mobu2015

Was thinking of doing this for our son and his family's cabin, with the magnets and curtain. Did this work well? What kind of blackout curtain did you get and the hooks that you speak of- are they ones that you would get to hang thins on your refrigerator?

It was a target brand blackout curtain that was on clearance. It worked pretty well but in an ideal world I would have gotten 2 panels since the one panel was a bit narrow.

The hooks were from amazon. I got double the amount I thought I'd need because I didn't trust the description saying how much weight each hook could hold. I ended up buying a third pack after I saw the other 2 and was glad I did because the magnets were pretty weak. If I were to do this over again I would go to home depot and take a look at the different kinds they had to see if they were stronger.

That said, it did work well. Although the curtain panel was narrower than we would have liked, it provided enough coverage so that it blocked my son's view of any light coming from the tablet or kindle. We couldn't watch the TV with such a narrow curtain though. I'd say it covered the top third of our bed, which was fine for us.

There is no privacy curtain but we used a cheap blackout curtain from target and several magnet hooks to create one between the bed and sofa, where our 1.5 yr old slept. The ceilings are magnetic and it worked well so we could use the balcony or watch a movie on the tablet (with a splitter and headphones) while our son slept. It was easy to take down and stash in the closet as well.

We were midship on deck 12 and our muster station was the atrium. They said it was the biggest muster station on the ship and there were several "sections". For example, we were in section "c" and congregated just beyond the Internet cafe next to the stage. 2 other lettered sections were right beside us, plus 3 more in front of the stage plus another 3 near guest services. Then there were other muster stations in the casino, o'Sheehan and shanghai.

It was by far the most "open" muster drill I've participated in. As far as I know, there weren't any stations outside and if you showed up by 3pm you could get a seat, just be sure to have your card scanned. It took about 15 minutes total. We arrived 10 minutes early and I was still able to find a seat. I'm pregnant and tend to overheat in crowded areas and I felt fine the entire time. I noticed some people sat on the floor and moved around as well. It wasn't like our muster drills on other lines where the crew made everyone line up according to when they showed up it was a lot more casual.

This was 3 weeks ago on the breakaway.

I've been on a couple of Christmas week cruises but never on NCL. Once was as a kid and once as an adult. There are a lot of families but no more then when I've cruised in June/July. The difference, in my limited opinion is that kids seemed more well behaved on the christmas cruises then in summer.

For example, took a Christmas cruise on Carnival 3 years ago. Didn't see one misbehaving kid, no running or pushing. Just got off the NCL Breakaway a few weeks ago and that's all I saw - running constantly down the hallways, pushing or nudging in the buffet and in general more teens wandering on their own than during the last Christmas cruise I took.

That said, like I mentioned this is just my very limited experience. If you are worried or talking about it now it will only be amplified once you're on the cruise. We took it in stride and it barely affected us. We really didn't mind. Especially on the christmas cruise. It is a lovely experience to be on a cruise during a fun and festive time of year. It's a very personal decision. Perhaps if you're that worried about kids you could look into a cruise 2 weeks after Christmas or 2 weeks before. You will probably pay less and there may be very few kids on board.

Just curious not trying to be snark AT ALL but where are you planning to go? Are you done with cruises in general then? I haven't checked the other lines lately but I would think if their prices aren't similar to NCL'S for the things you list they may fall in line with them soon enough.

We just sailed on the Breakaway with our 20 month old in a minisuite with bed by the balcony layout. So totally different ship, stateroom and layout but why I'm replying is because as soon as we met our room steward that first day and he saw our son, he said he would be nervous he would be able to knock over or climb out of the pack n play. Our son is 30 lbs and 34 inches tall.

Ibstead, he suggested he sleep on the sofa. I asked if they had rails and he said he'd have to look for one. My son still sleeps in a crib at home. He was able to find a rail and that first night, we positioned pillows where there was no rail on either end of the sofa and put my son in the middle directly next to the rail. The steward left the p n p in the room folded up jist in case.

It was fine but I was a bit nervous since my son moves a lot in his sleep. I requested if it was possible to get a second rail and he was able to find one. This was much much better and made things feel more secure.

So you could try the pnp but if your 2 yr old is a mover, perhaps the sofa with one or 2 rails would work better.

OP, I would get in touch with NCL directly, either call them or perhaps get in touch with their access desk for the most up to date and definitive response. If you choose email you can print out the reply and take that along in case the check in person questions anythibg. It will just give you a bit of peace of mind.

On the breakaway a couple of weeks ago they had a mid week special to fill a bag for laundry for I think $20. You fill it on Wednesday and get it back on friday.

