Norwegian Breakaway Cruise Review - 2023/2024 - Food & More 

I’ve been on Norwegian 3 times and always found their food to be top notch.

This is like the apple vs android conversation. He admits he’s usually cruise’s Carnival, so naturally the way Norwegian does business is different for him. Personally, I’ve cruised Norwegian about four times (Breakaway, Prima, Viva) and I’ve never had a problem because I know the ins and outs of the cruise line. I’m sure if I cruise another line, it’ll take some getting used to. Also, Prima and Viva… the cat’s Meow!

Watching this video just shows what happens when you go on a cruise without knowing where you're going. Complaining about the 3 main dining rooms having the same menu, for example, when that's very well publicized - the only difference is the environment.

This was an excellent video. I appreciated your critical, but honest, review.

So last week, my wife and I were just about to book the April cruise on this ship out of New Orleans. We have cruised a number of times before and actually sailed on Norwegian several years ago. The April cruise is the last time (until Fall) that any line other than Carnival sails out of the three western Gulf ports - and we really don't want to sail on Carnival ever again. I can not over emphasize the impact your video had on our plans. We are not "foodies" but all of your comments seemed spot on. I think what really did us in was seeing the size of the vessel. I'm a retired aircraft carrier sailor by trade, and I just don't think I need to share anymore boats with 6,000 shipmates. I believe we will turn inland and try to find something a bit calmer. Anyway, thank you for a great video. You saved us both money and time.

This video is verrrry critical.

Oh yeah… balcony rooms won’t allow you to run the AC when the door is open, because the cold AC air and warm outside air will create moisture in the stateroom. Moisture leads to mold, and/or that nasty “wet mildew towel” smell we all hate and complain about when we experience it.

I was on the Breakaway the week after you , My embarkation time was 1:30 and I had maybe a 10 minute wait, I also had no problem with finding a table on floor 15 even at peak times but I 1000% agree with you about the food, it was not the NCL of the 1990's when it was fancy and cooked correctly and actually brought to your table warm. The only time I ate a warm meal on this trip was at Teppanyaki. Looking forward to the rest of your videos.

I’m 15 and was on this cruise with my 14 year old cousin and one cool thing was the teen lounge there was PlayStations and Nintendo switches you could play on and I met a lot of nice kids and it was one of the best weeks ever and the fries were weirdly one of the best things in the buffet

You did an amazing job on this video...for a food critic. I wish you had done more of everything "non" food. Granted....I understand why, as I'm from Lafayette, LA. With that said, I am not going for the food...I'm going for the vacation. I'm not bashing.....thanks again for the video, and we hope to cruise from NOLA (our first cruise) sometime in May or June of 2024. Thanks!

We sailed Breakaway in 2019. Perhaps the best food of any cruise we have ever had, that being said we didn't care for the layout of the ship. I asked a crew member which deck was the Lido deck......she looked at me like I had 4 eyeballs.

I really appreciate your video. We sailed on the Mardi Gras Cruise, and we experienced a lot of the same issues. Great content!

Was on the Breakaway May 2023 for the Italy/Greece 10 day trip out of Rome - 10/10. Ship was amazing.

I was on the ships first voyage from Southampton to New York in 2013. The potato salad was fantastic.

I felt the nickel and diming when we took the breakaway outb of new york years ago. they removed the complimentary burger bar in favor of another upcharge since then. Felt the main dining rooms food was just okay. Hated the amount of smoke in the mid ship area and on the waterfront.

4:45 yeah, my bag went "missing" on a Virgin Cruise for the same reason. Left the wine (which on Virgin you can bring on) in the bag and it got flagged and sent to a holding area. No one told me and it took several times asking my Steward before he finally figured it out. I was in a panic. Seems like they should tell your room Steward that your bag is in jail and where to go so they can tell me sooner. Would save a lot of people a lot of headache

I was taking your opinion seriously until you said bullion cubes. Wow ok you just love you some MSG😂

We were considering a 16 day reposition cruise on the Breakaway, but after your review, I'm seriously rethinking it. It seems like a great price, but not with the high gratuities and blah tasting food.

Experienced Cruiser know to say "Ship" never a boat. The problem is with staffing shortages Shame on the Norwegian and their staffing cuts. Can't blame staff they are trying their best😢.

Did you ever do the video about the shore excursions? I can’t find it.

Awesome video. But you can't complain that if you open the window an the air-condition is shut off. They aren't trying to cool off the outside. It's actually very common in Europe if you open the window it shuts down the HVAC system to your room.

