Never Again

Norwegian Breakaway Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

jayw1980

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 1 cruise (first)

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 86

Overall rating:

2.7 out of 5

Verified Review

7 Night Western Caribbean (Port Canaveral Roundtrip)

Sail date: December 28, 2019

Ship: Norwegian Breakaway

Cabin type: Oceanview

Cabin number: 5774

Traveled as: Large Group

Reviewed: 4 years ago

Review summary

I'm not one to complain, and rarely leave reviews, but after this experience I have no desire to ever do another cruise again. The days when you're at sea, if you don't secure a chair with a towel by 7am, you don't get a chair up top. The boat was miserably crowded and you spend your time waiting in lines for everything. For the amount of money I spent on airfare, lodging and extras, I could have had a much better time at an all-inclusive, so I'll chalk this up as lesson learned. Also - don't bother paying for kids drink packages if you have an adult beverage package because they never swipe your kids cards and it's just an extra way to make $$$. More importantly, don't bother buying any upgraded wifi package because the wifi on the ship is awful.

Embarkation

3 out of 5

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

2 out of 5

Average at best, and very, VERY SLOW service. The ship was over-booked and painfully crowded.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

My kids enjoyed the water slides, and that's about it.

Children's Programs

1 out of 5

The kids club staff wasn't friendly, and it was poorly organized. If you can get my 9 year old to call you rude and unorganized, you've accomplished something.

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

The staff were friendly for the most part, and I know they get paid poorly and their working conditions aren't great.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5

The ship is designed fine. It's simply over-booked and has more people than can be comfortably accommodated.

Cabin / Stateroom

2 out of 5

Way too small. I'd never book it again.

Ship tip

Don't go with kids. Don't go over the Holidays, and save your money and go to an all-inclusive resort.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Port Canaveral, Florida

3 out of 5

Cozumel, Mexico

3 out of 5

It's Mexico...

Thumbs Up 0

George Town, Grand Cayman

4 out of 5

Best one of them all.

Thumbs Up 0

Ocho Rios, Jamaica

1 out of 5

Worst port by far. Dirty, nasty and just filled with panhandlers.

Thumbs Up 0

Great Stirrup Cay (Cruise Line Private Island), Bahamas

2 out of 5

The beach is full of massive rocks that have not been removed or graded down. The beach was insanely crowded and I'm amazed nobody got injured trying to walk around.

Thumbs Up 0

Disembarkation

3 out of 5

9 Comments

Fiesta83 4 years ago

Better luck next cruise

Thumbs Up 0

Flag

mortkork 4 years ago

WooHoo, one less!

Thumbs Up 0

Flag

LifeIsCruising 4 years ago

We sailed on the Breakaway in November and yes on sea days the pool is crazy busy which is why we bought the spa package and relaxed in there.

Thumbs Up 0

Flag

keepTRIPIN 4 years ago

I loved the breakaway! I went alone and met several solo travelers, some of whom I still keto in touch with till this day. The staff was fun and upbeat. My room was always clean, I always felt welcome and never felt like I was traveling alone. So many activities! Great parties and drinks. After my first 10 days on the cruise the food did start to get bland but I was there for 15 days 🤷🏽‍♀️. The lines for food were non existent for me. I had a great time

Thumbs Up 3

Flag

Ship2Shora 4 years ago

We cruised on the Breakaway out of NYC back in her inaugural season when she was brand new, shiny & spectacular, so she has a soft spot in my heart. That being said, our experience was the total opposite of yours because we opted to sail out in the off season as we always do to avoid over crowding & chaos while selecting a dream itinerary to golf in Bermuda which is a far cry from a practically third world country such as Jamaica. Maybe if you take time to research these ports and be more selective in the time of year you sail, you'll have better results. PS: we adore NCL

Thumbs Up 4

Flag

maryred 4 years ago

Personally before completely giving up on cruising, try another line. NCL has as reputation for poor included amenities, just to get you to pony up more money for the specialize restaurants and activities areas. For a really good kids program try Disney or Carnival. For exceptional included food Celebrity ir Princess. For included activities Royal. For a more sophisticated adult oriented cruise Virgin Voyages or Viking Ocean. For an all inclusive cruise try any line domestic or foreign company that does in land river cruises, those tend to include alcohol and soda/juice with every meal and your excursions, many will run specials that also pay for your airfare and pre-cruise lodgings.

Thumbs Up 2

Flag

CruzeFan 4 years ago

Sounds like you needed to do more research before you sailed or maybe cruising isn’t for you. The first mistake was cruising during the holidays, which is the busiest time of year. Try cruising when school school is in session for a better experience. It’s also a good idea to research the ports and plan something interesting rather than just getting off the ship and wandering around. Jamaica has excellent excursions, but is not great for just walking around on your own.

Thumbs Up 4

Flag

trenstravels 4 years ago

I'm sorry you did not enjoy your cruise. Sometimes cruise ships sail full and that can make sea days challenging. I've cruised several times and have three cruises currently booked. I enjoy cruising, but I do understand that cruising is not for everyone. I would suggest you give cruising another chance, but it sounds like you've made up your mind. Happy vacationing, however you choose to do it.

Thumbs Up 0

Flag

DerekMire 4 years ago

Bye

Thumbs Up 1

Flag

Other reviews of this sailing

1st Cruise,Loved it !

Not a great experience

Paid a lot, got a little