This was a cruise booked by my husband as a solution to our holiday dilemmas. I like holidays that centre on a pool, sun and rest, my husband likes to sight-see and pack as much as he can, so this seemed to address both our shopping lists!

We had combined the cruise with a three night stop in New York City before joining the Breakaway. This enabled us to satisfy his tourist needs and to adjust to the local time (flying in from UK). We took a taxi to the pier, there were a lot of people arriving and leaving it all looked chaotic but we eventually found were we could leave our big cases. The checking-in process was organised, but long lines twisted through the booking hall but we eventually arrived at the front, confirmed details and received our ID card. We boarded and were soon enjoying the relaxed atmosphere of a bar on board. This holiday did in fact meet both our needs.

We enjoyed the meals provided in the restaurants preferring them to the self service areas, the standard is 4* and it was more relaxing. We had lunch in the pub on a few days, the food was fast and very tasty. The bars are always busy, but the service is efficient and the selection is vast. The Breakaway card needs to be handed over each time you order a drink (confirm drink package status) and when booking into restaurants and any other interaction on the ship. The cabin was clean and had all we required, the towel art each evening amused us and our steward, Shadrick, was always friendly and knew our names from day 1. Read more