Breakaway – August 4 - 11 – Pros & Cons:

[nycruise]

Pros:

 

On this particular sailing the weather was great. 6 days of sun and 2 of filtered sun. Not a single drop of rain the entire week.

 

Again on this particular sailing the seas were as smooth as glass - not a drop of movement on the ship. If you got seasick on this cruise, maybe you should give up cruising.

 

We arrived at noon and embarkation went smoothly. Cabins were ready and luggage delivered after we had lunch in the Garden Café.

 

The sail-a-way party was high energy and a lot of fun.

 

The ship is new so everything is obviously in great shape.

 

We never had a big problem with slow or jammed elevators.

 

Never had a problem getting a table in the Garden Café.

 

Our cabin was situated on deck 11, closer to the rear of the ship and was very convenient to the MDRs and Garden Café.

 

The ship was easy to navigate with most of the indoor venues on decks 6,7 & 8, and the outside venues on 15 & 16.

 

The bed was very comfortable and the cabin was very quiet, nested between cabins above and below and with quiet neighbors on either side. We lucked out.

 

We thought the food in the MDRs and the Garden Café was good, as compared to previous cruises. We ate in Taste and Savor once each and the Manhattan Dining Room twice. We also had dinner at La Cucina and at the Cirque show, both were fine. Considering they are feeding thousands it’s hard to have expectations of gourmet food.

 

The staff was great – friendly, efficient, polite and hardworking - no complaints here.

 

The entertainment was over the top - the best and biggest variety we’ve ever seen on a ship. Have you heard about too much of a good thing? More on that later.

 

We particularly enjoyed Fire & Ice, Cirque, and the band in the Manhattan dining room.

 

We really enjoyed the tour of Bermuda by bus. It ran 5 hours but did not seem long and you really got a good feel for the entire island. The driver/guide, Jovan Thomas, was particularly entertaining and really made the tour a highlight of the island for us. He was great.

 

Cons:

 

The cabin was long and narrow and had a configuration that just didn’t seem to work well for us, including the bathroom. The infamous closet next to the bed was also a nuisance.

 

The balcony was small and not comfortable for relaxing.

 

The ship was jam-packed. We heard there were 4800 passengers, and it showed in most of the public venues, particularly the pool deck, Atrium, H20, Manhattan Dining Room and the Garden Café.

 

The noise level on the ship made for a not very relaxing cruise. The acoustics in the Garden Café and Manhattan dining room made each of those venues frenetic to say the least.

 

There is no dress code whatsoever. Men were in the Manhattan Dining Room for dinner, in shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops, more appropriate for the pool deck.

 

There were too many people walking through the ship and in the elevators with buckets of beer.

 

The smoke in the casino is out of control and the design of the casino is confusing and intrusive in other areas of the ship.

 

The lack of flexibility regarding previously made reservations for dinner and shows was problematic. For example, we asked to move up our 6:30PM reservation for Cucina to 6:45PM but we were told it wasn’t possible. It’s pretty hard to know your exact schedule 45 days before the cruise. Also several of the shows were rescheduled 30 to 60 minutes before our reservation times, which made dinner reservations problematic.

 

The lack of lounge chairs in the shade, particularly on deck 8, was a disappointment. I don’t think we spent more than 15 minutes on lounge chairs the entire cruise.

 

The atrium was always crowded and if you weren’t there for the previous event you didn’t get a seat. For Deal or No Deal, not only were we standing but if you wanted to buy a $20 game card you had to stand in line for 30 minutes to make your purchase. There were so many in line that the game began 15 minutes late.

 

Burn the Floor was a bit repetitive and Rock Of Ages was overly long at 2 hours with no intermission.

 

For every show doors opened 30 to 45 minutes early again making all of the entertainment long and arduous if you wanted a good seat.

 

Bermuda is clean and safe but in our opinion very boring, particularly being there for almost 3 full days.

 

We took a boat tour to the Harbor Festival but found the festival to be a whole lot of nothing, pretty much a 3 block street fair, much as you would see in NYC but on a much smaller scale, selling bric-a-brac and street food. The best part of the tour was the sail back and forth between the ship and Hamilton.

 

On the last day we took a 2 hour boat tour of “Famous People’s Homes.” I guess there aren’t many famous people with homes in Bermuda.

 

In the late evenings when “parties” were held in H20, the venue was always jammed and the music amped up to a level that hurt your ears.

