Breeze Review - 6 night to Key West, Grand Cayman & Cozumel

[momof3cruisers]

The other one doesn't mention sleeveless shirts either ??

 

It is also missing the word "and". We are going to these same ports but on Freedom. Enjoying your review.

[erewhon]

Thanks for taking time to write and post your review, and for sharing your photos.

[wardwhitty]

Great review !! Cant wait to read more !!! I was wondering if you had the menu's for each night. I cant seem to find the 6 night list anywhere. I am trying to figure out which night to book the steakhouse for my husband and I, since we are traveling with kids we need a little alone time :o

[Jenny in TX]

Enjoying your review....thanks for sharing!

[Kel040]

Thanks everyone !! Glad you are enjoying my review. I hope I can get this finished by the end of the weekend :D

 

Great review !! Cant wait to read more !!! I was wondering if you had the menu's for each night. I cant seem to find the 6 night list anywhere. I am trying to figure out which night to book the steakhouse for my husband and I, since we are traveling with kids we need a little alone time :o

 

Hi - I didn't get copies of the menu for the this cruise. Elegant nights were Day 2 and Day 4. Day 3 is when we went to the Steakhouse, so I will be reviewing that soon. I had mixed feelings about the steakhouse, but I could definitely understand going there to have some alone time without the kids.. :)

[Kel040]

Day 3 – Sea Day

 

With today being a sea day, we did our usual routine which is putting out the room service menu in the evening for juice, coffee, danish & cereal the next morning. I think DH put down for it to be delivered between 7:00 and 7:30am and it arrived at 7:15am. I have always found the room service to be efficient and this time it was too. We always have a supply of small bills for tipping. We tip $ 2.00 for room service. We enjoy this while sitting out on our balcony.

 

The COFFEE

I like coffee and am used to my Tim Hortons double double. DH drinks his Tim Horton’s –black. Saying that, I can tell you that he doesn’t mind the ship coffee, but I just can’t drink it. What I did a few times on the Breeze (and I did this on the Dream last year) I went to the Coffee Bar on deck 5 and I explained to the gal I did not like my coffee very strong. What she did was make a half scoop or shot whatever they do, and only filled the cup half way with coffee and then added boiling water the rest of the way. She poured some coffee cream in a little creamer pitcher and handed it to me. I put my cream and sugar in – she waited for me to taste it, I said yep, it was perfect. I did this a few times. I think it was like $ 1.73 for a size medium.

 

SEA DAY BRUNCH

Around 9:30 we decided to go and check out the Sea Day Brunch. I had pancakes with a side of sausage links and DH had an omelette. Here’s a tip for the brunch – the huevos rancheros comes with curly fries and the steak and eggs comes with home fries. The home fries and curly fries are not listed as sides, but you can still ask for them as a side with anything you order. Also up until 11am, they serve the bread basket with mini muffins, danishes and slices of loaf cake. After 11:00am, they stop serving the mixed basket and start serving popovers. On our last sea day we went with the kids to the brunch and were there for the bread basket changeover. The pictures here are from that day.

 

POPOVERS

 

 

Huevos Rancheros

 

 

Poached eggs

 

 

Eggs Benedict – no meat with home fries

 

 

Fruit plate

 

 

Banana Cream Pie

 

[Kel040]

Meet & Greet

 

As we were leaving the brunch we ordered drinks with our free drink coupon from CCL. All past guests get these coupons. Today was the cabin crawl and Meet & Greet planned by our CC Roll Call. Originally I had planned on attending the M&G but was going to skip the cabin crawl but since we finished brunch early we decided to head up to the Tides Bar and join the group for the cabin crawl. Well for some reason I had thought the cabin crawl started at 10:30 and the M&G was at 11:30 at the Red Frog Pub.

 

Free drinks in hand, we arrived at the Tides Bar about 10:20am and there was no one there. A minute or 2 later, a couple arrived and the girl asked was I there for the cabin crawl – I said yes and we introduced ourselves and chatted, or course wondering where was everyone else. After a few more minutes another roll call member arrived. We all talked together for about 15 mins then concluded we must have gotten the time wrong and agreed to head down to the Red Frog Pub to find the rest of the group. YEAHH… that’s where we found everyone ! Yep, we had the time wrong, the cabin crawl had started at 10, so we missed that but we were able to meet a lovely bunch of fellow cruisers who we ran into here and there, throughout the week. 

 

 

 

It was a relaxing day, after we left the bar I went to the casino for a while and DH went to the cabin to take a nap.

