Carnival Breeze - 8/14/12 Trip Report with Photos!

[brunoh55]

Really great review, you've given us great insight for our trip. We are sailing on the Breeze Oct 1st. I bought a new camera for the trip a Fuji SL300, it's not a true SLR, but it was what I could afford right now. At least it's better than a point and shoot and has a viewfinder. I also love your sunsets from Dubrovnik. Thanks for the tip about the scam artists in Rome, will definitely be watching out for that.

 

Sam "brunoh55":)

[Alan M]

Thanks to everybody for their kind comments. We had a fantastic time on this cruise and I don't think we would have been able to do so much had it not been for the research I did on CC beforehend. That research was fuelled by people like you all sharing experiences and info so I figured I should return the favour. Have to admit, I'm enjoying writing this too.

 

One more sea day to go then Venice, one of the coolest places I have ever been and I don't mean the weather! Got to get some work done first ...

[lifeisgoodPat]

I can't wait for the next installment!!! This is a great review with wonderful, wonderful Pictures. Thank you so much for taking the time to post it all.

[Alan M]

Day Eleven – Last Day At Sea

 

Not much to say about today, we installed ourselves on Deck 11 again and just enjoyed the sunshine. Thought I would use this post to review the bars, restaurants and entertainment on board. So in no particular order ….

 

Blush Dining Room

 

I’ve said enough about the food so no more. Waiters dancing on tables was amusing the first time, got a bit same-old, same-old after a while. The maître d’ sang Sinatra most evenings and he did a very passable job of it. He also name-checked a few birthdays and anniversaries before giving out information about opening times the following day. Can’t remember his name but we liked him. 8 out of 10 for the staff, 4 out of 10 overall.

 

Fat Jimmy’s C-side BBQ

 

Only open on sea days and only tried it once. Good food and no line when I visited although we saw lines at other times. 9 out of 10.

 

Bonsai Sushi

 

Very popular especially among twenty-somethings and it always seemed to be busy when we passed. We did not try it so Unrated.

 

 

Bonsai Sushi

 

Ocean Plaza / Lanai

 

This area doubled up as a breakfast venue on some mornings and housed the Taste Bar in the evenings. The taste bar served tapas-sized samples of some of the dishes on the day’s evening menu in the main dining rooms. Nice touch. The Lanai areas were great for an outdoor breakfast or pre-dinner drink. Smoking was allowed on the port side, non-smoking to starboard.

 

Entertainment in Ocean Plaza was quite varied with games and quizzes during the day. In the evening, things kicked off with Eddie C and The Cool Breeze Band. They were IMHO by far the best entertainers on the ship. That girl could sing and any band that opens their set with songs from the Doobie Brothers, Jefferson Airplane and Steely Dan is alright in my book. Unfortunately they only ever seemed to play in the early evening as later on the stage and floor was taken over by the likes of Funship Freddie or wailing and screeching karaoke contestants. Pity, we liked the band. 10 out of 10 for the band, 7 out of 10 overall.

 

Eddie C and the Cool Breeze Band

 

Coffee Bar

 

Carnival’s version of Seattle’s finest. Seemed to be popular even though it was an extra-charge option and it served some tempting-looking cakes and pastries. We did not try it (we liked the room service coffee and the beverage station coffee was not too bad either) so Unrated.

 

Calorie Central!

 

Library

I never actually found the library although DW did have a look and pronounced it satisfactory. Unrated.

 

Piano Bar 88

 

Quite popular but I am not sure why. A lot of people seemed to be just sitting there listening to the pianist without buying drinks. Was not impressed by the pianist. The bar itself was pretty cool. 6 out of 10.

 

Piano Bar 88

 

Red Frog Pub

 

Maybe we just went at the wrong times but it never seemed to be busy. Felt sorry for the staff because they were so friendly and attentive. Most nights they had a singer/guitar player, it seemed to alternate between two guys but sorry to say neither of them were very enthusiastic and they failed to draw us in. I liked Carnival’s own Red Frog beer …. liked it a lot actually. I think this venue will probably be more popular when the Breeze moves to the Caribbean. I came across two guys working their way through a 110oz tube of beer. They seemed to be enjoying it. Didn’t try the food. 6 out of 10

 

Red Frog Pub

 

Lobby Bar

 

The lobby had either a DJ or a singing duo playing each night. They played to an older crowd and seemed to go down well. I hardly ever saw anyone at the bar. Unrated.

