Norwegian Breakaway Review
Rating by category
Additional details
This was our 4th cruise with NCL, my wife really likes the freestyle atmosphere because we have young children (age 7 and 5) and keeping to a strict schedule is tough at that age. We previously cruised on the Jewel, the Sun and the Gem. We purposely booked this cruise to try a newer, bigger ship. We did this actual itinerary on both the Jewel and Gem.
The ship is very nice. Everything still looks new, we all enjoyed that. One specific thing we missed is those Jewel class ships have an open area at the back where you can eat in the open air. The only thing we found on the Breakaway like that was the Uptown Grill which is not a buffet. So that was a bit of a downer. But the ship itself is a marvel.
The embarkation process was good. You have to remember that something like 3,000 people are getting on board the ship in about 4-5 hours. There are lines, if you get there earlier it's better. We probably waited an hour from start to finish. It wasn't bad at all. Cabins were ready shortly after we boarded and ate lunch, probably 1:00 or so.
Cabin Review
Mid-Ship Balcony Stateroom
There was a fold down bunk so each kid had her own bed, no sharing.
Port Reviews
Orlando (Port Canaveral)
We showed up at the tail end of the window for the shuttle and they wouldn't take us. Just my wife and two little girls. NCL refunded our money though.
Nassau
Nassau is a fabulous gateway to the Bahamas. Friendly people and appears to be safe. We didn't do much but walk around but it's a really neat place with the British influence very obvious.