Norwegian Breakaway Cruise Reviews - Reviews

This cruise is a beautiful experience but the best is sailing out of NYC, just so convenient. Before going on the cruise I read a bunch of reviews, more negative that positive, don't know why, this was lovely trip, all shows are incredible, whether already included in the price, or additional pay, the cirque show is worth its price, beautiful.   Would do it again, if I have the chance, very soon, only wish they would have more destinations from NYC like they do from other ports.  Keep it up NCL, congratulations!!!

NCL was very disappointing.  beautiful ship, poor service.  dining experiences terrible.  everything on ship overpriced.  overcrowded buffet area, spa suite very small space.  doubt we will cruise with NCL again.

Need an outlet to work in bathroom for charging phone and a night light.  The food was very ggod.  With all the santizing,  its not very santitizing with the doors when you have to touch them with your hand

Ncl breakaway too big. They have to decide entertainment up cos the theater only holds 200 or 300 so u have to make reservations to see shows. Not free style cruise to me. Food was good service was excellent . Not enough elevators for the amount of people on ship. Room was great. I was very satisfied with the cabin. 

The interior of the ship is beautiful.  My husband and I are avid cruisers.....but because it is a new ship with NCL we thought the service would have improved from our other 2 sailings with them. This ship is very large, they have one large dinning room and 2 smaller "free" dinning options. There is always a wait because these dinning rooms are def not large enough to accomadate that many people.  This ship is so big you have to made reservations for the night time entertainment. Just awful....

We have sailed NCL twice before. NCL is the worst cruise line when it comes to customer serivce. Their teams are so very over worked that most of them seem tired all the time. NCL never ever has enough staff to maintain all the public areas or cabins. Most of the time the tables at the buffet are left with dirty plates, one afternoon after lunch I cleaned the dirty dishes so someone else was able to sit and eat, now that is not a big deal if this was no apart of the cruising expierence.  No forks and napkins were around, they were hard to find. It is not the staff's fault...NCL is directly to blame!

We said it before and now it is certain, we will never ever sail with this cruise line again.

Sailed on the Breakaway the first week of December.  A great trip on a brand new ship for a great price.  The food was outstanding, the shows were excellent and the bar entertainment was excellent.  Not many children on the ship at this time so if you are travelling w/o children it is a nice break. The crew  could not be any nicer. They took great care of us at the pools, at the bars, in the restaurants and in the clubs.

Overall experience was good but certain issues did exist. Staterooms as Balcony and Mini-suites were small and the actual balcony was a joke sizewise! Two chairs crushed together and barely enough room to stand for more than 2 people. Bathrooms were very nice but you sacrifice

internal space in the cabin for it. 

Service was good to very good everywhere we went. Crew was polite and helpful.

Food in the main dining room--The Manhattan--was very good as well as the daily buffets.

Food at the Cirque was rather poor to fair.

Shows were very good to excellent! Burn the Floor was EXCELLENT!!!!! Just as good as the actual Broadway performance.

Rock of Ages was extremely loud and sexually provacative--- an adult show only unless the children are so young they don't get it anyway.

Atrium was ALWAYS crowded--hard to get seats-- and the same shows all the time---BORING!!!!  Rate a 3 out of 5---

My wife and I just completed the NYC-Bahamas cruise over Thanksgiving week. It was not the best experience. 

It was our first cruise ever and we had very high expectations. One of the biggest problems was the weather, which I know was out of anyone's control. It was cold, rainy, and windy nearly the entire time. We were unable to spend any meaningful time on deck, which limited our enjoyment. Here are some of the specifics that we didn't like:

1. The included food options were limited and not very good. The buffet was terrible. The paid food options were quite good but you had to pay for them.

2. There were almost no late-night food options. The buffet closed at midnight or something. Isn't that the point of a cruise - eat until you're the size of the ship?

3. There were only a couple of adults-only areas on the ship and they were not enforced. My wife and I don't have kids and don't like to spend all of our time around kids, so we appreciated the adults-only areas. However, they were not enforced so we couldn't get a break from the hords of children. And it was Thanksgiving week so there was an extraordinary number of rugrats on board. Poor planning on our part. 

4. There were some games and stuff to do on board, but you had to pay for them. For example, there were darts, pool tables, and an air hockey table. Very nice. But they cost a couple bucks each to play. Not cool. Really? Really, Norwegian? Does the pool table really need to be a profit center for you? We felt there was a lot of nickel and diming going on once on board. Stuff that just should have been free. Very disappointed in that.

5. The staff was courteous and helpful, but not overly friendly. Not a whole lot of smiles going around. Some were great, but the majority couldn't wait for us to get off their boat.

6. The Cirque show was incredible. Absolutely amazing. But they made us eat dinner DURING the show. I missed half the show because I was trying to stuff a very tasty filet mignon in my mouth at the same time. The show was good enough to stand on its own. No need to screw it up with food. For that matter, the dinner was good enough to stand on its own. No need to confuse things with a show. Just give me the show and let me focus on it. Not to mention how disrespectful it is to the performers to interrupt their stellar performance with the salad course. Really stupid idea.

