thecruiserofships

Lunch was good, but afterwards I was ready to walk around the ship. Port days are usually the quietest days on the ship because people are ashore. I started my walk by going from the back of the Lido Deck (10) up to Deck 11. Crew members were working on Deck 11 and performing maintenance. From the back of Deck 11, I went up to Deck 12. The jogging track, outside exercise equipment, and mini golf course were empty. There were no other guests outside except I could see a few in the distance at the WaterWorks. The Carnival Breeze's mini golf course is located in a great spot that helps keep wind down (compared to other Carnival ships). However, on sea days it can still get windy. On port days since the ship is not moving, the conditions are usually favorable to play mini golf. This would have been a great time for guests to play mini golf because the wind was minimal. As I walked around I kept looking at the Cozumel shoreline and Carnival Ecstasy. By the time I finish writing this review, the Carnival Ecstasy will likely be on its last cruise or already en-route to Turkey for scrapping. I cruised the Carnival Ecstasy four times when the ship sailed out of Galveston and this ship was my very first. I would have enjoyed the opportunity to go on the Carnival Ecstasy one more time, but my schedule did not permit and I did not really want to travel all the way to Mobile. I walked down to Deck 9 and went to the very front of the ship. The color of the water in the front of the ship was impressive! I like this shade of blue. In the distance there were several shore excursion boats. When looking towards the shoreline I was able to see many guests walking around the Puerta Maya Cruise Complex.

Below are pictures of the Lido Marketplace's dessert station for the day. I had some of the Red Velvet cake and it was good (as always).

Getting Lunch From Guy's Burger Joint: Today for lunch I was hungry for a hamburger and decided to get in line at Guy's Burger Joint. The Carnival Breeze's Guy's Burger Joint line is located outside near the main Lido pool. There are several burger options to pick from at Guy's Burger Joint: Plain Jane, Straight Up, The Ringer, Chilius Maximus, & Pig Patty. Hand cut fries are also available from Guy's Burger Joint. To celebrate Carnival's 50th Anniversary a special Funderstruck Nacho burger was available at Guy's Burger Joint. The Funderstruck Nacho Burger is a "Straight Up" burger with added Super Melted Cheese, Borracho Beans, Tortilla Strips, Fried Jalapenos, Donkey Sauce, and Pico. I ordered the Straight Up burger and some fries from Guy's Burger Joint. The Straight Up burger consisted of buns, meat patty, lettuce, tomato, cheese, onion, and pickles. When I got my burger I walked over to the toppings bar to add a little bit of extra vegetables to the burger and get some ketchup. The toppings bar was self-service and consisted of chili, sauteed onion, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, pickles, and jalapenos/other peppers. A condiment dispenser with ketchup, mustard, ranch, chipotle mayo, and regular mayo was available. Bacon used to be available on the Guy's Burger Joint toppings bar, but was not present anymore. There is still bacon available for the Pig Patty burger so if you really want bacon in your burger I recommend asking the crew member working the counter for a slice of bacon. Sauteed mushrooms are no longer available on the toppings bar. Lido Marketplace Lunch: Even though the ship's buffet was open for lunch during our port of call stop in Cozumel, the buffet was partially reduced due to most guests being off the ship. According to the daily What's Happening newsletter, these were our lunch options aboard the Carnival Breeze for the day: Seafood Shack - The Seafood Shack is located at the back of the lido buffet by the aft pool. This venue costs extra and was open from 3:00pm until 5:00pm for lunch and was also open for dinner from 5:00pm until 10:00pm. Blue Iguana Cantina - 12:00pm - 3:30pm Captain's Pasta Bar - The pasta bar offers guests the ability to create a customized bowl of pasta. Essentially, guests fill out a paper form that gives options of what can be put in a pasta bowl. The form is turned into a hostess or waitstaff team member. Caesar salads and garlic bread are also available. This venue was open from 12:00pm until 2:30pm. Guy's Burger Joint - 12:00pm - 6:00pm The deli was open for lunch, but was also available for dinner (it closed at 11pm). Note: Guy's Pig & Anchor BBQ and Bonsai Sushi were both closed at lunch. Bonsai Sushi was open starting at 5pm until midnight, but Guy's Pig & Anchor was closed for the entire day. Here are some pictures from the Lido Marketplace's salad bar and main buffet line:

