The Norwegian Breakaway’s 7-day trip from New York City began up to par with expectations and appeared to set the bar high in regards to efficiency in feeding and assisting the 4,000 passengers that embarked on December 29th. This was my and my boyfriend’s first cruise, so we greatly appreciated the efficient check-in process that the Norwegian crew provided, and they were extremely helpful in answering our questions once aboard. From then forward, we had an extremely satisfactory initial first days of the cruise, and embraced Norwegian’s Freestyle Cruising and laid-back atmosphere. In addition, the wait staff as well as our stewardess were particularly helpful and personable. The itinerary of the fifth cruise day included a visit to Great Stirrup Cay, Norwegian’s island, but we were informed that we would be unable to attend the island due to poor water conditions (the impending storm, Grayson, which we were not informed of). However, passengers were already at the island location, and they were immediately transported off the island by the crew. The itinerary of that day was hindered by the change of plans, ushering passengers to instead loiter around the ship, offering limited activity options, though this was understandable due to the focus of crew/passenger safety. We were obviously disappointed from the loss of the day, but safety, as the Captain mentioned, was priority. From then onward, though the Captain muttered about the importance of safety and precautions, he sailed us straight into Grayson. From this point forward, it was a complete and utter disaster on the ship. Most elevators were shut off to conserve power, leaving a large population of elderly and families to brave the 15 floors of stairs, or to shove into a single elevator. Being young and thankfully able-bodied, this did not impact me, but I witnessed the struggle of other fellow passengers. Elderly had to be held upright, taking breaks on each stairwell and cling to the rails of the ship. We witnessed passengers constantly vomiting, or diving into bathrooms to vomit. Each stairwell had on it a set of complementary vomit bags. This happened for two days straight, however, on the “up” side we were given $23 a person for essentially missing one of the three main trip locations (on a side note, the 14- day cruise following ours received an apology for their inconvenience AND a refund of one day for their itinerary, but we have received not word nor compensation though we essentially lost the vast majority of our cruise to the Captain’s poor choice to brave Grayson). Any and all belongings on the mirror and cabinets were thrown across the floor, and many passengers and their children were forced to sleep on the Atrium floor (next to a late-night bar) due to two inches of water, there appeared to be no vacant rooms for emergency situations. This was a complete and unnecessary disaster that was endured at the expense of Norwegian Breakaway’s passengers for the sake of staying on schedule and ensuring profit. The most unnerving situation was not the storm itself, but the intent of upper management in their behavior to keep passengers as ignorant and confused as possible. This was best displayed by the final night of the cruise (the 4th of January) when the Captain announced at approximately 6pm that we would be disembarking and arriving to NY port at 4pm instead of 8am. Due to the mass amounts of passengers that fly/have travel plans (as most do), this caused a urgent rush and need to use the phone services and internet. We hurried to the Guest Services desk, only to be directed to stay where we are, that there was a phone at the front desk that I assume all of the guests were expected to use. As we waited, another crew member directed myself and others to a small computer lab of about five computers, said we were free to use them and that there is no phone available, and essentially shrugged her shoulders and left the situation. I once again asked for access to the phones, but we were shrugged off once again. Masses of people were now panicking and urging crew members for assistance. Instead of waiting for the promise of a phone (which appeared nonexistent) we trekked back to our stateroom and instead used our stateroom phone. Due to the panic I witnessed from those with complex travel arrangements, I could see that once again, my situation was not as dire due to that I had no flight arrangements, and I did not want to take any time from those that could be assisted and use the phone/ computer services. Immediately after calling my concerned mother as well as arranging new travel arrangements, I had accumulated approximately $24 in phone calls, being that the charge for utilizing your stateroom phone is $4.99 a minute. Once the crowd cleared and things settled down, I approached Guest Services once again. I spoke to a Service Manager who appeared irritated from the start, and I asked if there was a difference in expenses to the ship itself whether I utilized my stateroom phone or the phone they had offered. She stated that it did not cost the ship any additional cost that I used my stateroom phone. I explained that I did not want to get in the way of those who truly needed the phone for true emergency purposes, but I asked if I could be given a credit for the amount charged for the phone call. She responded that no, I would not be. Then said if I had any suggestions to manage/service 5,000 people, to give them to the office. To this snarky comment, I said that I did not appreciate that the crew was informed to keep guests ignorant to the change in disembarkation from 8am to 4pm (a fact which I had found out from another crew member, who stated they were threatened that they had to keep this confidential or face disciplinary action) she immediately was taken aback, and gave me the full refund for the phone call, along with an apology for the inconvenience. I am wholeheartedly disappointed with my experience with the Norwegian Breakaway and its management, and I am requesting a refund for my party. The focus of other cruise lines, such as Royal Caribbean in avoiding the storm in a similar situation, proves the priorities of Norwegian Cruise Lines to not be safety of passengers, but revenue at the expense of what could have been its passengers/crew’s lives and dignity. Read Less

The title is misleading but here are the first time items, First time on a re positioning cruise – loved it, more planning is involved but opens up new ports to travel to. First time on the Jade. Was similar to the Gem but they swapped the shopping area and the Bliss lounge. Loved where the Bliss is on the Jade but they had reduced the liquor area in the store. First time as a Platinum – more perks !!! free laundry ( first time ), free meals, inside ship tour ( first time ) and free internet ( thought I heard a modem in the back round – reallll slow ). First time to the ABC islands. Bonaire – small island, beaches are rocky, flamingos but if into diving this is the place to go. Aruba – shopping and casino's ( found half of the ships crew inside one ), really didn't feel safe outside the shopping area. Curacao – nice beaches, felt safe to walk into town but don't get caught on the floating bridge when a ship approaches the harbor, you may be there for awhile. First time on independent tours – Bonaire, Bonaire Vista tours excellent. Curacao, Irie tours will work with you and will give a group discount. They are both listed on TripAdvisor. First time with a resort day pass, Jamaica – Jewel Dunn's River resort in Ocho Rios excellent but watch your glass, seems like they needed more and if they found one laying around it was gone. First time writing a review. We had a great time on the Jade, crew was happy about getting away from the cold and being back in Caribbean. The ship itself was in great shape, although there was toilet issues. Was surprised that O'Sheehan's didn't have a special night and that you couldn't have snacks at the bar. Punta Cana stop was a nightmare for some. Tendering process was slow, seas real rough. Read Less

