Just off the Breeze/Quick Review - 5/4/14 - 5/10/14 LOVED IT!!!

I just got back from six night on the Breeze (Key West/Grand Cayman/Cozumel) and had a fantastic time. Here's a quick overview of my opinion and experience of this ship (cruised before as you can see from my signature).

First, we stayed one night pre-cruise at LaQuinta Miami Airport East which was about 5 minutes from the Miami Airport and about 10 minutes to cruiseport. I got a good rate using my AAA discount (paid $117 with taxes). The room was very clean, beds were comfy and staff was friendly. We did hear planes overhead since it was close to airport, but no big deal for us. They offered free shuttle from airport to hotel, free shuttle from hotel to cruiseport, free wifi and free breakfast. They also offered free parking in their parking lot for the week for those who drove to Miami and a free shuttle back to their parking lot post cruise. They offered return transfer back to airport post cruise for $10 per person which we took them up on.

Unfortunately, DH's wallet slid out of his pants pocket on the bus going to cruiseport and didn't realize it until we were on the ship. Bus company had already put the bus back in the yard and couldn't check to see if wallet was there until next day. We called next day and they confirmed it was on the seat where DH was sitting and they would give back to him on day of disembarkation. We did get it back...whew! Luckily, I had his passport and my credit cards and cash, so it all worked out.

more to follow...

Embarkation: We arrived at the port around 12:45. We require wheelchair assistance for DH who has MS. We went right through quickly (no wait at all) and right on to the ship. Even though cabins weren't ready until 1:30, we were allowed to go to the cabin to retrieve the mobility scooter DH had rented.

Cabin: This time I booked Cabin 10275 ..lido deck balcony. We were only 6 cabins down from the entrance/double doors of the lido deck...SO convenient. It was also 3 cabins down from the forward atrium elevators. I loved this location and would book it again. We could definitely hear some of the "bass" from the loud music from time to time while on balcony and sometimes when we were in the room. I did find the walls to be a little paper thin as I could hear the neighbor's TV around 3 AM and little children on other side who were up before crack of dawn, yelling and screaming and running up and down their cabin. Our steward was Sergio and he was awesome and took great care of us. We saw him all the time and always had a smile, great attitude and always remembered our names from day 1. Bathroom shower was slightly small, but sufficient and always had very good water pressure and hot water. Our bathroom "freebies" were a tube of toothpaste, breathright strips and about 7 bars of soap!

I loved being up high on deck 10 on our balcony. We could look down and see promenade deck. There was hardly ever anyone out there the entire cruise, which was odd to me.

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Muster Drill: we were assigned the ovation theater. It was pretty painless and even a little entertaining if you want to call it that.

After muster drill, we went out to lido pool where the party began. On the Breeze, there's two decks over the lido which I really liked. So we headed one deck up. I liked this deck. Even though it was covered by deck above it, it was still opened to the outside (didn't have the full glass walls like on lido). I loved all the comfy padded loungers all around with foot stools...great spot for movies under the stars. There were also other smaller tables with chairs scattered around. Smoking was on the port side by the way.

Sail away was fun (we saw Glory and Conquest leave before us). Breeze was facing opposite direction, so it had to sail further into the channel to make it's full rotation so it could sail out of the channel. It was gorgeous and sunny (as it was all week!).

Crew: The crew on this ship was fantastic. Everyone always had a smile, said hello in passing by and worked hard and was so attentive to your needs. I loved the new look of their uniforms on the Breeze...aqua colored shirts..very nice.

Dining: food is a topic that is really to each his own taste, but I have to say for me personally, I thought the food on this ship was fantastic and the best I've had on my previous cruises on Carnival. In the MDR, we had Dede, a sweet older man from Indonesia who has been with Carnival for 27 years. He was also a food pusher..lol. He was always bringing us extra food when we didn't want it. I also want to note that we were the only ones at our table of 6 and saw empty tables all around us. Dede told us the cruise did not sell out very well which explained why we never felt the ship crowded at all...it seemed very thinned out everywhere, which really wasn't a bad thing.

I loved the Italian restaurant. We got the calamari (DH said best he's ever had), risotto balls (excellent) for apps and I got pasta with alfredo sauce (best I've ever had) and chicken parm..a huge portion! Waitstaff gathered together to sing "Volare". We went there another time for lunch for the pasta bar which was also excellent. Downfall is that it is right under the basketball court which was annoying (they close basketball court for dinner).

I thought the food in the buffet was also very good and loved the desserts. The bakery chef was always there showing off his latest creation. And those chocolate chip cookies...yummy!!!

Guys Burgers: I thought was good. Not best I've had, but good. It was very similar to what we have here in Massachusetts called "Fuddruckers".

I didn't try Blue Iguana or the Bonsai Sushi. I did try the the conch fritters from the Pub but didn't care for them, but DH liked them (we got them to go).

I had a slice of pizza which was ok, but I do like the older thick crusted pizza they used to make in the past much better.

Overall ship design: I loved this design (vs. conquest class ship design I've been on). Having the ocean plaza concept and the fact you can stroll completely around the ship was very nice. We ventured up to the very front of the ship one night (bring a flashlight as there is no lighting..it's pitch black up there) was great. We went first night up the front and there was no breeze at all which made it tollerable, but another night we went there it was extremely windy. Casino now has walkway in between gaming (gaming on both sides). I also loved the buffet area design...tables with umbrellas and palm trees. The setup also seemed to have more seating.

Adult pool/aft area: I liked how this was now an opened area without a roof and great view of the ship's wake. There were lots of loungers (including padded loungers and tables and chairs with umbrellas).

Sports deck: what a great area for the whole family! There was the suspended ropes course, mini golf, pool table, basketball court (also used for dodgeball tournaments) and lots of seating for spectators.

The water park was really nice.

The pools were crowded at sea days (only two pools). I did see a few unattended very young children in them, including a toddler wearing swimmies with no adult at it's side. I also encountered a very young child in the hottub without his parent.

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There was also a good crowd each night at the piano bar, and everyone always seemed to be having fun there. We watched one comedian, named Jaylynne, and she was very funny (we introduced ourselves to her and got a picture with her...she loved the fact that DH's name is Jay and my name is Lynne).

I saw only one playlist production (Divas)..and didn't care for it at all. I found it somewhat boring. I didn't bother seeing any others. I did watch one of the Hasbro gameshows which was fun to watch. Stage show entertainment is an area I feel Carnival is lacking and needs to step it up in order to keep up with it's competition.

Our CD was Butch Begovitch who was terrific and funny. He refers to everyone as "Carnival family". He is also leaving his "cruise director" position but not leaving carnival. I believe he will still be assisting with training/mentoring new CD's.

Motion of ship: I read here on CC comments about how this ship has an unusual movement. Our cabin was right near forward elevators and always felt a strange rapid back and forth movement (felt mainly when lying down). Picture yourself lying down on your side and having someone grab your arm or shoulder and staring to shake you back and forth. This was despite the smooth sail we had (and very different from the vibration one would experience in an aft cabin). At times, I found it annoying when trying to sleep. Sometimes it woke me up.

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A strange and funny thing happened to me one night out on my balcony. It was late at night, and I went out on balcony to see lights from another ship in distance. All of a sudden, I saw a bird fly by my balcony back and forth about 5 times. It came flying by another time and I said "here birdy" with my arms stretched out..just to be funny. Well the darned thing came right up to my railing and flapped it's wings to try to land on my wrist!!!:eek: It caught me by surprise as I didn't think it would do that.

Overall, I loved the Breeze. DH and I want to sail her again. I think the design concept was great and the soft soothing colors were very nice. The ship had a very chic decor. You could see where Farcus left his footprint...in the casino, which did stand out amongst the other designers elsewhere.

Feel free to ask questions (I will try to answer what I can). I will try to post some pics later (I have to figure out how to do that).

Great review! So glad that you had a great time! I also loved the Breeze!

Hi, we were with you at the hotel and seen you a few times on the ship. Breeze is hands down the prettiest ship in the Carnival fleet and we had a great time. We were in a extended aft balcony and the sewer smell was bad the whole time, if you weren't aft of the aft elevators you didn't smell it but it wasn't good. I went to deck 6 & 7 and they all smelled even the piano bar smelled of sewer, this was our only complaint.

Overall great trip....happy hubby got his wallet back!

There was also a good crowd each night at the piano bar, and everyone always seemed to be having fun there. We watched one comedian, named Jaylynne, and she was very funny (we introduced ourselves to her and got a picture with her...she loved the fact that DH's name is Jay and my name is Lynne).

 

I saw only one playlist production (Divas)..and didn't care for it at all. I found it somewhat boring. I didn't bother seeing any others. I did watch one of the Hasbro gameshows which was fun to watch. Stage show entertainment is an area I feel Carnival is lacking and needs to step it up in order to keep up with it's competition.

 

Our CD was Butch Begovitch who was terrific and funny. He refers to everyone as "Carnival family". He is also leaving his "cruise director" position but not leaving carnival. I believe he will still be assisting with training/mentoring new CD's.

 

Motion of ship: I read here on CC comments about how this ship has an unusual movement. Our cabin was right near forward elevators and always felt a strange rapid back and forth movement (felt mainly when lying down). Picture yourself lying down on your side and having someone grab your arm or shoulder and staring to shake you back and forth. This was despite the smooth sail we had (and very different from the vibration one would experience in an aft cabin). At times, I found it annoying when trying to sleep. Sometimes it woke me up.

 

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Oh I remember that feeling. You described it so well. In all my cruises, I have never ever experienced anything like it. We were also near the forward elevators. I have to say that it was really annoying at night. We were on a back to back and by the second week it wasn't waking me up at night but the first week was brutal. It was my only criticism regarding the cruise, though. Overall, we had a fantastic time!

There was also a good crowd each night at the piano bar, and everyone always seemed to be having fun there. We watched one comedian, named Jaylynne, and she was very funny (we introduced ourselves to her and got a picture with her...she loved the fact that DH's name is Jay and my name is Lynne).

 

I saw only one playlist production (Divas)..and didn't care for it at all. I found it somewhat boring. I didn't bother seeing any others. I did watch one of the Hasbro gameshows which was fun to watch. Stage show entertainment is an area I feel Carnival is lacking and needs to step it up in order to keep up with it's competition.

 

Our CD was Butch Begovitch who was terrific and funny. He refers to everyone as "Carnival family". He is also leaving his "cruise director" position but not leaving carnival. I believe he will still be assisting with training/mentoring new CD's.

 

Motion of ship: I read here on CC comments about how this ship has an unusual movement. Our cabin was right near forward elevators and always felt a strange rapid back and forth movement (felt mainly when lying down). Picture yourself lying down on your side and having someone grab your arm or shoulder and staring to shake you back and forth. This was despite the smooth sail we had (and very different from the vibration one would experience in an aft cabin). At times, I found it annoying when trying to sleep. Sometimes it woke me up.

 

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We were on the same cruise. Lido as well. I too felt the movement. It was odd although the last day heading to Miami in 10 foot seas I thought the ship handled that smoothly.

This was Butch's last cruise. He is heading to the corp offices

Great trip and great weather

Motion of ship: I read here on CC comments about how this ship has an unusual movement. Our cabin was right near forward elevators and always felt a strange rapid back and forth movement (felt mainly when lying down). Picture yourself lying down on your side and having someone grab your arm or shoulder and staring to shake you back and forth. This was despite the smooth sail we had (and very different from the vibration one would experience in an aft cabin). At times, I found it annoying when trying to sleep. Sometimes it woke me up.

 

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YESSSS!!!!! During my cruise I felt the same thing and thought it was a normal feeling on an "April" cruise (I usually sail during summer months). I asked my fellow travelers and they said that it was not normal to sway/rock that much in April. Maybe that's just how Breeze is. However, I did enjoy being rocked to sleep :D.

Great review, by the way!

Thanks for the report. We stayed at the same hotel as we always do since we leave our car there. We took the 11:10 shuttle and did have to wait about 30 minutes to board but that's not bad.

I am a regular Celebrity cruiser and was pleasantly surprised by the Breeze. I loved the new colors and decor. And, as you said, it was really nice as the ship was not crowded at all. When I cruise Carnival again I'll look at the Breeze.

We walked out of the Diva show. Didn't think the folks could sing that well, at least the songs they were attempting.

Funny but I had a bird land on my balcony as we were getting close to Grand Cayman. Just sat there for about 20 min. I tried to go in and get something for it to eat but by the time I came back it flew away. Same bird? Maybe a stowaway?

Have to agree with the motion of the ship. Also felt it on the way back though.

Thanks again for sharing.

Thanks for the review. Hubby and I cruised the Breeze over New Years and loved it. Sorry to hear it was Butch's last cruise as CD. I really liked how he was so involved with everything.....never saw a sail-away party so festive! And he is quite the dancer.

Hi, we were with you at the hotel and seen you a few times on the ship. Breeze is hands down the prettiest ship in the Carnival fleet and we had a great time. We were in a extended aft balcony and the sewer smell was bad the whole time, if you weren't aft of the aft elevators you didn't smell it but it wasn't good. I went to deck 6 & 7 and they all smelled even the piano bar smelled of sewer, this was our only complaint.

Overall great trip....happy hubby got his wallet back!

We smelled the sewer smell just a couple of times at end of our hallway..right in front of the very first cabin before you head out on lido. I don't know why the ships have this smell in various areas. It seems as though almost all ships have it. I took the behind the scenes tour last year on Valor and went to the sanitation department to learn about it and I don't get why it happens.

Glad you had a great time too. We already miss being on the Breeze. It's back to work tomorrow and back to the real world.

Thanks for the report. We stayed at the same hotel as we always do since we leave our car there. We took the 11:10 shuttle and did have to wait about 30 minutes to board but that's not bad.

 

I am a regular Celebrity cruiser and was pleasantly surprised by the Breeze. I loved the new colors and decor. And, as you said, it was really nice as the ship was not crowded at all. When I cruise Carnival again I'll look at the Breeze.

 

We walked out of the Diva show. Didn't think the folks could sing that well, at least the songs they were attempting.

 

Funny but I had a bird land on my balcony as we were getting close to Grand Cayman. Just sat there for about 20 min. I tried to go in and get something for it to eat but by the time I came back it flew away. Same bird? Maybe a stowaway?

 

Have to agree with the motion of the ship. Also felt it on the way back though.

 

Thanks again for sharing.

DH thought that the bird could be a stowaway too. He found the bird again the next morning on the floor of the balcony and it scurried off into the next balcony ..crept under the opening of the partition. We never saw it again after that.

Thanks for the review. Hubby and I cruised the Breeze over New Years and loved it. Sorry to hear it was Butch's last cruise as CD. I really liked how he was so involved with everything.....never saw a sail-away party so festive! And he is quite the dancer.

Same here...the entire lido deck and surrounding decks above was definitely very festive, and we had a great time looking at the views and dancing along. I got a kick out of a guy standing alone on deck 11 looking down at everyone doing "YMCA", and he began to do the YMCA dance all by himself ..he was fun to watch.

I really liked the pool design on lido and that it was all on one even level (unlike conquest class which has the staggered levels).

I do have a couple of questions:

We're going on the Breeze in September and was actually considering the La Quinta you mentioned. How secure is the parking? Did you/would you have issues about leaving your vehicle there (neighborhood or security wise)? What was your overall impression of the property?

Also, did the ship ever feel crowded? Especially around lunch or dinner time. I can imagine the pool areas were popular but were they manageable?

Thanks! Glad you had a great time!

I do have a couple of questions:

 

We're going on the Breeze in September and was actually considering the La Quinta you mentioned. How secure is the parking? Did you/would you have issues about leaving your vehicle there (neighborhood or security wise)? What was your overall impression of the property?

 

Also, did the ship ever feel crowded? Especially around lunch or dinner time. I can imagine the pool areas were popular but were they manageable?

 

Thanks! Glad you had a great time!

Our room faced the parking lot. I didn't really see any reason why it would not be secure. I do know that there were a few families who did leave their car there. The hotel was off a busy strip with other surrounding hotels (Red Roof and Embassy suites were on either side). In front of the hotel as you enter the driveway, there was a new building under construction (not sure what this was going to become). The hotel front desk is right there near the entryway. I think as long as you do the obvious and lock your car, it should be ok. It was a very busy hotel with a large cruise ship clientelle.

The ship never ever felt crowded but then again, our sailing was not a sold out cruise. Our waiter told us they didn't sell well. With that said, it didn't seem crowded anywhere. Pool areas were a little crowded but manageable. I always had room to swim in the pools and it seemed hot tubs had a decent amount of space too. I never waited in a buffet line..always went right up and grabbed food. There was always plenty of seating on lido buffet too as it was very well laid out, and never had a problem getting a lounger or chair near the pools no matter what time of day no matter what area. We also had no problem getting a seat for late night comedy show which I always hear is difficult. The ship is a super sized liner and public areas are scattered and very well laid out. All elevators were working well. Our tactic is just get on any elevator ...even if it means that we have to go down first even though we really want to go up. We're on vacation and never in a rush to get anywhere.

I'm not sure how it would be if the ship sailed full to capacity. Maybe someone else can comment on that.

Thanks for your input. It makes sense that the 6 night cruise wouldn't sell as well as the 8 night breeze itineraries...that's a long haul to Miami from anywhere not in Florida but it fit perfectly in our budget and time frame. We once made the 10 hour trip to Miami for a 3 day cruise. :D Plus, we've always wanted to sail on the Breeze.

Would you mind sharing the Fun Times? I haven't been able to find them for this particular cruise (Breeze 6 day Key West, Cozumel, Grand Cayman). Thanks!

great review! If you want to see some pictures of the Breeze, check out the link to me Breeze review!

Hi, we were with you at the hotel and seen you a few times on the ship. Breeze is hands down the prettiest ship in the Carnival fleet and we had a great time. We were in a extended aft balcony and the sewer smell was bad the whole time, if you weren't aft of the aft elevators you didn't smell it but it wasn't good. I went to deck 6 & 7 and they all smelled even the piano bar smelled of sewer, this was our only complaint.

Overall great trip....happy hubby got his wallet back!

We were on the Breeze last October and we are going back again June 1 since the rate was so great. I do remember a few things about the ship that I hope they worked on.

I don't think the staff was that great. Usually they are exceptional. (not our experience on the Breeze)

The sewer smell was overwhelming in many spots.

The entertainment shows were blah but we loved the comedians

We need a getaway! so excited

I do have a couple of questions:

 

We're going on the Breeze in September and was actually considering the La Quinta you mentioned. How secure is the parking? Did you/would you have issues about leaving your vehicle there (neighborhood or security wise)? What was your overall impression of the property?

 

Also, did the ship ever feel crowded? Especially around lunch or dinner time. I can imagine the pool areas were popular but were they manageable?

 

Thanks! Glad you had a great time!

We've parked at the La Quinta probably 7 times now. Never had an issue. This time I had my new car that I bought 6 days before the cruise and never worried. Note to self, do not park under the trees as they have birds :)

My wife and I commented about the crowds, there weren't any. We didn't spend anytime at the pool so can't comment about those. We could always find a place to sit at the buffet, never had a line at Guys or Blue Iguana. The BBQ had quite the line when we went by by we had just finished the brunch. Did the slides over and over without waiting but that was also in Grand Cayman before everyone had to be back on.

enjoy

I just got back from six night on the Breeze (Key West/Grand Cayman/Cozumel) and had a fantastic time. Here's a quick overview of my opinion and experience of this ship (cruised before as you can see from my signature).

 

First, we stayed one night pre-cruise at LaQuinta Miami Airport East which was about 5 minutes from the Miami Airport and about 10 minutes to cruiseport. I got a good rate using my AAA discount (paid $117 with taxes). The room was very clean, beds were comfy and staff was friendly. We did hear planes overhead since it was close to airport, but no big deal for us. They offered free shuttle from airport to hotel, free shuttle from hotel to cruiseport, free wifi and free breakfast. They also offered free parking in their parking lot for the week for those who drove to Miami and a free shuttle back to their parking lot post cruise. They offered return transfer back to airport post cruise for $10 per person which we took them up on.

 

Unfortunately, DH's wallet slid out of his pants pocket on the bus going to cruiseport and didn't realize it until we were on the ship. Bus company had already put the bus back in the yard and couldn't check to see if wallet was there until next day. We called next day and they confirmed it was on the seat where DH was sitting and they would give back to him on day of disembarkation. We did get it back...whew! Luckily, I had his passport and my credit cards and cash, so it all worked out.

 

more to follow...

Thanks for your review! I can't get enough of these Breeze reviews I think I have read them all so far:D

Would you mind sharing the Fun Times? I haven't been able to find them for this particular cruise (Breeze 6 day Key West, Cozumel, Grand Cayman). Thanks!

I have to second this! And when are the elegant night(s)? Thank you so much!

Next cruise: Carnival Breeze June 2014