Breeze 9-2013

    Itinerary Sailed: Miami - Day at Sea - Grand Turk - Echo Rios - Day at Sea - Miami

        Dream Class Vessel
          Length Overall - 1004 ft.
          3690 Passengers (two per cabin)
          1380 International Crew

The Carnival Breeze is the third and last of a series of three Dream class ships, her sisterships Carnival Dream and Carnival Magic. Constructed by the shipyard Fincantieri Monfalcone in Italy, she entered service on June 3rd, 2012. In the winter months she sails Caribbean Itineraries out of her home port of Miami then from June to November she home ports out of Barcelona for Mediterranean Itineraries.

Carnival Breeze and her sisters have the widest variety of activity, dining, and entertainment options of the entire fleet. She features a 4D Cinema called Thrill Theater, outdoor water park, Cloud 9 Spa, jogging track, fitness center, Seaside Theater, Red Frog Pub, Winner's Luck casino and bar, the Liquid Nightclub disco, Punchliner Comedy Club, Sport-square and Hasbro: The Game Show.

Other features on Carnival Breeze include the Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse (reservations and fee required), Guy's Burger Joint, which offers burgers custom-created by Food Network chef Guy Fieri, a Comedy Brunch on sea days, the Cucina del Capitano, a family-style Italian eatery with an extensive night time menu (reservations and fee required at night) and a free lunch time pasta bar, the BlueIguana Cantina, a burrito and taco made to order eatery for both breakfast and lunch, and on sea days an outside Fat Jimmy's C-Side BBQ.

Looking for family fun? Carnival Breeze has you covered with a 320-foot-long Twister Waterslide at Carnival WaterWorks (a 300ft long serpentine Perspex tube which winds it's way around the upper deck) supervised youth programs like Camp Carnival, plus oversized family fun at Hasbro, The Game Show. Or have some me-time relaxing at Serenity Adult Only Retreat… after you pamper yourself at Cloud 9 Spa, of course. Then for fun after the sun, have a truly moving experience at the multi-dimensional Thrill Theater, dance in your seat at Playlist Productions, or if you prefer dancing on a dance floor, then Liquid Nightclub is for you.

I had a stateroom located about mid-ship on deck eight. The stateroom was very pleasantly decorated and besides the double bed (which can be converted to twins upon request) it also had a small couch and coffee table as well as adequate work surface, a set of draws and three decent sized hanging lockers a cabinet with safe and a mini-bar made up the rest of the furniture. There was also a flat-screen TV mounted on a swivel base for bedside viewing. The en-suite bathroom had a decent sized shower, sink and toilet and was well supplied with towels and amenities. Our stateroom was located on the portside of the ship pretty much right above "Fat Jimmy's C-Side BBQ" so on sea days it was advisable not to be on your balcony unless you wanted to be enticed by the aroma of BBQ from below. A small balcony with two chairs and a small table where also provided.

The stateroom was always well attended, our room steward was very attentive and kept us well supplied with dry towels and ice as well as keeping our bathroom and stateroom clean and tidy at all time. It helped the service staff a lot to use the "Cruising /Sleeping" tag on your door lock as they would service your stateroom pretty much straight away so even a short departure, say to breakfast, meant you returned to a serviced stateroom.

The ship is big and you do a lot of walking back and forth, we appeared to be midway between two stairwells so we got plenty of exercise whenever we wanted to go anywhere on the ship.

The Breeze does not have any oversized exaggerated suites instead Carnival has gone for functionality in keeping with the rest of the ship. There are 719 inside staterooms of 185 to 220 sq. ft each, 221 Ocean views and 851 balcony verandahs from 35 to 75 sq. ft. Carnival introduced the "cove balcony" concept on this series and the Breeze has 185 of these on deck 2., They are surprisingly intimate being shielded from onlookers by the lifeboats. The proximity to the waterline also makes for a unique view from their 45 sq.ft. balconies.. For family groups of five the 230 sq. ft "quint" staterooms each comprise two twins (these can be combined to form a queen) two additional bunks hang from the wall and there is a sizable sofa, the staterooms also feature two bathrooms.

For passengers looking for a little more room, the Breeze has one large suite (#7270) of 450sq. ft with a 110 sq. ft. balcony.

Breezes Cloud 9 Spa staterooms are locate around the two deck spa facility (deck 12 & 14) and they come in various formats, a 185 sq. ft. ocean-view with balcony (35 sq. ft. verandah). 275 sq. ft. suites (65 sq. ft. verandahs) the Spa suites includes some additional amenities.

The Breeze has two main restaurants, both of which are located on two deck levels, the aft dining room is named The Blush and the midships is the Sapphire. Both are tastefully decorated and well staffed with personable and professional wait staff. I ate at both restaurants twice on my cruise. The menus were the same in both restaurants. Personally I found the menu choices to be very ordinary and the food pretty bland, which I presume is done to cater for the majority, For some reason there is a reluctance to let you switch between restaurants even when there are plenty of free table.

