Breeze Review 8/6 - 8/13 Cozumel, Roatan, Belize

[longhorn28]

These are my thoughts from my experience and perspective. You might not agree, but that's the great thing about these boards. :)

 

There were three of us, husband, wife and daughter (6 years old)

 

Just getting off the Breeze and currently booking another cruise for April 2018!! This was our first cruise and it was the best experience. I am HOOKED on cruising!! This might sound silly but it was so much fun interacting with crew and cruisers. I've never laughed so hard in my life!! I over packed and learned many lessons for next time. Overall it was a GREAT TIME and I loved the ship!! I'll try and cover everything but feel free to ask questions.

 

 

Lighthouse Parking - the shuttle to the ship had no AC so we sweated for about 25 minutes because of traffic. We arrived at port around 10:45am Sunday, grabbed a porter and headed inside. I prefer AC so I won't use Lighthouse again. We could have walked and parked at terminal. We waited about 20 minutes inside, then they started the boarding process. Everyone is in such a great mood.

 

Going back home, the shuttles have to be full to depart or they run every 30 minutes. We had to wait for 15 minutes, no big deal.

 

 

Embarkation - we had FTTF and it was awesome!! I highly recommend paying for this. Basically my husband and I set reminders to look for it daily. Around 45 days out it appeared and we grabbed it. Our room was ready once we got on. We dropped our carry on luggage (backpack with swimsuits and some snacks for the room) Our actual luggage didn't arrive until later in the afternoon, I think it might have been after Muster. The lines at Guest Services are long so having a short line with FTTF was cool.

 

 

Cabin - Room 7462 extended aft balcony, lovely room, cold AC, room steward was great, hardly any noise at all. You can feel the motion in the back most of the time, especially when the engines are engaged in turning or docking. We only saw stewards once but the room was cleaned each day with fresh towels and they work so hard. We received towel animals every day and loved it. I want to book this room every time we go!

 

 

Food - Cucina Del Capitano was delicious, staff so friendly. I don't think I'll eat hamburgers for a while because we ate so many at Guy's. Blue Iguana was good. We ate the Buffet for breakfast many times and enjoyed a gazillion ice cream comes. Green Eggs and Ham food was ok, it was more about seeing Cat in the Hat for my 6 year old. Sea Day Brunch was superb! My husband ate a ton of Pizza. We had my time dining and it was great too, I literally gained 5 lbs. I liked the my time option as we could get in and out and on to adventures around the ship. We requested the same waiter each night and enjoyed getting to know Dino/Manuel in the Sapphire Dining Room.

 

 

 

Steakhouse - Nothing great to report here. They messed up my order for each course and did not seem to care. People seated after us were done an hour before we were and we were only a table of two. I like a long dinner but three hours was excessive. We canceled our reservations for the rest of the week.

 

Spa - this was the one major blemish on the cruise. Our steward gave us a spa credit for $50.00 I didn't pull it out of the card holder until I went to pay for my pedicure. Well the spa credit expired two days after we received it and because I didn't mention it when booking they wouldn't honor it. No one asked me if I had a credit when I booked my appointment and didn't ask when I checked in. The spa manager was ugly to deal with and I won't be using the spa again. A lovely gift/gesture turned into something ugly. I went to guest services and they weren't sympathetic either. It felt like a hustle to me. . Take your own nail polish ladies. They have about 10 that come with your service and a larger selection for an up charge (gel $25.00) In the grand scheme of things, what's a $50.00 credit on our $2,000 bill. Would have gone a long way in my book.

 

Get your massages on the beach in port. I got one at Mr. Sancho's with Lupita for $45.00 and it was amazing!!!

 

 

 

Pools - Most of our time was spent time at the main beach pool. This was the best people watching ever! My only concern is the amount of drinks and food spilled throughout the day into the pool and the lack of folks getting out to go to the bathroom. You know who you are!!! At one point you couldn't make out the dolphin on the bottom of the pool because it was so cloudy. We just rolled with it and grabbed another drink. Never had an issue finding a chair or spot to hang out.

