AHH HELP! CANT MAKE A DECISION Dream. VS. Breeze

[mrak]

Anyone who has been on here in the past few days may have seen my numerous dilemmas and here is yet another one.

 

We had decided on the Breeze for an 8 day Southern itinerary: La Romana, Grand Turk, Curacao and Aruba. However, once we made the decision, I started digging in to the possible shore activities in those ports and I am not finding anything to our liking. We are more of a hiking through the forest, rafting down a river type than a lay on a beach or go shopping type. So now for the dilemma...

 

Do we stick with the 8 day Breeze Southern or go with a 7 day Western itinerary on the Dream (Cozumel (been there) Roatan (been there) Belize (been there, loved it), Costa Maya (New)) ?

 

The Upsides to the Breeze are All new ports for us, a day longer on the cruise and a newer ship.

 

The upsides to the Dream are tried and tested ports that we love (except maybe Cozumel), more adventure options, and it would save us about $800.

 

Opinions????

 

Thank you in advance!

[thephillykid]

Dream the dream.....loved the monkeys in roatan.

We went to a private tour and had the best time.

Howard

[Tannison]

I haven't been on either ship yet, but we have the Breeze coming up in June and we struggled with the exact same decision for the exact same reasons. We ultimately went with the Breeze because it was a day longer and a newer ship.

 

I will say that there are some excursions you can take that are more adventurous than the beach, but you would have to do some research. Check out Seavis for the Dominican Republic. Also, there are jeep tours in Aruba that you may like. There are also tours by Curacao Actief that are more off the beaten path (their website lists morning times, but if you contact them, they will do the same tours in the afternoon). We are also snorkeling the wall with Blue Water Divers in Grand Turk. Obviously, none of these are terribly adventurous, but we also aren't shopping or on the beach all day.

 

Forgot to mention, in Aruba, we are taking a snorkel tour with Jolly Pirates....they have a rope swing and stop at the Antilles ship wreck. None of the excursions are with Carnival though.

 

I think either way you choose, you will have a great time!

 

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

[cruzin4our10th]

Debating between these exact two right now for our family cruise next summer. Prices aren't out for the Breeze yet and that may help with the decision. We have 14 people going and 5 of them kids so we probably would want more beach time and that is my concern with the western itinerary and that we would have a harder time finding little kid friendly thigs to do, especially in Belieze.

[Georgie562]

Dream now offers 8 day itineraries.

If the price difference is huge, I would just go for the Dream which more than likely is a cheaper option.

[tricky_tink]

I would not take smalll kids to Belize! Period. That place is scary

[Tapi]

As others mentioned, look beyond the tours offered through the ship. Check out adventure tour companies, etc.

 

The topography of Aruba and Curaçao is not as lush or inviting as other places in the Caribbean (these are arid, flat islands with little foliage), but you can definitely find different and off the beaten path things to do. In Aruba, we rented a jeep and drove all over the island. From the California Lighthouse to the caverns on the opposite side of the island, there's plenty for the adventurous type. The beaches are wonderful.

 

La Romana also has some wonderful places. We went horseback riding in the Casa de Campo area, and we visited the Altos de Chavon area. Both highly recommended.

[cruzin4our10th]

I would not take smalll kids to Belize! Period. That place is scary

 

We'll have 14, 11, 10, 5, & 2

 

My biggest concern was that even the Carnival excursions didn't have many options for 2 year olds.

[Tapi]

I would not take smalll kids to Belize! Period. That place is scary

 

We took our 2 year old son to Belize. We LOVED IT! Absolutely amazing country.

 

I do agree that it's not for the tourist who doesn't feel safe unless there's a pretty Welcome Center with a Señor Frog's or other familiar signs, or for those who get spooked at getting out of their comfort zone. But for those who understand that what you see in Belize is what life in this country is really like (not the fake tourist traps that cruise lines have gotten us used to), and who take the time to explore beyond the pier, meet the wonderful people, and really get to know what this place is about, they find an amazing and unique destination, like nothing else in the Caribbean basin.

 

Belize is not an easy destination because it requires advance research and in many cases, to go beyond what Carnival offers, but there are some great tours including day trips to one of the many cays off the coast of Belize, or a cave tubing adventure, or several other options.

[mrak]

Dream now offers 8 day itineraries.

If the price difference is huge, I would just go for the Dream which more than likely is a cheaper option.

