travelady65

Have not seen too much posting as yet...regarding the Cruise to Nowhere on Ncl Breakaway as yet....who will be sailing besides me?

I am booked in a balcony cabin deck 10 for the CTN, plus i will be staying on for the seven night cruise that leaves December 13, 2015....who else will be staying onboard for the seven night cruise? This is my first time on the Breakaway, sailing in the winter time.... But very much excited to be onboard the ship....ship looks amazing....hopefully we will be able to take advantage of the outdoor activities, if it is not to windy and cold....

Does anyone know how far the ship goes down to......hopefully it takes us to some warmer weather....in an event i am looking forward to this cruise, and hoping that we have some type of meet and greet get together....

Hi, this is the first time that i will be cruising out of New York in December...and i was wondering if someone can give me some advice as what type of clothing to pack for my cruise.....as far as the weather, i know that it will be cold....as far as nightime, what kind of attire should i bring...as i am use to the traditional dining, and this is my first time sailing freestyle....as far as summer attire goes, i think that i will bring two bathing suits, to change off, and a couple of capri sets, and couple pairs of shorts with tops....

But main concern right now, is leaving from New York, how much winter attire should i bring with me....I would presume that the first full day at sea is going to be cold.... would appreciate any advice ....... also i don't want my luggage to be too heavy as well.... as far as shoes go...i am going to bring one pair of black heels, that can go with anything....pool flip flops, sandals, and i will be wearing onboard sneakers.....

The important question is: Where are the parents? Leave their duties up to a lifeguard? I do agree that there should be life guards, but the parents must assume some responsibility for their own children.

I agree with you 100 percent.....you cannot leave everything up to the lifeguards.....there are loads of children in the pools on ships....many do not follow rules...and do as they please...you as parents, should be with your children if they are not in the children's program....being as you are going on a family vacation...stay as a family...do things together....and if they want to go swimming be with them...watch them....it onlly takes a second of not being there or turning your head or walking away for a tragedy like this to happen...Please parents be extra cautious.... If you want to do something, then put your child or children into the children's program...the kids have a blast...and you wont have to worry what your child is doing, as they are in excellent care.... Planning a Family Cruise Vacation....Parents you have to think of all these different things...and main thing is and i dont care how old your child is....never leave them to wander....that is when trouble happens....

This horrible tragedy happened on the Gem. Never have seen crew watching over the pools on the Gem, like in this photo.

 

But still, no mater, an awful awful tragedy.

 

Also on ABC news now.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/coast-guard-girl-10-drowns-pool-aboard-cruise-31136593

This picture was taken on the breakaway.....it is a tragedy what happened...and my prayers and condolences go out to the family....as i said this picture was taken on the Breakaway....Last February a little boy drowned in the pool on the Breakaway....since then they put up the separation in the middle of the pool...and crew standing watching the children....

It looks like you are probably all adults over 50?

 

 

You do not need to insure the total amount you paid just the actual cost of the cabin before tax and port so it sounds about right

 

But each adult pays their own I assume?

 

Also cruise line insurance is more expensive than the much more preferable third party Insurance

 

I buy travel guard and pay around $70

 

 

However if it is $80 per person and that is for a family of 2 parents and 2 kids...... It is way too much.....unless of course you are paying through the nose for you cabin.....as in haven or penthouse

 

 

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I am travelling on the Breakaway in December .... i am a solo traveler...I booked a mini suite which cost $1678...I am looking at insureandgo travel insurance....now when i get a quote...and they ask me how much was the trip....do i put in $1678 or half of what the cabin is.... insureandgo quoted me a price of $136 for the week when i put in the cruise cost of $1678...the $136 cost of insurance was their premimum package....which i thought that was pretty reasonable.... would like your advice on this, as this is the first time that i am getting the insurance... I am leaving out of New York in the cold weather, and figured if something should happen, or i do get sick on the ship i will be covered.....also if i had to go to the medical doctor on the ship, it states that i am covered under this insurance, but will i still have to put out the cost for the medical doctor, and put in a claim when i return home? how does something like that work?

my first ncl ship was the Norway....what a beautiful ship...she was a transatlantic liner....to me she was huge.... she had class....from the cabins, to the lounges, to the theater....and dining rooms...

all shows were first class shows....lots of things to do for the little ones...it had a true meet the captain night....where you actuallly had a cocktail party with the captain, and everyone had gotten their pictures taken.... she was a true first class transatlantic liner.... it was a shame what happened to her....I was very sad, as out of all my cruises that i have been on, she was my most memorable....

