Breakway questions re shows/bbq/dining

[UandMe4Ever]

Good day all,

was reading through CC re: the Breakway and have some questions that could use some clarification please from all that have sailed most recently:

 

1. I understand there are no "poolside BBQ's" on sea days, weather permitting of course, as there is no room.

 

2. Is NCL charging for "special shows i.e Acrobats, etc, and if so. how much p/person.

 

3. Are the balconies/cabins smaller on this ship than others?

 

4. Is the ship layout poor as stated by others?

 

5. How is the Freestyle dining working out? Had it on 3 other NCL ships and they were great. Made a daily reservation and it was good. Even changed them if needed and staff was very nice about it. How many main dining rooms? How is the food overall Is one MDR open on embark day?

 

If there any points that seem important, we would appreciate your thoughts. We are thinking about the 14 night from NYC 11/27/16.

 

Thank you in advance for your replies and information. We do not generally look to find complaint and are pretty easy going.

 

safe travels all.

[flipper32]

. I understand there are no "poolside BBQ's" on sea days, weather permitting of course, as there is no room.

That is correct there is no food at the pool

 

2. Is NCL charging for "special shows i.e Acrobats, etc, and if so. how much p/person.

Most of the shows are free but the Le Cirque show is not

 

3. Are the balconies/cabins smaller on this ship than others?

I like the cabins but the balconies have very little depth

 

4. Is the ship layout poor as stated by others?

I think the layout is great, everything is located on 6,7,8 it makes it very convenient. Your not running all over the ship

 

5. How is the Freestyle dining working out? Had it on 3 other NCL ships and they were great. Made a daily reservation and it was good. Even changed them if needed and staff was very nice about it. How many main dining rooms? How is the food overall Is one MDR open on embark day?

I have never had a problem (4 cruises on Getaway and Breakaway) making daily reservations. There are screens on the ship that show wait time for all dining if you didnt make a reservation.

[garnet115]

Good day all,

was reading through CC re: the Breakway and have some questions that could use some clarification please from all that have sailed most recently:

 

1. I understand there are no "poolside BBQ's" on sea days, weather permitting of course, as there is no room.

Correct, but there is often a hot dog cart around. My dd really enjoyed that!

 

2. Is NCL charging for "special shows i.e Acrobats, etc, and if so. how much p/person.

The only shows that carry a charge are the Cirque show and the Wine Lovers Musical, both of which are combined dining/entertainment. All other shows are complimentary.

 

3. Are the balconies/cabins smaller on this ship than others?

I thought the cabin was more spacious than other lines I've sailed, and the bathroom is much more comfortable in size and layout. The balconies are narrow, but didn't stop me from enjoying the sun or sitting and reading.

4. Is the ship layout poor as stated by others?

Some of the public areas - especially the atrium and the deck 8 shopping area - feel very tight. The pool area gets very crowded.

 

5. How is the Freestyle dining working out? Had it on 3 other NCL ships and they were great. Made a daily reservation and it was good. Even changed them if needed and staff was very nice about it. How many main dining rooms? How is the food overall Is one MDR open on embark day?

I think overall the food is very good. Never a problem getting into the MDRs, even when there is a line. One of the smaller MDRs (Taste or Savor) will be open for lunch on embarkation day. The specialty restaurants can be difficult without advance reservations, but not impossible if you have flexibility and realistic expectations.

 

If there any points that seem important, we would appreciate your thoughts. We are thinking about the 14 night from NYC 11/27/16.

 

Thank you in advance for your replies and information. We do not generally look to find complaint and are pretty easy going.

 

safe travels all.

 

 

I've been on the Breakaway 4 times, and am sailing on Getaway next week. While not perfect, we love the variety of activities, dining options, and entertainment on this ships. It's what keeps us coming back. :D

[Sizzlechest]

4. Is the ship layout poor as stated by others?

 

The ship's layout is quite nice actually. Unlike the Jewel class ships, there aren't floors that are blocked by the first dining room. Elevators are slow.

 

5. How is the Freestyle dining working out? Had it on 3 other NCL ships and they were great. Made a daily reservation and it was good. Even changed them if needed and staff was very nice about it. How many main dining rooms? How is the food overall Is one MDR open on embark day?

 

It's pretty good. In fact, last minute reservations were better on the Breakaway for popular specialty dining (Teppenyaki) than on other NCL ships. Of course, if you want a certain time, reserving in advance is the better way to go.

 

In general, the menus in the MDR are usually the best on the first and second night.

 

If there any points that seem important, we would appreciate your thoughts. We are thinking about the 14 night from NYC 11/27/16.

 

There's no large Spinnaker lounge. Most of the events are in the Atrium. If you want to attend an event there, go early. Do try to plan your trip. Make reservations ahead of time. The pool is going to be crowded, so if you think you're not going to spend a whole day at a port, try to schedule some pool time while most of the people are away from the ship.