Awesome review. I've got a 12-day transatlantic from Port Canaveral to Lisbon in 33 days. This helps greatly. Thank you. 👍🏽

Thanks for the review. Very convincing. I’m passing.

It is VERY clear you don't cruise much! You can't leave your balcony door open and still get AC?? Carbon footprint ring any bells?? And ALL cruise lines that all you to bring wine tell you it has to be in your carry on.

My girlfriend and I were on the same trip and we found the main dining, at best, tolerable. We did have a few nice lunches in Taste but otherwise, uninspir8bg is the kindest adjective I could use for the main dining. I did get to Shanghai and I stuck strictly to the dumplings and dim sum which I rather enjoyed. I was very disappointed that the buffet closed so early, leaving the only late night option as O'Sheehan's and I found it impossible to get a table since I couldn't bring food to the bar area. I was very disappointed with the dining on Breakaway. Also, we never saw our cabin steward.... never! My favourite area was the deck 8 starboard bar on The Waterfront. This was always hopping and fun. The bartenders were a blast and the crowds were always out there to laugh and have fun. Had it not been for that bar, the cruise would 25:02 have been a bust for me. In spite of that, I did find the crew I encountered to all be very pleasant and accommodating. The biggest and, by far most annoying and exasperating experience was the muster drill. They was a 2sst3d hour they almost ruined the entire first day. Terrific v8deo. You've gained a new subscriber.

Your video is one of the most informative I've found, so far - thank you! How large was your group? My family of 3 is part of 15 next January. We have three kids in the group - 7, 10, 12 - did any of the families you were with blog as well? If so, can you point me to them? Thanks in advance!

Great information thanks for sharing..

We paid NCL $500 for insurance in case anything happen to our trip. We were at the NZ airport when the weather went bad. 14 inches of rain fell that day. The airport was closed. We had to spend the night in the airport because they wouldn't let anybody leave. The next day we were threatened with jail time by the airport if we didn't leave so we left. NZ air offered no help. We arranged a hotel for two day hoping we would get help by any of the parties involved with no luck. We ended up staying for 5 day thinking we would be covered by the insurance that we purchased through NCL. The extra 5 days cost us $3k + $1400 to purchase new tickets through NZ air. We ended up with a $500 per person compensation for $1000 total and nothing from NZ air. Do NOT sail NCL. They hold no responsibility for anything that may go wrong and LIE about any kind of service they may have to provide. In the end it cost us $3400 for something that was not our fault. DON'T buy insurance it's a SCAM. Corporate Slobs.

We were on the Norwegian Epic and agree with you with regard to the Taste and Savor. The Manhattan was better than Taste and Savor. The Italian restaurant was extremely disappointing. Olive Garden was better than the Italian restaurant on the ship. We won’t be trying that again! We feel like the staff are all still learning after COVID and the more seasoned workers either didn’t come back or found other jobs elsewhere. It is certainly not what I remember cruising to be like pre-COVID.

Very fair and honest critics.

Thank you for the feedback we leave in two weeks

The best part of this cruise is Cagney’s and the French restaurant. You made bad choices with restaurants.

Live about an hour and a half from New Orleans. I've been looking for a cruise out of there. How do you rank Norwegian to Carnival? New sub, and sincerely appreciate the content. 🇺🇲

Bottom line is that cruise lines are still trying to recover from Covid which hit them hard and long. As much as I would like to cruise again, I am concerned that it will be a huge disappointment.

Great review of the Norwegian breakaway. I have sailed the breakaway, twice pre-pandemic, and will be sailing on a repositioning cruise shortly. I’m not a gourmet food eater, but I want good quality food, served at the proper temperature. I have no problem with sending food back to the kitchen if it’s not up to my standards. This will be my third transatlantic cruise since the pandemic, and I have cruised more than 35 times on all the major lines. None of the cruise lines are perfect, they all have their plus and minuses! In your future Cruise videos, please use Ship, it is not a boat! thanks…

Thank you for the tour! I'm sensitive to cigarette smoke - can you let me know if you could smell smoke in the public areas near the open air casino on the Breakaway?

Sounds like you want Disney Cruise Line service on a Norwegian budget. You have to remember, you pay for what you get in life. You complained about the wait even with reservations. The cruise line can not control how long someone will sit around and wait after their meal. I could see if my reservation was for 5:00 and I am still waiting at 7:00 to sit down As far as paying extra for other restaurants, I hope everyone stays out of the additional pay restaurants. It will make it easier for me to get in when we go in a few weeks.

