Let me start off by saying that I have been on at least 20 cruises on several different cruise lines. The last time I traveled on NCL was about 11 years ago and I was not happy with the service and dining. Fast forward to the present. I decided to give NCL another try after seeing the commercials for the new Breakaway. We sailed on the Breakaway the week of July 28. 2013. Unfortunately several issues still remain.Service is still lacking on NCL. Our cabin (13286) steward Shelton never introduced himself to us and was rarely if ever seen. Toilet paper and tissues ran out one morning and were not replaced by the time we got back to the cabin to get ready for dinner. He also did not pay attention to the make-up room light. One day he did not clean the room completely because we interrupted him to change into bathing suits. The cabin steward should have instructed us that to turn on the lights/AC/electricity you must insert your room card into the slot on the wall. We had to find this out from other guests. A good cabin steward should pay attention to the habits of the guests and would know approximately what time you leave for breakfast and dinner (most people do not change their schedule that much). Also, PAY ATTENTION TO THE MAKE UP ROOM LIGHT!

The dining room experience (Manhattan, Savor, Taste) was mediocre. The first night, the waiter forgot to bring the appetizer that my husband ordered then brought the wrong dinner. The food quality was better than the last time we traveled on NCL. Service at breakfast was hit or miss. Some days good other days service was slow and the staff inattentive. The lunch menu did not change in the dining rooms. A lot of the time the dining staff was indifferent. This is one area where service should be exceptional but on this ship it definitely was not.

The buffet closed at 11:30 pm. It should remain open until at least midnight so that guests coming from evening shows can get a quick bite. OSheehans pub (a seated restaurant) was open after midnight but service was very slow and the menu limited. Although you could get a hamburger or wings, this is a poor choice for guests who just want a quick bite such as fruit or cheese and crackers. The ship advertised pizza available 24 hours, but after the buffet closed it was only available by room service for which there was a fee. Read more