June 28 Breakaway Bermuda Cruise Review

[cruise4family]

We cruised to Bermuda on the Breakaway 6/28 to 7/5. First cruise on NCL. We are a family of 4, me, my husband and twin daughters age 16 in a mid-ship balcony room with the bump-out balcony. This gave us a little bit more room on the balcony.

 

We arrived at the pier later than I would have liked because our bus was late. The lines were long and we were probably in the last group to board the ship. I had wanted to go to Savor for a calm, sit-down lunch, but the wait was 45 minutes, so we went to the Uptown Grill, which was not very crowded. Burgers were good and the salad was very good.

 

Our balcony room on deck 11 was much smaller than other balcony rooms we’ve had on Carnival and Royal Caribbean. But it had a lot of storage room. This being our first NCL cruise, I had read a lot on CC prior to sailing and got great information. Such as bringing cards to put in the light switch, requesting robes, etc. In fact, on the first day, we were explaining to some of the passengers about the light switches. There are only 2 banks for elevators, one forward, one aft. Not enough for the number of passengers. After shows, it was nearly impossible to get an elevator. We used the stairs quite a bit.

 

For our promotion, we chose the UDP, so we ate in a specialty restaurant every night. Because of information I read on CC, I knew we could also see Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy on the first night for free. Prior to sailing, I booked the shows and made dinner reservations for each night. We ate in Cagney’s twice, Le Bistro 3 times, and Teppanyaki and Moderno once each. All the dinners were excellent. We saw Rock of Ages, Burn the Floor and Cirque Dreams. All very good shows. However, the seats in the main theatre are extremely uncomfortable. We went to Howl at the Moon, and those musicians are very talented and we enjoyed the show. Most days, we had lunch at the Garden Café. I personally feel that the lunch buffet on Carnival is better, but food is subjective. One day we had lunch at O’Sheehans and it wasn’t that great. We did have lunch at Taste once and it was very good. Most mornings we went to Savor for a sit-down breakfast. Service and food was very good. The Garden Café breakfast buffet was also good. Because we used the UDP every night for dinner, we didn’t get a chance to eat dinner in any of the complimentary restaurants, so I can’t comment on those dinners.

 

The pool area is very small for the number of passengers and the chair hogs were everywhere. We spent time at Spice H2O, which is supposed to be for adults only. We saw 8 and 9 year olds in the hot tubs and with their parents on the loungers. So much for following the rules.

 

We did not book any excursions since Bermuda is easy to get around with buses and the ferries. I had done some research on Bermuda and knew about the $16 per person round-trip shuttle to Horseshoe Bay Beach. We used that rather than the public buses. It was a bit more expensive than the bus, but more convenient, as the shuttle drops you off right near the beach, rather than at the top of the hill. The beach was gorgeous and we actually went there on Wednesday and went back on Thursday because we enjoyed it so much. We got there early, and left when it started to get crazy crowded. On Friday, we walked around Heritage Wharf and bought some souvenirs.

 

The staff on the ship were pleasant, friendly and did a wonderful job. Service in the specialty restaurants was especially good. Tables in the Garden Café were quickly cleaned and our room steward was great and took care of all of our requests. Cute towel animals too!

 

We had fun on the ropes course, climbing wall, and miniature golf. There was always something to do. The girls attended the Entourage teen program and met some nice kids. They enjoyed the activities and parties.

 

There are not a lot of inexpensive souvenirs available on the ship. Lots of expensive jewelry, watches, etc. No shops to purchase reasonably priced tee-shirts, keychains, etc. Very different from the Carnival and RCCL ships we have sailed on.

 

We had reservations for an early bus home, so we decided to do the self-debarkation. Apparently, so did most of the ship’s passengers! This was chaotic. Announcements were made not to proceed to the debark area until told to. Well, the announcement was made, we got our luggage and were to the debark area in about 45 seconds, only to be greeted by about 1,000 people and their luggage already there. So much for following the rules….again. So we waited on a very long line to get off the ship. Going through customs was not bad, as they had a number of customs agents to take care of the crowd. We walked across the street, grabbed a cab and were on our way to the Port Authority to get our bus.

