Carnival Breeze 2023 4-Day Caribbean Cruise Review
Day 1 Part 2 Galveston, Texas
Thursday, November 2, 2023
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Day 1 Part 2 Galveston, Texas
Thursday, November 2, 2023
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This part of my cruise review is a continuation of Day 1. At the end of Day 1 Part 1, I was walking through the Serenity Adults Only Retreat on Deck 15.
Click Here For Day 1 Part 1 Of My Cruise Review!
It was still very early on embarkation day as I walked through the Serenity Adults Only Retreat and there were no guests outside. However, the cool temperatures may have also contributed to the lack of guests being outside.
Click Here For Day 1 Part 1 Of My Cruise Review!
It was still very early on embarkation day as I walked through the Serenity Adults Only Retreat and there were no guests outside. However, the cool temperatures may have also contributed to the lack of guests being outside.
Serenity Adults Only Retreat
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Serenity Adults Only Retreat - Mini Bar
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Serenity Adults Only Retreat
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The Carnival Breeze's Serenity Adults Only Retreat is located on both sides of Deck 15.
Serenity Adults Only Retreat
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Serenity Adults Only Retreat
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Serenity Adults Only Retreat
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At the very front of the Serenity Adults Only Retreat is an entrance to a glass spiral staircase (there is an elevator here too). This staircase is part of the Cloud 9 SPA and goes from Deck 11 to Deck 15. I walked down from Deck 15 to Deck 14 using the spiral staircase.
View From Deck 15
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Galveston
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Spiral Staircase From Deck 15
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On Deck 14 I walked into the Cloud 9 SPA. The area was nearly empty except for a crew member preparing the Relaxation Room. Carnival Breeze's Relaxation Room is located at the very front of Deck 14 and has chairs by windows that overlook the front of the ship. I had my camera with me and the crew member invited me to take pictures of the room.
Cloud 9 SPA Relaxation Room
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Cloud 9 SPA Relaxation Room
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Cloud 9 SPA Relaxation Room
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After a quick look around Deck 14, we continued walking the spiral staircase until we came to Deck 12 (there is no Deck 13). Deck 12 is home to the Cloud 9 SPA's fitness center, locker rooms, sauna, fitness studio, and main reception area. Below are some pictures of the Carnival Breeze's Fitness Center from the first afternoon of the cruise:
Fitness Center
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Fitness Center
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Fitness Center
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Fitness Center
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Fitness Center
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Fitness Center
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After walking around Deck 12, we walked down the forward staircase to Deck 5 (Promenade). Deck 5's atrium level was crowded and as I walked through the atrium I got a good view of the Deck 3 (Lobby) of the atrium. People were still boarding the ship and the atrium lobby was packed with guests. I walked towards the back of Deck 5 and went through the Winner's Luck Casino. The Deck 5 level of the Winner's Luck Casino has a variety of tables & slots and is the main ship's casino. There is a non-smoking casino available on Deck 4 that I will cover later in the review. On Deck 5, guests are allowed to smoke here when the casino is open and when playing at a machine. Since we were docked in Galveston and bunkering operations were taking place smoking was prohibited throughout the vessel at this time of the afternoon.
Winner's Luck Casino - Deck 5
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Winner's Luck Casino - Deck 5
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Winner's Luck Casino - Deck 5
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As I walked towards the back of Deck 5 I stopped and took some pictures of Bonsai Sushi, the Red Frog Pub, and Piano Bar 88. These areas were pretty quiet as they were mostly closed.
Deck 5 Promenade
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Red Frog Pub
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Piano Bar 88
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When I reached the very back of Deck 5, I was in the Carnival Breeze's Limelight Lounge. This room is used to host the Punchliner Comedy Club and occasionally events like karaoke. I stepped inside to take a quick picture.
The Deck 5 (Promenade) of the Carnival Breeze has a large outdoor walkway that wraps around the entire ship. This area is called The Lanai. After Covid-19 shutdown, the front section of the Lanai became crew only, but the remainder of the open deck area is open for guests to enjoy. There are numerous deck chairs and seats on both sides of the Lanai. Also, each side has at least two hottubs. I stepped outside onto the Lanai to walk around and take some pictures:
The Deck 5 (Promenade) of the Carnival Breeze has a large outdoor walkway that wraps around the entire ship. This area is called The Lanai. After Covid-19 shutdown, the front section of the Lanai became crew only, but the remainder of the open deck area is open for guests to enjoy. There are numerous deck chairs and seats on both sides of the Lanai. Also, each side has at least two hottubs. I stepped outside onto the Lanai to walk around and take some pictures:
Limelight Lounge
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View From The Back of Deck 5
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Lanai
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Guy's Pig & Anchor BBQ:
The Carnival Breeze has a venue called Guy's Pig & Anchor BBQ located outside on the Deck 5 Lanai. This venue serves complimentary BBQ on most sea days and the first day. Food choices include pork butt, chicken, smoked beef, andouille sausage, mac n cheese, scratch made slaw, potato salad, collared greens, and molasses baked beans. I always enjoy the collared greens served at Guy's Pig & Anchor BBQ so I got a small plate of greens to eat as an afternoon snack.
