Breakaway Dec 15th Sailing - Thoughts/Review

[mluzzy1]

It had been years since I sailed NCL but because we didn't feel like flying to cruise - I searched close to our NJ home. We settled on the Breakaway because it was new ,close , and we were offered 500.00 onboard credit when we booked with AMEX 10 days before sailing. We stayed in a Haven Spa Suite for about 1350.00 pp which seemed to be a great deal.

 

I was a little concerned as the Breakaway seemed to get mixed reviews , but the offer was too good to pass up.

 

Embarkation:

 

Arrived at the pier parking lot at about 11am. Even thought the 35.00 a day is a little steep, parking that close outweighs the cost by a mile. We gave our bags to a porter and headed upstairs for check-in.

 

We found the Haven check in and were escorted into the small room exclusively used for Haven guests. We were done and being escorted to the gangway in under 10 minutes. During embarkation there is one elevator used for Haven guests which is nice. No fighting the crowds and they take you up to deck 16 into the Haven concierge area where lunch was served in the restaurant and snacks in the lounge and in the Haven courtyard.

 

Room:

 

Our Haven Spa Suite 14134 was great. Plenty of storage ,hi tech lighting ,a very comfy king size bed and although the balcony is short in depth , it's fine for its purpose. It's also longer than most of the regular room balconies. The bathroom also is nice with body sprays in the shower and a double sink.The shower could have been 6" wider in my opinion but a nice set up all in all. The whirlpool tub to me is a waste. Does anyone really use these? My preference has always been a real hot tub with real jets. If you want to sit in a bath and watch the ocean , it's nice but I think a couch or a bigger table in the room would serve a better purpose. The Lavazza Coffee machine was used every day for our morning coffee. A nice convenience and our fridge always had half and half and skim milk as requested.

 

Spa:

 

Our room choice included the spa access for the week. The spa is one of the nicer I've experienced in terms of layout and function. It's not huge but it was never packed. The heated loungers did always seem to be just about occupied on sea days, but the sauna ,steam room ,salt bath never seemed to have more than 4 people in them. The therapy pool area is great. The hot tub is actually hot which seems rare on cruise ships. The pool has very powerful individual jets on the long sides that are activated with a push button just outside the pool coping.2 of these were not functioning during our cruise but 4 were and they do wonders for loosening up your back.

 

Haven Area:

 

Restaurant - We did most of our breakfast , lunch and dinner here. We thought the food was very good and the service seemed to actually get better as the week passed. Between the mini buffet they set up every morning with fresh fruits ,yogurts,pastry etc and the regular breakfast menu there was always something delicious to eat. They also were very accommodating to my wife's gluten free diet , offering gluten free pasta ,pizza,waffles and the normal dishes served without sauces when they contained gluten .The assistant maitre 'd Bhisham was very helpful with this all week. They have nightly dinner specials as the menu is fixed for the week , but you can ask them to make anything really. We did pasta with pancetta,asparagus, and chicken in an alfredo sauce on two separate occasions. Just ask if you want something.

 

Courtyard: I prefer to be outside but the courtyard always had some people using the pool and hot tubs . The lounge chairs in the shallow water could have been used to make a bigger pool I think and maybe have added a bit more use to this area. They did retract the top a couple of the days.

 

Sun Deck: Having a private sun deck where you don't have to worry about getting a chair was a highlight. Between the clam shells and the loungers there always seemed to be room. Towels were always rolled up on the loungers and ready to use. Another nice touch. Downside - there should be a separate smoking area. One person smoked smack dab in the middle of the deck on a couple days which ruined it a little for us. Being on the ocean I want to breathe clean ocean air and not have to worry about second hand smoke getting to my lungs. I also thought it might be nice to have a couple of tables with umbrellas up there for lunch outside.

 

If I booked again on Breakaway I would probably go for a deck 15 or 16 room for it's convenience to the Haven area . DECK 14 is not a deal breaker but I like the idea of being "inside" the Haven area.

 

Two things we noticed that were not good in the Haven. Two families had children that should not have been allowed back in the Haven Restaurant. I come from a family of four children and my parents taught us how to sit respectfully in a restaurant without screaming constantly or running around. It's not that hard. These were not newborn babies they were kids that were brats and the parents did not care about their fellow guests. There were several families with well behaved children who were an absolute pleasure to dine with.

 

Second thing was the profanity that some used at the dinner table. This is a restaurant and there were a few people young and older that felt the need to use language that is simply not appropriate . They did it loudly and constantly. As an adult I didn't want to hear it and I can only imagine the parents with young ones that cringed when these people walked in. Sadly this was witnessed a few times throughout the ship.

 

Outside the Haven:

 

To be honest , we dreaded leaving the tranquility of the Haven area. The top decks are pretty packed during sea days and because of the small main pool area and the kid area being close by , it was pretty busy up there. The Garden Cafe area is a weird design in this day and age. Most new ships I've been on have islands for different types of food and not square cafeteria style buffets. We went here on a couple of occasions for soft serve frozen yogurt and a snack or two. But we mainly avoided it because we had food in the Haven. The Garden Cafe area feels claustrophobic to me , that's the only way I can describe it. Being around retail construction and architecture my whole life , I actually think it's one of the worst areas on the Breakaway.

