The Service in the restaurant on deck 5 was impeccable. Thank you for always serving us with a smile Edi Arsana, you have been amazing with your special attention to detail with regards to our dietary requirements & request. Thank you for making us feel welcome & at home. From The Four Girls (9013 & 9015) We will miss you Read Less

Enjoyed H.A.L some time ago and decided to join friends on this 12 night cruise around New Zealand and to Norfolk Island. Most of the cruise en counted bad weather for the time of yearn around New Zealand. Well we never got to land on Norfolk Island , the swells too big, a shame but nothing you can do to change that. The ship has H.A.L. new E.X.C. ,we were not a fan of this as it cuts done the amount of entertainment on the ship. Staff told us this is the only ship in the fleet with EXC and it appeals to limited folk from what we heard from others. The ship had only 972 on board this cruise and as it takes 1250 , tender times were good for the most part. Entertainment was very limited and some sub standard.The Cruise Director seemed to do everything with no helpers. The ship is old , but staff excellent in all departments. Our first cabin 545 had so many noises (sounded like steel on steel in the outside wall) we could not sleep.We were moved to 555 , this also had unacceptable noise ! We were then shifted to 556 which was fine apart from the shower control. Dining Room and Buffet both had cheerful and excellent staff as was the cabin staff.. Not 5 star by any mean,s , not even a fridge in the cabin, however the ship is kept clean and tidy by the crew at all times (with a smile) Read Less

This was our first cruise with Carnival and I have to say that I think it was our least favorite. That's not to say that it was bad, it just did not come up to the standard, overall of other cruises we have been on, this being our seventh cruise. Embarkation was smooth, but very little information was displayed and the staff did not tell you much at check-in. Other cruise lines issue the room key at check-in, but Carnival have it an envelope at your door which was not told to us until we asked and two different people told me different things???, The decor of the ship is......... how do you say.................unusual. Very dark and very unusual to the point of being gourde. Not to everyone's taste I am sure. Dark wall panels, lots of ancient style paintings and most of the coulombs were made to look like an urn. Our room was spacious and well appointed and the hotel staff, as always were excellent. The room was well laid out and even if it is the same size a other cabins we have been in it appeared larger and more spacious. We chose an inside cabin and ended up with a window with an obstructed view which was excellent. No you did not have a view of the ocean, but a large window with a view where you could see the sea whooshing by. Much better than just an inside cabin. The food, while of good quality, was not as good a variety as we expected. The Lido deck was very popular and busy and the amount of food outlets was too small to cater for the numbers. The free Pizzas and Hamburgers were good, but the wait could be considerable. The Truffles restaurant menu was not very appealing so I think most people chose to eat in the Lido deck buffet. As to the bar service, Carnival have chosen to have seats all around the bar leaving no room for service. Lots of people buy drink packages now and particularly on the first night you could not get near the bar. They need to take out three or four seats and have a sign "Service Only" so others can get to the bar and the bar tenders know who is next in line. Bar staff were very busy all the time because lots of people order cocktails, which take time to make. I just wanted a beer and my wife a wine, so we are always waiting for ages to get served, and only take a few minutes to serve and be on our way. The price for the three day cruise we did out of Melbourne was quite expensive for the three days. We have been on two day cruises that were a quarter the price. Overall, we enjoyed the cruise and the break, but of the seven cruises we have done this would be our least favorite. It would be appealing to people with children as they cater well for the younger set ad they boast that their cruise line carries the most families and children. Although very busy, all the staff were very helpful, happy and extremely hard working and we have no complaints about any of the staff. Read Less

