Norwegian Breakaway Review
Breakaway - some strong points with one big negative
Rating by category
Additional details
My fiancé and I sailed on the Norwegian Breakaway to Bermuda on May 11. This was our 7th cruise on NCL and the 6th NCL ship we have sailed on, so we have experienced many different classes and sizes of NCL ships. We were excited to try out this new ship for many of the new features advertised. Overall I would say the experience was mediocre, but with a few changes Breakaway could be an amazing ship and experience.
Much discussion has been made of Breakaway compared to the NCL Gem, the other NCL ship that is home ported in NYC year round. Having sailed the Gem twice, most recently this past Thanksgiving, I found myself making the same comparisons. For the benefit of those trying to decide which ship is better for them, I will compare the two here.
Room: we were booked in a Haven Spa Suite for the Breakaway cruise. The decor and layout of the room is modern and clean. The way they designed the room afforded a lot of storage space, much of it embedded in the walls as to not take up valuable space in the room. This made the room feel much bigger. Bathroom was also a decent size, with two double sinks and a deluxe shower with multiple jets. However as so many others have noted, the balcony is tiny. It was long but not wide at all. Gem's balconies are larger however, as she is not as new a ship, the decor is showing her age in some spots. However, Gem wins this category for one big reason. Directly amongst the spa suites the Breakaway has a staff store, which is used by the cleaning crew to get supplies, store dirty laundry, etc. Every morning right around 8am this very heavy door was opened and slammed shut every minute for two hours straight. This means if you are sleeping at that time you will get jarred awake by the slamming and shaking of the walls. Why they would put this next to spa suites (which, coincidentally, are built for relaxation) is beyond me. I even put a note in the Dear Jovo box (hotel director) expressing that they should just prop open the door when in use rather than constantly banging it and disturbing all the passengers. This note went unanswered (more on the staff issues later). Therefore, because the Gem provided me the opportunity to sleep on my vacation, I will say one point for the Gem here.
Cabin Review
Use caution when booking these rooms on deck 14 starboard side. The rooms closest to the elevator banks are near a staff closet which the housekeeping staff uses early in the morning. This results in a constant slamming of a very heavy door every minute or so, lasting for hours. If you intend on sleeping in, this will disturb you.