Crystal & Darren's 1-5-13 "Breezin' Through the Southern Caribbean" Review!

[bucks724]

I am enjoying reading your review! Its great and the pictures are

awesome!

 

We decided when we go to Grand Turk, we were going

to hang out at Margaritaville but after your pictures of

Jack's Shack, think we are changing our plans! The Jerk

Chicken looks amazing and I read the menu to my husband

and he wants to try the fish or Conch. :D

 

Also, thanks for the compliment on my very amateur pictures! And Margaritaville is good for the pool and the little line dance things, but VERY expensive if you're eating or drinking there. The pool looked nice but we didn't get in. And the music can be heard on the beach, which was pretty cool too.

[Mrs.C05]

I love reading these reviews because it's making my DH and I want to go back to the Western Caribbean! And we're seriously looking at booking it for next year with our son, who will then be 2! Yay!!! Great review!

[MRSRN]

I looove your review! Especially the food part! YUM!

[portlandpete]

I love your review! The photos are fantastic too. We are doing that same tour in DR so I am happy to hear you liked it. Can't wait to read more of your review.

Sounds like you didn't like the dining room food too much. Glad there are many more options.

[chelmich]

...

[chelmich]

I had a wonderful time on the Carnival Breeze and would highly recommend it to any first time cruisers or anyone who has never sailed with the cruise line. The boat was absolutely amazing and there was so much to do on our sea days. I especially enjoyed the restaurants on board. I would highly recommend Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse. The meal was reasonably priced and cooked to perfection. I really was not in a steak mode, so I decided to try the grilled lamb chops as my main entree - - it turned out to be an excellent choice! My other courses consisted of a bowl of Lobster Bisque, Caesar Salad, and Strawberry Cheesecake with a Hazelnut Biscuit. I would love to hear about your impression of the meal if you have dined in the restaurant.

:)

[bucks724]

Next stop, Curacao!

 

I will start by saying that I was SO excited for this island. I had a friend who went there for her anniversary back in ~1994 and loved it, and I thought it would be AWESOME!

 

It's a beautiful island. Very colorful. Pretty clean. However, arriving at 1 pm means you have just a few hours of daylight AND shopping. I wanted to book an excursion here, but didn't want to do three days in a row, so I figured this would be our "shopping day".

 

On approach, the first thing I noticed was the gorgeous water, and this CRAZY high bridge

 

 

It took a little extra time to get the moorings straight because of the wind, so we disembarked a little later than planned, but when we got off and out of the immediate pier area, the first thing we encountered was a Gouda cheese shop with samples. While I grabbed a toothpick, Chaya stood off to the side so I snapped a picture of her with the ship in the background

 

 

We looked at the street vendor offerings and just snapped some pictures of the area - it was so quaint and just beautiful.

 

 

 

 

We walked around for a bit and got a couple of samples of Blue Curacao, then some dutch chocolate, and just shopped around in general. When the sun started to set, we headed back to the bridge, and realized it wasn't there!

 

 

Oops! Someone told us that they heard the bridge wasn't coming back at all. So we walked down to the ferry.

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the report.

[bucks724]

Curacao Continued:

 

After getting back to the "mainland", we headed to the Del Sol shop for Chaya - I don't know why she loves that stuff but she does! Then we looked at some Swatch watches and headed back to the Gouda shop to buy a little cheese.

 

 

By the time we got back on the ship and up to our room, it was almost pitch black outside.

 

 

So we headed down to the Red Frog Pub for a little Caribbean food!

 

I, of course, had a Miami Vice to get things started.

 

 

Then the server brought us some fried black eyed peas. We all looked at him funny but he insisted we try them. They were good. Like popcorn with a little bit of spice.

 

 

The wait was pretty long for our food, so we started getting goofy, ordered another round of drinks, and started taking pictures of random stuff, like the cute napkins in the Pub

 

 

[bucks724]

Curacao again!

 

After about a 30 minute wait, our food came.

