airport screening, but you do not need to take off your shoes. You will go through a metal detector and then will be directed to another attendant who gives you a card with a boarding number. This attendant will direct you to a check in line. They will also give all of the adults a health screening form.

 

 

When you get to the desk, you will be asked for your passport or birth certificate and photo ID. You will also give them your cruise documents and the health form. You will need to give them a credit card. I believe that you can use cash as a deposit, but have read that it is not a good idea to use a debit card. They may place a number of holds on your debit card which could take up to 30 days to release the funds. They will take your picture and give you a ship card.

 

 

You use your ship card to pay for everything on board, from drinks to the gift shop. The casino takes cash, but everything else is charged to your account by swiping your ship card. You can restrict your children’s ability to charge to the account. I allowed my children access, but asked them to get my approval before swiping their cards. I read many horror stories about children who did not understand the cards and ended up charging hundreds of dollars in the arcade!

 

 

After, you get your card you will be directed to an area to sit down and wait to get onboard. They will make announcements when it is time to get on the ship. The haven guests go first and then they begin to call boarding numbers. When you get to the gangway, you will swipe your card and be directed onto the ship. It is time for the cruise to begin!!!

Thoughts on embarkation:

 

 

The process was very easy and there are plenty of staff to guide you through. However, there are A LOT of people in the terminal and it can be noisy and a bit overwhelming. My 16 year old daughter was a little nervous about all of the people; she is shy and had a hard time with the noise and crowds. My twins are a bit more adventurous and had a great time watching all of the action. I bought them lanyards with plastic holders for their ship cards. As soon as we got them, I had them put the cards in and keep the lanyards around their necks.

 

It worked really well, and I could immediately see if they had misplaced their cards. We all had different colors so that I could easily see whose card was sitting on the bed instead of around their necks!.

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Once we boarded the ship, I could see how amazed my children where. They could not believe that we were inside a ship. They kept saying that it felt like they were in a huge hotel. I had shown them videos and pictures, but they just could not grasp how big a cruise ship really is until they got inside. I think they were expecting a larger version of their grandfathers fishing boat, lol.

 

 

They wanted to explore immediately, but I had signed up for lunch with our roll call group. We headed directly to Taste, which is one of the complimentary dining rooms along with Savor and The Manhattan Room. There is a bar called Mixx directly in between Taste and Savor. We decided to order drinks and the bartender told us a funny story about the origins of a Tequila Sunrise. I am not sure his story was true, but the kids thought he was very funny! We headed into the dining room and were welcomed by the hostess and shown to a table with other cruisers. The server came over immediately and offered us menus and a choice of red or white wine. They even asked my 13 year old if she wanted red or white wine. She gave me a sly look, but smart girl that she is, she declined. lol

 

My twins and I all ordered the fish and chips, while DH ordered a shrimp salad dish. My 16 year old had eaten snacks during the entire car ride and was not hungry. She was also tired from the ride and still a bit overwhelmed.

 

When the waiter noticed that she looked a little overwhelmed and did not order any food, he came back with a plate of chocolate cookies for her. I was so impressed by his kindness and that he took the time to notice that she was a bit off and tried to cheer her up! She quickly perked up and then had to defend her cookies from the twins!

 

The food was well prepared, served hot and tasted fresh. We were able to have a nice conversation with some experienced cruisers and I was glad that we decided to attend the luncheon.

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After lunch we decided to head to our room and see if it was ready. We had a family ocean view room on deck 5.

 

The room, 5772:

 

I was concerned about fitting 5 people in one small cruise ship room, however I was pleasantly surprised by the clever design of this space. The bathroom is directly to your left when you enter. It had a large rectangular sink with two separate faucets. There was a large shelf above the sink and several small cabinet spaces below the sink. There really was plenty of space to organize all of our belongings, of course this did not stop my teenage daughters from filling every single nook and cranny and arguing over whose hair brush was infringing on the other’s space My son found a place for his toothbrush and declared that he was “unpacked”!

 

There was a bathtub with a removable shower head. The tub was big enough for my son to “have a soak” I do have to say that the water pressure was very low and it was difficult for my daughters who both have long hair.

 

There were plenty of towels, and there is a sign that asks you to hang up wet towels if you will use them again. If you would like fresh towels, you leave them on the floor and your room steward will replace them. After we got home, I needed to remind my son that there is no room steward here so he better pick up his own towels!

 

There is a short hallway which opens up to a full size bed. There are 2 side tables with little shelves. There is a closet along the wall with a section with hangers and a section with shelves. There is a small safe in this closet. It is easy to use, but will not fit a full size laptop. There is additional storage under the bed for suitcases.

 

The hallway continues and there is a curtain that separates the full size bed area from the rest of the cabin. Past the curtain there is a sofa, which folds down into another full size bed. There is a pull down bunk as well. Opposite the beds there is a counter with drawers underneath. There is also another closet with hangers. There is a mini fridge which functions like a hotel mini bar. You can ask your steward to empty it so your children and husband will not be tempted by the drinks and sodas, they are expensive!

