Carnival Breeze 2023 5-Day Caribbean Cruise Review
Day 1 Part 1 May 13, 2023 Galveston, Texas
Scheduled Departure: 3:30pm
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Day 1 Part 1 May 13, 2023 Galveston, Texas
Scheduled Departure: 3:30pm
Click Any Photo To Make It Larger!
Waking Up, Getting Ready, & Leaving For Galveston:
I was too excited to sleep the night before the cruise and only got around 5-6 hours of sleep. I set my alarm for 4am and got up timely to shower & finish packing. I was packed & ready to leave by 4:30am, but since it was too early and everyone else was still getting ready I watched the Marine Traffic App to see the ship's location. The ship was approaching the Texas coastline at the time, but was not yet visible on the Galveston webcams. Our journey to Galveston began around 5:15am.
Traffic was minimal on the way to Galveston and road construction was not an issue for my route. This was probably one of the easiest & fastest drives to Galveston I have experienced in a long time! Once in Galveston we drove by the cruise terminals on Harborside Drive, but were going to stop & eat at McDonalds before parking. The Carnival Breeze was already docked, but the Carnival Vista was still in the process of turning around before docking. After eating some hotcakes at McDonalds, we drove to The Strand and parked along the street to walk by the cruise cruise ships.
I was too excited to sleep the night before the cruise and only got around 5-6 hours of sleep. I set my alarm for 4am and got up timely to shower & finish packing. I was packed & ready to leave by 4:30am, but since it was too early and everyone else was still getting ready I watched the Marine Traffic App to see the ship's location. The ship was approaching the Texas coastline at the time, but was not yet visible on the Galveston webcams. Our journey to Galveston began around 5:15am.
Traffic was minimal on the way to Galveston and road construction was not an issue for my route. This was probably one of the easiest & fastest drives to Galveston I have experienced in a long time! Once in Galveston we drove by the cruise terminals on Harborside Drive, but were going to stop & eat at McDonalds before parking. The Carnival Breeze was already docked, but the Carnival Vista was still in the process of turning around before docking. After eating some hotcakes at McDonalds, we drove to The Strand and parked along the street to walk by the cruise cruise ships.
Parking at the Port of Galveston's Garage:
For this cruise we parked in the Port of Galveston's Parking Garage. The parking garage is located across Harborside Drive from Cruise Terminal #25 and is very close to the crosswalk that cruisers can use to walk to Cruise Terminal #25 and #28. The Carnival Breeze docked at Cruise Terminal #28 for this cruise as the Carnival Vista was using Cruise Terminal #25. The parking reservation did not come with shuttle usage due to proximity to the cruise terminals so before we headed to the parking garage we dropped off our luggage at Cruise Terminal #28. Luggage drop-off was easy. The porter checked our luggage tags to make sure we were dropping off at the correct ship and reminded us to have the appropriate photo identification, boarding passes, & anything else important with us in our carry on bags.
When we arrived at the parking garage an employee was working the gate. He looked at our printed reservation confirmation and gave us a ticket to put in the windshield. This ticket was later used on debarkation day to get out of the garage. We were told to park in any open spots. The check-in process at the Port of Galveston's parking garage was fast and the employees were friendly. We found a few open spots on the second level of the garage, which is elevated but also under cover. The two images on the right above were taken from the parking garage.
After leaving the car, we headed out to cross Harborside Drive. The walk signal came shortly after we arrived at the curb and we crossed the street as many people were walking in the opposite direction to leave the cruise terminals. In about 5 minutes we were walking up to Cruise Terminal #28.
For this cruise we parked in the Port of Galveston's Parking Garage. The parking garage is located across Harborside Drive from Cruise Terminal #25 and is very close to the crosswalk that cruisers can use to walk to Cruise Terminal #25 and #28. The Carnival Breeze docked at Cruise Terminal #28 for this cruise as the Carnival Vista was using Cruise Terminal #25. The parking reservation did not come with shuttle usage due to proximity to the cruise terminals so before we headed to the parking garage we dropped off our luggage at Cruise Terminal #28. Luggage drop-off was easy. The porter checked our luggage tags to make sure we were dropping off at the correct ship and reminded us to have the appropriate photo identification, boarding passes, & anything else important with us in our carry on bags.
