Live From Carnival Breeze: Questions, Comments, Cocktails on Me?

[elleangel]

I read recently that they have a mix your own drink bar. Alchemy Bar, which takes an electronic page from Celebrity's Qsine in that it will allow patrons to mix their own concoctions via electronic tablet, offers over 20 mixed drinks.

 

I was wondering if you can mix anything you want or if they just stick to the menu that was listed?

 

Thanks!:)

 

Looks great so far! And thanks for the laundry info. Being on a 15 day transatlantic this is definately important!

[Dan Askin]

Roaming the decks at just after 9 p.m., I discovered the following:

 

 

Entertainment-wise, there's no doubt that Carnival has fallen behind both Royal Caribbean ("Hairspray" and other Broadway shows, the AquaTheater) and NCL (Blue Man Group) in terms of aiming high on the main stage. Carnival has taken a different approach … President and CEO Gerry Cahill said in a press briefing earlier today that he doesn't want shows to last more than 30 minutes, and the focus of each production casts a populist net -- the British Invasion (the Who, the Beatles, the Stones), Latin Nights (pictured … Ricky Martin, Santana) and Motor City (Motown) are all seriously accessible. "I don't know that many songs," Cahill said, "but I want to know all the songs in the shows."

 

 

On an unrelated note, Cahill said he was surprised at how many Russians had discovered the temporarily Europe-based Breeze with basically no marketing effort between St. Petersburg and Siberia. Tonight, the whole outsized contingent was at the casino bar, watching in despair as Greece stunned Russia 1 - 0 in the European soccer championship.

 

 

Cherry on Top, the candy store that first appeared on Magic, can cure and cause sugar crashes until 11:30 p.m. almost every night. The price for the bulk stuff ($8.80 a pound) isn't bad -- cheaper than the land-based version down the street from my previous residence ($10). Though illegal in several states, I personally approve of the marriage of a half pound of gummy clown fish to a half pound of dark chocolate nonpareils.

 

 

Carnival's brilliant new towel animal concept reads like a plot from a bizarre horror movie. But rather than wrapping around the necks of passengers, an army of towel bunnies, manta rays, elephants and dozens of other species will materialize on the sun deck one morning during the cruise. Here's Pat, a room steward turned towel creation visionary who can make some 60 different animals. He recruits other room stewards to twist together the menagerie for the big -- and unannounced -- show. The goal is to have passenger stumble on the startling (yet delightful!) scene after breakfast. (Sorry about the pic -- iso was all screwy.)

 

 

Here's a shot taken just after sunset from the stern pool.

[Dan Askin]

I read recently that they have a mix your own drink bar. Alchemy Bar, which takes an electronic page from Celebrity's Qsine in that it will allow patrons to mix their own concoctions via electronic tablet, offers over 20 mixed drinks.

 

I was wondering if you can mix anything you want or if they just stick to the menu that was listed?

 

Thanks!:)

 

Looks great so far! And thanks for the laundry info. Being on a 15 day transatlantic this is definately important!

 

Hi elleangel -- Alchemy is not on Breeze (only Liberty). By the time the concept was invented, the Breeze blueprint was finalized. It'll be added to other Carnival ships during upcoming dry-docks.

[Halya50]

Internet willing, I'm shooting to publish a couple times a day on this thread. Feel free to post any questions you might have about Breeze, Fun Ship 2.0, connecting cabins (I have one) or the now-legendary John Heald (no poop-related questions, please).

review page.

 

 

Was wondering if you can find out something for me please. Will be doing a B2B on the Breeze and have booked cabins 6460/6468, had asked John Heald whether the balconies are able to be connected. He kindly got back to me and said yes. While talking to my PVP he said they are not able to be connected. Can you please try and find out for sure, I would truly appreciate it, as well if you can get a picture of that type of balcony and inside of the cabin would be really awesome!!!

Cheers,

Helen

[billh65]

First 6 day sailing out of Miami is on the 2nd of December!

 

That's what I get for not previewing my post. 12/2/12 was intended.

[bookcreator]

Have had a few queries about crowding. The approach to space on Breeze is quite different from Magic and especially Dream, which has had its share of crowding issues. (We're going to publish a 'first impression' long-form piece over on the blog tomorrow, which will go into the spacing stuff.) It's hard for me to give you a decent answer yet, as I've only been on for sailaway, with its typical frenzy and flurry, and a port day. Should have a better feel by day four or five. Bookcreator or someone on the June 3 12-nighter might have a more conclusive opinion.

