Breakaway to Bermuda review: July 19-26, 2015

[juniortrooper]

Ok- now I feel like we are living parallel lives. We too purchased one of the tiny glass turtles for our 6 year old. His lasted about 10 seconds out of the box before this happened....[ATTACH]358068[/ATTACH]

 

Pretty hilarious. Maybe we will trust him with a new one when we go back in September.

 

LOL! The tiny critters were SO CUTE though! Irresistible....but I guess not so practical....

[juniortrooper]

Thank you so much for this review! This would be my second cruise. Considering this one a real cruise, as another one I went on wasn't that great lol I am so excited. Going with my best friend and her family.

 

I'm just wondering how were you able to get your own snacks and water on the boat? Did you have to put it it your suitcase so it can get cleared? I was thinking about bringing the teeny bottles of water, and some crackers. Thanks!

 

Good question! I wanted to cover this--it was something I stressed about before we left. Here is what we (I) ultimately decided to do: I packed some Larabars in our suitcase in a ziplock bag. No issues whatsoever with prepackaged snacks going on board. I'd be a little concerned about crackers crumbling, but maybe you can pack them in a Tupperware-type container.

 

Waters/Teas/etc. I had a 6 pack of the sport type taller water bottles--two for each day we were in Bermuda. I (of course) purchased these with a coupon weeks before our trip. :) 4 days before we left, my dear daughter opened up the packaging to get a bottle out. (but didn't open the bottle) She didn't know any better but I was stuck not with 6 loose bottles. I taped them together with clear packing tape, stuck a luggage tag on them and up them in a reusable grocery bag along with a 6 pack of packaged bottles of tea. I also put a luggage tag on the handles of the grocery bag. The grocery bag had a Velcro closure, which somehow made me feel better (??!!) I also had another smaller reusable bag with some fruit flavored waters in them.

 

I was nervous when our suitcases showed up and our drinks hadn't. About an hour later, one of the canvas bags came and a little while later, the other one came. One of the straps of a canvas bag broke, so we just tossed the bag. It was a cheap bag anyways.

 

I put them in the bag because they were just six packs of the waters, not a case. If I had a reason to bring a 12 pack or larger of water, I would have skipped the bag (as long as the case was intact) and just put the luggage tag on the package directly.

 

Hope this helps!! Enjoy your trip!!

[juniortrooper]

Hey Amy,

Awesome review!!! Wish I had this to read before going on our first cruise. We also have 4 kids and haven't been away alone since probably our honeymoon LOL.

We did a lot of the same things, stayed in Secaucus, drove in and parked at the pier ($280, ouch...but worth having the car right there...easy on/easy off). We stayed in a spa mini suite celebrating our 25 year anniversary, no complaints about the room, but...would have loved the "bigger balcony with loungers", although I/We enjoy people watching, so the crowded pool area was solved with VIBE passes when we wanted "space".

 

Enjoyed all of the shows, Burn the Floor, Rock of Ages was awesome! Donna Vivino was really good also!

Headliners/Dueling Pianos was awesome! We did bingo because the wife isn't big on casinos, it was fun...came close a couple times but alas no luck...some lucky lady did win a free cruise though!!! Shout out to my bartender "Tan" who was really good. Tan worked the pool bar during the day and Headliners at night. That being said, a lot of the bartenders were really good at remembering who you were, especially if you tip extra.

 

One thing you neglected to mention was Julie the cruise director, was she still on board? She was unbelievable, from the shows in the Atrium, the theater, H2O and being a part of the dance productions. We thought to ourselves, we couldn't say anything negative about one crew member or the time we had other than a bigger pool or an additional pool would have been nice.

 

We also had our first ever massages, it was heaven, just wish I didn't get sucked in to buying the lotions I will probably never use :) Live and learn!

Wish I could have convinced the wife to cruise years ago...until the next time.

 

Thanks again for your very detailed review which was very accurate,

 

Mark

 

Thank you for your kind words! I'm glad I've maybe helped some people out with future trips!