Walking Back To The Ship - Entering The Pier: In order to walk back onto the pier, we had to go through a security checkpoint. We had to show our Sail & Sign card to the security guard. The security guard was checking Sail & Sign cards for ship names and sailing dates. There was no wait at this security checkpoint. Once this was done we were able to walk onto the pier. We had to walk through the long shop on the pier before being able to get back to the ship. After exiting the shops I stopped several times to take pictures of the shoreline, Carnival Breeze, and Carnival Ecstasy. Getting Back On The Carnival Breeze: After walking up the Carnival Breeze's gangway we had our Sail & Sign cards scanned. This was done by a security guard with a handheld tablet. As each person's card was scanned their picture appeared on the screen for security to verify the identity of the cruiser. After getting our Sail & Sign card scanned we had to go through the metal detector & bag screening. All electronic items had to be emptied from our pockets and placed in a bin to go through a separate scanning. Bags, purses, and backpacks also had to be scanned separately. There was no line at the security checkpoint which was great! After proceeding through this checkpoint we were free to leave Deck 0. Before going to lunch I went up to my stateroom on Deck 6 to wash hands and drop off the rum cakes purchased in Cozumel. We were back onboard about 30 minutes before the buffet was scheduled to open for lunch so I was not in a hurry. My plan was to go to Guy's Burger Joint for today's lunch.

As I approached the end of the Royal Village Shopping Center, I was across the street from the International Pier. This was the pier where the Grandeur of the Seas was docked. I walked along the street back towards Puerta Maya and once again had to endure all of the people trying to get us to come into their shop. It was annoying!! As we re-entered Puerta Maya they sanitized our hands with a liquid in a spray bottle. This seems to be one of the remaining Covid-19 health protocols. Some stores still had mask required signs, but the employees were not wearing masks and did not require cruisers to wear masks inside. The health protocols seemed very relaxed compared to my cruises in May 2022 and December 2021. I stopped in the Mayan Fiesta Rum Cake Company's Puerta Maya location to buy some rum cakes. Inside the Mayan Fiesta Rum Cake Co. there were samples being served to us of the Mexican Vanilla Rum Cake and Pina Colada rum cake. Both samples were good, but I already knew which flavors I was going to buy during my visit today. I ended up buying 6 rum cakes for $36. I have bought rum cakes here on my past two cruises since the pandemic. I have found my favorite flavors to be the Mexican Vanilla, Banana Daquiri, and Chocolate Chip. We were handed a small basket to put the rum cakes in and when it was time to checkout the cashier put the rum cakes in a cardboard pyramid. At the cash register I there was a Carnival Horizon "Ship on a Stick" sitting there. I almost asked if they would be willing to sell it, but I saw the funnel was broken.

There was not much to see on the second floor of the Royal Village Shopping Center except this area offers a great view of the ships in the distance. After being on the second level of the Royal Village Shopping Center, I came back down to the first floor. We stopped in the Pharmacy, but did not buy anything. The Royal Village Shopping Center was not very crowded on this day. There have been previous cruises, especially before the pandemic, where I would come here and there would be tons of cruise guests.

At the end of the pier, an agricultural inspection checkpoint was setup. People with bags, purses, or any type of item that could hold food were sent by local officials into an inspection line. Food sniffing dogs were present and each person had to set their bag on the floor. When food was found local officials confiscated it. I do not recommend attempting to bring food off the ship because you will very likely get caught! TIP: Do not attempt to bring food off the ship. You will likely get caught! After exiting the agricultural inspection checkpoint, I started walking around Puerta Maya. My first stop was along Puerta Maya's beach area to take a couple of ship pictures. The beach area at Puerta Maya has many chairs setup for people to lay outside and look at the nice blue water & ships. Despite it being early in the morning several of the chairs were already taken and the beach area was crowded. Some of the crowds may have been guests off the ships that were waiting for their shore excursion to start. Please note - this beach is not one for swimming at all or even getting in the water! At the exit to Puerta Maya, guests were gathered waiting to cross the street. A police officer was helping work the crosswalk of the street. Traffic was very heavy and I watched one person riding a motorcycle almost not stop. The police officer made us wait a minute or two before stopping traffic. I walked to the 7-Eleven because I was thirsty for Coca-Cola. I bought a glass bottled Coca-Cola for $1.00 in USD and it was very tasty. The Coca-Cola was made with real sugar and I personally think this tasted better than what is available in the US. The 7-Eleven is a great place to buy small things that a guest might need on the ship. Some items inside were priced nicely while others were expensive. Also, it is worth noting all of the prices were in pesos. Once I had purchased the Coca-Cola, I left the 7-Eleven to head to the Royal Village Shopping Center. My goal was to find a place to sit down. On my way I continued to be hounded by shopkeepers to come buy stuff. This was annoying! I found the same quiet place on the second floor of the shopping center. This was the same place I stopped in May to drink my Coca-Cola. I had a good view of the Carnival Breeze & Carnival Ecstasy from this area. Below are some pictures I took while at the Royal Village Shopping Center:

I stepped outside on Deck 5 to have a look outside before heading back to my stateroom: Going Ashore To Cozumel: We got off the ship approximately 30 minutes after the ship let guests off. When the ship first docked around 9:00am a long line formed along the stairwells because many guests were in a hurry to go on shore excursions. When guests were able to get off the ship our cruise director, Jasper, made an announcement about the getting off the ship. The front gangway opened first and was able to be accessed from the front elevator/stairwell area. Shortly after the front gangway was opened, the middle gangway was opened for guests to get off. Jasper let us know where the gangways were located and emphasized all guests must be back onboard by 4:30pm. From the middle elevators we went down to Deck 0. Normally Deck 0 is for crew members only, with the exception of guests that visit the ship's medical center. On Deck 0 crew members were passing out shopping maps and coupons. Several guests incorrectly stopped at the Carnival Breeze's Security Checkpoint that was for guests getting back on to have their bags scanned. After a small line had started forming at the metal detectors a member of the Security Team told the guests that they did not have to get their bags scanned to go ashore. At the actual security checkpoint for guests getting off onto the gangway there was a small but quick moving line and security scanned our Sail & Sign cards before we got off the ship. The ship's photographers were taking pictures on the gangway, but we declined. Here are some pictures I took after initially getting off the ship: Before being able to exit the pier we were required to walk through a long narrow Dufry Duty Free shop. I have always dreaded walking through this building because it is narrow. If a guest stops to look at something they are blocking the passageway and slow down everyone else from getting out. This shopping building sells a variety of different perfumes, jewelry, snacks, and souvenirs.

Arrival In Cozumel: After breakfast I went outside to watch our arrival in Cozumel. I exited the Lido Marketplace at the back of deck 10 and walked down to Deck 9 to cut through the stateroom hallway to get to the ship's front. The Carnival Breeze moved very slowly towards the pier. I watched our arrival from the front of deck 9 on the observation deck. The Carnival Ecstasy was sailing ahead of us and was in the process of docking in Cozumel while we very slowly approached. I was very excited to see the Carnival Ecstasy again because this was my first cruise ship and at the time of this cruise the ship was only a few weeks away from leaving Carnival's fleet. I will miss the Carnival Ecstasy! Also in Cozumel was the Grandeur of the Seas. The Grandeur of the Seas is a Royal Caribbean cruise ship and sails 4 & 5 night cruises from Galveston (at the time of this cruise). Today the Carnival Breeze was scheduled to dock at the Puerta Maya cruise complex. The Puerta Maya cruise complex is where most Carnival ships dock in Cozumel and has the ability to have three ships docked at once. Below are some pictures as we approached Cozumel and docked:

After checking out the Library Bar I went up to Deck 11. My camera lenses fogged up, but were quickly unfogged. As it was approaching 6:45am the sun was starting to rise. I walked up to Deck 12 to find a good place to get a sunrise picture. Breakfast in the Lido Marketplace: Since today was a port of call day the Lido Marketplace's scheduled breakfast time was a little earlier. Luckily today the Carnival Breeze's Lido Marketplace was serving french toast and bacon on the buffet line. This was the only day french toast was available in the buffet for breakfast. I love Carnival's french toast and wish it would go back to being served daily. The continental breakfast buffet line was open from 6:00am until 10:30am. The Blue Iguana Cantina was open from 7:00am - 10:00am and the Lido Marketplace main buffet lines were open from 7:00am - 10:30am. The late risers buffet line was open from 10:30am until 12:00pm. For guests that did not want to eat in the buffet, the Blush Dining Room was open for Breakfast Open Seating from 7:30am until 9:00am. Here are some pictures of the Lido Marketplace main buffet line and some of the pastries available on the Continental Breakfast buffet line:

When I reached the front of Deck 5 I went down to Deck 4. The Pixels Photo Gallery is located around the atrium on Deck 4. At this time of the morning, the Pixels Photo Gallery was closed. I started walking towards the back of Deck 4. My first stop was the ship's library. The Carnival Breeze's library is divided into two rooms. These two rooms are separated by the deck 4 entrance to the Sapphire Dining Room. Both areas have tables & chairs and bookshelves. Between the two rooms of the library there were some boardgames and books. Previously this area of the ship was called The Library Bar, but the ship's deck plan on Carnival's website now calls this The Library. Since the wine dispensers are removed, it looks like the Carnival Breeze may no longer have a Library Bar.

Thank you! I also hope the Battleship Texas will stay out of Galveston. I think the Battleship will get more visitors out of Galveston compared to going to Baytown or Beaumont (I think these were the two other cities that are trying to get the Battleship). I have been watching the Port of Galveston's monthly board meetings hoping to hear some discussion on potential Battleship Texas locations. It will be interesting to see what ends up happening!

You're welcome! I am glad you like having the PDFs of the activities. I personally like seeing other people post them before I cruise so I feel like posting these from mine is one way to pay it forward!

Thank you! I am glad to hear you appreciate the review!

Day 3 Cozumel, Mexico Saturday, September 24, 2022 Morning Walk Around The Carnival Breeze: Once again my alarm failed to go off at 5:45am. I'm not sure what was happening at sea, but normally the alarm works perfectly on land and gets me up timely to go to work in the morning. I woke up around 6:00am and was able to be ready to walk around by 6:20am. For this morning's walk I took several pictures, but will not be sharing as many due to this day's review featuring Cozumel. My walk started on Deck 5 at the back of the ship. The Piano Bar 88 is located at the back of Deck 5 and was the first public area I walked through for the morning. While walking from the back to the front of Deck 5 I stepped inside the Liquid Nightclub. The Liquid Nightclub was empty and had a weird smell. This smell was confined to Liquid Nightclub thankfully. Next I stopped in the Red Frog Pub to take a few pictures. The Red Frog Pub's TVs were on and playing a sports channel. I do not remember which game was playing. The lights were off inside the Red Frog Pub, but the TV was left on. The back of the Red Frog Pub leads to the Ocean Plaza next to the Alchemy Bar. I walked out by the Alchemy Bar into the Ocean Plaza. Below are some pictures of the Ocean Plaza: The Carnival Breeze's Plaza Cafe is located right by the Ocean Plaza. This area serves a variety of coffee and specialty beverages for a fee. Desserts are served for a fee after breakfast hours. The Plaza Cafe was not yet open when I walked by, but when open there was usually a sizable line at this venue (especially on sea days).

The overall dinner experience lasted about 1 hour 15 minutes. The time for the first showing of Motor City was coming up fast. I ran back to the room to change out of my formal night clothes. Before leaving I looked out and saw the sunset from the balcony. Below are some pictures from my balcony: Production Show "Motor City": Tonight's Playlist Productions show was "Motor City". This show had a variety of Motown & 70's songs. The show took place twice in the Ovation Theater. One of the showtimes was 7:30pm and the other was 9:30pm. Doors opened 30 minutes prior to the start of each showing. Seating was packed in the middle section of Deck 3 of the Ovation Theater. There was more room available on Decks 4 & 5. Some seats in the theater are obstructed by poles. The Playlist Productions performers did a great job and the show was very enjoyable. After the show ended we went outside to walk around the Lanai on Deck 5. We did 3 laps around the Lanai. There were guests sitting outside in the smoking section on the port side of the ship and a couple of guests scattered throughout the others parts of the Lanai. It was very quiet outside! When we were finished walking around the Lanai we went up to Deck 12 to see if anything was happening on the ship's upper exterior decks. Dive In Movies was taking place on the Seaside Theater. Several guests were watching the movie from the Lido Deck and Deck 11. I think the movie "Moribus" was playing at 6pm and "The Batman" was playing at 10pm. The Carnival Breeze's Lido Marketplace was serving a dinner buffet from 6pm until 9:30pm. I happened to walk by when getting some water in the Lido Marketplace. I was stuffed from dinner still so I did not take food. However, if I was taking food I would have gone for the pasta, broccoli, and some of the desserts. Below are some pictures of the dinner buffet on the Lido:

The afternoon was filled with walking around the ship and looking around. I did not take many pictures during the afternoon, but below are a few I took while outside. Formal Night Dinner In The Sapphire Dining Room: Tonight was the cruise's first and only elegant evening. This meant the dining room had a dress code that was supposed to be followed. However, the dining room dress code did not seem to be enforced. Some guests were wearing t-shirts & shorts while others were dressed up very fancy. It truly was a wide variety of clothing inside the main dining room. Personally guests not following the dress code does not bother me, but it is worth reminding everyone reading this that Carnival's team reserves the right to deny entry to guests not following the dress-code. The Sapphire Dining Room for Your-Time dining guests opened at 5:30pm again. Check-in started on the Carnival Hub App approximately 10 minutes prior to opening. We got assigned to the same table as the night before, which was great! My dinner for the night consisted of both breads, appetizers of shrimp cocktail & Caesar salad, main course of pan fried striped bass, and dessert of banana split from the kid's menu. The food was all very good. This was the first time I have eaten the pan fried striped bass as a main course. I greatly enjoyed it and will definitely have it again if Carnival keeps it on the menu!

Below are pictures from the dessert station:

After watching both ships pass by, I went back to my stateroom to get ready for lunch. Our stateroom steward had come by the room. While he was there he made up the beds, did some basic cleaning, and left a towel animal. Second Lunch On The Carnival Breeze: Around 12:00pm, I headed up to the Lido buffet for lunch. My first stop was the main Lido buffet line which was serving Comfort Food again today. The buffet had opened a few minutes early so there was already a long line when I entered the buffet. Luckily the line moved quickly! Here are all of the lunch options available on the ship for this sea-day: Seafood Shack - The Seafood Shack is located at the back of the lido buffet by the aft pool. This venue costs extra and was open from 11:00am until 5:00pm for lunch and was also open for dinner from 5:00pm until 10:00pm. Blue Iguana Cantina - 12:00pm - 2:30pm Bonsai Sushi - This dining option is located on Deck 5 and costs extra. Bonsai Sushi serves a variety of different sushi related dishes. For lunch, this venue was open from 12:00pm until 2:30pm. Guy's Pig & Anchor Smokehouse (BBQ) - This dining venue is located on the Lanai on Deck 5 and is complimentary. BBQ is served here. The Carnival Breeze's BBQ line was open from 12:00pm until 2:30pm. Mongolian Wok - The Carnival Breeze's Mongolian Wok is located in the lido buffet near the front area of the interior space. This venue was open from 12:00pm until 2:30pm. Pasta Bar - The pasta bar offers guests the ability to create a customized bowl of pasta. Essentially, guests fill out a paper form that gives options of what can be put in a pasta bowl. The form is turned into a hostess and a crew member makes the bowl of pasta. Caesar salads and garlic bread are also available. This venue was open from 12:00pm until 2:30pm. Guy's Burger Joint - 12:00pm - 6:00pm The deli was open for lunch, but was also available for dinner (deli is open 11am - 11pm). The pizzeria was also open at lunch. Below are some pictures of the food available on the Lido Marketplace's main buffet line:

After watching The Wave we stepped outside onto Deck 5. Crew members were already working inside the Guy's Pig & Anchor BBQ to serve lunch. The Guy's Pig & Anchor BBQ was open from 12pm - 2:30pm. View From The Front Observation Deck: I walked up from Deck 5 to the very front of Deck 9. While looking in the horizon I noticed two specs that resembled cruise ships. Since I knew the Carnival Vista and Carnival Dream were heading back up to Galveston I stayed outside to watch us get closer to the ships. The Carnival Vista passed by us first. Carnival Vista is a Vista Class ship and is larger than the Carnival Breeze. The Carnival Dream passed by us second and is in the same class of ships as the Carnival Breeze. Both ships would be docked in Galveston on the following day.

