Kenlorz

We have been on breakaway twice. July and February. We had vibe both times and wouldn't want to sail without it. It's open until 11pm including the bar. Opens at 7am.

We only eat at specialty rest. Prefer the better food. U can eat at as many specialty rest each night that u want. Apps at one entree at another dessert at another or dinner at two or more. At cagneys n Le bistro there is a $10 charge for an extra entree--well worth it. We enjoyed la cucina for apps and pizza and dessert. We had a couple good entrees as well but it is along the line of Olive Garden. Make sure u eat out on the waterfront as many times as possible. Also we had breakfast at moderno n it wasn't as busy as the other rest plus we ate outside on the waterfront. Make sure the staff knows it's your anniversary. We received a bottle of wine and delicious cakes that were big enough for four people (see pic)[ATTACH]311789[/ATTACH]plus they sing to u. At cagneys the shrimp cocktail is only three pieces so after the first night they knew to put six in our glasses. The service is really awesome in the specialty rest. Buy as much as u can before u board so that it doesn't hit your on board account. When u r in vibe if u like lobster make sure u order the lobster roll it's amazing. If u purchase vibe cabana for the week at $299 u get $100 in food credit. U must do cirque on the first nite the show is awesome. Tell them of your husbands allergy ahead of time so they can substitute his meal. The food is average. Steak is not as good as cagneys--more like MDR quality. We saw the murder mystery show and it was okay-nothing to be thrilled over. U will want to see the dueling piano bars and the talks from the crew. Movies under the stars at spice h2o or in the atrium if there is a party in spice with fresh popcorn. TV is limited they do have pay per view and they show a lot of the events that are done on board. Recently the cirque show was offered free the first night if u bought the UDP. We communicate to home through internet minutes or through verizon I think I paid $25 for a special plan when we were in Bermuda.

I apologize for this being all over but I'm on my phone. If u want any more info send me your email and I can answer any questions and send pics.

The only other ideas I can give u is to bring a case of soda and a case of water plus a large travel mug

 

Have a great time. We have three more cruises booked on breakaway getaway and escape--can't wait. Oh also purchase future cruise credits as soon as u get on board. Cost is $250 but they give u a $100 OBC then it will also count as a $250 deposit for a future cruise for everyone in your room within 4 years.

 

 

 

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Wow!!! Unbelievably helpful! Thank you so much! Will they kick you out of Vibe and the hot tubs at 11:00, or is it like a hotel where as long as you are through the door by closing they pretty much leave you alone for some time.

Was on the Breakaway in March. Loved it and have booked it again for this coming November. I personally thought the food was great in the Manhattan Room. We ate there several times.

Can you watch the dance exhibits in the Manhattan room from the Meridian bar above?

Yes, there is an umbrella in Vibe for every two loungers, so if you're just looking for some shade, you'll be fine without a cabana.

Thanks so much for that! So if you can get an umbrella and double lounger for 1/3 the price, what's the added draw or perk of the cabana?

Was thinking about getting a cabana for our Breakaway cruise, but besides being very fair skinned, I'm prone to heat exhaustion. After reading about both your narrow cross across the finish line to acquire the cabana & the lack of air flow, I'm reconsidering. Do the double loungers offer any umbrella options to stay out of the sun? If so, $79 plus umbrella shade plus breeze will equal a happier and richer me :D

I sailed the Breakaway for my first ever cruise last summer and was able to get a Vibe pass. The first place I went was Guest Services for that. The second place was to the Spa for a Spa pass...

If I book a spa balcony do I still need to go to the spa for the spa pass? Or is there some other process for getting a pass with those cabins?

Have sailed NCL a few times and always enjoyed their line. However, we found that the Breakway seems like it was set up for a much younger crowd, like kids. There is no pool area to speak of, its crowded and obnoxious, the adult area offers little relief from the heat. I know we will never go on that ship again. Take a look at Celebrity Summitt out of Bayonne, probably less costly and a much more relaxed trip.

 

All lines have limited TV, they don't want you in the room watching TV. NCL's Premium drink package doesn't include bottled water, that really bugs me, for $53 a day and all the booze you can drink, you'd think a bottle of water would be included.:rolleyes:

 

For staying in touch, we used texting, its 50 cents per transmission or receipt, however sometimes they are delayed by hours. You can call but its costly.