There are three up-charge restaurant choices, Fahrenheit 555 ($35 per person) is the steakhouse and is excellent. Quality products, well cooked to your liking and served impeccably. The restaurant also features better quality crystal and silverware, all in all a considerable step up from the "free" restaurant choices.

The Bonsai Sushi Restaurant is a pleasant spot located of off the main passageway on deck 5. It is a traditional sushi style with bar stools around the preparation bar and high tops located around the restaurant. One can order a la carte or splurge with a sushi boat for two which includes miso soup and a small salad for just $15. Service was excellent by very personable young Asian ladies.

Of off the Lido Marketplace one finds the entrance to the Italian restaurant - Cucina del Capitano. This is a family style Italian restaurant, at lunch time one can eat pasta dishes for no additional charge. In the evening the menu expands and there is a small cost involved to dine. The pasta dishes where creative and we heard numerous recommendations for their special lasagna dish.

Starting on the upper deck (deck 15) you have the Serenity Adult-Only area forward, This is a sunbathing area where children are not allowed. There is not much else to distinguish it from any other sunbathing area around the ship. It has the same amenities as most of the other areas, namely - bar service provided by wandering waiters, colorful, oversized umbrellas or some shaded area. You can also enjoy a dip in one of the whirlpools while listening to mellow music.

The Cloud 9 Spa operated by Steiner (deck 12) and offers a soothing ambiance where you can renew yourself with premium beauty and wellness therapies, like hot stone massages, aromatherapy or full-body wraps. Treatments for both men and women are available such as;

» Acupuncture
» Massages
» Body Wraps and Slimming Treatments
» Thalassotherapy Pool (available on select ships)
» Facial Treatments
» Tooth Whitening
» Men's Services
» Special Spa Packages
» Steam Rooms
» Water Therapies
» Thermal Suites.

Adjacent to the Spa is the Fitness Center where you can stay fit on your vacation, you can go o for a jog, lift some weights, or use the state-of-the-art equipment to work up a sweat and get stronger. If it’s heart-pumping cardio classes you’re after, try indoor cycling, aerobics or cardio circuit training. If you’re in more of a chill-out mood, try yoga or Pilates. Some of the classes have a small fee, but the fitness center is always free and open all day. IF you can get in. We went by a number of times to work out and found the gym to be packed on every occasion, in my opinion it is just way to small for ship of this size.

Aft on this deck is where the sports activities are located and they cover a large spectrum, from mini-golf to Basketball with lots in between. Something for everyone who want to do something energetic

Next deck down is (deck 11) - there is stateroom accommodation forward followed by Camp Carnival and then the restaurant Cucina del Capitano.

Deck 10 is the Lido Deck the forward end of which has accommodations followed by the main pool area - Beach Pool. here are shown outdoor movies, the Blue Iguana Tequila Bar and two of the popular food outlets Guy,'s Burger Joint and the Blue Iguana Cantina located around the forward pool. Going aft you enter the Marketplace, the buffet area where a number of different food stations are located some of which change according to the mealtime at the moment. At the aft end of the Marketplace is located the entrance to another of the optional restaurants - Cucina del Capitano, exiting the Marketplace one arrives at the aft-deck pool area. This is another small pool around which is located the Indian Food station - the Tandoor and the Pizzeria as well as a small bar area.

The Promenade (Deck 5) is the entertainment deck it is here you will find, (from aft to forward) the Limelight Lounge, where the Punchliner Comedy Club operates from in the later part of the evening, The Piano Bar 88 on one side and the optional Steakhouse - Fahrenheit 555 on the other, Liquid's Nightclub, the Bonsai Sushi Restaurant (an optional restaurant - but well priced) Ocean Plaza a lounge area (inside and out with smoking on the starboard side - Lanai) next is the Fun Hub (an array of computers for the pubic to use). Entering the Winners Luck Casino one immediately finds the Sports Bar. Exiting the Casino you arrive at The Fun Shops and the candy store - Cherry on Top then the upper level of the Ovation Theatre.

The Mezzanine (deck 4) from aft - upper level of the Blush Dining Room, then for the young adults - Club 02, Circle C, The Wharehouse Video Arcade, The Thrill Theatre and another Fun Hub. Further forward one passes the upper level of the Sapphire Dining Room followed by the Library Bar and then the Photo Gallery and the mid-level of the Ovation Theatre.

The Lobby Deck (Deck 3) from aft - the lower level of the Blush Dining Room, The lower level of the Sapphire Dining Room then the Breeze Atrium and Lobby and right forward the lower level of the Ovation Theatre

Departing from Miami with the first day at sea works well as it give the guest a change to unpack and settle into their stateroom as well as explore the ship and make themselves comfortable with their surroundings.

Arriving alongside at Grand Turk was a pleasant experience and the being alongside made for such easy access to the port facilities. Grand Turk is a purpose built cruise port and has all the usual stores, bars and restaurants one finds in so many of the Caribbean and central American cruise ports that it really makes one wonder - 'what is the point of coming all this way" - if your not going to partake of the shore excursions etc.

