Review of Carnival Breeze, Western, July 12-18, 2015

[Heartkrazy]

Thanks for the Luggage Express tip, think this will be a MUST!! Really enjoying your review, thanks for taking the time to write it!

[CruzCrazy]

We disembarked Breeze the day you boarded. Loved her. Looking forward to the rest of your review!

 

Thanks for reading! Glad you had a great cruise, too!

[CruzCrazy]

Thanks for the Luggage Express tip, think this will be a MUST!! Really enjoying your review, thanks for taking the time to write it!

 

Thanks for following along, and glad to pass along the info about Luggage Express. It's beyond me why they don't advertise it any better. I know there is a minimum number of registrations required for the service to actually be offered, so we were sweating that when they told us not many people had signed up when we submitted our forms. Maybe there is a max number allowed too? Maybe...anyway we always try to use it if we can.

[penninana]

We will be on the Breeze in 38 days, your review is awesome and very helpful. Thank you so much for sharing with us!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Avril]

I'm loving your review and pics Lisa, thanks so much!! :D I'm doing a B2B on the Breeze (6 Day/8 Day) for New Years and the 1st week of January so I'm reading all the reviews I can to make the time go a bit faster. I think part 1 of our B2B is the same itinerary you did, we go from Miami to Falmouth (Jamaica), Grand Cayman, and Cozumel with 2 sea days. I've got another cruise in-between now and then so that's helping the time pass as well. The Breeze is my all time favourite ship (I sailed on her in 2013), can't wait to sail on her again!! :D

[clarkg]

Great Review so far.

[CruzCrazy]

Thanks for the kind comments, and thanks to everyone who is reading!

 

Oh, and a comment on my photos. We decided not to lug the cameras with us this trip, so all of these were taken with my Samsung GS6. I realize they're not the best quality, but they'll have to do.

 

Carrying on now...

 

OVERALL IMPRESSION OF THE SHIP LAYOUT AND DÉCOR/AMENITIES: Mostly positive, although admittedly somewhat of a letdown after cruising the Oasis just 7 months beforehand. Most people seem to like the toned-down colors and décor on the Breeze, and I agree that it was easy on the eyes, but there seemed to be almost a sense of the ordinary. To me, there was nothing that stood out as extraordinary when it came to décor. The Sapphire dining room came the closest, with its swirling lights on the ceiling and nice chandeliers, and the Blush dining room did have beautiful chandeliers, although there was one section where the lights were burned out in one chandelier.

 

This is the Sapphire Dining Room (deck 3 was for Anytime Dining)

 

 

A photo of the chandeliers in the Blush Dining Room (notice the lights out on the left side of the one in the foreground):

 

 

And the obligatory photo of lanterns in the atrium:

 

 

QUALITY OF FOOD: As I said before, very good and possibly the best I have experienced on any of my dozen cruises. The food in the main dining room was far superior to anything I had on the Oasis. I kept waiting for something to fall flat, but nothing ever did. Even the “everyday menu” items were good—namely the pork chop and the chicken breast. I also ordered prime rib, tilapia, New York strip, and pork tenderloin at dinner, and they were all very good. The sides were somewhat small in portion, but that was fine—no need to stuff myself before dessert ;) The chocolate melting cake was good, as usual, and I also enjoyed the white chocolate bread pudding and even had a banana split from the kids’ menu one night. I did notice absence of bitter and blanc (not sure if it is on the 8-day menu or not). Also, there was no Baked Alaska.

 

We had sea day brunch in the dining room on the last sea day, partly so I could use my drink certificate. We hadn’t had brunch on a ship for a while, and I’m glad we did. I had steak and eggs, and it was great.

 

We never eat at the buffet for lunch or dinner, so I can’t comment on that, but at the breakfast buffet I was happy to see French toast offered every day. On prior cruises, they have alternated pancakes and French toast. I’m not a big breakfast eater, but I love my coffee. Kudos on the switch to a coffee that is actually drinkable. I even went back for seconds. I don’t like fancy coffees or latte or cappuccino, just a good cup of regular coffee, so I was happy about this.

