Norwegian Breakaway Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Our cruise on the Norwegian Breakaway was not as we expected.  There were far too many people onboard in the respect that there didn't seem to be enough "areas" to take care of everyone in a timely fashion.

If you wanted an omelet or eggs prepared in any way, you waited in line for 20-30 minutes.  It seems that there should have been more than 1 chef at each omelet station.

Any show that was worthwhile seeing had a extra cost attached.  (We have been on Princess Cruise Lines where the shows were phenomenal and we never paid to see them.)

The Mixx Bar was a shining jewel.  The personnel that worked this bar made us feel at home and always welcome.  They knew us by name and always greeted us warmly.  Unfortuantely, this bar closed at 10 - 10:30pm and unless you wanted to go where it was very noisy and music was played LOUD, there was really no place else to go that was comfortable.  Perhaps the Mixx Bar could become a piano bar for people who are not into disco.  Music from the 60's and 70's would be a big hit.  People love to sing along with this music.

The first 2 days of the cruise, my husband was ill with diarrhea and could not leave the room.  He is not sure if this were something he had gotten before coming onto the ship or something that he ate.

All in all, we would not sail on the Breakaway again.  It was not a BAD vacation, but it also was not one that will be remembered as a "lets do again".

I love Norwegian because I get to do what I want pretty much when I want.  We have not been Norwegian since 2010, when we took the Epic.  The Breakaway is a smaller version of the Epic with a better bathroom!  The decor was beautiful and the rooms standard for Norwegian.  The balcony was ridiculously small and should they choose to do that again, they may as well make the room an oceanview with a window that can be opened.  The hallway was narrower than usual, but it was never an issue for us.

The food was the same as any other mid class cruise line, i.e. Royal, Carnival; however, half the wait staff is still in training. Almost all of them are courteous, but some are in training and they are not as fluent in English as they could be.  They were always teamed with a more experienced person so the misteps were not that prevalent.  We only had to wait once for about 10 minutes to be seated at the most dersirable 7 to 7:30 timeframe.  We learned to come at a different time and were able to be seated immediately.  When asked by two of the managers who visited our table at a Specialty restaurant if we had any feedback, we said that the orange juice and coffee were usually weak. They must have discussed that with the staff because we never got watered down oj or coffee ever again in any venue.  Now that's service.

We did not do the rope course but the water park was awesome and on our cruise, fairly empty.  It was fun for me and my husband (we are in our 60's) and great for the children, which were few in number.  We paid extra for the Spiegel Tent (Cirque to Soleil knock-off).  It was very nice and the dinner everyone complains about was fine.   We had no problems booking any venue and have become accustomed to doing this.    

We came to the port around 1 PM and were on the boat within 20 minutes and went straight to our room.  Embarkation was a breeze as we opted to walk off on our own.  Debarkation for walkoffs began at 7:30, which was great.

I am sure that some of the negative comments from others were valid, but with a full ship, a small number of well behaved children,  we encountered very few problems.  Other than them destroying one of my suitcases, which they replaced with a new one that does not match our set, the trip was pretty much all we expected and reminded us why we love Norwegian.

Ship is very nice, food great, my husband & I always book a balcony cabin and I was very disappointed with the poor or lack of ventilation in the casino area, too much cigarette smoke. I know that there are more non-smokers than smokers so the cruiselines should dedicate one whole side to us, the non-smokers. We pay just as much or sometimes even more for the same staterooms and we should be able to enjoy our balconies. I couldn't leave my door open because the cig. smoke was getting into my room. We like to sit outside on the balcony, have our first cup of coffee and enjoy the ocean air but like I mentioned already, something HAS to be done about the smoking situation. All of our friends and family we travel with are also non-smokers and we all share the same frustration about the cig smoke. I know that there is a Carnival ship that is non-smoking but it has a limited and/or short itinerary and it departs from Florida, so we can't book that one all the time. If CARNIVAL can do it I'm sure other cruiselines CAN do it also.

