Breakaway Review April 14th-21st

[KeithJenner]

We disembarked the Breakaway last weekend after the first cruise of the season out of Miami.

 

Some of you may have read my previous live reviews, which I couldn’t do this time as we didn’t get the internet package. For the first time, I didn’t have to log on for work (we are having a Summer off), so had no need to buy an internet package.

 

I wasn’t going to do a review, but given the various comments about the Breakaway, and poor/slow service, that I have read recently I thought I would give my thoughts. I apologise in advance, as I do tend to go on a bit.

 

For those who don’t know me, I sail with my wife and 13 year old son. We are experienced cruisers (this was my 21st, and our sons 16th). All of those cruises have been with NCL. Not necessarily because we think that NCL are great, but they have always met our needs, and we have always found itineraries which fit in with our travel plans. Until they let us down, I don’t feel any particular need to move.

 

We like to get away at Easter as we are usually fed up with the weather back home by this time. The past couple of years have been in Europe, but we also sometimes go to Orlando at around this time.

 

Most of our cruises have been in Europe, but we have also done Hawaii, Alaska and a Western Caribbean. This was our first visit to the Eastern Caribbean. I have to say that of all the cruise destinations I have visited, the Caribbean is my least favourite. Having little interest in sitting on a beach (10 minutes is more than enough for me), scuba or shopping, there isn’t huge amounts to attract us to these areas outside the weather. However, we decided to go and see for ourselves.

 

We also tend to sail on smaller ships. Largely this is because we pick by itinerary, and the smaller ships have tended to be on the itineraries we chose. Our favourite is the Spirit, but we also really like the Jewel Class. We have however been on the Epic, Getaway and Escape. The Breakaway was new for my wife and son, but I was on the inaugural transatlantic back in 2013.

 

I like the layout of the new ships, but always find that the staff are busier, and get less chance to chat compared to the smaller ones. On the Spirit, for example, we always find a favourite bar (usually Henrys Pub) where we generally go for a drink and get to know the bar staff quite well, but on newer ships we tend to be a bit more nomadic.

 

We were looking forward to the Breakaway as it was our first large ship since the Epic in 2016.

 

Anyway, enough background. Let’s get on with the cruise itself.

 

Cabin

 

We were in a mini suite with large balcony. We had stayed in the same room type on the Getaway, and they are our cabin of choice on these ships. The standard balconies on the Breakaway and Getaway are so small that I don’t think I’d pay the extra for one of those balconies. Ours was massive. In addition the room was in a perfect location for us. We spend more time on decks 6-8 than the pool deck, so it was nice and convenient for us. We are looking at booking the Joy in a couple of years and intend to book a similar room.

[KeithJenner]

Food

 

We get the two free platinum meals, but also decided to purchase an additional 3 meal package (4 meals for our son). Our son loves Moderno and, as that restaurant isn’t on the Spirit which is the other ship we have booking on this year, we decided to go twice. He also likes Teppenyaki and Cagneys so we went to each of those and my wife and I also went to La Cucina which our son isn’t as fussed on.

 

I have to say that all of these were excellent, and the overall dining experience was probably the best we have had on a ship for a while.

 

The first visit to Moderno was average. It is usually only me who gets salad, but this time I got a larger selection so they could take some. The waitress saw us all eating from the same salad plate so brought our dining plates out so we could use those. As a result, the meat servers started coming to our table and my son said yes to some meat, so we ended up with me trying to finish the salad whilst meat was coming round with no sides on the table. It was largely our fault, but wasn’t ideal.

 

The second visit to Moderno was probably our best for a long time. This was on the last night, and the service was excellent and I just couldn’t stop eating the meat. It really was one of our most enjoyable meals for a while.

 

Cagneys is a restaurant I have had some mixed results at lately. Sometimes not the fault of the restaurant (a couple of times one or more of us hasn’t been feeling great when we go there - hangovers etc), and on a couple of occasions the steaks have not been as good as they could be. Not bad, but not great. The service has also sometimes been a little less attentive than in other restaurants.

 

This wasn’t the case here at all. The service was good, we were all well and the food was excellent and cooked just right. My son and I had the fillet and my wife the lamb chops, which really were excellent.

 

My only complaint was the lack of the potato soup.

 

Teppenyaki is a favourite of all of us. We all enjoy the show, and our son can eat that rice all day. I thought the food was typical Teppenyaki standard. Not quite as good as what we had on the Pride of America last year (the best we have ever had in Teppenyaki), but very good. We all enjoyed it.