Grand Turk however, does not have a lot to offer by way of interesting sights, the island is very small and very poor. We took a trip into "town" if one can call it such.. we met up with a number of other cruisers in the only real bar / restaurant in "town". We chatted to some of the local's who where a bit upset that so few cruisers come into town especially as in the old days the cruise ship used to anchor off the town and tender people in to town so they could have the opportunity of selling them a few things, now they sell next to nothing and all the money goes back out via the international companies located in the new port. It's easy to see their discontent.

We took a taxi ride out to the light house and back along the coast to the port finally wandered the shops but found little of interest to purchase.

Having been to Ocho Rios on numerous occasions over a 30 year period I was not that interested in going ashore so instead dealt with some business affairs and then wandered the city for a couple of hours, Remembering the Caribbean as it used to be before the advent of mass tourism makes one wonder if all the progress over the years has really helped anyone. Jamaica is a unique island with an interesting history, it still has it's problems but the people are generally a friendly bunch and easy to get along with.

It appears that many people also enjoy a relaxing day at sea. The pool areas where so full of humanity that with the small pools on board one was hard put to find a square foot of water to slip into.

Nassau has really been tidied up over the last 10 years or so, The new straw market appeared to give the city the impetus needed to clean itself up and slap on a new coat of paint. I was pleased to see so many renovated stores and offices retained their character - keeping the Bahamian look and feel. There is a lot of money going into the Bahamas in the form of investment much of it from Asia. The new properties should give the island a lift as indeed Paradise island and the resorts there have.

I thought the ship, even as big as it is is a very tight fit for all that has been crammed into it. I missed a cozy lounge to get away from the crowds that seem to be everywhere. (it was a full sailing). I enjoyed the Library Bar for both it's wine and peacefulness, the Ocean Plaza was sometimes a little more peaceful especially so on the deck areas to either side. Almost everywhere else the ship was in full FUN mode which if you wanted to party continuously was just terrific and many folks younger than me where.

I was not impressed by the food on board with a few notable exceptions... I thought the quality of the products use to be poor and not always well prepared, most of the food, sauces and soups had very little flavor or taste.

The buffets seemed to just serve pretty much the same thing from the beginning to the end of the cruise.

I would have liked to have tried both the omelet station and the Mandarin Wok, but during normal meal times the stations had huge lines around them. These are obviously popular choices and the station could be larger to cater for the demand.

The menu's in both the main restaurant lacked imagination and not being a lover of frozen fish fillets I ended up eating far more beef in a week than I normally eat in a month. The vegetarian (Indian based) plates where good and some of the more unusual items such as escargot and the like where a nice change.

On the subject of the main restaurants. being on a site inspection I obviously wanted to experience all the ship had to offer, but requesting a table in the "other" main restaurant was a drama, quite why you cannot be seated in the "other" restaurant when it is blatantly far from full was lost on me. I did manage to secure a table eventually after some lengthy discussion, but was not seated in a very nice location even though there was plenty of empty table throughout.

I was most impressed by - Fahrenheight 555 - The Steakhouse. A very nice experience in every way, certainly worth the up-charge of $35 per person.

I also ate at the Tandoor - several times. Really enjoyed the genuine Indian style of dishes and side dishes. It being a buffet on the aft pool deck did detract from the experience somewhat however.

I also really enjoyed the Bonsai Sushi Restaurant, the staff where exceptional, the food nice although the sushi was not always freshly prepared to order. Again the up-charge of $15 for two people for a sushi boat being in my mind a genuine bargain.

For those that require it there is also 24 hour room service, but with a very restricted menu and a service charge to consider also.

I though the on-board self service laundry and pressing service to be a good addition and noted the one in my area of the accommodation deck got a good work-out.

I thought the constant haranguing of the photographers at seemingly every turn was a lot too much. I understand that this is a major revenue source as is obvious by the large amount of space devoted to the display area, but even so, it gets to be wearing after a while.

I felt the pool areas to be very small for the amount of people on-board. On the days at sea it was particularly noticeable as was the gym.

I was also disappointed with the shows put on in the main showroom - the Ovation Lounge - Carnival has always been renown for it's shows and I felt these where far below acceptable standards, boarding on amateur night.

I also felt that the cost of beverages on board was somewhat high especially when one is automatically charge 15% of the order - on top of the already pre-paid gratuity not to mention an additional gratuity for the cabin staff for their assistance and service. (the gratuity percentage really mounts up).

In reviewing the ship from the point of view of placing corporate groups and charters on-board. I feel that the clientele sailing on the ship as part of the regular guest list could be construed as a disadvantage in regards to corporate groups always depending on the make up of the group in question.

In regards to a whole ship charter - the previously mentioned issue would not apply.

With both a corporate group or charter the beverage issue would be dealt with differently the corporate guest sailing on the voyage would not be purchasing their own beverages in most cases.

The crew - almost without exception, all the crew members I had dealings with where extremely pleasant and helpful.