Cruise Ship Reviews : Norwegian Cruise Line Reviews
slwg saw things this way:
Overcrowded everywhere, entertainment staff out of control, not good experience, February 18, 2016
Reviewer: slwg
Pros: Good room staff, food okay.
Cons: People everywhere, lines at the buffet, standing room only in theater.
Date of cruise: January 29, 2016
Departure port: New York
Region visited: Caribbean - Eastern
Cabin category: Balcony
Good for children: No
Good for teenagers: No
From the first day to the last, life on board was a struggle, just to walk the decks. People everywhere, nearly 4,000 of them plus crew, bumping into each other. The buffet garden cafe rarely had an empty table. Want a chair out by the pool? Forget about it. People must get up in the middle of the night to position their towels. One half of the pool deck was carcinogenic with smokers in their special room polluting their lungs and our air. It was the same down in the casino, even right next to the Shanghai Restaurant, one of the few free optional restaurants. Many members of staff did seem to care, but not one of the entertainment staff did. They were egotistical fools. Their lack of proficiency in the English language was a constant problem devising daily trivia quizzes. One staffer, a Brazilian name Alberto, was especially unbearable. Every day, the cruise line tried to fleece a few more bucks from their passengers with all sorts of raffles, etc. Before nearly every performance, the staff would push these tickets with overinflated claims of what you could win. Norwegian's off-ship excursions were over-priced, $30-$40 more than the very same less expensive tour run by locals. Stay home, it's more fun there than on board this bloated tub..
bermuda saw things this way:
Great ship, food and service but way too crowded!, August 5, 2015
Reviewer: bermuda
Pros: The food was excellent. Beautiful interior design of ship. Very friendly crew.
Cons: The ship was way too crowded. Tripping over people.
Departure port: new york
Region visited: Bermuda
Cabin category: Suite
Cabin number: haven
Good for children: No
Good for teenagers: Yes
Sailed on Norwegian Breakaway July 2015 one week from NYC to Bermuda. We stayed in the HAVEN. The boat was beautiful, clean and nicely decorated. The service was excellent from waiters to room steward to concierge and butler. Everyone was always very friendly and willing to help. They were also really great with our young kids. The food was excellent as well and portions were not too big. The Haven restaurant was probably the best. We also ate at the Italian restaurant, Manhattan's and Taste and Savour. The teppenaki restaurant was also great and our chef put on a great show. Portions were a little too big howevernobody could finish their food. The ship was WAY TOO CROWDED, however. There were 4,700 passengers that week and everywhere you went, you were tripping on people. You could not get a lounge chair anywhere and there were so many that you could barely even walk through. There was a very, very small pool in the Haven that we went in mostly. We didn't swim in the main pool once. There must have been 3OO people in and sitting on its edge, you could barely get near it. Not that you'd want to because the smoking pit was right next to it, so it reeked. They even sold cigarettes right beside the pool! Are we back in the 1950's? Very surprised they wouldn't have a non-smoking policy for the entire ship. If I'm paying thousands of dollars to spend a week on this boat why is toxic smoke forced upon me. The casino was also smokey and the smoke came down to the atrium below (where they had a lot of shows, including kids shows) and neighboring parts of the ship. The buffet area was a zoo! The complimentary restaurants were a zoo. Complete chaos. You had to wait for elevators often and then they'd stop at every floor. I walked up 12 flights of stairs quicker than the elevator got thereseriously. You have to make a reservation for the complimentary shows (never had this problem with other cruise lines) because there weren't enough seats. The theater holds 800 people, not nearly enough for 4,700 guests. Embarkation was a zoo and disembarkation was even worse. Since we were in the Haven we had separate and quicker processes for this, but for the others, you'd be waiting forever to get an elevator down and then another long line up to get off the ship, another long line to get down to the customs terminal. It was a zoo!! I have been on four cruises and never have I experienced the crowdedness, chaos and long lineups like I did on this cruise. The crew is amazing and you wonder how as one told me they work their whole contract (i.e., eight months) without one day off! Long hours, too, 15-hour days. Clearly the cruise ships are taking advantage of the situations these people are in in their home countries. They even make them pay for internet on the boat so they can talk to their kids/families at home. NCL charges for everything! Some shows you must pay for. The bingo is expensive and the jackpot in unattainable. My favorite was charging a 5% service charge for the self-serve wine machine at the buffet. You serve yourself!!! This is just insulting. Drinks are expensive ($9-10/drink). They don't let you bring any wine on boat unless you pay a $15 corkage fee. Even if you don't want to drink it in the restaurant and just have it in your room. I suggest not booking any excursions through the boat. They are MUCH, MUCH more expensive then if you get them off the boat. Even the service charges don't go to everyone on the boat. We, and our our kids , paid $15 a person/day (more than on other parts of the ship) in the Haven but that didn't go to the butler or concierge. So we had to leave even more money for them after we already spent thousands for our week. This we didn't know until the end of the week. It shouldn't be up to the guest to determine who has and has not gotten paid appropriately. That's the cruise line's job! The services charges should cover everyone not just some employees. The ship didn't really have that much entertainment for the kids (outside of the kids club) which our kids didn't want to go to. They would have rather been outside swimming in pools or playing mini golf than be inside. The counselors at the kids club were really great with the kids though. Very friendly and the security was good. Many other kids seem to like it. If I went again I'd go on a smaller boat with 1/2 the passengers. It's a shame to spend a lot of money to have to trip over people. You have to spend an arm and a leg to stay in the Haven where there's less people but they don't have all the amenities that the rest of the ship has.
