We booked this cruise about 3 weeks after a Carnival cruise just to get a feel for the ship and the hospitality differences between NCL and Carnival. This cruise on the Breakaway, was, in our estimation, a step down from Carnival. Embarkation was okay but not as efficient as Carnival. The embarkation terminal was crowded, unsettling and disorganized. We eventually made it to the ship without any other issues. The process took about 30-40 minutes. Carnival took 10 minutes or less. Debarkation was about the same for both ships and it took about 30 minutes to get to the curb. Our balcony cabin was not ready on our arrival, although we were told it would be ready for occupation. We had many problems with the cabin functions throughout the cruise. The shower overflowed everyday, due to poor drainage. This caused the shower water to rise up to our ankles, overflow and drain into a secondary drain behind the toilet causing the bath mat and floor to be soaked every time we used the shower. We told the room steward,, who apparently tried to fix the problem, to no avail. After asking her to fix the issue after 3 days, we gave up and just let the floor in the cabin bathroom flood everyday. The water at the sink tap was scalding hot even on the lowest cold setting that, at best, gave you lukewarm water. No cold water ever came from the tap. The toilets quit working on at least two occasions and we were told it was a problem on the deck we were on and would be fixed, which it was after several hours on two different day. The entertainment was excellent on the ship in the showroom, not so much in the atrium. Many shows were hosted by the Cruise Director who was bland, boing and unenthusiastic. Many activities were held in the very crowded atrium and were so loud that you could only stay for a few moments during the day. O'Sheenan's bar was nice and there food was prepared for you when you were seated for no up charge. The ice cream sundaes there had an added charge and were terrible. Smoke from the open deck casino permeated the center of the ship and if you are cigarette smoke sensitive, many central areas of the ship were effectively "off-limits". Our food, ship wide, no matter where we dined, was poor quality and most of the time cold. The speciality restaurants of Cagney's and La Cucina had up charges based on what you ordered. Our Cagney's bill for four people (with free drinks on our drink package) was over $300. The La Cucina bill was well over $200 for four people with not drink costs added. It also took almost 55 minutes from ordering to our first course at La Cucina. The Teppinayki and Moderno had a flat uncharge of $39 each. Not great deal when you already paid over $3000 for the balcony room cruise fare. Teppinaki was fun with the center grill but the 5, quarter sized shrimp and dime sized scallops were a disappointment. The food was over salted and drenched in soy sauce. Moderno was terrible. The food was over seasoned, salty and tough. None of the meats provided were of good quality. The dessert was grainy and overly sweet. We were never asked in either of these two restaurant's about the quality of the food provided. The Garden Cafe (buffet) was a disaster. Noisy, crowded, dirty tables, unenthusiastic employees and just a really poor attempt at feeding the masses. (The kids area chicken fingers were the best thing on the menu there.) We went one day at lunch for about 30 minutes and never returned to this venue the rest of the trip. Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville was fun. Good food ($15 up charge/person), but only open for lunch. The bar drinks were good and the service probably the best on the ship. We had poor, uninspired food in the main dining rooms. We ate in all 3 during the cruise for dinner and the Manhattan room was by far the best. The servers in the other two rooms was spotty at best. Then pool areas were crowded, especially since we had 2 sea days, a non-stop added sea day due to Great Stirrup Cay unable to accessed because of high winds making tendering dangerous. (No compensation offered for this missed stop by NCL.) The islands of St. Thomas, Tortola and St. John are still recovering from the 2017 hurricane but it was nice to get off the ship and enjoy the beautiful beaches. Most of the tourist stops at these ports all had the same jewelry store and t-shirt shops. Ship internet was SLOW. We had a 250 minute package but spent at least a third of the minutes waiting for the system to load, even when we were standing 10 feet from the internet area, located in the noisy atrium area. We also had a problem getting drink servers to ask about beverages throughout the ship. It is a good "ploy" by NCL to sell you the drink package up front with added tips and then make you go in search of drinks at bars on your own. We were only approached by a drink server in any public area of the ship 3 occasions in 7 days. I don't know if is the lack of staff or intentional reduction by NCL to curb providing pre-paid drinks to the guests to save money. Compared to Carnival, which we though we would never say, NCL doesn't equal the service and amenities that Carnival provided us, three weeks earlier, for about an equal cruise fare and amenity package. We will NeverCruise with NCL again! Read Less

Upon arrival to our stateroom I always make sure sheets and bathroom is clean. While wiping out the toilet there was a brown, black and greenish film inside the toilet rim. In 7 days the sheets on the bed were never changed and the bathroom was cleaned slightly. We incrued several charges to our onboard account that were incorrect including a $62.41 for 2 bottles of wine which we never ordered. One bottle of water from the mini bar was $13.40!! So if you choose to sail with NCL check you account frequently because they try to get extra money out of you any way possible. On three separate occasions I encountered rude and disrespectful staff. The entertainment on the ship was good and free but mostly will cost you extra money. We did not make it to the last port of call (Great Stirrup Cay) and was given $30 pp for the inconvenience of being at sea another 24 hours! The experience at sea was very rocky and ship did a lot of dipping and everyone was holding on to keep fr stumbling. For $1400 pp......I was not impressed by this cruise line and it is highly unlikely that I will cruise with NCL again! Read Less

Chose this cruise to see how we liked NCL. We didn't. Been on 22. Cruises and the customer service was the worst by far. Booking a cruise in March for 24+ people and cancelled NCL. Will not cruise again. Nice ship. Good specialty dining buffet for was bad real bad. Entertainment was very good. But to be rudely treated by crew is unacceptable. Bar service was terrible. 20 mins to get a drink. Cabin steward never said hello. And was vacuuming at 8 AM outside the cabin. Left room dirty wet towels on the floor poor attitude. O Sheehan s food was good poor service hostess was rude. First time in 23 cruises I ever went to relations to complain. Bar hop at on the 16th deck was weak never picked up empty glasses all cruise long it was a mess up there on matter what time of day. Full ashtrays everywhere. Read Less

