Carnival Breeze: Fresh, Fun & All Grown-Up

By Matt Hannafin

Carnival Cruise Lines has been around for 40 years, so it seems entirely right and proper to finally be able to say about one of their ships, "This isn't your daddy's Carnival."

Carnival Breeze, the newest vessel from the Fun Ship line, represents the greatest departure Carnival has ever made from its core formula, which has otherwise remained pretty consistent over the years. What's different? Not the patented "Fun" and the casual, super-social vibe -- all that remains intact, and maybe even amped up.

No, what's different is the ship's physical look and feel, with cool, breezy understatement replacing the glitzy, theme-heavy, rococo stylings of yesteryear. You could see it as Carnival finally, after all these years, getting comfortable in its own skin and ditching the 1970s rhinestone jumpsuits in favor of a T-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops. No more whamming guests over the head with self-consciously wacko décor: With Breeze and any ships that come after, Carnival is just about fun and easy comfort, with no architectural dress code.

Photo Caption: Carnival Breeze in Venice

Until now, you could tell a Carnival ship by the fact that almost anywhere on board, you could look at the décor and think, "What was the designer smoking?" Miles of fiber-optic and neon lights would vie with fur-covered barstools, Egyptian sarcophagi, giant cat food tins, reproductions of Michelangelo's David, and a thousand bright colors, all amped up to rock-concert wattage.

By contrast, even Breeze's flashiest space, the huge lobby atrium, greets guests with a design mood intended not to disorient but to re-orient -- from everyday life to vacation life, with a Caribbean touch. "The message is fun and relaxation, simply a holiday feeling," says Kai Bunge, senior partner at Partner Ship Design, the German firm that created most of Breeze's interiors. "The message is, 'You are welcome, you are on vacation. Enjoy!'"

Photo Caption: Looking up into Carnival Breeze's atrium

Last fall, Carnival announced a new program called "Fun Ship 2.0," which included a whole raft of innovations to the line's entertainment, dining, shopping, and general atmosphere. Though the 2005-vintage Carnival Liberty was the first to have these innovations installed (during an October 2011 dry-dock), Breeze is the first newbuild to incorporate them from day one, giving us a peek into what the future of Carnival will look like. Here are five things to watch for:

1. The future is families. Like 2011's Carnival Magic, Breeze has fantastic indoor and outdoor attractions for kids, and the addition of new Fun Ship 2.0 bars, restaurants, and entertainment options makes the ship even better for adults.

2. The future is outdoors. Like several other recent megaships, Breeze puts a bigger emphasis on outdoor venues and activities. Especially during the day, and even sometimes at night, it seems like everybody on board is out there.

3. The future looks crowded. Despite some noble (and successful) attempts to distribute passengers around the ship -- between the Beach Pool and stern pool areas, for example, and among many restaurants at mealtimes -- Breeze seems destined to always be a very busy, crowded ship. Be prepared to stand in line.

4. The future looks made-for-TV. A big part of the Fun Ship 2.0 ethos involves partnerships with celebrities like Food Network personality Guy Fieri (who created Breeze's Guy's Burger Joint), comedian George Lopez (who's consulting on "The Punchliner Comedy Club Presented by George Lopez"), and the Miami Heat's DJ Irie (who's consulting on the onboard music programming and entertainment). A heavy use of video on board -- in some shows, on the pool deck, in the comedy club, etc … -- gives a weirdly televised quality to the onboard experience. Are we live, or are we Memorex?

5. The future looks goofy. Three cheers for tradition -- especially when the tradition means things like Hairy Chest Contests by the pool.

Photo Caption: On Carnival Breeze, it's all about the outside decks.

Carnival isn't what you'd call a pretentious cruise line, and its guests aren't what you'd call pretentious people. They're there to relax, let their hair down, have some laughs, see some new things, and go home with a hatful of memories. Every Carnival ship ever built has kept that mantra in mind, and it was still the idea when Breeze was designed, even if the look and feel of the venue is different.

