We prefer the smaller ships. The Breakaway is OK for its size, which was the biggest when it was built. Again, Norwegian and the entire cruise industry is still in recovery mode from COVID. We found the staff to be excellent except for the Internet manager. That guy does nothing but make excuses for his crappy product. Again, stay away from the art auction. There is nothing there that you needed when you boarded. I really wish that Norwegian and every other cruise line would tell Park West to "hit the trail". That would make the cruise experience better, and they could better utilize the space for other things.
Embarkation
2 out of 5
We've never had a "good" embarkation. They are always chaotic.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We looked at the main dining rooms but chose the buffet every time. The food on the buffet was generally excellent. Some of the desserts left a little to be desired. We don't drink except for water, juice and lemonade. There was SOMETHING going on, which we believe is the water. My guess (and this is JUST a guess) is that the water may be sanitized a little too aggressively. We both suffered occasional GI tract difficulties the whole week.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Fitness center is quite good. The Internet (like many ships) is TERRIBLE! The shows (we went to two) are much too loud, as are the events in the Atrium open theatre. Turn the volume DOWN before we all go deaf! The art auction??? Universal from my perspective-STAY AWAY from this!! Always!!
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The two shows we went to were ho-hum, and MUCH too loud.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
I've seen some other reviews that "knocked" the staff. I disagree-I think the staff is excellent!
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
I agree with another reviewer that the cigar bar (and also the casino and the port side of deck 15) wafts fumes far beyond those venues' boundaries. Yuck!
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
This cabin has a bigger bathroom than we're accustomed to, which was nice. However, the lack of a chair was annoying. There is a footstool that is apparently intended to replace a chair. We prefer the chair.
Ship tip
Please be aware that in the aftermath of the pandemic, things have changed. Cost cutting and revenue generation are the order of the day. Remember that the cruise industry suffered immensely because of COVID, as did all of the people in each port. They have a lot of ground to make up. For instance, lobster is GONE. Salmon is GONE. I think that Norwegian is doing the best they can to present a favorable experience without spending the money they used to spend. I'm OK with that; I'm glad they survived. Not all cruise lines did.
We took the NORTA bus from the airport to downtown, then another bus that put us about a 9 minute walk from the pier. New Orleans public transportation is CHEAP! Senior fare 40 cents, adult $1.25. Compare that against taxi or ride-share at around $35 for two people or the cruise line-arranged shuttle at $25/person. When we got back, we did the streetcar to the airport bus instead. About the same walking distance, and the streetcar was a blast!
We docked at the more centrally-located of the two piers. That was great! There is a big hyper-market called Soriana within close walking distance. We love that place!
This is appropriately named-it's a "hole"! Dirty, congested and squalor-ridden. I understand that other parts of the island are much nicer-try to do that.
We were going to stay on the ship but didn't This is one massive t-shirt and cosmetics shop. In fact, I understand from the employees that an American guy owns several of these outlets, and that many of his employees are transplants from Israel.
Thanks for the comments, unfortunately what we are used to having is being slashed to help pay for the Covid fiasco that was blamed on the cruise lines months after it was spread via planes.
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