Carnival Breeze

Day & Night

• Daytime activities include hairy chest contests, towel animal demos, trivia and bingo
• Evenings are full of laughs and music with comedy shows, deck parties, karaoke and outdoor movies
• Busy casino with a variety of table games, slot machines and tournaments
• Free Carnival Hub app lets you check the daily schedule on your phone

Fun is Carnival's mantra. On sea days, expect events ranging from trivia and scavenger hunts to shopping talks, cooking and towel animal-making demos, bingo for cash prizes, Dr. Seuss Story Time, shuffleboard, Ping-Pong, art auctions, poolside dancing and the hilarious "Very Hairy Chest Contest."

A two-dozen seater Thrill Theater ($7.95 a show) shows 4D mini-movies that have your chairs rocking and water spraying while you watch. There's also a video arcade for spending money on sea days.

Evening entertainment includes nightly 30-minute Playlist Productions performances by the ship's singers and dancers, raucous audience-participation game shows (a la "The Newlywed Game"-style "Love & Marriage Show"), comedy shows (PG-rated earlier in the evening, moving toward X later), dancing in the Liquid Nightclub, deck parties and popular karaoke nights.

Outdoor movies on the Lido Deck, complete with popcorn, are screened twice nightly, with earlier showings geared toward kids.

Carnival Breeze Bars and Lounges

Drinking is a day and night pastime for many adult passengers, and sweet tropical concoctions and beer are popular. Watch for $3 "make any drink a double" days.

Highlights include:

Atrium Bar (Deck 3): This bar revs up at night when string trios play, Latin singers entertain, a DJ spins and theater performers mingle (and dance) with fans. Mojitos are popular.

The Library Bar (Deck 4): A small, quiet space with books, the Library Bar has two self-service wine dispensers that pour a changing variety of vino in 2-, 4- and 6-ounce quantities.

RedFrog Pub (Deck 5): This replica of a British pub (with a Caribbean flair) -- serving up Carnival's exclusive ThirstyFrog Red and extra-fee bar snacks after 6 p.m. -- is a favorite gathering spot. There's a jukebox, patio-style seating and acoustic guitar music at night.

Piano Bar 88 (Deck 5): This bar is elbow-to-elbow when the pianist is taking requests and performing, or when a sing-along breaks out. Martinis are popular.

Liquid Nightclub (Deck 5): Styled like a mini-Vegas club, Liquid doesn't get going till after 11 p.m.

The Limelight Lounge (Deck 5): This lounge, with a stage and a bar, heats up on nights when there's karaoke or a Punchliner Comedy Club show.

BlueIguana Tequila Bar (Deck 10): The always-jumping poolside BlueIguana does a brisk business in tequila drinks, though you can find a few other options as well.

RedFrog Rum Bar (Deck 10): Another poolside staple, the RedFrog Rum Bar dispenses tropical creations, frozen drinks and ThirstyFrog Red beer.

SportsSquare Bar (Deck 12): In addition to adult beverages, this outpost by the basketball court does a brisk business in smoothies for the kids playing mini-golf. Unlike most other bars, it closes early, usually around 6 p.m.

Carnival Breeze Outside Recreation

• Just two pools -- one with a movie screen -- but none are big enough for laps
• Top-deck fun includes water park with slides, ropes course and mini-golf
• Lower-deck Ocean Plaza has less crowded hot tubs and lounge chairs
• Adults-only sun deck is kid-free but not necessarily quiet

Carnival Breeze has two pools, two water slides with kiddie splashing areas and a half-dozen hot tubs. Serious swimmers beware; no pool is big enough for real swimming or doing laps. There's no lifeguard at any of the pools, and infants in diapers and kids who are not toilet-trained are prohibited from entering the water.

The Beach Pool is the hub of daily activity that includes group dancing and concerts broadcast on the big screen. On sea days, it's hard to find an empty lounger. The aft Tides Pool is quieter, though its two hot tubs are popular.

Adults can escape to the free-to-use Serenity Deck, where you'll find cushioned loungers, basket-weave clamshell-shaped "cabanas" for two, two hot tubs and a lone hammock. However, the locale isn't exactly serene when riders are screaming on the nearby water slides.

Deck 5 is a good place to hide from the crowds, save for the smokers in the area outside the Ocean Plaza Bar on the left side of the ship. The deck offers loungers galore, two giant chessboards and four elevated hot tubs overlooking the sea.

The WaterWorks area features two curving water slides, the PowerDrencher (which dumps water on visitors) and shallow splash pools for little ones. For drier fun, the upper decks offer a suspended ropes course, Ping-Pong, a miniature golf course, basketball court and outdoor area with punching bags and exercise machines.

Carnival Breeze Services

• Guest and shore excursion services
• Library and card room
• Photo gallery
• Internet stations on three decks (find Carnival prices here)
• Shops sell accessories and clothing, fine jewelry and watches, Carnival-branded items, toiletries, snacks and duty-free alcohol
• DIY launderettes (quarters needed), with iron and ironing board for use free of charge
• ATM
• Medical center
• Conference center

Carnival Breeze Dining 

• 15 free and extra-fee dining options, representing American, Italian, Indian, Japanese and Mexican cuisines
• Vegetarian options always available in the main dining rooms
• Options for between-meal and late-night snacks
• Room service includes free cold breakfast items, while the 24/7 menu includes a mix of free and extra-fee options

The core Breeze clientele tilts toward meat and potatoes and fried chicken, all of which are popular at the buffet and in the two main dining rooms. But foodies and vegetarians are considered, as well. The universally praised eats on the ship are found in the for-fee steakhouse and the free hamburger and pizza stands on the Lido Deck.