The fact is, times change. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, when Carnival began shaping its design aesthetic, outrageousness was in. Exhibit one: the famed "Jungle Room" at Graceland, decorated in the mid-

If there's any doubt that Breeze retains the "Fun Ship" ethos that has made Carnival's reputation, simply take an elevator up to Decks 10 and 12, where "Fun" hits you from every angle.

At midships on Deck 12, the WaterWorks water park is one of the best at sea, with a 312-foot-long Twister waterslide, a shorter DrainPipe slide that dumps you out into an enormous basin, a 300-gallon bucket that dumps water over the play area when it reaches its tipping point, various water sprayers and kid-powered dump-buckets, plus a Splash Zone for the littlest cruisers. Farther back toward the stern is SportSquare, a multi-game outdoor play space.

Down on Deck 10, the Beach Pool area is Breeze's social hub, a full-time party of a pool deck with two bars, three restaurants, live music, participatory games, and the Seaside Theatre, a 270-square-foot LED screen that offers nightly "dive-in movies," along with concerts, sporting events, updates from the cruise director, and sometimes an old episode of I Love Lucy.

Photo Caption: Carnival Breeze's main

Breeze's Beach Pool area is a Petri dish for some of Carnival's new Fun Ship 2.0 bars, restaurants, and themes, with a different open-air venue in each of its four corners. Toward port-side stern, the BlueIguana Cantina is a fantastic Mexican eatery offering made-to-order burritos and tacos: pick your tortilla, pick your meat or veggies, and choose from a whole slew of additions, then top it all off at a separate salsa-and-toppings bar. Directly across the deck at starboard, Guy's Burger Joint -- created by Food Network personality and restaurateur Guy Fieri -- serves a selection of burgers designed by the man himself.

A preliminary report card gives the nod to the BlueIguana over Guy's. While the former was consistently fantastic, with a range of options and great taste all around, Guy's suffered (at least on my sailing) from a rigidity of preparation and delivery. For example, the meat was only served well-done (don't bother asking for rare; they wouldn't serve it). A message on the back of the servers' shirts -- "You can't have it your way. You'll have it Guy's way." -- was intended as a joke, but it's less funny when you realize it's true.

Photo Caption: All the fixin's at the BlueIguana Cantina

Out on the Beach Pool deck, in opposite shady corners, sit two Fun Ship 2.0 bars that help define Breeze's on-deck experience. In one corner sits the RedFrog Rum Bar, a Caribbean-themed bar specializing in frozen rum drinks and Caribbean beer. In the other corner sits the BlueIguana Tequila Bar, serving tequila-based frozen drinks and Mexican beer. The question is: Whose team are you on: red (frog) or blue (iguana)?

Set up to exploit friendly regional competition ("We're the Caribbean over 'ere," said one Jamaican bartender at the RedFrog. "Over there are the Spanish"), the bars act as a way to get pool deck partiers divided into teams for games like mixology challenges, with passengers from the RedFrog "red" team mixing with Caribbean rum and guests from the BlueIguana "blue" team using Mexican tequila to create their own specialties.

I seemed to fall more on the Caribbean side of things, as evidenced by the 101-ounce beer tube that two friends and I downed at the RedFrog after a hot day in Salerno. On the other hand, that tube was full of Presidente, a Mexican beer -- so maybe it's possible to be a red/blue internationalist after all.

Photo Caption: Liquid refreshment at the RedFrog Rum Bar

Got an active kid? One of those who'd run 'til he drops, only he never really seems to drop? Carnival Breeze will keep him (or her) busy.

Aside from the amazing WaterWorks water park, Breeze's SportSquare may be the most kid-friendly outdoor space on board. Like a combo rec-room and miniature golf course, it's outfitted with Ping-Pong, pool, and foosball tables, mini-golf, a jogging track, and, up above, a ropes course that lets kids (and adults) strap into safety harnesses and clamber along 230 feet of beams, rope bridges, and the like, all far, far above the ocean.