 

There is a hair dryer under the cabinet. There is one outlet, so I brought a power strip so that my children could charge all of their electronics. The window is large and offers a great view!

 

There are switches on the wall that say do not disturb and make up the room. The switches activate lights on the outside of your door. If you leave the do not disturb light on, the steward will not be able to make up the room or provide turn down service.

 

There is a slot by the door to slide in your key card. If you do not put a card in the slot, the lights and temperature controls do not work. I brought a grocery store rewards card and just left it in the slot the whole week.

 

At one point our toilet would not flush for a few hours, I heard this was a ship wide issue and was fixed.

 

Thoughts about the room:

 

It is small, like all cruise ship rooms, however there are so many clever space saving features that we could comfortably unpack and organize our belongings. My children’s area was a complete disaster by day two, but they didn’t seem to mind the jumbled piles of clothes. They just threw their stuff into the closet when I told them to make it easier for the steward to make the beds. Of course, my children loved the towel animals that our steward left for us. They took pictures and tried to make their own. Over all, I was impressed by the room!

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After checking out our room, we decided to take the kids to sign up for the Entourage teen club.

 

Entourage:

 

It was very easy to sign the kids up for entourage; the counselor greeted us in a friendly way and scanned the kids cards. I signed the agreement and we received a schedule of events. The space looked like a nite club, with flashing lights, large TV’s, an air hockey table and large couches and loungers.

 

I expected my kids to really enjoy the teen club, however they only went a few times during the week. They did enjoy the time they spent there, playing air hockey and video games. However, they spent most of their time in other parts of the ship.

 

I think they were less interested because there are 3 of them and they are very close. They formed their own little group and didn’t feel the need to make new friends. They did meet other teens in the pool area and sports deck and did spend some time with them, but mostly they enjoyed the ship together.

 

Thoughts on Entourage:

 

I am really surprised that my kids did not spend more time in the teen club! If I was a teen I think I would have spent most of my time in such a youth friendly space, but it is their vacation and they had a blast on their own.

 

More tomorrow!

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Hmm, my oldest went to the teen club at 14 and 17, the next one at 15, they are 2 years apart and weren't close at the time, so they made tons of friends, and we never saw them. However, their siblings were 10, 10, and 12 on our last cruise, and they wanted nothing to do with the clubs. On our next cruise, they will be 14, 14, and 16. I really hope they branch out and hang out with other kids (only because it was really neat to see how long my older kids kept in touch with their new friends, even having meet-ups). However, dd13 and dd15 are so close, share a room, bff's. All I can do is encourage! Nice review, we loved the BA.

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Hmm, my oldest went to the teen club at 14 and 17, the next one at 15, they are 2 years apart and weren't close at the time, so they made tons of friends, and we never saw them. However, their siblings were 10, 10, and 12 on our last cruise, and they wanted nothing to do with the clubs. On our next cruise, they will be 14, 14, and 16. I really hope they branch out and hang out with other kids (only because it was really neat to see how long my older kids kept in touch with their new friends, even having meet-ups). However, dd13 and dd15 are so close, share a room, bff's. All I can do is encourage! Nice review, we loved the BA.

 

Yes, I had visions of my kids making friendships that lasted beyond the cruise. I have read that so many kids do! I guess mine will have to remember together:)

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Loving your review so far, nice job! It's weird reading about events I was there for from another person's view!

 

Thank you! I agree, I always love to read the reviews of the same cruise. There is so much going on that you can't do and see everything. Sometimes, I read them and ask myself how I could have missed so many things!

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I know that it is freestyle dining and that the complimentary dining rooms have open seating, but I decided to make reservations online before we sailed. I like having a plan for each day and also I did not know how crowded the Breakaway restaurants might get.

 

The first night I made reservations for the Manhattan room at 5:30. When we arrived there was a huge line and there seemed to be a lot of confusion about whether there was a separate line for reservations and walk- ins. It was just a large jumble of people who were quickly getting frustrated. As people began to become more upset, a hostess came along and said that there is just one line and directed everyone into it. The line then started moving and folks seemed to settle down. I did not witness this type of confused angry crowd while dining on any other night. I think people were tired and upset over the itinerary change and just wanted to sit down to a quiet dinner.

 

We did not eat in any of the specialty restaurants on this cruise, unless you count the cirque dinner show. I did hear from many other cruisers that the specialty restaurants are fabulous, especially Ocean Blue and Cagney’s.

 

The Manhattan Room:

 

We were absolutely amazed when we entered the Manhattan room, it is really beautiful. There is a back wall that is just glass with an incredible view of the ocean and the ships wake. There is a dance floor and on some nights the Burn the Floor dancers provide entertainment while you dine. We didn’t see them, but we did get to listen to the Manhattan Room band one night during dinner.

 

For those who do not know, all of the main dining rooms share the same menu each night. You can look at the menu outside each of the restaurants. Some items are offered every day, while others change. The menu lists appetizers, entrees and desserts. Most choices are complimentary, but you can order a few items for an extra charge, such as lobster. We stuck with the complimentary items.

