Breeze Review -- 11/16/2014-11/22/2014

[billys5764]

This was my first time on the Breeze and it was great! I did not take many pictures, so don't expect pretty scenery!

 

BACKGROUND

 

I won the Blackjack tournament on the Liberty this summer so I got a spot in the big tournament this week on the Breeze. Unfortunately, DW could not come along. I went on Cruisemates.com and put out a request for a roomie. I had one person respond and we booked. It worked out very well. He is close in age and with similar likes.

 

GETTING THERE

 

I flew into Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, November 15. The cost was much less than flying into Miami. We stayed at the Best Western on Stirling Rd. Their shuttle picked me up and took me to the hotel. There's not a lot of restaurants nearby so we walked to the Subway across the street.

 

The day of the cruise we took SAS shuttle to the port. I had prearranged for a pickup. They arrived about 9:25 am and we were at the port by 10:30. The cost was $15 per person.

[belkin]

We love the Breeze, in fact so much that we booked her again for a January cruise. Looking forward to your review.

[fourkittys]

Please hurry back. You just got started and I'm excited to hear all about your cruise on the Breeze!!!!

[billys5764]

EMBARKATION

 

When we arrived at the port we saw the whale tail of the Breeze and another Carnival ship. There was also an Royal Caribbean ship (something of the Seas) and the Norwegian Epic.

 

SAS dropped us off and we gave our bags to the porter. We basically walked right in, breezed (pun intended) through security and took the escalator upstairs to check in. We went straight to station 1 and got our S&S cards. We were told we were Zone 5 and to have a seat and wait.

 

They called the VIPs on first. I was amazed at how many VIPs there were. Come to find out people were boarding when they pleased. I asked a Carnival rep about it and she said to go get in line too. So, we did. Within 3 minutes we were on the ship and proceeded to Deck 10 for a Guy's Burger!

 

THE SHIP

 

This was my first time on the Breeze. It was beautiful! It is the nicest of the Carnival ships I've been on. I loved the tropical decor as opposed to the glitzy Vegas-style of the others. To be such a large ship it never seemed crowded except the Casino (more on that later).

 

CABIN

 

We were in 9228 -- balcony, port side, forward. The cabin was typical of the Carnival ships. It was clean, but nothing fancy.

 

SERVICE

 

Our cabin steward was great. He brought an ice bucket and ice later the first evening and an extension cord for our two CPAP machines. He did a wonderful job keeping our cabin clean and straight.

 

The rest of the crew were always pleasant and polite and helpful. I don't remember any crew member being grouchy or unpleasant.

 

The cocktail waiters were never pushy about buying drinks, but they were pretty much there when you did want something.

 

More on the dining room staff later.

 

ENTERTAINMENT

 

Being a university professor that teaches music and music theatre, I tend to stay away from the big shows -- I do that for a living, I want a vacation from it. So I can't comment on the shows. I did go to one of the comedy shows. I think his name was Allyn Ball. He was funny and a bit crude, but it was the adult show so I expected it.

 

We hung out by the piano bar a couple of times. The pianist was entertaining -- a better entertainer than a pianist and singer!

[N.FL Cruisers]

Can't wait to read more. We go on the Breeze our first time in March.

[bradboy]

Sailing on Breeze in Jan~ thanks for your review

 

 

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Edited November 23, 2014 by bradboy

[billys5764]

FOOD

 

Breakfast

 

I would get up every morning at 6:30 and head to the Lido Deck for a croissant and coffee. The coffee on the Lido deck was better. Actually, it has gotten better each cruise. It's still not as good as the MDR coffee, but it has improved.

 

After the buffet line opened up we ate breakfast. I got my usual fried eggs over medium at the omelet station. The lines were never long (at least not that early in the morning). There was always bacon and some kind of sausage, hard boiled eggs, some kind of potato (home fries or hash brown rounds), grits or oatmeal. There were no biscuits:mad:. They had eggs benedict every day, either regular or salmon eggs benedict.

 

There was many different fruits and breads to choose from along with cheeses and cold cuts.

 

Brunch

 

We did the Sea day brunch once. I got the steak and eggs. They were prepared as ordered and very good. The service was good in the MDR for the brunch. They kept my coffee cup full. I got my free adult beverage during this meal!

