Cruising on the Norwegian Breakaway in late August

I booked a Norwegian Breakaway cruise to Bermuda in the last week of Aug 2016.

I'm sailing with an 11 yr old and was wondering if there are a lot of kids on the cruise at that time (it's so close to when schools open). He has never been on a cruise before and I'm thinking about showing him the Splash Academy (Dolphin category) while cruising but I'm wondering if he's too mature for it, and I'm also wondering if many other kids will even be around.

I'm also wondering about the weather. I've been to Bermuda in the springtime and it was WONDERFUL. I'm hearing that it can be rainy in August. The top excursions I want to do is the nighttime Bermuda Triangle boat tour and the Crystal caves tour. And of course the beach! I'm hoping we're not rained out of our plans.

Any info anyone can give is appreciated.

As you already know, the weather is always unpredictable

We went the first week of September ....thinking that there would not be many children since it was back to school week. Boy were we wrong. Lots of kids. Remember that there will always be kids because many parents "home school" now a day.

Bermuda was SPECTACULAR this week. Water was the temperature of bathwater and it was glorious. We lucked out and did not have any rain.

The Breakaway is an amazing ship. Loved all of the options of dining. Any questions, do not hesitate to ask.

Many kids don't go back to school until after Labor Day.

Remember, on NCL's "Fee Style" it charges for many things that every other cruise line includes with no extra charge.

Many kids don't go back to school until after Labor Day.

 

Remember, on NCL's "Fee Style" it charges for many things that every other cruise line includes with no extra charge.

It is "Free Style" not Fee Style. Free Style does NOT refer to cost of anything. It means....free to do when you want, how you want, dress as you want...etc.

Just out of curiosity, what is it that NCL charges for, that other lines do not? I honestly cannot think of ONE.

It is "Free Style" not Fee Style. Free Style does NOT refer to cost of anything. It means....free to do when you want, how you want, dress as you want...etc.

 

Just out of curiosity, what is it that NCL charges for, that other lines do not? I honestly cannot think of ONE.

I honestly couldn't think of one either. I'm curious as well. Please let us both know.

I said "Fee Style" on purpose.

These are some of the examples why:

1) Corkage fee for first two bottles of wine brought on board

2) to use indoor hot tub on Breakaway, prepare to pay $45 per day per person . No charge on most other cruise lines, including Carnival

3) Lobster in main dining room.

4) Large shrimp cocktail in the main dining room.

5) Room service for many customers under many conditions.

6) NCL charges for half of the shows.

These are just a few that QUICKLY come to mind. There are other examples.

By contrast, on my recent holland America cruise I had to make several ship to shore calls to cancel an excursion with an outside vendor because of huge fog. HA offered me the opportunity to make the calls, no charge. NO WAY NCL makes the same offer.

I said "Fee Style" on purpose.

 

These are some of the examples why:

 

1) Corkage fee for first two bottles of wine brought on board

2) to use indoor hot tub on Breakaway, prepare to pay $45 per day per person . No charge on most other cruise lines, including Carnival

3) Lobster in main dining room.

4) Large shrimp cocktail in the main dining room.

5) Room service for many customers under many conditions.

6) NCL charges for half of the shows.

 

 

These are just a few that QUICKLY come to mind. There are other examples.

 

By contrast, on my recent holland America cruise I had to make several ship to shore calls to cancel an excursion with an outside vendor because of huge fog. HA offered me the opportunity to make the calls, no charge. NO WAY NCL makes the same offer.

1. You can bring as many bottles of wine as you like, provide it you pay the corkage fee for them.

2. There's 3 free pools in mid-section; you don't have to pay for the spa or the Vibe one if you don't want to.

3&4. Those are in Le Bistro and Cagney, respective - the specialty restaurants. Dunno why you confused that with Royal that charges in the MDR...

5. There's the complimentary continental room service that from 7am-10am; otherwise for hot food from room service its $7.95 plus 18% autotip. There's always the buffet, O'Sheenan, Uptown Grill, MDR that's free.

6. Didn't know that 1 show in evening out of 5, was half the entertainment to pay for. :rolleyes: Cirque is like $39, the free shows are Burn the Floor, Rock of Ages, Howl at the moon, the Blue show - not counting all the free live performances in the Atrium.

The only thing that one has to pay is the fare and/or DSC - otherwise, there nothing to really pay onboard unless you really want to. Which makes it no different from other cruises lines. *shrug*

YOU TOTALLY MISSED MY POINT.

1) You're right. NCL charges a corkage fee. THE REST OF THE CRUISE LINES DON'T FOR THE FIRST TWO BOTTLES. Thank you for reminding everyone.

2) Breakaway has NO INDOOR HOT TUBS, important during all of those fall and winter sailings from New York. You have to pay their daily health club fee to use the INDOOR SPA. Other cruise lines don't charge for the indoor hot tubs. Thank for you concurring again.

