I cruised on Norweigian's 3,900-guest Breakaway ship. I loved the plentiful activities but thought seating could be improved.

Taylor RainsSep 28, 2024, 18:05 IST

The author and her family on Norwegian Breakaway.Taylor Rains/Business Insider<ul class="summary-list"><li>My family sailed on Norwegian Cruise Lines' Norwegian Breakaway across New England and Canada.</li><li>The about 4,000-guest ship features an open-air design and unique amenities like water slides.</li></ul>My family recently returned from a seven-night sailing across New England and Canada on <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/norwegians-new-cruise-ship-luna-could-take-on-royal-caribbean-2024-9">Norwegian Cruise Lines</a>' giant Norwegian Breakaway ship.The about roughly 4,000-guest vessel is part of the "<a target="_blank" class href="https://www.ncl.com/cruise-ship/Breakaway?cid=PS_DIG_NA_BRP_GOO_NA_NA_SHIPBWY_NA_NA_NAM&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw6c63BhAiEiwAF0EH1AFCXBtVh2ONfsgvGOIof8RT5UNQlp_AXdlqap3uOrkigOV26AsGbhoC3LsQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds">Breakaway</a>" class with its sister ship, Norwegian Getaway. Both have an open-air design and amenities like water slides and a ropes course.Being relatively new to the cruising lifestyle, my family had never <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/norwegian-cruise-line-prima-old-new-ships-compared-photos-review-2024-2">sailed on such a large ship</a> and were eager to experience all of the different activities on board.While <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/which-cruise-lines-should-i-choose-skip-expert-2024">some of the fun cost extra</a> and the pools were largely unusable due to the chilly weather, we rarely found ourselves without something to do.Still, I'd warn about the limited seating — which we found was the main downside of being on such a giant ship and <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/norweigan-cruise-line-not-worth-it-says-frequent-cruiser-2023-8">wished Norwegian</a> would have a more efficient layout.

The giant Norwegian Breakaway was refurbished in 2020.

The Norwegian Breakaway in port in Portland, Maine. Its one of Norwegian's largest ships.Taylor Rains/Business Insider

I paid $3,000 for an oceanview family room for 3 people.

The bathroom was huge for a cruise ship cabin, including a bathtub/shower combo and a dual vanity sink.Taylor Rains/Business Insider

There were great free dining options.

Free dining spots Taste and Savor faced each other mid-ship (top left).Taylor Rains/Business Insider

My favorite complimentary dining was the Shanghai Noodle Bar.

Food from the Shanghai Noodle Bar.Taylor Rains/Business Insider

Guests can pay extra for specialty restaurants.

Teppanyaki (bottom left) is a hibachi-style restaurant. La Cucina (bottom right) has outdoor seating, too.Taylor Rains/Business Insider

We tried 2 specialty dining restaurants.

The dining room and meals at Cagney'sTaylor Rains/Business Insider

There is no shortage of bars onboard.

My husband took advantage of the free mojitos.Taylor Rains/Business Insider

Our favorite drinking spots were Shakers and the Skyy Vodka Ice Bar.

The martinis at Shakers (top left) and the Ice Bar (top right, bottom).Taylor Rains/Business Insider

The casino was large but not efficient.

It was hard to avoid walking through the cigarette-filled casino.Taylor Rains/Business Insider

We liked Bingo, and — by a stroke of luck — we won.

Bingo was held in the Spiegel Tent venue, which looks like a circus tent.Taylor Rains/Business Insider

We loved the Broadway show.

The Burn the Floor performers were amazing (top right).Taylor Rains/Business Insider

There were also rock shows, comedy, trivia, and gameshows.

The "Perfect Couple" gameshow was hilarious.Taylor Rains/Business Insider

Event seating was a problem, though.

The atrium seating was tight due to Norwegian' choosing to use giant square-sharped chairs, which I thought were too big for the space.Taylor Rains/Business Insider

There was good nightlife.

The dueling pianos in the Headliners club.Taylor Rains/Business Insider

The pool deck had good activities, though we didn't try any.

Some people used the heated pools but it was cold getting out.Taylor Rains/Business Insider

There was also an arcade, spa, and gym onboard.

The arcade had a virtual reality ride (bottom right).Taylor Rains/Business Insider

We loved the giant top deck screen.

We enjoyed watching the NFL game on the big screen.Taylor Rains/Business Insider

We loved all of the decorations and glamour of the boat.

The chandelier changed colors.Taylor Rains/Business Insider

Overall, we'll stick to bigger ships despite the crowds.

We liked sitting above the atrium for more space.Taylor Rains/Business Insider

But we'll avoid itineraries with tender ports.

The tender boat to get off the ship in Bar Harbour.Taylor Rains/Business Insider

I've booked luxury stays around the world. This adults-only hotel in Wyoming, which costs $1,500 a night, was the best by far.

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