It’s all about splashing your cash on board Breakaway

Linsey McNeill joined 2,500 travel agents on the Norwegian Breakaway, NCL’s newest ship at Southampton for a one-night cruise to nowhere before the vessel set sail for her home port of New York.

"I’ve never been on an ocean-going cruise ship before so I have nothing to compare the Norwegian Breakaway to, but my first thoughts were, wow, she’s massive. So massive that as my taxi pulled up alongside it I wondered why the driver was dropping me off at a huge apartment block.

Here are some statistics: Breakaway has 4,000 berths, 27 dining options, 22 bars & clubs, 3 Broadway shows, the largest water park at sea with 4 slides, 2 of which are the fastest at sea.

As the ship will sail from New York, there’s a Big Apple theme on board, but I thought the vibe was much more Las Vegas, maybe because, like hotels on The Strip, the ship is a destination in itself with a variety of restaurants, bars, night clubs, a casino and round-the-clock entertainment.

Despite her size, it’s easy to find your way around due to the excellent signage, and there’s certainly a lot to see and do. This is a ship that seems to be trying to attract every demographic, every age and every type of holidaymaker from young families on a budget to well-heeled cruisers who want to splash out.

For this reason, not everything on the ship is included in the package; there are opportunities to upgrade – or reasons to spend more cash – every few feet. Only 11 of the 27 dining outlets are included in your ticket price while the 16 other ‘speciality’ restaurants have cover charges ranging from $10 a head to $89; there’s plenty of complimentary evening entertainment but the best show on the ship – the Cirque Dreams, costs from $30 including dinner; there’s a charge of $146 to have access to the spa for the duration of your cruise; if you want to guarantee you’ll get a lounger (I didn’t count them but there couldn’t have been more than one for every 10 guests), you’ll have to pay $25 a day to enter one of the private areas at the front of the ship.

NCL chief executive Kevin Sheehan says the cruise line is targeting more families – and it has some success in growing this market from the UK. Certainly my teenagers would love the water slides (though they’re too old for the Nickelodeon-themed paddle pool), the outdoor sports area with a basket ball court , mini golf course, giant spider web, and a plank extending beyond the side of the ship, not to mention the Entourage where they can hang out with their peer group and play on X-Boxes or whatever it is youngsters are into these days.

However, as a parent, I’d be worried about how much extra we’d spend on board. Indeed, Sheehan openly admits that one of the reasons the cruise line wants to attract families is that they are more inclined to upgrade, to spend money in the speciality restaurants like the Japanese joint where chefs will wow the kids with their theatrical cooking skills. I could see myself spending a fortune at the New York-style gelato booth alone.

That said, the package prices, which start at £449 for a seven-night cruise from New York (excluding flights), seem pretty reasonable. I guess customers just need to be aware that they’ll probably need quite a bit of spending money on top.

Of course, you could hop on board and spend very little by dining only in the complimentary outlets, but I was told that the food served in the speciality restaurants is far superior and it would be a shame not to sample at least one, especially as they have al-fresco dining areas which are a new feature of this ship. Discounts are available to guests pre-booking three or more meals in speciality restaurants.

NCL has pioneered the freestyle dining concept, where passengers can choose when and where they eat rather than being locked into fixed venues and times, and it believes this is one of the reasons it saw double digit growth out of the UK last year, despite a slight dip in the market.

You can still pre-book restaurants before you sail if you wish, book as soon as you arrive via the iTV in your cabin or touch-screens placed near the lifts on every level, or you can just rock up when you want to eat. However, one of the onboard guides warned that if you try the latter option you might end up in a long queue.

I found all the dining options quite bewildering. At lunchtime I couldn’t decide where to eat, I couldn’t remember which restaurants were complimentary and I wasn’t entirely sure if I’d be able to get a seat when I’d made my mind up.

I was impressed by my cabin (the cruise line refers to them all as staterooms, which is overly grand), a mini-suite with a small balcony and bathroom with a fabulous walk-in shower. Even the smaller cabins were more spacious than I imagined (although I think I’d find the windowless inside family cabins quite claustrophobic) while those in the Haven, an exclusive area on the ship with its own sundeck, restaurant and lounge, were gorgeous.

My favourite area, however, was the spa. I could just see myself relaxing in one of its lounges looking out to sea. For the peace and quiet it promises, it’s probably worth the extra $146, especially if the kids were entertained somewhere else on this vast ship."

From May 11, Breakaway will sail year-round from New York, visiting ports of call in North America and the Caribbean.

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