Breeze Review, 8 day Feb 16-24

[teamkern]

Breeze 8 Day Family Cruise

 

A little about us, we are a family of four and this was our third cruise with our kids (DD-14, DS-12). We have only cruised Carnival, although DW and I will be on the NCL Epic next year. We tend to focus on the positives and not get overly caught up in negatives. We find that a cruise is what you make of it (as many of you have stated). In the past others reviews have been very helpful to us, so we decided to take a stab at this.

 

We booked the Breeze as the itinerary and new ship were exactly what we were looking for. Aruba has always been on our list of islands to visit and all of the ports were new to us. We booked over a year in advance so we had lots of time to research, read reviews and prepare.

 

We surprised our kids with a limo ride to the airport from Sacramento to San Francisco, to get the trip off to a great start.

 

We took a redeye out of SFO and got into Fort Lauderdale very early the Friday before our Saturday cruise. We had booked the Marriott Downtown Miami through LMT and got a really good deal. We rented a car from Budget to get us from FL to Miami. We had breakfast and shopped for last minute items in Fort Lauderdale and then took the A1A to Miami. This route takes longer, but the drive is gorgeous. We got to our hotel around 11:30 and thought we would just drop off our bags as we didn’t think we would get to check in so early. They had a room ready and we were able to check in, which was fabulous as we were all exhausted from the redeye and lack of sleep. If you rent a car from Avis or Budget, the Marriott is great as you can drop off your car two blocks away and walk to the hotel.

 

After some rest we took the people mover to the Bayside Mall. Other reviews had mentioned how easy this was to do and we have to agree, very convenient. So if you are looking for something to do or for a place to eat, take advantage of this.

 

Embarkation – We left the hotel at 10:15 and were at the port at 10:30. Check in and security was a breeze, we were through in 15 minutes. We had a suitcase with some bottled water, 3 six packs of soda, Redbull, two bottles of wine and six pack of cranberry (we had purchased a couple bottles of vodka from Bon Voyage). The security guard looked at it for about 30 seconds and moved on. He did not pull anything out to look over. We made our way up to get our zone card, 10, I was surprised we were as high as we were considering the time, but all was good. They started calling zones just a little after 11:30 and we were called about 11:50 and onboard by noon. The fact we had two carryon’s, we had planned to find a quiet spot and park ourselves, rather than explore the ship right away. We had read that the Lanai was uncrowded so this is where we headed. We were the only ones in this area, as you can see from the pics. I headed up to get lunch on the lido with my kids, two sandwiches from the deli and some pizza, which we brought to back to the Lanai. My wife then headed to Cucina and ordered penne pasta with shrimp, which was ready in four minutes.

[teamkern]

Cove Balcony – We headed to our room a little after 1:30. We booked a cove balcony, room 2317. We chose this cove as I thought it might not be completely under the lifeboats, which you can see from the pic it is not. Great room, the four of us survived very well. We loved being so close to the water, we would definitely do a cove again. When people ask if a balcony is worth it, we are folks who absolutely say yes. We would spend a couple hours just enjoying the sounds and privacy every day. Usually start our day on the balcony waking up, and then taking a midday break out there, and back on the balcony with a cocktail to end the evening.

 

Our luggage arrived, all four bags, about an hour after we got to our room. There were five ships in port this day, we were the last to head out around 4:30, the cruise has officially started.

[teamkern]

Main Dining Room – We chose any time dining as we like the flexibility of not being stuck to the clock. We had read both positive and negative related to this. Our first evening was more to the negative. The staff that served us was excellent, it just seemed they had a lot of tables to cover. Dinner took an hour and half, and the food was not great. My chicken was very dry, and even the warm melting chocolate cake was undercooked, but we didn’t have to cook or do the dishes after, so such is life.

 

The second evening was Elegant Night. When we arrived at about 6:30, the line was long. While we were waiting in line, staff was trying to get info about the size of parties and communicate with folks. The line was moving quickly and we realized we would get in fairly quick. We figured if we went to a restaurant back home at 6:30, we would have a lengthy wait as well. After about 10 minutes, the lady in line in front of us got very rude with the nice young lady who was trying to be helpful. The staff even stated she was trying to help, and the woman told her she wasn’t being helpful at all, and the family with their three kids stormed off. I could not believe how rude she was to this young lady. When she walked by again I told her she did not deserve to be treated that way and that she was doing a great job. Our total wait was maybe 20 minutes.

 

Again we were a little disappointed in the dinner; the lobster and prime rib were just OK at best. My son ordered the fried chicken, a picky eater, and I ended up eating some of that which was good. All our appetizers were great; I had the alligator fritters and would have them again in a heartbeat. No complaints about the service, they work so hard and are constantly hustling.

 

We ended up only eating the MDR those first two nights, and then again the last night, otherwise we took advantage of other options throughout the ship.

[cruisegal40]

Great so far. Thanks for the review.