 

Water Slides - my daughter spent a lot of time here and loved it.

 

 

 

Bingo/Casino - I felt the slots were just like Vegas. You win some, you lose some. Same thing with Bingo, I never won but had a lot of fun playing. I played in the slot tournament and had a blast. Yes, we tried the cash crane. I think everyone has to try it at least one time!!The smoke was gross.

 

 

Camp Ocean - My daughter is six and loved Camp Ocean. Miss Starfish was her favorite crew member and I heard about her the entire week. They did lots of activities with some movies and video games. We received a lovely thank you note from Miss Starfish about the time she spent with our daughter. We tipped extra for the care they showed to our daughter. We tipped extra everywhere.

 

 

Carnival Staff - Mike the Cruise Director was awesome. The Bingo Pixie Nikki was hilarious and the fun squad made it an enjoyable time. I don't know when these folks sleep, I am impressed at their stamina levels. It really did feel like a big family on board at times.

 

Ship Activities - some of the shows were super cheesy so we just left. The activities and trivia were fun, the comics were all funny.

 

Excursions

 

• Mr. Sanchos in Cozumel because they have horse back riding for baby girl. You could only get a table or beach chair if you purchased all inclusive option. I will go to Paradise Beach next trip. The water was dirty, probably because of the storms.
  
• Infiniti Bay in Roatan, was quiet and at the end of the beach. Gorgeous beach and the water was beautiful and cool.
  
• Belize, we left the port and walked around Belize City for about 5 minutes then turned around. I didn't feel comfortable with the people following us through the streets.
  

 

Debarkation - FTTF carried our own luggage and were off the ship by 8:00.

 

Itinerary - we had to change the order of our itinerary to avoid the storm. Tuesday we had 40mph winds and 12 ft swells, you could feel it all over the ship. I had motion sickness pills and a patch from my DR and never had any issues. The crew tried to keep our minds off of things and make it fun. We only had one bad day of weather. The last day, the sea was like glass, I had never seen anything like it.

 

One point to make, it seems Carnival has a deal with Diamond's International based on the constant talks about diamonds and tanzinite. I'm an avid Diamond fan and shopper and couldn't believe the prices and quality (overpriced for low quality diamonds). Do your research before you go.

 

Whew that's a lot. I would be happy to answer any questions and I'll get around to posting pictures soon.

[DisneyDatknee]

Great Review. BTW, Most cruise lines have advert deals with Diamonds International. ;p We just tune it out.

[TxDevil]

I loved your review. Quick and to the point. We'll be on the Breeze in less than 3 weeks and can't wait.

[easyboy]

Great informative review. Thanks.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[cruiser7056]

Thanks for the review. We are going on the Breeze in November, but going to Bahamas. Guess what , we have the very same cabin you had, #7462. I am glad to hear it was a nice room, I was a little worried about it from some of the other posts. If you have any pictures of the room, I sure would like seeing them. Thanks again for the great review.

[riclop]

Thanks for the review.

[nidaco]

These are my thoughts from my experience and perspective. You might not agree, but that's the great thing about these boards. :)

 

There were three of us, husband, wife and daughter (6 years old)

 

Just getting off the Breeze and currently booking another cruise for April 2018!! This was our first cruise and it was the best experience. I am HOOKED on cruising!! This might sound silly but it was so much fun interacting with crew and cruisers. I've never laughed so hard in my life!! I over packed and learned many lessons for next time. Overall it was a GREAT TIME and I loved the ship!! I'll try and cover everything but feel free to ask questions.

 

 

Lighthouse Parking - the shuttle to the ship had no AC so we sweated for about 25 minutes because of traffic. We arrived at port around 10:45am Sunday, grabbed a porter and headed inside. I prefer AC so I won't use Lighthouse again. We could have walked and parked at terminal. We waited about 20 minutes inside, then they started the boarding process. Everyone is in such a great mood.