The Carnival Breeze has a venue called Guy's Pig & Anchor BBQ located outside on the Deck 5 Lanai. This venue serves complimentary BBQ on most sea days and the first day. Food choices include pork butt, chicken, smoked beef, andouille sausage, mac n cheese, scratch made slaw, potato salad, collared greens, and molasses baked beans. I always enjoy the collared greens served at Guy's Pig & Anchor BBQ so I got a small plate of greens to eat as an afternoon snack.
Lanai
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Lanai
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Guy's Pig & Anchor BBQ
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Guy's Pig & Anchor BBQ
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Guy's Pig & Anchor BBQ
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Guy's Pig & Anchor BBQ
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Checking Out My Interior Stateroom:
Staterooms were not open until 1:30pm, but Platinum, Diamond, & Faster to the Fun guests were allowed to come by the rooms to drop-off bags earlier. We walked by our stateroom around 1:00pm, but the stateroom was still being cleaned. As we didn't want to leave our stuff in the stateroom still being cleaned, we went back to Deck 5 and waited until 1:30pm to visit our stateroom. At 1:30pm our stateroom was completely cleaned and our Sail & Sign Cards were located in the mailbox. These Sail & Sign Cards are used as room keys and to make purchases while onboard the Carnival Breeze. My interior stateroom was located on Deck 2 in-between the front and mid-ship elevators. According to Carnival's website the room was 185 square feet!
Our stateroom steward, Alex, was excellent and did an amazing job. We met him on the first evening and he remembered our names and spoke to us each time we passed by in the hallway. This was my 21st cruise and Alex is the absolute best stateroom steward I have ever had.
Staterooms were not open until 1:30pm, but Platinum, Diamond, & Faster to the Fun guests were allowed to come by the rooms to drop-off bags earlier. We walked by our stateroom around 1:00pm, but the stateroom was still being cleaned. As we didn't want to leave our stuff in the stateroom still being cleaned, we went back to Deck 5 and waited until 1:30pm to visit our stateroom. At 1:30pm our stateroom was completely cleaned and our Sail & Sign Cards were located in the mailbox. These Sail & Sign Cards are used as room keys and to make purchases while onboard the Carnival Breeze. My interior stateroom was located on Deck 2 in-between the front and mid-ship elevators. According to Carnival's website the room was 185 square feet!
Our stateroom steward, Alex, was excellent and did an amazing job. We met him on the first evening and he remembered our names and spoke to us each time we passed by in the hallway. This was my 21st cruise and Alex is the absolute best stateroom steward I have ever had.
Twin Beds
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Stateroom Vanity With Phone & Drawers
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View From The Beds
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The bathroom consisted of a toilet, shower, and sink. The shower was stocked with body wash and shampoo in wall dispensers. We were left with two large towels, 2 hand towels, and 2 small wash rags.
Stateroom Bathroom
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Stateroom Bathroom Sink
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Shower
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We dropped our jackets and carry on items in the stateroom before heading out again. One of my favorite areas on Carnival ships is the front observation deck above the navigational bridge. We walked up to Deck 9 and took a look outside.
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Self-Mustering On The Carnival Breeze:
During the afternoon, we had to complete our self-mustering drill. Our assigned muster station was B3 which was located on the Deck 3 level of the Sapphire Dining Room. When we walked up to the Sapphire Dining Room a crew member looked at our boarding passes to verify B3 was our assigned station. He then pulled out a table to scan us in. Getting scanned at the muster station is important as Carnival keeps track of who has completed the safety briefing.
We walked inside after being scanned and were asked to sit on the side as a demonstration was currently taking place. After the demonstration concluded we moved to the middle of the dining room to wait for the next demonstration to begin. After a 10 minute wait the next demonstration started. The drill consisted of a lifejacket demonstration and some basic safety information. The drill lasted a few minutes and gave us a good reminder on how to wear a lifejacket & where we needed to go in the event of a real emergency.
TIP: Your assigned muster station for the cruise can be found in multiple areas. Your boarding pass, Sail & Sign Card, the Carnival Hub App, and back of the stateroom door have your muster station letter/number printed. If you need assistance on the first day finding your muster station, crew members are stationed throughout the ship and can direct you to your assigned muster station.
