This was the second part of our back to back cruise holiday, after doing a nine day Baltic cruise, unfortunately the bad weather continued. Tropical storm Leslie hung around the North Atlantic for over a month, with 40 knot winds and 3 to 5 metre swells making life on board uncomfortable on most days. We did make all of our ports on this cruise and we enjoyed good weather while in each of the cities and towns. However due to the high winds and rolling seas the outside decks were closed for 8 of the 10 sea days, so you had to find things to do inside the ship. The crew did their best putting on extra shows and events to keep people entertained and to be fair I was never bored. On our last day at sea we woke to flat seas and a warm breeze and everyone was outside doing everything they possibly could. On a few port days if you got back to the ship early you could go up to the pool deck and use the water slides, pool and spas and do the activities on the upper decks too. By all reports from experienced cruisers, the weather was most unusual for that time of year with one man commenting it was the roughest of his seven crossings. The captain and crew did a great job throughout the cruise and I was sure to tell them. Read Less

Transatlantic cruises are such a great value and this particular cruise visited 4 different ports after embarking in Copenhagen. Wonderful friendships are made during this 14 day cruise and we love the rest and relaxation during the final days of the cruise after some super excursions. Our best excursion was in Ponte Delgada and was arranged by Darlene through Cruise Critic.....be sure to check the excursions available with other Cruise Critic members for your trip....smaller groups, less expensive...lots of pluses over the excursions offered by the ship. We chose an outside cabin on deck 5 and were very pleased with it....lots of room, good location close to elevators and easy access when we left the ship and the various ports. The ship itself was very clean and the crew was wonderful. We wish we had taken advantage of the "free" drink package offered during our cruise. The hidden loophole is that you have to pay $280 for taxes and tips so it actually isn't "free". We aren't big drinkers so we passed. However, the cost of 2 average drinks on the ship averaged $22 which gets pricey on this long trip. Also didn't like the fact that you could earn free drinks in the casino with 1500 points....I reached the points and was told "only standard drinks....no kahlua and cream, no old fashioneds, no cosmos, etc.... house whiskey, vodka, gin with mixer only." Seemed rather "cheap" to me and a slap in the face. I'll avoid the casino next time. Read Less

This was our second cruise with Norwegian and overall our 35th cruise. We were interested in the transatlantic crossing and the 4 ports, as well as Copenhagen. We were very happy with Copenhagen and with the ports the ship visited. We always enjoy cruising, and find you can have a good time no matter what. We had plenty to eat and drink, we were entertained, and we had a relaxing time, so this was a good vacation. Having said that, we find some of the Norwegian practices could be better. So I will comment on the positives and the negatives below. Staff: Most of the staff on the ship are very friendly and cordial and have been well trained. They say good morning when you pass them and they look you in the eye and are very nice. These folks work an incredible amount of hours, seven days a week and we are very appreciative of their efforts. I am amazed at how hard they work, in order for us to have an enjoyable cruise, and the staff on the Breakaway generally did a good job for us and we are appreciative. Food: Breakfast always had a huge variety of everything any of us could want. The food was served at the right temperatures and everything was plentiful. They did have trouble keeping up with dish washing and ran out of cups, glasses and plates at times. Lunch was also fairly good. But the offerings are substandard for a large cruise line. (A made to order deli, taco bar and other enhancements would be nice.) Breakfast and lunch do not have adequate seating space in the buffet area. There is overflow seating near the pool, but when the temps are in the 40’s and 50’s, it’s not too appealing. Dinner was somewhat disappointing. Service was very slow in the Taste/Savor/Manhattan dining rooms. (I don’t feel they have enough staff here.) The food options seemed to be lower cost items. Items such as shrimp cocktail, fried shrimp, lobster, and crab were not offered. Salmon was served occasionally. Steaks were cheap cuts and not very desirable. There were plenty of choices, but many were not appealing to the six at our table. One reason for the slow service is the wait staff serves wine and adult beverages, in addition to food. I’ve not experienced this on other cruise lines. We did eat at the buffet one evening, and the food seemed similar to lunch. We did eat at Shanghai, the Noodle restaurant, and were very disappointed. Service was rushed and disorganized. Food came out in random orders. 