Carnival Breeze Trip Report Jan 5-13, 2013 - part 1

I'm going to try to do a trip report here. May take a few days.

Overall impressions:
Getting there:  We flew into Ft. Lauderdale and took SAS to Port of Miami Holiday Inn. SAS was very quick and professional and good driver. Spent night at Holiday Inn then took cab at 1 pm to port. Went through and boarded ship - never even stopped for a minute -- embarking went extremely smoothly and staff were friendly.

Room - we were in a Cloud 9 Spa balcony room and it was wonderful. Bed was extremely comfortable as was the couch which was made into a twin for our son. Bathroom sufficient and our room steward kept everything immaculate. Impressed with so much storage in the stateroom!
Spa - we didn't do gym or spa services but we went to Cloud 9 spa every day. The four heated rooms often were completely empty. We spent time in the relaxation room as we left Port of Miami, and another morning and two other nights and only once were we NOT alone. The therapy pool at Cloud 9 was relaxing, too. At most 3 other people were ever in there when I was in there.

Food - the Blue Iguana's breakfast burritos are SO GOOD. We ate there every morning except one, and regretted not being there that day.
Guy's burgers are delicious. Nobody seemed happy with the small number of fries given, but really, do you need more than a handful? I'd argue no, but plenty of people just asked for more, and you'd be given more. The toppings bar for the burgers have everything you'd ever imagine...well, no dill pickles maybe, but close!

Dining room - we only ate in Blush 3 times. It was fine. Nothing amazing, but certainly nicer than average.

Here's a photo:
Fahrenheit 55 restaurant - REALLY worth the extra cost. $35 per person for what would have easily cost us $75 per person in our hometown (in the midwest). Very, very good. The portions were huge. This was my husband's dessert: the cheese course. Yes, that was HIS plate. Could any human eat that much cheese in one day??!

Pizza - like pizza we have had in Rome, so if you like American pizza, maybe you wouldn't like it, but we LOVED it.

Tandoor - the Indian food was very tasty and spicy. Authentic.

C-Side BBQ - open on sea days. Good food. Line looked long but took 3 minutes, max.

Lido buffet area - we ate there one night. That was enough to let us know that we were better off going elsewhere. However, our son ate soft-serve ice cream several times a day there!

Bar - We used the Cheers program, which is one set price and tip, and all you can drink (some restrictions), but nothing that stopped us, so for us, it was truly all we could drink. We never ordered anything that wasn't allowed (over $10). At the end, the ship invoice showed we (2 adults) drank 139 alcohol drinks over 8 days, so I think it paid for itself. I wanted to know exactly how much I was spending, not be surprised at the end of the trip. And it did make it fun to try drinks we otherwise would never try. The bartenders were very nice, but I was surprised they were not more friendly. Nobody was rude, but by day 5, I kind of expected more eye contact, that if we address them and ask about them, that then the next time they not act like we were strangers. Likewise, while Cheers includes a tip, we always added $1-2 per drink, at least the first drink per server per visit, but it did not seem that the additional tip added any extra friendliness...maybe they all share the tips. Anyway, the pours were VERY generous, and we were satisfied.

Serenity Deck

Serenity Deck - in the morning, you could usually get deck chairs, but it was not easy. Hot tubs full during sun hours. Always space at the Serenity bar to sit. But once it was maybe 3:30 pm or anytime later, there was plenty of room on Serenity deck. It did close a couple times due to wind and once for a staff party (late at night), but overall, it was a relaxing place to sit and read and drink.

Waterworks - our son loved it.

 Ropes course - not open enough per day and closed with wind. Our son did it once but didn't seem to love it.

 Thrill Theater - our son got a pass for the 5-D theater and went three times. He thought it was fun but he didn't act like he just had to go to every show.



Ovation Theater shows - we saw Divas and Latin Nights. Great singing and tech lighting, etc.

Divas

Camp Carnival - our son is 11 and had a GREAT time. The 9-11 year old group had activities that were just perfect for their age. Scavenger hunts daily and video games and other activities. He spent a LOT of time there and said he liked it a lot better than the Disney cruise. I'm guessing that's because there just weren't as many kids as the Disney Cruise, which was just so crowded. The kids' talent show offered kids the chance to rehearse daily, with a show for families on the last day. Really neat.

1970s TV Theme Song Trivia

Ocean Plaza - we played a lot of trivia and it was fun. Service for drinks there could have been better. We had a great time with Amy (6-3) teaching us the Thriller Dance. Karaoke at night was fun, too.

Cruise Director - Butch was amusing. Amy (6-3) was kind and always professional.

Overall - at half the cost of a Disney Cruise, we were prepared for half the level of service, cleanliness and even the fellow cruisers. Well, we were surprise for the better! This cruise was every bit as good as Disney and at this level of cost, we can go more often. The Breeze is a beautiful ship!
More detailed posts to come.