We’re blessed at Popular Cruising to have the opportunity to hop onboard the Norwegian Breakaway from Norwegian Cruise Line just months after first experiencing the great new cruise ship. While our previous cruise was a three-day preview sailing during her inaugural festivities, this one will be a full seven-day cruise from New York, New York to the tropical destination of Bermuda, a locale that is entirely new to us.
Since our cruise review coverage now publishes after our sailings, you can ask us any questions you might have ahead of time. Please post your inquiries in the comments section below this article, and we’ll answer them in our reviews to follow. For instance, I already have a request in to feature the studio staterooms and lounge onboard.
Cruise Reviews from the Norwegian Breakaway, Bermuda 2013 sailing previewed below: Norwegian Cruise Line iConcierge App Review Freestyle Cruising on Norwegian Breakaway
The Ship
Our first impression of the Norwegian Breakaway was also our first impression of Norwegian Cruise Line, and both the cruise ship and the cruise line proved to be hits. In the past, Royal Caribbean International and Disney Cruise Line have set themselves apart as innovators in the cruise industry. Norwegian Cruise Line is now doing the same with the Norwegian Breakaway and her soon to launch sister ship, the Norwegian Getaway.
The Waterfront
The most unique feature onboard is easily The Waterfront (pictured in part above), which takes the promenade deck and kicks it up a notch in more ways than one. For starters, The Waterfront is independent of the lifeboat deck, acting as a secondary boardwalk that sits above the rescue vessels. This allows for uninterrupted 270-degree views around the ship, but what is truly revolutionary is how the venues inside are brought out onto the deck for al fresco extensions of the many restaurants, bars and lounges.
Le Bistro
In fact, it’s staggering just how many restaurants are on the Norwegian Breakaway. Do you want French, Italian, Brazilian, Chinese, Japanese and Irish restaurants, plus a traditional steakhouse, upscale seafood venue and more? You’ve got it. We can’t wait to try even more of them like the classy Le Bistro (pictured above). Other things on the to-do list: the massive Aqua Park and its five water slides including two high-speed ones that we didn’t have time to ride on our first cruise.
The Itinerary
Bermuda itineraries may not be the most diverse, but they offer a great cruise getaway (gee, that would make a great name for a cruise ship) for local New Yorkers and plenty of time for everyone to fully experience a single destination. With three days docked at King’s Wharf, the British territory and group of islands, also known as the Bermudas, will be fully available to extensive exploration.
The Route (Copyright © Norwegian Cruise Line)
As is the case with many new cruise ships, the vessel itself is also a destination, with so much to see and do that our cruise may be more of an onboard experience than off. Therein lies the very freedom of a cruise vacation. You can always do as much or as little as you want, and if time is split between the ship and the shore, three days at sea and three days in Bermuda is a perfect balance.
The Itinerary (Copyright © Norwegian Cruise Line)
Featured Entertainment
One of the things that stands out the most onboard the Norwegian Breakaway is the great entertainment. The Slam Allen Band at Fat Cats, for example, is beyond stellar. If you love jazz and the blues, this is a must-see venue. One of the ship’s main production shows, Rock of Ages, was decidedly irreverent and certainly was not to some of the passengers’ tastes, but we found it to be a very well produced, humorous romp.
Slam Allen Band at Fat Cats
We look forward to experiencing those shows again but also reporting on new experiences like The Second City improvisational comedy shows, Burn the Floor, the Howl at the Moon dueling piano show and yes, the fireworks spectacular, as the performance on our last cruise was sadly rained out. After all, the Norwegian Breakaway is about choice, and there is plenty to be had onboard for entertainment and certainly food.
The Manhattan Room
Stay tuned for our extensive cruise review series to follow. In the meantime, visit Norwegian Cruise Line‘s website for more information on the Norwegian Breakaway. Also, be sure to ask all your Norwegian Breakaway questions in the comments section below, and we’ll answer them in our cruise review articles when we return…