acruisingcouple

Very similar to my experience on the Breakaway! Too smoky, too busy and too much drunkenness.

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Thai.

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We just did the Queen's Staircase, Graycliffe Chocolate Factory, Watling's Distillery, Arawak Cay Fish Fry, Junkanoo Beach and of course the shops on the Main Street. It was great to be able to see the sites at our leisure.

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Nice review. Did you drive down and park? Anything you would change?

We drove down and parked at Port Imperial. We stayed in Manhattan for a couple of nights before the cruise. I really like the convenience of cruising out of New York as it is only a 7 hour drive.

I think I may get a spa pass next time. The weather wasn't great and I think I would have enjoyed relaxing in the spa.

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Nice review. Looking forward to my Breakaway cruise in a couple months! Couple questions if you don't mind.

 

Did you do Vibe, if so how was it?

Any good spots on the "waterfront"deck to chill and grab a drink that you'd recommend?

Any don't miss meals in the free main dinning rooms?

 

Thanks!

We didn't do Vibe which was a good thing as the weather was so-so. Spice H20 was nice. I wish I had bought the spa pass as it would have been a good week for that.

We aren't big drinkers so we didn't go to the bars. I will say that there are a lot to choose from. We did enjoy walking around the Waterfront.

I loved the Chicken Kiev and the Basil Chicken. The After Eight mousse was good too.

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Hi...we just got off the Breakaway and I have to say that it is now my favourite ship.

My DH, DD, DS and I had previously been on 9 cruises of varying length and ship size. This was our third cruise with NCL and the second out of NYC.

After reading other reviews we started our cruise on the Breakaway with moderate expectations and some reservations about it would be like. These reservations were for the most part unfounded. I will go into detail below. Please feel free to ask questions. I would also like to thank previous Breakaway CC posters for providing some very helpful tips.

Embarkation- as it was Spring Break for many Canadian schools and American colleges, the cruise had a lot of passengers. Because of this, we arrived early at around 9:15. It took us about 45 minutes to go through security and check-in. We did not actually start boarding until 11:45 which was actually pretty good considering passengers from the previous week were still disembarking at 11:20.

Cabin- we stayed in balcony cabin 12238 which is a category B2 that has an aft-facing angled balcony. I loved the location of the cabin and the angled balcony and would try to get the same cabin again. The cabin itself was a little smaller than cabins I have had on other ships. The closet isn't very big, however, there is a lot of storage in various nooks and crannies within the cabin. The TV programming is quite limited. I know you're not meant to be in the cabin that much but sometimes it is nice to be able to unwind and watch a little TV. It would have been nice to have a few more channels especially for sports and news.

Ship itself- The Breakaway is an absolutely beautiful ship and the decor is very nice. There are some areas that were very busy- Atrium, pool deck, Garden Cafe buffet. Luckily, the Breakaway has so many other places to go that you can avoid the crowds. It was easy to find loungers on deck 16 that overlooked the pool deck and we always found places to sit inside and outside on deck 8. I will say, however, that I felt bad for those wanting to use the hot tubs but could not as they were always filled with college kids. I have never seen so many college kids on a cruise before, however, given the UBP promos, I am certain that this trend will continue.

Smoke- I did find the smoke somewhat bothersome and what surprised me the most about it was how badly the smell lingered even when the casino was closed. I have mild asthma so smoke does bother me. It may not bother others as much.

Dining- in a nutshell, the food was amazing. We only ate a complimentary restaurants but the food was very good. We tended to avoid the Garden Cafe except for the odd dessert and/or beverage. We ate all of our dinners in the main dining rooms. I found most meals to take about 1.5 hours which I consider reasonable. Our last meal was in the Manhattan dining room and it took a little longer due to the Burn the Floor cast performing as the dining room was very busy. We made dinner reservations for each night and am glad that we did as there were often lines.

We ate our breakfasts in the dining room or the buffets set up in Margaritaville of Moderno so that we could avoid the crowds of the Garden Cafe. I loved having breakfast in Margaritaville- it reminded me of the Great Outdoors on the Gem.

Lunches- we went to O'Sheehans, Moderno for the Mexican buffet, the dining room and once we ordered room service.

I found O'Sheehans to be very busy and noisy. It was here that I had my one bad meal. The salad I ordered was dripping with dressing (I recommend ordering it on the side) and the burger I had was dry and had some thing hard in it (I am thinking a piece of bone or fat). We did go back later in the week and had some very good chicken wings.

Room service took about an hour but it was worth the wait and convenience charge to be able to sit on the balcony as we sailed into Port Canaveral.

Dining room - menu selection was decent and the food was good. I especially liked the spinach Caesar salad. The dressing is very garlicky and spinach is a nice change from romaine.

Ports-

Port Canaveral - we went to Cocoa Beach. We did used the local shuttle company at a cost of $13 per person round trip. The company was good and reliable, however. we had a heck of a time trying to find them when we first got off the ship. The line is actually located not far from the terminal - we had walked too far.