 

Guy’s burgers were their usual greasy goodness. I love the fries there. I had a sandwich from the deli, which was good. We never ate pizza, and we don’t eat Indian or sushi, so I can’t comment on those.

 

We did not eat at either the steakhouse or the Italian place, so I can’t comment on those either. The food in the main dining room was really good, so we didn’t see a need to venture away from there. We have eaten at the steakhouses on other ships, so it would have been interesting to compare, but it was not meant to be on this trip.

 

DINING ROOM SERVICE: Superb. The dining room team was fantastic. We knew a favorite waiter from the Glory, “Suki” was on board but thought he was assigned to the Blush dining room. Then DH thought he spotted him on the first night, and, yes, it was him, having just been moved to the Sapphire dining room, so we sat in his section every night after the first. There is nothing like the interaction in the dining room with the waiters. It’s like coming home for us. His team was also very good, and we tipped each one extra on the last evening.

 

[nunuc2000]

Hitting the Breeze in October... subscribing :)

[Bert64]

What times were you going for anytime dining for you never have to wait longer than a minute?

 

Going on Breeze next month and switched from late to anytime, but I'm wondering if I should just stick with late. Is anytime quicker than traditional?

[CruzCrazy]

What times were you going for anytime dining for you never have to wait longer than a minute?

 

Going on Breeze next month and switched from late to anytime, but I'm wondering if I should just stick with late. Is anytime quicker than traditional?

 

We usually went early, especially since we knew we wanted a particular section so we could have our favorite waiter. I don't think we ever went to dinner later than 6:15 p.m. People will ask, if you always want to go early, why didn't you just pick early dinner? The answer is we want the option to go later if we want/need to. I realize if we had gone later, say 7:00-7:30, we probably would have had to wait a little bit, especially since we always request a table for 2. That being said, I think Carnival does a very good job with the "anytime" dining concept, at least in our experience on various ships since it was first introduced. In contrast, on the Oasis, it was a real mess all week no matter what time we went to dinner, and we always had a lengthy wait, even though they ask you to reserve a time each night.

 

We used to do late dining, but we found that if we ate a big meal that late we weren't up for anything after--too full to even enjoy a couple of drinks.

 

Anyway, with traditional (either early sitting or late sitting), everyone arrives at the same time (or is supposed to), and the dinner proceeds according to a "schedule," more or less, so if you have a large group I think it may just be easier because the whole thing is kind of orchestrated. The actual time that it takes to eat dinner might go a little quicker in traditional dining. You can imagine that in anytime dining, the waiters have to work a little harder on the timing since some (or all) of their tables might have been seated at different times. Anyway, that's my take, having done both anytime and traditional, early and late.

 

I guess it's good there are so many options. Different strokes and all that. :)

[CruzCrazy]

Okay, time to talk about 2 of my favorite things: The Bars and the entertainment--

 

BAR SERVICE: Okay, so the only place on the ship where I thought the bar service was not friendly was at the Red Frog Rum Bar on lido deck. Those guys were never smiling. Also, it was the Blue Iguana Tequila bar that was open early on port days, so we ended up there, and, what do you know? There was a bar server we had had before on the Miracle, Jose! It was like homecoming. Great service at the Blue Iguana all week by all the bartenders there, who were all smiles. They worked hard for their extra tips.

 

Jose is front and center in this photo. If you're on the Breeze soon, tell him hi from Lisa from Virginia, his old friend from the Miracle.

 

 

 

The casino bar was hit or miss, but bartender Maria was excellent. Favorite drinks: As always, Miami Vice, and I finally had a Kiss on the Lips, which was also good. Most bars also had Fireball, which I was glad about, since I don’t like to drink fruity drinks in the evenings. I sure wish they carried American Honey, but oh well. DH only drinks domestic beer.

 

Even this picture of a Kiss on the Lips makes me want one right now!

