Personal Blog: Mlb destinations

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The Carnival Breeze Cruise that I took with my brother, son and his girlfriend was an amazing and memorable trip. It was my first time to the Eastern Caribbean but one I will cherish forever. The Cruise ship was a massive beauty with all kinds of beautiful modern decor. It was a soft touch and gentle to the eye. The atmosphere was fun as most Carnival Ships are. Trust me, Carnival is FUN! The staff was so very nice and helpful. On this 7 day itinerary we had 2 sea days which were jam packed full of activities to do for the whole family. Our cruise director Donkey was very informative and kept the activities full and fun. Our ports would include Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic, St Thomas USVI, San Juan Puerto Rico and Grand Turk.

The Cove Balcony Stateroom we had on board the Carnival Breeze was Stateroom 2333. It offered a nice amount of space, a soft touch of yellow and blue. This stateroom was for up to 3 guests. It has a king size bed that turns into 2 twins and a sofa that turns into a bed, TV, coffee table, a seating vanity with plenty of storage area, lots of drawers and a hair dryer. There is a refrigerator, lots of closet space and a room safe. The balcony was a nice area to relax and lift your feet. It gives a sense of privacy because of the white wall sidings. It had 2 chairs and a small table. I liked being closer to the water, it was a different feeling then what we were used to on higher decks.

The bathroom had a toilet, shower and sink. A clothes line is available in the shower if you need to hang wet clothes. Tissues, bath soap, shampoo and conditioner were available. Our Stateroom host was really good at making sure we were well stocked.

~There is a launderette with washers and dryers on deck if needed for an extra charge. ~

Dining

The Dining areas on board the Carnival Breeze were nice and plentiful! The Bonsai Sushi restaurant was a hit with my gang. It was a really nice open place to sit with a modern luxury feel. It was opened late so my gang would stroll in for a late night roll. It was an additional charge but well worth it. There is also Seafood Shack, Cucina del Capitano, Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse and Chef’s Table for additional charge. A specialty coffee shop you could find latte’s, premium coffee along with other drinks, baked goods and snacks for an additional charge.

There are two main dining rooms, The Sapphire Dining Room and Blush Dining Room. The Blush Dining was our main dining room and we truly had a nice dining experience every night. The service was top notch, honestly I mean that truly~ example: I love Creme Brûlée, I had it for desert our first night, when it was not on the menu a few nights later, my waiter made sure I had it! I love that they call you by name, they work so hard to make sure that your happy and all there hard work is appreciated in my book! They had a couple nights of entertainment. The servers would sing and dance. It was a lot of fun. ~Again, Carnival is the Fun Ship!~ Just makes you smile~

Other complimentary areas on board is the Lido Marketplace Buffet, Pirate Pizza, Guy’s Pig & Anchor BBQ, Guys Burgers, BlueIguana Cantina, Sea day Brunch. Room service and soft serve Ice Cream are available 24/7. Room service had complimentary items and and some items for additional charge. The ship really has a mass variety of food choices. You can’t go hungry!

Amber Cove

Amber Cove is a Carnival Corp Cruise Port that sits in the Dominican Republic. We had a really nice day in Amber Cove. When you get off the ship the walk is pretty long to the port area, however, no need to worry. If you do not feel like walking, there is a bicycle transport service available which we actually used. Our chauffeur that navigated our bicycle carriage dropped us off exactly where we wanted to go. He was really nice and offered to meet us afterwards for a ride back to the ship. There is no charge for this service, however tips are greatly appreciated!!

Once you get to the port area, your offered duty free shopping, jewelry stores including Diamonds International, Coco Cana Restaurant and bar, a cafe with free internet, a pharmacy, a large pool that snakes around and offers a swim up bar. A huge water slide will offer up some exciting thrills for all ages. There were plenty of sun loungers. Be sure to bring your towels. ~ Carnival will offer you towels on the ship but they must be returned to avoid a fee.~ There is also a large restroom facility. Below are some shots I took in Amber Cove.

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The walk up to the Sky Bar was a nice stroll after we enjoyed our lunch at Coco Cana’s. The Sky Bar offers up some great drinks and beautiful views for photos. Zip lining is available for a small charge, I enjoyed all the ocean views with the mountains in the back ground, lush greenery and beautiful palms. This port really offers some great views and fun things to do. Don’t forget to take a photo at the large blue Amber Cove sign. You will have a nice photo with the ship directly behind you.