 

Dining packages are a nice touch, gives you an alternative. Thought Zacharians Restaurant was over rated and not worth the extra coin as well as the Cake Boss place, they charged us $53 for a 10" round cake that barely fed 8. And the cake was meh. Le Bistro, Cagneys and Teppanayki are worth a visit, MDR service and food was good, La Cucina should close its doors, 8 out of 10 us rated it as awful.

 

I'd go on the Gem anyday, the Breakaway is the first ship we have been on that we would not go back on. To each his own, we are a couple in our mid 50's. we travel with others the same age and sometimes our college aged children. The kids liked it, we all thought it was too congested around the pools and the entertainment was lacking.

 

I hope you enjoy it if you go, many love it, it just wasn't what we wish for.

We are 40-somethings, but I think our hearts are kid-sized... so perhaps we will fit right in on a kid-geared ship, LOL! Actually, my dh just went on a ropes course a few weeks ago with my college aged son and now can't wait to hit the one on Breakaway where you will have the extra challenge of the swaying ship to contend with. I, for one, am looking forward to relaxing in the thermal suite with a good book.

As for La Cucina, thanks for giving us the heads-up. I wasn't thrilled at all with the looks of the menu (sounded equivalent to Olive Garden... or perhaps lower), so we were considering skipping it all together... maybe we should. We definitely were wanting to try Le Bistro, Tepanyaki and Cagneys.

We just returned from sailing on the Breakaway yesterday and were booked in an H9 Haven Spa Suite. We celebrated our 42nd Anniversary during the cruise and could not be more delighted with the cruise. We are seasoned Cunard cruisers and this was our first cruise with NCL. The concept of "A ship within a ship" in the Haven is no exaggeration. We think it would be a superb experience for your 25th Wedding Anniversary!

I would absolutely ADORE booking the Haven Spa Suite and that is the exact cabin category we began with, but alas, aside from being our 25th anniversary year, we also have a child graduating a week later, so funds will not allow it. Good to know that IF by some weird chance an upgrade possibility comes along we would like it... and therefore, snag the opportunity. Thanks for recommending it :)

We have only sailed once before...on the RCCL Allure (last March). We were hooked instantly and fell in LOVE with cruising. Now we are planning to book the Breakaway to Bermuda to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary next June. We are going to book the May 31 - June 6th sailing. I have a few questions and curiosities I would love to have some help with.

1. THE VIBE: Since we are first time NCL cruisers and not Lattitudes members, will we still be able to get into the first (or at least 2nd) group boarding if we get to the pier by 9:30 am so we can try to snag a VIBE cabana for an anniversary splurge? I am VERY fair and sensitive to the sun, so I would only want to do the VIBE if I can acquire a Cabana. What are the chances of getting one without having any priority boarding? And if someone has gotten a cabana before, would it even be worth getting one when we will be docked in Bermuda for 3 days and spending so much time on the island? Lastly, what time is VIBE open and how late is it open? We very much like late night soaks in a hot tub and can't for the life of me find what time those hot tubs close in the evening. Anyone know?

2. THE ULTIMATE DINING PACKAGE: Is this something that is offered all the time through NCL? Or is this a limited time thing? We like to dine exclusively at the Specialty Restaurants, so this would fit us perfectly. I'm saddened to see we just missed being able to book and get this package as a perk, so I'm hanging on for a few weeks before booking to see if it is offered again, but I don't want to miss out on it all together. Also, can you eat at more than one restaurant a night with this package? Don't want to be a piggy, but not sure how we will like the food at the Cirque show (husband is allergic to shrimp), so thought about hitting up a different restaurant afterwards if we don't care much for the food.

3. OBC, PERKS, ETC: We ordered 2 NCL Brochures through HSN last week after reading a thread here about it. We know we have to book before the end of the month, but can we use each of our $100 OBC certificates when booking one room or is it only one certificate that will be applied? Also, what about the early booking OBC? Is that combinable with it? Just want to make sure we don't do something stupid and miss out. We want to book at just the right time to be able to afford to splurge on as much as we can for this special occasion.