 

I'm getting to the activities on board (yes, Julie was still the cruise director and I thought she was great!) and the spa experience (my second experience with a massage). I celebrated a birthday this week and was sick for a couple of days, so have neglected the rest of the review. The little ones are asleep so I am trying to take advantage of the quiet to get caught up! Enjoy your next trip with the family! We are probably going to do the same...in about 3-5 years. Amy

[juniortrooper]

So here we are, enjoying a leisurely lunch on board and watching people leisurely walk down the pier to the boat very close to 3pm....WHAT?! They said be on board by 2:30 people! I am one of those people who likes to be early for things and value other people's time. I was shocked (although I know I shouldn't be) at the blatant disregard for getting back on board by 2:30. I understand emergencies and things beyond your control happen with taxis, excursions, etc., but if you KNOW you are late, shouldn't you be RUNNING, or at least walking briskly to the ship that is waiting to take you back to NY?

 

Anyway, I heard them page a couple (although I couldn't understand the name due to the heavy accent), and we were off.

 

We went back to our room and I enjoyed watching us go through the reef from the aft. My husband retreated to the AC in the room and fell asleep. I was on the balcony reading and enjoying my music. All of the sudden, we slow down...and get slower, and slower...until we have STOPPED! Being that I'm on the aft, I can't see anything going on up front. As the minutes progress, I'm getting a little more concerned....Did we hit a reef? Was there an emergency? What is going on?! I woke my husband up, who didn't really seem to care then continued to watch from the balcony. I saw a "Pilot" boat head fairly close to the side of the ship head back towards Bermuda then we slowly started to go again.

 

Did the pilot boat bring those two people to our ship? That was my only assumption! I had no idea of any other reason we would stop then have a pilot boat come to the ship. I was on the aft, so I couldn't see anything.

 

It wasn't until the next day at the Officer's Q and A that I figured it out.....as we are navigating in and out of Bermuda, they send someone to the ship to do that. I had no idea. I totally thought the two people that they called for as we were leaving had missed the boat then the Pilot boat sped out to take them. So this was a lesson learned from a newbie cruiser. Now I know not to start panicking when we come to a "stop" just before leaving the Bermuda channel. :)

 

Next Up: Activities on Board!

[juniortrooper]

Pool Area/Ropes Course/Q and A with the Officers and "How to Run a Floating Hotel" talk

 

Pool Area: I had read on here the biggest complaint about the Breakaway was the size of the pool in relation to the number of people. I totally agree--the pool area is crazy. In the heat of the afternoon, the pool was just filled with people. There was no "swimming", mostly just staying in one place, cooling off and talking with others.

 

Chairs were hard to come by after 9am, but if you go up one or two decks they are easier to find.

 

We didn't go to Spice H20, so I can't comment on that adults-only area during the day.

 

As I probably mentioned before, I'm not a crowd person, so I was completely content hanging alone on the balcony, enjoying our view and the peace and quiet. I know my kids would want to be in the kid area, and honestly as a parent of 4, that thought makes me nervous! Too many people and the prime chairs to put our things are hard to come by in that area. For some reason, my kids don't appreciate serenity at this age...sigh....

 

Ropes Course--

This was on my "bucket list" for this trip. I have done lots of ropes course adventures through college and I enjoyed the challenges. The ropes course and rock wall was not open all the time, so we definitely referred to the Daily to see when they were going to be open. I believe on Tuesday they shut it down due to high winds. It might have been shut down more, but I am not sure. They can also shut down parts of the course--the zipline was shut down when our friends went on it on Friday.

 

We decided to do this while we were docked in Bermuda. My original plan was to take advantage of all things Bermuda while in Bermuda, but the weather messed us up. The ropes course opened at 4pm on Thursday so we got up there right around then and we were some of the first on it. You can't have anything in your pockets. I assume key cards are ok, but small cameras and phones are NOT allowed on the ropes course. It is fun to have someone down below to take pictures anyway! The first step off the platform is the hardest. (for me anyways). You don't have to do all of the obstacles/challenges--you can do as much or as little as you want. If you want to do the plank, however, it is across the ship from where you start. The camera wasn't working up there when we went, but it was working earlier in the trip. I walked the plank but unfortunately my husband didn't get a good picture of it. I wish we had the DSLR with us with the zoom. We got some awesome pictures of our friends up there a couple days later with our camera. Next time! It was a lot of fun and it was neat to see others conquering their fears right in front of you. Everyone was encouraging one another along the way and from the ground. I can't imagine doing this when we were actually moving, however! We lucked out that it wasn't too windy. I know it "ups" the difficulty/fear level if you are at sea and it is a bit windy.

