Ashley KosciolekFollowing the Norwegian Breakaway refurbishment, the ship is homeporting in the City That Never Sleeps – again. The vessel was based at New York’s Manhattan cruise terminal when it first debuted in 2013, complete with a Big Apple-themed hull designed by artist Peter Max.
After repositioning from the Mediterranean, it will again offer five- and seven-night Bermuda voyages, as well as longer Caribbean and Bahamas sailings.
The vessel, which Norwegian Cruise Line sent to dry dock in early 2025, has several new onboard offerings, and I tried them on a recent cruise. I spent more than nine hours visiting freshly added spaces, dining in new and updated restaurants, and logging the costs for every experience.
Here’s what I thought of each new tweak and addition, and how much you can expect to pay to try it all out for yourself on your next cruise.
Silver Screen Bistro Dine-In Movies
Cost: $50 per person
Time spent: 2.5 hours
This dine-in theater is new to the fleet with Norwegian Breakaway. The cavernous room replaces the Spiegel Tent, a circus-themed theater where the ship offered Cirque du Soleil-style performances.
Passengers will now find a movie theater with a large screen and two side rooms with smaller screens. Chairs are comfortable and recline via buttons. Tray tables and drink holders make dining easy.
Moviegoers select three courses – starter, main and dessert – from the menu. (Vegetarian options are available.) The odd part is that all three courses are served and cleared before the movie begins. It’s a good idea to eliminate disruptions during the film, but it makes the experience clunky. While dining, you’ll sit in a quiet theater, staring at a screen that flips through movie trivia for an hour. It also means a larger investment of your time; plan an hour for dinner, plus the length of the movie’s run time.
The theater plays a different movie each night at 7 p.m. (Check the daily program.) There was only a handful of other passengers when I went; a waiter told me it hadn’t even reached half capacity on its most crowded night during my voyage. I hope that means word just hasn’t gotten out yet. I do think it’s an experience worth trying if you don’t mind spending the money.
That said, $50 per person is a lot for food that’s similar to what cruisers can find in the main dining room for free. The ship also screens complimentary movies in its atrium daily, and there are free movie channels on cabin TVs.
Reservations are a good idea – not because the venue will sell out but because it’s helpful for crew to know how many passengers will be attending.
The Stadium Outdoor Gaming
Cost: free
Time spent: 10 minutes
Of the ship’s post-refurb offerings, The Stadium is the most underwhelming, by far. Hence, the short amount of time I spent there.
The concept first rolled out on Norwegian Prima in 2022, featuring foosball, table shuffleboard, Ping-Pong, pickleball and sit-down soccer. The version on Norwegian Breakaway – located on Deck 17, under part of the ship’s ropes course – consists of just two worn, mismatched foosball tables and two table shuffleboard stations that look like they’ve been sitting out in inclement weather for years.
There is a basketball court on Deck 18 that has designated hours for pickleball, but the ship doesn’t have a dedicated pickleball court.
Palomar Mediterranean Seafood Restaurant
Cost: $60 per person
Time spent: 1.5 hours
Another element drawn from Norwegian’s Prima Class ships is Palomar, which has replaced Ocean Blue on Norwegian Breakaway.
Palomar resides in a corner of Deck 8, sandwiched between Wasabi sushi and the Raw Bar. It’s a seafood-lover’s paradise overseen by a single host stand.
Although the other two restaurants are a bit more casual, Palomar is a place where you won’t want to show up looking like a slob, despite NCL’s “come as you are” dress code. This eatery is ideal for special occasions, date nights, or just a classy night out with some excellent food.
We ordered the heirloom beet salad, Mediterranean sea bass with carrot puree, and baked apple tart, and everything was exquisite. The entire meal service took about 90 minutes. Reservations are a good idea.
Cagney’s Steakhouse
Cost: $60 per person
Time spent: 1.5 hours
Norwegian Breakaway has always had a Cagney’s steakhouse location on Deck 8. The restaurant used to share space with Brazilian steakhouse Moderno Churrascaria, which was officially removed during the vessel’s dry dock. Since Moderno is gone, Cagney’s was able to double its size.
A meal there is well worth the price, which includes an appetizer, main, two sides and dessert. My crab cake starter was delicious, my truffle fries tasty, and my petite filet mignon perfectly cooked. My only niggle was the raspberry ceme brulee I ordered for dessert. The flavor was there, but the top wasn’t hardened enough to offer the expected crunch.
Meal service was attentive and took about an hour and a half. Definitely make reservations if you’d like to dine there.
Vibe Beach Club
Cost: $309 for a cruise-long pass (varies by cruise length)
Time spent: 30 minutes
During the ship’s dry dock, Norwegian expanded the size of the adults-only added-fee Vibe Beach Club on Deck 17. There’s now more seating with excellent sea views.
Pricing varies by cruise length, and passengers can purchase one-day passes or voyage-long ones that allow access every day. After a cruiser pays, their keycard will grant them entry to the space.
As part of the experience Vibe-goers have access to a private bar with nearby seating; sun loungers; first-come, first-served cabanas; towel service; fresh fruit; and hot tubs. (There is no pool.)
On my sailing, Vibe was nearly deserted for almost the entire cruise. I chalk that up to the chilly, rainy weather (which is why I only spent about half an hour there) and the fact that the voyage had only one sea day. Expect it to be more crowded on the ship’s warm-weather Caribbean and Bahamas itineraries.
The Haven Sun Deck
Cost: free if booked in The Haven
Time spent: 5 minutes
In what Norwegian Breakaway’s general manager told me was an effort to provide passengers booked in suites with the same amenities granted to Vibe Beach Club passengers, NCL expanded the Deck 17 sun deck in The Haven, the line’s exclusive suite enclave.
It now boasts more space with phenomenal views and cabanas for passengers to use, along with hot tubs. Although The Haven’s sun deck doesn’t have its own pool, an indoor pool exclusive to cruisers booked in The Haven is just steps away, one deck below.
Because I wasn’t booked in The Haven, I wasn’t able to spend more than a few minutes there in order to take photos of the expanded space (with crew permission). If I had stayed in a suite and the weather was nice, it would have been an area I enjoyed.
Bottom Line
Total cost: $479
Total time spent: 6.25 hours
On Norwegian Breakaway, there are lots of changes, from major additions like Silver Screen Bistro to smaller tweaks like the expansion of Cagney’s and the addition of outdoor foosball tables in The Stadium. If you want to check them all out, this should give you some idea of how much time and money you’ll need to spend to do so.
The offerings that are most worth the investment are the ones that most closely align with your interests. If you want to work on your tan, Vibe and The Haven’s sun deck are worth looking into. If you enjoy outdoor games, check out The Stadium. Movie buffs will enjoy Silver Screen Bistro, and foodies will appreciate both Cagney’s and Palomar.
Comments
What do you think of all the updates made during this Norwegian Breakaway refurbishment? Which of the new additions to this ship is your favorite? Drop us an anchor below to share your Norwegian Breakaway cruise reviews.