 

I ordered Coconut Shrimp

 

 

and Jerk Pulled Pork Sliders

 

 

Darren had the wings

 

 

Danica got the Conch Fritters

 

 

Kassidy and Lawrence both got wings and Grouper Fingers

 

 

Can anybody guess what Chaya had?

 

Okay, time's up. A trip to the Pizza Pirate. As usual. That girl eats like she's 5. Actually, she ate better when she was 5!

 

One word about Red Frog. Don't let the price fool you. It's a small price, and it's considered small plate, but we were ALL trying to give portions of our food away before it was gone. You definitely get more than you would expect here. So plan to share with others when you go, or go REALLY hungry!

 

We called it an early night because we had a BIG day the next day, so I just went into the casino and lost about $50 (shh, don't tell Darren) and went to bed. We had to be up around 6 the next day!

 

Next up: Aruba!

[bucks724]

Thursday morning, we woke up in Aruba. Aruba is the SOLE reason my dad chose this ship, and this itinerary. This was our "crown jewel" port. And I was EXCITED!

 

A couple of months before we left home, we got an invitation from my great aunt inviting us to her vow renewal "on the beach in Aruba". However, we had decided when we booked that we wanted to REALLY see Aruba.

 

Upon researching the excursions, including Bully's tour, I decided to stick with a Carnival-sponsored excursion. I found a GREAT one online, but it was booked. Guess why? Carnival took all the spots. So the excursion I wanted to book was still available, I just paid the little Carnival "surcharge". No biggie.

 

We booked the North Coast Jeep Safari. It was about $80 per person.

 

We pulled in to Aruba and I was itching to get off the ship.

 

 

As soon as the announcement was made, we hit the elevator. We were met with utter CHAOS. We found our tour operator, but the area was a total cluster. Eventually, we found our way to a bus, which took us to meet up with our "Jeep" (which was really a Land Rover).

 

Our tour guide was Rena, and she was awesome. She didn't actually do the talking, she just drove.

 

 

This guy did all the talking. This is Eduardo, the Captain

 

 

Our first stop was a park with lots of great scenery, volcanic rock formations, and some drawings in a cave.

 

 

Chaya is a daredevil at heart, so when she sees a high place, she wants to climb up. And Darren can't let her go alone, so he always goes with her.

 

 

Another shot of the park

 

[bucks724]

Next we went OFF ROAD. When this excursion tells you it's not for pregnant people (I'm NOT!) or people with back problems (okay, you got me there!), it's true. When they go off road, they go off road.

 

 

But the sites are worth it.

 

This is the "new" natural bridge, located next to the "original" one that collapsed.

 

 

The waves on this part of the island are really, really rough. And they get bigger and bigger and sometimes come ashore. It's also very windy. So I asked Chaya and Kassidy to pose for a picture, but they were worried about their hair. I told them to hold it down and smile pretty, so they did.

 

 

Then Chaya posed for one by herself - she's SUCH a HAM!

 

 

I could see a BIG wave coming and I said, "stay right there, but you're going to get WET". The kid is a born swimmer, probably a fish in a former life, so she didn't move a muscle. The shot I got is hilarious!

 

 

And then we walked out on the natural bridge, and then made wishes with our stones

 

[bucks724]

Next we went to the Ostrich Farm, where we played with some birds (ostrich and emu babies). The girls were nervous, but agreed to feed them for the sake of a picture!

 

 

 

Then we visited the gold mine (and OF COURSE, Chaya and Darren had to climb up high)

 

 

Then we did a little more off roading

 

 

[bucks724]

Next we went to Alto Vista to see the chapel

 

 

 

 

and it was there that we saw a BOA CONSTRICTOR. He was dead, but people were screaming and running. It was gross. I wanted to take a picture but they threw him in the brush. So all I got was a shot of this little guy (that normally would scare the junk out of me too!).

 

 

Finally, we saw the lighthouse

 

 

and they gave us snacks and drinks (Coca Cola Aruba and Frito Lay chips).