We were just on a cruise to Bermuda with our 20 month old son. A Bermudan government official was checking passports and cruise iDs prior to re-boarding the ship. We were there for 3 days and they were checking each and every time to reboard. Our son has a passport because we would never travel without one but she told me that he would only require it if I was reboarding with him without my husband since I still use my maiden name and our last names are different.

I think the point made above that every port or country has different rules is the best advice. It's always wise to travel with a passport when leaving the country but if for whatever reason there isn't one, please please do the research and contact either your travel agent, the cruise line or that countrys consulate to obtain the most current and accurate advice.

Just off the Breakaway a week and a half ago with our almost 2 yr old son (20 months old). They have a "guppies" program for kids under 3. You do not need to register for it, just show up. On our cruise, the small playroom was open from 9am to 9pm. They had a variety of toys and you could take your child there to play. We did this once or twice a day on sea days for about 30 minutes at a time. He had fun playing with toys that were different from those at home and if there were other toddlers there his age he would play with them a bit. You need to be there as the room is not attended by any staff.

They also had planned structured activities. On sea days on the breakaway they were scheduled at 8 30am and 1230pm. On port days I believe they were scheduled for 530pm or so. These were fun semi structured activities like painting, playing with goop, dancing, reading etc followed by 5 minutes playing with bubbles. The staff were friendly and interactive but again you cannot leave your child there you need to be there with them.

They also had some events in the atrium around 5pm...mostly character meet and greets with nickelodeon characters like Dora or spongebob. My son doesn't know these characters but it was a fun thing for him to observe before we went to dinner.

There is a kids pool and a splash zone too.

So in a nutshell they do have some activities but it is by no means extensive. I haven't sailed either lone but I believe Disney and RCI are known to do kids stuff better, especially for the young toddlers and babies. That's not to say our son didn't have fun or we felt anything was lacking he actually had a great time but there are other cruise lines that do cater more to that age bracket.

I haven't been on either the Getaway or the Glory, but I've been on their sister ships NCL Breakaway and Carnival Legend.

We have sailed Carnival several times and tried NCL for the first time last week. To us, the crowd/atmosphere was very very similar. They were both party crowds and lots of kids. I have never cared for the entertainment or decor on Carnival. I much prefer the modern understated decor on NCL, but did not partake in the entertainment so can't comment there.

The balcony on the breakaway was tiny. Carnivals is much bigger. We were in a minisuite on Breakaway so we had a larger bathroom but the cabin sizes were every similar.

As for food, I liked the variety on NCL. Like you, we don't dine at speciality restaurants and ate at the MDR every night. The menus had more variety than Carnival but the desserts on Carnival are superior. The buffet and other free restaurants on NCL also win in my book, except for O'Sheehan which was a sad disappointment.

There is more to do on the newer NCL ships as well.

Think about itinerary and if that might sway you one way or the other.

I would sail on both lines again but would cruise with Carnival only if we were with a big group of friends or family, as it makes it more fun. I'd sail on NCL with just my husband and son as there is more for us to do alone, whereas a big group on Carnival makes up for what is lacking.

The soft service is at Buffett? Some of the other ships I've been on has the machines near the pool. Someone mentioned toppings, are they for both or just the hard ice cream?

 

How is the pizza?

On board the breakaway last week we only saw the machines as you enter the buffet but we didn't really hang out at the pools so maybe someone else could say whether they are also there.

I didn't see any toppings, just the machines. They have someone at the buffet on either side serving the hard ice cream, which is where the toppings are. I guess it couldn't hurt to ask if you could add some to the soft serve.

I'm a huge fan of pizza and not very picky about it. I will eat sbarros, dominos, homemade, I've eaten pizza in Italy and loved it all, so long as it's fresh.

I tried the buffet pizza 2 or 3 times, fresh slices and everything and I'm sorry to say I didn't care for it. I even liked the pizza on Carnival and Princess! NCL pizza somewhat satisfied my craving but maybe it was the sauce it wasn't something I would miss.

Ice cream/sundaes are available for purchase from o'Sheehans and that is open 24hrs.

The Gelato from Carlos bakery is available for purchase for limited hours, I think only til 11pm, so same as buffet.

Hi all I'm the OP on this thread and I just wanted to update here regarding the manicure and pedicure I got onboard the Breakaway last week for anyone who was curious.

I got the regular manicure and pedicure, no shellac or fire and ice etc as I'm pregnant and try to minimize exposure to this kind of stuff. Everyone here was right, they did a fantasic job. The price was much more reasonable than I thought it would be. It was $45 for the manicure and $65 for the pedicure with 18% gratuity additional. They had a good variety of pastels and bright colors to choose from as well as some darker mpodier grays, blues and purples.