2 dishes never arrived, and when we mentioned this, the server argued with us, instead of just getting it. We had planned to go twice, but did not go back. While we had plenty to eat, we feel Norwegian has focused so hard on 7 “specialty” restaurants that the “inclusive” restaurants have been reduced to a very basic experience without a focus on great service or quality food. If you want a decent steak or a good piece of fish on Norwegian, plan on spending $50 – 75 per person for a very nice meal, including additional gratuity. Entertainment: The best music act was “Shanti Lleone and the Guilty Pleasures”, who played instruments and made real music. The played a couple hours a night, on about half the nights we were onboard, at a room called Syd’s Pour House. They were great, if you like 70’s and 80’s rock and roll. Overall, entertainment was a mixed bag. The ship had several good entertainers, including 2 Comedians, a Magician, and a Comedic Juggler. The biggest issue on this ship is a lack of space for entertainment. Norwegian has dedicated too much space to “specialty” restaurants, which means revenue generation for the cruise line. We refuse to eat at the “specialty” restaurants, since we have already paid for food in our fare. On the entertainment side, the main theater holds about 6-700 guests at a show and is as impressive as a high school assembly hall. That’s pretty inadequate for a full ship of 4,000 passengers. So they make a big deal out of getting reservations for their “big” shows. Nothing but a marketing ploy to make people think they’re getting something special. I found the “big” shows disappointing and well below Broadway standards. “Rock of Ages” and “Burn the Floor” were big production shows, but were average at best. We went to see the “Adele” singer in the big theater. The theater was full 30 minutes before show time, so we were unable to see the show. Due to the size of the space, there were a lot of passengers who were left out. The Mersey Boys were pitiful singers and dancers. It just didn’t seem they practiced sufficiently. Roxy was a group of 4 singers straight from college Music Theater. They sang fine, but the act was disingenuous. The biggest entertainment negative was the lack of a live band to support the shows. All shows and most entertainment was supported with “karaoke style” background music that sounded like what you hear on an elevator. Some shows had a drummer and a couple of guitars, but it was just very disappointing music. The ship has a couple of small “theaters” (about 100-200 seats), and you can see some of the main theater acts at the smaller venues. The Atrium is a large open space spanning 3 floors, with a large screen. It’s used as a theater, because there is nowhere else to go. This space is terrible. People camp out on the limited seating and never have to leave. Movies, bingo, activities, future cruise sales and everything else is presented in the area, and it is very noisy. Just incredible poor planning and very disappointing for such a nice ship. Outdoor and other activities: The outdoor activities are great on this ship. We did the ropes course, the climbing wall and putt putt. But the weather was so poor, these activities were open for brief periods. Including the water slides, this ships has great amenities for the Caribbean, but not so good in the middle of the North Atlantic. The Outdoor activities were all free. Many of the activities offered each day have a fee associated with them, which is consistent with Norwegians approach. On most of the days we were sailing, the seas were very rough and the winds extremely strong. As a result, the ship moved about quite a bit. I never hold the cruise line accountable for poor weather. However, the communication about weather was incredibly poor. There was rarely a forecast on the TV for the next day. Many days there wasn’t a temperature reading. And the seas and the wind speed were shown the same day after day on the Navigation channel. It just seemed as though no one on the bridge had time to keep the info up to date or the passengers weren’t a high priority. Embarkation was well organized and went fairly well. When they announced boarding would start, they only had 3 wheel chairs, so my wife had to walk the length of the ship. Debarkation was very orderly and went well. Wheel chairs for the ports were never visible, so it didn’t seem they had any. Due to the issues we had with food, beverage and entertainment, Norwegian is not a cruise line we will use in the future. The quality of their product is substandard to other lines. On top of the above issues, Norwegian charges for everything. Bottled water of any sort is not allowed to be brought on Board at any time. Their “ultimate” beverage package is not ultimate. It does not include bottled water, flavored waters, canned sodas or even a $2 cup of Americano coffee, much less coffee drinks with alcohol. On top of it, they have the gull to charge gratuity on the retail price of the package, and then don’t have adequate bar and wait staff to serve their guests. I’m not sure where that “gratuity” goes. So this will be out last Norwegian cruise for a long while. I need to see improvements from other reviews before I would consider this line again. Read Less