First time on NCL. If not for the staff and food this would have been a two star review. First - shout out to the friendly and professional bartenders. Dr. Lawrence at the Pour House and pool bar - world class! Christian at the Whiskey Bar and all the other bartenders are top shelf. The “coffee with love women” in the breakfast buffet area were awesome as were the “washy washy“ folks. Fun breakfast experience. Food not bad overall - really really good in specialty dining restaurants. Otherwise disorganized cruise, nothing special about the ship, on line services lacking, after hours food non-existent. The passengers were diverse but there were a lot who just drank from early AM until late night, sloppy and some angry drunks who just ruined the cruise vibe for me. I am sad that I won’t be seeing the crew again but would not consider a second cruise on this ship. The cost was really very high in relation to other better overall cruises we’ve been on. Read Less

I am an experienced cruiser having sailed on many lines from budget to luxury. I've usually found NCL to be a good mainstream choice. No dress codes, flexible and numerous dining options, and good entertainment. And, usually, friendly service. Most of that remains true. But this cruise was sterile. No warmth from the crew. Everything felt like it was robotic. The smiles you did get were forced. Everyone from the captain to the cruise director seemed to be reading from a script. Bored and burned out would be my general assessment. The burned out aspect could be because there seems to be far fewer staff doing the work. Lines at bars were several deep (for $11 drinks) and trying to get service was frustrating and time consuming. From an entertainment perspective, the shows were high energy and enjoyable. But there is a void of activities during the day. What is available is usually held in the tiny atrium and is either at a price or to get you to buy something. The days of pool games and ice carvings and deck activities are gone. I think this is partly due to the design of the breakaway class ships. The pool (the one) is small with little area for people to gather. There is another pool that is hidden under the water slides but it is claustrophobic and sees little use. The buffet is very crowded. Poor design and just so many people. No smiles from anybody that works there except for the "washy washy" team. They are quick to clear tables which is a good thing since seating can be near impossible to get during peak times. Food in the restaurants doesn't blow you away but doesn't really disappoint either. Feels like it is made by a check list. No passion. I will say the food temperature is an issue. Rarely was anything hot, especially at the buffet. We had to skip Great Stirrup Cay due to rough seas which would have made tendering difficult. This was announced by the captain, and then again by the cruise director. Both reading a script (or so monotone it seemed that way) with the information presented as if they were dispassionate reporters or doctors delivering a diagnosis. No feeling or any real acknowledgement that people might be disappointed. The new facial recognition debarkation was great. Once the line started moving,was from ship to curb in about 10 minutes. So here is the thing. You can't find a real major fault. They check the boxes on the check list. Sadly, that is exactly what it felt like. They were just checking the boxes, following the script, processing the passengers, and getting through another day. I just don't want my vacation to feel that way. I think I will check NCL off my list for future cruises. One other note that firms up my decision to say goodbye to NCL. If you book a cabin at the lead price, which they call Sailaway fares, you will not receive sailing credits in the Latitudes reward program. I didn't see this mentioned anywhere until I received the booking/payment confirmation. Small print says you will receive on board benefits if you had already achieved a certain level but would not receive credits for the current booking. So if you don't want to book the higher fares and be forced to pay the gratuities for the "free" drinks, "free" speciality dining, etc., which you may not really want in the first place, you will now be on the Latitudes treadmill never moving up in the program. NCL has a weak program as it is when compared to other lines and this seems like a really cheap shot. Read Less

We chose this cruise ship solely for the swimming with the pigs excursion and very disappointed when the captain said it was too rough to tender into their private island. This happens 50% of their cruises. Puerto Rico was a very disappointing, dirty destination. The haven suites and private areas were excellent with the exception of children under 12, who were in the hot tub and pool areas The hot tubs overflowed into the right side of the 16th deck hallway causing a moldy smell. The air movers did not help this area to dry. The Haven swimming pool was extremely small. The Haven butlers, staff, bartenders and concierge were the very best! The Haven restaurant was was perfect every time. The behind the scenes tour was my 84 year old Father’s favorite. In the future I look forward to doing more research and not use AAA for my travel plans. Read Less

For my first cruise, I selected a good one. I was traveling with three other adults and we all had an amazing trip. I was a newbie but the others had sailed 4 or 5 times previously and that was very helpful to me. The ship was very clean and the staff was constantly working to make sure it stayed that way. The cabin was on level 6A. It did not have a window or balcony but that was not a problem. I would make the same choice again. The dining options were great. It took a day to figure out which dining venue was best for us...... we settled on one of the larger, more formal dining rooms, The Palace and The Crossing. The buffet's were always available and you could dine inside or outside, 24-hours a day. The service was impeccable and the food options were great. The on-board stage shows were very well executed. The performers were talented and everyone seem to enjoy the shows. Having bar service in the auditoriums prior to the shows was a surprise and a very nice touch. The only negative I would mention is the smoking in the casino. At night when the casino was full, and many people were smoking, it was very strong. As or the ports and excursions, we did not participate in any of the excursions. The ports included Key West...... enjoyed it and would do it again. The private island was a lot of fun. Although it was a lot of people on the beach, everything was well organized and flowed well. The food was good on the island as well. Nassau Bahamas.......was disappointing. We found it to be dirty and crowded. Every gift shop had the exact same items to sell. I regret not doing an activity in Nassau because the water was so beautiful and I wanted to enjoy it. We did travel by ferry over to Atlantis and that was amazing. So glad we did that. I would love to return to Atlantis one day. From the moment we arrived at the port terminal to the moment we stepped off the ship, Norwegian made sure every detail was covered. Read Less