We found the sound systems were always amped to the point of distraction particularly in H20 and the Breakaway Theater. Rock Of Ages was 2 hours of eardrum busting sound.

 

The worst event of the week was the Fireworks on the last night. Half of H20 was roped off so hordes of people were herded in the remaining half, including young children in strollers and the elderly in wheelchairs. The situation seemed unsafe in our opinion and we remained close to the entrance/exit, ready to make a hasty exit. There was no one from the staff controlling the numbers of people streaming in, not a good situation. About 5 minutes into the fireworks (not all that impressive), we felt about 3 or 4 inches of water at our feet and people began to panic and a crush began to make a hasty retreat out of the area. Again no one was in charge, no announcements were made. We later heard the hot tubs spilled over onto the deck. The reason was unclear since the seas were as smooth as glass. Some said that with all the people jammed on to one side of the ship, the shipped listed causing the water to spill. Not a great situation.

 

Although the individual parts of the cruise were pretty good, the whole experience wasn’t what we had hoped for. Maybe in the fall and winter when the ship isn’t as crowded, and NCL has a few more months to refine things, and with a Caribbean itinerary that is more interesting, a better overall experience will be provided.

[wasiii]

Pros:

 

On this particular sailing the weather was great. 6 days of sun and 2 of filtered sun. Not a single drop of rain the entire week.

 

Again on this particular sailing the seas were as smooth as glass - not a drop of movement on the ship. If you got seasick on this cruise, maybe you should give up cruising.

 

We arrived at noon and embarkation went smoothly. Cabins were ready and luggage delivered after we had lunch in the Garden Café.

 

The sail-a-way party was high energy and a lot of fun.

 

The ship is new so everything is obviously in great shape.

 

We never had a big problem with slow or jammed elevators.

 

Never had a problem getting a table in the Garden Café.

 

Our cabin was situated on deck 11, closer to the rear of the ship and was very convenient to the MDRs and Garden Café.

 

The ship was easy to navigate with most of the indoor venues on decks 6,7 & 8, and the outside venues on 15 & 16.

 

The bed was very comfortable and the cabin was very quiet, nested between cabins above and below and with quiet neighbors on either side. We lucked out.

 

We thought the food in the MDRs and the Garden Café was good, as compared to previous cruises. We ate in Taste and Savor once each and the Manhattan Dining Room twice. We also had dinner at La Cucina and at the Cirque show, both were fine. Considering they are feeding thousands it’s hard to have expectations of gourmet food.

 

The staff was great – friendly, efficient, polite and hardworking - no complaints here.

 

The entertainment was over the top - the best and biggest variety we’ve ever seen on a ship. Have you heard about too much of a good thing? More on that later.

 

We particularly enjoyed Fire & Ice, Cirque, and the band in the Manhattan dining room.

 

We really enjoyed the tour of Bermuda by bus. It ran 5 hours but did not seem long and you really got a good feel for the entire island. The driver/guide, Jovan Thomas, was particularly entertaining and really made the tour a highlight of the island for us. He was great.

 

Cons:

 

The cabin was long and narrow and had a configuration that just didn’t seem to work well for us, including the bathroom. The infamous closet next to the bed was also a nuisance.

 

The balcony was small and not comfortable for relaxing.

 

The ship was jam-packed. We heard there were 4800 passengers, and it showed in most of the public venues, particularly the pool deck, Atrium, H20, Manhattan Dining Room and the Garden Café.

 

The noise level on the ship made for a not very relaxing cruise. The acoustics in the Garden Café and Manhattan dining room made each of those venues frenetic to say the least.

 

There is no dress code whatsoever. Men were in the Manhattan Dining Room for dinner, in shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops, more appropriate for the pool deck.

 

There were too many people walking through the ship and in the elevators with buckets of beer.

 

The smoke in the casino is out of control and the design of the casino is confusing and intrusive in other areas of the ship.

 

The lack of flexibility regarding previously made reservations for dinner and shows was problematic. For example, we asked to move up our 6:30PM reservation for Cucina to 6:45PM but we were told it wasn’t possible. It’s pretty hard to know your exact schedule 45 days before the cruise. Also several of the shows were rescheduled 30 to 60 minutes before our reservation times, which made dinner reservations problematic.

 

The lack of lounge chairs in the shade, particularly on deck 8, was a disappointment. I don’t think we spent more than 15 minutes on lounge chairs the entire cruise.

