Carnival Breeze 2021 4-Day Caribbean Cruise Review
Day 1 Part 2 December 2, 2021 Galveston, Texas
Scheduled Departure: 3:30pm
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Day 1 Part 2 December 2, 2021 Galveston, Texas
Scheduled Departure: 3:30pm
Click Any Photo To Make It Larger!
This part of the review is a continuation of my Day 1 cruise review of the Carnival Breeze. The last part of the review left off with me walking around the Carnival Breeze's outside decks near the Serenity Adults Only Retreat. Click Here To Go Back To Day 1 Part 1's Review
Serenity Adults Only Retreat:
The Carnival Breeze's Serenity Adults Only Retreat is located on Deck 15 at the front of the ship. Deck 15 is the highest deck on the Carnival Breeze. This area is for guests that are 21 and older only. A variety of different deck chairs, clamshell chairs, and hammocks were available in this area for guests to use. Carnival Breeze's Serenity also had a few hottubs. Below are some pictures of the Serenity Adults Only Retreat:
The Carnival Breeze's Serenity Adults Only Retreat is located on Deck 15 at the front of the ship. Deck 15 is the highest deck on the Carnival Breeze. This area is for guests that are 21 and older only. A variety of different deck chairs, clamshell chairs, and hammocks were available in this area for guests to use. Carnival Breeze's Serenity also had a few hottubs. Below are some pictures of the Serenity Adults Only Retreat:
Serenity Adults Only Retreat - Bar Area
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Serenity Adults Only Retreat - Deck Chairs
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Serenity Adults Only Retreat - Clamshell Chairs
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After walking around the ship and looking around I decided it was time to head to my stateroom. My stateroom was located near the back of Deck 1 and since I was walking on Deck 15 I needed to go to front elevator/stairwell area and head down to Deck 1. Most of the front elevators were out of service due to being operated by the crew to transport guests boarding the ship. I walked from Deck 15 down to Deck 12 and got inside the atrium elevators. The atrium glass elevators go from Deck 12 all the way down to Deck 2. As the glass elevator went down, I was able to see the atrium area had several guests boarding the ship and guests sitting at the atrium bar. After getting out of the glass elevator I walked down the stairs to Deck 1.
Staterooms were scheduled to open at 1:30pm for all guests, but email communication from Carnival said prior to the cruise that VIFP Platinum & Diamond guests could drop their bags off prior to this time. The stateroom hallway fire doors were all closed, but guests with stateroom access were allowed to open up the firedoors and go back into the stateroom hallway. When we got to our stateroom door, we found our Sail & Sign cards in a sealed envelope that was located in our stateroom's mailbox. Sail & Sign Cards are used for room keys as well as a central way to make purchases onboard the ship during the cruise. Staterooms that did not have guests with priority room access did not have envelopes out yet. This was to prevent anyone from accessing their stateroom early because stateroom stewards were still working on cleaning rooms and getting everything ready.
My Stateroom: Deluxe Ocean View
My deluxe ocean view stateroom was located on Deck 1 in between the mid-ship elevator area and aft elevator area. I did not pick this stateroom type, but it was all that was available for ocean view staterooms when we booked the cruise one month prior to sailing. One feature that makes a deluxe ocean view stateroom different than a regular ocean view stateroom is there are two bathrooms, one that is a regular bathroom and another that has a bathtub. The stateroom consisted of two twin beds, a TV, a long narrow counter space, large mirror, a couch (that could be converted into a bed if needed), and a large window. We also had two small nightstands with lamps that were in between the beds.
Staterooms were scheduled to open at 1:30pm for all guests, but email communication from Carnival said prior to the cruise that VIFP Platinum & Diamond guests could drop their bags off prior to this time. The stateroom hallway fire doors were all closed, but guests with stateroom access were allowed to open up the firedoors and go back into the stateroom hallway. When we got to our stateroom door, we found our Sail & Sign cards in a sealed envelope that was located in our stateroom's mailbox. Sail & Sign Cards are used for room keys as well as a central way to make purchases onboard the ship during the cruise. Staterooms that did not have guests with priority room access did not have envelopes out yet. This was to prevent anyone from accessing their stateroom early because stateroom stewards were still working on cleaning rooms and getting everything ready.