 

La Cucina is a restaurant which can get bad reviews, and the first couple of times we went there we weren’t very impressed. However, for the past few years it has been one of my favourites. I usually go for the Osso Bucco, but this time tried the shrimp ravioli, which I thought was excellent (although I will go back to the Osso Bucco next time). I really like the layout of La Cucina on these ships, and the service was excellent. A very good meal.

 

When we were in La Cucina, the table next to us had a problem when one of the party didn’t get their steak cooked how they wanted. The restaurant had four attempts to get it right, with the chef coming out a couple of times to try to understand exactly what she wanted.

 

I’m going to try not to judge here, but I find it hard to believe that in four attempts they couldn’t get it right, unless the requirement is extremely specific. My wife and I were speculating whether this person had ever found the place that had got it just right. Whatever the rights and wrongs of the specific issue, I was very impressed with how the staff dealt with it, even if she never got her steak.

 

Maybe I am just not fussy enough. My wife knows exactly how I like my steak and when she cooks one for me it is always just right. If I am at a restaurant I know that if I ask for Medium Rare (or Rare at home where people are generally scared of a bit of red), then I will get it close enough. Occasionally (as in Cagneys) it comes out just right and is a bonus, but it is always close enough for me to enjoy it. As I said, maybe I am not fussy enough, but it is notable that this attitude means that we usually leave the restaurant with a smile on our faces, which certainly wasn’t the case for any of this party.

 

Anyway, other than the speciality restaurants, I ate at the Shanghai noodle bar by myself one night. I really like the Chinese restaurants on the ships, and these noodle bars are not as good in my opinion. I still enjoyed it though.

 

Outside of that, we ate is o’Sheehans a few times. Our son really liked the fish and chips (which he has previously found a bit hit and miss), so insisted we go there quite often. I like o’Sheehans, and enjoyed everything I had there.

 

We only visited the buffet a few times, and it was adequate for a snack. I think we had lunch there once, and on one occasions I went there with my wife as she didn’t fancy yet another o’Sheehans. I thought the selection looked adequate, but was less than I though it would be given the size.

 

We usually had breakfast in Margaritaville, which was a lot quieter than the buffet, and had a decent selection. We also went to Moderno a couple of times which was very good, especially if we could find a table on the waterfront.

 

We didn’t use the MDR’s at all on this cruise. We usually only go there once or twice on a cruise, and tend to find that the service is slowest there. From comments I heard the service there was adequate.

[KeithJenner]

Service

 

There have been a number of comments on these boards recently about the service on the Breakaway. Miserable staff and long waits for drinks seem to be the main criticisms. I must admit that these comments did start to get me a little worried, despite having heard similar things in advance of previous cruises. We boarded fully expecting to have to wait quite a while for drinks.

 

One thing that often makes a difference for us is that we rarely get a drink from the pool bar on sea days, for example. We tend to be where others aren’t which can make a difference. However, it is harder to avoid the crowds on the bigger ships.

 

We introduced ourselves to Milan, at Shakers bar, fairly early on. We met his wife who is also on the ship when she was working at o’Sheehans on the Epic a few years ago and she was one of the best bar staff we have encountered. Shakers was one of the main bars we used during the week. Because many people there are ordering Martini’s etc it can take a while to serve each person, but generally we got a drink in a few minutes. We also used Maltings quite often and o’Sheehans at times. It is often worth checking out the waterfront side of Matings and Shakers if it is busy inside.

 

There were a couple of occasions (once on embarkation day) when we had to wait maybe 5-10 minutes for a drink, but generally we found we were being served within a minute or two of arriving at the bar. I was very happy with that.

 

I must also mention the staff who worked the bar in Headliners during Howl at the Moon (more of that show later). They were excellent, in our opinion.

 

In the restaurants we found the service was generally very good. I had heard some comments about slow service when eating in o’Sheehans, but we didn’t experience that. On one occasion when we ordered some food whilst sitting on the bar side, we weren’t brought knives and forks, so had to flag someone down to get them. That was really the only negative service experience we had.

 

On a couple of occasions we sat on that side and played cards. We were regularly offered drinks, and never had empty glasses. On one occasion when we were considering ordering a snack, but decided not to, we were brought some chips and crisps anyway, which we thought was a nice touch.