 

Liquid Night Club

 

I promised DW that we would go dancing but we never did, always too tired and in bed most nights before midnight. Call me boring if you like but this cruise was hard work! I suspect the nightclub got going much later but any time we looked in (granted, it was always before midnight) it was practically empty. Unrated

 

Liquid Night Club

 

Next …. Last Day at Sea (part 2)

[Alan M]

Day Eleven – Last Day at Sea (part 2)

 

Continuing review of bars, restaurants and entertainment.

 

Casino Bar

 

This was by far the liveliest bar in our experience and we went there quite a few times. The bar staff (especially Rado and Kristian) were great, real pros. We met a lot of new friends at the Casino Bar including the captain of the Carnival Pride taking a vacation! 10 out of 10

 

Winner’s Luck Casino

 

Meh. We only played blackjack and the dealers were really friendly and helpful with the newbies. We are not gamblers but make an exception if blackjack is available. We allocated a modest budget to play and ran about even for our first three visits until the last casino night when we lost 80% of it.

 

Tip: The casino is closed when the ship overnights in Venice so if you feel the urge to lose your money, don’t leave it until you reach Venice.

 

We didn’t mind losing, we see it as entertainment and felt we had value for money. The slots were pretty quiet every time we passed through the casino but roulette, craps and Texas hold ‘em tables all seemed to do good business. 7 out of 10.

 

Guy Fieri’s Burger Joint

 

Gets rave reviews elsewhere and there's no doubt they were tasty but we found it all a bit too greasy. Shame because the toppings and sauces available were awesome. 7 out of 10

 

Guy’s place

 

Blue Iguana Cantina

 

When it is open for breakfast they serve breakfast burritos with scrambled eggs and all the tex-mex trimmings. At lunchtime there is a choice of shrimp, chicken, pork or veggies in tacos or burritos with a tremendous choice of salsas and accompaniments. The only let-down was the tortillas, Way too thick, chewy and bland for our taste. Would have eaten there a whole lot more if the tortillas were lighter. 8 out of 10. 2 marks deducted for the tortillas.

 

Blue Iguana Cantina

 

Starlight Lounge / Punchliner Comedy Club

 

Looked in the door one evening to find a 7-year old trying his hand at karaoke. About-turn and exit. Never saw any comedians so Unrated.

 

Playlist Productions / Ovation Theatre

 

Saw two shows, The Brits and Motown. Enjoyed them both even though they had a bit of cut-price feel to them. DS went to another (Divas?) and he said it was very good. Could not get a seat either time and so had to stand at the back but we didn’t really mind and the shows only last about half an hour so it was no great hardship. You have to get there early for a seat and a lot of seat-saving goes on, wonder how long before the stickers appear in the theatre! 8 out of 10

 

Thrill Theatre / Hasbro the Game Show / Video Arcade / Art Gallery

 

Did not try any of them so Unrated. DS pronounced the Arcade acceptable.

 

Blue Iguana Tequila Bar

 

Very good Classic Margaritas, tried a couple of other frozen cocktails but generally found them too sweet. Great staff but never busy. 9 out of 10

 

 

Blue Iguana Tequila Bar

 

Red Frog Rum Bar

 

Good mojitos, even less busy than the BITB, 8 out of 10 for the mojito only.

 

Punchliner Comedy Brunch

 

Nope

 

Cucina Del Capitano

 

Reviewed already, don’t miss it. We heard that lunch was very good there too but never got around to it. 9 out of 10

 

Cucina del Capitano

 

Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse

 

Reviewed already. Anyone who travels on the Breeze would be doing themselves a huge disservice if they missed out on this. 10 out of 10

 

Waves Bar

 

Meh. Only there to service the aft pool from what I could see. Does the job and staff were very fast and friendly. 7 out of 10

 

Pizza Pirate

 

Popular but not subject to the huge queues we experienced on the Imagination. Pizza was always good (DS consumed enough of it!) and you have to admire those poor guys working there churning out hundreds of pizzas day-in, day-out. Nice selection of condiments too. 10 out of 10

 

Tandoori

 

Only tried it once and it was much spicier than we expected, we like spicy! One or two odd additions to the menu (tandoori corn?) but overall very good. Loved the hummus. 9 out of 10.

