First cruise on a big ship

Item: Norwegian Breakaway
Rating: 4.2
Author: CruzerGuy35

Norwegian Breakaway Cruise Review

CruzerGuy35

Contributor Level: Second Mate

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 2

Helpful Votes: 63

Overall rating:

4.2 out of 5

7 Night Western Caribbean (New Orleans Roundtrip)

Sail date: March 31, 2024

Ship: Norwegian Breakaway

Cabin type: Suite

Cabin number: 14142

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 7 months ago

Review summary

Overall, the cruise was nice. We usually cruise on the smaller ships and wanted to try a big ship at least once, but we will probably return to doing those smaller, more comforting, itineraries.

Embarkation

3 out of 5

Embarcation at the NOLA port was tight and getting into the dropoff area was slow. After waiting in a line of cars for 5 minutes, without moving, we decided it would be easier to unload and walk our bags to the check in point.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

The speciality restaurants were good. We had prebooked our reservations prior to the trip and scheduled just as the restaurants were opening at 5:30pm. It would have been nice if the restaurants opened at 5pm so we could dine before making a showtime, but because they opened at 5:30, we generally missed early shows at the venues due to having to get in line 1-2 hours before the start of a show in the tiny venues. Food offerings at the specialty restaurants was generous, we dined at Cagneys, La Cucina, and Monerno. Food at the buffet was ok, but generally the same everyday and not much daily variety. We tried O'Sheehans for lunch one day, arriving just after they switched from the breakfast menu and was told there would be a 45 minute wait, for 2 people, and the restaurant was half empty! Short staffing problem??? Haven food was excellent, but the same menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. No variety or daily specials, but who needs that when there is surf and turf!

Skyy Vodka Ice Bar

5 out of 5

Loved the Ice Bar! We planned on doing this venue and packed our own knit hats and thicker gloves. We were nice and toasty inside and after our first visit, we went back again later in the cruise. There is an upcharge for this venue, but it was worth it. Just remember, ALWAYS put your drink on a coaster or it will slide off the bar and shatter glass on the ground (we saw it happen to someone wearing flip-flops). Freezing cold glass shards and bare feet are not a good combination.

La Cucina

5 out of 5

Always love La Cucina (we dined there twice) and will be saddened when NCL converts them to the updated 'fusion' style Italian eatery.

The Haven Restaurant

4 out of 5

The Haven restaurant was very good, had the surf & turf multiple days. It's unfortunate that some previous guests abused the system resulting in NCL implementing high $$$ fees for extra servings of lobster tail.The staff was very attentive to make sure our orders were correct and food/drinks were served promptly.One star deduction for the new, restrictive, extra fee and sameness of the menus for every meal every day. NCL should seriously consider having at least one/two daily themed entrées like MDRs have, after all, Haven is supposed to be a step above!

Cagney's Steakhouse

5 out of 5

Cagney's is always a good choice!

Garden Café

3 out of 5

The Garden Cafe was nice, but very limited in selections. Both sides of the buffet lines had the same offerings and there didn't appear to be any theme night menu rotations. Seating (inside) wasn't an issue as we were able to easily find availability anytime of the day.

The Haven Lounge

5 out of 5

Excellent venue! The bartenders and staff were extremely friendly and were able to present us with new cocktails that we have not tried before!

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

The waterslides were fun and the rope bridges were too crowded for us to try them.

Medical Center

5 out of 5

I unfortunately needed to use the Medical Center services for an injury received while on the ship. The nursing staff and doctor who cared for me were very knowledgeable and took great care of my injury (cornea ulcer), getting me quickly back to enjoying the remainder of the cruise. Be advised, the cost is a bit steep and is charged to your room account, but they fully disclose that before you agree for services. Luckily we always purchase travel insurance so all our medical expenses and missed excursion cost will be reimbursed.

Mandara Spa & Salon

5 out of 5

First time trying the Thermal Suite as it was included in our room rate, which is no longer offered, but we were grandfathered in. We've read other comments that it was always crowded and no lounges were available. We found the opposite to be true on our cruise, there were very few people using the areas when we did, twice from 8:30pm till close. One night we were the only two guests there so we had the entire facility to ourselves! We tried another time during mid-afternoon on a port day and although more people were usung the facility it was not crowded and we were able to find/use loungers for our entire time.We enjoyed the hot tub and large thermal pool. One evening the rocking of the ship turned the thermal pool into a mini wave pool, which was fun bobbing up and down! We didn't care much for the salt room and the steam room and sauna were okay but we used them for only 15 minutes each. It was nice to have a refreshing shower located next to each of the rooms so we could do a rinse before moving to somewhere else.