 

 

ENTERTAINMENT: The main theater shows are mentioned above. Other than that, we attended 2 comedy shows, both of which were pretty good. I liked Percy Crews 2 better than Chas Eltsner. The shows were crowded, but we lined up maybe 20 minutes before show time and got a good seat with no problem. The comedy shows are held on deck 5 aft in the Limelight lounge, which is also where they hold karaoke. Lots of people say it needs to be in a bigger venue, but we like that they keep it one of the mid-size lounges so the comedians can kind of play off the crowd. The shows only last about 30 minutes each. Both of the shows we attended were for 18+, but they also have “family friendly” shows. Bar service there was okay.

 

We never made it to the piano bar. I never really saw a lot of people there, but maybe that was just the times we were passing by. We tried hard to get to Red Frog Rum Bar, but each time it was basically deserted. That was a shame because it was a good-looking spot. They had a live band in there.

 

We did make it to the Liquid Lounge (the dance club) a couple of times, and I even did a couple of line dances, which was fun.

 

We never took time to watch a dive-in movie. We’re usually dressed up and already down on the promenade and just don’t take the time or energy to head back up to lido after dinner.

 

CABIN STEWARD: Very good. His name was Omar, and he called us by name every time he saw us (and since our cabin was all the way forward, he saw us going back and forth multiple times every day). He did a great job, provided everything we asked for, including ice in the ice bucket and ice in our collapsible cooler, and couldn’t have been nicer. We tipped him extra, too.

 

 

Next up, a little bit about the ports. Feel free to chime in or ask any questions—it keeps me motivated!

[kelkel2]

Thanks for doing a review! I am enjoying your pictures and your insight on your entire trip!!

[acceber32]

Thanks for the review! We'll be on this cruise in October. Do you have the menus (or maybe remember what order the menus went in) or Fun Times?

[PurpleDog]

I just wanted to say howdy neighbors !

We live out near the Lake.

I am enjoying your review and cant read more :)

Edited August 14, 2015 by PurpleDog

[cruzn buckeye]

Okay, time to talk about 2 of my favorite things: The Bars and the entertainment--

 

BAR SERVICE: Okay, so the only place on the ship where I thought the bar service was not friendly was at the Red Frog Rum Bar on lido deck. Those guys were never smiling. Also, it was the Blue Iguana Tequila bar that was open early on port days, so we ended up there, and, what do you know? There was a bar server we had had before on the Miracle, Jose! It was like homecoming. Great service at the Blue Iguana all week by all the bartenders there, who were all smiles. They worked hard for their extra tips.

 

Jose is front and center in this photo. If you're on the Breeze soon, tell him hi from Lisa from Virginia, his old friend from the Miracle.

 

 

 

The casino bar was hit or miss, but bartender Maria was excellent. Favorite drinks: As always, Miami Vice, and I finally had a Kiss on the Lips, which was also good. Most bars also had Fireball, which I was glad about, since I don’t like to drink fruity drinks in the evenings. I sure wish they carried American Honey, but oh well. DH only drinks domestic beer.

 

Even this picture of a Kiss on the Lips makes me want one right now!

 

 

ENTERTAINMENT: The main theater shows are mentioned above. Other than that, we attended 2 comedy shows, both of which were pretty good. I liked Percy Crews 2 better than Chas Eltsner. The shows were crowded, but we lined up maybe 20 minutes before show time and got a good seat with no problem. The comedy shows are held on deck 5 aft in the Limelight lounge, which is also where they hold karaoke. Lots of people say it needs to be in a bigger venue, but we like that they keep it one of the mid-size lounges so the comedians can kind of play off the crowd. The shows only last about 30 minutes each. Both of the shows we attended were for 18+, but they also have “family friendly” shows. Bar service there was okay.

 

We never made it to the piano bar. I never really saw a lot of people there, but maybe that was just the times we were passing by. We tried hard to get to Red Frog Rum Bar, but each time it was basically deserted. That was a shame because it was a good-looking spot. They had a live band in there.

 

We did make it to the Liquid Lounge (the dance club) a couple of times, and I even did a couple of line dances, which was fun.

