Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Crusinmama Breaks Down The Breakaway for Families!

The Norwegian Breakaway is the latest ship launched out of New York City. As a resident of the North East, we are darn lucky to have her! We arrived for our sailing and there she was with her brightly decorated hull
I knew right away that this would be no ordinary cruise experience. The Breakaway truly does break the mold when it comes to cruising. It offers a perfect resort experience. We checked in to our Family Balcony - located on Deck 12 right outside Splash Academy. On other ships we always had to try to figure out which cabin was located near the kids club - this ship actually offers the "Family Balcony". It's all about location - location - location.
The Sports Deck on Breakaway features a ropes course complete with a zip line, a "Walk The Plank" - the chance to walk off the side of the ship, have your picture taken to prove to the family back home that you did it and a mini ropes course for the smaller ones that prefer to keep closer to the ground. It also has a spider web climb, a bungee trampoline, a rock climbing wall, a full sized basketball court and a mini golf course.
Of course, Norwegian has come back with their signature slides. This time, they have really outdone themselves with the Free Fall slide. It counts down before it drops you several stories.
For those with little ones, SpongeBob is back with his friends Patrick, Sandy and Squidward for tons of splash park fun.
Some of the larger ships have always had the complaint that you don't feel like you are "at sea" because of the disconnect from the ocean. That is not true for the Breakaway. Norwegian hit a homerun with this one! They were able to create a huge mega ship with all of the bells and whistles, while bringing their guests right down to the sea with the Waterfront. Decks 6, 7 and 8 all have restaurants, clubs and sitting areas that overlook the ocean. Imagine cruising past the Statue of Liberty at sunset - yeah I don't have to imagine anymore ;)
There are two main dining restaurants on Breakaway (Taste and Savor) and a number of Specialty Dining experiences. Norwegian brought onboard "The Iron Chef" Geoffrey Zakarian to create Ocean Blue. You can also curb that sweet tooth with a trip to Carlo's Bake Shop. Master Baker Buddy Valastro - AKA "Cake Boss" - opened a bakery onboard. We tried some of his treats (in the interest of writing the best review, right?). Goooood stuff!
The entertainment onboard is as always with Norwegian, second to none. As was with our experience on Epic, we found ourselves RUNNING from one show to another, never wanting to miss a thing. So let me tell you, the answer to this is - DON'T MISS ANYTHING! The Cirque Dreams show that we did miss - I heard nothing but wonderful reviews from everyone that did see it. I am still kicking myself over this one. So let me break down the entertainment - add Cirque to your list. ROCK OF AGES - LEAVE THE KIDS AT SPLASH ACADEMY. Let me say this again - NOT FOR CHILDREN! Now, I loved it. It was a wonderful show. I enjoyed it. I LOVE 80's music. If you have OLDER TEENS who are used to "R Rated" movies, then fine, bring them. But it is for MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY. If you bring your younger children (under 10) and you are offended and have to leave, don't say I didn't warn you ;)
Burn the Floor - INCREDIBLE dance show. I am usually not one to like dance shows. I couldn't keep my eyes off of these dancers. They were extremely talented.
Second City Improv Comedy "Family Edition" - we could tell that they toned down the jokes. Would the younger set enjoy it? Mine would prefer Splash Academy. We had a great time as adults at the Family Edition.
Norwegian has created another "Signature Party" - this time it is the 80's party. Held in two different venues, one for families and one at the Adult Only Spice. And to top the night off, they had FIREWORKS off the side of the ship. Who says you need a Disney ship for fireworks? We had fireworks twice during our sailing since it was the pre-inaugural sailing. The regular sailings won't take place at Lady Liberty. ;)
The Breakaway is doing Bermuda runs over the Summer (my favorite port for families, you dock for 3 days and have your own personal floating resort to come back to). Then it will move to the Bahamas run over the Fall/Winter. This ship is a perfect choice for families who like a great amount of entertainment, flexibility and still love that closeness to the ocean.

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