teacher_md

Hey Everyone!

I have sun sensitivity and need to stay out of the sun as much as possible. Couple of questions, any help would be appreciated.

- On Great Stirrup Cay - is there an area that is more shaded? I have been there a handful of times and it's always a little wild - grabbing a lounger and dragging it someone that has SOME shade. Perhaps I'm missing something. We would do the small cabana but it costs $399. First time I looked I could swear it was $199 and I was going to book it at that price. I don't think I was actually on my cruise specific booking page, which is why the price was lower. Anyone who has rented a "clam-shell"- is it really hot in there? They look like they would be uncomfortably hot.

- Vibe Beach Club (Breakaway)- similar question - Are there plenty of loungers that have umbrellas and shade? I read somewhere that the only shade available is at the bar, and I would prefer to lounge, read, drink, eat, etc. :)

Thank you so much for any help. Have a great day.

- AJ

There was room for 2 loungers and 1 chair but it was tight. 2 loungers fit great with the little table. If you plan on being outside on the balcony and you can afford it, I would go for it. The standard balconies are pretty small.

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I agree. Some of this stuff is the type of stuff you just have to do once. The circus show on Epic was actually really good. I'd do that again. Ice Bar? Guess I gotta try it sometime.

I was reading the member reviews of Breakaway here on CC and they seem pretty poor on average.

We have 2 future sailing credits to use but unfortunately we aren't cruising next year :( We have to save money for a fantastic Eastern European land vacation - Czech Republic, Austria, Germany. I guess I should look for sailings in 2016 then. I love to cruise!

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How was your weather early June? Some say it is still to cool to be out on deck?

The weather was perfect. We sailed away on 6/22. Not hot, not cool... just right.

If you move away from the pool area , were you able to get a lounge chair on an upper deck without waking up early to do so. We're on vacation!!

It seemed very crowded on sea days to find lounge chairs but I was looking around the pool. I'm pretty sure you can find a chair somewhere, but not in a prime area. That is unless you chair hog.

Since kids are still in school early June , did you find it less crowded?

You would think that kids would be in school, particularly in NY or NJ. There were plenty of snow days used this year as well. Surprisingly there were TONS of children and teens. I was shocked. Maybe parents took them out of school early? Maybe kids were coming from districts that ended early? I am a Baltimore City teacher and we ended on 6/16. Truthfully, I'd prefer fewer kids since I kind of need a break from them right about that time. Yes, it was crowded, but I never felt uncomfortable with the crowds.

What would you say the age group was during that time?

I would say it's mostly families. Ages across the board. Celebrity was very different. We sailed in July for Celebrity. Much older people across the board. Less kids. Much more subdued atmosphere and the entertainment geared older.

Thank you!

Yeah, Breakaway is great for kids. The kids club was really popular and seemed to keep them busy.

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This review is coming a little late. Better late than never. Enjoyed a week-long cruise to Bermuda on the Norwegian Breakaway earlier this June. Just wanted to share some of my thoughts.

Entertainment

The entertainment on the Breakaway was incredible. From Rock of Ages to Burn the Floor to Fire and Ice (A male/female duo, amazing singer with boundless energy – think Tina Turner). Then you had the great parties, best of all the 80’s party with the fireworks in Spice H20. Ah, don’t forget the Howl at the Moon dueling pianos. I thought that Epic was great with the entertainment, I have to say that Breakaway surpassed Epic. Just FUN. NCL does entertainment best. When we were returning from port on the last day, there was a red carpet party on the dock to welcome the passengers. Julie, the cruise director (really!), was dancing on stilts, Nickelodeon characters, line dancing, etc. This was just so fun and really conveys NCL’s fun spirit. They make you feel like you are the star and guest of honor.