 

[bucks724]

After the lighthouse, we got a 45 minute beach break at Alto Vista. They told us it is where the locals go to hang out. VERY nice beach. Gentle waves, warm, clear water. I could have stayed there all day!

 

My dad opted to not go to the vow renewal, and decided to hang out with Doris and Jerry, who have a time share in Aruba and know their way around. He got his foot stuck in a trolley track and I got back on the ship and was greeted by this

 

 

Darren and I grabbed a bowl from the Mongolian Wok (it was just okay - they put too much chicken in mine, so I picked most of it out)

 

 

and then we watched sailaway, in the rain. Sad to leave Aruba.

 

That night, we went to the MDR (basically to sit with our friends, but we were pleasantly surprised at the meal that time!) and Edi (our server's assistant) got "Low" (apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur - that kind of low!).

 

 

I had some short rib and filet combo, very good. I was glad I went to dinner!

 

The ship was rocky and I was sunburned and kept bumping into stuff, so I called it an early night!

[bucks724]

Sea Day 2 (Friday)

 

After Aruba, I decided I was going to sleep in and relax. I think Darren had other plans. He is naturally an early riser - I am a total night owl. So I can sleep until 11, while he will be up and moving at 6 on a weekend.

 

Anyway, he got up to get dressed and I heard him moving and decided it was time to wake up myself. I had a small bit of coffee (it's really not good onboard!), and a Blue Iguana creation (eggs with peppers, cheese and salsa, no tortilla). I had about 3 bites and that was enough - I'm not a breakfast person.

 

Chaya rolled out of bed around 11 and got a bite to eat. At 2:30, Butch was hosting The Game of Love in the Ovation Theatre. I went down with Danica, Kassidy and Chaya to get a few laughs. The couples were hilarious. There was a couple married for 50 years, one married 25 years and one newlywed couple. It was a Newlywed Game of sorts with 11 questions, and the couple got a point if they both answered the same way. It was HILARIOUS!

 

The couple married for 50 years were so cute. They were one another's first boyfriend/girlfriend. So cute.

 

We decided to go to the MDR this night and then go see Divas, which we had missed earlier in the week. The sea was really rough, and for the safety of the performers, they canceled the show, as well as the 8:15 Brits performance. Bummer.

 

We headed to Bonsai later that night and then Chaya wanted to go to the Adults Only comedy show.

 

Yes, she is 15. Yes, the show is for 18 and under. But I have been close to the dugout during tournaments. Her teammates could probably make the comedian blush with the things they say.

 

We got a kick out of George Lopez's introduction where he says "this show is intended for audience members 18 and older. If you're under 18, you need to go text your friends or color or something. Hey, if you're still in here and you're not 18, get the f*** out!".

 

That was probably the funniest thing about the comedy show. The comedian was okay, not very funny. I like my jaws to ache after a comedy show. He got a chuckle.

 

However, we had a rude passenger who decided to tell us all about the journalism program at University of Washington that her 14 year old Catholic school daughter was interested in, and had he told her to "STFU", my jaws would have hurt a bit. He handled it well, but his jokes would have had a little better delivery.

 

Tired from doing a lot of nothing, we went to bed around 1:30 that night so we could wake up for our LAST sea day (aka depression day).

[bucks724]

Sea Day 3 (Saturday)

 

This day started with me trying to wash ONE load of clothes. However, my mother had other plans for the washers this day. And then a horde of people behind her had the same idea. But around 11, when everyone else decided it was lunch time, I got a washer. Darren and Chaya joined my sister, Pat, and her husband, Wyndel in the Tides Pool (Lido Deck, Aft) for a little swim. Chaya left for some Cucina lunch, and I grabbed a small plate from Tandoor. I had rice with some butter garlic chicken stuff (sorry - I didn't take a picture and don't remember the name). The sauce was AMAZING. I pulled the chicken out and just ate rice and sauce. I also had a small bit of Greek salad on the side, and one nugget of fish from Tandoor. All of it was good!

