Breakaway 14 Day Southern Caribbean Review with lots of pictures (and the Haven)

[teakea]

Loving your review and admiring your strength. We are on the BA this month in a 2 bedroom like yours. It's hard to tell, from the pictures, how big that sofa bed (bottom bunk) really is. It looks like a twin bed. We've been in 2 bedroom suites on the Dawn & Gem and as I recall those sofa beds were the size of a smallish double bed. Can you clarify please? A little over 2 weeks to go for our first BA cruise and your review is tremendously helpful.

[bda73]

Quick question, did you happen to see on any of the dinner menus beef wellington? Our first cruise we saw it and didnt order, now every episode of Hells Kitchen reminds us of not trying it.....

 

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[ncklhaus]

Loving your review and admiring your strength. We are on the BA this month in a 2 bedroom like yours. It's hard to tell, from the pictures, how big that sofa bed (bottom bunk) really is. It looks like a twin bed. We've been in 2 bedroom suites on the Dawn & Gem and as I recall those sofa beds were the size of a smallish double bed. Can you clarify please? A little over 2 weeks to go for our first BA cruise and your review is tremendously helpful.

 

The sofa bed is somewhere between a twin and a full size bed. I slept on it a few nights (because of my husbands snoring :eek: don't tell him I said that) and had plenty of room. It was quite hard so I asked the room steward for a mattress topper and that made it much more comfortable.

[ncklhaus]

Quick question, did you happen to see on any of the dinner menus beef wellington? Our first cruise we saw it and didnt order, now every episode of Hells Kitchen reminds us of not trying it.....

 

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Honestly, I don't remember. I'll try and look through my photos and see if any menu pictures have it. But I heard many menus changed around 2 weeks after our cruise.

[ncklhaus]

Day 3 January 5th Sea Day

[ncklhaus]

[Sizzlechest]

Thanks for posting those dailies. Did you ever try Modernos for breakfast or for the themed lunch? I enjoyed lunch at Modernos when they were doing a German theme.

[ncklhaus]

Thanks for posting those dailies. Did you ever try Modernos for breakfast or for the themed lunch? I enjoyed lunch at Modernos when they were doing a German theme.

 

You're welcome. I will post the dailies for each day.

No, we only did Moderno once for dinner this cruise.

We did the Haven restaurant for most breakfasts and lunches.

[hanson90]

Really enjoying your review. We head out on the Breakaway at the end of March.

[ncklhaus]

Really enjoying your review. We head out on the Breakaway at the end of March.

 

Thanks so much. I love the Breakaway.

I'll try and continue my review tomorrow.

[ChooChooMan]

It has been totally enjoyable to read about your Breakaway adventure, and see that you have survived the beast known as cancer. Your "sail away" pictures crusing down the Hudson remind me of my Breakaway cruise I took in October 2013. The weather was a perfect fall afternoon for NYC, and I was able to get some great pictures of the World Trade Center with the setting sun's reflection bouncing off it. Plus, on the return to NYC, I awoke in time to catch the ship as we passed under the VZ Bridge, at about 5:00am! I have some nice pictures of that too. Now if I can figure how to attach a photo here....!

 

I thoroughly enjoyed the Breakaway cruise and have been looking for another opportunity to cruise on her again, so I am considering booking the Heaven for late May to Bermuda, and after reading this review, I just might go ahead and do it!

 

All the best

Tim

[ncklhaus]

It has been totally enjoyable to read about your Breakaway adventure, and see that you have survived the beast known as cancer. Your "sail away" pictures crusing down the Hudson remind me of my Breakaway cruise I took in October 2013. The weather was a perfect fall afternoon for NYC, and I was able to get some great pictures of the World Trade Center with the setting sun's reflection bouncing off it. Plus, on the return to NYC, I awoke in time to catch the ship as we passed under the VZ Bridge, at about 5:00am! I have some nice pictures of that too. Now if I can figure how to attach a photo here....!

 

I thoroughly enjoyed the Breakaway cruise and have been looking for another opportunity to cruise on her again, so I am considering booking the Heaven for late May to Bermuda, and after reading this review, I just might go ahead and do it!

 

All the best

Tim

 

 

Thank you for the compliments. :)

If you can figure it out, I'd love to see your pictures.

[ncklhaus]

On this third day, we woke up naturally around 8:00am and then we went to breakfast in the Haven. Shocking. LOL

 

After breakfast, we decided to try out the ropes course. It was awesome as usual. I did it on our last cruise, but this time Melissa joined me. She LOVED it! In the picture of her on the Zip line, you can see she was a little scared. But the next times she did it, she was fine. LOL

 

 

[ncklhaus]

After the Ropes course, Melissa saw the Breakaway Bounce and the Slide Spider Climb and wanted to try them. It was around 11:45 by then and there was a long line for the bounce, so she started off by trying the Climb. She tried and tried but could not figure out how to climb that darn thing. She's a big girl, and the bigger you are, the harder it is to climb. After trying it for around 10 minutes, it was her turn for the Bounce. I think she was still a little freaked out from the Zip line. She would do both the Bounce and Climb later in the cruise with no problem.

 

 

 

 

When she was done, it was 12noon and they close the area then. What should we do now? How about the pool? OK! The daily says that the temperature forecast was 55 degrees, but that must have been a misprint. It was closer to 70 degrees although it was overcast. We go back to the room to get on our swimsuits and find Melissa's bed set up like this.