off2danz saw things this way:
Sorry, I would not travel on this ship again, July 14, 2014
Reviewer: off2danz
Pros: The Manhattan restaurant with the dance floor and music was charming
Cons: The buffet area way too cramped for 4,000 passengers.
Date of cruise: June 29, 2014
Departure port: NYC
Region visited: Bermuda
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 10784
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
The embarkation was pretty quick and easy, only wish we had known ahead that at this pier all non-carryon items have to be checked. Once on board our balcony cabin was small but clean. The coffee maker in the room is a nice touch. The closet is awkwardly placed near the couch. The bathroom was a decent size as was the shower yet the permanently fixed shampoo and soap dispensers are not in a good location (the soap dispenser fell onto my big toe causing an ugly looking bruise). After settling into our cabin we headed up to the buffet for a bite to eat and it was sheer chaos, completely disorganized and had many passengers frustrated and grouchy. A woman fell near the buffet area and it took way too long for staff to respond and help her, luckily there was an EMT nearby to help with her bleeding nose. The specialty restaurants had okay service. Cagney's did have good steak but not else to brag about. The smaller complimentary dining rooms were noisy and all you could hear were dishes and plates clanging together. At least in the Manhattan room the live music drowned out the other noise. The brief shows at about 8 p.m. from the Burn the Floor cast were wonderful. The theater seats 800, don't understand that at all, and you must make reservations for the FREE show or they are sold out since they have only one show a night. We lucked out with the weather on July 4th and they were able to have a short fireworks show. There was no sailaway party from Bermuda. On sea days if you did not find a deck chair by 9 a.m. you were out of luck. Loved the option of the pub dining for lunch or dinner. We found the smaller breakfast buffet at the Moderno on at sea days to be a great alternative to the upstairs chaos. Disembarking we chose to carry off our own luggage. The process was fairly quick but we arrived early to wait in line to not have a long wait for customs.
Michelle C saw things this way:
Love the newest NCL ship, very well done, 678 Ocean is great, January 23, 2014
Reviewer: Michelle C
Pros: Shows are top notch, best part is the ropes course
Cons: Still would like to see bigger cabins
Date of cruise: May 3, 2013
Departure port: New York
Region visited: Cruise to Nowhere
Cabin category: Balcony
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
I love that NCL has taken it up a notch and adding more and more entertainment and unique dining - I like the freestyle dining but you need to be proactive about booking dining times before getting on the ship, so as not to be disappointed. The Ropes Course is awesome and kids can spend hours here. I think the outdoor eating area on Ocean 678 areas are well thought out and a good variety. Casino is nice. Still not understanding the Ice Bar concept but people like it. Their entertainment and shows are great, especially liking a Broadway show over the normal cruise ship show.
bobjonson saw things this way:
Disappointing, October 28, 2013
Reviewer: bobjonson
Pros: New ship
Cons: Service -- waiting in lines to get into a not full dining room.