 

**Something I think would have been helpful, is it they had some sort of dry erase board at the start line listing the hours for the day or if it was closed due to weather/wind. We walked by several times through the week and was wondering if it was closed due to weather or just not open at that time (and didn't have our Daily with us to check. Same suggestion for the rock wall!

 

Talks with the Officers-- We went to two different talks with the crew. The first was on Tues. in the Atrium--How to Run a Floating Hotel. Julie did a great job facilitating the discussion between passengers and various crew members. I loved seeing pictures of and hearing about Crew life--where they live, eat, socialize, etc. Quite fascinating and amazing to think the ship is SO MUCH bigger than we actually see! We also enjoyed the talk on Saturday with the officers--similar set up, but more technical/engineer questions.

 

There were MANY more activities to be involved in--Bingo, art auctions, crafts, mini golf, country line dance lessons, 3 point shoot outs, trivia, Wii. If we were traveling with our kids, we would have done different/more activities. There really is something for everyone.

 

Up next: SPA!!!!!

[juniortrooper]

What's not to love about a relaxing couples massage on a romantic kid-less vacation, right?! Well......

 

I have had one previous massage experience--it was in 2010 while I was 8 months pregnant with #3, so it was a bit of a different experience with pillows propping me up here and there, etc. I wasn't thrilled about it. I literally counted the ceiling tiles while I was waiting for the time to be up. I just couldn't relax and didn't appreciate the experience.

 

While we were waiting to board, I was convinced by our friends and my husband to give the experience another try--the first time was different because it was a prenatal massage. We'll be on a cruise, and this will be better. Give it one more try...... So I did..... We signed up for a couples massage on Tuesday (sea day) at 10:30. We were able to sign up at the pier while we were waiting to board. Our friends also signed up for a couples massage at 10am the same day. It was really convenient to be able to sign up while we were waiting, so if you know you want spa services, head to the table before you board to take care of making the appointment!

 

When we boarded we also went for a tour of the spa area after lunch. The staff were readily available to show you around (but we didn't see where the massage areas were). We saw the heated loungers, salt room, steam room, sauna, etc. They also showed us where they do the salon services and we met the person who does acupuncture and botox I believe. They had some raffle that day as well, but you had to be there to win. It was at 6pm, so we were at dinner.

 

On the day of our appointment, we went to check in. We had to fill out a lengthy survey of various info--occupation, stressors, diet, health issues, etc. I can't even remember all that was on this form, but I was getting stressed just having to think of all the answers to these questions that in my mind didn't really matter...just rub my shoulders, ok?! :rolleyes:

 

We were then taken downstairs to a "holding room" (my term, not theirs), with these cushioned loungers with pillows, water, and tea. The room had no windows and we were rocking....My husband was quick to get comfy and start snoring. I, on the other hand, was getting nauseas from the movement and anxious about laying back and getting comfortable. (not looking good, huh?!)

 

Eventually they came an got us and showed us to a dimly lit room with two tables (and no windows). The ladies were nice and went over any areas we needed special attention to. (I had foot surgery years ago and my nerves were messed up, so touching my foot was a no-no)

 

They left us so we could get changed and I kept getting more and more anxious about the experience. Unfortunately, I simply couldn't relax during the experience. I was nauseas because of the movement and slightly claustrophobic because of no windows. After we were done, we didn't purchase any of the lotions they tried to sell us and left as soon as we could, so I could get some fresh air.

 

I have learned that I'm just not a "massage" person--I can't seem to relax with a stranger that close to me. I tried...but it just isn't for me. Yes, the motion of the ship had something to do with it, but not enough to make me try it a third time!

 

I'm sure the services are top-notch--but I'm not a good judge of that. I'm sorry! My husband enjoyed his massage as much as he could knowing that I was next to him stressing over it.

 

*I will say my friends went 1/2 hour earlier in a different room down the hall. Apparently their massage was accompanied by the beat of some sort of exercise class right above them. They said something to the management about how it wasn't as relaxing with the music above and maybe they shouldn't use that particular massage room while a class was in session above. They ended up giving them two passes to use the spa on Saturday. They loved the spa area that day! They did enjoy their massages though.