 

Lunch

 

I admit it -- I had a Guy's burger nearly every day. They were fantastic. I always got the Plain Jane with cheese and fixed it up my way. I did make a salad one day. The food on the buffet always looked good but I went with Guy's.

 

I did get a sandwich one day from the deli. I got the pastrami and swiss. it was good. The lines at the Mongolian Wok seemed longer than anything else.

 

My roomie got a couple of tacos at the Blue Iguana. He said they were good. I never saw long lines there.

 

Dinner

 

We had Your Time Dining. This was a first for me. I really liked the flexibility of time, but I did miss having the same wait staff every night. I know we could have asked for the same ones, but I never could remember their names the next night to ask for them.

 

YTD is in the Sapphire Dining Room downstairs (3rd floor). One night the line was backed up all the way to the glass elevators. But we only had to wait about 15 minutes. Another night we were given a beeper. Something went wrong with the beeper system and it beeped everyone at the same time, so about 50 of us showed up together! It was a disaster for the hostesses. But they got us all seated. The next day we received a plate of chocolate covered strawberries and truffles with a note of apology from the Matre d'.

 

Overall the service in the MDR was good. Some nights were better than others. One night we did not go to eat until after 9pm. When we arrived, the MDR was almost empty. We were the only ones in our section so we had great service. The head waiter talked to us a long time, explaining how employees move up in the ranks and how the galley works and how the food gets served. It was very informative.

 

Many times we were seated at a table for 2 but the table next to us was about 3 inches away, so it was like being at a large table. It was fun getting to meet new people each night and having good dinner conversation. Not once did we come across any duds!

 

The food was the standard Carnival menu. Overall the food was very good and served hot or cold as it should. I got the Ceasar Salad every night along with a starter (or two). Only on prime rib nights did I get 2 entrees. I had to get the lobster one night and the shrimp the other. The lobster was good and not rubbery as it sometimes is.

 

My roomie loved the cold soups. He ordered the strawberry one night and the mango another night. Both nights he ordered an extra one in a water glass to take with him as he walked around.

 

I had the pizza most late nights. It is good -- not bad, not great. It made for a nice late night snack. Of course the ice cream machine was utilized several times!

[Ladderlieu29]

We were right there with you! Guy's burgers and I became good friends too! I preferred the "ringer" though.

[Cruisin' Again 86]

Following >> 40 days +/- till we board...

[FloridaGram]

"The head waiter talked to us a long time, explaining how employees move up in the ranks and how the galley works and how the food gets served. It was very informative"

 

I would love to hear about this if you can!

[billys5764]

SPA

 

I got my first ever spa treatment. I got the Men's grooming package. It was a facial, shave, arm massage, and haircut for $99 plus tip. I was very disappointed in this. I was promised the closest shave ever -- I do better in my own bathroom. Oh well, live and learn. Never again!

 

I did not pay the Spa fee to use the saunas and steam rooms and Jacuzzis. I did use the small sauna in the Men's locker room. The entire area was extremely small. I guess they keep it that way so you will buy the Spa package. I was on the Dream 2 years ago and they had the Cloud 9 Spa also, but the men's only area was much bigger and better. I much prefer the Spa on the Valor and Liberty. The sauna and steam room are in the locker room and have a glass window in each so you can sit and sweat and see the ocean.

 

CASINO

 

I came on this cruise for the blackjack tournament. I made it to the semifinals, missing the finals by a couple of hundred. I did finish 28th out of over 600. My prize was $350. I was hoping for the $50,000 first place prize, but maybe next time.

 

The casino was SO CROWDED, not matter what time of day or night. I only got to play blackjack with my money 3 times. All 3 times I had to wait at least an hour for a table. This was also a Premier Casino Cruise. All of these people crammed into a tiny casino. Carnival should know better. At least add more tables for this week. This is my only complaint about the entire cruise.

 

PORTS

 

We went to Key West, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. This was my first trip to Key West. I'm sure there are beautiful places in Key West, but I never saw them. We walked down Duval Street to the buoy at the southernmost point in the continental US and back. If you like T shirt stores, bars, and high priced galleries, you would love Duval St. Not my cup of tea.

 

The night before Grand Cayman, the Captain came on the intercom and told us our stay would be cut short a couple of hours due to the threat of storms and waves. Several excursions were cancelled. We were not taking one so it was not a big deal. We waited until about 10 am to walk down to get a tender. We walked right on. There was no line. We walked a bit in the town. I bought a Christmas ornament and we came back to the ship.

