We were scheduled to leave at 3PM however due to the insane wind that continued the entire week and resulted in cold, windy weather and inability to dock at port one day, we were unable to leave until 8PM. This then resulted in us arriving to FL late and only having a few short hours in the late afternoon to enjoy Port Canaveral. The wind was so bad, we were unable to dock at Great Stirrup Cay at all and when we docked at Nassau, it was windy and cold. If leaving from NY during the colder months, plan on losing out on nice weather automatically for 4 days (2 days down coast, 2 days back, all 4 days brisk and cold, reminding you your headed back to NE!) With such poor weather, many of the onboard amenities were unavailable through the majority of the week including several pools and hot tubs at various times, the rock climbing wall, mini golf, sun decks, and the ropes course through most of the week.While the weather could not be controlled, you would hope the things that could be would be great. The customer service was awful and minimally existent. (We had 3 staff people the entire week who were polite and helpful: Wyvon, our amazing stateroom steward/ housekeeper, Sveltlana at the Mandara Spa, and a waitress at O Sheehans whose name I cannot recall, but want to say Rosalie.) We waited irrationally long for meals and beverages, things were often forgotten, wait staff didn't return to check on you or see if you needed anything else, and the spa masseurs try to upsell you so aggressively that it makes you regret getting a massage.
Embarkation
2 out of 5
There wasn't enough room for everyone to wait while awaiting boarding. It created anxiety, frustration, and annoyance amongst everyone. It took a long time to get my husbands bag once we got on the ship which resulted in him sitting in dirty gym clothes waiting for his things at almost 8PM for his things so he could shower.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Moderno, Cagney's and the buffet were the best quality food. Service was awful everywhere.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
I liked the art gallery, the comedy club, the indoor/ outdoor whiskey bar and cigar lounge, and the casino. The gym was nice but way too small. The spa was nice but overpriced. Shopping was overpriced and geared towards specialty items. Teppanaki was awesome and Alex has an immense talent as a chef and entertainer.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
We really enjoyed the comedy club. The box office was open such limited hours that there was always a wait or we missed them, resulting in us not being able to do and see half of the things we would have liked to simply because the annoyance of waiting for the box office and risking not being helped wasn't worth our time and energy.
Children's Programs
no children in our group
Service and Staff
1 out of 5
Wyvon, our state room attendant was so kind, funny, helpful, and creative and truly made the trip fun. The customer service throughout the rest of the ship was terrible. I wonder if because the gratuities are included in meals and services the staff doesn't work as hard? We tipped additional to Wyvon and 2 other helpful staff people who went above and beyond and would have done so for others if given reason too, but the customer service was awful. We waited forever for meals, staff was rude and not helpful, food and drink items were often forgotten or wrong. There appeared to be little to no effort to make up for getting stuck at sea due to the weather resulting in being stuck on the ship even more with terrible customer service. It was so frustrating and disappointing as we felt very "stuck" literally and figuratively.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The ship was clean and the layout was functional. It would have been helpful to have more maps around to know where you are and how to find things. The interactive screens would've been more helpful if they included that.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The cabin was right on par with what I expected. I loved the balcony. It was so nice to be able to listen to the waves when it was warm enough to keep the door open.
Ship tip
Don't. Choose another ship from what I hear. I am a1st time cruiser, but the people I was with were not and they were astounded by the poor service and said they had never had such issues on the several other Norwegian ships they had been on.
We went to Cocoa Beach which was beautiful and had some cool restaraunts, bars, and shopping along the beach. Unfortunately we got there so late we didn't get to enjoy it long, but it was beautiful!!
I just got off the breakaway yesterday , not one thing I can complain about considering the time of year we chose to travel we expected a few hiccups but as far as customer service they were amazing to us they were always aiming to please. So sry for you experience
So sorry. Your experience is much worse when took the same cruise a year ago. Weather in and out of NYC was cold and wet, common for this time of year, so many of the topside activities - like with your cruise - did go until we got South. Unlike your experience, to a person, every staff and crew person seemed put extra effort I,to making it a great cruise in spite of the weather.
*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.