I gave my 13 year old daughter the NCL 2 night getaway on the Breakaway as a Christmas gift. She loves cruises and it was the only thing she wanted. From the moment we arrived, she was in heaven! Right when we got on the ship, there was a big Chinese New Year Celebration. My daughter was adopted from China and we celebrate every year. She was so happy to be part of the celebration. Friday evening, we paid extra to see the Cirque show and it was worth every penny. The cast was so talented and the food was spectacular. One note to NCL, you should offer a children's meal option for the show as my daughter will not eat surf and turf. Saturaday, we spent the day doing so many wonderful activities. My daughter especially loved the overhead obstical course. That evening, we had a great meal in the Manhattan Room and went to see Rock of Ages. Again, the cast was so talented, I was blown away! The staff was so attentive and friendly and always ready to help you have the best time. Extra Kudos to Alex, our cabin steward who made my daughter feel like a princess. I would recommend this getaway to everyone. Not only did my daughter love it, it was a mentally refreshing getaway for this mom!

theater was too small-didn't like making reservations  pool was too small for all the people  hallways too narrow -- food was good  service was great  I had a studio room and I loved it.

The ship was beautifully decorated, soft colors and very elegant and classy without being stuffy.  All public areas were too small. Pool and area around it were TOO small. Theater did not hold enough people,reservations given away because of getting out of dinner too close to showtime.Very disappointed in that.  Hallway to room was very narrow. Definetely single file. Getting a beeper for dining room unless there by 5:30 the latest. Really where was free style when necessary to be on a schedule. NCL succeeded with the Dawn, Gem,  Jewel and other ships. Blew it big time on the Breakaway. We have taken 11 NCL cruises, plus others on different lines.[32 total with more to come]. So we do have something to compare it too. Enjoyed stops never been to before, St. Lucia and St. Kitts. Desembarkation was a nightmare. Been out of NYC many times never this delay and confusion. People pushing, tripping over luggage, each other etc. Becoming a dangerous situation. Every one should not have been let off together so new cruisers could get on. Definetely a here's your hat,  what's your hurry by NCL.  First and last time I hope.  Told we would be off 8:30, got off close to 10. By the time we got luggage and to our car it was almost 11:00 so much for Priority. I feel sorry for people catching a plane. Our cabin steward Gemil was great. Room no. 11647. We asked for same waiter and assistant each night as they were also great. Remembering us, polite, fun, confident, experienced etc. Melroy and Ailia. I apoligize if I spelled the names wrong as we do want them to be recognized. Ailia was going home at the end of our cruise, and Melroy was just starting a cruise. They were a great team. Thank you,  Carole and Thomas Hunihan

Norwegian Breakaway is a beautiful ship, my overall experience would be excellent and I would give 5 stars if not for the embarking and disembarking experience at NY. My wife is wheelchair bound and I was expecting to get a preferential treatment getting on and off the ship like it is customary on any other Cruises – as I learned this from my friends afterwards whom had more experience with cruises.

This was my first cruise, I liked the cabin, and the staff was very friendly, the ship was almost brand new and the food was good with a lot of variety, entertainment was also good.

We got to the ship a little late, 45 min before leaving.  We were instructed to participate in a safety drill. There was such a crowd by the elevators that we were happy to be able to get to our cabin by the appointed time and was to the drill.

Getting off was the most horrible experience I ever had. They broke us up into groups to handle the crowd better. There was no preferential treatment for wheelchair bound people, so I thought let me take a group that was just a little after the middle. The Ship arrived at 7:30AM and it took us till 2:30PM till we finally got home - the trip itself home was an hour. My wife has problem with incontinence which made this experience even worse.

We were sitting and waiting inside of the ship for a couple hours to get to our turn and finally stepped in line to get out. Once out of the ship we had to go in lines marked by colors to pick up our baggage. That was in a huge unheated room and the layout was very confusing.