Great Stirrup Cay - we didn't stop there due to the winds and rough seas. I wasn't very disappointed as the weather was just so so and I wasn't looking forward to dealing with the crowds trying to get on the tenders. Speaking of tenders, you can book tenders via your TV.

We ended up sailing to Nassau that night instead of the next morning. We got off at about 8pm but almost everything was closed so we got back on right away.

Nassau- this was our 5th time in Nassau but we were still able to find new things to do. We walked up the Queen's Staircase to Fort Fincastle and then along to Watling's Distillery where they give free tours and samples of Piña Coladas that were so good. You can also get 3 large samples of their rum for. $6.50. We went to Arawak Cay for lunch and had conch fritters. I recommend going there just for the experience.

Entertainment- Burn the Floor is great- the dancers are extremely talented.

Rock of Ages is a great show, however, NCL is absolutely correct in saying that it is not appropriate for minors as there is crudity and foul language.

Howl at the Moon - absolutely loved it. Highly recommend watching it.

Disembarkation- was a breeze. We did self-assist and lined up at 7:15. Disembarkation started at 7:45 and we through customs and out the door by 8:05.

General observations-

We sailed through a small storm and the ship handled it beautifully. The Breakaway is the most stable ship I've ever been on.

Cleanliness- the ship is very clean. We did see the odd plate or drink lying around but all in all the crew does a great job.

Crew- were all very friendly and hard working. We always got a smile and a hello.

I would definitely sail the Breakaway again.

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Chicken Kiev and Basil

Chicken

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Since we don't drink alcohol, perhaps they will let us swap our two free bottles of sparkling wine for bottles of water? Hoping so. If not, I will make friends with a cabin neighbor and pass it along.

I am hoping we can switch ours to something non-alcoholic too.

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Not to sound hokey, but I love the peace that I find out on the ocean. It puts things in perspective. And oh yea, the FOOD!

Ditto! [emoji3]

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i enjoyed the quiet there but make note its limited menu there.

Thank you. We will definitely check it out.

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Not sure if this has been covered, but Margaritaville was a great place for breakfast. NOBODY there...limited items but good enough if you don't want to deal with crowds for breakfast. And it's complimentary.

That's great to hear. I love the convenience of the buffet for breakfast on port days but often find it too busy. It's nice to know there is another option. [emoji846]

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I had been hoping to bid on a Haven aft balcony but the minimum bid was almost - $1000 pp CAD for an H6. This is higher than what a previous poster had paid during the Getaway and Escape pilot.

I did see a note on the site that the minimum amounts were based on what had already been paid for the cruise so I'll take that to mean I got a pretty good deal on my balcony cabin.

We are sailing during a very busy week so I doubt I would have successful with having a winning bid. That's what I keep telling myself anyway. [emoji6]

The minimum for an upgrade to a mini suite was low - 35 CAD pp, however, I won't bid on it as I currently have a mid-ship angled balcony.

I may not be in the Haven but I still plan on having a fantastic time!

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So finally an update from NCL Guest relations:

 

 

 

I did get a sincere apology for the entire incident and an assurance that they have spoken to the people involved and that they are updating their routines to take into account the fact that US immigration is now “paperless” and information is available online. They did mention that unfortunately they don’t have access to the US immigration web (seems strange as I was able to access it via the Wifi network in the departure hall….) and they would look at how to have this arranged.

 

 

 

Bottom line results: A sincere apology from NCL for the entire incident. A full refund of the entire cost of the cruise + 1200 EURO’s in vouchers for a future cruise.

 

 

 

 

 

So....first positive experience with NCL for me :)

Thank you for the update. Glad to hear that there was a positive resolution.

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It never asked us to select one and our edocs state that boarding begins at noon. Perhaps selecting an arrival time is not standard for all ships and/or sailings?

I just read another thread where the poster said the same thing. Thank you for your help. [emoji846]

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A rather moot point given that a Bronze member has to select an arrival time and "way before boarding starts" isn't an offered time anyway.

 

 

 

Not to mention that there are only 4 ships in the entire NCL fleet where this could even come into play at all. Besides, once passes are handed out to the VIPs, then to the B2B cruisers, then to the Haven cruisers, then to the Ambassador cruisers, and then to the Platinum Plus cruisers, I doubt there will be enough left over for the "few hundred Platinums". So why worry about it?

At what point do they make you choose a port arrival time?

Our cruise is six weeks away, we did our online check-in months ago and our edocs were ready weeks ago, yet we have never been asked to pick a port arrival time.

Our check-in status is still at 100 per cent on the My NCL website.

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Yes, the letter is real. The only alteration is the removal of my name.

 

It addressed a concern I did not even mention (the ports) and failed to address one of my two concerns- essentially, raw fish served at room service and lack of response from anyone on the ship regarding this.