 

The atrium was always crowded and if you weren’t there for the previous event you didn’t get a seat. For Deal or No Deal, not only were we standing but if you wanted to buy a $20 game card you had to stand in line for 30 minutes to make your purchase. There were so many in line that the game began 15 minutes late.

 

Burn the Floor was a bit repetitive and Rock Of Ages was overly long at 2 hours with no intermission.

 

For every show doors opened 30 to 45 minutes early again making all of the entertainment long and arduous if you wanted a good seat.

 

Bermuda is clean and safe but in our opinion very boring, particularly being there for almost 3 full days.

 

We took a boat tour to the Harbor Festival but found the festival to be a whole lot of nothing, pretty much a 3 block street fair, much as you would see in NYC but on a much smaller scale, selling bric-a-brac and street food. The best part of the tour was the sail back and forth between the ship and Hamilton.

 

On the last day we took a 2 hour boat tour of “Famous People’s Homes.” I guess there aren’t many famous people with homes in Bermuda.

 

In the late evenings when “parties” were held in H20, the venue was always jammed and the music amped up to a level that hurt your ears.

We found the sound systems were always amped to the point of distraction particularly in H20 and the Breakaway Theater. Rock Of Ages was 2 hours of eardrum busting sound.

 

The worst event of the week was the Fireworks on the last night. Half of H20 was roped off so hordes of people were herded in the remaining half, including young children in strollers and the elderly in wheelchairs. The situation seemed unsafe in our opinion and we remained close to the entrance/exit, ready to make a hasty exit. There was no one from the staff controlling the numbers of people streaming in, not a good situation. About 5 minutes into the fireworks (not all that impressive), we felt about 3 or 4 inches of water at our feet and people began to panic and a crush began to make a hasty retreat out of the area. Again no one was in charge, no announcements were made. We later heard the hot tubs spilled over onto the deck. The reason was unclear since the seas were as smooth as glass. Some said that with all the people jammed on to one side of the ship, the shipped listed causing the water to spill. Not a great situation.

 

Although the individual parts of the cruise were pretty good, the whole experience wasn’t what we had hoped for. Maybe in the fall and winter when the ship isn’t as crowded, and NCL has a few more months to refine things, and with a Caribbean itinerary that is more interesting, a better overall experience will be provided.

 

.....when I first saw your review, I was happy with all the pros you put down.

 

Then I saw the cons list was bigger than the pros I was a little worried.

 

Now I still can't wait to cruise in 13 days to check this BBS (Big Beautiful Ship) out myself.

 

;)

 

wasiii

[cruisendave]

I agree with all of the pro's on the Breakaway, we sailed just the week before. As for the con's, not so much. The sound system in the theater was great, we liked it loud for the 80's rock music during "Rock of Ages", wouldn't want it any other way. Burn the floor we loved and really did not find repetitive. Althought the atrium was crowded, it had a nice buzz to it and was always hopping. In our opinion the casino was easy to navigate, and smelled like smoke when you were actually in it, but not a big deal. Fortunately we were able to see the fireworks from our balcony, which was great. Nice and quiet, but we were port side and told we would have a good view.

 

Thanks for your review, just goes to show that it depends on each individual how you experience things. I think everyone going on the Breakaway needs to realize you can't hide over 4,000 people on a ship and make it quiet and intimate.

[nycruise]

I agree with all of the pro's on the Breakaway, we sailed just the week before. As for the con's, not so much. The sound system in the theater was great, we liked it loud for the 80's rock music during "Rock of Ages", wouldn't want it any other way. Burn the floor we loved and really did not find repetitive. Althought the atrium was crowded, it had a nice buzz to it and was always hopping. In our opinion the casino was easy to navigate, and smelled like smoke when you were actually in it, but not a big deal. Fortunately we were able to see the fireworks from our balcony, which was great. Nice and quiet, but we were port side and told we would have a good view.

 

Thanks for your review, just goes to show that it depends on each individual how you experience things. I think everyone going on the Breakaway needs to realize you can't hide over 4,000 people on a ship and make it quiet and intimate.

 

In our opinion, 4800 passengers on a ship the size of the Breakaway reaches the tipping point and detracts from the enjoyment of the cruise experience. Cruise ships should be more than passenger haulers.

 

So Dave since you sailed the week before us, what were your CONS or did you find everything perfect??

