The Quantum of the Seas will be sailing Roundtrip from Cape Liberty, NJ starting in November 2014.

The sail dates have been announced.

Quantum of the Seas

Quantum 2014 – 2015 Sail Dates:

November 2, 2014 8-Night Westbound Transatlantic Cruise South Hampton to Cape Liberty , NJ

November 18th, 2014: 3-Night Quantum Sampler

November 21st, 2014: 2-Night Quantum Sampler

November 23rd, 2014: 8-Night Bahamas Cruise

December 1st, 2014: 11-Night Southern Caribbean Cruise [San Juan, St. Maarten, Martinque, Barbados, St. Kitts]

December 12th, 2014: 8-Night Bahamas Cruise

December 20th, 2014: 7-Night Holiday Bahamas Cruise

December 27th, 2014: 7-Night Holiday Bahamas Cruise

January 3rd, 2015: 8-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise [San Juan, Dominican Republic, Labadee]

January 11th, 2015: 12-Night Southern Caribbean Cruise [Labadee, San Juan, St. Maarten, Martinique, Barbados, St. Kitts]

January 23rd, 2015: 10-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise [San Juan, St Thomas, St. Kitts, St. Maarten]

February 2nd, 2015: 11-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise [Labadee, San Juan, St. Thomas, St. Kitts, St. Maarten]

February 13th, 2015: 7-Night Bahamas Cruise

February 20th, 2015: 9-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise [San Juan, St. Thomas, Dominican Republic, Labadee]

March 1st, 2015: 12-Night Southern Caribbean Cruise [Labadee, San Juan, St. Maarten, Martinque, Barbados, St. Kitts]

March 13, 2015: 8-Night Bahamas Cruise

March 21st, 2015: 8-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise [San Juan, Dominican Republic, Labadee]

March 29th, 2015: 7-Night Bahamas Cruise

April 5th, 2015: 7-Night Bahamas Cruise

April 12th, 2015: 12-Night Southern Caribbean Cruise [Labadee, San Juan, St. Maarten, Martinque, Barbados, St. Kitts]

To reserve contact CruiseExpertBob at (888) 278-7776 or CruiseExpertBob@gmail.com

Cruise travelers who are turned off by thebig ship ocean cruising experience or just want to try something different, increasingly turn to a river cruise. On tiny ships, they ply the waters of European rivers, sailing directly to iconic destinations. Viking River Cruises is a major player in that arena and is quite successful at what they do. With other cruise lines, that success would be a win and they would continue to do what they do best. Vikings, however, look at that sort of thing a bit differently. As in ancient times, the Vikings of today are charged with exploring new worlds. Viking River Cruises intends to do just that, sailing new ships that will be custom built to redefine ocean cruising.

At a gala event at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Viking River Cruises effectively became Viking Cruises and split off into a company with two distinct focuses.Viking Rivers will continue to sail their popular longships with a rapidly expanding fleet. Viking Oceans will build a fleet of ocean-going ships that will begin with a new 928-passenger ocean liner, Viking Star. The new ship will set sail in 2015 visiting ports of call around the perimeter of Europe that river cruise ships can’t get to.

“There is a hole in the market somebody should fill,” said Viking chairman Torstein Hagen at the same Beverly Hills venue used for the Golden Globe awards. “I feel we invented modern river cruising. Now I hope we can revive the destination part of ocean cruising.”

To do that, Viking Star will begin with a choice of three summer European itineraries. All sailings will begin and end with overnights in the first and last ports on the itinerary. That’s a significant difference to most other lines that board passengers at the first port then sail away a few hours later. On the backside, the last port on other cruise lines is most often never seen by passengers except on the way to the airport. Viking Star will sail to the last port, stay overnight then disembark passengers the next day. Ports between the beginning and end will have more flexibility too as Viking Star will stay there longer, often allowing passengers to experience nightlife, something other lines never allow to happen.

If any of that sounds a bit familiar, there is good reason for it. In ‘Cruise Line Destination Focus Brings Off-Ship Adventures’, Gadling introduced readers to the term ‘destination immersion’, coined by luxury small-ship line, Azamara Cruises that recently added a complementary off-ship event called an Azamazing Evening to each sailing. Ultra Luxe Crystal Cruises has their version too called Overland Adventures that take Crystal guests to unique, immersive events ashore.

Still, the elements of the Viking Oceans experience takes what Viking does onrivers, applies it to the ocean then promises to set a new standard for ocean cruising that is new, fresh and significantly different. 

Considering only the all-balcony stateroom feature of new Viking Star (starting at a generous 270 square feet) other ocean-going ships of similar size will be put on notice: The Vikings are coming.

But roomy places to sleep are just one feature of Viking Star, the first of two ships on order with a third possible. Viking Oceans will take the lessons learned on their popular river cruise “longships” and apply that same school of thought to ocean cruising, something they have little history with, creating an entirely different and unique choice for cruise travelers.

Unique to Viking’s ocean cruise experience are a number of included features that commonly cost 

extra on other cruise lines-

• Shore excursions, a hallmark of the Viking river experience are complementary
• Free WiFi, all the time for all passengers, in all areas of the ship
• All staterooms will have not queen, but king-sized beds
• Bathrooms will feature a generous 12 sq ft shower
• Beer, wine and soft drinks are included with meals
• Specialty restaurant options (an Italian grill and Chef’s table), normally an extra charge on other lines, are free

Going head to head with other cruise lines, Viking’s ocean ships will compete favorably, offering options that often exceed what other lines are doing right now-

• Optional stateroom categories include 338 sq ft Penthouse Verandas, 405 sq ft Penthouse Junior Suites, Explorer Suites that range between 757 and 1,163 sq ft and a 1,448 sq ft Owners Suite
• Two small cinemas
• A main pool with retractable roof
• A sauna crafted with Nordic inspiration that features a ‘snow’ room
• The main dining room’s floor to ceiling windows will have the ability to slide open, offering an al fresco dining experience

But a Viking Oceans cruise is not for everyone, and that is exactly the way they want it. “I want people like me,” said 70-something Hagen, describing their target passenger as 55+ years old, English-speaking, well educated, affluent, curious and active and interested in history, culture and music.

But take the ’55+’ out of that equation and the Viking Oceans experience could indeed be a good fit for a great many more travelers. What they do could be a totally viable option for travelers who have never cruised, turned off by the idea of a big ship, floating hotel travel experience. Viking Star will have no children’s programming, no cabins that will hold more than two guests, no amusement park-like rides, no casino, no giant fitness center and no bar on every street corner.

What Viking Oceans does have is a continuation of Hagen’s philosophy that what other lines do as a “drinking man’s cruise”, Viking does as a “thinking man’s cruise”, now on not just rivers, but the oceans of the world too.

As the Crystal Symphony bore down on Hong Kong, the conclusion of its 16-day “Treasures of Southeast Asia” cruise from Singapore, The Hotel Detective made a list of the things that distinguished the ship and the brand. (See my previous posts, listed in the box at the bottom of the story, for my first two reports.)

The Crystal Symphony, shown here in Cape Town.

Crystal isn’t cheap—in 2014, the full cruise-only fare for this voyage will be $24,270 for two in the lowest level cabin. (Penthouse Deck cabins like the one I had are $59,280 for two.) However, the line offers “Book Now” discounts that change every two months and usually decline as embarkation approaches. If you book the 2014 version of this cruise (departs Bangkok Dec. 21) by June 28, the fare is $22,470 for two in the lowest level cabin, plus a $900 per person discount, bringing the tab to $20,670, and to $57,410 on the Penthouse Deck. (The lowest level cabins are far from steerage; see my next post, coming soon.)

Bottom line: The Hotel Detective thinks Crystal is worth the money. Here are his 15 reasons why.

1. Unique Niche: In a world of big ships (1,500-plus passengers) and boutique (fewer than 400), Crystal has carved out the Goldilocks Niche, not-too-big and not-too-small. At 940 passengers, the 882-foot-long Symphony is small enough to offer boutique luxury and big enough to offer a full slate of onboard activities, among them a nightclub, enrichment courses and lectures, golf (teaching pro Roberto Borgatti, driving nets, and a putting green), and a paddle-tennis court. On my cruise, the standout lecturer was Jim Jimmiro, the former head of the Disney Channel whose specialty now is parsing the lyrics of the Great American Songbook.

2. Newly Refurbished:The ship has just undergone a $15 million redo. That included the creation of the Avenue Saloon, a piano bar with the feel of a gentlemen’s club, the Palm Court (see next entry), and a bridge lounge (that’s cards, not looking over the captain’s shoulder, and heavily patronized on my cruise). The 535 staterooms received a face-lift.