As first time cruisers in our early 50's, we thoroughly enjoyed so much about our trip from NYC to Bermuda. We experienced incredible cuisine and desserts in comfy, posh restaurants, and loved the various activities and shows in the atrium, especially when they were shown on "Norwegian TV". Greatly enjoyed the shows such as Cirque Jungle and Dinner show, Rock of Ages and Wine Lovers Musical. Also took in comedy show and Dueling Pianos, which were very entertaining! We took relaxation to a new level in the Thermal Suite! The excursions were great, and we learned much about Bermuda conservation efforts! Our favorite excursion was snorkeling! Enjoyed meeting other people, and repeat cruisers who say Norwegian is the best! The service was second to none, as everyone made us feel special and had a welcoming smile. Enjoyed size of ship where we could stretch our legs and be in or outside, and make ourselves comfortable anywhere! Read Less

We are first-time cruisers in our early 60's and chose the Breakaway for our first cruise on advice from relative/travel agent. We loved the Breakaway and enjoyed the cruise very much. Bermuda was wonderful and we'd love to go back and explore it some more. The entertainment on the Breakaway was top-notch. We saw Rock of Ages, Burn the Floor, and Cirque Dreams, We also spent several evenings listening to music at the many lounges around the ship. We quickly discovered which were our favorites and went back to those.The bartenders were friendly and efficient and the cocktail waitresses also. We had the unlimited beverage package and 4 nights of specialty dining. We thought the food was very good at each place we tried. For the specialty dining, we did the steakhouse (Cagney's), the Hibactchi, the Brazilian Steakhouse and the French restaurant. All were fantastic! We would also try whatever the specialty drink was at each of those. Some were good. Some not. We usually went to Savor or Taste for breakfast. Great service in both of those. We sometimes had lunch at O'Sheehans. The portions were rather small at O'Sheehans, definitely not American-sized portions we are used to but we would usually order an appetizer as well and that would compensate. The service in all the restaurants was excellent. We had different waiters each time but all were great. One morning at breakfast after being seated our waiter brought us coffee and OJ. He said he guessed what we wanted because we looked like coffee & OJ people. He was right. Of course if he were wrong he would have brought us something else but we got a chuckle out of that. We had a balcony room on the 9th deck, between mid and forward. I liked having the balcony. We sat on the balcony quite a bit which was very relaxing. I brought a power strip and extension cord with me based on previous reviews I had read, but we never needed them. There are 2 outlets by the vanity. The coffee maker has it's own outlet, a foreign type so you can't unplug the coffeemaker and use that one. The 2 outlets were enough to charge our cell phones, tablets and camera. The space in the room is very carefully designed to provide lots of storage space. And the coffee in the room is terrific. It's even better than the coffee in the dining rooms. We had bad weather from Sunday to Wednesday, the remnants of Tropical Storm Colin. The waves were sometime 8.5 to 12 feet. We did feel some motion but not enough to be bothersome. In Bermuda we lost the first of 3 days because of the tropical storm. However Thursday and Friday were beautiful. We did one excursion. It was a boat tour of the island called "Hidden Home and Hideaways". It was the best and we were glad we had chosen it! The captains were Mark and Jaimie. Mark narrated the tour and was so informative and entertaining. We learned a lot about Bermuda and some of the sights we saw from the boat made us want to come back another time to explore some more. It was reasonably priced to at $69. There is always something going on at the atrium and it gets a bit too crowded. There are more than enough activities throughout the ship so that even bad weather didn't matter, There was plenty to do. We are not "pool people" so never used the pool. But we did go up there and found it to be very small and crowded. If we wanted to use the pool daily, we would choose a different ship. We knew that before we booked so it didn't make a difference to us. The cruise director is high energy and it seemed like we saw him every place we went. He frequently made announcements to let guests know what activities were going on. Our room steward was the best. We would usually leave our cabin before 9 each morning and whatever time we came back it was always done. A couple times we stopped back in the room around 9:30 and the room was already made up. He came back each evening and changed out the used towels and emptied the trash. He would turn down the bed, turn on the night light and leave a towel animal on the bed .Whenever we would see him, he would always ask if there was anything we needed. This ship needs a shop where you can buy sundries. We needed Tums, Pepcid and a couple other items and were surprised that even the gift shop didn't have a small section with toiletries. We asked at guest services but they said the only place was a vending machine near the medical office. We looked and there was just aspirin, condoms and bandaids. Fortunately we found a great pharmacy very close to the dock at Bermuda that had everything we needed. But a shop onboard or at least a section of a shop would have been helpful. Our only other issues involved baggage. It was pouring rain while we were waiting to board. Our luggage was placed on a cart when we arrived. It was brought to our room around 6 PM. When we opened it, the contents were very wet. Clothing, shoes, paper items etc all soaked through. We saw from our balcony that there were tarps on top of the luggage carts but the carts sat outside in the rain all day and there was no protection on the sides. When we disembarked back in NYC, the process of leaving the ship was very, very slow with crowds of people. When we finally made it to the terminal, only one of our 2 bags was there. A very helpful NCL employee offered to help and she eventually found it in a place where they take unlabeled bags. However, our bag was labled properly with the color-codes NCL tag and identical to the other bag that made it to the right location. I have no idea why that happened but it delayed us by quite awhile and our car service driver waited an hour for us. All in all, it was a great vacation. I would cruise on the Breakaway again! Read Less

Family of 16, all older adults, booked on this ship because we wanted to go to Bermuda and NY City easy to sail from.Some of us were first timers and some have 34 or more cruise experiences. First time for all us on a Norwegian ship. Boarding was crowded and confusing. Two members of our party use wheel chair and motorized scooter which did help us get into shorter lines. Two ships were loading at same time so had to hunt for Breakaway lines. Had lovely lunch in the Savore restaurant and walked around ship, watched ship leave port from one of lower decks as too crowded on sun deck. Staterooms were clean. We paid extra for a handicapped balcony room. Room was great, lots of storage, room for wheel chair except balcony. No room for wheel chair on it. Shorted on towels first night-- they ran out. Dinner in Manhatten Room. Service was good until time to order and get dessertt. Ordered bacon wrapped shrimp--bacon not cooked. Husband ordered swordfish--dry and very over cooked. Waited almost 45 minutes for dessert. Dinner took on average 2 hours. Service was inconsistent. Several night long wait for drinks and menus. Husband and I ate several meals in speciality restaurants--much better service and food quality. Dress code not enforced and some of our party handed a slip of paper about dressing up for dinner on our second afternoon. So some dressed up and some did not. Ate several times in Garden Cafe--much better. Not a god ship for handicapped--Couldn't do much except for a few shows. Much too crowded, too many bars and drunk people. Pool was too small and again much too crowded. Interruppted during dinners by photographers, pictures 24.95 each. Drinks expensive, pay extra for surf and turf, some restaurants and some shows. It's a beautiful ship, hallways narrow for our wheel chair and difficult to get by cleaning trolleys or people walking towards us. For the money I could have gone to Disneyland with my 4 kids and spent less. Casino was full of smokers so didn't gamble as we have health issues. By end of cruise all of us had swollen legs. Turns out they add lots of salt to food which is bad for those of us with heart conditions. Staff and officers very friendly, Bermuda was fun, and easy going on and off ship. Happy we went to Bermuda but next time I'd fly or take a different cruise line. Read Less

