The Family Circus at Sea - a BREEZE BC6 pictorial review - 1/19/13

[toribiaa]

It is still a rule and should be enforced whether the pool is clorinated or not.......but unfortunately the rule isn't enforced and sadly prevents many of us from enjoying any of the water activities on the ship......I'm not about to jeopardize my vacation because SOME Carnival employee's choose to take the easy road and not enforce the rule until AFTER there is a GI outbreak.........

 

I appreaciate that the young ones really want to get into the water and cool off and have a great time. And on ships where the rule is enforced it must be difficult to have a child that isn't potty trained, but the rule is there to protect all of us.

 

Joey, do you really and honestly believe that non-potty trained kids are the only ones to be concerned with in the pools? I'm sure none of us have ever done it, but I am sure many adults don't bother getting out of the pool to take care of business !!

[baylivin]

Love your review! We were on the same cruise. I did see Funship Freddy once.

[Yankeegirl]

Great review. Thanks for taking the time to post it.:)

[whendoweleave?]

..so I can read the whole thing tomorrow! Time to go home from work now! :p

[jimbug]

Once we were all accounted for back on the ship, we took naps, showers, and got ready for dinner. We didn't know it at the time, but this night would be our final night in the formal dining room. Another mediocre meal and poor service, and I'm sad to say that we just could not be enticed to go back.

 

After dinner, Aaron and Zoey went off to do some more ship exploring, and I headed up to the Cloud 9 spa for some pampering time. :D

 

On embarkation day, Kristen and I had gone to the spa tour, which is basically a preview of all the treatments they will be glad to sell you, lol. Most of them were the usual (manicure, salon services, massages), some were a bit unusual (teeth whitening, acupuncture, Restylane injections), but only one stood out to me. It was a seaweed wrap and massage, and Rosal (dubbed "The Seaweed Queen") gave a REALLY compelling presentation/sales pitch. It sounded like exactly what I needed with my sore joints. Unfortunately, the regular price was $259 + an extra $20 for the dry float bed (more on that below), so I had just decided I would not do it and it was not worth the money.

 

Well, the night Kristen and I went to the thalasso pool, we made a stop by the spa reception desk, and I was trying to figure out what I did want to book, when the receptionist heard me say I wanted the seaweed thing, but wasn't up for paying $279. Turns out they had a smaller/less expensive package that was similar and a lot less money. We'll call it Seaweed Lite. I booked that for the night of Tortola and thought I was all set.

 

Lo and behold, however, everyone who went to the spa tour on embarkation day ended up receiving a letter in-cabin on the night of St. Thomas (I think?), entitling us to 30% off select spa treatments. The more deluxe version of seaweed massage was on there - the 30% off made the full version cheaper than the lite version. I stopped by the spa and modified my booking. Score!

 

Rosal was my therapist, and she was amazing! She is definitely the Seaweed Queen. I was instructed to disrobe - she provided a pair of paper undies, but said most people find them uncomfortable, so they're not necessary. Okay, commando it is. She started with a dry exfoliation. Elemis (the spa "brand" that Carnival sells) has their own dry exfoliation brush that they will try to sell you after your treatment. It was very scratchy, and borderline uncomfortable. Definitely a little sore on sunburned skin. After that was complete, she moved on to applying the first round of seaweed masque. FYI, it gets applied everywhere...and I mean everywhere, haha.

 

When she finished the application, she had me lie back on the dry float bed, and then wrapped me in what felt like saran wrap. At this point, I wasn't exactly sure what the float bed was...or rather, I didn't realize it would be any different from what I was currently laying on. It just felt like a cushy air mattress, and I thought that was it. Oh no...it was so much more. With the click of a button, the bed lowered me down and cocooned me with body-temperature warm water. It was the most amazing feeling in the world. She said some people get claustrophobic about it, but I loved it. "They" say 20 minutes of sleep in the float bed is equal to 8 hours on a regular bed, but I'm not sure I buy that. I would still buy one of those beds if I could, though! Ahhh-mazing!! She did a scalp massage, and then left me alone for about 20 minutes to relax/sleep. When she returned, she raised the bed again and instructed me to get in the shower to rinse all the seaweed off, then get back on the float bed. Done and done. Rosal returned, applying another round of seaweed masque, wrapping me in saran wrap again, and lowering me into the bed again. This time, the temperature was cranked up to about 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). She warned me I would sweat, and she was right. This supposedly helps your body detox, but what do I know. It was still really comfortable and I didn't mind the heat. She did some reflexology on my feet before leaving me to rest for a few minutes.

