Carnival Breeze 2022 4-Day Caribbean Cruise Review
Day 3 Part 2 September 24, 2022 Cozumel, Mexico
Scheduled Arrival: 9:00am Scheduled Departure: 5:00pm
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Day 3 Part 2 September 24, 2022 Cozumel, Mexico
Scheduled Arrival: 9:00am Scheduled Departure: 5:00pm
Click Any Photo To Make It Larger!
After being on the second level of the Royal Village Shopping Center, I came back down to the first floor. We stopped in the Pharmacy, but did not buy anything. The Royal Village Shopping Center was not very crowded on this day. There have been previous cruises, especially before the pandemic, where I would come here and there would be tons of cruise guests.
As I approached the end of the Royal Village Shopping Center, I was across the street from the International Pier. This was the pier where the Grandeur of the Seas was docked. I walked along the street back towards Puerta Maya and once again had to endure all of the people trying to get us to come into their shop. It was annoying!!
As we re-entered Puerta Maya they sanitized our hands with a liquid in a spray bottle. This seems to be one of the remaining Covid-19 health protocols. Some stores still had mask required signs, but the employees were not wearing masks and did not require cruisers to wear masks inside. The health protocols seemed very relaxed compared to my cruises in May 2022 and December 2021.
I stopped in the Mayan Fiesta Rum Cake Company's Puerta Maya location to buy some rum cakes. Inside the Mayan Fiesta Rum Cake Co. there were samples being served to us of the Mexican Vanilla Rum Cake and Pina Colada rum cake. Both samples were good, but I already knew which flavors I was going to buy during my visit today. I ended up buying 6 rum cakes for $36. I have bought rum cakes here on my past two cruises since the pandemic. I have found my favorite flavors to be the Mexican Vanilla, Banana Daquiri, and Chocolate Chip. We were handed a small basket to put the rum cakes in and when it was time to checkout the cashier put the rum cakes in a cardboard pyramid. At the cash register I there was a Carnival Horizon "Ship on a Stick" sitting there. I almost asked if they would be willing to sell it, but I saw the funnel was broken.
Walking Back To The Ship - Entering The Pier:
In order to walk back onto the pier, we had to go through a security checkpoint. We had to show our Sail & Sign card to the security guard. The security guard was checking Sail & Sign cards for ship names and sailing dates. There was no wait at this security checkpoint. Once this was done we were able to walk onto the pier. We had to walk through the long shop on the pier before being able to get back to the ship. After exiting the shops I stopped several times to take pictures of the shoreline, Carnival Breeze, and Carnival Ecstasy.
In order to walk back onto the pier, we had to go through a security checkpoint. We had to show our Sail & Sign card to the security guard. The security guard was checking Sail & Sign cards for ship names and sailing dates. There was no wait at this security checkpoint. Once this was done we were able to walk onto the pier. We had to walk through the long shop on the pier before being able to get back to the ship. After exiting the shops I stopped several times to take pictures of the shoreline, Carnival Breeze, and Carnival Ecstasy.
Getting Back On The Carnival Breeze:
After walking up the Carnival Breeze's gangway we had our Sail & Sign cards scanned. This was done by a security guard with a handheld tablet. As each person's card was scanned their picture appeared on the screen for security to verify the identity of the cruiser. After getting our Sail & Sign card scanned we had to go through the metal detector & bag screening. All electronic items had to be emptied from our pockets and placed in a bin to go through a separate scanning. Bags, purses, and backpacks also had to be scanned separately. There was no line at the security checkpoint which was great! After proceeding through this checkpoint we were free to leave Deck 0. Before going to lunch I went up to my stateroom on Deck 6 to wash hands and drop off the rum cakes purchased in Cozumel. We were back onboard about 30 minutes before the buffet was scheduled to open for lunch so I was not in a hurry. My plan was to go to Guy's Burger Joint for today's lunch. |
Getting Lunch From Guy's Burger Joint:
Today for lunch I was hungry for a hamburger and decided to get in line at Guy's Burger Joint. The Carnival Breeze's Guy's Burger Joint line is located outside near the main Lido pool. There are several burger options to pick from at Guy's Burger Joint: Plain Jane, Straight Up, The Ringer, Chilius Maximus, & Pig Patty. Hand cut fries are also available from Guy's Burger Joint. To celebrate Carnival's 50th Anniversary a special Funderstruck Nacho burger was available at Guy's Burger Joint. The Funderstruck Nacho Burger is a "Straight Up" burger with added Super Melted Cheese, Borracho Beans, Tortilla Strips, Fried Jalapenos, Donkey Sauce, and Pico.
I ordered the Straight Up burger and some fries from Guy's Burger Joint. The Straight Up burger consisted of buns, meat patty, lettuce, tomato, cheese, onion, and pickles. When I got my burger I walked over to the toppings bar to add a little bit of extra vegetables to the burger and get some ketchup. The toppings bar was self-service and consisted of chili, sauteed onion, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, pickles, and jalapenos/other peppers. A condiment dispenser with ketchup, mustard, ranch, chipotle mayo, and regular mayo was available.
