Need to decide FREEDOM OR THE BREEZE?

[cuthbert732]

I need to plan a cruise for my family next year all first time cruisers. I know maybe a 6 day noone wants to go to Mexico so thats out.I was thinking about the Freedom or the Breeze. Can someone tell if either ship bigger than the Valor.Please help me cause i got to have a meeting sometime this week :confused:. This is a tough group so please help.

[SNJCruisers]

I need to plan a cruise for my family next year all first time cruisers. I know maybe a 6 day noone wants to go to Mexico so thats out.I was thinking about the Freedom or the Breeze. Can someone tell if either ship bigger than the Valor.Please help me cause i got to have a meeting sometime this week :confused:. This is a tough group so please help.

Here's some basic info and some preliminary numbers. The Freedom is the same size as the Valor, 110,000 tons. The Valor was built in 2004 and refurbished in 2011. The Freedom was built in 2207 and refurbished in 2009. The Breeze is brand new and is 130,000 tons.

Don't know if you need to go over the summer to accommodate kids or not, but here are some numbers comparing the 2 ships and summer versus early & late fall sailings and also 6 & 8 days.

 

6 day Freedom

8/18 479

9/15 339

11/10 319

 

6 day Breeze

8/25 489

9/8 409

12/1 379

 

8 day Freedom

8/10 679

9/7 489

12/14 499

 

8 day Breeze

8/17 799

9/14 579

12/7 539

 

All of these are the cheapest inside cabin without taxes. If kids are not involved and you don't have to go over the summer, the next best times are Sept and October because of it being hurricane season and the few weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Finally, below is a link that has 100 professional pictures of the Breeze...it should sway you to choose the best that Carnival has to offer. Enjoy.

 

http://mediagallery.usatoday.com/Cruise+Ship+Tours/Carnival+Breeze/G1773,A12835

 

[cuthbert732]

Thanks i really like the ship and will look at the ports that it go to.I know we will go early Nov.

[SNJCruisers]

Thanks i really like the ship and will look at the ports that it go to.I know we will go early Nov.

11/3 6 day to Grand Turk, Ocho Rios, Nassau

4A inside 409 + 113= 522

cove balcony 569 + 113= 682

 

11/9 8 day to Grand Turk, La Romana DR, Curacao, Aruba

4A inside 699 + 94= 793

cove balcony 1049 + 94= 1143

 

Best of luck with your decision. I would pick the 8 day because of the great ports, go with an inside and pay the extra 50 bucks a day for the My Awesome Bar Program.

 

[twinbee]

Thanks i really like the ship and will look at the ports that it go to.I know we will go early Nov.

 

11/3 6 day to Grand Turk, Ocho Rios, Nassau

4A inside 409 + 113= 522

cove balcony 569 + 113= 682

 

 

Myself and 15 other family members will be on this cruise. Come and join us!!

[k2excursion]

The Freedom's 8-day cruise in early November has been chartered by some jazz group, so that probably wouldn't work for you. So if you're wanting an 8-day in early November, the Freedom would be out. The Breeze's 8-day cruise there is a nice itinerary. People seem to especially love Grand Turk & Aruba.

[RWolver672]

Here's some basic info and some preliminary numbers. The Freedom is the same size as the Valor, 110,000 tons. The Valor was built in 2004 and refurbished in 2011. The Freedom was built in 2207 and refurbished in 2009. The Breeze is brand new and is 130,000 tons.

 

Ah, I think they meant 2007.

[SNJCruisers]

Ah, I think they meant 2007.

Typo @ 2.27 AM on my original response.

[MamaParrotHead]

Depends on what kind of room you're looking to book. Breeze has very few OV's (which we have always booked in the past) and is quite a bit more expensive. We're just off the Freedom (and loved it) and paid like $550 per person for an 8 day (early November), where as the 8 day Breeze is running $850 per person (for early November next year). Plus the only OV's are on Riviera Deck, only the "Deluxe" OV's on Main Deck (along with the new Cove Balconies) and there's a booking restriction (so you can only have the maximum number of passengers per cabin that it allows).

 

It's my big 4-0 next year, so why not be cruising on my birthday, right? :) As we've previously sailed Conquest class ships (and enjoyed them), so it'd be worth the added expense for us to try out the Breeze. But it still stings paying the same for ONE cabin on the Breeze as we did for TWO on the Freedom.

