What Everyone Ought to know about the Carnival Breeze and Fun Ship 2.0

“Where is all the neon?” I said unexpectedly as I entered the Carnival Breeze with the #CarnivalMamas, set up by @BlogginMamas for a Pre-Mother’s Day tour and brunch. I have to admit, I was a little taken aback. I have been on at least 15 Carnival Cruises, and I had become accustomed to the over-the-top, bright neon lights that adorned the Atriums. But the design of the Breeze was different. It felt subdued, but the neutral decor was very tasteful, tranquil and relaxing in design. I was just in shock with not being in shock.

Carnival has undergone a $500 Million Dollar initiative to create “Fun Ship 2.0” to refurbish the old ships and change their cruising experience for the entire family. Carnival made some key upgrades to decor, design, entertainment, and focus that makes cruising and days at sea more appealing to everyone in the family.

Design 

It felt elegant, yet fun, and the use of the natural colors of wood, sand, the ocean, tropical flowers, and the sunset made it warm and inviting as if you were enjoying the views of the islands, onboard.

With a bigger ship comes a new layout. The promenade which was a straight shot of enclosed windows that housed the casino, bars and shops is now a winding trail through bars and cantinas with a lot of outdoor spaces to sit at. You can grab a drink, coffee, or ice cream and sit outside the lower decks instead of having to go back upstairs to the lido for fresh air. This was a major change that I am absolutely loving on the Breeze.

Cabins

The Breeze cabins were standard issue in my mind. Small but accommodating. Being spoiled, I would probably always splurge for a balcony cabin on a cruise. Room service on your balcony in the morning is just too good to give up.

The Deluxe Suites with walk-in closets, a bathtub (rare occurrence), and a floor plan that split the seating area from the bedroom by a partition that enclosed a swivel television for viewing in either area, was very impressive. Serenity Spa Cabins are also available on The Breeze. These cabin have identical layouts to standard balcony rooms but includes free access to the thermal suites, steam rooms, and therapeutic pool at the Cloud 9 Spa.

Serenity Adult-Only Retreat

If the kids are in Camp Carnival (see below), you will find me here. Who doesn’t love a hammock or a little cabana couch made for two to relax in? Did I mention, no kids allowed? And they have a bar. I’m in!

Cloud 9 Spa

If you are one of those lucky people who have a Spa Cabin or Suite you can enjoy the Thermal Suites, Steam Rooms, and Thalassotherapy Pool are included in the price of the cabin. If you spending time in these areas are of interest, and you really want to kick your relaxation up a notch, you can buy a pass for the Spa pass for entirety of your cruise. An array of treatments from couples massage, facials, hair and nail appointments, and acupuncture are also available to be book for a fee.

Public Spaces

This is where Carnival has really kept the Fun in the “Fun Ship”. You can have a blast at Waterworks, a water park onboard the ship. Fly high above the ocean on the SkyRide. Play Basketball with your new friends and family. Think your kids will like mini-golf…on board a cruise ship? Give it a try! Gone are the days of shuffle board and table tennis being your only form of shipboard activities. Part of the 2.0 transformation is partnering with big brands, so instead of the hairy chest contest, you might want to compete in a real life version of your favorite Hasbro game! Sounds like fun to me! See the full list of OnBoard Activities, Here!

Dining

There are two main dining rooms with the traditional early and late dining seating. What Carnival has done for some time now is to offer a 3rd dining option, which is “Your Choice Dining” for those who want flexible time and restaurant options.

Carnival also has signature restaurants for an extra fee aboard their ships, including The Chef’s Table,  Green Eggs and Ham, Bonsai Sushi, Cucina del Capitano, and the Steakhouse, from $5-$75.

But the food does not stop there – with a multitude of choices that are included in your cruise, I wonder if you could eat at every restaurant on board? Will it be pizza, asian, pasta, brunch, burgers, small bites, room service, or the buffet for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or midnight snack?

For The Kids

When I was a kid, Camp Carnival did not exist. It does now!  And. for good reason, kids need something to do. In fact, they probably need more to do. I can remember meandering the ship endlessly, with only Bingo and the Pool as activities to take part in. Today, children ages 2-17 have specific activities and spaces geared for them and their interests. Everything is split up into age groups. Kids ages 2-11 can go to Camp Carnival or Camp Ocean. Teens 12-14 have Circle C , and Club O2 is for teens 15-17. In addition to kid and teen parties, nature and science activities,  games and art, there is a giant arcade,  movie theater and the Sportsville Complex to enjoy. Not to forget that Carnival has recently partnered with Dr. Suess for Suess at Sea where your child can meet some their favorite characters and even eat “Green Eggs, and Ham”.

New Brands

I have mentioned some of the brands that Carnival has partnered with above, but there are more… they hired George Lopez  to curate the Comedy Club program onboard their fleet. The Miami Heats, DJ Irie was also contracted to school the Carnival DJ’s to make sure the party keeps going.

On the food front, there is Guy Fieri’s Burger Joint and BlueIguana Cantina. There are a lot of options for drinking on the Carnival Breeze, and one of the bars that is apart of ‘Fun Ship 2.0″ is a partnership with the video game company EA SPORTS.  The Sports Bar is the place you can watch your favorite game at, even at sea, or play sports trivia while enjoying your favorite bar drinks and snacks.

After touring the Breeze and all the 2.0 upgrades that cater to EVERY member of the family, I can not wait to take a multi-generational family cruise this Spring. I am even more excited for the launch of the Carnival Vista which will be setting sail in Europe in 2016. My family will be there, for sure!

Thinking About A Cruise For Your Next Family Vacation? Make sure to follow me in the coming weeks for updates, as our family sets to sea on our First Cruise with the Kiddos! Keep an eye on the hashtag #CruisingCarnival for updates from me in the Western Caribbean. 

A big thanks to #BlogginMamas, #BabyEcos, #ExpediaCruiseShipCenter, #SouthFloridaParenting, and #CarnivalCruiseLines for setting up this tour of the Carnival Breeze for us an my fellow #CarnivalMamas as a Pre-Mother’s Day treat. We all had a blast!