Part of a group of two Australian couples, we were looking forward to this cruise as something a little different. (This is our 6th cruise) This was the second of a back-to-back cruise holiday. The first cruise also on the Breakaway (Russia & Scandinavia from Copenhagen) was fraught with problems so we were hoping for a better experience. Our planned 5pm departure came and went and at 5:20pm the Captain (who now elicits a groan from many who were on the previous cruise) announced that departure would be delayed a ‘few’ hours as a ‘couple’ of passengers were on a delayed flight from JFK airport. Simple enough. Waiting, waiting, waiting. Finally, at 10:10pm the ship set sail. Anecdotally, certainly not officially, it transpired that the ‘few’ passengers were in fact nearly 300! Apparently on a charter flight organised by Norwegian. Made more sense than a couple of passengers, like us, calling the ship and asking them to delay sailing as we should have arrived the day before but thought things always go to plan. Not. We arrived on time in Gothenburg, the sun shone, and all was well. A pretty city. Next stop Southampton. Be aware that you will probably have to handover your passports for entry into the UK the day prior – to UK officials. Like many, I’m not comfortable doing this but each country has their own visa and customs requirements. It’s not personal. The process was seamless and well-handled. Just check when you collect your passport after leaving UK waters that you have the correct one. Mistakes happen. Such experiences and challenges are part of the joy of travel to other countries whose laws and processes (like the language, customs, food and coffee) are different to your own. If you don’t like different, international travel might not be for you. Having said that, I wish NCL would learn how to make tea - tea bag in first with HOT water poured on top with cold MILK not cream/er. :) Southampton The day started out with a heavy fog – couldn’t see a thing on shore – but it cleared by late morning into a stunning day. For the first time jackets, jumpers and beanies could come off. The Titanic exhibition was fascinating and we spent more time there than expected. Lots of interactivity and information we had not heard before. Thankfully, no icebergs interrupted our Atlantic Crossing. The Old Town is an eclectic mix of buildings, including the remains of the original town wall, WWII bombed buildings, an original Tudor house (sadly closed on Fridays), old pubs, new houses, and businesses and medieval buildings mixed with (distressingly awful) architecture of the 60s and 70s. There is a modern shopping complex very close by if you need some extra clothes, etc. So much change to the world has emanated from the port of Southampton – trade, immigration, etc. An interesting day. BTW - we didn't get British pounds for the port, just used a travel money card. The port has free wifi (blocked by NCL when on the ship) – so the terminal was filled with passengers getting their fix of the internet, which is horrendously expensive on board (though it works very efficiently even in the middle of the Atlantic). Off to Ireland (Euros) One of the few tours we booked for this trip was for Cork – with About Cork Taxi Tours. Basically hiring a cabbie to take you to wherever you want. What did we want? I wanted to drive by the historic family home not far outside of Cork (Fermoy) and hubby wanted to have a Guinness in a local pub. Boy did we get what we paid for - and more! I highly recommend About Cork Taxi Tours! Other companies declined our request. We will be coming back to Ireland and using About Cork Taxi Tours again. Next up Ponta Delgada, Portugal (Euros) What a pretty place is Ponta Delgada. I’d heard of the Azores previously but had no idea where it was. I can see why it is a holiday place. We had the most perfect day to take a horse drawn carriage ride through the cobbled streets, have coffee on one of the many town squares (with a chocolate donut and Portuguese tart), visit the military museum, spend some Euros (it’s surprisingly cheap here). The weather improved and the layers of clothing and beanies are no longer necessary. At sea, many of the decks were regularly closed as the winds were high (three hurricanes surrounded us – but we were assured that there was no imminent danger.) Too cold for waterslides - but mini golf was fun. Last stop New York. What a wonderful