 

I skipped breakfast and ate a later, lighter lunch, because we had reservations for 8:30 in Fahrenheit 555 (of course you know that, because my husband has already given you the low down on that because he's always either 5 steps ahead or 10 steps behind me!).

 

We relaxed and did a little packing in our cabin until it was time to prepare for dinner and then headed down to the steakhouse.

 

We were greeted by our servers, who were both VERY pleasant. They offered us bread, and we all accepted. There was a muffin type bread that was almost the consistency of a croissant, and a focaccia type bread with rosemary. They served it with butter and two other spreads - one with avocado and one with tomatoes (?). Both were excellent.

 

Then they brought out a complimentary sample for us to try. Darren got some type of salmon (might have been some type of sushi) and I had chilled mango soup with melon and prosciutto. DELISH.

 

 

For my appetizer, I ordered the crab cake with roasted red pepper remoulade

 

 

Darren had the lobster bisque (as he has already informed you!)

 

 

Darren had the Classic Caesar Salad

 

 

And I got the Warm Bacon Spinach Salad

 

 

For my entree, I got the Surf & Turf (since I missed having lobster because of the Redskins game!)

 

[bucks724]

Darren had the lamb chops

 

 

and my side was a baked potato with "the fixings"

 

 

As I said before, I am not a big chocolate eater. But I know Darren loves cheesecake, and I find it to be delicious but very rich and it tends to make me sick. So I decided to get the chocolate sampler since the portions were pretty small and it wasn't ALL chocolate.

 

 

This included a Bittersweet Chocolate Cake with maple ice cream (my favorite), Banana Pannacotta (interesting, but good), Chocolate Marquise, and Tiramisu. I am a Tiramisu lover, but found this one to be VERY strong. I only had one taste of it. My favorite was the Bittersweet Chocolate Cake. Perfect blend of flavors!

 

And as mentioned before, Darren had the Cheesecake with Hazelnut Biscuit

 

 

Being a CC reader (lurker), I knew what it looked like. He didn't. So it was fun seeing his eyes when he got that piece of cheesecake. Even the guys at the table next to us said "OMG!".

 

Darren is a small guy, but he can eat a big man under the table - he eats slow but he eats A LOT.

 

Here's his damage:

 

 

That's the face of a full and happy man!

[bucks724]

D-Day (Disembarkation) - aka - PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME GET OFF THIS SHIP DAY

 

We had an announcement that the ship was being sped up because of a medical emergency and that we would arrive in Miami earlier than scheduled but that disembarkation would take place as usual. We were originally given Zone 14 tags, and my parents, who had an early flight, got Zone 2. We were leaving Miami to drive to Orlando (cheaper flights, remember?) and spending the day in Disney World parks. Since the tickets were costing us a mere $400 for ONE DAY, I wanted to get there ASAP. So when my parents told us they doing self-assist, I asked for their luggage tags.

 

We put our stuff outside our door, and the next morning, woke up excited for Disney, but also in time to say goodbye to my family.

 

I grabbed a coffee from the Lido and passed my parents who were rushing to get their bags (even though self-assist was called by deck and they had only called Deck 2... when we were on Deck 10). So we quickly hugged goodbye and went back to our cabin to wait for our number to be called.

 

We were called around 7:30, got our bags, went through customs, grabbed a taxi and were at Budget for our rental before they opened at 8. We drove to Orlando and were surprised that the GPS was taking us directly into the path of a marathon.

 

Being forced to go right or left at a light, I went right since I was already in that lane, and was surprised to find that the GPS was taking me the wrong way, because our hotel was right in front of our face!

 

We stayed at the new Art of Animation hotel in an Ariel room (Chaya is a Little Mermaid FREAK).

 

 

 

 

 

We dropped our luggage and quickly left for a shuttle bus. Our first stop was Hollywood Studios so Chaya could ride her favorite, the Tower of Terror.

 

The maraton had other plans for us again. So we had to wait a bit. We left Hollywood Studios for Epcot, and when Epcot closed, we took advantage of the Extra Magic Hour at Magic Kingdom.