 

Entertainment

 

We don’t tend to go to many shows etc when on cruises (or elsewhere to be honest). I went to Rock of Ages when previously on the Breakaway and really didn’t’t like it. We have also seen Burn the Floor on the Getaway and none of us really enjoyed it, so we didn’t bother with either of those shows.

 

I am a huge fan of Howl at the Moon on these ships. I tend to like my music more spontaneous, and like seeing the musicians enjoying themselves above technical ability. I’m not saying that the howl guys don’t have the technical ability, but the setting works better for me than most others.

 

Anyone who visited Howl at the Moon on this cruise will probably have seen my wife and I standing at the bar for all four nights. We were usually there from the start to around midnight, and thought that this version of Howl was the best we have seen in all our cruises. The three of them worked really well together. It was certainly the best Howl experience that we have seen.

 

I did try the band at Sid Normans for one night, as I had heard very good things about them, but I have to say I didn’t really think much. It was too rehearsed for my tastes and I stayed around for about an hour before leaving.

 

Anyone reading this should consider that my musical tastes are quite different from most (although I do like a lot of popular bands), and I would suggest that everyone try out Sid Normans as they seem to be very popular. I haven’t yet found anyone else who didn’t like them.

 

The other entertainment that we tried was Escape the Big Top. We really enjoy escape rooms, and have done a number on land. I had read about Escape the Big Top and knew what to expect (you are put in a group with others and it is difficult to solve), and found it to be very close to what I was expecting. Working with so many others in your team is a challenge (as you don’t know them), and nobody solved the puzzle. It was a lot of fun though. For free it was great, but I don’t think I would have paid for it.

 

My son and I enjoyed the ropes course. We went on the first day and planned to return later in the week, but it was raining. I was a little bit disappointed that it wasn’t open during the day when in port, as this would have been ideal in Cozumel. We had to wait until just before sail away for it to open, and the rain started just then. Still, we enjoyed the go we had, even if it isn’t as good as the Escape (and none of the ship ones are a patch on what you can find on shore).

[KeithJenner]

Ports

 

As I have previously mentioned, we weren’t particularly excited about the ports, but we did have some activities planned. Overall, we are glad we visited, but can’t imagine we will be rushing to return.

 

Roatan:

 

My wife and son wanted to see the Sloths, and we booked through Daniel Johnsons Monkey and Sloth Hangout. In the end we booked entry plus the Island tour and zipline. It was an excellent day. We had a car to ourselves all day and saw much of the Island. The Sloths and other animals were lots of fun, and we really enjoyed the ziplines. We have done a number of zips before, and this was one of the better ones.

 

We liked the tour, and thought the Sloth and Monkey hangout was really good. However, now we have done it I’m not sure what we would do if we ever returned to Roatan.

 

Harvest Caye:

 

The Island is very nice, and we enjoyed having a swim in the pool. Most of the activities were very expensive, and we couldn’t really justify paying those prices compared to what we could get elsewhere. For example, the cost per person for the ziplines there were not much less than we paid for all three of us the previous day (and we got far more). However, we enjoyed strolling around the island and thought the pool was nice. We were probably off the ship for a couple of hours. If we ever returned we would probably do the same again.

 

Costa Maya:

 

We booked a tour to Chacchoben Ruins with Natice Choice, based on tripadvisor reviews. It was very enjoyable, and we thought the tour was very good. We were in a coach, so the group was similar in size to what we would have had if we had taken an NCL tour, but we were split up when we arrived, and it was relatively quiet when we arrived (the ship tours were all arriving when we left). Overall, given the price we paid I was very pleased.

 

The ruins themselves were quite impressive. I would recommend it to anyone visiting the area.

 

Cozumel:

 

We had considered a few options for this port, but in the end decided to just get off the ship and have a walk around. However, after a short while, we got fed up with the constant badgering from every shop we passed, and decided to head back to the ship. I have to say that our hearts weren’t really in it, and we didn’t give Cozumel much chance, but I certainly didn’t warm to the place.

 

I’m sure if we had been shopping then we would have enjoyed it, and I believe that there are some nice places if you are willing to travel a little way from the ship, but we certainly struggled to do what we often enjoy doing in European ports where we don’t have plans (just walking around and seeing the place).

 

Overall, I thought the ports were about what we expected. We really enjoyed the tours we took, but I’m not sure what we would do if we ever returned. For what we wanted (a relaxing week in good weather) they served the purpose well. However, there are many places that fit our wishes better than the Caribbean.

