We enjoy our cruising on NCL, but will make a better effort in the future to do some checking on cheaper rooms, etc. I enjoy the cruises and ships on NCL and I know they are in the business of making $ but sometimes it is at the sacrifice of a better product. We won't stop cruising them due to these changes, but will carefully pick/choose what we will do for future cruises. All in all, it was a great 10-days.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Quick and painless with minimal wait. Had a lot to do with the demographics of the cruisers on the trip, as this cruise was heavy on the mid 60s to upper 70s age people.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The food and drink, to me, are exceptional. We mainly ate in the MDRs for breakfast & dinner, 1 specialty in Moderno and a few times for breakfast in the Garden Cafe during early excursions. The bars are plentiful and the cocktails are numerous.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
The ropes course is great and should not be missed. However, it isn't always open due to weather (i.e. rain or windy conditions), so take advantage of it when it is open. You have to wear a full shirt (no tank tops) and must have sneakers/tennis shoes on as well. The fitness center is okay. There are some free weights and older machines that aren't as great as what you would find in your normal neighborhood fitness club. We didn't use the pools, just the hot tubs, which at times can be crowded.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
We really enjoyed both shows - Rock of Ages and Burn the Floor, along with Howl at the Moon.
Children's Programs
No young children
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Everyone we came across was very friendly, from the wait staff to our excellent room steward, Gonzalo to many bartenders as well. Even the staff in the room hallways were always pleasant and cordial. Yes, there is a bit of a language barrier with some of the staff, but they do their very best, which is all I can ask for.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
After a day or two it is easy to maneuver around the ship. We used the stairs a lot as during certain events or "rush hour" after shows or excursions, the elevators can take quite a long time to access.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The room was great. It was clean and the bed was comfortable. The bed in this cabin is right next to the closet, with the couch and desk area near the balcony. There were plenty of towels in the bathroom, which was more than big enough. There were also plenty of hangers in the closet and enough shelf space as well for my wife and I's clothing.
Ship tip
We really enjoyed this cruise and it was our 2nd time on the Breakaway. We have cruised in mid-ship balconies before, but may opt for sail away or other balcony categories in the future so as to lower our costs.
This was our 2nd time in New Orleans, so we were fairly familiar with the area and where to go and what places to avoid. The food in NO is spectacular - from great oysters and po' boys to upscale restaurants a plenty. We mainly walked but did Uber to a few places as well. There are some very seedy areas around the French Quarter, so just beware of your surroundings and do your homework on places to eat and sites to see.
This was a tinder stop, so it took a bit of time to get off the ship for our excursion to Tulum. The water was very rough so it wasn't the most pleasant experience. The excursion was great, but a bit rushed due to the delay in getting to the location.
This is NCL's own little private island. We opted for the Barrier Reef Snorkel tour which was the best snorkel tour we have every done. The ship docks right at the port and it was a short walk to access the boat for the snorkel trip. There are a few shops, a Landshark Bar & Grill along with a massive pool, huge beach (plenty of chairs), though the sand can be quite painful to walk on, so bring your flip flops. If you purchase food or drink while on HC, bring your own $ as your ship card will be of no use.
This was a very nice tinder port with plenty of shops, restaurants, bars, vendors, etc. that can be a bit aggressive, but were pleasant even when saying "no thanks." We did the Zipline Adventure & Cave Tubing that was a lot of fun and very adventurous. However, it was a ride of about an hour by a converted and quite cramped school bus. There are many parts of Belize City that are really nice, but there are also quite a bit of areas where you can truly appreciate what you have.
This was our 2nd time in Grand Cayman and it is one of our favorite ports. This is also a tinder port and there were 6 other cruise ships in port the day we were there. This made for a very long process to get to shore. We were delayed about an hour due to tinder traffic. This island is really nice and very expensive. We did the Land/Sea Adventure Tour that went to Hell, the Turtle Farm and then Sting Ray City, with lunch included. The water was a bit chillier than normal, but quite refreshing, clear and colorful.
This was a dock port and our 2nd time in Jamaica. It is much closer than the prior port we were in, Falmouth, so getting to the excursions is much easier. We did the Mystic Mountain Bobsled and Dunns River Falls. There are a lot of hustlers and vendors outside the ports selling anything and everything Bob Marley or Jamaican. However, there are also vendors within the confines near the ship that aren't quite as pushy.
Its always tough to leave a ship because then you know your vacation and fun are about to be over. We opted to carry our own luggage off the ship and only waited about 20-minutes from the line to customs.
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