In the end it definitely wasn't our favorite vacation. But we also decided that maybe cruising isn't for us. We hope you have a better time if you decide to go. Bon voyage!

Overall cruise was alot of fun. The Breakaway is a large ship and holds 4,000+ passengers. Because this was Thanksgiving, it was at capacity. Service was good, especially if you asked the crew (cabin, bartenders, servers, waiters,) for anything but because there were so many passengers, they could not be proactive with service. If you don't expect proactive service then you wont be dissappointed. Food was very good with alot of choices. Captain and his staff were excellent and gave you a sense of professionalism and security. Cruise Director was hysterical. Best shows were Burn the Floor, Cirque. Comedien would have been funner but families brought little kids so he changed his act to be PG last minute. Rock of Ages singers were not strong vocally and this is not my favorite musical.  Double decker movie screens were awesome. Fireworks were so much fun.

Cabins had lots of storage (Mini Suite Family). Weather was not good but Crew tried thier best to entertain. Lots of extra charges which I did not like. This was an expensive cruise $2000 pp with very little alcohol consumption but we bought pictures, excursion to Atlantis, soda, bingo, spa etc..

screens are

The weather was not great, windy, cold, overcast and sometimes rain but that did not stop us from having a great cruise. It is true you make a cruise what you want it to be. Embarkment was easy we were on board around 11:30 a.m. and disembarkment went smoothly, maybe waiting 20 minutes.  The crew were excellent, friendly, smiling, I did not find any crew hostile or not willing to help you.  The food was good, this is not a Manhattan five star restaurant, but I didn't expect that.  We at in The Manhattan Room and Savor and Taste, we liked Savor and Tast only because it was a little more intimate setting, the food was the same.  The Buffet was good, we ate there for breakfast, lunch and once for dinner.  We also ate at O'Sheenans, and the food was good also.  The etertainment was good, liked some better than others but all of it was good, remember we are not on Broadway Avenue so these are not Broadway shows.  Rock of Ages was good and can be loud, Cirque show was good and the food was also good, worth the price, The Second City was good as well a Burn the Floor.  The comedian was ok.  We did fan boat ride looking for alligators and then went to an alligator farm in Cape Canerval, we had a great time.  We did not get to stop on Norwegian's private island because it was too choppy- sad but we made the best of it.  Arrive at Nassau at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, we got off the ship, mostly all stores were close but the restaurants were open.  The next day we did a tour around some of the sites-Queens Stairway, Fort Fincastle, saw Atlantis, it was all good.  The weather was still windy and chilly so we did not go swimming, again sad but we made the best of it.  Our suite was a mini one with a large bathroom.  The bathroom was great and the balcony was good, enough room for two people to sit and enjoy the view.  This was my first cruise with my significant other and we can't wait to book another cruise to Bernmuda this time.

I have been on about 30 cruises with various cruiselines, and quite a few with Norwegian.  However, the reason I rate this so low is because I think the ship only cares about how many people they can get on the ship, and not about how they can accommodate everyone in the theater to see a show.  I have never heard of having to reserve seats to see a show.  Also, the main shows were so early that even though we ate at the 5:30 seating, the meals came so slow, we were always rushing through it and sometimes did not have time for dessert and coffee, because if we didn't get to the theater 10 minutes before the show begins, we would lose our reservations.  It was unheard of.  We were also told that if we wanted to eat at the same time at the same table and with the same waiter, we could register for it, which we did.  However, we still had to wait on a long line and hardly ever got the same table, and definitely never got the same waiter.

Overall, the cruise was absolutely great!

Staff was extremely nice and helpful. The ship is beautiful, although a bit cramped compared to the Gem.

One interesting problem with the staterooms. If it's somewhat windy, the staterooms become very noisy due to the seeping of the wind from between the door jambs. The deck doors apparently do not close tight enough and it creates a very noisy situation. We had difficulty sleeping the last two nights of the cruise. We did not have this experience with the Norwegian Gem (although our trip with the Gem was in the spring with much calmer weather).

This  picture tells it all really. We will never forget this cruise. From the washy-washy girl at the mess line to the Skipper, a great crew. We never had a question or need that was not addressed. Our room Steward Clifford seemed to always be near to help, one great guy. The Ship was clean, messing facilities varied and plentiful. The weather caused a change to our advantage, we enjoyed an extra day in Nassua. Our wives enjoyed the shopping on and off ship, our credit card company loves you folks. As a retire Navy Chief I really enjoyed the time at sea, these cruise ships ride darn nice and She handles well. Loads of entertainment of all sorts, rock wall to off Broadway, game show with crew and guests, dancing, and comfort just laying about. Our best cruise yet and first with NORWEGIAN. PS:I always miss the ship's tour, some other event requires I be elsewhere, could have one later during the cruuise. I'd like to see the working guts of her from Bridge to engine room.

