cruiseratheart_09

Thanks so much for your review! I appreciate that you took the time to share your perspective of the Breakaway with us. I can’t wait to cruise on this ship and you held me over until my time! I enjoy reading your stories. I hope the best for you and I hope to read more of your stories again soon! I agree with another poster...reach out to the cruise lines and maybe you could get free cruises for your reviews 😁

What a hilarious and fun day in Cozumel! Sounds like you had blast. Now I’m thinking about Cozumel and eating delicious lobster rolls and the best way to avoid sea urchins!!

Thanks for your review! I will be on the breakaway soon with a child and I like reading reviews from another parents point of view!

6 minutes ago, sid_9169 said:

Now, I've walked at least 15 miles today, and my feet are feeling every step of it... I'll be doing good just to make it back to the hotel.

 

After Irene's, I walked up and down Bourbon Street for a while. The sights and smells are indescribable. I could try, but I wouldn't do it justice. And, remember this was at around 7-7:30 in the evening. I can only imagine what it's like in prime time. A bit of a crazy scene indeed.

 

 

 

 

I would say it is a mix of sweat, puke, pee, and alcohol. That pretty much describes it!  😂 wait until a couple of weeks from now for Mardi Gras. Then the smells get even better!

Hope you having a good time! I’m sure you have walked quite a bit. But I hope you have enjoyed the sights along the way. 

15 minutes ago, sid_9169 said:

I guess that you could say I've come "full circle"... I'm back at Maypop where it all started earlier today for another crimson cooler... Also, there was a bone marrow dish that is only served at dinner, so I'm having that as well...

 

Maypop sounds very interesting. I will have to put that on the list of places to check out!

6 minutes ago, debenson0723 said:

There are no street signs.  Look down at the sidewalk on the corners...the street names are imbedded in the concrete.  Was just there 2 weeks ago during the playoffs...thanks for the photos as I am missing it big time!

We do have street signs....

9 minutes ago, sid_9169 said:

Bags are dropped off at the hotel, and I'm out on foot. I ended up a bit turned around due to many of the streets not having signage... So, I actually ended up at a place that planned on stopping by later, Maypop. A fusion restaurant, and voted best new restaurant of 2017.

 

The first morsel of food since 7:30 this morning. Fried oysters, and some kind of spicy curry amuse bouche...

 

I haven’t tried Maypop yet. How is it?

Merils is tasty but more fine dining. We like to go around opening time and snack and drink cocktails. Johnny Sanchez might be fun. We love the sandwiches and pie at Cochon Butcher. 

Maybe you still have time to catch the $0.25 drink specials at Commander’s Palace 🙂

Looking forward to your review! We will be taking the cruise on the Breakaway in just a few short weeks. We are very excited and this is our first NCL cruise. Your cruise will help me make it through the next few weeks till it is our turn 🙂 enjoy your trip!!

On 1/10/2019 at 7:04 PM, Itchy&Scratchy said:

the safest place for your DD is the middle, because it's farther removed from all the contact points. Especially, if she is forward facing in a harnessed seat or a booster. SO, if you can achieve a tight, secure install, and the vehicle allows for a middle installation, just leave her in the middle.

 

Sorry to digress, I do that in real life as well! 🙂

Lol! I agree 🙂 and it’s ok that we have derailed the conversation slightly. All good advice from you! Thank you, itchy! 

21 minutes ago, sid_9169 said:

Alrighty then, I'm going to weigh in on this issue... First of all, I'm not happy about it at all. I guess that I'd consider myself a bit of a "liquor snob"... I like to drink the good stuff, and this is now going to significantly cut into my budget. I'm sailing the Breakaway exactly two weeks from today, and now I have to make the decision of drinking a bunch of substandard beverages, or forking out $348 in addition to the UBP to actually consume decent tasting alcohol... That's a pretty good dent in my cruise budget, and I consider it a pure money grab on the part of NCL... In addition, this will likely impact my future bookings with them, purely based on this factor. Hopefully, they will reconsider some of these absurdly priced drinks, and pull back on this. But, I fear that this is their new business model going forward......