Blush and Sapphire Main Dining Rooms (Decks 3 and 4)
Meals: Breakfast (B), Lunch (L), Dinner (D)

Carnival Breeze's main dining areas offer 6 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. assigned dinner seatings. Sapphire also hosts flexible dining where cruisers can arrive at any time starting at 5:45 p.m. Sapphire offers open-seating breakfast on port days, and on sea days, Blush serves lavish brunches with a bloody mary bar.

Most nights feature the multicourse and surprisingly international "American Table" menu, with dishes like smoked chicken quesadillas, Vietnamese spring rolls, flat iron steak and Carnival's signature gooey warm chocolate melting cake. Quality varies -- ask your waiter for recommendations. These nights have a casual vibe (no tablecloths, for example); Carnival ups the formality on "American Table" evenings.

The menu also offers "Rare Finds" (daring dishes like braised rabbit) and "Port of Call" choices to reflect regional cuisine. Order all the food you care to eat. Heart-healthy and vegetarian options are marked. A $20 surcharge is tacked onto filet mignon and lobster tail orders; there is just one free lobster night per cruise.

Wine is not overpriced, and the list includes California vintages from former Carnival spokeswoman Kathie Lee Gifford.

Dining room waiters are generally good at remembering names and preferences and often hop on counters (en masse) to sing and dance to upbeat pop songs.

The Lido Marketplace (Deck 10)
Meals: B, L, D

The Lido Marketplace is the casual buffet restaurant, open from morning to night, with an afternoon break for most stations (often to the chagrin of late-returning tour participants). Breakfast offers typical hot and cold morning options, including made-to-order omelets. Sandwiches, salad bar, dessert bar and a changing menu of entrees are available at lunch and dinner. Themed areas include the Comfort Kitchen (mac 'n' cheese, chicken tenders), the Deli (great sandwiches and gluten-free options), French Chef and Mongolian Wok (choose veggies and meat for a custom stir-fry). There's also 24-hour soft serve ice cream and frozen yogurt machines.

On days at sea, the buffet complex feels like a big high school cafeteria at lunch hour, with long waits. At night, it's the place to go to avoid the dress code.

BlueIguana Cantina (Deck 10)
Meals: B, L

At Carnival's version of Chipotle, you can build your own burrito or taco with meats, cheeses, peppers and beans. A salsa bar provides ample toppings. At breakfast, BlueIguana Cantina offers scrambled eggs, sausages and more wrapped into a burrito.

Guy's Burger Joint (Deck 10):
Meals: L

Food Network star Guy Fieri's burger counter is very popular; it's open daily from noon to 6 p.m., but you'll wait if you come at peak hours. Order from the menu (including options made with bacon patties) or get a regular hamburger or cheeseburger and dress it up at the self-serve toppings bar. Don't miss the hand-cut fries. You can special order less well done or vegetarian patties.

Pizza Pirate (Deck 10)
Meals: 24/7

This 24-hour stand bakes pies to order, so be prepared to wait for warm, thin-crusted pizzas that are melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Guy's Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse (Deck 5)
Meals: L

Another Guy Fieri creation, Guy's Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse is the place to go for decadent barbecue and indulgent sides like mac 'n' cheese, coleslaw, baked beans and potato salad.

SeaDogs (Deck 12)
Meals: L

This old-school hot dog cart appeals to the kid in all of us but is only open sporadically on the sports deck by the mini-golf course.

Room Service
Meals: 24/7

Continental breakfast, basic sandwiches and desserts are complimentary. You'll pay extra for items like sushi, crispy chicken tenders and "authentic Philly cheesesteak," though all are $6 or less. Personal pan pizzas (not as good as the pies baked on deck) are $5. Delivery times vary.

Pricing was accurate at time of review, but may have changed since.

The Chef's Table (Deck 3); $75
Meals: D

The "it" place onboard for foodies, the Chef's Table features a set seven-course tasting menu in Breeze's giant galley. Here, the executive chef shows off cuisine you might expect at the world's costliest restaurants to an intimate group of 12.Cost includes wines. Reservations far in advance are essential, as The Chef's Table usually sells out.

Dr. Seuss Breakfast in the Sapphire Restaurant (Deck 3); $6
Meals: B

Ready for green eggs and ham? Or a colorful stack of hotcakes? Oh, yes, I am. The whimsical meal with costumed Seuss characters, including The Cat in the Hat, takes place at least once per cruise on a sea day.

Plaza Cafe (Deck 5); a la carte
Meals: Snacks

Open from 7 a.m. to midnight daily, this is the ship's Starbucks. Grab a latte and a giant hunk of Black Forest cake (extra fees apply). Ice cream and spiked coffee drinks also are sold.

Bonsai Sushi (Deck 5); $2 to $22
Meals: D

This contemporary Japanese eatery serves up sushi and sashimi, as well as miso soup, bento boxes and sake. No reservations required. Bonsai Sushi is open 5 p.m. to midnight.

Fahrenheit 555 (Deck 5); $38
Meals: D

Book early for the most popular specialty dining venue on Carnival Breeze. This steakhouse is the place for meat- and seafood-lovers, and those looking for date night in an intimate, dimly lit setting. Quality is better than similar items you'd find in the main dining rooms.

RedFrog Pub (Deck 5); a la carte, $3 to $4
Meals: D

In addition to its liquid libations, you'll find small-plate Caribbean-inspired pub grub after 6 p.m. at RedFrog Pub.

Cucina del Capitano (Deck 11); $15 for adults and $5 for kids
Meals: L, D

This homey trattoria with red-checked tablecloths serves Italian favorites. During dinner at Cucina del Capitano, expect to be serenaded by singing, dancing servers. Reservations are suggested. At lunch, there's a free pasta bar.