 

Sorry, I forgot to mention that this is for our honeymoon and we are sailing in May of this year. Thank you though. I looked and the Dream has some awesome 8 day's next year!

 

I would not take smalll kids to Belize! Period. That place is scary

 

I dont know what your experience was, but I almost take offense to this comment. We did a cave tubing tour in Belize with some of the Locals. They took us DEEP into the culture, through the lower income parts of town and even still, they were some of the most happy and kind people I have ever been around. Sadly, much nicer than most of my fellow Americans.

[ibcnusoon]

Sorry, I forgot to mention that this is for our honeymoon and we are sailing in May of this year. Thank you though. I looked and the Dream has some awesome 8 day's next year!

 

 

 

I dont know what your experience was, but I almost take offense to this comment. We did a cave tubing tour in Belize with some of the Locals. They took us DEEP into the culture, through the lower income parts of town and even still, they were some of the most happy and kind people I have ever been around. Sadly, much nicer than most of my fellow Americans.

 

How can you possibly do this with small kids!?!?! There is walking/hiking to the river, the path is muddy and slippery and you have to carry your own tube and it's a long hike to the starting point. I would never take any child under 10 on the tubing, you go into dark caves, pitch black, not a welcoming place for small ones who are afraid of the dark.

[mrak]

How can you possibly do this with small kids!?!?! There is walking/hiking to the river, the path is muddy and slippery and you have to carry your own tube and it's a long hike to the starting point. I would never take any child under 10 on the tubing, you go into dark caves, pitch black, not a welcoming place for small ones who are afraid of the dark.

 

We do not have any children, however there were several kids on our expediction (ages 7-12 I would estimate) that had a blast and were perfectly safe. We also had a fantastic guide though who paid special attention to the safety of the kids. I apologize, I thought you were referring to the country being scary, not just the cave tubing excursion.

[ibcnusoon]

The city is scary. We took the Xantunich Mayan ruins excursion and drove through the city streets to get to the "major highway". Belize City is run down and nothing to look at.

 

Once you get outside the city (and past the armored guards who stop vehicles coming into and out of the city), it's beautiful. Saw alot of Amish working the fields, would never again experience a "hand crank" ferry (to get to the ruins) or see the treetops of Guatamala.

 

But Belize for the under 8? No, there's nothing for them.

[sail2sea]

We had the same dilemma. New but potentially beach only ports vs tried and true ports. In the end we decided to go for something new.

 

Since it's your honeymoon I'd say the beach option is a good fit.

[cruiseonthebrain]

Anyone who has been on here in the past few days may have seen my numerous dilemmas and here is yet another one.

 

We had decided on the Breeze for an 8 day Southern itinerary: La Romana, Grand Turk, Curacao and Aruba. However, once we made the decision, I started digging in to the possible shore activities in those ports and I am not finding anything to our liking. We are more of a hiking through the forest, rafting down a river type than a lay on a beach or go shopping type. So now for the dilemma...

 

Do we stick with the 8 day Breeze Southern or go with a 7 day Western itinerary on the Dream (Cozumel (been there) Roatan (been there) Belize (been there, loved it), Costa Maya (New)) ?

 

The Upsides to the Breeze are All new ports for us, a day longer on the cruise and a newer ship.

 

The upsides to the Dream are tried and tested ports that we love (except maybe Cozumel), more adventure options, and it would save us about $800.

 

Opinions????

 

Thank you in advance!

 

 

I would definately do the Dream. The itinerary is better and the Dream is an awesome ship!

[pe4all]

There are plenty of "adventure" activities offered on the Breeze 8 day southern itinerary. (did it this past Christmas) You could go horseback riding in La Romana, jeep expeditioning, swim with dolphins, go dune buggying in GT (tons of fun!) , zip lining in DR, etc. We were going to rent atv's in Curacao! (ericks atv) We loved both ships. I would take the newer ports over ports you have already been to, and the longer cruise. The Breeze itself is a larger version of Dream, but nicer, imho.

[mrak]

Thanks everyone! I think we are sticking to the Breeze.

 

Regarding Belize, I just did NOT find the city to be scary at all. Was it impoverished? Yes, but the people were the happiest, friendliest people I have ever met. I wasn't intimidated by the armed guards along the highway either. It was good to see there is a lawful presence although, some might not know this, but even though it is impoverished, Belize has an incredibly low crime rate.

[Tapi]

I just did NOT find the city to be scary at all. Was it impoverished? Yes, but the people were the happiest, friendliest people I have ever met. .