This was our first cruise with Norwegian. We've sailed with other cruise lines that we have enjoyed very much and were excited to try Norwegian. Although we had a wonderful time despite many issues, I'm not a fan of the Breakaway. I want to start by saying the the Breakaway has an outstanding staff who were, for the most part, friendly and helpful. They made our cruise great. Our issues are not with the staff, but with the ship and cruise line in general. Embarkation was disorganized as was many of the events. Most of the popular events are held in the atrium, which is far too small to host such a large crowd. The atrium is positioned directly across from guest services, which makes it very difficult to speak to guest services over the din in the crowd and event. Our biggest complaint: none of the toilets flushed properly. Some not at all. It took several pushes on the buttons to make them flush, if they were going to flush at all. On a couple of occasions, after pumping the button in vain, our room's toilet flushed on its own hours later. A 3:00am startle that I didn't appreciate. When we spoke to guest services they told us that they were aware of the problem and that it is ship wide. The Breakaway has a strange layout. Needing to venture through the liquor store to buy sunscreen? Weird. It feels like the ship was meant to be laid out differently, but was rearranged in a much less optimal fashion. The "adults only" area is only during certain hours (7:00am - 6:00pm ?) then open to all ages the rest of the time. This is the first cruise ship we've been on that didn't have a 24/7 dedicated adults only area. When I mentioned this to a staff member they suggested I hang out in the library. Was she cracking wise or sincere? I don't know. But we didn't use the adults area anyway because nearly all of it is a smoking section. Breakaway has so many smoking areas that it stinks like a dirty ashtray through most of the common areas inside of the ship. Great if you're a smoker I suppose, but I am not. Speaking of adult only areas, they allowed children to sit at the bars and in the 18+ shows. Come on now Norwegian... set some standards! Trying to order a drink at a lounge bar late at night while next to a three year old whose screaming, slapping the bar, and grabbing at the cocktail fruit behind the bar was a new experience. Not one I want to repeat. A bright spot: The show "Rock of Ages" was magnificent! Credit where it is due; this was one of the best shows we've seen on a cruise. Likewise the comedic magician Jean-Pierre Parent was fabulous! And we really enjoyed Dylan Mandlsohn in the comedy club. No complaints about Norwegian's shows. Disembarkation was a nightmare. I have not ever been through such a cluster of a debarkation in all of my cruises - and we have sailed on ships with many more guests than the Breakaway. Norwegian just doesn't seem to know how to handle crowds. The disembarkation winding through the smoke filled areas of the ship was bad enough, but then they dumped us out into a thunderstorm without any cover. So here I am, already ill with something I contracted on-board the ship, now wheezing from the stinking smoke filled ship, dumped out in a thunderstorm to be drenched, and then dumped back into another air conditioned building where I am now wet, cold, and sick. Not a great impression to leave with a guest. Again, the staff of the Breakaway was the very best part of the cruise. They are amazing people. The staterooms were comfortable and the food was good. The excursions were a blast even if they were a bit disorganized to start. We had a good time despite the disorganization and lack of properly functioning toilets. However, Norwegian will not be a cruise line we first consider in the future. Maybe a third or forth choice, but no where near our first. Maybe it was just the Breakaway, but I'm not spending my hard earned money to find out. Read Less

We chose this cruise for the ages of kids camp - kids activities! We were disappointed! The kids camps had way too many rules! My kids have cruised at least once a year for their entire life and they hated the kids clubs! This is the first cruise that they did not enjoy the camps! (They have cruise ncl two other times and we did not find it to be so restrictive as this time!) Main dining food was just okay but the add on dinners were amazing!! Comedians were amazing! Sids Pour house(forget full name) has amazing shows! Dialing pianos were great! We also booked “Velvet” and wish we had not taken our youngest to it- definitely not appropriate for kids! The show was great, though. Food was okay. 12152 and 12154 never went 12 hours without having to call maintenance to fix the flushing mechanism for toilet! It was a pain to not have a working toilet all the time!! Feel bad for anyone who gets those rooms until they fix the problem! Read Less

Coming previously from the Oasis of the Seas from Royal Carribbean, I had high expectations. Comparing Norwegian to Royal Caribbean, it has left me rating Norwegian as just ok. The food is comparable, not much of a difference on this front - both are great! The bartenders are WAY better on Royal Caribbean... when you request a single in a tall glass, they will actually give you this. I had multiple occasions where I had to fight with the bartenders on the Breakaway to reduce the amount of alcohol in my drinks, and sometimes to completely remake them. They simply made them way too strong - and this is a common complaint from many fellow cruisers we came across. When we got to Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas, there was this "tender" process which was a complete nightmare. Luckily we overheard another family in the dining hall talking about signing up for a tender slot and were able to obtain letter E. Which meant we got on the island for around 12:15-12:30 (keep in mind, we arrived at 11). It was absolutely ridiculous that they still have not built a pier for this island and had to load the entire ship onto these tender boats both ways. Other cruisers were furious that we met with this process as 1/3 of their island time was taken up from this process. The pool was super small, and every day was completely packed. We were not able to use it once which was super disappointing. The rope courses require a sleeved shirt (despite the sign saying participants "should" wear a sleeved shirt, not making it mandatory). So I was unable to participate since the staff would not allow anything other than sleeves. My tank top which covered the entire shoulders was not enough and I was denied use (the straps were about the width of my hand). Lesson learned to pack actual "t-shirts" opposed to tanks and dresses going forward. On a more positive note... Josh, the shopping guide was AMAZING and was the best part of our vacation. He really goes above and beyond for guests on the ship. Any issues, he made sure they were resolved beyond expectations. The specialty dining was also well worth it, it was wonderful to sit outside for a few romantic meals in the evening. Overall, the trip was just ok. We have decided to go back to Royal Caribbean going forward as any issues they would go above and beyond to resolve it. Read Less

