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Norwegian Breakaway is ready to whisk you away to your best holiday yet. Take a Caribbean cruise and swim with dolphins, step back into history on a Mediterranean Cruise, or just enjoy relaxing days on a Transatlantic voyage. Named Best Cruise Ship for Families by USA Today, there’s something on board for everyone. Breathe in the fresh ocean air and connect with the sea like never before along The Waterfront, a quarter-mile oceanfront promenade lined with restaurants, bars, and spectacular views. Indulge in more than 25 dining experiences, including three new, dedicated seafood venues. And enjoy dazzling performances - Six and Burn the Floor. Norwegian Breakaway offers magnificent amenities at sea.
The 15 day Transatlantic cruise on the Breakaway was amazing! For me, this cruise was more about the itinerary and experiences on shore than the ship itself. Stateroom: My balcony stateroom on the 10th deck was adequate and met my needs. It did not appear it had been updated during the most recent dry dock renovation. The balcony is quite small, barely fitting the two chairs and small table. The only electrical outlets were ones at the desk area (two US and two European). There were no outlets nor USB connections near the bed. I was glad I had my own extension cord (no surge protection). The cabin is in a very quiet location and convenient to the forward stairs/elevators. The bed is near the balcony door in this stateroom. I received excellent service from my cabin steward. Complimentary Dining: My experiences in Taste, Savor, and American Diner for breakfast and lunch were fine - nothing to get excited about but also nothing to complain about. The Manhattan was a lovely venue for dinner, especially enjoying the live music while dining. I found the food to be well prepared, served hot, and very tasty. It seems each ship does some courses better than others and, in my opinion, the soups were outstanding and the salads and deserts were also excellent. I’d rate appetizers and entrees as average. I did not eat at the buffet, except to grab some fruit or a snack after returning from some ports. I was able to get a reservation at Shanghai, the noodle restaurant. This is not well advertised as a complimentary restaurant requiring dinner reservations. I found the food and experience quite good. Speciality Dining: LeBistro was amazing from start to finish both times I dined there. If you enjoy wine, be sure to request the extended wine list from the sommelier. I had good experiences in both Cagney’s and Teppanyaki. I did not care for LaCucina - it was very loud with the open kitchen and the food and service were just so-so. Entertainment: The large scale shows - Red, White and British, Burn the Floor, Broadway Review - were entertaining with skilled performers. I was disappointed with Syd Norman’s Rumors, especially after hearing all the hype about it. One evening they had a solo male vocalist in the theater who sang to recorded music (band and back up singers) and I did not enjoy that show. The Dueling Piano shows were entertaining, while both comedian shows were definitely lacking humor. Common areas and Bars: Sea days at the Waterfront on Deck 8 and at Spice H2O were relaxing and good places to read. It was, however, sometimes difficult to find seating on Deck 8. There is no Observation Lounge on the Breakaway. The Atrium had activities and entertainment all day long. It was quite congested and loud in that area. There is an Ice Bar on this ship. I did not visit this trip, but enjoyed it on a past Breakaway sailing. Maltings Whiskey Bar is the best, with talented and personable bartenders! Itinerary and Shore Excursions: The cruise departed from Barcelona and included Marseille, Livorno (Florence), Civitavecchia (Rome), Palma Mallorca, Lisbon, and Ponta Delgada. I booked an NCL excursion in each port and all were excellent. Although more costly than booking independent tours, I was extremely pleased with the quality of each tour. If you are a member of NCL Excursion Reviews on Facebook, you can find my review for each excursion there. All cruises have their positives and negatives. For me, the positives of this one far outweigh any negatives. I would cruise on the Breakaway again and I would definitely consider another transatlantic cruise. A tip for fall, westbound transatlantic cruises - book a cabin on the port side - you will have sunshine on your balcony and, if ending in New York, be able to view the Statue of Liberty as you enter the harbor.
