Good time, but a few downfalls

Item: Carnival Breeze
Rating: 4.3
Author: srclark84

Carnival Breeze Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern

srclark84

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 4-6 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 42

Overall rating:

4.3 out of 5

7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Port Canaveral Roundtrip)

Sail date: May 18, 2019

Ship: Carnival Breeze

Cabin type: Inside

Traveled as: Family (young children)

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

The ship was beautifully decorated. The spa staff and entertaining staff were amazing! Overall, the food experience was lacking quite a bit in my opinion. If i could change anything or give my advice i would say the food and drink staff needed to be more abundant. We had several less than desire fine dining experiences, which is typically one of our favorite features about a cruise. Also bar staff in the comedy club and serenity deck were few and far between. For this sized ship i believe a few more staff and this would have been a much better experience.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Got on ship fast without any issues

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Service was lacking in all area’s on this ship. We have sailed several other ships and never had this issue. Dining room service was less than desirable. The line for Guy’s burger was insane every day. And the bar staff seemed sparse unless you were on Lido deck.

Sapphire Dining Room

2 out of 5

The staff were friendly enough. However our dining experience was less than par. First night i was served a baked potato and our server never came to offer any toppings so i was left literally with a dry potato, no butter, no toppings. I also had empty water several nights with nothing but a cup of ice to sip on once the water ran out. We ordered coffee one night and never received it. And the very last night i had a baked Alaska, which tasted great, however i had a piece of broken plate or other ceramic plate ware in my food. It cut the roof of my mouth. We quickly got up and left. I am not a hard person to please but i felt like this was a big downfall in the experience. Luckily we cruise often so we know that this experience is not common, however if this were our first cruise we would have been left to feel this as a big let down.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

Activities did not disappoint on this ship! So much to do and the cruise director Schwartz kept things fun! Pools and hot tubs were packed, but that’s with most ships.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Performances and shows were great! We had some of the best DJ’s on this ship compared to other ship’s we have sailed.

Limelight Lounge

2 out of 5

Needs a TON more space for the shows. We would arrive 30-45 minutes prior to show to only find standing room or to be shoved into a back corner with no view. Carnival needs to realize that these shows are one of the most popular after hours and needs to move into a larger area to accommodate. The comedians were fine, the area and bar staff were not great.

Children's Programs

Traveled without kids

Service and Staff

3 out of 5

Room steward was great but less than desirable with most other service staff.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

The ship stayed clean and the layout was fine. I have sailed the sister ship’s so it was quite familiar to navigate. The decor was beautiful throughout the ship.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Cabin was clean and we had a great Steward, Roel!

Ship tip

Good time, but if you sail for the food experience you may be a little disappointed.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Amber Cove (Puerto Plata), Dominican Republic

4 out of 5

We went to the nearby pool which was free, which was a plus! The pool was beautiful but packed with people. Finding a chair was a little difficult. Food and drinks nearby. And a nice scenic area to walk around on at the port!

Thumbs Up 3

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

4 out of 5

The shops seemed a little over priced and disappointed that not really any local handmade things were available. We did the Kon Tiki boat all inclusive. Which i would probably not do again. But to each their own. Was not worth the money in my opinion.

Thumbs Up 2

San Juan, Puerto Rico

5 out of 5

We did not book an excursion but instead roamed the streets of beautiful San Juan by ourselves! We were so happy that we made that decision. We took our time and was not rushed through all of San Juan and it’s beauty because there is SO much to take in and see! The fort, the beautiful streets and shopping, and the views from every angle of the city were phenomenal!! We will be going back for sure!

Thumbs Up 8

Grand Turk Island

5 out of 5

We did the beach break all inclusive and had a great time! The private beach was nice and lined with many chairs. The water was some of the most beautiful Caribbean water we have seen! And, our bar tender was the best ever!!!! He made some amazing drinks and kept our cups full! The facility was nice and clean. The shuttle to and from was so-so. Didn’t hear much about the town.

Thumbs Up 4