A Breeze of a Week March 6-12

[tvlworm]

Just returned home from our Western Caribbean Cruise onboard the Carnival Breeze, March 6th-12th. My traveling group included myself, my mom and two kids ages 12 and 10.

Our adventure started late night on Friday, the 4th with a red-eye flight to FLL. We rented a one way rental from the airport to South Beach as it was considerably less than transfers for 4. We booked our room at the Aloft South Beach. This was our 2nd trip to Miami but first in the heart of the action. We were not hopeful that our early check in would be accommodated as they were sold out the night before but to our happy surprise, they had a cancellation and we were able to check in. The car rental company wasn't yet open so we dropped off our luggage and went to breakfast at 8th Street Diner, a cute little diner with rave reviews. By this time the lack of sleep caught up with all of us so found a place to park on the street near the hotel and took a nap for a few hours. The onky parking option at the hotel was valet and at $42 was not happening! Made my way to the car company office and returned the car and planned on taking the local south beach loop bus back to the hotel. Well hopped on the wrong bus and had a 2hr tour through South Beach and downtown Miami, parts that looked VERY sketchy! Was very happy when I finally made it back to the hotel to find everyone else up and waiting for me.

The Aloft is not beach front but an amenity of staying is beach privilege at the W across the street with chairs and towels. It was very windy and overcast so we didn't stay long and returned to the hotel pool which was heated.

Explored more of the area walking through the Lincoln Road mall which was really nice and returned to the hotel in the evening for our sailing the next morning.

We woke up to beautiful sunny, clear skies and the excitement was building! This was the first Breeze sailing with staggered check in and we had the 10a-1030a window. We took a cab to the port arriving shortly after 10. Check in was as smooth as could be and they were enforcing and checking times before allowing you to proceed. We quickly made our way through and were in the waiting area to board. As we're waiting we notice that there still were A LOT of people still disembarking, like alot! This turned into more waiting and before we knew it the waiting area was jam packed and chaotic. Not sure what happened to cause such delays with getting the ship cleared from the prior sailing but it was a madhouse. Boarding started around noon. We were in boarding group 2 and walking on short after.

Our last cruise was on the Magic last March so I expected alot of similarity and will probably compare alot to that trip. I loved the Magic and had a great experience and can say my first impression of the Breeze was even better! I LOVE this ship and the decor difference just makes it feel completely different and fresher! Here are some pictures of the atrium and our room, cove balcony cabin 2258. More to come!

[Keith1010]

Glad you enjoyed the cruise and look forward to the additional narrative and photos.

 

Keith

[marshalltp]

Please hurry, we are on Breeze Western in 21 days.....can't wait

[tvlworm]

After getting onboard we went up to check out the pool deck and eat lunch. The line for Guy's Burgers was pretty long but not so much for the Cantina Burrito bar so I tried that while my mom and 12yr old went to the lido buffet and the 10yr old to the ice cream station. I thought the burritos were just ok, not as good as Chipotle but tons of options to customize to your liking. After that explored the ship a bit more. Took the midship stairs down to 5 and by 6 you could smell the smoke wafting from the casino as that was the only open smoking area until sailaway. Luckily that was the only time that the smell was that noticeable the rest of the cruise except if you were walking directly through the casino.

Deck 5 is one of my favorites, I love the deck space, the coffee bar, taste bar, ocean plaza bar and Red Frog pub. Just great space in my opinion and still more impressed overall with the decor than the Magic. The ship is beautiful and quickly became my favorite. I'm not an expert level cruiser though with only 4 Carnival sailings/ships. Here are a few pics from around deck 5

[tvlworm]

When Carnival announced the carry on beverage changes, it seemed to have caught alot of flack but I loved it, we ordered 2, 12pks of water and skipped on carrying on pop. It was so nice not having to schlep all of that around until the rooms were ready which was around 2p. Even more surprising was that one of our suitcases was waiting as well and we could see the other on the rack waiting to be unloaded.

