A Trip to Paradise of duty FREE SHOPPING
Carnival Breeze Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern
Contributor Level:
Purser
Cruises: 2-3 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 61
7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Port Canaveral Roundtrip)
Sail date: October 26, 2019
Ship: Carnival Breeze
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: 6234
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 5 years ago
Review summary
Our cruise was a true adventure from the first day. So many shows to see from music to comedy and 5 star dinners. We felt at home after the first day. Everyone nice and helpful everything kept spotless. Breeze is the nicest ship we have cruised on.Embarkation
When we steped off the off the shuttle arriving at the Embarkation with all proper ID, we were processed and on borad in less than 30 min. The new digital photo idenification that Carnaval has switched to epidited our boarding process and visting ports of call. Carnaval Breeze had everyones digital photo ID and ounce they scanned your onboard ID card your picture came up on their tablet. This inturn expidited the waitting process leaving and returning to the Carnaval Breeze atg the ports of call. The Breeze new right away if there were any missing pasengers before getting underway from the port of call.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
We did not go to the assigned dinning nor any of the specialty restraunt. We did not like the dress code rules. We ate at all the venues that came with the cruise. The food on the buffets were excellent the lines moved fairly quickly, the dinning area is very large and is on both sides of the ships dinning buffet area with scenic views of the ocean through large picture windows. They also set aside a dinning area for children. The dinning room staff were constantly working hard to clear tables ensuring they were clean. I noticed when there was spilled food or liquid on the floor the dinning room staff were quick to clean it up and mark the area as a slip hazard until the floor dried. The Swill station that served frozen yogurt was kept clean and serviced when it needed more ingredients to make more. The pizza station located at the rear of the ship is opened 24 / 7 and the pizzas are hand made and fresh( NOT FORZEN}.
Onboard Activities
We enjoyed all the activities: stand up comedy, live bands from soul to rock, events in the theater 5 star from Motown music and Elton John music, 80tys music 70tys music and Disco music, professional dancers, games (clue and bingo) there is two pools mid ships and near the pizza venue, and hot tubs too. We went up the 12th deck to the fitness center it is impressive with recombed stationary bikes, treadmills weight machines, free weights. while you work out you have a beautiful view of the front of the ship and ocean.
There is not a rock climbing g wall on Breeze. The wet zone with the tube slide is a lot of fun for children and young adults who meet the requirements to slide through the tube.
Entertainment
We enjoyed all the activities: stand up comedy, live bands from soul to rock, events in the theater were 5 star from Motown music and Elton John music, 80tys music 70tys music and Disco music, professional dancers, games (clue and bingo)
Service and Staff
the waiters in the dinning areas were friendly and observant to your needs, Room Stewards were always there to assist your needs from opening wine bottles, keeping the room clean and freash towells in the bathroom when needed. The crafted towel animals found on your bed were alwys a surprise along with fresh ice, also a complimentary (two) two leader bottles of water. CPAP users are given extension cords and you will find your distilled water that you purchased on the disk in the room. The closets are very large with shelves for clothes, two closest with wooden hangers also fit two large travel suitcases. All the ship personel I spoke with were informative and answer your questions.
Ship Quality
The layout of the ship is designed to navigate easly.There is a model of the ship at every elevator that indicates you are at that part of the ship an shows a map of all the areas that you want to navigate too.
All the common areas including the bathrooms were kept clean and disinfected had cleaning staytions were located at every dinner plate station at the buffet lines and through out the ship. I saw the cleaning staff constantly stairwells and wiping the hand rails with disinfectent. They kept the outside and inside decks clean and trash free.
The balconeys in the staterooms were more than 3' long and about 3' wide.
Cabin / Stateroom
Brian was our Steward and he did a great job and we never had a discrepancy with the job he did. He was always polite and made you feel at home on the Breeze.
Ship tip
Always keep your sighn and sail card and your pastport ID card in a plastic sleave on atatched to a landyard. We found that it was the easest way to present the ID to Officals while boarding the ship or disinbarking and showing your ID and passport to officals of port of call. You also use the sail and sighn plastic card that brings uo your picture to purchse merchandise on the ship only everything from drinks at the bar to the stores on the 5th deck. I did not go to the Casino so, I dont know if youcan use it there.
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Ports of call
All I can say Port Canaveral is easy to navigate information signs on the FL St. road 528 are very informative and the exits to the cruise terminal are easy to navigate.
Amber Cove (Puerto Plata), Dominican Republic
I, found Amber Cove a surprise to the eyes. It is beautiful the pier is wide and there were bicycle taxies that can carry up two three people they only are paid in tips to take you to the entry building of Amber Cove.
Inside the building, you can purchase duty free merchandise from spirits, ground coffee or whole bean from DR, You can also sample their rum before you purchase. I purchased three bottles of rum that is made in DR that I had a pinacolato made with the same rum. The entire shopping area is lade out in large pavers and concreate . Diamond International will serve you rum punch while you shop and the punch more rum than punch. Three is a coffee shop that sells coffee whole bean or ground by the pound grown in DR . You can also order coffee drinks like at Starbucks. There is a out door bar that is like a round look out tower made of concreate with a view of the port and surrounding area. The bar serves local rum, food, other call brands and international biers. The water park is near by with a long slide it is down the path from the out door bar. There is a restraunt in the area of the souvenir shops that serves spirts and local seafood. Prices are affordable. There is a store there that is also owned by Diamonds INT that specializes in high end watches such as Citizen and other Swiss made watches. Prices range from $350 to over 10K. The store also, serves rum punch. A salesman named Pauli at Diamonds INT took me across the street and showed me all the brands of watches and of course they also had jewelry there as well. He is very informative on all the merchandise and will serve you more rum punch. We had a GREAT time at Amber Cove and it is a secure area and safe.
St. Thomas port is beautiful and the water is clear as glass. Getting to the shopping area is a long walk they do have cabs. Be aware that the wait for the cabs to leave is long because of all the other cabs staked up taking on other coatomers from other cruise lines. We walked to the shopping area and we got there before the cabs. On the pier at the gate entrance there was a welcome party with a local DJ and belly dancers. I found that the dancers were slowing down the line and it became a bottle neck.
The shops onshore from the pier where we shopped had duty free spirits and excellent prices. One Liquor store has been there for over 40 years and has everything you want.
I did not like the port. After you exited the pier from the Breeze, there were street venders all up and down the seawall which caused slow foot traffic. Across the street from the pier exit, there is a Walgreens. and cross walk with police assisting pedestrians. In front of the entrance to Walgreens you will see several pan handlers laying on the concreate with their large drink cups begging you to give them money not only that they are every where like vultures. The police were less than 50' from them and did nothing about it. We also experienced tour guides breathing down my neck trying to talk us into a tour of the city. I must have told two of them a dozen times NO. We had to leave the area. Ware good walking shoes because the streets are made of bricks and pose a safety hazard. The side walks are very narrow curbs are very high not like US streets.
We did not feel safe at this port. A true Bana Republic.
We loved this port. full of history beautiful turquoise water and white beaches The pier is short not a far walk to shore. They have a entrance building to the shopping area. You can purchase duty free spirits there too. I found the merchant at the EFFY jewelry store to be very informative and no high preasure sales like you will expences at Diamonds INT. I asked why there was not any gold chains? He told us that they did not sell them anymore because the price of a ounce of gold. He said, they would cost around $4,000.00 depending on the length. There is also a very large pool and it was very crowded.
This port is a secure area and is safe.
Disembarkation
It was fast and effcient the digital picture technology is amazing. We walked through the US Coustoms area and cleared with our digital photo on file. Coustoms did not ask us any questions and did not ask us how many spirt bottles we carring. The whole expierence was amazing.
4 Comments
MJtraveler 5 years ago
We love San Juan with all of the history and culture (not to mention food!). We have been there many times on cruises and never felt unsafe, even wandering the streets in the evening in Old San Juan when we arrive a day or two early to embark. Yes, there are beggars, just like many cities in the US and abroad. We just smile, and occasionally drop a few coins or a dollar in the bucket for a disabled beggar. It sounds like you did a shopping cruise instead of beaches and culture. If you cruise again, look everywhere except the expensive shops for a wonderful experience. Otherwise, you may prefer a trip to NYC for phenomenal shopping. Hope you love your next cruise and will venture out. There's a wonderful world out there to see.