 

I did not ask for compensation, but when two of the main features that I booked the cruise for (waterslide and pool for my daughter) were closed, I think it would be a nice olive branch. People book cruises for all kinds of different reasons, I understand, but I think it's reasonable to assume that a big one, for a lot of people, is the ability to use the advertised water features. I'd be pretty mad if I took my children to a hotel with a waterpark and there was nowhere for them to swim...

Unfortunately, being that it was a food safety issue, I think that NCL may have purposely avoided mentioning the raw fish in order to avoid admitting any liability as a way to protect themselves. They should have dealt with it on the ship as food safety issues should be taken seriously.

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I wish they would include onboard spending on spa, excursion bookings, as means to collect points. Maybe one day :-)

 

 

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I agree completely. In fact, I think points should just be given for every dollar you spend whether it be for the cruise or during the cruise. The points could then be put towards other cruises, shore excursions, merchandise etc.

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We were going to be silver after completing our next cruise in March. Not anymore. Since we are not drinkers, the free bottle of wine isn't a big deal. In fact, I would rather have a bottle of water. You never know, maybe I can find someone willing to trade. ;)

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We've been to Nassau many times so I wasn't sure if we should bother getting off the ship for our Breakaway cruise in March.

I did a random search for shore excursions and found an inexpensive city tour that brings you to a rum/chocolate factory. I figure even if the rest of the tour sucks at least I'll have the rum and chocolate! [emoji846]

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I love this thread. Marylouwho is my newest favorite poster, and I hope you stick around. You've made me LOL several times with your awesome responses to the crankellas.

I agree! I also love the term 'crankellas'!

I agree there should be more options cabin-wise. It makes good business sense to offer a product that can appeal to more people especially for NCL who markets its product to families.

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I also requested the $140 onboard credit, and was denied since we paid the final payment.

 

 

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We cruise in March and have made the final payment. I called today and asked if there was anything they could do since the fare had dropped slightly and there was the new OBC promo.

The NCL pcc said we could upgrade or get 25 per cent of the fare difference back in OBC.

Since we have an angled balcony, I did not want an upgrade so I took the OBC which was $45. It's not much but still a nice gesture since they don't have to give anything.

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If you really had following this thread, you'd know that since the introduction of the passport/immigration self-service computer kiosks (already present on some airports in Florida, for example) all passports are no longer stamped on entry even though it did happen every time before.

I checked my Canadian passport and there is a stamp from the United States when we flew to Orlando this past March including an expiry.

My passport wasn't stamped when we arrived back into Canada nor was it stamped by the US or Canada when we presented at the respective borders when traveling by ground.

There seems to be a lack of consistency regarding usage of the electronic system.

I am concerned about NCL giving us issues when we cruise from NYC in March due to the lack of stamp when returning to Canada. We will be driving and don't foresee any issues at the border as we went to the US last week by ground without any problems, however, I am wondering if NCL is

able to access the electronic database for passports (was it specifically an ESTA issue).

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We've stayed at the La Quinta Oceanfront. It was great being right on the beach and being able to walk to so many places. We loved the Cocoa Beach pier - in fact, we are going there during our Breakaway stop in Port Canaveral in March!

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Some folks spend nearly all of their waking hours on the ship, in port, doing things. If this is the case, maybe an inside so you can spend more money on shore excursions makes good sense.

 

 

 

I have sailed in pretty much every category of stateroom except for the very large suites (inside, outside, balcony, mini suites, and Celebrity sky suite.) Most often I choose a balcony room, as I really enjoy "quiet time" on the cruise and so sipping coffee on the balcony first thing in the morning is one of my favorite moments. I want to be in my PJs with my hair messed up- getting up and getting dressed to get coffee and be presentable, plus sitting inside the restaurant or buffet, is just not pleasurable to me. So I get a lot of mileage out of the balcony. But if you are very social and love going out for breakfast, then the money would be wasteful.

Agreed. For those who like to be out of their cabins for the majority of the time, a balcony may not be worth the cost.

I also agree that morning coffee on the balcony is a wonderful experience. One of my favourite memories was seeing the Statue of Liberty from my balcony the morning we sailed back into New York.

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NCL Dawn has a wonderful wrap around promenade deck #7.

 

 

 

I love walking around spotting stuff in the ocean.

 

 

 

Flying fish around the bow wake is a great way to enjoy mother nature.

 

 

 

Some times dolphins will play in the aft. wake.

 

 

 

You can miss both sitting in a midship balcony. ( just sayin )

 

 

 

Also Dawn's Promenade has lounge chairs on both the sunny side and the shady side of the ship.

 

 

 

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I've seen flying fish, dolphins and sea turtles from my balcony. It's all about personal preference. I prefer the peacefulness of sitting on my balcony. As we are not big drinkers or gamblers, we value the balcony experience so it is worth the additional cost. Others may not place as much value on it.

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