BREEZEing through the Mediterranean 6/27 - 7/9/12

[Hose A De RR]

Thanks for the great review. Your pictures and the architecture are incredible.

Thanks for the heads up on the connecting staterooms thin doors. My wife and I are booked in that stateroom for the transatlantic in November. :D

[Froufie]

Thanks for the great review. Your pictures and the architecture are incredible.

Thanks for the heads up on the connecting staterooms thin doors. My wife and I are booked in that stateroom for the transatlantic in November. :D

 

Minor highjack - please come join in on the TA roll call if you like - lots of fun activities planned! http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1409264&page=235

[luckybecky]

Hi Becky,

thanks for the info.

In your review you mentioned a free bottle of wine on the first night bookings, is this a Carnival tradition, do you need to ask the waiter for this offer or do they offer it automatically.

Regards

Lee

 

It's my understanding that this is standard practice. We asked shortly after we sat down, because we had heard this was the case. If we had been a little more patient, I assume they would have offered it.

 

...Thanks for the heads up on the connecting staterooms thin doors. My wife and I are booked in that stateroom for the transatlantic in November. :D

 

Tell Pavlo that Paul and Becky said hello! He was a great steward. You'll love this room. The location is unbeatable. Just take your earplugs. And remember, the noise goes both ways. ;)

 

Another note. This morning I was looking at a few Breeze reviews on the reviews section of this website. I was really surprised at some of the negative comments since they were so completely different from what we experienced. I didn't read all of them, but a couple of them complained about disorganized check-in and long lines. Nothing could be further from the truth in our experience. Maybe this was a problem just on the first cruise or two while they worked out kinks in the system. We boarded with ease, no long waits, no hassle at all. I also read some comments about long lines everywhere, and the ship feeling crowded. We felt exactly the opposite. Considering that there were 4000 people on board, I thought it was striking that it did NOT feel crowded to me.

 

To my amazement, one reviewer posted that he (or she) was "bored all the time" and would have "gone crazy" if he hadn't brought his computer with movies. This sounds really incredible to me. I know everyone enjoys different things, but if there is one thing you can say about this ship, there is a lot to do. You can hang out by the pool, ride the slides, nap in a hammock, eat BBQ, read in the library bar, go to the comedy shows multiple times per night, try out the sushi, dance at the Breeze bar, play bingo, tackle the ropes course, play foosball, sing karaoke, go to the shows, soak in a hot tub, gamble in the casino, play trivia games, exercise in the gym or on sky fitness deck, watch movies at the seaside theater, watch the ice carving demo, enter the hairy chest contest, get a massage, go to the Thrill Theater, play mini golf, play ping-pong, shop for jewelry, attend an art auction, eat at the Steakhouse, party at the Liquid Nightclub, groove with Bob the Piano guy at the Piano Bar, join a basketball tournament, go to a napkin folding class, get tips from Mr. Radu at a photography seminar, try your skill at bean bag toss, participate in a line dancing lesson, hit on the girls or guys at the Lido pool, work on your tan.......

 

Well, you get the idea. I know there are different strokes for different folks, and some people may have had a less positive experience than we did. But to hear someone say they were bored, well, that just boggles my mind.

 

I'm not trying to be just a Carnival cheerleader here. Just saying that our experience was almost entirely positive aside from a few minor things that were mentioned earlier in my review. Maybe they had worked out some of the kinks by the time we boarded. We didn't have a problem with lines or crowds, but I'm sure it can happen.

 

Anyway, for all of you who are booked on the Breeze, I wish I could go with you! I'd get back on board in a heartbeat. Thanks for coming along with me on our cruise. I hope you all have a marvelous time when it is your turn to cruise on the Breeze!

[NYRsHOCKEY]

It's my understanding that this is standard practice. We asked shortly after we sat down, because we had heard this was the case. If we had been a little more patient, I assume they would have offered it.