 

We have been on 20+ cruises with Carnival and a lot of different ships including the Dream and Magic. Traffic on the Breeze seems better, especially on the Lido. We did find the different area concept a bit confusing, sometimes wandering a bit until we found which place was serving what. They do have a "fast areas" in a few places, like the Magic, they serve small fare on the Deck 5 Lanai. That really helps pull people off the big buffet lines who are not having a big meal. We ate on the Lido every night, except one room service night, the steakhouse the first night (free bottle of wine with dinner), one night in the Cucina, and one in the dining room. The combo of a port intensive cruise, makes dining in the dining room less practical. We always have a table for two, and we went the the steak house the first night because they sat us a table for 8 and told us it would be a day before we could have a table for two, so we left and went to the steak house. We finally were given a table for two, but all they basically do is put it at the end of a table for 8, and just put a different tablecloth on the table. The tables for 2 in a lot of cases are 2-3 INCHES from a table for 8. Close enough for the people from the table for 8 to comment and interject themselves into our table for 2 conversation. We asked for a more private table but we were told there was none so we never went back to the dining room. We cruise for our "just us" time and "just us" is a table for 2. The food on the Lido was very good and mostly just the main dinning selections, in buffet style. The Barbecue was better on the Breeze, and they did have Sushi free every night on the Lido as part of the buffet (the pay sushi is on deck 5)

 

BTW Dan, if you are Platinum, watch out for the free laundry. We sent 3 bags to the laundry and found ourselves charged for each one. Every time we had to go down to guest services and get it removed. No problem doing so, but check you S&S bill frequently.

 

There are no chocolates anymore at turn down, and we never received the platinum chocolate strawberries in our room, despite both of us being Platinum.

 

They shows were great with the special features of the theater (lighting, and stage filters etc), better than the Magic. The problem with the shows (Divas, Motor City, Brits) They are pretty much the same thing with different songs and a theme. 3 shows and shorter shows helped the congestion at the shows, and seating was better.

 

Chair hogs around the main pool seemed policed by Carnival and better, the Serenity deck, no way can you get a seat anywhere on a sea day or when everyone was on the ship, "invisible people" were everywhere, and no free chairs. Carnival did not seem to care on the Serenity deck so we could never sit up there except for the day everyone went into Monaco and we stayed on the ship.

[Sargent_Schultz]

One solution for Platinum (now Diamond) to avoid being charged for the wash and fold service is to write Platinum (Diamond) where it requests a folio number.

 

I also zero out the columns.

[bookcreator]

One solution for Platinum (now Diamond) to avoid being charged for the wash and fold service is to write Platinum (Diamond) where it requests a folio number.

 

I also zero out the columns.

 

We did that the all three times. We have been platinum (and will be diamond once the new program is launched) for many years so we have never had this problem. We wrote all over the bag as well as the slip and left our folio number off the form, everything. Even Guest services shook their head the third time we were down there to take it off. At the airport, some people on the Breeze checked their final bill after we said something and found that they too had been charged and didn't know. Good luck in getting removed after you get home.

 

Many things are different on the Breeze and were done much differently on the Magic and Dream, so pretty much if you haven't actually sailed the Breeze, your information will be out of date on several issues.

 

Most of your info from your personal experience is over a year old, while accurate a year ago, it is very inaccurate where the Breeze is concerned.

[Sargent_Schultz]

Our last cruise was March of this year and I know many of the crew on the Breeze were on our Magic Inaugural of a year ago.

 

I'm sure Dan will be giving us a full report of his experiences.

[Ron_L]

Great job so far, Dan!

 

One stupid question...

 

There was a discussion on our roll call about door decorations. What does the outside of the cabin doors look like and what is the material?

 

thanks!

[Dan Askin]

Great job so far, Dan!

 

One stupid question...

 

There was a discussion on our roll call about door decorations. What does the outside of the cabin doors look like and what is the material?

 

thanks!

 

Not sure exactly what the material is, but it's smooth and faux-paneled. Here's a shot:

 

[Sargent_Schultz]

Not sure exactly what the material is, but it's smooth and paneled. Here's a shot:

 

 

Hmmm. Are those lines painted on?

[wellsnlisa]

Not sure exactly what the material is, but it's smooth and paneled.

 

Am I crazy or is there a pic. Of the starship Enterprise on that chart?

[Ron_L]

Not sure exactly what the material is, but it's smooth and paneled. Here's a shot:

 

 

Perfect! The pics that JH had posted made them look like they were louvered. It would be nice it they were magnetic but that's probably too much to ask :)

 

Thanks!

[wellsnlisa]

We have been on 20+ cruises with Carnival and a lot of different ships including the Dream and Magic. Traffic on the Breeze seems better, especially on the Lido. We did find the different area concept a bit confusing, sometimes wandering a bit until we found which place was serving what. They do have a "fast areas" in a few places, like the Magic, they serve small fare on the Deck 5 Lanai. That really helps pull people off the big buffet lines who are not having a big meal. We ate on the Lido every night, except one room service night, the steakhouse the first night (free bottle of wine with dinner), one night in the Cucina, and one in the dining room. The combo of a port intensive cruise, makes dining in the dining room less practical. We always have a table for two, and we went the the steak house the first night because they sat us a table for 8 and told us it would be a day before we could have a table for two, so we left and went to the steak house. We finally were given a table for two, but all they basically do is put it at the end of a table for 8, and just put a different tablecloth on the table. The tables for 2 in a lot of cases are 2-3 INCHES from a table for 8. Close enough for the people from the table for 8 to comment and interject themselves into our table for 2 conversation. We asked for a more private table but we were told there was none so we never went back to the dining room. We cruise for our "just us" time and "just us" is a table for 2. The food on the Lido was very good and mostly just the main dinning selections, in buffet style. The Barbecue was better on the Breeze, and they did have Sushi free every night on the Lido as part of the buffet (the pay sushi is on deck 5)

 

BTW Dan, if you are Platinum, watch out for the free laundry. We sent 3 bags to the laundry and found ourselves charged for each one. Every time we had to go down to guest services and get it removed. No problem doing so, but check you S&S bill frequently.

 

There are no chocolates anymore at turn down, and we never received the platinum chocolate strawberries in our room, despite both of us being Platinum.

 

They shows were great with the special features of the theater (lighting, and stage filters etc), better than the Magic. The problem with the shows (Divas, Motor City, Brits) They are pretty much the same thing with different songs and a theme. 3 shows and shorter shows helped the congestion at the shows, and seating was better.

 

Chair hogs around the main pool seemed policed by Carnival and better, the Serenity deck, no way can you get a seat anywhere on a sea day or when everyone was on the ship, "invisible people" were everywhere, and no free chairs. Carnival did not seem to care on the Serenity deck so we could never sit up there except for the day everyone went into Monaco and we stayed on the ship.

 

John Heald said something in his blog about chocolate petite fours being delivered to your cabin if you had eaten in the steakhouse that evening. Did it happen for you?

[Froufie]

Can you please let us know about ice/ice buckets and chocolates at turn down? I believe you now have to 'ask' your room steward to provide ice on a daily basis? (I assume you can just do this at the beginning of the cruise and it should be there every day?).

 

Also heard that chocolates were missing from turndown on the Breeze? Any truth to this ugly rumour? :D:D

 

Not sure if you are platinum or not but hoping you can 'test' out the free laundry situation - not happy from what I am reading in Rita's post above! :(

[Dan Askin]

Hmmm. Are those lines painted on?

 

Appear to be.

[Dan Askin]

Can you please let us know about ice/ice buckets and chocolates at turn down? I believe you now have to 'ask' your room steward to provide ice on a daily basis? (I assume you can just do this at the beginning of the cruise and it should be there every day?).

 

Also heard that chocolates were missing from turndown on the Breeze? Any truth to this ugly rumour? :D:D

 

Not sure if you are platinum or not but hoping you can 'test' out the free laundry situation - not happy from what I am reading in Rita's post above! :(

 

I'm not platinum, but my steward has delivered ice and pillow chocos daily for the last two days. Didn't ask for ice either.

 

Let me see if I can find anything re: the laundry.

[RJAYL]

Am I crazy or is there a pic. Of the starship Enterprise on that chart?

 

Nope not Crazy gotta love it! Beam me up Scottie! lol

[xurux2]

Am I crazy or is there a pic. Of the starship Enterprise on that chart?

 

 

yes, i see it to. this is Enterprise :)

[nursenow]

As a smoker.. this is more than enough places to smoke! Thanks :)

 

Good luck in nursing school! It's a great field. I decided to quit smoking when I decided to become a nurse. You might think about it for your own health.;)

[bazarr2]

Could you post how the punchliner brunch works with the regular bfast and lunch?

and what Carnival is offering for the free drink in the Punchliner brunch, will it be a Bloody Mary..... :p TIA

[jolyroger]

Great review , thanks so much! We have a cloud 9 spa balcony booked and can't wait!!!! Keep up the great review!! We're so hungry for info!!, lol!

[seabrookcruiser]

Looking forward to your daily reviews.

 

Do you know what dining room that Ken Byrnes, the singing Maitre d' will be in on the Breeze--Blush or Sapphire?

 

Thanks!

[Gini80]

 

You could just make out the yelps of delight a couple decks above at the Serenity Deck, an adults-only space where nappers lounged on oversized hammocks and wicker loungers.

 

 

Do they actually kick out people with kids or wait until someone complains? I hope to find some wonderful serenity there! :)