Sid - I have been waiting for your review of the breakaway. I “stalked” you on your last cruise out of Miami. I was still getting use to the forums and reading lots of info and asorbing all of the trip reports. Yours stuck out to me and I have been waiting for you to take the breakaway cruise. We will sail 2 weeks after you do on the breakaway. I value your thorough approach to writing reviews and providing all of the details. Plus we like to enjoy a beverage or two like yourself. Actually wish you were sailing with us so we could meet you! Lol, you are like a celebrity 😆. 

Have you seen the other post that is titled “Live from the breakaway “? They have just posted the drink prices on the 3rd page. It doesn’t appear too awful. But I guess I’m ok with drinking Tito Vodka. From my understanding, you enjoy tequila (see “stalker” comment above). What were the prices of the premium tequila before? 

This is is our first NCl cruise and I do feel as though NCl nickels and dimes us and I’m slowing learning the difference of how it was before. For instance, I realized we are pretty dumb when we decided to rent a villa at Harvest Caye for a ridiculous price and then I end up reading not long ago it was $200 cheaper just a year ago or so.  

21 hours ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

well, I moved my mom to the middle.... without the seat belt. So, DS and I were safely strapped in... However, it's the unbuckled person who would actually do the most damage to the buckled people in case of an accident. But I made the executive decision to put mom there.

 

Just a note on the middle installation of car seats and boosters: some vehicle do not allow middle installation of the car seats, for example, Nissan Rogue. I have a 2015 Sorento, and while the middle installation is allowed, I cannot achieve a safe and secure install of any seats I've had in the middle, so DS rides outboard in his booster behind the driver.

I know I need to get over having her in the middle (first child over here and I’m frightened of everything 🙂)  I understand that vehicles might not have the set up for a middle installation and then parents with multiple kids can’t pick and choose where they install. I only have the one so I definitely forget about those other circumstances! But you are absolutely right because in some cases you cannot help where you have the car seat. 

And I’m glad your mom was ok with your executive decision lol!

2 hours ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

DS started cruising at 3, and we've never actually used a car seat at destinations. Which is quite interesting, since at home he rear faced till 4 and was harnessed till almost 7.

We were in Cozumel in mid-December, and unlike last time, taxis both ways didn't even have seat belts. So, bringing a car seat or even a booster for him would be a moot point. I just held on to him for dear life and hoped for the best.

We are going there in March as well.

 

To my sheer horror, the Uber we took from POM to FLL didn't have a seat belt in the middle. The driver was using a seat cover that made the seat belt unusable. I was silently cursing him out the entire ride.

Thank you so much for your feedback, Itchy&Scratchy! We are the same way with our car seat at home and have only recently front faced our 3 1/2 year old. She is very petite. Currently, we have the Mayan Ruins and Beach Break excursion booked with NCL. But I truly want to spend the day at Mr. Sanchos. I have read the stories of certain taxis not having seat belts so that also concerned me if I actually did bring the car seat. I think I may have to bend a little in my thinking and suck it up and hold on to her in the taxi as you have done. That is pretty much what I have gathered after researching this throughout the forums. I will just wrap my arms and legs around her and have my husband sit on us to secure us a little better in our seats :) LOL! 

That sounds scary for the POM to FLL drive! I haven't moved her from the middle seat yet and wouldn't want to place her by the door. I would have silently cursed him too. 

Are any of you using car seats for the taxi rides that you have mentioned?  We are headed to Cozumel in March. I do not want to bring my car seat and I am nervous of using a taxi with out the proper car seat. I have a 3 year old and y’all have made the taxi rides appear easy! What solutions are you using? Mr. Sanchos or Playa Mia sounds nice with a kid but I’m nervous of taxi ride.