Review - carnival breeze with the funatics 11/22-12/2/12

[Irishlinny]

Beautiful views

 

 

The beach we stopped at

 

Wow! When was the last time you saw a cigarette machine?!?!

 

Back to the little shops...we bought an ornament which the lady was painting right there. 1st Christmas ornament I have with a lizard on it!

[Irishlinny]

To be continued tomorrow...photobucket is not cooperating!:rolleyes:

[kansas kruiser]

:cool:Great review Linda!!:) I know lots of those peeps!!:D

[Beachlover1964]

Thank you for your review. Although there are other wonderful reviews from your sailing, you provide your own unique and fun perspective. I'd love to cruise with all of you some day!

[Irishlinny]

Great review Linda!!:) I know lots of those peeps!!:D

Thanks, Andy! One of these days we have to sail together again!:)

Thank you for your review. Although there are other wonderful reviews from your sailing, you provide your own unique and fun perspective. I'd love to cruise with all of you some day!

Thanks so much! We're doing a B2B on the Victory in Oct;) Will be a compilaation of about 4 different groups, so it should be fairly entertaining!:eek::D

[Irishlinny]

Now, let's see if Photobucket is going to play nice, shall we?

Our Christmas crew going back out on the prowl

 

Some nite photos courtesy of some of our peeps who ventured out

 

 

Floating Bridge at night

And one of the full moons over Curacao (can't show you the other 2:p)

 

[Irishlinny]

ARUBA (Yes, it really is ONE HAPPY ISLAND!):

Our group was really looking forward to this port. We had booked a snorkel excursion with Jolly Pirates...snorkeling,

open bar, lunch and a rope swing, all on a pirate ship. They had told us if we got enough people booked with the

group, they would pick us up at the port in their Banana Bus. We ended up with around 30 and got the bus! And

I will tell you, the bus was about as much fun as the excursion!

The bus was just outside the port shops...we all

piled in and had a great ride to the beach where the boat was....music was playing and the scenery was beautiful...

about a 20 minuute ride. Got to the beach and you take a dinghy to the pirate ship. The staff was great, fun

and entertaining, but professional.

I wasn't that impressed with the snorkeling, but it was ok. The first stop

was at a shipwreck which I thought would be fascinating, but there was also a large group on a catamaran there

and it was just chaotic. The second stop was better... a lot of fish, but not a big variety. Back on the boat

and we headed for the third stop where they pulled out the rope swing! By this time, people had a chance to

partake in some liquid courage and were ready to try their hand at it. I opted out, as I figured with my weak arms,

I would just end up as a nice hood ornament on the boat! But I am a great audience and there were many laughs

all around as people tried their hands at rope aerobatics!

We were probably there for about half an hour when

they served a good lunch...barbecued chicken, ribs, potato salad and rice & beans. The liquor was flowing (no beer,

though) and everyone was having a great time!

We headed back to the beach, took the dinghy back and then hung out for a while at the little shops and bars

while we waited for the bus.

The ride back to the port was awesome! I will explain here that the seats go around

the perimeter of the bus, leaving empty space (and 2 poles) in the middle. The music was blasting and there was

a lot of dancing (poles included), and a great time was had by all! When we would stop in town for a light, the

people in the streets would start dancing...yes, that surely is One Happy Island, and we had a great time! The bus

dropped us back at the port, we did a little shopping (so nice not to have the mega cruise shops there), and got back

on the ship. We really enjoyed Aruba...much more of a drier, more desert-like climate than most of the other islands,

and the people were very friendly.

Not much time to rest after that, as we had dinner with a group of us planned for Cucina del Capitano that

night. In big groups they bring you the appetizers family style and you pass them around. For our table of 10,

I think we got 5 or 6 different plates of appetizers, and they were yummy! I LOVE Nonna's meatballs! You

then order your own individual entree. I got chicken parm and it was huge...probably 10 inches in diameter! Delish!

Everyone was very happy with what they ordered. The atmosphere is very nice and the waiters/waitresses

were great (they even do a little singing).

After we left there, we donned our pirate attire and went to the

piano bar for pirate night. Wow, it was a full day!

The Banana Bus, ready & waiting

 

 

Our resident Banana Man

 

Enjoyed the sights along the way

 

 

Such a neat little area with shops and bars

[Irishlinny]

 

 

Thar she blows!

