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

Norwegian's giant 18-deck Breakaway ship, which is based in New York year-round, was built in 2013 and most recently renovated in 2020. Additions included more open spaces, new entertainment venues and seafood restaurants, and upgraded social spaces.

According to Norwegian, the ship can accommodate 3,903 people at double capacity in over 2,000 cabins, is over 1,000 feet long, and weighs about 145,600 gross tons. Its crew capacity is about 1,650.

Our booking included Norwegian's "free at sea" perks, including a drink package for the entire cabin. We also got 150 minutes of surprisingly fast Starlink WiFi, one free specialty dining experience for two people on the reservation, and $50 off excursions for one person.

My mom, husband, and I shared the cabin, which had a curtain separating the two beds. It was more efficient than paying more for two cabins. Since we all already live together, we had no issues privacy-wise.

The Breakaway had three main dining rooms, including Manhattan, Savor, and Taste. I liked that we could rotate for a change of scenery.

Norwegian's staple Garden Cafe, O'Sheehnan's, and American Diner were great for breakfast and lunch most days, with the 24/7 O'Sheehnan's being my family's go-to for a mid-afternoon or late-night snack.

The Shanghai Noodle Bar is also available to all guests, as well as the exclusive Haven Restaurant for Norwegian's highest-paying customers.

The Shanghai Noodle Bar is on fewer Norwegian ships, but I was stoked to see a free Chinese food option. Reservations were required, and we made one via the various touchscreen systems located throughout the ship.

I ordered spring rolls and a chicken noodle broth, which was delicious. My mom enjoyed her dumplings, and my husband liked his seafood broth and fried rice.

The high-top seating was a little tight, so prepare to make friends with other people at your table.

Norwegian's specialty dining line-up includes eight restaurants and two dessert stores, all of which cost extra. There is also a Starbucks, which can be bought as a specific drink package or pay-as-you-go.

The sit-down specialty restaurants include Cagney's Steakhouse, the Brazilian steakhouse Moderno Churrascaria, the Wasabi sushi bar, the Italian restaurant La Cucina, the French restaurant Le Bistro, Japanese hibachi restaurant Teppanyaki, the seafood restaurant Ocean Blue, and the Raw Bar.

Dessert options included The Bake Shop and Dolce Gelato. Prices vary but expect to pay more than you would on land.

Our first experience was at Teppanyaki. We had a lot of fun, with the chefs singing to guests and doing tricks, like flipping eggs into their hat.

My mom and I used our free specialty dining here but paid $70 plus tips for my husband. I's pricey, but we had an add-on budget going in.

We loved Teppanyaki, but Norwegian's signature Cagney's takes the cake. The steak and crab cakes were delicious, and my mom was happy to see anchovies as an option for her salad. The full meal cost us about $200, but we'd easily go again on future sailings.

Norwegian's drink package included some dozen bars, which are located all over the ship, including inside and on the pool deck. One of the bars even had a cigar lounge, which my husband enjoyed.

The drink package allows free alcoholic drinks priced at $15 or less, and we got our money's worth across the seven-day cruise. But beware: At night and on sea days, the bars get full with little seating room, so be prepared to stand or go early.

We loved the line-up of martinins at Shakers on deck eight, like the Lavendar Patch and the fan-favorite Rum Cake.

The ice bar next door, however, was one of the best things we did on the ship. It was a $15 cover per person, but was easily worth the add-on. We donned the colorful hooded jackets and headed into the icy escape, where the bartender handed out Skyy Vodka drinks (there was also a non-alcoholic version) and took photos of guests.

We were only allowed 30 minutes inside and had to have a reservation. I'd recommend bundling up though, despite the provided coats — and don't mistakenly wear open-toed shoes, my mom regretted that.

My family largely doesn't gamble, but that doesn't mean we could avoid the casino. It sits on deck seven, and guests are forced to walk through it to get from one side to another.

Given smoking is allowed in the casino, it made the walkway reek of cigarettes, and it was mostly unavoidable unless you went up or down one level to cross instead.

Still, the casino was almost always full of people playing slots, poker, or other games. It looked like a fun time, just not for us.

While my family won't often gamble at a casino, we do love a good round of Bingo. We paid $79 for 27 chances to win, plus instant wins, raffle tickets for a free cruise, and a t-shirt.