What cruise line do you usually sail on?

I wonder if the high price of beef over the last few years is part of the issue with the beef. Also US beef is different, more fatty from feedlot feedings, than South American beef.

What was your cabin category and cabin number? Thanks in advance

You are theeee best communicator on utube. I've watched 3500 videos in the last 3 years about travel and cruising, and u are the most likeable, objective, organized, intelligent, Truthful, honest, reasonable, Fair, open-minded, knowledgeable, content creater On the web. You should really Have nationally syndicated spots Across TV and radio. Your expert And Artistic Use of grammar and Syntax is mind-blowing and rare. I would love to know more about Your educational background and your parents. 90% of the Paid communicators and journalists on TV today don't even Know how to put a sentence together. I've taken 8 ncl cruises before The plague (2016 to 2020) and was extremely satisfied, but I have no doubt that your review Is accurate and fair and reasonable and objective. My Ships were: the Bliss (3X); the Joy (3X); the Sun and the Spirit. Cruise locations were Alaska, Mexican Riviera, Central and South America and the Caribbean. I think I'm going to Still help ncl pay off its $14 Billion in debt with some more Free at Sea Cruises in Europe And Asia, but I'm definitely going To start enjoying some Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, MSC, Virgin, Carnival and Viking cruises for The first time. As a Single traveler, ncl has been an incredible half-price bargain on All my ncl cruises---I have never Paid double-occupancy prices, ever. I was on the Ruby Princess 6 Years ago (when it was newer and just refurbished) for a Pacific Coastal 7 day cruise, and on a Scale of 1 to 10, it was a 20! Absolutely magnificent! Definitely More Princess Cruises! I paid only 125% of single-occupancy Pricing. Love your channel. I'm Mark, A retired real estate broker from Laguna Beach, Calif., Las Vegas, Waikiki/Maui and Fort Lauderdale/Miami. ,

You are obviously a rookie cruiser who was ill-prepared for this cruise, and full of unrealistic expectations. With some basic pre-planning and common sense, you could have avoided most of the issues you complained about. Also, I suspect that the size of your group had a lot to do with your problems

I thought capacity was 3900# not over 4k

I preferred the Norwegian Gem over the Breakaway.

I’ve been on this ship twice and honestly it’s not really my favorite nor will I ever go on it. There are many better other choices for the price they charge.

FYI, It’s a ship, not a boat..

was the whole casino allowed smoking?i remember we could smell it even in the atrium

You mention you are from New Orleans and this was your first NCL cruise. So I assume you must have experience on the Carnival competition in town - the Valor. If you were this critical of the Breakaway, I can only imagine how depressing a Valor review would be. If you think this Breakaway cruise is not 10 times better than Valor, you really should not do any more reviews.

Does the Haven include any free dining but still exclusive to haven members?

Wow.

So many rookie mistakes.

how was parking

Says he knows good food from NOLA, proceeds to spend half the video talking about the buffet. Since when do you make the buffet food the highlight of any trip?

I'm guessing they are aiming to the average American taste. Which prefers bland food.

It's a ship. Not a boat.

WAS JUST ON THIS SHIP FEEL THE SAME AQBOUT THE FOOD

Hi! Did your receive book a sail away balcony?

At least in the King's English, it's a ship and not a boat.

So you don’t talk about the Ports huh just food.

It's a SHIP NOT A FRIGGING BOAT 🤦‍♀️

Lewis Elizabeth Allen Anna Allen Deborah

Their food is not top notch, it is ok

Maybe you should find another fleet of ships. You're extremely negative.

The term is Ship, not boat

You should get a Kleenex sponsorship for all of your crying. What a terrible review.

We paid NCL $500 for insurance in case anything happen to our trip. We were at the NZ airport when the weather went bad. 14 inches of rain fell that day. The airport was closed. We had to spend the night in the airport because they wouldn't let anybody leave. The next day we were threatened with jail time by the airport if we didn't leave so we left. NZ air offered no help. We arranged a hotel for two day hoping we would get help by any of the parties involved with no luck. We ended up staying for 5 day thinking we would be covered by the insurance that we purchased through NCL. The extra 5 days cost us $3k + $1400 to purchase new tickets through NZ air. We ended up with a $500 per person compensation for $1000 total and nothing from NZ air. Do NOT sail NCL. They hold no responsibility for anything that may go wrong and LIE about any kind of service they may have to provide. In the end it cost us $3400 for something that was not our fault. DON'T buy insurance it's a SCAM. Corporate Slobs.