Breakaway 6/2-6/9 with pics

[graphicguy]

Thanks for the great review, we are looking into booking the Breakaway in September, I also always take the stairs on a cruise.

 

Does the breakaway have an outdoor running track?

 

Thanks

 

Baffy.....thanks. Yes, there is an outdoor running track. I didn't use it as it was fairly windy when I wanted to jog outside. I could have used it when we were docked in Bermuda. But, just stuck with my routine and used the gym's treadmills and elipticals.

 

Got more pics I'm sifting through and much more review to come.

[graphicguy]

Thanks for your review from a solo perspective. I'm doing my first solo sailing on the Epic's westbound transatlantic in October 2014, and I'm a little nervous about it. I'm also glad to read your affirmation of the quality of the Epic relative to Breakaway. As nervous as I am about a 3-week vacation all by myself, I am really looking forward to staying in the Studio complex.

 

Cheers, and keep it coming! :)

 

Bruiser....The Epic is my favorite ship. Don't get me wrong.....I liked The Breakaway, too.

[snorklinbarb]

Wouldn't using the metal lined drawer dangerous? I was under the impression that was the trash can for the sink area. At least that is what we use it for and it is emptied daily.

 

If it's like on Epic, that bathroom pull out drawer is indeed for trash! Can't imagine putting clothes in it.:eek:

 

graphicguy, thanks for the entertaining and informative review. Sounds like you made the most of your time and loved the way you said it was an "about you" cruise.:D

 

Looking forward to your take on all the entertainment.

[graphicguy]

I didn't think many would be interested in my "cruising solo" impressions. Glad I can help with that perspective. As in life, it depends on what you make of it. If you're depending on others to make your cruise a good one, it could be something of a "hit or miss" adventure.

 

Early on, when I made the decision to do this solo, I subconciously and inadvertently started thinking the theme of the cruise for me would be to do what I wanted, when I wanted, where I wanted, with whomever I wanted. And, that's exactly what I did. I had very little that I pre-arranged. Somethings I pre-arranged because I thought I had to (more on that later).

 

The good news about "Freestyle" is, out of all the other cruise lines supposed "anytime" programs, NCL's is by far the best.

 

Barb, thanks for the nice comments...I'll comment on the entertainment, too.

[graphicguy]

Mentioned earlier, whenever I travel, I take those Starbucks instant coffee packets with me to use in the a.m. I'm not a coffee snob, per se. But, a cup of "good" coffee and a can of V8 is my ritual. Since I couldn't take any V8 aboard with me, Starbucks was my lone contribution to my routine.

 

If you gotta go instant, the Starbucks packs are the only way to go.

 

They call it VIA.....

http://www.starbucks.com/coffee/medium/house-blend/via

 

One of the things I enjoyed sailing on the Allure of the Seas was having a Starbucks right on the ship. The downside was I had to shower and be ready for the day before heading out to get to their Starbucks (another quirk of mine....don't head out of the cabin if you look like you've been up all night partying like Axel Rose).

 

I try to restrict myself to two cups of coffeee/day. Otherwise, I become a runaway freight train, trying to do everything at once, and being impatient with anyone/anything that gets in my way.:o

 

The Studio Lounge was perfect for me to get a quick cup of hot water to mix with my Starbucks packet, and it was only a 30 second walk down the hall.

 

But, there was the occassion when I wanted to treat myself and headed to the coffee bar. They made very good coffee. And, as nice as it was to have complimentary pound cake, pastries, cookies, etc from the Studio Lounge, I discovered pastries from "The Cake Boss" there.

 

Understand, I am clueless as to who these celebrity cooks, pastry makers, etc are as I don't follow that genre of TV (if someone's not throwing a ball, catching a ball, hitting a ball, kicking a ball, running with a ball....on TV, I'm probably not watching TV).

 

So, I happened upon this place...

 

 

They make really good coffee, and have REALLY GOOD pastries from the Carlos Pastry Show. Nothing wrong with a treat every now and then. And, it was tucked into a corner of the Atrium, where most of the action seems to happen....a nice place to get a small pastry, a cup of coffee and do some people watching or watch them play "Deal or No Deal" (them are some funny people to watch, too.;)).

 

 

Edited June 18, 2013 by graphicguy

[graphicguy]

Sort of out of order here, but it seems "photobucket" is being a bit obstinate and indescriminately deleting my pics. This one from the first post was deleted, so here it is again!

 

[graphicguy]

The good news is, that first day at sea was a great one. Either because of (or in spite of) getting up early in the a.m. to catch an early flight, navigating the huge lines at embarkation, wandering the ship, having some "dark and stormies", meeting lots and lots of new people, I collapsed in my cabin about 2-ish (a.m.).