RyG's Cruise Guide also has compiled a listing of muster stations for most Carnival ships. Please Click Here if you are interested in seeing this listing, but please note any information given onboard supersedes what I have on this listing.
During the afternoon, we had to complete our self-mustering drill. Our assigned muster station was B3 which was located on the Deck 3 level of the Sapphire Dining Room. When we walked up to the Sapphire Dining Room a crew member looked at our boarding passes to verify B3 was our assigned station. He then pulled out a table to scan us in. Getting scanned at the muster station is important as Carnival keeps track of who has completed the safety briefing.
We walked inside after being scanned and were asked to sit on the side as a demonstration was currently taking place. After the demonstration concluded we moved to the middle of the dining room to wait for the next demonstration to begin. After a 10 minute wait the next demonstration started. The drill consisted of a lifejacket demonstration and some basic safety information. The drill lasted a few minutes and gave us a good reminder on how to wear a lifejacket & where we needed to go in the event of a real emergency.
TIP: Your assigned muster station for the cruise can be found in multiple areas. Your boarding pass, Sail & Sign Card, the Carnival Hub App, and back of the stateroom door have your muster station letter/number printed. If you need assistance on the first day finding your muster station, crew members are stationed throughout the ship and can direct you to your assigned muster station.
RyG's Cruise Guide also has compiled a listing of muster stations for most Carnival ships. Please Click Here if you are interested in seeing this listing, but please note any information given onboard supersedes what I have on this listing.
Sail-A-Way From Galveston:
The Carnival Breeze was scheduled to leave Galveston at 3:30pm and our departure was timely. I walked to the back of Deck 5 to watch our Galveston sail-a-way from the back of the ship. There were a few other guests outside in this area, but it was not crowded at all. By the time I got outside the ropes had already been untied and the Carnival Breeze was starting to slowly move.
The Carnival Breeze was scheduled to leave Galveston at 3:30pm and our departure was timely. I walked to the back of Deck 5 to watch our Galveston sail-a-way from the back of the ship. There were a few other guests outside in this area, but it was not crowded at all. By the time I got outside the ropes had already been untied and the Carnival Breeze was starting to slowly move.
View of Cruise Terminal 28's Pier
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View As We Started Departing
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Cruise Terminal 28
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As we sailed by Cruise Terminal 25 I was able to see the renovations taking place on the exterior of the building. The Port of Galveston has been working to renovate this cruise terminal in preparation for the Carnival Jubilee's arrival. A new gangway has been installed and I was able to get a good view of this new gangway. Carnival Jubilee is scheduled to arrive in Galveston in December 2023.
Cruise Terminal 28
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Cruise Terminal 25 Construction
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Cruise Terminal 25 Galveston Construction
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While passing by Pier 21, I was able to get a good view of the Galveston Strand. Many of the streets were closed due to the Lone Star Rally and it looked like everything was packed.
Galveston
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Pilot Boat & Harbor House Hotel in Background
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Pier 16 - Future Home To Cruise Terminal 16
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Cruise Terminal 10 - Royal Caribbean's Terminal
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Marina
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Ferry Landing - Galveston Side
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Seawolf Park on Pelican Island
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Seawolf Park on Pelican Island
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Looking Back Towards Galveston
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View From The Back of The Lanai
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Galveston
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After watching sail-a-way, we went back to the stateroom to get ready for dinner!
Our Table
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How The Your-Time Dining Check-In Process Worked:
I had Your-Time Dining which means I could dine in a specific dining room from 5:30pm until about 9:00pm. Dining assignments are printed on guests' Sail & Sign Cards. My Sail & Sign Card indicated that for dinner I needed to check-in on the Carnival Hub App and then I would be assigned a table. Shortly before the dining room opened the Carnival Hub App began allowing guests to check-in. The check-in for dinner was easy and involved clicking a check-box for each guest that was going to be eating. Within a couple of minutes of checking in the app notified me that my table was ready and I selected that I was on my way. The app will hold table assignments for 10 minutes before cancelling a reservation. The Sapphire Dining Room is the Carnival Breeze's mid-ship dining room. Upon arriving at the atrium entrance of the Sapphire Dining Room I told the hostess my table number that was assigned on the app and she had someone bring us to our table. This new process of checking in for Your-Time Dining replaced guests lining up early and then everyone speaking with a hostess when the doors opened. |
First Night's Main Dining Room Dinner:
We requested a table for two that was by a window and were seated at table 120. Our waitstaff came immediately to give us water and tell us to use the Carnival Hub App to access the menu. Paper menus were available for guests that did not want to use the Carnival Hub App.
