Big Let Down as the cruise was way over crowded.
Norwegian Breakaway Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western
7 Night Western Caribbean (New Orleans Roundtrip)
Sail date: March 12, 2023
Ship: Norwegian Breakaway
Cabin type: Oceanview
Cabin number: 5190
Traveled as: Large Group
Reviewed: 1 year ago
Review summary
After cruising on more than 10 carnival cruises, I was very disappointed in the level of service as well as the quality of entertainment and food on NCL. to Start, When we arrived at the terminal, the first point of contact directed us into the line without telling us to drop our bags (to have the delivered to the room), so we had to bring our bags with us on board. then we were not allowed to bring them to our room for 2+ hours as the staterooms were not ready until 2:30-3:00pm when I arrived at guest services to ask about purchasing a Vibe Beach Club cabana, I was told they were all sold out already. why is part of the ship off limits when you already have loaded this ship past original capacity by close to 1000 pp? (this was very disappointing) The stateroom stewart did not fulfill a simple request I made on the first day (I asked for 2 extra towels every day). so, I had to either chase him down every day or call the front desk to have the supervisor deliver towels each day. the showmanship in the teppanyaki specialty restaurant was 4 out of 10 (as I have been to namouras teppanyaki restaurant's) (although the quality of the food was good) The service/waiter (not the Gauchos) in the Brazilian steakhouse was terrible. we asked for water to be refilled, and the waiter would say "right away", then he would go and do other functions while we sat and watched him. He consistently forgot to come back to us. We ordered an additional appetizer, that he said "right away", then he never brought it out! The hot tubs in the adult only area never got above 90 deg. when I asked why, one of the deck staff told me that they have to keep it lower so the chlorine does not evaporate! The bar in the adults' only area did not have Malibu Rum for the first 4 days of the cruise. the ship was too crowded overall. headliners comedy club was setup with wooden chairs, and no booth/lounge seating. who goes to a lounge and sits for hours on wooden chairs with no cushions? So, during the comedy club activity, it was not comfortable. Then when the headlines club it used for Howl At The Moon, the same setup is there. again, sitting on wooden chairs is not comfortable (considering it should be like a piano bar/lounge the pianists did NOT conform to the Howl At The Moon format of dueling pianos, it was more of a sing along where the pianists would take turns playing a song, then the other pianist would play the next song. This was a big let down! there was very little banter and joking back and forth as well as a lack of play on words through the songs. lastly, the only bit of the cruise that lived up to my expectations was the steakhouse. the staff and management did everything correctly. Based on this experience, I do NOT believe I will ever travel on NCL again, and I will strongly discourage others from traveling on NCL. (FYI, I own an EcoRetreat and resort in southern Ontario, Canada). although I do not endorse any cruise line, I will share my opinion with guests regarding NCL.Embarkation
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Moderno Churrascaria
the waiter staff were terrible. the gauchos did not come around enough. I only saw 4 types of meat the whole time.
Teppanyaki
although the food was good, the entertainment was sub par.
Cagney's Steakhouse
this lived up to all the steakhouses I have been to in the past.
Onboard Activities
Breakaway Casino
the staff were pleasant and easy to understand.
Guest Services
Helpful and attentive
Entertainment
Spice H2O
The bar did not have Malibu rum for the first 4 days of the cruise. beside that, the staff were very accommodating.
Headliners Comedy Club
who wants to sit on wooden chairs while being entertained. this is not what i expect when entering a lounge.
Breakaway Theater
Staff were professional at all times.
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
don't have high expectations for this cruise ship. The entertainment staff were really great, but the ship was just too crowded to enjoy.
Ports of call
Coxen Hole, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras