Review of the Norwegian Breakaway: A 5-Day Cruise from Miami to the Dominican Republic and Bahamas

Like in 2023 and 2022, my husband and I decided to book a cruise for November 2024 around the Caribbean.

This time, however, was a little different — because it was our first time cruising with a child!

My husband's sister, her husband, and their 6-year-old son joined us, and we were excited to see the cruise through their eyes as first-timers. Unsurprisingly, they all enjoyed cruising (especially the 6-year-old), and we hope to plan another cruise with them soon!

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Hat: Brixton | Sunglasses: Illesteva | Swimsuit: Sporlike | Shorts: Abercrombie | Belt: XZQTIVE | Ship ID lanyard: KTRIO | Sandals: Birkenstocks

tips + general info

Here's some information about the ship and the itinerary that you might find helpful:

  • Boarding the ship: Since you may not be able to get into your cabin or retrieve your luggage right away, bring a tote bag with the items you'll need — sunscreen, sunglasses, swimsuit, portable charger, headphones, a book, etc.
  • Reservations: You can make dining reservations for most restaurants in advance of Embarkation Day, but the exact timing depends on your cabin type (e.g., 120 days vs. 90 days in advance). If on Embarkation Day, you still haven't made reservations for restaurants or shows, you can do so upon boarding the ship at a designated place, one of the kiosk screens on the walls, or at Guest Services.
  • Exploring the ship: Once your reservations are made, it's up to you what to do! We like to explore the ship deck-by-deck to get acquainted with our new home, then grab drinks and relax somewhere on the ship.
  • Toiletries: The ship only provides shampoo and body wash, so bring your own conditioner — and lotion. I wash my hands so much on cruises, and the ship soap can be harsh on your skin, so I always need lotion to keep my hands from becoming chapped! 
  • Excursions: You can book excursions through the ship or third-party vendors. Third-party vendors will be cheaper, but you'll get more peace of mind booking through the ship to ensure that if anything goes wrong or gets delayed, the ship will wait for you.
  • Directionally challenged? The fish in the carpet swim in the direction of the bow (front) of the ship!
  • Itinerary: This itinerary included Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic, which was new to us — our previous Caribbean cruises have gone to Cozumel or Nassau. But Puerto Plata was my favorite of the 3! I think it was especially the right stop for a group that included a child — there was a lazy river, a surfing simulator, and a pool, all free to use.
  • The NCL app: NCL has an app that you can use on board, and it comes with a messaging app. The ship also provides a daily newsletter with helpful info about each port, including weather expectations.
  • Avoid the crowds: There's a sun deck on Deck 18, right around the corner and up the stairs from the main pool, with loungers and its own bar. And generally, if one area is crowded, that means there are other areas on the ship that aren't!

 

The bar just up the stairs from the main pool

food + drink

NCL offers "Freestyle Dining," which means that you can eat when and where you want, with no assigned meal times or pre-assigned seating.

This is one of my favorite things about NCL, since I like snacking all day long, sometimes wake up at different times or exercise and different times, and never know what time I'll want to eat real meals.

NCL offers both complimentary dining (free for everyone) and specialty dining restaurants (which can be paid for a la carte or may come included with your cabin selection).

Note: Although NCL offers Freestyle Dining, most of the restaurants do have certain hours, so be sure to check them in advance (which you can do on the website, on the app, or in the Freestyle Daily newsletter left at your cabin door every day).

Nail polish: OPI Big Apple Red, also available here

On the Breakaway, the complimentary dining includes the following restaurants:

  • Garden Café (the buffet, on Deck 15)
  • Savor (Main Dining Room, or MDR, on Deck 6)
  • Taste (Main Dining Room, or MDR, on Deck 6)
  • The Manhattan Room (Main Dining Room, or MDR, on Deck 7)
  • O'Sheehan's Bar & Grill (open 24 hours, on Deck 7)
  • American Diner (on Deck 16)

My husband and I generally prefer the MDRs over the buffet — it's nice to have table service and a menu to choose from, especially since I think I get a little overwhelmed by so many choices in the buffet.

I was a little bummed to learn that this ship did not have a Local that included complimentary ice cream sundaes (if you've read my other cruise reviews, the complimentary sundaes are one of my favorite parts of every cruise). But I was able to purchase sundaes from O'Sheehan's for only a few dollars!

 

Lipstick: MAC Shocking Revelations | Dress: Old from Flying Tomato but I found it here! And similar blue-and-white maxi dresses here, here, here, and here | Nail polish: OPI Big Apple Red, also available here

On the Breakaway, the specialty dining includes the following restaurants:

  • Le Bistro (French, on Deck 6)
  • Ocean Blue (seafood, on Deck 8)
  • Teppanyaki (Japanese/hibachi, on Deck 6)
  • Shanghai's Noodle Bar (on Deck 7)
  • Moderno Churrascaria (Brazilian, on Deck 8)
  • La Cucina (Italian, on Deck 8)
  • Wasabi (Japanese/sushi, on Deck 8)
  • The Raw Bar (seafood, on Deck 8)
  • Cagney's Steakhouse (on Deck 8)
  • Dolce Gelato (on Deck 8)
  • The Bake Shop (on Deck 8)

We always choose Le Bistro as our specialty dining, and it never disappoints. I normally order the duck, but that wasn't on the menu this time, so I chose the filet instead.

We also stopped by Dolce Gelato once and my gelato was heavenly!

