No worries for sea days

I have just had the pleasure of spending a night and day on NCL’s newest ship, The Breakaway and what a pleasure it was.

 

NCL is a Freestyle cruise company which means there is no need to feel the obligation to be dress formally at any time and meal times are based around you and your day. There is a totally relaxed atmosphere from the moment you wake up to bed time, everyday.

I had never been on an NCL ship before and not been on a large ship either so I had been looking forward to this for a while now. Their motto for this ship was very good and showed straight away how this ship has something for everyone.

Dine like a Parisian

Surf like an Hawaiian

Party like a Brazilian

Love like a Venetian

Shop like a New Yorker

Train like an Athlete

Celebrate like a Champion

Now too be honest I did not do the train like an Athlete thing but i think the rest  I had a good go at.

Getting on-board was not like I have experienced in the past, the first thing I came to was lifts and stairways, convenient but no wow factor, no Atrium or heart of the ship but I had time for that.

I was booked into an outside cabin. It was very tastefully decorated, spacious, very comfy mattresses and pillows and the window was large and had a nice deep internal ledge to it, you could sit a child in it.

 

Little time was spent here as it was a whistle stop tour so straight onto exploring the ship, first stop was O’Sheehans, “the every ship has one” Irish Bar, An Amstel beer on tap and a superb Cheese burger and chips was the order, the burger and roll was first class, so much more than I was expecting. I had made a mental plan to visit again around mid-night to soak up my diet cokes that I had envisaged consuming during the evening.

Now it was time to explore and there was so much to see.

The top deck Aqua park and sports complex-  fantastic slides, good lengths with speeds of up to 40 mph  and 5 multi storey options, that would entertain me for many days. The Aqua Park also features a Kids’ Aqua Park, with colourful, whimsical and larger than life Nickelodeon characters from Bikini Bottom, including Patrick, Squidward and a with life-size 5’7’’ SpongeBob Squarepants statue.

 

Moving on from there was a full size netted basketball court that also converted into a 5-a-side football pitch, a rock climbing wall and a Krypton Factor style climbing apparatus way above the floor, this involved trained staff strapping you up with a safety harness so you could safely make your way from section to section.  For those with a taste for fun but more relaxed is the 9 hole crazy golf course, beautifully set out, well presented and nothing like the shabby efforts you would expect to find in Skegness or Brighton.

Spice H20 is an adult’s only area inspired by the renowned summer beach parties on the island of Ibiza on Deck 15. By day, lounge beside hot tubs and a soothing waterfall; by night, dance beneath the stars as vibrant images display on the huge video screen.

 

From there I made my way to ‘The Haven’ a private world of Luxury. Here is where all the suites are based with their own luxury area of pampering, dining, relaxing and socializing with like-minded cruisers.

Be prepared for a personal luxury service with an array of complimentary amenities.

 

• 24-hour butler

• Concierge service and escort to your suite

• Priority embarkation and disembarkation

• Distinctive platinum keycard

• Priority boarding of tenders to shore

• Complimentary car service from the pier to the airport for Garden Villa guests

• Preferred seating at our award-winning shows on board

• Priority access to our first-class spa and fitness centre

• Private VIP excursions ashore

Private keycard access to the top deck to enjoy the private pool, sundeck, hot tub, sauna and fitness area.

Dining options include-

For breakfast and lunch, guests can choose to dine in a private restaurant reserved exclusively for guests of The Haven with a special Haven menu.

Preferred reservations at our award-winning specialty restaurants.

Option for White Tablecloth in-suite dining.

    

 

Sticking with the Spa and luxury theme I went to see what was on offer for everyone else.

Norwegian Breakaway’s tranquil Mandara Spa and thermal suite will offer guests the perfect respite encompassing more than 2,000 square metres of spa and fitness facilities.

Norwegian Breakaway’s massage therapists specialise in over 50 signature treatments for both men and women treatments across 22 treatment rooms

  

Norwegian Breakaway’s world-class Spa has the first-ever Salt Room at sea, a dramatic grotto surrounded by layers of crystal salt – a unique, indulgent and beneficial spa experience, natural and scientifically proven to improve respiratory and skin ailments and aid in overall wellness.

Largest thermal suites in our fleet with 13 heated loungers, vitality pool, whirlpools, sauna, solarium and steam room.

 

Full-service salon offering hair, nail, waxing and special kid-friendly services.

Full-service Barber Shop, exclusively for men, offering treatments including haircuts and traditional warm shaves.

Spa staterooms have easy access to Spas and complimentary use of Thermal Suite.

State of the art Oceanview Fitness Centre.

Popular international-inspired dance-fitness program Zumba Fitness is offered onboard, led by licensed Zumba® instructors who are part of the Zumba Instructor Network (ZIN™).

Variety of all-new low-impact classes such as “Spirals,” a Pilates-inspired class that utilizes weighted balls for added resistance; and “Chi Balls,” a group class inspired by traditional.

Chinese medicine, combining elements of yoga, tai chi and meditation that completely exercise both the mind and body.

Additional fitness offerings include kettle bell training, yoga, Pilates, reformers and body sculpting boot camp style classes.

Guests will also have the opportunity to participate in a fitness class developed by the Rockettes, one of New York’s most illustrious and beloved icons, who are Norwegian Breakaway’s official Godmothers.

Enjoy the latest Technogym® cardio equipment and weights. All cardio equipment synchs to iPod music devices and features a large, HD screen.Flywheel classes challenge the body and relaxes the mind. Every ride is set to incredible heart pumping custom playlist created by the instructors from a collection of music carefully curated by Flywheel’s in-house DJ.

