Norwegian Breakaway Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Ship was great, food was at best average, did not enforce their dress code,( shorts,tee shirts flip flops etc. were worn at dinner) Menus at the complimentry dining rooms were not very interesting, did not have a good variety of entrees that People are used to on other cruise lines.Have sailed on the Dawn, good experience, about 8 years ago. Sailed on the Gem after the Dawn and that experience was much like this cruise on the Breakaway

The food was very salty.  Too many people on board.  The dining rooms and Buffets were very crazy and you had to "jockey" for a table only to eat SALTY processed food.

Impressive boat, second time cruising, but first time w/ NCL- the best vacation ever. Crews we're so professsional to what ever they do. Director Julie, Alvin and whole their staff made us fully entertained. Mr. John Romano from guest services, Glen frm house keeping, Jenny of Moderno rest. the're d' best. Just hoping that the mandatory gratuity we've paid will go to all crews.

After many cruises on several other lines, this is our first experience on an NCL ship with their Freestyle Cruising. 

WE LOVED: 1) choosing from many restaurants each day; 2) not being forced to share a table with other passengers; 3) deciding for ourselves whether to dress up or down; 4) the adult sundeck; 5) quality entertainment; 6) easy-to-make reservations for dinners and shows; 7) engaging programs for toddlers to teenagers that kept them out of the way of adult passengers like us; 8) beautiful décor throughout the ship; 9) good food and good service; 10) and reasonably-priced wifi.

WE DIDN'T LIKE: 1) the fact that there was not enough information given about Bermuda, other than the shore excursions they want to sell you; 2) debarkation was a disorganized nightmare with no recognition of the color-coded time announcements.  No one checked, so you could leave whenever you wanted and all 4,600 people funneled through one exit door; 3) the "no steal" clothes hangers with pins that fell right through the metal hooks attached to the closet rod. What an inconvenience!

OUR ADVICE: 1) Bring your own Bermuda travel info or be prepared to research it yourself online while onboard; 2) On debarkation day, carry your own luggage off the ship if possible.  One way or the other, be prepared for the mother-of-all-bottlenecks; 3) If you have a choice, avoid sailing in the high season of July and August.  In late September the ship was not full and reservations still went fast.  Make your dinner & show reservations early in the cruise using the digital boards located all over the ship so you don't lose out; 4) Take advantage of the taxis located on the pier in Bermuda.  They are reasonable, have knowledgeable drivers, will tailor tours to your tastes, and you don't need to worry about returning late to the ship since you're docked for three days; 5) BYO clothes hangers; 6) Enjoy the Breakaway and beautiful Bermuda!

   My husband Manfred and I went on the Norwegian 'Breakaway' which left from NYC at the end of September, 2014. Boarding the cruise was very easy and as a handicapped person, I was treated very well. The wheelchair service was great and a scooter (my independence vehicle) was waiting in the room for me. 

    Although the room was a balcony stateroom , the scooter barely fit into the cabin doorway, and nightly, leaving it between the bathroom and the bed was our only option. During the night, one had to squeeze through the wall and the scooter to get to use the bathroom which, in my opinion, was a danger to us in an emergency.

    O’Sheehans, one of their many alternative,complimentary restaurants, was a delight, because it was right next to the elevators and wonderful for a  handicapped person to drive into. The service was impeccable, and it became a meeting place for our friends (2 other couples in our group). We also enjoyed the Brazilian restaurant, the Italian restaurant (La Cuchina), Savor( a complimentary alternative), Taste (another compluimentaray alternative), as well as the Cirque show during dinner. The show, Rock of Ages, was fabulous, (even though cocktails had to be placed in cup holders which were located under your arm pit). Other cruise ships make their theater more nightclubish by providing ample,comfortable seating, with tables for cocktails. The casino was fun and no one complained about where I parked my scooter.