 

I agree 100%. Poor? yes. Scary? no. But I know not everybody feels comfortable experiencing the reality of these countries when they are on a cruise vacation.

[cruzin4our10th]

We took our 2 year old son to Belize. We LOVED IT! Absolutely amazing country.

 

I do agree that it's not for the tourist who doesn't feel safe unless there's a pretty Welcome Center with a Señor Frog's or other familiar signs, or for those who get spooked at getting out of their comfort zone. But for those who understand that what you see in Belize is what life in this country is really like (not the fake tourist traps that cruise lines have gotten us used to), and who take the time to explore beyond the pier, meet the wonderful people, and really get to know what this place is about, they find an amazing and unique destination, like nothing else in the Caribbean basin.

 

Belize is not an easy destination because it requires advance research and in many cases, to go beyond what Carnival offers, but there are some great tours including day trips to one of the many cays off the coast of Belize, or a cave tubing adventure, or several other options.

 

 

We normally go off the beaten path, and rent a jeep or van to get us around and see the sites. I think just based on all the different opinions I read that here we will not rent and take off on our own. I would like a excursion that included a beach and hopefully snorkeling fromthe beach for those that snorkel. I know snorkeling on the reef is the way to go but I'm not sure if my 11 year old can hold up for a whole day of snorkeling and no reef, even if we split from the group.

[tampabrat22]

We did that same itinerary on the Dream and sailed on the Breeze this past Dec (and are going again this Oct for the ports you mentioned). I love both ships and Belize & Roatan were great ports!

 

Its a a tough decision but for us the Breeze won hands down. The Dream would be cheaper and is closer to us, but me & my kids LOVED all the upgrades (ropes course, 3d theater, the sports area, the new eateries and such) on the Breeze so that is what sold us.;)

[ooulio]

We have done both. Breeze wins by a landslide. Dream was not my favorite ship. We were on the 7th and 8th floors. The smells were awful . It wasn't a one time day. It was everyday. Some people told me it has gotten a lot better. We went when it was brand new. Breeze is my favorite out of all our cruises. We just booked it again for next year but a different itinerary but a lot higher. It is a beautiful ship. Guys Burgers were great on Breeze. They have the 3d theater on Breeze too.

[TeresaJ]

Debating between these exact two right now for our family cruise next summer. Prices aren't out for the Breeze yet and that may help with the decision. We have 14 people going and 5 of them kids so we probably would want more beach time and that is my concern with the western itinerary and that we would have a harder time finding little kid friendly thigs to do, especially in Belieze.

 

We did the western on the Dream with 2 kids (7 & 11).

Cozumel we went to Chakanaab park on our own (taxi). Reasonably priced. Snorkeling, beach, pool and (swim with dolphins for extra cost)

 

Belize we did a CARNIVAL excursion to a private island. The tender picks you up right from the ship. Beautiful lazy beach day.

 

Roatan we did excursion to Maya key private island beach, snorkel, pool, awesome lunch, and a small zoo area

 

Costa Maya - taxi to beach area. Reasonably priced.

[Lgonehuntn]

We took our 2 year old son to Belize. We LOVED IT! Absolutely amazing country.

 

I do agree that it's not for the tourist who doesn't feel safe unless there's a pretty Welcome Center with a Señor Frog's or other familiar signs, or for those who get spooked at getting out of their comfort zone. But for those who understand that what you see in Belize is what life in this country is really like (not the fake tourist traps that cruise lines have gotten us used to), and who take the time to explore beyond the pier, meet the wonderful people, and really get to know what this place is about, they find an amazing and unique destination, like nothing else in the Caribbean basin.

 

Belize is not an easy destination because it requires advance research and in many cases, to go beyond what Carnival offers, but there are some great tours including day trips to one of the many cays off the coast of Belize, or a cave tubing adventure, or several other options.

Hello, We went to Belieze and had a wonderful time. Lots of advance reserch and lots of advise. We took the tender to the port and went with Shore Excursions Group on a 30 min boat ride to snorkle and it was wonderful. Small, tiny deserted island just a day bar that was set up each morning and a restroom. Thats it. It was so fun we did it the next year when we went back. If you would like to know more can look up the group info.

[CruiseCrAzieS]

Just off the Dream this past Sat and had a WONDERFUL time, enjoyed all the ports, now booked on the Breeze say itin as you! I think either one you will be happy with! :)

[Surfwench]

Given the turn of current events... I'd opt for the Breeze. :-)