Breakaway 3/23 - Tales of a Freestyle Convert

[windjamming]

Hello all, just got home from a wonderful week on the Breakaway!

 

In short, it was awesome. It was the perfect cruise for the perfect time of the year. After the winter we just had here in the northeast, my parents and I looked forward to some relaxing, the sun, and some good eats. Done, done, and done - in spades.

 

First, some preconceived notions to confirm or dispel.

 

1. Driving to the pier rocks. TRUE. Woke up at a decent hour last Sunday and was on the ship just after 12:30 even with a late start. Got home to NJ before 11 am yesterday.

 

2. Freestyle rocks. TRUE. This was not the vacation I wanted to be fussing with fancy clothes. Not only did that cut our luggage by a good amount, we loved deciding on a daily basis where and when we felt like eating. Don't want to dress up? No problem, you'd actually be hard pressed to find somewhere that evening wear was required. Don't want to do a dining room? No problem, the Garden Cafe buffet is a great alternative. Don't want to eat a full meal? Just grab a snack at O'Sheehan's or depending on time of day, the Uptown Grill. The Garden Cafe is also open until 11:30pm.

 

3. Service is poor because of prepaid gratuities, and we'll get nickel and dimed on everything. FALSE. Outside of a very few exceptions, the crew was very friendly and helpful. At the Garden Cafe, during peak hours, plates were picked up quickly, silverware refilled, and there were lots of waiters walking around, making sure things ran smoothly. We never felt like we *had* to spend anything above the complimentary offerings.

 

4. The cruise would be largely New Yorkers. FALSE. There were lots of folks from NY and NJ (like us) but many, many people from Ohio and Michigan and Florida and Virginia and pretty much everywhere else. Were there more than a few Yankees or Mets caps? Sure, but you get local fans at every homeport.

 

5. I wouldn't like the cruise, because it wasn't Royal Caribbean. FALSE! I'm a bit embarrassed of this one, but I'm thrilled to have been proven wrong. The line we sail most is RCI, and I had been concerned that we wouldn't get used to a new line. We ended up coming away from the cruise thinking that the 2 lines were much more similar than different and that Freestyle cruising is really awesome. (I'm looking at you next, Epic.)

 

Planning

 

I had intended to do some serious research on the Breakaway, but life got in the way. I read several reviews (thank you to meatball_nyc, Gambee, Tralfie, SliceOfLife, and RikkuCat for the fantastic trip reports and helpful information) to get a general sense of the ship but figured we'd figure out the rest when we got there. From the reviews, we knew to pre-book reservations for entertainment and dining, but beyond that, we pretty much left things open. Hey, it's Freestyle cruising!

 

OK, onto the play-by-play. I tend to be detailed and sometimes ramble, so if you want to bypass the details, skip right to the summary section for each day. I also did not take notes during the cruise, so I may have some dates or names mixed up. I am pretty sure I was on the Breakaway, though.

 

Day 1 - NYC

 

Today was the day! Finally, after the winter that WOULD NOT END, we were going on our spring vacation! We had a late start but still got to port by 11:30. The Architectural Digest home show was happening at the pier next to the Breakaway, so there was some traffic getting to the parking deck. After paying the $280 for parking (Amex not accepted - only MC and Visa, and presumably cash) and an obligatory sniff of the car trunk by the security dog, we were able to find a decent spot and then hauled our luggage down the escalator to ground level to drop it off.

 

Once we got inside, security was the first stop (after a bathroom break). There were 3 or 4 security desks, and the guy at the very end kept the line moving fast by constantly directing folks to have their passport out and ready. We zipped through and then had to find the right line to check in. A nice lady asked us what deck we were on and if we'd sailed before and then sent us to a line. I am not sure what the criteria is exactly for each line, but the system seemed to work ok. We were in line for maybe 20 minutes, filled out the illness forms, handed over our cruise docs, and finally picked up our key cards. (On NCL, key cards come in different colors, which is quite useful. I always knew at a glance whether it was my card or my mom's or dad's when it was sitting on the desk.)

 

It was about 12:30 now, and there was no line to get onboard. We walked right onto the gangway and entered the ship on Deck 7, near the Manhattan Room. Since we were on Deck 9, we just walked up 2 flights of stairs with our carry-ons and were able to enter our stateroom right away. This was an improvement from Royal Caribbean, which does not allow staterooms to be open until 1 or 1:30.

