Just off the Breakaway - May 31 - June 7

[carol54]

Did you buy any CruiseNext certificates?

 

if so, I was wondering if you knew the answer to my questions about CruiseNext obc and converting it to casino credit:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2218698

 

We bought Cruise Rewards but didn't book a cruise. Sorry, I can't help on this one.

[joetop2467]

You need your drivers license and cruise card to get back on the ship. No need to carry passport. The agents who were checking these were not very friendly or fast. No problem getting back on ship once you pass get through these officials. There is a cold towel and water or lemonade drink waiting for you before boarding ship.

[layn133]

Hi, we were the couple that the OP mentioned that went to St Georges one day and did the Boston Whaler the next day. Just to clarify, that was two separate days. We rented the Boston Whaler from H20 Sports in Sommerset. We did their early bird special which was 5 hours for the price of 4 and included snorkel gear, but brought our own (ours is much better quality). It was a quick 10 minute cab ride from the pier and cost us $15 each way. The boat rental ran us $205 after gas usage added in. We snorkeled off of some tiny islands just off of King's Point and saw huge blue Angels, tons and tons of sergeant majors, parrot fish, fan coral, brain coral and lots of other great stuff I don't specifically know the names of.

 

Thank you for sharing! This is one of the things we are most excited about. I remember your screen name from my many nights of cruise critic browsing for plans... I think you were in the same room (or mirror image) of the room we have (14750)... if so, I would love to hear about the room. I am interested in your thoughts on the balcony and overhang and any noise issues you may have had.

 

Hope you had a great trip! 12 days for us!

[JC168]

Will be on the Breakaway this Sunday. Cannot book the Rock of Ages at the NCL website at this moment. Just wondering if it's still possible to make reservation once on board? Also does the Second City require reservation in advance? Cannot find this information on their website.

[Fredette]

Thank you for your review! Sounds like a great time and we can't wait for our turn in July! We too have an aft balcony. I have some questions you might be able to help me with--

--what documentation do you need to get back onto the ship in Bermuda--do we need our passports?

 

--the coffee maker in the room--does it take the filter packs or some other type of pods? We are thinking about bringing our own coffee and we're trying to figure out in what form we should bring it!

 

--were there lounge chairs already on the balcony? I've read where you can ask your room steward for them, but how do we do that exactly--do we just leave a note the first day? or is there a number to call them? (only been on one cruise 15 years ago!)

 

 

 

Thanks again and welcome back!!

 

Amy

 

We had an aft balcony, and when we arrived there were two deck chairs and two lounge chairs, and one little table for drinks. I hope this helps.

[Fredette]

Will be on the Breakaway this Sunday. Cannot book the Rock of Ages at the NCL website at this moment. Just wondering if it's still possible to make reservation once on board? Also does the Second City require reservation in advance? Cannot find this information on their website.

 

If you go to the box office at the theatre (it opens shortly after the emergency drill is finished) you can make bookings for your preferred shows.

[roe2ship]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. We have an aft balcony too, LOVE them!

 

Besides the second city show, is there a comedian in the theater at all? Can you still make entertainment reservations before the cruise? If so, are they available about 90 days prior to your cruise?

[fstuff1]

Will be on the Breakaway this Sunday. Cannot book the Rock of Ages at the NCL website at this moment. Just wondering if it's still possible to make reservation once on board? Also does the Second City require reservation in advance? Cannot find this information on their website.

once u get onboard, try to make it from your cabin tv.

u can make reservations to 2nd city from your cabin tv. or you can wait in line outside. just like the theater, it becomes open seating 10min b4 the show.

I would suggest u make reservations to get a seat with a table.

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. We have an aft balcony too, LOVE them!

 

Besides the second city show, is there a comedian in the theater at all? Can you still make entertainment reservations before the cruise? If so, are they available about 90 days prior to your cruise?

 

when I was on the breakaway in march, no comedian in main theater.

a broadway singer for the Fri show that you cant reserve for at ncl.com

 

so just 4 acts in main theater: burn the floor, rock ages, singer, and crew talent show (which you also cant reserve at ncl.com)

Edited June 10, 2015 by fstuff1

[roe2ship]

 

when I was on the breakaway in march, no comedian in main theater.

a broadway singer for the Fri show that you cant reserve for at ncl.com

 

so just 4 acts in main theater: burn the floor, rock ages, singer, and crew talent show (which you also cant reserve at ncl.com)

So making reservations in advance are now gone? My main concern is Rock of Ages, we LOVED that show.

[spazzy216]

Thanks for the great review! Its got me so excited for our wedding cruise in April! Do you have pics of the room by any chance..we are staying in aft balcony as well..12301 I believe or 12310..I cant remember at the moment! :D

[fstuff1]

So making reservations in advance are now gone? My main concern is Rock of Ages, we LOVED that show.