Date of cruise: October 20, 2013
Departure port: New York
Region visited: Bahamas
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 8750
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
It seems to me that NCL is into generating as much cash as possible once you on board. NCL seems to raised their shipboard charges. Also, try to get a drink. All of the other cruise lines have more than enough bar servers. The cabins are the smallest I have ever been in, and we had a balcony. Cabins are poorly designed. So is the comedy club. Hard wooden seats and not many good seats. Only two banks of elevators, one in the front and one in the rear. I think we are going to take a break from NCL for awhile.
anchorsfaye saw things this way:
good, October 22, 2013
Reviewer: anchorsfaye
Pros: good
Cons: nothing
Date of cruise: October 6, 2013
Departure port: New York City
Region visited: Bermuda
Cabin category: Balcony
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
On October 6, my husband and I left for Bermuda to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary/second honeymoon on the newest and largest ship in Manhattan harbor -- the NCL (Norwegian) Breakaway. It is so new (five months old) you can't find a scratch anywhere. The CEO of NCL grew up in New York so he had a good idea of what the ship should look like. The outside of the ship is rather tacky like Times Square and the top deck looks like Coney Island. But the inside has the colors of Manhattan -- earth tones with a tint of turquoise -- even the main dining room is called Manhattan and it looks exactly like a Manhattan restaurant. But he did not ask my opinion when he picked the name Breakaway. That was a mistake. They should have called it the Getaway (which is the next NCL ship that will be home-based in Miami). New Yorkers never use the term "breakaway" -- they always say they need to getaway or to get out of the city. This ship was easy to get around although the hallways were so, so narrow. It does not have many quiet areas to sit in so having a balcony was perfect. The Atrium (lobby) had the largest indoor screen I have ever seen. I must admit I am not a sports fan but it was fun watching the audience cheering the Giants as they watched on this huge screen. We were on deck 12 and I loved our balcony cabin -- bathroom was a good size, shower was large and even though the water power was not great, the hair dryer was the best I ever used on a cruise ship and so was the shampoo. The electricity in the cabin was so weird - took time to figure out which switch is what and how it works. The TV was terrible. There were no instructions anywhere. This cabin had something also that is a first -- a coffee maker. I loved this since I am a coffee drinker and the coffee often on the ship was weak so I was able to make my own strong coffee in the AM and sit on my balcony and see the sun come up. I also had a mini refrigerator and asked our amazing steward (Jay) to remove the items so I could put in my skim milk, juice, etc. There were no drawers in the cabin but truthfully I did not mind since the shelves were great (especially the one under the large mirror that held all of my bottles of vitamins, etc.) The balcony was small with two chairs and a very small table. But I asked Jay to get me another table so we could eat there and also use them to put our feet up. We spent so, so, so much time on this balcony -- the glass wall was so, so clear and when the water was rough I felt like I was on a small boat in Niagara Falls. Three areas are important to cruisers: entertainment, food and service. Entertainment and food are subjective but service is not. SERVICE: NCL generally does not care about service or should I say is self service. Most of the crew were from the Philippines and they are gentle and quiet people but since they were understaffed they seemed annoyed and I did not blame them. Perhaps this is why they had a coffee machine in each cabin because it took forever to get room service. I did love the small sinks in the entrance of the cafe which are used to wash your hands in addition to the sanitizing machines. Also, had wine dispensers in the lobby and cafe which is the first time I have ever seen this. We laughed at the fruit in the buffet because it was not cut up so we had to do that ourselves - again self-service. FOOD: Generally, we were surprised.The coffee was good but not great and my husband did like his poached eggs (which is the way he judges a cruise ship). I found the cookies, soups, chicken, herring (for breakfast) and most of all the soft ice cream and hard ice cream that is available all day to be really good. Also, for the first time I can think of, a cruise ship had lobster tail (and it was good) unlimited one night in the buffet. The biggest gripe I had was with the specialty restaurants -- about 75 percent of the restaurants charged a fee. The Waterfront area that is a promenade was surrounded by not only lifeboats which prevented a good view but ONLY specialty restaurants. Yes, we did go to Cagneys for our anniversary but only because we had a coupon. It is a steak restaurant and, yes, the filet was great but the rest of the meal was nothing to write home about. I am really OFFENDED by all of the specialty restaurants on all of the ships. I do my best to sell cruises as all-inclusive but lately with all the nickel-and-diming, it is impossible. ENTERTAINMENT: I rarely go to shows as I would prefer being outside and looking at the moon on the ocean and I am fussy since I worked in the theater most of my life. I do think that Disney is by far the best when it comes to cruise shows but I did find one production on this ship, ROCK OF AGES, that was excellent. Everyone stood up for a standing ovation. I would have seen it again but it was not easy to get in. The other good entertainment was in the main restaurant Manhattan (yes, it is one of the few complimentary restaurants) and for the first time ever there was a dance floor and a band and singer (quite good). NCL has always been the innovator in the biz and I am sure other lines will add a dinner dance place. It is so romantic and so much a flashback to another world. Leaving from NY Harbor is always so magical and special and it gives me goose bumps. Of course, looking at Ground Zero is still so sad but now it was also sad on the other side of the ship since the Statue of Liberty was closed due to the government shutdown. I was so upset but fortunately the good state of NY opened it when we got back. Nothing beats NY Harbor and especially when you come back and the lights are on and it looks like Disney World lit up. BERMUDA: What can I say? I obviously love the island so much since I have been there many times (about a dozen or more). The weather was great - well, more humid than usual in October, but NO rain. Okay, this is amazing but I have never seen rain in Bermuda. I think all of my clients should go on vacation with me. We had three days and we did go to Horseshoe Bay and I did swim and then swam again the last day in Snorkel Park.I read the daily Bermuda newspaper online so I know this country is struggling with tourism due to the economy. Hard to feel sorry for them now as they close all of their shops in the cities and the mall at the port at 5 p.m. Now, honestly, what are they thinking when their season has a six-month window and the days I was there over 6,000 passengers got off the two ships. I love to cruise as everyone knows and I do love NCL for their freestyle dining and casual attire. I hate being on a schedule so this works for me big time. My two favorite islands -- Manhattan and Bermuda. Happy tears when I arrive. Sad tears when I depart. I will be back!!!!
