I just returned from my first family cruise on the Breakaway, I travelled with two teenagers, a tween and grandparents. I have never been so stressed after a vacation in my life. There were a few positive parts of the cruise, but overall it was a terrible experience.

There were far too many people on board, and it felt like we had to fight to get around every day. For starters, the pool was tiny and overcrowded with young adults, if you like to swim on vacation, forget about it on this cruise. The water slides are fun, but they become boring after the first day. The sun bathing decks are so crowded, it literally feels like you are a sardine, and since the pool is too small, there is no place to cool off.

The dining options are limited if you are not willing to pay an additional $100 per person to dine in the specialty restuarants. The shows are great, just book ahead of time, Second City was fantastic. We also loved, Big Papa, at Fat Cats. The rooms are small, we had a mini suite, I can't imagine what a regular room looks like. There are extra charges for everything, it is not all inclusive, after paying so much to travel on the Breakaway there should not be so many additional charges. Read more