Hi....I have a question about opening up a cash account on ncl Breakaway .....

I want to open up a cash account on Breakaway when i sail her in December of this year...after i do check in.....do they send me to another line to open up the cash account, or do i do that at guest services, when i board the ship....NCL told me to open up the cash account i will have to open it up with a minium of $300..... would appreciate it if someone can give me some information on this..

The OP deleted the link, for whatever reason :rolleyes:

 

Here is the article

 

(4:20 p.m. EDT) -- Norwegian Cruise Line has banned "takeaway" food from its ship restaurants, main dining room and buffet areas.

 

In other words, if you want to bring food to someone in your cabin or bring your dessert back to your room to enjoy later, you won't be able to do so.

 

The new policy was confirmed in a statement by Vanessa Picariello, senior director of public relations for Norwegian. The line also posted it on the Cruise Critic message boards.

"For our guests' well-being and to maintain a beautiful clean environment for all of our guests to enjoy, we ask that they enjoy their meals while dining at one of our many restaurants."

 

It's an unusual policy within the cruise industry, which has generally allowed passengers to not only carry drinks from bar to room, but also to bring plates of food to their cabins.

 

The "takeaway" rule has prompted a rush of comments on the Cruise Critic Norwegian board, from both supporters and opponents.

 

"No one in their right mind would take a 'doggy bag' back to the cabin after a meal in a specialty restaurant," says user zqvol. "Hopefully this is true and enforcement is easy -- don't have anything to put the leftovers in. You want to haul a dirty plate around the ship like a clown -- have at it."

 

Other members are not as convinced. "If it is a 'heath & safety' issue then you would of heard it from national TV, etc. And this would affect all cruise lines and not just NCL," says SAILPRO.

 

Member Wendy&Grumpy questions the timing. "Because if it was truly about 'a beautiful clean environment for all of our guests to enjoy' it would have been done long ago, rather than coinciding with a $7.95 charge for room service."

 

Trevor Fountain sums up the debate by saying, "I try to stick to the rules and if I don't like them I take my future business elsewhere."

 

Also key to the discussion: How the line will enforce the policy. "Guests will be asked to enjoy their meal in the restaurant," Picariello said.

 

Norwegian recently rolled out a $7.95 fleetwide service charge for room service orders, expanded its room service menus, amended its pizza delivery program and reduced many specialty dining prices by a nickel. It also waived the cover charge for 12 of the line's Asian restaurants.

I agree 100% not bringing back food to another area, or to your cabin....First of all some people just dont care...in other words....they may just leave the food....leave the dirty dishes on the floor waiting for an employee to pick them up....or leaving dirty plates in the cabin or left over food....this attracts bugs....and that is the last thing someone wants to see when entering their cabin....or other in other areas of the ship....yes some people bring their food into the theater, which is totally uncalled for.... I agree with NCL, about keeping the ship and lounges, and cabin areas, clean at all times.....some people are total "PIGS" and just dont care.... You want a ship to stay beautiful and clean, and up to standards....just folllow NCL's request ..... it is not that hard to do.... you want a cup of coffe or a snack to eat, how hard is it to hop in the elevator and go up to the buffet area...not that hard at all....

Hello has anyone been in cabin 14160 on ncl breakaway...I am sailing breakaway in December in this cabin, and would like to know what is above this cabin....is it the pool area or the haven suites? Was there any noises that kept you up at night?

Would appreciate it very much if you can give me any info on the room...also is it easy to access the elevators, as i was informed that there are only two banks of elevators on the entire ship...one bank of elevators in the front of ship, and the other bank of elevators in the aft of ship....

You are so right about the Raspberry Guava Mojitos - I really loved them.

 

Great video. Thank you so much for doing such an excellent job and posting for us all to enjoy.

I am going on NCL Breakaway...and have the UBP as my promo...I was reading on your post about the Raseberry Guava Mojito.....they sound delicious.... what kind of liquior goes into making a mojito, and what actually is in one...as you can see i never tasted a mojito before....Is this a strong drink....or equalvent to a Pina Colada, or BBC... would appreciate your advise...as i said i have the UPB...so if i dont like the drink, i can order something else....I am more or less a Frozen Cocktail person, like pina coladas, bbc's, mudslides etc... but i wanted to try something different as well, and this would be the perfect time to do so..

The $300 pp is a recommended amount, not a required amount.

