A Tropical BREEZE to Clear My Head - Photo-Heavy Review.

[legion3]

So the chef's table was the last sea day?

[sjn911]

""Moving on from the galley, we toured the storage and freezer areas. Numbers of how much stuff the ship uses boggled the mind. As I stood in one particular fridge, I turned around to find the ship’s supply of aluminum-bottled Bud Light. I know how popular those are and it was no surprise to find they were well stocked. The freezer was divided into sections with the inner most being the coldest I have ever felt since living in Montana, if not colder, being that I was in a light shirt and pants.

 

Now I know why you have a familiar feel...whether you were born here...or just lived here a while...you really have the gift of a certain way of verbal story telling that i think comes from the west....thank you!!!

 

We had one of those spring storms on the 14th..but all melted off again now...a handsome young man got the door for me at the store that evening with my hair going straight up in the wind..(hatless like a dummie..was sick of it).......that happens more here during bad weather and you might as well have been asked to dance by the Prince in the moment, feels so good at a certain age with older mannered dreams....sarah

Edited April 20, 2015 by sjn911

[seannyice81]

So the chef's table was the last sea day?

 

Chef's Table was the evening after leaving the Dominican Republic.

 

""Moving on from the galley, we toured the storage and freezer areas. Numbers of how much stuff the ship uses boggled the mind. As I stood in one particular fridge, I turned around to find the ship’s supply of aluminum-bottled Bud Light. I know how popular those are and it was no surprise to find they were well stocked. The freezer was divided into sections with the inner most being the coldest I have ever felt since living in Montana, if not colder, being that I was in a light shirt and pants.

 

Now I know why you have a familiar feel...whether you were born here...or just lived here a while...you really have the gift of a certain way of verbal story telling that i think comes from the west....thank you!!!

 

We had one of those spring storms on the 14th..but all melted off again now...a handsome young man got the door for me at the store that evening with my hair going straight up in the wind..(hatless like a dummie..was sick of it).......that happens more here during bad weather and you might as well have been asked to dance by the Prince in the moment, feels so good at a certain age with older mannered dreams....sarah

 

I hate to say it, but I do not miss those winters and I will not miss them here either when the time comes to move. I only fear taking palm trees for granted.:cool:

[sjn911]

I hate to say it, but I do not miss those winters and I will not miss them here either when the time comes to move. I only fear taking palm trees for granted.

 

Amen Sean..your sentiments match mine for next step....giving it a good thought for smooth transition in not to distant future for us both..it is a bit better where you are now but not there yet right?...Sarah

Edited April 20, 2015 by sjn911

[caribnsnrklr]

We found two of the I love Aruba signs. First one was out of town near a Señor Frogs that we passed while driving our Trikes and then a second on other side of town heading back to pier.

Loved this cruise and your take on it! PS...I think we saw you at Bonsai Sushi the night we ate there.

Edited April 21, 2015 by caribnsnrklr

[seannyice81]

Amen Sean..your sentiments match mine for next step....giving it a good thought for smooth transition in not to distant future for us both..it is a bit better where you are now but not there yet right?...Sarah

 

Virginia is better, but I'm over snow and ice. I need warmth all year.

 

We found two of the I love Aruba signs. First one was out of town near a Señor Frogs that we passed while driving our Trikes and then a second on other side of town heading back to pier.

Loved this cruise and your take on it! PS...I think we saw you at Bonsai Sushi the night we ate there.

 

Cool! Bonsai was a cool place (I thought it wasn't Ji Ji). If we ever happen to cruise again, say Whats up Sean!

[seannyice81]

Here is my last day on the ship. :(

 

http://seanstravelblog.com/2015/04/21/a-tropical-breeze-to-clear-my-head-the-last-day/

 

Debarkation will be... interesting. Stay tuned!

[sjn911]

My favorite line.."the room with the lemon or cucumber ice water and whale mating calls" Gave me a good little chuckle..I am way way overdo for a massage and need it desperately. I mostly like all that rand r spa music..even the sea sounds...but LOL..sometimes it is funny and perhaps a bit cliche' to run constantly in the ship...and it is just a funny good chuckle...some kind of sitcom type commercial could come from that idea and line....

