What a wonderful cruise in general but the huge crowds during the holidays/spring break really make for adjustments in timing. We had the upgraded dining package yet struggled to find any place that had a reservation available. In our party of 9 the only way to get a reservation was to get 4 person and than ask for more to be added, which worked in one case but not another. The buffet lines were a wait for late breakfast, and my daughters tried Splash academy and Entourage and in both cases failed miserably to want to go back so that left my wife and I taking care of the kids instead of ourselves. Getting a tender to the private Cay took over 1 hour to get loaded, no entertainment keep pass the time (like Disney has mastered) All this, I'm pretty sure, can be avoided if able to go during a non high occupancy time. Entertainment is good and diverse, from high pitched 70-80s rock bands to easy rock songs in the Atrium. Magic show was really good for kids. I would do this cruise line again, as I trust, with less crowds everything would have been perfect! Read Less

I would like to start by saying almost all the employees on the Breakaway were amazing! Two employees went above and beyond to make our experience with Norwegian unforgettable: Antonio (the steward for our room) and Roberto (the waiter at Wasabi). Unfortunately our trip was also unforgettable for not great reasons. When booking our cruise, I was impressed with the values of Norwegian Cruise Line, however we did not have the experience outlined in your values. The staff at guest services were not customer centric. They did NOT put customers first, and were NOT proactive in serving the best interests of the customers and did NOT exceed our expectations. Three friends and I came on this trip for our 30th birthdays, three of us turned 30 within the past month. We were excited to reconnect and sleep. Yes sleep. Two of us have 1 year olds and one has a 2 year old, who were home safe with our husbands. If you have young children, you will know that sleep is sacred! Leading up to our trip we were saying how excited we were to finally sleep through the night. Night one, I was up all night due to a noise that was coming from above us. It sounded like screeching and banging and lasted almost all night, it would stop for 10-15 minutes and then there would be a loud screech and big bang. We didn’t say anything night one as we were hoping it was a one-time thing. I also asked at the time of booking our rooms, if it was a quiet location and I was told yes. So this noise was quite a surprise. Night two, my friend, in the connecting room 5806, and I were up all night from the noises. We all used earplugs and had a loud noise machine going on all night. The noises from above could still be heard above the loud machine and earplugs. (Please see attached video of the noises that we herd every night of our cruise.) That morning, we went to talk to guest services. We were told to call when we heard the noise and that there were no other rooms available on the ship, as it was fully booked. That night when we were getting ready (around 6pm) we called because we heard the noises. (We did not mind the noise during the day but called just so they knew what we were hearing.) A woman came to our room and agreed with the noises. She stated that the restaurant Teppanyaki was above us and noises were the chairs being moved along the floor. We explained to her that we didn’t mind the noise during the day but that we go to bed around 11pm and that the noise is still going on all night. She stated that they would talk to the supervisors for the restaurant and ask them to be quiet. That night (night three) the noises continued and we called more. We continued to call one night 4, as the noises continued to keep us up throughout the night. Night five there were still loud noises, the cruise was nice and gave us a complimentary show, but that did not help our lack of sleep. They kept saying there was nothing they could do; the ship was booked. Night six the noises continued more. We called because the noises were the loudest it hard ever been. We were told they would investigate. 20 minutes later the noise continued. I called again, this time the woman on the phone was not kind and seemed annoyed with us. Mind you, we are the ones that are not sleeping. I reminded her that the noise was coming from the restaurant and it was midnight so it should be closed. She then stated to me “well you go check and tell them to stop yourself.” I will admit; I lost it. It is now night 6, and I had not slept for 6 nights. She gave me attitude for something that they told us to do. Guest services told us to call when we heard the noise so that they could ask the restaurant to stop. I was floored by the lack of integrity, which is one of Norwegian’s core values. She in no way conducted herself with respect. I went to guest services and asked to speak with a supervisor. At this point I was so upset, I was shaking and almost crying. Louis was the supervisor on duty. He told me that there was no guarantee that they could stop the noise, this was the first time we had heard this. I stated that I did not understand why the noises were happening because the restaurant is closed around 11pm. (we had 9:15 reservations the first night at Teppanyaki and were the last ones in the restaurant at 11pm, so we knew.) He then told me that they were “running a business.” Norwegian’s “business” is customer service and customer satisfaction. This is the opposite of what we experienced. He then told me that I needed to call when I got off the ship because there was nothing they could do and gave me an IT#. He also said that they could find a place for me to sleep that night but just me, not my friends. I declined, as I was not going to go sleep somewhere myself and previously they told me the ship was completely booked so I wasn’t sure where this room came from now on night 6. When I get home from the cruise, I called Norwegian and spoke with Ashley. She informed me that she as well could not do anything and that I needed to fill out this form online. That is why I am completing this form and attaching the video of the noises we heard every time of our cruise. This video was taken Friday night. With all this said, I am extremely upset with the way that our concern was handled (or lack of it being handled) on the ship. It is unacceptable to just tell a guest to call everything they hear a noise. It is also acceptable to treat anyone in the manner in which I was treated, especially by a company who’s mission statement is, “To provide a consistently superior cruise vacation by exceeding customer expectations and embracing our passion for innovation that delivers freedom and value for our guests, travel partners, team members and shareholders.” Read Less