MarvKirsch saw things this way:
Very enjoyable cruise, but extra-cost items are many, September 7, 2013
Reviewer: MarvKirsch
Pros: Very good staff
Cons: Too many extra-cost items
Date of cruise: August 25, 2013
Departure port: NYC
Region visited: Bermuda
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 11118
Good for children: Yes
We had a party of 10 and we were accommodated in all aspects. Adjustments have been made since initial sailing to accommodate crowds. Staff was extremely nice and responsive. Cabin layout much better than NCL Epic. Ship is being retrofitted to add power outlets near head of bed, a small design flaw. The spa pass price has doubled across the fleet, and I believe it is a bit too high ($199). I will bypass it on the next cruise if price remains this high. There are too many extra cost items. Ship intranet features needs improvement, was not consistent.
nauticalx saw things this way:
Great ship, overrated cruise line, poor service, overpriced and crowded, June 9, 2013
Reviewer: nauticalx
Pros: Ship is new but noisy
Cons: Service is horrible, food is repetitive
Date of cruise: January 13, 2006
Departure port: NYC
Region visited: Bermuda
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 9136
Good for children: No
Good for teenagers: No
Just got off the Breakaway todayservice was horrible. Slow, uncaring, not professional or on their game. Not uncommon to not even be greeted by the waitstaff at dinner, just "Are you ready to order?" Incredible. Waiting 30 minutes or more for an initial dinner beverage or wine was common. Reminders were commonly needed for requests and refills. They lost one of our clearly marked bags. NCL stopped making custom dishes for people with eating restrictions except for the last day (amazing I know), and basically just charge you more for being on their new ship with poor service. The food was good quality but it was repetitive and not tasteful except for the pizza. Same stuff day in and day out. For the price, it was a complete rip-off. Service can best be summarized as We don't have to go out of our way to serve you and your needs because youll be amazed by our brand new ship. They gave us chocolate covered strawberries for delivering our bag to another stateroom. Luckily, a nice lady brought it to us after reading the cabin number clearly marked on the bag. Our balcony door wasn't fitted properly and made a loud whistling noise in the wind because there was a small gap when closed. A call to operator first thing in the morning and by late afternoon still no show. A second call then resulted in a carpenter then two coming and spending two hours fixing our door. Ship also creaked loudly at the threshold of some door openings. Disappointing would be an understatement. Ropes course is nice but often closed for wind, geez, who would have thought a cruise ship sailing would have wind? I can't get by just how bad the service was. After being told we could order special dishes 24 hours in advance, they said that NCL changed the policy six months ago to where you can only order a custom dish on the last night of sailing. Icing on the cake was on the last night of sailing they couldn't ind our request and hadn't made our requested dish.
Norwegian Breakaway reviews
Average customer rating:
3.4 / 5
3.4 / 5Average Rating based on 8 Reviews:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
2.75
3.00
3.29
3.57
3.57
4.13
4.00
3.83
2.88
3.00
3.29
3.57
3.57
4.13
4.00
3.83
2.88
slwg saw things this way:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Ship Maintenance
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Ship Maintenance
Staff and Service
1
1
1
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
1
Overcrowded everywhere, entertainment staff out of control, not good experience, February 18, 2016
Reviewer: slwg
Pros: Good room staff, food okay.