Bacon used to be available on the Guy's Burger Joint toppings bar, but was not present anymore. There is still bacon available for the Pig Patty burger so if you really want bacon in your burger I recommend asking the crew member working the counter for a slice of bacon. Sauteed mushrooms are no longer available on the toppings bar.
Today for lunch I was hungry for a hamburger and decided to get in line at Guy's Burger Joint. The Carnival Breeze's Guy's Burger Joint line is located outside near the main Lido pool. There are several burger options to pick from at Guy's Burger Joint: Plain Jane, Straight Up, The Ringer, Chilius Maximus, & Pig Patty. Hand cut fries are also available from Guy's Burger Joint. To celebrate Carnival's 50th Anniversary a special Funderstruck Nacho burger was available at Guy's Burger Joint. The Funderstruck Nacho Burger is a "Straight Up" burger with added Super Melted Cheese, Borracho Beans, Tortilla Strips, Fried Jalapenos, Donkey Sauce, and Pico.
I ordered the Straight Up burger and some fries from Guy's Burger Joint. The Straight Up burger consisted of buns, meat patty, lettuce, tomato, cheese, onion, and pickles. When I got my burger I walked over to the toppings bar to add a little bit of extra vegetables to the burger and get some ketchup. The toppings bar was self-service and consisted of chili, sauteed onion, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, pickles, and jalapenos/other peppers. A condiment dispenser with ketchup, mustard, ranch, chipotle mayo, and regular mayo was available.
Bacon used to be available on the Guy's Burger Joint toppings bar, but was not present anymore. There is still bacon available for the Pig Patty burger so if you really want bacon in your burger I recommend asking the crew member working the counter for a slice of bacon. Sauteed mushrooms are no longer available on the toppings bar.
Lido Marketplace Lunch:
Even though the ship's buffet was open for lunch during our port of call stop in Cozumel, the buffet was partially reduced due to most guests being off the ship. According to the daily What's Happening newsletter, these were our lunch options aboard the Carnival Breeze for the day:
Note: Guy's Pig & Anchor BBQ and Bonsai Sushi were both closed at lunch. Bonsai Sushi was open starting at 5pm until midnight, but Guy's Pig & Anchor was closed for the entire day.
Here are some pictures from the Lido Marketplace's salad bar and main buffet line:
Even though the ship's buffet was open for lunch during our port of call stop in Cozumel, the buffet was partially reduced due to most guests being off the ship. According to the daily What's Happening newsletter, these were our lunch options aboard the Carnival Breeze for the day:
- Seafood Shack - The Seafood Shack is located at the back of the lido buffet by the aft pool. This venue costs extra and was open from 3:00pm until 5:00pm for lunch and was also open for dinner from 5:00pm until 10:00pm.
- Blue Iguana Cantina - 12:00pm - 3:30pm
- Captain's Pasta Bar - The pasta bar offers guests the ability to create a customized bowl of pasta. Essentially, guests fill out a paper form that gives options of what can be put in a pasta bowl. The form is turned into a hostess or waitstaff team member. Caesar salads and garlic bread are also available. This venue was open from 12:00pm until 2:30pm.
- Guy's Burger Joint - 12:00pm - 6:00pm
- The deli was open for lunch, but was also available for dinner (it closed at 11pm).
Note: Guy's Pig & Anchor BBQ and Bonsai Sushi were both closed at lunch. Bonsai Sushi was open starting at 5pm until midnight, but Guy's Pig & Anchor was closed for the entire day.
Here are some pictures from the Lido Marketplace's salad bar and main buffet line:
Below are pictures of the Lido Marketplace's dessert station for the day. I had some of the Red Velvet cake and it was good (as always).
Lunch was good, but afterwards I was ready to walk around the ship. Port days are usually the quietest days on the ship because people are ashore. I started my walk by going from the back of the Lido Deck (10) up to Deck 11. Crew members were working on Deck 11 and performing maintenance.
From the back of Deck 11, I went up to Deck 12. The jogging track, outside exercise equipment, and mini golf course were empty. There were no other guests outside except I could see a few in the distance at the WaterWorks.
The Carnival Breeze's mini golf course is located in a great spot that helps keep wind down (compared to other Carnival ships). However, on sea days it can still get windy. On port days since the ship is not moving, the conditions are usually favorable to play mini golf. This would have been a great time for guests to play mini golf because the wind was minimal.
As I walked around I kept looking at the Cozumel shoreline and Carnival Ecstasy. By the time I finish writing this review, the Carnival Ecstasy will likely be on its last cruise or already en-route to Turkey for scrapping. I cruised the Carnival Ecstasy four times when the ship sailed out of Galveston and this ship was my very first. I would have enjoyed the opportunity to go on the Carnival Ecstasy one more time, but my schedule did not permit and I did not really want to travel all the way to Mobile.
I walked down to Deck 9 and went to the very front of the ship. The color of the water in the front of the ship was impressive! I like this shade of blue. In the distance there were several shore excursion boats. When looking towards the shoreline I was able to see many guests walking around the Puerta Maya Cruise Complex.