My Stateroom: Deluxe Ocean View
My deluxe ocean view stateroom was located on Deck 1 in between the mid-ship elevator area and aft elevator area. I did not pick this stateroom type, but it was all that was available for ocean view staterooms when we booked the cruise one month prior to sailing. One feature that makes a deluxe ocean view stateroom different than a regular ocean view stateroom is there are two bathrooms, one that is a regular bathroom and another that has a bathtub. The stateroom consisted of two twin beds, a TV, a long narrow counter space, large mirror, a couch (that could be converted into a bed if needed), and a large window. We also had two small nightstands with lamps that were in between the beds.
First Look At My Stateroom
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Stateroom Counter & Mirror
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Stateroom - Doors Along The Right Side Were To The Bathrooms
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Stateroom Counter - Had Papers Giving Information On Health Protocols
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Couch & Beach Towels
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Stateroom Bathroom #1 (Typical Stateroom Bathroom)
The first bathroom in the stateroom is just like the typical bathroom you will find in a regular Carnival stateroom. This bathroom consisted of a toilet, shower, sink, a counter space (with shelves). Inside the shower, shampoo and shower gel were able to be dispensed from a wall dispenser. Small shelves were located in this bathroom for storage of toiletries.
The first bathroom in the stateroom is just like the typical bathroom you will find in a regular Carnival stateroom. This bathroom consisted of a toilet, shower, sink, a counter space (with shelves). Inside the shower, shampoo and shower gel were able to be dispensed from a wall dispenser. Small shelves were located in this bathroom for storage of toiletries.
Bathroom #1 - Toliet
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Bathroom #1 - Shower
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Bathroom #1 - Sink & Counter Space
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Stateroom Bathroom #2: Bathtub
The second bathroom in the stateroom was very small and consisted of a bathtub and sink. The bathtub had a curtain and could also be used as a shower. Soap and shampoo were also available from dispensers on the wall in this bathroom. A very small sink was also available in this bathroom too. However, there was no counter space in this bathroom and a very small shelf for storing toiletries or other items needed to be stored in the bathroom. The actual floor space in this bathroom was extremely small because the bathtub took up a lot of room.
The second bathroom in the stateroom was very small and consisted of a bathtub and sink. The bathtub had a curtain and could also be used as a shower. Soap and shampoo were also available from dispensers on the wall in this bathroom. A very small sink was also available in this bathroom too. However, there was no counter space in this bathroom and a very small shelf for storing toiletries or other items needed to be stored in the bathroom. The actual floor space in this bathroom was extremely small because the bathtub took up a lot of room.
Bathroom #2 - Looking Towards The Bathtub
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Bathroom #2 - Sink
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Bathroom #2 - Shower Above The Bathtub
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Carnival Hub App - Safety On Board Tab
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Self-Mustering On The Carnival Breeze
After dropping my camera case and backpack in the stateroom, it was time that I needed to find my Muster Station in order to complete the Self-Mustering process. My muster station was "C4" which was located on Deck 4 in the Casino Annex. I left my stateroom on Deck 1 and headed up to Deck 4 in order to get this Self-Mustering process over with. Upon arrival, crew members were standing at the entrance of the Casino Annex. We both showed our Sail & Sign Cards and they were scanned in order to log attendance at this mandatory drill. After our cards were scanned, we were told we could sit down and the lifejacket demonstration would begin shortly. No other guests arrived within two minutes of our arrival so the crew member leading the drill began showing us how to put on a lifejacket. The drill lasted no more than 5 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. This Self-Mustering Drill replaced the old style Safety Briefing where everyone on the ship went to their muster station prior to sailing at the same time. The Self-Mustering drill allowed for social distancing. Overall, I liked this new process better because the drill could be completed when I was ready to attend and since everyone could come when they were ready the muster station was not crowded. 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. |
Below are some pictures of the deck 4 level of the Winner's Luck Casino Annex. The casino was closed due to the ship being docked in Galveston and being subject to Texas gambling laws. This deck 4 level of the casino is smoke-free and was added while the ship was out of service during the Covid cruise shutdown.