    The last 3 days of the trip were a nightmare for me. I went on an excursion where I fell into the bottom of a glass bottom boat. I hit the back of my head really hard during the fall. The excursion was great, the crew was lovely, but I did get a big lump on my head and was very bruised. An employee of the excursion ship, and a crew  member of the ‘Breakaway’ took my name and room number and asked if I wanted to see the doctor, I said, ”Yes”, and was told to go to the 5th floor. I went, but, the sign said to call 911 because the doctor had left. I didn't need emergency treatment - just wanted to be checked out  due to my head bump and artificial hip. No calls from ship personnel, or from the excursion crew were made to me as a follow up to my fall.

     During cruises, I always enjoy the independence the scooter gives me where I can go places by myself and where my husband can enjoy his hot tub and not have to be a caregiver for me (my words, not his).  I parked my scooter in a corner, near the elevator (during the day, when I enjoyed reading on the balcony of my suite) because I could not get the scooter into the cabin by myself, The cabin door opened out, and it was too  difficult to get the scooter into the room by myself because I had to fight the door and the narrow entry. I would not leave the scooter in the hall because it is far too narrow for people to pass with the scooter parked. Instead, I left it in a corner where there were no doors, phones, passageways, etc. My scooter was confiscated, without notice to me (my name and room number were on the scooter at all times). I thought it was stolen at first and got very upset. We called security, and apparently it was considered a fire hazard and was taken away by the crew without notification to me. We were about to meet friends and I painfully walked, with my cane, to meet my friends at O’Sheehans. My husband called the number to get the scooter (they brought it to the room) and then he brought it to me at O’Sheehans.                                                

     I found out that I could call 00 and they would deliver the scooter in 5 minutes, to my room, anytime I needed it. At first I felt it took away my freedom, causing me to review mentally, my bout with Parkinson's. I met with a young man in charge of the stewards on the 9th floor, and he explained to me that although my scooter was not obstructing anything, if the captain or any ranking personnel felt it was an obstruction, it had to be removed. I can understand that. He told me, he would personally take care of the scooter himself, if it happened again. It did happen again, and he kept his word and got it to my room in 5 min. My question is why isn't this information written somewhere and passed on to the handicapped passengers?

   Debarking was awful.  People who were carrying their own luggage, left first. They were sitting in stairwells, blocking them, elevators were stuffed and unable to accommodate a scooter. The gangway was 5 to 6 people deep, with young children, baby strollers and lots of luggage. Despite the efforts of the crew, to make an alternate path, it remained that way until people finished debarking with luggage. We observed this mob scene from O’Sheehans for about an hour and a half. I waited about a half hour before I could get downstairs, to O’Sheehans, of course. And the only reason we were able to do this was because I left my scooter in the room and walked everywhere, despite my pain. We went to the theater where I had to stand and wait for an available wheelchair (about 15 min - a long time when you’ re in pain).We waited an hour and a half there and  I finally said to my husband , our ride is going to leave, I will attempt to walk it. I did, and it hurt badly -  that's how my cruise ended.

     My final thoughts on the cruise was that I had a good time, but I am a positive person and I try not to dwell on the negative. However, maybe the ranking personnel should spend less time confiscating scooters from the handicapped and more time planning a safe and timely debarking of passengers. I would recommend the Norwegian ‘Breakaway' to future cruisers, but wait until they make a few adjustments before you go, especially with regard to injured passengers, debarking and handicap policies.

I was mostly disappointed with the room/balcony size - balcony just short of being too small to allow two people to sit comfortably.  Cafeteria food was also not up to my expectations, fortunately their was a restaurant called O'Sheehans that was open 24 hrs/day that was much better.  Finally, any music, film or otherwise presentations in the atrium area was so loud it was practically unbearable.

Due to family responsibilities we have not cruised for the past five years.  Prior to that we cruised a least once every year for fourteen years; so I would consider my wife and I experienced cruisers.

This is our first time with NCL and our first time on a mega ship such as the Breakaway.  On our previous trips we trended toward smaller ships (2000 passengers) so we were a bit apprehensive from the standpoint of getting on and off the ship, long lines, over crowded.  None of this was the case.  The layout of the ship is fabulous. Easy to get around, sufficient elevators and plenty of seating.  The only issue I had was the second hand smoke in the casino.  