When we arrived at the parking garage an employee was working the gate. He looked at our printed reservation confirmation and gave us a ticket to put in the windshield. This ticket was later used on debarkation day to get out of the garage. We were told to park in any open spots. The check-in process at the Port of Galveston's parking garage was fast and the employees were friendly. We found a few open spots on the second level of the garage, which is elevated but also under cover. The two images on the right above were taken from the parking garage.
After leaving the car, we headed out to cross Harborside Drive. The walk signal came shortly after we arrived at the curb and we crossed the street as many people were walking in the opposite direction to leave the cruise terminals. In about 5 minutes we were walking up to Cruise Terminal #28.
Arriving At The Cruise Terminal & Check-In:
The cruise terminal was busy as debarking guests were waiting for rides or shuttles and embarking guests were starting to show up. Terminal employees stood outside to direct us where to wait. Since we were Platinum and had priority boarding, we were directed to a line for Diamond, Platinum, Suites, & Faster to the Fun. Since we arrived early, the doors to the cruise terminal were not yet open. The doors to the cruise terminal opened around 9:30am. Guests in the priority line were directed through one set of ropes and guests in the general line were directed through another set of crowd control ropes. The first checkpoint was a check of boarding passes & passports. This took a few minutes because the agent was brand new and was learning what he needed to check. Once our boarding passes were checked we were sent to the security checkpoint. The lines were short and going through security was quick & easy. Next, we were sent through a checkpoint where a dog was checking for drugs. Guests were instructed to lower their bags for the dog to be able to sniff, but to keep walking. |
The final part of the check-in process involved getting our passports scanned. The lady checked our passport photos and some basic information. This took a few minutes, but several stations were open so lines were minimal. Once this was complete, we were directed to the upstairs part of the cruise terminal. Diamond, Platinum, & Suites guests had a separate waiting area. I saw Faster to the Fun and guests who needed assistance had dedicated waiting areas too.
Starting The Boarding Process:
Around 10:20am a lady came over the cruise terminal loudspeaker to announce boarding was going to begin soon. The announcements included information about how the boarding process would work as well as what to expect once on the Carnival Breeze. Boarding the Carnival Breeze is based on zones which are assigned after online check-in is completed and based on arrival appointment times. Guests sitting in the Priority waiting area were allowed to board first. The Diamond guests in the area were called first, followed by Suites guests, and then Platinum guests were last. For guests in other areas of the cruise terminal, special assistance and Faster to the Fun guests would be next before general embarkation started. General embarkation is then based on the zone number in order (A01, A02, etc.). Since I was Platinum on this cruise, when the Platinum guests were called over the loudspeaker I was able to get up to board. Before being able to access the gangway, every guest had to go through Carnival's Smile & Go machines. This machine does facial recognition and checks people into the ship, but the photo also helps with facial recognition upon returning back to the United States. Several lines were setup and the quick photo took maybe three seconds. The gangway at Cruise Terminal #28 is very easy to navigate, but is at an incline. Due to wheelchairs & terminal employees coming down the gangway, we had to stop several times on our way onto the ship. However, I enjoyed the stop because I was able to snap some pictures of the ship with my camera. Below are some pictures taken from the gangway: |
Finally Onboard The Carnival Breeze!
The boarding process was easy and once I stepped off the gangway, I was officially on the Carnival Breeze! Guests entered the ship through Deck 3 in the atrium lobby. Crew members were standing around to direct guests to their muster station for the self-mustering process. I will discuss the self-mustering process more in Day 1 Part 2's post. I went to the front elevator/stairwell area of the ship and walked from Deck 3 to Deck 10 (Lido Deck). I was starving and wanted to start my cruise by eating lunch. As I walked up the stairwell areas were playing some sad sounding instrumental music. I'm not sure if someone selected the wrong playlist or what, but the elevator/stairwell areas sounded more like a funeral home than a cruise ship. |
After walking up to Deck 10, I walked across the Carnival Breeze's Deck 10 atrium level and entered the Lido Main Pool area. Crew members were standing around and waiting for guests. The deck chairs were empty and the main pool was not yet opened for the day. The pool ended up opening shortly before noon. I walked by the main pool and into the Lido Marketplace buffet.
