Norwegian Breakaway Review: Big Ship, Small Spaces and My Honest Thoughts

After spending eight nights onboard, I have a lot to say in this Norwegian Breakaway review.

Norwegian did several things surprisingly well. The buffet was better than expected, the drink package was easy to use, the Waterfront was great for walking, and Howl at the Moon was one of the best entertainment experiences we have had on a cruise.

Unfortunately, one issue affected almost everything we did onboard: Norwegian Breakaway is a big ship that somehow feels very small inside.

There were not enough comfortable public spaces for the number of passengers onboard. The best bars filled quickly, many activities were concentrated in undersized venues, and sometimes we could not even reach a bar to order a drink. We eventually spent far more time in our room than we normally would on a cruise because it was one of the only places where we knew we could sit comfortably.

Cold weather made some of these problems more noticeable, but I do not think warm weather would completely solve them. Too much of the ship’s space is undersized, restricted or unavailable unless you are dining at a specialty restaurant.

This honest NCL Breakaway review covers the ship’s layout, Waterfront, bars, entertainment, food, pool deck, Free at Sea promotion and whether Norwegian Breakaway would feel significantly better during a warm-weather sailing.

Quick verdict: My Norwegian Breakaway review is mixed. The ship had good food, a strong beverage package and some genuinely fun entertainment, but the limited seating and poorly distributed public spaces made it feel claustrophobic.

Take a complete walk through Norwegian Breakaway, including the restaurants, bars, Waterfront, pool deck and indoor public spaces.

My Overall Norwegian Breakaway Review

My first impression of Norwegian Breakaway was actually positive. Even though the ship is more than a decade old, it did not immediately feel neglected or run-down. The public spaces looked nice, the ship was clean, and there was a lively mix of families, couples and groups of friends onboard.

The problem was not how the ship looked. It was how the space was used.

Norwegian Breakaway carries thousands of passengers, but many of its most popular bars, lounges and entertainment venues are surprisingly small. Seating is limited, activities are concentrated in the same areas, and passengers tend to hold onto their seats because they know they may not find another one.

There were nights when we wanted to get a drink but could not comfortably reach the bar. There were also times when we found somewhere to sit but hesitated to leave because another seat might not be available.

Eventually, we started going back to our room more often than expected. It was not because we wanted to spend the cruise in our cabin. It was because our room was one of the only places where we knew we could sit without fighting for space.

That is why my overall description of Norwegian Breakaway is simple:

Big ship on the outside. Small ship on the inside.

Norwegian Breakaway Ship Layout

Norwegian Breakaway was relatively easy to navigate. Most of the major indoor venues are concentrated across three decks, with additional restaurants, bars and outdoor spaces higher up.

We did not spend the cruise constantly getting lost, but we did spend a lot of time walking. It was easy to reach 10,000 steps a day, especially when walking the upper decks and the Waterfront.

The main issue was passenger flow. Several popular restaurants, bars and entertainment spaces were placed close together, creating bottlenecks throughout the day. At busy times, people waiting for restaurants, ordering drinks, watching entertainment and simply trying to walk through were all using the same narrow areas.

The casino created another congestion point because several dining and entertainment venues were located directly around it. On other ships we have sailed, activities are spread across different lounges and theaters. Norwegian Breakaway seemed to push everyone toward the same spaces repeatedly.

The Waterfront on Norwegian Breakaway

The Waterfront on Deck 8 is one of Norwegian Breakaway’s best features. The outdoor promenade extends along more than half of the ship, with restaurants, bars and ocean views.

It was also one of our favorite places to walk. Even when the weather was cold, we used the Waterfront to get our steps in, look at the water and escape some of the congestion inside the ship.

We were not simply discouraged from sitting there. We were actually asked to leave.

On a ship already struggling with limited public seating, it felt ridiculous to look at rows of empty tables and be told we could not use them because they belonged to a restaurant that was not currently serving anyone.

The Waterfront is a great concept, but Norwegian should treat more of it as a true public promenade instead of reserving so much of the usable seating for specialty dining.

Norwegian Breakaway Bars, Nightlife and Entertainment

The Norwegian Breakaway bars and entertainment looked varied on paper, but many of the best venues were too small for the number of passengers onboard.

We sometimes could not find a seat—or even reach the bar to order a drink—because every standing area was full. There were also many daytime activities that cost extra. Some, including bingo, were genuinely fun, but the paid games and shopping events became more noticeable when several of the included activities were already overcrowded.

