I chose this cruise because the ship was brand new!!! It was beautiful, spacious, clean and the crew was fabulous. All food was great except for a few times. The cabin was large. The entertainment was pretty basic and I would have liked more band music for dancing, more, more, more. One entertainer was on 3 nights which was too much. She was good but more variety would have been better. Singing by an on board person was not great. They should have listened to her before they let her sing two numbers. Very amateur. The service was always top notch. Shore excursions climbing over the levies was hard for some people, rough walking. The Plantation tours were wonderful but the town shuttles were a little bit less than I had anticipated for things to see and do in each town. The towns were small so guess I couldn't expect a lot more. Again, the crew, fabulous!!! Thank you. Read Less

I chose this ship simply because it was the only porting out of new Orleans. If i had a chance to pick again. It would've been carnival dream or triumph which is carnival sunrise. The restaurants were basic..the only thing i enjoyed was the pizza. Normally i enjoy all restaurants, but not this go round. The food selection sucked. Oh yeah guys burger was absolutely amazing..including the ice cream was perfect. Customer service was also pretty good. Shows could've been better..ship very small..meaning its not alot to do on sea days besides sleep or casino activities. Maybe a couple raffles here & there. The entertainment was okay for the most part, I've experienced better on other ships. The ship on the 6th day was unbearable because of the rocking of the ship..alot of sea sickness. The biggest upset on my end was the buffet on lido deck. It was awful. Everyone taste bud is different and to each it's own. But i definitely didn't enjoy the food. So that was disappointing because i love trying new thing. Definitely in need of an upgrade. They don't even have "The wok" nor Italian restaurant Read Less

Cruise: Carnival Valor, 2019-09-09, from New Orleans Summary: not quite a five star cruise, let's call it four and a half. The good things were great, while the worst were merely mediocre. Us: 60+ retired folks who cruise often. We like New Orleans because it's a day's drive from home. We've been to Cozumel and Progreso many times, and plan to go again. Pre-cruise: we enjoy French Quarter night life - but it was 95 degrees after dark, so a quick walk was all we did. Our hosts at the 1870 Banana Courtyard B&B (in the French Quarter) say most music is now on Frenchman Street; we didn't get there. Most unfortunate, the Banana Courtyard has sold, and may not reopen as a B&B. Embarkation: wanted to try Cafe Du Monde, but could not find parking and so went to the ship a little early. Lots of people were there even earlier. Check-in times would have been a better idea if they had actually used them. But the lines moved quickly. The Valor is beautiful, very clean and polished. Only saw one grungy strip of rubber on the ship (I don't understand the complaints from other reviews.) We had an ocean-view cabin, mid ship on deck 1, which is a wonderful location. Fellow cruisers: every age. Most parents of young children seemed to have left them with grandparents, and teenagers were in school (I guess.) This was a mid-westerner's cruise. We found a lot of people who wanted to chat. Age didn't matter, we seemed to have many things in common with almost everyone we met. Nobody even mentioned politics! Highly recommended: the adults-only Serenity area. It's a three floor hike to two large hot-tubs. CruiseCritic thinks it is strange that the children's 3-story slide starts near Serenity, but there was never a problem; I think they looked at the deck layout on the computer and didn't actually walk up to Serenity. The very few children on the ship had no desire to invade an adults-only place. Even the rowdy 20 somethings seemed to prefer the (no kids) aft pool. Be sure not to miss: the eight hour river cruise from New Orleans to the Gulf of Mexico. See it from a Serenity hot-tub. Foodie warning: foodies won't like this ship. In the dining room the food is usually decent, but sometimes a little less than appetizing. My waiter made good suggestions on food, which I often ignored. The barbecue place had tasteless food; Guy's burgers were mundane at best. Except the chocolate buffet and the Mongolian buffet, the rest of the buffets were pretty mediocre. I got an amazingly good rib steak at the sea-day brunch, but otherwise brunch was disappointing - no juice, no pastries, and my wife wants me to mention that there was no bran cereal. Entertainment: the singers, dancers, and the band were excellent. I really enjoyed Sal the steel drum player. Comedians were plenty funny, especially the late shows. Too many acts for a short cruise - wish I'd had time to see more. Off-ship: cooking class in Cozumel was a lot of fun - recommended. Shrimp cocktail in Progreso beach restaurant - loved it. $9.00 private tour of Progreso was better than most $50 ship tours. Shopped at the Viva Mexico shop in Cozumel. Casino: thick plumes of smoke mark the spot. The odor told me to leave before losing any money. Guess I should be happy about that. My snark - Carnival figures smokers are natural-born losers, and they want nobody else in the casino. Dive-in movies: the Valor seems to have been designed for outdoor movies. Only problem was when it started to rain - now I may never know how Bohemian Rhapsody ended. Staff: almost everyone was very friendly. A little surprised to see so few ship officers on deck; I think this indicates that the staff members are well trained. Complaint: cruise director Kevin did way too many announcements. His voice is unfortunately grating on the intercom, and he's way too excited about boring stuff. I didn't see him on any of his shows, but my wife says he is not so bad in person. Carnival Hub cell phone app: nice to have. Sometimes the Fun Times newsletter (which I rate as a waste of paper) fails to mention things, but the Hub showed them. Some people told me the texting feature doesn't work reliably. The bad about the app - I like to leave billfold and phone in the safe; my suggestion (if you are listening, Carnival) is a ship card that displays a calendar of events. Debarkation: in the car and leaving the garage by 7:30. Never expected to be home Saturday evening. One couple from Chicago was staying on the Valor for another identical cruise. Their reason - maximum cruising with minimum driving. Good idea. I might consider driving from New Orleans to Mobile or Galveston for the same reason, but with a slightly different second cruise. Read Less