 

One more shower, and then it was time to get on the regular massage table. I wasn't sure of the previous scalp massage and the reflexology counted towards the 60-minute full body massage that was included in the package...but they did not. She definitely hit all those areas again and I got the full massage as if I had booked it independently. Awesome!

 

About halfway through my massage, the "ding-ding-ding" of the PA system chimed. My heart immediately skipped a beat, because I knew they didn't broadcast anything in-cabin (or in treatment rooms) unless it was an emergency. Butch (cruise director) came on, and I could tell by the tone of his voice the news was not good. My first thought? "Oh my God, we're going to have to evacuate the ship and I'm lying naked on a massage table."

 

As he started talking, however, I realized there was a medical emergency. A passenger was very ill, and we were going to have to deviate to San Juan that night. Okay, carry on...I said a little silent prayer for that passenger and his/her family and went back to my massage.

 

As per usual, I was left to get my clothes back on and get ready for the product sell. This was the only part I didn't like - a simple "no, thank you" usually works just fine - Rosal was hardcore. She didn't take no for an answer, and started telling me how their products would help me lose weight. Keep in mind the products she was trying to sell me were hair oils and body scrubs. I just felt like she was REALLY feeding me a line of bull, and I didn't appreciate it. Not how I wanted to end such a wonderful experience.

 

When I finished my spa treatment, I knew exactly where I would find Aaron - he was on the "secret deck" in front of our cabin watching our approach to San Juan. We were fairly close, so it was kind of fun to watch the city lights from afar.

 

Lights of San Juan on the horizon. You can't see it here, but it was really cool seeing the flight path of the planes taking off and landing at SJU.

 

Coming in to dock.

 

The paramedics and police officers were pretty excited to see us. I suppose retrieving a passenger from an unscheduled cruise ship was an exciting night for them! Yay for being part of Carnival Breeze's first-ever San Juan call, but boo for the circumstances!

 

We docked at the Old San Juan pier, and very shortly thereafter, the ambulance crew that had been waiting for us wheeled out a passenger on a stretcher. The passenger gave a "thumbs up" to the crowd and all was well. We were back on our way within a few minutes. Total stay in Puerto Rico? 15 minutes, max. We all jested that it would have been nice to dock long enough to have a drink at Senor Frog's! Glad to see the passenger coherent enough for the thumbs-up, and hopefully he is recovering stateside by now. Also, as a note--this is the first time in seven cruises we have ever had ONE medical evac, and this sailing had TWO!

 

Bye-bye, Puerto Rico. Until next time...

[lbfluffy]

I did a sample seaweed wrap years ago as a demo for people who were touring the spa. It was nice, but that experience you explained sounds awesome.

[jimbug]

For those who are interested (or confused) about the dry float bed...

this is the bed that was used in the spa, and that price tag is why I won't be having one in my home anytime soon!

 

http://www.spavision.co.uk/products/dry_floatation_soft-pack_systems/soft-pack_system_original.html

[flgatormom29]

I have another question for u!

I see u guys took a taxi to the dolphin cove...did u guys bring carseats or did the taxi provide them, or did u just chance it? Both my girls are still in 5 pt harnesses, now my oldest I would be ok chancing it...she's 8 and would sit still, but my 4 year old I am trying to decide if I should bring her carseat with us just for one port.... maybe just a booster?

Anyways, just trying to see how a fellow mom did it.

Thanks so much!

[jimbug]

I have another question for u!

I see u guys took a taxi to the dolphin cove...did u guys bring carseats or did the taxi provide them, or did u just chance it? Both my girls are still in 5 pt harnesses, now my oldest I would be ok chancing it...she's 8 and would sit still, but my 4 year old I am trying to decide if I should bring her carseat with us just for one port.... maybe just a booster?

Anyways, just trying to see how a fellow mom did it.

Thanks so much!

 

We used taxis in every port but St. Thomas. Zoey is still in a regular, convertible carseat in a 5-pt harness. This was something I sort of fretted/worried about before we left, but we did not bring a car seat. We rented a car seat for our rental vehicles in Miami, but had nothing on the ship. As it turns out, about 99% of the taxis you will find in the Caribbean do not even have seatbelts, so a car seat would not have helped anyway. We just held on tight and prayed. (Seriously.)