A Penthouse Deck cabin

3. Where is Everyone? The Symphony offers generous public spaces. I never saw a crush for loungers around the pool, there were always tables open at the Trident Bar & Grill, which has a cool, retractable roof, and The Palm Court, high up on the bow of the ship, was as quiet as a library in the afternoon, which is how many guests used it. But let’s take one tiny example that is more representative, the secluded lounging terraces at the stern of decks 10, 9, and 8. You could have had them to yourself for most of this cruise.

4. Guest-Crew Ratio: There are 570 crewmembers for 940 guests (when the ship is fully booked). That comes out to a 1.6/1 ratio. Bottom line: Someone is always there to say, “Can I help you?”

5. A Staff Trained In Yes: Here’s a small example. One day at lunch, the writer from the Guardian in Britain ordered an entrée that came with creamed spinach. The waiter sensed—and it was his call on this—that she didn’t want creamed spinach, and he started a conversation that lasted two minutes and finally elicited (she’s British, after all) the fact that she wanted steamed spinach. Which is what she got. (Read about my great butler in a previous post.)

6. Traditional Ship Architecture:Most cruise ships today are completely enclosed, but the Symphony, like all Crystal ships, is traditional, with plenty of places to catch the sea air. The broad Promenade Deck exemplifies the approach. It has shuffleboard courts, but guests mostly use it as a walking and jogging track. As Mimi Wise, Crystal’s vice-president of public relations, said, “This is really expensive real estate.” Meaning that this deck space could have been devoted to creating larger cabins (and more revenue).

The Promenade Deck

7. The Sushi Bar at Nobu: One of the ship’s specialty restaurants and worth the price of admission. I assumed it would be jammed, but I found a free seat at 7:00 on several nights. Try doing that at Nobu in Manhattan.

8. The Spa: I’ve seen scores of them (I’m the ex-editor of a spa magazine), and I was astonished at the amount of space Crystal devoted to the one on the Symphony (6,000 sq. ft.,10 treatment rooms), and the quality of the real estate—on the top deck at the stern. Imagine the revenue from a penthouse suite here. Figuring that the spa would be empty the morning we docked in Hong Kong, I booked in and had an excellent massage from a lithe, bantamweight, but very strong therapist.

9. Drinks Are On The House: Spirits, cocktails, and house wines are included in the fare, which eliminates anxieties about the bill on disembarkation day.

10. The Wine List: It says that “We’re not out to gouge you.” Yes, there are the high-roller bottles (Pingus 2003 for $1,300 and three vintages of Penfold’s Grange at $465). But the Symphony also offers many connoisseur’s choices at a great price. My picks: Billecart-Salmon Brut Crystal Cuvee Champagne ($55), 2008 Guigal Condrieu ($50, and great with the papaya and seafood salads), 2009 Vieille Vigne Chateau de Fuisse Pouilly Fuisse ($56, and perfect for fish), and 2007 Chateau La Nerthe Chateauneuf-du-Pape ($65, and your go-to wine for rack of lamb). Oh yes, and try finding that Dom Perignon 2003 for $155 on land.

11. Cabin Verandahs: Most cabins have them, and it’s amazing how 269 square feet (about the size of an average five-star hotel terrace) expands your sense of living space. The verandah is a party perch when the ship sails, a contemplative realm during nights at sea, an observation tower for cruise segments like the majestic procession down the Mekong Delta, when you’re actually above the tree line and can marvel at this expanse of mud and palm, and a box seat for the early-morning trip up the Pearl River Delta to Hong Kong.

12. Crystal Is Eco-Conscious: It uses cloth, not plastic, laundry bags. It crushes glass for recycling. Bins in the restaurants invite you to recycle, with openings for “burnable” and “paper.” Garbage is burned three miles out (the heat supplies the hot water) and grey water 12 miles out. The line recycles unused cabin soaps and lotions through Clean the World. We were told that throwing a cigarette butt into the ocean by a crewmember is grounds for immediate dismissal. Even the paint on the hull was chosen because it reduces energy consumption at sea.

13. Free Laundry Rooms:Another sign that Crystal doesn’t nickel-and-dime. Having them also saves on packing, especially on a tropical cruise where you go through lots of T-shirts and shorts.

One of the stern lounging terraces.

14. Toe-In-The-Water:Never been to Southeast Asia? This is a great way to experience six ports with your hotel already booked. An experienced Asia hand? You get to zero in on cities you already know without the effort of getting there.

15. Feeling Free: We all carry around yesterday’s regrets and tomorrow’s anxieties. I’m not exactly sure why, but a cruise itinerary like this erases them: You wake up to today’s possibilities and live them.

FESSING UP: I was a guest of Crystal Cruises on this trip.

How to combine Luxury, Premium, Family and Solo Cruising without Compromise

The new Norwegian Breakaway is a standout when it comes to accomplishing the near impossible—to make a large-scale vessel that can truly “work” in the family, premium, and luxury cruise markets, and then, do something special just for singles too.  Usually a product that tries to satisfy a wide variety of needs ends up making so many compromises that none of the desires are well-served.  This is just not the case on Breakaway–Norwegian has proven that divergent cruise experiences can thrive comfortably side-by-side and in high style.

 A Luxury Cruise:  The Real Deal, Plus Some!

True luxury and exclusivity combined with big ship activities, entertainment and dining choice. All good!

Here’s the thing about luxury—it’s not a fancy cabin and some added perks that will satisfy the truly affluent and experienced traveler.   They expect, and  for the prices they’re willing to pay, deserve a sense of exclusivity.  In fact, luxury travelers are often paying for the privilege of escaping the masses (there, I said it)!  Norwegian’s Haven Complexes are like a “ship-within-the-ship,” delivering authentic luxury, privacy and exclusivity.

Norwegian does this first by putting all Haven Staterooms behind a private, key-card only access area where you’ll encounter only other Haven residents, preserving exclusivity.   They take it seriously—you can’t pull a “spring break” move by booking several regular cabins and one Haven, and then let all the others into the complex—that’s not allowed and the concierge at the entrance is there to make sure!

Gourmet Meals in an exclusive Dining Room is an included privilege for residents of The Haven

Once in the complex, you’ll find luxuriously appointed suites of all sizes from owner’s suites that don’t give up any ground to other ships, to an innovative two-bedroom family villa that will accommodate up to five guests.  There’s a private pool complex, a concierge, a private lounge, and an out of this world private restaurant only for use by Haven residents.

What The Haven surrenders to some of the luxury only brands is that it’s not all-inclusive.  Cocktails, beverages, shore excursions and other specialty dining venues will cost extra, just as they do for all guests.  But while the Haven isn’t cheap, even when you add in these extras, it’s still a great value and compares very favorably with the traditional luxury cruise pricing.

But you also get access to an incredible array of entertainment options, production shows, nightclubs, activities and a fantastic youth and children’s program that you simply can’t find on the pure luxury ships.  As a Haven resident, you’ll also get preferred, reserved seating at shows, priority embark and debark and host of other privileges that ratchet up the experience.  Finally, when you compare to a  pure luxury cruise, you’re likely to find a generally younger and livelier clientele (there, I said it again) which may be a better overall fit.  But remember, unlike other ships that offer beautiful suites where you can retreat from the masses, The Haven offers much more than just your stateroom when it comes to “escape.”

Norwegian Makes a Leap:  Premium Cruising

I’m paraphrasing Norwegian’s CEO, Kevin Sheehan, but essentially he suggests that the Breakaway-class ships have jumped them into the premium cruise experience.  At first, this seemed to be a stretch but after two days onboard, I came around to his point-of-view.  My accommodation was a standard, Oceanview balcony room and it had pretty much all the comforts and nice touches I’d expect to find on a premium cruise.  I also found that the design sensibility of the stateroom was a “notch above” in terms of the look and feel of the finish materials with a clean, modern design that felt well above “standard” for cruise ships.

Modern and bright, but with rich wood accents and a leather headboard to make the stateroom warm and inviting.

There were other hallmarks of a premium cruise experience—such as venues that offer a wide variety of dining options and experiences.  I ate in both optional and included restaurants and was delighted at both. Among the cost-optional restaurants, there’s a mix of both cover charge (one price to dine there) and a la carte pricing as in a traditional restaurant.