Whether we won or lost we thought it was a good deal for fun for the three of us, but my husband actually ended up winning $140 in one round. I'm sure Norwegian wanted us to take our winnings straight to the casino, but we preferred to use it for tips.

Norwegian had a good line-up of events available onboard between its main Breakaway Theater, various bars, and atrium.

The Broadway show on the Breakaway was Burn the Floor, which was incredible. It featured upbeat, fast-faced dancing and great vocalists.

We were slightly disappointed that Burn the Floor was the only big production, but we still enjoyed the night of Broadway covers, which included everything from Hamilton and Les Miserables, to Book of Mormon and Wicked.

Being weekly pub trivia people at home, we went to almost every trivia session there was on the ship. It was mostly general knowledge, but there were some themed ones, like witches and wizards and sitcom trivia.

We also participated in some gameshows but largely preferred being in the audience. Some, like "Perfect Couple" and "Battle of the Sexes," can be over-the-top silly and sometimes awkward (though in a good way). If you cruise enough, you'll know what I mean.

The two comedy shows were very funny and entertaining.

Unfortunately, we didn't make it to the new Syd Norman's Pour House, where a rock show was held almost every night. The music wasn't to our taste, but the other guests I asked enjoyed it.

Most of the daily events took place in the mid-ship atrium on deck six, which I thought was horribly set up for the number of people, especially during the sea day.

The chairs were huge, taking up valuable space and forcing many people to stand or even sit on the floor during gameshows, music performances, and trivia. What's worse, you couldn't maneuver around the chairs easily either because they were so awkwardly built.

I'd recommend getting to any event early to snag seating — and I hope Norwegian adjusts its furniture or moves the more popular events to a larger venue.

My family isn't much of a party people, but we stayed out a few nights to see what Norwegian had to offer — and I found there was plenty.

From live music at the bars to the Bliss Ultra Lounge nightclub, there was something for everyone. My personal favorite was the dueling pianos at the Headliners comedy club.

I will note that our mid-September sailing was largely an older crowd with much fewer young people, so I noticed the dancing and drinking were tamer than what you may find on a Carnival cruise packed with young adults, for example, or during the holidays.

The pool deck had a main pool with hot tubs, as well as a kiddie pool and waterslides. Everything was open, with the pool heated, but the chilly Northeast September air made it less enjoyable and we skipped those activities.

There was also a ropes course that I was excited to try on the sea day, but choppy waters meant it was closed. Still, other guests I spoke with said it was fun to walk over the side of the ship.

I also think the week's weather contributed to the seating problem since few people sat outside. Something to think about when sailing on such a large ship during fall or winter.

While I'm a gym rat at home, I was too busy vacationing to find time on the Breakaway (though I used the track to get my steps in).

The ship also had a pool table and bowling alley at O'Sheehan's. Near the pool, there was a large arcade with things like air hockey and car racing, but it cost extra, so we skipped it this time.

We didn't pay for anything in the spa, but several guests raved about the Thermal Suite, which we plan to try on our next cruise.

There is a large television upstairs for things like movies and sports, and its fun sitting under the stars watching the screen.

We particuarly enjoyed the Eagles vs. Falcons football game on the first night of the cruise, which was quite a hoot considering the number of Philly fans on board.

The mid-ship area by the casino had a beautiful chandelier hanging from the ceiling, towering over an open-air walkway that felt like we were walking outside instead of on a boat at sea.

Further, the decor throughout the ship, with its elegant colors and furniture, gave the ship the luxe feel we hoped for.

Guests can also participate in high-end shopping and art buying, though my family doesn't look for these types of things on a cruise ship.

After solo cruising on the smaller Norwegian Sky in January, I personally prefer the larger ships for the activities and plentiful restaurants and bars.

My mom and husband felt the same, and the crowds themselves didn't bother us. Still, seating was our main concern, which seemed inevitable on the giant 3,900-guest Breakaway.

Norwegian's tendering in two ports — Newport, Rhode Island, and Bar Harbor, Maine — was difficult, to say the least. However, it wasn't totally Norwegian's fault.

The weather in Bar Harbor, in particular, meant some tenders couldn't connect to the Breakaway, leaving people (including us) trapped for longer than anticipated.

In the future, I plan to pay more attention to the itinerary and avoid ones that require tender boats — it was just an added obstacle that my family doesn't want to deal with again.