 

u can make reservations at ncl.com:

rock ages

burn the floor

cirque circus dinner (additional cost)

lunch comedy show (additional cost), but wine is included

 

if you don't see it listed, then im assuming it's sold out.

 

I was able make reservations from my cabin TV for 2nd city.

[carol54]

Thank you for your review! Sounds like a great time and we can't wait for our turn in July! We too have an aft balcony. I have some questions you might be able to help me with--

--what documentation do you need to get back onto the ship in Bermuda--do we need our passports?

 

--the coffee maker in the room--does it take the filter packs or some other type of pods? We are thinking about bringing our own coffee and we're trying to figure out in what form we should bring it!

 

--were there lounge chairs already on the balcony? I've read where you can ask your room steward for them, but how do we do that exactly--do we just leave a note the first day? or is there a number to call them? (only been on one cruise 15 years ago!)

 

Thanks again and welcome back!!

 

 

Amy

 

We used passports to check in at the pier but you only need photo id when getting back on the ship from Bermuda.

 

 

The coffee machine is very small (perhaps one cup at a time) but it does take regular ground coffee. Not pods.

 

 

We had two regular chairs, a table and two lounge chairs on our balcony - it was heaven. I think all the aft balconies are equipped that way. My sister and husband also had an aft balcony and had the same setup.

[carol54]

Thanks for the great review! Its got me so excited for our wedding cruise in April! Do you have pics of the room by any chance..we are staying in aft balcony as well..12301 I believe or 12310..I cant remember at the moment! :D

 

I don't take pictures of the room because they really do look just like the pictures on the NCL site. The aft balcony is huge. You will not be disappointed.

[carol54]

u can make reservations at ncl.com:

rock ages

burn the floor

cirque circus dinner (additional cost)

lunch comedy show (additional cost), but wine is included

 

if you don't see it listed, then im assuming it's sold out.

 

I was able make reservations from my cabin TV for 2nd city.

 

If you are not able to make show reservations before you cruise that does not necessarily mean it is sold out. Same with dining reservations. They only open up a portion of the seats ahead of time. You will still be able to make reservations once onboard as long as you do so asap onboard.

[roe2ship]

u can make reservations at ncl.com:

rock ages

burn the floor

cirque circus dinner (additional cost)

lunch comedy show (additional cost), but wine is included

 

if you don't see it listed, then im assuming it's sold out.

 

I was able make reservations from my cabin TV for 2nd city.

Thank you for your reply.:)

[JC168]

Thanks for the information.

[CruisingS]

Happy to hear you are so pleased with Norwegian and the Breakaway. Taking our family on Breakaway near end of June-4 cabins and have been a little apprehensive due to the size and number of passengers. First time for us on Norwegian and the dining with 8 of us (freestyle ) had me a little worried, so I have three specialty dining reservations. Picked NCL because they dock in Bermuda the longest time of any ship.

On old threads I saw Breakaway had fireworks. Do they still; and if so, what time and night? Do you think you could see them from a port side balcony- aft 9th floor?

We are all so excited about this cruise to celebrate our 3 grandsons-1-College degree,1- Associate degree and 1-middle school graduation!:)

[joetop2467]

We had fireworks on Friday night. You can see them from anywhere on port side.

[klepton]

We'll be on the BA the same week next year, and I was wondering if you could give me a sense for how many kids were on board. We'll have our kids, so I want to make sure they have some playmates. We're getting off the RCCL Liberty of the Seas on Saturday and I was surprised at the low number of kids on board this sailing. The youth staff said that high season for kids doesn't start until mid-june.

[roe2ship]

We'll be on the BA the same week next year, and I was wondering if you could give me a sense for how many kids were on board. We'll have our kids, so I want to make sure they have some playmates. We're getting off the RCCL Liberty of the Seas on Saturday and I was surprised at the low number of kids on board this sailing. The youth staff said that high season for kids doesn't start until mid-june.

That is very true. Most of the Northeast schools are still in session until at least the 15th of June. Most likely there is a drastic difference in the total number of kids between the first two weeks of June and the last two weeks. This is the reason why the prices are lower at the beginning of June vs. the end.

[VickiD59]

We were on the BA last July and it never felt crowded to us. We had 12 cabins and 26 people in our friends/family group; my part of the group had 3 aft facing cabins in a row, 2 balcony cabins and 1 inside (all on deck 11). Everyone else had mini-suites mid ship (started as balconies but got upgraded from price-drops) deck 9.

I found I never needed to go anywhere but up or down the aft stairs or elevator...everything we ever needed was centrally located back there. I honestly don't recall ever seeing the pool :rolleyes:. Everyone was 18+ so we stayed in the H2o section of the ship where lounge chairs were plentiful, and kids were not allowed (enforced!).

We ate in Taste and Savor all but 3 nights, and made reservations the day of, once we knew what our plans would be. We had our group dinner in Moderno (ehh.. it was ok) and we ate in the MDR the first night (slow service) and one other night, which happened to be the night Burn the Floor performed, and our table was right next to the dance floor, so that was a bonus.