My wife and I had taken 9 other cruises all out of the west coast and all to Mexico, but the last cruise was 14 years ago. We were excited to go to Europe for the 1st time and cruise with NCL. Going in to the cruise we were looking forward to the freestyle dining, Syd Norman's and the Waterfront. I was dreading embarkation and disembarkation based on past cruises. Barcelona-We arrived Friday morning for Sunday sail away and feel like that was a great choice. Two days was plenty of time to get acclimated to the time change and see a lot. We stayed in the Gothic Quarter at the Kimpton Vividora and were able to check in as soon as we arrived which was about noon. We put in 20,000+ steps the 2 days in Barcelona and saw everything we wanted to see including Sagrada Familia, the Cathedral of Barcelona, Montjuic Castle, Barceloneta Beach and everything in between. Sagrada Familia is an absolute must see. We pre purchased the walking tour through Get Your Guide and I think it wouldn't be the same without the guide explaining everything. She was awesome. Embarkation- We checked in early and had a 10:30 arrival time. We arrived at the terminal at 10:15, dropped off our bags and walked right up to the counter. There was no line at all. We were given a number 6 and told the boarding would start shortly. By 10:45 we were on board with a Bloody Mary in hand. The part I had been dreading couldn't have been any easier. I don't know if that's changed along all cruise lines since our last cruise, but I was very happy with how fast and easy boarding went. On the ship- I purposely picked a balcony room due to its proximity to Syd Norman's and the Waterfront. Our room was ready by 2:30 and we were very pleasantly surprised at the size. We over packed but had plenty of room in the closet and shelves to put everything away. We've had balcony rooms on past cruises and the rooms seemed cramped compared to this room. The bathroom and shower were bigger than we expected. The 8th floor cabin location was perfect for us. We enjoy sitting outside and The Shaker's Waterfront Bar and Syd Norman's Waterfront Bar were really close to our cabin which was convenient. We spent a LOT of time at those bars depending on which side the sun was on. The bartenders were awesome. I tipped for great service and it got even better. I challenged the bartender, Lonnie, to make something I'd like and he made up 2-3 drinks that were different and amazing. Since our cabin was close to the stairs, it was a quick walk to O'Sheehan's and the Casino which are only 1 deck down. Noise was never a problem and we slept really well. Dining- My wife and I aren't really picky eaters and overall enjoyed the food but I'd say for the most part it was just OK. O'Sheean's- We spent a lot of time at O'Sheehan's and really enjoyed the atmosphere. We usually sat at the rail overlooking decks 6-7 where we could see what was going on down below. The service was good and we usually didn't have to wait long for drink and/or food orders. I really enjoyed the wings. At one time or another we tried just about everything on the menu. Everything was good, but not great. We did have O'Sheean's for breakfast a couple of times because it's open earlier than the dining room. I had a ham and cheese omelet and my wife had the corned beef hash. We thought the quality of the breakfast was better than the normal menu. We learned that If you just want a cup of coffee you can walk up and grab one to go. Main Dining- We tried Taste, Savor and the Manhattan Room. We never had to wait for a table. We just walked up and were instantly seated each time which was really nice. I love eggs benedict and unfortunately in Taste it showed up without the ham and in Savor it was cold.....not cool...cold. I thought the service was slower than past cruises on different cruise lines. The food portions are small so I'll usually order 3 appetizers. Only in the Manhattan Room was the server good enough to bring the next appetizer as soon as you finished the 1st appetizer. In Taste and Savor there was quite a lag in between each serving. I tried the shrimp fettuccini alfredo and was disappointed in the sad little shrimp. They were very small and not many of them. The dish had good flavor, but I would have liked more and bigger shrimp. Overall we did enjoy the complimentary dining but nothing there wowed us. Buffet- We said we would would avoid the buffet but......since we were on the boat so early and walking around we had to check it out. There was a nice variety to choose from and the food was good for buffet food. I couldn't figure out the push button soft serve ice cream machine so I figured that was a sign that I didn't need it. Le Bistro- Our 1st specialty dining was Le Bistro. The food here was MUCH better than the main dining room as was the service. I had the escargot, mushroom soup, french onion soup and the lamb chops. All of it was exceptional and it was one of our favorite meals on the ship. I highly recommend Le Bistro. Teppanyaki- Our 2nd specialty dining