[KeithJenner]

Conclusion

 

We had a great time, and the fears that I had started to have prior to the cruise didn’t amount to anything. We certainly feel that we usually get better service on the smaller ships, but we were still very happy with the staff onboard. I really like the layout of decks 6-8 on these ships and we enjoy walking on the Waterfront. We are considering a cruise from New York or Boston in 2021, and after this trip we decided that we will probably go for the Joy over the Jewel class ship which is the alternative. However we do have more cruises on smaller ships in between. A larger ship every couple of years is about right for us.

 

One point on additional fees. I know a lot of people criticise NCL for charging for extras. We received $300 OBC, and I used just over $200 of it on the dining package for my wife and son (I bought mine in advance so I could book Moderno and Teppenyaki without charge). For some unexplained reason we received an additional $6 each during the cruise, and we did struggle to use all the OBC. We tipped extra at each of the restaurants, and bought a couple of things at the shop. We ended up buying some ice creams from the gelato shop and a sundae for our son to use it all up.

 

We spoke to a number of people during the cruise, and many of them seemed to have had issues. Some (toilets not flushing) would have been a problem to us, and others sounded very picky to me. The main conclusion I can come to is that NCL continues to meet our expectations and needs very well. That may not be the case for everyone, so treat my comments with some caution (as I always recommend anyone should do when reading others opinions). Many of the complaints I heard are things which I wouldn’t even notice (for example issues with napkins placed incorrectly, or lack of mention of Good Friday), but it is obvious that many of these things do bother others. NCL doesn’t offer perfection by any means, but they meet our needs.

 

I have a full set of dailies which I intend to scan and post when I get home.

 

Any questions feel free to ask and I will try to help.

[amelia3171]

Great review, thank you. I share your sentiments about NCL; they echo why NCL is just right for us. 

 

Only cruised in Europe, no great enthusiasm to try the Caribbean for exactly the reasons you have mentioned. 

Edited April 24, 2019 by amelia3171
Bad english

[johnlcruise]

Very nice review. Thanks for taking the time to report on Your Most Excellent Adventure.

[ashleyriley]

Keith Jenner, thanks the feedback. You sound a lot like my husband, we lived in Europe for 3 years and it is our favorite place to cruise. The Caribbean just seems like a let down for him after sailing through the Grand Canal in Venice or the Greek Isles. However, we are doing the Breakaway Eastern Caribbean itinerary just like you at the end of the year for a family vacation. I had been reading the Breakaway reviews and was starting to feel like maybe we had made a mistake because the reviews were pretty bad. Thanks for your perspective,  I think one of the most important things about having a great vacation is DECIDING that you will and not sweating the small stuff. Or sending back a steak FOUR times. 😉

[zencruisers]

We sail on the Breakaway this Sunday. Thank you for taking the time to do a review.

 

[Samstress]

I have the feeling that if life gave you lemons you'd make lemonade:-)  Great, honest review.  Sometimes if we keep our expectations in check our realizations are better.  

Here's to many more happy cruises for you and yours!

[lanceholt]

Thanks Keith for an excellent review.  We too prefer cruises to other places, mostly Europe but have been to the Caribbean twice.  Coming up in Sept is our 10th cruise on NCL.....and we have been happy with every one of them.  Sometimes the nitpickers around us are unbelievable but we tend to find that amusing....

 

[JamieLogical]

Thanks so much for the honest review. We are considering the Breakaway Western itinerary for a sailing in September. This is great info!

[fabnfortysomething]

yes we found the same with Caribbean-great weather but scenic tours not so much so!

[tjt87]

Hi Kieth, great review.

I've just read on another review that the "Cirque dreams" dinner show is being, or has been replaced on the Breakaway.

Do you know what it has(Will be) replaced by.

[newmexicoNita]

14 hours ago, KeithJenner said:

Conclusion

 

We had a great time, and the fears that I had started to have prior to the cruise didn’t amount to anything. We certainly feel that we usually get better service on the smaller ships, but we were still very happy with the staff onboard. I really like the layout of decks 6-8 on these ships and we enjoy walking on the Waterfront. We are considering a cruise from New York or Boston in 2021, and after this trip we decided that we will probably go for the Joy over the Jewel class ship which is the alternative. However we do have more cruises on smaller ships in between. A larger ship every couple of years is about right for us.

