Just off the Breeze -review

[Clearwater]

First off, let me start by saying that I had two major worries. Sailing for the first time in an interior and 2nd but most importantly, Sailing during Spring Break. I had a casino offer for this cruise so it was basically free so when I booked, I surely wasn't thinking of SB... just cruising!

 

We decided this time instead of driving from St. Pete to Miami, spending money on gas and parking at the port for 8 days, we would take a big luxury Escot bus down there.

 

For the way down, it was excellent with no issues. At the end of the review... there is a comedy of errors to say the least.

 

We arrive last Saturday and get their the chaos of Miami's port. Immigration line and baggage line are intertwined which of course makes zero sense. For some reason airports and cruise ports are pure chaos in Miami.

 

We receive our boarding # of 19 when we arrive. They are calling Zone 12 so not too long of a wait.

 

We enter onto the ship and I was prepared for the difference of the aesthetics from seeing other cruisers photos.

 

My husband said he was a little underwhelmed. It grew on him thru the week but I think he actually missed a tiny bit of the tackiness LOL.

 

We run down to our room which is at the bottom of the ship - Stateroom #1319. We drop off our bags. They were just finishing up and welcomed us in to drop off our items.

 

We look around, smaller than the balcony rooms by far but not as bad as a I expected.

 

We decide to grab lunch at this point which the ship is VERY busy and the lido is super crowded. Hard to find tables, etc.. so we end up in the aft and hit the Tandori grill.

 

I had a nice lunch and my husband piled on the heat. This proved to really affect him the rest of the week. He eats Indian on a constant basis and loves heat but this time something affected him where he literally had to eat Zantac and tums all week like they were candy. I felt bad for him.

 

After checking out the ship and participating in a fun sail away, we had late dinner and were introduced to our wonderful team. Adrian head server, Udi and Fanny. And Ufuk who was cocktails and drinks.

 

In synopsis for the dining room - we ate there 6 out of 8 nights. Our team was AMAZING! Adrian was just one of the best we have ever encountered.

 

Food - We loved the American Table. I was REALLY happy with the changes and additions to the menu. In fact, the ONLY things I didn't enjoy or things that weren't the best were the items that have been around for awhile. Those were my ONLY misses.

 

We are total foodies and we really had a great experience. I would say the only thing lacking which I wasn't overly impressed with was desserts this go around. But after a huge meal, I really only wanted a bite or two so it wasn't a big deal.

 

We tried Sushi for lunch one day and then Cucina Italiano for dinner one evening.

 

Sushi was excellent but a little pricey for lunch. It was $33. However it was fresh and very tasty.

 

The Cucina was a BIG win for us. Excellent service, and they really impressed me with their food. I am 100% Sicilian and very picky. I was worried this would be sub par but it was excellent and def worth the fee!

 

We did have steak house reservations one evening but it was a port day and we were just exhausted. We ended up cancelling them with the intention of rebooking but never did. So I can't comment on it.

 

Guys burgers - Same as before, delish

Blue Iguana - Same as before, delish

 

Red Frog Pug - One of my favorite places! Loved the outdoor swing. We ordered Conch fritters and lots of mojitos. Really fantastic addition to the ship!

 

 

Activities -

 

We actually did a lot more of the things on this ship that we never have in the past and wanted to. I felt with 8 days we had time to settle in. We played mini golf, played air hockey in the pub, relaxed on the swings, Thrill Theater a few times, bingo, movies at night, comedy shows and more.

 

I felt there was enough to do for sure.

 

Music - The music was so so. I REALLY missed the Filipino bands that usually play by the casino. Instead there was folksy mellow music in the Red Frog at night, Matt and Amy. I was really hoping for more variety with the music in their. I did enjoy the live Caribbean music on the Lido pool. However it wasn't convenient (timewise) to enjoy it more than we did.

 

There was a great band named Deja Vu which we enjoyed the few times we saw them and then there was a Latin band in the Lobby all week which played Salsa, Merengue, etc.

