Just off Breakaway - mini review

[linga]

Just got off the Breakaway yesterday!  Had a great week. 

 

I've cruised mainly with Carnival & done Princess too.  This was my 3rd NCL cruise, 2nd time in Haven.  A few thoughts:

 

Haven was fantastic!  Our butler and concierge were wonderful.  I continue to say that the Haven restaurant is the best restaurant on the ship, especially for dinner.   We were in an Aft Haven suite and didn't mind the walk up to Haven in the front of the ship.  

 

FOOD:

Had specialty dinners at Teppanyaki, Moderno and La Cucina.   All were excellent food, especially the Teppanyaki!  I will say that the service was super slow at Teppanyaki and La Cucina.   

 

Went by the buffet to grab snacks a few times and the food was good with a lot of options.  Went to grab a snack and always ended up with a large plate of food :).

 

Had a burger in O'Sheehans and it was good!  Didn't get a chance to do Shanghai, Wasabi or Ocean Blue 😞

 

SHOWS/ENTERTAINMENT:

 

Burn the Floor was fantastic!

Rock of Ages was a little boring, and I love Rock.

Dueling pianos was great, went several times!

The band in Syd Normans was also great.

 

Overall, I thought the entertainers were top notch and there was a really good selection entertainment.  

 

SHIP:

Overall, I liked this ship more than the Epic (although I like the layout of the Haven on Epic more) and about the same as the Dawn.  The Breakaway has outside areas that you can walk around on ( like other lines), so that was much better than being closed in.  The ship was very clean and the staff was friendly!

 

BARS:

oh my, it was crazy trying to get a drink the first and second day.  After that, it was still very hard at some places, but if you walked around to different bars, you could find some with lesser waits.  I'm thinking that with so many people having the Beverage Package, the bars are busier.    The Haven bar was always good and Rod was a great bartender for the week.

 

POOL:

I can't quite figure out what NCL was thinking when they designed the Pool and pool deck.  It seems tiny compared to how many people are on the ship.  The pool in the middle of the ship is small and people were crammed in and around it like sardines.  They were having a great time, so it wasn't bothering them.  I was so grateful to have the Haven pool.  

 

CASINO:

played some and had a good time.  Yes, it was smoky, but not to where I couldn't stand it.

 

PORTS:

Roatan:  Went to Little French Key in Roatan.  Absolutely loved it!  It's not an NCL excursion, you have to book it on your own, but it's a wonderful, beautiful place to hang out for the day.  

 

Belize:  I had already done cave tubing in Belize, so we just hung out at NCLs port by the pool.  I know people say it's not the "real" Belize, but it is a nice resort that they've developed and fun to just hang out for the day.

 

Costa Maya:  took a taxi to Mayahual beach and hung out for the day.  I enjoyed it and would go back.  Lots of beach, restaurants and shops.  Yes, the vendors do bother you a lot here, but once you say, No, thank you, they leave.  Food and drinks are good and inexpensive.  The beach restaurants all have lounge chairs you can use and other freebies.

 

Cozumel:  Just couldn't get it together to book an excursion, so did a little shopping and had a drink then back on the ship.  I've been there many times, so that was fine this time.  If you haven't been before, there are so many good excursions and places to go in Cozumel, so take advantage if you go.

 

Overall, it was a great cruise and we had a wonderful time!  If you have any questions, I can try to answer them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kboltwkreations]

Thanks for the review!! Finally glad to hear someone say the walk from the Aft suites to the Haven isn't THAT bad! We board on Sunday and cannot wait!!

[funinthsun]

1 hour ago, kboltwkreations said:

Thanks for the review!! Finally glad to hear someone say the walk from the Aft suites to the Haven isn't THAT bad! We board on Sunday and cannot wait!!

 

2 hours ago, linga said:

Just got off the Breakaway yesterday!  Had a great week. 

 

I've cruised mainly with Carnival & done Princess too.  This was my 3rd NCL cruise, 2nd time in Haven.  A few thoughts:

 

Haven was fantastic!  Our butler and concierge were wonderful.  I continue to say that the Haven restaurant is the best restaurant on the ship, especially for dinner.   We were in an Aft Haven suite and didn't mind the walk up to Haven in the front of the ship.  

 

FOOD:

Had specialty dinners at Teppanyaki, Moderno and La Cucina.   All were excellent food, especially the Teppanyaki!  I will say that the service was super slow at Teppanyaki and La Cucina.   

 

Went by the buffet to grab snacks a few times and the food was good with a lot of options.  Went to grab a snack and always ended up with a large plate of food :).

 

Had a burger in O'Sheehans and it was good!  Didn't get a chance to do Shanghai, Wasabi or Ocean Blue 😞

 

SHOWS/ENTERTAINMENT:

 

Burn the Floor was fantastic!

