italianfemmy

Just curious, what is the dosage and frequency that you take the ginger root pills?

On rough days, I take one with breakfast, lunch and dinner... just one each time. But most days, I just take one with lunch and I am good. It also depends on whether the ship is newer or older. Older ships, I almost always have to take them 3 times a day because the stabilizers aren't as good.

Thank you for the awesome review. Love all the detail pictures.

You're welcome!! And thank you for taking the time to leave a note! :-)

Love your work, you are so very talented and I really look forward to the rest of your review!!!! Amazing, amazing, amazing pics!!!! Thanks for taking the time to put this together!! :D

Thanks!!! You're welcome! I love seeing my vacation photos make other people happy! :-)

Femmy, I am sure you have been asked this countless times but what kind of camera do you use? AMAZING photos!

On this trip, I used my 1D MK IV and my 40D. I also have 5DMK II and 5D MK III as well.

So I was up taking photos of the splash zone and we were waiting for the muster drill alarm to sound. Finally happened shortly past 4pm and it was supposed to be at 3:30. Our Funnel Funatics roll call group was supposed to be meeting at 4 for the sail away party.

On our way heading forward for the muster drill, I realized we could potentially start moving during the drill and that I had forgotten to take medicine to prevent motion sickness. So, I told Latanya we needed to bolt to our stateroom really quick which luckily is forward and give or take the wait for an elevator ride from deck 3, it wouldn't take too long.

We got to our stateroom on deck 11 literally a minute later and our luggage was waiting outside the door. Yay! We dragged it into our room to prevent theft-ery. (Yes, I just made up a word.) And then I took my medicine to keep my tummy calm.

Let's talk about that for a second. Many cruises ago back when I was about 18 years old (so 13 years ago), I was feeling really motion sick. I get so sleepy when I take motion sickness medications, even the non drowsy ones and they knock me right out. So, I was fighting against taking the meds due to not wanting to miss the cruise but was miserably ill. Again, this was years ago. So, the only thing on that cruise that made me feel slightly better was to go out to an open deck and look at the horizon and feel the fresh air. A lady came up to me on that cruise and asked me if I was ok. I explained it was horrible motion sickness. She said she had just the thing for me and went up to her room and came back with a plastic bag filled with pills for me. What were they you might ask?

Ginger Root. You have to take them with food or they will burn your stomach, especially if you burp. But I swear I have never been motion sick again in all the cruises I've taken because I make sure to take my Ginger Root pills. There are zero side effects for me and I can enjoy my trip. I swear by them. Walmart rarely has them in stock but your natural foods stores or health stores should carry them and they're super cheap and a bottle lasts me for multiple trips!

Okay, so we're off to the muster drill.... we get seats right away and it begins around 4:07pm. Our station was the Ovation Theatre, Deck 3, forward.

I really liked the new 3Dish.. little trailers that they played on the big screen showing people evacuating the ship. So many people walked in super super late (like towards the end) and I couldn't help but shake my head thinking that the Concordia disaster really did just happen... it wasn't in the yesteryears of the Titanic anymore. I've been to a ton of these drills now but I still value the importance of them when we're talking about human lives and knowing where we're all supposed to go to make sure we can all fit on the boats. End rant.

Unless we really have somewhere to be, Latanya and I generally stay planted in our seats when a show lets out so that we can relax while people wait in line for elevators. We'd rather not be agitated unnecessarily if we can avoid it. So, after the theatre cleared out, I spent a minute or two taking a couple shots..

My impressions of the theatre decor were a little underwhelming but really it wasn't going to make any difference in my trip. I will say that the theatre looks a lot better in my photos than it did to the naked eye. I don't say that to brag about the photos but I was surprised when I looked at the photos that the colors were more vibrant than in person.

My girlfriend/life partner and myself sailed one week before you! Too bad we missed each other. The friends of dorothy meetings on our sailing had zero people show up to them which was a bit sad as we always like to connect with other gay people when we sail. We made lots of straight friends this time though which is still awesome. :-)

We're doing a review right now as well and we did one last year on our Dream cruise. CC has been so open minded and welcoming. We have over 150,000 views on our Dream cruise and not one negative comment.

And as for the passengers on board the ships, nobody has acted like it bothers them in recent years. :)

Looking at your pictures really makes my mouth water and makes me excited to see the Breeze myself. I really like how the Lido deck (Marketplace) looks, and the signs that tell you which station is which is awesome.

 

In June when we go on our cruise, I will be the adult standing under the dump bucket at the waterworks (I love standing, and often times sitting, under the dump bucket), I'll probably go on the slide one or two times (hopefully my tailbone won't be hurting still - back in June we went to a small waterpark in Aruba and I landed on the edge of a slide while trying to shoot myself down it, and six months later my tailbone is still in agony, so I think just a few times down will satisfy me - plus those stairs tend to be a killer too).

