Norwegian Breakaway Review
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Beware Norwegian ships when fully loaded as our Breakaway cruise was in May as we took a 10 day cruise around the eastern Mediterranean. Expect long lines and a crowded cafeteria.
The food was good, with a nice selection, and Ocean Blue and Cagney's were excellent. There was plenty of entertainment. Our balcony cabin was comfortable with plenty of shelves in the bathroom. The bed was located near the sliding glass doors which I enjoyed.
The itinerary was excellent - ports on the western side of Italy and several calls in Greece, and a stop in Malta. The excursions we took with the ship varied in quality. The worst by far was our trip to the Acropolis. We inched forward in massive crowds with our guide well ahead of us and couldn't hear anything she said in our headsets. Once on top, we only stayed about a half hour, then down we went to the Plaka district where we could eat and shop for 3 hours.
Cabin Review
Mid-Ship Balcony Stateroom
Port Reviews
Athens (Piraeus)
We wanted to see the Acropolis. It was a madhouse with a line well over an hour in the morning. We were told later in the afternoon was better.
The Plaka neighborhood was fun to souvenir shop and eat in, with Greeks speaking good English.
Florence (Livorno)
Beautiful city, but far from cruise port. Make sure you buy your tickets to see important places in advance.
Malta (Valletta)
Historically impressive with those impregnable walls. Fun glass elevator takes you to the top for just 1 euro round trip.
Easy to walk around without a tour guide.
Mykonos
Cute but crowded. Nice souvenir stores with good jewelry. Very walkable and plenty of cafes with views.
Santorini
Spectacular scenery.
Beware the crowds by the funicular. A woman from our ship was pushed down the stairs, breaking her arm. In fact, crowds and cobbled or uneven street surfaces were in all the ports.
Rome (Civitavecchia)
Rome is full of things to experience. We had 2 days pre-cruise to wonder and it wasn't enough. Buy tickets in advance to see the coliseum and the Vatican.
Italians all know a little English, but may not be fluent. They also like to encourage you to sit at a table so they can charge a steep service fee. Sometimes it's worth it take a table, sip wonderful espresso and enjoy the atmosphere, but you will usually pay extra. Eat lots of gelato.