We really loved the days at sea, and the beach at Great Stirrup Cay. The Bahamas turned out to be a Third-World destination with a very thin veneer of shopping. (Yikes!) The natives there are pretty upset, and who could blame them, watching millions of dollars getting offloaded with each ship, yet none of those dollars finding their way to even paint their buildings. Don't ever want to go back there.
There is nothing that can compare to sitting cozily on the balcony, watching the ocean go by, or eating at a world-class restaurant getting pampered as if we were royalty. Amazing. Wonderful.
HOWEVER: wow. That was 'way too many people. I had to run several delightful, cruise-related errands. No problem. But getting through the throng... UGH! The press of people was so close that I could not swing my arms as I walked. The poor wait staff was obviously overworked and exhausted. They were prompt, friendly, gracious, and tried to anticipate our every need, but their eyes were glassy and leaden from lack of sleep.
What a difference between this and the Pride of America! Those workers were exhausted, but joyous. Our ship then was full enough that we HAD to socialize, instead of being so crowded that conversation was impossible. The Breakaway, had it been our first voyage, despite the top-drawer amenities, would most definitely have been the last.
We inquired at the CruiseNext desk, and it turns out that we need to go on a longer cruise, smaller ship, and avoid school breaks. We will try cruising one more time before giving it up altogether.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Onboard Activities
Oooh! I won, I won, I won! Finally, after losing at the slots a couple of times, I snuck in on elast attempt, and... Woo-Hoo!
Better than that, even, was the very courteous and supportive way the Cashier treated me (Sorry, I can't remember her name -- I think it was something Slavic.) and the way that the bartending staff ladies at 21 was fun.
Can I say Woo-Hoo again?
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Burn the Floor = EXCELLENT!
Second City = Pretty durned good. Reliably entertaining.
Rock of Ages: Shoot the director.
Howl at the Moon: I thought I would kill or die to be able to get in there, but it was really, really, really crowded. Same for the Blues/Jazz. : ( Sniff!
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Derrick, our cabin steward, was nearly magic. Our cabin was incredibly neat and clean at all times!
Krystal and Johannes, servers in the Manhattan Room on different occasions -- marvelous. Johannes was incredibly charming.
Everyone else was kind, courteous, and did their best, but there is no joy among them, save for one night in Savor. They were obviously exhausted and possibly worried. Whatever magic is used on Pride of America -- make sure it gets used on the staff of the Breakaway. They need something to light their smiles beyond the fear that is driving them now.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Everything was shipshape and clean as could be. Taste, Savor, and of course, Manhattan were amazing. The Garden Cafe had pretty good food. It would have been nice to have had it available, at least in a small way, for 24 hours. Even though there was always a table somewhere, after a 5 - or 10- minute search, it would have been very nice to have had a quiet place or quiet time for smaller crowds.
O'Sheehan's exists. Sometimes it's good. Sometimes it's quiet enough to hear one another. Other times, not so much.
Here's another place where the Pride has it head and shoulders over the Breakaway: It was always possible on the Pride of America to find a place with four feet between yourself and the next person. There were three occasions when that was possible on the Breakaway -- and that was when most everyone else was out on an excursion.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Derrick is magic! I don't believe that any germs or mess were allowed to exist more than two minutes after our every exit from the room.
The layout of the newer cabins in the Breakaway uses space much more efficiently than the older design on the Pride. The bathroom design was MUCH improved for traffic flow. The toilet paper, however, my husband wants me to tell you would qualify as the "John Wayne" type: it's rough and tough and doesn't take shit off of anyone. (He's missing a few feet of intestines, so it's a kind of an important issue for him.)
Ship tip
Going to Taste, Savor, and Manhattan is delicious and it makes you feel incredibly important, and Cagney's and Teppanyaki -- fuggetaboutit!
Make sure to book a balcony! This is an indulgence you will never regret. What a magical experience.
And whatever you do, go snorkeling!
My hubby has limited mobility, and non-walking transportation is expensive. One Uber driver delivered us to New Jersey instead of Battery Park, so bring a way to translate yourself!
Don't even bother with downtown. Make sure to go snorkeling, or at least get to the Atlantis Casino, where I've heard they have a long glass undersea tunnel to observe the ocean. You'll never regret it.
I think the CruiseNext Consultant gave excellent advice since the OP had issues with crowds, kids, HAVING to socialize, being asked to deal with those nasty third world natives, and being so compassionate and empathetic to the overworked waitstaff that they continued to experience world-class restaurants subjecting that same exhausted waitstaff to serve them.... I think the SS Minnow is the perfect vessel to escape from these First World problems
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