 We very much enjoyed the casual attire policy.  It made packing much easier.  It allowed us to get by on one suit case each where in the past we each needed two.

Free style dining is the best.  It allows for greater flexibility and more choices.  The only negative thing I can say about our dining experiences on board was the wait staff did no offer a second glass of wine or a refill of coffee in either the Savor Dining Room or the Taste Dining Room.  Other than that everything was exceptional.

As for Bermuda, it is beautiful.  It is our third time there and we just love it.  We are already talking about next year and thinking we will do a back to back.      

My wife and I have cruised Celebrity a number of times, plus Carnival, Holland America (once each) and Disney twice. This was our first Norwegian. As far as we are concerned, Celebrity still does it the best. Disney is of course great, but is very crowded and way too expensive. Now that our daughter is in college, we have no inclination to do Disney again. However, I was very pleasantly surprised by the Breakaway. We would cruise Breakaway again, but probably only in the off-season.

Other reviews that we had read, as well as experiences from friends who have done the Breakaway, prepared us for the possibility of an unpleasantly overcrowded cruise. I have no doubt that the ship is overcrowded during the high season. But, we went to Bermuda the week after Labor Day, when kids were supposed to be back in school and the weather was still nice, and the ship was not overcrowded. She was crowded, to be sure, but it was manageable. There were more children and young adults than I expected, considering the week that we cruised, though. Don't get me wrong...we love kids, and love being around kids. The ship was just not overrun with kids that week, unlike Disney, which is of course the whole point of Disney. I suspect that during the times when kids are out of school Breakaway is mobbed with kids. If that is your thing, I am sure you and your family will enjoy Breakaway during the high season.

Breakaway is new, so she is beautiful and has all of the amenities of a modern cruise ship. The water slides are fantastic, and they are not just for kids. Two thumbs-up to Norwegian for the water slides. There is something surreal about doing water slides in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean...

The food was pretty good. I still think Celebrity has noticeably better food, especially if you cruise Aqua Class, like we have. The service and the entertainment were outstanding. Broadway quality shows, for certain. We are not gamblers, so we avoided the casino, mostly because it was pretty smokey. There is a main staircase that form an open public space from deck 6 (the Atrium, where guest, entertainment and excursion services are), through deck 7 (the casino) and up to deck 8 (the shopping area). You can smell smoke from the casino down into the Atrium and up into the shopping area. If you are allergic to smoke, or are anti-smoke, beware. Breakaway could probably use more smoke-eaters in the casino.

We had a BC category balcony stateroom on deck 14. The room is really nice, and the living area and bathroom were spacious enough. However, the mattress is like what I have experienced on a sleeper sofa. The mattress is rather thin on top of a solid platform and you can easy feel the coil springs. We asked the cabin steward for an extra comforter and blanket to add cushion, which helped some. Celebrity mattresses are comfortable, at least we do not remember it being a problem, but our Breakaway mattress was not comfortable. If there is one thing Norwegian should do better, they should invest in more comfortable pillow-top mattresses.

Other reviews complained that the balcony was small, and that a big guy might not be comfortable. Well, I am a 6'4" solidly-built guy and I was comfortable enough, even with my wife on the balcony, too. It was "cozy". Celebrity has a much larger balcony, for sure, and more comfortable reclining deck chairs. But, I would not say Breakaway's balcony was too small, unless you want to get a family for 4 on the balcony together. That is just not happening.

The embark and disembark procedures in NYC are pretty good. If you drive and park, however, beware the parking lot! I got screwed out of $70 because the Manhattan Terminal website offered a printable 25% discount on parking until October 31st. When we got to the park lot, the attendant said they were not honoring the discount coupons after Labor Day, even though the coupon clearly says it expired on October 31st. She said the coupon was a City of New York offering that the parking company is not bound to accept.