When I booked this cruise I requested our dining with friends who were also on the cruise but no we were seated at different tables so I have no faith in the Princess booking service as they don't follow-up on requests. Fortunately the Maitre D was able to seat us together after a long wait as he was busy fixing numerous complaints/errors. The cabin was a balcony suite and it was fine with a very happy, friendly Cabin Steward who was always ready with a hello and smile. The same can't be said of the rest of the staff who looked bored and at times inattentive. Maybe it is the size of the ship and the number of people on board. I didn't see any officers whilst on board unlike the smaller Princess Ships I have traveled on. The food was its usual high standard but I felt the menu selection was not up to Princesses normal standard with many items now requiring an additional cost. As for eating in the Market Place, forget it . Seating is very hard to find, there is no structure or control of lines or ques with people just pushing in and quite frankly being quite rude. Most of the bar staff were friendly and did their best to provide good service but again with so many people it often took some time to get a drink. The on-board entertainment ranged from excellent to ordinary but trying to please the masses must be difficult. Finding a seat in the theatre was near impossible unless you arrive 30/45 mins early as only has about 1000 seats. The offer of a free photo (with conditions of course) was a rip-off as you had to pay $19.99 to download the digital image before you received your $10 free photo. I can download my digital photos in a matter of minutes. I will travel with Princess again in the future but only on the smaller ships as despite the size the larger ship lacks personality, has limited seating capacity in most areas and a lot of staff just never raised a smile. Read Less

My husband and I are seasoned cruisers doing so several times a year. This was our first experience in the Haven as well as on the Breakaway. We booked a Haven Courtyard Penthouse suite located on deck 15. The suite was a perfect fit for two people, a tight fit for three. Embarkation day in the port of New Orleans was very smooth and easy. We received our room keys at the Haven registration desk and were then escorted to a private waiting lounge. The lounge was a little lack luster and drab and to be honest, I would have preferred boarding with the masses than to wait for a private escort directly to the Haven lounge. But wait we did and after a short while, we were escorted into a private elevator and taken to the Haven where we were greeted with a cocktail and given an orientation by the concierge. The Haven lounge is beautiful and the outdoor courtyard was a favorite of ours. We especially enjoyed the convenience of the Haven bar and waited very little for a cocktail. All of the Haven staff were extremely accommodating and attentive. Our stateroom was located on the same deck as the thermal spa which meant a very short walk through a Haven guest entrance near the gym. We enjoyed the thermal suite every day and feel it was worth the money we spent. I loved the flavor infused water and the bath robes that were always readily available. My favorite part was the thalasso therapy pool and its wonderful massaging jets. My only gripe would be that the hot tubs weren't really very hot. More like a warm tub, at best. We ate in the Haven restaurant three out of the seven nights and each time was very good. Though the menu didn't change, there was enough variety to suit our tastes. We also ate in Cagneys, Ocean Blue, and Le Bistro. our favorite was Le Bistro for its escargot and exceptional french champagne. We ordered a bottle at $95 but received 20% off...a splurge but after all, it was our wedding anniversary. The entertainment was lively but some was quite taste specific. We really enjoyed Burn the Floor but walked out of Rock of Ages. The show was very long and quite loud. They needed to disclaim that it lasted 105 minutes as the duration interfered with our dinner reservations. I thought the story line was cheesy and, I just didn't like it. But that was about the only thing I didn't like. We really enjoyed the waterfront area and would book the Breakaway again just for that. We didn't use the main pool area all that much but found there to be a lot of activity that would appeal to all ages. We did enjoy the water slides but didn't get a chance to do the ropes course. Something for next time. Over all, we had a fabulous time. I was a little leary after some of the reviews I read recently, but believe that all trips are what we make of them. For us, the staff and crew seemed to go out of their way to make us feel welcome and appreciated. Every NCL employee, from officers to cleaning crew, greeted us with a smile and hello. Good job Breakaway! Read Less

We really enjoyed our cruise experience.The day we arrived, getting on the ship was super easy, lines were no problem. It was our first time cruising ever and so we felt a little lost but he staff was always helpful. I wished there were information about the White Party when we bought the cruise, so that we could be more prepared.The food was really tasteful, even the food at the buffet restaurant. Variaety was good, Everything was well prepared. I had a Server named Raj, on my second night when we had dinner at one opf the restaurant, I believe it was on the 5th floor, and that man needs an award for service! He was so nice. We knew he was in a hurry given the amount of people, but we did not feel rushed, or neglected. We enjoyed eating our dinners at the restaurants rather than the buffet and I have nothing but complements for the whole staff. The 7th floor was the perfect floor for us, they had music by the bar all day long, and the musicians were so good. Bar staff at the pool could use more help on peak hours, but nothing major. I wish we were offered some type of discount for the next cruise or gotten part of our money back since we could not disembark on the first island. Read Less