I am going on the Breakaway in December...and i am opening up a cash account....I was told that it is a $300 to open up a cash account per person....

The $300 to open up the cash account is a fair amount...as last year i went on the MSC Divina out of miami...then i used a credit card...they only took out a $150 hold.... which was not enough for a 7 ngt cruise....i went down to put more money on the card...my bank refused and declined the added amount, as they thought someone was putting fraulent charges on my card....this ship uses a foreign bank for transactions out of Paris France, and that is why my bank put up the red flag.... it was a complete mess....as when i went to disembark the ship i was dentained....finally everything got straightened out...but i dont want this happening to me again....so i am choosing putting up a cash account.... I have already the UBP as my promo, i bought the UDP, I am in a spa mini suite, so i have acess to the spa facilities.....i am not a gambler....so i think that the $300 cash deposit will do me fine....for other things i might buy.....

On certain of its cruises, Norwegian Cruise Lines offers "half price" for the third and fourth occupants of a cabin. Logically, this would mean that if a family were to take their two children on a cruise, then the price for each of the two children would be half of the fare of the two adults. In fact, the two children do NOT pay half of the adult fare, but pay half of something called the "revenue calculation" fare which, of course, is a much higher amount. So on a currently advertised cruise in which the adult fare is $900, the children's "half fare" ended up being $675 rather than the $450 any logical shopper would expect. This is a blatantly dishonest offer that is being made by Norwegian Cruise Lines and prospective cruisers should be aware of the fact before booking on the NCL web site.:mad:

The children's half fare being $675 per child.....is that including all the government fees and port taxes? Because it sounds like that is where the extra money is coming in....and those extra fees, everyone has to pay including children.....

Cruised solo in an inside cabin just after Thanksgiving. More than enough room in the cabin for two. Nice bathroom, easy to operate safe. I had a great time on the ship. One bad MDR meal, but easily fixed that with a room service order. I took advantage of the spa, sports court, bingo, live musical entertainment and parties. Didn't partake in any specialty restaurants or buy any extra food. I don't enjoy alcohol so I simply bought the soda package when I boarded. I looked at booking the trip again for this weekend, but staying closer to home will be a better fit for me. I also had a good time in the casino. It was nice to be able to play quarter machines ($0.50), $1 options and even multiple dollar slots. I won some, lost some and enjoyed my time there.

 

I'd recommend the ship.

Hi i am considering sailing on the NCL Sky also.....I am in my mid 60"s... I see that you had sailed solo as well....how was the crowd of people....were they mostly young, middle aged, or was it a good mix..... how were the shows and other entertainment......you said that you had gotten an inside cabin....how was the cabin....and the pool area....did they do alot of deck parties, and bingo....would appreciate all the insite that you can give to me...

Our last cruise was in February and our next is 201 days away! Feel free to brag if you don't have to wait as long as I do.

My next cruise is on the NCL Breakaway in 240 more days...which feels it is never going to get here....sailing is December 11, and December 13, 2015...on December 11, 2015 i am doing a 2 night cruise to nowhere before my 7 night sailing....

Hello.....I read that the Gem will be doing cruises from Puerto Rico next year...would anyone know if the Gem will be coming back to New York....after it doing cruises from Puerto Rico? As i am interested in sailing her....but i do not want to take the cruise from Puerto Rico...

I've just discovered our room 14762, is directly above Fat Cat's Jazz and Blues Club. :( I'm really concerned about the noise level and whether we'll be able to sleep, since we're not particularly night owls, any thoughts?

Hi i believe that i am right next door to you on the Breakaway....my cruise is in December 2015....did you ever find out what is above and below us on deck 14...i think that the pool deck is above us and the garden cafe....which means there will be noise...scrapping of the deck chairs....in the early morning...and late evenings.... was wondering if you found out info on this....if not, i will try and do some searching...

Thanks for the info on Senseo pods. I will buy a few before sailing as I expect their coffee won't be as good[emoji1]

I read that you are going to purchase a couple of the sensco pods for the coffeemaker on the Breakaway in your cabin... Hope this is not a silly question...but where do you purchase these types of pods? I only have pods at home for the keurig.... would like to purchase a couple myself...as i am sailing Breakaway this coming December.... would appreciate it very much if you could get back to me on this....thanx.

cathy

Being as NCL is now charing $7.95 per order for room service....i have deceided to use the coffeemaker that they do have in the room in the morning....My cruise is not until December 2015, but i would like to know what type of coffeemaker is offered in the room ....is it one that requires filters...if so what type of filters....or is a single cup keurig type coffeemaker that requires just pods? It would help me out alot....especially if it is a keurig as i could bring along with me some pods from home....any answers would be appreciated...

