This was our first cruise with NCL Breakaway on May 19, 2024 to the Carribbean. and it was a very good experience. There was quality food, service, show and entertainment.
A couple of complaints, NCL canceled one leg of our cruise, the Tortola Port without offering another port. NCL did offer a $50 on-board credit (each) and an extended stay of 4 hours on Great Stirrup Cay for this cancellation, which was not enough. Our canceled tour on Tortola cost over $100. NCL did refund the cost of our tour on Tortola. However, we may never have another opportunity to visit Tortola again.
NCL blamed the cancellation of the Tortola Port on fuel optimization and their commitment to the environment and sustainability. They knew that fuel would be consumed before they advertised the cruise itinerary and the four ports. Not a very good reason to cancel the Tortola Port visit.
NCL also canceled the on-board musical show ‘Six', for our cruise without offering another show. We purchased the opportunity to see two on-board shows, not just one.
We understand that things are subject to change, however the items above were big deals for us and NCL should have offered an alternate port and the additional show. With the loss of the above items, we would have chosen a different cruise line.
The above actions taken by NCL, without replacement of the items, has left a bitter taste in our mouths. We hope this is not a pattern with NCL. We will sail with NCL again however, for our next cruise we will review other cruise lines.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
It was fairly quick and appeared to quite organized.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The specialty restaurants, Savor and buffet was very good. Good menu variety and quality food. We did not get a chance to visit the main dining room.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
I did enjoy the ship activities. The night dancing, pool side activities were great. The water slide was a blast.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
We did see 'Burn the Floor'. Its was a great show. However, NCL canceled the show 'Six'. So we did not get two shows as expected.
Children's Programs
No Children on our cruise.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
All the service and staff personnel was very professional. Our cabin steward, Mr. Nicolas was very attentive to our needs.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The common areas were kept very clean and well-maintained. The ship’s layout and design was easily understandable. One day of exploring gave you the ship's layout and made it easy to get around with various elevator, stairs and know where food and entertainment was located.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The cabin was very comfortable and easy to get around. The balcony made it even more comfortable with able to lounge outside. We were very impressed with the amount of storage to place items, especially in the bathroom. We brought an over the door storage hanger and did not need it due to all the available storage.
The private tour we took was great. The tour guide was very personable. He treated the tour participants like family. He took his time with tour and members on the tour.
This was an NCL provided tour. We had a little bad weather which contributed to the rating (not the tour's fault). However, it was difficult to heard the tour guide on the open air bus. When you did heard him, it was sometimes difficult to understand (accent). The tour seem to be vary commercialized. Every stop someone was trying to sell you items. We were looking for a more cultural tour. I would image that if the weather was hot that this would have been a very uncomfortable tour since no air conditioning was on the open air bus.
The island visit was great. White sandy beach and great blue clear waters. The zip line was also great and terrifying at the same time (my first). The food was very good for island fare. The music on the island was great.
I think it’s really disappointing that NCL seems to be cutting back on one of the things that made it great - entertainment. I don’t think you necessarily need big Broadway style shows (Choir of Man has been a massive hit with passengers and my favourite show at sea) but they need to up their game again as I see a lot of poor reviews of their entertainment these days.
Thank you for your detailed review. I completely understand the disappointment when your heart is set on plans made months or years prior. Also, most cruise lines are not offering any additional compensation when ports are dropped or itinerary changes are made. However, your observation regarding the reasons is valid. NCL, to the best of my knowledge, is still offering something. I have cruised w/ them for many years. Not sure if anyone can chime in w/ a better update. Recently another Shipmate had mentioned “SIX” had been cancelled. Either way, glad you did have a good time onboard The Breakaway, but sorry about the recent changes. Happy cruising 😎⚓️🤩❣️‼️
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