We stayed in a cove balcony on the Magic and for this trip we booked a balcony guarantee and ended up with one again. Room 2258 has a great location near the atrium elevator bank so there was never a long wait with 12 so close by. Easy to walk down to get off as well on port days. It was very quiet for being that close to the elevators and no overhead noise as it was directly below the excursion desk.

We asked for the bed to be split for twins but it was configured for the queen. Didn't think anything of it as I assumed we'd meet our room attendant in not too long of time. Didn't happen until late evening day 2! When we did finally meet, she didn't introduce herself or anything. Definitely not as good of an experience with her as with Mart on the Magic. Anyways, after getting in the room, it was still a gorgeous afternoon so all changed and headed to the pool deck. Kids went to the sports area for mini golf and ropes course first before the slides. This would be the one and only time we didn't have a challenge getting deck chairs, the rest of the week it was packed and chair hogs in full effect with no monitoring or enforcement by Carnival. Another big difference for us than on the magic. Not sure if it was because there were more families and spring breakers sailing from Miami but it was a bit disappointing. Right before actually sailing away went back to the room to watch from there. It was beautiful! Returned up to the lido for the actual sailaway party. Here's a few more pictures, from both the balcony and from the lido.

[tigresslea]

Great review so far. We'll be doing western itinerary on the Breeze in a cove as well.

[KirkNC]

Thanks for your report.

[mcgratru]

We were on this sailing as well! Great review so far and interesting to see another's opinion of the week.

[tvlworm]

Going to finish up the rest of day 1/embarkation day before I have to cook dinner and get everyone ready for back to reality tomorrow. I'm sure missing the endless food options and beds made a turned down for the night!

After the sailaway party wrapped up we got ready for dinner. The kids were both super excited about the sushi restaurant and really wanted to try it. For all of us it was our first time and needless to say, we had no clue on what we were doing or ordering for the most part, I'm sure our host thought it was hilarious!

We ordered the boat for two since it seemed to have a bit of everything and the spicy tuna. The inexperience started immediately upon trying out how to use chopsticks and finding out the little teapot looking thing was soy sauce. The steamed edmame in the pod arrived first along with the instructions on how to eat it. We had no idea if we were to use our hands or chopsticks for this but ended up with hands. Those were pretty good! Before our miso soup arrived our host came back clearly seeing our chopstick struggle with training sets :)

The miso soup was really good, especially the broth! Not long after, our boat of sushi arrived. We were expecting a nice little sample platter and what was delivered was humongous and could have fed many! Then our spicy tuna came which we thought was going to be like a seared tuna, not a whole additional long roll! We had no idea on what a sushi "roll" was in terms of size but this was much larger than anticipated. Now the fun of trying to eat it. As I'm trying to get pictures of our sushi ship, my 10yr old daughter goes what's this green stuff and before we could read the menu to figure out it was wasabi, she dips her finger in and try it. The reaction that followed had me laughing so hard I thought I was going to wet my pants lol! We all decided that sushi must be an acquired taste or us not knowing what we were doing and how to eat it just didn't work out. Thank god at $17 it was an inexpensive lesson learned. The restaurant itself, presentation and staff was phenomenal and if you like sushi, I'm sure you'd love it.

[BB Huey]

On the same cruise as well. This was the nicest ship's crew I had ever seen. No matter where you were someone was saying hi, or asking if you had a good night's sleep. Our cabin steward was annoyed that we asked for the beds to be split. The cabin was so small with the beds together. Splitting them made a big difference. We were in 7395 which ended up being a great location for us.