The ship was poorly laid out. Why would you call a deck the waterfront and then have the passengers view lifeboats?

try getting into a show...oh nope...you had to book it weeks in advance...what the heck?

oh yea and the life boat drill...be prepared to stand in one spot for a good hour because the hallways are so small for the amount of people that you can't move...good thing there wasn't an emergency then! 

the food was bland...I was not impressed. you had the option of three included restuarants...umm buffet, no thanks, taste and savor...the same resturant thats loud with a long wait...and the ballroom. 

well they play music in the ballroom so you can have a conversation with anyone...so where do you eat? I guess room service...and the chips were stale and the best thing on the menu was a turkey hoagie...I can eat that at HOME! 

so for the money and the choices out there keep looking. I am dissapointed NCL I use to love you. 

I loved the cruise. The food was superb.  Everywhere we ate, we got a great meal...except for O'Sheeans.  The food and service there was just mediocre. The entertainment was unbelievable...I mean, I could not believe the talent that was on the ship. The shows were excellent. For people like my husband and I who go go to NYC's broadway 2x's a year, I didn't have high hopes. I was pleasantly surprised with the quality & the talent. 

The biggest issue I have with the ship, that may hinder us from booking another cruise w/ Norwegian, was that the kids club was awful. I even complained to guest services to see if there was something that they could do, & I got absolutely nowhere. I dropped the kids there for a few hours 1 night & they said that it was the most boring few hours they ever spent on vacation. It's their vacation also, so they didn't go back. This was the theme everywhere. People had no choice but to drag their kids to late night adult themed events b/c the kids didn't like the kids club. This needs to be remedied! Also, there are no age restrictions upheld anywhere. It will say "adults only" or 18+ but no one stops the mindless adults who drag their 4 & 5 year olds to an adult comedy show (w/ adult cursing & adult themes) that starts at 11:30pm. Yes, we saw that time, & time again. We were fortunate enough to travel w/ a group so for our late night plans we were able to leave our kids with family or friends.  Even the "adult only" hot tub by the pool had loud & annoying kids in it...no one asked them to leave or find another one. I am not "that person" who believes that children should be seen & not heard & I love to see my kids & other kids have a great time but this cruise seemed like a free for all!

Having done Turks Beaches last year, our kids loved going to the kids camp and it was a great well deserved break for my husband & I & the friends that we traveled with. 

Norwegian needs major work in this area. 

Our steward was AWSOME & most of the crew were very helpful and pleasant. 

The daily activities were great & kept us entertained if we wanted to partake. 

After cruising many times, I can honestly say that I would not recommend this cruise line. There were 4000 passengers on this ship and not nearly enough help. Three of the six people in my group are diabetic and there were very little sugar free desserts available, and what they had was terrible. Other cruise lines have so many sugar free choices that we were amazed. One afternoon at lunch my friend ordered a brownie sundae (obviously not one of the diabetics). It came with vanilla ice cream and she wanted chocolate. They said if she wanted chocolate ice cream there would be a $4.95 charge. That is totally ridiculous. I could go on and on. My recommendation would be to look into other cruise lines!

food was fair. every complimentary restuarant had the same menu.

stateroom was excellent and so was our girl  Imee. ship was   too noisey and crowded .(i know 4,000 people plus.).the way you take charges on board for bar bills

etc. needs to be addressed. i was charged for a bar bill i was never at. there was no signature on the receipt and whoever was the server apparently put down my stateroom number  and i was charged for the bill. i spent a lot of time with the customer service desk trying to straighten out the error. had to wait on line entirerly

too long. also  had to wait on line to get into the restaurants.                                                                                              

i was not a happy camper. officer chris mason miller  on deck 11 made our cruise

a bit nicer. he was very accomodating.

THE BREAKAWAY WAS CLEAN, ALL CREW VERY PLEASANT, THE FOOD O.K. YOU SURE GOT ENOUGH TO EAT. ROOMS FINE, IF THE BALCONY WAS SMALL, MAYBE IT WAS BECAUSE PEOPLE EAT TOO MUCH!!! SHOWS NOT GREAT. STILL LIKE ROYAL CARIB. BETTER, BUT WOULD GO ON NORWEGIAN AGAIN.

I was very disappointed in the quality of the food and entertainment.  Almost everything on the ship you had to pay for and it was very hard to find anything that was included in the price of your ticket.  Other than the casino you couldn't find anything to do on the ship after 11:00 pm and it appeared that the cruise was geared towards an older crowd.  Food was similar to what you would find at golden corral or old country buffet and the one night they advertised a seafood buffet they only had SMALL lobster tails and cold shrip salad.  First and last time on NCL going back to Carnival.

Great staff.  Great Entertainment.  Many activities for children of all ages.  Adults can attend shows while the children take part in age related activities.  

Food is plentiful.  A large variety in food selections to satisfy all tastes.  Variety of restaurants, no formal wear required.  Casual dining at its best.