4. ENTERTAINMENT: I heard that NCL also has Quest? I haven't come across it yet in the dailies I have skimmed through. Does anyone know what night and in what venue the Breakaway holds it? Is it very much like Royal's version? Also, out of the other game show type entertainment, which do you most recommend? We like to see/participate in the funnier ones (we really enjoyed the Love & Marriage show on RCCL).

5. LUNCH SHOWS: I'm a bit confused about this one. First dailies I read through mentioned "Dysfunctional Family", the next ones I skimmed through mentioned a "Murder Mystery" (right up my alley), but now I just recently read something about a Wine Show? Just curious (and I realize it could change before we sail), does anyone know if the BA still offers the Murder Mystery lunch? If so, is it a set menu?

6. TV: I have seen that NCL has limited TV show options. Is it true you can order pay-per-view? What are the costs? How large of a selection do they have? And what about a USB port? Do the TVs have one that I could just plug my Kindle into to stream a movie from? Also, do they re-run all the game shows and Q&A's on TV like they do on RCCL? That was very enjoyable to watch if you missed an event and am hoping they do.

7. STAYING IN TOUCH: We are leaving our teenage children behind and would like to be able to stay in touch daily. What is the best way to do so on NCL? We have Verizon plans (Galaxy 4 phones). We also will bring our Kindles (or a mini Ipad). We just want to be able to touch base each evening and be reassured everyone has gotten home from work ok and everything is ok and running smoothly. Also want to be reachable easily in case of an emergency.

Thanks all! I know this is long, but thought it best to post all my questions in one post vs mucking up the boards with tons of newbie questions. Thanks for any help you can give. As you can see, I like to do a lot of research and know all the ins-and-outs before I vacation :D

Funny, but I just don't see it as a beverage "credit" at all...no matter what the fine print says :p. Think about it. NCL is giving you the option to rent a cabana in Vibe for $200 a week. If you decide you want the use of said cabana for the week, then your rental agreement states that you MUST fork over an additional $100 at the Vibe Bar, for a total of $300 out of your pocket. It's just a very clever marketing strategy.

It's all in how you sell it... ;)

Think about it, which one sounds better to you?

*Vibe Cabana... You pay a mere $300 a week and we'll GIVE you a $100 in FREE DRINKS!

*Vibe Cabana... a low $200 a week, BUT you MUST purchase at least $100 in drinks at the Vibe Bar, and if you never take even a sip, we will still keep your $100 :cool:

Not that renting a cabana is a bad thing, we are actually considering it. But we know that we could also just hang out on the sun deck all the way forward on deck 17 on the BA (or is it 16?) where the feel is similar to VIBE and they have clamshell loungers for free and hammocks and double loungers, etc. What would sway me towards renting a cabana is not the marketing strategies, but whether or not it's hard to get a spot out on the sun deck on a sea day. Anyone know?

i didn't even do the math but it totally makes sense. i'm also concerned that what if we have a rez in one restaurant that we already ate in, but it turns out we don't like it. then we're on board and everything has already been booked so now what? we're forced to eat off the same bad menu? this whole switch has disaster written all over it.

I definitely see your point, but I do think the same can be said no matter what the venue... with or without the Dynamic Dining being in place. There's always the chance you don't like the food being offered where you plan to eat, even in the MDR (or perhaps, more likely in the MDR ;)). With so many options onboard, there is always something that can be found in place of a venue that was found to be a "DUD". The cafe in TWO70, Michael's Pub, the newly expanded WJ, the fabulous hot dogs at the food truck, the bar food at the pub in the Music hall, room service... something will surely catch your eye.

 

With the WJ being opened 24 hours a day, does the added room service charge after midnight go away?

 

 

MARAPRINCE

My guess.... the after midnight fee stays in place. Why? Because I think it was put in place to deter people from ordering food late at night on a whim and then promptly falling asleep before it gets there. I've heard tales that a large portion of the late night orders went to waste before the fees were put into place. If this scenario is true, then I don't see them waving the fee. The good news now, however, is that we can traipse over to the WJ and get ourselves a bite for free no matter what time of night it is :)

What about the On Air Karaoke club?

Oh YEAH.... forgot all about that one.