After a while of walking around I decided it was time to head down to the ship's lower decks. I stepped outside onto the Lanai on Deck 5. Below are a few pictures. I took many more, but due to space in this review I have decided to condense the pictures to only three.
After walking outside for a while I went inside and decided to walk on Deck 4. I stopped at the Club 02 youth program lounge to take some pictures. Club 02 is the youth program for 15-17 year olds. Since the ship was docked in port no organized games or activities were taking place at this time, but I think some events for the teenagers were scheduled for the evening. Below are pictures of the Club 02 youth program lounge:
The Circle C youth program lounge is located next door to the Club 02 lounge on Deck 4. Circle C is for 12-14 year olds. At this time there were not activities taking place in the Circle C lounge, but there were activities scheduled for later in the day. When I opened the door to Circle C a crew member was inside and I think got annoyed with me for coming in.
Our sail-a-way from Cozumel was at 5:00pm. I did not plan on watching outside because of our departure being so close to dinner. I stepped outside at the front of Deck 6 to take some pictures. Guests were asked to be back onboard by 4:30pm. I was outside at 4:30pm and guests continued to walk down the pier. The ship departed Cozumel shortly after 5:00pm. I heard some other guests talking about how we left people behind in Cozumel, but I do not know this first-hand.
Your-Time Dining Dinner in the Sapphire Dining Room:
Once again I had dinner in the Sapphire Dining Room at 5:30pm for Your-Time Dining Room. The doors for the dining room opened promptly at 5:30pm and within minutes I was seated. The waitstaff remembered our names and drink orders. The bread choices for the evening's dinner were ciabatta and petite sourdough. Both were very good! My appetizers were Shrimp Cocktail and Caesar Salad. For my main course I got the Grilled Salmon. This was the first time I have ever eaten salmon and I thought it was good. I will definitely eat this again! Our waiter brought an extra main course of Lasagna Bolognese that he had grabbed an extra accidentally. We each tried the dish. The last time I had this as a main course was on the Carnival Elation in 2012 and after taking a bite on this cruise I was reminded why I did not get the dish again. I prefer lasagna that has a lot of sauce, but this lasagna had too much meat. It was a nice gesture for our waiter to share this extra dish, but I prefer to eat other things! Dessert was an interesting experience. Somehow in Carnival's system it showed our table was celebrating a birthday. Our headwaiter brought a praline cake that had "Happy Birthday" written on the side. He sang "Happy Birthday" even though we told him it was not our birthdays. I think he enjoyed singing it anyway which was nice of him! The Praline Cake was actually really good. I had ordered apple pie for dessert, which was also good. I will consider getting the Praline Cake on my next cruise. Later in the evening I saw the Praline Cake was on the Lido Marketplace's dinner dessert buffet line. |
Below are screenshots of the dinner menus from the Carnival Hub App. Please click each one to make the image larger!
Below are some food pictures from the evening:
Dinner Alternatives For Guests Not Eating In The Main Dining Room:
According to the What's Happening flyer there were a variety of options for guests that were not eating in the main dining room at dinner. Below are some of the options available:
According to the What's Happening flyer there were a variety of options for guests that were not eating in the main dining room at dinner. Below are some of the options available:
- Seafood Shack (Costs Extra) - 5pm until 10pm
- Bonsai Sushi (Costs Extra) - 5pm until 12am
- Cucina Del Capitano (Costs Extra & Reservation Required) - 5:30pm until 9:30pm
- Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse (Costs Extra & Reservation Required) - 5:30pm until 9:30pm
- Lido Marketplace - The time was not listed in the What's Happening, but I do know the Lido Marketplace was open for dinner.
- Pizza Pirate - open for lunch & dinner from 10am until 4am. The Pizza Plus menu is served from 11:30pm until 1:00am.
- Deli - 11am - 11pm
- Chips & Salsa at the Blue Iguana Cantina - 10:15pm until 11:00pm
Deal or No Deal:
At 7:30pm in the Ovation Theater was Deal or No Deal. This gameshow was based on the popular TV show. Guests were able to enter to play by purchasing cards starting a few hours in advance of the game-show starting. Game cards were sold at 6:30pm and had to be purchased early because when it is time for the game show it is too late to buy a gamecard. Two rounds were played with two different contestants. I have written a post about Deal or No Deal on here if you are interested in checking it out: Click Here to View Deal or No Deal lasted about 45 minutes in total. The show was hosted by our cruise director, Jasper. The Ovation Theater was packed for the Deal or No Deal gameshow. |
After watching Deal or No Deal I went outside on Deck 5 to walk around the Lanai. I was able to spot the Carnival Ecstasy in the distance. I tried with my digital camera and cell phone to get a picture of it at night, but due to the distance and lack of lighting was unable to get a good picture.
When I got back to my stateroom it was time to go to sleep. I first took a shower and then tried to fall asleep. Once again I slept terribly due to hallway noise. Our room was nice, but the guests using this area as a cut through back to their own rooms made this location not as good.
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