 

About the spa passes--after touring the area on day 1, I could totally see myself using the spa area--it was peaceful, relaxing, and calm. I loved all of the rooms, the heated loungers, the windows all around... BUT....I really wish there was an outside component to it--it just seems "wrong" to be inside on a cruise when the weather is picturesque outside! If they had an outside area in the spa, I would have purchased the spa pass instead of the massage in a heartbeat, but that is just me!!!

 

Up next: Service/Layout/Misc

[juniortrooper]

This process was much like the process getting off at Bermuda--there was little information about it posted and available and announcements were few and far between.

 

We decided to "walk off" with our luggage. Continuing with our "all steps, all the time" mantra, we used the steps to head towards Deck 7. (also, the crowd at the elevators told us that the steps would be much faster) We had to ask someone where we were to get off--we couldn't find it posted anywhere.

 

We headed down about 7:15 after enjoying a beautiful scenic sunrise breakfast in the buffet and getting some more pictures off of our balcony.

 

There was a crew member trying to direct passengers and lining people up. Once the line started moving, we got off pretty quickly. We used our key card once more to "clock off" of the ship. We went down an escalator (or could do an elevator probably) and to a customs station where they asked a couple questions and looked at our customs forms (left on our bed on Friday night)--DO fill them out--some people didn't and had to fill them out on the spot!! :rolleyes: They sent us through and we were off to head to the truck.

 

Yes, it was expensive to park at the pier. Perhaps it would have saved us some money to park elsewhere but to us, being in our truck just steps away from the ship at 7:45 am headed home was worth it.

 

We were able to find our way out of the city with no problem (thanks to the GPS) and we headed south on the NJ Turpike.

 

And there you have it...the four of us were on our way home to kiss our 8 kids and get back to the reality of cooking, cleaning, breaking up fights between siblings, running kids to soccer, play dates, and doing the laundry....oh the laundry.....:D

[juniortrooper]

All in all, we had amazing service on our vacation! The servers in the dining rooms were personable (even more so if you went out of your way to engage them in conversation), the room stewards were friendly--ours called us by name when he saw us and did a nice job keeping our room clean and we saw another one quite frequently while walking to our room--he was very friendly and always said hi to us as well.

 

I thought the staff in the buffet did a great job quickly cleaning up plates and replacing napkins and the bartenders did a great job, despite being busy at times.

 

The cruise director, Julie and her staff did a great job being visible and providing a variety of activities for all passengers. She was around morning, noon, and night. I don't know when she slept, but she was very visible!

 

I generally liked the layout of the boat. I LOVED the waterfront area--great concept and I loved that we could walk around and get little glimpses of various restaurants. Like I said earlier, I loved our aft balcony--I was totally spoiled and I don't know if I could go back to another type of room.

 

I wish that some of the places/activities had more regular hours (I know--weather permitting) AND signs at the location saying when they were going to be open next. It would have been really helpful at the ropes course, and Dolce if we could see when they were going to be open the next time.

 

I liked the itinerary--by having three days at sea, we were "forced" to relax and enjoy all of the many offerings on board! I really liked the fact that we had time to do the activities on board and not have to decide to give up part of a port day to do something on board. (although some people do that--to each their own)

 

I LOVED having 3 days in Bermuda! I feel like we could really plan things on our own and see Bermuda at our leisure versus cram it all in 8 hours like in many other itineraries and destinations. I am really disappointed that RCI decreased their cruises next summer from 7 night to 6 and 5 night cruises so you get less time on board and less time in Bermuda. (I will say, I'm wondering if a 5 night cruise might be better for the kids' first cruise? I know exactly what we'd do in Bermuda for 24 hours--beaches on day 1 and Restless Native on day 2....I've started looking into it, but haven't come up with anything definite) To my knowledge next year NCL is the only cruise line doing regular 7 night itineraries to Bermuda (please correct me if I'm wrong!). There might be a few random 7 night cruises here and there through other lines.

 

I definitely would go back to Bermuda and I would go on the Breakaway again, but I would wait until my kids are older and would be able to do more on board.

 

Questions?

 

I hope you all have enjoyed reading this! I hadn't intended on it taking me quite so long to finish it but I wanted to include lots of details and quiet time for me to sit down at my computer is sometimes scarce.

 

Happy Cruising!!

[brookie848]

Thanks for all of your information in your review. I really want to do Bermuda and hope to do it in the next few years. At this point, I'd go just for the shopping (glass and the pink sand jewelry) and I'm not much of a shopper!