It took a little over an hour from start to finish and I was really impressed that she took the time to read the questionnaire the front desk staff had me fill out because she told me she was skipping one cooling lotion they use because I'm pregnant.

The spa and salon on the breakaway are gorgeous. Very soothing and modern decor with a great view of the water. I opted to go on the 2nd day which was a sea day and they only had one appointment at 3pm available. I'm sure there is more availability on port days.

Overall, a fantastic experience on par with any spa/high end salon on land. Will definitely treat myself to something like this next time I'm on a cruise!

We've been on Carnival and Princess a few times and just got off the NCL Breakaway today.

I agree with the others about the dress code and the dining. NCL was way more casual than the others, even on their "night out" dress up night. I definitely saw a tux or 2 and a couple of long gone but I'd say only a third of those I saw were dressed up in any capacity in the MDR. Most were dressed up when we walked by the specialty restaurants on the "night out" night.

NCL also has more dining options than the other two. We only ate at the "free" or included eateries and there was more all around variety available than the other 2 lines. The food was decent but I will say I preferred the way Carnival and Princess include proper descriptions of the food on their menus. This is a very very minor quibble but we found NCL'S MDR menu descriptions lacking and there would invariably be a part of the dish that was a bit of a surprise because the description was misleading (snow peas were a garnish on one dish but in the description the dish stated pasta with snow peas). Like I said, very minor detail but something we noticed nonetheless.

As for the age range/feel of the ship, it has a much more modern decor style and a classier feel that fell in line with Princess but the atmosphere was livelier much like Carnival. Our princess cruises were much more subdued with an older average age than this NCL cruise or the Carnival cruises we've taken.

I can't say which line we preferred most. We appreciated the modern decor of the NCL breakaway much much more than the often gaudy and outdated looks of the older Carnival ships we've sailed. And we enjoyed the baked Alaska and lobster and a few other more traditonal cruising details that Princess offers (although it's been 3 years since our last Princess cruise so perhaps things have changed there).

We cruise for itinerary more than anything so there hasn't been a cruise line we've tried that we wouldn't try again. Although with NCL we were not fans of the so called "freestyle" cruising because it seemed less flexible to us. It sounds great on paper but in reality it involves planning and reservations and scheduling and doesn't feel very "freestyling" to us. But if our plans took us cruising next year we would not overlook NCL for these reasons alone. We had a great vacation on a beautiful ship with an amazing itinerary and wonderful friendly staff. In my very personal opinion you can't go wrong.

can someone please re-confirm this ?

 

We are going on Oct 03/2015 and I've just called NCL to confrim if my 2 years old son would be able to go to the splash pad area, she said no. So now I'm confuse weather or not my son would have any water activities. If any one had travel with a 2 years old with swim diapers recently can you please re confrim if they are allowed in the splash area? I know he's not allow to be in pool if he's not potty trained by then. We've been trainning him hopefully he will be trained by then !!

Going on the Breakaway this sunday with a 20 month old who is not potty trained. If you don't get an answer before I get back PM me or I might end up doing a toddler based review and will add that info in. I know I will forget to come back and update on this thread.

For what it's worth wheb researching ships, I found out only Disney ships and 5 RCI ships allow non potty trained kids in the splash zones. It would be great if this also applies to the new NCL ships. I'm a rule follower especially when dealing with health and safety concerns so I will definitely follow the posted rules and ask as well.

We expect our son will not be allowed and have a contingency plan, which is to be in along a small inflatable tub and fill it with water from the shower and let him splash a bit in there with a swim diaper on. We will drain it either in the shower or any other drain recommended by an NCL employee.

Thanks all! I am happy to hear your experiences were all good! Some of the older threads were a bit scary lol.

I am in my early to mid 30s so not super young but I do love fun colors. I was hoping for a pastel this time around anything from pastel pink to mint green so hopefully they have some pastel opaque shades on breakaway!

I rarely get manicures or pedicures but definitely like to do so before a vacation. This time around we have a few family events in the next couple of days and I won't be able to get it done before we leave. I've tried doing a search for this and can only come up with old threads where many said its not worth it.

I don't care about cost because I won't be getting other spa treatments, we don't eat at upcharge restaurants and prefer seeing sights on our own not through ship based excursions. Also not drinking any alcohol this time around so I'm not too interested in the cost or in mid week specials unless the pricing is really crazy.