 

Love the way you set it out your nest warm step...this is how I feel about going back to my beloved Oregon now, sadly....maybe not...maybe here with family some of summer and another place entirely...WARM all the time..my bones have had it..I am not as strong as both grandmas..97.5, 5 years apart..lived the same time one all in Colorado....one all in Montana..

 

Good thing...not even a waste to go somewhere in May or June..warmer and nicer that here later in the evening..LOL..Sarah

Edited April 22, 2015 by sjn911

[seannyice81]

My favorite line.."the room with the lemon or cucumber ice water and whale mating calls" Gave me a good little chuckle..I am way way overdo for a massage and need it desperately. I mostly like all that rand r spa music..even the sea sounds...but LOL..sometimes it is funny and perhaps a bit cliche' to run constantly in the ship...and it is just a funny good chuckle...some kind of sitcom type commercial could come from that idea and line....

 

Love the way you set it out your nest warm step...this is how I feel about going back to my beloved Oregon now, sadly....maybe not...maybe here with family some of summer and another place entirely...WARM all the time..my bones have had it..I am not as strong as both grandmas..97.5, 5 years apart..lived the same time one all in Colorado....one all in Montana..

 

Good thing...not even a waste to go somewhere in May or June..warmer and nicer that here later in the evening..LOL..Sarah

 

Thanks!

[seannyice81]

Here it is... my not so awesome debarkation day.

 

http://seanstravelblog.com/2015/04/23/a-tropical-breeze-to-clear-my-head-time-to-leave-get-me-home/

 

Enjoy! (more than I did!)

[sjn911]

Ooh I know when try as you might...there is tension...and getting singled out ..that is tough..the drug groups put all in a heck if you do heck if you don't do anything situation...bless you and ohh DC..a beautiful place until the next and real fall and then again next spring..have a good friend whose daughter is an atty there...be well can't wait until next trip and thanks for the classy, entertaining review..Sarah

 

RE pot...With pot being more legal..maybe they need to put some reminders around ship..."NO Pot..we sniff..your neighbors sniff..SO PEOPLE WILL NOT BE AS SINGLED OUT..will be checking at some point...whether or nor not neighbors are aware..and most are..and our staff will be aware." I don't know..glad you did not break into a nosebleed during it all..

 

Take it easy until next review and thanks again..Sarah

Edited April 23, 2015 by sjn911

[sandij]

We had our cards get the buzzer a few years ago as we debarked. They let us sit in a roped off area for about half an hour and then an officer took us to the custom desk. They cleared it up in about five minutes and we were on our way. Someone at Carnival had entered my husbands passport number wrong and it had come up as a stolen number, but as soon as the lady saw it she knew what had happened. Now why couldn't they have questioned it before all the embarrassment we endured. Anyway we still cruise and thank you for the review it was lovely and very well written. We do the same itinerary on the Breeze next March.

[anewmac]

Your last sea day sounded like mine. Your sunset pictures were great. Along with your return to Miami.

 

But you win for worst debark ever! Omg I would have had to change my pants after that trip to customs. You poor thing, to go from a massage the day before and nice and relaxed to stressed due to those aholes. Ugg and the people in the airport, I hate travelers like that.

 

Really enjoyed your report, and hope to cruise with you again sometime. Have anything planned next?

[seannyice81]

We had our cards get the buzzer a few years ago as we debarked. They let us sit in a roped off area for about half an hour and then an officer took us to the custom desk. They cleared it up in about five minutes and we were on our way. Someone at Carnival had entered my husbands passport number wrong and it had come up as a stolen number, but as soon as the lady saw it she knew what had happened. Now why couldn't they have questioned it before all the embarrassment we endured. Anyway we still cruise and thank you for the review it was lovely and very well written. We do the same itinerary on the Breeze next March.

 

Right. They wait until you're stepping off the ship to sort out issues that can affect the trip home :rolleyes:.

 

Your last sea day sounded like mine. Your sunset pictures were great. Along with your return to Miami.

 

But you win for worst debark ever! Omg I would have had to change my pants after that trip to customs. You poor thing, to go from a massage the day before and nice and relaxed to stressed due to those aholes. Ugg and the people in the airport, I hate travelers like that.

