A Ship for the Entire Family!!
At 130,000 tons and carrying almost 3,700 passenger’s double occupancy, the all-new Carnival Breeze showcases Carnival Cruise Lines Fun Ship 2.0 program it is installing across its fleet. Launched in June of 2012, the Carnival Breeze is the latest example of the $500 million fleet enhancement program that is going to transform the line’s on-board experience with the use of celebrity partnership and branded spaces on the ships.
Carnival Breeze is Family Friendly!
The kids will love Deck 11 where you will find the Breeze’s city-sized Camp Carnival play area for ages 2 to 11. Other parts of the ship offer tweens (ages 12-14) and teens (ages 15-17) areas with dance floors, Wii video games and more. Enjoy the “Dive-In Movies at the Seaside Theater,” with blankets and free popcorn that shows movies during the day and at night. Grab a lounge chair and at night blankets are available in case it gets a bit cool for you.
A new Punchliner Comedy Brunch, served in the main dining room from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on sea days and also free of charge, attracts as many as 1,000 guests who come to dine and see the five to six minute comedy performances each hour. In my opinion this needs work. The morning I had brunch here there was only one routine, it was loud and frankly not all that funny. It seemed more of a disruption to brunch than adding to the experience.
So in theory, with 2,000 people dining in these new venues on the Carnival Breeze, the Lido Marketplace should be only half as crowded as it is on some of the other Carnival ships. However the problem, at least for now, is that the new venues, such as Fat Jimmy’s are too crowded and needs work. Eventually I think this will all smooth out and work as Carnival envisions it.
Additional Dining Venues On the Carnival Breeze
Other dining options on the Carnival Breeze include the new Bonsai Sushi, which offers a la carte pricing ranging from $1 appetizers to a $15 sushi boat for two. Bonsai Sushi is Carnival’s first full-service sushi restaurant.
Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse – Classic American-style steakhouse. Run $35 per person for the four-course dinner but this is still well below what you will pay at home for the same fine steakhouse experience. I recommend this for that anniversary, birthday or special dinner occasion while on your cruise!
Cucina del Capitano – Just like you are in someone’s Italian home, featuring checkered table cloths, classic, family-style dishes and singing waiters. Cost is $12 for adults; $5 for children. A Chianti cart will pass by your table offering the Italian wine for $5 a glass; or $26 for a carafe so enjoy a Chianti with your dinner. After dinner try a Limoncello, which is a classic Italian Lemon Liqueur.
Guy’s Burger Joint is located midship on deck 10 and is modeled after a typical roadside burger restaurant. The outdoor venue offers signature burgers by the Food Network’s Guy Fieri, free of charge, as well as an expansive condiments bar. Note that burgers are only cooked well-done, so if you prefer anything less than that, you’re out of luck. Heard mixed reviews on this place from passengers so we can’t recomend it or tell you to stay away. If you are a burger fan, a Food Network fan or a fan of Guy Fieri then you will want to eat here at least once on your cruise.
Fun lover of all ages will also appreciate the Drainpipe and the Twister water slides. The Twister is a 214 foot long twisty thrill ride, then there is the PowerDrencher dump bucket (you have to see it to understand it), toss in three pools and seven hot tubs and there is something here for everyone! Oh and don’t forget there is also the Carnival Waterworks spray ground which the small kids will have a ball playing in.
At SportsSquare, is a ropes course (SkyCourse) where you strap in a safety harness, choose between beginner or intermediate courses, and work your way along 230 feet of rope brides, swinging steps, and beams suspended above the top deck. There’s also a jogging track, sports court, foosball and miniature golf.
For Adults, there is the Cloud 9 Spa and an expanded gym taking up the forward areas of 3 decks. The adults only Serenity outdoor relaxation space with chaise lounges, chairs and hammocks but get there early to grab one. There’s also dining at Serenity, with salads, wraps and other light fare. This area is perfect for adults wanting to chill with a book or their Ipod and listen to music on their headphones.
Carnival Breeze is the first ship in the fleet to debut the new Thrill Theater, an interactive, multi-dimensional experience. This 24-seat theater combines a high-definition projection system with elements such as squirting water and bubbles, and original special effects that tickle guests’ legs, blow air on their necks and poke them in their seats. seats within the theater shift back and forth, move from side to side and there was lots of laughter. Cot is $7.95 or purchase a package for the cruise for $14.95 per person. This will remind you of some of the experiences you get at Walt Disney World, like A Bugs Life. Great fun and the kids will love it!
Carnival Breeze is also the first Carnival ship to offer Playlist Productions, which are high-tech production shows that combine live performances with LED staging and special effects. Four revues are currently offered — “Divas”, “Latin Nights”, Motor City”, and “The Brits!”. Each of these venues offers popular music encompassing a variety of styles, eras and genres.
Also on Breeze you will find Hasbro, The Game Show, based on the popular Family Game Night television series produced by Hasbro Studios and seen on The Hub, a network for children and their families.