We were on the Joannie Madden cruise. First cruise ever. The cruise was great but the Joannie Madden folk & Irish part was the really excellent part. Don't think I will ever do a cruise without the Irish entertainment part. We had numerous venues with top class entertainment while the others played bingo. The major problem was to choose from the entensive list of entertainment going on at all times. Dancing, singing, music sessions on the high seas is just the ultimate escape and relaxation. Good was great. Drinks expensive was the only down part. They were very expensive but that's not Joannies fault. We all expect to get ripped off when there is s captive audience and that's how it was. Perhaps it's a good thing to prevent us over indulging! Great performers. Great experience and an amazing experience. Wonderful week. Thanks Joannie P.S. Already signed up for next one! Read Less

This was our first cruise but we traveled with 4 friends all of which have cruised before. All 6 of us are in our 30's. Check in in NY was fine, no major issues, we parked at the port for $40 a night and walked with our luggage to check in. Check in had lines, but it was about what I would have expected- I think the whole process took about an hour, we got there real early. After a quick lunch we went in search of drinks. We then mustered and met in the uptown grill/bar for disenbarkment. Sipped on the drink of the day- cherry limeades, good, sweet, can't have too many of these. Got a picture of the statue of liberty before going inside- it was cold! Food reviews- Day 1- Lunch- Once checked in we walked on the ship and found the buffet, I ate some cold salads and others in my group enjoyed food off the grill or pizza. Dinner- Mix Bar near taste and savor had an Easter candy bar set up and we ate dinner in Savor- most of our group had the Easter ham entrée or lamb. It was fun how they had Easter stuff around the ship. Day 2- Lunch- Burger bar- veggi burger with guac was good, we got in line at 11:55 they open at noon and were the first ones in line, food came out quick and good. The line really filled up after they opened. Dinner- Taste- I ate pancetta and cheese chicken- it was excellent. Day 3- lunch in O’sheenhans- I had the chicken fajitas, most of the group had chicken wings (thai lime was the best flavor) or chicken sandwich. Dinner- Taste- I had NY strip, it was very good, my husband ordered the Rib eye for the $24.99 extra- it was also very good, I don’t know that it was $25 better than my included steak. Day 4- Lunch in Cagneys- they set up the food that would have been on GSC so it was grilled food and cold salads, ribs were yummy. Dinner- Savor- I had the salmon and didn’t care for it, it was probably my least favorite dinner item. Day 5- Lunch in the Bahamas, dinner in the manhattan room- I can’t remember what I had because I was still drunk from the island… Day 6- Lunch- wasabi for sushi, we ordered the spider roll and rock and roll. Both were good, service was really slow but the guy was making the orders right in front of you to order so that was cool. Dinner- taste, I ordered the flank steak and it came with sautéed spinach and cheese polenta- so good! Day 7- lunch- we ate at the German food buffet- it was excellent! Some of the best food on the ship. Dinner- manhattan room- chicken parm Breakfasts- I don’t eat big breakfasts but enjoyed bagel with lox, ham and cheese breakfast sandwich, grits, lots of fresh fruit at garden café, uptown grill, and taste. Snacks- didn’t snack a lot due to big lunches and dinners, enjoyed nachos, wings, hot dogs, gelato Drinks- we really considered the drink package and didn’t get it. I’m glad we didn’t- wouldn’t have gotten our money worth. Drinks of the day were fruity and sweet. Some bars made them strong and some weak- the best bar to go to for drinks was shakers- all their drinks were strong and well made. Their martini flight was fun and worth all $20- the best drink I had the whole trip was the Lavender Patch martini from there also. Wine on the ship was good, not a huge selection, cheaper than I would have guessed. We also brought bottles of wine on the ship from home. They never charged us a corking fee (should have been $15 a bottle) so that was like free wine. Our first bar was Maltings, the whiskey bar on deck 8). This was good, however, the selection of whiskey is what you find everywhere else on the ship, nothing special (disappointing to whiskey lovers like us). Spice h2o bar was always packed, befriend a guy taking orders out on the pool deck and get the drinks delivered to you instead of fighting for a spot at the bar. Excursions- we did the beer tour in FL- it was a lot of fun- definitely recommend. GSC our ship skipped cause of the weather (bummer but from what I hear common), and charm and beauty of the Bahamas tour- good tour with a little bit of something for everyone. Entertainment- all good, fun, nothing wow-ed me. There were no shows I wanted to see more than once. Ropes course was amazing! Such a rush! Rock climbing wall was never open. Mini-golf was too overrun by unsupervised kids to even attempt to play. Didn’t do the slides. Biggest complaint- Rude people. I was appalled at the behavior of some of the people on the ship- so disrespectful to workers and other cruisers. I witnessed people pushing in line for things, cursing out casino workers, it was terrible. And everyone complained all the time, geeze people your on vacation- enjoy it! People would save pool lounge chairs at 7am and then not show up to sit in the chairs till 1 or 2 in the afternoon. A wasted woman had to have security escort her and her four kids out of the 18+ adults only area of the ship. To piggyback off this, no areas on the ship seem to be enforced as adults only. Kids running everywhere, kids splashing in the adult only hot tubs, rough housing in the adult only pool, sitting at the slot machines while their parents get drunk at the bar, toddlers being propped up on the bar by their parents (excuse me, but when did putting your diapered behind on something people are eating and drinking off of become acceptable?). It seemed that security wanted to avoid confrontation and therefore didn’t stand up to the parents in these instances. This is the reason I ranked 4 out of 5 stars. Read Less

Returned today from a cruise to the Bahamas. Embarkation was very smooth. First off the ship is beautiful! We had mid ship balcony cabin and it was perfect. We sailed with multi generations and everyone enjoyed themselves. This was my first cruise so I really did not know what to expect and had nothing to compare it to. Unfortunately we left in bad weather so the first night and second day were rough but the rest of the trip was smooth sailing. The staff was excellent at communicating to the passengers during this time and very reassuring. We decided to stay on the ship when it was docked in Florida so I can't say how that port was. The waves were too rough for the tender boats so we could not get onto the private island which was a HUGE disappointment! The entertainment was good, the food OK. The best meals were at the specialty dining restaurants but there were additional costs to eat there . The complimentary dining rooms offered the same menus at each of them with some new choices nightly. Most meals we ate at the Garden Cafe. It was very good. I was hoping for a midnight buffet which I have always heard about but they do not do that. I was not happy about the size of the main pool. The bars are literally a few steps away and for the amount of people on the boat that area is way too small. Plus they did not endorse adults only in that area for the entire time. The kids had the hot tubs from morning to late at night even though it was clearly marked adults only. They really do cater to the kids on this ship which is great for the parents. Service was just OK. The crew that did the entertainment around the ship were great and our steward was wonderful. Bartenders were not as good unfortunately. We did the Atlantis AquaAdventure. Pricey but the resort is beautiful and we had a great day there. We decided to walk ourselves off the ship with our bags and I feel that was a good choice. Disembarkation was easy and fairly quick considering the amount of people. Overall it was a great week on the Norwegian but I think our next cruise will be on a smaller ship and out of Florida. Read Less