Rock of Ages was a little boring, and I love Rock.

Dueling pianos was great, went several times!

The band in Syd Normans was also great.

 

Overall, I thought the entertainers were top notch and there was a really good selection entertainment.  

 

SHIP:

Overall, I liked this ship more than the Epic (although I like the layout of the Haven on Epic more) and about the same as the Dawn.  The Breakaway has outside areas that you can walk around on ( like other lines), so that was much better than being closed in.  The ship was very clean and the staff was friendly!

 

BARS:

oh my, it was crazy trying to get a drink the first and second day.  After that, it was still very hard at some places, but if you walked around to different bars, you could find some with lesser waits.  I'm thinking that with so many people having the Beverage Package, the bars are busier.    The Haven bar was always good and Rod was a great bartender for the week.

 

POOL:

I can't quite figure out what NCL was thinking when they designed the Pool and pool deck.  It seems tiny compared to how many people are on the ship.  The pool in the middle of the ship is small and people were crammed in and around it like sardines.  They were having a great time, so it wasn't bothering them.  I was so grateful to have the Haven pool.  

 

CASINO:

played some and had a good time.  Yes, it was smoky, but not to where I couldn't stand it.

 

PORTS:

Roatan:  Went to Little French Key in Roatan.  Absolutely loved it!  It's not an NCL excursion, you have to book it on your own, but it's a wonderful, beautiful place to hang out for the day.  

 

Belize:  I had already done cave tubing in Belize, so we just hung out at NCLs port by the pool.  I know people say it's not the "real" Belize, but it is a nice resort that they've developed and fun to just hang out for the day.

 

Costa Maya:  took a taxi to Mayahual beach and hung out for the day.  I enjoyed it and would go back.  Lots of beach, restaurants and shops.  Yes, the vendors do bother you a lot here, but once you say, No, thank you, they leave.  Food and drinks are good and inexpensive.  The beach restaurants all have lounge chairs you can use and other freebies.

 

Cozumel:  Just couldn't get it together to book an excursion, so did a little shopping and had a drink then back on the ship.  I've been there many times, so that was fine this time.  If you haven't been before, there are so many good excursions and places to go in Cozumel, so take advantage if you go.

 

Overall, it was a great cruise and we had a wonderful time!  If you have any questions, I can try to answer them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for taking the time to review...  We are boarding on Sunday.....and I was wondering if you had any experience with the internet, while onboard.  I (unfortunately) need to have access to it and hope that it is fast and efficient.  
Thanks again

Joan

[Psweets]

Can you bring bottled water onboard? Is Water included with the drink package?

[KeithJenner]

2 minutes ago, Psweets said:

Can you bring bottled water onboard? Is Water included with the drink package?

No and no

[Two Wheels Only]

39 minutes ago, Psweets said:

Can you bring bottled water onboard? 

 

No... 

 

Can I bring water or soda on board?

Effective for sailings July 15, 2016 and beyond, guests are prohibited from bringing any beverages -- including liquor, beer and non-alcoholic drinks such as water, soda and juices -- on board either as carry-on or checked luggage, with the exception of purified or distilled water in factory-sealed containers for use in conjunction with medical devices or for the reconstitution of infant formula; and fully sealed and/or corked wine bottles for personal consumption onboard that is subject to screening and a corkage fee (for guests 21 years of age or older). Open beverages of any kind must be consumed or discarded at the security check-point, on embarkation day and at any port of call.

 

42 minutes ago, Psweets said:

Is Water included with the drink package?

 

You do not need a package for water. Any bar or restaurant will give you water. BOTTLED water is not included. 

[JamieLogical]

Thanks for the review. Considering a sailing on the Breakaway for September, so I am trying to absorb all of the info I can.

[DebbieCruises]

 

 

Thanks for your review.  Would you say which aft cabin you were in, please?  We are trying to decide between deck 9 H7 9916 and the deck 12 H7 12904.  Do you know if they have a separate shower from the tub?

[drvmywifecrzy]

Nice review.   Did you book the Haven outright or upgrade via bid?  If bid what was it, if you dont mind sharing?

 

Did you have the butler bring you food?  Did you use the concierge ?

[richg35]

5 hours ago, linga said:

POOL:

I can't quite figure out what NCL was thinking when they designed the Pool and pool deck.  It seems tiny compared to how many people are on the ship.  The pool in the middle of the ship is small and people were crammed in and around it like sardines.  They were having a great time, so it wasn't bothering them.  I was so grateful to have the Haven pool. 

 

Even cruise ship designers are bound to the laws of physics.

 

You can only put so much heavy, moving water on the top of a tall ship and hope to keep it stable. This is called the free surface effect.