 

Going back home, the shuttles have to be full to depart or they run every 30 minutes. We had to wait for 15 minutes, no big deal.

 

 

Embarkation - we had FTTF and it was awesome!! I highly recommend paying for this. Basically my husband and I set reminders to look for it daily. Around 45 days out it appeared and we grabbed it. Our room was ready once we got on. We dropped our carry on luggage (backpack with swimsuits and some snacks for the room) Our actual luggage didn't arrive until later in the afternoon, I think it might have been after Muster. The lines at Guest Services are long so having a short line with FTTF was cool.

 

 

Cabin - Room 7462 extended aft balcony, lovely room, cold AC, room steward was great, hardly any noise at all. You can feel the motion in the back most of the time, especially when the engines are engaged in turning or docking. We only saw stewards once but the room was cleaned each day with fresh towels and they work so hard. We received towel animals every day and loved it. I want to book this room every time we go!

 

 

Food - Cucina Del Capitano was delicious, staff so friendly. I don't think I'll eat hamburgers for a while because we ate so many at Guy's. Blue Iguana was good. We ate the Buffet for breakfast many times and enjoyed a gazillion ice cream comes. Green Eggs and Ham food was ok, it was more about seeing Cat in the Hat for my 6 year old. Sea Day Brunch was superb! My husband ate a ton of Pizza. We had my time dining and it was great too, I literally gained 5 lbs. I liked the my time option as we could get in and out and on to adventures around the ship. We requested the same waiter each night and enjoyed getting to know Dino/Manuel in the Sapphire Dining Room.

 

 

 

Steakhouse - Nothing great to report here. They messed up my order for each course and did not seem to care. People seated after us were done an hour before we were and we were only a table of two. I like a long dinner but three hours was excessive. We canceled our reservations for the rest of the week.

 

Spa - this was the one major blemish on the cruise. Our steward gave us a spa credit for $50.00 I didn't pull it out of the card holder until I went to pay for my pedicure. Well the spa credit expired two days after we received it and because I didn't mention it when booking they wouldn't honor it. No one asked me if I had a credit when I booked my appointment and didn't ask when I checked in. The spa manager was ugly to deal with and I won't be using the spa again. A lovely gift/gesture turned into something ugly. I went to guest services and they weren't sympathetic either. It felt like a hustle to me. . Take your own nail polish ladies. They have about 10 that come with your service and a larger selection for an up charge (gel $25.00) In the grand scheme of things, what's a $50.00 credit on our $2,000 bill. Would have gone a long way in my book.

 

Get your massages on the beach in port. I got one at Mr. Sancho's with Lupita for $45.00 and it was amazing!!!

 

 

 

Pools - Most of our time was spent time at the main beach pool. This was the best people watching ever! My only concern is the amount of drinks and food spilled throughout the day into the pool and the lack of folks getting out to go to the bathroom. You know who you are!!! At one point you couldn't make out the dolphin on the bottom of the pool because it was so cloudy. We just rolled with it and grabbed another drink. Never had an issue finding a chair or spot to hang out.

 

Water Slides - my daughter spent a lot of time here and loved it.

 

 

 

Bingo/Casino - I felt the slots were just like Vegas. You win some, you lose some. Same thing with Bingo, I never won but had a lot of fun playing. I played in the slot tournament and had a blast. Yes, we tried the cash crane. I think everyone has to try it at least one time!!The smoke was gross.

 

 

Camp Ocean - My daughter is six and loved Camp Ocean. Miss Starfish was her favorite crew member and I heard about her the entire week. They did lots of activities with some movies and video games. We received a lovely thank you note from Miss Starfish about the time she spent with our daughter. We tipped extra for the care they showed to our daughter. We tipped extra everywhere.