 

The weather was lovely. We left early and there was never winds or waves. Oh well.

 

The night before Cozumel, I asked at Guest Services what the forecast was. They said 90% chance of rain. I was going to Mr. Sanchos (been there before and loved it). I cancelled. Well, we got to Cozumel and the skies were clear. It did rain for about 10 minutes while we were at the Fat Tuesday bar. BTW, I had the best strawberry daiquiris I've ever had there. GET ONE (or two, or three)! I bought 2 liters of Mexican vanilla at Los Cinco Soles. I have bought from them before and it was very good quality vanilla. There were other stores that had it at a much lower price, but I didn't trust it.

 

Sea days are always fun for me. I love to lie out in the sun. It did rain the second sea day afternoon, but I did get sun for a few hours that morning. We did not do the BBQ on the Promenade Deck.

 

DEBARKATION

 

Our zone number was 18. We arrived at Miami around 7:00 am. We had breakfast on the Lido Deck and waited for our number to be called. They called handicapped first then began with self assist on Deck 1 and Zone 1, then Deck 2 and Zone 2, etc. We sat outside and enjoyed our last few minutes on the ship. They called our zone and we went down to Deck 3. There was no line and we walked right off the ship:mad:

 

We got to the baggage claim area and got our bags and got in line for customs. We waited only about 3 minutes in line and breezed through customs.

 

We went outside and called SAS shuttle. They told us where to go to meet the van. We loaded up and headed for the FLL airport. We were at the airport before noon. My flight was at 2:45 and my roommate's flight was at 4. We had plenty of time.

 

 

Overall, this is the best Carnival ship I have been on. I can't wait for another cruise on the Breeze.

 

If you have any questions, I'll be glad to answer them.

[billys5764]

"The head waiter talked to us a long time, explaining how employees move up in the ranks and how the galley works and how the food gets served. It was very informative"

 

I would love to hear about this if you can!

 

He told us that when you apply to work on the ship they can put you anywhere. You can request different sections -- steward, food service, maintenance, etc. In food services, most everyone begins working in the galley washing dishes. Advancement is based on work ethic and command of the English language. From the galley they go as waiters in the crew restaurant. After that, they move to the Lido Deck buffet. Then to the MDR as 3rd waiter, then 2nd waiter, then head waiter. If they are really good and are there for a while they can apply to move to Maitre d'.

 

The MDR staff also works on the Lido Deck during breakfast and/or lunch. They work 10 hours a day, 7 days a week.

 

He explained how they go into the galley to get the food. The cold foods are ready, but the waiters line up to pick up the hot foods. He said it is hard to juggle getting cold and hot and serving everyone at the same time.

[Momma1980]

Thank you for taking the time to share some insider intelligence from the crew's perspective. I worked in the service industry for many years. I know how stressful it can be to rely on gratuities for my daily income. I know what it is like to depend on tips to support myself. But... I never had to depend on tips to support my family while at the same time being thousands of miles away from them. I do so admire the staff on the ships who can find the strength within themselves to do this. God bless them!

[Elmo31]

Thanks for the review....did you go to the 5D movies? How long were they? Is it worth the money? I can't wait for our B to B Christmas/New Years cruise ;)

[Kim_KS]

SPA

 

The casino was SO CROWDED, not matter what time of day or night. I only got to play blackjack with my money 3 times. All 3 times I had to wait at least an hour for a table. This was also a Premier Casino Cruise. All of these people crammed into a tiny casino. Carnival should know better. At least add more tables for this week. This is my only complaint about the entire cruise.

 

 

We were on this cruise too and the casino was RIDICULOUS! Everyone was complaining about it. We were on the Premier Casino Cruise and had DOU cards and hardly could use them because it was almost impossible to find a seat. The overcrowded casino was our only complaint too.

[billys5764]

We were on this cruise too and the casino was RIDICULOUS! Everyone was complaining about it. We were on the Premier Casino Cruise and had DOU cards and hardly could use them because it was almost impossible to find a seat. The overcrowded casino was our only complaint too.

 

 

I sent Carnival an email about it. I got a form response today. So I doubt they will do anything different in the future.

 

 

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