 

The bar (and shaded area)

 

 

 

The shipwreck

[Irishlinny]

Snorkeling was better at the 2nd stop

 

 

 

Time to SWING!

 

 

That banana gets around!

 

Cool Steve has this down!

[Irishlinny]

Seeing double!

 

Nice landing!

 

Hiya Floatie & Deb

 

Back at the beach

 

Bus shenanigans...some rated PG ones

Watch out for that pole, Al!

 

Aussie!

[LizaMM]

Awww, thanks, Liza! We loved that location, despite the occasional noise on the balcony. It was very convenient to the places we liked to hang out. I rarely went forward on the ship (so I missed some things)...we were always midship to aft. One day maybe we'll end up sailing together!:)

 

Based on your reviews I do think we would be very good co-cruisers!

 

Do you have any photos of the cabin and the balcony view? What cabin # were you in??

 

I don't think the noises you have described will bother us - I will be on this particular sailing with my 23 y.o DD and her her BFF. I purposely picked a cabin far aft area because from the deck plans it seemed as if this would offer a better view than mid-ship. I also went with Port side because 1 - we smoke and I know this is the smoking side of the Promenade so we were less likely to be contaminating anyone anymore than they were already being contaminated ;) and 2 - I thought Jimmys Sea Side would be the crowded side of the deck on Sea Days which would be more intrusive for us both with people below and smells.

[joeandaimeesmom]

Great review Linny!! That little girl was so precious and adorable!! She just ate up all the attention..:D

[Irishlinny]

Based on your reviews I do think we would be very good co-cruisers!

 

Do you have any photos of the cabin and the balcony view? What cabin # were you in??

 

I don't think the noises you have described will bother us - I will be on this particular sailing with my 23 y.o DD and her her BFF. I purposely picked a cabin far aft area because from the deck plans it seemed as if this would offer a better view than mid-ship. I also went with Port side because 1 - we smoke and I know this is the smoking side of the Promenade so we were less likely to be contaminating anyone anymore than they were already being contaminated ;) and 2 - I thought Jimmys Sea Side would be the crowded side of the deck on Sea Days which would be more intrusive for us both with people below and smells.

I'm sure we would!:D Big group on Victory in Oct...B2B...if you're interested;) We were in 7430 which is right behind the aft elevators portside. I thought we had pics of the cabin, but then realized we took them on the phone. It looked like all the other balcony cabin pics I've seen. The very first pic in this thread was our view from the balcony. The promenade juts out where the seating areas are, and then gets skinnier behind them, so below us, it was not as wide as what that pic shows. I really liked the location despite the occasional noise.

Great review Linny!! That little girl was so precious and adorable!! She just ate up all the attention..:D

Thanks, Lynne! Yes, she was just too cute for words!:)

 

OK, let's see if I can finish this up tonite!

[Irishlinny]

FRIDAY - SEA DAY:

The highlight of today would be a poker bar crawl in the afternoon. We paid a dollar a card at each of 6 bars around the ship, and the best hand at the end won. Obviously, there was alcohol involved and a great time was had by all! In discussing this ahead of time, we thought it would be funny to have a couple of props for this...so

one woman brought an orange safety vest and signs were made..."Caution, Drunk People Crossing". One of our guys donned the vest and the signs and headed up the line as we made our way around the ship, all the while announcing we were coming through. It was pretty comical. At some point we were joined by a Security Guard,

so you know we were having fun...LOL! I didn't win, but I never had so much fun losing!

 

 

The DJ saw our red cups and played Red Solo Cup for us

 

 

[Irishlinny]

SATURDAY - SEA DAY

The last day of a cruise is always a little quiet for us...sad to be leaving our wonderful friends. We decided to go to the Punchliners Brunch and redeem our drink coupons. I will have to say, it was not the same experience as we had on the Miracle. There was a long line to get in, and then it took forever to get or order taken...after

waiting quite a while, we had to request a bar waiter and wait for them as well. It was packed...not sure if it was like that every sea day or not. Dave got the Huevos con Carne (filet & eggs), and just like on the Miracle, thefried eggs come out barely cooked. He doesn't mind that, but I wouldn't have liked it, so if you order, make sure you specify "over easy" or however you want them. I got the Huevos Rancheros and it was good. I should have stuck with the Eggs Bennedict, though. Overall it was ok, but took too long and they could definitely lose the 10 minute comedy routine...it's more like an interruption than anything else.

