Carnival Breeze Review

4.0 / 5.0
1,351 reviews

Nice Vacation on the Breeze

Review for the Western Caribbean Cruise on Carnival Breeze
User Avatar
cruiserjunkie
10+ Cruises • Age 60s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service

Additional details

Sail Date: Jan 2017
Cabin: Balcony

This was our 5th Carnival cruise and 10th cruise overall. Embarkation was fairly easy. The Galveston cruise port is nice. Only 2 ship at port which makes it not so crowded like Miami or Ft Lauderdale. We signed up for the 11-11:30am check in time. We flew into Houston Hobby the day before our cruise. Paid $48 for Uber to take us from Houston Hobby to Galveston. (About 45 minute drive). Much cheaper than a cab or $30 per person for a shuttle that you have to wait for. Used hotwire and got the Days inn & suites for $70 a night. Nice hotel, but not many places close by to eat. A pretty decent breakfast at the hotel is included. There are NO taxis on Galveston Island. You have to download the Get ME app. (No Uber in Galveston) Get Me is like Uber but Get Me prices are like a taxi. We traveled less than 4 miles from hotel to Cruise port and it was $22. But what choice do you have? None is the answer. So not knowing how long it would take to get a Get Me driver to the hotel, I summoned Get Me on my phone app at 9:30am. A drive arrived by 10am. It was a bit nerve racking as the app kept telling me they were searching for a driver and after 15 minutes, it said a driver would arrive in 15 minutes. We were at the cruise port by 10:15am. Check in was a breeze as there was hardly anyone there. The ship is nice. It never felt too crowded except at the main pool where the kids seemed to always be in the pool. We spent most of our time in the serenity adults only area. Got on the water slide even at my advanced age (50s). It was pretty fun. Did mini golf and shot a few hoops. Used the gym. Pretty basic weight equipment, lots of cardio equipment. Also tried the 4D thrill theatre. It was $5.50 and a nice experience. You get sprayed with water, have fans blowing in your face and the theatre seats move. Spent $20 in the casino playing slots. This place reeks of smoke. Not a pleasant experience.

A few tips...Carnival no longer gives you complimentary tooth paste or skin lotion, so be sure to pack your own. We also pack some extra plastic hangers. They never put enough hangers in your clothes closet.

We tried guy's burgers and the cantina for lunch. Both places were above average in my opinion. The buffet was just OK. I had some good fish and chips one day. The deli was good for me. I had the turkey on a country roll. My wife had corned beef & pastrami but she had lots of fat on her meat. For breakfast we almost always ate in the dining room. It feels less crowded and hectic. Also they offer steak and eggs for breakfast. I highly recommend that. Didn't get to the C side BBQ. Both day I went the line was long. If they had ribs or brisket on the menu, I probably would have waited in line, but I'm not a huge fan of BBQ chicken or sausage and those were the main items on the menu. We did the Mongolian wok for lunch the first day we arrived. You have a few choices for sauce. I tried the "one hot pepper" sauce (I think it was called thai bbq) thinking it shouldn't be too hot. I was wrong. That was pretty hot. Hell I eat hot wings and that sauce was right up there and then some. I can't image the hotness of the "two hot pepper" sauce. We had great service at the formal dining room. Our food always arrived quickly and hot. I can't believe how many reviews I read on how bad the food is. What..... do you people eat at 5 star restaurants every night? I have to admit the choices on the dinner menu are fewer, but everything we had was above average or excellent except for one night my wife's prime rib was overcooked and dry. We tried the ox tongue and snails as appetizers. Something we would not normally order. They were pretty good actually. The lobster tails are pretty small, but you also get 3 fairly large shrimp on the same plate. If you're still hungry, order the prime rib too. We split a prime rib plate on lobster night and we were stuffed! The desert choices are fewer but were fair to excellent. I tried a smores parfait one night. Not bad!

Cabin Review

Balcony

Cabin 8G

First time we stayed on the Lido Deck. It was nice not having to climb stairs or take an elevator to the pool & the buffet areas.

16 Helpful Votes
previous reviewnext review

Find a Carnival Breeze Cruise from $356

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.