I chose this cruise for a mother daughter trip. Mom 62, DH’s 38 & 36. We started with a good embarkation. Day 1 Arrived at port June 2 at 10am and we were onboard by 10:30. So my platinum status was doing well. We headed to the coffee shop for a nice cold coffee. Ate lunch in Taste it was good. We were in our state room a mini balcony suite 11234 by 12:15. Nice space for 3. I really liked the double sink and large shower. Room Seward never did introduce himself but had several opportunities that day. Dinner at cagneys started our many mishaps. For One of my daughters I had bought her a four meal plan (other daughter was on my three free dinner plan). Cagneys couldn’t find the four meal plan purchased so they just said they’d charge al cart. I was to have my concierge adjust it later. We had excellent steaks, kinda odd that the one prime rib had a piece of fat bigger than a fillet. Never heard from concierge that day. No towel animals that night. Girls missed that just because it’s a cruising thing. Day 2 sea day- getting ready in the morning we blow a fuse? On the vanity so no plug ins to use. This was at 8 am. So we leave a note thinking they’d fix it when they make up the room. Going back to room several times during day. Room not done. It took 7 hours to clean but still no electricity. So I called the front desk and asked if it could please get done by 4 pm so we could get ready for dinner. At 4:15 it was fixed. So when they made up room they left a blue wet rag laying on my packing cube, never replaced dirty towels with clean ones, never made up couch for third person, and no towel animals again. So I had to call guest services again. Still never met room steward or concierge that day Saw burn the floor in theater it was good. After the show officers were introduced. One was in charge of towel animals. My girls looked at me cause I thought maybe they did away with them. Nope! Day 3- San Juan day. room service finally got things together after this day. Maybe we had a new one? Called concierge about daughters meal plan. He found it so I wasn’t crazy about purchasing it before cruise. We ate in o’Sheehans that day. Had my favorite Shepard’s pie. It was cold and potato’s on top were dry as a bone. Girls went zip lining and had a great time. I left a note on couch in evening for turn down service Towel animals? We have towel animals!! Day 4-St Thomas. We took kon tiki party barge and went to water island beach. Beach wasn’t that nice. Not a lot of chairs. We ate at the Manhattan dining room. Very nice Day 5-Tortola. We took Land and sea. Saw beautiful scenery. Ate at margaritaville for lunch which was a mistake. It took 1 1/2 hours to get all of our food. Which was good once we got it. Never again unless it’s free! Ate at le bistro for supper . Excellent food Day 6 relaxing sea day. We attended wine lovers the musical at noon. Show was excellent. We had a very rude group of women next to us visit the whole time loudly. My daughter and I asked our waitress twice if they could be told to keep it down. After the show was over a couple of ladies congratulated us for not knocking their blocks off. lol. They were so rude but we still liked the show. Had supper at Cagneys with my platinum status coupon. Again excellent food. Day 7- great stirrup cay. We had a small cabana and were told we had priority tender but it never happened. But I heard from other people that it took 2 hours to get off the ship. We enjoyed the beach and cabana. Headed back to look in shops before last tenders at 5. So it was 4 but the line was so long we just got in it. It took 45 minutes of waiting in line under very hot sun to tender back. My daughter had an umbrella so that helped. Would have loved to spent more time at the cabana but with the tendering situation it wasn’t all that worth it. Saw rock of ages. So good! We ate in moderno that night. Kinda a slow experience but good. So after this cruise with Norwegian I’m thinking of trying celebrity. I spoke with my concierge several times on the phone but never once did he contact me. I’m a platinum member but didn’t really feel it this time. This was my 14th ncl cruise and my 31st overall cruise. So I’m not a newby and usually not a complainer. But I just had to step in and voice my concerns way too many times this cruise. I didn’t have time to check my bill before we left but that one dinner that my daughter was charged for at cagneys was still on there after the concierge said he’d take care of it. My fault for not looking. Read Less

Overall, we were disappointed in this cruise. We had such a great time last year on the Getaway, we were expecting the same experience, but there were quite a few things that were lacking this time. 1) Embarkation was really easy, and fast. Our luggage arrived in our room earlier than expected also, which was nice. 2) The free bottle of champagne in the room for being a Latitudes member is a nice gesture, but the champagne was absolutely awful! It tasted like dishwater - we could not drink it. 3) Overall, the crew members on this cruise just were not very friendly. We saw very few smiles, friendly interaction, etc. Last time, everyone we saw (water slide attendents, the washy washy people, waiters, etc.) all smiled and said "Hi" and welcomed us, joked with us, etc. This time, very few people were friendly. The few that did stood out. Everyone else just seemed like they were going through the motions, especially the bartenders. They barely looked at us when taking the order and acted like they just wanted to get rid of us. Many times we had to flag down a waiter to get more water - they never came to check on us. 4) The bathrooms by the pool area and by the theater were often messy, out of toilet paper, soap, etc. I know these are busy areas, but they should be restocked often. 5) Our shore excursion on St. Thomas got messed up. I had reserved parasailing for 2:45, but the tickets we got on board were for 11:45, which conflicted with our Sapphire Beach excursion, so we had to cancel. I didn't have access on board, but at home I checked, and I have the confirmation for 2:45. Our kids were very disappointed to miss parasailing. There were no openings to reschedule. 6) It was discouraging to arrive at Great Stirrup Cay, and see Royal Carribbean's island right next to it, with all the fun stuff there, and not have any of that on Norweigian's island. The waterpark, the hot air balloon, etc is easily visible, but there are no activities like that on Great Stirrup Cay. 7) There was some wind and a threat of a storm, I believe, so my husband and son's jet ski reservation got cancelled, and all other times that afternoon were also cancelled, even though the weather cleared up. I understand if there are currents, other issues, etc. that might have affected it. But, the attendants were so rude about it! When my husband was told their reservation was cancelled, he simply asked if there would be any other times available in the afternoon, and they rudely said "No, ALL reservations are cancelled!" No explanation, etc. 8) The tender system back to the ship at Great Stirrup Cay needs work. We were there from 11-5:30, with the last tender at 5. I thought I would be plenty early getting ready to leave at 4. The line for the tender was incredibly long, the boarding process took forever, the disembarking process also was really long, so I ended up not getting back to the ship until 5:15. It should not take 1 hour 15 min to get back to the ship! That totally cuts into the time that could be spent on the island, if we have to cut it short by that amount of time! 9) The comedians were awesome - really enjoyed the shows and the comedy magician. Did not enjoy Rock of Ages at all - too campy. We did not see Velvet, as that also seemed very campy. 10) Paquito, the cruise director, while very professional and informative, was not "fun." We had Zach on our previous cruise, and he was hilarious! Was not the same experience. 11) We're big Bingo fans, but seriously, they did the exact same jokes that we heard last year on the Getaway. Do they all get the same script? It's incredibly boring and repetitive to hear the same things over and over. 12) Disembarkation was absolutely awful. There were delays in the terminal (not sure whether that was from Norwegian's side or customs) but the line to disembark was ridiculously long. It wound all the way around O'Sheenans back and forth through the casino, then out. Luckily, we were not in a rush, but I can't imagine if we had a flight to catch! Then, we were led out onto the deck far away from the gangway, and it was pouring rain. We had to inch along the deck in the rain in that line, until we finally reached the covered gangway. We should've been led out the door closest to the gangway, given ponchos, or held inside until we could just walk right to the gangway instead of waiting in line the rain. We were absolutely soaked by the time we got inside! 13) No one said goodbye as we were in the line to disembark - the crew members we saw were talking amongst themselves, and didn't even acknowledge us. 14) Buffet/bar times - For some reason, we had a hard time getting food and drinks at certain times of day. We always seemed to miss the meal times at the buffet, and it was always snack time when we wanted to get some food, especially in the afternoon. Since the snack stuff is the same every day, it got incredibly repetitive. A couple nights after a show, or whatever, we tried to find a bar to get frozen drinks at, and a lot of the bars were closed, and the few that were open were so incredibly busy that I couldn't get close enough to order the drinks. Besides the fact that the bartenders would never look up to see who wanted to order. We didn't have this problem last time, so I'm not sure if the hours were different, or we just had bad luck? 15) Our cabin steward, Dasy (not sure if that the correct spelling) was awesome. He was very accomodating, and worked around our schedule several times when the kids slept in really long. 16) We knew going in that the Breakaway was the sister ship of the Getaway, and knew that many things were similar. But I found it a bit boring, because it was pretty much exactly the same. I felt like we were on the same cruise again (with the exceptions listed above.) Maybe change things up a little between ships? Some different restaurants, or something? We would not want to repeat that again, so will not be cruising on either ship again. 17) The adult pool is way too small. I never wanted to go there because people were packed in there like sardines! It was soooo crowded, it was claustrophobic. 18) The website is hard to use in some instances. When I ran into issues, it is very difficult to find ways to get in contact with Norwegian without having to call (and wait on hold forever.) The few email links I found did not work. The survey they sent to me after the cruise crashed with an error, and I was unable to get back to the page I wanted. For the first time, I was happy to be heading home, rather than having "cruise depression" as usual. :-( Read Less

