Norwegian Breakaway Family Vacations
By Alara Shannon, Marketing | May 01, 2013 ( Comments)
This year’s most buzz-worthy ship, the Norwegian Breakaway, successfully made her groundbreaking debut with an overall positive reaction. This state-of-the-art 4,028 passenger ship is the largest ship to home port year-round in New York and embodies a uniquely Big Apple vibe. The Breakaway will sail seven-day Bermuda, Bahamas and Caribbean itineraries from the Port of New York year-round.
Team members of iCruise.com were fortunate enough to be introduced to the ship on a recent inaugural sailing. Our consensus was that the Norwegian Breakaway is surprisingly elegant and, well, pretty much a hit.
We were impressed with the amount of space and staterooms dedicated for children and families onboard. There is just as much to keep them occupied as the adults!
Just for Kids on Norwegian Breakaway
Norwegian Breakaway’s complimentary youth and teen program, Splash Academy, spans two decks making it the largest youth and teen area across Norwegian’s fleet. The facilities are located mid-ship on Decks 12 and 13, near family-friendly staterooms.
This two-story Splash Academy is designed specifically for three age groups: Turtles (3 to 5), Seals (6 to 9) and Dolphins (10 to 12). The space is very open, bright and full of technology. You will actually sign your children in and out at reception using Norwegian’s e-Youth tablet-based electronic registration system which requires you to swipe your keycard and input a password.
Each age group has their own space with activities to keep them entertained in between organized programming by the certified and trained counselors. For ages 3-9 child-sized furniture, wall mounted activities, game stations, building blocks, circus school, video screens and video games are all available on Deck 12. Nickelodeon characters like Dora and SpongeBob have also been known to make an appearance!
Upstairs on Deck 13, the 10 to 12 year olds have their own space complete with bean bags, interactive dance mats, jukeboxes, video games, movies, arts & crafts and a ‘chill zone’.
For the youngest cruisers, ‘Guppies’ ages 6 months to 35 months, there is a dedicated play area but at least one parent must stay. The play space is small, but fun activities like arts and crafts are available.
On Sea Days, Splash Academy is open from 9am – 10:30pm, but closes from 12noon-2pm for lunch and 5pm-7pm for dinner. On Port Days, Splash Academy is open from the arrival into port until 10:30pm. It is open all day, however, during meal times Splash Academy will not facilitate drop offs.
The ship does not offer childcare services or private babysitting, but late-night (10:30pm – 1am) group sitting is available for $6 per hour for the first child and $4 per hour for each additional child.
Teens have their own separate hang out spot, totally away from the uncool younger kids. Located at the top of the ship on Deck 16 is Entourage, exclusively for teens ages 13-17. It is designed to look like an adult lounge, and it delivers. When exploring the ship a few of us thought Entourage was the Breakaway’s nightclub!
Open from 11am-1am, teens can come and go as they please and there is a lot of awesome to be found like video games, music, movies, air hockey and foosball during the day. The arcade is also located right next door (it was huge!) with games available for $1-$2. Hip, young (certified and trained) counselors supervise all of the activities plus ice breakers, team building, pool and pizza parties. At night, teens can dance, hang out or grab a bite to eat at the nearby Breezeway Grill. Special events include a Glow Party, Mardi Gras Night, Casino Night, and Suit and Tie Night.
Family that Plays Together, Stays Together
Outdoor recreation, play and sports facilities for the entire family can easily be found on the Norwegian Breakaway. The huge Aqua Park features five thrilling full-size water slides, a Nickelodeon-themed Kid’s Aqua Park (with a kid-sized pool and waterslide), two pools and four hot tubs.
A three-story outdoor sports complex is nearby and includes the largest ropes course at sea (even one specifically for younger children!), a nine-hole miniature golf course, basketball court, rock climbing wall, bungee trampoline, dodgeball tournaments, and a spider web climbing cage for little ones.
The Norwegian Breakaway is the fourth Norwegian ship to offer Nickelodeon experiences like Pajama Jam Character Breakfast ($20 per person – breakfast and 8×10 photo included), Dora’s Dance Party, Nickelodeon Character Meet and Greets, Story Time with Dora and Nickelodeon Arts and Crafts.
Nickelodeon also hits the main stage with entertainment everyone can enjoy. In addition, Nickelodeon’s Splash Mobs add an element of surprise with spontaneous, impromptu games that are exciting for the whole family with pies, slime and other surprises. A Nickelodeon Bedtime Kit is offered at $45 ($39.95 if you order online before you sail) and includes fun goodies like a character blanket, pillowcase, toothbrush, nightlight and bedtime activities.
The Norwegian Breakaway offers fun throughout each cruise for the entire family to experience together including, but not limited to, Family Fun Shipboard Challenges, Family Circus Show, Family Movie Night, Family Pizza Making, Family Scavenger Hunts, Family Building Block Hour, Game Show Challenges, and Family Poolside Challenges.
Norwegian Cruise Line is among the top large-ship cruise lines for families in the Travel + Leisure 2012 World’s Best Awards, and you will find more family-friendly staterooms than ever on the Norwegian Breakaway:
- Family Inside Stateroom (135 sq. ft.) – located on Decks 9, 12 and 13 near Splash Academy. Can accommodate up to 4 guests with two lower beds, and one or two pull-down upper berths. Many are connecting staterooms.
- Family Ocean View Stateroom (218 sq.ft.) – a new category with large picture window located on Deck 5 mid-ship, this cabin is very comfortable for families. Can accommodate up to 5 guests with two lower beds convertible to a queen, and additional bedding for 3. Quite a bit of cabin space is eaten up by the larger bathroom but is worth it, especially with younger children, as the bathroom features double sinks and a bathtub. Many are connecting staterooms.
- Family Balcony Stateroom (207 – 280 sq. ft.) – located on Deck 12, these cabins with private balconies can accommodate up to 4 guests with two lower beds convertible to a queen, sofa bed and pull-down upper berth.
- Family Mini-Suite with Balcony (239 sq. ft.) – located on Deck 12, family mini-suites can accommodate up to 4 guests with a king-sized bed (can be separated) with pillow-top mattress, sofa bed and pull-down upper berth. Along with a private balcony enjoy double sinks, an oversized shower with waterfall shower head and the convenience of a bathtub.
- The Haven Two-Bedroom Villa with Balcony (545 sq. ft.) – located on Decks 15 and 16, this villa is a part of the Norwegian Breakaway’s exclusive ship-within-a-ship sanctuary called The Haven. This cabin can accommodate up to 6 guests with two bedrooms and two bathrooms plus a separate living and dining area. Master bedrooms features king-size bed and oversized bathroom with luxury shower, two sinks and large bathtub. Second bedroom offers a double sofa bed and private bathroom with shower. A sofa bed in the living area is available for extra bedding. Guests also have access to secluded Courtyard Area, 24-hour butler service, private restaurant and lounge.
Even with additional connecting cabins and those dedicated for families, they will fill quickly. We suggest booking as early as possible to secure one of these convenient and comfortable Norwegian Breakaway family staterooms.
The Norwegian Breakaway sails year-round from the Port of New York to Bermuda, Bahamas and the Caribbean. For more information, or to book your Norwegian Breakaway vacation, please give one of our friendly cruise specialists here a call at iCruise.com a call 800-i-CRUISE [800-427-8473]
