Mike & Tracy’s continuing adventures: B2B on Carnival Liberty & Carnival Breeze

[MikeyA53]

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More buffet photos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Jimmy Geegitz]

Love the big pics! Great review!

[MikeyA53]

Love the big pics! Great review!

 

Thank you Jimmy. :)

 

 

 

 

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[Crusin Karen]

I don't want this to be your last day!!! :(:( LOVE that they serve that nice lunch on the Serenity. Never heard of that.

[Big2Little4me]

I so want one of those pineapple drinks. I wonder if the sell them on the Splendor?

 

---Cressa, Paul & Paul T

[Crusin Karen]

I so want one of those pineapple drinks. I wonder if the sell them on the Splendor?

 

---Cressa, Paul & Paul T

I didn't notice them when we were on Splendor in May. Why don't you try going to a Splendor roll call thread that recently sailed and ask there? ;):p

[MikeyA53]

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For dinner the kids wanted to go to Bonsai Sushi and we wanted to go to Cucina Del Capitano. We prepaid their meal and we went to the Italian restaurant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IL CAPITANO’S SIGNATURE ARANCINI: Fried Risotto Balls, Piled High with Baby Arugula andShaved Parmesan en Cheese, Served overTomato Sauce

 

 

 

 

 

IL CAPITANO’S FAVORITE INSALATA DI RUCOLA: Traditional Italian Salad, Baby Arugula, Cherry Tomatoesand Parmesan Cheese, in a Sorrento Lemon LimoncelloDressing

 

 

 

 

You can see a beautiful sunset in the background. It was easy for me to step outside and take photos so I did so throughout the meal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[MikeyA53]

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[MikeyA53]

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The magician came over to our table.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MikeyA53]

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GAMBERETTI ALLA PIZZAIOLA: Grilled Shrimp with Stewed Mushrooms and Peppers.Served over the Captain’s Tomato Sauce, topped withGarlic Foam, Charred Lemon and Parsley.

 

 

 

 

BRASATO AL BAROLO: From Our Port of Livorno, Piedmont’s own BraisedShort Ribs in Rich Red Barolo Wine Sauce, Topped withCrusted Almond’s and Olive Oil Cream.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caesar salad as a side dish.

 

 

 

 

 

I ran outside for a few more photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[MikeyA53]

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[MikeyA53]

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Tracy and I relaxed on the outside promenade for a while; it was so warm and beautiful, in others words very romantic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[MikeyA53]

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We finished off the night by attending the comedy show. Steve White was very funny.

 

 

 

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[MikeyA53]

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Our room steward had made our towel animal earlier in the day. However since I always close out each day with a towel animal I won’t stop now.

 

Goodnight

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next: Miami

 

 

 

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[MikeyA53]

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Sept 8th, 2013: Miami

 

 

It was early morning when we entered the port of Miami.

 

 

 

 

 

We were not in a hurry to disembark since we were staying one night in Fort Lauderdale before flying out. We carried all our luggage to the Lido deck for our last breakfast.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Crusin Karen]

I hate to keep asking silly questions,:o but how much extra charge was it for that restaurant? Thanks! Sunset pictures are beautiful and it is always so special when you get such a spectacular one on your last night to hold you over until the next cruise! ;)

[lovestocruise19]

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Our room steward had made our towel animal earlier in the day. However since I always close out each day with a towel animal I won’t stop now.

 

Goodnight

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next: Miami

 

 

 

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I love this shot of all your towel animals! On our last cruise on the Glory, our steward dismantled one of our towel animals and my stepdaughter was disappointed!

[MikeyA53]

I hate to keep asking silly questions,:o but how much extra charge was it for that restaurant? Thanks! Sunset pictures are beautiful and it is always so special when you get such a spectacular one on your last night to hold you over until the next cruise! ;)

 

 

$12 per person.

 

 

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[MikeyA53]

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[MikeyA53]

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It was about 10 am when they called out the last numbers to disembark. This time customs was very quick and SAS transportation was waiting outside for us. They dropped off two other families at the Fort Lauderdale Airport and our hotel the Hyatt Place was nearby. SAS transportation was $60 ($15 per person) plus tip for the 30 minute ride from Miami to Fort Lauderdale.

 

The Hyatt Place Fort Lauderdale Airport South is in a very good location. Shopping, restaurants and a movie theater are all within walking distance. The hotel also has a shuttle that makes regular runs to the above mentioned places. I got this hotel through Hotwire. Total cost $95.10. Free shuttle to airport, free breakfast, free internet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[boat.drinks]

Have you ever cruised Royal Caribbean? What kind of camera do you use?

[MikeyA53]

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[MikeyA53]

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The next day we flew out on Jet Blue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[MikeyA53]

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We landed in Providence, Rhode Island and stayed one more night before returning home. We stayed at the West Greenwich Best Western which I got through Hotwire again for $84.05. Free breakfast and free internet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[MikeyA53]

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As per our custom we always include a visit to the Cheesecake Factory on all our vacations. We have our meal and bring dessert back to the hotel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next day we drove back to New-Brunswick, Canada.