 

What a sight!

 

 

We had a great time and our feet were about to fall off before we got back to the hotel.

 

Next: Final vacation day and final thoughts!

[bucks724]

Final Day (the day I needed anti-depressants)

 

We woke up early to return the rental car, then went to Downtown Disney so we could get a bite to eat. There wasn't much open that early, so I did a quick little search and found Wolfgang Puck's Express was open and highly recommended. I will admit, this sounded gross - a breakfast pizza - but it got rave reviews and I had to try it.

 

 

Darren had a breakfast turnover, but substituted the ham for bacon

 

 

And our dear, gourmet child, Chaya, had a belgian waffle - with the fruit and whipped cream on the side.

 

 

After breakfast, we acted silly in the stores, shopped a bit, bought Chaya ANOTHER Pillow Pet (do they ever outgrow this stuff) and then headed back to our hotel for the Magical Express to take us back to the airport to head home to the beautiful Ohio weather.

 

 

And took a few shots of our AMAZINGLY cool hotel lobby

 

[bucks724]

Observations:

 

Embarkation: Quick and painless. Fastest ever. If this is how it is going to be from now on, sign me up for more ASAP! We carried on our water/soda/wine. My parents don't drink, so I asked them to bring 2 bottles of wine on for us as well. And when the security guard asked her what was all wrapped up in bubble wrap, her response was "well, it's wine for my daughter, because I don't drink, she is just making us carry it on for her, she's right over there". Gee, thanks, mom! Nothing else was said, and the wine got through! LOL

 

Room: Like I said, felt (or was) smaller than prior cabins with balconies. But who spends a lot of time in there anyway?

 

Steward Team: Did a decent job, seemed to go over and above, when it was Jose. But his assistant was a little green.

 

MDR: Food was definitely not as good as on prior cruises, but it wasn't as dreadful all the time as some would have you believe. One person in our group ordered about 4 entrees every night. So some people definitely enjoy it. Ken has an amazing voice, and our servers had some moves. Both were very accommodating and did a great job. Our food was very slow coming one night (second formal night, I think) - my parents ordered with their table at the same time as we did and they were finished eating before we even ordered dessert. Other than that, nothing came out cold or incorrect!

 

Casino: If you ask ME, the machines were tight. If you talk to about 50% of the family onboard with us, they will tell you the machines were good to them. My sister won $1000 on the last night. My cousin won $1000 a few days earlier. His sister won $800. It went on and on. Apparently I rubbed the wrong head!

 

Now, I will tell you about my biggest pet peeves on this cruise: RUDE passengers. I will never understand why 2900 of 3000 people think it's okay to push the UP button so you can go DOWN. But that was the mentality on this cruise ship. And the fact that you have to hit EACH button (left, right and center) in the lobby elevators is maddening!

 

Overall, the cruise was AWESOME. I would actually not only sail the Breeze again, but I'd also sail the Breeze with this same exact itinerary!

 

I *think* that concludes my review. I'm sure I'll think of something I want to add. In the meantime, if anyone has any questions, feel free to post or PM me and I'll do my best to answer what I can!

 

Thanks for reading. This has been fun!

[rhcpchika1]

Omg! Soooo jealous!! I love the look of the new hotel!

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for the nice review of your cruise and the great photo's.

[bucks724]

Omg! Soooo jealous!! I love the look of the new hotel!

 

The hotel is amazing, but in all honesty, the only reason we stayed at Disney is because our hotel in Miami was free. If we had to pay for that, we would have flown in and driven down and skipped all of that. We broke even (including park passes) the way we did it versus flying directly to FLL, so why not live a little?

 

I have more pics of the hotel lobby, but I didn't want to make this a Disney hotel review! :)

[rhcpchika1]

Its quite ok - it would cause the disney need to escalate :)

And lord knows with five of us, there won't be another trip there for a long time!

 

Thanks again for the review - you may have changed my mind about la romana even.