I was here for my sisters wedding. They press you to be on time and if your late they have an attitude but its okay for them to be late. Which they was late for everything. The wedding kept getting pushed back so even the bride and groom didn't know the time they was getting married. Then they set the time for 3:00 pm and the people didn't show up til 4. House keeping was no where to be found. The 1st night dude came by and dropped off his card and said for me to give him a call any time I needed something and he never answered the phone. I had to stand in the long line at customer service for them to call him just to get what I needed the whole cruise. Also the dinner staff was not friendly like I have experienced on other cruises. The staff is not very knowledgeable you can ask all of them the same question and they will give you different answers which is sad due to them being on the same boat for 6 months at a time! All their activities was closed most the time. My son is 13 and was looking forward to the teens club which only opened for 2 hours 1 day out of the 4 days we was on the ship. The basketball court didn't open til 12 am then of course it was adults. This was the worst ship I've ever been on. Then to top it off they charged me for a changed I didn't make! Read Less

I am a cruise person having been on 8 cruises and 5 of those on Carnival Ships. The spa people were standing on the deck offering you a chance for a discount. Having never had a facial I pulled a card and received $50.00 off. I had a facial done which was 165.00 less $50.00 which is $115.00. I SIGNED a receipt for $115.00 however after I get home I see I was charged $135.75. When I contacted Carnival I was told that the Spa Service was contracted. When I call them I was told it was an automatic 20% tip. Issue 1: that is not on the receipt I Signed. Issue 2: read the contract you agree to Spa Service is not listed in automatic gratuity. Issue 3: Told nothing could be done after I get off I should have addressed it on ship, i started the first business day after I got off trying to get any information and it took me 3 days to have someone call me back. Therefore, DO NOT DO A SPA SERVICE! And CARNIVAL what have you done...this is next to the worst cruise I have been on...too may issues to address but this is number 1...this was a Anniversary cruise and I was shocked with Carnival now I am mad!!!! The dining area staff were good we prefer the sit down breakfast and dinner at 6. The room staff need some repair cleaning lessons but did appear in the room daily. Things needed where pointed out but not addressed i.e. the bed light had no knob to turn it on you had to stick your finger in the knob hole to turn it on. The shows were okay. The comedy was good, I love bingo but the caller preferred to talk to much and not just call the numbers. They have a new set up where you do everything on the ship after you get on i.e. the credit card on file so the first 2 days the customer support area was big lines! Read Less

We chose this cruise to get a lifetime experience on the Mississippi River. The advertising of the cruise was very effusive about the standard of the service and the experiences that were to be enjoyed. But, let me tell you what really was experienced. Meals: The restaurant setting is comfortable but crowded. The furniture needs a good clean. The meals were presented in a haphazard style with little appeal to the presented food, it was just placed on the plate. The menu selection on some of the days was appalling. Rooms: Our room was comfortable but included basic furniture. The bed was too short ( I am 179 cm or 5'11") and my feet hung over the end of the bed. The linen was a good quality. Entertainment: This was the highlight of the cruise. Variety and energy were the keys to keeping us entertained. Very good standard of delivery was held throughout the cruise. Gym: A very basic and barely adequate gym and pool is on board. Service: This was the most disappointing aspect of the cruise. After paying $AUS1,000+ per day for a cabin leading onto the veranda, service delivery was very poor. We had to continually request shampoo, soap and other bathroom amenities be maintained. The service in the dining room was appalling. Food was plonked on the table without any of the normal etiquette processes, wine was sloshed into glasses, orders were forgotten, explanation of selections was very poor and there was no continual supervision of the table. Excursions: The complementary shuttle bus service was very welcome and appreciated. Read Less