Last but certainly not least, there is a center that will stamp your passport. Be sure to check it out and get your passport stamped. Amber Cove is certainly a destination that I will go back to. I hope you and your family have a chance to explore this great port! For more information you may visit the website at http://www.ambercove.com

St Thomas USVI

St.Thomas is a beautiful destination. We really enjoyed our stop there. We had excellent weather and had pre arranged a tour with Godfrey’s Tours. They offer different tours and they are listed on the website. (I have put the link below). Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and informative. We were able to see the popular spots in St. Thomas. He took us by 3 of the main beaches, Coki Beach, Sapphire Beach and Magen’s Bay. Magen’s Bay had a small charge to get in. I actually plan to go back to Magen’s Bay and spend some time there on our next trip to St. Thomas. Below are some photos of my trip to St. Thomas. For more information on Magen’s Bay visit the website at: http://www.magensbayauthority.com

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The tour also took us to Drakes Seat and to the Mountain Top. Once at Mountain Top there was a souvenir shop, a bar to get one of those famous banana daiquiri’s and a look out area outside to take some awesome pictures and see the nearby islands. My son got a daiquiri and I had a taste, it was really good! We then made our way back down and was dropped off at Charlotte Amalie for some downtown shopping. While in downtown we stopped by The Greenhouse Restaurant and Bar and had a really nice lunch. The views of the water, service, prices and food were good. We then stopped by some of the downtown vendor tents before working our way to the ship. There are plenty of taxi’s nearby so it was easy to catch one if you did not want to take the walk back. The cruise port you will find a strip of shops. We shopped in some to purchase some last minute souvenirs before heading back to the ship. There is also SkyRide to Paradise Point. We were not able to go there this trip but it is very close to the cruise port. For more information on this attraction in St. Thomas please visit there website at: http://www.paradisepointvi.com

We really had a nice time in St. Thomas. I must say, it is such a pretty destination. I look forward to my next adventure in St. Thomas, perhaps to hop over and see the beautiful island of St. John. For more information on St. Thomas please visit the website at: http://www.visitusvi.com If you would like to book a tour of St. Thomas you may visit the website of Godfrey Tours at: http://www.godfreytours.com

San Juan, Puerto Rico

San Juan Puerto Rico is a great destination. I was delighted that I was blessed to go here and experience the culture of this amazing historical city. It is rich with colorful buildings, old historical sites that add charm to this city. Walking the hilly Cobblestone roads to shop and soak in the architecture, restaurants, bars and nightclubs are super easy on your own. You do not need to do a city tour if you do not wish. There are trollies available to take you from place to place free of charge if need be. We were excited to find local art and meet a couple of the local artists. The people were just super friendly. There are also bilingual police officers who have a large presence and were there to help if you get lost or need to find somewhere. We certainly felt safe in Old San Juan. There was a city map that you can get when you enter the cruise port terminal which helped us to navigate around. Below are some of the many photos I snapped while visiting Old San Juan.

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We were able to visit Castillo San Cristóbal one of the two forts that are there. We did not have the time to visit the other one. We were trying to soak in so much in so little time, however we will have more to do on our next visit. The fort was huge and it was rich with information and time era information. There was a small entrance fee to get per person. The website link below should have that information. The people of San Juan are truly kind, everyone was very helpful and smiled, just very friendly. It is certainly a destination that I plan to go back to. I did buy some local handmade pottery and artwork to bring home. The artist was so very nice. He was so appreciative of my purchase. Along the waterside walking back to the ship there were local vendors that were selling all types of different things. We shopped with them before heading back to the ship. There was also a Senior Frogs right by the port. Most certainly wear sunscreen since the weather was really hot and wear comfortable walking shoes since the sidewalks are uneven and there is a lot of uphill walking in some areas. If you get a chance to visit San Juan, you will not be disappointed! For more information visit the website at: http://www.sanjuanpuertorico.com

The local artist whose art work is pictured above is Miguel Martinez-Geigel a well known Serigraph Artist and Painter in Puerto Rico. The photo below is the picture of the pottery that is available by Gisela Tollinche who also lives in Puerto Rico. Her pottery is so beautiful with such lovely art detail. I love to buy local items that are made by locals!