 

We had steakhouse reservations for 6:00pm so we did the brunch and skipped lunch because we know the serving at the steakhouse are pretty generous.

 

Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse

 

We were seated at a table for two – the table was right in between two other tables for two. The tables were very close together – DH says table was probably about 18 inches apart. The couples on either side of us were nice enough, but with us sitting between the two couples, but I really felt it was too close.

 

DH ordered the crab cake for his appetizer and I order the beef steak tomato salad. I didn’t take pictures of those but I did get a picture of the steaks. DH had the 9oz. fillet mignon and I had the 18oz. rib eye. I didn’t enjoy my steak, I was already feeling full from the salad and I didn’t find the steak very tender. Also, I was not happy about the table and I think that affected my mood too.. One thing that really bothered me was when the server for the table beside us came to clear their app plates, her rear-end was the perfect height to hang over the top edge of our table, and rub on my bread & butter plate.. :eek: LOL… I moved the plate out of the way but then when our server came to bring us the steak knives for our entrée she moved my B&B plate back to the edge of the table and said “oh, the plates are very big, you need to leave room” LOL… . Just for the record, the bread is very very good and I didn’t want to lose that !!

 

DH said his steak was very good, but more than he could eat. I know I could have complained about my steak but I didn’t because I was already feeling very full and had they brought me another one, I would have felt obliged to eat it and that I couldn’t have done..

 

Another great tip learned here on CC and I had saw people do it on the Dream was to order your dessert to go. I ordered the apples in puff pastry and DH ordered the cheesecake. To our dinner mates on either side of us, they btw – enjoyed their meals and also agreed it was a lot of food, did not know you could order your desserts to go – and told us that was a good idea. We were on our way back to the room by 7:30pm.

 

Fillet

 

 

Rib Eye

 

[funinthesun1964]

Thanks for taking the time to share your cruise, enjoying reading it.

 

We will be going to Miami in a couple weeks and have made reservations for the Intercontinental, which is very close to the HI. I hope we enjoy it and find our way around the area. I'm not sure I'm going to go for Bubba Gumps, but I hear there are more restaurants to choose from at Bayside. BTW we are going on Conquest, I will save the Breeze for another time.

 

Will be following along. :)

[avandrie]

Also, I was not happy about the table and I think that affected my mood too.. One thing that really bothered me was when the server for the table beside us came to clear their app plates, her rear-end was the perfect height to hang over the top edge of our table, and rub on my bread & butter plate.. :eek:

 

 

I'd like to think I'm easy going, and wouldn't allow little things to bother me, but this would have upset my apple cart. I've heard a lot of people agree that the table spacing in the steakhouse on the Breeze is cramped. Im thinking we will skip it this time.

 

Loving the review!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Kel040]

I'd like to think I'm easy going, and wouldn't allow little things to bother me, but this would have upset my apple cart. I've heard a lot of people agree that the table spacing in the steakhouse on the Breeze is cramped. Im thinking we will skip it this time.

 

Loving the review!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

Thanks - glad you are enjoying :D

 

The Breeze does have the steak option for $ 20.00 on the MDR menu which I did do and will cover soon.. :)

[Crusin Karen]

I always enjoy reading reviews with pictures since we are in a forced dry dock

:(:( for the lst time in MANY years and it at least allows me to "go on a cruise" vicariously! :p:o Having never been on any of the newer ships, I love seeing the colors of the cabins. Thanks for sharing this with us.

[Kel040]

On the way back, I stopped at the MDR to see DD/BF and invite them to join us in Grand Cayman and purchase their excursion for them. They hadn’t made any plans yet so they said they would come with us.

 

This brings us to another little back story here… DD has been on 2 cruises before this one. She was in college and so we paid everything for her. Each cruise she brought a G/F. The agreement was her friend had to pay for her own cruise and purchases but we covered the travel expenses. All I asked was that the girls showed up for dinner in the MDR. .. Well on this cruise, DD & her BF paid for their own trip and we just covered the travel expenses as we have in the past. DD was always on my S&S account, but this time they had their own.

 

DAY 4 - GRAND CAYMAN

 

We had booked the Grand Cayman (GC) excursion at the excursion desk earlier in the week. We still had to book the kids on the excursion but the desk was closed and not re-opening till 7:30am and we had to meet in the Ovation Theatre at 7:45am (entrance behind the Excursion desk). I was a little was a little worried would there even be 2 spots left ?? Our plan with the kids was to meet for breakfast at 6:30am and then be at the Excursion desk for 7:30am.

