I Spent Hours Trying All the New Stuff After the N...

Following the Norwegian Breakaway refurbishment, the ship is homeporting within the Metropolis That By no means Sleeps – once more. The vessel was primarily based at New York’s Manhattan cruise terminal when it first debuted in 2013, full with a Large Apple-themed hull designed by artist Peter Max.

After repositioning from the Mediterranean, it’ll once more supply five- and seven-night Bermuda voyages, in addition to longer Caribbean and Bahamas sailings.

The vessel, which Norwegian Cruise Line despatched to dry dock in early 2025, has a number of new onboard choices, and I attempted them on a current cruise. I spent greater than 9 hours visiting freshly added areas, eating in new and up to date eating places, and logging the prices for each expertise.

Right here’s what I considered every new tweak and addition, and the way a lot you’ll be able to anticipate to pay to strive all of it out for your self in your subsequent cruise.

Silver Display screen Bistro Dine-In Motion pictures

Value: $50 per individual

Time spent: 2.5 hours

This dine-in theater is new to the fleet with Norwegian Breakaway. The cavernous room replaces the Spiegel Tent, a circus-themed theater the place the ship provided Cirque du Soleil-style performances.

Passengers will now discover a movie show with a big display screen and two aspect rooms with smaller screens. Chairs are comfy and recline by way of buttons. Tray tables and drink holders make eating simple.

Moviegoers choose three programs – starter, important and dessert – from the menu. (Vegetarian choices can be found.) The odd half is that every one three programs are served and cleared earlier than the film begins. It’s a good suggestion to get rid of disruptions in the course of the movie, however it makes the expertise clunky. Whereas eating, you’ll sit in a quiet theater, gazing a display screen that flips by way of film trivia for an hour. It additionally means a bigger funding of your time; plan an hour for dinner, plus the size of the film’s run time.

The theater performs a distinct film every evening at 7 p.m. (Verify the every day program.) There was solely a handful of different passengers after I went; a waiter advised me it hadn’t even reached half capability on its most crowded evening throughout my voyage. I hope which means phrase simply hasn’t gotten out but. I do suppose it’s an expertise price making an attempt in case you don’t thoughts spending the cash.

That stated, $50 per individual is rather a lot for meals that’s much like what cruisers can discover in the principle eating room at no cost. The ship additionally screens complimentary films in its atrium every day, and there are free film channels on cabin TVs.

Reservations are a good suggestion – not as a result of the venue will promote out however as a result of it’s useful for crew to know what number of passengers will probably be attending.

The Stadium Outside Gaming

Value: free

Time spent: 10 minutes

Of the ship’s post-refurb choices, The Stadium is probably the most underwhelming, by far. Therefore, the brief period of time I spent there.

The idea first rolled out on Norwegian Prima in 2022, that includes foosball, desk shuffleboard, Ping-Pong, pickleball and sit-down soccer. The model on Norwegian Breakaway – situated on Deck 17, underneath a part of the ship’s ropes course – consists of simply two worn, mismatched foosball tables and two desk shuffleboard stations that seem like they’ve been sitting out in inclement climate for years.

There’s a basketball courtroom on Deck 18 that has designated hours for pickleball, however the ship doesn’t have a devoted pickleball courtroom.

Palomar Mediterranean Seafood Restaurant

Value: $60 per individual

Time spent: 1.5 hours

One other aspect drawn from Norwegian’s Prima Class ships is Palomar, which has changed Ocean Blue on Norwegian Breakaway.

Palomar resides in a nook of Deck 8, sandwiched between Wasabi sushi and the Uncooked Bar. It’s a seafood-lover’s paradise overseen by a single host stand.

Though the opposite two eating places are a bit extra informal, Palomar is a spot the place you gained’t need to present up trying like a slob, regardless of NCL’s “come as you might be” costume code. This eatery is right for particular events, date nights, or only a stylish evening out with some glorious meals.

