JennN Posted December 13, 2012 #1 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Before you being reading this review, please note that a) we are loyal Carnival customers and b) we are two women in a same-sex marriage (making us a lesbian couple). If you want to X out of the review now, feel free to do so now. Hi! Glad you stuck around! We waited soooo long (479 days to be exact) for this cruise and convinced my mother-in-law (MIL) to join us for her first cruise. This was our third (first was on the Carnival Dream in 2010, second on the Valor in 2011). We stayed the night before in Miami at The Hyatt Regency Coral Gables. The room was decent and decorated for Christmas. We took a taxi the next morning around 11a and went to the ship. Of course, it started raining in the three minutes before arriving. We didn't have a FTF pass but did each bring a bottle of champagne with us per their rules (all for me!) and had no wait getting through security into the holding area. We did have to wait about 30 minutes for our zone to be called and then it took another 15 minutes before we got on the ship. My MIL enjoyed cutting our little line to be first on board Once on board, we headed to Red Frog Pub - after 479 days of hearing about the ship in multiple areas, we knew our first drink would be there! My MIL loved their brew (it tastes better at the bar than the Lido Deck bar, FYI). I had the Red Frog Caribbean Tea (the blue one) and it was STRONG but yummy. The other I don't remember the taste of but we all enjoyed! Most of all, me! Linden there was a great server as well We set sail very, very late and I have no idea why. We took the time to explore the ship some and visit our room, which I decorated for both my wife and MIL. MIL had an inside room (I think it was 9486) and we were in an oceanfront room (2986). Despite noting a king bed, we were met with two twins that our steward, Henry, promptly fixed. He was the best steward we've ever had! The room was nice and again - the steward was impeccable and always had my champagne on ice for me! I will stop here to say we went to My Time Dining in the Sapphire Room and it was HORRIBLE. Not only was the food ice cold, but it wasn't even good. I talked to one of the maitre d's and was assured it would be taken care of. We walked the ship some more and discovered all the "new" features of this one and got our MIL familiar with it. We had a few drinks on deck and hit the hay to start the day anew! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennN Posted December 13, 2012 Author #2 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Day #1, Fun Day at Sea We woke up and joined my MIL around 10a for the Punchliner Brunch, which continued our bad food streak. The food was not only cold and horrible tasting, but it took us 1.5 hours to get through! I went down to guest services after that and lodged a "formal" complaint. Still hungry, we hit Guy's Burger Joint for what we hoped would be a decent burger but alas, our streak continued: the burgers were thrown at us - we weren't asked for a choice of burger at all. The patty fell apart and it didn't have much flavor. And of course, it was cold. We hit the Hasbro Game Show which was fun. I was called up but got the question half wrong (The Family Circus and I said The Family Circle) but yet a cute kid said Pennsylvania for the answer of caves and got to go up (bitter, party of one) I *will* say, we had Butch as our CD on the Dream in 2010 and didn't care for him. This trip? He was fabulous! We also hit the Fun Finds Shopping Show and while I think it was a waste of time, we did buy the $25 book and got some "free" items in port because of it. Afterwards, we got changed and heading up to the Serenity Deck. We spent a lot of time up here and were a bit sad to see that Carnival STILL didn't get it right, building the slides right on top of adult only area kinda negates the purpose of a kids-free zone. Regardless, it's the most comfortable area with the best seats and the better service. We mulled around up there for the rest of the day before hitting elegant night where, would you believe it? OUR FOOD WAS COLD!!!!!!!!!! I hadn't heard from anyone in customer service and we were all frustrated and annoyed and we went to bed. Day #2 - Supposed to be Grand Turk, but wound up an extra Day at Sea We woke up when we were docking but realized after getting ready for our snorkeling excursion that we weren't really docking but sailing away from the land. An hour later we were told by Butch the CD that they tried a number of times to attempt to dock but the winds kept us from doing so. Disappointed to no end now, I took action. Now, I know there are some here who are not fans of John Heald, but to you I say :P My MIL was starting to get upset and not enjoying the cruise at this point because all the food was horrible and now we missed a port. There was seemingly no customer service. So I wrote on his Facebook wall and left him a note saying just that. In a matter of a few hours, I had champagne and strawberries in our room as well as my MIL's with a note from him, a response on his FB wall to us and a call from higher ups to apologize. We had eaten the Tandoor food that day and had no issues, and booked the steakhouse which was fabulous so we had no issue. But now we had service! The steakhouse never disappoints and I had been craving a steak for some time. So yummy. After two long says at sea, we were ready for Falmouth! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlk806 Posted December 13, 2012 #3 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Sounds awesome so far (except for the cold bad food!). Cant wait to read the rest! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennN Posted December 13, 2012 Author #4 Share Posted December 13, 2012 (edited) Day #3 - Falmouth Jamaica I am going to preface this part by reminding you that we are a gay couple. Jamaica is the #1 least gay friendly country in the Caribbean and one of the worst in the world. It's dangerous for us to be out and there, so we decided to take off our wedding bands and play "friends" while there. We book all our excursions through Carnival for personal peace of mind and booked the Chukka Zipline and River Tubing excursion. While we had a blast, it was hard for us being asked many many questions about why we were single, why we didn't have men or babies in our lives, etc. It really put a damper on the excursion. But that aside, we made a great time of it. It was safe (equipment wise) though the river tubing was not as they allude to (we were tied together and then to a guide and the river was low so there were no rapids). We shopped in port as well (had to collect on our "freebies!") and of course, I had a Red Stripe beer! We had extended time in Jamaica to sort of make up for missing Grand Turk. It was a very nice port and we bought a lot of alcohol :) I am glad we went but as a gay couple, we'd not go back. We got back on board and not only did we get seated with EXCELLENT wait staff, but our food was soooooo hot, we had to wait to eat it. And when we did? It was yummy. John single handedly turned our entire cruise around!!! My MIL went on a different excursion (one of those "drive around but we won't let you get out of the van" type tours and hated it but liked Jamaica). Edited December 13, 2012 by JennN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica1988 Posted December 13, 2012 #5 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Thanks! This is awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennN Posted December 13, 2012 Author #6 Share Posted December 13, 2012 I will have to do the rest tomorrow night...lots going on during this cruise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newdestination Posted December 13, 2012 #7 Share Posted December 13, 2012 (edited) I am enjoying your very nice review, Jenn. I am glad JH was able to help you. He was CD on my very first cruise back in 1992 and he is part of the reason I am hooked on cruises. I am a relative newbie here and was sort of shocked to find how many folks do not like him. I really liked him and his sense of humor. I will be interested to hear about the rest of your week. Edited December 13, 2012 by newdestination Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolyroger Posted December 13, 2012 #8 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Loving the review and pics so far!! Now I know what I'm drinking first when I go to Red frog, that blue drink looks YUMMMY!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambee Posted December 13, 2012 #9 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Thanks for sharing, loving your pics :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shatima Posted December 13, 2012 #10 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Being me and Mines are A Same Sex Couple, and We are gettting Married on the Breeze, makes me so happy to Read THIS review :) Thanks so much for taking your time to do a Review with Pix.. Ok Im gonna go read the rest now,and look at pix :) :p :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shatima Posted December 13, 2012 #11 Share Posted December 13, 2012 I totally understand what U mean when U say as a Gay Couple.. With us though (and we were 10 deep) all gay couples.. We had Soooo much fun.. And they were very nice to us (exp as they bug EVERYONE when U first hit the main street and they want to sell you cab rides, clothes, drugs, and whatever else.) We have been back twice and no problems again.. But like I said I totally get what U are saying.. Day #3 - Falmouth Jamaica I am going to preface this part by reminding you that we are a gay couple. Jamaica is the #1 least gay friendly country in the Caribbean and one of the worst in the world. It's dangerous for us to be out and there, so we decided to take off our wedding bands and play "friends" while there. We book all our excursions through Carnival for personal peace of mind and booked the Chukka Zipline and River Tubing excursion. While we had a blast, it was hard for us being asked many many questions about why we were single, why we didn't have men or babies in our lives, etc. It really put a damper on the excursion. But that aside, we made a great time of it. It was safe (equipment wise) though the river tubing was not as they allude to (we were tied together and then to a guide and the river was low so there were no rapids). We shopped in port as well (had to collect on our "freebies!") and of course, I had a Red Stripe beer! We had extended time in Jamaica to sort of make up for missing Grand Turk. It was a very nice port and we bought a lot of alcohol :) I am glad we went but as a gay couple, we'd not go back. We got back on board and not only did we get seated with EXCELLENT wait staff, but our food was soooooo hot, we had to wait to eat it. And when we did? It was yummy. John single handedly turned our entire cruise around!!! My MIL went on a different excursion (one of those "drive around but we won't let you get out of the van" type tours and hated it but liked Jamaica). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
re-re Posted December 13, 2012 #12 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Glad things turned around for you, can't wait to hear more.:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambee Posted December 13, 2012 #13 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Day #3 - Falmouth Jamaica I am going to preface this part by reminding you that we are a gay couple. Jamaica is the #1 least gay friendly country in the Caribbean and one of the worst in the world. It's dangerous for us to be out and there, We had extended time in Jamaica to sort of make up for missing Grand Turk. It was a very nice port and we bought a lot of alcohol :) I am glad we went but as a gay couple, we'd not go back. That is exactly how we felt in Falmouth Jamaica. I won't book any further cruises stopping there or anywhere in Jamaica. Or at least try my best not to. I been noticing a quite a few same sex couples posting reviews here, I like that :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shatima Posted December 13, 2012 #14 Share Posted December 13, 2012 ;) Thats right we LOVE to travel toooo :p That is exactly how we felt in Falmouth Jamaica. I won't book any further cruises stopping there or anywhere in Jamaica. Or at least try my best not to. I been noticing a quite a few same sex couples posting reviews here, I like that :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambee Posted December 13, 2012 #15 Share Posted December 13, 2012 ;) Thats right we LOVE to travel toooo :p Lol, I am part of the same group ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shatima Posted December 13, 2012 #16 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Hello!!!!!!!! I know thats right!! NO shame here.. And I still getting plenty of Blessings... Travel on Gambee:D Lol, I am part of the same group ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mplusj Posted December 13, 2012 #17 Share Posted December 13, 2012 I was also on the same cruise. What was your opinion of the crowds on board and the lines on Lido deck? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennN Posted December 13, 2012 Author #18 Share Posted December 13, 2012 (edited) Michael -I only ate on lido 3 times: the pizza (LOVED the new pizza and worth the 5 minute wait for a fresh slice), the Tandoor grill (never a line for Indian food) and then Guy's (the line moves quickly when they throw burgers at you!). I didn't find these lines to be any more or less than on any other cruise - except when we disembarked in the Bahamas (which I will get to tonight when I finish up my review). Otherwise, it was quite the norm. In fact, in the dining room, even with requesting the same wait staff, we never had to wait! Shatima and Gambee - yay gays! LOL. I have NEVER experienced adverse reaction from Carnival in regards to being a same sex couple. We feel a bit left out when they do the Newlywed Game show as we know they'd never pick us, but we never got looks when taking pictures (by other cruisers, YES but the photography staff is great about it and even used us as an example - asking if we minded first - to train other photographers) or by stewards when we wanted the bed to be one king size, etc. Carol - John is the best! I find him funny, and when I don't I tell him. We got to meet him (he agreed to it ahead of time) on this cruise before they did the naming. I will tell you the story later in my review! Thanks all for reading. Will definitely finish this tonight! Edited December 13, 2012 by JennN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRSRN Posted December 13, 2012 #19 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Love your review and the pictures! I'm glad to hear you received a response about the cold food :( Can't wait to read the rest! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shatima Posted December 13, 2012 #20 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Oh I know it.. Alot of the Activites aren't gear for us.. And I think it should be MORE open, but I still love Carnival.. Um the Life, lol.. We never get crazy looks neither, I do remember when I planned the Group Cruise for us, that I told everyone to wear White and black for Formal night.. Well I must have had on a dress that looks close to a Wedding Dress BC we got Congrats all night (and trust me they could see we were all "Happy", as soon as they see my Better Half THAT's when they can tell, but they still were Very nice to us).. lolol Any whoo enough about us (all though I get happy to when I see/read reviews from other Couples) yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.. Ok some more about the Breeeeeeeze and pix :D Michael -I only ate on lido 3 times: the pizza (LOVED the new pizza and worth the 5 minute wait for a fresh slice), the Tandoor grill (never a line for Indian food) and then Guy's (the line moves quickly when they throw burgers at you!). I didn't find these lines to be any more or less than on any other cruise - except when we disembarked in the Bahamas (which I will get to tonight when I finish up my review). Otherwise, it was quite the norm. In fact, in the dining room, even with requesting the same wait staff, we never had to wait!Shatima and Gambee - yay gays! LOL. I have NEVER experienced adverse reaction from Carnival in regards to being a same sex couple. We feel a bit left out when they do the Newlywed Game show as we know they'd never pick us, but we never got looks when taking pictures (by other cruisers, YES but the photography staff is great about it and even used us as an example - asking if we minded first - to train other photographers) or by stewards when we wanted the bed to be one king size, etc. Carol - John is the best! I find him funny, and when I don't I tell him. We got to meet him (he agreed to it ahead of time) on this cruise before they did the naming. I will tell you the story later in my review! Thanks all for reading. Will definitely finish this tonight! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizaMM Posted December 13, 2012 #21 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Thanks for your review! Looking forward to the rest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjb.illinois Posted December 13, 2012 #22 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Hi there, We were on the same cruise with you, and found customer service to be great, and the food hot. In fact first night, at anytime dining, both DH and I burned our mouths. This after we had braced ourselves to be underwhelmed. I am so glad your food got hot ( = Having grown up in super-liberal Oregon, then living in progressively more conservative places, I enjoy vacationing with my kids in environments that feel a bit more inclusive. I would love to have the opportunity to have same-sex couples more evident on a cruise or anywhere else. If anything, my impression was that Carnival was one of the more accepting/friendly companies. I'm enjoying your review - it's helping me remember my vacay bliss. But, btw, I totally corrected your Family Circle/Family Circue answer to my DH! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennN Posted December 14, 2012 Author #23 Share Posted December 14, 2012 Awww man! You knew the answer??? I was soooo bummed because I knew it and read it all the time. Off to post Day #4. I hope you enjoyed the cruise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlk806 Posted December 14, 2012 #24 Share Posted December 14, 2012 Day #3 - Falmouth Jamaica I am going to preface this part by reminding you that we are a gay couple. Jamaica is the #1 least gay friendly country in the Caribbean and one of the worst in the world. It's dangerous for us to be out and there, so we decided to take off our wedding bands and play "friends" while there. We book all our excursions through Carnival for personal peace of mind and booked the Chukka Zipline and River Tubing excursion. While we had a blast, it was hard for us being asked many many questions about why we were single, why we didn't have men or babies in our lives, etc. It really put a damper on the excursion. But that aside, we made a great time of it. It was safe (equipment wise) though the river tubing was not as they allude to (we were tied together and then to a guide and the river was low so there were no rapids). We had extended time in Jamaica to sort of make up for missing Grand Turk. It was a very nice port and we bought a lot of alcohol :) I am glad we went but as a gay couple, we'd not go back. We got back on board and not only did we get seated with EXCELLENT wait staff, but our food was soooooo hot, we had to wait to eat it. And when we did? It was yummy. John single handedly turned our entire cruise around!!! My MIL went on a different excursion (one of those "drive around but we won't let you get out of the van" type tours and hated it but liked Jamaica). That is sad about Jamaica. Odd that you were questioned about why you were single, etc. (I am not gay, but am one of the hugest liberals anyone could meet). I travelled with a group of 5 girlfriends last year (husband and son stayed home), and we met several other groups of 2-5 or so girlfriends (just friends lol) travelling together, on excursions, etc. We never were asked why/if we were single, had kids or not, etc or saw any of the other girlfriend groups either. Really enjoying your review! The Breeze was actually a very close contender for this summers "girlfriends" cruise lol but we ended up choosing the Valor for the southern itinerary instead! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennN Posted December 14, 2012 Author #25 Share Posted December 14, 2012 Grrrr, Just wrote all of Day #4 and CC ate it. Grrrr Let's start over again! On our last sea day, we got up early to use our VIFP free drink coupon and tried the Comedy brunch again. So glad we did! The food was a lot better and the free mimosa and bloody Mary helped! Afterward, we headed up to the Serenity deck to get some rays. It was cloudy and sunny at some points and so we saw not one, but TWO rainbows! One was over the sea, the other on the other side of the ship in the sky! It was neat. After some sun, I decided to bite the bullet and ride the yellow Twister slide. While it was a bit too fast and too dark for me, I can see the appeal. I never got on the orange one though... For lunch, we hit the Pizza Pirate and I must say, YUMMY (and hot!). It was almost gourmet - thin crust and great toppings made for a great improvement over the pizza I ate on the Dream and Valor! After lunch and some more sun (I needed to look tan like I've been on a cruise after all!), we took a few pics around the ship since it was our home and even for an extra sea day! The ship was decorated subtly (aside from the non-subtle tree in the lobby). No sign of a menorah though Hanukkah hadn't started. The ship was really nice overall and a great new design while still being familiar. That night, we went to dinner and took pics after. The food was good and hot! My only other ship peeve? In 2010 on the Dream, they had electronic pics - swipe your S&S card and face recognition picked your pics and displayed them. Why the heck did they go back to printing them out again???? Anyway, the new "bonuses" card was a neat addition - a pic of the ship at 3rd pic purchased, a mug at the 6th and a pen drive at the 10th and with an additional $9.99, you get your 10 pics put on it so you've got the bigger sizes, plus pics of the ship. We did that so I leave you with a shot from it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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