Just off the Breakaway from the 7/19 Sailing

[JPV072900]

Well, another cruise is in the history books. Although it now seems like it never happened, the scale quickly reminded me that I have 11 extra pounds that I took home!

 

Where shall I start? It was a very relaxing cruise! I can't say that I did much for the entire cruise!

 

Getting on the ship wasn't that bad. I believe we got to the pier at around 10:30, and we were on the ship by noon. We took Uber from our hotel. We stayed at the Fairfield Inn near Penn Station, and it was a 10-15 minute ride. MAKE SURE they drop you off on the upper level as it's easier to unload and hand over your luggage. Anyway, once we dropped off our luggage, we were able to go inside and go through the lines of security. We were given boarding group #15. Once they started calling the numbers, they were called in order, and it took about 15-20 minutes before our number was called.

 

I heard a cruise director tell someone that the rooms weren't ready, but we just walked to ours and dropped off our bags. We had two balconies: rooms 9172 & 9170. We had four in our room, and it was a welcome sight to see a bunk bed drop from the ceiling in our room. The bathroom had glass doors for the shower. The refrigerator works, but I don't think the temperature goes lower than 50 degrees!! It doesn't make anything cold! The king bed was very comfortable. The suitcases fit nicely under the bed. Our room steward, Dinesh, was great. The location of the room was good. I sleep with a fan on, and I never heard anything.

 

I was beyond thrilled that the balcony dividers open up! Our room steward said we're not supposed to open them, but he wouldn't tell on us!! The balconies are a little smaller than on the Dawn, but they were still very good!

[JPV072900]

We had the UDP on this cruise, and I must say I loved every meal! We ate at Moderno, Cagney's, La Cucina, Teppanaki, and Le Bistro. The only disappointment was Moderno. The buffet did nothing for me, and the meats were good, but I can get plenty of meat in all the other restaurants. I have read plenty of negative reviews regarding La Cucina, but I think I had the best meal and waitress there! The Veal Ossobuco was amazing! The 14oz Ribeye was also amazing. The chocolate tort pie was so rich and so good. Cagney's makes an excellent filet mignon. Their Mac & cheese is incredible. The baked potato soup is delicious. The lobster pasta dish was only so-so!

 

Teppanaki was delicious! I loved everything about the meal. The portions were huge! I just wish they had a better dessert menu. Also, I was sad that every cook said the same exact thing from table to table, you could hear the same jokes being said again and again! Le Bistro was good. I love escargot. I tried the Swordfish, and it was good but a little dry.

 

We had one breakfast in Savor, and the service was beyond slow and it was a cold breakfast.

 

The Garden Cafe was good. Their mac and cheese was awful. I've had better out of the boxed kind! I never made it to O'Sheehans, by I did go there to get coffee every morning with my mug that I brought from home.

[mizLORInj]

Welcome back. Watched you leave Bermuda on Friday in the rain!

 

Were the fireworks cancelled?

[JPV072900]

No, in fact the fireworks were really cool! I was so glad we could watch them from our balcony. We had a perfect view!

[mizLORInj]

How long after you left port were the fireworks? Did you see them from port or starboard side?

[JPV072900]

Bermuda was a bust! Obviously not NCL's fault. It was SO windy the day we arrived. We wanted to go parasailing and do a snorkeling excursion, but they couldn't go out any of the days we were there. My wife and son were able to do the Wild West Kayaking trip, though they were limited compared to where we kayaked last year.

 

ALSO, the ship now leaves at 3:00pm on Friday instead of 5:00pm. I got a bunch of different answers when I asked about that one!

 

Since all my excursions were a bust, I made the best of it and got a spa-pass for two of the Bermuda days. I really enjoyed the peace and serenity!

[JPV072900]

How long after you left port were the fireworks? Did you see them from port or starboard side?

 

The fireworks were about 10 minutes long on the port side and they started at 10:45pm. There was no grand finale, they just stopped! A little weird, but still so cool to watch out in the middle of the ocean!

[janetz]

Thank you for your thoughts. :)

Was it very crowded at the pool?

We have gotten the spa passes for the week. It looks like NCL has about the same amenities there that were in the Enclave on the Royal Princess. Did you enjoy it?

Edited July 26, 2015 by janetz

[JPV072900]

Thank you for your thoughts. :)

Was it very crowded at the pool?

We have gotten the spa passes for the week. It looks like NCL has about the same amenities there that were in the Enclave on the Royal Princess. Did you enjoy it?

 

The pool was INSANELY crowded! I wish the two pools weren't so close to each other. The main pool was like a spring break hang out by 1:00pm and the music got louder and louder wherever you were! Every day we sat by the water slides on the non-smoking side on deck 15. Since I'm a morning person, I would get up at 6:30 to save the seats! Yes, I was a chair hog on this cruise, and I'm proud of it! On the last morning, I got up at 6:15, and if I waited any longer, I wouldn't have my seats!!

 

We definitely enjoyed the cruise, but I'm done with cruises for a couple of years

[JPV072900]

FYI, I did the ropes course, all the water slides, the thermal spa. I didn't like the ropes course. I was a scaredy cat! I didn't like it, but my son loved it and he walked the plank. The water slides were fun. The free fall was a blast! You must be 99lbs to use it and they have a scale up there to check. I used it to see how much weight I gained on the cruise! I much preferred being in the thermal spa. Everything about it was great.

[JPV072900]

Let me know if anyone has any questions about the Breakaway. :-)

[JPV072900]

Btw, I went to the uptown grill a couple of times. It would have tasted much better if I were actually hungry when I went there!!

[Kellyann]

MAKE SURE they drop you off on the upper level as it's easier to unload and hand over your luggage. Anyway, once we dropped off our luggage, we were able to go inside and go through the lines of security. We were given boarding group #15. Once they started calling the numbers, they were called in order, and it took about 15-20 minutes before our number was called.

 

I enjoyed your review but I have a question about getting dropped off at embarkation. How will I know if I'm on the "upper level". I'll be coming there by taxi so can you be a little more specific. We are older and won't be able to travel long distances with heavy luggage if we get on the wrong level.

Thank you.

[CPT Trips]

In addition to Burn the Floor and Rock of Ages, what was in the Main Theater? is les Getaux still in Fat Cats. Who played in the various lounges?

[JPV072900]

In addition to Burn the Floor and Rock of Ages, what was in the Main Theater? is les Getaux still in Fat Cats. Who played in the various lounges?

 

I didn't go to any shows. Nothing appealed to me, and nothing was "family friendly"!!

[JPV072900]

Either level was easy in terms of getting rid of your luggage. The driver drops you off, and you just go a few feet and someone is there to take your luggage. The lower level is busier and you need to take the elevator to get to the upper level. If you arrive on the upper level, then you don't need the elevator. Both are easy, but when you have one party that arrived on the upper level and one on the lower, it gets a little confusing.

[Kellyann]

Either level was easy in terms of getting rid of your luggage. The driver drops you off, and you just go a few feet and someone is there to take your luggage. The lower level is busier and you need to take the elevator to get to the upper level. If you arrive on the upper level, then you don't need the elevator. Both are easy, but when you have one party that arrived on the upper level and one on the lower, it gets a little confusing.

 

Thanks, one less thing to worry about. So glad you had a nice vacation.

[bangzoom6877]

Hello fellow cruiser! It was nice to meet you on the cruise and run into you near Uptown Grill and outside the ice bar right before I went in!

 

I agree about the thermal suite...DH and I bought passes a few weeks before the cruise and we went every day. It was so relaxing and so worth it! :)

 

And lol about saving deck chairs on the last morning...I was walking back from the gym at about 7:15 the last morning and heading to the Garden Cafe for some fruit on the way back to the cabin. I noticed there weren't really any lounge chairs available by the pool at such an early hour! ;)

Edited July 28, 2015 by bangzoom6877

[JPV072900]

How was the thermal suite on the sea days? I was in there after we left Bermuda, and the water in the pool was rocking back and forth. It was a bit much!!

