Enjoyed the Breeze with hits and misses...

We sailed on the Breeze in January and had a nice time. We did find things we liked and didn't. The ship is well decorated and comfortable however the layout is a "chopped up." We have recently cruised on RCCL and Celebrity Solstice Class and found the ships to feel more open with better flow. We found ourselves going up/down or around a lot to reach our destination and avoid crowds. Albeit not as bad on the Indy of the Seas and definitely much better on the Silhouette (also fewer people with a similar sized ship). I liked that Carnival chose a more modern interior scheme with less Classic Vegas style. Our balcony stateroom was adequate and comfortable and our attendant one of the best we've had on any line.  Food was better than expected in the MDR, definitely something RCCL and Celebrity could improve. Most dishes were full of flavor and simply presented with good sized portions. We chose anytime dining and likely wouldn't choose that again. I don't feel Carnival has really perfected this yet and dinners were taking about 1 1/2-2 hours. We finished most of the time missing shows but we didn't really care much for those anyway. The main stage show was well choreographed and set was simple but modern with LED screened backdrops but singing was cheesy, we left early both times we attended. All Main stage shows had click track w/o a band. We enjoyed the better variety aboard Indy and Silhouette and full bands at every performance and good variety of guest entertainers. The pool area was great, Red Frog Thirsty Ale my new at sea favorite, slides fun and wrap around promenade one the best new features for Carnival. Burritos are awesome, wasn't crazed about Guy's burgers, and generally the Lido buffet food was tasty and plentiful although would have liked to have seen more variety at salad bar. We would have liked to have seen the buffet opened for longer periods. It closed too early with longer than expected lulls between buffet and dinner times.  Farenheight 555 was our hit and food and service far exceeded expectations. Sea days on the main decks were super crowded but we did find chairs in Serenity which we enjoyed most of the time at sea. Unfortunately we found the band #rhythmnation the last evening of the cruise by wondering by them by accident. We really enjoyed the lead female singer and stayed to watch most of their show. We felt they were the best of the cruise. Boarding and debarkation were smooth w/o any hiccups,. We carried our own bags off the ship and I think this sped up the process. Overall, I would highly recommend this ship for families or young couples looking for a well rounded cruise vacation. Affordability and ship age were factored in our decision with itinerary for this cruise secondary. We are late thirties and have cruised several times before with Carnival, Princess and the aforementioned. Never a horrible experience and all lines impressed us with likes and dislikes. Carnival has raised the bar with this ship and we would return in the future.