Bars & Lounges On The Carnival Breeze
Most of the ship’s entertainment venues are located on Decks 4 & 5, making the area perfect for bar hopping, people watching and strolling, especially at night.
RedFrog Pub – Where Key West meets the British West Indies and you can enjoy island inspired snacks for a small extra fee.
Piano Bar 88 – More elegant and interactive than the piano bars you may have experienced in the past. Where you will find the songbooks and request forms are on each table making it easier for guests to put in requests to the piano player.
Liquid Nightclub – A South Beach style nightclub experience. The DJ’s on are trained under the new “DJ IRIE Spin’iversity’ led by the award winning DJ IRIE, a disc jockey widely known in Miami and Las Vegas.
The Library Bar – A quiet and intimate cocktail lounge. The bar has an automatic wine machines that dispense 2, 4 and 6 ounce servings for a fee.
RedFrog Rum Bar – Specializes in Frozen Rum Drinks.
BlueIguana Tequila Bar – Specializes in frozen margaritas, hand crafted tequilas and Mexican beers. This is where you will normally find me.
New Dining Venues Review
On the Carnival Breeze this includes partnerships with George Lopez, with the launch fleetwide of the Punchliners Comedy Clubs. Add in Food Network personality Guy Fieri, who has developed a new hamburger venue called Guy’s Burger Joint; as well as for the kids a partnership with Hasbro.
Other new food and beverage venues include the RedFrog Rum Bar located poolside, Blue Iguana Tequila Bar and Blue Iguana Cantina. Which is open for breakfast and lunch. The burritos are made to order with homemade whole wheat tortillas and fresh ingredients.
The Carnival Breeze offers passenger some new outdoor spaces to explore and dine. One example is the Ocean Plaza on deck fine, where you will find the Plaza Cafe, the Plaza Bar and the Taste Bar. The Plaza Cafe serves very nice exotic coffee drinks and teas plus pastries and other sweet confections that go great with coffees and teas. Prices are pretty reasonable here, for instance a grande latte will run you about $4 with tip included.
Adjacent to Ocean Plaza’s outdoor seating area is the new outdoor dining venue called Fat Jimmy’s C-Side BBQ. Open only on sea days and only for lunch, this is easily the most popular of the new dining venues on the Carnival Breeze. Warning, expect to stand in line for probably 15 to 20 minutes as Fat Jimmy’s is obviously more popular than Carnival was expecting. I think Carnival will correct this problem on this ship and future ships but for now prepare for long lines. Some passengers have said it took them over 20 minutes to have lunch at Fat Jimmy’s.
Staterooms On The Carnival Breeze
Many staterooms on the Carnival Breeze adjoin with the room next door, so combining the two is a great option for a family of 4 or more or you can opt for a suite. otherwise for a single traveler or couple, you will find most staterooms to be spacious, attractive and smartly functional with three closets, a desk for work or applying makeup and if you get a cabin with a balcony you will find the balcony offers generous space for a couple of chairs and a small table. The balcony is perfect for sitting outside and reading a book or just unwinding in your space.
On the Carnival Breeze the standard inside cabin measures 185 sq. ft. and outside staterooms are a generous 220 sq. ft. with the extra space being the 25 sq. ft. balcony. All cabins offer comfortable bedding which can be set as 2 double beds or 1 queen plus a TV, minibar, hair dryer, small sitting area and bathroom with shower. Sleeping 3 or 4 to a room? There are one or two pull down double beds that come from the ceiling at night and then disappear during the day. In some cases where pull downs are not available, Carnival will bring in roll away bedding.
For families of four or more I would recommend either one of the five-berth, two bathroom staterooms or adjoining staterooms especially if you want to be on speaking terms at the end of the cruise. One thing you will want ot bring regardless of how many are in the room is a 4 way plug that you can put into one of the outlets in the cabin. There are a minimum of electric outlets in a cabin. These days not only do you have hairdryers and curling irons there are IPod, IPad, Laptops, Cell Phones and other electronics we bring with us that seem to always need a charge. You will find a four way plug or two to be a lifesaver on the cruise.
Adjoining rooms can be a bit noisy. Quite often through the door to the adjoining staterooms, you can hear your neighbors, so be careful what you say or do. Also, stateroom doors slam hard enough that I have never needed my alarm clock in the morning.
A range of higher-category cabins and suites, including the Cloud 9 spa cabins, offer even more amentiies and space. For something different, check out the Cove Balcony cabins, set down near the waterline — reminding you that you really are at sea, even on this giant ship.
Overall the Carnival Breeze is a breeze of fresh air and ideal for families and adults looking for an active cruise vacation option. In 2013/14 you will find the Carnival Breeze doing 6 and 8 night cruises from Miami to the Southern and Western Caribbean.
Interline rates start as low as $323pp for 6 nights and $649 for 8 nights. See all of the rate options and book online at www.interlinetravel.com or call 800-766-2911 to book your Carnival Breeze Cruise Vacation!