 

Chair hogs - in Full Force! Packed cruise ='s no chairs. My husband wakes up very early so he was able to grab us two. I woke up early too and was able to join him before it was packed in the Aft pool a few times. Some people were getting a little mean, nasty and and condescending with each other over chairs.

 

Spring Break -

 

The cruise was definitely packed but it wasn't too horrible kid wise. For the most part, the kids were very well behaved. We really only had one instance. When we were sitting at the pub outside in the swing, there were kids above in a balcony and they were spitting down on the desk which almost hit us. My husband yelled at them that he was calling security to scare them and they ran inside. That stopped that ;)

 

Casino -

 

I won $1400 on the first night and then the rest of the week had zero luck and donated a lot of it back. :-/ It was smokey in some areas but it wasn't as bad as other ships to me. I am very sensitive to smoke and brought my asthma inhaler with me all times I was in there. I only needed it once and I didn't feel like I reeked of the smell.

 

Movies by the pool -

 

This was really fun. On on the evenings, we grabbed a burger, snuck our bottle of champagne down in our ice bucket in our backpack (don't judge) and had yummy burgers and expensive champagne curled up on deck 11 in the chairs with ottomans and towel blankets. It was fantastic!

 

Yesterday unfortunately it was time to leave. We were supposed to meet our bus at 9:15-9:30 am. Our luggage even tho were in Zone 5, didn't come out until Zone 27 luggage came out. I was worried I wasn't going to get my bag. We were a little late but jumped on the bus. And then the crappy day began.

 

That bus had issues immediately. The coolant started leaking and they had to call us another bus. They said one would be there soon. Well soon was almost 3 hours. So we finally get the new bus, transfer all the luggage and think we are on our way to leave the port around 12:30pm. All it did was take us to the other side of the port to transfer to another bus. We get on and this one is old with no bathroom and people are freaking out. I just want to get home and figure he will eventually stop for breaks. So we get on the road and hit Ft Meyers to be told we now have another bus waiting for us that he can't drive any further. We do the luggage switch again and get on the new bus. About an hour into it, the bus is going about 20 mph on the interstate and we can't figure out what the driver is doing. He gets off the interstate and it dies under an overpass. The turbo went out. So now Bus #3, stalled. We have to wait 2 hours for a bus from Bradenton to pick us up. Hot and no place to walk to, to eat or drink. Finally a few hours go by and we are on Bus # 4 and finally make it home about 6 or 7 hours later than we should have. Last time I will be using that company for a transfer.

 

Overall, The Breeze is definitely my favorite ship I have sailed on thus far. I would love to sail on her again and bring my family. I would love it if she moved to Port Canaveral because it's such an easier port for us.

 

Let me know if you have any questions since I was just off!

 

(I did not save my fun times, sorry).

[cruiser fanatic]

Thanks for the review. What was the name of the bus company you used? I want to be sure that I don't use them!

Edited March 23, 2015 by cruiser fanatic

[legion3]

Great review. Doing the Breeze the last week of April.

 

So I assume that given the bus chaos return that you would have driven and parked at the port if you could of done it again?

 

Did the bus company offer any...re enumeration?

 

The bus story is a second to none travel story. :cool:

[Clearwater]

We went thru Cruise Connection - it was an Escot Bus.

 

Ironically, when we were dropped off finally in the Wally World parking lot and waiting on our Uber Driver, He was a past Escot driver!! What are the chances??

 

He said they break down so often and 2 have caught on fire. The drivers by the way were FANTASTIC and it is no way a reflection of them. However a company that doesn't service the busses well has lost my business.

 

We were told by some of the people on our bus yesterday they had issues getting to Miami a week ago. They ALSO had bus trouble. I would have freaked if I missed my vacation!!

 

Ironically - AAA also recommends them. They really need to rethink them as a recommended company. I think there is competition and the Uber driver said they are a lot better so I will do my research IF I ever decide to do it again.

 

We take them all over Europe when we cross the pond so I really felt it was similar and a great idea.