Edited March 13, 2016 by BB Huey

[cdisle]

We have a cove balcony in September on the Breeze. Thanks for your review so far!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[tvlworm]

After the sushi fiasco we all decided to check out the embarkation photos and the shops. The atrium bar frequently had two different trios playing, one brass and one string group. Both were so good and really enjoyed both of them! I was hoping to see a difference in the shops with new merchandise since they swapped vendors recently but didn't notice much of a difference. Went up to the lido for some ice cream and to check out all the other differences in how the food stations were configured and the aft pool. I didn't take lido food area pictures but like the rest of the ship it too was really nice! I couldn't get over how big of a difference the color palette and decorative features could make. The staff always was out and about cleaning and taking care of everything, they did a great job!

Returned to the cabin to check out what our first sea day would bring and was sad to find no towel animals. I know, it's a minor thing to be sad about but I love those cute little things. Checked off our must dos for the next day and had the best of intentions of heading back up to deck 3 for the welcome aboard show, which I also love but I heard the all to familiar deep breathing from the top bunk and knew everyone was wore out and called it a night.

Next up, the first full sea day!

[tvlworm]

On the same cruise as well. This was the nicest ship's crew I had ever seen. No matter where you were someone was saying hi, or asking if you had a good night's sleep. Our cabin steward was annoyed that we asked for the beds to be split. The cabin was so small with the beds together. Splitting them made a big difference. We were in 7395 which ended up being a great location for us.

 

Same for us, the crew was fantastic everywhere we went except our cabin attendant. She never did split our bed the entire trip, nor did we ever get a bucket of ice or a full set of glasses. Day 2 an attendant was outside of our door for the next room, I asked if he was our attendant since we hadn't even seen ours at that point and he said no, I'm just the assistant!?! Not an offer to ask if we needed anything or say hi. It was so odd! But everyone else was great!

[BB Huey]

The brass group were a great group of guys. Carnival has cut so many orchestra members this group was playing all over the ship. They were formed together and sent to a practice facility in NY. Three weeks later they were onboard. They played in the Atrium, in the Dining Room, and most of the bars. So many people complained about no brass on board and Carnival responded.

[tvlworm]

The brass group were a great group of guys. Carnival has cut so many orchestra members this group was playing all over the ship. They were formed together and sent to a practice facility in NY. Three weeks later they were onboard. They played in the Atrium, in the Dining Room, and most of the bars. So many people complained about no brass on board and Carnival responded.

 

I thought they were great, my 12yr old son is in his first year of band playing the baritone and he was really impressed. I loved the string group too, and the modern mix of songs they played. So glad these groups were brought back!

[mrpayroll]

We loved the decor on the Breeze. Our Favorite Carnival ship. ( will be on Magic in September )Looking forward to it.

[TexasRed]

We will be on the Breeze in July from Galveston, we will be in our first cove balcony. So excited, and I can't wait to read more.

[dave_k58]

We will be on the Breeze in July from Galveston, we will be in our first cove balcony. So excited, and I can't wait to read more.

 

 

Hi JUdy - we will be in a Cove on the July 24 sailing out of Galveston

[tvlworm]

Day 2, the first full sea day. Was another mostly sunny but much more windy day. We all were up pretty early and headed to the lido for breakfast which was pretty quiet at the 7a hour. I decided to try instead a breakfast burrito from the Blue Iguana. They have two different types of scrambled eggs, both plain and eggs with peppers etc which was what I chose along with tons of toppings. The eggs are the same as those in the regular lido buffet and are to me a bit on the scary side as they really taste nothing like eggs but rolled up into a tortilla with a bunch of other items and they are pretty good! I liked the breakfast burrito better than the lunch versions.

Headed back to the cabin to get ready for a day at the lido deck. Already tons of chairs reserved, it seemed that while we were eating everyone must have flocked to save their chairs for the day. Did find 2 chairs on deck 12 which I prefer to watch the kids as they go from the waterpark to the pool and back. The wind and occasional clouds made for a perfect combination of finding out how burnt you can get without feeling it. Didn't take long for our pale, haven't seen the sun in months skin. Lathered up more sunblock and ventured about.