 

By this point, we were starving, so we quickly dropped off our things, looked around the B6 stateroom a bit, and then set off to find the Garden Cafe - where the rest of the ship appeared to also be finding lunch. The first thing I noticed about the Garden Cafe was that there are sinks as well as the antibacterial dispensers. I used the sinks and soap and paper towels often the next 7 days prior to entering the buffet and appreciated the option.

 

The Garden Cafe is a cafeteria style buffet (rather than 'island' style) with 4 sides. There were stations of different types of food, like pizza, or burgers/hot dogs, Asian, salad, or desserts. There were generally 2 or 3 repeats of a particular station along the 4 sides, so if one station was super crowded, chances are, you could just walk a bit and get to the same food with a shorter line.

 

We loved the Garden Cafe. Although the selections repeated, we found the quality to be quite good. I'll speak a bit on what I had in each day's review, but most importantly I'll share that they had real ice cream (not soft serve) every day at lunch and dinner. They also always had a warm cobbler, so you could get it a la mode. OH and they always had some warm caramel sauce at lunch and dinner and even at breakfast (with bananas) for waffles and pancakes. How good of an idea is this?? I'm thinking of ways I could rig a crockpot with warm caramel sauce to sit at work all day.

 

After lunch, we went back to the room and familiarized ourselves with the room. As in some hotels, a card was required in a special slot for the room to have power. It doesn't have to be a key card -- any card will do. Another nice feature of the room is the "make up room" and "do not disturb" buttons. When the "make up room" button is pressed, a green light will appear above the door. For "do not disturb", it was a red light, and if the power was on, a white light. Presumably the cabin attendant could see which cabins needed making up without actually coming to the rooms.

 

Muster was at 2:30, and we headed down to O'Sheehan's. It was…disorganized. You had to get your key card scanned by a crew member, but the crew member for our muster station was kind of in the background. As a result lots of people went straight to a seat and didn't know they had to get scanned, which of course, led to lots of "missing" people. Since O'Sheehan's was open for lunch and waiters stopped for muster, the tables were largely unbussed, which made for a rather chaotic atmosphere.

 

After muster, we saw our luggage in the hallway, rolled it over to our stateroom, and unpacked. The ship started moving, so we took some pictures of Manhattan from our port side balcony. We passed by the new Freedom Tower and then realized we had to go to a Starboard side deck to see the Statue of Liberty. By the time we realized which deck was closest (the Waterfront on Deck 8) and got there, we'd already gone by Lady Liberty!

 

Went up to the Garden Cafe to enjoy views of going under the Verrazano and to get a cup of tea. Tried to stop by the library but found the bookshelves locked. It seems the library is only open a couple of hours a day.

 

Dinner was at Manhattan Room, where there was no lobster but still lots of good food! (Lobster would be at the Seafood Buffet on Day 2 in the Garden Cafe) I had a salad and the linguine vongole, which I would later find out was an everyday item. It didn't deter from my enjoyment, though. Our waiter was very overwhelmed, so it took us over 2 hours to finish dinner.

 

We watched the 9pm welcome aboard show, where we met Dan the Man, the cruise director, and Simon, his assistant CD. A number of senior officers were introduced, and they had a preview of Burn the Floor.

 

After the show, we were all exhausted, so went to bed.

 

The Short Version

 

* Boarding was smooth at noonish. Keep your passport out.

 

* On sail-away, Manhattan on port side, Statue of Liberty starboard. To see both, try aft on the Waterfront or else on the upper decks.

 

* In the Garden Cafe, the dishes repeat. If there's a line for one, walk around for different stations that serve the same thing.

 

* There are sinks/soap AND antibacterial gel dispensers in the entrance of the Garden Cafe.

 

* Any card will do to turn on power in the stateroom. You don't have to use your key card.

 

* Check in at muster! If you don't, they'll think you are missing.

 

Next…enjoying Freestyle on our first at sea day!

[CasinoCruzGirl]

I was on the same cruise as you. Great ship

 

 

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[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

Hi Windjamming,

 

great to read another review from you...especially of the Breakaway! No pictures at all? Please please, pretty please? Just a handful?

 

:(Too bad you missed the Statue of Liberty.

 

:)I love the idea of sinks in front of the buffet restaurant.

 

:confused:Really? Any card will do? I guess the thought of saving electricity is kinda knocked out by that one.

 

Stef

[windjamming]

Hi Windjamming,

 

great to read another review from you...especially of the Breakaway! No pictures at all? Please please, pretty please? Just a handful?

 

:(Too bad you missed the Statue of Liberty.

 

:)I love the idea of sinks in front of the buffet restaurant.

 

:confused:Really? Any card will do? I guess the thought of saving electricity is kinda knocked out by that one.

 

Stef

 

Stef!! So good to see you here!!

 

LOL - have you and my conscience been conspiring about the pictures? All while writing the first post, I was thinking I really should post pictures. I squelched my guilt by convincing myself that everyone was doing picture-less posts, that the new flickr was a pain, and hey, it's Freestyle cruising, I should do a Freestyle review!

 

But..what can I say, you're right, you're right. Let me see if I can figure out the new flickr and go traditional reviewing. LOL. Hope you're well!

[windjamming]

I was on the same cruise as you. Great ship

 

Hi Geri, wasn't it a great week? Luckily we are coming back to decent temps here, but still a bummer not to be on vacation anymore. The make up room button at home doesn't seem to work as well! :)

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[meatball_nyc]

Thanks for the start of a nice review!

 

Loved hearing about the warm caramel sauce at the Garden Cafe :)

 

Thanks for thanking me for some tips. I've not even sailed on Breakaway yet, but glad to help out any fellow cruiser!!

 

Looking forward to reading more.

 

You will just have to sail on her again to get your Statue of Liberty sighting :)

 

Happy Cruising!

 

 

~Robin

Norwegian Breakaway July 2014

Carnival Miracle 2010

Carnival Legend 2006

[CasinoCruzGirl]

Hi Geri, wasn't it a great week? Luckily we are coming back to decent temps here, but still a bummer not to be on vacation anymore. The make up room button at home doesn't seem to work as well! :)

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

Lol I have been looking all over my house for that make up room button and I can't seem to find it anywhere

[windjamming]

Day 1 (Pictures)

 

A few pictures from Day 1.

 

The view from port. Breakaway docks at Pier 88. The Architectural Digest home show was at Pier 90.

 

 

Heading down the Hudson:

 

 

New Freedom Tower:

 

Move fast, cause there she is in all her glory, the beautiful Miss Liberty:

 

 

Staten Island Ferry making one of her multiple runs a day to and from Manhattan.

 

[windjamming]

Day 2 - AT SEA

 

(Apologies, no pictures today!)

 

There is something really special about that first morning on a cruise. I woke up, wondered where I was, and remembered I was on vacation. On a cruise. Headed to sunny climates. Yay!

 

Breakfast was in the Garden Cafe, where we took all of our breakfasts and lunches. For daytime meals, I'm all about variety and getting in and out as fast as possible. It was today I tried those delicious potato patties for the first time. Think McDonalds hash browns but denser and smaller and I feel more flavorful. Delish!

 

I liked the variety, and my favorites over the week were: the omelet and egg stations, already made eggs benedict, corned beef hash made of diced corned beef and potatoes (rather than mushed corned beef), pecan rolls, melon (in wedges, rather than already cut up, though there was always a cut up fruit salad available), beautiful waffles (and aforementioned caramel sauce with bananas), and banana chips/walnuts for snacking. Yeah, cause you need to snack while having breakfast.

 

The coffee was strong and good. I really liked that it was served in real ceramic cups, rather than the plastic ones on RCI which were often stained. The beverage station was self-service, which I thought was convenient. At breakfast they had a variety of juices and at lunch, iced tea, lemonade, and mango and strawberry/kiwi flavored waters. It made it easy to make Arnold Palmers, or my favorite, the iced tea with just a splash of the mango flavored water, which tasted similar to a peach Snapple.

 

Here's a peeve. There were signs at the beverage station to NOT FILL YOUR WATER BOTTLE DIRECTLY. Yet, of course, people were doing exactly that. I don't understand. I always took some cups of water and ice back to my table (to get out of the way) and filled my camelbak there.

 

After breakfast, I went down to the library, whose bookshelves were open from 9 to 10 and fortuitously found a book I'd been wanting to read. It wasn't a best seller by any means, so it was definitely a lucky find. (In yesterday's post, I should have clarified that while the library was open all hours - I think - it was the bookshelves which were only open for a couple of hours a day.) Scooter, the Cruise Director's staff member, was there, manning the check out desk.

 

In general, I found the cruise director Dan and his team to be good. Dan looks young, and on first impression I found him annoying. Who goes around calling himself Dan the Man all the time? And when we watched on TV the 7pm welcome aboard show, we saw he used exact same jokes (even the "ad libbed" ones with the audience) as he did at 9pm. He did grow on me, though - or maybe I just started chilling out as the vacation went on - and in the few times I saw him around the ship, he was always talking with people and smiling. Much credit to his team for all the activities offered. It can't be an easy job keeping a ship of 4000 people entertained, yet there was always a lot going on, whether it was live music or game shows or tastings - and we're not even talking about the theater shows yet.