Hey you! Speaking of mouth watering, I am starving!! I need to eat a banana for breakfast or something! Admittedly, I did want to stand under the dump bucket but the times I was there just weren't right in timing. Latanya did use the slide.. more on that on another segment later in the voyage. :-)

P.S. Sorry about your tailbone! :-(

Fantastic and once again I have justified why I paid extra for the retina display. You pictures pop and show a true artist vision. Gf you are going places and they will pay your fare! More!!!!!!

LOL! You are too funny! Now I want to see this display you have! lol

I just got home and finally had some time to catch up with your review, your pictures are stunning. I LOVE the colors!

 

Your review making it very hard for me not to book a quick trip on Breeze. I might do a 6 nighter in june/july. Once again thanks for sharing :)

Thanks for the photos compliments!

I've read several people say they already want to book the Breeze based on the first part of my review. I have only been on the ship a total of less than 4 hours at this point in my review. And unfortunately, this entire review isn't going to be strawberries and roses. But, it's not going to be all bad either. So, I suggest people read the entire review before deciding to book just based off of the initial excitement. Some of the things that were important to me on this cruise might not be as important to others, etc... so it really depends....

I was going to do a review and post my photos from this cruise, but this will blow mine out of the water! I didn't get a chance to meet you, and didn't partake too much in the Roll Call, but I saw you all walk in the Steakhouse the first night to take photos, and I said to myself "the massive Dream review girls!"

 

Can't wait for more!

I think everyone that is considering a review should do one. We all have different experiences as well as different opinions. There shouldn't be a comparison.... so do it! :) Ahhh yes, we did sneak in for like 2 seconds to grab a quick photo that night! lol. I forgot about that!

One word to describe this comprehensive review is.....phenomenal. Each time I check in to see what you have added puts another smile on my face knowing what I have to look forward to for 6 days next month. Thank you again for taking the time to put together this review combining your fabulous photography with your words of wit with just the right amount of humor.

Phenomenal? Awww you're too kind. I feel like I haven't hit my stride in it yet, probably because I am so preoccupied with life and work and the holidays, etc at the moment!

It's my sister and I traveling together so I'm always afraid about going out on our own and like to book with really well-reviewed tour companies. I booked cave tubing with viv tours for Belize, and horseback riding with a ranch on Roatan.

 

What I'd like to do is get a private tour on Belize, be able to see the good and bad sides of it, and do a little souvenir shopping.

 

And on Roatan, I think I want to go down to West End/West Bay and see the beaches and shop at the little shops.

 

I really want to stay away from the tourist malls and get an authentic experience of both countries. I'm just on a tight budget.

VIV tours cave tubing in Belize is what I wanted to do originally and I think that is probably a pretty amazing experience!

Okay, so like I mentioned, we're still waiting for the muster drill alarm to sound and it's already 3:36pm. (I didn't have to take notes on the times because my camera data tracks the time my images are captured so I am checking those time stamps to tell you the times!) Pretty nifty, eh?

Back to our regularly scheduled programming.. we headed up to deck 12 to take some shots of the splash zone. Even though I had zero intention of going up there to 'play', I knew lots of parents would be reading my review and wanted to make sure I got some photos. Taking photos up there was fun so I wound up going back later in the week to take more!

KER-SPLASH!!!

This was the fun little sitting area right next to the splash zone, presumably a place for parents to watch their children from a safe distance.

And with that..

I am going to sign off for a while and get some work done and maybe take in a tv show!

.

I am speechless - these are amazingly beautiful. We took lots of snaps of this same set of views, and yours are soooooo much better!!! We'll stick to our day jobs - and leave the photography to the pros like you. Wow.

Awww that is a really sweet thing to say! But at the end of the day, what is most important is that you have memories from your vacation. They don't have to look like mine.. they just have to remind you of the good times that were had!

Italianfemmy,

I have to ask, since you were in cabin 11208, did you happen to see 11205? Thats what my mom and I are in next month... its a spa suite! I am super excited!

Sorry but no. :-( I always try not to peek into people's rooms even if the doors are open because I wouldn't want people peeking into mine! lol. The only reason I saw into the other handicap accessible room was because one evening later in the cruise, their family was backed up outside the door trying to get in and we had to wait for them to get all the way in the door. So, we saw their room as they were pushing a man in with his wheelchair.

So, these photos were also taken before the muster drill (and there are more coming up!.) I mentioned earlier that after lunch was over, it was 3:20 and the muster drill was set to be at 3:30. So I decided to take photos until we heard the alarm for the muster drill...

The aft pool on deck 10 (Lido) looked so inviting! I loved seeing the city of Miami from just about every vantage point on the ship too!