[scgssny]

All in all, we had amazing service on our vacation! The servers in the dining rooms were personable (even more so if you went out of your way to engage them in conversation), the room stewards were friendly--ours called us by name when he saw us and did a nice job keeping our room clean and we saw another one quite frequently while walking to our room--he was very friendly and always said hi to us as well.

 

I thought the staff in the buffet did a great job quickly cleaning up plates and replacing napkins and the bartenders did a great job, despite being busy at times.

 

The cruise director, Julie and her staff did a great job being visible and providing a variety of activities for all passengers. She was around morning, noon, and night. I don't know when she slept, but she was very visible!

 

I generally liked the layout of the boat. I LOVED the waterfront area--great concept and I loved that we could walk around and get little glimpses of various restaurants. Like I said earlier, I loved our aft balcony--I was totally spoiled and I don't know if I could go back to another type of room.

 

I wish that some of the places/activities had more regular hours (I know--weather permitting) AND signs at the location saying when they were going to be open next. It would have been really helpful at the ropes course, and Dolce if we could see when they were going to be open the next time.

 

I liked the itinerary--by having three days at sea, we were "forced" to relax and enjoy all of the many offerings on board! I really liked the fact that we had time to do the activities on board and not have to decide to give up part of a port day to do something on board. (although some people do that--to each their own)

 

I LOVED having 3 days in Bermuda! I feel like we could really plan things on our own and see Bermuda at our leisure versus cram it all in 8 hours like in many other itineraries and destinations. I am really disappointed that RCI decreased their cruises next summer from 7 night to 6 and 5 night cruises so you get less time on board and less time in Bermuda. (I will say, I'm wondering if a 5 night cruise might be better for the kids' first cruise? I know exactly what we'd do in Bermuda for 24 hours--beaches on day 1 and Restless Native on day 2....I've started looking into it, but haven't come up with anything definite) To my knowledge next year NCL is the only cruise line doing regular 7 night itineraries to Bermuda (please correct me if I'm wrong!). There might be a few random 7 night cruises here and there through other lines.

 

I definitely would go back to Bermuda and I would go on the Breakaway again, but I would wait until my kids are older and would be able to do more on board.

 

Questions?

 

I hope you all have enjoyed reading this! I hadn't intended on it taking me quite so long to finish it but I wanted to include lots of details and quiet time for me to sit down at my computer is sometimes scarce.

 

Happy Cruising!!

 

 

Great review, thanks for taking the time to capture all the details!

Sean

[mgasparro1]

Thank you JuniorTrooper for the AMAZING review!! I have 11 cruises under my belt, but this will be my first with NCL on the Breakaway in November. I have been very nervous since reading all the reviews..but you and my friend that just got off of the Breakaway on Sunday, have restored my faith! lol I am really excited again! Thank you!

[everylastbreath]

Awesome review! Thanks for sharing!

 

Question- Did you find the specialty dining was really that much better than the included dining? We do have a few booked although we did not purchase the unlimited (didn't work out to be much of a savings).

 

Another question- The rope course, is there one way one and one off? also the slide area is it very confusing to keep track of a child? (Not talking baby, 10 year old) especially if lounge chairs are so hard to come by. Thanks!

[rogue 35]

Awesome review! Thanks for sharing!

 

Question- Did you find the specialty dining was really that much better than the included dining? We do have a few booked although we did not purchase the unlimited (didn't work out to be much of a savings).

 

Another question- The rope course, is there one way one and one off? also the slide area is it very confusing to keep track of a child? (Not talking baby, 10 year old) especially if lounge chairs are so hard to come by. Thanks!

 

regarding the ropes course, there is only one entrance and you exit the same way. Not sure if that is clear enough, but they hook you up to the harness system at the base of a set of stairs, a track leads you up one side of the stairs and when you are done you go back down the same stairs.

 

Regarding the slides, it can be hard to keep track of the kids because the slides come out in all different directions. You start up on set of stairs for all the slides, halfway up you branch off if you are going on the open slide (I think it was blue) and you take the stairs all the way to the top for the 2 closed slides (I think they were yellow and purple) and the two drop slides. Now when you exit the open slide, it's right next to the stairs, so you basically end up back at the start, but not so for the other slides. The closed slides ends one floor up from the pool deck on the right hand side and the drop slides end one floor up from the pool deck on the left hand side.

[everylastbreath]

How about the dining question? Thanks for other answer, completely understand and it's as I expected it would be! Thanks!!

[juniortrooper]

Awesome review! Thanks for sharing!

 

Question- Did you find the specialty dining was really that much better than the included dining? We do have a few booked although we did not purchase the unlimited (didn't work out to be much of a savings).

 

Another question- The rope course, is there one way one and one off? also the slide area is it very confusing to keep track of a child? (Not talking baby, 10 year old) especially if lounge chairs are so hard to come by. Thanks!

 

Hi, Thank you for your kind words.

 

We only ate at Cagney's the last night. I thought the food was great, perhaps a notch above the main dining rooms. I know lobster in any form is a hot topic and my lobster and shrimp seafood dish was delicious (and not "extra" on top of the cover charge we paid). I'd get that again in a heartbeat! My husband (who is more of a steak lover than I am) might disagree--he had a couple other steaks in Taste and Savor and I think the one in Cagney's was definitely better. Actually, now that I think of it, he had the bison--an offering not on the main menus. My advice is to look at the specialty restaurant menus available online and see if anything jumps out at you. It is all about tastes--nothing on the LeBistro menu appealed to us, yet I hear may wonderful things about the restaurant.

 

RE: ropes course--as the previous poster mentioned, one way on and one way off, BUT, you don't have to do the zip line in order to get off (it was closed when my friends did it). There are lots of options once you are up there as far as which way to go.

 

RE: slides--I agree--it could get a little tricky with so many slides emptying in different areas. If you know which one they are going on, you can certainly head to the exit in plenty of time. We scoped out the exits ahead of time (and best viewing for pictures). Maybe do that Sunday night when you board when it is less crowded by the pool area?

 

Enjoy your trip!

[juniortrooper]

Thank you JuniorTrooper for the AMAZING review!! I have 11 cruises under my belt, but this will be my first with NCL on the Breakaway in November. I have been very nervous since reading all the reviews..but you and my friend that just got off of the Breakaway on Sunday, have restored my faith! lol I am really excited again! Thank you!

 

Thank you for reading! I know it was wordy and I applaud anyone who was able to read to the end! I just wanted to include some details that I was curious about going into the trip, and one thing led to another and it turned out really long!!

 

I too was really nervous about the Breakaway after so many negative reviews. I believe the trip is what you make of it & we went in with a positive attitude (and truthfully very little to compare it to) and we had a wonderful time! Yes, there were things that would have been nice....(like a couple thousand fewer people and a larger pool area)..but all in all, we had a wonderful trip!

 

I hope you have a great time in November!! (slightly jealous!!)

[CTBob]

Thank you for reading! I know it was wordy and I applaud anyone who was able to read to the end! I just wanted to include some details that I was curious about going into the trip, and one thing led to another and it turned out really long!!

 

I too was really nervous about the Breakaway after so many negative reviews. I believe the trip is what you make of it & we went in with a positive attitude (and truthfully very little to compare it to) and we had a wonderful time! Yes, there were things that would have been nice....(like a couple thousand fewer people and a larger pool area)..but all in all, we had a wonderful trip!

 

I hope you have a great time in November!! (slightly jealous!!)

We too had an aft balcony (12908) the week after you and had similar experiences to yours. One difference, we went on the Rising Son II and it was raucous with loud music but not too loud. We had a great time with them and it never really seemed like the 80 people they said was on board. There was plenty of snorkel equipment and paddle boards and kayaks and everyone had a great time. I was concerned that it might be too much for my Granddaughters ages 10 and 12 but they had more fun than I had and the crew treated them wonderfully. We also got rained on our first day in Bermuda when we went to Tobacco Bay and planned to go to Hamilton but abandoned that plan as we were soaked. We also parked at the pier and except for the expense found it to work very well. We were sitting in the buffet when our number was called, one hour later we were in the car and one hour later we were at my son's house in Flemington, NJ. I agree with you that Julie (The Cruise Director) was everywhere and extremely approachable, probably the best we've ever had. And the crew was great, especially Paci our cabin steward. Most of the time the ship didn't seem that crowded but on the last two nights we felt the full force of 4700 passengers. I just want to know where they were the rest of the week? The only place that was always crowded was the main pool area, it's just too small. The Breakaway was beautiful, had lots to do and this is a great itinerary. Edited August 12, 2015 by CTBob

[hilltopper98]

Thanks for the detailed review, I found it very informative and helpful. I'm counting down the days until our family boards the Breakaway!:)

[jesron1269]

Hi,

 

Like many of you, I scoured Cruise Critic to find out as much as I could to help in planning our special trip. As a result, we had a fabulous vacation. I would like to give you all a detailed review of many aspects of our trip. I'm hoping some of my quirky details will help others in planning their perfect trip!