It’s here that I also want to make a point about included vs. extra cost dining.  While there is certainly a long-term trend on cruises to offer more diverse dining experiences, they often cost extra and Norwegian follows the same pattern.  BUT (and this is an important one), there are 11 dining venues on Breakaway that have no added cost!  Of course, fold in a couple of cost-extra specialty dining nights, coupled with a nice balcony stateroom, and you still have a very affordable premium cruise experience, sailing conveniently from mid-town Manhattan to Bermuda, the Bahamas and Southern Caribbean depending on time of year.

Family Cruising:  Norwegian Gets It Waaay Right

With Breakaway, Norwegian is burnishing their reputation for a great family experience that looks after all ages—from their radical water slides to their terrific youth programs.  I did take the time to visit and talk with several of the youth staff, and you can just tell by speaking with them that they’re engaged (and they probably feel they have the best gig on the ship).  There’s a wide variety  of accommodations that comfortably accommodate four guests (including decent-size interior staterooms), and plenty of adjoining cabins so larger families like mine can enjoy some space and privacy while staying close.

One particular stateroom type that appealed to me and my wallet was the Family Oceanview on Deck Five.  These accommodate five guests (I have three kids–always a challenge when traveling), and also have a regular bathtub making them a great choice with younger children. In the picture below, you can see that berths 1 and 2 are regular beds, berths 3 and 4 are conversions from the daytime sofa, and the fifth berth (not seen)  comes down out of the ceiling (and is stowed away each day for your convenience):

Oceanview rates, comfort for five, and full bathtub too!

Because they’re sold at an Oceanview fare basis, a family of five can get all that Breakaway offers at a very affordable price.  In fact, a fall departure on a 7 night came out to less than $750 per person, fully inclusive of taxes.  The total of  $3,720 was about what I paid to rent a two-bedroom lakeside rustic cabin on a lake in Minnesota a couple years ago. . .and we still had to bring in our own food and cook it, as well as make up our own beds, and entertain ourselves. Of course, they’re entirely different experiences, but I think the price comparison illustrates what a great value this cruise is.

Single Cruisers:  Finally, a Rational Approach

Breakaway (along with Epic and the upcoming Getaway) has a “Singles Studio” complex that’s really innovative as well.  This is a set of cabins on two decks that share private entrance access and a private meeting lounge/snack bar/wine and cocktail bar.  These cabins are all interior (no windows) and are smallish by normal accounts (about 100 square feet) but plenty ample for a single guest and the space is well designed.

There’s a full-size beds (not a twin) and instead of a walled-off bathroom, the sink is in the room behind a sliding divider and the shower stall opens right into the cabin (the toilet IS in its own private room).  The décor and lighting evoke a modern, urban vibe that just seems right for this area.  While these cabins are somewhat of a premium price-wise, they’re a better value than paying a single supplement and your residence is among other singles so breaking the ice is a bit easier.

What makes the Breakaway (and her soon to launch sequel, the Getaway) truly successful at satisfying all these cruise desires is summed up in two ways:

• § First, the sheer number of choices they offer in terms of entertainment, dining and activities can and will delight any traveler, no matter which “set” they belong to.  Families, singles, and luxury travelers all want to be engaged and entertained!
• § Second, Norwegian dedicated the space and thinking to create unique zones and facilities to appeal to each group’s needs.  These are well designed and well executed and shows their seriousness about fulfilling the promise they’re making to each type of cruiser.

While a lot of lines can say they have something for everyone, Norwegian can say they have lots of things for everyone.  I applaud the fact that they took each groups needs very seriously and in my opinion, they’ve succeeded masterfully.  Highly recommended!

Norwegian Breakaway makes New York City her year ’round home port, sailing seven to 12 night voyages to Bermuda, the Bahamas/Florida, and the Southern Caribbean.

Book a suite in The Haven and we’ll pay your gratuities–this is for all Norwegian Cruise Line ships that offer Haven staterooms and we’ll extend the offer for all stateroom occupants!  Just call us for your price and details. CruiseExpertBob (888) 278-7776

The Norwegian Breakaway is the largest and newest cruise ship to sail out of the Port of New York.  The Breakaway sails 7 nightcruises to Bermuda in the summer and fall and to the Bahamas and Florida in the winter and early spring.  Norwegian Cruise Line added many new features to the Breakaway that have not been seen before on a cruise ship.

The Breakaway holds 4,000 passengers and is the first of the Breakaway Class ships from Norwegian.  The Norwegian Getaway will be the second when the ship begins sailing year round from Miami in early 2014.  The Breakaway is currently the 8th largest cruise ship in the world.