 

 

 

 

It's these little things that mean the most. She had left the dolls in the upper bunk. Ven had set them all up on the edge of the bottom bunk. So sweet.

[ncklhaus]

We went to the pool deck and it was pretty busy in the adults pool. We were a little surprised to find the children's pool with nobody in it. The surprise was gone once we got in. It was SO salty that Melissa was crying that her eyes were killing her. She wasn't even opening them under the water. I didn't go under, but I was able to taste the salt water just sitting in the pool. I didn't remember it being this bad in the past. We didn't bring her goggles on the cruise, so I guess we would be going to CVS in Puerto Rico tomorrow to get her goggles.

We decided that burning eyes wasn't fun, so we would head up to the Haven pool and see if that was better. It was. And she could open her eyes under the water.

 

 

 

 

Click on the picture below for a short video clip in the Haven pool

 

Edited February 6, 2016 by ncklhaus

[ncklhaus]

After a bit in the pool, it was time to go back to the room to shower and change. Tonight we are eating dinner in Ocean Blue. Now, I had heard lots of mixed reviews about this restaurant and we didn't eat there last cruise because of them. That was one of the "we should have done" regrets we had. We would find out for ourselves if it was a go back to restaurant.

 

Mascarpone bread. OMG! Yummy! It reminds me of a really good everything bagel.

 

 

 

Oysters Rockefeller. The presentation was phenomenal. Sorry the pictures are blurry. Delish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beef Tartare

 

Sorry, I didn't remember to take the picture until it was almost gone. but again, it was delish.

 

 

[ncklhaus]

Everything in this restaurant was high class. From the lights to the linens to the silverware to the glasses. Really nice.

 

 

One of the light fixtures.

 

 

 

Seafood Chowder. It was served with the seafood, veg, and croutons in the bowl. Then they came and poured the broth on. It was superb.

 

 

Melissa approved

 

 

The waiter brought us hot towels with lemon to clean our hands between courses

 

[ncklhaus]

I can't remember what this drink was called but it was the specialty drink in Ocean Blue. It was GOOD! We would have it a few other times.

 

 

 

Side dishes of Creamed Spinach and Mac and Cheese

 

 

 

Grilled Asparagus

 

 

[ncklhaus]

And our main courses "Seafood Extravaganza" for each of us. Melissa was a little creeped out by the head on shrimp. LOL

 

 

 

But we destroyed the platters. This is what was left when we were done.

 

 

 

There was no way we would be able to eat dessert. Wrong. They have this sorbet trio with an almond cookie. So good! I don't have a picture of it now, but I did get one at a later date.

 

 

Our fantastic wait staff

[Freespir8]

And our main courses "Seafood Extravaganza" for each of us. Melissa was a little creeped out by the head on shrimp. LOL

 

 

 

But we destroyed the platters. This is what was left when we were done.

 

 

 

There was no way we would be able to eat dessert. Wrong. They have this sorbet trio with an almond cookie. So good! I don't have a picture of it now, but I did get one at a later date.

 

 

Our fantastic wait staff

 

Omg...my mouth is watering. That looks soooo good!! Yum!

[suzequ]

Loving your review and photos.We booked Breakaway for next Jan while on Escape.Never cruised with NCL before but we loved this cruise we booked another.Are there any hotels close to the port?We would only need it for one night before getting on the ship.Thanks.

 

DH and i will be on The BA in the Haven in 2 weeks. When we sail at this time of year I always research hotels near the port, so we can come in a day early if need be - i would never want to miss a cruise!

 

So, the two closest options i found that my NYC friends gave thumbs up to are:

 

Holiday Inn Express at 48th between 10th and 11th. About $150 for one night (Sat) stay, includes breakfast.

Ink48 Hotel at 48th and 11th. aBout $230 for a Sat night in Feb.

 

I know people who've stayed in Hoboken or elsewhere on the NJ side and taken the ferry over, so that could also work.

[MizDemeanor]

We leave in two weeks. This Ocean Blue meal looks amazing. I wonder how many time we should book this venue... :D

[lockone]

I have been fighting breast cancer since 2001...young cancer survivor...now have metastatic breast cancer since 2011...very tough existence. My last cruise I was in a wheelchair but had a great time...If you need any help or someone to chat with, please im me!

[ncklhaus]

Omg...my mouth is watering. That looks soooo good!! Yum!

 

Mine too as I am writing this. :D

[ncklhaus]

DH and i will be on The BA in the Haven in 2 weeks. When we sail at this time of year I always research hotels near the port, so we can come in a day early if need be - i would never want to miss a cruise!

 

So, the two closest options i found that my NYC friends gave thumbs up to are:

 

Holiday Inn Express at 48th between 10th and 11th. About $150 for one night (Sat) stay, includes breakfast.

Ink48 Hotel at 48th and 11th. aBout $230 for a Sat night in Feb.

 

I know people who've stayed in Hoboken or elsewhere on the NJ side and taken the ferry over, so that could also work.

 

Please say hello to all the Haven restaurant staff for us, especially Jo Ann, Carol, Pretchelle, Armi, Hazel, and Ronaldo. I know I'm missing lots of names but they are wonderful. You'll see soon. Enjoy!