After breakfast, I walked outside and looked out from the back of Deck 10. I headed up the stairs to Deck 11. The water in the Gulf of Mexico was nice & blue! We truly were lucky to have calm seas and nice weather. This was a few days before Hurricane Ian would enter the Gulf of Mexico to head towards Florida. From Deck 11 I walked up to Deck 12. The jogging track on Deck 12 was busy with many guests running, walking, or jogging. The mini golf course was not busy at this early time of the morning. I took pictures of the Deck 12 level of the mini golf course and also headed up to the Deck 14 level of the mini golf course. On Deck 14 guests can find the entrance to the Ropes Course, which was scheduled to open later in the morning. Casino Fun Play: As part of the Covid-19 procedures, the Platinum & Diamond casino tournament benefit was not available on this cruise. Instead Platinum & Diamond guests can go to the cashier's station in the casino to request $25 Fun Play to be credited. I went to the cashier's station which is located inside the Winner's Luck Casino on Deck 5. I was given a choice to have the Fun Play given as a credit for slots or in chips for the game tables. I chose the credit because I wanted to play the slot machines. The credit could be used at either the Winner's Luck Casino on Deck 5 or the non-smoking casino annex on Deck 4. I went down to Deck 4 to play in the non-smoking casino. I ended up winning $45 with my Fun Play and cashed out my winnings to avoid losing any money. This is the first time I have ever played & won in the casino and it is even better I was playing with Fun Play to start with so I did not gamble my own money! The Wave Morning Show: The Wave Morning Show was scheduled for 9:00am in the Ovation Theater or on the Carnival Breeze's stateroom TVs. The show was hosted by our cruise director, Jasper, and fun squad member, Lizzy. The show consisted of an overview of the day's events and an advertisement for the Fun Finds Shopping Show & SEE The Caribbean Shopping Show. The morning show was not well attended and there was plenty of seating available inside the Ovation Theater.

When it was closer to time for breakfast, I walked down to the Lido Deck to the Lido Marketplace. My pictures of the main pool area & deck chairs have many guests so I am not including them in the review. I entered the Lido Marketplace buffet, but the lines were not yet open. Near the front section of the buffet (close to the mid-ship elevators) there is a Menu Mate station. This area is where guests can get information & help regarding allergies, ingredients, and more. I walked to the very back of the Lido Marketplace and exited to the Tides Pool area. I took a peek outside and then went back inside to wait for breakfast. First Breakfast On The Carnival Breeze: The Carnival Breeze offers cruisers multiple breakfast options to choose from. At the Lido Marketplace several buffet lines were open for breakfast. A continental breakfast buffet line that served pastries, cereal, and yogurt opened at 6:30am and closed at 10:30am. The main Lido buffet lines served breakfast from 7:30am until 10:30am. For cruisers wanting to eat breakfast tacos and burritos, the Blue Iguana Cantina served breakfast from 7:30am until 10:00am. One breakfast buffet line remained open until 12:00pm for late risers, but after 10:30am the rest of the lines closed to start preparing for lunch. Cruisers that did not want to eat in the buffet could eat at the Sea Day Brunch in the Blush Dining Room (aft dining room on Deck 3). The Sea Day Brunch was open from 8:30am until 12pm. Carnival no longer serves pancakes & french toast each day of the cruise. Today the buffet served pancakes, but on Day 3 would serve french toast. French toast was served one time during the entire cruise. Additionally, Carnival introduced alternating bacon days on the buffet. Bacon was served on Day 3 and on debarkation morning. Below are some pictures of the continental breakfast and main Lido Marketplace buffet lines:

The Blush Restaurant is the Carnival Breeze's aft dining room. This dining room is used for the Sea Day Brunch and at night used for traditional seating. On my morning walk I went into the deck 4 level of the Blush Restaurant. Some crew members were working on the Deck 3 level to setup for the Sea Day Brunch, which was scheduled from 8:30am until 12:00pm. The upper level of the Blush Restaurant was setup for tea time which was taking place from 3pm - 4pm. I had plans to check it out, but later was too full of dessert from lunch to attend. I've been to tea time on some prior cruises (see my Carnival Freedom cruise review) and enjoyed the many desserts that were available. Carnival's scones are delicious! After touring the Blush Dining Room, I went to Deck 11 to have a look outside. There were already several guests outside, mainly in the smoking section on Deck 11.