Stateroom

We booked a balcony guarantee and were placed in a Large Balcony Stateroom. All I can say is WOW. We had a larger balcony that could accommodate lounge chairs. The room is a little narrow but there is plenty of storage. It’s really beautifully designed as far as cruise ships go. Comfortable beds, flat screen, bathrooms FULLY enclosed (I was OK with the Epic’s design, but prefer the traditional style). Did I mention that spacious balcony? It makes a difference. Don’t know how or when I’ll be able to afford one of those. We were in 9120.

Food/Beverages

The food on Breakaway was a mixed bag. Some of the best dinners were the sushi counter (slip the guys a little cash and you will be pleasantly surprised – that’s all I’m saying). Very fresh. La Cucina was awful. Only way to put it. We did get to dine outside on the Waterfront, but it was about 5 notches below Olive Garden. I’d rather have a frozen pizza. Years ago we did La Cucina on the Gem and it was really great. Don’t know what was going on there. I really liked the buffet. I thought they had a good selection, ample seating and the food was fresh and tasty. The main dining room food was hit or miss, which is kind of what we usually find on NCL, but maybe this was a little worse? Yeah. Best meal of the cruise was at Teppanyaki. What a show and what delicious flavors. This experience was better than what you get at the local Japanese Hibachi grill. We didn’t go to Le Bistro, Cagneys, Ocean Blue, Moderno…. A little underwhelmed. I am not a foodie, but usually NCL does a little better. We’re not talking Celebrity, but they can usually provide decent to good meals every night. Make sure you try the martini flight at the martini bar. It’s worth it! Drinks were pretty good across the board. Don’t let them trick you when getting a drink in the theater. If they offer you a double drink, just make sure you know how much they will charge you – they don’t do drink service during the performances. Once they actually charged me for 2 separate drinks, instead of just charging for an extra shot. They did fix the bill in the end, but I felt like it was a scam.

Service

I thought the service was acceptable to great. Drink servers, waiters, hostesses all seemed OK. Our stateroom attendant, Juana, was the best ever. Friendly, never awkward, always willing to go the extra mile to make sure we had everything we wanted. I have seen better all around service on other ships, but this isn’t to say anything was bad.

Spa

We did the spa pass to avoid the crowds on sea days. It was nice. Epic’s is better because it has an outdoor section and it’s on the aft. Breakaway’s is on the front and it’s all enclosed. It was worth it though. Probably one of the best spas at sea, but Epic’s is THE BEST.

General Ship Commentary

So the ship’s interior is beautiful. Love the colors. The Waterfront is spectacular. Walking around, having drinks, dining al fresco, just sitting and reading. The layout really is not suitable for the amount of guests on board. Like Epic, there are 2 main staircases for a ship over 130,000 tons and I don’t even know how many guests. This means you are constantly walking down LONG corridors to get to your cabin… unless you strategically book your cabin. I just prefer ships that have the extra staircases/elevators (3 instead of 2). That being said, other than the deck on sea days and when returning from ports of call, it never felt overly crowded. Somehow and someway they managed the crowds. The deck has soooo much stuff on it. Waterslides, ropes courses, stuff stuff stuff. Too much. Not a good walking track on deck. To get into Spice H20 you have to squeeze through this narrow hallway. Open it up, folks. I always have to get on NCL about their atriums. I’ll keep it short – I prefer big, soaring atriums.

Bermuda

I love visiting Bermuda. The people are friendly, the public transportation is easy to use (though it does take a lot of time getting around the island, via public transportation or cab), there’s stuff to do. Great history in St. George. Harbor Nights festival in Hamilton. What’s not to like? Spectacular beaches. We always go to Horseshoe Bay, but there are others. I love the fact that I live on the east coast and I can grab a cruise ship from NYC or Baltimore and enjoy this great island. It’s not a wild and crazy party island, but for beautiful weather, beaches and a relaxing time, it’s spot on.

Comparisons

I have cruised to Bermuda for three consecutive years. 2 years ago on Enchantment of the Seas, last year on the Celebrity Summit and this year on the NCL Breakaway. Here is a quick compare/contrast of the three.

