I've cruised on one of Norwegian's smallest ships and one of its biggest. I'd only sail on one of them again. --[Reported by Umva mag]

My one-way, three-night Norwegian Sky voyage traveled from Miami to the Dominican Republic. I sailed solo in an inside cabin for about $300.

My mom and husband joined me on Norwegian Breakaway. We sailed for seven nights across New England and Canada in an oceanview family room, spending about $3,000 in total.

For the longer sailing, I opted for the "More at Sea" perks, which included free drinks, 150 minutes of Starlink WiFi, $50 off excursions, and some complimentary specialty dining.

The 18-deck Breakaway is a huge ship with space for nearly 4,000 guests in double occupancy across about 2,000 cabins. The 12-deck Sky, by comparison, holds about 2,000 people across some 1,000 cabins.

The crowds were more obvious on Breakaway, with people fighting for seating in the atrium and main bars. However, I think Norwegian could rectify this by redesigning its Breakaway atrium with smaller chairs to optimize the space, or holding popular events in the theater.

Both ships have been refurbished since launch — Breakaway in 2020 and Sky in 2024, according to Norwegian. The ships got updated public spaces, with Breakaway adding a new entertainment venue.

Sky and Breakaway have pool decks with chairs and lounges, but the latter also boasts waterslides and a ropes course. Meanwhile, both have pay-to-play arcades, clubs specific to kids and teens, and a sports court.

Sky has a small, basic pool on deck 12 near the front of the ship for kids. You won't find any flashy colors or toys.

Breakaway, by comparison, has a larger kids areas with miniature slides and aquatic animal decor.

The Garden Cafe is common across many of Norwegian's ships and offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Although the food options were repetitive, I liked the convenience.

On Sky, there is a second outdoor buffet, as well as a poolside bar and grill called Topsiders. The American Diner on Breakaway is also outside, but guests order from a menu.

The ship's all-night pubs have different names — it's the Local on Sky and O'Sheehan's on Breakaway — but they serve the same purpose. Guests can enjoy bar food like burgers and chicken wings at nearly all hours of the day.

Local proved to be a great place to catch NFL games when I cruised on Sky, but the space was smaller and I found people were regularly fighting for a seat when other food venues were closed.

O'Sheehan's, by comparison, was much larger and had a bowling alley, arcade games, and a billiards table. Still, there was a long wait to eat during the sea day, but most times, we got a seat immediately or only waited a few minutes.

Breakaway has the Manhattan Room, Savor, and Taste. The food offerings are the same but rotating among the three gives guests some day-to-day variety.

Sky's main dining rooms are called Crossings and Palace — I liked the latter's decor better. The service on both ships, however, were long — I had to wait almost an hour for my entrees.

Both ships sport Norwegian's lineup of specialty restaurants, including Cageney's Steakhouse, Le Bistro, La Cucina, a sushi bar, and Starbucks.

Breakaway ups the ante with a Japanese hibachi steakhouse, raw and seafood bars, ice cream and pastry stands, a Brazilian steakhouse, and a noodle bar.

Despite Breakaway being five nights longer, it only showed two main production shows — the same as my Sky sailing. Breakaway showed "Burn the Floor" and "Broadway Cabernet," while Sky showed "Rock You Tonight" and "Showdown."

I, and other guests I spoke with, were disappointed in Breakaway's number of performances considering the length of the cruise. Still, the vocals and dancing on both ships were excellent — especially on Sky, which was just a repositioning cruise.

Although Breakaway disappointingly only had two main production shows, it also offered nightly rock concerts at Syd Norman's Pour House and dueling pianos at Headliners'.

Live music and events like Bingo were hosted at the Speigel Tent.

Sky lacked these special venues but still offered live music in its various bars and lounges.

Both ships had the problem of smoke-filled casinos, and they were essentially impossible to avoid walking through since they sat in the middle of the ship.

Guests could walk up and down a level to avoid them, though.

The Skyy Vodka Ice Bar was a $15 cover per person, but was easily worth the add-on. We donned the colorful hooded jackets and headed into the icy oasis, where the bartender handed out vodka-inspired drinks (there was also a non-alcoholic version).

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.

While the smaller Sky has fewer bars, it has enough inside and poolside to keep people hydrated, including one specifically for mojitos.

Breakway has a martini-specific bar called Shakers, which was my husband's and my favorite drinking spot. The larger ship also had a cigar lounge and a whisky bar.

Both vessels had a Bliss Ultra Lounge for nighttime parties.

Although I didn't try it, the Thermal Suite spa appeared to be a fan-favorite, according to the guests I spoke with on Breakaway. It has amenities like a hot tub, heated chairs, a sauna, and a steam room.

But access is not free. Guests will pay a few hundred dollars for a week, but the price varies depending on the length of the sailing.

Sky has basic massage and fitness offerings but no amenity-heavy spa area.

Breakaway had a large chandelier that overhanged an open-air pavillion, making the ship feel spacious and luxe. The Mixx Bar between the Savor and Taste dining rooms and the circus-like Speigel tent were other standouts on the newer ship.

Sky's decor, by comparison, was more rustic and lacked the giant lighting displays and fancy bar areas.

Sky's pool, bars, and lounges were fun, but there wasn't much else to do. Despite the trivia and gameshow events, I imagine I'd start getting restless on sailings for more than three or four nights.

Meanwhile, Breakway had the more fulfilling pool deck, the ice bar, and the noodle bar that gave my family more variety on the ship.

O'Sheehan's bowling and billiards, the giant top-deck television screen that showed NFL football games, and the dueling pianos also added to the experience.

To attract cruising families, Norwegian has been building increasingly amenity-heavy oceanliners, like the Prima, Viva, and future Aqua. On Prima, for example, a round on the go-karts is $15 per person, while the VR arcade costs $29 for one hour.

Breakaway doesn't have these same glitzy perks, meaning guests can largely enjoy the ship's offerings without being lured into paying for costly add-ons.