We ordered the heirloom beet salad, Mediterranean sea bass with carrot puree, and baked apple tart, and all the pieces was beautiful. The complete meal service took about 90 minutes. Reservations are a good suggestion.

Cagney’s Steakhouse

Value: $60 per individual

Time spent: 1.5 hours

Norwegian Breakaway has at all times had a Cagney’s steakhouse location on Deck 8. The restaurant used to share house with Brazilian steakhouse Moderno Churrascaria, which was formally eliminated in the course of the vessel’s dry dock. Since Moderno is gone, Cagney’s was capable of double its dimension.

A meal there’s nicely well worth the value, which incorporates an appetizer, important, two sides and dessert. My crab cake starter was scrumptious, my truffle fries tasty, and my petite filet mignon completely cooked. My solely niggle was the raspberry ceme brulee I ordered for dessert. The flavour was there, however the prime wasn’t hardened sufficient to supply the anticipated crunch.

Meal service was attentive and took about an hour and a half. Positively make reservations in case you’d prefer to dine there.

Vibe Seashore Membership

Value: $309 for a cruise-long go (varies by cruise size)

Time spent: half-hour

Through the ship’s dry dock, Norwegian expanded the scale of the adults-only added-fee Vibe Seashore Membership on Deck 17. There’s now extra seating with glorious sea views.

Pricing varies by cruise size, and passengers should buy one-day passes or voyage-long ones that enable entry day by day. After a cruiser pays, their keycard will grant them entry to the house.

As a part of the expertise Vibe-goers have entry to a personal bar with close by seating; solar loungers; first-come, first-served cabanas; towel service; contemporary fruit; and scorching tubs. (There isn’t any pool.)

On my crusing, Vibe was almost abandoned for nearly your complete cruise. I chalk that as much as the chilly, wet climate (which is why I solely spent about half an hour there) and the truth that the voyage had just one sea day. Anticipate it to be extra crowded on the ship’s warm-weather Caribbean and Bahamas itineraries.

The Haven Solar Deck

Value: free if booked in The Haven

Time spent: 5 minutes

In what Norwegian Breakaway’s normal supervisor advised me was an effort to supply passengers booked in suites with the identical facilities granted to Vibe Seashore Membership passengers, NCL expanded the Deck 17 solar deck in The Haven, the road’s unique suite enclave.

It now boasts extra space with phenomenal views and cabanas for passengers to make use of, together with scorching tubs. Though The Haven’s solar deck doesn’t have its personal pool, an indoor pool unique to cruisers booked in The Haven is simply steps away, one deck beneath.

As a result of I wasn’t booked in The Haven, I wasn’t capable of spend quite a lot of minutes there with a view to take pictures of the expanded house (with crew permission). If I had stayed in a collection and the climate was good, it will have been an space I loved.

Backside Line

Whole price: $479

Whole time spent: 6.25 hours

On Norwegian Breakaway, there are many modifications, from main additions like Silver Display screen Bistro to smaller tweaks just like the growth of Cagney’s and the addition of outside foosball tables in The Stadium. If you wish to verify all of them out, this could provide you with some thought of how a lot money and time you’ll have to spend to take action.

The choices which can be most well worth the funding are those that almost all carefully align along with your pursuits. If you wish to work in your tan, Vibe and The Haven’s solar deck are price trying into. For those who get pleasure from outside video games, try The Stadium. Film buffs will get pleasure from Silver Display screen Bistro, and foodies will admire each Cagney’s and Palomar.

Feedback

What do you consider all of the updates made throughout this Norwegian Breakaway refurbishment? Which of the brand new additions to this ship is your favourite? Drop us an anchor beneath to share your Norwegian Breakaway cruise opinions.

The submit I Spent Hours Trying All the New Stuff After the Norwegian Breakaway Refurbishment; Here’s What Not to Miss and What It’ll Cost You appeared first on EatSleepCruise.com.

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