may have been my favorite. The chef was entertaining, but the food was the best part. I ordered the seafood and my wife ordered the steak. He started off by making the rice and serving that while he cooked the proteins. Typically cruise food portions are smallish, but not here. There was as much rice as you could eat, but the best part for me was the sea food. I had scallops, shrimp and calamari. The shrimp was not the sad little shrimp I found in my fettuccini, but rather nice large delicious shrimp. The scallops were huge and the calamari tasty and done just right. My wife's steak was equally as good. We left there full and satisfied. Cagney's- The most disappointing of the specialties. I love a good rib eye and a good steak house. The steak was just ok. It was a small piece, not as tender as I'd hoped and lacking flavor. Now I am a little pickier with steak because I do a pretty decent steak at home, but I expected more of a Ruth's Chris, Flemings, high end Las Vegas steak. I'd compare what I received to an Outback Steakhouse steak.......good but not great. La Cucina-This one was a whim and a pleasant surprise. We didn't have reservations, but while sitting at Shaker's Waterfront Bar enjoying a cocktail waiting for sail away we noticed La Cucina outdoor seating was empty. We asked if we could get a seat without reservations and were immediately seated outside. It was really a nice evening and sitting having dinner while sailing away was perfect. I ordered the 3 appetizers like I usually do but the portions are bigger at La Cucina. The carbonara was really good. I ordered Shrimp Scampi and although it was the sad little shrimp, there seemed to be more and the flavor was on point. We enjoyed La Cucina and would rather go there than Cagney's in the future. American Diner- We ate breakfast there once and really enjoyed it. It's a buffet with a cook to order omelet station. The omelet was very good (much better than O'Sheean's) and the buffet items were your typical breakfast buffet and good. Entertainment- Syd Norman's was our favorite. On this 9 day cruise they had 4 shows. The doors open an hour before the show and we were there when they opened each night. While waiting for the show, there is music playing and the bar is open. There is a server walking around taking orders or you can walk up to the bar. We actually enjoyed this time to listen to music and talk about our day while enjoying a cocktail. The shows were really good. They didn't just sing.....they had some joking banter in between songs. We never missed a show and planned our evening around them. You do need to get there early as the venue is small and fills up fairly quickly. Rumors- On this cruise the Syd Norman performers told the story of Fleetwood Mac and performed the Rumors album in the Breakaway Theater. I thought the show was awesome, but I am a Fleetwood Mac fan. Comedy show- We enjoy adult comedy but this one was disappointing. Even after 14 cocktails, I don't think I as much as chuckled once. Casino- I wasn't sure how this worked but found out it works like a casino. The machines take dollars and you tap your room key to make sure you get credit for your gambling. When you cash out it prints a ticket that you can cash out or reinsert in another machine. I was VERY lucky on this cruise and actually won another cruise. Pool Area- We only went there on our one sea day and it was fairly crowded as they usually are. I'm an adventurer and went down all the slides. The freefall caught me off guard and almost scared me.....almost, but I really enjoyed it....once. Disembarkation- I was dreading this but another pleasant surprise. We docked in Barcelona before 5AM. We had an 11AM flight and I was a little concerned about getting off the ship and to the airport on time. There is an option to carry off your luggage if you're able to do it. If not, you can select a time, tag your luggage and set it outside of your cabin the night before. Carry off passengers disembark 1st and then group 1, group 2 etc. We chose to carry off our luggage and were cleared to exit at 5:30. We immediately found a taxi and were at the airport by 6 Am. On other cruises we set our luggage out, had to exit our room and fight the crowds to exit the ship. It was so nice and easy doing it the NCL way! Overall Impressions- The entire trip, the ship, the itinerary exceeded our expectations! I really love the freestyle aspect of NCL, the Waterfront, O'Sheehan's, the dining options, the bar options and the entertainment (Syd Norman's especially) I would definitely recommend specialty dining if you're a foodie, but overall it's all enjoyable.....even the cold benedict. The criticisms I had of some of the food didn't change our view of how enjoyable the experience was. I just wouldn't want anyone to be disappointed if you're expecting AMAZING in the complimentary dining rooms. We enjoyed it so much that we booked the NCL Aqua to Bermuda Sept 2026 with the free cruise I won at the casino. Looking to forward to seeing a new to us ship!