 

There was a $10 sale in Tradewinds, the ship store, and people were about 3 deep, grabbing scarves, bags, and hats. (Don't worry, the stuff is still $10 throughout the cruise, albeit with fewer selections.)

 

Mom and I stayed away and headed down to try the slots. They had a small non-smoking section at one end of the casino - I want to say the aft end - that borders with O'Sheehan's. The casino was very well lit and spread out. It was pretty smokey in the other sections, but fortunately not too bad in the non-smoking section. They also had a small coffee/tea/pastry station that was nice. We played for a while, came away about even, and left, as it was time for lunch - and you know it's a crime at sea to miss a meal.

 

Garden Cafe it was again for lunch. Nothing out of the ordinary that I remember. Pretty sure I had a scoop of ice cream, which was becoming a regular accompaniment for meals.

 

That afternoon I explored the ship a little. Some thoughts:

 

* From Deck 9, it was not too difficult to take the stairs up to Deck 15, where the Garden Cafe was. If you sail on Royal Caribbean, there is art on the stair landings. On the Breakaway, this is only true if your name is Art, because there is a mirror on the stair landings.

 

* I did not use the iConcierge app. I had downloaded it ahead of the cruise, thinking I'd be all hip and connected. Once onboard, though, I didn't really see any purpose. We had booked our entertainment already, and there were large touch screens in all of the stair lobbies as well as the tv screen menus.

 

* The Norwegian "Let's Go" song is a real, actual song. I'd just heard excerpts, I guess, on tv commercials and thought it was their jingle. It's on Amazon for a free download.

 

A few people have asked about what to wear. I wore capris, a 3/4 length top, and sandals, and felt fine even though it was probably only 50 or at most 60 outside. The ship was heated well, and the doors to the decks had to be pressed to open, i.e. were not set to open on motion detector, which kept the heat inside.

 

That night was the Seafood Buffet in the Garden Cafe, which is also known as Lobster Night. We had reservations for Burn the Floor that night at 7:30, so we decided to go early for dinner. We couldn't have gotten there much after 5:45pm, but the 2 lines for lobster were already at least 20 long.

 

The line would have moved fast, but they put the cioppino (soup) next to the lobster, so people would get their lobster, and then would take time ladling the cioppino, thereby stopping the next person in line from getting lobster. It was a poorly designed setup. Each lobster piece was really 1/2 a tail, and they were giving out 2 halves at a time, though if you asked for 3 halves, they didn't seem to have problems.

 

After dinner, we headed down to the Theater at a bit past 7. Zipped right past the reservations scan, and saw that probably 20% of the theater was filled already.

 

Burn the Floor was pretty good. I am by no means a dance connoisseur - Dancing with the Stars is about the extent of my knowledge - but I found the routines interesting. For me, it was just a touch too long, but for someone who truly enjoys dancing, I think it would have been just right, or too short.

 

We headed back to the room around 9 but saw that it hadn't been made up yet. This was where we ran into one of the very few glitches in service. We had not met our stateroom attendant yet. On Day 1 we chalked it up to turnaround day being hectic and let it go.

 

That morning, though, my Dad said our room hadn't been made up until past 11, despite us being out by 8:30ish. Now, it was 9, we had been gone since 5:30, and the room still wasn't made up again.

 

I looked for our attendant to find out when he or she would get to our room. It took some walking around, because I didn't know who he or she was. Finally, I found him, he apologized profusely and explained that he had been busy checking in his luggage.

 

Huh?

 

He explained he was leaving the ship the next day so he had been busy. He didn't explain further. Oh. Um…wow. OK. So…I know you're busy, but maybe just a quick turndown and some towels please? He promised he'd do it in 15 minutes.

 

We ended up exploring 678 Ocean Place (that's what they call the 3 levels of entertainment and dining), did some shopping and looking around, and around 10, went back to the room. It had been made up - thankfully - so we called it a night.

 

Next, land!

 

The Short Version

 

* The $10 sale lasts all week. Less selection as the week goes on, but it's still there. So unless you enjoy the "last $10 scarves on the planet Earth" thrill, don't bother.

 

* Seafood Buffet is on Day 2, with lobster. There are 2 stations with lobsters served, 2 halves at a time. You can also ask for more- I saw folks asking for 3 halves at once.

 

* When they say Seafood Buffet starts at 5:30 or theater opens at 7, don't listen. It's open early.

