Overall, it was a good cruise, but having sailed on the Breakaway a few times prior to 2020, I see the ship is getting older and can use some updates (especially carpet and upholstery in cabins) and thoughtful improvements (especially seating and choice of furniture in high demand venues). Too bad there is only one pool for most guests to enjoy. The staff works so hard to make it an enjoyable experience for everyone.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
One hour wait in line to get tested for Covid and board the ship.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Food was good, but buffet was back to serve yourself mode and serving utensils back to greasy. They went to great lengths to clean the eating areas and surfaces, but seemed to skip cleaning the serving utensils.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Slides, trivia, bingo, game shows were all much fun.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
I enjoyed the show Six, Fleetwood Mac tribute, Howl at the Moon, and all of the entertainment.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Shore excursion staff were extremely slow to give shore excursion credit and Sapphire (previously known as Platinum Plus) discount for shore excursions. I was only given half of the credit I was supposed to have received for the excursion I booked while onboard, and this was done just before the desk closed before disembarkation, giving me no chance to get it corrected. I'd booked other shore excursions before the cruise and had no trouble with the credit or discounts on those. Other than shore excursion staff, the cabin stewards, entertainment staff, and wait staff were excellent.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The ship is nice and clean. Plenty of outdoor areas to walk around, eat, drink, and get fresh air. There is only one pool area for common guests, and at 30% capacity, all of the deck chairs are already taken up, so it is very crowded. It is also very crowded on the deck above where there are additional loungers. Popular venues such as Syd's Pour House and the Atrium are always packed full during performances and game shows at night. I thought that it would be less crowded in these popular areas right now. The furnishings at the different venues are not at all conducive to meeting demand. NCL needs to take a serious look at this upon the next refurb. I've sailed on the Breakaway pre-pandemic at full capacity, and it is simply a very crowded ship!
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
Upon boarding, I learned that I'd been upgraded from an Oceanview to Balcony cabin. That was exciting. The excitement waned when I entered the room and it smelled dirty, although it had clearly been cleaned. Later that night, I found a bedbug crawling on a pillow next to me. Thankfully, I was moved to a different cabin the next night. I still hope that I didn't pick up any hitchhikers! The next cabin, 9148, was much nicer, and there was no further incident. In general, cabins are getting stale. Carpet and curtains desperately need to be replaced. Bathroom floors need to be replaced. It was nice, however, to have had the balcony, which is a real treat for me.
Ship tip
Get to the pool and shows 30 minutes early if you want to have a good place to sit. Spice H2O is a good place to get some sun if you don't mind not being near a pool.
I did the all-inclusive Sol y Mar resort excursion. Drinks were great but the food was nothing compared to the ship food. Beach was pretty. I would choose a different beach to visit next time.
This is a very pretty island, and it is nice to walk around. Food and drinks are not included here. The beach is very pretty with many lounge chairs, but I was eaten up by horse flies. There is also a beautiful pool area.
Food and drinks at the port are just as expensive as on the ship. I did the Mayan Healing Ritual excursion booked through the ship, as I had a shore excursion credit and loyalty discount (which was not applied correctly onboard). It was a nice experience and took place in the port complex.
Glad you enjoyed your cruise. I’ve been on the Breakaway about 4 times but since reading your review I’m not sure if I should change my cruise for August on the Breakaway. I thought it was refurbished but I guess not.
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