[pirate4me2]

Thanks for the review! Breeze is a great ship, our favorite so far!

[RandR95336]

Hello,

Great Review! Do you recall what time the self assist debarkation began?

Thank you

[Clearwater]

Hello,

Great Review! Do you recall what time the self assist debarkation began?

Thank you

 

We didn't use it so I really wasn't paying enough attention to it. I apologize!! I know it was pretty early. We were cleared quickly.

[summer50]

First off, let me start by saying that I had two major worries. Sailing for the first time in an interior and 2nd but most importantly, Sailing during Spring Break. I had a casino offer for this cruise so it was basically free so when I booked, I surely wasn't thinking of SB... just cruising!

 

We decided this time instead of driving from St. Pete to Miami, spending money on gas and parking at the port for 8 days, we would take a big luxury Escot bus down there.

 

For the way down, it was excellent with no issues. At the end of the review... there is a comedy of errors to say the least.

 

We arrive last Saturday and get their the chaos of Miami's port. Immigration line and baggage line are intertwined which of course makes zero sense. For some reason airports and cruise ports are pure chaos in Miami.

 

We receive our boarding # of 19 when we arrive. They are calling Zone 12 so not too long of a wait.

 

We enter onto the ship and I was prepared for the difference of the aesthetics from seeing other cruisers photos.

 

My husband said he was a little underwhelmed. It grew on him thru the week but I think he actually missed a tiny bit of the tackiness LOL.

 

We run down to our room which is at the bottom of the ship - Stateroom #1319. We drop off our bags. They were just finishing up and welcomed us in to drop off our items.

 

We look around, smaller than the balcony rooms by far but not as bad as a I expected.

 

We decide to grab lunch at this point which the ship is VERY busy and the lido is super crowded. Hard to find tables, etc.. so we end up in the aft and hit the Tandori grill.

 

I had a nice lunch and my husband piled on the heat. This proved to really affect him the rest of the week. He eats Indian on a constant basis and loves heat but this time something affected him where he literally had to eat Zantac and tums all week like they were candy. I felt bad for him.

 

After checking out the ship and participating in a fun sail away, we had late dinner and were introduced to our wonderful team. Adrian head server, Udi and Fanny. And Ufuk who was cocktails and drinks.

 

In synopsis for the dining room - we ate there 6 out of 8 nights. Our team was AMAZING! Adrian was just one of the best we have ever encountered.

 

Food - We loved the American Table. I was REALLY happy with the changes and additions to the menu. In fact, the ONLY things I didn't enjoy or things that weren't the best were the items that have been around for awhile. Those were my ONLY misses.

 

We are total foodies and we really had a great experience. I would say the only thing lacking which I wasn't overly impressed with was desserts this go around. But after a huge meal, I really only wanted a bite or two so it wasn't a big deal.

 

We tried Sushi for lunch one day and then Cucina Italiano for dinner one evening.

 

Sushi was excellent but a little pricey for lunch. It was $33. However it was fresh and very tasty.

 

The Cucina was a BIG win for us. Excellent service, and they really impressed me with their food. I am 100% Sicilian and very picky. I was worried this would be sub par but it was excellent and def worth the fee!

 

We did have steak house reservations one evening but it was a port day and we were just exhausted. We ended up cancelling them with the intention of rebooking but never did. So I can't comment on it.

 

Guys burgers - Same as before, delish

Blue Iguana - Same as before, delish

 

Red Frog Pug - One of my favorite places! Loved the outdoor swing. We ordered Conch fritters and lots of mojitos. Really fantastic addition to the ship!

 

 

Activities -

 

We actually did a lot more of the things on this ship that we never have in the past and wanted to. I felt with 8 days we had time to settle in. We played mini golf, played air hockey in the pub, relaxed on the swings, Thrill Theater a few times, bingo, movies at night, comedy shows and more.

 

I felt there was enough to do for sure.