Enchantment: Older ship, fewer entertainment/dining choices, but still a great time. Food was good.

Summit: Elegant ship. Great dining. Entertainment, other than some excellent comedy shows, was lacking. The vibe on the ship was a little more reserved and not as fun as NCL.

Breakaway: Entertainment. Everything plus the kitchen sink. Fun vibe. Food was adequate. New, shiny and the Waterfront!

Would I cruise on Breakaway again? Definitely. So much to do. Here are some things I want to do next time that I didn’t do on this cruise: The water slides, the Ice Bar, Ocean Blue, the circus show. I bet the next time we go on the food will be better across the board. Perhaps it was just an off week.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments. Thanks! - AJ

Great review! My friend, Andy, and I are going on the Breakaway. I am married (to my husband) and Andy is partnered. Our other halves don't have the same vacation time so we decided to go ahead and do a friends trip.

Excited for Breakaway! Loved the Epic when we did the Mediterranean for our honeymoon in '09.

One thing I am concerned about is the timing of everything. We want to go to the LGBT gatherings, see the shows, dine in the restaurants. How hard is it to make everything work out timing wise? I know we'd like to do the Teppanyaki.

Any LGBT folks on-board on the 6/22 sailing?

My friend, Andy, and I are on this trip.

- AJ

tahqa - Thank you for the reply. That sounds a little time consuming and tricky. Do you know if the water temperature at Cocoa Beach will be warm enough to swim in during the 2nd week of April? Trying to figure out what to do in PC.

Thank you,

AJ

Thanks, John. I checked what was available on the website and Seaworld wasn't there. Only 11 choices were there for Port Canaveral. Already asked on RCI bulletin board with no response. Thanks anyway!

- AJ

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Hello Everyone,

I am sailing on the Grandeur of the Seas next month and I would like to visit SeaWorld. Does anyone know if there is an excursion through Royal Caribbean that provides transportation to the park or even transportation and entry. Would like to go there without renting a car, if possible.

Thank you for any help!

- AJ

Hey Everyone,

Just wondering if the Grandeur of the Seas out of Baltimore offers an excursion to SeaWorld. I would like to visit the park and would prefer to not rent a car. I would be OK with an all-inclusive excursion (ticket and transportation) or just a shuttle service through RCI.

Thank you and happy cruising,

AJ

Thank you for the useful information, everyone.

I will be visiting in mid-April. I like the idea of the Sheraton's pool bar and nice beach. Sounds fun! Will it be overrun with kids? I am a third grade teacher, so I would like a break from the kiddies.

Hilton also sounds nice but no swim-up pool bar. I like the fact that it's closer to the pier and there won't be tons of children.

- AJ

Thank you, Toras. I will check with NCL if they offer something that doesn't pass through the "tent city." Don't want one crappy incident to put a damper on our honeymoon.

- aj

Oh Lord, what a thread. So my partner and I are engaged to be married and planning our honeymoon. Looking at a cruise on NCL (trying to splurge on a penthouse!) that goes to Ochos Rios. I did the Dunn's River Falls about 10 years ago with a group of friends (not gay friends) and didn't have a problem. Actually, it was a really fun and memorable time. I really want my partner to get the experience of hiking up the waterfall - unique and fun!

If we do a ship-sponsored excursion and get right back on the ship afterward, do you guys think we'll be alright? I think we're pretty obviously gay, even if we don't show PDA. We wouldn't have a problem butching it up for the couple of hours we're on Jamaica. Pretty crappy problem to worry about on your gay honeymoon, right?

Anyways, have a great evening.

- AJ

Does anyone know the name of the cruise ship they were on during the filming of Boat Trip with Cuba Gooding Jr.? It says "Olympic Voyager" on the back of the ship but I can't find anything about a ship of that name. Just curious. BTW - terrible movie!!!!

Thanks, AJ

Mike S. - Adventure of the Seas