We packed and just relaxed with friends for the afternoon. From 6 - 7:30, we had our Glowing Home partyin the Liquid Nightclub. We all wore a wide assortment of anything glowy and blinky, so we were quite the colorful group! Floatie had reserved the venue for our party, but we didn't do it as a prepaid cocktail party...just used our S&S cards. This is a better way of doing it as they roll out the new Awesome Drink Card program across the ships. That way, the people who have that card are not paying for drinks they already get

included. We had a good time...dancing, raffling and taking lots of photos. Then off to dinner we went, in all our glowingness. Shared some glowing stuff with our wait staff to keep the celebration going.

Hit the piano bar one last time...the last nite always makes me sad....

Glowing Home

Italianfemmy actually put her camera down!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a great group it was!

[LizaMM]

I'm sure we would!:D Big group on Victory in Oct...B2B...if you're interested;) We were in 7430 which is right behind the aft elevators portside. I thought we had pics of the cabin, but then realized we took them on the phone. It looked like all the other balcony cabin pics I've seen. The very first pic in this thread was our view from the balcony. The promenade juts out where the seating areas are, and then gets skinnier behind them, so below us, it was not as wide as what that pic shows. I really liked the location despite the occasional noise.

 

I would LOVE to do that B2B on the Victory! BUT I have no idea what will be in my life at that point to book anything.....I returned to school a few years ago and will be graduating May 2013. At that point I still have to sit for my boards (which I will pass, of course ;)) which should happen over the summer and then I will hopefully be working! That means no cruises for me until I gain vacay time!

 

 

Thanks for the info on the cabin. I was really interested in balcony view pics. I went back and looked at the one you had posted. From the deckplans it looked like it was narrower far aft and far fwd which is why I picked our location......just 2 cabins over from yours.....I think we will be happy!

 

Love your review and all the photos!

[macfin]

Great review Linny...so nice to see you and dave are well...the last time i saw you guys i just got my head shaved on Miracle...Have a GREAT HOLIDAY....mark

[ready2cruzagain]

Great review Linny! Really enjoyed it!

[jolyroger]

just a quick question for you, you mentioned that the bartender Alex , that he was also on your 2 previous cruises on the Miracle, Any pics of him?? I only ask because on our Miracle cruise this past April we had a bartender named Alex and my youngest daughter fell in love with him!!! (she's 9, lol) He had such a great personality and was so attentive us , and when we seen him around the ship he always took notice to us and was very kind....So much so that my daughter was just asking if Alex would be on our Breeze cruise..My answer was "better shot of a needle in a haystack, lol) But anyway please let me know , if you can!! Oh and BTW great review and pics!!!! Only 114 days for me to I sail on that BIg beauty!

[Irishlinny]

[quote name=LizaMM;36395584I would LOVE to do that B2B on the Victory! BUT I have no idea what will be in my life at that point to book anything.....I returned to school a few years ago and will be graduating May 2013. At that point I still have to sit for my boards (which I will pass' date=' of course ;)) which should happen over the summer and then I will hopefully be working! That means no cruises for me until I gain vacay time!

 

 

Thanks for the info on the cabin. I was really interested in balcony view pics. I went back and looked at the one you had posted. From the deckplans it looked like it was narrower far aft and far fwd which is why I picked our location......just 2 cabins over from yours.....I think we will be happy!

 

Love your review and all the photos![/quote]

Thanks again! And wishing you the best of luck on your boards and landing a job!!!:D

Great review Linny...so nice to see you and dave are well...the last time i saw you guys i just got my head shaved on Miracle...Have a GREAT HOLIDAY....mark

Hiya Mark! So nice to "see" you again!:) Glad you enjoyed the review. Wishing you and yours very happy holidays as well!

[Irishlinny]

Great review Linny! Really enjoyed it!