 

One point on additional fees. I know a lot of people criticise NCL for charging for extras. We received $300 OBC, and I used just over $200 of it on the dining package for my wife and son (I bought mine in advance so I could book Moderno and Teppenyaki without charge). For some unexplained reason we received an additional $6 each during the cruise, and we did struggle to use all the OBC. We tipped extra at each of the restaurants, and bought a couple of things at the shop. We ended up buying some ice creams from the gelato shop and a sundae for our son to use it all up.

 

We spoke to a number of people during the cruise, and many of them seemed to have had issues. Some (toilets not flushing) would have been a problem to us, and others sounded very picky to me. The main conclusion I can come to is that NCL continues to meet our expectations and needs very well. That may not be the case for everyone, so treat my comments with some caution (as I always recommend anyone should do when reading others opinions). Many of the complaints I heard are things which I wouldn’t even notice (for example issues with napkins placed incorrectly, or lack of mention of Good Friday), but it is obvious that many of these things do bother others. NCL doesn’t offer perfection by any means, but they meet our needs.

 

I have a full set of dailies which I intend to scan and post when I get home.

 

Any questions feel free to ask and I will try to help.

Very objective but positive review. We are doing the same itinerary in Oct and are looking forward to it. Our first experience on the Breakaway wasn't a positive one, but mainly due to over 2400 kids on the ship that week. I agree with you about NCL for us and also your review on Cozumel. We have been there a number of times, no longer bother to get off the ship. The street vendors drive us nuts. 

 

Yes, for us NCL is the ship of choice, especially the Jewel class ships. It has nothing to do with  better ships, it is just a comfort thing. I am surprised from time to time with some of the negative comments here about the ship. Some are justified, everyone has his own idea of what makes them happy, but many are either nit picking or are attempts to push their favorite line which isn't NCL. th 

[sirenitas]

Thanks for the review.  We will be on the Breakaway on Sunday and I would love to see the dailies if it is not too much trouble. 

[KeithJenner]

3 hours ago, tjt87 said:

Hi Kieth, great review.

I've just read on another review that the "Cirque dreams" dinner show is being, or has been replaced on the Breakaway.

Do you know what it has(Will be) replaced by.

We decided beforehand that we weren’t going to bother with Cirque this time, and to be honest I totally forgot it was even there. Unfortunately I don’t know the answer to your question.

[KeithJenner]

1 hour ago, sirenitas said:

Thanks for the review.  We will be on the Breakaway on Sunday and I would love to see the dailies if it is not too much trouble. 

Sorry, I don’t get home until Sunday, so I won’t get them scanned before you are onboard.

[zencruisers]

1 hour ago, sirenitas said:

Thanks for the review.  We will be on the Breakaway on Sunday and I would love to see the dailies if it is not too much trouble. 

We will be on this sailing also. 3 more days!

 

[graphicguy]

Thanks for the review.  Glad you enjoyed it.  Both the “Away” ships are among my favorite cruises.

[davy jones]

Thank you for the review.  Good to hear that people are enjoying the BA.  

 

Since it was a holiday week for many in the US, did you find the ship to be crowded?

[sirenitas]

1 hour ago, KeithJenner said:

Sorry, I don’t get home until Sunday, so I won’t get them scanned before you are onboard.

No problem, the super planner in me will just have to be surprised ;)

[Sand and Seas]

Thanks Keith for sharing your review with us! 

We will be back on the Breakaway soon.   Like you, I was worried with some of the recent complaints we had read about.      

 

Glad to hear you and your family had a good cruise.  (And have we ever had a bad cruise?  No!)

 

 

[imgoinonacruise]

Thanks so much for this level-headed review, Keith.  It was so much more helpful than many others I've read as I've been planning for my time on the Breakaway at the end of May. 

 

I'm curious about your embarkation - what time were you at the port, which terminal was Breakaway at, and how were the lines? Currently my e-docs have no port listed, and noon is the given embarkation time, so I'm curious how it went for you.  

 

Thanks! 

[KeithJenner]

12 hours ago, davy jones said:

Thank you for the review.  Good to hear that people are enjoying the BA.  

 

Since it was a holiday week for many in the US, did you find the ship to be crowded?

The ship was apparently full, mainly due to people transferring from the Royal Caribbean ship that was hit by a crane.

 

It certainly felt crowded at times, but wasn’t as bad as I feared. However we do tend to avoid the very busy areas (ie pool deck on sea days).