I can't say enough about the Breakaway and the crew for our trip. Being the second time on the ship it helped immensely with how to navigate the ship, locate and reserve our preferred dinning locations, entertainment, bars/lounges, etc. The ship was clean. (The only complaint was that the public bathrooms, especially the pool area, was a bit rank.) Room was clean when we arrived and the steward was friendly and kept the room immaculate. We typically do the complimentary dinning options, but due to the special dinning package with ate at three of the specialty restaurants, which were very good. All the complimentary restaurants are excellent and Don't miss the Shanghai Noodle Bar. Make Your reservations for the two shows they are a "Do Not Miss". If any of the shows are sold out try the Standby Line about 30Min before show time. Each time we did we gained entry without any problem. Many complain about embarkation, disembarkation and the tendering to the Great Stirup Key. We did not have an issue with getting on and off the ship. Would suggest reserving an early tender or if you book an excursion you don't need a reservation, just follow the time on the excursion ticket. Seas were very calm the day we tendered, which likely made the process go very smoothly. I gave fitness & Recreation a 3 as I could never get into the gym as it was crowded. possible the time I went. Read Less

As we went through our cruise, we kept saying one thing over and over - RCL did this better. Although we had a relaxing cruise, it's likely the last on Norwegian. We cruised as a trio - me, my husband (in our 40s) and 11 year old on the Breakaway out of NY to the Bahamas. Getting on the ship was pretty easy and basic. Rooms were ready at 2:00. One thing we found we didn't like was the casino was in the middle of the ship, smelled like smoke and you HAD to walk through it. Adults, kids, non-gamblers, through it you walked since it was so centrally placed and flanked by restaurants. Service in general was mediocre. No one smiled. No one hustled. It was slow and with a state of displeasure. It was also slow quite often. The exception was the specialty restaurants. Service there was excellent. We went to Moderno (so good - our favorite) and Cagney's which was very good too. Cirque Dreams was a very fun show. Dinner there (no choice - surf & turn) was disappointing. The complementary dinner was tasty. The buffet was really bad. Same old stuff for breakfast and lunch every day. It was so disappointing. Even the famous seafood buffet was terrible. Try eating in Taste or Savor for breakfast or lunch - much better offerings. Crap service but better food. The pool - the breakaway has what seems like TONS of deck chairs and it's difficult to get one. There are two pools and one splash area. One pool is for kids, the other is adults 18+. That made life hard. I didn't want to go in the crazy, splashing kid pool and my child couldn't go in the adult pool. It really sucked. Slides were fun, though. My cabin was good, the attendant was very good. All very basic interior and small balcony. I will say there is a LOT of storage. Entertainment was ok. Rock of Ages was not suitable for under 15. And I am a liberal NYer. Very suggestive. Burn the floor was great. Other shows were ok. A lot was held in the atrium - good luck getting a seat. Deal or No Deal was a lot of fun and better than boring old bingo. Shopping - the fine jewelry was very nice, the rest - meh. I like to spend money on a cruise - didn't do that much on this one. Kids club - I kept hearing the kids didn't like going. My kid included. I will say that "The Waterfront" area along the Port side of the ship was a delight! We loved lounging out there, reading and playing cards. It's a great get away spot that seems to be a secret. Read Less

