Overall, another great experience on Norwegian! After having cruise on one of their larger ships as well as the smaller, I prefer the smaller (Pearl). It was not exactly over crowded on the Breakaway as we thought it might be, but everything was most definitely slower. Though the food was amazing, always hot and fresh, the average mealtime at any of the restaurants was 2 hours. The desserts were another matter. Most all were a disappointment, severely resembling tofu or a flavorless mousse; in contrast to the Pearl, where the all of the food was spot on.
The seating in the Atrium was the only other frustration. The ship uses this space for nearly all of the game shows and some music shows as well. The Atrium shares half the width of deck 6 with the various guest service desks. Seating 75-ish people in the Atrium for these shows with the noise from the large bar behind the chairs, the coffee bar, and the guest services desks (and photo stage) made it difficult to hear anything in the shows and the crowds that could not get a seat often stood in the thoroughfare for deck 6, into the bar, coffee area, and the second level where O'Sheehan's is located, making it difficult for folks eating to hear each other, or eat comfortably.
That being said, the Breakaway is a beautiful ship; clean and comfortable rooms, and the common areas are clean and well planned (for the most part). The staff is always spot on and superb at Norwegian. The freestyle dining and cruise experience blows any other cruise line away. The ports of call were good choices and there is always enough to do on the seas days to keep things from being mundane or boring.
With a family of 5 using the family suite, we were comfortable and there was plenty of storage in the two closets and multitude of drawers and cabinets for our needs. We will be Norwegian cruisers for life.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Fast and Easy. Norwegian does it right.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
I was sadly disappointed in just about every dessert on this 10 day cruise. Most were either flavorless or the texture was that of tofu even if it was not supposed to be. Nearly everything was "flan-like". The ice cream was good. The meals themselves were good as always with Norwegian, though the Breakaway was also incredibly slow at every dining room. 2 hours was the average for any meal not at the buffet.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Dueling pianos was amazing. The ropes course was fun, the shows were spot on as usual for Norwegian. My only issue was the amount of seating for the Atrium. The vast majority of the prime time game shows and music shows were based in the Atrium, which also shares half it's space with the service desks; as such, the number of chairs in the Atrium seat around 50-75 people. There were always folks standing in the back and spilling over into the bar area, coffee counter area, and blocking the through traffic on deck 6.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Rock of Ages was great, Burn the Floor was well done as well. The smaller shows and variety of venues was perfect for everyone in my party. Very well done Norwegian.
Children's Programs
3 out of 5
My 16 year old was underwhelmed by the Entourage program. She went to the orientation and reported back that the other teens spent most of their time on their phones (standard for teens today I suppose), or talking with the staff about their experiences with drugs. Not exactly what you want to hear as a parent...
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Every staff member is always amazing, cheerful, and helpful. Ryan, our room steward was the best.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Always superb Norwegian!
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Comfortably fit and slept 5 for 10 days. Economical on space without being cramped. The toilet had issues flushing, but that was a one off for the rest of the accommodations.
Ship tip
Get to any Atrium show that you want to see about 1-2 hours early or you will be standing. Norwegian's Ultimate Drink Package is a must have, it is money well spent, even if you do not drink alcohol.
The local guides at Bodden Tours are the greatest! You will never be wanting for a ride, to any of your destinations, they give you a history lesson if you wish it, and they can take you anywhere you need to go. The monkey tour is well worth the cost and you can hold a baby sloth! The weather prevented us from snorkeling or swimming at all, however, by all reports, it has the best snorkeling in the Caribbean. This was our favorite port of call on the cruise, even with the poor weather.
Blue Reef resort is a ten minute taxi ride from the complex. All inclusive resort on the beach. Great food and drink. Amazing staff as well. Under rated snorkeling in my opinion. Yes the water is shallow and there is abundant plant life, however, every time i have snorkeled in Costa Maya, I have captured the coolest sea life on the GoPro. Well worth the trip!
Amazing snorkeling and the Turtle Conservatory is well worth the trip alone. Holding and feeding sea turtles is worth the trip. The public busses were regular and available. Our experience did not mirror some reports of the busses ignoring the stops or anyone needing a ride. Ours picked us up in the middle of the road nowhere near a posted bus stop and was happy to do so.
Beautiful! Friendly people, however, you WILL get accosted by no less than 30 people trying to sell you taxi rides, hair braiding, or weed. They are persistent and will follow you as you walk down the road. That being said, they were not rude, just trying to make a living. KFC is worth the ten minute walk for a twist on what you get in the States. The sidewalks are not terribly wheelchair friendly and we saw a few folks get frustrated and just scoot or wheel themselves into traffic just to get across the road to the shops from the pier. Overall, good stop.
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