[cruisendave]

Of course everything is never perfect, but it helps us to go in with that attitude from the beginning. Our biggest con would probably have to be some of the rude passengers and the folks who complained a lot.

 

We love Bermuda and have been there five times. It is such a beautiful, clean, and friendly Island. We wish we could have stayed longer, but we also like to explore on our own rather than do tours. Sorry to hear that your trip did not measure up to your expectations.

[JuneauWhatIMean]

I love you Dave! :D

[cjknox]

Pros:

 

On this particular sailing the weather was great. 6 days of sun and 2 of filtered sun. Not a single drop of rain the entire week.

 

Again on this particular sailing the seas were as smooth as glass - not a drop of movement on the ship. If you got seasick on this cruise, maybe you should give up cruising.

 

We arrived at noon and embarkation went smoothly. Cabins were ready and luggage delivered after we had lunch in the Garden Café.

 

The sail-a-way party was high energy and a lot of fun.

 

The ship is new so everything is obviously in great shape.

 

We never had a big problem with slow or jammed elevators.

 

Never had a problem getting a table in the Garden Café.

 

Our cabin was situated on deck 11, closer to the rear of the ship and was very convenient to the MDRs and Garden Café.

 

The ship was easy to navigate with most of the indoor venues on decks 6,7 & 8, and the outside venues on 15 & 16.

 

The bed was very comfortable and the cabin was very quiet, nested between cabins above and below and with quiet neighbors on either side. We lucked out.

 

We thought the food in the MDRs and the Garden Café was good, as compared to previous cruises. We ate in Taste and Savor once each and the Manhattan Dining Room twice. We also had dinner at La Cucina and at the Cirque show, both were fine. Considering they are feeding thousands it’s hard to have expectations of gourmet food.

 

The staff was great – friendly, efficient, polite and hardworking - no complaints here.

 

The entertainment was over the top - the best and biggest variety we’ve ever seen on a ship. Have you heard about too much of a good thing? More on that later.

 

We particularly enjoyed Fire & Ice, Cirque, and the band in the Manhattan dining room.

 

We really enjoyed the tour of Bermuda by bus. It ran 5 hours but did not seem long and you really got a good feel for the entire island. The driver/guide, Jovan Thomas, was particularly entertaining and really made the tour a highlight of the island for us. He was great.

 

Cons:

 

The cabin was long and narrow and had a configuration that just didn’t seem to work well for us, including the bathroom. The infamous closet next to the bed was also a nuisance.

 

The balcony was small and not comfortable for relaxing.

 

The ship was jam-packed. We heard there were 4800 passengers, and it showed in most of the public venues, particularly the pool deck, Atrium, H20, Manhattan Dining Room and the Garden Café.

 

The noise level on the ship made for a not very relaxing cruise. The acoustics in the Garden Café and Manhattan dining room made each of those venues frenetic to say the least.

 

There is no dress code whatsoever. Men were in the Manhattan Dining Room for dinner, in shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops, more appropriate for the pool deck.

 

There were too many people walking through the ship and in the elevators with buckets of beer.

 

The smoke in the casino is out of control and the design of the casino is confusing and intrusive in other areas of the ship.

 

The lack of flexibility regarding previously made reservations for dinner and shows was problematic. For example, we asked to move up our 6:30PM reservation for Cucina to 6:45PM but we were told it wasn’t possible. It’s pretty hard to know your exact schedule 45 days before the cruise. Also several of the shows were rescheduled 30 to 60 minutes before our reservation times, which made dinner reservations problematic.

 

The lack of lounge chairs in the shade, particularly on deck 8, was a disappointment. I don’t think we spent more than 15 minutes on lounge chairs the entire cruise.

 

The atrium was always crowded and if you weren’t there for the previous event you didn’t get a seat. For Deal or No Deal, not only were we standing but if you wanted to buy a $20 game card you had to stand in line for 30 minutes to make your purchase. There were so many in line that the game began 15 minutes late.

 

Burn the Floor was a bit repetitive and Rock Of Ages was overly long at 2 hours with no intermission.

 

For every show doors opened 30 to 45 minutes early again making all of the entertainment long and arduous if you wanted a good seat.

 

Bermuda is clean and safe but in our opinion very boring, particularly being there for almost 3 full days.

 

We took a boat tour to the Harbor Festival but found the festival to be a whole lot of nothing, pretty much a 3 block street fair, much as you would see in NYC but on a much smaller scale, selling bric-a-brac and street food. The best part of the tour was the sail back and forth between the ship and Hamilton.