We chose this cruise because we wanted to sail from New Orleans and we wanted to cruise during our anniversary. We know Carnival has a reputation for loud partiers, but we thought getting a balcony cabin would help us avoid some of that. In a nutshell, we wouldn’t chose this cruise if we had the choice to make again. The Valor was old. We knew that and didn’t mind as long as the ship was clean and in working order. For the most part, that was the case. The ship decor was a bit outdated. Again, not really a deal breaker. Our cabin was a balcony cabin on the 9th deck-lido. We liked the convenience of being there and it really wasn’t too loud. Most things were in working order, although one lamp by the sofa never worked the entire duration (and we notified the steward of this the first day). We liked the size of the room. Decent for two people. The balcony was wet most of our stay because of condensation leaking/dripping from above, so that was a bummer. The steward was nice, prompt, and accommodating (I requested extra hangers). The food in the steakhouse was good. We paid $38 extra per person to be able to get decent steak. The first night you get a free bottle of wine if you go to the steakhouse; I knew this from reading reviews, but the wine steward didn’t tell us this. I had to ask, and then he acted perturbed and said yes. This was really the kind of service we received from most waiters and bartenders the entire time. Irritated, perturbed, put out that they had to serve you. There was definitely an undercurrent of dislike/disdain from most of them. We are polite people and we tip extra, so this behavior from them was unwarranted. We even had some bartenders intentionally/blatantly skip over us and ignore us, for no reason. This makes a vacation really no fun at all. Exceptions:Alchemy bar. The bartenders there are nice, knowledgeable and efficient. But, you have to like strong, expensive mixed drinks to go there. The main dining room (ours was Lincoln) was sub par. Service was VERY slow, even though they scurried around like they were very busy; they didn’t appear to be organized or efficient. I wondered if the waiters were just pretending to be busy? The last night we dined there we didn’t get our drinks until we were almost finished with the meal and we only got them because I asked a busser from a nearby section about them. She took pity on us and stepped up to serve our table. I really don’t understand why we had to be treated so rudely (ignored) on the actual day of our anniversary. I made a point to go to my room, get cash, and place it directly into Cindy Lui’s hand to thank her for giving us our drinks and taking our dessert orders, when the others wouldn’t. I vowed then that I’d NEVER go back on that ship. The main dining food was bland and really not very good. We found better options in the buffet on Lido (you have to try several entrees there to identify what is actually good, but there are some good options, and the buffet salad is very fresh and delicious). I hate to say this: The boat stank pretty often. Musty smells around the main Lido pool area (it isn’t well ventilated) and often times at various places on the boat, a strong stench of sewage would greet you. Not my idea of a fun ship. Don’t even get me started on disembarking. Just prepare yourself to wait three hours shoulder to shoulder with herds of people and their luggage (dragging down flights of stairs). Bit of advice: just go sit in the buffet area and wait until the very end and hopefully you can just walk off the boat without the crowds of 3700 people. I’m giving the cruise two stars because despite the overcrowded nature, the rude staff, the old ship, and the smell, we still managed to enjoy our time. The shows we went to were really good, the comedy acts were funny, and we liked the Serenity deck. The ports and excursions we went on were enjoyable. That said, I’ve never been happier to be off of a cruise boat in my entire life!! No more Carnival for us! Read Less

We choose this cruise as a last minute get away. It was very crowded lots of unsupervised children. My husband was in a hot tub but got taken over by children and got mug shots by parents.. he was only adult. The ships mustard station had us standing outside which was hard on people with small children, and health issues. Someone passed out near us. The hot tubs in the adult area were full and frequently closed. The pool was closed but understood that someone threw up in it. Even though we heard the comic was not that good we went. Saw lots of people get up and walk out.. He really wasn't that good... sorry but we tried and stayed to the end. On another note the 80'S show was very nice and enjoyed. Because we did not think about the timing of the cruise, the lines were very long on the ship. It almost seemed like they were short on staff in many areas. The dinning room hand us completely empty books. Lol he looked very busy and it took a lil while to flag him down to get the menu. We booked a balcony for the first time it was actually the best and we were able to retreat to our room from the crowds. Room steward was great and took care of us. Read Less

We went with 3 dear close friends on a 5 day from New Orleans. We had an excellent time. Tony our Steward was excellent and took great care of us !! Food outlets and restaurants as well steak house were great, We loved Café Denis in Cozumel but stayed on ship in Progresso as its too far to go anywhere in our opinion. The folks at The Alchemy Bar especially EDUARDO were fabulous !! Great service and great fun !! Didn't care for the comedian but that's a personal taste. Many enjoyed the show. We would sail it again. The Love and Marriage show was fun but not LGBTQ friendly in terms of having a same sex couple up there. There were numerous gay couples on board, and a diverse crowd. Everyone got along and there were no issues on board except a late fire alarm that I didn't hear about thanks to a few too many XO Martinis. I love the glory and would sail it again. Its an easy ship to navigate and not too large. Its starting to show its age a touch but Im sure Carnival will refurbish it within a few years. We loved it and I recommend it. Read Less

We sailed out of New Orleans on 04/07 for our five night cruise. Embarkation was easy and we were able to walk right onto the ship. Room was ready when we arrived so we got to unpack and relax for a bit. We chose to eat at O'Sheehans and the service and good were good. Ship itself was spacious and clean. Staff always made eye contact and greeted us. We chose the drinks package, dining package, shore excursion credits and wifi as part of our Free At Sea promotions. While I agree with some of the reviews that it can take time to get drinks, we never had a problem with waiting too long or with the quality of the drinks. There are plenty of bars around the ship to get what you need. For the dining package, we used our credits for the Cirque Dreams show as well as a dinner at Cagney's. The show itself was fantastic, but the food left a lot to be desired. Dinner at Cagney's was just OK. Cuts of meat were large but I would not have been happy paying the $80.00 price tag for the meal without the credit. We had dinner in the main dining rooms the remaining nights and always found the service and food to be fantastic. The buffet was great for lunch or a quick snack, always with a quick soft serve cone for dessert. Getting on and off the ship during our two port days was easy and the staff provided cool towels on the hot day in Costa Maya and warm dry towels on the cold rainy day in Cozumel. We did the Passion Island beach excursion in Cozumel through the cruise line. Service to the island was quick but we would most likely not choose this again. The beach was just OK and the drinks were watered down. Food provided was good though. Weather turned south about an hour after our arrival. We had to endure a rough and rainy ride back to the pier in our ferry. Rough seas forced us to dock across the harbor and walk back in the rain. We did receive a partial credit for our cost, plus our $50 credit for the port. In Costa Maya we chose to book our own beach excursion at the 40 Cannons Hotel/Pez Quadro Beach Club and it was amazing. Beach was the definition of a vacation paradise with plenty of drinks and food. Our cabin was nicely appointed and we loved the spa-like shower with the rain head and nozzles in the bathroom. The balcony, although small, was adequate and relaxing. Our room included access to the Thermal Suite as well. This was definitely worth the price. The stone loungers felt great on my back and we were able to take a couple of naps. It could get a little noisy at times from other patrons, but overall a relaxing experience. I was hesitant to take this trip based on some of the recent reviews, but we had an amazing time and are definitely looking at booking with NCL again. Read Less