3) MDR on Breakaway no longer serves lobster. To get lobster you must go to their pay-extra restaurants.

4) Yes, NCL offers complimentary continental room service from 7am-10am; otherwise for hot food from room service its $7.95 plus 18% autotip. OTHER CRUISE LINES NEVER CHARGE FOR ROOM SERVICE. Again, thanks for reinforcing my exact point.

5) On my cruise last year, several shows were extra.

BY THE WAY, YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY SOMEONE WHO WORKS FOR NCL. NICE TRY. I WAS NOT FOOLED BY YOUR MISINFORMATION.

YOU TOTALLY MISSED MY POINT.

 

1) You're right. NCL charges a corkage fee. THE REST OF THE CRUISE LINES DON'T FOR THE FIRST TWO BOTTLES. Thank you for reminding everyone.

 

2) Breakaway has NO INDOOR HOT TUBS, important during all of those fall and winter sailings from New York. You have to pay their daily health club fee to use the INDOOR SPA. Other cruise lines don't charge for the indoor hot tubs. Thank for you concurring again.

 

3) MDR on Breakaway no longer serves lobster. To get lobster you must go to their pay-extra restaurants.

 

4) Yes, NCL offers complimentary continental room service from 7am-10am; otherwise for hot food from room service its $7.95 plus 18% autotip. OTHER CRUISE LINES NEVER CHARGE FOR ROOM SERVICE. Again, thanks for reinforcing my exact point.

 

5) On my cruise last year, several shows were extra.

 

BY THE WAY, YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY SOMEONE WHO WORKS FOR NCL. NICE TRY. I WAS NOT FOOLED BY YOUR MISINFORMATION.

No, I don't work for NCL but you sound like you have an ax to grind with the line - No offense, its not really the line's fault (that goes for other cruise lines too) that you can't afford their nickel & dimed ploys. [emoji57]

You call NCL 'Feestyle' but it not that different from other cruise lines that charge more and/or limits what people can bring onboard. So, go ahead and sound like your foaming at the mouth since it seems NCL did you so wrong for setting fees that couple of cruise lines do anyway (MSC room service charge, Royal's extra charge in the MDR, Carnival's bottled water /soda ban, etc..)[emoji57]

The only things people to know that makes NCL different from other lines is this:

Highest DSC of the mass /Premium lines - $13.50 for regular cabins / $15.50 for suites & Haven

No assigned dining - You want something that resembles early/late dining, you're going to have make reservations before or during your trip. Otherwise, its the same setup as land restaurants.

You can bring as many bottles of wine as you like, provide you pay the corkage fees for them. You can bring as many cases of water / soda/ juice as well, provide you give the porter your cabin number or put a luggage tag on it. You also bring water/soda/juice in your luggage too - checked or carry-on.

Edit- Forgot, about the soda brand of NCL which is Pepsi; so if you don't like it - bring your favorite brand with you.

Yes there will still be a good number of children on board.

Weather should be very nice but there is always the chance of a hurricane.

Keith

I do not have an axe to grind. They never did anything bad to me. I am just providing objective analysis. I have been on most cruise lines and just stating fact, not spin.

And of course you don't know me so you have no right to say I can't afford their ripoff extras. I in fact can easily afford them but choose not to fall for their marketing nonsense as I laugh at those who do.

And yes, they are FEE STYLE.

I didn't even get into the fact that there are long lines frequently to get into the MD room, another subtle ploy to get people to pay extra for their other restaurants.

I'm out of this thread just as I am out of the NCL radar.

Enjoy getting ripped off. Check out another cruise line. You may be pleasantly surprised.

I do not have an axe to grind. They never did anything bad to me. I am just providing objective analysis. I have been on most cruise lines and just stating fact, not spin.

 

And of course you don't know me so you have no right to say I can't afford their ripoff extras. I in fact can easily afford them but choose not to fall for their marketing nonsense as I laugh at those who do.

 

And yes, they are FEE STYLE.

 

I didn't even get into the fact that there are long lines frequently to get into the MD room, another subtle ploy to get people to pay extra for their other restaurants.

 

I'm out of this thread just as I am out of the NCL radar.

 

Enjoy getting ripped off. Check out another cruise line. You may be pleasantly surprised.

All the OP asked was tips/info regarding the time of year sailing and cruise line/ship - NOT to made to feel bad / crummy about choosing a line that they're sailing on in week, that you don't like! They did not asked to be use as a springboard by you to voice your beef, criticism & frustration at a cruise line.

Same general information regarding nickel & diming on other lines applies to NCL too - A person doesn't need to buy anything on a cruise ship to enjoy it! And they're going on the Breakaway - pretty much negating to buy room service or anything because that how big the buffet is (there's a aft elevator /staircase in the smack dab in the middle of buffet - literally).