 

On the last day we took a 2 hour boat tour of “Famous People’s Homes.” I guess there aren’t many famous people with homes in Bermuda.

 

In the late evenings when “parties” were held in H20, the venue was always jammed and the music amped up to a level that hurt your ears.

We found the sound systems were always amped to the point of distraction particularly in H20 and the Breakaway Theater. Rock Of Ages was 2 hours of eardrum busting sound.

 

The worst event of the week was the Fireworks on the last night. Half of H20 was roped off so hordes of people were herded in the remaining half, including young children in strollers and the elderly in wheelchairs. The situation seemed unsafe in our opinion and we remained close to the entrance/exit, ready to make a hasty exit. There was no one from the staff controlling the numbers of people streaming in, not a good situation. About 5 minutes into the fireworks (not all that impressive), we felt about 3 or 4 inches of water at our feet and people began to panic and a crush began to make a hasty retreat out of the area. Again no one was in charge, no announcements were made. We later heard the hot tubs spilled over onto the deck. The reason was unclear since the seas were as smooth as glass. Some said that with all the people jammed on to one side of the ship, the shipped listed causing the water to spill. Not a great situation.

 

Although the individual parts of the cruise were pretty good, the whole experience wasn’t what we had hoped for. Maybe in the fall and winter when the ship isn’t as crowded, and NCL has a few more months to refine things, and with a Caribbean itinerary that is more interesting, a better overall experience will be provided.

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, those cons are pretty troubling though.

[islandhoppingfool]

This is the first time in all of my years going to one of my favorite islands, hearing that Bermuda is boring....:confused::confused::confused:

 

I appreciate the time and effort you put in your review, but it is such the opposite of all the other reviews for the same week.

 

Just goes to show....different strokes for different folks.

[Love my butler]

So sorry you had a bad cruise on a bad ship. If you read CC you were warned. Hopefully others will heed your warning before they are burned as well.

[tiffygirl]

 

There is no dress code whatsoever. Men were in the Manhattan Dining Room for dinner, in shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops, more appropriate for the pool deck.

 

There were too many people walking through the ship and in the elevators with buckets of beer.

 

 

first, thanks for your review. its good read other folks opinions on their experiences.

 

now in all my days of reading reviews you must be the first to complain about the buckets of beer drinkers:). so my question is how and why did these 'cons' affect your cruise negatively?

[pe4all]

Thank you for your review. I will be on the Breakaway this Sunday - my first NCL cruise after 16 Carnivals in a row. I am interested in seeing how the two measure up against each other - especially the CCL Breeze v Breakaway, as my last 2 cruises have been on the "mega-ship" Breeze, with just as many people, but a not-as-good passenger to space ratio. I was always able to find a quiet deck chair on Breeze (right outside their casino on deck 5 was a favorite spot) and hope I can do so next week. Question: did you happen to see the Vibe area? I can't decide whether to buy the week pass there, as I am hoping the deck chair hogs won't be as rampant. A pool is not a neccessity for us - but a nice quiet area is. Or should we just hunt around for chair "off the beaten path?"

[NYGirl1002]

Thanks for your review. I will be sure to avoid the same "pitfalls" a week from Sunday on the Breakaway. Those beer bucket drinkers are sure to be dangerous.

[sailingnut]

I think when I go on October 6th, it will not be as crowded as the Summer~~anyway I am going to enjoy every minute~~this will be my fourth time to Bermuda and I love it!:)

[punkincc]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, those cons are pretty troubling though.

 

Yes, were I making my first trip to Bermuda, I would know exactly how boring the island is, and probably not even bother to get off the ship!!

[nycruise]

"Of course everything is never perfect, but it helps us to go in with that attitude from the beginning."

 

I like to go in with a discriminating eye and compare things to previous cruises. Considering this was not an inexpensive cruise I think you might give NCL too much leeway regarding their performance.

 

 

"This is the first time in all of my years going to one of my favorite islands, hearing that Bermuda is boring."

 

Compared to ports like Venice, Rome, Barcelona, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, etc., yes we considered it boring spending 3 days there. Other than going to the beach there doesn't seem like there's much else to do.

 

 

"So sorry you had a bad cruise on a bad ship"

 

Who said that?:confused:

 

 

"now in all my days of reading reviews you must be the first to complain about the buckets of beer drinkers. so my question is how and why did these 'cons' affect your cruise negatively?"

