Norwegian Breakaway Review
Rating by category
Additional details
Truth in advertising: I went into this cruise with a fairly negative attitude toward NCL based on problems with essentially this same cruise last year. I still have tried to make this as honest a review as possible, not letting my previous concerns influence me.
As with any cruise, there are some things that went well, some that didn’t. The ship is certainly attractive and still manages to handle the large number of passengers very well, with only a few times that we ever had lines or crowds. The balcony is small compared to other ships, and the room is sometimes difficult to navigate with the couch making access to the closet a challenge, but the shower size in a regular balcony is reasonable.
Perhaps the best aspect of the cruise was the almost always excellent entertainment. Certainly the marquee events were first-rate, but the smaller venues were often more than enjoyable, too. We especially enjoyed Howl at the Moon dueling pianos, Second City shows, and the various atrium musicians (although we wish that the latter weren’t so loud).
Cabin Review
Balcony Stateroom
As noted in the review, the cabins were average for balcony rooms, but the balcony was probably the smallest of any line we've used. The bathroom was reasonable, and the shower somewhat more roomy than on similar ships. There was no chair in the room (nor really any room for one), which was a minor problem, and we wish the room had some drawers instead of only shelves.
Port Reviews
Martinique
We were warned that the taxis on Martinique were expensive, but the actual fares quoted to us were double what we expected. Outrageous though they were, they would have been less expensive for exactly the same tour through NCL. We now know how to get the bus to Balata Gardens, and will be prepared in case we ever return here.