I'm thinking we aren't going to see too many of our previously known bars :eek: because I think we could fill all 5 more to come spaces right now if they are all to make an appearance... let's see... 1. On Air 2. Champagne Bar 3. Vintages 4.Schooner 5. Bow & Stern

We know for sure there is an ice bar in Two70, two bars in the Music Hall, Michael's Pub on the Royal Esplanade, the North Star Bar, and there's got to be some pool bars & a solarium bar. Maybe we won't see the oldies but goodies on this ship after all :rolleyes:

I think this all looks good, except for the fact that the Headliner Show would be in the Music Hall. There just isn't enough seating, and that would also mean that they would have to bring in many chairs to fill the dance floor, and they probably don't have room to store the chairs during the night when the dance floor is being used. That being said, I cannot think of anything else that would make the Music Hall that "great" other than at the end of Mama Mia, the cast walks everyone from the theater down to the music hall to sing and dance.

I'm not sure about seating... perhaps it contains more seating than we see in the current pictures :confused:. I do think there's a good chance that this is where most of the music performances will take place. According to the press release for the Quantum, it is being touted as a "Performance Hall". It also mentions "theme nights"... YEAH.... I love theme nights :D

QUOTE:

MUSIC HALL: THE HOTTEST LIVE ENTERTAINMENT VENUE AT SEA

Quantum Class Presents Two Decks of Cutting-Edge Music and Themed Events

"A performance hall and the hottest music venue on the Quantum class of ships, Music Hall is the ultimate place for guests to enjoy intimate and exclusive access to live performances, DJs, theme night parties, billiards and more, all showcased in a state-of-the-art setting. During the day, the venue offers multiple activities ranging from dance classes to improv workshops, while at night, Music Hall comes alive as the heart of the ship’s music scene.

Rebellious and edgy in design, Music Hall’s two stories, spanning Decks 3 and 4, is inspired by the spirit of rock and roll. The décor is deep in rich tones with touches of leather and mirrors. A tufted wall features glowing LED buttons, long red velvet draperies accented with chains and tassels, and distinctive furniture round out the baroque-inspired space, with a massive chandelier serving as the centerpiece on the upper level. With live music in mind, Music Hall is purposely designed for unobstructed views of a raised main stage, creating optimal views from any area, including the balconies on a mezzanine level.

Music Hall will be open daily and offers two full-service bars with seating, one on each level. The upper level features multiple self-leveling billiard tables offering delicious light bar fare in the evenings.

Additional details about dining, entertainment and other unexpected features and amenities on Quantum of the Seas will be unveiled in the coming months."

PS... just noticed that it says the upper bar will offer delicious light bar food in the evenings... that's cool :D They definitely seem to be upping the nightly food availability.

Just got tweeted this

 

The Food Truck Goes to Sea

 

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-03-31/the-food-truck-goes-to-sea

 

AWESOME!!!!! Thanks for this!!!!

I love it. I especially love the tall windows surrounding it. Does anyone recall if they mentioned the hours of the truck?

With approximately 6 retail spaces and 5 "more to come" spaces left to fill, it's time to start guessing what's still to be revealed, what will be where & what's getting THE BOOT.

6 spaces doesn't leave a whole lot of room for retail, but some things that we COULD see.... 1) A Royal Caribbean Novelty Store 2) A High End Name Brand Retail (i.e. Gucci, Guess, etc.) 3) An apparel store 4) A Starbucks 5) A liquor store 6) A novelty food item (i.e. ice cream or cupcakes, etc.). My "eye spy" eye is thinking that one retail space WILL be a novelty food item... notice there is a large blank un-labeled space next to one of the retail spaces off of the Royal Esplanade that would make an appropriate sitting area (similar to Sorrento's eating area on the Oasis class).

The 5 "more to come" space possibilities... For sure at least a night club or two (Dazzles, Boleros, etc.) and some of the known bars (Schooner Bar, Champagne Bar, Bow & Stern...though I doubt they are all making the cut for this ship) and there's GOT to be a Comedy Club SOMEWHERE....

That leaves me to wonder about the "entertainment reveal" that Adam Goldstein spoke of during the Google Hangout. He stressed that people don't understand yet how big of a venue the Music Hall will be. So, my thoughts on entertainment:

The Music Hall: 1) Live Musicians at night will allow for a nightclub atmosphere (eliminating the need for using more space elsewhere) 2) All the games shows (i.e. Love & Marriage, etc.) 3) The Headliner Show and 4) POSSIBLY the comedy show... it's a much bigger venue which would allow for a bigger crowd & less scheduled shows.