 

Really enjoyed your report, and hope to cruise with you again sometime. Have anything planned next?

 

Thanks! I'm looking forward to more of your review.

 

That morning really sucked! I was thrilled to be home. It was a good thing I didn't eat at Tandoor that last sea day, haha.

 

I do have a couple future cruises in sight but I'm keeping the details hidden, at least for now. You'll see why in time. Hope to see you all on another ship, too. :)

Edited April 23, 2015 by seannyice81

[seannyice81]

EXTRA STUFF...

There Are some extra things I figured I should highlight. Some stuff didn't make it into my reviews.

 

-If you smoke weed and are blatantly obvious about it, I'm narc'ing on you until guest services does something. Nobody needs to face the misery of a customs screening back home. This comes from a former blazer.

-The ropes course is closed when its windy/blustery. If you see white caps, don't expect it to be open.

-The Sports Square has a nicely stocked bar that FEW people used. If you're cool with kids, you'll like how it's less crowded.

-They had the chair hog police at work. Loungers had stickers put on them.

-Don't wear hats when getting on/off the ship in breezy ports (the ABCS). One woman lost a visor into the sea between the ship and pier.

-The Deck 4 interior promenade is a great bypass for when deck 5 is packed or congested (like when the photographers are at work.

-At least two doors had shattered glass. I think it happened in the cruise(s) prior. I'm sure those doors have to be made so it's not a matter of just swapping them out when it happened.

-The Steakhouse is aft and takes away some of the room of the Comedy Club. Thus, seating is scarce if you get there later. If you want to go to a show, get there early.

-This ship has little privacy for balconies decks 6-12. You can look up from deck 5 and there are views from the bridge wing. If you want privacy, you will need a cove balcony on Deck 2.

-This was my first cruise with American Table. Granted I didn't eat in the dining room every night, I thought it was good. They had changed some things since it's debut and the options were good. Plus we had table cloths the whole time.

-If you ask nicely, Pixels staff will clean your camera lense(s) for no charge. Don't go bringing them every camera you have though!

-According to the merchandise manager, they've stopped producing the ship shaped magnets. Get them while you can!

 

 

MUST DO/HAVE AGAIN

-Ropes course!

-Water slides!

-Sports Square hot dogs!

-Beer and apps at the Red Frog Pub!

-Cucina Del Capitano!

-Blue Iguana Breakfast Burritos!

 

WON'T DO/HAVE AGAIN

-Cruise the week of spring break! (Sorry kids, you pushed all the elevator buttons, all the time).

-Add a guest within 24 hours! (If you want to go, you better speak up before then).

-Book a cabin under a water park! (Particularly one with a bucket)

-Book an interior cabin for anything over 5 days! (I need to see more sea on longer cruises. especially ones with more sea days).

-Jimmy's C-side BBQ! (It was ok, but that line was completely ridiculous)

 

More extras later this evening!

[TrqoisWtrs]

hi Sean -

Nice job on the reivew. I like how your blog is set up - with the links lined up on the right side. Easy to get to the next section.

 

With the pot smokers - your experience throws a different light on it. I'd be like you, yeah, just brush it off and ignore it. But goes to show it affected you in a negative way too. I wouldn't have even thought of getting pulled into a scary situation due to the smell drifting. Good grief. Glad it turned out okay for you.

 

Hope your future sailings are illness- and police-free. :D

[seannyice81]

hi Sean -

Nice job on the reivew. I like how your blog is set up - with the links lined up on the right side. Easy to get to the next section.

 

With the pot smokers - your experience throws a different light on it. I'd be like you, yeah, just brush it off and ignore it. But goes to show it affected you in a negative way too. I wouldn't have even thought of getting pulled into a scary situation due to the smell drifting. Good grief. Glad it turned out okay for you.

 

Hope your future sailings are illness- and police-free. :D

 

What's up!

 

Thanks. I'm actually considering switching up the layout. It is easy, but looks a little congested. We'll see though.

 

I was totally cool with the "live and let live" approach to trips. After this experience, I won't allow myself or anyone in my party to be treated that way again because somebody else was careless. They will care after I have whatever conversation I need to have with guest services.

