Breaking Away from NYC » (NCL Breakaway Review)

[Kreativ' Gal]

Great review! I'll be on the Breakaway in October, looking forward to reading more about your trip...thanks for sharing!! :D

[rogue 35]

patiently awaiting the next installment!!!!

[gangstarollerbunny]

A/N: sorry for the wait, everyone! had to catch up on some assignments for classes. (:

Port Bummers and Nassau

Port Canaveral was already decided to be a day that Kevin and I would just stay aboard the ship. We ate many meals, took many naps, and indulged ourselves in some competitive board games while the rest of the cruisers were out and about. At night, I heard some of them complain about how short of a time frame they had at the Disney parks and how it wasn't worth it...we were glad to have stayed on the ship. We checked out O'Sheehans and indulged in their snacks. Their chicken pot pie was awesome! Kevin had O'Sheehans multiple times throughout the cruise, and he stands his ground when he says the wings at night are much better than during the day. (Not sure if it's all in his head or if it's really the case, though!)

 

TIP...

If you aren't a well seasoned cruiser or prone to motion sickness, bring Dramamine or ask for some at the front desk. During the first two days, the ship was rocking SO much I thought I was too drunk until I woke up sober and nauseous. We had a mid-ship balcony, so I can't bear to think of what the aft and forward-facing rooms were feeling while we were rocking more than a honeymooner's bed...

 

Kevin and I woke up bright and early around 7:30AM and headed straight to the buffet. The past two sea days were pretty rocky, so most of the time I ended up sleeping early due to my sea-sickness medicine. We grabbed our usual buffet and waited around to hear the announcement on whether or not we would be able to tender at Great Stirrup Cay...

 

Unfortunately for us, the waters were too choppy and we would be unable to tender on their private island. This was one of the biggest bummers that I encountered on the cruise. Kevin and I were really excited to just kick back and relax on a private beach and take a dip in the pool after some gloomy weather on the way down to the Bahamas...you would think that for the money they spent on this place, they could've thought of a way to ensure we would be able to make it to this port of call. I didn't care much for Nassau, but since we missed GSC, we ended docking there early and staying until the next day.

 

However, not to dwell on the upsets, we decided to spend our night wandering around Nassau. Now it's not too shady compared to wandering about New York City's streets at night, but I can see how if you're not from New York City, you would be a little wary. At night, Nassau is a little empty with most of the tourists and people from the ship opting to stay around the docks. If you venture a little out, you'll have hoards of cabbies trying to hook you into get a ride with them. Just politely decline or ignore them (the NYC way) and keep walking.

 

(RCI's Enchantment of the Seas and NCL Sky were docked with us)

 

The next day, we ventured out during the day time. It was bustling with tons of people and the shops are open. Kevin and I weren't interested in purchasing things, so we decided to walk around and stumbled upon Junkanoo Beach. It isn't exactly the cleanest beach, but compared to New York City beaches, this was perfect. It isn't too crowded and there are a few vendors around, this is a great place if you're just looking to hop in the water for a bit and waste an hour or two before heading back on your ship.

 

Unfortunately for us, the weather was not exactly perfect, so we quickly dried off and walked over to Fat Tuesday's right next door.

 

Funny Story...

I've had Fat Tuesday's once before (*cough* Vegas...where I fell asleep while playing slots!!! *cough*) and their drinks are STRONG!

 

And I mean strong.

 

I ordered a yard of (honestly I can't really remember...I think it was the 190 Octane) something.... on their menu and it honestly overwhelmed me in the time it took for me to consume it. While walking back to the ship, I had a local humorously comment, "She looks drunk!" to which Kevin replied, "Yep she definitely is!". I think I was swaying a little, haha.

 

After we got back to the ship, I had to take a nap for two hours. Not a good idea. My head was pounding after I woke up! I had to eat something greasy just to soak up all the alcohol.

 

 

Now I'm not a gambler, but I like to hang out in the casinos just for a little bit and try my luck. Now the penny slots guarantee a lot of fun for just a little bit amount of money! Whenever I go places with a casino, I have a budget that I allocate just to gamble, so if I lose that amount, I'm okay with it. Also...don't play that quarter game...the one where you push a quarter in and it seemingly pushes more coins out of the slot...it's a surefire way to burn through 50 dollars...I'm still crying from that!

 

The penny slots provided over six hours of fun (in the course of two days) for me with just only $40 dollars! I thought I was doing quite well since I hit a streak and got up to about $160 dollars...but KEVIN DECIDED TO PLAY and for the two machines he sat on, he won $300 each. The first machine was one that I wasn't winning on, so I had him play on it. He got bonus after bonus and ended up with about $300....

 

The second machine was one with a high jackpot. After only pressing the lever twice, he managed to hit it!! For another $300! Beginner's luck, huh...Not fair...

 

At least he was kind enough to pay for the charges that we put on the room. (:

 

Smoking on the ship was not as pervasive as some individuals made it seem, besides the casino and Maltings Whiskey Bar (which was right by the Cigar lounge). The Waterfront was a nice getaway and a great use of the ship's real estate. There were plenty of ashtrays for smokers and even a semi-enclosed sitting area by the pool area. I saw many people enjoying a drink and a smoke there. Non-smokers also had their own space to enjoy a smoke-free environment on the Waterfront. Everyone seemed respectful of each other and we didn't notice any "offenders"!

 

 

Thankfully, Kevin managed to wake up earlier than I did and snapped some pictures of us docking back in NYC. We decided to self-carry out bags and made it through disembarkation in under 20 minutes.

 

Looking back...

We took the week as an opportunity to sleep in, eat, and drink to our heart's content. It was a great and relaxing experience for Kevin and I to hide away from technology and just really enjoy the view and sit out on our balcony.

 

Lost in the middle of sea for a couple of days was the best thing to end 2014 for me. It was a redefining moment so that I could remind myself to be calm and let the waves of life slowly carry me to a predetermined destination I call my future.

 

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE who has read this review.

I know next time I will be more diligent in photographing and taking note of my daily happenings!

But hey...when you're on vacation...things just seem to slip away, haha!

 

If anyone has any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them and I will respond as best as I can.

 

Edited June 23, 2015 by gangstarollerbunny

[Debbie1029]

Nice review! Love your style.

[destaw7182]

I really enjoyed your review and your style of writing. Thanks for sharing!

[bangzoom6877]

Loved your review! Last time we did the Bahamas & Florida cruise (on the Jewel), we stayed on the ship in Port Canaveral. It was such an awesome day! The kids had the run of the water slide, plenty of deck chairs and tables to eat near the pool, and just a wonderful time. It was quite a nice experience being on a near empty ship. We are waiting to get off in Bermuda the first day we dock there. We are instead going straight to the water park and enjoying that! The. We will have an early lunch, shower and then maybe go into Hamilton and do some shopping on front street. Saving the early morning activities for the following day when there won't be a huge crowd waiting for customs to clear before getting off the ship when it first docks! :)

[cruisin0504]

Very enjoyable, thanks for sharing!

[Chelleum]

Nice review and I like your pictures. Thanks for sharing!