Also beware of the Cruise's Only on-board credit offering. I double-checked with Cruises Only before the cruise about the on-board credit and asked for written documentation for the Cruises Only rebate and on-board credit. When we got on the ship, Norwegian denied our on-board credit, even though we had documentation from Cruises Only. We spent a couple of days going back-and-forth between Norwegian and Cruises Only, and in the end we did not get the on-board credit. This issue is still in dispute between us and Cruises Only. As good repeat customers, I am expecting Cruises Only to make good on their documented promises for on-board credit, even if Norwegian denied it.

Bermuda is Bermuda, no matter how you get there. Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) is rumored to have said something like, "When I die, I want to go to Bermuda instead of heaven". Enough said.

To sum, If you are looking for a very nice cruise, I can heartily recommend Breakaway from NYC to Bermuda. I would just recommend you stay away from the high season, if you can.

Everything about the cruise was great.  Just two things needed a little work.  We had a party of eight and wanted to dine together.  It was difficult getting a reservation for the time we wanted.  The Japanese restaurant was not that good.

I loved the experience of sailing at sea for four days and docking in Bermuda for three.  I felt the itinerary allowed me to really get to learn the ship, participate in most of the activities, and enjoy Bermuda without having to rush back to the ship.

The activities, shows,  and dining where over-the-top and I can't wait to do it all again. 

We had a great cruise to Bermuda on the great ship Breakaway. There was a lot to do,on this ship.the entertainm ent was fabulous.other than I don,'t like leaving out of N. Y would rather you come furtherSouth to go to Bermuda. This is a very big ship, we do prefere the smaller ships, but we had no trouble getting around.

Bermuda is much more reserved than Caribbean islands.  Very limited number of shops and restaurants close down quite early.  People are friendly and the island is very clean.  Public transportation is very easy to use.  Am glad we purchased unlimited ferry and bus passes.  Prior to this cruise, Indonesia beaches had the nicest water I've ever seen, but Bermuda is right up there for sure!  Clean, clear and warm.  The Crystal Caves were just beautiful!  We took at 5 hour full island tour which was excellent as well.

Breakaway had top notch entertainment, really fun waterslides and obstacle course.  Best poolside amenities I've seen on any ship.  Casino was large and there were lots of different venues to choose from for restaurants that were included in the ticket price.  The only negative for me was the cabin size.  We've cruised extensively and this is, by far, the smallest cabin we've ever seen.  Had to walk sideways and duck when getting out of bed and walking to the bottom of the bed, as there were bunks overhead.  There was not one single drawer for clothing and the closet was about a third the size we've had on other ships.  No sitting area.  Cabin stewards were good, the ship was quite clean everywhere and well maintained, but we joked about the cabins being "double coffins!"  Hallways were really narrow (single file only) as well.  I think they tried too hard to cram as many cabins as possible on this ship.

Disappointed in the food and the fact that there were so many extras that had extra fees.To charge extra for Spin class $30 is outrageous. Also $30 PER PERSON extra for a restaurant  which is on top of what we already paid is highway robbery. Then usually one of the best parts of cruising is Lobster night which they supposedly had but in the Buffet of all places.We have been on more than 10 cruises and would probably NOT recommend this one.The ship was a big disappointment too.As big as it was it was choppy.Small area here ans there.The main lobby which had many activities was toooo small for the functions.Also they have a nice movie screen but they don't show many movies.When we went on the Princess they had a movie every night and they set up the lounge chairs w/blankets and popcorn.Chairs were hard to find at the movie area on this ship.One last thing which may sound trivial is the fact that we had to call for a water pitcher.I think that the least they could do is have water in every room 2 times a day since it is so hot.

The staff on board are friendly and helpful. They are always in polite manner. In some cruise, they were not happy in their faces if you don't tip them extra. Food service and accommodation are very good. Menu in restaurants always have a number of choices and rooms are being kept clean at all times.

The trip was great.Rooms were small though. Food was ok, not much of options for vegetarian food. Indian food was OK. Shows were good. Kids activities were nice.