Cons: People everywhere, lines at the buffet, standing room only in theater.
Date of cruise: January 29, 2016
Departure port: New York
Region visited: Caribbean - Eastern
Cabin category: Balcony
Good for children: No
Good for teenagers: No
From the first day to the last, life on board was a struggle, just to walk the decks. People everywhere, nearly 4,000 of them plus crew, bumping into each other. The buffet garden cafe rarely had an empty table. Want a chair out by the pool? Forget about it. People must get up in the middle of the night to position their towels. One half of the pool deck was carcinogenic with smokers in their special room polluting their lungs and our air. It was the same down in the casino, even right next to the Shanghai Restaurant, one of the few free optional restaurants. Many members of staff did seem to care, but not one of the entertainment staff did. They were egotistical fools. Their lack of proficiency in the English language was a constant problem devising daily trivia quizzes. One staffer, a Brazilian name Alberto, was especially unbearable. Every day, the cruise line tried to fleece a few more bucks from their passengers with all sorts of raffles, etc. Before nearly every performance, the staff would push these tickets with overinflated claims of what you could win. Norwegian's off-ship excursions were over-priced, $30-$40 more than the very same less expensive tour run by locals. Stay home, it's more fun there than on board this bloated tub..
bermuda saw things this way:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
2
4
5
5
5
5
5
4
5
5
5
5
5
Great ship, food and service but way too crowded!, August 5, 2015
Reviewer: bermuda
Pros: The food was excellent. Beautiful interior design of ship. Very friendly crew.
Cons: The ship was way too crowded. Tripping over people.
Departure port: new york
Region visited: Bermuda
Cabin category: Suite
Cabin number: haven
Good for children: No
Good for teenagers: Yes
Sailed on Norwegian Breakaway July 2015 one week from NYC to Bermuda. We stayed in the HAVEN. The boat was beautiful, clean and nicely decorated. The service was excellent from waiters to room steward to concierge and butler. Everyone was always very friendly and willing to help. They were also really great with our young kids. The food was excellent as well and portions were not too big. The Haven restaurant was probably the best. We also ate at the Italian restaurant, Manhattan's and Taste and Savour. The teppenaki restaurant was also great and our chef put on a great show. Portions were a little too big howevernobody could finish their food. The ship was WAY TOO CROWDED, however. There were 4,700 passengers that week and everywhere you went, you were tripping on people. You could not get a lounge chair anywhere and there were so many that you could barely even walk through. There was a very, very small pool in the Haven that we went in mostly. We didn't swim in the main pool once. There must have been 3OO people in and sitting on its edge, you could barely get near it. Not that you'd want to because the smoking pit was right next to it, so it reeked. They even sold cigarettes right beside the pool! Are we back in the 1950's? Very surprised they wouldn't have a non-smoking policy for the entire ship. If I'm paying thousands of dollars to spend a week on this boat why is toxic smoke forced upon me. The casino was also smokey and the smoke came down to the atrium below (where they had a lot of shows, including kids shows) and neighboring parts of the ship. The buffet area was a zoo! The complimentary restaurants were a zoo. Complete chaos. You had to wait for elevators often and then they'd stop at every floor. I walked up 12 flights of stairs quicker than the elevator got thereseriously. You have to make a reservation for the complimentary shows (never had this problem with other cruise lines) because there weren't enough seats. The theater holds 800 people, not nearly enough for 4,700 guests. Embarkation was a zoo and disembarkation was even worse. Since we were in the Haven we had separate and quicker processes for this, but for the others, you'd be waiting forever to get an elevator down and then another long line up to get off the ship, another long line to get down to the customs terminal. It was a zoo!! I have been on four cruises and never have I experienced the crowdedness, chaos and long lineups like I did on this cruise. The crew is amazing and you wonder how as one told me they work their whole contract (i.e., eight months) without one day off! Long hours, too, 15-hour days. Clearly the cruise ships are taking advantage of the situations these people are in in their home countries. They even make them pay for internet on the boat so they can talk to their kids/families at home. NCL charges for everything! Some shows you must pay for. The bingo is expensive and the jackpot in unattainable. My favorite was charging a 5% service charge for the self-serve wine machine at the buffet. You serve yourself!!! This is just insulting. Drinks are expensive ($9-10/drink). They don't let you bring any wine on boat unless you pay a $15 corkage fee. Even if you don't want to drink it in the restaurant and just have it in your room. I suggest not booking any excursions through the boat. They are MUCH, MUCH more expensive then if you get them off the boat. Even the service charges don't go to everyone on the boat. We, and our our kids , paid $15 a person/day (more than on other parts of the ship) in the Haven but that didn't go to the butler or concierge. So we had to leave even more money for them after we already spent thousands for our week. This we didn't know until the end of the week. It shouldn't be up to the guest to determine who has and has not gotten paid appropriately. That's the cruise line's job! The services charges should cover everyone not just some employees. The ship didn't really have that much entertainment for the kids (outside of the kids club) which our kids didn't want to go to. They would have rather been outside swimming in pools or playing mini golf than be inside. The counselors at the kids club were really great with the kids though. Very friendly and the security was good. Many other kids seem to like it. If I went again I'd go on a smaller boat with 1/2 the passengers. It's a shame to spend a lot of money to have to trip over people. You have to spend an arm and a leg to stay in the Haven where there's less people but they don't have all the amenities that the rest of the ship has.
