Carnival Breeze: 3/9/14 Review (w/ pictures)

[missdebi]

Man....I hated when I got to the end but more to come...yea!

[parisbully]

What beautiful pictures

[CruiseAwesome]

I'm interested to try that excursion.

 

 

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[PalmettoNative]

 

Food and Drinks

 

 

 

 

 

[missdebi]

I looked at the excursions was it the Jamaican Jerk Cooking Experience? Looks fun.

[jcsuzeta]

Over the Mountains and Through the Woods to the Carnival Breeze We Go

 

 

 

On the way back down the mountain I put my trusty little Sony RX100 on burst mode in hopes of catching some candid photos of island life, while plummeting down the road at a decent pace. I filled up half a 16GB card with useless photos, but...to my surprise I landed a few really good ones...here are the top 6

 

 

 

 

The Jamaican Ghostbuster...equipped with Proton Pack

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What's burst mode?

 

 

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[MistyRo76]

Your pictures are AMAZING! You have a great eye! I love taking pictures and seem to be able to capture some goot shots with my little Olympus pocket sized camera. But I would definitely love to get more into photography. What type of camera would you recommend for a beginner? I don't know much about settings and lighting and stuff like that. So I'd want something that would give me some options without being too overwhelming for a newbie! :)

 

I'm looking at doing our next cruise on this ship so I am loving seeing everything that you captured! Carnival should hire you to do their promotional shots! Bookings would definitly go up! :)

 

Thanks,

 

Misty

[PalmettoNative]

What's burst mode?

 

 

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Burst Mode is when your camera takes continuous photos. My Sony RX100 can shoot 10fps (frames per second)...perfect when you are riding in a car and want to sniper shots with little trouble.

 

Sadly sometimes you get 95% garbage and 5% good ones :D

[PalmettoNative]

Your pictures are AMAZING! You have a great eye! I love taking pictures and seem to be able to capture some goot shots with my little Olympus pocket sized camera. But I would definitely love to get more into photography. What type of camera would you recommend for a beginner? I don't know much about settings and lighting and stuff like that. So I'd want something that would give me some options without being too overwhelming for a newbie! :)

 

I'm looking at doing our next cruise on this ship so I am loving seeing everything that you captured! Carnival should hire you to do their promotional shots! Bookings would definitly go up! :)

 

Thanks,

 

Misty

 

This is such a subjective question. It really depends on what you would like to spend and what type of stuff you would like to do with it.

 

There are so many great cameras out there: DSLR, CSC (compact system cameras), and point and shoots.

 

In my opinion, and my plethora of research: a camera like my Sony RX100 is a great option. It is a little expensive being around $550, but it has a great 20MP, 1" sensor, compact, easy to use. It does have some really great manual control options, but even it you want to leave it in AUTO to start while you learn how to use the more advanced features.

 

Its just a little expensive, especially when you look at a entry level DSLR like the Canon T3i w/ 18-55 lens, Sony A58 w/ 18-55 lens, or Nikon D3200 w/ 18-55 lens.

 

These DSLR cameras really give you alot more options going forward with multiple lens choices, including great travel lenses like an 18-250mm that covers 95% of your needs. These are larger and heavier, but their large APS-C sensors give you great options.

 

I could go on forever about cameras...I sadly know way more than I should, and I'm sure my wife would prefer me to annoy someone else with my research. :p

[jcsuzeta]

Burst Mode is when your camera takes continuous photos. My Sony RX100 can shoot 10fps (frames per second)...perfect when you are riding in a car and want to sniper shots with little trouble.

 

 

 

Sadly sometimes you get 95% garbage and 5% good ones :D

 

 

But that 5% are really good! Thanks for the info! :)

 

 

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[MistyRo76]

This is such a subjective question. It really depends on what you would like to spend and what type of stuff you would like to do with it.

 

There are so many great cameras out there: DSLR, CSC (compact system cameras), and point and shoots.

 

In my opinion, and my plethora of research: a camera like my Sony RX100 is a great option. It is a little expensive being around $550, but it has a great 20MP, 1" sensor, compact, easy to use. It does have some really great manual control options, but even it you want to leave it in AUTO to start while you learn how to use the more advanced features.

 

Its just a little expensive, especially when you look at a entry level DSLR like the Canon T3i w/ 18-55 lens, Sony A58 w/ 18-55 lens, or Nikon D3200 w/ 18-55 lens.

 

These DSLR cameras really give you alot more options going forward with multiple lens choices, including great travel lenses like an 18-250mm that covers 95% of your needs. These are larger and heavier, but their large APS-C sensors give you great options.

 

I could go on forever about cameras...I sadly know way more than I should, and I'm sure my wife would prefer me to annoy someone else with my research. :p

 

Thanks! Appreciate the advice!