Ready!!!! You're back!!! Hope the 2 B2B's you did after our cruise went well!:D (lucky dogs)

just a quick question for you, you mentioned that the bartender Alex , that he was also on your 2 previous cruises on the Miracle, Any pics of him?? I only ask because on our Miracle cruise this past April we had a bartender named Alex and my youngest daughter fell in love with him!!! (she's 9, lol) He had such a great personality and was so attentive us , and when we seen him around the ship he always took notice to us and was very kind....So much so that my daughter was just asking if Alex would be on our Breeze cruise..My answer was "better shot of a needle in a haystack, lol) But anyway please let me know , if you can!! Oh and BTW great review and pics!!!! Only 114 days for me to I sail on that BIg beauty!

Oh that's too funny! I'm sure it's the same Alex...he was on the Miracle in May (and the May before). He went to the Breeze when she started sailing in June. He did admit to me that he prefers the Miracle (smaller and more personal), however he is much more lively and animated on the Breeze. There is a pic of him in the piano bar on page 2 but it's not a great one. I'll see if I can find a better one for you. Hope you all enjoy the Breeze as much as we did!:)

[Irishlinny]

Just to wrap up.....

SUNDAY - DEBARK:

Woke up really early when it was still dark and was surprised to go out on the balcony and see we had pulled in in the opposite direction, so we were facing the port. We found out later that there had been another medical emergency (we saw the ambulance from our balcony), so the ship just pulled straight in. VIP debark was supposed to meet in the Ovation Lounge at 7 am, so we didn't even bother to eat breakfast. We're definitely not used to leaving the ship that early. Must have been around 7:20 or so that we got off the ship. First snag came when the escalator stopped (AGAIN!) and they wouldn't even let us walk down it. Had to wait a few minutes while it was reset. Went down to baggage claim (which was pretty chaotic) and came to a dead stop. Apparently, the VIP luggage is staged on the side of the ship which is closest to the side it will port at (so it can come off first). Alas, we ported on the opposite side, so we had to wait for a long time while they moved all the VIP luggage to the other side of the ship and THEN off. I think we waited about 45 minutes, while my feet were rejecting the socks

and sneaks I had shoved them into. It was not pleasant. But eventually we got all our luggage and breezed right through Customs...no line! Grabbed SAS shuttle with some of our friends and headed off to FLL...arrived there around 9 or so.

I will honestly say this is probably my favorite cruise! Of course, being with a whacky fun bunch of people

has a lot to do with that. I love group cruises and highly recommend them. I have made many lifelong friends over the last 5 years with groups. I was also very impressed with the ship and the staff. Yes, there were some little bumps in the road, but I wasn't at work, or cooking, or cleaning, or listening to daughter drama...I was relaxing, laughing and making wonderful new friendships! There was sun, ocean, good food and yes, alcohol.:D As far as I was concerned, it was all good. And I would definitely sail the Breeze again without a moment's hesitation.

Fair winds and following seas to those of you sailing her...hope you enjoy her as much as we did!:)

To those who celebrate, I wish you a very Merry Christmas! And to all, I pray for a Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year!

[crewsweeper]

Very Nicely Done, Linda!!! That's for bringing back the memories (or with all the reviews, they just keep recycling, LOL:D). Your explanation on the ship being turned around (and I did note from our balcony the presence of paramedics) and the snafu with the VIP luggage, explains a lot as to why our luggage was also delayed and the baggage claim seemed chaotically slow even 45 minutes behind you.

Re the pic of Alex the bartender, I think Cass posted a link in Alicia's (italianfemmy's)review today.

Chat on the SN soon.

Crew

[djwood24]

Now Really why on EARTH didn`t you think your review would not be good...well you are right it wasn`t good...It was FREAKING GREAT!!!

 

Damn I miss Jack , Janet and Topher....and I have to wait until the btb IN October

 

From your review I do think I may be swayed to a larger ship....hmmmmm they are building a new one...it will be in Europe....hmmmmmm

[ready2cruzagain]

Ready!!!! You're back!!! Hope the 2 B2B's you did after our cruise went well!:D (lucky dogs)

 

Thanks Linny and I have to agree with you...I loved this cruise and would definitely sail the Breeze again!

 

Thanks for the medic explanation on disembarkation day. We were suppose to meet in the theatre at 9:30am for b2b turnaround and did not even get to do that until 10:45am. It was crazy! The following week when we left the ship though we were off and in our car at 7:20am.

 

Hope to cruise with you and Dave again sometimes! Oh and by the way...the b2b2b was GREAT!:D