The hero squad was great from the guest services team down to the activities team. My husband and I loved how it was adult oriented, which does not mean that it did not exclude the children there were plenty of places for adults to hang out without having kids around, because we did not take our children on this one. Our room steward was more than helpful with everything. And with our spa balcony were had included access to the spa which was very relaxing and serene with that fabulous panoramic view. We did not make it to the specialty dining rooms, but we were able to dine in at the Taste and Savor as well as the Garden Cafe' which were well beyond our expectations. The selection of food was remarkable and much more than we anticipated. While using the internet package it actually worked better than what I have experienced on another cruise line. We did not have any shore excursions through the cruise line, we just took a taxi to Mr. Sancho's which was so great. Finally the shows, we were only able to make it to one of the show Burn the Floor, and it was very good. It was our last night and we were not ready to leave. The overall experience was good, it is highly recommended to anyone ready to relax. We will most definitely go again next time with the children. Read Less

It was our first family cruise with 2 kids. I do not even know where to start .... the staff were amazing, our cabin was always clean, beds made, fresh towels... and every time we would come back from all our activities, there would be an elephant, or penguin, or a puppy made from towels.... kids absolutely loved it!!!! The highlight for the kids, was of course... Splash Academy!!! Kids never wanted to leave that place:) They organized kids to perform and dance on a stage, painted there faces, it was great show!!! Best kids show ever!!! And while kids had fun, we had even more fun!!! There is an ice room, where you have a few drinks while dressed like am Eskimo... it’s really cold in there. Piano dueling performance, stand up comedy, casino. On one floor we found great live piano performance....I have not danced like that with my husband since our wedding 10 years ago. Do not even let me start on food... it was outstanding!!!! Caribbean, Asian, Nexican and my favorite, Italian!!! We ate lot’s of Tiramesu cake:) Everyone were very polite, thoughtful and organized!!!! It was smooth sailing ⛵️, we felt great, no motion sickness at all!!! Big shut out to Captain Matko Candrlik for a safe and smooth sailing!!! We started planning another trip while we were on the ship:) Read Less

Review of Norwegian Breakaway This was our first cruise ever. We were celebrating our 20th anniversary and our budget did not permit a stay at a resort with the same amenities as the cruise ship. My husband was 110% convinced this was a good idea and asked that I give it a try. I was very skeptical and researched it WAY too much. Going in, I had a very low bar of expectations. Why? I read the reviews (every single one) and was skeptical. Crowds? Unhappy crew? Long lines at bars? Nickel and diming us? Let me say first, we come from an urban area and I am really tired of crowds of people. I also wanted it to be clean as I am a bit obsessive with cleanliness and healthiness. Well, turns out I should have remembered that the reviews are a small slice of the 4300 plus customers on board. They were way off. That is the short version. If you are debating based on the reviews if you should go or not…just go! As I researched SO much, I wanted to share all that I learned. Cleanliness? The ship was clean beyond clean. They made you wash your hands everywhere. LOVE it. This is actually how the whole world should operate…wash before you touch anything to do with food. In the bathroom, use a paper towel to open the door. Don’t fill your germ coated water bottle at the buffet! And wash down the common areas frequently. Check! All done by NCL. Crowds? The ship had 4300 passengers (not including crew) on our trip so they were down 500 people from capacity. I did not find the ship crowded at all. Yes, there were some sunny days where the pool deck was filled…but just go up to the next level and there were tons of places to sit (and get a drink). The pool is small…but this is a ship. If you want a lazy river…then go to a waterpark. I found plenty of places to sit and read or just look out at the sea with no one else even remotely near me. (Deck 8 Waterfront and the top Adults only deck in particular). The lines at the bars? Umm..not really. The pool bar (with Paul…who was amazingly efficient and friendly) had a good crowd at it so you MIGHT have had to wait 5 minutes or more. However, if you have ever gone to any bar with going to, then you will have to wait a bit to get a drink. Maybe the previous reviewers only went to a mythical Cheers bar. Handy tip: bring 50 one dollar bills with you and give the bartender a dollar or two per drink. This will get their attention, they won’t forget you, and they really appreciate it. Yes, I know gratuity is included, but that is spread out among a lot of people. A buck or two a drink is actually a true tip for them. So find a few good bartenders and they will remember you. They give you your drinks quickly and sometimes even top them off with a little extra. Crowds at the buffet? Can’t figure out which way to go? This was what people complained about. I am guessing these people also complain about tags in their clothing. It is a buffet. There are people. Look up and say excuse me and keep walking. Not hard to figure out. The buffet was great. We went at many different times and never had trouble getting a seat or getting food. It was far more efficient, quiet, and less crowded than a food court at Tysons Mall (and about 100 times more delicious). Rooms? Ours was great. You could hear the baby next to us sometimes, but that was it and he was super cute (And slept through the night…just did not like his nap time!). You could NOT hear voices from the adjoining rooms, though you could hear the hallway chatter. The room size was the equivalent of a NYC or European typical hotel room. We had the family balcony room (12760) and for the two of us it was more than enough. The bathroom is larger than our bathroom at home (keep in mind, we are urban dwellers). The balcony is lovely! Crew? The crew was great. Previous reviews said they were surly. Nope. They were pleasant. They did not go around singing the “Happy Working Song” from Enchanted, but that would have been annoying. Some of the bar staff was more reserved, but that is OK, too. They did their jobs and were respectful (despite some passengers being downright rude to them). Shows? Fantastic. The Rock of Ages complaint that it was not appropriate for kids (or some adults) is laughable. The show takes place in the 80s on Sunset Strip. The set is a street that has signs for “Live girls” and you can see it before the show starts. They literally announced on the loudspeaker of the ship what type of show it was and they announced twice BEFORE the show that it was not at all suitable for kids or suitable for adults who get easily offended. So I am not sure what the fuss was about. There are plenty of other shows to see on the ship if that is not your cup of tea. We enjoyed it. Parts of it raised my eyebrows, but nothing that you don’t see on cable in terms of dress or language. We were surprised that a family sat behind us with two kids elementary or middle school aged. I would not have brought the kids to this show. We also enjoyed the magician, who was on the line up on the Dailies but not announced prior to the cruise, and Burn the Floor. Nickel and dime you? They are pretty upfront as to what costs money and what does not. To play in the arcade, you pay per game. They basketball arcade, bowling, and air hockey, are all pay per game. The prices are reasonable. We had onboard credit due to our package we purchased and despite playing multiple games of everything we ended up getting money back. On the last day we went down to the guest services and they paid us cash. We have not done other cruises so it seemed fine to us. We did not go to the restaurants that had an upfront fee as there were plenty of choices without the fee restaurants. Excursions? Fantastic. We had booked a catamaran snorkel, but they did not have enough people to run the tour. So they helped us rebook the 3 Reef Snorkel. It was awesome. The second reef had tons of amazing coral. All of the reefs had great fish, but the second reef was the best. You had plenty of time in the water as well (see my review under excursions). They dropped us back on the pier (a little ways down from our desired spot due to an incredibly intense rainstorm) and walked us back so we knew where to go through customs. Be sure to check what your transportation is at the end of your excursion. Some folks wound up a few miles from the pier (apparently) due to the rain storm and had to get their own way back. This is just what we heard from others, not sure if that was true or not. We appreciated the crew brining warm towels to greet us at the ship after being really wet from the storm! We did the clear bottom kayak in Costa Maya. The kayaks were nice…the glass bottom was very clear and you could see a lot of fish. The guide pointed out the areas to paddle to. It was a small group and we enjoyed the time at the beach as well. Embarkation/Disembarkation? It was a breeze. The line for the cabs to drop off was long, but once the guy on the ground started directing traffic, it was fine. The lines to check in at 11 moved super fast. Disembarkation was simple as well. We took our own luggage and exited without fuss. We did check our bags at the service that brings them to the airport for you so that we could wander around New Orleans for the day. Well worth the $40. Other stuff: We enjoyed the mini golf…a good course with lots of challenges. I liked the basketball court and my husband liked the ropes course. We liked having the library on board (with free crosswords!) and enjoyed the Atrium shows (Newly wed game, Q& A with the cast, Q&A with the crew). So that is what I learned. Yes, it was a long review, but if you are sitting at home scrolling through reviews, I hope you benefit from it. We enjoyed the cruise and had plenty of quiet places together. Last tip: please bring Reef Safe sunscreen (our local Target had it or you can get it online). It makes a huge difference when you in the waters in the Caribbean. That is my only suggestion for NCL: to make sure all passengers have the Reef safe option (on board it does not matter so much). Read Less

