Norwegian Breakaway Review

Wait times completely unacceptable in every aspect of this cruise

Review for the Western Caribbean Cruise on Norwegian Breakaway
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Frisco7
6-10 Cruises • Age 50s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service

Additional details

Sail Date: Mar 2019
Cabin: Balcony Stateroom
Traveled with children

The positives: beautiful boat. Cirque show was good. Bar staff served two drinks at one time with the drink package (that everyone has - free with sea offers are plentiful)

The negatives:

From the port experience to disembarkation all we did was wait in lines. Every dinner (Savor, Taste, Manhattan Room, and Specialty - Carney’s and Tepanyaki) took no less than theee hours. Breakfast in the dining room was 2 hours and 20 minutes. Getting a drink at any bar, 20 minutes. Seeing a show? Stand in line for no less than 30 minutes. Want to watch something fun in the atrium - good luck. Better get your chair 40 minutes early. We usually cruise with carnival (which NCL staff bad mouthed in their show) and are used to friendly staff, bartenders that remember you and what you drink, waitstaff in the dining room that build a relationship with you. None of that is at NCL. They are severely understaffed and the staff does not care about the guest. Bartenders will not even make eye contact. You have to wave your hands to get noticed. Casino is horribly Smokey. If you play foe even half an hour, you return to your room smelling like an ashtray. The smell of smoke permiates to the 8th floor - which is quite beautiful but smelly. We loved the concept of the open promenade on the 8th deck and enjoyed being able to sit outside, but you get no service. We will never sail with NCL again. NCL does not make anyone feel like they want your business. Even the people checking in and out at the ports are grumpy. Finally - Harvest Caye is a rip off. We bought a beer for $6.95 PLUS a service charge AND taxes and it equated to $10. Later on at the swim I bar, the bartender arbitrarily changed the price of the same beer to $9 plus service fee and taxes. And then a tip on top of it. No one was friendly at this stop either. If they too are NCL employees they are all embracing the crappy culture that is on the boat. We have a disabled daughter and on Royal Caribbean, received exceptional service at the port. NCL promised that they would have someone meet us at the port, but the person did not show up. We called four times and she kept saying she was on her way but did not come. We ended up just doing the lines. We are also promised a private lifeboat demonstration for her which they did not do. NCL does not keep their promises. The parking situation is beyond awful. We will never give our money or time to NCL again.

Cabin Review

Balcony Stateroom

Cabin BC

Cabin was typical. Steward left the couch as our daughters bed all week (lazy!) - typically when a couch is used as a bed the steward leaves it as a sitting place during the day and makes it to a bed at night. I liked the shower - it seemed bigger than what we have on carnival - but the ship supplied soap and ‘conditioning shampoo’ were awful.

Port Reviews

Harvest Caye

Over priced. Tiny beach. Upcharge for paddle boarding. ONE restaurant. Walked back to the boat for lunch. Kids enjoyed the pool.

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