The ropes course and one of the slides were closed and the kids wanted to try out the thrill theater from reading about it the night before. It's open only for maybe an hour at a time at different points of the day with each hour block playing a different show. Bought them both the week pass and throughout the course of the week, they did see every film and thought it was fun.

Went back to the lido deck early afternoon for lunch at Guy's Burger joint and to watch the Red vs Blue mixology contest followed by the hairy chest contest. We all gave Guys a thumbs up, both the burgers and fries are good. I can't say they are the best ever as my favorite is the Shake Shack--if your a burger fan and are ever in an area with a Shake Shack, its a must try!

At this point the lido was jam packed and not an available chair in sight so we watched both contests standing along the rail on deck 11. Both shows are hilarious and the cruise director, Mike Pack is fantastic at his job! The previous director, Matt M always had such rave reviews and I couldn't find much about Mike prior to sailing so didn't quite know what to expect but I liked him alot! The mixology contest was entertaining and the winning drink, Kevin's something, can't remember the name was really, really good. I ordered a few over the week. Up next ws the hairy chest competition which always brings out a wide variety of contestants both hairy and not. One of the judges, the great grandma made the show! Funny stuff!

Had to leave the sun again after that as by then I could definitely feel the burn! Went down to deck 5 and was bummed that I forgot about the BBQ joint being open, I always forgot about it on the Magic as well and didn't get a chance to try it that trip either. The plates I saw looked and smelled amazing and made a mental note to try it on the other sea day since I was still full from lunch at Guys. They were playing trivia in the Ocean Plaza area so tried my chance at winning a coveted gold ship on a stick and came out victorious!

Will have to wrap up the sea day a bit later as unfortunately the clock is telling me that the real world is calling. Here's a few pictures of the day thus far including a few of Cuba in the distance!

[hlauburn]

Thanks for the review so far! We leave Sunday, so I can't wait to read the rest.

 

Any tips on getting a chair on sea days? Sounds like people start hogging them really early in the am. You mentioned Deck 12...is that near the waterpark? Do you still feel like your part of the action going on on the pool deck - music etc?

 

 

Thanks!

[tvlworm]

Thanks for the review so far! We leave Sunday, so I can't wait to read the rest.

 

Any tips on getting a chair on sea days? Sounds like people start hogging them really early in the am. You mentioned Deck 12...is that near the waterpark? Do you still feel like your part of the action going on on the pool deck - music etc?

 

 

Thanks!

 

I don't want to condone it but it seemed to me that setting out your towels in the morning was best and most popular. I love deck 12, you can still hear the music and see the large screen and the waterpark entrance is on that level. You'd have to stand to look down to watch the contests but for prime sun action 12 is great. Unless your lucky enough to get an end of the row set of chairs I'm not really a fan of the actual pool deck.

[tvlworm]

Sea day continues....after all the fun in the sun and the exciting win at trivia, strolled along the ship some more and brought my daughter to the beary cuddly event aka build a bear at Camp Ocean. This was our one and only visit. It looked nice but my daughter wasn't interested in actually going to Camp Ocean and my 12yr old too never visited Circle C the tween area. The bear workshop was priced pretty similar to standard build a bear at about $20 with a pretty big selection of animals to choose from. You could buy outfits for an additional charge but they all came with a Carnival t-shirt.

Decided to go with the lido for dinner, we were pleasantly surprised that most of the items were the same as in the main dining rooms. After we went to hang out in the atrium lobby listening to the wonderful string trio while waiting for the main theater show, Motor City.

This was my first time seeing a Playlist Production and it is much improved in all aspects! The show was great from start to finish! My daughter insisted on front row which I do not suggest as the singers get pretty close to the edge of the stage and I was certain if they were to shake just a little bit more, their sweat would drip right on us.