This was my first cruise. It was not good. The ship was very crowded and most activities were either cancelled or booked. Many months before the cruise I booked shows only to find out my bookings were changed when I arrived on the ship. We were also unable to get off at Great stirrup Cay which meant we had 5 days at sea out of a seven day cruise. I took my son and some friends to Kennedy Space Center, not worth the cost. We were rushed through the venue, the lines for food were very slow and we only were able to spend 1.5 hours there. We did not see much. However, we spent a great day at Junkanoo beach worth the 15 minute walk from the ship. The staff at the beach were great and we got a great deal for 2 chairs, umbrella , 2 meals each for two, unlimited kids drinks and 8 adult drinks for $65. Lots of fun activities, music and great scenery. We all loved it. Food and staff were good on the ship but overall not worth the money. Read Less

My first ever cruise and last one ever at least on this company. Very underwhelming experience from food quality to staff friendliness. Lack of attention to detail, overcrowding, and poor to lackluster service depending on where you're at - herein lies the problem on this ship - you never know what you're going to get. The shows are lame, the lines are unbearable, restaurant staff can be outright incompetent. From initial checkin (over an hour) to the rushed offboarding, the whole week was a bust and a waste of 5 grand. Worst of all, they cancelled the stop at their private island due to high swells, then on the last day they rushed back to NYC 6 hours ahead due to some alleged onboard medical emergency - a story that makes zero sense since any emergency would be handled by medevac. So twice in a row we got ripped off. Not to mention the onboard wifi which works 50% of the time only. A horrible experience I would wish on no one ever. If this is what the vacation of a lifetime is, I'm wishing I never have another! Read Less

This was our first cruise. Two adults, two teenagers and two other couples. We had adjoining balcony cabins for us and the kids. Here are our random thoughts about the experience: Embarkation was smooth and easy. Seas were very rough due to storms coming up the east coast. Thank god for anti-nausea medication. I was recommended Stugeron which was AWESOME. Highly recommend it if you are prone to sea-sickness. It was March.....so there was no laying in the sun or hanging outside on sea days......much too cold and windy. That trapped everyone inside the ship. After a while I just couldn't stand being in such close proximity to thousands of people. Once we reached Port Canaveral, we took the NASA excursion. Another long wait and line to get off the boat. The 6 hour "tour" is really three hours at the location because they factor in all your waiting & transportation time. Not nearly enough to see what you want to see. Couldn't dock at the private island because of high seas. Yet there was a RC ship ferrying them in within eyesight. Huh. This created a mad rush to the top decks where 3000 people tried to jam into 2000 deck chairs. Not fun. Nassau was ok, nothing special. Overall the food was good. We had some great meals at the specialty restaurants. Rock of Ages was a better version of a high school play. The Cirque dinner theater was AMAZING - well worth it! The entertainment around the ship every day was cheesy....many loved it so maybe it just wasn't our thing. The final 2 days were back at sea......again, cold windy and not conducive for being outside. I would really recommend that you not take this cruise from NY unless it was more toward the summer months when you could enjoy the outdoors. Our cabins were nice, however they never did fill our mini-bar at all since the prior guests had left it virtually empty. This despite us leaving a note daily about it. And the towel replacement was hit or miss.....sometimes you would get enough, sometimes not. The kids were not too interested in the teen club, they preferred to hang out with us. I think we determined that cruising was not for us after a week trapped on a boat with thousands of people. But many seemed to be having a grand time.....perhaps they knew better what to expect. Read Less

I was a first-time cruiser, but two others in our party were seasoned. There was a good blend of people on the ship; older, younger, families, couples, etc. We made friends with just about every type of person, and especially with the staff. They were genuine, caring, funny people who we could not get enough of. A lot of the less than positive reviews of this trip seem to be from people who may have not been able or who may have just not wanted to put themselves out there. Our group had a blast, and we all agreed it was the best vacation we ever had. I was skeptical of a cruise as a vacation because I love to just hangout by the beach and relax. However, after this cruise I am 100% sold on going through Norwegian for my annual vacations. Overall, we easily got our bang for the buck. I had no expectations of the cabin (inside cabin), but it was very clean and efficient. Obviously it was small, but I was really only in it to change or sleep. The room staff we had in our area was extremely attentive and fun to interact with. We ate at the three main dining halls every night, and the Wasabi sushi place for lunch once. The sushi was amazing, highly recommended. The main dining halls were fantastic. We had a waiter the first night who was so much fun we switched a couple reservations to have him again. O'Sheehan's is also a must, we ate there probably twice a day (breakfast and snacks). The Garden Cafe had an awesome buffet and there was food for everyone for any meal. As far as activities go, there was never a dull moment. Dan Dan, the director, had you constantly entertained with activities inside the ship and on the top deck. We say Burn the Floor and Rock of Ages, and they were surprisingly entertaining. Definitely see both, don't hesitate on making reservations. Spice H2O and Bliss were great for club scenes. If you're into dancing or getting a little wild both options are good ones. Great Stirrup Cay was fantastic. I thought it was going to be boring and overcrowded, but between volleyball, snorkeling, excursions, food, bars, competitions, and more, there was no dull moments. Definitely go on the Stingray City excursion. The handlers were extremely knowledgeable and they connected with the rays (each and every stingray had a name and they knew which was which by markings), it was pretty cool to see. Holding a stingray is an unforgettable moment. The Blue Lagoon was gorgeous, but the water is so blue that you can't see the bottom. Couple that with the "Sea Urchin" signs, we didn't swim there much. Tip: Get off the ship EARLY, and go straight and to the right; there are seats under a few trees and the water and snorkeling on that beach is incredible! Nassau was unforgettable. After walking around to the shops and the few historical monuments, and getting hounded by the tourist trap artists, we took a $4 cab to Cabbage Beach on paradise island and that was breath-taking, do that. And, as always, Senor Frogs is a great time and the fresh Konch salads are tasty. Read Less

