Missing Breakaway July 2-2017

[mimb1]

We are just off BA and had an awesome cruise. We were a group of 11 (ages 54 to 20)and made a standing reservation for 7:30 each night in the Manhattan room and were seated promptly. Dinners/menus were very good. The wait staff could not have been more attentive to us our waiters name was Bam Bang from Indonesia (request him if he is still on board) he was the best waiter we have ever had to date. A tip; if you have the dining package you can use it for pre-dinner apps at the Ocean Blue raw bar and eat like a king and queen starting at 5:30pm with no res. We ended up cancelling our reservations at Le Bistro and Mederno for this option instead. You can order unlimited amounts of oysters, jumbo shrimp, stonecrabs, lobsters, crap legs, clams etc. Honestly my favorite part of the trip. Every night we met at Shakers for a pre-dinner drinks the bartender Urma was a real sweetheart. After dinner, we would head up to H2O for the evening’s entertainment. If you get there before 9:45 there are four great high tables at the back next to the bar that are elevated above the dance floor IMO best seats in the house. The cocktail waiter we had was Andre and he never let our glasses go empty. He was also our daytime server at H2O. We did Rock of Ages on Wednesday great show, but theatre seats are the most uncomfortable seats at sea. Embarkation was a breeze we arrive around 9am boarded 11:20 group 7 (we are silver latitudes) sadly Vibe was sold out already. We had it last time on BA well worth the extra $. Disembarkation was the fastest we have ever experienced we did the 8am walk off option and were off the ship and cleared customs by 8:20. For an excursion I would recommend contacting Capt. Caleb@ SailBermuda.com for a private catamaran snorkel trip it was about 110pp plus drinks. Boat was brand new and perfect for up to 30 people. I had read pre-cruise that drinking was a problem on BA. We were up most nights till 2am and did not see anyone who was drunk enough to take notice of, however did see a lot of people having a great time dancing the night away. Last tip is to give tips to the staff you spent a small fortune to be on board. Don’t hurt your experience by thinking the staff is tipped enough already with the pre-paid gratuities. Money is a very strong motivator for the staff and the reason I believe we experienced the best from them. We tipped our room Stewart $20 day one-per room, our waiter $40 day one, $20 day four and $40 last day. Urma at Shakers and Andre at H2O we tipped approx $10 per day. Wishing you the best on your cruise.

[SoCA6ft5]

Thanks for the great mini-review and tips. We sail August 13 and it's nice to see a recent positive experience.

[caddykid12]

What time were the show times in theatre? 730 & 930???

 

I have a group of 9 and struggling how am i going to line up MDR reservations to not miss a show time i also have scheduled.

 

Seems hard.

[bam1957]

Thanks for the great mini-review and tips. We sail August 13 and it's nice to see a recent positive experience.

 

We have sailed the Breakaway 4 times and I've never had a problem. Of course, we are not pool people so maybe that is why for us it's great. We never waited on drinks and if dinner was slow coming I didn't notice that either. I was enjoying being able to have a wonderful time with my husband.

[mimb1]

What time were the show times in theatre? 730 & 930???

 

I have a group of 9 and struggling how am i going to line up MDR reservations to not miss a show time i also have scheduled.

 

Seems hard.

We did the 8:30 show and moved our res in MDR to 6 pm that night. If you call NCL they can set you up your dining times for a large group for the week. Then speak to the maître d the night before your show to move the time to accommodate the show. Also remember the time changes on the ship Wednesday at 2am to Bermuda time and back to eastern standard on Friday night at 2am. Adds to the confusion when planning activities. Have a great cruise!!

[SoCA6ft5]

We have sailed the Breakaway 4 times and I've never had a problem. Of course, we are not pool people so maybe that is why for us it's great. We never waited on drinks and if dinner was slow coming I didn't notice that either. I was enjoying being able to have a wonderful time with my husband.

Thanks! I've seen a lot of "venting" here on CC about the BA, so it's always reassuring to see nice things posted. We have sailed several "mega-ships," and like you, have never had a care with overcrowding. I've always felt you decide what you want and you factor in the rest. The big ships give you lots of dining, entertainment, and activity choices - but you plan for making more reservations, longer lines, and more crowded common areas. Smaller ships are more intimate but may not have a "Broadway" show, an onboard water park, or the latest entertainment innovation. Small or large ship, we've been happy with all but one cruise (only because we were treated like dirt).