 

 

 

Tell Pavlo that Paul and Becky said hello! He was a great steward. You'll love this room. The location is unbeatable. Just take your earplugs. And remember, the noise goes both ways. ;)

 

Another note. This morning I was looking at a few Breeze reviews on the reviews section of this website. I was really surprised at some of the negative comments since they were so completely different from what we experienced. I didn't read all of them, but a couple of them complained about disorganized check-in and long lines. Nothing could be further from the truth in our experience. Maybe this was a problem just on the first cruise or two while they worked out kinks in the system. We boarded with ease, no long waits, no hassle at all. I also read some comments about long lines everywhere, and the ship feeling crowded. We felt exactly the opposite. Considering that there were 4000 people on board, I thought it was striking that it did NOT feel crowded to me.

 

To my amazement, one reviewer posted that he (or she) was "bored all the time" and would have "gone crazy" if he hadn't brought his computer with movies. This sounds really incredible to me. I know everyone enjoys different things, but if there is one thing you can say about this ship, there is a lot to do. You can hang out by the pool, ride the slides, nap in a hammock, eat BBQ, read in the library bar, go to the comedy shows multiple times per night, try out the sushi, dance at the Breeze bar, play bingo, tackle the ropes course, play foosball, sing karaoke, go to the shows, soak in a hot tub, gamble in the casino, play trivia games, exercise in the gym or on sky fitness deck, watch movies at the seaside theater, watch the ice carving demo, enter the hairy chest contest, get a massage, go to the Thrill Theater, play mini golf, play ping-pong, shop for jewelry, attend an art auction, eat at the Steakhouse, party at the Liquid Nightclub, groove with Bob the Piano guy at the Piano Bar, join a basketball tournament, go to a napkin folding class, get tips from Mr. Radu at a photography seminar, try your skill at bean bag toss, participate in a line dancing lesson, hit on the girls or guys at the Lido pool, work on your tan.......

 

Well, you get the idea. I know there are different strokes for different folks, and some people may have had a less positive experience than we did. But to hear someone say they were bored, well, that just boggles my mind.

 

I'm not trying to be just a Carnival cheerleader here. Just saying that our experience was almost entirely positive aside from a few minor things that were mentioned earlier in my review. Maybe they had worked out some of the kinks by the time we boarded. We didn't have a problem with lines or crowds, but I'm sure it can happen.

 

Anyway, for all of you who are booked on the Breeze, I wish I could go with you! I'd get back on board in a heartbeat. Thanks for coming along with me on our cruise. I hope you all have a marvelous time when it is your turn to cruise on the Breeze!

 

 

 

 

35 days to go for me and I'm ridiculously excited, especially after reading your amazing review. Thank you!!

[oreochik]

It's my understanding that this is standard practice. We asked shortly after we sat down, because we had heard this was the case. If we had been a little more patient, I assume they would have offered it.

 

 

Was the free wine at the formal dinner or just in the main dining room on whatever night you go there?

 

We are not planning on taking formal attire (because of limited luggage space) so will only be doing the main dining room on some other nights.

So which dining room? I think this could be fun. I've only been on two prevous Carnival Cruises (to Caribbean) and never got free wine.

 

Also, how do we find out if our cabin has the "adjoining" door? lol I don't want the sound effects! lol

[oreochik]

Luckybecky: How do you know ahead of time if your cabin has the adjoining door? lol I'm a light sleeper and don't want to hear any sound effects! lol

[Crusin Karen]

It's my understanding that this is standard practice. We asked shortly after we sat down, because we had heard this was the case. If we had been a little more patient, I assume they would have offered it.

 

 

Was the free wine at the formal dinner or just in the main dining room on whatever night you go there?

 

We are not planning on taking formal attire (because of limited luggage space) so will only be doing the main dining room on some other nights.

So which dining room? I think this could be fun. I've only been on two prevous Carnival Cruises (to Caribbean) and never got free wine.

 

Also, how do we find out if our cabin has the "adjoining" door? lol I don't want the sound effects! lol

I believe the free wine is given if you book the STEAKHOUSE for the FIRST night...not in the MDR. But that would be a great perk! :p Can you imagine how many bottles they would have to give out...:eek::eek:

If you go to www.cruisedeckplans.com and click on Carnival then on your ship, then on the deck you will see your cabin. I believe there is a little triangle marker where there are connecting cabins. Kind of like this: < if I remember correctly. :cool:

[Crusin Karen]

Yep, I just checked on www.cruisedeckplans.com. You will see a <, a triangle laying on it's side that is WHITE where the connecting cabins are.