Staterooms

The Breakaway joined the Epic as the only two ships at sea to offer studio cabins for solo travelers.  Norwegian also did away with the unpopular bathroom design of the Epic and went to the traditional bathrooms to give cruisers the privacy that are accustomed to having.  All cabins have a 26-inch flat screen television, mini-bar, full closet, and inside staterooms are as small as 135 sq. ft.  Cabins are energy efficient by utilizing the room key to control lighting in each room.

On the Breakaway, passengers can choose from studio, inside, oceanview, balcony, spa balcony, mini-suites, and the Haven staterooms.  Guests who book rooms in the Haven will have special access to The Haven Courtyard Area, private restaurant and lounge.

Haven Courtyard – Norwegian Breakaway – photo by CruiseExpertBob

Restaurants

You will not go hungry on the Breakaway as you can choose from any one of 17 dining venues on board to eat at.  Three of these restaurants are included in your cruise fare along with the Garden Cafe (buffet).  In addition to the restaurants, there is a gelato shop and a bakery shop run by Buddy Valastro from the hit show Cake Boss.  In keeping with the NYC theme on board the Breakaway, there are also three Sabrett hot dog stands.

Restaurants included in cruise fare:

• Savor Restaurant
• Taste Restaurant
• Manhattan Room
• Garden Cafe (buffet)
• Room service

Specialty Restaurants

• Ocean Blue by Geoffrey Zakarian
• Le Bistro French Restaurant
• Cagney’s Steakhouse
• Teppanyaki
• Moderno Churrascaria
• Shanghai’s Noodle  Bar
• La Cucina Italian Restaurant
• Wasabi Sushi Bar
• Cirque Dreams & Dinner Jungle Fantasy

Several of these dining options are coupled with bars and lounges that create a unique space on deck 8 called the Waterfront.  The is a first for a cruise ship as guests are able to enjoy breathtaking ocean views as they dine or enjoy their favorite drink.

For those who are worried about the Boardwalk being too cold to utilize in the winter when you first sail out of NYC, the dining options and lounges also offer indoor seating.

Entertainment

There are some great entertainment options on board the Breakaway.  Norwegian has joined Disney as the only cruise lines to offer a fireworks show on every cruise.

The signature show will be the 5-time Tony Award nominated musical Rock of Ages.  Set in 1980′s Los Angeles, songs from this Broadway hit include “We Built This City”, “The Final Countdown”, and  ”Here We Go Again“.

Other shows that are offered are “Burn the Floor, Ballroom Reinvented” and Cirque Dreams & Dinner Jungle Fantasy.  For those who love comedy, there is a Second City comedy club that is exclusive to Norwegian Cruise Line.  The dueling piano show at Headliners is a great place to sing along to your favorite songs from the 70s to today.  One important thing to remember is that any song suggestion without a tip is just that, a suggestion.   Remember to bring several small bills so you can hear your favorite songs.  Fat Cats Jazz & Blues Club will make you think you are in a New York City jazz club with New York blues star Slam Allen.

Recreation

There is something for everyone on board the Norwegian Breakaway.  For children, there is the Splash Academy for children 3-12 that is Norwegian’s largest kids area at sea full of Nickelodeon fun.  For teens, the Entourage is a great hangout that offers pinball, foosball, air hockey, a Playstation 3, video jukebox, and movies.

The aqua park offers 5 water slides including the fastest water slide on any cruise ship.  There is a special area for children that is themed with Nickelodeon. There are several swimming pools including one for children only.

The sports complex is huge offering the largest ropes course at sea.  There is also a basketball court, 9 hole mini golf course, rock climbing wall, bungee trampoline, and a spider web climbing cage. You can also “Walk the Plank” if you dare.  The plank stretches out 8 feet over the side of the ship to help you conquer your fear of heights.

The casino is larger than the ones you find on other cruise ships and offers the traditional casino games with a wide variety of slot machines, Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Texas Hold ‘Em, and Poker.  If you do play in the casino, remember to sign up for the Casinos At Sea Players Card so you can earn reward points.

There is also a world class spa on board the Breakaway that offers over 50 treatments. The spa also offers a Salt Room that mimics the natural salt caves found in Europe.

Overall, the Norwegian Breakaway is a game changer for Norwegian and especially the New York City cruise market.