town. We will be back! Cruise summary The ports were all wonderful (none were cancelled) and we enjoyed the experience of the crossing – though five days at sea is a bit long (our group learned to play Canasta). NCL did not provide sufficient variety of activities for the long sea days (particularly with the decks often closed). Many venues were not used or under-utilised and too many activities were in the Atrium (over-crowded, noisy and next to Customer Service and the iCafe). Many activities were just sales pitches. The ship did provide board-games on sea days which was great. The library is very small, as is the card room. The book exchange was a great idea. The port ‘historian’ on board needs presentation skills training. The dining choices are excellent (though don’t bother with the noodle bar – disorganised, and the advertised 24hr ribs at O'Sheehans did not exist). The buffet area is poorly laid out. The coffee (free and paid) is awful. The coffee in the room is ok. Stateroom was clean and well-cared for during our cruise. Our attendant was fantastic. The TV information on current and forecast temperature, sunrise, sunset, etc. was rarely up to date (despite the captain's advice) and the wave height was provided in mm (though we suspect someone mistakenly added the extra ‘m’). Stateroom TV viewing is limited with the same movies repeated endless. If you are into sports, there’s heaps available – especially soccer. There are also news channels. The Cruise Director should consider a career change – no sense of humour and hard to understand. The assistant Cruise Director ‘Shirley’ saved the day on many occasions. The shows we saw we very good but we couldn't understand why many of the 'big' events were not available during the 5 sea days. This was a repositioning cruise and last of the season, so we were expecting cold weather (it was very cold). There are a lot of time changes as you sail half-way around the world. Hardly surprising. You are on the open ocean folks - take a seasick pill morning and night to avoid spending extra time in bed. Easy peasy. The Breakaway is a lovely ship, however there are some curious design elements resulting in over-crowding in some areas, e.g. *the Atrium, the venue for many of the activities, is adjacent to Customer Service and the iCafe (both always busy and noisy). We avoided the area as much as we could. *cigar room doors open, and spread smoke, into the Maltings Bar area - joining the smoke blowing in from the outdoor smoking area. I'm sure ship board the experience would be better for families - in hot weather. It is also very oriented towards the USA market. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Sometimes NCL forget there are other nationalities and languages on board. Gratuities are high and there seem to be more onboard even if you pay in advance. Celebrity is still our favourite cruise line. Read Less

We chose this cruise based on the ports on the itinerary of this Transatlantic cruise. The only port which proved to be less than desirable was Gothenburg, Sweden. There just wasn’t much to see or do. The embarkation port of Copenhagen and the destination ports of Southampton, Cork, and Ponta Delgada were extremely enjoyable. Hamlet Tours in Copenhagen has a wonderful full day tour of many of the more interesting points of interest including a stop for lunch (not included in tour price). Check out their Grand Day Trip Around Copenhagen. You won’t be disappointed. Southampton is great as it provides the must see opportunities of Stonehedge and the Salisbury Cathedral. There is much to enjoy in seeing the countryside when in transit to those sites, as well. Cork, Ireland is a very special place. We thoroughly enjoyed a full day shore excursion provided by Paddywagon Tours. The tour encompassed a visit to Blarney Castle and the historic city of Cobh. It was great! Our guide was both informative and entertaining. Our last stop before the big float to New York was Ponta Delgado. The beauty of this place cannot be overstated. It is a must to go see the geothermal vents and Nissan Senhora da Paz which is a lovely chapel with a legend, stunningly beautiful views, and thousands of colorful hydrangeas. The Breakaway is easy to get around and has some great things to enjoy. The free dining choices are passable. O’Sheehan’s has great hours and a varied menu for any palate. The specialty restaurants are all worth a try. Jimmy Buffets Margaritavile is outstanding but only open for lunch. We felt Ocean Blue was not as good as we anticipated and would not recommend it. We, also, ate at Le Bistro, La Cucina, Moderno, and Cagney’s. Each provided very nice ambiance, great service, and the type of menu choices one would expect based on the specialty of the restaurant. We were both happy with our choices. There is plenty of entertainment on the Breakaway. We paid for the dinner show, Cirque Dreams and Jungle Fantasy. The cost is $39.99 for premium seating and $29.99 for standard seating. Whichever is booked, it is still imperative to get there early as seats are not assigned. Dinner comes with the show and was good but not great. The show more than made up for that. The set and costumes were imaginative and the performance entertaining. We, also, went to Burn the Floor. It is a free show based on dance. It, in our opinion, was just ok. There was no story line just dance to various musical genres. There was lots of energy on stage but beyond the dance moves it failed to engage us. A free show we thoroughly enjoyed was the Mersey Boys. They are a rock band. Very talented guys who have a repertoire encompassing Motown up through the rock of the 80s. The Casino aboard the Breakaway was disappointing to us. We like to play Blackjack and are experienced players who understand odds and smartest plays on hands dealt. We tried playing several times on different tables and got our clocks cleaned every time. I think we will avoid their casinos in the future. All in all this was a wonderfully memorable cruise. I would highly recommend it based on the livability of the ship and visitability of the ports. Read Less

If you are going to take a tranatlantic cruise, be prepared for it to be overwhelmingly older folks. They told us the average age for the guests was 63 years old. As far as the entertainment is concerned, we enjoyed it, but for every show the sound was 1) way too loud; and 2) poorly balanced, where the instrumentation was louder than the voices. I found the food to be above average. We tried four specialty restaurants (Moderno, Cagneys, Le Bistro, and La Cucina) all very good, and also ate at all three main dining room, the buffet (for most breakfasts and lunches) and O'Sheehans once. Activities were limited because so many of them were held in the Atruim, which has poor sound and poor seating for activities in such a large ship. Because of the wind outside, the pool, the ropes course, and the rock-wall were all closed almost the entire trip. Read Less

I am active, active, active onboard transAtlantic cruises and NCL keeps me busy with dance classes, cardio, origami, trivia games, mystery games, lectures, speakers, movies, NFL football games shown on the big screens (YIPPEE!!), audience participation events, the reading room's daily puzzles, art classes, the 24 hour freestyle food buffet, the rock climbing wall, the ropes course, bowling, the golf course, ping pong, basketball, the walking track, the gym. So much to do, I get worn OUT!! I do everything and wear myself out. And in doing all the activities, I accomplish my cruising goal of meeting folks from all over. The customer service desk and box office staff are always so helpful and friendly to me on NCL ships, I can't even begin to describe how they follow up on every little detail if I need them or make a call. One example is Renata printing out the NFL complete satellite TV schedule and having it sent to my room, knowing I love football. I have cruised NCL forever and have been a platinum member forever now and get all kinds of special gifts onboard. Stick with one cruise lines, folks, and build up your status. Pick one and stick with it, the one you like, there are many out there. Most of all, cut loose and have fun and don't be all stodgy and stiff. Loosen up. Read Less

We chose this transatlantic cruise mainly because of the ports offered. When we booked, Amsterdam was to be the first stop from Copenhagen. This was changed to Gothenburg, Sweden....very disappointing, but all the other ports remained the same. First the pros of this mega ship: Balcony cabin storage was plentiful Angle balcony was larger than others but due to wind and weather, we only used it one day Most of the staff was welcoming and happy We played games in Savor as outdoor decks were closed due to gale force winds and waves...cookies and water, coffee, and tea were available The bedding was comfortable but do not choose a bed by the closet...tight squeeze Balcony bathroom had plenty of storage space Cabin steward was excellent We liked the sinks for hand washing before entering the Garden Cafe Food was ample and good. It was better in the specialty restaurants but this came with a fee. Manhattan Room was good but service was erratic. At times we thought it was the training venue for new waiters. Size of ship handled huge waves very well...we were not seasick. Now the cons of this mega ship: You have to walk through the smoke filled casino...no other way. With outside areas closed due to weather, only three public decks for 4000 people...crowded. Staff who said "it's not my job". Staff who refused to clear tables in crowded buffet Arguing staff in Moderno in front of guests at breakfast. The theater layout causes claustrophobia...seating rows offer one way in and one way out...try to sit on an aisle. Embarkation from terminal 2 in Copenhagen required us to walk two blocks outside in wind and rain...no photos please. Being charged for juice at dinner in Manhattan, savor, and taste dining rooms Crowded and chaotic Garden Buffet...it was a jungle No donuts or popcorn No chapel Could not hear captains announcements if in cabin. Had to listen from doorway. All in all, we were satisfied with this cruise as the ports made it for us. We became platinum plus after this cruise, so we may sail on NCL again but NOT this ship. We prefer the Sun or Jade size. Read Less