I am interested in booking the transatlantic sailing on the Harmony of the Seas, October 23, 2016...I will be sailing solo...and my question is this...I only have to purchase a one way ticket over to Barcelona Spain....I did some pricing...and the cost is off the roof...For what they want for a one way ticket, you could purchase a round trip ticket for far less... this is the first time i am taking a transatlantic cruise.... does anyone have any suggestions about this airfare, or shuld i just close my eyes...and purchase the one way ticket....

Also do you think that i should come into Barcelon Spain a couple of days before the actual cruise....to get to see a little of Barcelona, and to get accustomed to the time change... any suggestions would be appreciated..

From reading their website, the Yacht Club sounds much nicer. I have no experience with MSC at all. I will really have to look into this.

Hello...my name is Cathy...I have sailed the MSC Divina twice...once on a 3 night sailing...and last October on a 7 night sailing to the Eastern Caribbean...although i did not sail in the Yaght Club...I heard nothing but positive comments about it... I sailed in a Balcony Cabin, which was very spacious... the ship is sparkling clean....and oh the swvaroski staircase in the main atrium is absolutely stunning....the food was excellent....but everyone has different tastes...but from the buffet, to the main dining rooms, to the specality restaurants, to the comfort food...pastries...gelato...everything was scrumpous... yes the ship has a european flair to it...but it is gorgeous....and the staff cannot be more helpful to you....In the Yaht Club...all your drinks are included...you have your own private lounge area....private pool and hot tub...your own private restaurant called LeMuse...when you check in at the pier....you have your own private butler excorting you to a private lounge where the conceigre explains to everyone about the Yaht Club....you are then excorted to your rooms to meet your own private butler....All the staff in white glove service....

As far as MSC Entertainment, it is the best at sea....Shows were fabolus...they even have an opera one afternoon...I went to it...and it was excellent....at night every lounge you walk into has live music playing....yes there are a fair share of europeans on board...but everyone that i had met....were very very nice....the pool area is beautiful....and on deck 15 they have an infinity pool....which is awesome....they also have bowling, arcade games and a pool area for the kiddies....what i also loved about the ship, is that you are not hounded from the staff with the drink of the day....if you want a drink, you just call someone over, or just go up to the bar and get one yourself....They do offer different types of prepaid drink packages, or you buy them on board...there are so many choices...

I myself am sailing on BA in December of this year, and i do not like all of these price changes they are tacking on...and would love to cancel....but i have too much invested in this cruise alreay....I got the UBP (promo), bought the UDP, prepaid my gratituties, i have a spa mini suite, and i dont think that i will get all of this if i were to cancel and go with another cruise line...but what i will say is, that this will be my last NCL cruise after december...I am going back to RCCL...after i come back from this cruise i am going to book the Anthem of the Seas....and also book another cruise on MSC Divina when she comes back from europe....

If you have any more questions about the MSC Divina, please post me back...as i will be more than happy to answer any more questions that you may have...

Happy Sailing

What ship will be taking the Gem's Place when it gets relocated to Puerto Rico next year? I am interested in taking this ship but i dont want to fly down to Puerto Rico.. In the past i have taken 3 cruises out of puerto rico, 3 different lines, and IMO i did not like taking the cruises from Puerto Rico

Does anyone know if there will be another NCL ship taking the Gem's place?

We're are in one of the smallest inside cabins. 139 sq. ft...just wondering if anyone stayed in one of those. What were the space issues. My husband is a BIG guy. Also, how are they laid out...bed placement etc.

I was in one of the smaller inside cabins....for one person the cabin was okay....alot of closet and drawer space....but not much room to move around...when you enter you have the bathroom on the right...closet with built in drawers on the right....after the closet is your small vanity....on the left caddy corner you have your refrigerator...on top of refrigeraator is your TV....then your bed with two night stands and a built in mirror in back of your bed....to make the room look larger than what it really is....for me, the room was fine....but could not order room service....as there was no where to lay the tray on... no Chair or little table in the room....bathroom a nice size...with plexiglass doors in shower...alot of storage in bathroom for toilerties..