The Main Theater: 1) the Broadway Show Mama Mia 2) Another Top Event (like Blue Planet or Come Fly with Me) AND 3) A Dreamworks show (moving the headliner & the game shows opens up time slots for this)

270: 1) the acrobat show and POSSIBLY another show of some sort. Also, I think I recall seeing a piano in one of the reveal pics, so with the Ice Bar in here, maybe this will be a piano bar later in the evenings (sad though if that would mean no Schooner Bar :()

Seaplex: This is the one I'm not really sure of. I think it makes a GREAT Quest location, but I don't see any seating :confused: Also, with the overhead DJ pod, it makes for another great dance location, but again... don't see much seating. Any eye spy eyes out there see differently?

So, how about it.... what's still to come????

I've got a question?

I get it that we can book our restaurant choices as of May 15th. Does that mean all the shows and entertainment times will be posted so we can consult them before booking our dining time?

That's a really good question! Especially vital information for those of you who, like me, book your dining times around your entertainment schedule. I can tell you that Adam G. did say on the Google hangout that we were "weeks away from the next reveal...that's weeks, not days" (or something close to that quote ). He also said it was to the chagrin of the entertainment director that the dining reveal came before the entertainment reveal and hinted at the fact that the entertainment reveal would be next. So here's hoping that the answer to your question is ....YES :D

I LOVE the dining concept. It suits us extremely well. And contrary to what some are saying... this style of dining does not necessarily mean MORE fees... for us it will end up costing MUCH LESS. You see, we are parents of 4 teenagers who rarely get alone time. We don't cruise often, because we alternate each year between family vacations and a couples vacation. Cruising is our choice of a couples getaway, so when we cruise we like to be ALONE, just the two of us, for time to reconnect and rekindle. I don't want to dine with other people. We are looking for something romantic, intimate and a place that feels special enough to warrant dressing up. So, we were eating almost exclusively in the specialty restaurants & only eating in the MDR on formal nights... and even then, it felt SO large and lacked the intimacy we look for so we didn't particularly like the environment.

So, for us, now that the included dining rooms are SMALLER venues, we look forward to eating in The Grande quite a few times and getting all snazzy. We are actually thinking of booking LESS of the specialty dining then we usually do. For instance, if there were a Samba Grill in the Solarium, we would have chosen to eat there... but we really don't think we will eat at Devin's for dinner as my dh has no interest in eating healthy while on vacation, LOL. And Wonderland might be a bit too whimsical with the food for us. We also liked to have lunch in vintages, but I'm starting to think we won't be seeing Vintages on this ship. All that to say... this looks like a CHEAPER dining experience for us & we like that we can dine in smaller venues and feel more intimate FOR FREE :)

Since the Royal Caribbean Press Center says get ready for a special announcement at 6:30 tonight, I bet the people in NY were told to not say anything at all until then. If this is true, then it is kind of a hypocritical, since a bunch of the people there were all annoyed with the fact that RCL has kept everything secret up until now, and now they are doing the same.

I'm guessing they had to sign a non-disclosure waiver. They could have been warned they will be held financially libel if they come here and post. It looks like 6:30 is now the witching hour. 2 hours 48 minutes and 23 seconds.... but who's counting :p

This fits together with 'Dynamic' as the electronic menu could remember you and know your preferences already and provide you with a unique menu on a tablet.

 

It could have more 'upscale' choices for some based on previous behavior and more 'budget' options for others based on other behavior.

Exactly! If you noticed in the video, the Sommeliers had mini tablets, while the guests had large interactive ones. The information the Sommelier sees is not the same information that you see.

So, my thinking is "Mr. Jones" orders a few Jack & Cokes and tells the waiter he has a wheat intolerance, so no bread and then later tells the him how he LOVES chocolate and orders a chocolate mousse. All those notes are made on the waiters side and attached to Mr. Jone's seapass account. The next night, the waiter at the next venue (who has previously not met Mr. Jones) has him at his table, he pulls up the previous night's notes... and VOILA! Mr. Jones gets a Jack & Coke, no bread & the waiter tells him that there is wheat in the dish he just ordered and suggests another & for a surprise brings him a Chocolate Mud Pie for dessert even though it's not on the menu.