[jimbug]

Friday, January 25 - Final Day at Sea

 

Today's recap will be somewhat short (and unfortunately, with no pictures--we just didn't take any this day!).

 

We woke up on our final sea day to find the little person in our room in a very grouchy mood. I was not surprised - three full days in port with late nights and no nap schedule to speak of. Truthfully, I was surprised it hadn't happened sooner! Zoey is really an easygoing kid, but flying all night, participating in formal meals, and being totally off-kilter for such a long period of time is a lot to ask of a 22-month-old!

 

Because of that, and because of the rainy weather, we really just took it easy all day. We went to the comedy brunch again, where I was disappointed that the mac-n-cheese was kind of gross compared to the last time. I ordered it with chicken (you have a choice of plain, chicken, or bacon), and I kid you not when I tell you it came out with one bite-size piece of chicken. One piece. Smaller than a chicken nugget. Ha! Oh well.

 

Aaron did a Guy's burger for lunch, Zoey had a ham and cheese from the deli counter, and I checked out the Tandoor section of the buffet. BEST food on the lido, right there. It's hidden away outdoors, opposite side of the ship from the pizzeria, and I have no idea what hours they are open, but go there! It is amazing. They have Indian chefs cooking their native food, and they do such a great job. Everything was delicious, and I wished I had found it earlier in the cruise.

 

We just napped the rest of the day away. We went to the sports court at one point to let Zoey run off some energy, but we had to leave when a soccer match picked up. I checked Camp Carnival to see if they were by chance having open family playtime again, but the doors were locked and no one was there.

 

So, this night was the second formal night. We were just about to get ready when Grumpy Zoey had a meltdown of nuclear proportions, and we decided that formal dinner would not be fun for anyone at this point. We scrapped dressing up and headed to the buffet again. It was kind of enjoyable, eating at a leisurely pace without having to wait for courses to be served or dishes to be cleared. Of course, the food wasn't anything to write home about, but on this trip, neither was the main dining room food. The one good thing about all this "meh" food? My waistline did not suffer - I returned home from the cruise 4 pounds lighter than when I left!

 

After we finished dinner, we headed to the theater for the final production show of the week - Divas. We grabbed a prime seat up front, and although I felt a little out of place in my Bermuda shorts, we weren't the only ones not in our formal wear, and it didn't seem to matter anyway. Divas was just...a little weird. Like Lady Gaga weird. And I get that's what they were going for--it was just a little "out there" for a cruise ship show. I would suspect that most passengers over the age of 50 (or any who don't listen to pop music) had NO clue what was going on half the time. Zoey enjoyed it, I got to listen to current music, and the singers really were quite talented.

[Momma1980]

I am enjoying your review and the pics. I didn't see it mentioned... Would you tell me what camera you were using? Thanks:)

[jimbug]

I am enjoying your review and the pics. I didn't see it mentioned... Would you tell me what camera you were using? Thanks:)

 

Oh, it's just a little Canon S100 point and shoot. Nothing too fancy. DH is actually a pro photographer (he shoots weather/nature and snowmobile races, lol), and normally travels with a whole boatload of DSLRs and gear. This time, we decided to just make it easy and got a new point-and-shoot for this trip. We like it so far!

[fofita01]

Thanks for writing such a detailed and informative review. I appreciate the time you've put into it. Love the pictures too!!! For it being a "little non-fancy P&S camera" it takes great pictures!

 

So yeah, thanks for helping me with my "Breeze Fix" LOL :D

 

Oh, and you daughter is absolutely precious!!! What a doll!

[jimbug]

Saturday, January 26 - Nassau

 

This itinerary was sort of unusual in that we had a port on our very last day of the cruise. I wasn't sure if I would love it or hate it, but as it turns out, I really welcomed the distraction. The mood around the ship on the last day is always gloomy, and having one more day in port was much more pleasant than spending the day packing.