[lovecruzing]

Loving your review.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[CruisingHoosierFan]

Becky,

 

Thanks for posting this great review!! I was onboard with you and joined in the Roll Call. I don't know if we ever met or not but thankyou for organizing it!! I too, was amazed at all the negative comments. I can't believe people can go on a cruise (in Europe no less) and complain about it. I had the trip of a lifetime! I was going to post a review with pictures similar to yours but I might not have to now.

 

It was a review from the Magic in the Med last year that I read and sold me on Rome in Limo. We used them in Pisa/Florence (ask for Giovanni) and Rome (ask for Marco). Both of them were great and provided a wealth of information. We never waited in lines and the called to make reservations at great local restaurants. I even completely forgot to pre-buy my Coliseum tickets and Marco still used his "magic powers" to get us past every line and he was able to purchase them in person. We stood for maybe 2 minutes tops as he worked his magic. I would also recommend a private tour guide for the Vatican museums. We also booked that through Rome in Limo. Marco dropped us off right where Fredrica was standing. It was incredibly crowded and overwhelming, but she did a great job providing tons of information and helping us bypass certain things to see the highlights. I kept saying I don't know what we would have done on our own.

 

Also one of your beautiful pictures of Dubrovnik was of the island that we kayaked around. We didn't know until we were heading back to the ship that we had just gone over 6 miles around the entire island in the "most rough water" Ivan had seen all season. I was looking closely for our two lonely kayaks out in the middle of the Adriatic Sea. Needless to say we were so sore for the next day or two. If anyone is interested in an adventure and a break from the regular sight-seeing, check out Huck Finn Adventures. They are the same company that Carnival uses for their kayaking excursion--but it was very private (just Ivan our guide and the three of us) and at least half the cost at $50. I think he took us on a more rigorous course than usual bc he kept saying how proud of us he was. He met us at the ship and then we took a ferry to an island where we got our gear. The first part was very calm and the water felt so good. Then after some rough waves in the Adriatic Sea, we stopped at this amazing blue cave that glows a transluscent blue color that I can't even describe! We then kayaked some more and took a much needed rest at a local restaurant owned his friends--and then we kayaked all the way back to the hotel where we started.

 

Oh another tip for anyone interested, for our second day in Venice my friends and I booked a private cooking class with Mama Isa. We made tortelonni from scratch and risoto. She also had appetizers for us when we arrived and tiramisu for dessert. She has several cooking options to choose from, we negotiated a little bit to do just one course to reduce the price. I think it was about 90 euro per person. Now I can't think of the town she lives in but we took a train for about 20-30 minutes. You can google her and she will give you very detailed directions. She was so sweet! Her kitchen is small so I think she prefers groups of 2-4 people.

 

 

Anyway, thanks again for posting! It was great to relive part of our pre-cruise vacation (in London) as I watched the Olympics and now the cruise part through your pictures! I am ready to start scrapbooking now!

 

julie

[LIMPIT]

Hi Becky,

I have now received my confirmation of table booking on first night, looking forward to my complimentary bottle of wine (fingers crossed)

Lee

[LizaMM]

Hi Becky,

I have now received my confirmation of table booking on first night, looking forward to my complimentary bottle of wine (fingers crossed)

Lee

 

The free bottle of wine in the Steakhouse on the first night is currently Fleetwide (on those ships that have a Steakhouse) so you should not have any problem!

[luckybecky]

Becky,

 

Thanks for posting this great review!! I was onboard with you and joined in the Roll Call. I don't know if we ever met or not but thankyou for organizing it!! I too, was amazed at all the negative comments. I can't believe people can go on a cruise (in Europe no less) and complain about it. I had the trip of a lifetime...

 

julie

 

Hi Julie! You should go ahead and post a review! You have some great tips for excursions, and it would be fun to see a different perspective on the trip.

 

Hi Becky,

I have now received my confirmation of table booking on first night, looking forward to my complimentary bottle of wine (fingers crossed)

Lee

 

That's great, Lee! You'll love the steakhouse. Just make sure you go hungry... It's a LOT of food!