Kudos to you for not returning back to NCL - and for record, most NCL passengers (and other lines too) are not like some CC posters, which is to make others to feel horrible for even cruising lines that they personally feel is beneath them or dislike for. Let the OP decide if the line is crappy to her/him and their child, because what's bad for you doesn't mean the same for them AKA different strokes for different folks (all cruise lines are not perfect for all people for various reasons).

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I just read back over this and laughed that people (or one person) got so pissed off at the mention of someone else using NCL.

Either way I'm actually glad to hear that kids will be on board so my nephew will make a few friends.

And the weather is unpredictable - I'll just have to wait and see. Although I'm so happy and grateful to be on this cruise that even if it rained everyday I'd still be happy to be on VACATION!!

I never asked anything about which cruise line charges the most for whatever, so that answer to my post was useless and rude. I love NCL and find it's worth every nickel and dime.

And I especially love it's FREE STYLE where I'm not limited to a certain dinner time or type of clothing. I make restaurant rsvps the day of, on the ship, and have always gotten to eat where and when I've wanted to with just my husband (not having to share a table with anyone else).

cantwait: not like you ever asked me about my preferences or like I ever asked about where you have to pay extras on NCL but...

*I've never brought any wine on board and don't want to.

*I'm not really into hot tubs unless I'm in the spa where everything is warmed up! And I'm happy to pay for the no kids exclusivity of the spa if I chose to go.

*I'm a vegetarian and don't care about lobster or shrimp but I bought the ultimate drink and dining package so if I chose to eat every single piece of fish NCL offers it would be covered.

*of course NCL charges for room service, like many other places, and it's within the cost of the cruise. On my past cruise we ordered a pizza to the room and we weren't charged but maybe that was because of the dining package? Or maybe they just liked us. Maybe if you weren't such a grump you'd get some freebies!

Also I am booked in the Haven this year - bet that really grinds your gears how much I'm paying to ENJOY myself. Maybe I'll order room service every night! Though probably not cause who wants to be stuck in their room every meal...

* I think only 1 show on my booking costs money and on my last cruise I saw it and loved it and don't plan to see it again this cruise. I wasn't mad to pay for a cirque show, it was amazing! Too bad you're too angry about the costs of everything to see it. It's a great show!

It just comes down to people's attitudes. I plan to enjoy myself on this cruise instead of magnifying the fine print and complaining online to strangers (whi never asked for the info) about how I hated my vacation. It's a beautiful ship, with a beautiful staff going to a beautiful location. I am glad I have been blessed with a positive attitude and an awesome vacation coming up in 2 short months!

Thanks to everyone who actually answered my original question...

Back to the OP's questions: The weather and water temp should be ideal (barring a hurricane) There probably will be a good number of kids, though probably not quite as many as in July and the 1st half of August. And I do have to agree with "Fee Style" NCL seems to be a little bit more well versed in the art of "sur-charge" things.

I do not have an axe to grind. They never did anything bad to me. I am just providing objective analysis. I have been on most cruise lines and just stating fact, not spin.

 

And of course you don't know me so you have no right to say I can't afford their ripoff extras. I in fact can easily afford them but choose not to fall for their marketing nonsense as I laugh at those who do.

 

And yes, they are FEE STYLE.

 

I didn't even get into the fact that there are long lines frequently to get into the MD room, another subtle ploy to get people to pay extra for their other restaurants.

 

I'm out of this thread just as I am out of the NCL radar.

 

Enjoy getting ripped off. Check out another cruise line. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Why would the MDR Lines on NCL be longer than other Cruise Lines?? Also, NCL gives you a pager if there is an MDR wait :)

Been on most also, loyal to NCL now.........

I booked a Norwegian Breakaway cruise to Bermuda in the last week of Aug 2016.

 

I'm sailing with an 11 yr old and was wondering if there are a lot of kids on the cruise at that time (it's so close to when schools open). He has never been on a cruise before and I'm thinking about showing him the Splash Academy (Dolphin category) while cruising but I'm wondering if he's too mature for it, and I'm also wondering if many other kids will even be around.

 

I'm also wondering about the weather. I've been to Bermuda in the springtime and it was WONDERFUL. I'm hearing that it can be rainy in August. The top excursions I want to do is the nighttime Bermuda Triangle boat tour and the Crystal caves tour. And of course the beach! I'm hoping we're not rained out of our plans.

 

Any info anyone can give is appreciated.

Our (brilliant) Daughter-In-Law went to the ROLL CALL here on Cruise Critic and actually found out about two other little boys on the same cruise for him to hang-out with. He practically lived in Splash Academy! They divide Splash Academy into age groups, so your son will have friends and activities for his age.

We have done the evening tour you mentioned twice. It is FUN and the crew is amazing!

Horseshoe Beach.........

Don't fret about the weather - between the ship and port, you can have a blast even in a hurricane. :D There is a lot to do on the ship for the two of you together.