 

We never took time to watch a dive-in movie. We’re usually dressed up and already down on the promenade and just don’t take the time or energy to head back up to lido after dinner.

 

CABIN STEWARD: Very good. His name was Omar, and he called us by name every time he saw us (and since our cabin was all the way forward, he saw us going back and forth multiple times every day). He did a great job, provided everything we asked for, including ice in the ice bucket and ice in our collapsible cooler, and couldn’t have been nicer. We tipped him extra, too.

 

 

Next up, a little bit about the ports. Feel free to chime in or ask any questions—it keeps me motivated!

Thank you for this great review! I will be on the Breeze next month, and am very happy to hear about the food being so good... there have been many negative reviews about the food... hopefully improvements are being made... and I do wish they would bring back the tablecloths at all seatings so glasses don't slide around and also pour our water.. pitcher sharing can cause illness such as flu or noro... anyway... great review... looking forward to the rest of it

[CruzCrazy]

I just wanted to say howdy neighbors !

We live out near the Lake.

I am enjoying your review and cant read more :)

 

Hi back at ya! I'm loving how the mornings are starting to get cooler around here--just 60 degrees this morning. Don't get me wrong, I hate cold weather. I just like it when it's cooler at night and in the mornings. I'm sure it's beautiful down by the lake this time of the year.

[Beachiekeen]

We had the same experience with the bartenders at the Red Frog Pub on the Magic. Looking forward to hearing about the ports as I am doing this itinerary on RCL in February. Hope to be on the Breeze one day after she gets to Galveston!

[CruzCrazy]

Thanks for the review! We'll be on this cruise in October. Do you have the menus (or maybe remember what order the menus went in) or Fun Times?

 

This is the only menu I have. It's from one of the elegant nights:

 

 

I saved all the Fun Times, but I haven't scanned them yet. I can work on that later and post them at the end if you like.

[emmak8]

Fantastic review and great pictures!!! Thank you for posting.

[jaxkai]

great read of your trip, i love the breeze. we will be on her soon just not soon enough so thanks for making me more excited.

 

we also found the red frog rum bar not friendly at all,tequiila bar awesome and friendly and fun. im sorry that there wasnt a crowd in the pub we had the best time there and spent many hours hanging out with lots of different people.

 

we had no problem with anytime dining but we also ate early most nights and stayed with the same staff, we are back to early dining this time as the grandkids will be with me.

 

keep writing i love reading this thread

[annestis]

Would love to see the Fun Times [emoji106]

[CruzCrazy]

Thanks to the new followers and those sticking with me. Okay, on to the port report:

 

EXCURSIONS/PORTS: We haven’t done a cruise-line sponsored excursion in a long time. We are beach lovers, so we usually just pre-select a beach and get a taxi there.

 

The 1st port was Ocho Rios. We decided not to get off in this port because we had done Dunn's River Falls several years ago and didn’t think we needed to repeat it, and we didn’t really have anything else in mind. We thought we could spend a quiet day on the ship, but if you’re thinking about staying on board in Ocho Rios because you think the ship won’t be crowded, you might be surprised. At least on our cruise, it was obvious that many people had the same idea, because there were lots of people milling around the ship the entire time we were docked in Jamaica.

 

If you do decide to get off in Ocho Rios and you’ve never been to Dunn's River Falls, I would say give it a whirl. We have a video memento (they make them and sell them), and it was fun to climb the falls. You definitely need slip-resistant water shoes and a good sense of balance. And, from what I remember from back when we did it, you hold hands with the person in front of and behind you. There are guides, but there is usually a large group at a time, and you have to be in decent shape to do it since it’s pretty steep and, after all, it’s a waterfall.