First, it was probably my fault for not thinking about College Spring Breakers, but our first cruise was such an incredible disappointment, and I'm certainly not saying college students shouldn't have fun, I work at a college, more it's that this cruise ship is SO huge and has a little itty bitty pool, which we couldn't even get to because all of the drunks and twerkers were in it. Yes, you read correctly, even IF we could get into it with our children, it was rated R. I'm not quite sure what Norwegian is thinking about when having over 4,000 people on-board, and a pool that can't hold 20, even the kids pool, which is 3-4' deep, (tell me my 12 and 14 year old are going to enjoy that), is more like a lap pool. We never were able to get to a specialty dinner because they were always sold out, we didn't get to any of the comedy shows, sold out, we did get to Rock of Ages, which was a RIOT, and do read that it is meant for mature audiences, and the Burn the Floor dancers have incredible talent, but in eight days, that's all we were able to do. The ports were a bummer too if you didn't want to spend $800 to swim with the dolphins, or $800 to go to Disney etc., Cape Canaveral, nothing but a busy strip where if you want to sit on the beach you have to rent chairs, (nickel and dime), plus we had to pay $50 for the "excursion" of getting a shuttle to and from the terminal to Coco Beach, AND the drivers all had signs asking for tips as that's how they survive? WHAT? Yes, I tipped them, on top of the $400 in tips I'd prepaid. Great Stirrup Cay was BEAUTIFUL but no place to sit, bar line was a mile long, and we only wanted a soda! Food line crazy and closes at two, and Nassau, we did the shopping, and it's certainly an experience, but I was hoping for so much more. On ship, we bought the soda packages which every person in the room had to have and spent about $250 on that, and we could never get anyone to pay us any attention at the bar to get a drink! My poor daughter was virtually ignored every time she tried to get a soda because she wasn't buying alcohol, even as an adult I was ignored looking for a soda. They should have soda kiosks that work with your ship card if you have a soda package, so you don't have to bother the bartenders, who are also getting tips, and don't have to wait forever. Honestly, if you're not a big drinker or gambler, I don't recommend this cruise at all. It was nice to hit the warmth of FL and Bahamas, but you WILL be cold in March coming out of NYC for more than a day going down and more than a day coming back. Next, price. We thought we were getting a good deal, again, being our first cruise, and 3rd and 4th passengers were "free", then they tack on over $600 in fees and taxes, then you have to pay another $400 for mandatory daily gratuity charge, per person per day, there's another grand on to your cruise. I just wish all of these charges were up front so someone knew what they were getting into. Pros: our Steward Felix was awesome! He's been with the company for 18 years cleaning up after all us slobs! The rooms were nice, small of course, but that was expected, and we're a family of four, but clean and cozy. Dan Dan the Cruise Director was a riot as well. As noted, the two shows we were actually able to see, were very good, but we did like Rock of Ages better. I would have liked to do the Cirque dinner, but that would have added on another $200 not including gratuity. The waitstaff in the dining room was SUPER!!! Very caring, very professional, just awesome. We had some of the Spring Breakers in the dining room being obnoxious, and they quieted them right down. Thank God, since we went to the dining room trying to get away from them. Getting in and out of the NY Terminal is pretty breezy, you have 4,000 people trying to get through one place, patience is key, and going in with that attitude is best. Parking at the terminal, though $300, was painless and secure. Disembarking, we chose to take our own luggage off Sunday morning at 8am and it was fine. Tenders, we waited for a LONG time coming back from Great Stirrup, but everyone pretty much left at the same time, so to be expected. I'm a reasonable person. Cons: mandatory pre-paid gratuity surcharge? Why would I want to tip our waiter in O'Sheehans that pretty much grunted at us, never came back to check on us, never asked if we wanted drinks, literally did not utter a single word, now granted it was very very loud from the music in the Atrium, but he never even came back to ask about dessert. I did go ask the hostess about dessert telling her our waiter was ignoring us and didn't speak, but he still never came back, so we left. This ship is WAY too big for it's britches, really, don't plan on getting near the pool, if you go to the Atrium for an event, don't plan on finding a place to sit. Rock wall was open only three hours a day. the ropes course was open longer, but my kids were too scared, as would I! :o) Food was ok, we only ate in the dining room once as we didn't see much on the menu that enticed us, it was a little weird, and does not change through the entire cruise, but if you're into duck and escargot, you could eat your weight here. We were never able to reserve a specialty dinner as they were always full, even the noodle place was impossible to get to. We ate at the Garden Cafe all week, which was fine, but towards the end of the week, it's all pretty much the same old same old, and lots of the french fries, pizza, burger, ets. The place was spotless! The staff was great about "washy washy" when you came in and clearing and wiping down tables promptly, sometimes too promptly if you weren't done and went to refill your iced tea! LOL but all good, just go get some more. All in all, I will never go on the Breakaway again and will look for smaller ships IF we go on another cruise, I think the shine of going has certainly worn off, which is a complete bummer as I was so excited. Read Less

REVIEWER'S BACKGROUND: Experienced cruisers with 16 total, 9 on NCL. Married couple 68/67 years old. We had previously cruised on the Breakaway in July 2013 to Bermuda, and were not pleased. Service was poor, waiting lines for everything, and overcrowded public areas. We agreed to avoid her, and probably all high-passenger ships, in the future. Since then, we have only sailed on mid-sized ships (2000-2200 passenger range). In 2014 and 2015, it was NCL Jewel, Gem, and Dawn and we had great times on each. *****Breakaway - New York to Florida and Bahamas - March 6-13, 2016.***** Mostly Negatives: Restaurant service ranged from excellent to non-existent. Entertainment was greatly reduced from our last Breakaway cruise in 2013. Variety and quality at Garden Buffet has been diminished noticeably. Even Cagney's has declined. Attention to detail is missing. We never received our little Gold Latitudes gifts: no pins, no Godiva chocolates. Television controls were hit or miss, despite two separate service calls to the cabin. Wi-Fi speed was slow but tolerable, but surely not worth what they charge. If you are ordering a steak anywhere but Cagney's, also order a much sharper knife than the standard issue. Topsider Grill was never open the whole week. The Cruise Director (Dan-Dan) is barely adequate. Wait staff is largely untrained. Many meals were delivered wrong, or incomplete, and often cold. I had to flag a waiter or busboy every time my water glass was empty. Even a $60 bottle of wine was "serve yourself, we're too busy". Inconsistency-- At Cagney's on Sunday night, we had a great waitress, good food, and we thought we were in for a terrific week. Unfortunately, that first dinner was also the best. On Thursday, also at Cagney's and also with a 7:30 reservation, the waiter was totally incompetent. If I were in charge, I would have him dispensing hot dogs at the Sabrett cart. He has no business serving in a fine restaurant. Some Positives: Teppanyaki was entertaining and the staff were all very pleasant. The food at La Cucina was very good. The Burn the Floor dancers were fun and their work well-polished. The crowding and delays we endured on our first Breakaway cruise were largely removed. Conclusions: Bigger is not better. Breakaway 2016 vs. Breakaway 2013 is marginally better, but still not good. I should have known better. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Read Less

This was a cruise booked by my husband as a solution to our holiday dilemmas. I like holidays that centre on a pool, sun and rest, my husband likes to sight-see and pack as much as he can, so this seemed to address both our shopping lists! We had combined the cruise with a three night stop in New York City before joining the Breakaway. This enabled us to satisfy his tourist needs and to adjust to the local time (flying in from UK). We took a taxi to the pier, there were a lot of people arriving and leaving it all looked chaotic but we eventually found were we could leave our big cases. The checking-in process was organised, but long lines twisted through the booking hall but we eventually arrived at the front, confirmed details and received our ID card. We boarded and were soon enjoying the relaxed atmosphere of a bar on board. This holiday did in fact meet both our needs. We enjoyed the meals provided in the restaurants preferring them to the self service areas, the standard is 4* and it was more relaxing. We had lunch in the pub on a few days, the food was fast and very tasty. The bars are always busy, but the service is efficient and the selection is vast. The Breakaway card needs to be handed over each time you order a drink (confirm drink package status) and when booking into restaurants and any other interaction on the ship. The cabin was clean and had all we required, the towel art each evening amused us and our steward, Shadrick, was always friendly and knew our names from day 1. We went on the Space tour, which was informative and my husband was able to relive his childhood again leaving the centre with a smile and several shopping bags and a poorer bank balance! We also went on the Bahamas organised trip, this was not worth doing, we were driven past the three hotels, stopped at the 4th for 20mins, then were taken to the fort and a straw market before a drive through a housing complex before returning to the dock and the straw market there. The ship is well maintained and has lots to offer, it was congested in public areas and there were many many children in every area (even in Adult areas / shows). We went to the shows, As well as the additional cost Circque which was worth the cost, it was a really good experience. The duelling piano show was just superb- funny, involving the audience and unpredictable- well worth attending more than once! Shopping - sales, changed each day and offers were good I bought a couple of bags. Sea days - I think these could have been relaxing as the Breakaway has several areas were you can sit and read and attentive staff ensure your drinks are always topped up. However there was a downside to all this, in order to have the large ship with all the choices means you have a high population - this results in a very very high number of children, whilst I accept that this is ideal for families (we all have them) there just seemed to be no areas for us to escape to find a quiet 30mins away, other than going to our cabin and really at 23.00hrs I had hoped we could have had a drink in a bar without other people's children still running around us. I understand that it was a Canadian school holiday break which resulted in the disproportionate age mix. This was really the only negative to our cruise. Sadly it had to come to the end, the night before we simply had to leave our tagged bags outside our room, to our chosen time (colour coded) after breakfast these colours were called and we disembarked- the usual lines for passport checks, but our suitcases were ready for collection and we progressed towards our taxi and the airport. We are already looking for another cruise later this year, but will try to avoid so many children this time. Read Less

I am so confused by all of the negative reviews of this cruise. My husband and I could not have been happier! Everything ran so smoothly, from initial boarding to the tenders taking us to the Great Stirrup Cay. Our steward Archie was so sweet and courteous. Our favorite bartender, Jelica (sp) took great care of us, as did almost every bartender, waiter, etc. we encountered. We made at least 6 close friendships while there and all agreed to stay in touch. Maltings on the Waterfront was ideal for sitting outside with a drink in the sun if you're looking for a slightly quieter area than the pool bars. But there were plenty of faster paced, club-atmosphere bars if that's more your speed. Fat Cats Blues Club had some excellent shows. Rock of Ages was such a fun time. We did not visit any of the specialty dining restaurants but were very happy with the complimentary dining. The food at the buffet was great, far better than we anticipated. The Manhattan Room was our favorite restaurant, such a cool vibe. We did have the Ultimate Beverage Package, and while we found out afterwards that the beer we were having stocked in our cabana on Stirrup Cay was not included, we did get a $50 food/beverage credit with the cabana, so the charge ended up being negligible. It surprises me to see people being so angry about having to pay for some things, when those are optional. Everything included in the price is so wonderful, more than we could have hoped for. To anyone thinking of going on this cruise, please don't let a few cranky apples dissuade you from enjoying this wonderful vacation. Read Less

If total chaos at embarkation and waiting endlessly for drinks is your idea of fun, then this is the cruise for you. Embarkation was like Ellis Island circa 1895. Once on board, there was no one to give directions and people were completely confused. We had to miss one of the ports (Stirrup Cay) because of a storm and so we had an extra day at sea. Ho hum. The problem was that we were traveling in February so 5000 people were confined to the decks inside the boat with little to do since there was no swimming, water slides, rock climbing, etc. I don't recommend traveling in the dead of winter since you will be very limited with what you can do on the first and last two days of the trip. Cocoa Beach is a...dump. Not worth stopping at all. I get that people went to Disney etc. but it would have been a lot nicer to skip it and go to the other Bahamas port that we missed. Nassau was nice but the time there was entirely too limited. The food was generally above average and it was a lot better to eat in some of the smaller restaurants, especially for dinner. By the end of the cruise, they ran out of some important things like milk for example...not good. There isn't much for children 2 and under to do, especially when the water activities are unavailable because it's sub-zero outside. The Splash zone doesn't take kids until 3. The two "guppy" activities after lunch on the last 2 days, however, were great and the kids' staff was also great. I will say that our steward, Putu, was wonderful especially since we were traveling with our 2 year old daughter. The cabin was clean and comfortable and she was always very helpful. The spa is worth the money and was truly the only place onboard where there weren't masses and masses of people. Honestly, if I wanted to be around that many people I would have stayed in NYC. Overall, I don't think I'll cruise again, somewhat because of this experience and somewhat because it's just not my thing. Read Less