 

All in all, it was a very enjoyable cruise. I’m not sure I’m sold on the Freestyle concept, as you almost have to make reservations on the Breakaway if you want to see the shows or get into the restaurants when you want. But I would definitely cruise on the Breakaway again, and would definitely go back to Bermuda.

[Ilovesailing]

Thanks for you review, we love the Jade.

[snorkelmom19]

Thanks for the review, curious if you had a favorite dish or restaurant or any food that stood out. Did you sit out and eat at the waterfront at all?

[ktcat cruz]

Thanks for this review! We are sailing 7/26.. first time cruisers!

[cruise4family]

We loved Cagney's -- the steaks were cooked to perfection. We had the filet mignon and the NY Strip. Sauces were very good too. We liked Le Bistro too. We had the lobster, filet, lamb chops, fish, ribeye for 2, etc. Appetizers at both were nice too. Teppanyaki was lots of fun and the food very good. We also ate at Moderno. The salad bar was very good. I personally wasn't as fond of the meats there, but my family liked it a lot. As you can tell, all of our dinners were very good. And the service was attentive.

[cruise4family]

We did not sit out at the Waterfront for dinner. I'm not crazy about the humidity when I eat, so we sat inside with the air conditioning.

[snorkelmom19]

Thank you. Sailing in just a little over a week. Glad you had a good vacation.

[cruise4family]

Snorkelmom19, have a great cruise. You will have a wonderful time on the ship. Bermuda was fantastic. Enjoy!

[Sand and Seas]

Thanks for the great review! Was your balcony one of the angled ones? We have one booked on the Getaway for next month and I'm looking forward to the extra space. We were on the Breakaway 2 years ago. You reminded me of all the fun we had on that ship and the beautiful island of Bermuda. We didn't have the UDP so we had enjoyed the MDRs and Uptown Grill for most nights with a visit to Cagneys and LeBistro. I'm thinking we need to put Bermuda in our future cruise planning:D

[Dorhead1230]

Thanks for this review! We are sailing 7/26.. first time cruisers!

 

 

Hi! If you head over to the Roll Call section, we have a roll call going for this sailing. I also organized a Meet and Greet, if you're interested! [emoji1]

 

Thanks for the review, cruise4family!

Edited July 11, 2015 by Dorhead1230

[cruise4family]

Sand and Seas, yes, we had an angled balcony. We were midship deck 11. Good thing we had the angled balcony. The balconies on the Breakaway are substantially smaller than on Carnival ships. Smaller rooms too. But with the angle, all 4 of us could be out there at the same time. I miss Bermuda already!

[paradiseawaitsme]

Hi cruise4family,

Thanks for the review. Going October 4th, only second cruise and first on NCL. Can't wait! You mention requesting robes. I am one of those people who like to relax in a robe, whether it be morning, taking time to get ready for dinner, or relaxing on balcony before bed after a long day. Celebrity supplied them but I haven't seen any mention of them on NCL. We are also in a mid ship balcony cabin.Can we just request them from our room steward on embarkation day?

Thanks for your help. Glad you had a great cruise.

[fonekween]

Hi cruise4family aka a Twins Mom....mine are identical boys, 29. May I ask which cabin on deck 11? Having been on the Dawn to Bermuda late last summer (which we loved), we're going to try the Breakaway next year because I want to sail out of NYC this time. I'm looking at an angled balcony & wonder which one you had.

[JPV072900]

I thought cirque dreams was just discounted the first night. How did you go for FREE??

[marshalls1963]

We were also on this cruise and had the UDP. It was great! The Cirque show is no longer included, and I had to fight for it. We booked this cruise a year ago and at that time it was included as long as you went on the first day- after several phone calls they "grandfathered" us, but while on the ship we met several people that NCL did not do that for. We paid $119 for the UDP and that made it very worth it with the show included.

[JerseyGem]

......We did not book any excursions since Bermuda is easy to get around with buses and the ferries. I had done some research on Bermuda and knew about the $16 per person round-trip shuttle to Horseshoe Bay Beach. We used that rather than the public buses. It was a bit more expensive than the bus, but more convenient, as the shuttle drops you off right near the beach, rather than at the top of the hill. ........

