Breakaway, her last day at home in New York, April 15.. A Salute and A Thank You!

Believe it or not, Breakaway will call to her home in New York for he final time on April 15th, next Sunday. While NCL and lines frequently move ships along markets and ports, this has been truly a special relationship between BA and NY.

Almost 5 years ago to the day, April 2013 she arrived home from her transatlantic voyage and began her weekly Bermuda sailings. Breakaway was the first of now 6 BA and BA Plus Class ships, and she was designed and purpose built for the New York market by then CEO, and New Yorker himself, Kevin Sheehan. Known as “Project Breakaway” this was a significant and very mission centric project design. The result was, Breakaway. Her connection and New York blood runs deeper than the hull art, but extends into the design, layout, and amenities of the ship. She is, truly a New Yorker at heart.

So she’s all grown up and it’s her time to leave the nest. She will leave a significant piece in the New York Harbor and Port history books. She will be missed by many.

This is intended to simply memorialize and share this piece of info with the group and serve as a POSITIVE venue to share great New York memories and send her off right. She will cross the Atlantic, dry dock for scheduled maintenance, then serve the Baltics, New Orleans, Miami, and Port Canaveral through 2020. Maybe, she one day will return home (as many of our grown teenagers do!!)

May the winds be at her back.

Me, well I may need a new screen name!

We will be sailing Escape in May, and are eager to welcome her to NY, she’s beautiful, but... she’s not a New Yorker [emoji6].

Safe travels all.

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Such a nice tribute. Thank you for this.

I was onboard the Breakaway when she arrived in New York for the first time. Great memories.

The Dawn was NCL's first attempt at a "New York" ship. Eventually, the Dawn relocated. Now the same thing appears to be happening to the Breakaway. NCL could simply return Breakaway to New York after the dry dock, but it looks like they aren't going to. I wonder why NCL can't keep a "New York" ship in New York!? :(

I've never sailed Breakaway but thanks for the heartfelt post. I can vouch for Escape and had a wonderful cruise last October. I hope you enjoy your cruise, too. :)

Heather

FWIW the Dawn is returning to New York, taking over for the Gem [emoji26]in May 2019.

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Looks like she may be stopping back in NY in October/November this year based on NCL schedules?

Even so, thanks for posting such a lovely tribute! I will always cherish my many memories on the Breakaway.

So-long cabin 12910....you have been my fabulous home-away-from-home for 96 wonderful nights at sea between September 22, 2013 and October 22, 2017. So-long Breakaway Haven....I didn't know you as well, but I loved every minute we shared! :)

So-long tens of thousands of dollars that I left in the Quick Hits & White Orchid machines in the Breakaway casino. Thanks for the numerous hand-pays and the $3K jackpot, but you still beat me in the end! Goodbye, Howie - we had so many hours of fun! I will definitely miss my Howie bonuses! :loudcry::loudcry:

So-long Maltings bar (AKA "the scene of the crime" LOL) & your fabulous lemon-drop martinis.

So-long windy Vibe cabana. No matter how many times I swore I would never rent you again, I still came back time after time!

Thank you, fabulous Breakaway staff, for how special you made the two birthdays I celebrated on the ship!

And most of all, thank you dear Breakaway for the wonderful friendships that I made on your decks, a few that have become forever friends!

Until we meet again....

I have the honor and pleasure of sailing on Breakaway on her Trans-Atlantic crossing starting on the 15th. We will take good care of her on the crossing and make sure she is set up as well as we can for her Baltic “gap year” before returning state side.

I’ll try to post a couple pictures here as we go. :)

She is returning to NYC this fall

Believe it or not, Breakaway will call to her home in New York for he final time on April 15th, next Sunday. While NCL and lines frequently move ships along markets and ports, this has been truly a special relationship between BA and NY.

 

Almost 5 years ago to the day, April 2013 she arrived home from her transatlantic voyage and began her weekly Bermuda sailings. Breakaway was the first of now 6 BA and BA Plus Class ships, and she was designed and purpose built for the New York market by then CEO, and New Yorker himself, Kevin Sheehan. Known as “Project Breakaway” this was a significant and very mission centric project design. The result was, Breakaway. Her connection and New York blood runs deeper than the hull art, but extends into the design, layout, and amenities of the ship. She is, truly a New Yorker at heart.

 

So she’s all grown up and it’s her time to leave the nest. She will leave a significant piece in the New York Harbor and Port history books. She will be missed by many.

 

This is intended to simply memorialize and share this piece of info with the group and serve as a POSITIVE venue to share great New York memories and send her off right. She will cross the Atlantic, dry dock for scheduled maintenance, then serve the Baltics, New Orleans, Miami, and Port Canaveral through 2020. Maybe, she one day will return home (as many of our grown teenagers do!!)

 

May the winds be at her back.

 

Me, well I may need a new screen name!

 

We will be sailing Escape in May, and are eager to welcome her to NY, she’s beautiful, but... she’s not a New Yorker [emoji6].

 

Safe travels all.

 

 

 

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But the Breakaway is coming back to NY this October for a couple of cruises, so would not her last day be October 27 when she moves to NOLA with the repo cruise?

As silly as this may sound.... I have wanted to cruise on the Breakaway from the moment I heard it had an NY style hot dog stand. Finally will cruise her in the Baltic! I truly can't wait!!

Here's a virtual fireworks send off for her upcoming Atlantic crossing, bon voyage for those sailing onboard (BA's own firework discontinued since, no longer done.)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vlfgnxl09i4ut4o/VIDOF0BA-Firework0327_2116.mp4?dl=0

It's nothing compared to Macy's Fourth of July firework but it was still nice to watch ... folks would choose their balconies based on it, LOL.

Meanwhile, we've missed the Dawn (sailed twice on her) and look forward to homecoming. Sending my BIL/SIL to do an onboard "scouting" report on one of her first Bermuda runs later this month ... until we get time to catch up with the ship.

Beautiful tribute. We've sailed on her three 2 week Caribbean winter cruises in a row - 2 of them in the Haven and loved every minute of all of them. Looking for to Escape in 2019.

We were on a inaugural voyage of the Breakaway out of New York. Great memories.

We were on the Breakaway for the first time last summer and chose her precisely since she was a New York based cruise! We also will have the pleasure of sailing on the Breakaway in the Baltics in July! Looking forward to the experience again.

Very nice tribute to the BA! I watched as she was being built, all the while anticipating every photo posted here and chose the fabulous H6 aft suite with the different floor plan on Deck 11 as our home away from home during its inaugural season here in NYC! It was a fabulous way to cruise to Bermuda. I'm going to miss her!

We've sailed Breakaway more than any other ship on NCL. We are looking forward to the "plus" of the Escape, but we will miss Taste and Savor, the martini bar and O'Sheehan's.. We will miss the Uptown Grill forever! And the aft balconies....I love you.

the breakaway should never leave NYC!!

So many great responses from everyone!

A few added pieces to my original post:

Some of, if not the very best memories of my life and family are aboard Breakaway. She’s made millions of memories for everyone who’s been fortunate enough to board her.

The crews: Without the amazing crews of NCL, Breakaway would have never been as amazing of a vessel and experience as she has been. It’s the people that serve aboard her that make her what she is. A salute to the crews of NCL who have served aboard her.

If I remember reading correctly some documentation from 2010 and the initial design and project, she was initially built by the Sheehan leadership to be the permanent NY Ship. Don’t quote me on that as I’m pulling from grey matter on that one. I will try and find that piece.

Lastly, one member has questioned my choice for calling the 15th the final voyage from her home here in NY as she will return and stop in NY in October, do one Caribbean turn and then continue on to New Orleans. I look at it this way, she’s really leaving us next week. She will call a new port Home for some time and begin her time away from us. Much like our children that go away to college or move from home they may come home on a weekend to visit, but the nest has been emptied! Escape arrives the 21st-22nd to take over and begin her time with us in her place. Didn’t want to get this deep in logistics or the weeds on this, but wanted to share my rationale for choosing today to publish this. Really meant to be a really great memorial of her time with us from those from the NY area and elsewhere that have formed great memories with her.

Thanks all for the great comments and keep them coming! A few random images to share.

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My wife and I first cruised on the Breakaway on Sept 1, 2013 (Captain Hakan Svedung, HD Sean Wurmhoeringer, CD Dan Olsson). For the first few days, my wife actually wanted to leave. Too many people, too much craziness, too many things to decide. We were used to the old, traditional cruising experience - early or late sitting dinner, early or late show. But by the end of that week, something started to appeal to us. And the best way I can tell of our feelings now for this ship and crew is that this Sunday when we board for the crossing to Southampton will be our 19th cruise on the Breakaway, and number 20 will be on October 27 when the Breakaway says her final farewell to NY on her way to New Orleans. It truly has been a special ship for us. Thank you for starting this thread.

Enjoying this tribute and looking forward to our first voyage on her in October. Will be our first TA!! Should be well acquainted by the time we arrive in NY.

Endings are also beginnings, ship being replaced by a newer ship of the same design. What NYC got is different hull art.

Sailed her twice and wi truly miss her.

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We are booked on the Breakaway out of NYC for the last sailing before she leaves (Oct 16 - 27). Its our first time with NCL so I'm happy we get to experience the Breakaway before she relocates!

Believe it or not, Breakaway will call to her home in New York for he final time on April 15th, next Sunday. While NCL and lines frequently move ships along markets and ports, this has been truly a special relationship between BA and NY.

 

Almost 5 years ago to the day, April 2013 she arrived home from her transatlantic voyage and began her weekly Bermuda sailings. Breakaway was the first of now 6 BA and BA Plus Class ships, and she was designed and purpose built for the New York market by then CEO, and New Yorker himself, Kevin Sheehan. Known as “Project Breakaway” this was a significant and very mission centric project design. The result was, Breakaway. Her connection and New York blood runs deeper than the hull art, but extends into the design, layout, and amenities of the ship. She is, truly a New Yorker at heart.

 

So she’s all grown up and it’s her time to leave the nest. She will leave a significant piece in the New York Harbor and Port history books. She will be missed by many.

 

This is intended to simply memorialize and share this piece of info with the group and serve as a POSITIVE venue to share great New York memories and send her off right. She will cross the Atlantic, dry dock for scheduled maintenance, then serve the Baltics, New Orleans, Miami, and Port Canaveral through 2020. Maybe, she one day will return home (as many of our grown teenagers do!!)

 

May the winds be at her back.

 

Me, well I may need a new screen name!

 

We will be sailing Escape in May, and are eager to welcome her to NY, she’s beautiful, but... she’s not a New Yorker [emoji6].

 

Safe travels all.

 

 

 

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Ok, why am I tearing up? Beautifully said!

Beautiful! I will truly miss the Breakaway as well :( No matter where she goes she will always be howling at the same moon.

I will definitely be missing all the awesome Breakaway casino staff especially Dino my favorite dealer of all time (at least my favorite card dealer hehe). Evil Chinese babies slot machine I will not miss you (ok maybe just a little).