redsox_nation

The passes are now $99 and they are sold at Guest Services (next to the atrium). You board on 7 - immediately take the stairs to 6 and walk towards the atrium. You'll see a crew member standing at Guest Services and ask for a Vibe pass. He/She will hand you a ticket with a number on it. They sell 70 passes (and 5 cabanas).

The only way to increase your chances is getting as low a boarding group number as possible (by checking in early). For reference, a couple we met received numbers 64 and 65 and were boarding group 7.

We sailed on the Breakaway to Bermuda from 8/21-8/28 and had a fantastic time. I need a month to detox. I think a cruise (or any vacation for that matter) is all in how you make it - I couldn't get over listening to some of the complaints of other passengers and wondering "are we on the same cruise?" There was a woman on the 2nd day in line behind me at Guest Services who shouted to the officer asking her if she needs any help: "Yes! I'm not having fun and I want my money back!" Some people just will never be pleased.

About us: We're in our early 30s and have no kids, and traveled with our extended family for a large family vacation (ages from 6 months to 65 years old). We have only taken a cruise once, on Carnival years ago for a friend's 30th birthday - we hated it and have not had any interest in cruising again. However, NCL really changed our opinion about cruising, for the better.

Embarkation: We arrived around 10:15 am and were checked in by 10:45 am. The terminal is a zoo and be prepared for a mad rush once people see boarding begin. Boarding began around 11:45/noon. I also noticed the usual lazy, opportunistic people who didn't need Special Assistance but claimed it anyways to board early - it's unfortunate people take advantage of that when there are people who actually do need it (we met a guy in the Vibe who admitted to asking for a wheel chair just to board early and get a Vibe pass).

Vibe: COMPLETELY WORTH IT. I can't put into words how much we enjoyed the Vibe especially on sea days when the pool and sun decks were a madhouse. The bartender and staff were wonderful and provided exceptional service.

Dining: Our favorite restaurant was Cagneys, hands down. The filet was of the same caliber that I find in great steakhouses here in DC. We also enjoyed Teppanyaki and La Cucina. We had dinner two nights in the MDR (Manhattan and Taste) and enjoyed those meals as well but the speciality restaurants are definitely where the best food is. We wanted to try Shanghai's but unfortunately the wait was usually 45 minutes to an hour during the times we tried to go. The burger bar at Uptown was terrific!

Entertainment: We saw Rock of Ages which was very good and as others here have noted, reminded me of a "real" Broadway performance. We wanted to see Burn the Floor but missed our reservation due to a long dinner. We caught their limited performance in the Manhattan Dining Room Saturday night and it was excellent so I can only imagine the full show was top notch. The Cirque show was fantastic and we highly recommend paying extra to see it - we were worried about the food based on what we read here but it was actually pretty good. Aside from the shows, we found the nightlife to be a lot of fun at Spice H20 and dancing at Bliss. We especially enjoyed the Norwegian Night Out, White Party, and 80s parties.

Our favorite bar to hang out and grab a drink (or two...three...four) was Shakers.

Service: I made multiple comments throughout the week to the various crew members on the ship about how wonderful their service was. I found multiple crew members going above and beyond what I considered already great service.

Clean: NCL is serious about cleanliness - everything was constantly being cleaned and I even enjoyed the "washy washy" song that they'd sing each down at the entrance to the buffet.

Smoking: This was a huge problem for me and my only complaint about the cruise. Everything near/around the casino had the stale smoke smell and forget about trying to enjoy the Waterfront at Maltings - it was like being in the actual cigar room next to it. I complained to Guest Services about my neighbor next to me and my neighbor a few balconies down who would always smoke on their balcony - not only is that a huge safety issue but we didn't want to be on our balcony when they smoked. Guest Services followed up with me and promptly resolved the issue (back to their wonderful customer service).

Atrium: What a zoo. It's way too small of an area for a ship that large, which others here have pointed out. We avoided that area at all costs.

Garden buffet: A madhouse. When their ice cream machines were working, the ice cream was delicious!

Kids: Holy smokes, talk about a ton of kids (again, why the Vibe was such a great escape from the seemingly endless number of screaming kids running around). I overheard someone say there were 1,500 kids on board and I'm sure that was due to the week we went since schools are starting back up again.

Saturday excitement: We were laying in the Vibe on Saturday and heard three loud blows from the horn; a few minutes later, a small fishing boat (no more than 20 feet) goes by. The captain makes an announcement that we are turning around to perform a welfare check. Turns out the boat broke out from its dock and wound up 400 miles east of Jamestown, VA. We saw at least 10 sharks swimming around the boat which was super eerie, but neat to see.

