If you like rush hour traffic and gridlock, you will get a taste of it on the Breakaway. There are many good things about this ship, which I will detail below, but the long lines and waits put a damper on some of the trip. We have always sailed on the Jewel class and prefer it to these megaships. The Jewel class felt like home after a few days. The Breakaway had plenty to offer, but doesn't feel warm and inviting.

Embarkation in the port of N.Y. was very slow and the crowds were huge. There was no longer an express line for bronze, silver or gold Latitudes. I only saw one for Platinum, the Haven and higher. Although we got to port by noon due to snow and ice, we did not get on the ship until almost two. We only had five minutes before the buffet closed to have lunch, otherwise we would have to wait another hour until after muster. It was quite a rush to drop our bags and literally run to grab a quick bite. There were hundreds of people behind us who missed out on lunch.

The lines for leaving the ship at Port Canaveral were also awful. It again took us over an hour to leave the ship. The lines snaked through the halls and around the upper levels of the atrium, with the excursions getting priority in the lines. It seemed disorganized and we eventually joined the line because at some point we had to make progress in getting off the ship. Tendering on and off the ship to Great Stirrup Cay was greatly delayed (although the weather was mostly to blame). When we did finally get on a tender, an hour and a half after it was scheduled, the tender was about 12 seats short and we had to stand on and around the stairs, which did not seem safe. There were lines for everything: the headliners comedy club, the buffet, etc. If we saw a line, one of us would get on it and the other would find out what the line was for! Read more