Deck 4 - Winner's Luck Casino Annex
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Deck 4 - Winner's Luck Casino Annex
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Deck 4 - Winner's Luck Casino Annex
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Walking Around The Lanai On Deck 5
After completing the Self-Mustering process, I walked from Deck 4 up to Deck 5. Deck 5 is the Carnival Breeze's Promenade Deck. The perimeter of Deck 5 has an outside area that wraps around the entire ship called the Lanai. On my previous Carnival Dream cruises (the Carnival Dream and Carnival Breeze are in the same class of ships) this outside Lanai area is one of my favorite areas to walk. The Lanai on the Carnival Breeze at the front was closed as this area is now for crew only. Here are some pictures I took while walking around the back and sides of the Carnival Breeze's Lanai:
After completing the Self-Mustering process, I walked from Deck 4 up to Deck 5. Deck 5 is the Carnival Breeze's Promenade Deck. The perimeter of Deck 5 has an outside area that wraps around the entire ship called the Lanai. On my previous Carnival Dream cruises (the Carnival Dream and Carnival Breeze are in the same class of ships) this outside Lanai area is one of my favorite areas to walk. The Lanai on the Carnival Breeze at the front was closed as this area is now for crew only. Here are some pictures I took while walking around the back and sides of the Carnival Breeze's Lanai:
Deck 5 Lanai - Looking Towards Back
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View Of The Breakbulk Ship Docked Behind Us
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Deck 5 Lanai - Very Back
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Lanai Back Area - Bench For Seating
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Looking Towards Cruise Terminal #2 & Galveston
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Lanai Deck Chairs - Looking Towards Front
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Inside the ship on Deck 5 near the middle is the Ocean Plaza. The Ocean Plaza is used during the day-time for various events and activities. There is a mini stage and dance floor in the center of the Ocean Plaza that are used at night for music and dancing. The Carnival Breeze's Alchemy Bar and Coffee Bar are located right by the Ocean Plaza. I will have more on this area in future parts of the review.
Outside Chess Board - Pieces Were Stored In A Nearby Bench
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As Close To The Front Of The Lanai As We Could Get - Very Front Reserved For Crew
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Ocean Plaza - Promenade Deck (5)
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Near the back of the interior of the Promenade Deck (Deck 5) is the Piano Bar 88. The Carnival Breeze's Piano Bar 88 is located right along the Promenade walkway and has a large piano with seats around. At night the ship's piano bar entertainer will perform here. Later in the cruise I stopped to listen to the piano bar music, but could not sit because every chair was taken.
Piano Bar 88
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Piano Bar 88
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Piano Bar 88 & Promenade Walkway Besides The Bar
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Looking From The Front Observation Deck On Deck 9:
At the very front of Deck 9 is an area above the navigational bridge that is one of my favorite places on a ship to look out. On both sides of the ship, this area overlooks the side of the ship. On sea days this area can get a bit windy, but since we were still docked at this time I was able to get a great view without having to worry about my lanyard blowing off my neck. From the very front of the ship I was able to get a good view of Cruise Terminal 1 and the tanker that was docked there.
At the very front of Deck 9 is an area above the navigational bridge that is one of my favorite places on a ship to look out. On both sides of the ship, this area overlooks the side of the ship. On sea days this area can get a bit windy, but since we were still docked at this time I was able to get a great view without having to worry about my lanyard blowing off my neck. From the very front of the ship I was able to get a good view of Cruise Terminal 1 and the tanker that was docked there.
View From The Front Of Deck 9
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View of Galveston From Deck 9's Front
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View of Cruise Terminal 1 & Galveston
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I took a look down the side of the ship and was able to see the gangway was still connected to the ship and guests were still boarding. It was late in the day so these people were cutting it very close to the final boarding time. Here are some pictures taken from the front of Deck 9:
Looking Down The Side Of The Ship From Deck 9
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Looking Down At Cruise Terminal 2
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Cruise Terminal 2 Gangways
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Looking Down At Several Luggage Bins Below
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Harbor
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Looking Down The Side Of The Ship From Deck 9 - Pelican Island Side
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A Quick Look Inside The Carnival Breeze's Fitness Center (Gym):
Carnival Breeze's Gym - Deck 12 Fwd
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Carnival Breeze's Gym - Deck 12 Fwd
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Carnival Breeze's Gym - Deck 12 Fwd
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Sail-A-Way From Galveston:
The Carnival Breeze was scheduled to set sail at 3:30pm from Galveston. I went to the very back of the Lanai on Deck 5 to watch us leave Galveston. When I got outside the last rope was getting untied and I could feel the ships engine revved up to go. Within a few minutes of stepping outside we were already departing Galveston. Some clouds had rolled in so it was not as bright & sunny as earlier in the day, but it was still very hot outside and the suns rays were still enough to give me a sun-burn. Here are some pictures I took as we left Galveston:
The Carnival Breeze was scheduled to set sail at 3:30pm from Galveston. I went to the very back of the Lanai on Deck 5 to watch us leave Galveston. When I got outside the last rope was getting untied and I could feel the ships engine revved up to go. Within a few minutes of stepping outside we were already departing Galveston. Some clouds had rolled in so it was not as bright & sunny as earlier in the day, but it was still very hot outside and the suns rays were still enough to give me a sun-burn. Here are some pictures I took as we left Galveston:
Ropes Untied & Ship Starting To Pull Away
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View Of Cruise Terminal #2's Gangways As We Departed Galveston
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Cruise Terminal #2
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Looking Towards Pelican Island
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Passing An Out of Service Oil Rig Parked At Pelican Island
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Passing The Tanker Docked At Cruise Terminal #1
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Sailing By The Elyssa & Tillman Fertitta's Private Yacht
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Sailing By The Harbor House Hotel & Pier 21
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Looking Towards Galveston & The Strand
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Sailing By The Oceanstar Offshore Drilling Rig Museum
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Pier 10 - Royal Caribbean's New Cruise Terminal Is Expected To Open Here In Late 2022
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Looking Back At The Galveston Harbor
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Sailing By The Ferry Landing - Galveston Side
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Sailing By A Marina & UTMB Galveston
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View As the Ship Rounded Galveston Island Into Galveston Bay
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Sailing By Ships In The Anchorage
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View From Deck 5
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After being on Deck 5 for our sail-a-way from Galveston I headed up to the Lido Deck (Deck 10) to get some water from the Lido Buffet. After getting water I then walked to Deck 9's front area to have a quick look out. We were well past Galveston and already into the Gulf of Mexico at this point. Ships waiting for their turn to come into Houston, Galveston, or Texas City were anchored out here. I saw the Carnival Sensation anchored here waiting to come into Galveston. The Carnival Sensation is Mobile's 4 & 5 night Carnival ship, but this ship has not yet re-entered service. Unfortunately, I did not have my camera zoom lenses so it was hard to get a picture of the Carnival Sensation. While being outside on Deck 9 the sun was beginning to set. It was very windy and cool in the front of the ship so I did not stay outside too long.
Anchorage - View From Deck 9 Front Observation Deck
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Carnival Sensation In The Distance
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Sun Starting To Set - Ships Anchored For Houston & Galveston On The Horizon
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Deck 9 Observation Deck
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Sunset - View From My Stateroom Window
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Table Setting For The Evening
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New Your-Time Dining Check-In Process on the Carnival Breeze:
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 printing 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. I was assigned table 157 in the Sapphire Dining Room. 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. I greatly liked this new process! |
First Dinner On The Carnival Breeze In The Sapphire Dining Room:
Once we were seated, our waiter came by and introduced himself. Our waitstaff team was friendly and did a great job! One change that has been implemented as part of the Covid protocols is all three courses' meals are ordered at once. When our waiter came to our table to take our order he asked that we order the appetizers, main courses, and desserts at once. This allowed for an efficient dinner experience that I personally enjoyed! After our order was taken the waitstaff came by with a big basket of bread and asked which bread we would like. They served the bread to us using tongs. Our choices for tonight's bread were baguette and multigrain cranberry. I absolutely enjoy the multigrain cranberry bread and craved it many times during the Covid shutdown so I had two pieces! I also had a piece of the baguette bread and it was good, but not as good as the multigrain cranberry.
I ordered a caesar salad and quesadilla for my appetizer. Both were a good size and very good! For my main course I ordered the Sweet & Sour Shrimp. I have had this dish the first night of my last few cruises and it was as good as I remembered. For dessert I ordered a banana split, which is on the Kid's Menu. The banana split consisted of a scoop of neopolitan ice cream, some sort of whipped cream, banana slices, a cherry, and sprinkles. Everything was great!
Once we were seated, our waiter came by and introduced himself. Our waitstaff team was friendly and did a great job! One change that has been implemented as part of the Covid protocols is all three courses' meals are ordered at once. When our waiter came to our table to take our order he asked that we order the appetizers, main courses, and desserts at once. This allowed for an efficient dinner experience that I personally enjoyed! After our order was taken the waitstaff came by with a big basket of bread and asked which bread we would like. They served the bread to us using tongs. Our choices for tonight's bread were baguette and multigrain cranberry. I absolutely enjoy the multigrain cranberry bread and craved it many times during the Covid shutdown so I had two pieces! I also had a piece of the baguette bread and it was good, but not as good as the multigrain cranberry.