 

That morning something I noticed on the Fun Ashore booklet, if the Excursion Desk is closed you can book excursions at Guest Services or on the TV. I checked the TV and the GC day was no longer there only Cozumel so I called down to Guest Services. The guy on the phone told me that the Excursion Desk was opening shortly and I could just come down to there – I asked him could he please confirm there were still space left and he said YES, lots.

 

We were came down to the shore excursion desk for 7:30 and there was no lineup, I purchased the 2 additional seats and we went into the theatre to wait to board the tender. At 8:00am we were ushered to the first tender along with the others going on excursions. The excursion passengers were for different CCL excursions, not just ours. On shore we were told to wait on benches under a green tent. The excursion we had booked was called “Best of Cayman Island Tour” $ 51.99 pp.

 

from the tender

 

 

 

[Kel040]

There was more than one bus that would be doing the tour. Our bus held about had 12 people on it – it was not carrying a full load it was just right.

 

The first stop was the Tortuga Rum Cake Factory. There was a glass window where you could see into another room but it wasn’t what I would call a factory and no one was baking. The did have 3 types of rum cake we could taste, golden, chocolate & pineapple - I tried them all, very good ! :D. The tasting cake was baking in a flat pan, almost like a small cookie sheet. It was pre-cut into servings about 1x1 inch and you could just help yourself. You could also do a rum tasting – pineapple, coconut and manjo rum. DH tried some – I didn’t still a little too early for me. The rest of the place was a store where you could purchase rum and rum cakes and souvenirs. There was also a snack bar there and the locals were coming in buying breakfast combos – beverage, patty & bread (sorry can't remember the name of the patty and bread, but the patty was meat filled pie that was shaped like a half moon - the bread was a fresh baked roll that you could get the meat pie patty on)..

Outside there was a few birds and lizards in cages. The stop there was about 15-20 mins. DH bought 2 bottles of rum $ 28.00 total – they took his cabin # and said they would have them delivered to ship – of course we won’t see them till the last night..

 

On the way to Tortuga Rum Cake factory the bus driver talked about the island and told us the population was 55,000 and they had 400 banks on the island and it was 22 miles long and 8 miles wide.

 

(bird and lizard cages there in background)

 

 

[Kel040]

Next stop was Hell- he told us it was about a 20 minute drive but was pointing out sites along the way. He then told us the population was 55,000 and they had 400 banks on the island and it was 22 miles long and 8 miles wide, LOL… he showed where Hurricane Ivan (2004) had wiped out a Holiday Inn and nothing had been rebuilt yet. When you pull into Hell – it kinda caught us off guard. It was just a little building we turned left into its parking lot, didn’t realize we were there already till the guide said so. The man that ran the little store was dressed in a devils costume. DH and I got our passports stamped and I sent myself a postcard. We’ve been home a week now and my card hasn’t come yet..

 

Passports

 

Hell

 

Hell parking lot (so you can see what I mean about not realizing you're there..LOL)

 

Like I’ve read in many reviews, Hell isn’t all that great – but its cool just to say you’ve been there. Souvenirs were pricy DH bought a shot glass. When we came out of the Hell store we noticed our fellow excursion passengers all looking up into a tree in the parking lot. I looked up and there was a huge iguana. Then we noticed another one and another and another…

 

Iguana in tree

 

LAVA rock in Hell

 

[Kel040]

We then headed to the Turtle Farm. When I was booking this excursion I didn’t care about seeing the turtles and was more interested in seeing Hell – well I really liked the turtle farm AND our tour guide gave us all wrist bands that got us into the Dolphin Encounter across the road too. He did say if we wanted to swim of get the Dolphin kiss there would be an additional charge. He said we’d be at this stop for an hour.

 

The turtles are sorted by age/size and we went from seeing the biggest down to the smallest. Our tour guide from the bus, also showed us around the turtle tanks. Sparky was a 75 year old turtle that weighed 600 lbs.. There was a water park and a restaurant/bar too but with time limited we wanted to get over and see the dolphins, something we did not expect to see.

 

Sparky

 

Sparky

 

Iguanas running all over the place

 

DH

 

[Kel040]

Directly across the road from the Turtle Farm was the Dolphin Discovery. We went over there and saw the dolphins. I signed DD up for a dolphin kiss. Our tour bus driver said he thought it was about $ 12.00 to get the dolphin kiss photo, but it was $ 25.00.