[Jeansfanatic]

Holy crappola! Your pictures are truly AH-MAZE-ING!!!!!!!!! You have a true talent!!! I am soooo subscribing!

[PalmettoNative]

I looked at the excursions was it the Jamaican Jerk Cooking Experience? Looks fun.

 

This was the Croydon Plantation - The Spirit of Jamaica

http://www.carnival.com/Activities/Excursion/423005

[PalmettoNative]

Cayman Islands

 

 

For some strange reason, I could never convince my brain and body that I was on vacation time and no matter what time I went to bed I was up every morning at 6am. No matter, it always allowed me to go out on the balcony and watch the sun rise and ship come into port. Today was the day I was waiting for...we had been to the Cayman Islands before and did the Stingray Sandbar (still one of the best things I've ever done)...but today we had signed up for a helicopter ride. I've always wanted to ride in one, and though I've flown in plane a ton...the unnatural flight of a helicopter had eluded me...but not today.

 

We didn't have to be on shore until 10:45am...but apparently that was island time, so we arrived a bit earlier than we had too. This just allowed us some more shopping time.

 

This is a tender port, and if you haven't been to this port before you will need to meet on Deck 5 Ocean Plaza to get staged for a tender. It's no big problem, each tender holds 250-350 people and during this trip there were two tenders at a time...then its a quick 5 minute ride to shore.

 

 

Once ashore you have a nice small selection of shopping in port, and there is alot of things within walking distance. It really gives you a great chance to get some neat photos of the ship (from the tender and ashore)

 

 

 

 

[pacarolinagirl]

I am loving your review and all of your pictures. The Breeze is my favorite ship so far.

[reerun25]

Enjoying the review!

[jaxstiles]

Your pictures are amazing! Thanks so much for sharing them!! I'm enjoying reading your review as well.

[Prairie_Gal]

Great review and awesome pictures!

[Rositer11]

Your review is great!!! I can't wait for more.

[PalmettoNative]

Cayman Island Images

 

 

 

 

Edited April 5, 2014 by PalmettoNative

[PalmettoNative]

Cayman Island Helicopters

 

So its been a week or so since my last posting...traveling for work is starting to wear a bit thin, but finally I have a few weeks at home until my next trip. Hopefully it is filled with some bicycle riding time as I'm staring down the barrel of my 60km cycling event next weekend.

 

So inside the terminal port area is a booth for the Cayman Islands Helicopters, and they pick you up and its a quick 5 minute ride to the airfield. A short briefing and then we were in a golf cart on our way across the tarmac to the helicopter. There were 6 of us this trip, which made for a full copter.

 

 

There is a place for two up front...the smaller sized people are preferable...as it would be a snug ride for two "normal" sized humans. The back seats are four across...again the smaller the humanoid the better, we were four "normal" sized people and it was...a tad cramped. But manageable.

 

My wife and I had joked that what would be our luck that for our first helicopter ride we would get a fresh new pilot. When we met our pilot we asked him how long he had been flying and he said 3 weeks...lovely...but then immediately said that 3 weeks was just in the Caymans...he has been flying helicopters in Canada for 5 years.

 

 

For those who have never flown in a helicopter...the take off is a bit unnerving. It's not a natural feeling, nothing like a plane. It's not bad, just different.

 

The views are spectacular and though its a little expensive, it is worth the price of admission just to see the world from different angle.

 

 

 

 

[PalmettoNative]

Cayman Islands

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Single_dreamer]

Your photos are simply beautiful. There is so much detail in them. I really feel like I'm on vacation with you! Thank you so much!

 

Croydon Plantation - Jamaica

 

Did you know that there are over 1000 different varieties of bananas??? And here I though Chiquita was the only type. We were given some bananas fresh off the vine, and they were smaller and sweeter than the typical ones you find at the grocery store.

 

Also there are over 20 something types of pineapples...who knew? When I think types of pineapples I think: Dole sliced, Dole crushed, Dole whole, Dole chunks...you get the idea.

 

 

 

 

Almost near the end of the tour, you get another big sample of fruit: sugar cane, coconut, Otaheite apple, and Jack Fruit. Jack fruit is like the Caribbean Durian fruit. After you get past the stinky flesh to the center fruit, its actually not bad. Similar to a waxy over ripe mango. Some people liked it, others not so much, and others refused to try it after hearing the story of how it smells.

 

 

 

[cruiseclues]

Sorry for your loss.

 

Really great review...and Outstanding photos...Excellent macro shots of the food...Very enjoyable. :):):):)

[jolyroger]

Your pics are truly breathtakingly beautiful! Really! And now you got me wanting to take my Nikon D60 with me!! I really wanted to leave the big guy home and take my smaller camera, but now, and your pics!! You got some awesome shots of the breeze, just great! We cruise on that beauty for the 2nd time ...In 3 weeks so this report is getting me through!!