 

Thanks for your great review; lots of good info for our August cruise! I have a question about the shuttle to Horseshoe Bay. How did you pay? Will the driver take USA dollar bills or just coins? Or do you have to stand in line somewhere else to buy a ticket for the shuttle?

 

How often does the shuttle run? Reading another review, it sounded like the shuttle was a large van that did continual round trips between the beach and dockyard?

 

Thanks, Lynn

[cruise4family]

Robes were not in the room when we got there. I requested 4 from our steward and he brought them the next day. They are not thick terry, but a thin cotton material. Nothing fancy but adequate.

[cruise4family]

I'll try to answer all the questions --

 

We had mid-ship BA 11240. Good location, port side, angled balcony.

 

We booked our cruise January 2015. At the time, the UDP included Cirque Dreams free the 1st night. I had no difficulty reserving the show for free for the 4 of us. Don't know why, but was glad I didn't have to fight for it. I'm glad we got to see it, but not sure I would have paid $39 each. The dinner was fair at best, which we didn't eat. And eating during the show distracted from watching the show. We went to Cagney's at 6PM, had a wonderful meal, and then saw the Cirque show at 9PM. So we didn't eat at the show. Learned that little tip from reading reviews on CC.

 

Regarding the shuttle to Horseshoe Bay, it is $16 per person round trip. Walk out of the cruise terminal to the area where the taxis gather. There will be a sign for the shuttle. They take cash only, US money. It is about a 10 seat van and there are a few of them. They run about every 30 minutes or so, but if they fill up (or nearly full) they go. About a 20 minute ride, and they drop you at the bottom near the beach. At the beach, you can rent chairs and umbrella. We didn't, but I think the prices were about $11 to rent a chair.

 

Any other questions, I'll try to answer.

[nautica34]

Regarding the shuttle, does the driver give a ticket or stamp to show you paid for the return trip?

[cruise4family]

Nautica34, the driver does give you a ticket. It has perfs at both ends. He takes one for the trip there and you keep the rest to give the driver for the way back. Shuttle was great and would do it again in a heartbeat! Is much better than public transportation and walking down and then back up the hill to get to the beach.

[JerseyGem]

Thanks for the details! We'll definitely use the shuttle!

[ktcat cruz]

Great info! Did you make reservations for all the evening dining in advance? I want to try at least cagneys and moderno, but I am resistant to booking dinner 2 weeks in advance!

 

Thanks!

[cruise4family]

ktcat, I actually made all my reservations for all the dinners and 3 shows on-line as soon as I was able...90 days from sailing! I knew we wanted to eat our dinners in the 6 to 6:30PM timeframe, so I booked them all. Didn't change a thing when we got onboard. I guess I'm not such a "freestyler," but with 2 teens with us, I'm not as flexible as some might be. It worked out great, because the shows were either 9 or 9:30PM, so we were able to eat, not have to rush, and still got to the shows in plenty of time. Also, we were able to get the restaurants we wanted. Be sure to book Teppanyaki in advance, as it is very small and fills up fast. We enjoyed the hibachi cooking.

[SAILPRO]

We loved Cagney's -- the steaks were cooked to perfection. We had the filet mignon and the NY Strip. Sauces were very good too. We liked Le Bistro too. We had the lobster, filet, lamb chops, fish, ribeye for 2, etc. Appetizers at both were nice too. Teppanyaki was lots of fun and the food very good. We also ate at Moderno. The salad bar was very good. I personally wasn't as fond of the meats there, but my family liked it a lot. As you can tell, all of our dinners were very good. And the service was attentive.

 

Did you have to pay for the extra $10 surcharge for lobster & ribeye for 2 since you had the UDP promo? Some on cc said 'yes' and some said 'no'.

[cruise4family]

Sailpro, we did not pay any extra fees for any of the specialty items. No $10 surcharges and every bill at the end of the meal was $0. We got the UDP as a promo for the 4 of us and were very happy with the meals and the value. Although we didn't have to, we did leave tips in cash. The service was very good. Not too slow, not rushed, just right.