Ropes, Slides and Golf... Oh My!
Monday, July 17, 2017
Look at me... I'm the Cruising Queen!
This day was a jam packed day of fun aboard the Carnival Breeze. We spent many hours in the pools and hot tubs as well as at the WaterWorks! This proved to truly be a cruise ship the whole family can enjoy!
Morning
Our room was pitch black and we had no idea what time it was but we could hear Luke whistling in his bed. I looked at my phone and it was already past 8AM, which is pretty late for us, even on a cruise ship. We all got up and dressed and went up to the Lido deck for breakfast. The kids got in the standard buffet line with Chris while I went and got omelets for him and I. Tip- We went to the very back/aft of the lido area where there are 2 additional buffet lines. These were ALWAYS much shorter than in the front. In fact, most days there wasn't even a line.
Our room was pitch black and we had no idea what time it was but we could hear Luke whistling in his bed. I looked at my phone and it was already past 8AM, which is pretty late for us, even on a cruise ship. We all got up and dressed and went up to the Lido deck for breakfast. The kids got in the standard buffet line with Chris while I went and got omelets for him and I. Tip- We went to the very back/aft of the lido area where there are 2 additional buffet lines. These were ALWAYS much shorter than in the front. In fact, most days there wasn't even a line.
After breakfast we went to the SkyCourse so Natalie could do the ropes course again. She went around 3 times and conquered most of the "difficult" side of the course. Tip- Be sure to pack tennis shoes as only closed toed shoes are allowed. Also, you cannot be wet so be sure to do this activity BEFORE you go into the WaterWorks or pool. Plus, the earlier you go the less of a line or wait! This SkyCourse was typically open for 1-3 hours in the morning and 1-3 hours in the afternoon. I will be posting the FunTimes towards the end of this blog and it will have the exact times. While Natalie was doing the ropes course, Luke and I played golf while Chris sat in the shade.
Luke, the next PGA tour champion!
Natalie tackling the "difficult" side of the ropes course.
She did SO well!
She always had the look of determination and was ready to tackle her goal!
And all the while, Luke was playing golf down below!
This became her home away from home!
Natalie- our little ninja warrior!
After the ropes course we went immediately to the WaterWorks area before the large crowds sat in. Natalie wore her swimsuit underneath so she didn't have to go back to the room and change! The kids LOVED the small racer slides and they each went down both the Drainpipe and the Twister waterslides. Luke hit his head on the exit of the Drainpipe so he never ventured back on that one but Natalie rode them both ALL week. We stayed at the WaterWorks for a while but when I brought them in to re-apply sunscreen they decided they wanted to go to the Aft pool and hot tubs so we all gathered up our stuff and headed that way.
We found our seats near the WaterWorks and we were ready to watch the kids have a blast!
Luke was SO excited!
I couldn't "watch" very long... I went to play too!
Natalie's selfie with the underwater camera!
Natalie going down the Drainpipe!
The mini racers strike again!
This little boy found his home!
Then he found the water guns!
Natalie, and all of us, just loved the Power Drencher!
We LOVE the Power Drencher!
The aft pool was a much smaller pool and often pretty crowded, BUT it had far fewer kids than the main pool and it offered 2 hot tubs right beside the pool which is essential when 1 kid likes the pool and 1 likes the hot tubs. Tip- This was somewhat of a disappointment for the Dream class ships as they do not offer hot tubs on the main lido (mid-ship) deck area. In fact, the Breeze in particular only offers 6 hot tubs and 2 serenity 21+ hot tubs total.
This is my HAPPY PLACE!
We stayed at this pool for a little over an hour before the kids got hungry so I got in line for pizza. TIP- I was only the 5th person in line but it took nearly 30 minutes to get our pizza and once again, it was just NOT GOOD PIZZA! That is Carnival's downfall in the food category, for sure.
Afternoon
We got the kids all changed and dropped them off at Camp Ocean for the afternoon. Even though Camp Ocean opened at 10AM it was still disorganized and hectic dropping them off at noon. We waited about 30 minutes because the 4 families in front of us had not finalized their registration the day before. I really wish Carnival would have 2 separate lines for this or some type of organization!
Chris and I then went to the Lanai deck for Guy's Pig and Anchor Smokehouse BBQ. The line was about 40 people deep at 12:45PM but it moved fast. This was exceptional BBQ and even better than what we had on the Dream in March. We sat in Ocean Plaza a little while before going out to the Lanai to lay out. We stayed on the starboard side for a while before teenagers on deck 7-8 started throwing food from their balcony. At first it was not an issue but then the "teachers" came out and let's just say it was not pretty! We eventually left and went to the other side of the Lanai to lay out!