 

Sets an ambiance for a vacation, seems Carnival gets the bad rap but in my mind NCL is quickly catching up. When we traveled on the Dawn, 10 years ago, the ship had a much classier ambiance and clientele.

[NYGirl1002]

In defense of the OP I do say that Bermuda is not all that exciting. Yes it is absolutely beautiful and clean and the people are wonderful and I think that's why most people love it there.

 

Depending on what you are looking for in a destination it could be considered boring.

 

I like the beach..but I don't like to spend 3 days at beaches. I can't see one excursion I'd actually book.

 

However with that being said I am looking forward to being on the Breakaway and spending the Bermuda time at the beach with my daughter and sister and her family all of whom enjoy the beach. I will enjoy relaxing.

[nycruise]

Just thought of another PRO:

 

The Ice Bar was fun, a unique experience. The drinks were good and the bartender took lots of pictures of the guests. We lasted about 20 minutes.

 

But every PRO must have a CON:;)

 

You needed reservations for the Ice Bar also. I didn't realized that but my wife caught it and we were able to get in. It's rather small & only open in the evenings, so make sure to book ahead. It was a week of making reservations; nothing impromptu or "freestyle" about this ship.

[punkincc]

In defense of the OP I do say that Bermuda is not all that exciting. Yes it is absolutely beautiful and clean and the people are wonderful and I think that's why most people love it there.

 

Depending on what you are looking for in a destination it could be considered boring.

 

I like the beach..but I don't like to spend 3 days at beaches. I can't see one excursion I'd actually book.

 

However with that being said I am looking forward to being on the Breakaway and spending the Bermuda time at the beach with my daughter and sister and her family all of whom enjoy the beach. I will enjoy relaxing.

 

Well, no cave tubing, zip lining and those sort of things, but snorkeling, scuba, boating, jet skiing, shopping, cave tours, historic site touring, scenic walks along beautiful deserted beaches, ferry riding, sea glass hunting, fantastic miniature golf, world class golf courses, swim with dolphins, YES! 3 days was not nearly long enough for me!

[Starry Eyes]

"Of course everything is never perfect, but it helps us to go in with that attitude from the beginning."

 

I like to go in with a discriminating eye and compare things to previous cruises. Considering this was not an inexpensive cruise I think you might give NCL too much leeway regarding their performance.

 

 

"This is the first time in all of my years going to one of my favorite islands, hearing that Bermuda is boring."

 

Compared to ports like Venice, Rome, Barcelona, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, etc., yes we considered it boring spending 3 days there. Other than going to the beach there doesn't seem like there's much else to do.

 

 

"So sorry you had a bad cruise on a bad ship"

 

Who said that?:confused:

 

 

"now in all my days of reading reviews you must be the first to complain about the buckets of beer drinkers. so my question is how and why did these 'cons' affect your cruise negatively?"

 

Sets an ambiance for a vacation, seems Carnival gets the bad rap but in my mind NCL is quickly catching up. When we traveled on the Dawn, 10 years ago, the ship had a much classier ambiance and clientele.

I enjoy Bermuda. I am not much of a beach person, but I always find enough to do. Clean and classy, I like it better than most island destinations. I really think you should compare it to other island/beach destinations. Comparing it to cultural haven and big cities (Venice, Rome, Barcelona, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston) is comparing apples and oranges. Your list of favorites suggests you may be looking for a different type of destination; when Breakaway hits the Caribbean, it still will not take you places comparable to Venice, Rome, Barcelona, San Francisco, Seattle, or Boston.

 

Do you really think the ambiance is spoiled by NCL selling buckets of beer to people who want to lounge by the pool on their summer vacation? I have never bought a bucket of beer in my life, but I am happy to see it offered to those who enjoy that beverage. Again, to me this implies you might be seeking a different type of vacation than many others aboard.

 

Maybe the Med next time? Or the Baltics? Or a coastal cruise? There are so many wonderful choices for those you like cities and history and architecture and culture. Thankfully, there are also cruises for those you want to kick back on a beach.