 

Tandoori

 

Mongolian Wok

 

Could never get near it so Unrated

 

Deli

 

Excellent! Whatever you wanted exactly the way you like it. Sandwiches on several different kinds of bread, Panini, wraps, plain or toasted all made very quickly to order by cheerful, patient staff. 10 out of 10

 

Deli Staff

Salad Bar

 

Excellent! Fresh and plenty of it, could have been a little more varied. 9 out of 10

 

Hot Food at the Lido

 

Hot food themes changed from day to day and there was usually something that looked good but like the MDR some dishes were a complete nightmare so only 5 out of 10.

 

Seaside Theatre

 

DS watched Sherlock Holmes with a bucket of popcorn. Movie nights were very popular and he gave it the young movie buff’s seal of approval. DS Rating 9 out of 10.

 

Cloud 9 Spa

 

Very expensive and we could not find anyone to say anything good about it. Decided not to try it so Unrated.

 

Upper Deck Stroll / Balcony Sundowners at night

 

Not advertised as entertainment but fantastic all the same! The Mediterranean stars, the sound of the water, your best girl on your arm …. doesn’t get any better. 10 out of 10

 

No-one should starve, go thirsty or be bored on the Breeze. If you don’t like something, just go somewhere else. Its that easy. We were quite satisfied overall and felt we got good value for money.

 

If I have missed anything out its because my memory and my notes can only manage so much but if anyone has a question about any of the venues on board please let me know and I’ll be glad to tell you what I can.

 

Next …. Venice

[ILUVCRUIZN]

WOW, what a FANTASTIC review!!! Your pictures are beautiful. You make us feel like we are right there with you in this review. Thank you so much, I cannot wait to experience more of your review!!! :)

[mdwcruises]

Atrium Interior

 

What a beautiful picture! Thank you for the review!

[GRAMMYTAN]

Great review and pictures, thanks for taking time to do this. We sail on our third Med cruise October 13 and I have a question. I have not seen this mentioned on any of the Breeze reviews. Did the ship have a sail away party the day you left Venice? We had a big deck party in 2007 and a nighttime dance party in 2009. The CD's told everyone to wear their masks to the party. Both parties were fantastic.

[Alan M]

Great review and pictures, thanks for taking time to do this. We sail on our third Med cruise October 13 and I have a question. I have not seen this mentioned on any of the Breeze reviews. Did the ship have a sail away party the day you left Venice? We had a big deck party in 2007 and a nighttime dance party in 2009. The CD's told everyone to wear their masks to the party. Both parties were fantastic.

@GRAMMYTAN

 

Yes, there was a sailaway party when we started out from Barcelona. We missed it because our bags did not arrive until after the Safety Briefing and we had to unpack. On our last night (which was an overnighter in Venice) there was a farewell party with a Caribbean theme. We managed to miss that too although we saw some of it on TV thanks to the webcam at the main pool, quite a few people were wearing their masks. By the time we had eaten our room service dinner it was late and we decided to skip it.

[remharri]

Thanks for the fantastic review. You bring back many memories from out cruise last year in the Med. You are also getting me excited for my time on the Breeze in about 3 months!

[r and w]

Wow! Your review has been awesome! We were on the same cruise August 12 and reading your review made me re-live the vacation all over! We did a lot of the same things and took a lot of the same pictures! but... your pictures are absolutely AWESOME... (may have to upgrade from my point and shoot).

 

Thanks a lot!

[beachseasand]

Fantastic- thanks for taking the time to post such great pictures and words of advice. Very helpful. So looking forward to seeing the ship now. Thanks.

[BettyPC]

What a wonderful review & pictures! Sounds like you had a blast - I can't wait to cruise the Med! Thanks for sharing your vacation w/us!