[teamkern]

Breakfast – Seems like plenty of options here. We hit the buffet, got breakfast burritos from Blue Iguana, but the best was having omelets made to order. Never went and had breakfast in MDR as we have in the past as we liked the options available on Lido. On port days, the lines for the buffet was extremely busy, wish we had made our way up their a little earlier.

 

Lunch – We tried just about everything between the four of us. My son and I loved the deli, and ate there many times. We did stand in line one time as a guy ordered 8 sandwiches, which took forever. The lady in front of us made the comment that they should have a two-sandwich limit per person, or have your family wait like the rest of us, so you can tell which line is longer, good idea.

 

Had Guys Hamburgers twice, as well as just getting a plate of fries for midday snack. The tacos at Blue Iguana were great. You can have chicken, pork or fish, and then add whatever toppings you want. Just writing this part makes me want to have one right now. Hotdogs in the sports zone, and pizza are always an option. We had more than our fair share of pizza between the four of us, and even had a time or two as our late night snack. We did wish there was a place to get chips and salsa, or some other light snack to hold you over until dinner or to much on while on the decks (we are big chips and salsa people).

 

Cucina del Capitano – We went as the entire family and felt it was very much worth the additional cost. They take their time and the service is excellent. Got to see Boris sing two songs, which was fun. Wife had the $5 well wine, which she enjoyed. Lots of options for appetizers, which were great, and main course options as well. You will definitely leave full!

[teamkern]

Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse – We went here as just a couple and had a great meal, as has been our experience on past cruises. The service and the food were fabulous. One note about the steakhouse on the Breeze, it is much smaller than we were used to, and so our table for two was right next to another table. This was a little disappointing. It did take away from the sense of intimacy, as we felt we were apart of the conversation that was taking place between the four people next to us.

[teamkern]

Fat Jimmy’s C-Side BBQ – We did not eat here, but there have been lots of questions about the lines and how bad they are. We went down here around 1:00ish on a sea day and took some pics so people could see how bad the line was. The food looked really good by the way.

[teamkern]

Thrill Theater – We bought the unlimited passes for all four of us. We had a lot of fun as a family. The first movie we saw was “Just the Rides”, and these three cute older ladies came in and sat next to me, and they squealed, laughed and screamed throughout the entire time. I loved listening to their reactions as they got squirted with water, shaken and poked. We also saw the “Sponge Bob” and “Ice Age” shows as well. For our family it was well worth it to buy the passes to see all the shows.

 

Skyzone/Sportzone – This was a lot of fun for all of us. I do have to say the ropes course was more challenging than I thought. I took pictures of my wife and kids as they went the first time. When they got off, they told me it was kind of intimidating, whatever…they were right. My daughter was the best by far, and wanted to challenge me to see who could get around the fastest, but I didn’t want to embarrass myself so I didn’t take her up on her challenge. We enjoyed this on more than one occasion.

 

We played miniature golf, ping pong and pool as well. It was nice having all different kinds of activities to do. The hotdog stand is in this area and never seemed to be busy. The hotdogs are big and really good, make sure you try them as you can ask them to be topped however you want.

[teamkern]

Some more pics enjoying the Sportszone.

[teamkern]

WaterWorks – FUN!!! The kids and I went on both slides many, many times. If you go at the right times the lines are not that long (maybe there is something to that statement in general). So many little and big kids, young and old enjoying the slides and other areas, it was great to see. We wish they had one night when they would keep the slides open, as sliding under the stars would be a blast. On our port day in Aruba we got back to the ship earlier than most and we were able to ride the slides again and again, with absolutely no waiting at all and run around the other areas as well and had a great time.

 

Movies Under the Stars – This is something we really enjoy as a family. We stayed together for much of this cruise, and our kids wanted us to sit out and watch the movies with them, so we did. Easy to get a blanket on nights it was chilly, on nights they showed movies that were popular (Captain America), most of the seats on both decks were taken.

 

Gym – For those of you who are gym people, the facilities are VERY nice. We went to the gym a number of times, both at the end of sea days and on sea days in the morning and it was never overcrowded. I could always get a treadmill or access to machines. Nicest gym we have been on of any past cruises.

[teamkern]

Grand Turk – First time in our 6 cruises that we missed a port, due to high winds. We were bummed, but it just meant we slept in a little longer and got the chance to go to the Thrill Theater.

 

La Romana, DR – We did a tour with Seavis and it was fabulous. I will be posting a review in the Dom Rep area.

 

Curacao – We took a cab to Cas Abao, again, great day, beautiful beach and not overcrowded. Taxi ride is long but well worth it. The snorkeling was good and we had our equipment. We would go back here in a heartbeat.

 

Aruba – Bummer of a day. We missed our connection with our planned excursion, Aruba Bob, and lost a sizable deposit (booked independently). We ended up going to Eagle Beach and the kids had a good day playing in the water. Really nice port, have to get back here so we can do it right next time.

[teamkern]

Hasbro the Game Show – Went to this one evening, we are not the type that wanted to get on stage. We sat in the second deck, which kept us safe from getting picked. We thought this was OK, but not something we would have to do again. I think if our kids were a bit younger, this would have been more of a hit.