I will be doing the review in topical format. I can't remember which day we ate where and what we did. I have four kids (who didn't vacation with us), so please be patient while reading my review--it will take me several days to get through it all!

 

We are a late 30-something couple celebrating our 15 year anniversary this year and our first trip without kids since having all four. This was a huge trip for us--we don't usually spend this much on vacations except to Disney with the whole family (and let's be honest, that isn't much of a vacation with four kids....don't get me wrong--it's a fabulous time, but very little relaxing is done amongst the crowds, fast passes, reservations, etc....) We traveled with another couple, also without kids. This was our second cruise. The first one was a short Carnival cruise shortly after we were married. The other couple didn't have lots of cruising experience either--the wife had never been and the husband had been on a couple as a teen with his family.

 

I will get into more details later about our room, but we enjoyed an aft balcony on the 9th floor.

 

Everything in this review is just our opinion. If it is one thing we should learn from Cruise Critic, everyone has one...and it often differs!

 

Topics I will cover: (maybe not in this order...)

Getting there/the stay the night before in Secaucus, NJ

Traveling to Port/Embarkation

Room/Balcony

Food! Drinks!

Activities--Ropes Course, Pool

Shows--Donna Vivino, Burn the Floor, Rock of Ages, Q&A with officer, Running a floating hotel

Communication/iConcierge

Shopping on board

Kids Club (we stopped by to check it out even though we don't have kids)

Arriving in Bermuda

Bermuda---Beaches, Food, Shopping, Wed. Night Harbor Nights, Transportation, Snorkeling excursion--Restless Native

Spa

Service while onboard

 

All in all, we had a great trip. Lots of fun memories were made!! Stay tuned!

 

I will start with our stay in NJ the night before!

 

Wow JuniorTrooper... reading this first post made me comment before reading the remainder. I am greatly looking forward to this review as ironically enough my wife and I will be traveling for the same cruise on the same ship over Memorial Day weekend 2016. We also will be traveling with another couple. Said couple will be celebrating their 16th anniversary and we will be celebrating our 15th anniversary. Wife and I also have four kids who will not be coming and this will be the first major vacation without the kids since our honeymoon. We are really looking forward to it but in the meantime I am really looking forward to your review. Sorry but I just had to comment given all the similarities. I am certain I will have questions when I am done.

[juniortrooper]

Wow JuniorTrooper... reading this first post made me comment before reading the remainder. I am greatly looking forward to this review as ironically enough my wife and I will be traveling for the same cruise on the same ship over Memorial Day weekend 2016. We also will be traveling with another couple. Said couple will be celebrating their 16th anniversary and we will be celebrating our 15th anniversary. Wife and I also have four kids who will not be coming and this will be the first major vacation without the kids since our honeymoon. We are really looking forward to it but in the meantime I am really looking forward to your review. Sorry but I just had to comment given all the similarities. I am certain I will have questions when I am done.

 

I hope you enjoy reading the lengthy review! I noticed on your countdown graphics it said "Getaway" in May 2016--is that correct? We were on the Breakaway. I just didn't want you to be confused! Congratulations on your anniversary and I hope you have a GREAT time!

[Gershep]

Great review, thank you. We are thinking of booking the Restless Native. Where did you keep your money, id, camera when you were in the water?

[jesron1269]

I hope you enjoy reading the lengthy review! I noticed on your countdown graphics it said "Getaway" in May 2016--is that correct? We were on the Breakaway. I just didn't want you to be confused! Congratulations on your anniversary and I hope you have a GREAT time!

 

No it is the Breakaway. I must have gotten my countdown out without realizing the error. Awesome review. Loved it! It is my understanding that you can take the sea glass to a local jewelry and they will make a custom necklace or something with it. Did you do this with the sea glass you found? Next time you go back to Bermuda what is the one thing you absolutely will do again and the one thing you will avoid? Did you feel there was sufficient wine offerings at $11 per glass to pair with dinners?