To start, I did enjoy myself. There was some great entertainment that was included, the sports area had some great things(rock wall, zip line, ropes course) for kids and the ship was very clean. However, I do not think that NCL fulfilled their obligation for the cruise. We were supposed to dock in Bermuda for 2.5 days. A tropical storm that was nearing hurricane status was heading that way so we didn't go there. That part is very understandable. Instead though, we docked at Port Canaveral for a half day and Nassau, Bahamas for a half day. Two stressful, rushed, wait for ever to get "organized" ground transportation to an offshore destination, hurry to get back to the boat on time is NOT at all the same as 2.5 days in Bermuda. And Florida? Please! NCL would not even give a day of free wifi so that everyone could let family know that they were safe from the storm or to cancel any plans in Bermuda. No, they made you BUY the wifi package. And you could not buy it just for one day. It was $100 just to be able to use it and be charged more per MB. 

 And although there were great sports activities on the top deck there were extreme long lines due to understaffing. The rock wall was opened only 2 hours a day. 2 hours! And although there were 3 ropes set up for it, only 2 men were working them. people started lining up over an hour beforehand just to get a chance.  The same was for the bungie trampoline. Also, the kids pool is very poorly designed. If the seas were a tiny bit to rough, it would cause the pool to close because it was dangerous. However, the adult only pool was perfectly safe and opened. 

The last thing that ruffled my feathers was the food discrepancy. There were 2 restaurants and a buffet that were included. On top of that there were 15 plus restaurants that would cost you money. I get having some of those but that ratio seems out of balance.

I could go on but I need to move on...Haha

I would highly recommend this cruise. The staff was great. Julie the cruise director is awesome. They really strive for excellence. My cruise was diverted to the Bahamas due to a hurricane in Bermuda but we still had a blast. The food was awesome, there are so many options to choose from. Entertainment was great. This was my first cruise and due this experience I will definitely be cruising again.

If you're used to superior customer service and great complimentary food, then Norwegian is not for you. The staff did not go out of their way to make my experience wonderful, and were, at times, very rude. (Especially the photo gallery staff.) Unlike other cruise lines, where the food is gourmet at the buffet or at sit down venues, the food at the buffet was horrible - processed, boring and completely disgusting. The only way to get really good food, is to pay at several of the restaurants on board, which were fabulous. Seems like NCL is purposely making the "free" venues bad so that we are forced to eat at the expensive restaurants. Ports were horrible. Due to a hurricane in Bermuda, we stopped at Port Canaveral and Bahamas. DIVES! NCL had horrible shore excursions. They cut our port stop by 1 day and made no apologies or did nothing to make us feel at ease. Sure, there is no way to predict a hurricane, but NCL knew before we pulled out of NYC that there was a possibility of hitting Bermuda and they had time to reschedule and to alert us of the possibility. Was there any other port we could have visited? What about their private island? They picked the easiest, cheapest way and added another "at sea" day so we could put more money in NCL pockets. The entertainment on board was cheesy, boring and the pools were over crowded, lounge chaises slim and food terrible. NEVER again will I cruise on NCL. I will stick with Royal Caribbean where I have taken 3 cruises and LOVED it. 

Very well organized onboarding and disembarkation. Amazing food choices for every meal. Excellent service. High quality cruise director. Smooth running ship. Great and varied activities. Plenty of music. Good shows. Lovely spa. New ship. Was concerned re large amounts of people, however, quiet places easy to find on the ship. Rooms were a good size, and the bathroom was superior.

Did not go to Bermuda, as there was a hurricane en route, and we were diverted to Port Canaveral, Fl and Nassau in the Bahamas. Did take the organized tour to Kennedy Space Center, which was well worth the trip. Tied up right at Main Street in Bahamas, so was easy off to do shopping and explore. Did take a cab to a beach, as opposed to the organized tour. Cheaper to do this, and easy to do. Would highly recommend the Norwegian Breakaway, and would take this trip again.

I understand the captain had safety in mind for changing Our itinerary from pink sands of Bermuda to the disgusting port canarval and the arm pit of the CaribbeanNassau Bahamas.. It's unfortunate that Norwegian CL does not have a private island like carnival Cruise line has. we were very disappointed on the choice of ports that were made for us