We chose this cruise as a family and for the Ports....Airley Beach....Cairns and Willis Island. The stop overs were fantastic... no complaints there...food on the cruise was average except for Angelo's which was to die for...having to purchase food in the dining room for indulgences such as lobster tail or sirloin steak for $29 was a joke....I have never experience this with any other cruise line...The pantry was humid and basketball court above it sounded like a game was in progress in the pantry itself. I challenge anyone to try and get a glass or a mixed drink with coke...seems the crew have been told there is only pepsi on board....not true! A shortage of duty free alcohol and smokes on board...sorry but we missed a delivery????? I have cruised a number of times before and am ashamed at what we produce as Australians.......I am an average Aussie and have cruised happily for many years with other cruise lines without complaint but will never cruise with P & O again! Read Less

We recently did a nineteen day cruise on this ship from Singapore. We found it to have consistently poor management in all food areas and at the bars. Many staff appeared unhappy which really affected our cruise. Didn’t find the Cruise Director approachable probably our worst of all our twenty plus cruises. Found the staff in the buffet to be lazy, standing around talking to each other and rudely laughing and commenting on passengers demeanour, appalling behaviour. Food on outside decks never changed in nineteen days. Really disappointed that NCL have highly visible sign on the pool deck saying towels on deck and on seating at tables tables would be collected after an hour on non use. This didn’t happen and we sat at a table several times and watched people not appear for up to three hours. People just left towels to reserve ‘their’ seats which was totally against the ships policy. Very disappointed to never once see a staff member take a towel off a seat. No sense having a policy if it’s not enforced.so only once The positives were music/entertainment was good, clean shop. Some fantastic staff and we met some lovely people. Nice meals and service at specialty restaurants. Read Less

Cheap and very good cruise, the buffet is very varied and in general cleanliness I give a 10. good attention to the customers. Comfortable beds and quite fun. recommended. I want to go back next year. My wife and I were an ocenview room. the theater show was phenomenal, tremendous dancers. Live music for all tastes willing to please you. I really want to go back next year. I took the excursion to Grand Lucaya. its a Beautiful place. Exceptional The saxophone show in the encore salon. the Game for couples stole laughter from everyone present. If you love to play, the casino is very well suited. Yellow Elder restaurant has excellent entrees included in the price and likewise additional dishes at a moderate price. the cleanliness is spectacular. the staff is concerned about constantly keeping everything clean and very organized. The area for jogging is excellent. I recommend this cruise 100%! ! ! Read Less

I chose this cruise due to it's Itinerary and my up until now good experience with Princess - this cruise has changed that! Was looking forward to trying the new ship- but was disappointed.Crew were fantastic but there were so many issues with the ship and our cabin that I would not recommend it. Too big- too many things happening in piazza- Princess theatre too small- couldn't hold enough guests- had to be there 1 hour before show time in order to be assured of a seat. Food not as good as usual- often luke warm or overcooked risotto- Flooded balcony even when the sun was shining- issues with balciony door and creaks in the mini suite seiling. Door and creaks sorted out, but despite the staffs efforts, balcony unusable all cruise. VERY DISAPPOINTED. Travel agents took over the boat in the last 4 days making paying guests wait longer in line for dinner ----Elite and platinum area in a horrible area at back of boat- Some good features like Vines wine bar and International cafe and pizzeria- where we ate 6 times on our cruise. Hate that buffet- too busy never enough seats in peak time- Movies OK- some very old. Enteratinment varied- too hard to get into theatre for shows-ahd to line up too long-- need to ticket the theatre so everyone gets a chance. Think the boat is TOO big and the issues with our cabin unbelievable!!!! Read Less