We have taken approx. 7 cruises on Norwegian and always in the Haven. After the second cruise, the Haven has gone down so much that we will never take Norwegian again. It is not worth the money they charge. You can get better and less expensive accommodations with amenities on other ships offering their version of the Haven. We wrote two requests to Norwegian on their required email site also saying we have still not received our points which would take us to the, or close to, the next level. We called three times and was finally told, 'why are you so worried? You will get them eventually. We are behind' and hung up. It has never taken this long for our points. We put in TWO requests with case numbers. We finally after weeks of waiting received a response to the first inquiry...'THANK YOU, YOUR CASE HAS BEEN NOTED'. Okay do we get our points? still no answer or points. The Haven service has gone down in every respect from the beginning, to the concierge being almost non existent just sitting at his desk in front of a computer not looking up after the first 'greeting' the butler I barely saw unless he knocked with the canape's which are now microscopic and handed me the tray to carry in. The only thing the Haven offers from the other ships is a swimming pool for the Haven guests. It is small and crowded. THAT is the only difference but we will be taking other ships like Celebrity and Princess from now on. We are not worthy even of the points due us for paying thousands for the Haven and getting very bad service. Met other couples who said the same thing. Sad they have changed and treat their loyal clients so badly. The HAVEN may be great for someone who has never taken it before, however one couple we met did just that and swore they will never pay that amount of money again for the Haven. Great disappointment. The food was good but the Haven restaurant never changes its menu so it gets boring. We went to the speciality restaurants almost every night and they were good. Generally the service is good but as I said the special service you expect from the Haven is not there The Spa services were great. That was the best part of the cruise We used the thermal suite but there the pool was cool not warm and it was hard to get a chair. Many were wondering if the salt room was even working at all. The entertainment was good but the same or similar shows on the past cruises he have taken so a bit p, for us at least, not that entertaining. Shopping was nice but not great. Read Less

Prior to booking this cruise, I spoke with an NCL representative and asked if she was aware, and the reason behind the poor ratings associated with this ship. Her reply was disingenuous and was along the lines of: they don't read them and I shouldn't either because all ships and cruise lines have some poor ratings, only upset people take the time to review, and with thousands of people each cruise, the total number of negative reviews are only a small percent of all cruisers and good reviews. I love data. Data tells a story. First, I believe NCL should be paying attention to the unfavorable reviews because if they aren't...they simply don't care to improve, nor do they value customer feedback. Second, I took a few minutes to compare three cruise ships owned by different companies that were all similar in tonnage and capacity to see if NCL's Breakaway reviews stood out among their competition in any way. The Breakaway of NCL has 713 "poor" or "terrible" reviews vs 992 "excellent" Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Sea has 289 poor/terrible vs 915 excellent Carnival's Vista (newer) has 150 poor/terrible vs 252 excellent 72% of NCL's Breakaway reviews are POOR or TERRIBLE vs excellent 32% of Navigator's reviews are POOR or TERRIBLE vs excellent 59% of Vista's reviews are POOR or TERRIBLE vs excellent If NCL isn't listening...they better start because based on reviews on Cruisecritic, they are dead last in bad vs good reviews. It's important to note that other cruise lines like Princess, Celebrity, Costa are in line with Carnival or Royal Caribbean and far below the high percentage of poor or terrible rating make that NCL/Breakaway has. My Cruise: Ship: It was chaotic, loud, unorganized, dirty, and at times frantic. There are limited pool, dining, or quiet areas on this ship for nearly 4,000 passengers. My family was not able to enjoy anything other than the buffet and room service because the wait for the main dining was 45 minutes plus, and reservations filled up quickly and we were shut-out of all the specialty dining options. When we did try to enjoy the pool with a quiet morning swim, it was filthy and full of hair with a surface glaze of oil, lotion and film. At one point I splashed an entire handful of black/matted hair out of the pool. Most of the time it was packed with people and loud (and I mean really loud) music. The buffet was enjoyable, but the food items repeated and it was often shoulder to shoulder with people so determined to get to their food they would push my children out of the way. This is not an exaggeration as I discussed this with another parent who stated, "...these people act like they be starving or something!" I appreciate first-come/first-serve with reservations, but some families with children have more important things to do than make reservations right away. How about allotting each cabin at least a few reservations??? Cabin: Our cabin was fine and a highlight was our steward who was a lovely young man from the Philippines who had big and bold dreams for his life. Our toilet was shut-off three times due to area-wide backup and blockage for which our steward was always apologizing. The walls were thin and anytime someone in a room next to us sneezed, flushed their toilet, or had adult time...our entire family could hear. Dining: Mentioned above. The staff was brilliant. However, we were stuck with the buffet and the area is not designed for more than several people to get around in. I felt very bad for the elderly with walkers, or those in wheel-chairs, or those who moved a bit slower than others, or for children. Common courtesy seems to be lost when people want to eat and the walking area is crammed with people who have restricted movement. Entertainment: It's fine. It's cruise ship entertainment. These performers are doing the same routine week after week for different faces for very little money. They are talented and energetic, but it is easy to see the passion, creativity, and art is lost. Services: Room service was excellent. Nice selection and good food. There is an $8 fee per order, plus tips and as most of us know, the cabins are not an ideal place for a family to eat...however, when your family is done with the noise and wall-to-wall people who push and cut in line to get their fill...sometimes room service is a welcome change from the madness. Ports: This ship was not made for comfortable or efficient disembarking or embarking. We waited hours (no exaggeration and you can find other cruisers complaints of the same nature). I did not leave with confidence in staff because they were often running around not knowing how to handle the growing lines or upset cruisers. On one disembark the staff had a snaked rope line running through the casino and people were smoking (which is allowed in this area) three feet from my children. Disgusting and highly inconsiderate. At one point, our group was called to tender and we still waited almost an hour...sitting in the theater where a smutty show had just taken place the night before. Now, my wife and I are no prudes, but there were unwholesome pictures and signs with big lettering "LIVE NUDES" on the wall. Very, very inconsiderate towards young cruisers and families...but, what could one expect after the entire experience? It was just par for the course. The "private island" was wall to wall people with little room for 'self' and be prepared for more loud music, swearing, trash. I have listed a lot of negatives. Favorable highlights from our week: The staff. They are amazing and truly care. Many went out of their way to show kindness and share a conversation about themselves as individuals. I had several opportunities to practice my Spanish and Mandarin and each time the staff were gracious and kind. Buffet. There was an excellent selection of fruits and veggies. Staff were attentive and kind. They did their best with an area designed for several hundred, yet frequented by thousands. Port. It's difficult to experience any true culture or get away from hawkers with Chinese-made trinkets in these ports. However, the private island IS truly beautiful...just over-populated. We enjoyed swimming and my children saw lots of fish and other sea life. The swimming area is well-protected by a reef (man made) and there are lifeguards stationed at several places so you do feel safe from jellyfish, other panicked swimmers, or other threats. This was our second and last NCL cruise. My entire family left underwhelmed and wishing we had stayed in a resort on a nice, quiet beach instead. Read Less