Indoors, just below SportSquare, Camp Carnival is a colorful, 5,000-square-foot play complex for kids 2 to 11, divided into three age groups (2-5, 6-8, and 9-11). The youngest set gets arts, crafts, and games. The 6-to-8'ers get to play with sand art machines, spin art, and video game consoles linked to plasma-screen TVs, plus various themed activities. The 9-to-11 sets can go on scavenger hunts, attend nighttime pool parties, participate in sports challenges, and more. Amidst the fun, kids can also learn something via the ship's WaterColors art program, ExerSeas fitness program, H2Ocean science program, SeaNotes music program, and EduCruise geography program.

Tweens get their own Circle "C" lounge and teens have their Club O2 hang-out space, both on Deck 4. Nearby, the 4D Thrill Theater shows short 3D films with little extras to make the experience even more real. The kids love it.

Photo Caption: Way up on Deck 12 aboard Carnival Breeze, the amazing SportSquare complex

Yes, that's a candy shop. And yes, it's designed for kids -- especially the kids that live inside us, and take control of our bodies (and wallets) whenever they see big vats of Mary Janes, Bit-O-Honeys, Necco Wafers, and other nostalgic candies from our youth.

Located within the midship atrium on Promenade Deck in a spot where people walking to and from the theater, the casino, the comedy club, the nightclub, and the RedFrog pub are likely to pass, Cherry on Top sells these and other irresistible candies by the pound or by the jar, at prices you might not flinch at when tipsy, but which are way more than your inner child used to pay at the corner shop.

Still, it's fun. As are the other options on Promenade Deck. Check out the Punchliners Comedy Club, where two guest comedians perform most nights. Carnival has always been known for its quality comedy, and Breeze doesn't disappoint.

The main Ovation Theatre is the venue for a revamp of Carnival's production shows, which it is trimming in length and attempting to punch up in content through the use of integrated animation projected onto on-stage screens. The new shows are debuting on Breeze before going fleetwide, but they didn't really ring my bell.

The RedFrog Pub, however, did. An emerging staple on Carnival, having been introduced aboard 2011's Carnival Magic and now planned to roll out to more vessels, it's a large, Caribbean-style bar heavy on the beer, frozen drinks, and Caribbean finger food and with music provided by a singer/guitarist. My favorite part: The outdoor pub area on the Promenade, with its glider-swing tables.

Photo Caption: Cherry on Top, an old-fashioned candy shop that draws kids by day and grown-ups by night on Carnival Breeze

However busy Carnival Breeze is -- and in most respects it's very busy -- the ship still offers refuges for when you just need to chill.

Up on Decks 12 and 14, Breeze's 22,770-square-foot Cloud 9 Spa offers the usual range of at-sea spa amenities, including a thermal suite (highlighting herbal steamrooms and saunas), a thalassotherapy pool (a giant New Age jacuzzi), a "DIY Scrub Experience" (in which guests create their own customized body scrub with a mixologist), and several medi-spa services, including wrinkle treatments and acupuncture. Couples can opt for VIP rooms for two, with private whirlpool tubs.

Outdoors on Deck 15, Serenity is an adults-only sunning and relaxation area outfitted with deck chairs, hammocks, daybeds, and shaded pods, plus a bar and dining area that offers salads, wraps, and other light snacks. Somewhere between the zen of Serenity and the chaos of the Beach Pool is the stern-facing Tides Pool, which tends to keep on the quieter (but not too quiet) side. On the area's port side, Tides Bar is generally a relaxing spot to hide out with your lunch and a cool beer.

Photo Caption: Carnival Breeze's Cloud 9 Spa

Generally speaking, Carnival Breeze tilts more heavily toward free, cost-included dining venues than toward extra-cost options, but it doesn't lack for the latter.