By this point in time, I'd seen a fair amount of the ship decor on decks 10 and 11 and had also seen the atrium since it's in the middle of the decks and we had to go past it from our forward cabin to get aft for lunch. Something about this atrium was so different from other ships and I found it quite refreshing. I became obsessed with these lanterns and you will see more photos of them pop up probably at least 3-4 more times in this review! So, I kinda hope you love them 1/2 as much as I do! Hehe.

Looking down to the atrium dance floor in front of the Breeze bar.

And looking up towards the sky...

The muster drill still hadn't sounded and everyone was still eating food, drinking their favorite beverage and lounging poolside or taking a dip in the pool... so I decided to wander up to deck 12 to get a closer vantage point for the Splash Zone. More on that coming soon!

I accidentally left out some shots that I took right before we had lunch. As we were walking aft, I had to take some photos!!

This one shows the Norwegian Epic in port along with the Miami skyline.

I am a sucker for a sea of boats all together in a cluster!

I do a variation of this reflection shot on every cruise I take. I have to hang over the side railing and then hold my hand pretty far down with my camera in order to do this. But I love how the shadow from the ship in the water creates a symmetry that makes the entire shadow look like it could be a whale or something! Pretty neat! Also, you can see a small chess board midway down the lower deck! And I accidentally caught a couple kissing. I thought about editing them out but decided to keep them for story telling!

Something about this photo was begging me to give it a bit of an "older" edit feel... not quite vintage but more historic.

There's a couple more photos coming up that I took before lunch and then I have some shots that I took after lunch and before the muster drill!

While I was waiting for my pasta to be cooked, I got up and took a couple of photos from inside the restaurant. Cucina Del Capitano overlooks the atrium of the Marketplace aft where the Sweet Spot baked goods, etc. are...

I was shocked to see this many people eating dessert so early in the day! I can't do it.... Latanya on the other hand can eat dessert just about any time including breakfast. lol.

These chandeliers were really awesome! I loved the decor in this area and it would become my favorite part of the decor on the Breeze. It made me feel like I was in another country... perhaps.. Italy? :-)

After a couple of minutes, they brought my food to the table and Latanya and I were able to dig in and start eating. The food was 110% worth waiting for a few minutes to have it be fresh and it was nice to start the day with just Latanya and I and not a lot of other people around.

Cucina's menu is really cool... it's like opening a gate.

YUMMMMMM!!! That was so delicious and now I am entering into a food coma!!!

Right as we were finishing eating, Latanya had to call her parents so she walked away for a minute to a quieter spot. So, I stayed at the table to relax since I was so full. I struck up a conversation with the guy sitting at the table next to us and it took only a couple of seconds for us to realize we were both Funnel Fanatics on the same roll call. His name is Al.. I think his CC name is Pomme. I hope I don't butcher that. Again, I didn't have much time to bond with people in advance this time so I didn't learn as many names as I should.

Anyway, we had a great conversation and Latanya came back and they got to geek out together over the significance of his user name on CC. We talked for at least 30-45 minutes about random stuff and discovered we actually live really close to each other too!

It was about 3:20pm now and the muster drill was supposed to be starting at 3:30pm so we decided to head out and be prepared for the alarm to sound....

Day 1 - Food on the Brain

Latanya and I waited all morning to really eat anything so that we would be hungry once we got on board the ship. We both knew right away what we wanted to eat even though we hadn't explored the ship. Being on deck 11 was nice in the sense that the layout of the ship allowed us to get places like the Lido deck really easily. Or take the forward elevators down and walk a few feet to get to dinner, etc...

Anyway, we headed to the Lido Deck (Deck 10) and headed aft. We knew the layout should be similar to the Dream and if this was true, the Tandoor indian food station would be all the way aft and outside. It was! So, Latanya was in immediate bliss because she'd been craving this for days. I took a couple shots while she was getting her food...

What's on Latanya's plate you might ask? Thank goodness I took notes!

Dal, Basmati Rice, Beer Kabobs, Fish Tandoor, Chicken Tandoor, Butter Chicken, Naan, Corn on the Cob. Latanya loved everything except for the corn. She said it was very spicy and Latanya loves her food spicy!

Latanya carried her plate and followed me. I entered back inside the ship on deck 10 aft, straight into the elevator and up to deck 11, hoping and praying that the Breeze would also have the pasta restaurant and that they would have the pasta bar free for lunch like on the Dream. We come out of the elevator and at first, I totally missed it and was bummed for a second but then Latanya says, "It's through this door!" YAY!!!

Cucina Del Capitano is the Italian restaurant on the Breeze and until 2:30pm every day, they have the free lunch pasta bar. The way it works is like this - You come in and they give you a menu ticket and a pencil. You mark off the options that you want. Sorry, I didn't think to take photos of this. But it has different kinds of pasta, different sauce options, different meat and veggie options, etc. They also give you a number on a stand. You deliver your ticket to the pasta bar station and then you get to go and take a comfortable seat while waiting for them to bring your food to your table for you!