I have been going through some personal problems. MY spouse and my Doctor suggested a cruise, because every one knows how fun they are and they thought it was the perfect thing. Well the first night the maître de was very rude when we asked to be put on the list for dinner. The hostess tried to be nice and told him that they still had a whole section they had not opened yet. The Maître de was very rude to her and told us it would be 30 minutes. NO problem, went tried to get a drink while we waited. No wait staff anywhere. So we went to the nearest bar and ordered drinks, it took 20 minutes. At dinner the wait staff were working very had to keep up with everything. That was impossible for them. We keep running out of water, he forgot our bread basket. NO smiles, no apologies, he was just to busy to care. Everyday was like this. One morning I just had to complain. The service was so offal and food was terrible. I was so upset I spent 2 hours crying in my room. We made it into 2 shows Jungle Dreams and the rock show. Both shows were fantastic. The food and service at the Jungle dreams show was delicious and on point. We tried to get into some of the bars, the lines were long and over crowded when we did get in. NO wait staff again. some clubs had standing room only. we didn't like that very much. so we ended up watching tv in our room a lot. I would never recommend this cruise line to anyone. The waitstaff was rude and practically not there. I fact I am thinking about suing Norwegian for a full refund. And medically setting my recovery back. Read Less

My husband and I choose this cruise for our 10 ur anniversary. We have cruised carnival several times but opted for Norwegian this time believing it was an upgrade from carnival. The breakaway is HUGE therefor holding many more passengers than any carnival cruise we’ve been on. Embarkation went very quickly which was a good sign. We were able to immediately get into our room which also was a plus. We had a mid ship family balcony which was fairly well sized but not any bigger than carnival balcony rooms. The bathroom was bigger and had a separate glass shower which was nice. Day one we get into our cabin and there is a notice that you can put clothes out to be pressed and they will be returned the next day. We put a few shirts in and the cabin steward picked them up. We didn’t receive them back until Tuesday after we called three times. Our shower kept backing up and flooding the bathroom, had to call several times to get that fixed and it finally was but only lasted a couple days then it backed up again. There is only two outlets in the room by the counter. If you have two things plugged in it will blow the breaker. Maintenance told me I could only use my straightener for five minutes then turn it off for three. It’s next to impossible to get a drink on the boat even though their are several bars on the ship. The food was better than carnival and there were more choices. The ship is nice and everything was clean. The pool is small and poorly placed, you can only see what’s going on at the pool if you’re in it. Also if you want a shaded deck chair you have to get up super early and save chairs even though you’re not supposed to be aloud too. Our first excursion day I ordered the breakfast to the room. Didn’t get it until it was too late to eat it and they missed half of the order. Needless to say I definitely don’t think it was that much of an upgrade from carnival and I don’t know that we would cruise Norwegian again. I would say there are things carnival can learn from Norwegian but definitely more that Norwegian an learn from carnival. Read Less