On the Breakaway, the bars included the following:

  • Mixx Bar (on Deck 6)
  • Atrium Bar (on Deck 6)
  • Starbucks (on Deck 6)
  • Headliners Comedy Club (on Deck 6)
  • O'Sheehan's Bar & Grill (on Deck 7)
  • Bar 21 (on Deck 7)
  • Bliss Ultra Lounge (on Deck 7)
  • Maltings Beer & Whiskey Bar (on Deck 8)
  • Shaker's Cocktail Bar (on Deck 8)
  • Prime Meridian Bar (on Deck 8)
  • Skyy® Vodka Ice Bar (on Deck 8, requires extra payment)
  • Syd Norman’s Pour House (on Deck 8)
  • Garden Café Bar (on Deck 15)
  • Spice H2O (on Deck 16, adults only)
  • Vibe Beach Club (on Deck 17, requires pre-purchased pass for entry)

We always get the food and drink package that includes at least one specialty dining and all beverages $15 and under. This means when we're on the ship, we don't have to pay for any drinks unless they exceed $15 (and if they do, then we only pay the difference — so, for example, if a drink is $17, the ship would charge me $2 and associated gratuities).

On a previous cruise, one of my travel companions remarked that it's essentially impossible to go hungry on the ship — because if you're unhappy with your meal, you can always grab something else at one of the complimentary restaurants, or if you're interested in an entrée but would prefer a different side, you can always ask to substitute an item!

When I inquired about mocktails on our last cruise, I was told that the bartenders could make anything I wanted!

Lastly, I wanted to be sure to include that all the staff were excellent with my 6-year-old nephew. They brought children's menus to him at the MDRs, along with crayons, and they all engaged with him and tried to entertain him, above and beyond what I would have expected from them!

Hat: Brixton | Sunglasses: Illesteva | Swimsuit: Sporlike | Shorts: Abercrombie | Belt: XZQTIVE | Lanyard: KTRIO | Sandals: Birkenstocks

activities + entertainment

Because we had a 6-year-old in our group, I feel like we may have seen even more of the ship than we would have otherwise! (Since we spent a lot of time in areas of the ship we might not have otherwise.)

The Breakaway offers a variety of activities and entertainment, including the following:

  • Arcade
  • Giant shuffleboard
  • Ping-pong tables
  • Water slides
  • Casino
  • Children play spaces like Guppies (for children ages 6 months to 3 years, not a drop-off program) and Splash Academy (for children ages 3 years to 12 years, no parents allowed)
  • Howl at the Moon, a dueling pianos show! (And my favorite)
  • Vibe Beach Club
  • Shows like Burn the Floor, Deal or No Deal, and Wheel of Fortune
  • Live comedy
  • Spa
  • Indoor fitness center + outdoor jogging track

  

We didn't check out the Kids Splash Academy until our penultimate day, but I wish we had sooner! My nephew started playing with some kids in the children's pool who seemed like old friends, but it turns out they'd only met earlier that week at the Kids Splash Academy. So we decided to try it the next day, and when we came to pick him up, he didn't want to leave!

our cabin

We usually reserve balcony rooms because I like to open the doors as I get ready, to hear the ocean and feel the breeze. My husband likes falling asleep to the sounds of the waves!

Due to the shorter duration of this cruise (only 5 days), our balcony room came with one specialty dining reservation. 

 

To maximize space, I bring a hanging make-up case (so it doesn't have to sit on the counter), and we open our suitcases, lay them flat, and push them under the bed so we can roll them in and out like extra wardrobe drawers. 

Also, for American travelers, the she ship does have American outlets (so we didn't need to bring a universal adapter).

what i packed

As per usual, a disclaimer that I overpack :) But here's my list:

 

itinerary

We have no complaints about the itinerary! We love sailing from Miami because it means we get to spend a day or 2 in a vibrant city, exploring and eating; Puerto Plata was both fun and relaxing, as well as interesting; and we love relaxing on the beach at Great Stirrup Cay!

 

Our first port was Puerto Plata, where we entered Taino Bay, a free tourist terminal with a lazy river, pool and cabanas, and surfing simulator. We had to walk around a little bit to find somewhere for all 5 of us to sit, but we eventually found a cabana!

Hat: Brixton | Sunglasses: Illesteva | Swimsuit: Cupshe

The mountains in the distance were beautiful.

My husband with his family in the lazy river!

Our specialty dining reservation was the next night, at Le Bistro. 

We like to reserve our specialty dining for Sea Days, so that we don't feel as though we're rushing from port to dinner. 

 

Steak tartare au couteau and escargot, and then we both got the filet!

After dinner at Le Bistro, we headed to O'Sheehan's for another sundae for me!

Earrings: Old but similar here | Lipstick: MAC Lady Danger | Dress: Petal & Pup

And then we made it to our second and final port, Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas.

This is NCL's private island in the Bahamas, so your food and drink package carries over. They have a buffet set up on the island, but this time we chose to visit the food truck Tropic Like It's Hot for ceviche (which was delicious and incredibly fresh!).

Shirt: Gap Factory

The zip-lining is over our heads!

  

summary

I normally link to travel diaries from other people at the end of my travel diaries, to give everyone a sense of how I pulled together our trip, but that's not really necessary for cruises since so much is planned out for you and there's so many options that you can do something different on the ship every single day.

This is our 3rd November in a row cruising the Caribbean with NCL, and I'm hoping it becomes a lifetime tradition. Even though these cruises are short, they're wonderful getaways, and it's nice not having to cook or wash dishes!

Swimsuit: Target

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