The Breakaway is a beautiful ship run by a great staff that gives you the opportunity to have as much fun, or quiet, as you choose.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We arrived at the cruise port at 11:15am and stepped onto the ship at 11:45am!!!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The main dining rooms had attentive service, good food served at appropriate temperatures. If you love good coffee, have breakfast at Savor, it's far superior to what they serve in the Garden Cafe buffet. The quality of food and service at the specialty restaurants (we ate at Teppenyaki, Le Bistro, and Ocean Blue) were comparable to fine dining experiences we have enjoyed here in Chicago, where we are from. The Teppenyaki chef (Alex) was beyond entertaining and cooked our food perfectly! Le Bistro was by far the best dining experience we had on the ship. Ocean Blue was good but cannot compete with Le Bistro. We would probably say that if specialty dining wasn't included in our cruise fare, we would have no problem paying extra for Teppenyaki and Le Bistro. The buffet had a great variety, just what you expect from a decent buffet (the caramel sauce and banana compote is CRAZY GOOD!)
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Get to the fitness center before 8am or go during mid-day, it tends to get crowded quickly. The pool and water slides were a lot of fun, they tend to get very busy mid-day. The lines at the water slides improve after the first sea day. The hours at the rock climbing wall and ropes course were limited and often conflicted with our plans. We regret not enjoying more of the activities, but feel okay about it, because we have a second chance in late January 2020 when we will be sailing on the Breakaway's sister ship, the Getaway! Yeeha!
Entertainment
5 out of 5
There is awesome live music everywhere on the ship at varying times. Every day the Atrium had a variety of talented performers and the "Deal Or No Deal" game show captivated more and more every minute. Every afternoon there was live music and entertainment at the main pool on deck 15. Often in the evenings there was an acoustic guitar player at "Maltings Whiskey Bar", and a piano man at "Shaker's Martini Bar". Every night, there was a rock band at "Syd's Pour House". Every other night in "Headliners", there was a dueling piano show called "Howl At The Moon", a lot of fun! The Breakaway's cruise di-rec-tor, Paquito, was ever-present. We also saw "Burn The Floor" and "Rock of Ages" which were absolutely spectacular! All around, the talent on this ship was outstanding!
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The service and staff was friendly, not over-the-top. They made you feel very welcome and comfortable. We paid gratuities up-front, but handed out personal tips ($5-$20) for exceptional service we received, which was much appreciated and reciprocated in kind.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Layout and Design:
The ship was very easy to navigate and we loved the "Waterfront". Hopefully we'll cruise on a Breakaway Plus series ship where the life boats are "tucked away, out-of-site". We loved the fact that the design of each venue and space had its own personality.
Cleanliness and Maintenance:
The public spaces are impeccably kept. Every day we witnessed the shipp being cleaned and polished. The attention to detail regarding ship presentation was impressive. Ship maintenance was obvious, there is always a small portion of the ship roped off for painting, cleaning, maintaining, etc. This ship is immaculate! We were initally upset to hear that the "drop slides" were closed for maintenance, but ultimately appreciated Norwegian's consideration of the safety of their passengers.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We enjoyed a balcony cabin on deck 11. The water pressure in the shower was great, there was ample storage, and the bed was very comfortable. We enjoyed many muggy moments on our balcony and it felt like we were on our own private island.
Ship tip
People complain about how busy the "Waves" bars get. We found that with a few extra steps, there are a few other bars (one being outside the Garden Cafe and Spice H2O) that rarely have long lines.
Due to our experience, we found the port to be chaotic! While trying to find our scheduled taxi, locals pointed us in the wrong direction, ignored our questions, told us we were lost, attempted to sell us their own services and the whole experience detracted from what we expected. In our opinion, this port requires an over-priced excursion to enjoy what it truly has to offer. Next time, I might just stay on the beautiful Breakaway!
Just like the Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian's private island is immaculate! The lounge chairs on the beach were plentiful and comfortable. The bathrooms were clean and well maintained. The pool was warm, refreshing and gorgeous and we enjoyed exploring the island. Our three young adult boys were thrilled that Norwegian had just opened the zip lines the day we arrived after months of maintenance, further indication of Norwegian's commitment to the safety of their customers and the quality of their experience.
This is a beautiful stand-alone port, you don't even have to leave it. We specifically chose this itinerary to visit the Chacchoben Mayan ruins and the Seven Colors Lagoon. It was a fantastic excursion and the boys said it was the highlight of their trip. Our guide, Sammy, was passionate, informative and more than a pleasure!
This is another great port, you don't need an excursion to enjoy Cozumel. We opted for a third party excursion that prompted us to taxi to the Ocean Beach Club. We had a private boat (Luxury Boat Tour) take our family of five to two separate reefs for a fantastic snorkeling experience. The waters were warm, clear, blue, and full of fish! An adventure we'll never forget! Thanks to our guide, Carlos!
I couldn't find a place on this page where I could edit my review, but I wanted to include two outstanding bartenders we very much appreciated on our cruise.
Reinan (mornings in the Atrium, and afternoons at the Waves Bar) and Yusuf (mid-day in the Atrium and evenings in "Headliners") were fantastic and always eager to please.
Thanks for your thorough review. Glad you enjoyed the ship and itinerary. We found a good excursion in Roatán to be Maya Cay. Beautiful beach, quiet, also an animal sanctuary. Looking forward to being on the Breakaway again in February 2020.
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