Norwegian Breakaway Launch

I spent a day and night experiencing the new NCL Norwegian Breakaway. The hull of the ships does have paintings which you may think look tacky but, once on-board, there is a wow factor. The decor is very muted with cream upholstery and brown/beige carpeting in the public areas. The ship is 146600 tons and carries just over 4000 passengers but it does not feel too large as it is broken up into various areas.

We had lunch in the buffet restaurant on deck 15 and the choice and quality was very good. The dining choices are excellent, with a number of speciality restaurants with cover charges around 15 to 25 USD. They include a Japanese Teppanyaki, French, Brazilian and Italian restaurants. It is necessary to pre-book these. We booked the French restaurant as soon as we boarded. The meal was excellent.

There are plenty of activities on board including a climbing wall and zip wire plus a jogging track and a large gym and spa area which includes a relaxing area with hot stone beds. There is also plenty of evening entertainment to suit all tastes including a large theatre with live shows, a comedy club, nightclub, a pub and a relaxing bar with a pianist. There is also an ice bar on board. There is something for everyone. Children are also well catered for and there are good kid’s club facilities. There are indoor facilities for the children and a large pool area with a huge waterslide.

Accommodation is good and the showers in all the cabins are a good size, with powerful showers. The ocean view cabins were a good size but the balconies were on the small side, being long and narrow with tiny balconies that could just fit two small chairs and a small table on them. The studios for single travellers are an excellent idea.

These are interior cabins on deck 11 which are small but have access to a studio lounge. More cruise lines should copy this idea as there is a shortage of single occupancy on most cruise ships.

The ship will be operating out of New York this season. I think this ship will appeal especially to families and young couples and people who want a relaxed cruise experience without the formality of dressing up as, with all NCL ships, it is Freestyle cruising.