 

Betty

[CasaM]

What a wonderful review - thanks so much for sharing it!

 

We're on the 10/25 sailing. I'm wondering if there are quiet places to read. I know with a huge shipload of folks we will never get truly away except in our own room. And we don't actually mind people mulling about which we can tune out. But I dislike when every venue has piped in music, like we had on RCCL. So any "quiet" places you can suggest....oh, and I don't like to be out in the sun, so indoors, if possible! Thanks.

[crunchy05]

Hi Alan, great review!!! I have a looooooooooong wait before I sail the Breeze. I do have a question - do you know if you have to make reservations for dinner atCucina Del Capitano? I have already made one night's reservation for the steakhouse- may make another. We were on the Ecstasy in July and the MDR food was ok, but I want some better options/choices even if that means paying.

 

Thanks.

Edited September 8, 2012 by crunchy05

[Alan M]

What a wonderful review - thanks so much for sharing it!

 

We're on the 10/25 sailing. I'm wondering if there are quiet places to read. I know with a huge shipload of folks we will never get truly away except in our own room. And we don't actually mind people mulling about which we can tune out. But I dislike when every venue has piped in music, like we had on RCCL. So any "quiet" places you can suggest....oh, and I don't like to be out in the sun, so indoors, if possible! Thanks.

 

Tough One. The Library is the only quiet place indoors I can think of. Plenty of places where its not busy on port days but the music does tend to follow you everywhere. Serenity Deck is nice, especially at the front and there is plenty of shade if you want it but its just as busy as everywhere else on sea days.

[Alan M]

Hi Alan, great review!!! I have a looooooooooong wait before I sail the Breeze. I do have a question - do you know if you have to make reservations for dinner atCucina Del Capitano? I have already made one night's reservation for the steakhouse- may make another. We were on the Ecstasy in July and the MDR food was ok, but I want some better options/choices even if that means paying.

 

Thanks.

 

Yes, its best to make reservations. They do accept walk-ins when they are not so busy but to avoid disappointment its best to reserve a table. We just called from our room, made a booking for the following night and that was that. Hope you enjoy your cruise on the Breeze.

[Scott34787]

I'm wondering if there are quiet places to read. So any "quiet" places you can suggest....oh, and I don't like to be out in the sun, so indoors, if possible! Thanks.

 

• Unused lounge (piano bar, jazz club,etc)
  
• Some ships have quiet and comfy seating areas at the top of the stairwell (near the Spa??) - I can see it in my head, but not sure of the exact spot :o
  
• Chapel
  

[Eeyoregon]

 

 

I absolutely LOVE this photo!

[momtotwins14]

Alan, love the review. Can't wait til we get to have similar experiences. One question if you have the information. Do you remember or know how much a single can of soda was on the ship?

 

Thanks

Chris

[Alan M]

Alan, love the review. Can't wait til we get to have similar experiences. One question if you have the information. Do you remember or know how much a single can of soda was on the ship?

 

Thanks

Chris

 

Chris, soda was $1.95 a can and a 15% tip was auto-added to that in bars and Room Service.

[Alan M]

Day Twelve – Venice

 

Woke at dawn on our penultimate day on board just in time to witness the ship’s passage through St Mark’s Basin and the Giudecca Canal to the Venice Cruise Terminal. We were followed in by another ship from RCL which gave us some idea of what we must have looked like. I’m not sure what ship she was but she looks like a Vision-class which is only about half the tonnage of the Breeze. Even so, it’s an impressive sight in the dawn half-light.

 

Venice at Dawn

 

Venice was the last port of call on this cruise and we were scheduled to stay on board overnight before disembarking the next day. We decided when we booked the cruise to check into a hotel and stay one more day before heading home so we felt a little more relaxed about Venice than other ports.

 

I am going to split this part of the report into sections on sightseeing, shopping and transportation. I will put tips and advice in the shopping and transport sections. There is so much to see and do in Venice and in two and a half days we only scratched the surface. Even so, we experienced a lot and completely fell in love with the place, vowing as one does to return as soon as we can.