Finally In The Buffet, But Where's The Food?
When I entered the Lido Marketplace buffet I noticed the food lines were all closed and the shades were down. There was not a single trace of food on any buffet line or at the dessert station. Guy's Burger Joint and the Blue Iguana Cantina lines were also not open. It turns out boarding started early and the ship was undergoing a health inspection so the food service team was delayed getting things setup. This is the first cruise I have been on that did not have the buffet open when boarding started. The buffet was playing the same funeral instrumental music that I mentioned earlier was playing in the elevator/stairwell area. Seeing an empty buffet with funeral music playing is probably the oddest way I have ever started a cruise. |
Blue Iguana Cantina:
Shortly after 11:00am the Blue Iguana Cantina was setup and crew members started serving guests. The Blue Iguana Cantina has two lines: one for burritos and the other for tacos. I got in the tacos line and requested two shrimp tacos. Shrimp tacos are not listed on the menu, but shrimp is available in the burrito line so the crew member can walk over to grab some shrimp for tacos. Outside the Blue Iguana Cantina's line, there is a salsa bar that is self-service. The salsa roja is very good!
Shortly after 11:00am the Blue Iguana Cantina was setup and crew members started serving guests. The Blue Iguana Cantina has two lines: one for burritos and the other for tacos. I got in the tacos line and requested two shrimp tacos. Shrimp tacos are not listed on the menu, but shrimp is available in the burrito line so the crew member can walk over to grab some shrimp for tacos. Outside the Blue Iguana Cantina's line, there is a salsa bar that is self-service. The salsa roja is very good!
First Walk Around The Carnival Breeze:
Since the main buffet lines still did not have food, I decided to quickly walk and take some pictures around the upper outside decks of the ship before going back to try again for lunch. The weather was cloudy all day, but it did not rain while we were docked in Galveston. I started my walk at the back of the Carnival Breeze's Lido Deck (10). The back of the Lido Deck is home to the Tides Pool, Tides Bar, Pizzeria, and Seafood Shack. The Tides Pool was not yet open, but was open by the time I later finished lunch.
Since the main buffet lines still did not have food, I decided to quickly walk and take some pictures around the upper outside decks of the ship before going back to try again for lunch. The weather was cloudy all day, but it did not rain while we were docked in Galveston. I started my walk at the back of the Carnival Breeze's Lido Deck (10). The back of the Lido Deck is home to the Tides Pool, Tides Bar, Pizzeria, and Seafood Shack. The Tides Pool was not yet open, but was open by the time I later finished lunch.
I did not want to venture too far from the buffet since I had a feeling lunch was going to be available shortly in the main buffet lines so I walked up to Deck 11 and then Deck 12 at the back. Deck 12 is home to the Carnival Breeze's SportsSquare area. SportsSquare consists of the jogging track, ropes course, basketball court, mini golf course, and some outdoor fitness equipment.
First Lunch Onboard In The Lido Marketplace:
By the time I arrived back at the Lido Marketplace, the buffet lines were open with some food. Please note, the Lido Marketplace and Lido Buffet are the same thing and I will likely use these terms interchangeably throughout this review. The Carnival Breeze's Lido Marketplace has four main buffet lines. At lunch, the two on the front half of the buffet served a different type of cuisine each day at lunch (i.e. Italian, Tex-Mex, etc.). The two main lines at the back half of the buffet served comfort food. The Carnival Breeze's Lido Marketplace also has a Mongolian Wok stir fry station open at lunch, a deli, and two dessert stations open for lunch. Guests could also dine at Guy's Burger Joint or the Blue Iguana Cantina which are located by the Lido Main Pool close to the buffet entrances on opposite sides of the ship. The Carnival Breeze's Pizzeria and Seafood Shack (costs extra) were also open for lunch on the first day and are located by the Tides Aft Pool.