 

* Library bookshelves are only open a couple of hours a day. Check the daily.

 

* Try the pecan rolls, corned beef hash, and waffles even if you don't like them. Real standout. Great coffee, too, in ceramic cups.

[lgib1]

Thanks for the great review. I will be on the Breakaway in June and your tips were very helpful.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[cruiseclues]

Thanks for your review and the few photos...the review had a lot of very good information. :):):):)

[Windy56]

We are in the process of planning a cruise on the Getaway for next February. I am finding your review really helpful. You are an excellent writer and your concluding summary at the end of each section is great! Thanks so much for the time you are putting into this. It is much appreciated!

[rtcuse]

BTW, we went to the buffet for lobster tails on the same cruise at 6. We saw 3 stations where you could get lobster tails (I assume there was a 4th station). The 2 stations toward the front of the buffet had about 15-20 people on line. We walked aft (port side) and there were 3 people on line which was essentially no wait. The line never got much longer while we were there.

 

Thanks for writing your review as it is a reminder how wonderful our week was!

[Still Dreaming]

Great review!!,

[mking8288]

Thanks for sharing - 4 of us on the same sailing as you just had dinner earlier this evening on dry land and reflected on the amazing short week. We met folks that drove to NY from Canada and nearby states like PA and MD, but also from the deep South and places like Texas that flew in.

 

The BA also picked up some cruisers boarding from Port Canaveral, FL and some of them were trying to figure out what to do/see in NY for 6 hours, LOL. Fresh food and supplies were transferred by the trailer loads on the PC pier as we watched whiling hanging out on the Waterfront.

 

I went upstairs to the Garden Cafe on Monday around 5:30 PM to check out those tails and did a full walk around, the starboard AFT station had the shortest line at that moment, about 3 or 4 people in front of me - along with that seafood newburg or whatever over rice or mashed potatoe, back to our stateroom as a pre-show snack for "Rock Of Ages." We had our dinner reservations for 6 at the Manhattan Room and ate there afterward - so lobster tails served once in the buffet, and not in any of the MDR ...

 

Agreed on nothing really stood up as extra ordinary in the buffet, we only ate 4 or 5 meals upstairs as lunch and once for dinner (excluding breakfast.) Everything seemed to be in thick sauces or gravies.

 

We had an excellent steward but I do share your observation that it seemed to take them longer to clean & freshen up the stateroom while being out, with the "Make Up Room" button lit up overhead. Been on NCL ships where they managed to get it done in an hour or less while we're eating breakfast somewhere - it's possibly a staffing issue, less crew members doing more with fewer assistant helper for given deck sections.

[windjamming]

Thanks for your review and the few photos...the review had a lot of very good information. :):):):)

 

Thanks cruiseclues. I really appreciated the reviews I read before the cruise, so I'm glad to help!

 

We are in the process of planning a cruise on the Getaway for next February. I am finding your review really helpful. You are an excellent writer and your concluding summary at the end of each section is great! Thanks so much for the time you are putting into this. It is much appreciated!

 

What a nice compliment, Windy56! It's a lot of fun remembering the cruise, all the good, the (little) bad, the funny, the details, and everything in between!

[windjamming]

Thanks for the great review. I will be on the Breakaway in June and your tips were very helpful.

 

Have a great time, lgib1! She's a beauty!

[windjamming]

BTW, we went to the buffet for lobster tails on the same cruise at 6. We saw 3 stations where you could get lobster tails (I assume there was a 4th station). The 2 stations toward the front of the buffet had about 15-20 people on line. We walked aft (port side) and there were 3 people on line which was essentially no wait. The line never got much longer while we were there.

 

Thanks for writing your review as it is a reminder how wonderful our week was!

 

Wasn't it an amazing week? Thanks for the info on the "hidden" lobster station! I wish I walked just a bit further!

 

Thanks for sharing - 4 of us on the same sailing as you just had dinner earlier this evening on dry land and reflected on the amazing short week. We met folks that drove to NY from Canada and nearby states like PA and MD, but also from the deep South and places like Texas that flew in.

 

The BA also picked up some cruisers boarding from Port Canaveral, FL and some of them were trying to figure out what to do/see in NY for 6 hours, LOL. Fresh food and supplies were transferred by the trailer loads on the PC pier as we watched whiling hanging out on the Waterfront.

 

I went upstairs to the Garden Cafe on Monday around 5:30 PM to check out those tails and did a full walk around, the starboard AFT station had the shortest line at that moment, about 3 or 4 people in front of me - along with that seafood newburg or whatever over rice or mashed potatoe, back to our stateroom as a pre-show snack for "Rock Of Ages." We had our dinner reservations for 6 at the Manhattan Room and ate there afterward - so lobster tails served once in the buffet, and not in any of the MDR ...