NOLA was a blast as always, got there the day before. We parked at Fulton Garage without incident, no shuttle wait at all. Breakaway embarkation at noon was fast, painless. Traffic there is a nightmare with the construction. I have no idea if parking at the pier was any easier. Stayed in cabin 12780. Excellent location right by the front stairs. A forward facing angled balcony, the extra room out there was nice. Little to no noise from the kiddie, elevator area and on spring break, forgot it/they were there. The balcony was not too windy, very pleasant. I found the provided soap, wash, and conditioner adequate, your mileage may vary. The tap water was perfectly fine, taste free. Bring 3 way plug extenders vs power strips - they will confiscate those if they find them. Glad I brought both. We also brought a Bluetooth speaker, no one complained about the music, but maybe that was just our exceptional taste. La Cucina was our favorite Specialty dining followed by the Cirque dinner show. (Cirque menu is a planned Surf & Turf) Word to the wise, they really were pushing the T-Bone at Cagney’s and La Cucina. Steer clear of that & you will be OK. In fact the La Cucina filet with ravioli on top was the best I've ever had! No kidding! The entertainment was all great. Rock of Ages is not to be missed, unless you are prudish, lol. The Glow party was a blast, the teens on spring break did take that over a bit, all good! The UBP was amazing, the bar waits by the pools could get long, however there are a couple carts that had beer and drink of the day, those never had lines. The best bar IMO is Maltings. Also try the bar next to it with the Aperol! Yum! Boardwalk Syd Normans bar is 2nd for the laid back outdoor view. Early morning bloody marys are found only at the Atrium bar. Grab one before going to Savor for a nice sit down breakfast at 7:30… did I say early? The sushi at Wasabi is awesome with great prices, great for a light boardwalk lunch. The Rock N Roll with rock shrimp kicked it! The noodle bar was a good too, and included! The main pool can be a crazy sea of humanity, fun for a bit, but not very relaxing. Chair hogging is ridiculously rampant. We simply did not stress over it and could always find loungers in the sun or shade somewhere. When we were done we packed up and found a different & sometimes more fun location later, no problem. Spice H20 at the back was our go too place, and generally the bartenders there were pretty quick. The front of the ship has an area too next to Vibe. That bar is smaller and can get a line. Most folk at all bars were courteous and paid attention to who was next, vs thirstiest. O'Sheehans was always fun, good bar food, TVs, draft beers, quick service. We always do our excursions independently. At Harvest Caye you must be off the boat first thing and get to the marina to get the first ferry to Placencia. They will not sell you 9AM ferry tickets from the ship and the ferry always gets full. On Car Rentals in Cozumel - If you rent a jeep or car there make sure the gas attendant zeros the pump out first and make sure you are clearly above the tank mark where you picked it up or you will get dinged. I always video the entire car in the presence of the rental agent at pick up too. Disembarkation was the smoothest I've experienced. So unless you have to get off super early just let the ship deal with your luggage. Read Less

Decided to go to the Western Carribbean (Cozumel, Costa Maya and Belize). We left from New Orleans. The excursions were fun and a way to get a feel of the areas. The Spice Farm and Botanical Gardens in Belize was informative and interesting but I would not do it again. We had a 40 minute boat ride then and 1 hour long bus ride to get to the location. Once there, we rode in a tram pulled by a tractor for an hour, had lunch and purchased spices. We were dog tired when we returned to the ship. The Isla Passion excursion was fantastic! Beautiful area with a restaurant, gift shops, entertainment and bars. The service there was spot on. Everything is included in the trip. Just hung out in Costa Maya, shopping and eating. Beautiful area. About the ship, comfortable bed in cabin, immaculate. There are plenty of restaurants, bars, and entertainment. The Humidor room on the ship, is meant for cigar and pipe smokers but my husband couldn't enjoy for the cigarette smokers. He went 1 day and we had to double bag his shirt because of the stench. We never made in the pool due to the crowds. We booked a couples massage at the spa. Friendly and professional, but honestly I have had much better massages for a third of the price. Staff was pushy about products and other massages and treatments. The Breakaway is a beautiful ship. The staff was outstanding. It felt like a vacation and not a trip. We will be cruising with Norweigan again. (I'm hooked). Read Less

Went on the Breakaway out of New Orleans last year and it was not a great trip. Food was not great, staff not friendly. This year it was a different ship. Food was AWESOME, staff was way more friendly and the ship was a lot cleaner. But that may be from recently failing a health inspection and waiting on new inspection. Either way the ship was a lot better. The shows as always are great. The only people on the ship that were not nice were the Cruise Next staff. they were nice when at the counter but if you saw them anywhere else they acted to good to even speak. Also had a big Platinum group for the behind the scenes and one of the Cruise next staff gave us all kinds of times. Some sat for over an hour because they got the wrong time. When I asked about it they got very defensive and told me they did not give the wrong time and that they give everyone a letter with the time on it. I hate being lied to and I was not given a letter nor anyone I talked to before the event. Because of this I did NOT purchase a cruise next. I normally do but not after one of them lied right to my face. Anyway other than them the cruise was a lot of fun. Remember you will need reservations for shows, meals and excursions. Don't wait till on the ship, you may fine it too late especially for specialty dining Read Less

I have sailed with carnival Previously on the Triumph for a 4 day cruise. This ship was extremely similar and I enjoyed it just as much if not more. I did love the serenity deck, but it also being the deck of camp ocean ( for kids) was a little confusing. Really enjoyed speciality meal and the steak house and of course, Guys burger. Main restaurant food was iffy . Cruise director was great and fun. Casino was good and never too crowded. Placed third in the slot tournament so that was fun. Our balcony room was fun and nice to have an outside area to sit and watch the ocean. So much to do and never enough time to do it. We loved our cabin steward. We had a great cruise , a great ship and all staff we encountered were very accommodating! Will definitely Sail again with carnival Read Less

We had an amazing time on the Norwegian Breakaway! Embarkation was extremely smooth and fast - we got off of the shuttle and walked straight through the line without stopping until we made it to the desk. Everything was so fast and easy and there was no hold up during the process. The ship was gorgeous and so clean, too! We had an aft balcony cabin, and it was such a great room! We loved our balcony! We were on the 13th floor and could hear music from Spice H2O at night, but there was only 1 night that it bothered us. That night I believe the bass was turned up way too much, as everything in our room rattled. The other nights it wasn't loud and didn't seem to bother us at all. Our favorite restaurant was Le Bistro - we loved the atmosphere as well as our food. The food was phenomenal! Matter of fact, on our next cruise, we want to be sure Le Bistro is on the ship we choose so we can experience it again (or maybe twice!). There was so much to do every day, and unfortunately we didn't get to do everything we wanted to, but we were never bored of anything. All of the staff that we encountered on the ship were so friendly and helpful. We cannot wait to book our next adventure with NCL! Read Less

My husband and I went on this cruise with both sides of the family so we had a large party overall but for now, I am going to speak for him and I. This cruise was very disappointing for the following reasons: 1. FREESTYLING - We were told this was a "Freestyling" cruise but all we kept being told was "you need to make a reservation" ... how is it there were more specialty restaurants than main dining? We even had to make reservations for the shows!! So not only did we get nickel and dimed time and time again but we felt we couldn't relax and do what we wanted because we were so worried about making reservations just to do the things we wanted to do. 2. EMPLOYEES - The amount of employees to passengers was significantly lacking. There was maybe 1-2 bartenders per bar, including the only bar on the adult deck. I think the shortest time I waited for ONE drink was 15 mins. 3. WAIT TIMES - That goes along with the meals: the shortest dinner my husband and I had was about 2 hours and 15 minutes. That was just for drinks, app and dinner. No dessert or anything fancy. You could tell NCL was clearly understaffed or were lacking in the important areas. 4. POOLS - There was only 2 pools on the whole boat, at least that we knew of. The pools, hot tubs and little water sprinkles were packed so tight with people we decided not to even try. I believe you if you have over 3,000 people on a boat, there should be more than 2 average size pools. 5. PORTS - The ports were less than impressive. I was so excited to get off the ship and have fun on land but there was nothing but overpriced souvenir shops. Nothing exciting or fun to do unless you booked an excursion through the cruise line. 6. EXCURSIONS - We booked Salsa, Salsa at Cozumel, Rainforest River Tubing at Harvest Caye and Mayan Wellness Retreat at Costa Maya. Salsa, Salsa was fun and very family oriented. I liked it a lot! Rainforest River Tubing was the biggest waste of money!!! Rode a ferry for 40 mins then another bus for another 50 mins to float on a still river for 30 mins. Almost 2 hours each way and only 30 mins floating. AND the floating wasn't floating; our tubes were all tied together with a rope and some guy was swimming, pulling us down the river. DO NOT DO BOOK THIS ONE!! Mayan Wellness Retreat was relaxing and different. I liked it a lot. Great for the price and had fun doing their culture rituals. 7. PICTURES - The amount of money you are charged extra is ridiculous. I know sometimes prices go up for certain things but some on board were per robbery. 10 pictures were $150 ... excuse me??? We were so excited to get dressed up and take family pics but we couldn't even get them because they were so expensive! 8. ENTERTAINMENT - Some of the shows looked funny and good to go to. Unfortunately, my husband and I were unable to see hardly any because either you had to pay to see them (additional charge, not included in your room price), or you had to make reservations ahead of time, or they were smack in the middle of dinner hour. We didn't see 1 show while on board this time, very disappointed. 9. SHIP - The ship is very big, clearly as you are walking up to it. But like i previously stated, the employee to passenger ratio was disappointing. It was a beautiful and nice ship but some areas didn't have enough room including restaurants, bars, pools, clubs, etc. 10. FOOD - The food was average. The complimentary dining rooms didn't change but 1 or 2 entrees on their menu every night. It was the same menu every night. Like I said earlier, there were 8 specialty dining places and 2 complimentary dining rooms. Another way to nickel and dime you. One thing I loved from the first day was the pasta bar at lunch. Lunch is from 12 - 430 then they only shut down for 30 mins to set up dinner. I went 3 times between 3 and 330 to get pasta for lunch and EVERY SINGLE TIME they were closed. I would get more mad and mad as the week went on. With that being said, one of the 'highlights' NCL would promote is their "O'Sheen's 24/7 Dining Restaurant." I thought this was awesome cause nothing is better than some fries or pizza after drinking and dancing till 2 in the morning. NO!... we were told at 11pm at night there was a 45 min wait for 2 people to sit and eat (and there were tables open everywhere, so I assume it was because lack of waiters). I asked about the bar because no one was there and they said no because that's only for dessert...? What? That's the stupidest thing I've heard! Nothing about the food was special enough to brag about and half the time that's why I go on vacation - FOR THE AMAZING FOOD! My husband and I have been on numerous cruises! We love cruising! But this is one we definitely will not do again! NCL was very disappointing in our opinions. If I had to sum it up I would say, This is for the type of people with an itinerary on vacation and don't care to spend more money for upcharges. In this case, this was not us. Read Less

We chose this cruise because we had never sailed NCL and because this cruise was about the same price as Carnival or RCCL, but came with the premium beverage package (PBP) for free. Well, first we were hit with an additional $250 charge for the mandatory gratuities that come with the PBP. This made the trip $250 more than Carnival or RCCL, but still much less if we were to get the PBP, which we never do. There were no signs guiding us to the parking lot; no one to tell us where to park; no one to tell us where to go to get on the ship, and no signs; reserved check-in times were not paid attention to at all; no one took our bags (we had to lug them around all the way to our cabin). Our cabin was so filthy it was unusable until after 4 pm. Cabin steward made up room once per day only; missed previous guests underwear and socks left under the bed; walked in on my naked wife when "make up room" light was UNLIT and did not bother to knock; no towel animals at all; no special attention paid even though this was booked as an "anniversary cruise". Cruise Director was hardly ever seen or heard. Overall, staff seemed to think of guests as a bother: no smiles, no "hellos", etc. Saw three workers lounging on decks during this cruise: seemed they were overworked and found the one place where the superiors would never think to look for them...around the guests. Dining service terrible. No beverage waiters anywhere, just a table waiter and an assistant waiter in all venues. Waiters seem to be trained to be "order takers" and "food deliverers" with no concept of "waiting" on guests' needs. Bar service terrible. PBP not worth it! Bartenders rude and took orders from loudest, most obnoxious guests before those waiting politely for their turn. Little to no bar servers visit guests lounging in chairs and lounges throughotu ship. Pros: free ice cream in buffet. Cons: terrible customer service; tiny cabins with TV unusable when closet opened; only 2.5 ports visited on 7-day cruise. Read Less

We had a wonderful experience with Norwegian in Hawaii and wanted to sail with them again. The walk off time was greater than 90 minutes. Only two people were scanning the ship card to exit the ship. The excursion to Chenchii Itza did not give us even 15 minutes to shop because the Capt was late arriving at the port. We had to WALK to the excursion van and also walk back, very poor. We were late leaving each port, New Orleans, Cozumel, Harvest Cey, Costa Maya, and also arrival back to New Orleans. The only food that was hot was breakfast. The grilled chicken was tough, the pork medallion was tough, the beef stew was very tough. The cantaloupe was very hard, unable to cut easily with a knife. The entertainment was not worth giving up my 60 minutes. We waited 210 minutes to have the circuit breaker reset in our stateroom. We had to call three times. Read Less

This was our 18th NCL cruise. We like sailing out of New Orleans so chose this. We have also sailed about 8 times with other cruise lines. The Breakaway is a pretty ship, but noisy. Hard to find a quiet public area. Moderno for lunch was one of the better areas, and meals. We dined at nearly all venues but for Haven restaurant. The Haven is the place to be. We had some parties up there. If a smoker, NCL has become PC and nearly eliminated any smoking areas. Especially for cigars and pipes. The so called Cigar Lounge is the worst I have seen. No ventilation, and the size of a restroom. We had to keep two doors open to get fresh air in. Cigarette smokers did not like this mess either. Just as with most other bars, No bartenders came in. Other NCL ships have a much better cigar lounge. Other lines still allow smoking on the various decks. Waitstaff was a common complaint from fellow passengers. Grumpy at the dining tables. Slow to serve drinks. We were Casino at Seas guests. Should have had priority checkin in the terminal. No CAS nor Lattitudes Platinum checkin. The only Priority was for the Haven guests. So much for advertised NCL perks. We also had free drinks in casino. If it wasn't beer, water, or power drink, forget it. Having been in these same dining venues on other NCL ships. We noticed changes on this one. Just not the same offerings or quality as before. A real disappointment was not being able to take left overs to our cabin. The wife is a slow eater, and wanted to finish the meal in our cabin.. Waiter said we could not take it. Would try to get room service to deliver it. Of course it did not happen. We just did not have a good time on this ship. Some officers and crew were nice folks. They really tried to make a good experience for us. We won't be back. Read Less

We chose this cruise for a family event. We are normally Carnival Cruise guests, but was excited to set sail with NCL. Got the NCL reward credit card and all. They refused to credit the $200 in points. They ran out of Budlight and Ultras and they were often hot when they did have. The mixed drinks and shots were made with watered down alcohol served by bitter bartenders. One of the ports is NCL owned in belize and was more expensive than the other 2 ports with very little to offer. There were 4 to 6 of the staff that made it worth while to rate it a 3. The pool was over crowded. The specialty restaurant was over booked and inaccessible as well as the popular bars and shows. The gym was over crowded and the spa was expensive. Unfortunately I will not be sailing with NCL. Will try Royal next or May just go all inclusive and fly to my destination. Read Less