Since Royal has already established some of this technology on the Allure, I can definitely see it becoming a broader used format. Plus, it would be cool to be able to select a dish and see the exact ingredients in it, have the menu suggest a wine to compliment your dish, warn you of allergens in the dish, etc. You might not have the same waiter for each venue, but at least your preferences, your dietary needs & your desires follow you throughout. Another bonus, being able to order items without having to wait for your waiter to return, ALSO communicating in writing any specific needs (leave the gravy off, substitute potatoes for pasta, etc.) which the chef will see directly.

On the Anthem deck plans that was taken down, there was large un-named space on back of decks 3& 4, which could be the main dining room (s). Will find out more on the 27th.

My interpretation of those spaces is that they are kitchen & prep areas. Those areas have never been labeled "more to come", so I doubt that they are public spaces.

How I could see the Quantum dining venues becoming more interactive with interactive tablet menus...

Royal is ALREADY doing it in Vintages on Allure. Watch this 2 minute video on how they are doing it.

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/connect/videos/show-video/sommeliers-on-allure-of-the-seas-use-ipad-menus/

Some random thoughts regarding the newest reveal....

1. With just a small handful of "more to come" labeled spaces left on the deck plans, I think we can safely assume that those will be for the clubs & bars... which are still conspicuously missing from the deck plans. With such a small handful of unlabeled space remaining, I think we've seen all the "innovative" reveals for this ship... no amazing surprises to come.

2. Starbucks, an ice-cream parlor, Cupcake Cupboard, Vintages & Samba Grill are nowhere to be seen. Three of the five would sadden me if they don't materialize somewhere.

3. No "Rainbow Room" to be seen yet... unless that will be one of the clubs.

4. We visited a venue in Las Vegas where the tables all had interactive ipads built into the table. You could order a drink, request a song from the band, order appetizers, etc. right from your personal ipad at your table. I thought I read somewhere once upon a time that RCCL was going to do something with ipads. Doing something like this would be "innovative" for the dining rooms AND they would be able to track your preferences easily even if the staff doesn't follow you (aka, you might still have your favorite drink waiting for you when you sit).

So, we were all speculating that Royal was going Disney with a rotational system... looks like they're actually going Norwegian!?

 

Perhaps those wonderful addictive and catchy NCL commercials got into the brians of the brass down at RCI HQ :p

You got that right! What I don't get, though, is how copying the Freestyle Dining on NCL is in anyway INNOVATIVE :confused::confused:

I, personally, like the fact that I can go "casual" or "formal" whenever I would like... and I think it eliminates the thousands of "shorts in the MDR" debate threads we see in any given year... so I'm not complaining. I just don't see the innovation. Unless they do virtual dining where the "views" change, copying another cruise line doesn't seem to be a good reason for keeping everything "hush-hush" for so many months.

For those who would like it posted in the Everything Quantum thread :)

Dynamic Dining

Dynamic Dining, a new world of culinary exploration onboard Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas has been selected for this reservation. It’s dining at seas, reimagined - to give you more distinct options plus total flexibility to shape your own delectable journey. There are no set dining times, no assigned seats, no required formal nights. Instead, let your appetite be the guide, as 18 tantalizing possibilities lay before you. Daily reservations can be made for select restaurants on-line up to 4 days prior to departure at http://www.RoyalCaribbean.com/PreCruisePlanner. Reservations can also be made or amended onboard. Pre-cruise reservations are strongly recommended to confirm your desired dining time at your restaurant of choice and ensure reduced wait times. Dynamic Dining does not guarantee multiple tables together for parties of over 16 guests. For more information, please contact your travel agent or go to http://www.RoyalCaribbean.com.

The aft sections on decks 3 and 4 are unlabelled, hoping that will me the MDR....

I think the areas you are referring to have always been "blank" areas on the deck plans (i.e. not labeled "more to come"). I have always just assumed that those were the kitchen & prep areas and will never be public spaces. I really don't think that they are the MDR. It appears the MDR has now become 4 separate eating venues... a formal, a semi-formal & 2 casual venues. At this point it is almost a certainty that there will be no traditional MDR on the Quantum. Although this doesn't bother me in the least because we like to rotate our dining every night anyway, I can see it would be a disappointment for those who love the MDR.