Norwegian Breakaway Review

Talent in every venue on the Breakaway...

Review for Bermuda Cruise on Norwegian Breakaway
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mbruck
10+ Cruises • Age 50s

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Sail Date: Oct 2021
Cabin: Spa Mini-Suite with Balcony

Cruising is back (who-hoo!) and no one should have any hesitation about booking a cruise on the Breakaway. My wife and I (both of us avid cruisers) were on the October 3rd sailing to Bermuda. It looks like NCL solved the boarding logistics issues they had with their prior cruise. Average time from arrival at the pier at 10:07 to boarding the ship, including COVID testing, was 1 hour 40 minutes - still a bit longer than I prefer, but acceptable considering you didn't stay too long in any one place. Once onboard, NCL still proves to be an excellent vacation for the money, and with ships that are only 1/2 full, service is more attentive and the staff appears happy to have us.

The clear standout feature of this ship is the talent - everywhere from the lounge acts to the larger venues, in total, was the best I have ever seen (and heard), and I have been on many ships. I remember this itinerary on the Escape 2 years ago also excelled in the talent department, but this time I am blown away. Clear standout was the band at Syd Norman's Pour House. I don't tend to "rave" - but they have 5 lead vocalists and 2-3 backup vocalists, and an incredible lead guitarist that reproduced every note and harmony from every classic rock song you can imagine in a very small "club style" venue - including the entire "Rumours" album (Fleetwood Mac) for one night. The harmony wasn't just "spot on" - it sounded like i was seeing that band, but in a small nightclub. My wife and I started planning our evenings around their shows - and you probably will too. With a half full ship, word spread quickly and this venue filled FAST. It was still possible to see (sort of) and hear from outside the venue, as there were chairs and windows on deck 8, and a doorway to the outer deck where people sometimes parked themselves, but the singers circulate and interact with the crowd, making seats inside the venue much better. Even on a half full ship, people standing at the back just to see the band was a common occurrence.

The main theater had Jassen Allen, also an incredibly talented soulful singer currently working out of Vegas, and the all girl musical "Six" - about the wives of Henry VIII, was also excellent (a cross between the Spice Girls, and Hamilton, if you're unfamiliar with it). Another excellent show was "Burn the Floor."

Cabin Review

Spa Mini-Suite with Balcony

Spacious for a cruise ship, balcony is not large, but enough room for two people to sit and eat

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