If i were you and you say your husband is a big guy, i would call up customer service and ask to be changed to a larger inside cabin....it would be worth it, and peace of mind that you would not be bumping backs trying to do something..... other than that the cabin for me was ok....but i do like more space....when i was on the divina last october i had a nice mid ship large balcony cabin..... that was a real treat.

Has anyone ever sailed using a cash deposit instead of credit card? If so, was it a pain? Does MSC require a minimum amount?

 

Thanks in advance.

I sailed the Divina last October....using a cash deposit they told me would be a $300 cash deposit...if you use credit card....they swipe the card and take a $150 hold on the card..... use the cash deposit, and you wont have problems...i unfortunately used my credit card.... told my card that i was traveling...and said the bank makeing the charges was from france...upon boarding they took $150 hold on the card....at the end of the week the $150 was almost gone...and i wanted to purchase something...went down to GS and they told me that they had to swipe another $150 hold on my card....all this came from france...at the end of the cruise i was detained on the ship....reason was my credit card thought that fraudelent charges were being put on the card....therefore they declined the second authorization hold.... was very embarassing moment for me....everything was finally cleared up....and if i do sail again on MSC i definitely will put down the $300 cash deposit....because if i did that, then the problem i did have would have never occurred.

Dryer sheets will not get rid of (or keep away) bed bugs. Changing the sheets OR the entire mattress will not get rid of bedbugs. You can fumigate until your hearts content, but if they're on the ship, they're ON THE SHIP. They travel in the walls, the electrical...everywhere. So if they have been spotted in 1 room, I can guarantee they are in others. My boss was head of the "bud bug committee" here in my home state (which happens to be the 3rd state on the list for the outbreak of bedbugs). Also working at the hospital for so many years, we would have Orkin come out to spray rooms with patients that brought in bedbugs...they would flat out tell you that they are everywhere once they get into something. They would come out and wipe everything down and spray with a substance that contained some type of alcohol (because spraying alcohol on them kills them). The rate at which the eggs hatch and then become mature to reproduce and lay more eggs is like only weeks. Then of course you have the fact that they can live for an entire year without feeding on any host. :eek: Nasty nasty critters!

You are so so right.....Once you have bed bugs they get into everything.....At first i didn't know what they were, as i have a dog, and i thought at first that they were either fleas or ticks.... they were all over my apartment....they were in the rugs...and i had white carpeting so they were easy to see, they were in my furniture, i had a wood dining room, and entertainment center, they were living in them, my entire bedroom set including matteress....notified the maintentance in the aprartment complex, and he came into and told me that these were bed bugs and the entire building that i livied in were invested with them also.... the exterminators notifed all of us we had to get rid of everything, furniture, bed room set....clothing....everything that was in that apartment i had to get rid of....i cannot tell you how much it cost me to replace it with new....needless to say i moved out of that apartment fast...i did not move back in there with new stuff.... and you can encounter these anywhere...but the exterminator told us that being that we are all attached in one building....that these critters travel...and if one apartment has them....everyone else has them as well....

Bed bugs are everywhere these days and spreading fast. Consider yourself lucky if you haven't encountered them. I picked a few up last year most likely from taking public transit. Besides nasty bites, these evil critters cost me $600 on pest control plus I had to throw out all my bed sheets, pillows and a bunch of clothes in my closet. It can easily happen on cruise ships or anywhere where people congregate.

Yes you can encounter bed bugs anywhere, and you can be the cleaniness person....I to encountered a few of the critters from public tranisit, as i take the buss back and forth to work...but i didn't notice them at first...when i started to notice i thought that they were ticks, as i do have a dog...i use the Frontline Plus on the dog, and that is suppose to keep the ticks off the dog....I still did nothing about it, as it seemed that they disappeared...didn't seem any more...the next week i went to turn over my mattress on the bed...and OMG...i saw all this black little critters....blood stains...and black stains all over my mattress... Not only was it me...but the entire complex in my apartment building was invested with these critters... had to throw out my mattress and complete bedroom set, living room, clothing in my closet etc... needless to say i moved from that complex but fast...

But getting back to the subject, you can encounter bed bugs anywhere...on public transit, in a hotel, a restaurant, on a cruise ship....My boyfriend who works on a cruise ship.....he is the facitlities dispatcher...already told me that you can encounter bed bugs on a cruise ship....from checking in your luggage at cruise terminal...or airport....but that they do have all the proper chemicals onboard to fumigate and get rid of them....and them if you should notice them in the cabin, you must report this matter to the Hotel Director immediately....DO NOT WAIt!!!!