 

So what about the kids? Well The Breakaway has the fleets largest kids club called Splash Academy spanning 2 decks.

With 3 different age groups ranging from 3 to 12 year olds every child is sure to be entertained to their needs.

Babies and toddlers under age three, along with their parents, will also have their own dedicated play space with activities called Guppies for 6 months – 2 year olds.

Norwegian’s e-Youth tablet-based electronic registration allows parents to swipe their keycard and input a password to sign in their children.

 

 

For kids 3 – 12, Port Play (when ship is in port) and Late Night Fun Zone (nightly) are located at the Kids Centre, supervised by our youth staff.

Entourage is Breakaways high energy, exclusive Teen zone for 13 to 17 year olds.

Located on Deck 16 this hip, sophisticated area was designed to give teens their own funky space that includes air hockey; table football; and an arcade centre with five separate areas featuring large screens to play the latest video games while lounging on comfy sofas.

 

Norwegian Breakaway will be the fourth Norwegian ship to offer Nickelodeon experiences, including the all-new Pyjama Jam Character Breakfast, Dora’s Dance Party, Nickelodeon Character Meet and Greets; Story Time with Dora; and Nickelodeon Arts and Crafts.

Nickelodeon’s Splash Mobs add an element of surprise with spontaneous, impromptu games that are exciting for the whole family with pies, slime and other surprises.

In the evening I went to the Teppanyaki speciality restaurant, I think it was a mix of Japanese and Brazilian. The tables were made for 8 diners sat around a large cooking top, after our orders were taken the chef introduced himself and then a cooking show began featuring tips, comedy, participation and finished off with a wonderfully cooked meal for 8, all cooked to our own preferences and served at the same time.

The Teppanyaki being a speciality restaurant has a small surcharge and is 1 of 28 restaurants to choose from, 9 of which are included in the cruise fare.

 

Entertainment and Dining

 

The Waterfront is another first for Norwegian. Located eight decks above the water, this 400-metre-long, oceanfront promenade is a unique outdoor experience with plenty of alfresco dining options to choose from like Cagney’s Steakhouse, La Cucina Italian and the all new Geoffrey Zakarian’s Ocean Blue.

678 Ocean Place extends through three decks connecting bars, restaurants and day and night time entertainment.

 

Geoffrey Zakarian, Norwegian’s first ever celebrity chef, will be bringing his extraordinary taste and passion for fine cuisine to Norwegian Breakaway in his seafood restaurant Ocean Blue.

Three live Broadway shows, with Rock of Ages heading the all-star line up

Burn the Floor reinvents ballroom dancing putting you though your paces in a 45-minute extravaganza non-stop show – a fantastic spectacle for guests of all ages.

Cirque Dreams & Dinner Jungle Fantasy is an imaginative journey through a mystical jungle brought to life by a talented international cast of soaring aerialists, magnificent acrobats, jugglers and musicians. Dinner is served at guests’ tables by waiters who also play a part in the show.

America’s The Second City comedy troupe, famous for their fast-moving, live improvisation shows take inspiration from the audience and Howl at the Moon – a high-energy, rock and roll duelling piano show are set to entertain guests all night long.

The New York theme on board continues with the Slam Allen Band with a unique blend of soul and blues

The Rockettes, our Godmothers, will be travelling on Norwegian Breakaway’s first six cruises from New York and then on the first sailing of each month, taking part in special events for guests to enjoy. The Rockettes have also designed an exclusive fitness class which guests can participate in.

The Breakaway Casino, one of the largest at sea, features favourite games like Blackjack, craps, roulette, Texas Hold ‘Em and poker.

 

After my meal I had a wonder looking at the entertainment on offer for the night and found a duet on the pianos singing some all time classics, very pleasant and got a good size seated audience singing in full voice. I stayed for 1 drink and a few songs before moving on to the next show that was just 50 yards away, a Tina Turner tribute act, this lady was on fire, a full 90 minute show full of the most amazing energy, passion and style that had the whole crowd on the floor dancing with her and the 2 balconies above singing and cheering down on everyone. Even when she had finished the place was till rocking, she had truly left her mark.

and some art to be viewed.

 

My night had come to an end in 1 of the many bars and I had a great meal, some great drinks and some fantastic entertainment and did not fill the need to get another O’Sheehans burger.

 

Disembarkation time but first of all breakfast, there were 3 options to choose from, waiter service on decks 6 or 7 and buffet on deck 15, I chose buffet and felt like I had won the lottery when I got up there. Oh my goodness, there must have been at least 200 metres of choice, everything and more was on offer. Cereals, fruit, cheese and hams, cooked porridge and oats, fry up, freshly made to order omelettes, the options went on and on.

I settled for a fry up and was not expecting to be fully satisfied, I never am with fry ups not made at home but yet again expectations were exceeded. The scrambled egg (which is never nice unless I make it) was perfect, sausages meaty, eggs that tasted of eggs, muffins that I had never tasted so good before and bacon that was perfect made this possibly the best fry up I had had. Loving my food as I do I then felt I needed to try a few pancakes, some waffles and a slice of Cinnamon laced bread and butter pudding coated in Maple syrup and thick fluffy cream. Thumbs up again.

 

I did not get on-board until 13.00 hours and was off by 09.30 the following morning but in that time NCL had blown me away, I have always had great feedback from my customers about NCL, I can now know exactly what they are talking about and I am sure it will not be long before I too am on a NCL holiday.