This is our 4th NCL cruise, second on the Breakaway to Bermuda. To be honest we were actually looking at a few other cruise lines but between the price and destinations in October we decided to stick with the devil we knew. After reading some of the negative reviews I just crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.

We stayed in a Mini Suite on deck 10 Mid Ship. If you are a first time cruiser or never sailed on NCL before, be mindful of any 5 Star reviews you read by people who stayed in The Haven. Think of this as the “haves” vs “have nots”. During embarkation they are whisked to their own waiting area, can board early, luxurious and spacious accommodations with a Butler, private Sundeck, private dining area, have a roped off section for the Shows, can disembark away from the rest of the cruisers, just to name a few examples (yep you get what you pay for). My review is for the rest of us common folk….

During the online check in process you are able to choose an arrival time. Not sure why we are given any choices as no one seems to be checking. We chose to embark early (930am to be exact) as we wanted to make sure we were able to get one of the five Cabanas at The Vibe Beach Club. (More on The Vibe later). We arrived around 915ish. Security did not ‘open’ until 930am and then we were given a card with the number 8, checked in, and sat until they called our number. Basically we waited for almost two hours because we were not able to board until the previous group of travelers came off the ship. Spent about $10 for two soft drinks and a croissant (seriously NCL if you are going to make people wait for hours can ya spring for free coffee and a donut?). Once we got on board we practically sprinted to Guest Services where we got the last Cabana. Read more