Aqua Park

5 out of 5

The waterslides were very fun and the lines were not long.

Entertainment

2 out of 5

NCL has eliminated all big entertainment except Burn the Floor and thst was a disappointment. They scheduled multiple comedy shows, with 2 comedians onboard, but more was needed. NCL managemrnt knew they were eliminating the big productions and has stated they are working on new concepts, but those should have smoothly transitioned as replacements instead of leaving a void and thousands of passengers to overcrowded the smaller venues! Howl at the Moon (dualing pianos) was ok, but since we depated from NOLA, the show at Pat O'Brians was much better! The musicians and performers at Syd Norman's were excellent, especially for 80's Prom Night, but the lines started gathering almost 2 hours before the doors opened and with only one showtime during the week, you almost cannot plan any other activities, including late dinner.

Dance Floor

1 out of 5

The dance floor (Spice H2O) is at the back of the ship, behind the engine stacks and we could smell the smoke as the ship was underway at the time. There are also very limited seating options at the outdoor venue leaving most people standing around.

Breakaway Theater

3 out of 5

We saw 3 events in the main theater, Burn the Floor, an adult comedy show, and Wheel of Fortune.Wheel of Fortune was a waste, I don't forsee NCL keeping it very long. You use your phone and the ship's Wifi to play along buy buying a number of chances to 'win' prizes ranging from an NCL cup to various $$ amounts depending on how many letters your cards match during one of the two games playedvand how fast you can solve the puzzle compared to other players on the cruise.Burn the Floor was good. The dancers are all professionally trained in ballroom and other dance styles. The singers and musicians make the show even better.The comedians we saw during the late 18+ show (9:30pm) were funny and not overly blue in their routines (they do have some limitations imposed by NCL) so don't expect dark routines.

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

The service and staff were very good, but staffing at several restaurants appeared short as there were numerous empty tables yet waitlisting of 30-45 minutes (O'Sheehans esp.), and once seated, service was slower to take orders and deliver bar drinks and food. Unfortunately, although you always here the staff chanting "washy-washy", they only encourage you to wash your hands at the sink and don't enforce it. Also, NCL has removed the gel dispensers from the Garden Cafe and the greeters at the entrances do not have squirt bottles of alcohol, which just heightens the risk of contamination and spread of infection.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

The ship appeared clean most of the time but since NCL has cut back on previous infection control measures, I fear that an outbreak is a greater probability.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Very roomy cabin, we didn't even use all the drawers or shelf space. We pre-ordered extra pillows and a mattress topper so we slept comfortably every night. The double sink in the bathroom was a nice touch and the space inside the bathroom allowed for two people to easily move around inside.

Ship tip

The venues areas for shows/entertainment are small so plan to arrive very early (1-2 hrs) before the events occur. This may impact your ability to do multiple things each day/night so prioritize what you want to do.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Harvest Caye, Belize

4 out of 5

It was the last sailing of the season so we didn't see many fish or other aquatic life on our excursion, excepting for a couple of starfish. The Superman/Superwoman zipline over the lagoon was very fun.

Thumbs Up 0

Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico

3 out of 5

We hated the port as they made people walk through an entire maze of overpriced stores just to exit the port. About halfway through the maze, there were signs posted directing people to an emergency evacuation route, but in their brilliance, they completely walled off that route, forcing everyone to walk through the back half of the store maze to finally exit the port! We did an off-cruise excursion of having a massage with drinks/food at a local business just outside the port entrance/exit. The couples massage was very good (and cheaper than onboard) and the food/drinks were freshly made and delicious!

Thumbs Up 0

Coxen Hole, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras

4 out of 5

I was unable to enjoy this port due to an injury, but my wife loved snuggling up with a sloth and having a monkey sit on her head. She wasn't prepared for the horse to walk into the water and drench her shoes, but the blow dryer in the room quickly fixed that later.

Thumbs Up 0

New Orleans, Louisiana

5 out of 5

NOLA is always a fun city to visit and wasn't as crowded as our previous visits, possibly as it was Easter week and Spring Breaks were completed.

Thumbs Up 0

Cozumel, Mexico

5 out of 5

We did an ATV excursion and had a blast.

Thumbs Up 0

Disembarkation

5 out of 5

Disembarkation from the ship was quick and easy, however the port of New Orleans was very chaotic and slow due to construction and road closures that limited the road access to 1-2 lanes. Fortunately, there wasn't a new cruise embaking after us (Breakaway was transitioning to Miami without passengers) so the port was not as busy as it could have been.