 

If it's a 14-day cruise, I assume you will be going to Bermuda? Don't bother with the NCL excursions. You can do it a 1/3 of the cost yourself. They take US dollars everywhere, no surcharge on your credit cards and the taxis are regulated.

[geegee1]

Good day all,

was reading through CC re: the Breakway and have some questions that could use some clarification please from all that have sailed most recently:

 

1. I understand there are no "poolside BBQ's" on sea days, weather permitting of course, as there is no room.

 

Correct. It's something we missed at first, but you learn to adapt.

 

2. Is NCL charging for "special shows i.e Acrobats, etc, and if so. how much p/person.

Cirque is a dinner and show which there is a charge. We loved the show, but the food wasn't anything special.

 

4. Is the ship layout poor as stated by others?

 

 

For the most part we loved the layout of the ship. Except for one day at the pool we never felt over crowded. There are more than enough venues to visit during the trip.

 

5. How is the Freestyle dining working out? Had it on 3 other NCL ships and they were great. Made a daily reservation and it was good. Even changed them if needed and staff was very nice about it.

 

We made reservations before we left. We did notice that mornings of that a lot of prime dinner spots were sold out for that corresponding evening.

[UandMe4Ever]

The ship's layout is quite nice actually. Unlike the Jewel class ships, there aren't floors that are blocked by the first dining room. Elevators are slow.

 

 

 

It's pretty good. In fact, last minute reservations were better on the Breakaway for popular specialty dining (Teppenyaki) than on other NCL ships. Of course, if you want a certain time, reserving in advance is the better way to go.

 

In general, the menus in the MDR are usually the best on the first and second night.

 

 

 

There's no large Spinnaker lounge. Most of the events are in the Atrium. If you want to attend an event there, go early. Do try to plan your trip. Make reservations ahead of time. The pool is going to be crowded, so if you think you're not going to spend a whole day at a port, try to schedule some pool time while most of the people are away from the ship.

 

If it's a 14-day cruise, I assume you will be going to Bermuda? Don't bother with the NCL excursions. You can do it a 1/3 of the cost yourself. They take US dollars everywhere, no surcharge on your credit cards and the taxis are regulated.

 

Thanks for this information. We would make dinner reservations before we leave. Worked well the last 3 times.

 

Bermuda is NOT part of this itinerary at all. Love BDA. Been there by ship 5x!! The only port we have not seen multiple times is Martinique, and we get there on a SUNDAY. probably 'deadsville', I'm sure.

 

Still not sure.

 

Thanks to all who were kind enough to reply here. Much appreciate your input.

 

Safe sails always.

[ncklhaus]

Thanks for this information. We would make dinner reservations before we leave. Worked well the last 3 times.

 

Bermuda is NOT part of this itinerary at all. Love BDA. Been there by ship 5x!! The only port we have not seen multiple times is Martinique, and we get there on a SUNDAY. probably 'deadsville', I'm sure.

 

Still not sure.

 

Thanks to all who were kind enough to reply here. Much appreciate your input.

 

Safe sails always.

 

I did the 14 day Breakaway last month and it was fantastic! Martinique was on a Tuesday so I don't know how it would compare.

[Valen9]

1. I understand there are no "poolside BBQ's" on sea days, weather permitting of course, as there is no room.

 

True. But there is a hot dog cart roaming about on sea days for a treat. There's also a gift shop up there if you need something.

 

2. Is NCL charging for "special shows i.e Acrobats, etc, and if so. how much p/person.

 

Not really. The Cirque show includes dinner and is therefore technically a "specialty restaurant". Pricing depends on if you are buying it directly or as part of your SDP, and whether you want VIP or standard seating.

 

3. Are the balconies/cabins smaller on this ship than others?

 

Cabins seem comparable to the Gem, but the balconies are definitely small. It is a tight fit to sit in a standard chair facing the ocean and not hit your knees/feet on the glass or railing. It's what I'm most unhappy about.

 

4. Is the ship layout poor as stated by others?

 

Not the whole layout, but the pool deck is disappointing. I like the layout of the other decks, but the pools are small, the lounge areas are inconvenient, and the buffet doesn't have any outdoor seating like the Great Outdoors. If you have kids, there's very little space for you to sit and still be able to observe the kids in the kid's pool.

 

5. How is the Freestyle dining working out? Had it on 3 other NCL ships and they were great. Made a daily reservation and it was good. Even changed them if needed and staff was very nice about it. How many main dining rooms? How is the food overall Is one MDR open on embark day?

 

Freestyle on Breakaway is great! There are 3 MDRs and you can be in line for both Taste and Savor at the same time since they share a foyer. I don't tend to make reservations and didn't seem to need them.

 

One MDR, usually either Taste or Savor, is open on embarkation day.