 

The Uptown Grill - much better and one floor up from the Garden Cafe. Breakfast and Lunch , but forget that - just go for the Cinnamon buns in three varieties and the CHERRY Pies!! Very Tasty.

 

Moderno - If you like meat , do it. A very tasty salad bar and copious amounts of tasty chicken ,beef,and lamb. Very good desserts too. Coconut Flan and the skewered roasted pineapple cooked in brown sugar . Good stuff. That aft area above the Manhattan Room is really nicely appointed with a very retro dinner club feel.

 

We did not try the other venues because we actually really liked the Haven and because they already were in tune with our Gluten Free needs.

 

Waterfront - as many have said , underused. It's a shame because it's really a great space. Quiet and oceanside dining. Really a great location any time of the day.

 

Itinerary - We certainly didn't book for this itinerary . But we were bummed that 24 hours before Great Stirrup Cay it was canceled due to wind and waves. Someone should start a thread to keep count of how often this occurs. It seemed a bit hokey . Maybe they should invest in a dock there? If it's environmentally feasible. Cape Canaveral we stayed on the ship as we've been there many times. In Nassau we went to the Old Sheraton ,New Melia. We negotiated a 15.00 cab ride for 4 of us. (we gave him 20.00 with tip each way)and got a day room rate for 109.00 for 4 adults which included a room on the pool level,pool and beach access and towels and loungers. They have free wifi in the lobby. It's not the newest resort but for the money , it's a nice beach day. Day passes without a room are still 30.00.

 

Service: Generally very good. Our Wait staff in the Haven Restaurant were excellent. Jovia mainly waited on us and she was actually better as she got to know us. Again Bhisham was very accommodating with my wife's GF needs and any other requests. Lea , our Hostess was brilliant remembering our names by day two and always greeting with a smile.

 

Ven , our cabin steward was a pro. We made use of the make up my room and do not disturb buttons(why doesn't every ship have this)and we were never bothered and our room was always made up promptly. Invisible , but available if needed - he got one of our "hero" cards.

 

Mark , our Butler , was decent. We only used him a couple of times for food delivery which was fine. He reminded us a couple of times that he had 15 other cabins . We never pushed him or asked him for anything extraordinary. It was almost like he wanted us to lower our expectations of him which we thought was weird.

 

Debarkation:

 

We ate our last breakfast in the Haven restaurant at 6:30 and were escorted in our own elevators down to the gangway at 7:45 for the easy walk off. Using the two freight elevators like they do in the Haven really makes this usually painful process a pleasure. It was the one of the easiest debarkations ever.

[cruisebear84]

Thank you for your review! I got off this sailing myself and will be writing a review myself soon. There really is a GSC conspiracy theory going on; we were also disappointed but had a wonderful time nonetheless :)

[puddles99]

Thanks for your review! We'll be next door in 14132 for a C2N next month and appreciate your tips & perspective!

[meatball_nyc]

Great review. Thanks for taking the time to post it.

 

Happy Sailing!

 

 

 

~robin and brian

(summertime jersey shore beach bums)

Every Day at Sea is a Great Day

Norwegian Breakaway 2014

Carnival Miracle 2010

Carnival Legend 2006

[socrdad]

Thanks for taking the time to post your review. It is great to hear you enjoyed the Haven and all it's perks. This is making me more anxious for our BA trip in a few months.

[sks314]

This is not a fancy or cleverly worded review and certainly not for entertainment purposes. These are all facts and truthful statements of my experience on this very recent cruise. I was on deck 13 for those of you who care to know. Having always cruised RCCL I thought I'd give the new Breakaway ship a try. Although the ship is beautiful, I will never cruise NCL. To begin with, we never met our stateroom attendant, from the best of my knowledge we had two different attendants since one left the ship to go home. The hallways were littered with food trays and laundry bags on a regular basis. It took 3 days before the Cheerios that someone spilled on the carpet in the hall to be cleaned up, 4 days to get ice and a couple of glasses. There was vomit in the elevators, the bathrooms on the ship were also atrocious. Luckily I had the foresight to unmake the bed before we left because I found the bed was made over my husband's wet bathing suit. The food in the Garden Cafe was cold and had no variety. Although I must say the specialty restaurants were fabulous and so was the staff in the perfume shop. We had an opportunity to share our experience with an upper level crewman who sent several other crew to talk with us, however I did not see much change. There is not much more I can say except I hope you take this review seriously and consider another cruise line.

[david_sobe]

Thanks for the great review.

Amazing deal you got on a spa full suite 1350 pp. That is almost balcony stateroom prices. How did you land such a deal?

[bingo3]

Thanks for the great review.

Amazing deal you got on a spa full suite 1350 pp. That is almost balcony stateroom prices. How did you land such a deal?