 

And to Oreochick, sorry if I wasn't clear earlier. As others have pointed out, the free bottle of wine is only in the Steakhouse, and only on the first night of the cruise.

[sweetcurves]

I read this whole thread last night! Great review and beautiful photos! Now I want to see Europe more than ever!

[joyce baly]

I also read 9 pages of this review last night. Very enjoyable I am in charge of planning our family vacation this year and we decided to do a simular cruise on the Sunshine,but a little earlier, June 7thfrom Barcelona. I am sending this link to everyone on our vaaction list. So they can also enjoy this great review. You have answered so many questions. I have a question about when to purchse airline tickets. We are a large group. Thanks so much for writting this review.

[legriff]

Becky, you are an absolute star! My wife & I sail on the Breeze this Sunday 26/8, just a week away & your review has made us even more eager to get on board. :)

 

I'm not sure you could be any more thorough in your review & as fellow wine drinkers, you've helped us a lot, I just hope there's a duty free at Venice port where we embark. Thank you so much for your time in giving so much info & some fantastic photos. We're a little behind you as it's only our 18th anniversary this year but coincidentally will be in Rome on our anniversary as we were last year on our 17th when we toured southern Italy. (If you like good food & wine, highly recommended. :~)

 

I've still only got to page 2 but we're out to dinner soon so will continue reading tomorrow, thanks again.

[CruisingHoosierFan]

Thanks for your encouragement to write a post. This whole posting thing is very new to me. I don't know if I can do it as well as you but I think I will give it a try. Now I just have to narrow my pictures down. I have tons!

[cruiseladies1234]

Hi Becky! Loved all of your pics. I was directed to your post from another cruiser. We aren't going on the Breeze but we are going on the Legend in Oct.of 2013, round trip from Barcelona. We also live in San Antonio. Even though it's more than a year away, I am super excited to see some of the sites and get a little advice. Thanks, Barbara

[luckybecky]

I also read 9 pages of this review last night. Very enjoyable I am in charge of planning our family vacation this year and we decided to do a simular cruise on the Sunshine,but a little earlier, June 7thfrom Barcelona. I am sending this link to everyone on our vaaction list. So they can also enjoy this great review. You have answered so many questions. I have a question about when to purchse airline tickets. We are a large group. Thanks so much for writting this review.

 

Ah, that is the million dollar question. I wish I knew the answer. I asked around some before we bought ours, and never got a great answer. Airfare was VERY expensive. Our air tickets cost almost as much as the entire 12 day cruise! Ouch!

 

The only advice I can offer is to go ahead and buy them as soon as you are sure of your plans. There does not seem to be any reason to wait. We did not see prices go down or any great deals popping up as the time got closer. If you buy early, at least you'll have better choice on your seats. This would seem especially important for you, since you have a large group. You want to be sure you can get enough seats all on the same flight.

 

Another idea is to look at a variety of options for airports. For example, I looked at leaving from either San Antonio or Houston. To make our east coast connection (I didn't find any direct flights), I looked at going through Atlanta, JFK, Newark, Baltimore, etc.

 

But no matter what you do, sadly you are going to have to cough up some major cash for this. :(

[joyce baly]

I was afraid of that. At least we can book as a group and pay a little every month. Thanks again for the review, I sent it to everyone in the group and I will have my grand daughters to read it today after church. My oldest grand daughter will have her 16th birthday while on the cruise, this is her gift. Your review and pictures have me very excited. Thanks again.

[sailawaybellaluna]

Becky,

 

Thanks so much for your brilliant review! I am boarding the Breeze with my family in 4 weeks and I'm so excited! We have rented an apartment in Barcelona to stay 5 days prior to boarding, so I loved seeing your pics of Barcelona and getting your advice!

 

You're a great writer and photographer, and I liked your attitude about travel...It's so disappointing to read reviews on here of people who spend thousands and thousands of dollars on a vacation, and then let it get ruined by one bad meal or inconvenient port experience. Sounds like you guys had a wonderful vacation!

 

:)

[jubilada]

Dear Becky,

 

We are sailing on the Breeze 11/6. This review was such a delight and what wonderful

advice! The photos are also incredible.

 

Also, a special shout out to one of my fellow roll call mates, Froufie, for alerting us to this

great read!