Just wondering if anyone has recent experience particularly on the breakaway, with manicures and/or pedicures? Was it on par with land based salons or did they cheap out by only doing one coat, was the application terrible, did they use cheap products, or were you pleased with the results?

Thanks!

It took them 3 days to get back to me but I sent it on a friday, so I didn't expect to hear back on the weekend. I would call to confirm they received it/ask if they need any additional information.

It was really a great time, even with the weather. We did not bring a car seat. I held her in the taxi, which worked out fine. We took the buses and ferries last time we were in Bermuda (prebaby) and did not experience too bad of crowds on the buses, some on the ferries. You may want to consider bringing a carrier if you have one, I didn't end of bringing one, we just brought a stroller (Chicco Liteway) it was great to have. They will only allow umbrella style strollers on the buses btw.

 

Taxis are certainly more expensive, but sometimes the convenience out ways the cost with little ones. Plus if you are going to horse bay they will take you right to the beach at the bottom of a hill, the bus does not.

Thanks again! I agree about the convenience out weighing the cost! If we end up going to horseshoe bay I've read on the Bermuda forum they have vans that go now for $16 rt that take you down the hill so would definitely do that over the bus for sure! We did get a nicer umbrella stroller that reclines, maybe he will nap in it at some point...well that's the dream anyways ;)

Thanks for your helpful tips! I feel like I took over OP's thread here but hopefully they (and anyone else) will find your info useful too!!

It was actually extremely windy and rainy the whole three days we were there so some of our plans changed and we just kind if went with it, they shut down the ferry to St George the seas were so bad the second day. My husband and I had been to Bermuda before so were at least familiar with the island.

 

We had planned on the aquarium, but it was closed for renovation from the hurricane last fall, not sure when it's supposed to re-open. So we stayed close to dockyard the first day, checking things out that we missed last time. The second day we ended up taking a private taxi tour, which was nice because we could stop if we needed too, our little one loved being able to look out the window and she napped in the taxi. We went to Fort St Catherine, walked around St George, along with some time in Hamilton and Gibbs Lighthouse and some other sites. Our driver was great and very accommodating with the little one. The last day we stayed around dockyard and went to Snorkel Park (do not waste your money) they make you pay to rent chairs and there was glass in the water. My little one did enjoy the time we spent there. There is also a playground right in front of the park as well.

 

As far as beaches we like Tobacco Bay, it's coved in and is very calm and has facilities. My husband and I snorkeled there last time (prebaby) Our taxi driver took us by Church Bay, I believe the name of it is and it is also extremely calm and there is a playground. There are little calm coves at Horsehoe bay but it does get crowded and is very popular spot. But if this is your first time to Bermuda it's nice to check out the pink beaches and it's not too far from dockyard.

 

Overall it didn't go exactly as planned because of the weather, but we had a good time and will certainly go back to Bermuda. We did bring a stroller which she napped in a lot while walking around. Our November cruise may be a little more exciting with her fully walking.

Thanks for the info! Sorry the weather didn't cooperate. But that's exciting you've got another one booked! Did you take along the carseat for the taxi or just have her on your lap? I ask because we are hoping to take the bus to certain places but I've read it can get very crowded and there are long wait times so we were debating taking a taxi to one spot but weren't sure about the carseat situation since we aren't planning to bring it along.

In the event that toddler is behaving, we will be in La Cucina on Monday vat 11am. If I don't see you, good luck at the port Sunday!

Thanks, you too!

Too funny! You should come to the Meet & Greet on Monday to meet your fellow CC travelers!

I usually end up avoiding the meet and greets since we usually cruise as bigger groups of extended family or with friends. Nothing against my fellow CCs!!! I do lurk on the roll call occasionally and would love to eventually go to one.

This time around might be hard because we are traveling with our toddler and I would hate to sign up for it to not show up. You guys seem like a good group with fun things planned I just can't count on my toddler to comply with our schedule, especially if we have a chance to take him up to the guppies room in the kids club.

One of these days though I will get to go to the elusive m&g!! :)

Nobody can promise you that. If lots of passengers on your sailing choose to ignore their arrival times and 3000 people show up at 10am, I think they will only let people in who actually have that time on their docs (or who are otherwise entitled to priority check-in).

I pretty much figured but was trying to discern if that poster had some factual info regarding that or was going by how things used to be as this seems like a brand new initiative.

I am sailing on 6/21 and was told that my arrival time is 11:30. I plan on getting there at 10. I will report back. Fingers crossed!

LOL we are on the same sailing, have the same designated time and plan to arrive at the same time! Hopefully we both report back that they let us in! :)