 

Agreed on nothing really stood up as extra ordinary in the buffet, we only ate 4 or 5 meals upstairs as lunch and once for dinner (excluding breakfast.) Everything seemed to be in thick sauces or gravies.

 

We had an excellent steward but I do share your observation that it seemed to take them longer to clean & freshen up the stateroom while being out, with the "Make Up Room" button lit up overhead. Been on NCL ships where they managed to get it done in an hour or less while we're eating breakfast somewhere - it's possibly a staffing issue, less crew members doing more with fewer assistant helper for given deck sections.

 

Has it really only been just past a week since we've left the ship? I loved that you had a pre-show snack of lobster -- that's Freestyle cruising!! I wonder what those folks did in NY in 6 hours? Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[windjamming]

Day 3 - PORT CANAVERAL

 

We woke up really early today, because the hangers were having a party in the closet. The hangers on the Breakaway are what I call the "anti-theft" kind; you know, the kind that only fit into metal slots attached to the rack.

 

There were a LOT of hangers, and we hadn't used them all. The hangers celebrated by jingling ALL NIGHT LONG.

 

That morning, we decided to use up every hanger to weigh them down and never heard from the hangers again.

 

In other news, today, we were at Port Canaveral, and we would be going to Kennedy Space Center.

 

Land!

 

 

After having an multi-part brunch (a breakfast and an early lunch), we met in the Breakaway Theater at 11:45. First, they called the Disney folks, then Universal, then SeaWorld. Finally, with still about a third to a half of the theater left, the rest of us started heading to the Kennedy Space Center.

 

There are special dedicated KSC buses, and at least 5 or 6 (that I saw) were ready for us at port. Brochures were on the seats, and a super nice bus guide gave us tips on what order to see the attractions, as this was an "On Your Own" tour. (ie. Not guided.) He also walked the aisle of the bus, answering questions. (Me: "Excuse me, could you please tell me where the Astronaut Encounter is?" Nice bus guide: <points on the map with a twinkle in his eye>. Me: "Oh, you mean where it says in big letters, "Astronaut Encounter"??)

 

Today was also a special day because an Atlas rocket was scheduled to be launched. Although we would later find out the launch had been scrubbed, on the ride over we didn't know yet and were still excited to possibly experience a real rocket launch. The guide told us that pretty much anywhere would be a fine vantage point.

 

We got to KSC in about a half hour - it was probably around 1 - and was told to meet at the same location at 6 for the return to the ship. The buses would leave as soon as they filled.

 

Wow, was I was amazed when we arrived. The last and only time I'd been at Kennedy Space Center was as a child in the 80s, and I had very little recollection of our visit. I do know, however, it was not anywhere near the attraction it's become now. One could easily spend a full day, maybe more.

 

After a full security check at the entrance (along with a restroom break), we decided go to the Apollo/Saturn center first on the recommendation of our bus guide. This required a bus ride, as the center was outside of the Visitor Complex. Because today was a launch day, the line was LONG, and in fact, one of the signs near where we entered the queue indicated we had an hour wait.

 

This map showed how spread out the sites are and why we needed a bus to get to the Apollo/Saturn center:

 

 

We decided to stay in line, as seeing the Apollo/Saturn center seemed like a "must do", given the importance of the programs to the US space mission. The line really ended up being more like 40 minutes.

 

In the middle of the line, they took our pictures in front of a launch background, to be purchased later. Seemed a little odd, and frankly, added to the "Disneyfication" of KSC, but ok, that's fine.

 

Our bus driver to the Apollo/Saturn center was Tom, a retired technician who worked 30 years in the complex. He. Was. AWESOME. He spouted facts about the space program but most interestingly shared his own stories about watching launches and conversations with astronauts. He mentioned that on shuttle launch days, they would have upwards of 14,000 visitors a day, and that today, we were at 7,000 - still a very large crowd.

 

We were sad that the bus ride ended, as we could have sat there all day listening to Tom talk about his life at KSC.

 

The first part of the Apollo/Saturn center was a dark waiting room which showed videos from the late 60s, and then finally we were led into the a theater style auditorium, which had real launch consoles from the Apollo program. We "watched" the launch controls for the Apollo 8 launch and felt the windows rattle when the Apollo took off. It was narrated by the commander of Apollo 8, Jim Lovell, who ended the show by mentioning Apollo 13, which he said was a story for another day!