Shakers Cocktail Bar

Shakers had one of the better atmospheres onboard. It had moodier lighting, live music and more personality than some of the larger, open venues.

The drinks were good, and Shakers felt like a real cocktail lounge rather than somewhere you stopped briefly before moving on.

Unfortunately, the bar was small. Once passengers settled in for the evening, finding a seat became difficult. On several nights, Shakers was so full that we could not comfortably reach the bar to order a drink.

Maltings Whiskey Bar

Compared with the Atrium Bar, Maltings had an actual identity. It felt like somewhere you would intentionally choose to spend time rather than simply the closest place serving drinks.

Once again, the problem was the size. Whether we could enjoy Maltings depended on finding a seat or enough room to reach the bar. Because there were so few comfortable indoor alternatives, people tended to settle in and stay.

The Atrium Bar

The Atrium Bar may be one of the larger bars onboard, but it had absolutely no atmosphere.

It sits beside Starbucks in the middle of one of the busiest areas of the ship. Between passengers lining up for coffee, attending activities, speaking with guest services and walking through the Atrium, ordering a drink felt more like stopping at a bar inside a shopping mall than relaxing in a cruise-ship lounge.

There was nothing particularly wrong with the drinks. The location just had zero vibes, and the constant activity around it made it difficult to use as a normal bar.

The Norwegian Breakaway Atrium Problem

The Atrium was one of my biggest frustrations on Norwegian Breakaway because so many activities were scheduled in the same relatively small space.

General trivia, themed trivia, Deal or No Deal, games, live music and presentations were all held there. During our colder sea days, the Atrium essentially became an indoor pool deck. Passengers claimed the limited seating early and stayed for hours because there were so few other comfortable indoor spaces.

Trivia is one of my favorite things to do on cruises, but after that experience, I never returned to another trivia session for the rest of the sailing.

Other ships spread daytime entertainment across multiple lounges and theaters. On Norwegian Breakaway, everyone gathered in the same area, creating crowds, blocking walkways and making the activities feel more stressful than fun.

Bingo

Bingo was one of the paid activities we actually enjoyed. I won on this sailing!

Games were held in both Headliners and the theater, which gave passengers far more room than the activities scheduled in the Atrium. The hosts kept it lively, the games were easy to follow, and it was a fun way to spend part of a sea day.

Bingo was not included in the cruise fare, but this was one of the activities where the extra cost felt worth it for us.

Syd Norman’s Pour House

We never made it inside Syd Norman’s Pour House.

This was not because we were uninterested. We regularly saw passengers lining up approximately 45 minutes to an hour before the shows and activities even started.

On vacation, I do not want to spend an hour standing in line for the possibility of getting into a cruise-ship venue. Syd Norman’s may be fantastic once you are inside, but its limited capacity made it another experience that required too much advance effort.

Howl at the Moon at Headliners

Howl at the Moon was the entertainment highlight of our cruise.

Each show felt slightly different because the audience helped shape the music, and the performances were fun without feeling overly rehearsed.

Headliners also hosted comedians during the cruise, giving the venue more variety than many of the other entertainment spaces. Howl at the Moon was easily one of the strongest parts of the entire Norwegian Breakaway experience.

The Pool Bar

The pool bar had another cramped setup.

Passengers constantly reached around one another to order, so it was not somewhere you could comfortably sit and enjoy a drink. You ordered, collected your drink and moved aside because another group was already trying to squeeze in behind you.

The bar felt more like a crowded service counter than a place where passengers could relax beside the pool.

Outdoor Waterfront Bars

Several Waterfront bars were open for only about two days during our sailing.

Warm weather would help by opening more bars and spreading passengers outside, but it would not make the indoor lounges any larger.

Norwegian Breakaway Food Review

This Norwegian Breakaway food review is much more positive than my review of the ship’s public spaces.

The complimentary dining was generally better than expected, especially the buffet, and specialty dining was absolutely not necessary to eat well onboard.

We used our Free at Sea dining credits at several restaurants, but I probably would not purchase the specialty-dining package again. Norwegian offered discounted specialty restaurants onboard, and next time I would stick mostly with the complimentary options and book a discounted specialty meal only when something sounded good.

Norwegian Breakaway Buffet

The buffet was one of the biggest surprises of the cruise.

The food was consistently good, there was plenty of variety, and the themed dinners made it more interesting than eating the same basic selection every night.

I would even say the buffet was better than the buffets we have experienced on Royal Caribbean. And yes, the french fries tasted almost exactly like McDonald’s fries.

The buffet became crowded during peak breakfast and lunch times, but the quality made it one of the dining options we returned to most often.

O’Sheehan’s Bar & Grill

Having a complimentary restaurant open 24 hours a day was extremely convenient.

The Manhattan Room/Main Dining Room

I still think the Manhattan Room is worth visiting once for the atmosphere, but I would keep expectations realistic when it comes to the food.

We also tried brunch in the main dining room. It offered a smaller selection than the buffet with much slower service. Unless you specifically want a long, seated breakfast, the buffet provides more choices and gets you fed much faster.

Shanghai’s Noodle Bar

Shanghai’s Noodle Bar used to be a specialty restaurant but is now included in the cruise fare.

You still need a reservation, though, so it is not necessarily somewhere you can walk into whenever you feel like having noodles.

The food was okay, but the restaurant is directly beside the smoking section of the casino. Smelling cigarette smoke during dinner took away from the experience.

Norwegian Breakaway Specialty Dining

The specialty restaurants added variety, but the complimentary food was good enough that I would not consider a dining package necessary.

Teppanyaki

Teppanyaki was the most entertaining specialty meal we tried.

You sit with other passengers, and the experience takes time, so this is better for a lively evening than a quiet or rushed dinner.

Palomar

Palomar was our best option for a nicer date night.

The restaurant had a calmer atmosphere, the food was good, and it felt more elevated than the complimentary venues.

I would skip the octopus appetizer, though. The portion was so small that it was honestly a little sad.

Wasabi

Wasabi was fine, but the specialty cocktails were more memorable than the food.

There was also no dessert included with the meal, which felt strange for a specialty-dining experience.

Cagney’s Steakhouse

Cagney’s was the most disappointing specialty restaurant we tried.

The steak was okay, the creamed spinach was watery, and the restaurant charged extra for additional sauces.

It was not terrible, but it did not live up to its reputation as one of Norwegian’s premium restaurants.

Overall, specialty dining was enjoyable in places, but it was not necessary to eat well on Norwegian Breakaway. Next time, I would skip the package, enjoy the complimentary restaurants and buffet, and take advantage of an onboard discount if I decided I wanted one specialty meal.

Norwegian Breakaway Pool Deck and Outdoor Spaces

The Norwegian Breakaway pool deck was shockingly small for a ship carrying thousands of passengers.

When the cruise staff hosted poolside activities such as the belly-flop contest or deck dancing, there appeared to be only about 10 feet of usable space between the stage and the pool.

There was nowhere for a proper crowd to gather. Passengers blocked the walkways, stood behind several rows of people or gave up on watching.

The waterslides also take up a significant portion of the upper deck. They may be more useful during warm weather, but they still occupy space that could otherwise be used for a larger pool, more seating or a better activity area.

The hot tubs were regularly filled with children for long stretches of time. I understand that Norwegian Breakaway is a family-friendly ship and that children are allowed to use the hot tubs, but when the pool is crowded, the slides occupy a large portion of the deck and the hot tubs are full, there are not many places left to relax.

Spice H2O

Spice H2O was one of the better outdoor spaces on Norwegian Breakaway, but it filled up quickly on nice days.

If you wanted a seat, your best chance was getting there early. Once the weather improved, passengers claimed the loungers quickly and many stayed for most of the day.

It was a nice alternative to the main pool deck when we could find space, but it was not somewhere you could casually show up later and expect to get a seat.

Check out my Spice H2O YouTube Short on Youtube

Is Norwegian Breakaway Crowded?

Yes, Norwegian Breakaway felt crowded during our cruise—not simply because of the passenger count, but because so many people were pushed into the same undersized venues.

The best indoor bars became too full to order a drink. The Atrium was expected to function as a lounge, activity venue, bar area and major walkway at the same time. Syd Norman’s required passengers to line up nearly an hour before a show, and outdoor restaurant tables remained off-limits even while the restaurants were closed.

Finding somewhere quiet to sit was one of our biggest challenges. The indoor bars filled quickly, the Atrium was constantly busy, and there were not enough peaceful indoor spaces with ocean views. Even along the Waterfront, much of the available seating was reserved for specialty restaurants.

