The best part of the cruise was being able to walk the deck on the first full day without a jacket! Of course that was weather dependent. Being on the fifth deck made the motion of the ocean almost nonexistent in our cabin. Also, the hallways in this part of the ship were super wide, two people could easily walk together, kids were seen doing cartwheels at the end of the hall (really got wide there). I think this is where they stage the luggage, but it is only a guess.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Whether it was specialty or complimentary dining, all of the food was really good. Enjoyed dancing in the Manhattan Room after dinner.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Didn't really participate, although watched some from afar.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Couldn't see everything. Make reservation early in the cruise (or online) if you really want to see something. You can stand in a wait line, but there is no guarantee you will get in. By Wednesday of a Sunday to Sunday cruise, there was no availability of the 2nd City Comedy unless you wanted to wait in line.
Service and Staff
This is a really large ship. The staff were friendly, but didn't know the passengers by name. That was OK by us, as long as they remembered the face!
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
I like the Breakaway (first time on it). People complain about the smoke smell, but (compared to the Jewel class) I felt there was less of a smell. I could walk through the Casino on this cruise (would avoid the deck the casino was on with the Jewel Class. And the Cigar Bar did not interfere with the Atrium as it did on the Jewel Class. I do not use elevators (much) and found not having them in the middle of the ship made it easier to orient myself. I do not have mobility problems so it would be an issue for some. Careful choice of cabin placement would help avoid disappoint with the immensity of the Breakaway.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
There is no couch in this type of cabin, however this arrangement makes the closet easily accessible! There is a large space between the bed and the bathroom door and the room feels larger than the balcony I was on a few months earlier (on the "sister ship" Escape). You need to use the bed to sit on (there is one "foot rest" you can store stuff in and sit on. The safe is small compared to the jewel class ships. Larger tablets will not fit in it. Plenty of room for wallets/passports/jewelry. Didn't feel the wave motion at all in the cabin. Very wide hallways on deck 5 in the aft portion. If I needed a scooter or wheelchair I would definitely want an accessible cabin in this part of the ship.
Ship tip
Use the MyNCL part of the website. Sign up for entertainment and speciality restaurant times before boarding. There are discounts offered on the site (extra pictures on photo packages, thermal spa package, etc.). Enjoy your cruise!
Either arrange for an excursion or stay on the ship and enjoy the Breakaway. Very little you can walk to and it is a LONG walk, through the port building, to (essentially) a parking lot .
Get an early tender ticket (sign up and your room card is your ticket) so you can enjoy the island. If you don't have a ticket, the unrestricted tenders don't start until 2pm! Haven and Gold/ Platinum Latitude members don't need a tender reservation. You will get a memo telling you to show up for priority boarding. Get there before the time stated. They will let you in after you show your ship card.
Have plans. Don't go wandering, there was an alert about crime with our cruise. We took a horse/buggy ride around the downtown area and shopped. Keep track of time as the trip from the ship to the downtown area is quite a hike.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