I think the only time we ventured beyond mid-ship was when we walked the waterfront. I loved the aft facing cabins and will always try and book one in the future whenever possible.

[bangzoom6877]

We'll be on the BA the same week next year, and I was wondering if you could give me a sense for how many kids were on board. We'll have our kids, so I want to make sure they have some playmates. We're getting off the RCCL Liberty of the Seas on Saturday and I was surprised at the low number of kids on board this sailing. The youth staff said that high season for kids doesn't start until mid-june.

 

While many school districts in the USA end their school year some time in May, NYC schools end at the very end of June (between the 26th and 28th). As a previous poster pointed out, many other Northeast school districts finish mid to late June. July and August are usually full of families with kids.

 

That said, if you go the very last week of May, there should be at least some children onboard because a lot of school systems down south and in other areas of the country finish early to mid May. I know a lot of the NYC based ships have mostly guests from the NY tri-state area, but Bermuda is a popular cruise and plenty of people come to NY to sail to Bermuda so they could also see NYC. There aren't very many places to take a cruise to Bermuda...you can take one from Boston on NCL, from NYC on NCL, from Bayonne NJ on RCCL (only 5 nights) or Celebrity (7 nights), and from Baltimore on RCCL. None out of Florida to Bermuda. There are many more ships that do a Bahamas or Caribbean run than the Bermuda run.

[joetop2467]

We just got off the Breakaway Sunday. There were plenty of kids but not a ton of them. I will be glad to see how you like the Breakaway compared to the Liberty of the Seas. I would rate the Liberty of the Seas better overall for kids, food, entertainment, and service. Your kids will love the Breakaway but we prefer Freedom Class on Royal. I see you are from Cincinnati. We live just across the river in Northern KY. We drove, did you?

[klepton]

That is very true. Most of the Northeast schools are still in session until at least the 15th of June. Most likely there is a drastic difference in the total number of kids between the first two weeks of June and the last two weeks. This is the reason why the prices are lower at the beginning of June vs. the end.

 

While many school districts in the USA end their school year some time in May, NYC schools end at the very end of June (between the 26th and 28th). As a previous poster pointed out, many other Northeast school districts finish mid to late June. July and August are usually full of families with kids.

 

That said, if you go the very last week of May, there should be at least some children onboard because a lot of school systems down south and in other areas of the country finish early to mid May. I know a lot of the NYC based ships have mostly guests from the NY tri-state area, but Bermuda is a popular cruise and plenty of people come to NY to sail to Bermuda so they could also see NYC. There aren't very many places to take a cruise to Bermuda...you can take one from Boston on NCL, from NYC on NCL, from Bayonne NJ on RCCL (only 5 nights) or Celebrity (7 nights), and from Baltimore on RCCL. None out of Florida to Bermuda. There are many more ships that do a Bahamas or Caribbean run than the Bermuda run.

 

Thank you both for the info. We are on the Liberty of the Seas right now (9-day cruise out of Bayonne, NJ). So mostly New Yorkers and Jersey people on the ship. I wouldn't say there are too few kids, but far fewer than I expected. That's a good thing! :D

 

It makes sense if schools in this area go later. My DD will end school before memorial day next year.

[klepton]

We just got off the Breakaway Sunday. There were plenty of kids but not a ton of them. I will be glad to see how you like the Breakaway compared to the Liberty of the Seas. I would rate the Liberty of the Seas better overall for kids, food, entertainment, and service. Your kids will love the Breakaway but we prefer Freedom Class on Royal. I see you are from Cincinnati. We live just across the river in Northern KY. We drove, did you?

 

We are on our last day of the Liberty now, and it's been a great cruise! Our Bermuda day was somewhat spoiled, very rainy, but other than that weather has been pretty good. Yesterday was one of the best days at sea I've ever had. Water was almost glass, temps were great in the shade, etc. We've had a lot of fun on the ship. The Flow Rider is great, rock wall was fun, we'll ice skate this afternoon. Entertainment has been a let-down... food was mediocre except for the specialty restaurants, which were phenomenal! I booked the liberty specifically because we were able to get connecting rooms aft where one room is a balcony and the other an inside cabin. This worked GREAT for us, having a 2-year-old. We could make the inside cabin super dark for naps. I highly recommend this configuration to families with young kids.

 

Next year we'll be in a Haven suite on the BA, so not sure the comparison will be fair. :D Looking forward to the water park, slides, and hopefully some better entertainment. Our DD won't weigh enough to do the big slides, which will suck. I wish the BA had a flow rider... those things are a blast! But at least we'll get three days in Bermuda, so the sting of losing our day this trip isn't as strong.

 

We are in the Liberty Township area north of Cincy, just south of Middletown. We were going to drive, but I ended up booking cheap flights (with miles). Our 2 year old isn't fun on long car trips. :-)