These AMAZING Guy's BBQ workers working and making our lunch in the HEAT!
"Lighter Lunch" option available at the Taste Bar in Ocean Plaza!
They build your own salad plus they offered soups and even wraps!
Love this place!
They build your own salad plus they offered soups and even wraps!
Love this place!
We laid out as long as our fair skinned bodies would allow and then went and got the kids and went back to the SkyCourse area. Natalie went around the ropes course several more times while Luke and I played golf. He even made a hole-in-one on a hole. Then Luke jogged around the jogging track a few times before we made it to the aft of the sports deck to the SkyFitness area. This was an outdoor workout area that had lots of cool equipment and the kids just loved it. I personally think it is ALWAYS too hot to use these machines but the kids loved it. Luke ran a few more laps before deciding he wanted Guy's Burgers and Ice Cream of course. Over the course of the cruise he ran approximately 25 laps or about 4 miles!
Evening
We got our burgers, fries and ice cream and sat out on the open decks just enjoying the open ocean. It was a blistering hot day and we were all getting close to burnt. We then went back to the room to get ready for formal night, where Luke was a little particular on his clothing but he snapped out of it quickly and we were still able to get a few formal night pictures!
A few FUNNY pictures before we took our formal pics!
Natalie had to show us she was a performer on the Red Frog Pub stage!
Time for the Taste Bar and Ocean Plaza!
My beautiful babies... they are growing up WAY TOO FAST!
Luke- 5
Luke- 5
Natalie- 7 (8 in August)
I LOVE my beautiful family!
The kids wanted to eat with the Kids Club for dinner. Tip- This is offered EVERY night of the cruise except the 1st night from 6-6:45PM (they stop serving at 6:20PM). It's FREE and allows mom and dad to enjoy a nice dinner alone! We take our kids here at 6PM and pick them up around 10PM, before the 10PM-1AM Night Owls charge starts.
Chris and I enjoyed a very elegant formal evening in the Main Dining Room but once again the service was slower than usual. The food was exceptionally well as now, over the course of many Carnival cruises we know exactly what we want. My all time favorite dessert, the Vanilla Crème Brule was just awful on this night and even after sending it back was a major let down.
We then went to the Comedy Club for a PG show. The comedian was funny but not hysterical. Tip- The Punchliner's Comedy Club offers all of their drinks as pitchers too at a fraction of the cost. Even with the 15% tip it is a STEAL but only offered in the comedy club!
"The Punchliner"... best drink on board!
Then we hiked back to the atrium for the MoTown trivia with Schwartz the cruise director. Schwartz was a great cruise director and had a FANTASTIC personality but he is no Flying Scotsman! Chris Williams from the Carnival Dream is a true entertainer and following him Schwartz seemed a little lacking! The booty shaking contest was pretty funny though... don't worry, we didn't participate!
I left early to get the kids. When I picked Luke up Ms. "Starbucks" said "Bye King Luke". I asked what she meant and she said he was the King of... MEATBALLS! I guess Luke ended up eating 16 meatballs at the KidClub dinner! Haha... We are truly raising a CRUISER! Luke also got a medal for listening at the kids club that evening! We were so proud of him!
King Luke!
So INCREDIBLY proud of my boy!
The kids and I met Chris at the Cherry on Top candy store. The kids LOVE this place but buying bulk pound candy can become expensive so we give them each a budget of $10 for the length of the cruise. Natalie and Luke both only spent $3 this night but Chris spent $6! This became a nightly tradition for us.
Thank you GiGi Jackie and Grandpa for the candy store money!
We ate our candy on the Lanai deck and played some chess before going back to the room to order room service, per the kids request. This is a tradition for Chris and I so we didn't mind! The kids each got a sandwich and chips, and ate it ALL while Chris and I tried the $5 sushi from the Bonsai Sushi restaurant. It was HEAVENLY! Looking back, I wish we would have ordered it EVERY NIGHT!
We enjoyed our room service and watched a movie before finally turning off the TV around 12:30AM.
Windy deck selfie!
She LOVES room service so much!
THIS sushi... WOW! Totally worth the $5!
I WILL be getting it again when offered!
I WILL be getting it again when offered!
We had an amazing day living it up on the Carnival Breeze but we were ready for a fun day at the beach in Cozumel. Stay turned for an amazing day of conquering our fears!
Thanks for following along!
God is good... All the time!
Click on a link to see our past cruising adventures:
Our Cruise Ship Experiences 2006-present
Carnival Dream- 2017
Our Cruise Ship Experiences 2006-present
Carnival Dream- 2017
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