Overall, we would definitely cruise again on NCL but we'd want the Vibe (or something equivalent) again so we can escape from the madness if we want. NCL has certainly changed my opinion of cruising, for the better. Happy to answer any questions you have.

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Thanks everyone!

Are group pictures offered once you're boarding the ship on the gangway? Or is it done during the check-in/waiting process?

Thanks

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Here is the latest model guidance supporting the shift in the NHC forecast track to a turn to the N before getting to Bermuda's longitude. Hopefully it continues along that path!

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Latest guidance has indicated it'll start turning to the N well before Bermuda; but still need to keep an eye on her.

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I recently booked dinner for my group of 36, for our cruise in October. I had to email a request to the Group Events department for our ship. The email is groupeventescape@ncl.com (replace the name of the ship in the email address, for other ships)

Include your name, reservation number, the date and time, the number of people and which restaurant you would like to make reservations for. They are good at responding and sending you a confirmation. Make sure to print out the confirmation and bring it with you on board (just in case)

This. I did the same thing for our upcoming Breakaway cruise with 15 of us. Very easy and they were super helpful/responsive!

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If people could bring in family members booked in regular rooms to enjoy the haven courtyard it would completly take away from those who paid to be in the haven for the relaxing features.

Hopefully you can get a haven room for everyone in your party.

 

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This. Seems like common sense to me.

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Great review and pictures. How was the smoke in the casino? For the minibus on Bermuda, do you have to prearrange that?

Also, what time did you arrive at the pier in NYC, what boarding group did you get, and what time did you board? Thanks!

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Thanks! Your other options are bus, ferry, taxi or mini bus.

 

You can get a daily pass that allows you to use the bus and ferry as much as you want. Just don't do that day 1. You will absolutely regret waiting in line.

 

 

 

The mini bus aka minivan taxis are $7 pp each way. It's more $, but def worth it day 1.

 

 

 

The thing most people don't realize about the busses is that they're the island bus system. They don't add extra busses for the cruises & they also stop at all the stops. Some don't have AC. it's not a good experience.

 

 

 

If you have the confidence and the things I mentioned above, a scooter is the best bet.

Excellent advice, thanks. I've jotted down some names of minibus/minivan taxi companies to use.

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Great review - laughed at various parts. Other than the scooter, what options besides public transportation exist?

Great review so far! Certainly not looking forward to being surrounded by thousands of NJ/NYers even though I grew up in NJ but have since escaped to Virginia. Just a few short weeks until we're on the Breakaway!

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Your options are to drink the ship's water from the buffet, a bar, or your faucet or buy water on board (at very high prices). UBP does not include bottled water.

Got it, thanks for the clarification!

I know there's been like a billion threads here about this, but what is the option for water on board? Bring a refillable water bottle and get it out of the tap? Does the UBP include bottled water?

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Thanks for your review. We're on Breakaway for the first time next month, in a balcony cabin. Did you book the boat excursion through NCL? Was it a private charter for your party?

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I'd be curious to hear how smoky the casino gets. Will you be trying for a Vibe pass?

I'm calling on Monday to try for an up sell!

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My purpose in snorkeling is to see natural behaviors. If I wanted to see fish swarm around a diver with food I'd go to Sea World. I would be upset at that kind of interaction, as I think you are.

 

BTW - edited to try and indicate this isn't directed at you but to all of us:

 

It's legal to feed fish in many areas still, so people can use their own judgement about doing it. There is more impact than just what you bring, though.

 

Imagine some dog does what a dog needs to do on your lawn. OK, fine, you go out and pick it up. Irritating but certainly not too big a deal. Now, imagine a company drops off 2,000 dogs a week that come and do what they have to do. There's a chain reaction from that much "organic" material being deposited on your lawn; the grass dies, flies come and lay their eggs, and it pretty much stinks up the neighborhood.

 

The organic material from your Cheerios, etc. dissolves and settles in on the reef. "What's a few Cheerios?" is equivalent to one of those dogs saying "What's a single poopie?" It's true that puppy left a single poopie, but the 1,999 others did as well.

 

The unnatural material can kill the reef from the debris itself, and from algae blooms. Most of us wouldn't strangle a puppy to death (unless maybe if it was one of those 2,000) and so I think most of us don't want to kill reef animals either.

Excellent post.

Remind me to stay away from all of you on our cruise in August.

Please don't do this. They are living in the wild and shouldn't be subjected to people feeding them dog food or peas. Respect the ecosystem.

I wish this thread was a joke but sadly there are people who think it's ok to feed fish dog food...

Really enjoying this review! I'm finding myself chuckling/smiling as I'm reading. Looking forward to more.

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Great photos!

Thanks for the pictures of the angled balcony! We were able to snag one on 14 for our cruise in August. Do all of the angled balconies have loungers?