Overall, the trip was fine, but I truly object to the mandatory daily "service charge" that supposedly pays gratuities to the people behind the scenes. I did some investigating and found out that the benefit they derive from that is PATHETIC and not nearly enough to tip and compensate the people that we interacted with on a daily basis. Furthermore, I have never been on a ship that had so many restaurants, activities and entertainment that cost extra money. The acoustics on the ship were terrible. The NOISE in the diningrooms and public areas was deafening, and the theater mic was entirely too loud. The ship was clean and the room stewards and waiters I encountered were wonderful, however it is abundently clear that NCL is focused on separating cruisers from more of their money. I would have put this comment on the email I received requesting a review, however after wasting my time filling out the first page ID section several times, was never able to access the page for the narrative. Read Less

To join my wife's sister and husband returning from St. Petersburg cruise. Comments from the four of us: 1. Poor on board Communications between captain and guests, infrequent and marginal information given 2. Terrible television selection, too much children's programming 3. Terrible movie selection, no program guide 4. Outdated television system, maps over 20 years old, navigation antiquated 5. Terrible weather information in dailies and television 6. Terrible port information on television 7. Vending machines onboard inoperable 8. Several gym machines inoperable 9. Inadequate floor space in gym for stretching 10. Terrible show reservations system 11. Needlessly long lines to get into shows 12. Poor crowd management and control 13. Deck numbers missing from dailies for shows and events 14. No deck information in elevators 15. Poor casino ventilation smells like smoke 16. Bowling and games should be free 17. Screws out of synchronization, shuddering entire trip 18. Not enough shows and variety during the day 19. Buffet food stations randomly opened or closed, staples missing like nuts or muffins 20. Siegal Tent food oversalted 21. Cruise Director difficult to understand 22. Activities poorly scheduled 23. Furniture and seating worn-out and uncomfortable 24. Terrible acoustics in Atrium Deck 6 25. Bathrooms well maintained for women , no soap in mens rooms 26. No quiet areas for reading or working 27. Maintenance work done during the daytime, peak eating hours, noisy 28. Loud explosion on Saturday early am and no explanation from the captain 29. Dining services too slow in Manhattan, +2 hours for dinner 30. Staff is not trained to provide satisfying answers to complaints 31. Officers walk in front of passengers 32. Alcohol pours very light in every bar 33. Laundry carts in Deck 9 hallway around the clock 34. Dedicated movie room needed and not Atrium 35. Lower rental movies charges 36. Bottled water should be part of drink card 37. Ship's directory on each floor 38. All entertainment rooms are too small for this size ship 39. Captain only important messages in rooms 40. Staff generally not trained in etiquette and right-of-way courtesy 41. Better hand sanitizer dispensers through out the ship 42. Buffet music too loud 43. Not all elevators announce floor numbers 44. Entertainment was good and varietal 45. Variety of food choices 46. No vegan/vegetarian menus 47. Breakfast in Manhattan was too short ending by 0930 48. Housekeeping staff is friendly and personable 49. Towels were good 50. Plenty of shelves in stateroom bathrooms 51. Better toiletries 52. Bar hours good but inconsistent service at tables 53. Jacuzzi temperature not warm enough 54. More variety of sports on television 55. NFL feed was appreciated 56. On/off boarding was good 57. Personal special diet assistance was good 58. Cruise Director tried to mollify disenchanted passengers 59. Pillows were old 60. Better distribution of comment cards through out the ship 61. Ship interior lighting was good 62. Well cleaned ship through out 63. Good selection of alcohol 64. Good number of deck chairs 65. More knowledgeable and enthusiastic lectures needed 66. Good gym programming 67. Poor pastries in buffet 68. Ice-cream flavors good 69. Corkage fee should be waived for first two bottles brought onboard 70. Chlorine smell around whirlpools 71. No bananas after 10 day 72. Poor graphics on monitor screens around the ship Read Less