[nycruise]

I enjoy Bermuda. I am not much of a beach person, but I always find enough to do. Clean and classy, I like it better than most island destinations. I really think you should compare it to other island/beach destinations. Comparing it to cultural haven and big cities (Venice, Rome, Barcelona, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston) is comparing apples and oranges. Your list of favorites suggests you may be looking for a different type of destination; when Breakaway hits the Caribbean, it still will not take you places comparable to Venice, Rome, Barcelona, San Francisco, Seattle, or Boston.

 

Do you really think the ambiance is spoiled by NCL selling buckets of beer to people who want to lounge by the pool on their summer vacation? I have never bought a bucket of beer in my life, but I am happy to see it offered to those who enjoy that beverage. Again, to me this implies you might be seeking a different type of vacation than many others aboard.

 

Maybe the Med next time? Or the Baltics? Or a coastal cruise? There are so many wonderful choices for those you like cities and history and architecture and culture. Thankfully, there are also cruises for those you want to kick back on a beach.

 

I believe the ambiance of the cruise is affected by passengers walking through the hallways, elevators, buffet and lounges with buckets of beer in their arms, just as I think the ambiance is affected by people wearing shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops to the "dressy" Manhattan dining room for dinner.

 

As for comparing Bermuda to other Caribbean islands, I'm not aware of any Caribbean island where a cruise ship docks for 3 days. As a matter of fact I'm not aware of any destination worldwide where a ship docks for 3 days. I guess Bermuda must be the most interesting destination in the world.:D

[Starry Eyes]

I believe the ambiance of the cruise is affected by passengers walking through the hallways, elevators, buffet and lounges with buckets of beer in their arms, just as I think the ambiance is affected by people wearing shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops to the "dressy" Manhattan dining room for dinner.

 

As for comparing Bermuda to other Caribbean islands, I'm not aware of any Caribbean island where a cruise ship docks for 3 days. As a matter of fact I'm not aware of any destination worldwide where a ship docks for 3 days. I guess Bermuda must be the most interesting destination in the world.:D

 

I know you do not, but many people love Bermuda. Not only do cruise ships dock there for days, but people actually fly there and stay for a week or more;). Imagine! in fact, people fly to other island to spend weeks at a time, too. shocking, I know, but other people like it.

 

Anyway,though not your style, bermuda cruises often draw a premium price vs the (same old same old to me) Caribbean cruise. And cruises that stay more nights in Bermuda garner higher fares than longer one's with a short stay in Bermuda plus time in ports like Boston (I know because I did both back to back last year). there are wonderful options for different people, so why not leave the Bermuda cruise to those who love them.

[newyorkray]

I posted a number of times having been a faithful Celebrity cruiser about 10 times and very satisfied. Extended family wanted to go on the Breakaway Sept 15 so am venturing out on my first non-Celebrity cruise. I posted concern a few times after reading too much negativity (seems most is caused by over crowding. I have tried to stay positive, I am an optimist, but now have to finally said I am sorry I booked the breakaway. Can't be that many people who are natural complainers. Must be something to it!!

[tinkandpan]

The family in front of us was turned away from the manhattan room for wearing shorts and open toed shoes. So while the dress code is slightly relaxed, I didn't find people took advantage of it

[Starry Eyes]

I posted a number of times having been a faithful Celebrity cruiser about 10 times and very satisfied. Extended family wanted to go on the Breakaway Sept 15 so am venturing out on my first non-Celebrity cruise. I posted concern a few times after reading too much negativity (seems most is caused by over crowding. I have tried to stay positive, I am an optimist, but now have to finally said I am sorry I booked the breakaway. Can't be that many people who are natural complainers. Must be something to it!!

 

Oh, there are lots and lots of natural complainers. And the internet is now their favored habitat.

 

All kidding aside, I suspect the ship is Carrying a heavy load of passengers with lots of cabin of 3 or 4. once schools are back in session, the passenger load may drop back down a bit; that may help by mid September.

 

I like both line, but NCL has a different style than Celebrity. Try to Keep the positive attitude and try to embrace the difference.

[bingo3]

We are actually taking this cruise because IT DOES stay in Bermuda for almost 3 full days!! Our last cruise there many years ago was shorter and we could not do all we wanted to do. Even when Carnival was going to Bermuda from our home state (2 hour drive to port....) a year or so ago, we were not interested because they were only there 1 1/2 days and one of those days was Sunday, when most everything is closed.

 

I can only assume many people like this itinerary as it is repeated...... To each his own! I guess if I did my research and didn't feel there was enough to keep me busy and happy, I would not have chosen this particular itinerary.

debbie