By the time I arrived back at the Lido Marketplace, the buffet lines were open with some food. Please note, the Lido Marketplace and Lido Buffet are the same thing and I will likely use these terms interchangeably throughout this review. The Carnival Breeze's Lido Marketplace has four main buffet lines. At lunch, the two on the front half of the buffet served a different type of cuisine each day at lunch (i.e. Italian, Tex-Mex, etc.). The two main lines at the back half of the buffet served comfort food. The Carnival Breeze's Lido Marketplace also has a Mongolian Wok stir fry station open at lunch, a deli, and two dessert stations open for lunch. Guests could also dine at Guy's Burger Joint or the Blue Iguana Cantina which are located by the Lido Main Pool close to the buffet entrances on opposite sides of the ship. The Carnival Breeze's Pizzeria and Seafood Shack (costs extra) were also open for lunch on the first day and are located by the Tides Aft Pool.
As I went through the Comfort Kitchen buffet line, I took a few pictures of the food. The buffet line starts with the salad bar and ends with the Comfort Kitchen items. Due to lunch being served late, the salad bar was greatly reduced on this day of the cruise, but would have all of the typical fixings available starting on Day 2's lunch. Below are pictures of the Comfort Kitchen buffet line:
The Carnival Breeze's Lido Marketplace has a dessert station that serves a variety of sweets including cakes, pies, cookies, and more. The exact desserts offered will vary by day. For the first day's dessert options, Carnival had a variety of cakes, sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and some fresh fruit. Funfetti Cheesecake was on the buffet for today's lunch. I got the Funfetti Cheesecake and it was good! This has become my go-to first day dessert on the ship if it is offered.
There were cakes available at each day's lunch, but the flavors generally were different each day. If you see a dessert on one day of the cruise that you want, you should probably get it then because it likely will not be available another time. Below are some pictures from the dessert from the first day's lunch:
There were cakes available at each day's lunch, but the flavors generally were different each day. If you see a dessert on one day of the cruise that you want, you should probably get it then because it likely will not be available another time. Below are some pictures from the dessert from the first day's lunch:
Desserts were generally different on the buffet for lunch & dinner. While I did not eat dinner in the Lido Marketplace, I did see the food offered occasionally if I went up to the buffet for something to drink. Other lunch options onboard included the Pasta Bar in Cucina Del Capitano on Deck 11 and Guy's Pig & Anchor BBQ located on the Promenade Deck (Deck 5).
After eating I was stuffed and was ready to start walking around the Carnival Breeze again. I went outside and looked at Galveston. The sky was still cloudy, but thankfully it was not raining.
I walked to the front of the ship and went up to Deck 15. This deck is home to the Carnival Breeze's Serenity Adults Only Retreat, which is for guests 21+ only. The Serenity has padded deck chairs, clamshell chairs, hottubs, and a small bar area. At this time of the afternoon the Serenity Adults Only Retreat was mostly empty except for a few occupied chairs.
Near the very front of the Serenity Adults Only Retreat in the middle, there are sliding glass doors that lead to a single elevator and a glass spiral stairwell. This is part of the Cloud 9 SPA and the elevator/stairwell can be used to access the various SPA floor areas. I walked down to Deck 14 of the Cloud 9 SPA. A lady working the desk greeted us and asked us if we needed any help. Since we were just walking around we declined her offer and thankfully she did not try to sell me anything. The Cloud 9 SPA at the front of Deck 14 has a Relaxation Room. Sometimes this room has water available, but today did not have anything setup. The room has a great window view of the horizon from the ship's front. Below are some pictures of the Relaxation Room:
After looking around the Deck 14 area of the Cloud 9 SPA, I walked down the spiral staircase to Deck 12. The deck 12 level of the Cloud 9 SPA has the Carnival Breeze's Fitness Center (gym). The Fitness Center had many different machines and no other guests (or crew) were in the Fitness Center area. After taking a quick walk around I headed towards the exit of the Cloud 9 SPA. I saw in one of the rooms near the main entrance all of the Cloud 9 SPA staff were having a meeting. They were very likely discussing the day's specials and sales pitches. Glad I got out before their meeting was over!
My cruise review of the Carnival Breeze will continue with my walk around some of the lower decks of the ship!
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Continue To Day 1 Part 2's Review!
Day 1 Part 2's review includes more pictures around the interior & exterior of the ship, self-mustering, sail-a-way, first night's dinner, and the Welcome Aboard Show. Click Here For Day 1 Part 2's Review Click Here To Return To The Review's Mainpage |