Grand Turk

Like I mentioned before this was our first Eastern Caribbean cruise so of coarse first time to Grand Turk. Grand Turk is the largest of the Turk Islands but still small enough to take a tour in a day to see all of the island. Docking in port gave us beautiful views of turquoise blue waters and nearby sailboats. This port is a Carnival Corporation Port. Once you get off your ship, it is a short walk to the welcome sign. You will then find a variety of things to do and see. Duty free shopping, high end jewelry stores and local vendors. The area was nice, clean and the landscaping was rich in greenery and palms. We walked around and purchased some souvenirs in the shops and a few items from the vendors. (TiP) The vendors will usually negotiate a price for you, so if there is something you are looking at and you do not like the price, just kindly ask and usually they will bargain for a different one.

The Port also has a Jimmy Buffet Margaritaville that offers a large winding pool with a Flow Rider attraction. There is bar service also. A DJ was there interacting with guests the day we were there. Poolside Cabana’s are available for rental and should be booked prior to your arrival. Complimentary loungers are available. There are tables with umbrella’s and restroom facilities are nearby. The Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville offers a wide variety of cocktails, appetizers, sandwiches and deserts. You will find Burgers, Chicken, Fish and seafood. I had the Fish Tacos and they were really good! We also ordered nachos and those were really good too! Our server was attentive and very nice. There are inside and outside seating. It also has a retail shop that sells a variety of Jimmy Buffet Margaritaville souvenirs. The Beach is located just behind the restaurant. It has amazing views of the docked ships while you swim. The water was beautiful. My son’s girlfriend did some snorkeling there and said she enjoyed it. Complimentary clam shells and loungers are plentiful. Do not forget your towels since they are not provided at the port. You will certainly need sunscreen and perhaps a hat, the weather is so nice but hot! Your skin will thank you! You do not want to burn! Below I have some photos that I had taken while at the Grand Turk Cruise Port.

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We had a really nice time in Grand Turk. We will take a tour next time around the island and make time to stop at Jimmy Buffet’s again. It was fun. For more information on the Grand Turk Cruise Port you may visit the website at: http://www.grandturkcc.com

Activities on board Carnival Breeze

The Carnival Breeze ship offered a variety of things to do on board. There are comedy shows which I highly suggest getting in early to get a seat, they filled up quick! Live shows, Bingo, variety of bars and a pub throughout the ship, game shows, they also have a Cinema experience thrill theater which makes you feel like you are in the action movie. There are kids activities and centers however I did not experience any since we did not have kids. Pools, hot tubs, Fine Art and Art Auctions with Park West Gallery, Sports deck with basketball, mini golf, water slides, video arcade game room. They also have Spa Carnival for all your spa needs. You should never be bored on the Carnival Breeze, there is way too much to do! I hope you and your family get to experience this cruise and that your time on board is as wonderful and memorable as our cruise was.

Most memorable Carnival Breeze experience

One thing I love about Carnival is the Behind Scenes Tour. This was my second time doing this excursion. Our first time was on the Carnival Liberty. The excursion is booked on board only and is usually an early morning tour on one of the sea days. It is usually 2-3 hours long with a couple of breaks. The tour takes you behind everything! You see exactly what goes on behind the scenes. It is very interesting and very informative. Our tour on this ship was different from our tour we had on Carnival Liberty. They both offered an excellent and different experience. The tour is guided by security personal and a tour guide who will show you how all the fun happens. You will meet the dancers and performers , the top chefs and visit the galley and other various areas. The tour also includes visit to the bridge where you will be able to get a photo with the Captain. Very Cool!! You will learn some great facts about Carnival Cruiseline. I highly recommend this excursion if you are at all interested. One thing is for sure, the crew works very hard to make you happy and to give you a great vacation. I find a sense of appreciation with that. Below are some photos that I have of the Carnival Breeze.

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To book your next Carnival Cruise please visit there website for more information: http://www.carnival.com

Thank you for visiting and reading my review, I hope that you visit again and until next time, live love and travel!

~Michelle