 

I did have dinner at "SAVOR". Lobster night. It was good. Got there about 7-ish. Was seated immediately (some advantages to going solo....I don't take up much space). Service was excellent. Food was very tasty.

 

 

 

Right across the aisle is TASTE, whichi is identical to SAVOR.

 

 

 

While talking about MDRs, let me state how disappointed I was that they weren't open for lunch. I attribute this to another cost cutting move by NCL, which of course is disappointing in general. This was not a cheap cruise, even for a solo. I'll have more to say about this after I sum up my thoughts at the end of this review (but there's much more to come).

 

 

I didn't have my camera, nor my iPhone with me once I was out of signal range (yes, do make sure you set your phones on airplane mode after the muster drill to avoid a really nasty surprise on your phone bill when you return). So, I missed out on some of the pics at H20 that night.

 

I did sleep in. One of the many things I love about NCL, they put some of the most comfortable beds I've found at sea. Plus, I got the room icy cold (which is how I like to sleep). Perfect.

 

While I'm usually up early, that first morning I actually slept until 9:00 a.m....very unusual for me. But, slept like a baby. Threw on some shorts and a shirt. Got my hot water at the Studio Lounge for coffee. Headed back to the cabin to get ready.

 

For some reason, I was hungry enough to go to the Garden Cafe....TOO CROWDED. But, there were open tables.

 

Decided to head to the "UPTOWN" grill. No crowd there at all. They have the basics....eggs, sausages, bacon, omelets to order, toast bagels, etc.

 

 

Very few people were there. Perfect.

 

 

Well...sort of. The food was cold. Not tepid, or lukewarm...it was actually cold....scrambled eggs, sausage.....all of it cold. Bad move on my part. I should have had them make me an omelet, but by now I wasn't hungry.

 

So, I left my plate, and headed to O'Sheehans.....perfect. Hot eggs, warm bagel, couple of sausages, I'm good to go.

 

Just one more thing I needed.......back to the Atrium....

 

 

These cappucino machines were a work of art in and of themselves.

[Anniesails]

Is the Solo fare a considerable savings?? There aren't many cruise lines that offer this option.:)

[graphicguy]

Is the Solo fare a considerable savings?? There aren't many cruise lines that offer this option.:)

 

You can probably do better paying 2X on another inside cabin on another ship or cruise line. I know my fare was $1,459 (lowest I had seen it) plus fees.

 

Only reason I did it was I had already booked an aft balcony, but my ex-GF dropped out of the cruise. Plus, I was interested in the new ship. And finally, I had never been to Bermuda. So, I just made it a solo.

 

Look around a little bit. If you're open on itinerary, cruise line and ship, you can probably find a cheaper 7-day cruise than the $730 it would cost to beat the Breakaway fare for a Studio. Remember, you have to double the fare for those cabins that are meant for double occupancy if you're going solo.

[graphicguy]

What's next? Oh yeah...the Cruise Critic Meet and Greet. This was held the first full morning of the cruise (Monday) in Cagneys.

 

What a wonderful job by Sheila in organizing the event. It was fun meeting other CC members and chatting with the crew.

 

 

 

Our Cruise Director, Julie Valeriote....

 

 

The crew were all quite nice and cordial. As has been mentioned in other posts, the CC members' opinions are valued. And, that they would rather hear about the good and the bad, than to get slammed by a CC review without having the opportunity to address, and correct the issues someone had with a bad cruise. To me, that's more than fair. While I didn't park myself at Guest Services, I was there a couple of times. And, adimttedly, it did take them more than one attempt to rectify issues, eventually they did.

 

As you can see above, Julie was everywhere. She showed up at the end of both "Burn the Floor" and "Rock of Ages", as well as getting on stilts and welcoming us back from a day in Bermuda. She was approachable and always very nice, without being "in your face".

 

It was also grealy appreciated that there weren't incessant announcements (at least none that I heard) every hour on the hour over the ship's PA regarding this or that minute "goings on".

 

I'd venture to say she was what I consider the absolute PERFECT Cruise Director.

[Fins2theleft]

Thanks for the review so far, keep it coming.

Edited June 19, 2013 by Fins2theleft

[graphicguy]

I've touched on a little of everything so far. So, the next logical step is to address the areas that most people cruise for.

 

Let me start with the FOOD.