I see there are thousands of reviews so I'll keep it factual. Ship is huge but public space is very limited. I read reviews about the crowds and ignored it, do not! Really think through if all you want to do is wait in line and fight for a table all week. When we were on board, we became friendly with the director and we asked if there's any time of the year it might be less crowded (we sailed during spring break) because we really like cruises and wanted to go back. He said the last time he saw the ship under 95% occupancy was during 9/11 so no luck there. Restaurant and Show reservations must be done weeks in advance, otherwise don't even bother. Even with a reservation, you have to be at the theater 30 min prior to the show to find a seat because they are overbooked. Food is excellent, not just for a ship, really good, every where. The crew try but they can't speak English and come across rude because they really can't understand or express themselves. We wanted to play a board game without listening to one of the presentations (which are more like lectures) or games (sexy legs competition anyone?), we tried the whole week and could not find one spot that was quiet. My dad asked one of the restaurants that was closed for lunch, we were able to sit there for a few hours and play our game. The outdoor facilities look great but not usable because of the weather. It's either too cold, or when it's finally hot weather, you're off the ship for excursions. That, along with limited hours (and lines of course), we could not manage to have our kids (ages 10,8 and 6) do anything other than mini golf. We're not aggressive travelers so you might do better in that department. We had the balcony cabin which was very small but efficient use of space, once we were unpacked, the room worked well. It would be worth getting the suites or larger rooms because you will want to spend time in the room because of the crowds. Getting on and off the ship is VERY long, all organized so you don't get frustrated, no chaos. They definitely mastered the process but it still takes a very long time. Getting off on the way back was especially a big problem because you have to wait in cold (32 degrees to be exact) just to get in the terminal, it was about a 20 min wait. Getting off the ship for excursions, same problem, it takes forever, about an hour all said and done just to get off the ship and find your excursion meet. The security employees at the tendering and exit gates reminded me of the airport security. They order you around, push you around claiming "safety" for no apparent reason. Positives, food is great, fresh and always available. Ship is well maintained, very clean and new. And all the negatives come down to crowds. Shows are good quality but most of them are not for families. Burn the floor is an amazing show, such talented dancers. Rock of Ages was unnecessarily rawdy, there's a warning for audiences under 15 years old. We left about 20min into the show because it was tasteless, I wouldn't let my teenager watch it. Save time and don't even bother with the open seating shows, we couldn't even walk into the theater, let alone find a seat and watch. I'm back now, with a headache and I need a vacation after my vacation. Hope you have better luck! Read Less

Norwegian Cruise March 24th - 31st 2018 *this is written by a 17 year old* Dining - The first night we went to one of the included restaurants “ savour “ it was good, the food was well presented and had a great flavour, I highly recommend the warm chocolate lava cake that was one of the best desserts I’ve had in my life ( wasn’t too sweet, served with gelato ) The second night we went to the speciality restaurant “ teppanyaki “ it was very loud in there but it’s a lot of fun. The chef in front of you is full of jokes and makes super good food in a reasonable amount of time. The 3rd night after we spent the day in Florida we went to the Manhattan room, we expected to wait too get our table but they got us in right away! The appetizers and entrees were brought out fast for how busy it was. I ordered the chicken cordon bleu, it was juicy and tender. And for dessert I had to order the lava cake again. It was too good not too. The next night we had decided to go to “ taste “ it took a very long time to receive our food, it turned out to be 2 hours long and our waiter didn’t attend to us often. If you choose to dine at savour or taste the flavour is extremely similar to the buffet. The 5th night we decided to go to ocean blue! The highest rated restaurant on the ship. Food was very good, menu had all seafood you can think of. Service was very slow but the waitress was very kind and we enjoyed our time. I would recommend ocean blue. The 6th night we went to shanghai noodle bar at 9:50 right before closing, the service was fast but the food was cold and seemed like they just wanted you out of there so they could close, they brought our dessert with our dinner which was weird... finnaly the last night we went to the sushi bar “ wasabi “ the service was excellent and we received our sushi fast, the quality was very good and everyone enjoyed there meal for a cheap price. Overall I would recommend getting a specialty restaurant package because most simply don’t care enough about you at the free restaurants and food comes cold sometimes. Activities- There are a vast amount of activities for all ages on the ship. Deal or no deal was always fun too watch. The basketball court seemed too full most of the time to just shoot around so if you want to play you’ll probably have to play a game with some other strangers. Ping pong was open early and had a nice view of the ocean, we went to play around 10PM but they had closed it so watch out for that. The crew does a fantastic job with making the activities fun for everyone. Crew- our housekeeper “ Elias “ was very friendly, he was always on top of our room when we needed it cleaned and he made very impressive towel animals! Most waiters were quiet but always did their job correctly and were friendly. Waiters at savour and O’Sheehans didn’t talk to you and didn’t care about you. Ports- Our first stop was Port Canaveral, we waited for about an hour until we left off the ship so crowds wouldn’t be gathered at the exit area. After that was smooth and we didn’t have to wait once too leave. You just scan your card ( and show government ID if your over 18 ) and off you go. Getting cabs and shuttles to Cocoa Beach ( we went there ) was super easy, a little pricey for a family of 6 but everyone around was super helpful. Our next stop was Great Stirrup Cay, we had reserved a tender boat for 10am. At about 940 an announcement stated that we will not be going to the island because it has been “ deemed unsafe “ this was the most disappointing part of the trip and if you choose to sail on this cruise don’t get your hopes up for the island. At a Q and A with the captain a question was asked about Great Stirrup Cay and the captain said the ship is only able to go there 50% of the time. The good news was we got to go to Nassau a day early. We got there around 2pm which was fabulous , we had over a full day to spend there, the crystal blue water and views from the deck were sure something amazing. The second day in Nassau was the best day. We went on an excursion to blue lagoon to make up for missing Great Stirrup Cay. Blue lagoon was a very spacious island with dolphins and great for snorkeling. It was only about a 25 minute boat ride over. We had about 4 hours on the island. Stateroom- we had 2 rooms in total for a family of 6 and they were quite spacious. A Queen size bed that was very comfy and a pullout which was enough for 2. We had a balcony which I highly recommend. It’s perfect for relaxing while docking/leaving ports or even just watching over the ocean. The bathroom was big enough, the shower was enjoyable ( walk in shower ). There was room under the bed for the suitcase which is very helpful for creating space. We wouldn’t sail with Norwegian again based on the crowded pool area and free restaurant quality and service. It was still a fantastic vacation and would still love too go back. Read Less