 

Thanks and I wish you the same. :cool:

[KPfromCT]

Awesome review on your blog, and here on CC.:D

Seems that you are feeling a LITTLE bit better, and that is great news.

Thank you for sharing your adventures with us.

Can't wait for the next one.:D

[seannyice81]

EXTRAS!

 

Here are some extra photos from the trip just for CC. More to follow!

 

Thrill Theater on Breeze. Get your tickets early! I never made it to any of the shows but people said they really liked it.

 

In a grocery store in Curacao. Just about everything was printed in dutch, but lots of familiar brands. The Monopoly Game? Curacao Monopoly.

 

Seating zones for the lower level of the Sapphire dining room. Have a table or waiter in mind? You're welcome!

 

More to come :cool:

[seannyice81]

Awesome review on your blog, and here on CC.:D

Seems that you are feeling a LITTLE bit better, and that is great news.

Thank you for sharing your adventures with us.

Can't wait for the next one.:D

 

Thanks! I look forward to sharing more :)

[sjn911]

I'm glad you are going to figure something to hash out with guest services....that is too mean..and too untested for the good guys..ignore previous post must have been tired..meant well...thanks for more here...good summations..great to see a real store somewhere else....just fun...Sarah

 

And....I never knew the term "blazer" in that context. I watched the Trailblazers in Portland and a few ate at my favorite lunch place so was sad to see in looking up "Blazer" that Jerome Kersey had died at 52 form my era...whom I had chatted with along with quite a few others....just odd how one word leads to another...

 

Peace out Sean...

Edited April 24, 2015 by sjn911

[anewmac]

loving the "extras" and cant wait for the surprise. And Pixels cleans your camera too.. darn it, where were you when I was on the ship LOL

[TrqoisWtrs]

They will care after I have whatever conversation I need to have with guest services.

 

Exactly, plus that creates a paper trail to further prove you were not involved.

[MistyRo76]

Great review! We're cruising on the Breeze in Oct. on this same itinerary! Sooo...looking forward to it.

 

On my very first cruise about 17 years ago on the Sensation, we also had pot smokers just down the hall from us. We were on the Riviera Deck near the back. We could smell it every day and every night, but like you, never said anything. It was also spring break. The morning of debarkation, we were in our cabin getting our final things together and waiting for our boarding priority to be called. We had our door propped open so we could hear the announcements in the hallway. All of a sudden, we were told to exit our cabin and stand in the hallway by the door. They brought in the drug sniffing dog and he sniffed around our cabin for a few minutes. Luckily, he didn't smell anything of interest in our room and we were allowed to go about our business. It didn't affect us trying to get off the ship. I had heard that it was a much older couple in the very last cabin that got caught with the weed. We were convinced that it was the group of college boys just down the hall. The volume of room service trays outside these guys' cabin seemed to be proof positive. Guess you never can tell who the tokers are! lol

 

Misty

[seannyice81]

Great review! We're cruising on the Breeze in Oct. on this same itinerary! Sooo...looking forward to it.

 

On my very first cruise about 17 years ago on the Sensation, we also had pot smokers just down the hall from us. We were on the Riviera Deck near the back. We could smell it every day and every night, but like you, never said anything. It was also spring break. The morning of debarkation, we were in our cabin getting our final things together and waiting for our boarding priority to be called. We had our door propped open so we could hear the announcements in the hallway. All of a sudden, we were told to exit our cabin and stand in the hallway by the door. They brought in the drug sniffing dog and he sniffed around our cabin for a few minutes. Luckily, he didn't smell anything of interest in our room and we were allowed to go about our business. It didn't affect us trying to get off the ship. I had heard that it was a much older couple in the very last cabin that got caught with the weed. We were convinced that it was the group of college boys just down the hall. The volume of room service trays outside these guys' cabin seemed to be proof positive. Guess you never can tell who the tokers are! lol

 

Misty

 

Thanks for sharing your experience, too. Part of me really thinks, do these people think they're not going to be caught being that obvious?

 

Have a good cruise. Hope you make Grand Turk!:cool: