Back from the Breakaway

[sc2011]

8 of us cruised in 3 spa mini suites. Loved every moment. It truly was the perfect vacation. I've been pretty "depressed" this week being back in the real world. Booked the Sky and Getaway yesterday to have them to look forward to. I really want to do the Breakaway to Bermuda again. Leaving out of New York was awesome. We booked our transportation from LGA to the port through groundlink. Had a 14 passenger Mercedes van arranged for the 8 of us. Plenty of room for us and luggage and took us door to door. Checkin was easy and we were in our rooms at noon. If traveling with elderly, there is a handicap/special services line on the left side of terminal when you walk in. Use it if you need it! No one uses it and it's there to help. When we walked into the terminal we were on the ship 15 minutes later. The ship is beautiful. I really have no complaints. Service can be slow especially in the Manhattan room but we didn't mind at all. We found all crew members to be pleasant. Our room attendant, Jovito, was the best room attendant we have ever had on NCL. He truly set our mood for each day. Rashida, the hotel director's assistant, made our week over the top with the treatment she showered on us. Bermuda was so great. 3 days isn't enough but we were able to do some great things. If you have the chance to do the kayak excursion - do it! We held sea urchins and saw turtles in the water. We did an evening catamaran. We learned so much about Bermuda. Did you know there are no fresh water sources in Bermuda? All homes collect rain water from their roof which supplies all water into the home. We had afternoon tea at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess. It's pricey but was such a special afternoon with scones, clotted cream, tea sandwiches and more. We got the 3 day unlimited ferry and bus pass. It was well worth it. My inlaws are 78/79 years old. Just getting on the bus and riding around the islands was the perfect excursion for them. We golfed at Port Royal home of the PGA Grand Slam tournament. Stunning views, amazing course. There is a putt putt course right where the ship docks. My elderly inlaws are golfers. They were blown away by the putt putt course. It's a must do if you are looking for something to do close to the ship. They said it was the best course they have ever played and nothing comes close to it. Right next to the putt putt is a beach that is only $5 to be on for the day. Moderno continues to be our favorite NCL restaurant - love the dessert and salad bar especially. Cagney's was great as usual. I liked the new menu. The braised short rib appetizer was delicious and I could have made a meal out of it. Garden Café didn't seem to have as much variety as I remembered from recent NCL cruises. Still plenty of food - but no chicken or beef curry that I love. Food in the Manhattan room was great. We were a party of 8 and ate there twice. Just call ahead in the evening and they will take a reservation for you so they are ready with a table big enough. Manhattan room will turn you away if not dressed properly. The spa is fantastic. I liked it better than the Epic spa. Only part better about Epic spa is the balcony of the spa where you can fall asleep outside. Lots of thermal loungers available. Gym is great. First day gym is busy and you have to wait to get on a machine. After that - no problem ever getting a machine to use. If you are a rower they have a Concept 2 rowing machine which was rarely in use. On port days Spa is empty as well as in the evenings. Burn the floor and Cirque were awesome! Balconies are small but didn't care - barely spend any time out there anyway. Cabins were fine with plenty of storage space. They seemed minimal in decoration and color schemes. But they were fine for our 7 days aboard. TV channels were great. Never sat and watched a whole show but there was great variety of movies and programming. The Haven is awesome! Went to Captain's cocktail reception there. Loved it so much that I booked it for the Getaway. Julie, the cruise director, and Sean, the hotel director, are both going to the Getaway along with many others. The comedian/musician on Friday night was hilarious and one of our highlights of the trip. His show is at 7pm and 9pm. The freestyle daily was confusing - you DO need a reservation to see this show. Make sure you go. Cigarette smoke can be smelled around the casino area and in the center Ocean 678 area that is open. It isn't bad though at all. Check your bills throughout the trip. Little discrepancies which were fixed immediately as I brought them to their attention. Water slides were never crowded. Ropes course was rarely crowded either. If you or your child want to experience something really cool - do the plank when the Celebrity Summit is pulling out of port on Friday around 3:00 ish. You can wave to the ship from the plank and the Celebrity went wild. My 14 year son did it and it was an experience of a lifetime! Arcade is great. O'Sheehan's has arcade games, air hockey, pool, etc too. Putt Putt golf is on the ship. It was free and fun for the whole family. We loved all the bars/lounges. Waterfront was cool to sit at - especially Shakers martini bar for drinks before dinner. It was great to walk around in the morning's as well to get moving for the day. Our Breakaway cruise was practically perfect in every way. I wish I could do it again and soon. NCL was awesome as usual. I've never cruised another line and if my vacations continue to be as good as this, I probably never will.

[Highboy90]

Thanks for sharing! :)

[SissasMomE]

Do you happen to know if Slam Allen will be going to Getaway? I'm actually doing that before the Breakaway, and will be on her the 2nd month she sails, I believe.

 

Glad you had a nice time. Im looking forward to seeing Bermuda!

[glorialagos]

Absolutely awesome, concise review! Thank you.

 

I didn't see Gem on your list of travels - don't overlook that "gem"!! We have cruised on her twice and it is a lovely trip with the most awesome spa ever!!

 

Enjoy your upcoming cruises and thanks for sharing your review - loved it.