This changed how we used the ship. We became reluctant to leave a seat because we did not know whether we would find another one, and we spent significantly more time in our room than we normally would on a cruise.

I do not expect to have every lounge to myself, but passengers should be able to find somewhere to relax without treating every available chair like prime real estate.

See what our eight-night Norwegian Breakaway cruise actually looked like, including the food, entertainment, public spaces and sea days onboard.

Would Norwegian Breakaway Be Better in Warm Weather?

Warm weather would probably help, but I do not think it would solve the ship’s main problems.

More passengers would be outside, the Waterfront bars would be open, and the pools and waterslides would be usable. That could take some pressure off the indoor bars and the Atrium.

However, many of the underlying issues would remain. Shakers and Maltings would still be small. Syd Norman’s would still have limited capacity. The pool deck would still be undersized, and much of the seating along the Waterfront would still be reserved for specialty restaurants.

Even during warm weather, a large amount of the ship’s space is not available for passengers who simply want somewhere to sit with a drink or look at the ocean.

The cold weather exposed the design problems, but it did not create them. A warm-weather sailing may feel slightly less claustrophobic, but I do not think Norwegian Breakaway would suddenly feel spacious or well designed for its passenger capacity.

Norwegian Free at Sea Review

My overall Norwegian Free at Sea review is positive, especially when it comes to the beverage package.

Free at Sea is not completely free because passengers still pay gratuities and certain associated costs. However, compared with packages we have used on other cruise lines, the inclusions were relatively easy to understand.

Norwegian Drink Package

Most alcoholic drinks we wanted were included without an upcharge.

We did not have to constantly inspect the menu or calculate how much extra a cocktail would cost. After sailing Celebrity, where many drinks can fall above the package limit, I appreciated knowing that most of the Norwegian bar menu was included.

The drinks available exclusively at Teppanyaki and Wasabi were also included. The bar spaces may have been too small, but the beverage package itself was good.

Specialty-Dining Credits

The specialty-dining credits allowed us to try several restaurants without paying the full menu prices.

Teppanyaki was worth trying for the entertainment, and Palomar was a good date-night option. However, the complimentary food was strong enough that I would probably skip the package next time.

If I wanted a specialty meal, I would look for one of Norwegian’s discounted onboard promotions and decide from there.

Included Wi-Fi

Our Free at Sea package included 150 minutes of Wi-Fi. Those minutes disappear quickly, especially if your phone automatically refreshes apps, loads photos or runs updates.

Instead of immediately paying for the full Wi-Fi upgrade, we used a GigSky Cruise + Land eSIM.

Affiliate disclosure: I may earn a commission if you purchase a GigSky plan through my link, at no additional cost to you. You can read my full affiliate disclosure here. AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE

Make sure your phone and sailing are compatible and check the current plan options before purchasing.

Grab GigSky for your next Cruise!

Final Norwegian Breakaway Review: Would I Sail Again?

Norwegian Breakaway did several things well. The ship was clean, the buffet was surprisingly strong, the drink package was easy to use, the Waterfront was enjoyable for walking, bingo was fun, and Howl at the Moon was fantastic.

But those positives were not enough to overcome the ship’s biggest problem: it felt too crowded for the amount of usable public space available.

The ship had activities, but not enough room for passengers to participate comfortably. It had a good variety of bars, but many were too small to order or enjoy a drink. It had outdoor space, but much of that space was occupied by waterslides, specialty dining or seating that regular passengers were not permitted to use.

When I compare Norwegian Breakaway with other ships we have sailed—including Celebrity Apex, Royal Caribbean and Windstar—it falls short.

Passengers who enjoy a busy, casual and activity-filled cruise may have a different reaction. For me, the ship felt claustrophobic.

We spent more time in our room than expected because the public areas were so limited. The food was better than expected, the drink package was good, and the best entertainment was genuinely fun, but I would not book Norwegian Breakaway again.

My final Norwegian Breakaway review:

Norwegian Breakaway? Never again.

Would I rule out every Norwegian ship forever? It would take the right ship, itinerary and price to convince me, but Breakaway would not be my choice.

Watch our complete Norwegian Breakaway review and rating for the final score and a deeper discussion of what worked—and what did not.

More Norwegian Breakaway Videos

• Full Norwegian Breakaway Ship Walkthrough
• Eight-Night Norwegian Breakaway Cruise Vlog
• Norwegian Breakaway Review and Rating

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