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Norwegian Breakaway Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

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Contributor Level: Purser

71 Days Till Next Cruise

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 2

Helpful Votes: 15

Overall rating:

3.3 out of 5

5 Night Caribbean: Cozumel & Costa Maya (New Orleans Roundtrip)

Sail date: December 12, 2023

Ship: Norwegian Breakaway

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: 5621

Traveled as: Singles/Friends

Reviewed: 11 months ago

Review summary

Overall, Breakaway was my least favorite ship and cruise I’ve ever been on. I hate to complain(I know I’ve done a lot here…) but this was bad. Ultimately we made the best of it and had a good time with our group but the first 2 days were really really bad with a lot of issues. Some minor, some very major safety issues. I believe this was a turnover cruise (new crew coming on etc) and after a repositioning sailing which may have had a lot to do with it. Again we ultimately had a good time and made the most of it.

Embarkation

1 out of 5

Terrible and disorganized embarkation. No process or organization at all. Complete free for all.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

The Manhattan Rom was by far the best dining on the ship. You can tell they put their most experienced crew there. It’s exactly what cruise dining should be. The rest of the dining rooms left a lot to be desired. Rushed service, inexperienced staff that did not know the menus or what was even offered. This wasn’t just one meal it was every meal. Made for a suboptimal experience.

Waves Pool Bar

5 out of 5

These guys know how to rock it. They were slinging drinks fast. Friendly and always having a good time. Try the mudslide. It’s great. The Miami vice tasted like cough syrup.

Shaker's Cocktail Bar

4 out of 5

The martinis are very good (I recommend the Rum Cake). However depending on when you go they remake the cocktails and set them on the bar and just hand you one. I waited about 10 minutes only to be handed a cocktail that had been sitting on the rail the entire time. Not what I was expecting. When I order a martini I want it fresh and cold, exactly how a martini should be served. One that has been premade and sitting on the rail is neither of those things.

Le Bistro

3 out of 5

Good food and service. I had a personal issue which severely ruined my experience here. While the staff was doing their job they were argumentative and over accommodating of a food allergy even after I assured them it was ok. What should have been a 5 minute side conversation turned into a 45 minute argument and ordeal.

O'Sheehan's Neighborhood Bar and Grille

4 out of 5

Decent food but can be a long wait. Open 24/7 so great for a late night (drunken) snack.

Bar 21

5 out of 5

Alexis was the best bartender on the ship. Very friendly and engaging. He always had a smile on his face. Never had to wait too long for a beverage here either. Definitely a hidden Gem.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Not a lot to do especially when outdoor activities were canceled due to weather. In the past when itineraries changed due to weather the cruise director would update the daily and add more indoor activities. That was not the case with this ship. Everyone was crammed into the atrium or casino (and smoking) inside which made it very difficult to do anything

Breakaway Casino

1 out of 5

Half the casino is smoking and half is not. There is no signage or enforcement of this so people smoke throughout which is a huge issue. Couldn’t even stay in the casino because it was like standing in an ashtray.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Six and Burn the Floor were the best shows on the ship. Syd Norman’s didn’t disappoint either.

Syd Norman's Pour House

4 out of 5

Bigger venue than on the Prima so it can accommodate more people. The bar area is very small though which makes it difficult to get a drink during the show.

Service and Staff

2 out of 5

Saw our room steward once. Had to call to have our bathroom cleaned on embarkation because it wasn’t done before we got to the room. This was evident because of the used sharps container that was left in our bathroom. Some of the staff were very friendly. Others were either non engaging or just cold and unfriendly. Not the usual experience I’ve had with other NCL ships.

Ship Quality

1 out of 5

Very confined and cramped. The design forces you to go through the casino on deck 7 or Maltings on deck 8 to pretty much get anywhere. Both are smoking areas (maltings has the cigar area) which if you’re not a smoker or have health issues (asthma) that is triggered by smoke can be problematic. The entire 6,7,8 complex ended up smelling like an ashtray since the staircase is open to all 3 decks.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5

Small but adequate. The bathroom was pretty big as well as the shower. There aren’t any drawers to speak of so if you were looking to unpack think again.

Ports of call

New Orleans, Louisiana

5 out of 5

NOLA is definitely a party city. There is a ton to do and it’s a very walkable city. We averaged 22,000 steps a day. If you stick to the tourist areas it is very safe. The locals know not to mess with tourists because it’s the livelihood of the city. Tons of history and things to do and see. The food is great and the locals are very friendly.

Thumbs Up 0

Cozumel, Mexico

4 out of 5

Walkable in the downtown areas. Lost of hawkers trying to get you to buy trinkets. Not a lot of local cuisine. Very American Mexican food. Couldn’t find a street taco or local food. We stuck to the port area (1-2 miles ish) which is probably why.

Thumbs Up 0

Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico Did not visit port

Weather was rubbish so we stayed on the ship. We were looking forward to costa maya though. We will be back.

Thumbs Up 0

Disembarkation

2 out of 5

Much like embarkation it was very disorganized. Have to go aft to go forward to go aft again. We carried off so can’t comment on baggage claim etc but I heard that was a nightmare. 🤷🏼‍♂️

9 Comments

Cruisers4Lyfe 3 months ago

Thanks for sharing

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Babsie1963 10 months ago

I hated the breakaway and NCL in general. There’s new crew coming on almost every sailing.

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Sogmoore 10 months ago

Thanks for sharing

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willwork4cruz 11 months ago

Agree that the Breakaway caters to smokers. If it’s any consolation, even if the weather was good and you could have used the outer decks, it would have been smokey there also. There are some great things on the Breakaway but hard to enjoy if smoke bothers you.

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kathyron 11 months ago

Very good review, I was on this cruise and agree with you. One thing really bothered us the most. The swaying of the ship was bad on sea days. Is this normal? First time with Norwegian, I have sailed with Royal Princess twice, loved everything. We had one rough sea day in Mediterranean Sea. But swaying wasn’t too bad and Captain said he had stabilizer on. Which was very loud vibrations. My daughter was sea sick and my wife uncomfortable. It didn’t bother me. But was annoying

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javawoody 11 months ago

Appreciate the review

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Niavlys 11 months ago

Thanks for sharing your views...

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cruising2004 11 months ago

Sorry your cruise was not the best but at least there were some positives.

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Gwbigdog 11 months ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise with us

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Other reviews of this sailing

Wonderful getaway!

Great cruise w/ issues at port.

Disappointed