 

We weren't scheduled to arrive in Nassau until noon, so our group of 14 went to one last meal together--breakfast in the Sapphire dining room. As per usual, the service was slooooow, and the servers forgot or omitted half of our table's order, it seemed. We couldn't get juice service or drink refills to save our lives, and the ship had run out of bananas. The headwaiter came over, all in a tizzy, because they only had brown bananas left to serve. We told them we didn't care--the kids will eat anything, as long as it's a banana--and he apologized a zillion times and sliced the bananas for the kids. That was a nice touch, but nevermind the fact we had to ask THREE times for high chairs, drinks were as I mentioned, and they forgot Chad's french toast. When the waiter realized it was forgotten, they brought him a random omelet (that he didn't order) to "work on until the french toast arrives." Who does that??? I thought Chad was going to blow a gasket. :D Our bagel and cream cheese "appetizers" were delivered after the main entrees. I was just glad it was our last dining room experience, geesh!

 

After breakfast, we went back to our secret deck and watched our arrival into Nassau. The towers of Atlantis, along with the whale tails of two other Carnival ships, were easily spotted.

 

Nassau in the distance. Look really closely to see the other Carnival ships!

 

A little closer...

 

We stayed out there for at least an hour watching our approach. It was windy and cool, and those who had planned beach excursions were starting to second-guess their plans. The Bahamas is really close in latitude to Miami, so I pretty much expect that whatever weather south Florida is having, the Bahamas will be the same. Somehow, in seven cruises, I'd missed going to Nassau, so this was my first visit there. I don't know why it gets such a bad rap--the water was beautiful, and the shopping/traffic congestion was no worse than any other Caribbean port.

 

 

Carnival Sensation, Carnival Fascination, and Disney Wonder. We would later be joined by the Royal Caribbean Monarch of the Seas.

 

Pretty much as soon as we saw the ropes tied up on the dock, we loaded up and headed down to Deck 2 to meet Liz and Jeff. The five of us had booked Beach Day passes at Atlantis, through Majestic Tours. They were a teeny bit cheaper than booking directly through Atlantis (I'm assuming since they buy in bulk), and they also guaranteed our passes in case of high occupancy at the resort. Atlantis has an occupancy cut-off where they won't sell day passes to walk-up guests.

 

As we exited the elevator on Deck 2, we saw the crowds backing up in the stairwell, and employees trying to get people to go back up to Deck 5 to wait for the all-clear announcement. No one listened. Butch came on the PA system and let us know that the Bahamian officials were onboard, and had not yet cleared the ship. They delayed us a good 20-30 minutes, but we were in no particular rush anyway.

 

Once the all-clear was announced, the long lines moved quickly and we were off the ship in no time. What I wasn't prepared for was how long the walk was from the ship to the shopping/taxi area. It was fine for us, and we had the stroller for Zoey, but I can imagine older people or those with mobility issues having a tough time. We walked through the maze of the port market and found the chaos that was the taxi line. We found a driver who agreed to take us to Atlantis, and we only had to wait another 5 minutes or so while he found additional passengers to fill the van and go with us.

 

Our instructions from Majestic indicated that we should find their tour desk at Coral Towers in Atlantis. The Atlantis property is HUGE, and we had to ask a couple of times to find where we were supposed to be. Once we located the tour office, it was no problem. We took our vouchers from Majestic and went to the Atlantis excursion desk to get our wristbands and food vouchers. The Beach Day passes were $69/adult (kids 3 and under are free). They included use of all the beaches on property, lunch from the quick service-style venues, and unlimited access to The Dig (aquariums), Predator Tunnel (the shark/stingray area), and all the resort buildings, including the shops and casino. Pretty much the only thing we could not use were the pools and waterslides. You could also take part in a guided tour of the aquarium exhibits if you so chose (we didn't). Oh, and we also got one of those reusable grocery bags with "Atlantis Beach Day" emblazoned on it - pretty cool. :)

[jimbug]

 

 

We started out going through Predator Tunnel, when Liz fell and scraped her knee pretty bad. They went off in search of the first aid station, and Aaron, Zoey, and I went off in search of lunch. The voucher lists what you can order from the different food counters, and of course, the one that sounded the best was the farthest away. We consulted our little pocket map we were given, and headed off in the general direction we thought it might be. We wound our way through the entire water park and kept hitting dead ends due to construction.

 

Zoey and I in the shark tunnel.

 

A friendly kitty we met on our way to The Dig.

 

Since we inadvertently toured the water park, I'll give my two cents on that here...

 

I would not (repeat, would NOT) pay the $110/adult to go to the water park. It was basically three water slides, a lazy river, and a wave pool. The children's area of the water park was completely dismantled since they are renovating it, so I would have been really ticked if I'd paid the money and intended to use the children's area with Zoey. The water park would be fun if we were staying at the resort, but it is definitely not worth the ridiculous upcharge on a day pass.