Our dining room team did a great job and remembered our names each night of the cruise. This was our first cruise with the updated menus that the Carnival Breeze received in early September 2023. Since the menus had changed many of our favorite main course dishes were gone so we had to try some new ones. For my appetizers I had shrimp cocktail and Caesar salad. For main course, I had Szechuan Shrimp and we got one Cornish Gam Hen to split. The Szechuan Shrimp was good and I liked the spice. The Cornish Game Hen was also good, but I don't think I will have it again. Dessert was Cheesecake which was very sweet and I was unable to finish from being stuffed.
Below are screenshots of the menus from the first night's dinner. Click any photo to make it larger!
We requested a table for two that was by a window and were seated at table 120. Our waitstaff came immediately to give us water and tell us to use the Carnival Hub App to access the menu. Paper menus were available for guests that did not want to use the Carnival Hub App.
Our dining room team did a great job and remembered our names each night of the cruise. This was our first cruise with the updated menus that the Carnival Breeze received in early September 2023. Since the menus had changed many of our favorite main course dishes were gone so we had to try some new ones. For my appetizers I had shrimp cocktail and Caesar salad. For main course, I had Szechuan Shrimp and we got one Cornish Gam Hen to split. The Szechuan Shrimp was good and I liked the spice. The Cornish Game Hen was also good, but I don't think I will have it again. Dessert was Cheesecake which was very sweet and I was unable to finish from being stuffed.
Below are screenshots of the menus from the first night's dinner. Click any photo to make it larger!
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I always try to take pictures of our food in the main dining room. Below are pictures from the first night's dinner:
Bread
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Appetizer: Shrimp Cocktail
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Appetizer: Caesar Salad
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Entree - Szechuan Shrimp
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Entree - Cornish Gam Hen
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Dessert - Cheesecake
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After dinner it was time to start walking to attempt to burn off some food! We went to Deck 5's Lanai and walked outside for a while. I was able to catch the end of the sunset. It was windy and cold outside. During our walk, Carnival ended up closing part of the back of the Lanai for maintenance and cleaning so we picked a side of the Lanai and walked front to back to continue getting steps in.
Sunset - View From Deck 5 Lanai
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Lanai - Smoking Section
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Lanai
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Giant Chess Board on Carnival Breeze's Lanai
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Lanai
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Lanai
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Guess That Song Music Trivia:
At 7:45pm, the Ovation Theater was having Guess That Song music trivia. Chrissy on the Fun Squad went through 20 songs and guests were asked to write their name & artist on a piece of paper. The songs were a variety and included genres such as country, pop, rap, 80's and 90's. It truly was mixture of songs. Chrissy made the music trivia fun and interesting. During the Guess That Song trivia, Carnival was selling bingo cards on the side of the Ovation Theater for the Welcome Aboard Bingo that was happening next.
At 7:45pm, the Ovation Theater was having Guess That Song music trivia. Chrissy on the Fun Squad went through 20 songs and guests were asked to write their name & artist on a piece of paper. The songs were a variety and included genres such as country, pop, rap, 80's and 90's. It truly was mixture of songs. Chrissy made the music trivia fun and interesting. During the Guess That Song trivia, Carnival was selling bingo cards on the side of the Ovation Theater for the Welcome Aboard Bingo that was happening next.
Bingo
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Welcome Aboard Bingo:
Next, the Welcome Aboard Bingo was taking place in the Ovation Theater at 8:30pm. Carnival had a variety of bingo packages for sale which came with a variety of different number of cards and a few extras such as a t-shirt. Bingo daubers were also available for purchase. Chrissy hosted the Welcome Aboard Bingo and did three rounds. We did not play bingo, but stayed in the Ovation Theater to watch as we wanted to have good seats for the Welcome Aboard Show. |
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Welcome Aboard Show:
The Welcome Aboard Show was scheduled to take place in the Ovation Theater at 9:30pm. Prior to the Welcome Aboard Show our cruise director, Amber, came out and walked around the first few rows introducing herself to guests. I was impressed as this is the first time I have seen a cruise director talking to guests before the Welcome Aboard Show. At exactly 9:30pm, the Welcome Aboard Show started. First our cruise director, Amber, came onto the stage and welcomed us aboard the ship. A junior cruiser was called up to the stage and then a few couples were invited on-stage to play a game. Amber was a great cruise director and really did a good job engaging with the audience. After Amber finished, the Playlist Productions performers did a 10 minute sample show for us to enjoy. |
Carnival Breeze Welcome Aboard Show
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After the Welcome Aboard Show ended, guests were invited to join Rock the Promenade in the Carnival Breeze's atrium. We were exhausted from the day and went up to the Lido Marketplace to get some water. The water was good and afterwards we went back to the stateroom.
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