Norwegian’s New Breakaway: Like Four Ships in One

A review of the Norwegian Breakaway from CruiseDeals.com Vice President, Kevin Weisner.

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… Read more of our review of the Breakaway here.

The Top Norwegian Breakaway Deals

A brand new ship often comes with a high “brand new ship” price tag, but you will be surprised to find out that this isn’t always the case when it comes to the Norwegian Breakaway. The pricing for the Breakaway seems to be consistent with pricing we normally see on a cruise out of New York, while summer and holiday prices are definitely higher; there are some great rates available in the fall and winter. In fact, rates start from just $569 per person!

I’ve picked out the top deals for each of the Breakaway’s featured destinations; Bermuda, the Bahamas and Caribbean. Check them out below:

Looking for something different? Search all Norwegian Breakaway cruise deals here. Plus, be sure to check out the special exclusive sale that CruiseDeals.com is offering on all Haven Suites-including those aboard the breakaway, details are below!

CruiseDeals.com Exclusive: FREE Prepaid Gratuities: Any Haven Suite, Any Ship, Any Date, All Guests!

Live luxuriously in a Haven Suite and we’ll cover your gratuities, no matter how many guests are in the stateroom or length of cruise. Haven Suites are found on these Norwegian Ships–Breakaway, Epic, Gem, Getaway, Jade, Jewel and Pearl. There’s only one catch—you must book by June 29th, 2013, but this offer is good for any voyage currently available. Best of all, this offer combines with other promotional offers and fares!

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.

Cruise Deals on Norwegian Breakaway

Norwegian Cruise Line is debuting their newest ship, the Norwegian Breakaway in New York this week and CruiseDeals.com is excited to have a group from our staff onboard May 10th-12th to get a first-hand look.

Follow the CruiseDeals.com team Live this Weekend from the Norwegian Breakaway:

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This Week’s Handpicked Deals

Transatlantic, Repositioning & Panama Canal Cruises from $34 a day

Experienced cruisers, especially those that love a bargain and truly enjoy the onboard experience, know that repositioning cruises are often the best cruise deals of the year. Why?

Many of the repositioning cruises sell for remarkably low fares and yet, sail on some of the newest and finest ships afloat. While there is a lot of time at sea, they often also feature some ports that are definitely off the beaten path and sometimes ONLY available on a reposition. Cruises through the Panama Canal, across the Atlantic, and up or down the Pacific or Atlantic coasts all fall into the repositioning category.

We’ve handpicked some of the best Repositioning cruises for this fall (including Transatlantic and Panama Canal). These awesome cruises start from just $34 a day! Check out our top repositioning cruise deals here.

Cruise Deals for the Holidays

It is never too early to book a cruise over the holidays- especially for those over Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. In general, the holiday season is one of the most popular times for people to travel, so it’s no secret that the demand is super high for cruises during this time. It also shouldn’t come as a surprise then to find that rates are a significant amount higher for cruises during this time. But not to worry, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a possibility finding a deal- you just have to know to plan ahead.

By booking far in advance you lock in rates, and for most cruise lines, if between when you put down a deposit and when you pay for your cruise in full the price goes down your price will go down as well. But if the price on the cruise goes up (which is a very likely case for a holiday cruise), your prices will stay at the low price you originally locked in! You will also find that you have more availability and selection when it comes down to types of cabins and locations, which is especially important if you are traveling with more than just two people- if you want to put 3 or 4 people together in a stateroom, or if you want to find connecting cabins for example, you are likely to have a better selection if you book in advance. .

We’ve gone ahead and searched through hundreds of cruises to pick out the very best cruise deals for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s starting from $70 a day! Check them out on our dedicated 2013 holiday cruise deals page here.

Norwegian Breakaway Slides Photo by NaFang58 Instagram.

Each week, it seems like a cruise line announces a new ship innovation that takes us to a whole new level of on board cruise entertainment.

On Friday, I’ll be sliding down the fastest water slide at sea on the Norwegian Breakaway.  I have to admit, I’m pretty excited!

Disney AquaDunk Water Slide Video

But, it did not take Disney long to one up the Norwegian Breakaway’s slide with the AquaDunk water slide set to be added to the Disney Magic in October 2013.

What’s next in cruise ship innovations?  We had some fun and came up with our own ideas: Click Here.  

Today is an exciting day for us cruise geeks and cruise ship fans, as the Norwegian Breakaway arrived in her home port for the first time this morning.

From Norwegian FB Page

The inaugural celebration will start today and goes until the first departure out of NYC on May 12th, 2013.

Cruise Deals on Norwegian Breakaway

I’m excited to join the CruiseDeals.com team on board the Norwegian Breakaway to cover the inaugural celebration.   We will be on board May 10 – May 12th trying to experience everything she has to offer in 2 days.

We will watch the shows, tour the staterooms, tour the exclusive  Haven and suites, eat tons of food, and of course go down the fastest water slides at sea!

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And of course, when we return home I’ll write a full Norwegian Breakaway Review loaded with tips to help you make the most out of your first cruise on the Breakaway.

What makes the Norwegian Breakaway Special?

Norwegian Cruise Line has broken the mold of cruise ship design with the Watefront, a quarter-mile oceanfront promenade with bars and restaurants.   The multi-level water slide park looks to be thrilling and 678 Oceanplace connecting 3 decks of night life will make the nightlife tough to beat.

Watch this video to see for yourself:

NEW Exclusive Disney Cruise Offer

We are so convinced about the incredible experience and value that comes with a Disney cruise, we are putting our money on it and offering a special booking bonus fleet wide on Disney Cruise Line. Introducing our exclusive “CruiseDeals Cash” offer for Disney Cruises:

Book virtually any Disney Cruise and we will give you up to $500 in CruiseDeals Cash to spend while onboard! You will receive CruiseDeals Cash based on how much your cabin costs before government fees and taxes:

*CruiseDeals Cash offer is based on total cabin price, not including Government Fees and Taxes, and will be awarded in the form of an onboard credit

Why a Disney cruise is a GREAT Deal

So often we hear, “Why is a Disney Cruise so expensive?” As a cruise travel agency we need to do a better job of educating our customers so they can make the right decision—which means getting beyond a simple price comparison with “similar” cruises. I think most consumers compare the price of a Disney Cruise with other contemporary cruise offerings from companies like Carnival. It’s an easy trap to fall into—both companies offer cruises of the same length and similar itineraries and are trying to appeal in large part to the family market. By the same token, Disney offers the same length and itineraries as premium cruise lines, and that’s actually a more apt comparison, because Disney is clearly a premium onboard experience….
Read more from CruiseDeals.com General Manager, Kevin Weisner on the value and experience behind the Disney price tag here.

Last Minute Summer: Unbelievable Deals on Alaska

If you have been putting of making plans for that summer vacation, Alaska is a fantastic choice (and even better for those who live on the West Coast). Whether you are traveling as a couple or bringing the whole family, there are great options, at great rates for this spectacular destination.

While pricing for Alaska acts somewhat like a bell curve with prices lower during the “shoulder seasons” (May and September) and higher during peak season (June-August), I have been finding great rates on many cruises throughout the entire season. With that said, if you can get away more last minute-say leave within a few weeks to a month (we’re talking to you west coast), you can take advantage of some of the lowest rates we have ever seen.

Here are some of the best deals right now for last minute, peak season and family Alaska cruises:

Best Last Minute Alaska Deal

For the Family: Norwegian Jewel Kids Sail FREE

Best Peak Season Alaska Deal

Norwegian Breakaway Water Slide Video:

On May 10th, we are going to New York City for the Norwegian Breakaway 2 day inaugural celebration.   Follow along live on Twitter: Follow @CruiseSource – We will be posting pics and video live from the Breakaway and then writing a recap here on the blog when we return.  I personally can’t wait to go down this slide!

Will you be going down this slide or does it look too thrilling?  Please Comment below!