I ordered a caesar salad and quesadilla for my appetizer. Both were a good size and very good! For my main course I ordered the Sweet & Sour Shrimp. I have had this dish the first night of my last few cruises and it was as good as I remembered. For dessert I ordered a banana split, which is on the Kid's Menu. The banana split consisted of a scoop of neopolitan ice cream, some sort of whipped cream, banana slices, a cherry, and sprinkles. Everything was great!
The dining room menus for the night were able to be viewed prior to the start of dinner through the Carnival Hub App. I took screenshots of the menus that were posted to the app to share on here with you. For those on the ship without the Carnival Hub App, the menus were posted outside the dining room each morning. Menus are no longer provided to everyone in the dining room unless specially requested. Guests are asked to use their phones to view the menu. This is a part of Carnival's Covid protocols. Here are my screenshots of the menus from this night of the cruise:
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Taking pictures of the main dining room food dishes is something I have been doing now for several cruises. Here are my food pictures from our table:
Bread - Baguette
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Bread - Multigrain Cranberry
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Appetizer - Quesadilla
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Appetizer - Mixed Greens
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Appetizer - Caesar Salad
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Main Course - Grilled Chicken Breast
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Main Course - Sweet & Sour Shrimp (and side mashed potatoes that I requested - normally does not come with this dish)
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Dessert - Warm Chocolate Melting Cake
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Dessert - Butter Pecan Ice Cream
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Dessert - Banana Split (From Kid's Menu)
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Ovation Theater - Bingo Game Screen
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Ovation Theater - Bingo Session
At 7pm in the Ovation Theater a game of Welcome Aboard Bingo was taking place. Bingo on Carnival's ships costs money to buy Bingo cards, but there are cash or other prizes for winning. Sometimes prizes are cash, but other times could be jewelry or a free cruise depending on the game of bingo that is being played. After dinner when I arrived in the Ovation Theater the game of Bingo was about to start, but had not yet started. I did not play bingo, but watched the game because I wanted to be in the Ovation Theater for a good seat for the Welcome Aboard Show. |
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Welcome Aboard Show:
At 7:45pm, the Welcome Aboard Show was scheduled to take place in the Ovation Theater. Our Welcome Aboard Show consisted of the cruise director speaking, an interactive game with contestants on stage, and the Playlist Productions dancers giving a short 10 minute sneak peek of the show. Our cruise director was Erin and she did a great job welcoming us to the Carnival Breeze and hosting a mini game with some contestants. She also introduced the Fun Squad, which are the crew members that host the entertainment department's games and activities throughout the cruise. The Carnival Breeze's Playlist Production cast members performed a 10 minute quick show after Erin was done welcoming everyone. The cast was talented and did a great job! |
Ovation Theater - Right Before Welcome Aboard Show
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After the Welcome Aboard Show ended I took a walk around Lanai on Deck 5. It was nice and calm outside. On one side of the Lanai the wind was strong due to the direction of the ship & direction of the wind.
Deck 5 Lanai At Night
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Deck 5 Lanai At Night
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Deck 5 Lanai At Night
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I was very tired and fell asleep quickly after getting back to my stateroom. I woke up a few times during the night, but thankfully managed to fall back asleep quickly. I went to sleep around 9:30pm which is in-line with when I go to sleep at home on a normal day. Although I would have liked to stay up later on the cruise, I wanted to get enough sleep and be able to wake up early for a morning walk around the ship.
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Click Here For Our Facebook Page I will be sharing review updates, cruise tips, and more! Carnival Breeze Fun Fact #2:
The Carnival Breeze is a large expensive ship! The approximate cost to build the Carnival Breeze was $740 million US dollars. This does not take into account all of the dry-dock enhancements that have taken place since 2012 and operational expenses incurred to maintain the ship. Cruise ships are expensive to build and maintain!! |
Continue To The Next Part: Day 2's Full Review!
Day 2's review will be in one part. This review will consist of a walk around most of the ship's interior areas, food photos, and more! It was a great sea day with some rain in the morning, but by the afternoon was excellent weather. Click Here For Day 2's Sea Day Cruise Review! Click Here To Return To The Review's Mainpage |