We departed January 31st and returned February 14th. We met some great people - some fellow cruisers and people who enjoyed their job on the ship. We did a couple of excursions through the ship (one being Escape to Jost Van Dyke). Loved that one but didn't care for the others because it seemed as though there were too many people and it took twice as long to round everyone up before we could leave. I guess that's expected and it was an experience one must learn from. So, no complaints but just a heads up. To each his own, right? Joanna was in charge of our room and she did a super job. We had room 9134. It was approximately 100 steps (my steps) to the nearest elevator. It was great! I loved it. The balcony was big enough for two lounge chairs and two standard chairs along with a table. There was plenty of storage so if anyone complains about storage, well they might have just brought a little too much ( we had four suitcases and there was tons of storage). Joanna was very attentive and emptied our fridge out right away. She had a great personality and was awesome!! The room was always clean with fresh towels. We never needed a thing! The activities on the ship were great. I think there was something for everyone. I didn't go to everything. Burn the floor - awesome. Rock of ages - awesome. Cirque de soleil - awesome! Dueling painos - very good! Second City - I didn't care for but someone must because they are ongoing through the cruise. If you don't like something just get up and move on to the next thing. There is always something! The pool and hot tubs I can't comment on as we don't tend to get in on that. The waterslides were fun. Never a line when we went. The rope course was also a good time. If you want your picture though - look to the left. Meals and Bars: Meals were delicious! We never had a bad one. Fries were mostly warm, I wasn't sure what was up with that but seriously who can complain about something so trivial?? Bars and Drinks were out of this world! Okay, so that's my opinion because I loved the people we visited with at O'Sheehans and Uptown Bar. Ramel, Arnold, June and Toya were awesome. They provided a great atmosphere with great conversation! I would cruise again just to see them. NCL has a great staff in those two areas and I hope they are recognized for all their efforts! We never waited for a drink! I think the cruise was fantastic! I think NCL nailed it! We are first time cruisers and I was so worried my other half would not want to go again but thanks to everyone who made our cruise spectacular - he is up for cruising again as well! I can't wait to go again and wish I had never left !! Read Less

My wife and I flew to New York on 22nd Jan to depart on Norwegian Gem the next day for my first ever cruise. After standing in a long line for a very long time we finally stepped onto he vessel and being very thirsty ordered a latte and bottle of water from the atrium bar. Having purchased the ' ultimate beverage package' I was astounded to find these drinks are not included and we would have to pay extra for them. A bad start but it got much worse. Very soon we became aware of large numbers of children and youths, surprising since we were in term time. It was clear that the demographics of this extremely large group were from a specific community Must not conform to the normal school holiday calendar. The parents or guardians of this group for the entire cruise exerted no control over their children who were very rude, unruly and disrespectful to both the staff and other passengers on this cruise. The specific needs of this group made it very difficult for the staff to cater for the rest of the passengers as they were pressurised by this group. We witnessed as did many other passengers, staff being abused as were anyone else who stood up for themselves. It was so bad that we found ourselves constantly moving to get away from all the dreadful behaviour. Eventually we complained but by this time my wife had been in tears more than once. The member of staff that took our complaint admitted that many more passengers had also complained, she was very apologetic but our holiday had by then been ruined. We were later offered a bottle of wine and a cheeseboard to make things better, wow, great! After three days of awful sailing in the storms (not the fault of NCL), we finally were able to escape for a few hours on four days which was nice, however on the 3rd day (St Thomas) we had to tender as there was 5 other ships in port. We were told to be poolside at 7-30am to get a ticket and as I was there at 7-15am and there were only about 20 people in front of me I assumed that we would be amongst the first off board at 8-00am. However it was 10-00am before we got off which was a disgrace on NCL's behalf. Coming back was even worse, getting back to the pick up point at 3-00pm we found a huge queue waiting. Whilst in the queue we noticed large groups of certain people joining the queue in front of us whilst NCL staff looked on. When people complained nothing was done and I was physically threatened by one large group. Three and a half hours of our precious off time wasted queueing, thank you NCL. The main problem with this cruise lies with NCL who failed to inform the other passengers of this large (about 400) group of people who allegedly have been blacklisted by at least one other cruise company. If we had known, we would definitely not have booked this cruise. The staff seemed to bend over backwards to please them to the detriment of all the other well mannered and pleasant passengers. The security was almost non existent, especially in the outdoor areas, getting in a hot tub was impossible and when we tried to use the spa were asked to pay $199 each. We felt that on top of the substantial price we had paid to cruise, NCL were constantly trying to get us to spend more on "extras".When going offshore, if you were going on an excursion or a shopping trip, the staff were very willing to help but if you were going it alone, they couldn't be bothered with you. Some staff were very good, Dennis our cabin attendant, Aaron in the Magnum bar, amongst some others. Other staff were so so, one chef in The Great Outdoors was extremely rude and unhelpful, 3 times we asked for a item that was empty to be told there was none left but when asked the same question by one of the large group a minute or so later, the items miraculously appeared. All in all, this was one of the worst holidays of my entire life, I couldn't wait to get off and I feel really sorry for my wife who has been trying to get me to cruise for years, her holiday has been ruined also. This was my first Cruise and brobably my last, however if I was ever persuaded to endure one again, I would never use NCL. One last positive however, we met some wonderful people, Alex & Pat with whom we spent a great day before flying home and Peter & Adrienne amongst others whom we will keep in touch with and meet again Read Less

This was my husband and my first cruise. We have been skeptic to take a cruise for years. Our friends convinced us to go with them so we decided to go. We took a limo from NJ into port. It was hassle free, relaxing and enjoyable. We were all under the impression there wouldn't be many children on this cruise due to it being during school time. Boy, were we wrong! Apparently there was a private school that was on holiday which brought about 600 of the most obnoxious children and adults onboard! From what we have been told this specific group has been banned from all other cruise lines due to their behavior. Needless to say they found a loophole and got in on this cruise by booking individually instead of as a group. For the first 4 days of the cruise security was no where to be found. After that when security finally surfaced they had no control whatsoever over this horrendous group. On the last night of the cruise we were in Bliss Lounge after 11 pm and there were a bunch of underage boys there. When security came to remove them from the lounge instead of making them leave they stood there taking photos with the unruly, rude, disrespectful boys!! This completely outraged myself, my husband and our friends we were with! This was only one example of the nonsense that went on during this cruise. 30% of the guests on this cruise basically ruined it for the other 70% of us. My husband and I were forced to spend a lot of time in the cigar lounge just to get some quiet, adult conversation. We are not smokers and actually dislike the smell of smoke very much, I am still coughing from inhaling all of the second hand smoke. However, it was the lesser of the two evils. Activities-We were unable to really participate in any of the activities due to the unruly, unsupervised children overtaking everything. We tried to attend the family feud game, the rules were clearly stated, however the family who got up there first didn't have the required amount of adults. Instead of the girl running the game telling them they were unable to participate due to only having one adult and 3 little kids under the age of 8 she allowed them to continue! Hence yet another example of the NCL employees allowing the rules to not be followed. Service-For the most part the service was ok. Can't really blame the servers or bartenders for their frustration. Upon speaking to one of the employees they stated they were afraid to say anything to the unruly guests due to fearing for their jobs. Excursions-We did one excursion in Tortola, it was amazing! The baths in Virgin Gorda must be the most beautiful place on earth. The only disappointment was there was no tour guide. We were dropped off and told to be back at the bus by 10:30 am. At one point on the trail back to the bus I was afraid we were going the wrong way. The men from "speedy tours" we're more concerned with their phones and laying around then giving us information. Cabin-We were pleasantly suprised with the space in the cabin and the size of the shower. The young man that took care of our cabin was wonderful. Very nice, attentive and always had our cabin ready for us with fresh everything when we needed it. Dining-The food was average, nothing to really write home about. This could be due to the above mentioned group being there. We ate in the main dining room the first night, our servers assistant didn't show up on time, when she did she looked at us like we were crazy when we ordered dessert for the table. O'Sheeans ran out of mozzarella sticks however our server (a very grumpy man) failed to inform us of this until after our main courses came out and we questioned him. My friend asked the young lady for sour cream and inquired about the mozzarella sticks, the young lady said she would get them. Walked away and never returned, our potatoes got cold waiting for sour cream that never arrived. Entertainment-The entertainment was very good, we enjoyed the shows very much. Disembarkation-This was probably the most easy, seamless part of the entire trip. We easily retrieved our bags, headed out through customs, our car was waiting right outside the door, we jumped in and off we went. In summary I honestly don't know if we would ever use NCL for another cruise. Read Less