 

 

 

It took 3 cruises but DD finally got her Dolphin kiss – she was thrilled !

 

 

oh, yeah... more Iguanas - :D

 

 

[Windy56]

Thanks for taking the time to share your cruise, enjoying reading it.

 

We will be going to Miami in a couple weeks and have made reservations for the Intercontinental, which is very close to the HI. I hope we enjoy it and find our way around the area. I'm not sure I'm going to go for Bubba Gumps, but I hear there are more restaurants to choose from at Bayside. BTW we are going on Conquest, I will save the Breeze for another time.

 

Will be following along. :)

 

The Intercontinental is great. If you can, book a port view room. You will see your ship waiting for you in the morning. Their restaurant, Toro Toro, is really, really good, too. We have booked this hotel, again, for this February and I am really looking forward to it. Happy future sailings to you and your family!

[Kel040]

Some random pictures taken on way back to ship – there are a couple of the Dream too, it was anchored beside the Breeze

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kel040]

 

 

 

 

 

Arrows point where our balconies were...

 

[javamom]

DH ordered the crab cake for his appetizer and I order the beef steak tomato salad. I didn’t take pictures of those but I did get a picture of the steaks. DH had the 9oz. fillet mignon and I had the 18oz. rib eye. I didn’t enjoy my steak, I was already feeling full from the salad and I didn’t find the steak very tender. Also, I was not happy about the table and I think that affected my mood too.

 

Too bad about your steak! Ribeye is my favorite thing in Steakhouse but the lamb chops are a close second!

The Breeze Steakhouse really is too small. We now request a seat by the wall so we at least only have one set of neighbors.

[wardwhitty]

Thanks so much. I was thinking night 3 as well. we like to dress for the elegant nights in case I happen to get a nice family photo opportunity :)

Cant wait to read more.

[Kel040]

Too bad about your steak! Ribeye is my favorite thing in Steakhouse but the lamb chops are a close second!

The Breeze Steakhouse really is too small. We now request a seat by the wall so we at least only have one set of neighbors.

 

We ate at the Steakhouse on the Dream last year and it was a much better experience and my rib eye steak was perfect.. A seat by the wall or window would have been better, for sure .. :D

[Kel040]

Thanks so much. I was thinking night 3 as well. we like to dress for the elegant nights in case I happen to get a nice family photo opportunity :)

Cant wait to read more.

 

I was trying to remember which night I had the steak in the MDR so I googled Carnival Menus and found the 7 night menu on zydecocruiser.net .. I reviewed the 7 day menu. If you omit the DAY 4 menu from there, you will see what the 6 night menu is. :)

[Kel040]

VIPP Party

 

added - On night 3 when we came back to the cabin for the night along with our cute little towel animal was our inivitations to the VIPP Party which included complimentary drinks and appetizers.

 

After Grand Cayman, we got back to the ship and had a light lunch. I think DH had a guys burger and I had a sandwich from the deli. We had a nap, took showers and got ready for the 2nd Elegant Night and also the VIPP party. The VIPP party was from 4:30pm – 5:15pm. We (myself & DH) arrived at the Ovation Theatre right about 4:35 and the party was already going… there was music blaring, drinks flowing and appetizers all around. Right away we given Funship Specials and a server came by with these tiny little ham & cheese sandwiches on really fresh sliced baguette – then the came around with a few other different fancy things. In the meantime, the show had started and a group that I saw perform early in the week in the Atrium were singing – they were pretty good – sorry I don’t remember the name of their band but they also performed in the Ocean Plaza deck 5 – through out the week.

 

Our CD Matt Mitcham hosted the party. He was very entertaining. He told everyone to eat as much as they wanted and to drink as much as they could … LOL, he said even fill up your water bottles ! "this food and these drinks are all for you – all you can eat and drink for the next 45 minutes" … he was pretty funny.. :D

 

Matt introduced the ship’s officers, he brought some kids up on stage, they helped him throw out mardi gras beads to everyone. He listed off all the names of the diamond passengers and asked them to join him on stage.. The party lasted till about 5:30 and by then, DH and I had 2 funship specials each.... then I got my 3rd drink just as we were leaving – it was called The Cruiser – when the server brought one to the gal sitting beside me he still had one more on his tray and asked did I want the other – I said sure ! :)

[wardwhitty]

That's great !!! Thank you so much for checking again. I am so excited to cruise the Breeze and your pictures are making it so hard to wait until the 19th !!!!