 

Best,

Tanya

[Froufie]

Dear Becky,

 

We are sailing on the Breeze 11/6. This review was such a delight and what wonderful

advice! The photos are also incredible.

 

Also, a special shout out to one of my fellow roll call mates, Froufie, for alerting us to this

great read!

 

Best,

Tanya

 

You're welcome Tanya!!! :)

 

...and I add my thanks to Becky for the WONDERFUL information provided! Can't wait to board the Breeze!!!;)

[GRAMMYTAN]

Becky, I am familiar with the cruise terminal in Barcelona but only when we docked there for the day. How is the luggage handled when boarding in Barcelona? We have a driver taking us to the terminal so I am wondering at what point our luggage is turned over to the porters. Could you please give me some insight on this? Also, would we be able to stop in the Duty Free shop for wine before boarding instead of having to leave the ship or is it too much confusion at the terminal as we board?

Thanks for the great review. The pictures bring back some great memories.

[luckybecky]

Thanks again everyone for your kind comments. I'm so glad this review has been helpful.

 

Becky,

 

.... and I liked your attitude about travel...It's so disappointing to read reviews on here of people who spend thousands and thousands of dollars on a vacation, and then let it get ruined by one bad meal or inconvenient port experience. Sounds like you guys had a wonderful vacation!

 

:)

 

I sooo agree with you! It seems such a shame that people will let some little thing "ruin" their vacation. Here's a short little story for you. When Paul and I were on our honeymoon, we had a fabulous time, but our travel arrangements and transfers just seemed to go wrong at every turn. In some cases it was truly awful. But, we survived and still had a fabulous experience in London and Paris.

 

Then, on the day we were to fly home, all the air traffic controllers in France decided to go on strike. We ended up having to take a bus to Belgium, waited there for hours sitting on the floor... eventually got on a flight to JFK. Of course we had long since missed our connecting flight. Along with hundreds of other passengers, we were scrambling to make new arrangements, and had to find a place to stay for the night. Very late at night, after many long hours of travel, we were sitting on the curb at JFK waiting for a hotel shuttle to pick us up.

 

At this point, we were exhausted and at the end of our rope. A limo pulled up nearby, the chauffer got out and walked around to the trunk. He opened the trunk, pulled out a 6-pack of cokes, and promptly dropped them on the concrete right beside us. They started spewing coke all over us! We were so tired we could not even move. We just sat there being sprayed, looked at each other and burst out laughing. It was almost like something out of a comedy routine, and we were like, what else could possibly go wrong??? The driver must have thought we were completely nuts.

 

but none of this ruined our trip. That was still one of the best times of my life, despite all that went wrong. I think you just have to have a good attitude about travel and take the lumps that come along with it.

 

Becky, I am familiar with the cruise terminal in Barcelona but only when we docked there for the day. How is the luggage handled when boarding in Barcelona? We have a driver taking us to the terminal so I am wondering at what point our luggage is turned over to the porters. Could you please give me some insight on this? Also, would we be able to stop in the Duty Free shop for wine before boarding instead of having to leave the ship or is it too much confusion at the terminal as we board?

 

Thanks for the great review. The pictures bring back some great memories.

 

Grammytan, our taxi driver was able to pull up right at the entrance to the terminal. A porter came right over and took our luggage as soon as we unloaded it from the trunk of the cab. We did not have to seek out this service and we did not take our luggage inside. In our case, they came to us and we were relieved of our luggage immediately upon arrival. But it was not too busy when we arrived.

 

As for the duty free shop. At some point when we arrived, we were given a card with a zone number on it. As we proceeded through security and check-in, we showed this zone number and were told where to go. We were directed to an area downstairs where we were given our S&S cards, took our picture, etc. Some people were directed upstairs to complete this process. I have no idea how they determine who goes where. The duty free shop is upstairs.

 

We just followed along wherever Carnival employees told us to go. But, in retrospect, I now see that it would be easy to step back from this process for a moment. After you go through security, you will see a set of escalators. Go up one floor, turn right, and there you will see the duty free shop. You can purchase what you need, and then go back downstairs to continue the boarding process where you left off.

 

It really was no problem at all to visit this shop, very easy. Have fun!