 

Afterwards, we were ushered into a large hangar, with real Apollo rockets. They had a bus that transported the astronauts to the launch site, and also all the logos of each mission:

 

 

 

We walked around a bit (there are also bathrooms here), but by this time it was getting close to 4. We still hadn't seen any of the Visitor Complex, so we decided to get in line for the bus, even though there was still loads to see at the Apollo Saturn center. The line back to the Visitor Complex was much shorter, and when we got back, we picked up our photos ($20) and then went into the Atlantis Experience.

 

There was yet another line here, circular, Guggenheim Museum style, which moved fast. We waited about 20 minutes to go inside a dark room, where they showed a re-enacted movie about the development of the shuttle program, from idea inception in the 60s to the first launch in the early 80s. It was pretty cheesy, but it was nice that they took particular attention to show people of different genders and races as part of the team.

 

The last scene of the movie, the screen showed Atlantis. Finally the screen was raised up, and the real Atlantis was right there.

 

 

It was a neat feeling to be so close to a real Space Shuttle. The tiles underneath were dark from traversing the atmosphere.

 

We exited through a gift shop and bought a few gifts. By now it was around 5. We missed the IMAX movies (last showing was at 5:30, which we couldn't see, as our bus was at 6), and we had long missed the Astronaut Encounter at 2:30. We walked around the complex a little more and saw another gift shop but didn't see any other attractions open.

 

By 5:30 we made our way back to the entrance. The bus driver had told us that buses would leave as soon as they were filled, so we figured maybe they would have a bus waiting. Apparently a number of folks thought the same, as we saw probably 20-30 people waiting for buses, but no buses in sight.

 

Close to 6, buses finally started showing up. We got on one of the first ones and headed back to the ship.

 

From our balcony, we could see the Vehicle Assembly Building in the background. It is largest one story building in the world.

 

 

Had dinner at the Garden Cafe, as we were tired and just wanted a bite to eat. Pleasantly surprised with the beef short ribs that evening, as well as the made to order crepes. I added a scope of rocky road ice cream to mine. Yum!

 

No show reservations tonight, as I wasn't sure how tired we would be. Tonight was headline comedy magician Martin Brock's first appearance. We had booked reservations to see him the following day, but we peeked in the theater towards the end and watched the final 15-20 minutes anyway.

 

I don't remember what we did the rest of the evening, but I'm assuming it was a combination of walking around 678 Ocean Place or possibly an ice cream at the Garden Cafe.

 

And that is Day 3. Next, will we or won't we tender at GSC?

 

The Short Version

 

* During our cruise, the headliner shows weren't available for booking online prior to the cruise. Make sure you book reservations when you get on the ship.

 

* The hangers will jingle if you don't hang clothes on them. Either remove them from the closet or just hang clothes.

 

* At Kennedy Space Center, a bus ride is required to get to the Apollo/Saturn center. There may be a line to get there, but it's definitely worth it.

 

* Plan your day at KSC, as some attractions aren't offered more than once or twice a day, like the Astronaut Encounter. Or be like us, and choose just 2 or at most 3 things you really want to see.

 

* Beef short ribs in the Garden Cafe are really tender and flavorful!

[cruisinsly]

Awesome review. Cant wait for the rest!!!

[SpencerNY1]

I am going on the allure of the seas in May but I truly like Norwegian and your review so I just this for my mom. She is super excited

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[windjamming]

Awesome review. Cant wait for the rest!!!

 

Thanks cruisinsly! Life caught up with me, but I'll post Day 4 tonight.

 

I am going on the allure of the seas in May but I truly like Norwegian and your review so I just this for my mom. She is super excited

 

Thanks SpencerNY1! It's a great ship. We've been on the Allure as well, and both are fantastic experiences. I think you need to do both to compare them properly. :)

[windjamming]

DAY 4 - GREAT STIRRUP CAY (OR NOT)

 

It had been windy in Port Canaveral, and pretty much the entire cruise, so I was holding my breath for Great Stirrup Cay. Alas, at around 9am, Captain Evans Hoyt made the announcement that despite their best attempts, the conditions were too rough to tender. The good news was that a berth had been secured at Nassau for tonight. We would be arriving by 6pm.

 

We were a bit bummed, but of course, safety first, and honestly, I would not have wanted to tender in these conditions. The cruise director's staff had a new Freestyle Daily within an hour, and we took the opportunity to wander the ship some more, finally making our way up to the pool deck. It was still a gorgeously sunny day, if windy.