 

The other issue is that because these mega cruise ships have such shallow drafts (the amount of ship under the water) but large air drafts (the amount of ship above the water), you have to keep weight down up top to keep the ship's center of gravity as low as possible so the thing doesn't topple over.

Edited April 29, 2019 by richg35

[linga]

5 hours ago, funinthsun said:

 

Thanks for taking the time to review...  We are boarding on Sunday.....and I was wondering if you had any experience with the internet, while onboard.  I (unfortunately) need to have access to it and hope that it is fast and efficient.  
Thanks again

Joan

Hi Joan,

 

The internet was definitely a challenge.  I needed to be in contact, so I had the Internet Package as well as a package with AT&T for on board and in ports.  The WifI internet package on the ship was very in and out and they had issues on a few days.  One day the system wiped out most peoples minutes, so I did have to make a couple of trips to see the Internet expert on Deck 6. He was great to work with.  

[linga]

2 hours ago, DebbieCruises said:

 

 

Thanks for your review.  Would you say which aft cabin you were in, please?  We are trying to decide between deck 9 H7 9916 and the deck 12 H7 12904.  Do you know if they have a separate shower from the tub?

We were in 9316 which I believe is the same as 9916, just on the other side.  It was wonderful!  I would not hesitate to book that cabin again!  The shower is separate from the tub.  There is a great video on YouTube that a lady did of our cabin (9316) just search for it in Youtube and you can see the tub and shower.  

[linga]

2 hours ago, drvmywifecrzy said:

Nice review.   Did you book the Haven outright or upgrade via bid?  If bid what was it, if you dont mind sharing?

 

Did you have the butler bring you food?  Did you use the concierge ?

We bid $1600 per person for the Aft Haven and 2 weeks prior we had not received approval, so we went ahead and just upgraded to it.  We had a 3rd person going, who wasn't originally joining us, so we really needed a one or two bedroom suite with 2 full bathrooms.  

 

Yes, we had our butler bring us food, snacks, even met friends and had a little cocktail party where our butler brought us appetizers, etc.  Our butler was Flor and she was great!

 

We used the concierge a lot.  Booked several specialty restaurantw and shows through him.  Also, used him for questions, etc.  His name is Bowen and he was the best Concierge I've seen!

Edited April 29, 2019 by linga

[linga]

2 hours ago, richg35 said:

 

Even cruise ship designers are bound to the laws of physics.

 

You can only put so much heavy, moving water on the top of a tall ship and hope to keep it stable. This is called the free surface effect.

 

The other issue is that because these mega cruise ships have such shallow drafts (the amount of ship under the water) but large air drafts (the amount of ship above the water), you have to keep weight down up top to keep the ship's center of gravity as low as possible so the thing doesn't topple over.

I'm just used to other cruise lines that have 2 pools for the masses (usually middle and aft).  Spreads folks out more....

[DebbieCruises]

26 minutes ago, linga said:

We were in 9316 which I believe is the same as 9916, just on the other side.  It was wonderful!  I would not hesitate to book that cabin again!  The shower is separate from the tub.  There is a great video on YouTube that a lady did of our cabin (9316) just search for it in Youtube and you can see the tub and shower.  

Awesome!  Thanks so much!!!

[All-ready2cruise]

Hi, thanks so much for your "mini review".  I'm booked on BA in June as a solo, so I'm happy you were pleased you found it a good cruise. Thanks for all the great info. 

 

Cheers

[Harvest02]

Thanks for the review! We will be going April 11 2020! Can't wait!

[Two Wheels Only]

1 hour ago, linga said:

I'm just used to other cruise lines that have 2 pools for the masses (usually middle and aft).  Spreads folks out more....

 

Breakaway does have 2 pools for the masses. One is adult-only during the day and the other is all ages.

[linga]

40 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

Breakaway does have 2 pools for the masses. One is adult-only during the day and the other is all ages.

 

40 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

Breakaway does have 2 pools for the masses. One is adult-only during the day and the other is all ages.

Weird I never saw the other pool, unless your talking about the kiddie pool in the kids play area.  It was really well attended also! 

[Two Wheels Only]

24 minutes ago, linga said:

 

Weird I never saw the other pool, unless your talking about the kiddie pool in the kids play area.  It was really well attended also! 

 

...pool for all ages (splash area on the side).

 

 

...pool for adults during the day (hot tubs on the side).

 

[linga]

1 hour ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

...pool for all ages (splash area on the side).

 

 

...pool for adults during the day (hot tubs on the side).

 

Too funny!! it looks quite different in person, especially when there are about 200 people in and around it!   and yep, we were both talking about the kids pool underneath the slides, with no loungers, etc., but the little ones were sure enjoying it.  