This cruise left out of New York our family 19 role of all ages traveled on this ship. There was something for everyone on board. The service was good starting with cabin steward he did a good job fulfilled any request we have. Dining was good we expected the dinners to take two hours from drinks to desert Always seemed to have good sit staff The activities on board were enjoyed by the adults and children from the amusement center ropes course dances etc all seemed to work. The pool situation was suspect young adults high school seniors not allowed in adult pool they had to use kids pool four feet deep All in all a great family time enjoyed by all Embarkation was well done. Suggest one get there early beat the lines get checked in relax wait to be called same with end of cruise aaa get tags to allow early time to get off ship Read Less

We choose this cruise to see what Norwegan had to offer as we sailed from NY and it was difficult to with all of the traffic and arrangements. We really did enjoy the drink package as this was our first time it fit into the budget and that was a plus. The kids stuff ( slides tubes/ rock climbing) had limited hours and we could not use it .. The fitness center was up to date, big and we utilized it everyday. The broad way shows: Burn the Floor was awesome, Rock of ages was well done.... Unfortunately the comedians were dry and stale.. Every 4th joke was humorous compared to Carnival or Royal Carb.. The pool entertainment was great as there was a Reggae band and the Bar staff kept up with the drink demands. The facilities were poor as our toilet only flushed once per day as we called everyday.. We did not care for making a reservation every night for dinner especially as this was not speciality dining. For the price ( $ 4,000) for a family of 3 with a ocean/ balcony view we felt we over paid. Sincerely Michigan Cruisers Read Less

Almost decided not to go because of weather. They were actually for forcasting 12 to 18 ft seas with gale force winds. Thanks to my wife for talking me into taking a chance. This ship went thru the rough seas like butter. The seas were very rough the first two days and it was windy the entire week. That did not effect out cruise or our experience. To the contrary, I now have more confidence and respect for the ship and crew. The breakaway is huge but the service was very good. Even though working on a cruise ship is not a great job (or even a good job) most staff give great service. I feel the service on norwegian is better than other cruises I've experienced. We ate at premium restaurants every night, the food was very good. Also a slight advantage to norwegian. The midshipmen balcony was small but very comfortable. The balcony is where I spent a good deal of my time. It's a deal breaker for me. Loved the balcony! Our porter, Mark had no personality. He cleaned the room satisfactorily but after a couple days we put up the fo not disturb sign. Loved both shows and was never bored for lack of things to do. I prefer to chill most of the time. Found and met a few nice folks which made the trip even more fun. Good times in the casino and also enjoyed the cigar lounge. Norwegian does a great job to give a great vacation. This was our third NCL cruise and we will be back. Read Less

I liked the idea of Freestyle Cruising. As it was our 1st cruise ever. I wanted to be able to explore and not be held to a strict schedule. The personnel on board were very attentive and friendly. Our steward, Margarita, was fabulous! She kept our room clean and neat. She made the cutest towel animals. We were always greeted with a smile and a friendly word. The food was delicious! The buffet was great, albeit, crowded at times. We chose to eat at O'Sheehan's Irish Pub most of the time. their food and service were great. We also ate at the Manhattan room (nice, but not very intimate) , Savor and Taste. Of those 3, my favorite was Savor. It was elegant, intimate and the service was good. We saw the show Rock of Ages, which was incredible. Jungle Fantasy is worth your time and money. We spent a bit of time in the casino, which rivals any land based casino I've ever been to.We were not able to visit Great Stirrup Cay, which was a huge disappointment, as the surf was too rough for the tenders. Our visit to Airboat Adventure and Alligator Jungle was a highlight of our trip. Wouldn't mind going back. We walked around the port of Nassau, visited the souvenir shops and the Straw Market. Our visit to the Bahamas ended with an excursion to Blue Lagoon Island. It is very nice, but don't dawdle getting off the ferry or you won't get a chair. We ended up going over to the ocean side which was much quieter and peaceful. Be aware, there is no lifeguard on that side. It was a nice time, even though the weather could have been nicer. (it was only around 75 degrees and cloudy). All in all, we had a fabulous time and cannot wait to cruise again on Norwegian. Read Less