 

Once again great review! Thanks for taking the time to write it.

[juniortrooper]

Great review, thank you. We are thinking of booking the Restless Native. Where did you keep your money, id, camera when you were in the water?

 

I was worried about this--We had a backpack and we were able to store our backpacks in spaces below the windows inside the boat. I didn't bring our DSLR camera--only our cell phones. We have LifeProof cases so they are waterproof. I took mine out into the water with me and although I didn't submerged it fully, it got plenty wet with no issues.

 

At Walmart, I purchased these hard cases (look in the camping or boating section) for around $7 each. Our phones with the cases fit inside with some extra room for a little cash and a credit card. It clipped to my husband's bathing suit. He put his phone, credit card and cash in it and kept it with him. I *think* I left my cash and credit card on the boat. Honestly, I figured I would discreetly hide them in the backpack and we left them right in front of the bar area where they were making the cookies. When I got back onto the boat, I took a quick peek to make sure everything was still there. (and it was!) Since you are anchored for 2 hours, people are on and off the boat continuously so you can periodically check.

 

Loved the Restless Native trip--I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

 

Hope this helps!

 

Amy

[juniortrooper]

No it is the Breakaway. I must have gotten my countdown out without realizing the error. Awesome review. Loved it! It is my understanding that you can take the sea glass to a local jewelry and they will make a custom necklace or something with it. Did you do this with the sea glass you found? Next time you go back to Bermuda what is the one thing you absolutely will do again and the one thing you will avoid? Did you feel there was sufficient wine offerings at $11 per glass to pair with dinners?

 

Once again great review! Thanks for taking the time to write it.

 

 

I probably could take the sea glass to a jeweler. I actually saw a great idea at a local store--picture a framed canvas with pieces of sea glass made into birds with two pieces of drift wood on either side. The bird features were drawn in with a black pen and the sea glass was drawn on. It is hard to describe, but in person it was really cute! I am re-doing the kids' bathroom with a beach-y theme so I plan to make a picture using at least some of the sea glass.

 

One thing I will absolutely do again--(well, three...) I would rent a pontoon boat again, weather permitting. We obviously didn't do this on our trip because of the weather but it is still something I really want to do. The other thing is the Restless Native. I think on a better day (weather-wise) we'd go to a different location where there would be more snorkeling and things to explore. I have looked at the shorter Bermuda trips that leave from Baltimore and have thought about a possible itinerary. I would also go to the beaches, but not necessarily Horseshoe (although probably early in the day for pictures).

 

Avoid--the bad weather! LOL Seriously, not sure there would be anything I'd avoid....I enjoyed everything I did. I probably wouldn't go back to the Lobster Pot again I guess--I would try something else. It was good, but with so many other choices, I'd try something new.

 

Wine selection--yes, there was plenty to choose from within the limits of the UBP. I'm by no means a wine expert but I enjoyed the selections. If you do a search, I'm sure you will be able to come up with a photo of the wine selection!

 

Enjoy!!

[Gershep]

I was worried about this--We had a backpack and we were able to store our backpacks in spaces below the windows inside the boat. I didn't bring our DSLR camera--only our cell phones. We have LifeProof cases so they are waterproof. I took mine out into the water with me and although I didn't submerged it fully, it got plenty wet with no issues.

 

At Walmart, I purchased these hard cases (look in the camping or boating section) for around $7 each. Our phones with the cases fit inside with some extra room for a little cash and a credit card. It clipped to my husband's bathing suit. He put his phone, credit card and cash in it and kept it with him. I *think* I left my cash and credit card on the boat. Honestly, I figured I would discreetly hide them in the backpack and we left them right in front of the bar area where they were making the cookies. When I got back onto the boat, I took a quick peek to make sure everything was still there. (and it was!) Since you are anchored for 2 hours, people are on and off the boat continuously so you can periodically check.

 

Loved the Restless Native trip--I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

 

Hope this helps!

 

Amy

 

Thank you, it does help. Last time we were in Bermuda we rented a pontoon and it was the best. I wanted to do the catamaran but I think I am out numbered. They want to rent the pontoon again. We shall see. The other day is reserved for jet skis. On Friday I don't like to venture too far.