off2danz saw things this way:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
3
2
2
2
4
3
2
2
2
2
4
3
2
Sorry, I would not travel on this ship again, July 14, 2014
Reviewer: off2danz
Pros: The Manhattan restaurant with the dance floor and music was charming
Cons: The buffet area way too cramped for 4,000 passengers.
Date of cruise: June 29, 2014
Departure port: NYC
Region visited: Bermuda
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 10784
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
The embarkation was pretty quick and easy, only wish we had known ahead that at this pier all non-carryon items have to be checked. Once on board our balcony cabin was small but clean. The coffee maker in the room is a nice touch. The closet is awkwardly placed near the couch. The bathroom was a decent size as was the shower yet the permanently fixed shampoo and soap dispensers are not in a good location (the soap dispenser fell onto my big toe causing an ugly looking bruise). After settling into our cabin we headed up to the buffet for a bite to eat and it was sheer chaos, completely disorganized and had many passengers frustrated and grouchy. A woman fell near the buffet area and it took way too long for staff to respond and help her, luckily there was an EMT nearby to help with her bleeding nose. The specialty restaurants had okay service. Cagney's did have good steak but not else to brag about. The smaller complimentary dining rooms were noisy and all you could hear were dishes and plates clanging together. At least in the Manhattan room the live music drowned out the other noise. The brief shows at about 8 p.m. from the Burn the Floor cast were wonderful. The theater seats 800, don't understand that at all, and you must make reservations for the FREE show or they are sold out since they have only one show a night. We lucked out with the weather on July 4th and they were able to have a short fireworks show. There was no sailaway party from Bermuda. On sea days if you did not find a deck chair by 9 a.m. you were out of luck. Loved the option of the pub dining for lunch or dinner. We found the smaller breakfast buffet at the Moderno on at sea days to be a great alternative to the upstairs chaos. Disembarking we chose to carry off our own luggage. The process was fairly quick but we arrived early to wait in line to not have a long wait for customs.
Michelle C saw things this way:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
5
4
5
5
4
5
5
5
4
4
5
5
4
5
5
5
4
Love the newest NCL ship, very well done, 678 Ocean is great, January 23, 2014
Reviewer: Michelle C
Pros: Shows are top notch, best part is the ropes course
Cons: Still would like to see bigger cabins
Date of cruise: May 3, 2013
Departure port: New York
Region visited: Cruise to Nowhere
Cabin category: Balcony
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
I love that NCL has taken it up a notch and adding more and more entertainment and unique dining - I like the freestyle dining but you need to be proactive about booking dining times before getting on the ship, so as not to be disappointed. The Ropes Course is awesome and kids can spend hours here. I think the outdoor eating area on Ocean 678 areas are well thought out and a good variety. Casino is nice. Still not understanding the Ice Bar concept but people like it. Their entertainment and shows are great, especially liking a Broadway show over the normal cruise ship show.
bobjonson saw things this way:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
3
1
4
3
4
4
4
4
2
1
4
3
4
4
4
4
2
Disappointing, October 28, 2013
Reviewer: bobjonson
Pros: New ship
Cons: Service -- waiting in lines to get into a not full dining room.
Date of cruise: October 20, 2013
Departure port: New York
Region visited: Bahamas
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 8750
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
It seems to me that NCL is into generating as much cash as possible once you on board. NCL seems to raised their shipboard charges. Also, try to get a drink. All of the other cruise lines have more than enough bar servers. The cabins are the smallest I have ever been in, and we had a balcony. Cabins are poorly designed. So is the comedy club. Hard wooden seats and not many good seats. Only two banks of elevators, one in the front and one in the rear. I think we are going to take a break from NCL for awhile.
anchorsfaye saw things this way:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
4
5
5
3
4
5
3
3
5
5
3
4
5
3
3
good, October 22, 2013
Reviewer: anchorsfaye
Pros: good
Cons: nothing
Date of cruise: October 6, 2013
Departure port: New York City
Region visited: Bermuda
Cabin category: Balcony
Good for children: Yes
Good for teenagers: Yes
On October 6, my husband and I left for Bermuda to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary/second honeymoon on the newest and largest ship in Manhattan harbor -- the NCL (Norwegian) Breakaway. It is so new (five months old) you can't find a scratch anywhere. The CEO of NCL grew up in New York so he had a good idea of what the ship should look like. The outside of the ship is rather tacky like Times Square and the top deck looks like Coney Island. But the inside has the colors of Manhattan -- earth tones with a tint of turquoise -- even the main dining room is called Manhattan and it looks exactly like a Manhattan restaurant. But he did not ask my opinion when he picked the name Breakaway. That was a mistake. They should have called it the Getaway (which is the next NCL ship that will be home-based in Miami). New Yorkers never use the term "breakaway" -- they always say they need to getaway or to get out of the city. This ship was easy to get around although the hallways were so, so narrow. It does not have many quiet areas to sit in so having a balcony was perfect. The Atrium (lobby) had the largest indoor screen I have ever seen. I must admit I am not a sports fan but it was fun watching the audience cheering the Giants as they watched on this huge screen. We were on deck 12 and I loved our balcony cabin -- bathroom was a good size, shower was large and even though the water power was not great, the hair dryer was the best I ever used on a cruise ship and so was the shampoo. The electricity in the cabin was so weird - took time to figure out which switch is what and how it works. The TV was terrible. There were no instructions anywhere. This cabin had something also that is a first -- a coffee maker. I loved this since I am a coffee drinker and the coffee often on the ship was weak so I was able to make my own strong coffee in the AM and sit on my balcony and see the sun come up. I also had a mini refrigerator and asked our amazing steward (Jay) to remove the items so I could put in my skim milk, juice, etc. There were no drawers in the cabin but truthfully I did not mind since the shelves were great (especially the one under the large mirror that held all of my bottles of vitamins, etc.) The balcony was small with two chairs and a very small table. But I asked Jay to get me another table so we could eat there and also use them to put our feet up. We spent so, so, so much time on this balcony -- the glass wall was so, so clear and when the water was rough I felt like I was on a small boat in Niagara Falls. Three areas are important to cruisers: entertainment, food and service. Entertainment and food are subjective but service is not. SERVICE: NCL generally does not care about service or should I say is self service. Most of the crew were from the Philippines and they are gentle and quiet people but since they were understaffed they seemed annoyed and I did not blame them. Perhaps this is why they had a coffee machine in each cabin because it took forever to get room service. I did love the small sinks in the entrance of the cafe which are used to wash your hands in addition to the sanitizing machines. Also, had wine dispensers in the lobby and cafe which is the first time I have ever seen this. We laughed at the fruit in the buffet because it was not cut up so we had to do that ourselves - again self-service. FOOD: Generally, we were surprised.The coffee was good but not great and my husband did like his poached eggs (which is the way he judges a cruise ship). I found the cookies, soups, chicken, herring (for breakfast) and most of all the soft ice cream and hard ice cream that is available all day to be really good. Also, for the first time I can think of, a cruise ship had lobster tail (and it was good) unlimited one night in the buffet. The biggest gripe I had was with the specialty restaurants -- about 75 percent of the restaurants charged a fee. The Waterfront area that is a promenade was surrounded by not only lifeboats which prevented a good view but ONLY specialty restaurants. Yes, we did go to Cagneys for our anniversary but only because we had a coupon. It is a steak restaurant and, yes, the filet was great but the rest of the meal was nothing to write home about. I am really OFFENDED by all of the specialty restaurants on all of the ships. I do my best to sell cruises as all-inclusive but lately with all the nickel-and-diming, it is impossible. ENTERTAINMENT: I rarely go to shows as I would prefer being outside and looking at the moon on the ocean and I am fussy since I worked in the theater most of my life. I do think that Disney is by far the best when it comes to cruise shows but I did find one production on this ship, ROCK OF AGES, that was excellent. Everyone stood up for a standing ovation. I would have seen it again but it was not easy to get in. The other good entertainment was in the main restaurant Manhattan (yes, it is one of the few complimentary restaurants) and for the first time ever there was a dance floor and a band and singer (quite good). NCL has always been the innovator in the biz and I am sure other lines will add a dinner dance place. It is so romantic and so much a flashback to another world. Leaving from NY Harbor is always so magical and special and it gives me goose bumps. Of course, looking at Ground Zero is still so sad but now it was also sad on the other side of the ship since the Statue of Liberty was closed due to the government shutdown. I was so upset but fortunately the good state of NY opened it when we got back. Nothing beats NY Harbor and especially when you come back and the lights are on and it looks like Disney World lit up. BERMUDA: What can I say? I obviously love the island so much since I have been there many times (about a dozen or more). The weather was great - well, more humid than usual in October, but NO rain. Okay, this is amazing but I have never seen rain in Bermuda. I think all of my clients should go on vacation with me. We had three days and we did go to Horseshoe Bay and I did swim and then swam again the last day in Snorkel Park.I read the daily Bermuda newspaper online so I know this country is struggling with tourism due to the economy. Hard to feel sorry for them now as they close all of their shops in the cities and the mall at the port at 5 p.m. Now, honestly, what are they thinking when their season has a six-month window and the days I was there over 6,000 passengers got off the two ships. I love to cruise as everyone knows and I do love NCL for their freestyle dining and casual attire. I hate being on a schedule so this works for me big time. My two favorite islands -- Manhattan and Bermuda. Happy tears when I arrive. Sad tears when I depart. I will be back!!!!
MarvKirsch saw things this way:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Staff and Service
3
4
5
5
5
5
5
5
4
5
5
5
5
5
5
Very enjoyable cruise, but extra-cost items are many, September 7, 2013
Reviewer: MarvKirsch
Pros: Very good staff
Cons: Too many extra-cost items
Date of cruise: August 25, 2013
Departure port: NYC
Region visited: Bermuda
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 11118
Good for children: Yes
We had a party of 10 and we were accommodated in all aspects. Adjustments have been made since initial sailing to accommodate crowds. Staff was extremely nice and responsive. Cabin layout much better than NCL Epic. Ship is being retrofitted to add power outlets near head of bed, a small design flaw. The spa pass price has doubled across the fleet, and I believe it is a bit too high ($199). I will bypass it on the next cruise if price remains this high. There are too many extra cost items. Ship intranet features needs improvement, was not consistent.
nauticalx saw things this way:
Value For Money
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
Cabin Design
Entertainment
Fitness Center
Food Quality
Ship Maintenance
Spa
Specialty Restaurant
Staff and Service
1
3
1
2
1
3
2
3
1
3
1
2
1
3
2
3
1
Great ship, overrated cruise line, poor service, overpriced and crowded, June 9, 2013
Reviewer: nauticalx
Pros: Ship is new but noisy
Cons: Service is horrible, food is repetitive
Date of cruise: January 13, 2006
Departure port: NYC
Region visited: Bermuda
Cabin category: Balcony
Cabin number: 9136
Good for children: No
Good for teenagers: No
Just got off the Breakaway todayservice was horrible. Slow, uncaring, not professional or on their game. Not uncommon to not even be greeted by the waitstaff at dinner, just "Are you ready to order?" Incredible. Waiting 30 minutes or more for an initial dinner beverage or wine was common. Reminders were commonly needed for requests and refills. They lost one of our clearly marked bags. NCL stopped making custom dishes for people with eating restrictions except for the last day (amazing I know), and basically just charge you more for being on their new ship with poor service. The food was good quality but it was repetitive and not tasteful except for the pizza. Same stuff day in and day out. For the price, it was a complete rip-off. Service can best be summarized as We don't have to go out of our way to serve you and your needs because youll be amazed by our brand new ship. They gave us chocolate covered strawberries for delivering our bag to another stateroom. Luckily, a nice lady brought it to us after reading the cabin number clearly marked on the bag. Our balcony door wasn't fitted properly and made a loud whistling noise in the wind because there was a small gap when closed. A call to operator first thing in the morning and by late afternoon still no show. A second call then resulted in a carpenter then two coming and spending two hours fixing our door. Ship also creaked loudly at the threshold of some door openings. Disappointing would be an understatement. Ropes course is nice but often closed for wind, geez, who would have thought a cruise ship sailing would have wind? I can't get by just how bad the service was. After being told we could order special dishes 24 hours in advance, they said that NCL changed the policy six months ago to where you can only order a custom dish on the last night of sailing. Icing on the cake was on the last night of sailing they couldn't ind our request and hadn't made our requested dish.