Since most people don't know about this place at all and most won't find it until later during the cruise, if at all, it's a fantastic option to sit and eat on embarkation day without worrying about getting a table. In fact, it was more than 1/2 empty in there. And there's nothing but pros about it. The food is cooked fresh to order, it's comfortable, Latanya was able to bring her Tandoor food in to sit and eat with me, etc.

Okay, so I ordered.... Alfredo pasta with Italian Sausage, Garlic Shrimp, Zucchini, Mushrooms and Peppers... the pasta was bow tie by the way.

More in just a second!

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And we'll be back in April with our Honeymoon on the Liberty review (I just got our wedding rings today :D)

EEEK!!!! How exciting!!!! I can't wait to see them!!

Please don't take my post as a criticism of your reviews. The Dream one was fabulous and I am subscribed to your new one on the Breeze. Totally understand why you can't finish yours as quickly and it is worth waiting for. Just nice to not have to wait for all of them...lol. My post was meant to praise Chris and Cassandra for theirs, not to knock yours or anyone else's. I appreciate them all. That's why I added the last sentence to thank all of you.

Thanks for clarifying. :-) I love Chris and Cass and am always telling them they have a place on here as reviewers. I see them as friends now and didn't want them to feel like they had to compare themselves to my review and I guess I also don't desire to see who loves whom more either. lol. I'd rather stay in my "we're all equal" bubble. :-D

Nice start, deck mate and fellow Funatic!:) (Aside to CC-ers:We were sorta/kinda across the passageway in a spa balcony and ran into A&L as they were lugging their stuff toward their cabin-pre size-surprise- and I think somewhere in our as-yet-online pics is a photo of the spa balcony cabins, which are normal balcony size for those worried about these things, but that's a future review). I'm "late-to-the-party", as typical, in subscribing and then reading these things, but love the dovetailing after C&C's review (like a "SOCIAL!!" II :)). Rum on!

Crew

I completely forgot to mention you in my traversing to the state room on day 1! Thanks for reminding me! In fact, this is kind of cool that you did remind me because you were the first person to turn around and say, "Hey, you're italianfemmy/Alicia, right?" And it had begun only 3 minutes after getting on the ship! Latanya and I would be stopped more times than I can count during our 8 days on the Breeze with similar words. Many of whom said they weren't even part of our roll call and don't even have member accounts on CC but had read our review on CC. It was surreal to have that many people recognize us!

“A group of artists are invited for dinner by a famous chef.

In greeting the photographer, the chef comments:

I love your photos, they’re wonderful, you must have a very expensive camera.The photographer doesn’t reply and walks into the dining room.

 

After dinner the photographer approaches the chef and says:

Dinner was sensational, very exquisite flavors, a true work of art,

you must have a very sophisticated stove.” :D

THIS IS AWESOME!!!!! Thank you for sharing that with me. It made me laugh very hard. lol.

Chris and ( Cassandra ), you are too modest and humble about your reviews vs Italianfemmy's. Even though her photos are professional, yours are very very good and tell the story and add to your review. As I said before, I love how you both team tag writing the review. It gives 2 prospectives for the price of one. Your reviews are always fun and witty, very well written and enjoyable. The one thing I love the most is that you both are so dedicated to your review that you are posting it within a few days of starting. You are not leaving your readers "hanging" and waiting and waiting to see another episode. Thank you thank you!:D:):D

 

Having said that, I and others appreciate all who write and post reviews as we know how much work each and every one of them take. Thank you to all of you.:D

See Chris and Cass.... that wasn't called for. lol. People love your reviews and your review is a real review and a good one! We have completely different styles and some people like one better or like them both for different reasons so it's completely relevant.

To the person that I am quoting, I wouldn't be able to do a review at all if I wasn't leaving people "hanging" and waiting and waiting. :-) Not only because I spend 15-17 hours a day, 7 days a week working but also because I take time to edit the photos in my review and also because I write super in depth. My reviews aren't meant to be witty and funny - they're meant to be informative and detailed with random bouts of humor. :-) Anyway, like I said... we all have different preferences and I'd like to not turn this into a comparison. Chris and Cass.... you know people love you and your review (myself included) so don't sell yourselves short.

Best. review. EVER!!! I quit at page 21 but only because it's 3:30 am.

Your pics are beautiful! And you seem to have made some lasting friendships with people you met on the cruise (I really want that to happen for me!). I'm on the Dream in April 2013, same itinerary. I have all my excursions booked but now you've made me want to change my Belize and Roatan plans!

 

Thanks for taking the time to write and post your review!

Aww thanks! Nice to see this review is still living on! :-)

This trip was incredible and a large part of that was due to my experiences on the different islands. What are you planning to do now in Belize and Roatan? What do you have booked already?