Toward the stern, Fahrenheit 555 ($35 per person) is the most elegant restaurant on board, a steakhouse offering an open kitchen, extra-fine service, and a menu of steaks, seafood, and some exceptional appetizers.

Up on Deck 11, Cucina del Capitano ($10 per person at dinner) is an Italian restaurant with a twist: some of the dishes are old family recipes of Carnival's captains, all of whom are Italian. The Piatto della Nonna, for instance, was inspired by the grandma of Breeze Captain Vincenzo Alcaras. The décor even includes some family photos. Tip: At lunch, the room serves as a free pasta bar.

At midship on Promenade Deck, Bonsai Sushi is Carnival's first full-service sushi restaurant. Diners can choose from a menu of sushi, sashimi, and rolls, along with bento boxes and a "sushi ship" for two. The contemporary décor features bonsai trees, artwork by well-known graffiti artist Erni Vales, and paper-lantern-esque mood lighting. Prices are à la carte (from $1 for appetizer-sized portions to $15 for a sushi ship).

Photo Caption: The Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse, the most elegant dining spot on board

Along with its extra-cost specialty restaurants, Carnival Breeze has the traditional two dining rooms (Blush and Sapphire, the latter offering flexible "Your Time Dining") and buffet (the often super-busy Lido Marketplace), but those aren't your only cost-included options.

In addition to the pool deck's BlueIguana Cantina and Guy's Burger Joint, there's also the Taste Bar, a new offering at midship on Promenade Deck, serving bite-size snacks; a pizzeria near Tides Pool serving really good thin-crust pies (though there's nearly always a wait); another outdoor venue serving Indian dishes; and Fat Jimmy's C-Side BBQ, an outdoor meat-feed set up a few times per cruise on the Promenade Deck, serving pulled pork sandwiches, barbecued chicken breast, kielbasa, Italian sausage, and other calorie-heavy faves, along with traditional sides like baked beans, potato salad, coleslaw, and corn muffins.

On sea days, one of the main restaurants also hosts the Punchliner Comedy Brunch, in which the day's featured comedians do short, five-minute sets on the hour, while guests order from a creative menu that includes French toast encrusted with Fruit Loops or Frosted Flakes cereal.

Photo Caption: An amazing Caprese salad at the Fahrenheit 555 steakhouse on Carnival Breeze

Breeze carries 3,690 passengers at double occupancy (or up to 4,724 with all third and fourth berths filled -- which they could well be on this family-friendly ship). Done up in a Caribbean palate to match the overall design aesthetic of the ship, Breeze's staterooms represent a new look for Carnival while maintaining the line's usual wash-and-wear standards for materials and amenities.

Comfortably sized at 185 to 220 square feet for inside, outside, and balcony cabins, cabins are more function than form, designed with tough, easy-to-maintain materials and simple, unadorned lines. Unusual and/or interesting options include the Cove Balcony Staterooms, on Deck 2 (i.e., extraordinarily close to the waterline), and Cloud 9 Spa Staterooms that come with unlimited use of the spa's Thermal Suite and Thalassotherapy pool, two complimentary fitness classes, spa bathrobes and slippers, upgraded bath amenities, and priority spa reservations.

Final word: So what's the grade on Breeze? As with sister-ships Carnival Dream and Carnival Magic before her, I'm going to give her 4½ stars. While her new décor is an enormous improvement over Carnival's old standard, and while she's a very fun, busy ship, she's also a very crowded and hectic ship, which keeps her just a bit out of 5-star territory. All that is splitting hairs, of course, 'cause Carnival is Carnival is Carnival: inherently fun, busy, crowded, and social. Only this time, it's all those things in a nicer package.

Carnival Breeze offers 12-day Mediterranean voyages from Barcelona through October 25, after which she sails transatlantic to Miami. Beginning Nov. 24, she'll sail year-round 6-night Western Caribbean/Bahamas cruises and 8-night Eastern Caribbean cruises.

Photo Caption: Simple and comfortable, a category 8C balcony stateroom aboard Carnival Breeze