 

Music - The music was so so. I REALLY missed the Filipino bands that usually play by the casino. Instead there was folksy mellow music in the Red Frog at night, Matt and Amy. I was really hoping for more variety with the music in their. I did enjoy the live Caribbean music on the Lido pool. However it wasn't convenient (timewise) to enjoy it more than we did.

 

There was a great band named Deja Vu which we enjoyed the few times we saw them and then there was a Latin band in the Lobby all week which played Salsa, Merengue, etc.

 

Chair hogs - in Full Force! Packed cruise ='s no chairs. My husband wakes up very early so he was able to grab us two. I woke up early too and was able to join him before it was packed in the Aft pool a few times. Some people were getting a little mean, nasty and and condescending with each other over chairs.

 

Spring Break -

 

The cruise was definitely packed but it wasn't too horrible kid wise. For the most part, the kids were very well behaved. We really only had one instance. When we were sitting at the pub outside in the swing, there were kids above in a balcony and they were spitting down on the desk which almost hit us. My husband yelled at them that he was calling security to scare them and they ran inside. That stopped that ;)

 

Casino -

 

I won $1400 on the first night and then the rest of the week had zero luck and donated a lot of it back. :-/ It was smokey in some areas but it wasn't as bad as other ships to me. I am very sensitive to smoke and brought my asthma inhaler with me all times I was in there. I only needed it once and I didn't feel like I reeked of the smell.

 

Movies by the pool -

 

This was really fun. On on the evenings, we grabbed a burger, snuck our bottle of champagne down in our ice bucket in our backpack (don't judge) and had yummy burgers and expensive champagne curled up on deck 11 in the chairs with ottomans and towel blankets. It was fantastic!

 

Yesterday unfortunately it was time to leave. We were supposed to meet our bus at 9:15-9:30 am. Our luggage even tho were in Zone 5, didn't come out until Zone 27 luggage came out. I was worried I wasn't going to get my bag. We were a little late but jumped on the bus. And then the crappy day began.

 

That bus had issues immediately. The coolant started leaking and they had to call us another bus. They said one would be there soon. Well soon was almost 3 hours. So we finally get the new bus, transfer all the luggage and think we are on our way to leave the port around 12:30pm. All it did was take us to the other side of the port to transfer to another bus. We get on and this one is old with no bathroom and people are freaking out. I just want to get home and figure he will eventually stop for breaks. So we get on the road and hit Ft Meyers to be told we now have another bus waiting for us that he can't drive any further. We do the luggage switch again and get on the new bus. About an hour into it, the bus is going about 20 mph on the interstate and we can't figure out what the driver is doing. He gets off the interstate and it dies under an overpass. The turbo went out. So now Bus #3, stalled. We have to wait 2 hours for a bus from Bradenton to pick us up. Hot and no place to walk to, to eat or drink. Finally a few hours go by and we are on Bus # 4 and finally make it home about 6 or 7 hours later than we should have. Last time I will be using that company for a transfer.

 

Overall, The Breeze is definitely my favorite ship I have sailed on thus far. I would love to sail on her again and bring my family. I would love it if she moved to Port Canaveral because it's such an easier port for us.

 

Let me know if you have any questions since I was just off!

 

(I did not save my fun times, sorry).

We just got off the Breeze yesterday, Sunday, Mar 22nd. We had anytime dining, and had Adrian and his Team on one of the first nights in the MDR. He made the dining experience so much fun that we asked for him every evening after that...waiting up to 30 minutes just to sit in his area. So entertaining and he also gave GREAT service. If you are on the Breeze in the next few weeks, seek him out!

[eng4]

What did you order from the sushi place? $33 seems high. I thought I read a California roll was $4?

[re-re]

Thank you for the review, glad you had a great time. Do you recall how late the Red frog pub stays open?

[LibratPDX]

Hello,

 

Great Review! Do you recall what time the self assist debarkation began?

 

Thank you

 

 

I got off the ship just a few weeks ago and did the self-assist. It was scheduled to begin at 7:45am according to the information provided the night before, but it actually started at 7:15am.....