 

 

Carnival Staff - Mike the Cruise Director was awesome. The Bingo Pixie Nikki was hilarious and the fun squad made it an enjoyable time. I don't know when these folks sleep, I am impressed at their stamina levels. It really did feel like a big family on board at times.

 

Ship Activities - some of the shows were super cheesy so we just left. The activities and trivia were fun, the comics were all funny.

 

Excursions

 

• Mr. Sanchos in Cozumel because they have horse back riding for baby girl. You could only get a table or beach chair if you purchased all inclusive option. I will go to Paradise Beach next trip. The water was dirty, probably because of the storms.
  
• Infiniti Bay in Roatan, was quiet and at the end of the beach. Gorgeous beach and the water was beautiful and cool.
  
• Belize, we left the port and walked around Belize City for about 5 minutes then turned around. I didn't feel comfortable with the people following us through the streets.
  

Debarkation - FTTF carried our own luggage and were off the ship by 8:00.

 

Itinerary - we had to change the order of our itinerary to avoid the storm. Tuesday we had 40mph winds and 12 ft swells, you could feel it all over the ship. I had motion sickness pills and a patch from my DR and never had any issues. The crew tried to keep our minds off of things and make it fun. We only had one bad day of weather. The last day, the sea was like glass, I had never seen anything like it.

 

One point to make, it seems Carnival has a deal with Diamond's International based on the constant talks about diamonds and tanzinite. I'm an avid Diamond fan and shopper and couldn't believe the prices and quality (overpriced for low quality diamonds). Do your research before you go.

 

Whew that's a lot. I would be happy to answer any questions and I'll get around to posting pictures soon.

 

Could you please elaborate about Infinity Bay? What is the cost, what is included and transportation? It sounds like you had an amazing time. Love this ship.

[longhorn28]

Could you please elaborate about Infinity Bay? What is the cost, what is included and transportation? It sounds like you had an amazing time. Love this ship.

 

We coordinated with Kris at Infiniti Bay via email. There was a change with our arrival date and they were able to accommodate us with the last minute change. My husband had the internet package so he was able to email the resort. Here is Kris' contact information. kris@infinitybay.com

 

The cost for the day pass was $19.00 per person which included the use of facilities and towels. We also received a coupon for a free "rum punch" but were able to use it on any drink. To get to the resort, Kris sent a taxi to pick us up at a cost of $25.00 per person round trip (that seemed reasonable to me) driver had a sign with our name on it. The trick to using the taxi that Kris sent, you had to walk up the hill and go outside the port to meet the taxi driver. That was really interesting because we kept looking inside for the driver. Our bar tab was approximately $65 and we didn't eat. The resort does a great job of keeping vendors on the beach and you're at the least crowded part of the beach. Hope that help!

[longhorn28]

Thanks for the review. We are going on the Breeze in November, but going to Bahamas. Guess what , we have the very same cabin you had, #7462. I am glad to hear it was a nice room, I was a little worried about it from some of the other posts. If you have any pictures of the room, I sure would like seeing them. Thanks again for the great review.

 

 

There is definitely vibration from the engines when maneuvering in and out of ports. When we arrived back in Galveston at 4:50 am we were awaken by the vibrations but it wasn't a deal breaker. The bathroom is nice and there is a smell at times in the back of the ship when going through ports. My husband mentioned it as low tide smell but I never noticed. You can't hear anything above or below you.

 

I don't have a pic of the bathroom but it was perfect size for us and we're a smidge on the "fluffy" size. There is a small couch in the room that my daughter used as a bed. Hopefully some of these photos help give you an idea of the room. I was impressed by the room and I typically like things a certain way. Honestly the reviews on CC had me expecting the worst, I'm glad I formed my own opinions on Carnival etc.

Room.pdf

[JaniceB]

Welcome back from your first cruise. The Breeze was a good first choice. Thanks for doing a review!

[Clarea]

Welcome back and thanks for the report.