We were very happy to book a cruise with Norwegian sailing out of New York city down to the warmer weather in Caribbean. Fortunately we manged to missed most of the big storm that came in but the first few days on board were very rocky. Dispite this the crew did a wonderful job and looked after us well. When the seas calmed down our holiday went into full swing. The highlights of our cruise were the speciality restaurants and there was plenty of them to choose from. Food and service was of a high standard and we especially enjoyed the Bistro, so much so we went twice! The buffet was ok only complaint would be there are to many spicy peppers in all the dishes so every bite was a task, they also need more healthy options. Positive side was that they did have a wide selection of food and every night a different theme which was a nice touch. On the sea days cruise staff games were very fun to attend and helped us to get to know other British guests that were cruising with us. The most fun night of the cruise was spent with them watching an amazing tribute show of Whitney Houston and Tina Turner These very talented girls had outstanding voices. The Spa and staff were lovely with many offers and different ways to be pampered. My husband and I often went to lay on the fantastic hot stone beds that they have there. We really would like to have taken them home. Other hightlights of our trip included the theatre shows. Best shows we saw without a doubt were the acrobats and magicians, production shows were entertaining. However, we, our friends and a some other guests were disappointed with all the comedy acts in the theatre, we even saw many people walking out of these shows.. This kind of humor is not for everybody and being on an international ship we do not understand why local comedy acts were performing. Other services on board were to a good standard. Our cabin was smaller than we expected but kept very clean and always a towel animal surprise at the end of the day. There were plenty of excursion options at reasonable prices. Reception and bar staff were very helpfull and poliet. Cruise Director Alvin was very good, well dressed and such a sweet down to earth person. Overall we did enjoy our holiday with Norwegian just a few to many unsupervised children that need to be taken care of. Read Less

New member here and this was my first cruise. We live in upstate Ny and did not want to fly so the NCL gem seemed perfect. Getting on the ship wasn't to bad of a wait. Once on the ship forget about getting any food. We could not find a seat anywhere in the "cafeteria" ( the same food quality as a high school cafeteria). Finally after the safety meeting we had to go to we found a seat at osheenas pub on the ship. Just when I thought the garden cafes food was bad we tried osheenas food and it was equally terrible. On top of the terrible food the service was just as bad. In the 7 or 8 times we ate there not 1 time was our order correct. Also the grille at the Tahitian bar was not open for the entire cruise. Food on the ship gets a 1 outta 5 stars only because the orchid gardens food was decent. We brought our 2 yr old daughter with us on the cruise and of course why would the nice slide going to the pool work? So now on of the main things for her to enjoy is no longer working. Now back to the food. On day 6 me and my brother in law both got sick from the undercooked chicken grilled by the pool. We both threw up during the night and felt better by morning. I can say I did not gain any weight on this cruise because the food was out of my system within a few mins after every meal. After thr food sickness I could not eat anymore meat on this ship the last 4 days. The thought of it made me sick and I love eating grilled food. So I managed eating pasta and pizza the remainder of cruise. I can only hope not all cruises are like this. I will never return on a NCL ship after this cruise. We may have to drive to Baltimore and try a Royal carribean next time. I give this cruise a .5 outta 5 stars. The reason for the half star is because the ultimate beverage package was a great bargin. Also our room cleaning guy was great as well and very friendly. Ship was very clean also. Read Less

We have never been on a cruise before and Norwegian exceeded our expectations on every count...right from the itinerary, service, quality of food, the amenities on board, the entertainment, the staff etc. The freestyle cruising approach worked perfectly for us as we could choose when to eat, where to eat and what to eat. And the dining options meant we did not have to repeat a menu! The duration was of the entire cruise was perfect. And the day long stop at their private island Grand Stirrup Cay was mindblowing. Highly recommended! Read Less

This was my first cruise ever so, I have nothing to compare it to. However, the staff was amazing! Just amazing! Every server, every steward, every announcer, etc. The staff had some of the rudest people in the world to deal with on this crowded NY ship and they all had smiles on their faces while dealing with them. Our room was perfect. There were three of us in a mini-suite and we had plenty of space. The bathrooms were huge and the beds were comfortable. Our steward, Brian, was always around to help and leave awesome towel animals and a clean room. The Rock of Ages show was great. My dad really enjoyed it. The slot machines were entertaining for my family on a couple of nights as well. We also played Bingo and took part in one of the trivia games in the Main Atrium. All good fun. The food was always great! There was never a time any of us were disappointed with the food. The entertainment at Fat Cats was great for my parents. Charlie (singer, guitar), the bass player (not sure of his name), and Terry from Chicago (drums) were spectacular. They kept everyone smiling. Also, the rope course and zipline were amazing. I waited until the end of the trip to take advantage of those and I should not have, it got cold outside. All in all, I had a very relaxed and enjoyable time on the Breakaway. Some of the passengers were rude and the ship was very crowded but, ringing in the New Year with Norwegian will go down as the greatest New Year I have ever had so far. Thank you! Read Less

We were on the breakaway and was a great ship. Was a really awesome cruise, especially being my 1st. Me and my wife had a wonderful time. Restaurants are amazing, even the free ones. Not much bad to say for the most part. Most of the crew was very helpful and friendly. There was a few employees that were actually a little nasty on the first night and second day on the ship. I didn't know where things were or how things worked considering It was my first time and was only there for a day! They acted as if I should know everything already and were bothered and annoyed that I had a question. The only other problem I have with the ship is that there's no postings on the map of the ship where the smoking areas are. I was going from the 14th deck to the 7th for more than half the week to smoke meanwhile I could have went up 1 floor in the back to smoke. Read Less