We have cruised NCL multiple times, and had arranged this cruise with family and friends. It was absolutely the worst cruise experience we have ever had on Norwegian. The ship itself is nice and the embarkation process was fine. Our family balcony room was accommodating, but average.From that point on it was downhill. The customer service was the issue throughout the cruise. Our cabin steward was not very attentive, we had to tell him we had our daughter with us so he could make the extra bed down each night.The bar staff in most lounges were anything but efficient and friendly. In the pool area the wait staff were clearly overwhelmed. Their were long waits even if you went to the deck bar itself. Dining: Teppanyaki was the best!!. We also tried the sushi place next to Ocean Blue of which the menu stated you may request the Restaurants menu....we did and the waiter said we couldn't order from there..The Ocean Blue manager came over -we requested it from him and he even said they didn't allow ordering from it...so we showed him the menu where it read you could....So with attitude he obliged...Cagney's was another terrible waiter who took forever to get drinks to the table after we were seated. Dinner took too long for service. La Cucina was better but they crowded our party to a small table. We stopped at O'Sheehans late night to grab something to eat; I counted at least 7 open tables; but the manager said it was a 45minute wait and handed us a pager. It was due to a lack of staff he admitted. All restaurants for dinner times through onboard reservations said they were booked out....We went to them anyway observing many empty tables at routine dinner times and were able to get in. This is a poor practice when people are planning their evenings. ENTERTAINMENT: Rock of Ages was an awful show, it lacked a theme and the live music- I've heard better garage bands. The best musical talent and entertainment was in Syd Normans, the group was amazing and put on a great show. EXCURSIONS: for the trip were just okay; with the exception being Great Stirrup Cay, I recommend avoiding this stop at all. NCL needs to build a dock!!!! they tender you to and from -and it is absolutely ridiculous wait times especially returning to the ship waiting in a LONG hot line....didn't even provide water. The biggest issue throughout the cruise was the lack of customer service and the staff, we had one person that even rolled their eyes at us!!. It was the worst 7 day experience onboard any ship I've ever been on. I would avoid this particular cruise at all as it needs some serious attention in their personnel in most areas of the ship. This is my first posting for any review of the numerous trips I have taken, but it was that bad, just had to share it!!!!! Keith C. . Read Less

This was our first cruise together however we have both cruised separately with other lines. We are a couple in our 20's from the UK and were a bit apprehensive of what the average age on board would be however we were pleasantly surprised by the mix of guests. First off, embarkation went pretty smoothly. We arrived at Miami around 11:30 and were on board by 12:30 having just a short wait to get through security (we were in boarding group 12). Our first impressions on board were positive - the ship was pretty and clean and the staff were welcoming. It didn't take long to familiarise ourselves with the layout of the ship however we did think there seemed to be a lack of outside space. We went to the Garden Cafe for lunch on embarkation day which was already incredibly busy, as was the pool. This was a good indication of what was to come as the main pool was very overcrowded for the entire cruise. We actually ended up avoiding it. As others have said, if you are not up at the crack of dawn to reserve a bed, forget finding one. There is supposedly a policy to stop people from reserving beds however we never saw this enforced. Luckily, we had booked a large balcony stateroom which had beds on the balcony. We spent quite a lot of time there and were so pleased we had this as an option. Be prepared that people will be drinking A LOT. We personally didn't have any negative experiences but did hear stories of people passing out in hallways and becoming quite rowdy. I know most people have the unlimited drinks package (as did we) but we weren't expecting such long lines at all the bars. It became quite frustrating. We weren't blown away by any of the ports that we visited. We found the NCL excursions to be very pricey so did some exploring of our own instead. St. Thomas and Tortola were fine but very similar visually and we really weren't that impressed by the beaches despite the hype. The biggest disappointment for us however was Great Stirrup Caye. The tender process took forever. The ship arrived around 11am however we didn't make it to the island until just before 2pm (and we were in tender group E... so there were still several more groups to go). It seemed so disorganised and chaotic. By the time we arrived on the island, we were hot, miserable and frustrated. We couldn't even get a drink as the lines at the bars were so long. We actually gave up after about half an hour and took a tender back to the ship. This was the only time during the cruise we were able to sit by the pool for a while as almost everyone had gone onto the island. We ate at three speciality restaurants as we had this included as part of our package. We went to Cagney's, La Cucina and Teppanyaki. Teppanyaki was by far our favourite - the filet mignon was amazing and our chef made the experience fun. The other two were fine but nothing special and we were glad we weren't paying out of pocket for them. We were pleasantly surprised by the main dining rooms and found the food in there far superior to the buffet. There is so much hype about O'Sheehans but we found this underwhelming and again, always overcrowded (even at 1am there was a 30 minute wait for a table!). The entertainment was fine and the Cruise Director and his staff do work very hard although we did find many of the activities weren't really for us. There are a lot of activities you pay extra for such as bingo and Deal or No Deal, which they do promote a lot. We took part in both and again, there were far too many people. The bingo we attended was in the Pour House and it was completely rammed so people were having to stand at the back. Deal or No Deal is held in the atrium and people are saving seats for literally an hour beforehand. If you turn up 20-30 minutes before, good luck finding anywhere to sit. It's the same for any of the evening entertainment in the atrium - we never managed to find a seat. The final disappointment for us was disembarkation. We decided to go with self-disembarkation and it was a nightmare. We joined the queue around 8am and didn't make it off the ship until just before 10am. It was very disorganised and we found people in the line with us who shouldn't have been disembarking yet which meant the lines were much longer than they should have been. Overall, we'd been so looking forward to this cruise and we knew that it was a very large ship but just felt it hasn't been designed to accommodate so many people. A lot of our experiences were negatively impacted by the overcrowding in the public areas and also the price of everything onboard. Disembarkation really was the last straw for us but I do wonder how much this will improve when the NCL port is completed in Miami. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll be booking with NCL again. Read Less