 

Venice - San Marco area

 

We decided to hit St Mark’s straight away to get it checked off our list. We only had a vague plan in mind (never a good thing) about what we wanted to see and do so let’s just say we had a flexible itinerary and schedule. Once again Rick Steves was a great source of help and advice and we referred to him several times during our stay in Venice.

 

We walked from the ship to the Piazzale Roma bus terminal bypassing the huge queues for the Aliguna Express water bus service to San Marco and leaving out the one-hour line for the People Mover. We picked up our prepaid vaporetto tickets and boarded the first boat heading in our direction. See the section on transportation for more details. The vaporetto was crowded and uncomfortable so we got off at the Rialto bridge to catch our breath and enjoy the view of the Canale Grande.

 

Rialto Bridge

 

Grand Canal

 

We decided to walk to San Marco and this was a great decision because it let us experience getting lost in the little streets, piazzas and alleys of Venice without really getting lost if you see what I mean. We loved how every now and again we would see yellow signs with arrows declaring the direction to San Marco or Rialto, it seemed like no matter which way you went, you could always find your way back to the intended direction. It’s not far at all from Rialto to San Marco and we were there in no time despite stopping for pizza and doing a lot of window shopping on the way.

 

When we reached San Marco we were disappointed by two things: 1) The campanile is surrounded by a builder’s fence as reinforcement work goes on. It spoils the outlook a little but is entirely necessary. 2) The opposite end of the square had an enormous advertisement for a clothing company draped over the Napoleonic wing of the arcade. Really spoiled the view and totally unnecessary.

 

Basilica San Marco

 

The Basilica had long lines and they were in direct sunshine so we decided to give it a miss. Likewise the Campanile had lines for the elevator so we decided to keep moving and head for the Doge’s Palace.

 

Il Campanile

 

Next – Venice Part 2, The Doge’s Palace, Bridge of Sighs and more San Marco

Edited September 10, 2012 by Alan M
Format corrections

[NYHartChapp]

Day Ten - Dubrovnik (part 2)

 

which became a deeper and deeper red as the sun went down.

 

 

Will not forget that in a hurry, no sir.

 

Next - Last Day at Sea

 

Great photo. You really should post it over on the Sunrise and Sunset thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=378181

[Alan M]

Day Twelve – Venice Part 2

 

The Doge’s Palace is one of the 11 museums run by the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia. We had tickets as part of our Vaporetto Dell’ Arte package (see the section on Transportation) so no lines for us, straight to the front of the queue but not before snapping the infamous Bridge of Sighs which connects the palazzo to the prison next door.

 

The Bridge of Sighs

 

From the very moment you enter the palazzo using the Scala D’Oro (golden staircase, refers to the arched, gilded ceiling above the stairs) you get the sense of wealth and power once wielded by this city-state. Unfortunately flash photography is not allowed inside so you will have to take my word for it regarding the magnificence of the ante-rooms the various courts, the armoury and the council chambers with overwhelming displays of art including the world’s largest oil painting: Paradise by Tintoretto.

 

Scala D’Oro

 

The tour of the palace is quite long but well worth it with each room out-impressing the last and some spectacular external views too.

 

Statues near the Doge's apartments - and the next song is from our new album .....

 

Eventually you go off into an almost-hidden side passage, down a few steps and find yourself on your way to prison across the Bridge of Sighs.

 

 

Bridge of Sighs from the inside

 

A brief shiver and a short walk through the cells and you eventually find your way back out but not before pausing to admire the interior courtyard.

 

 

Interior Courtyard Terrace

 

Before I go any further let me state the obvious (again). Venice is expensive, sometimes eye-wateringly so, and while locals have to pay some of those those prices too there is no doubt that they are masters at relieving tourists of their hard-won euros. But it is what it is. There is not much you can do about it except try to avoid the more obvious rip-offs. (Good luck with that by the way) I am only saying this because in the end we gave up trying to find the best deal for this or the lowest price for that purely because it just eats up precious time and no matter how much money you save or spend time is something you can never have enough of in Venice.

 

 

Next – Venice Part 3, Transportation

Edited September 10, 2012 by Alan M
Formatting corrections

[Alan M]

Great photo. You really should post it over on the Sunrise and Sunset thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=378181

 

Thanks! I just did