 

You are able to order as many appetizers, entrees and desserts as you like. My daughters usually ordered an appetizer each and then one to share. The kids really enjoyed trying new things like the crab and cheese soufflé and the pistachio crème brulee. I thought the food was well seasoned, prepared well, and presented beautifully. I especially liked the chocolate lava cake. In general, our food was served hot. There were a few items that were just slightly warm, but still tasted good. I do wish the bread was warm, but I can’t imagine how they could possibly accomplish that:)

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Having been on the Dawn and reading these boards, I knew that we needed to plan for up to 2 hours for dinner. In most cases, it took about 90 minutes. I was very impressed with the service in all of the main dining rooms, but especially the Manhattan room. Our waitress always asked if we had reservations for an early show. On one night we were trying to make a 7pm show, and she informed her helper that we needed faster than usual service. They were both very efficient and we were able to enjoy all 3 courses and still made it to the show on time.

 

One thing that I did struggle with was my 13 year old son and the meals in the dining room. He is an active kid, always on the go. It is a struggle to get him to sit down for a meal at home, never mind a 3 course, 2 hour dinner. He did not want to have to wear a collared shirt and pants. I did manage to get him into a polo shirt and we compromised on a nice pair of shorts.

 

I had a vision of a nice slow meal with all of us sharing our thoughts and experiences about the cruise. However, after struggling with “are we done yet” over and over on the first night, I decided to allow him to bring his phone to dinner. I normally don’t allow phones at the table, and I do believe that 13 is old enough to behave in a restaurant, but decided to compromise for the greater good I am wondering what other parents think about this and how they have balanced restless teens with the slower pace of the dining rooms?

 

Taste/Savor:

 

We ate at both Taste and Savor and found the experience to be similar to the Manhattan room. The real difference is the size and the different décor. It was hard to get the kids to understand that all the dining rooms had the same menu. My daughter would look at the Taste menu and then say “let’s see what they have at Savor”. She is a very smart girl, but somehow could not quite believe that they are all really the same restaurant, lol.

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AmyBeth28

 

Really enjoying your review. I have to tell you that I'm feeling anxious as I read it. Like you I also have researched and planned our past cruises, only to have some things not go as I had spent countless hours planning :( which left me disappointed. So after 6 cruises (yes, I guess I'm slow to learn ;) ) I decided to not plan and just go with the flow. I found that to provide a much better experience for my family and myself. There is one thing that needs to be planned ahead, reservations at the specialty restaurants. Last years cruise we were disappointed to have all the times before 8pm booked (so much for "freestyle" :rolleyes:)

 

For this years Christmas cruise on the Breakaway, I have made our 3 specialties reservations at 90 days, the other 5 nights, well, we'll wing it :D

 

Looking forward to the rest of your review.

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I'm sorry that I am posting so slowly, it has been hard returning to real life after vacation!

 

The Noodle Bar:

 

DH and I really wanted to try the noodle bar. It is a small complimentary restaurant inside the casino. It has high chairs and bar type seating. Each time we went the hostess told us that the wait would be about an hour. Finally, we decided that we would wait the hour, after all it must be good if it was so popular! The hostess gave us a pager and warned us that it would not work on the outside decks. The pager buzzed in about 45 minutes.

 

We were seated right in front of the kitchen, which was nice because we could watch the chefs. The menu has dim sum, different fried rice dishes, and different noodle bowl choices. We ordered spring rolls and pot stickers to start. They were served quickly and tasted fresh and delicious! I ordered the fried rice and DH ordered a spicy noodle bowl. The rice was good, and the noodles were very very spicy. Overall, it was worth the wait.

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O’Sheehan’s:

 

O’Sheehan’s is a complimentary restaurant that is open 24 hours a day. They serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and drinks. The menu remains basically the same, however, they do add specials some nights like ribs.

 

O’Sheehan’s can get very crowded, and there can be a wait for a table during peaks times. This is especially true when there is popular entertainment in the Atruim because some folks will get a table at O’Sheehan’s to watch or listen to the entertainment.

 

O’Sheehan’s has several TV’s and plays different kinds of sports. They also have an entertainment area with air hockey, skeeball and bowling, for an additional fee. My kids liked to play air hockey in there and it costs $1.50 per game.

 

We found the food served at O’Sheehan’s to be wonderful. DH loved the Nathan’s hot dogs, everyone loved the wings and my daughter really liked the Sheppard’s pie. The service does take awhile, so this is not usually a place for a quick bite. However, it is worth the wait. My kids would go there together and order 3 different flavors of wings to share while they hung out and watched the game shows in the atrium.

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excellent job thus far--good writing has lots of little specific details that paint a picture of what is happening, and your review does that well. Looking forward to the rest, albeit I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop--seems as if there will be one big issue as you finish...hope I am wrong since I am on this ship in 3 weeks!

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Great review! We leave in 14 days and traveling with our 7 year old. We also did the Dawn last August. How was the weather? I'm guessing it will be cool the day we leave long range forecast say 60ish. Any suggestion on anything you wish you packed but, didn't?

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