 

BTW, when I saved chairs on Saturday, I stayed with them so. It was okay!! ;)

[Louise245]

Let me know if anyone has any questions about the Breakaway. :-)

 

Since you were on both ships, which one did you prefer and why. We are very early 60. In good shape and active (but would not do any of the water slides or ropes. During sea days we enjoy reading outdoor, not particularly by the pool and since we will go in October it probably would be a bit cold during part of the sea days.

Thanks, it would help me make up my mind.

Louise

[bangzoom6877]

How was the thermal suite on the sea days? I was in there after we left Bermuda, and the water in the pool was rocking back and forth. It was a bit much!!

 

BTW, when I saved chairs on Saturday, I stayed with them so. It was okay!! ;)

 

We loved the thermal suite. It was less crowded on sea days than port days, believe it or not! Probably because they sold day passes on port days. There were signs telling people not to reserve the tile loungers with towels or personal belongings, but people still reserved them anyway. I still didn't have a problem getting one when I wanted one though. The first full sea day, I saw a couple inside the hot tub drinking bloody Mary's. This shouldn't be allowed, and I'm sure it isn't supposed to be allowed, but it should be enforced. I don't think anyone should be able to bring food and drinks into the thermal suite, and since you have to check in with your pass each time, it should be easy to enforce. Especially since they have spa attendants taking care of the thermal suite constantly.

 

We did enjoy the thermal suite and found it to be very relaxing. Worth every penny!

[kelly11]

Did you get caught with the balcony dividers open? We booked side by side balcony rooms with my sister in law and niece hoping to have them open but then read it wasnt allowed :rolleyes:

[JPV072900]

Since you were on both ships, which one did you prefer and why. We are very early 60. In good shape and active (but would not do any of the water slides or ropes. During sea days we enjoy reading outdoor, not particularly by the pool and since we will go in October it probably would be a bit cold during part of the sea days.

Thanks, it would help me make up my mind.

Louise

 

Hi Louise, tough call! If they Breakaway were in Boston instead of NY, I'd definitely say the Breakaway over the Dawn. But since that's not the case, I'd still say the Breakaway. I loved all the extra restaurants on the Breakaway. The Uptown Grill was good. I bet I would have loved the Dawn more if we had the UDP though!

 

The thermal suite was nice on the Breakaway. I don't know what I would have done if I couldn't go there on the port days where the weather was lousy in Bermuda.

[JPV072900]

Did you get caught with the balcony dividers open? We booked side by side balcony rooms with my sister in law and niece hoping to have them open but then read it wasnt allowed :rolleyes:

 

Funny story, I was all excited about the balcony doors being able to open. I went next door to share the excitement, and the room steward was in my parents' room talking to them! I was like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar!! He told us we're not supposed to open it, but then he said he wouldn't tell.

 

A couple of days later, we called 911 because of a light fixture that was catching fire. When one of the crew saw us on the balcony with the connector open, he joked with us that he wouldn't tell on us since we called in the fire. After that, the captain came by to check the fire, but he didn't say anything!!

 

I will say this about the connector...be careful when its windy and you're out to sea. The door might whack you in the face if you're not careful!!! Be very careful or I'm sure they'll lock them all!!

[JPV072900]

We loved the thermal suite. It was less crowded on sea days than port days, believe it or not! Probably because they sold day passes on port days. There were signs telling people not to reserve the tile loungers with towels or personal belongings, but people still reserved them anyway. I still didn't have a problem getting one when I wanted one though. The first full sea day, I saw a couple inside the hot tub drinking bloody Mary's. This shouldn't be allowed, and I'm sure it isn't supposed to be allowed, but it should be enforced. I don't think anyone should be able to bring food and drinks into the thermal suite, and since you have to check in with your pass each time, it should be easy to enforce. Especially since they have spa attendants taking care of the thermal suite constantly.

 

We did enjoy the thermal suite and found it to be very relaxing. Worth every penny!

 

Food in the thermal spa????? People are ridiculous!!!