[FLcruisergrl]

10 hours ago, linga said:

We were in 9316 which I believe is the same as 9916, just on the other side.  It was wonderful!  I would not hesitate to book that cabin again!  The shower is separate from the tub.  There is a great video on YouTube that a lady did of our cabin (9316) just search for it in Youtube and you can see the tub and shower.  

We’ be in 9316 at the end of the year. Can’t wait! Did the balcony get much sun? 

[newmexicoNita]

19 hours ago, linga said:

Just got off the Breakaway yesterday!  Had a great week. 

 

I've cruised mainly with Carnival & done Princess too.  This was my 3rd NCL cruise, 2nd time in Haven.  A few thoughts:

 

Haven was fantastic!  Our butler and concierge were wonderful.  I continue to say that the Haven restaurant is the best restaurant on the ship, especially for dinner.   We were in an Aft Haven suite and didn't mind the walk up to Haven in the front of the ship.  

 

FOOD:

Had specialty dinners at Teppanyaki, Moderno and La Cucina.   All were excellent food, especially the Teppanyaki!  I will say that the service was super slow at Teppanyaki and La Cucina.   

 

Went by the buffet to grab snacks a few times and the food was good with a lot of options.  Went to grab a snack and always ended up with a large plate of food :).

 

Had a burger in O'Sheehans and it was good!  Didn't get a chance to do Shanghai, Wasabi or Ocean Blue 😞

 

SHOWS/ENTERTAINMENT:

 

Burn the Floor was fantastic!

Rock of Ages was a little boring, and I love Rock.

Dueling pianos was great, went several times!

The band in Syd Normans was also great.

 

Overall, I thought the entertainers were top notch and there was a really good selection entertainment.  

 

SHIP:

Overall, I liked this ship more than the Epic (although I like the layout of the Haven on Epic more) and about the same as the Dawn.  The Breakaway has outside areas that you can walk around on ( like other lines), so that was much better than being closed in.  The ship was very clean and the staff was friendly!

 

BARS:

oh my, it was crazy trying to get a drink the first and second day.  After that, it was still very hard at some places, but if you walked around to different bars, you could find some with lesser waits.  I'm thinking that with so many people having the Beverage Package, the bars are busier.    The Haven bar was always good and Rod was a great bartender for the week.

 

POOL:

I can't quite figure out what NCL was thinking when they designed the Pool and pool deck.  It seems tiny compared to how many people are on the ship.  The pool in the middle of the ship is small and people were crammed in and around it like sardines.  They were having a great time, so it wasn't bothering them.  I was so grateful to have the Haven pool.  

 

CASINO:

played some and had a good time.  Yes, it was smoky, but not to where I couldn't stand it.

 

PORTS:

Roatan:  Went to Little French Key in Roatan.  Absolutely loved it!  It's not an NCL excursion, you have to book it on your own, but it's a wonderful, beautiful place to hang out for the day.  

 

Belize:  I had already done cave tubing in Belize, so we just hung out at NCLs port by the pool.  I know people say it's not the "real" Belize, but it is a nice resort that they've developed and fun to just hang out for the day.

 

Costa Maya:  took a taxi to Mayahual beach and hung out for the day.  I enjoyed it and would go back.  Lots of beach, restaurants and shops.  Yes, the vendors do bother you a lot here, but once you say, No, thank you, they leave.  Food and drinks are good and inexpensive.  The beach restaurants all have lounge chairs you can use and other freebies.

 

Cozumel:  Just couldn't get it together to book an excursion, so did a little shopping and had a drink then back on the ship.  I've been there many times, so that was fine this time.  If you haven't been before, there are so many good excursions and places to go in Cozumel, so take advantage if you go.

 

Overall, it was a great cruise and we had a wonderful time!  If you have any questions, I can try to answer them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice quick review and thanks for the mention of where you hung out in Roatan. We may do the same on our Oct cruise.  BTW I agree about the pool area. NCL is not known for wasting a lot of space for pools and sometimes it is a bit annoying. 

[linga]

5 hours ago, FLcruisergrl said:

We’ be in 9316 at the end of the year. Can’t wait! Did the balcony get much sun? 

There was some sun, but mostly shade thank goodness, because it was hot!  

[funinthsun]

On 4/29/2019 at 6:57 PM, linga said:

Hi Joan,

 

The internet was definitely a challenge.  I needed to be in contact, so I had the Internet Package as well as a package with AT&T for on board and in ports.  The WifI internet package on the ship was very in and out and they had issues on a few days.  One day the system wiped out most peoples minutes, so I did have to make a couple of trips to see the Internet expert on Deck 6. He was great to work with.  

I had a similar problem with the internet.... 2 days ....no internet.  He was really nice about it and did end up crediting my account..But I really DID need it for work.  NBD....I used wifi in ports (Iike the old days..LOL) but it was frustrating.