Finally I found the luggage just to find out that there was another line to wait in line to get a porter and another line to get to the custom agents.  We pre paid for a car service before leaving and wrongly estimated our time of getting outside of customs.  He ended up waiting over 2 hours for us and when we told him that we are outside, he was not allowed to get to us saying that only taxis were allowed.

This experience is mainly due to the large number of passengers on the ship, no preferential treatment for the disabled and bad organization of handling baggage.

The ship was at capacity for a 2 night get away out of New York. There were couples,families and groups of friends just hanging out. While it was New York cold, there were plenty of activities throughout the day. The rooms were about the same as a carnival or princess balcony room, however, the balcony was tiny. Not what I am used to. The non fee restaurants were ok, there was some variety. The clubs hadgood music, the bars were plentiful. The highlight of my two nights was hanging out at the blues club. Slam Allen and his band was great, great and great. That guy had some voice on him and his choice of music was excellent. Without exaggeration, his shows are something I'm goingto brag about. I did not experience long lines getting on and off the ship. Things went well and was organized. I'm planning for my next weekend getaway. If you need a break, two nights on the breakaway is your answer New York

I took this cruise in Jan. 2014 with my six year old son.  It was a gift and we had an OK time, but had I paid for it, I would have been disappointed, even with relatively low expectations. Clearly, given it was a 2 day cruise to nowhere in the winter, I knew that it would not be ideal for kids. This proved to be right, but even more than I feared. The outdoor deck activities looked fantastic but were not open due to the cold.  However, although there were quite a few kids on board, NCL made no effort to make up for the lack of outdoor activities by scheduling more indoor ones. In fact, some of the things we most hoped to do, like take a tour of the bridge, were not available. They also didn't offer room service on this cruise, had no family night party (something I hear they do only longer ones) and no fireworks. We did go to the Cirque de Soleil show which was WONDERFUL and the highlight of the trip, though $40 per person.

The food was good (though not great), even in the included restaurant, but the service across the board was terrible. The staff was clearly disengaged and with a few exceptions (our steward and a man working in the arcade), were mostly unfriendly. Though we LOVED sailing out of NY harbor at night past the Statue of Liberty, it was frustrating that even though a HUGE number of passengers were on deck, NONE of the bars were open on deck. This was not just poor service, but a missed revenue opportunity for NCL.

We knew a few other adult couples on the ship and they said concurred that service was poor, food was solid, and even for adults only, unless you wanted to be on a pure "booze cruise" where you simply eat and drink, this two day trip is not great.

If you are traveling out of New York, you like a few days at sea each way, along with six fantastic island stops, this is a great cruise.  But, it is a big ship with lots of passengers.  The Breakaway is brand new in 2013.  The major area that needs improvement is the computer technology on the ship.  TV, Kiosk, and app information was very limited and sometimes incorrect or missing.  Recommend that you make as many reservations as possible from home before you go.  Safes are very small (won't hold an 8-1/2"x11" stack of paper flat or an IPAD.  We docked at all islands - no tenders needed.  Puerto Rico at night a few days after Christmas and New Years was magical with all of the decoration and lights.  St. Thomas, St. Maarten and Barbados were great as usual.  Enjoyed St. Lucia, a new island for us.  As well as St Kitts, which is probably what island stops were like 20-25 years ago - with limited commercialization (other than the main port area).

an amazing adventure on Breakaway was awsome, funfilled with lots of exciting shows, food, drinks, you name it, it was just wonderful. The staff just all great staff members, we were well taken care of for 12 glorious days. i will be booking my next Getaway on the new getaway" ship, leaving from miami !!! 

I was not blown away by the cruise as I think the new ship has some serious design flaws. The entire atrium badly smelled of smoke, which really made it difficult to enjoy the Bistro and the other lounges.

The Bistro is too small, so we had to wait an extra half hour to eat if we wanted to be inside. Sitting outside is like sitting in a hallway to eat a nice meal.

