Breakaway 3/18 /18 Sailing - 4th Time and we still enjoyed her!

[mluzzy1]

Just a quick note because I've heard a bit of negativity and I was a little afraid that our 4th time on this ship would disappoint .

 

First off, we once again were in a Haven Spa suite. And we've done this category 4 times. So my experience only applies to the Haven really. And because of the layout of the ship, I understand that if you stay outside the Haven , it can feel crowded at times.

 

I would say this was our best experience to date. Patrick , the concierge is not only helpful but has a really nice genuine way about him. The wait staff in the Haven dining room was great. Its funny how each time has been different in the dining room , never bad, just different personalities to make our cruise fun. As usual , handling any special requests(cherry pie, banana egg pancakes, dinner items for lunch etc)without hesitation.

 

Kumar - and the other bartenders - fantastic. Listed to my margarita recipe and made them that way the whole week.

 

Our room steward Margherita was also excellent. Never saw her unless we needed her and she kept our stateroom spotless.

 

Our Butler was new(first cruise) and pretty certain it was her first time as a butler. She contacted us at 9:00pm on Embarkation day and told us she had training and orientation that day otherwise she would have checked in earlier. We had her deliver pizza one night and it arrived cold which was pretty surprising. Im thinking delivery hot food is a priority - maybe it was her timing, not sure. But her attitude was great and I think she will improve.

 

The Thermal Spa , to me , is one of the best at sea in terms of size and options. (EPIC is also great) We used it every day and I would recommend.

 

The condition of the ship is surprisingly good everywhere we saw. As it's approaching its 5 yr mark , it still feels current. My wife and I agreed that the Spa Suite is a very comfortable set up with ample storage and a great bed. We cruised in a Crown Loft suite on Oasis of the Seas in November. Although the two floor setup up is very nice, it lacked the warmth and the bed wasn't even close to NCL's in terms of comfort. RCCL ,in my opinion, is still playing catch up to the haven experience on the Royal side of things. We've done suites on Anthem and although Coastal Kitchen is nice , the Haven concept just works better.

 

We were also pleasantly surprised with the people on our cruise. There were families in the Haven and for the most part the kids were well behaved and the parents did a good job parenting. We met some nice friendly people and I think everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. We did pick this week because it's in between college spring breaks and high school breaks - so it was probably quieter than the prior two weeks and the following two weeks.

 

 

GSC was another no show due to wind but they refunded 27.00 pp and we overnighted in Nassau. We don't book this cruise for the Itinerary but if people did they would be bummed as the weather in Florida was torrential rain and GSC was a bust. That being said - Nassau had great weather.

 

Moderno and Le Bistro did not disappoint. Typically we have a hard time eating outside the Haven Restaurant because the quality and service are very good. We used out platinum coupons for both restaurants and enjoyed the food. The service was good too , but you get spoiled in the Haven because they get to know you and it becomes a personalized dining experience.

 

We were off the ship at 7:45 and home by 9am (Jersey Shore). We will miss Breakaway but am looking forward to Escape and Bliss:)

[Keith1010]

Thank you for taking the time to write and share this review and most importantly that you enjoyed a very nice cruise.

 

Keith

[livinginyellow]

Just a quick note because I've heard a bit of negativity and I was a little afraid that our 4th time on this ship would disappoint .

 

First off, we once again were in a Haven Spa suite. And we've done this category 4 times. So my experience only applies to the Haven really. And because of the layout of the ship, I understand that if you stay outside the Haven , it can feel crowded at times.

 

I would say this was our best experience to date. Patrick , the concierge is not only helpful but has a really nice genuine way about him. The wait staff in the Haven dining room was great. Its funny how each time has been different in the dining room , never bad, just different personalities to make our cruise fun. As usual , handling any special requests(cherry pie, banana egg pancakes, dinner items for lunch etc)without hesitation.

 

Kumar - and the other bartenders - fantastic. Listed to my margarita recipe and made them that way the whole week.

 

Our room steward Margherita was also excellent. Never saw her unless we needed her and she kept our stateroom spotless.

 

Our Butler was new(first cruise) and pretty certain it was her first time as a butler. She contacted us at 9:00pm on Embarkation day and told us she had training and orientation that day otherwise she would have checked in earlier. We had her deliver pizza one night and it arrived cold which was pretty surprising. Im thinking delivery hot food is a priority - maybe it was her timing, not sure. But her attitude was great and I think she will improve.

 

The Thermal Spa , to me , is one of the best at sea in terms of size and options. (EPIC is also great) We used it every day and I would recommend.

 

The condition of the ship is surprisingly good everywhere we saw. As it's approaching its 5 yr mark , it still feels current. My wife and I agreed that the Spa Suite is a very comfortable set up with ample storage and a great bed. We cruised in a Crown Loft suite on Oasis of the Seas in November. Although the two floor setup up is very nice, it lacked the warmth and the bed wasn't even close to NCL's in terms of comfort. RCCL ,in my opinion, is still playing catch up to the haven experience on the Royal side of things. We've done suites on Anthem and although Coastal Kitchen is nice , the Haven concept just works better.

 

We were also pleasantly surprised with the people on our cruise. There were families in the Haven and for the most part the kids were well behaved and the parents did a good job parenting. We met some nice friendly people and I think everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. We did pick this week because it's in between college spring breaks and high school breaks - so it was probably quieter than the prior two weeks and the following two weeks.

 

 

GSC was another no show due to wind but they refunded 27.00 pp and we overnighted in Nassau. We don't book this cruise for the Itinerary but if people did they would be bummed as the weather in Florida was torrential rain and GSC was a bust. That being said - Nassau had great weather.

 

Moderno and Le Bistro did not disappoint. Typically we have a hard time eating outside the Haven Restaurant because the quality and service are very good. We used out platinum coupons for both restaurants and enjoyed the food. The service was good too , but you get spoiled in the Haven because they get to know you and it becomes a personalized dining experience.

 

We were off the ship at 7:45 and home by 9am (Jersey Shore). We will miss Breakaway but am looking forward to Escape and Bliss:)

 

Got married on this cruise and mainly booked it for itinerary! Not upset, just bummed. I have most people in my group who will NEVER sail Norwegian again, for many reasons. Im so glad you had a wonderful time.

[BirdTravels]

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your Breakaway cruise with us! We were in a Haven Spa last year to Bermuda and loved every minute of it.

[Clarea]

Thank-you for the report.