 

Overall, it ranked from awful (Uptown with ice cold breakfast) to sublime (Cagneys) and everywhere in between. The MDRs (Savor and Manhattan) served good food, well prepared with above average service. Whenever I went to any of those venues, I did not wait more than a few minutes for a table...even when it was during busy times. The one downside, Taste and Savor (and I'll assume, Manhattan) were closed for lunch, at least while we were in port. They directed people to the Garden Cafe. I inquired about this at Guest Services. They said when in port there are barely any people on the ship. Au Contraire....the ship was packed for breakfast, lunch and dinner, even while in port. This is a cost cutting move, pure and simple.

 

 

I only ate at the Garden Cafe a couple of times. But, the food was varried, well prepared, hot when it was supposed to be, always fresh. The Garden Cafe itself was very functional, and I never had an issue finding a place to sit and eat. That last part is particularly interesting given that every other cruise line (except for NCL) didn't seem to have enough room in their cafeteria settings. Also intersting was the fact that there were no "table hoggers" (find a table for 5-6-8-10 and put your tray/book/towel/etc there for 20-30-45 minutes until the rest of your party shows up) which are prevalent on other cruise lines.

 

O'Sheehans was always available, breakfast/lunch/dinner, 24 hours/day, and always good. I had a hot breakfast there one day. I had my scrumptious burger there when I first embarked. I had a chicken pot pie there one early evening. And, throughout the week, stopped by for snacks late at night/early a.m. It always tasted good. Was always hot, and always served promptly.

 

I stayed away from Ocean Blue. As mentioned previously, it's run by some sort of celebrity chef whom I'm not familiar with. What I do know, they raised prices from the time I booked the cruise, until I sailed the cruise. NCL and the chef can paint the picture any way they want, but that's simply bad business practice. That's like ordering and paying for something on line, only to get a bill when it's delivered stating they raised the price while it was being shipped and you owe more money. Again, bad business! Apparently, the public thought so, too. I never saw more than 8-10 people in the restaurant. And, those I spoke to who ate there said the portions were too small...especially for the price.

 

Off the soapbox.....

 

I bought the "3 restaurant deal for $58". This, my friends, is the best bargain on the ship.

 

The restaurants include LeBistro, LaCuccina, and Cagneys. As mentioned, I'm not a "let me take a pic of my food" type of person. But, I did snap a few of the venues....

 

My Table at LeBistro, a window seat, no less....

 

 

The ambiance of LeBistro is exactly what I expected (that's a good thing). It replicates a Parisian Cafe from mid last century, right down to the music playing and the look/feel of it. Service was outstanding.

 

Those were the good points. Now, the not so good. I ordered the Scallops Provencale for an appetizer and Coq Au Vin for the entre. Both were way overcooked. Send them back, right? I would've done so. But, by that time, I had filled myself up on bread and butter. So, I had a few bites of each, and chalked it up to experience. I did mention to my server that my scallops were tough, and the Chicken was burnt. She agreed to get me another dish, but I had other plans for the evening that precluded waiting around for another dish.

 

So, insult to injury...I get a bill, not only for my drink, but for the dinner, too.

 

Remember, this was pre-paid already before I even sailed. I tried to explain to her that it was pre-paid. She even had the restaurant manager come over, and they said they couldn't make the situation right. Huh?

 

So, I refused to sign the bill, which caused another animated conversation with the Restaurant manager.

 

I went to my cabin to change clothes after dinner, and checked my on-board account. There was the LeBistro charge, even without my signature.

 

So, onto Guest Services. I explained the situation. They said they had to contact LeBistro. I knew where this was going. And, I had other places to go (namely, 2nd City). I left. Long and short of this, it was eventually resolved, but it took two days and three trips to Guest Services.:(

[graphicguy]

 

Since I'm talking about restaurants, and particularly, NCL's Freestyle, on occassion there pops up heated discussions regarding "formal nights" on cruise ships. Over the last few years, I've probably cruised nearly 2X/year. Thinking back even just a few years ago, there seemed to be about a 50/50 split between those who wore suits/tuxes/gowns on formal nights.

 

There has been a STEEP decline in "dress up" on cruise ships. I probably first noticed this on the Allure of the Seas a little over a year ago. Obviously, NCL offers Freestyle, which sort of lends itself to be more casual. So, on the Breakaway, I'm not certain I ever saw a guy wearing a tie....all week.

 

Regardless of which side you come down on this dressing trend, one thing's clear to me.

 

Formal nights are becoming anything but formal. I see that trend becoming more widespread, too.

 

Personally, I couldn't care less how someone dresses on their cruise vacation. If you want to dress up, please do so. If not, don't feel obligated.

