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NCL newb....Breakaway vs Pearl?


HolySpearit
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Greetings NCL board!

 

Husband and I have been off our most recent cruise for almost 2 whole weeks which means it’s clearly time to book another :cool:

 

We have cruised Carnival exclusively (and by that I mean twice) but are interested in giving Norwegian a go this time around (no complaints with Carnival we just like to see what’s out there!)

 

Based on our dates and itinerary we want, I think we’ve narrowed it down to either the Breakaway or the Pearl. I see the Breakaway is newer but Pearl had a recent refurb. Any thoughts from anyone who’s been on both? Anything else I should know before we make the jump and book?

 

In case it matters: no kids so kid stuff makes no difference to us. We like food and bars and mostly relaxing on the ship. Shows/Entertainment are fun but not a make it/break it type thing for us.

 

Thank you all for any help!

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I've been on the Pearl and Escape ( which is similar to the Breakaway). My choice was the Escape/Breakaway. Specialty dining and thermal spa were much nicer. Also, the Escape and Breakaway features the Waterfront, which surrounds the outer perimeter of Deck 8. The Waterfront is open, yet under roof, and has cushioned chairs/couches scattered along the deck where you can relax (no noise) and watch the world go by. If you are interested in getting a Thermal Spa pass, definitely the Breakaway. I'm hooked on their Thermal Spa and won't cruise without it. Also, plenty of bars!

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Have been on both in the past 6 months or so: If you want lots of shows, yes, Broadway style, choices of things to do and service isn't as important to you, especially if you are under 50 the Breakaway might be right for you. The biggest problem many find with the Breakaway is: size, crowds especially if the weather happens to suck and the smoke from the casino due to the open casino design. Also the atrium is a bit small for a ship that size and there is a shortage of elevators. As mentioned things like the spa area are superior on the newer ships. The Pearl, depending on the time of year will have a little older crowd, but there will be younger people as well. the crew is very friendly and the ship is easy to find your way around. For us, as older cruisers the mid sized ships are for us. We enjoyed the Breakaway but probably unless there was an itinerary that caught our eye would not sail her again.

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We just got off the Breakaway...it's the 1st time we have been on a mega ship and we will not be back. The midsize seems to be much more to our liking...and we just hit our 40s...maybe we have old souls lol. The crowds and lines we very much NOT to our liking on the Breakaway. Much of the top deck is dedicated to younger activities...which would be fine if they were open long enough...but they aren't. The pool area is woefully inadequate for the 4000 passengers that are on board. The Waterfront area *is* nice...but for us it does not make up for the negatives.

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Have been on both in the past 6 months or so: If you want lots of shows, yes, Broadway style, choices of things to do and service isn't as important to you, especially if you are under 50 the Breakaway might be right for you. The biggest problem many find with the Breakaway is: size, crowds especially if the weather happens to suck and the smoke from the casino due to the open casino design. Also the atrium is a bit small for a ship that size and there is a shortage of elevators. As mentioned things like the spa area are superior on the newer ships. The Pearl, depending on the time of year will have a little older crowd, but there will be younger people as well. the crew is very friendly and the ship is easy to find your way around. For us, as older cruisers the mid sized ships are for us. We enjoyed the Breakaway but probably unless there was an itinerary that caught our eye would not sail her again.

 

We're in the 40+++ age range and much prefer the megaships to the more "traditional" smaller ships. Love the entertainment and the variety of things to do. We've sailed on NCL and RCCL megaships 18 times and wouldn't hesitate doing it again (in fact, we have a cruise booked on the NCL Bliss and RCCL Harmony coming up). We spent decades sailing with the no-so-funny comedians and the out-of-tune lounge singers on the small ships.

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Greetings NCL board!

 

In case it matters: no kids so kid stuff makes no difference to us. We like food and bars and mostly relaxing on the ship. Shows/Entertainment are fun but not a make it/break it type thing for us.

 

Thank you all for any help!

 

Based on your comments, I think the Pearl would be better for you. It will be much more laid back and relaxing, with significantly less crowds.

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Breakaway by a mile.

 

I always find it amusing on how opinions can be so completely different lol. We don't like the BA at all last week...I guess it all depends on the particular sailing and what people have personal preferences for. We had extensive lines for basically everything on the BA. That's not my idea of a relaxing vacation lol.

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I always find it amusing on how opinions can be so completely different lol. We don't like the BA at all last week...I guess it all depends on the particular sailing and what people have personal preferences for. We had extensive lines for basically everything on the BA. That's not my idea of a relaxing vacation lol.

We found that somewhat true as well, though I can't say we didn't like the Breakaway, it just wasn't for us. When she goes to New Orleans we might give her another try. Time will tell. Yes, it seems we all have our likes and dislikes and our preferences. Some is based on age and I am generalizing, some on region where you life and some just lifestyle period.

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Thank you all for the input! Still deciding but now we’re leaning towards Epic, ha! Excited to cruise NCL for the first time no matter where we end up! :)

 

Just know the Epic is unique. NCL only built one like it, then cancelled the rest of the order. So, whether you like or not, you should't judge other NCL ships based on your experience there.

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