Entertainment was great, however, and the Spa was amazing, as always.

ship is too crowded.  all public rooms and lounges crowded into 3 levels mid ship. theater, duty free bar guest services, atrium with large screen all lumped into same areas.

way too many kids, nickle and dime you to death.

food was good, entertainment was good.

NCL Breakaway is a very nice and comfortable ship.  Unfortunately, we were very disappointed with the service.  This is probably because the service charge (gratuity) is deducted automatically from the passanger's account.  Don't even deserve extra tip. Some of the crew staff in the restaurants or taking care of the staterooms do not understand or speak basic English. 

Food wise, is okay.  Although, the menu was the same - with minor variations - in those restaurants you do not need to pay.   The restaurants that have some charges are alright and affordable.

Entertainment program was designed for all ages.

Another observation is that the check in process was a little bit disorganized.  Even though we arrived 3 hours in advance.

Save your money or spend it on something other than this cruise. Waited five years to go on this Christmas Cruise, should have spent our money in New York City!  Food terrible, staff rude or indifferent. Wait times unacceptable with the exception of disembarkation .  Room attendant actually kicked my children out of the room and told them he had to service it. If I had been there this would NOT have happened. We booked two staterooms unfortunately had the same attendant for both, one room missed for two days until I caught him in the passageway and demanded clean towels. Decorations formchristmas disappointing. Show cancelled the night we had reserved tickets, private island did not happen due to weather! Celebrity will definately be receiving our business in the future!

The ship itself was very nice- our balcony room was spacious, the layout of the ship and the amenities were nice, and everything was digital. We stayed on the 8th floor- we were near everything, yet it was still pretty quiet. The ride was a bit rough, and we couldn't stop at Great Stirrup Cay but that was the weather's fault. Overall, the food was okay but the two specialties we paid for- Moderno and La Cucina- were amazing! The staff was nice- especially the staff at Shakers martini bar and our maid. My only complaint would be the lack of respect for the adults only rules. In fairness, it's only partially Norwegian's fault; it's really more on the parents who bring their kids to the adults only areas and shows like Rock of Ages despite the 'unsuitable for kids' warnings.

I am a past Norwegian guest.  I booked this cruise to see what the Breakaway was all about after having seen all the hype about it.  I was very disappointed.  The ship is way to large and there were way to many people.  There was plenty for children and they were everywhere even where they should not have been.  There were underage children in the ONE club they have after 11PM at night and in the casino, security was non-existent except the night of the fireworks. 

On a good note the food offerings were good and the staff that I dealt with were excellent.

Please note: Passengers should be able to carry their luggage on board if they wish to.  The baggage delivery was not good and if they did not deliver your baggage you had to wait to be escorted to a staff only area to try to locate them.  Some people were not successful.

I will go on other cruises with Norwegian just not on this ship.

I never felt as though I was on a vacation on this ship.  It is TOO large and on this particular sailing had FAR too many children under the age of six.  The rumor on the ship was that there were 1100 children.  I realize Norwegian can't discriminate, but they CAN enforce the adult only zones--they were not.  Also, if cruise ships continue to accommodate more passengers, the embarkation and disembarkation processes must be able to accomodate the increase in numbers as well.  It took FAR TOO LONG to get on and off this ship in New York and at other ports.  A new system must be developed for this to be successful.  On the positive side, entertainment was excellent, food fantastic, cabins classy (especially the single studios), and cleanliness celebratory.  All in all, those attributes unfortunately did NOT make up for the extreme noise throughout the ship, the waiting and frustrations with getting on and off the ship, and the MANY MANY, often poorly managed, children on this sailing. 

Everything on the ship was chaotic and not organized. Very poor customer service. Way to many people on the boat and they were not ready to handle it.

What an amazing 7 days we had . from the moment we were at the peir to the moment we left the ship we were treated like royalty. We had a magnificant  suite with the best  amenities you could ever wish for.  just a great week