[SNJCruisers]

 

It's my big 4-0 next year, so why not be cruising on my birthday, right? :) As we've previously sailed Conquest class ships (and enjoyed them), so it'd be worth the added expense for us to try out the Breeze. But it still stings paying the same for ONE cabin on the Breeze as we did for TWO on the Freedom.

If you're looking at the 11/9/13 8 day sailing on the Breeze you do have a few different options. A 4J all the way up on Lido deck would run 1736 for 2 in a cabin inclusive of taxes. The same OV cabin down on the Main or Riviera decks is 1826. Another option is the Deluxe OV cabin on Main deck with 4 in a cabin for a total price of 2602. It has a second bathroom that contains a sink and a junior tub with shower. Good luck with your decision and remember, you pay a premium to sail on the flagship of the fleet. It's basic supply and demand, just like the surcharge that RCI has for the privilege to sail on one of the two behemoths.

[xostacylee]

I need to plan a cruise for my family next year all first time cruisers. I know maybe a 6 day noone wants to go to Mexico so thats out.I was thinking about the Freedom or the Breeze. Can someone tell if either ship bigger than the Valor.Please help me cause i got to have a meeting sometime this week :confused:. This is a tough group so please help.

 

You sound like us! We didn't want to do Mexico but wanted the Caribbean. So we chose the 6 night Breeze from Miami to Grand Turk, Jamaica and Nassau. The Oct 6, 2013 sailing came out to $558 per person after taxes for 3 of us (Deluxe OV). Watch some videos on the YouTube.. they have nifty ship tours on there. Helped us decide with the onboard amenities!

[WendyVF]

My suggestion is give them the details on both, highlight the differences, pros, cons and let them chose. Given that they're first time cruisers, I'd say go with the Freedom as it will be much cheaper but still have a lot of the amenities. That way if they end up not liking it, it didn't cost a fortune. If they like cruising, the next time they can pay the premium for a brand new ship.

[tada]

The Breeze is a really nice ship with all the 2.0 upgrades and a great decor. We sailed it in the Mediterranean, but it is really setup for the Caribbean. My vote would be for the Breeze.

[deedle7544]

OH, I am glad this was posted. I am looking at the same options for Jan or Feb 2014, for my 50th - I just can't decide, but I do I want a balcony!!!!

[SNJCruisers]

OH, I am glad this was posted. I am looking at the same options for Jan or Feb 2014, for my 50th - I just can't decide, but I do I want a balcony!!!!

The 6 day versions of the two ships in a balcony run between 559-669 pp + taxes for all of the Jan-Feb 2014 sailings. The 8 day versions go from 929-1049 on the Freedom to 1009-1129 on the Breeze. Given these numbers, any of the 6 day Breeze sailings would give you the most value for your dollar. The valentine's sailing is 659. Good luck.

[deedle7544]

lol, my birthday is Valentine's Day, but I want to go beforethen. I think the 6 day itinerary looks better. Breeze 6 day it is!

[SNJCruisers]

lol, my birthday is Valentine's Day, but I want to go beforethen. I think the 6 day itinerary looks better. Breeze 6 day it is!

You made a great choice....there are two itinerary options, with one going to Key West, Grand Turk, Nassau and the other to Grand Turk, Ocho Rios, Nassau. Either way, I would just stay on the ship in Nassau. Why visit the worst that the Caribbean has to offer when you're sailing on the best that Carnival has to offer?

[deedle7544]

I'm happy with either itinerary, and I have no desire to get off the ship innassau. We spent about an hour in Cozumel, I didn;t like it so we headed back and had the best day on board the ship.

 

Now, time to inform SO that he is taking me on a cruise again! Oh wait, we need t go this spring too!

[SNJCruisers]

I'm happy with either itinerary, and I have no desire to get off the ship innassau. We spent about an hour in Cozumel, I didn;t like it so we headed back and had the best day on board the ship.

 

Now, time to inform SO that he is taking me on a cruise again! Oh wait, we need t go this spring too!

As soon as you have a date picked out, I would jump on a reservation. ES rates for a balcony at under 100 per day before taxes are pretty good and the rates are only going to climb now that the Breeze is officially starting her Caribbean runs.

[gsb1961]

The carnival Fredom will be in dry dock mid Nov. 2013 so when it comes out it will have all the 2.0 upgrades. We are booked, (today) for 4/19/2014 8 days with a O.V. for $684 each 4 J We wanted the Breeze for 4/27/14 but they changed the ports so i changed ships.

 

Glenn / Stephanie

 

Las Vegas,NV