Line: Norwegian Boat: Breakaway On May 19, my husband and I took this cruise to Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Tortola and a key owned by the line, called Stirrup Caye. The truth is that I prefer the system that the cruise ships had before, we all went to the same restaurant and we could all watch the same shows. Now lots of time is wasted trying to find reservations for each of the specialized restaurants, if you want to try them, and the same with the shows. You have to make reservations even to get off the ship. I'm going to start with the ports. The arrival to Puerto Rico was at 5:00 in the afternoon, on Tuesday when many places were closed and there wasn’t too much to do. It was a shame because I couldn’t go to any beach or enjoy more the local attractions. In St. Thomas and Tortola the stay was quite short, we could only enjoy approximately 2 hours on each beach. But the worst part was the Caye. We arrived at 11:00 am and nevertheless we could not get off the ship because we did not have a reservation to be able to get off first. We ended up going down at about 2:15 and by 4:30 we had to start concentrating to get back to the boat, which became an endless line of old, young and adult people under the inclement sun. That was the worst experience of all. The services in the bars, terrible. There was never a waiter nearby and people were milling around the bar asking the bartenders for a drink, more than a bar they looked like public markets. The only place where we were served properly was at Malting’s bar .... The attention of ABDUL and EKO were impeccable. In addition to this I must highlight the quality of the food during dinners. They were really spectacular, the presentation, the taste of each dish was excellent. For those who like swimming pools and jacuzzis, they should be prepared to see an endless number of people in a pool that looks more like a children’s than an adult’s pool. The truth is that the pool is a joke. As long as there are people who are willing to pay more for services that are supposed to be included, people who spend the holidays making reservations and rows and people who doesn’t mind being treated as second class passengers, the abuse will continue. I have traveled on several cruise lines, and Norwegian I liked the most, but after the last two experiences I think I will start looking for new options, which fortunately there are many and if not there are plenty of all inclusive resorts. They are also a good option and you already know that you do not have to pay more to enjoy all the restaurants, bares and shows Read Less

After a very disorganized and HOT embarkation; (We were delayed to embark, apparently due to customs late clearance of the ship.) So, 4500 people were waiting the HOT Florida weather with NO A/C! Not the best way to start out. We boarded on Sunday (for my birthday!) and started to explore the ship. I had been on Breakaway in 2013; shortly after she began sailing and was anxious to see how she has fared... The ship is still very pretty and appeared very clean and not really showing too much age. There is one fundamental "flaw" in my opinion that I felt then; and absolutely on this sailing. The MAIN pool for 4000 people is not adequate to accommodate that many; especially on sea days. We avoided it at all cost and spent most of our time in the more quiet, serene Spice H20. The waterfall does give enough relief and it was very pleasant. I still do not understand why a ship would have these beautiful jumbo screens and only use them for a continual loop of national geographic sites day after day. While on other cruise lines, the jumbo screen is utilized day and night with concerts, movies, documentaries and so on. That is one of my favorite activities; that I missed on this ship.. All in all, no complaints....except the main pool size!.....and the casino! It was so smokey....and no tables under $10 at all......not even during the day times...... The food was very good. (no specialty packages for me...there is plenty of complimentary options.) The seafood buffet was good. There are different theme nights at the buffet each night; Seafood, Asian, Mexican, etc. For a buffet, they seemed to be ok, I usually passed. Most nights we ate in Manhattan Room. I just really like the atmosphere, even thought the service was a little slower. The shows were ok. I LOVE Burn the Floor. Fantastic. Plus the little "teases" in the Manhattan Dining room. Nice touch. Rock of Ages was weird the first time I saw it in 2013; and even weirder this time... Yes, it is funny and yes it is on the raunchy side....not everyone will get it......but this time, it seemed to be a lot longer...and in my opinion; way too long! The performers were very good, for sure. Talented and enthusiastic; but too long for me. The Comedy was good. Great comedic magician on last night. Very talented. LOVED Howl at the Moon. These guys were really good. Cruise director was ok; Cruise staff all hard working but just something missing. I can't put my finger on it.. All in all, it was a nice cruise After all, not such thing as a bad cruise, right? This one was ok, nothing spectacular. Maybe because I have been on her before...maybe because we cruise the Caribbean a lot;...not sure. It was ok. Feel Free to ask any questions. Read Less