 

We met the most amazing bar tender and staff in the lobby bar. We had such a great conversation with him that we went back almost every night, and just learned more about his background and his amazing insights on life. I could start a thread titled “Things I learned from a Carnival Bartender”, and I am sure others would have great stories to share as well. I have to tell you that we made sure we took care of him with extra tips each night, and he made sure we were taken care of as well.

 

We loved the layout of the ship and the public areas, very easy to get around. As a new ship, it looks great, and the staff worked hard and was constantly cleaning to keep it looking great.

 

We got candy from Cherry on Top, which is a nice option, as well as enjoying the pay for ice cream located on deck five mid ship. The ice cream was fabulous, think Baskin Robbins, just fewer flavors to choose from. The price for two huge scoops was just a couple bucks.

 

We found that it was difficult to get a deck chair on sea days, so we would adjust our schedule and not try and do the pools until around 3:00ish, and could then enjoy the pools or other activities. We found the hot tubs on deck five to not be as crowded, so if you are looking to relax in a hot tub, take advantage of that.

 

Sat as a family and watched karaoke one night, which was entertaining. I was surprised at how many people wanted to sing over and over and over…you get it, but good for them, they have more courage than I do.

 

Kids did not do any of the kids clubs, as they enjoy hanging out together or with us.

 

We would book the Breeze again in a heartbeat if the itinerary was right. Were there times that the lines were long, sure. Did it take away from our cruise, NOPE. Cruise had lots of kids on board, and we did not see any behavior from them that crossed the line. To us there are so many things for people to do on this ship and activities to get involved with. Previously as a family we felt our best cruise was aboard the Liberty, well this one has now taken over first place on our list.

[rhcpchika1]

Thanks for the review- you guys are an adorable family!

[kash49]

Did you happen to notice who the comedians were on your cruise?

Thanks for the review.

My wife and i are cruising on the breeze in 2 weeks!

 

 

Kash

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the report!

[hounddogz]

Nice review~ thanks for the tips!! Gorgeous family you have!

[teamkern]

Did you happen to notice who the comedians were on your cruise?

Thanks for the review.

My wife and i are cruising on the breeze in 2 weeks!

Kash

 

We did not notice, but they were popular as the night we went to the steakhouse the line waiting to get in was long, and we did talk to some people who said they were good.

[lbfluffy]

Looks like you had fun. My husband and I are going in November. But I remember when my kids were younger (20 and 23 now) we had so much fun as a family on our cruises. Those were the days. Who knows maybe I'll luck out and get grand kids some day and take them.

[092306]

All these recent reviews of the Breeze are making it tempting to book! Love the way the ship looks. Glad you had a good cruise, thanks for the review!

[2 cruzen]

We were on the breeze the week before you, only 6 days, and our only complaint was not enough time to see/do/eat everything. We had fun on the ropes course, DH took pics of kids and myself. I loved the watersides and found early morning was the best for no lines. We only had a line the first in ATD. Also felt dinner took longer but my theory is since people are coming in at all stages of dinner, it's harder to keep track. Not like at set dining where the wait staff is concentrating on one course at a time. Never got a chance to try the Taste Bar. I didn't have a guys burger but kids had several. I lLOVE THE BREEZE. beautifully decorated, great staff, lots of areas to sit and enjoy, Red Frog Pub is nice. Only complaint is the comedy situation. Too small a venue to accommodate everyone and I really didn't care for the production shows, but that's just me. Be sure to check out the arcade area. Supposedly you get 5 free games. My daughters sail and sign card worked for this but mine didn't bit it was worth $1.25 to prove I AM the all time great air hockey champion!

 

Ps, we made Grand Turk and so glad we did. Got conch shells and had fun at The Local Village (try the conch bites) and Jacks Shack. Oh yeah, the water was amazing too!

[gelo7]

Nice review.

[jaixrx]

Thanks for the review! It brought back some great memories we had on the Breeze last month. Our kids don't do the camps either and we had a blast doing things as a family. Getting ready to book the Breeze for next February!:D

[mississauga]

Fat Jimmy’s C-Side BBQ – We did not eat here, but there have been lots of questions about the lines and how bad they are. We went down here around 1:00ish on a sea day and took some pics so people could see how bad the line was. The food looked really good by the way.

 

 

Lines are long but go very quickly. Faster than most buffet lines as the food are all prepared and with not so many choices for people to ponder or make a choice, it moves fairly quickly.

 

This was our favorite place for lunch, replacing the pasta bar as my favorite.

 

The pulled pork is freshly hot off the BBQ and delicious.

[apdchief]

Thanks for taking the time to write a review. We are on the Breeze in 3 weeks! Can't wait.

[Mich3]

Fat Jimmy’s C-Side BBQ – We did not eat here, but there have been lots of questions about the lines and how bad they are. We went down here around 1:00ish on a sea day and took some pics so people could see how bad the line was. The food looked really good by the way.

 

Yes, the C-side line was always long--along with the comedy show lines. We were on the same cruise, teamkern, and the Seavis tour :) ~ missed seeing your family though.