 

At noon, Mom and I went back to the room to meet Dad for lunch. Our room still hadn't been made up, and the green light was still on. We had left well before 9. The new stateroom attendant - whom we had not met yet - was nowhere to be found. I was a bit disturbed, as my dad liked to take a nap after lunch, and I didn't want the attendant coming in while my dad was sleeping. We would have skipped getting the room made up, but we needed new towels. And really, where was this person? All of the other attendants in the hallway were still at work.

 

I called the housekeeping line, which is supposed to ring our attendant directly. No answer.

 

I then called guest services, who said they would send someone.

 

A few minutes later, the housekeeping supervisor called and asked what was the issue. I explained that we had left our room before 9, and now, at noon, it still hadn't been made up, and our attendant wasn't around. I added that my dad takes a nap after lunch, so we wanted to know when our attendant would get around to the room. The supervisor said he would find the attendant but added that they were responsible for 16 rooms.

 

When we came back from lunch at the Garden Cafe (great oxtail stew!), the room was made up. We didn't meet Irvin until that evening, who apparently was on a "lunch break" earlier. (I didn't know attendants took lunch breaks at noon?) Whatever the supervisor said, though, worked, as our room was always made up quickly after that.

 

After lunch, Mom and I walked around a bit and landed in the casino again. This time, the machines were a bit friendlier, and our money lasted just a tad longer.

 

I don't have notes on what we did the rest of the day, but I do know that we got to Nassau before 6.

 

Atlantis:

 

 

We had company: the Norwegian Sky, a Costa ship (didn't catch the name), and the Enchantment of the Seas:

 

 

Does this type of view ever get old?

 

 

We originally had dinner reservations at Savor for 6:30, but because we made reservations for the Headliner show at 7, we skipped Savor and opted for the Garden Cafe. Tonight - and many other nights - they had made to order crepes! Fruit fillings, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce. I got mine with a scoop of ice cream a la mode. The crepe maker apparently had just come onboard (the previous crepe maker left the ship at Port Canaveral) and was still learning, but we all encouraged him and - hey, as one of the guys in line said, as long as some semblance of a crepe and fruit filling with whipped cream made it on a plate, we were all good!

 

The Headliner was "comedy magician" Martin Brock, a 28 year old from Denmark. We had seen the tail end of his show last night and were interested enough to come back for the full show. It was entertaining. Not the most experienced nor exciting magician, but fine for a cruise, and the audience participation tricks were well-received. He did have a funny quip; the stage had been set up already for Rock of Ages, and there were 2 poles as props. Martin introduced them to one of his audience participants as the North Pole and the Stripper Pole.

 

After the show, we did our usually wandering around before retiring for the evening. It's exhausting doing absolutely nothing!!

 

Tomorrow, back in Nassau.

 

The Short Version

 

* A new Freestyle daily will be published if GSC is skipped. I am thinking this happens enough that they have an alternate schedule ready.

 

* Oxtail stew in the Garden Cafe is really good! Today I also ventured up to the Uptown Grill and tried their curly fries and meat pie. Excellent.

 

* Slot machines in the non-smoking section were loose today!

 

* Made to order crepes in the Garden Cafe. Add a scoop of ice cream and that divine warm caramel sauce, and life is GOOD.

 

* Martin Brock, comedy magician, was fun and entertaining. Worthwhile to grab a reservation. Doors opened well ahead of 7pm for the 7:30pm show.

[mking8288]

"Snow" - hell, OMG: it's April 15th in NY and we got freezing rain/ice pellets outside on the sidewalk! Yikes, my honey said let's pack & cruise - BA got some last minute bargain fares (resident rates) next month to Bermuda and nice OBC, going to ring the TA again tomorrow - so tempting. The advantages of being at / close to a homeport - :D

 

Re-living our cruise again & those Oxtails stew sounded great, we missed it b/c we ate somewhere else. Do we need any excuses to do another cruise? No, not at all.

 

On housekeeping, in the past - we usually see the Steward cleaning the staterooms with the help of an assistant, not this time in our sections on 3 different decks - for whatever reason? We knew from past NCL sailings that they are responsible for up to 20 cabins so didn't make a big fuzz about it.

 

P.S. We got even that afternoon inside the casino too, actually we're ahead by dinner time and called it quits, pocketing our "winnings" while still ahead.

 

Something is telling me that the Breakaway isn't going to make it to GSC tomorrow either ... weather. Forecast for Nassau for Thursday, thumbs down for T-Storm. Those "poor" Spring breakers ... ;)

[PathfinderEss]

Enjoying your review.