 

That is a great deal, I am paying more than that for a plain old balcony (to Bermuda), and from what I hear, it's not much of a balcony..... may should just go with inside. Thanks for both the reviews posted here too, I do hope they get their act together before I sail her, getting depressed over all the reviews, and I don't hold with the "only the negative people write reviews", I have read reviews for many other ships and never this many negatives for any I have sailed, for the non-haven rooms. Haven seems to get better reviews. I will go with open mind, but may be my first and last NCL cruise. I talked my parents into going on this ship too though, so am nervous.

 

You said the waterfront is underutilized? Is that because there is no seating there perhaps? Unless you're in one of the restaurants? The pictures just basically show the open area and about all you could do is walk or stand, not much fun in that!

deb

[cruisebear84]

This is not a fancy or cleverly worded review and certainly not for entertainment purposes. These are all facts and truthful statements of my experience on this very recent cruise. I was on deck 13 for those of you who care to know. Having always cruised RCCL I thought I'd give the new Breakaway ship a try. Although the ship is beautiful, I will never cruise NCL. To begin with, we never met our stateroom attendant, from the best of my knowledge we had two different attendants since one left the ship to go home. The hallways were littered with food trays and laundry bags on a regular basis. It took 3 days before the Cheerios that someone spilled on the carpet in the hall to be cleaned up, 4 days to get ice and a couple of glasses. There was vomit in the elevators, the bathrooms on the ship were also atrocious. Luckily I had the foresight to unmake the bed before we left because I found the bed was made over my husband's wet bathing suit. The food in the Garden Cafe was cold and had no variety. Although I must say the specialty restaurants were fabulous and so was the staff in the perfume shop. We had an opportunity to share our experience with an upper level crewman who sent several other crew to talk with us, however I did not see much change. There is not much more I can say except I hope you take this review seriously and consider another cruise line.

 

What part of deck 13 were YOU on? Is this from the same sailing? I was on 13 too, and never saw the same trays on the ground twice. Saw my steward twice a day almost every day. If I needed anything, I was instructed to leave a note; if I called, he arrived less than 5 min later. Never saw vomit in the elevators, my beau used the public bathroom on deck 15, said they were pretty much like any other public bathroom. Garden Cafe was okay-- it's a buffet so I wasn't expecting world class food, but I always found something to eat and stuck with my faves. To the poster above, keep an open mind. This is once again proof that folks have different experience on the same cruise... Again, I had so much fun. Am already thinking of when to take my next one!

[mluzzy1]

Thanks for the great review.

Amazing deal you got on a spa full suite 1350 pp. That is almost balcony stateroom prices. How did you land such a deal?

 

I just kept watching prices the three weeks or so preceding. At about 10 days out , we booked it through Amex and also got 500.00 on board credit. It was a no brainer in my opinion.

[mluzzy1]

That is a great deal, I am paying more than that for a plain old balcony (to Bermuda), and from what I hear, it's not much of a balcony..... may should just go with inside. Thanks for both the reviews posted here too, I do hope they get their act together before I sail her, getting depressed over all the reviews, and I don't hold with the "only the negative people write reviews", I have read reviews for many other ships and never this many negatives for any I have sailed, for the non-haven rooms. Haven seems to get better reviews. I will go with open mind, but may be my first and last NCL cruise. I talked my parents into going on this ship too though, so am nervous.

 

You said the waterfront is underutilized? Is that because there is no seating there perhaps? Unless you're in one of the restaurants? The pictures just basically show the open area and about all you could do is walk or stand, not much fun in that!

deb

 

 

I think people just forget about it. There are multiple bars and a few areas with chairs /love seats and even televisions. Even the restaurant outside seating seems underused at night.

 

While I do think they can improve in some areas , I think some of the issues stem from the design of the ship. It can feel congested in areas at times. We really appreciated the Haven because it isolates you from the crowds and the two areas almost feel like two different ships. Don't worry - you'll find her enjoyable. If you like to lay out , try to land a Vibe pass.

[Keith1010]

I enjoyed reading your review.

 

Keith

[babygirl722]

Sailed on the beautiful BA during Thanksgiving week and had a fabulous time. While the weather was awful, the ship is beautiful and offers lots to do. We mainly ate in the specialty restaurants and the food was excellent. We will be back on her for the Feb 16th sailing!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[luckyinpa]

 

Room:

 

Our Haven Spa Suite 14134 was great. Plenty of storage ,hi tech lighting ,a very comfy king size bed and although the balcony is short in depth , it's fine for its purpose. It's also longer than most of the regular room balconies. The bathroom also is nice with body sprays in the shower and a double sink.The shower could have been 6" wider in my opinion but a nice set up all in all. The whirlpool tub to me is a waste. Does anyone really use these? My preference has always been a real hot tub with real jets. If you want to sit in a bath and watch the ocean , it's nice but I think a couch or a bigger table in the room would serve a better purpose. The Lavazza Coffee machine was used every day for our morning coffee. A nice convenience and our fridge always had half and half and skim milk as requested.

 

.

 

was there a pole in front of the hot tub?

[Clarea]

Thanks for the review!