 

After eating turkey wraps and hamburger sliders (and fighting off the bees at the soda fountain), we headed back to find The Dig. I'd read some fairly recent reviews where people thought Atlantis was headed downhill. Well, I don't have any prior experience to compare it to, but I thought it was perfectly fine--and I'm really picky. The aquariums were ENORMOUS, and clean/well-kept. The hotel buildings were just absolutely gorgeous, and the high-end shops and casino were also a fun sight to see.

 

 

[jimbug]

 

I really only had two complaints...and they are big enough that I probably would not return to stay there for an extended period, but your mileage may vary...

 

1.) Smoking is allowed everywhere, as far as we could tell. There was nothing more unattractive than walking in one of the resort buildings, looking at the beautiful, soaring atrium and decor, and then smelling the stench of stale cigarettes and the spray they use to try and cover it up. Grody.

 

2.) No wheelchair/stroller ramps or elevators ANYWHERE. We had the stroller with us, so this was a big deal. We carried it up and down more stairs than I care to remember that day! We found ONE elevator on our way to The Dig, and it was out of order. So, that was kind of a pain, but once our kid(s) get out of stroller age, it would not be of any concern.

 

 

Had it been a little warmer, the man-made beaches at Atlantis would have been a blast to check out, but we passed on this trip. Our Texas/Virginia friends booked the Atlantis Beach Day through Carnival, and reported back that they really enjoyed it, but only got about an hour on the beach.

 

We met up with Liz and Jeff as we exited The Dig, and we were all ready to find another taxi and head back to the ship. Aaron and I had intended to do a bit of shopping, since we had bought ZERO souvenirs on our trip, but the shopping was pretty slim pickings inside the port facility...and we were not feeling motivated enough to venture out and look elsewhere. We got in the long line to re-board the ship, then came back and took showers to get ready for dinner.

 

Since we had missed formal night the night before, we put on our fancy clothes and decided to have our own little formal night, since we had reservations at Cucina del Capitano. We started by having some additional family portraits made with the photographers on Deck 3, but we ended up not liking the results enough to buy. We then went up to Deck 11 aft, and hung out outside, killing time until our dinner reservation. We watched one of the other Carnival ships sail away, and then made our way into the restaurant.

 

The food at the Cucina was AMAZING at dinner! If you recall, we went there for the free lunch on our first day aboard...but this was a whole 'other ballgame. AMAZING. Maggiano's on steroids, I would say. We had excellent, excellent service--the first time I could really say that on this ship. We started with drinks...bellini for me and limoncello martini for Aaron. I had the meatball appetizer, and Aaron had the arancini. Both were fantastic. Zoey had spaghetti and meatballs for her meal, and Aaron and I each had chicken parmigiana. The filet of chicken literally took up an entire plate...and it was one of those huge, buffet-size plates! Neither of us could finish it. The steamed broccoli we ordered had an odd seasoning to it (lemon, perhaps?), but was otherwise good.

 

Finally, it was time for dessert. Zoey had the lemon sorbet (to DIE for), Aaron had the cannoli (I thought it was good, but not extraordinary), and I had the hazelnut apple tart. Heavenly! Aaron and I both agreed it was one of the better (best?) meals we'd had on the ship all week. The service was even better than the steakhouse, in my opinion, and we were not rushed at all.

 

We finished our meal, then reluctantly went back to the cabin to start packing. We put three of our bags out for pick-up, then packed our carry-ons and went to sleep for the last night on Carnival Breeze. Booo. :(

[jimbug]

Ok, going to try to wrap this up today...

 

Sunday, January 27 - Going Home

 

The debarkation documents given to us on Saturday indicated that our group (7) would be called off the ship sometime before 8:00 a.m. Keeping that in mind, we got up at 6:30, got dressed, and went to have one last breakfast onboard. We just went to the Blue Iguana Cantina this time, for burritos and arepas.

 

We hurried back to the cabin, expecting to have our group called at any minute. We waited...and waited...and waited some more. Debarkation was delayed, big-time. I don't recall why, or even if they ever told us why, but Group 7 was not called off the ship until well after the estimated time. It was SO not a big deal, though, at least not for us--our flight home was not until 9:30 p.m.

 

So, we wound our way through the terminal and found the appropriate luggage carousel. It wasn't long before 2 of our bags and all of Kristen's family's bags had been located. We were still missing Zoey's bag - that darn black Nike backpack that would haunt us later. I was starting to worry the tag fell off of it, and who knows where it might end up, when it showed itself around the carousel. Whew!

 

Ok, so bags in hand, we headed outside. Mass chaos, of course. We had a car rental reservation with Thrifty at the Miami Airport, and I knew they offered a shuttle. There was no signage, or no indication anywhere as to where we should wait for said shuttle. We finally crossed the street to where it looked like hotel shuttles were picking up. Aaron walked down the sidewalk a ways so he could see better, and he saw an Alamo shuttle coming, so we knew we were in at least the right place. The Thrifty/Dollar shuttle was right behind it, and I flagged it down. Good thing I did! It was a smaller shuttle, and we quickly filled it up. The driver made two more stops at other ships to tell the people waiting that he was all full, and another shuttle would be around in a few minutes. All in all, it only took maybe 20 minutes to get loaded and get back to MIA.

 

There was no line at the Thrifty counter, and we were able to upgrade to a premium SUV at no cost. Yay, no more minivan! We ended up choosing a Ford Expedition, and that thing was a beast. There was a little more room in it than the van, so we weren't quite as cramped with two carseats, numerous suitcases, and four adults.

 

Directions in hand, I tentatively headed out of the parking garage, just sure I was going to hit something. I was soooo not used to driving such a large vehicle, but I got used to it! We headed east towards North Miami Beach, and headed up the A1A along the coast. Our destination was Bal Harbour. More specifically, the Mister Collins restaurant at the One Bal Harbour condo/resort tower.

 

Along the way, we did our fair share of gawking at the fancy condo buildings and resorts. It's sort of a culture shock to a country bumpkin from North Dakota to see the insane amounts of money spent just in automobiles, parked in front of one of those buildings! Holy man! One Bal Harbour located, we had the beastmobile valet-parked and went inside. I immediately felt a little underdressed and out-of-place, but it turned out to be no big deal. I had scoped out this place on Yelp, and the reviews had assured me that it was casual, kid-friendly, and had the best Sunday brunch in Miami.

 

The Yelp reviews did not disappoint. Although we had a 12:30 OpenTable reservation, we arrived around 11:00, and the hostess was glad to seat us early. We requested a table outside on the patio since the weather was so beautiful. What a GORGEOUS view! Our waitress was outstanding, and once we realized other patrons were dining in shorts, flip-flops, and swim trunks, we didn't feel so out of place.

 

We started with the complimentary homemade breads and jams (zucchini, and I can't remember the other kind, but they were soooo good), then ordered donuts to go around. Homemade donuts - raspberry w/ passion fruit cream, key lime, and dulce de leche. And then the heavens opened up and the angels sang. We had so far only had BREAD at Mister Collins, and we were already talking about how we wished the cruise food had been even half that good! The four adults all ended up ordering the breakfast burger, and it was a good choice. Homemade, REAL food all around...real mac-n-cheese as the side. Nom nom nom nom nom. Go there. Just, go there. It's not overly expensive for Miami, and for what you get, it is definitely worth the price. If/when I'm in Miami again, I will be staying at One Bal Harbour and eating at Mister Collins. It was THAT good.

 

After brunch, we cruised on up the highway and headed into Fort Lauderdale towards the Sawgrass Mills Mall. Yep, it's your typical "Mills" chain of indoor outlet malls, but it was a way for us to kill a good chunk of time. We bought some necessities at Super Target, let the girls play for a little while at the Lego store, and then fed them in one of the food courts before heading out. All in all, we killed about 5.5 hours there. I just felt bad for Kristen and Michael since Sarah wouldn't ride in a stroller, but didn't want to walk, either! You guys handled it better than I would have!

 

We topped the tank off on the Expedition, then returned it at the Fort Lauderdale airport, after missing my exit and getting a scenic tour of the terminal drive.

 

We took the rental car center shuttle to the Spirit terminal, and that's where things started to head south. The check-in counters were PACKED and were complete and utter chaos. Fortunately, some kind woman (employee) saw us with the stroller and helped us to the front of the line since Spirit doesn't allow passengers with lap children to use a kiosk or online check-in. The lady who gave us our boarding passes was really nice, and as she sent us on our way, she warned us that we might need to conceal Zoey's backpack a little. It was traveling as our free diaper bag, but the handle on top of it might raise a flag to some of the other employees. Ok, fine. I was a little confused since we'd had no problems traveling to Florida with it, but okay.

 

Aaron and I assumed she meant at the gate before boarding, so we made our way to the security line, when a Spirit agent pulled us aside and told us her bag was too big. Keeping in mind that Spirit's website lists NO size restrictions for diaper bags, I stood my ground. She finally told us that if we can make it fit in the personal item sizer bin, we could pass without paying the $50 fee. If you haven't met my husband, you should know that there is NO way he was going to pay that fee, so he started cramming and jamming as best he could. I should add that it was only 1 cm (maybe even less than that) taller than the sizer. It was ridiculous that the woman was giving us such a hassle over a non-existent rule in the first place. Anyway, he finally got it to fit (bending the frame in the process, booo), and we went on our way.

 

The Spirit concourse made me stabby. It was packed, lots of tired people, and hardly anywhere to sit. Loud, chaotic, and nowhere to get dinner unless you wanted a hot dog. Kristen and I just pretty much ended up foregoing dinner that night, but oh well! We finally got on the plane, and after a near-miss on the runway (seriously...not the way I wanted to start my journey home!), we landed in Minneapolis just after midnight.

 

We said our goodbyes to Kristen, Michael, and Sarah, and we hopped on our hotel shuttle to the TownePlace Suites in Eagan. Fortunately, the driver was already there picking another couple up, so we didn't have to wait. We got to our room and passed out for the night. Vacation was basically over. Booooo. :(

 

Next post will be wrap-up/summary/final thoughts...

[Qchell]

We have 3 adults booked in 11203 on the Dream next month. Last night I turned down the option of upgrading to a spa balcony for $4pp.. your review just helped to reinforce the decision to remain in the larger room! This is our first non-interior room and we are very much looking forward to the oceanview/spa combination!

[lhuggi1]

Great Review & Great Pics !!!

[finzup-kt]

Hi.. sorry if I missed this - but were there any diaper changing tables in public restrooms on the breeze? or family bathrooms?

 

thank you. love your review!

[becky11111]

Great review! We are going on the breeze in Nov 13. I am beyond excited to be on this newer ship. I was debating what to do in Nausau, but your tour looked great. We have tons of waterparks in Wisconsin, the Dells are full of them. Like the whole town has tons of massive indoor and outdoor hotel waterparks, really fun. But, I would rather use the beach, which I dont have here. Thanks for taking time to write your review, I loved reading it and seeing your pics. I would love to book a room like you had!!! :)

[sjn911]

Wonderful review...thanks soooo much...Sarah

[Retired Recruiter]

great review and very informative. Thanks so much for putting the time and effort in. Breeze 7/20/13....can't wait

[tocruzagain]

We stopped at the first place we came to, which was Havensight Café. Their Bushwhackers were SO good, and they had a pretty extensive menu. Liz and Jeff had a cheeseburger and some mozzarella sticks, while I got adventurous and tried their curried chicken roti. Zomg, it was heavenly. If you’ve never had a curry in the Caribbean, it is unlike curry anywhere else—it’s definitely a fusion of African and Asian influences, and hmm, wow, my mouth is watering thinking about it right now. It came with peas and rice, and it was all so tasty!

 

 

 

After finishing up our meal, we made our way back to the ship, and I went back to the cabin to wait for Aaron and Zoey to return from their excursion. They came in just a few minutes later, and they had a great time. We originally thought the excursion would basically just drop them off at the National Park entrance, and then they had to meet back 2 hours later or whatever, but in fact, it was a safari taxi tour of the island of St. John (since most of it is national park). Aaron really enjoyed it, even if it wasn’t quite what he was expecting—Zoey’s favorite part was the “red bus” they rode.

 

Zoey getting ready to head out for her daddy-daughter day.

 

From the ferry they rode, pulling into Cruz Bay, St. John.

 

The "red bus" that Zoey loved.

 

One of the shots Aaron got from their tour. Is this Trunk Bay? He couldn't remember.

 

Yes, that looks like Trunk Bay! It's very pretty. The day we were there is was slightly overcast. Maybe we'll make it back there one day. I would like to do an island tour of St. John. It looked like it was much cleaner and nicer than St. Thomas from what we saw on the taxi ride from the ferry to Trunk Bay.