 

Well that’s it, we left on Aug 20th and returned home on Sept 10th, for a total of 22 days of which 15 days were at sea.

 

I’ll finish off with my thoughts on each port we visited and a rating from 1 to 10 on the excursions we participated in at each of those ports. Then by a few words on Carnival Liberty and Breeze.

 

 

Carnival Liberty ports

 

Cozumel: This was our 4th visit to Cozumel, on previous visits we did a snorkeling excursion, the beach and shopping. It’s one of our favorite islands, there is so much to do and I had a difficult time choosing an excursion. Mr. Sanchos was fantastic and if we visit the island again we will definitely return.

 

Belize: We were in Belize on one previous occasion and all we did was stay near the port. This time we did the cave tubing, repelling and zip lining excursion. If we were to return, Tracy and I would do the Mayan ruins. Belize is a tender port and the boat ride in is approximately 20 minutes.

 

Mahogany Bay, Isla Roatan: This was our second visit to Mahogany Bay. On our previous visit in 2010 we spent the day at the beach situated near the port. This time we booked a private tour with Victor Bodden. Having done the western Caribbean several times we are more focused on the eastern and southern Caribbean but if we were to return to the island we would probably do a beach/snorkeling excursion.

 

Grand Cayman: This was our third visit to the Caymans. On previous visits we did some shopping and visited 7 mile beach. We love the shopping area near the ship and in 2010 Tracy had declared 7 mile beach her favorite all time beach because of the sand and clear water. We returned to 7 mile beach on this visit but unfortunately the weather did not cooperate and our previous experiences were not met. If we were to return we would probably visit the turtle farm or do a snorkeling excursion. By the way Grand Cayman is also a tender port.

 

 

Carnival Breeze ports

 

Grand Turk: We were in Grand Turk last year and really loved it. The beach and Margaritaville is a lot of fun. This time around we did the power snorkeling tour. If we were to return and I’m sure we will, I think we would simply do the beach and Margaritaville again.

 

La Romana, Dominican Replublic: This was our first time on this big island. We were supposed to go to the Dream’s resort at Bayahibe beach but a last minute change in plan brought us to Altos de Chavon. This was one of Tracy’s favorite excursions ever. If we were to return we would probably go to the all-inclusive Dream’s resort. Several crew members we spoke to recommended we stay out of downtown La Romana.

 

Curacao: I’ve had been wanting to go there since the early 90s when a few friends invited me to go but I couldn’t afford it. It’s beautiful, I loved the colors, the city, Willenstad is a vibrant cosmopolitan city filled with waterfront shops and cafes. We did the Irie tour which was a lot of fun. I wish we would have had more time to explore the city and do a bit of shopping. This is one port I would definitely love to visit again.

 

Aruba: It was our first time to Aruba and we loved it. The Jolly Pirate excursion was the total package. If we were to return we may do it again. Oranjestad is a very nice city; I was surprised to see that a lot of the shops and restaurants were American. Again like Willenstad I wish we would have had more time to visit the shops near the port. We would love to return; in fact it may be at the top of my list as a place to retire.

 

 

 

How we rated our excursions.

 

 

Mr. Sanchos All Inclusive: Tracy (8.5) Mike (9.5)

 

Ultimate Adventure- Zipline, Rappel & Cavetubing: Tracy (10) Mike (9)

 

Victor Bodden Private Tour: Tracy (9) Mike (8)

 

7 Mile Beach: Tracy (7) Mike (7)

 

Power Snorkeling: Tracy (9) Mike (8.5)

 

Altos de Chavon: Tracy (10) Mike (8)

 

Irie Tour: Tracy (9) Mike (8.5)

 

Jolly Pirates: Tracy (10) Mike (9.5)

 

 

We loved Carnival Liberty and its 2.0 additions but Carnival Breeze is our new favorite ship. We love the extra dining options, the Ocean Plaza, the WaterWorks and SportSquare. Our next cruise will be on Carnival Valor out of San Juan on March 2nd, 2014.

 

We did a western Caribbean cruise on Valor as part of our B2B2B2B cruise in 2010. It has a sentimental value for us since it was where I proposed to Tracy again and we renewed our vows. This time we chose it because of all the new ports we will be visiting, San Juan, St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and St. Maarten.

 

Upon our return home we framed a Caribbean map that we purchased on Carnival Breeze and added pins to all of the places we have visited since we started cruising. The map is in our entertainment room and it’s a nice conversation piece. I can’t wait to add 6 more pins once we’ve concluded our next cruise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for following my review, I know it was a long one and I appreciate everyone’s patience but with my work schedule and the couple of thousand photos to post, it was difficult to do it any quicker. For me these reviews will be something we, our kids and grandkids can hopefully look back on.

 

 

 

 

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