[tvlworm]

Port Day - Ocho Rios

Even when considering this sailing and itinerary, I was most nervous and unsure about Jamaica. The first vacation my husband and I went on pre kids was this same route on the 2nd sailing of the Conquest in 2002. That cruise we ported in Montego Bay and we booked Dunns River Falls through Carnival. Except for the actual climb up the falls, we hated every single minute of the day pretty much. We were hassled and haggled non-stop it seemed with no not going very far. The long bus ride there and back was equally as bad. It was our first big trip and I'm sure inexperienced travelers was written all over us which didn't help.

After deciding on this cruise I knew I would not be booking dunns river but I'd only feel comfortable booking through Carnival. Jamaica is the only port I've felt this,way about, evert other excursion I research and plot and go independent. I wanted something a bit more relaxed and not as crowded so we went with the river tubing safari.

I would highly recommend it if your looking to see a bit of the island and not wanting the crowds of some of the other options. The drive to the starting point which was quite a ways up the mountain took about 30m or so. The scenery was a wide mix of the city as you leave, to the extreme poverty that Jamaica is known for and beautiful, lush countryside. Our driver Oscar on the other hand, I have really mixed opinions on. He was very personable and chatting with everyone, explaining what we were seeing along the way. Then he went in to how poorly everyone is paid, the education system, the struggles of living on the island and the extreme unemployment. Then the pitch came of letting us in on a big "secret" that we couldn't repeat to anyone. He said if anyone was interested in shopping and eating true jerk chicken to not shop at the souvenir store and restaurant where we would get meet our river guide and end our rafting journey. He would take us after to a better local area in Ocho Rios afterwards. He made us swear up and down not to say this to anyone or he'd be fired.

The others with us in the van seemed partially interested, my internal radar alarm was off the charts at this point screaming in my head, told you so, Jamaica was a bad idea...but I kept my mouth shut and was happy to reach the top of the mountain to meet out tubing guides.

We all changed into our watershoes, were provided helmets and a brief introduction. Went back in the van to the actual launch point which was a short drive away. The scenery was still gorgeous despite the overcast skies and now very light rain. We were getting wet anyways so it wasn't a problem and only lasted a few minutes. The entire float trip was 3 miles and was mostly calm, relaxing, floating with 5 or so points of fun rapids. The water was refreshing and crystal clear. Our two guides had opposite personalities, the one main guide seemed very crabby, especially to the other guide who seemed to be newer? She was nice and friendly.

At the end of the float we dried off and changed into dry clothes for the trip back to Ocho Rios. Oscar again asked to make sure we didn't spill his "secret" about bringing us somewhere else to shop and eat. Everyone said no and away we went and conversation quickly changed. Once we got closer to the port he said he would have to drive us all back in so we could show our ID'S to the port guards and then we would turn around again. He asked if everyone was still onboard at which point I said nope, we are going back to the ship to shower but thanks. He didn't seem too happy but didn't argue much. I was a bit nervous for the others that stayed on!

Even though we had a great time actually tubing, I won't be sad if I never go back to Jamaica.

There are vendors inside the secured port area that we did visit to get a few souvenirs. I'm sure they were over priced to outside the port but I'd rather feel comfortable than save a few bucks.

After returning to the ship we cleaned up and went to the lido for lunch. The kids went to the sports area for mini golf and then to the thrill theater. I can't find my fun times to confirm but I'm pretty sure this was the hasbro game shoe day in the theater. We checked that out as well which was another fun and interactive show. All their classic board games in giant size fun. Mike the director was host and was entertaining as usual.

This was our first night eating in the dining room, we had anytime selected which was in the Sapphire room. Another beautiful space! I had no issues missing the table cloths, service and food was top notch. The warm chocolate melting cake was a bit under cooked but didn't stop me from enjoying every last bite :) We walked up to the lido and caught the last hour or so of the most recent Hunger Games installment which was very popular! I was impressed with the attendance! After the movie wrapped up it was off to bed as we wanted an early start to our day in Grand Cayman. Have a great night!

[tvlworm]

Some pictures from Jamaica

[riclop]

Thanks for doing your review.