Edited June 19, 2013 by graphicguy

[graphicguy]

 

Moderno's Brazilian Restaurant (at least the outstanding salad bar)..

 

 

 

My Cagneys Table....

 

 

I thought for certain I had LaCuccinas pictures, but I'll have to dig them up.

Edited June 19, 2013 by graphicguy

[graphicguy]

Let me address some of the other dining venues I ate at (all very good).

 

Moderno's is exactly what you'd expect from a Brazillian Steak house. All the steak, chicken, sausages you could possibly imagine. All of it good and prepared well, served by "gauchos" that will keep coming until you put up the red "Stop" sign. The real star of Moderno's though is the salad bar. They are actually very, very modest calling it a salad bar. It's a long table, stacked on each side of every imaginable salad, appetizer, anti-pasta, etc you can imagine. Worth the price by itself.

 

LaCuccina....I had the Osso Bucca, which is probably the best I've ever had, bar none. Well prepared, oh so tender, and very flavorful. Service is great. The ambiance is exalctly what you'd expect from a more up scale Italian restaurant.

 

Cagney's....simply outstanding. I had the Filet Minion. It would match anything I've ever eaten at Morton's (if you're familiar with them). In another thread, there was some considerable hand wringing over the shrimp cocktail, whether you get 3, 6 or another number. Here's the deal, I ordered the shrimp cocktail. I asked them for 6 shrimp. My server brought me six, big, delicious shrimp. I saw a couple get two orders of 6 shrimp. So, you can get as many shrimp as you want, all for the same price. Again, service was outstanding.

 

But, the surprise gem, the go to place for me, when I didn't feel like going to any of the included restaurants, was Shanghais Noodle Bar. Being a solo, I sat at the long table in front of the chef's counter. I was immeidately engaged by Chef Eric. No matter what I ordered, it was delicious, fresh and prepared exactly to my liking (mostly udon noodles with seafood). Eric always gave me 2nds (and 3rds), as well as surprising me with a gratis concoction of his choosing (always outstanding). I think one time my bill came to $8, the next time it was $5. Best place on the ship to eat, hands down.

[graphicguy]

ENTERTAINMENT....Let me get this out of the way right up front. Like the Epic, the Breakaway offers the best entertainment on the sea, period, bar none. If you didn't/don't like the entertainment the Breakaway offers, then you either aren't paying attention, or you stay holed up in your cabin.

 

From rockwalls, to pools, to Broadway caliber shows, to games in the Atrium (anyone for a rousing "Deal or No Deal" encounter?), to rope walks, to ping pong, to comedy, to Blues, to jazzy pop....I could go on, but hopefully that paints the picture.

 

I didn't get to see everything. Lord knows I tried, but I failed.

 

I'll touch on what I did see. The big one, "Rock of Ages", an '80s rock....I guess for lack of a better term, big hair musical. It's been mentioned before, they use words that I'm sure everyone has heard, but some deem inappropriate. My advice? Get over it. That's the language of Rock (and of cops, and of the factory, and of every locker room I've been in, and of Soldiers, Sailors, and Air Corpsmen, of blue collars everywhere). My early "grown up" years were in the '80s. This was right in my wheelhouse....loud, obnoxious, anything goes. That's this play. It was also a movie (with Tom Cruise in the lead, no less).

 

Does it have any redeeming value? Does it make a profound social statement?Will it provide thought provoking insight to those who experience it in some fashion?

 

No, No and No. What it is a roaring, good time, set against the songs that blasted from my car as I was cruising my neighborhood decades ago. I loved it.

 

I compare it most closely to "Jersey Boys" (which uses the same type of language), which I also enjoyed for what it was. The music is different, but the story arc is similar.

 

Can't take pics while the performance is going on, but here's the venue....

 

[graphicguy]

Another big production is "Burn the Floor". Didn't think I'd be interested in this, since it involved ballroom dancing, which I'm not a fan of. Boy, was I wrong.

 

Take ballroom dancing, add a healthy dash of hot and loud music, some incredible acrobatics and talented dancers, shake all of that up and you have Burn the Floor. If you don't want to stand up and dance in your seat, take your pulse. Loved it, too.

 

Understand, these shows are easily comparable to what you'd spend $100+/ticket for in Vegas. They're performed on a ship, in an intimate theater environment, where there's not a bad seat in the house. Try to find that on Broadway or Vegas.

 

One short word on making reservations. I didn't. Not once. Sticking with the true "Freestyle" sailing, once I decided to go to the show, I checked performance times, got there 10 minutes before, and they let me in. Since there isn't a bad seat in the house, it didn't matter where I sat. Easy-Peezy!