 

Just talking about this had me searching through old photos, and I found this throw-back from 2004:

 

 

The 2nd port of call was Grand Cayman, where we did get off the ship, and we went to Seven Mile Beach at the Royal Palms. It’s a beautiful beach, and we hadn’t been there in 11 years, so it was nice to go back. The cab ride was only about 10 minutes. You are charged a $2 per person entrance fee, which gives you access to bathrooms (they were clean), changing rooms, and a pool. There was a DJ playing poolside, and you could rent chairs and an umbrella on the beach. Two lounge chairs and an umbrella were $30. There is a nice bar and grill with patio. There are even webcams there if you want to wave at people at home (check the Royal Palms website). It was a bit crowded on the beach (3 ships in port), but we had a good time. DH ordered a bucket of beer, and we toasted his birthday. There were no vendors to hassle us, and taxis were readily available to take us back to the tender area.

 

The gangway:

 

 

Seven Mile Beach (the stern of the Breeze is barely visible to the far left):

 

 

One more:

 

 

My impromptu birthday greeting for DH:

 

 

Not a bad spot to spend your birthday...

 

Once back at the port area, we initially got crossed up and headed for the Royal Caribbean tender gate before realizing we weren’t in the right spot. Note to self: Pay attention when you get off the tender if there are other ships in port!

 

The 3rd and last port was Cozumel. Since we stayed on the ship at this port, too, I’m going to give you a run-down of what we did on our previous cruise on the Oasis, which was just a few months prior. We grabbed a taxi and went to Paradise Beach. It’s a nice beach with all the amenities. There is a nice pool also. There’s a small entrance fee, and you have to spend a certain amount while there (can’t remember exactly, but it’s not much, and it isn’t hard to do if you buy a couple of drinks and rent chairs). We rented jet skis to re-create what we had done there back when we were a newly engaged couple, and we had an eventful day when a speed boat came too close for comfort, DH slowed way down and turned left out of the boat’s way just as I was looking behind and not paying attention (we were on the same jet ski). We both went into the water, and there were some scary moments while all of those boats and other jet skis were around us with us trying to get back on the jet ski. It all turned out okay, but we were glad we had on the life vests. Our time was almost up anyway, so we were escorted back to shore by one of the guys renting the machines. He had come out to my rescue since I wasn’t able to lift myself back up on the jet ski, and I thought I was in decent shape. Gotta work on that upper-body strength, LOL. Anyway, we ended up with quite a story to tell! The jet skis seemed to be in good running order, and I’m here to tell you that the life vests were too, LOL. So, even though this story is from a prior cruise, I’m including it here in case people are interested in something to do in Cozumel. The taxi ride out to Paradise Beach took about 20-25 minutes and was very inexpensive.

 

 

Okay, that's it for now, but I have more to come: A little talk about photos, the past guest party, and other miscellaneous stuff, before getting to debarkation and my overall impressions of the ship and the cruise.

[Beachiekeen]

Ha, I had the same thought about staying on the ship in Jamaica but then I thought, I wonder if everyone will have the same idea? Thanks for the pics and info. about GC and Royal Palms, I think that is what I want to do too only I want to rent a cabana. One good thing about the Western itinerary is you really don't have to spend much on excursions and still have a good time. I would love to see the falls but since we dock in Montego Bay it's alot further so we'll have to think about that one.

[CruzCrazy]

Ha, I had the same thought about staying on the ship in Jamaica but then I thought, I wonder if everyone will have the same idea? Thanks for the pics and info. about GC and Royal Palms, I think that is what I want to do too only I want to rent a cabana. One good thing about the Western itinerary is you really don't have to spend much on excursions and still have a good time. I would love to see the falls but since we dock in Montego Bay it's alot further so we'll have to think about that one.

 

Beachiekeen, I like your screen name :)

 

We thought about renting a cabana at Royal Palms, but it was just the 2 of us. It would be great for 4 so you could split the cost. I saw that there was the option of reserving ahead of time on their website.

 

Yes, from Montego Bay there would be lots more travel time. I guess it depends on how long you're in port. We just kind of winged it this trip and decided to just see how we felt that day (and we felt lazy, LOL).

[Rositer11]

Thanks for the Great Review!!!! My family is sailing this itenerary Sept 5th. The only difference is they changed the Jamaica port to Montego Bay. :D

Edited August 14, 2015 by Rositer11