The Haven
Hidden at the top of the ship, The Haven features our most luxurious, well-appointed accommodations as well as 24-hour butler service, concierge service and private sundeck.
Club Balcony Suite
Whether it's the two of you or your family, our Club Balcony Suites are accented with the finest touches. And enough room to make memories forever.
Spa
Pampering begins here. The Haven Spa Suite, Spa Mini-Suite and Spa Balcony provide a more pampering spa experience at sea with easy access to the Spa and Fitness Centre. Complimentary access to the Thermal Suite can be enjoyed during regular business hours.
Balcony
Soak in breathtaking views together or with the family. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors open to your own private balcony. Stylish and sophisticated appointments accent these modern rooms.
Oceanview
Experience comfort all around you. These stylish staterooms feature fine appointments, which are highlighted by nice touches and clear views of the ocean.
Inside
Relax in lively style and smart sophistication. Our modern inside staterooms are highlighted with appointments like a TV, sitting area, and more.
Studio
Specifically designed and priced for solo travellers, our Studios feature a full-size bed, separate bath area and access to the private Studio Lounge - no single supplement required.
COMPLIMENTARY DINING
Every cruise fare includes beautifully crafted menus in our three main dining rooms, a help-yourself buffet and a variety of casual cafés, grills and on-the-go choices. From fresh-baked breads, desserts and pastries to our chefs' original dishes made with the freshest ingredients, your dining can be as fine or fun as you want.
Serving a wide variety of culinary delights to please every palate, our complimentary dining options include three main dining rooms, a help-yourself buffet and a variety of casual cafés, grills and on-the-go choices. Plus, our Main Dining Rooms offer a menu that changes daily, Chef's Signature Dishes and carefully selected wine recommendations, guaranteeing a different culinary adventure with every visit.
SPECIALITY DINING
Dining aboard Norwegian is about having choices. Enjoy delicious comfort foods as well as more exotic choices from our many complimentary dining options. Or widen your palette further and choose from our speciality restaurants for a cover charge or á la carte. Whether it's a cheeseburger you have a desire for, or Coq au Vin, your dinner is ready when you are. And if you book a Speciality Dining Package, you can savour an array of our speciality restaurants for one special price.
Enjoy a night of gastronomic proportions at one of our many speciality restaurants. Find your inner foodie at Ocean Blue featuring delicious seafood eats. Bring a hearty appetite to our Brazilian steakhouse, Moderno Churrascaria. And see shrimp fly at Teppanyaki. Whether you're dining inside or oceanside on The Waterfront, our speciality restaurants feature the tastes you'll crave.
Listen and learn in a lecture held by a guest speaker, Norwegian Cruise Line ships have much to offer to enhance your learning and senses.
You won’t believe your eyes or even your ears. Norgwegian Cruise Lines have brought Broadway to sea with blockbuster shows, music, dancing, cabaret, comedy and more. You can party all night, grab some great casino action and find your favourites among up to 22 bars and lounges, from electrifying nightspots to cosmopolitan bars and easy-going pubs. Every night is a night on the town.
Feel free to follow your spirit, whether that takes you to a superb fitness centre, a sun lounger by the pool or to the serenity of a luxurious spa. Get the adrenaline soaring by conquering the climbing wall or ropes course high above the ocean. Flex your muscles on the sports court or treat yourself to something special in the boutiques. Catch a fun, informal lecture. Take the plunge in the Aqua Park.
Families play better together on Norwegian. From dodgeball to cupcake decorating, there are lots of activities all over the ships. Plus, with complimentary youth programmes, kids can learn to juggle at Circus School in Splash Academy and teens have the coolest themed parties in Entourage. Add exclusive NickelodeonTM entertainment at sea for kids of all ages – even the grown up ones – and your family holiday gets awesome. While the kids are having fun, so can you, indulging in a spa treatment, enjoying a leisurely meal or just switching off. And when it comes to bedtime, family-friendly accommodation gives everyone the elbow room they need. Night, night.