[graphicguy]

Second City was fun. I went to one "early" show (meaning it was rated PG), and one late show (rated R). I enjoyed both. 3 comedians doing comedy improv. This show is strongly dependent on the audience as the actors feed off them. I can see if the audience is tepid, they're performance was, too.

 

Howl at the Moon is fun, too. I would stop there only in passing, as I forgot they were performing (dueling pianos playing audience requests). Another place that strongly depends on the audience's mood.

 

I have seen Cirque in Vegas, several times. I loved "O" at the Belagio, followed closely byt the Beatle's show "LOVE". All of their performances have been outstanding, though.

 

Was a bit put off by NCL once again, raising prices just several days after their innaugural Breakaway cruise. Again, this is just bad business. So, in my own little way, I declined to participate. Took some pics, though....

 

 

[graphicguy]

Love me some blues. Whenever I could catch Slam Allen, I did. I became a fan on the Epic. He's a great bluesman and played at Fat Cats.

 

[graphicguy]

The Atrium is sort of the main hub of the ship. You can see it from O'Sheehans (where I seemed to end up at the end of the day). Funny, I would go to O'Sheehans to get some late night wings and a beer in the evening, not planning to stay more than 30 minutes or so.

 

Only to notice, they were showing a movie, good ones, too. And I'd stay for the whole thing.

 

One of them was "Trouble with the Curve", Clint Eastwood's latest.

 

This is from sitting at the railing outside of O'Sheehans....

 

 

I also did the same for the latest Bourne movie.

 

They showed these uncut. So, while the kiddies should be in bed by the time they show these, if you have any that are per chance running around, tuck them in before watching these movies.

[graphicguy]

Certainly not a comprehensive look at all of the other entertainment, but a taste of what's available....

 

 

 

 

 

I want to make special mention about "Fire and Ice". A duo that played just about every evening in the Atrium. From Tina Turner to Earth Wind and Fire, just outstanding in every way. Another entertainment option where I would plan on getting a drink, and listen to maybe a song or two, and ended up staying an hour or two.

[graphicguy]

Mentioned earlier that the weather going to Bermuda (and coming back) was at best overcast, and at worst rough seas. So, on sea days, the pools weren't full, neither were the areas to catch some sun (as it was hiding, and it was pretty windy).

 

But, the outdoor areas of this ship is where it really shines. One of the biggest irritants I had with the Allure of the Seas was the way it didn't feel like a cruise, but like a big amusement park that did its best to hide it was actually on the water.

 

I spent many a sea day having drinks and talking with my new found friends on the outside areas...

 

You can even get into the shopping venues (Tradewinds) from outside....

 

 

Just a side note about shopping. I'm a watch hound. It's the only jewelry I wear. Bermuda doesn't offer and "deals", per se except you save tax. Most of their stores even advertise that they don't charge more than U.S. retail (really? Who pays retail?). The fine jewelry and watches on board the ship have pretty decent prices. Not the best, not the worst, but pretty decent, especially given you don't pay any sales tax. If you want a watch or piece of jewelry as a souvenir of your trip, but it on board as that's the best deal you're going to get if you're comparing to Bermuda or stores that adhere to U.S. retail. Caveat Emptor about jewelry, no secret that markups are huge. if you don't know much about precious stones, or about orecious metals, don't buy because it's a "deal". Buy because you like the piece. There are NEVER any deals on precious stones/metals....no matter where you go. 500% markup is a deal, IF (big IF) you know how to spot a quality stone.

[graphicguy]

More outside areas....

 

 

 

 

 

You can actually look down and sea the Oceran pass under your feet...

 

 

Freebies......

 

 

Rope walking...

 

Never could find anyone to play basketball with me (but again, it was windy).

 

[graphicguy]

I didn't take any pics of the casino, because...well, it's a casino. There are slot machines, roullette wheels, blackjack, 3 card poker, craps tables, etc. Not much to report. I played in one of the blackjack tournaments (lost $15). I won about $100 playing 3 card poker. As you can see, I'm not a high roller. But, I was ahead and that makes me happy. I'm not one of those "gotta be in the casino every day/night people" though.

 

One side was non-smoking, and I never smelled any smoke. The other side was smoking, and passing through, I could get a whiff of smoke every now and then, but not often. They've got that well in hand.

 

Interesting, if you get hungry while in the casino they have these little snacks tucked away in the corner (don't remember where, I just passed it and brabbed a finger sandwhich on my way to 3 card poker)....

 

[jdvmd]

What great comments and pictures! Thank you!