Port times: We paid for Nassau and last minute it was switched to Great Stirrup Cay which was anything but great. We arrived in Puerto Rico at 4pm we could have easily been there a full day and Tortola was also a partial day leaving at 1:30pm. Comments through out the ship were that Norwegian saves money on dock fees with those hours. Not sure how true it is but with the amount of money we paid for this cruise a full day at each island is the least they can offer us. Food was overall good. Gym is wonderful and has great games to play on machines. Tendering off the ship at NCL private island felt unsafe and unplanned. Very long lines as well. Few pools and hot tubs. Extremely packed pools not relaxing. Disembarkation: This process took more than an hour and they had us wait in long lines through the smoke filled smelly casino. Very bad idea for anyone with allergies. Some of the temperature of foods was off. Shrimp cocktail should be cold but was room temperature. TV in rooms is sad. They are very small and every channel is geared to having you spend more money. One channel for shows and one movie channel that's it. News channels were good. On vacation its nice to have options of what to watch on tv. Need affordable internet packages that don't break the bank. All the staff was extremely friendly and helpful. Gratuities are now mandatory $15.00 per person per day. Read Less

Third Haven cruise in 8 months. This ranked as number 3. The Haven and its staff were excellent, particularly the Haven Restaurant staff which was the highlight of the trip. Outside the Haven was hit or miss. Restaurants we chose outside of the Haven were ¹Le Bistro which provided a great experience, Cagney's where the service was great but food just ok. Ocean Blue never had a tougher lobster and the diners next to us concurred. Osheean's , this was the worst treatment we have ever had in any restaurant anywhere. Rude servers , bartenders, and staff.We were even told to move from the bar if we ordering food even though there were menus and a wait. Shows were good but, Burn the Floor is getting old. The Thermal Spa needs an upgrade and just maintenance . There were buttons broken in jacuzzi and thermal Pool floor was very rough . Please fellow passengers it's a spa not a party. Embarkation and disembarking was easy. Read Less

Our group of 10 friends (Cruise cronies) loved the NCL Breakaway. Our last two consecutive cruises were in Suites with Butlers (MSC and Celebrity). We chose to go with the Mini-Suites on NCL due to higher prices in the Haven category. For the most part, the cabin was fine. I actually was surprised that the bathroom was larger than I had anticipated. The Specialty dining package was absolutely amazing! We all thoroughly enjoyed Cagney's Steakhouse, Le Bistro and Teppanyaki. The Manhattan for a complimentary dining option was also fantastic with live entertainment. H20 Spice was our favorite bar with the ever-entertaining bartender, Alfonzo. The only disappointment we had on NCL was the debarkation on Sirrup Cay (private island). Royal Caribbean shares the other side of the island with their own private dock. Ferrying guests from NCL to the island was a nightmare! It was too time consuming and extremely disorganized. The same can be said about the debarkation in Miami. It took us 2 hours to disembark due to lack of Custom Agents in port. Overall, we truly enjoyed the Breakaway and look forward to taking another NCL cruise in the future. This was my husband and my 20th cruise. Read Less

We brought 22 family members on this cruise for a family reunion. Most of them had never cruised before. It was the perfect ship for adults and children with lots of activities for both. The service was wonderful and everyone enjoyed themselves throughly. Our concierge Roy went above and beyond for us. Such wonderful service we will definitely be coming back again. The Manhattan dining room worked well for big family dinners and we really enjoyed La Cucina, Teppanyaki and Cagney’s Steakhouse. One of our nieces said her family couldn’t possibly do all of the activities that were listed each day but they sure did try. (Basketball, waterslides, rock climbing, making balloon animals, line dancing lessons....the list goes on and on. If you wanted quiet you could find your corner, if you wanted to find something to do or see there were no lack of activities. Great family ship good value for money. Read Less

The boat was nice and clean and decorated well. Decor was modern and not as busy as some boats can be. Our room was clean and bathroom was largest we have had on a cruise. Center area of bathroom had sink and vanity and to right was shower with a sliding door, and toilet area had a sliding door as well. The food quality was very good. The buffet food was good, but set up could be better as it created crowding. Also, seating was limited which was frustrating as we had to sit outside on deck with our food in our laps several times. They should have seating to accommodate everyone. They also have a few separate restaurants on board that are included and not an up charge which was nice. We tried a few of them and they were decent. The ports were nice and Stir Up Cay the private island was our favorite. Plenty of seating, very clean, the food was very good and set up of island was good. Getting on an off the boat to tender over to island was very easy and fast. The entertainment did lack a bit compared to other boats we have been on. Our cruise director was not very interactive as others have been and was a little dead and didn't get the crowd involved or going as others have in the past. Night club was nice and we went every night and enjoyed the music. However, sometimes some of the other guest were more entertaining to watch then the actual entertainers. Staff was friendly and professional and our room was always clean and turned on time. However the staff wasn't very engaging as we have experienced on other cruises. They were never rude, but we never even met our cabin person. Normally they introduce themselves and say hi when they see you in the hallway. Same with dinner service always professional and no issues, but again just not very inter-active/friendly. Don't worry if you booked this cruise you will have a great time. The food was great and boat was very nice. We traveled with friends and had a lot of fun together. We also had the drink package and although we are not big drinkers did save a lot of money and the drinks were good. My favorite was the Mango Meltdown. Read Less

The embarkation went fine. I really appreciate the encouragement of hand hygiene! The shuttle guide waited for my wife because I our plan was delayed 45 minutes. That made us feel valued as customers. The communication from the ships directors were clear in both English and Spanish. The officers were very respectful and courteous. The restaurant staff was simply amazing. Always given a smile when greeted. Even when there was a miss understanding. The ships crew were courteous and respectful. The professionalism was reassuring. Cleanliness off the ship was spectacular. My wife and I enjoyed the show performance with the magician and aerial acrobatics. It was simply amazing to watch nerve recking routine from both the performers. Although it would be better if the cigar bar could be moved to an upper level outside deck. Either way it was nice. It was a beautiful site to sit with my wife while we ate breakfast on the 12th deck during sunrise. Overall, we had beautiful time spending our 1-year anniversary on NCL. Read Less

This whole trip felt like we were in a line. Getting on the ship took 2 hours or more. Disembarkation was super unorganized, we were late to Florida and only enjoyed 2 hours after paying for a 30$ shuttle. They failed to announce tender reservations were required to get off on the private island which was our second stop, so we waited for hours again. Third stop we were in a line as well, although this one moved a little bit faster. Food was horrible. Nothing great even about the special restaurants. Some were booked even on the first day on thru the entire cruise. The staff was hit or miss. Some not very nice at all. Entertainment was cool. Adult only area wasn’t adult only and no one even tried to keep it in order. No chairs to lay on by pool or sun deck on more than one day. Just too many things didn’t go well. I needed a vacation after my vacation. One great thing was the gentleman who cleaned our room. Read Less