The Breeze also has all of the new restaurants including Guy’s Burger Joint, Guy’s Pig  & Anchor, Blue Iguana Cantina, Bonsai Sushi and Cucina del Capitano.

We will start on deck 3 and work our way up…

Deck 3

Carnival Breeze Atrium Lobby

Carnival Breeze Atrium Lobby

Carnival Breeze Ovation Theater

Carnival Breeze Ovation Theater

Carnival Breeze Ovation Theater (view from deck 4)

Carnival Breeze Sapphire Dining Room

Deck 4

Carnival Breeze Deck Map – these are at each elevator

Digital Pixels Gallery

Digital Pixels Gallery

Carnival Breeze Thrill Theater

Thrill Theater Ticket Prices

Circle C 12-14 Teen Club

Circle C 12-14 Teen Club Lounge Area

Circle C 12-14 Teen Club Gaming Center

Circle C 12-14 Teen Club

Club O2 15-17 Teen Club

Club O2 15-17 Teen Club Dance Floor

Club O2 15-17 teen Club

Club O2 15-17 Teen Club Lounge Area

Warehouse Arcade

Warehouse Arcade

Warehouse Arcade

Warehouse Arcade – my favorite game!!!

Blush Dining Room

Deck 5

Carnival Breeze Limelight Lounge

Limelight Lounge

Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse

Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse

Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse

Piano Bar 88

Piano Bar 88

Liquid Nightclub

Liquid Nightclub

Red Frog Pub Indoor Patio

Red Frog Pub

Red Frog Pub

Red Frog Pub

Red Frog Pub Game Room with Shuffleboard and Foosball

Red Frog Pub Outdoor Patio

Alchemy Bar

Ocean Plaza

Pixels Gallery

Casino

Fun Shops

Fun Shops

Fun Shops

Fun Shops

Fun Shops

Let’s go outside on Deck 5

Deck 5 goes all the way around the ship… so go for a walk!

View from the front of the ship

View from the back of the ship

Deck 5 Walking Track

Deck 10 – Lido

Guy’s Burger Joint

Guy’s Burger Joint

Blue Iguana Cantina

Blue Iguana Cantina

Blue Iguana Tequila Bar

Blue Iguana Tequila Bar

Red Frog Rum Bar

Red Frog Rum Bar

Lido Pool with lots of fun towel animals

Lido Pool

Lido Pool Deck Area

Lido Pool at Night

Tides Pool

Deck 12 – Sports Square & Carnival WaterWorks

Sports Square Mini Golf & SkyCourse

Sports Square Mini Golf & SkyCourse

Sports Square Mini Golf

Sports Square Mini Golf & SkyCourse

Sports Square

Sports Square Basketball Court

Sports Square Outdoor Exercise

Carnival WaterWorks

Carnival WaterWorks

Carnival WaterWorks

Carnival WaterWorks

Carnival WaterWorks

I hope you have enjoyed this picture tour of the Carnival Breeze!

If you would like to see the video tour, here you go:

Do you want to see more cruise posts?  Click here.

If you have enjoyed this post, please share!  Also, sign up for our emails so you have every new post delivered right to your inbox!

Thanks,

Alisa

EECC Travels

The post Carnival Breeze: Full Ship Tour appeared first on EECC Travels.

Here is how the pre-purchased packages look now:

$99.98 – Pixels – 5 photos and 1 canvas print

$199.98 – Pixels Plus – All of your photos

$249.98 – Pixels Max – All of your photos + 50 digital or printed photos

Notes for Pixels Plus & Pixels Max:

If you are on a digital ship, your images will be provided digitally.

If you are on a non-digital ship, photos will be printed.

So this means with Max, if you are on a digital ship, all of your photos will be provided digitally and then you can choose 50 to be printed.  On the flip side, if you are on a non-digital ship, all of photos will be printed and you will choose 50 to also get the digital image on a flash drive.

Digital only ships:

Vista, Horizon, Panorama, Breeze, Conquest, Magic and Victory

Read the details…

• Must be purchased no later than the day before you set sail.
• Only photos associated with the stateroom purchasing will be included
• At least 1 person from the cabin must be in the picture or kids under 21 staying in a different cabin
• Group photos of 10 or more are not included
• Dream Studios is not included
• Print sizes will vary from 8×10, 5×7 and 6×9 with the exception of the Vista, Horizon, Panorama, Breeze, Conquest, Magic and Victory which only provide 8×10.
• Images taken on the last evening of the cruise will only be available in print
• All phots must be redeemed during the voyage
• Any photos purchased on the Hub app ar not included
• If not on a digital ship you should collect your printed photos daily and turn in to be kept in your folder.
• You may buy a package for a non-digital ship and it is converted to digital before your sailing – if so your package will convert as well
• Upon arrival on the ship, you must take your Pixels gift ticket (delivered to your room) to the Pixels gallery to activate the package – must be redeemed by the second day!

Also available onboard!

If you forget to pre-book or didn’t know these packages existed… no worries.  You can buy the packages on board, but at a higher cost.  Carnival is advertising a 20% savings for pre-orders.

We bought a package in the introductory phase which was all of the photos both printed and digital.  If you would like to see my review, click here.

I feel that you can definitely get your money’s worth out of these packages!

So put on your smile and find a man with a camera!!!

Do you want to see more cruise posts?  Click here.

If you have enjoyed this post, please share!  Also, sign up for our emails so you have every new post delivered right to your inbox!

Thanks,

Alisa

EECC Travels

The post Carnival Cruise Lines: Updates to Pixels Photo Packages appeared first on EECC Travels.

I am a super research person and like to know what I am getting into on any vacation!  So I went out looking for recent Fun Times to see what events, food, etc would be available on our cruise.

So, I am now returning the favor.  Below are the Fun Times for the week of April 1-7 onboard the Carnival Breeze.

And here is the full week’s entertainment schedule:

Want to download them all?  Here is a PDF version of all seven days.

It was a wonderful cruise and I hope this may help in planning your upcoming adventure!

There will be many more posts from the Carnival Breeze, so please subscribe to our newsletter for all future posts!

Alisa

EECC Travels

The post Fun Times on the Carnival Breeze – April 2018 appeared first on EECC Travels.

Choose the nights for specialty dining

Check the dinner menus for the week and pick which night to dine in a specialty restaurant – do this the first day as these can book up.  Check with the Maitre D and he should have these.

Make specialty dining reservations

If you did not pre-book reservations online, make them early in your cruise.  Especially at the Chef’s table as it has a very limited seating.  The steakhouse is a good idea for the first night and you get a free bottle of wine!

Lunch at Cucina del Capitano

Eat lunch at Cucina del Capitano – it’s free at lunch but there is a cost at dinner.  It’s a pretty cool experience too as your dish is made to order from choosing your pasta, your sauce, your meats, etc…  And the bread is to die for!

Breakfast room service

Order room service for breakfast the night before an early port day.  If you are getting off the ship at 7am, this will save you time from fighting the crowds at the buffet!

Cheese plate

Ask for cheese and fresh fruit plate at the beginning of the meal, let your server know you want this every night and it will be on your table at dinner when you arrive.  This item is on the dessert menu but if you ask they can bring it before the meal.  Our family absolutely loves this as the cheese goes great with the bread service.

Check out the kid’s dessert menu

Nothing on the dessert menu looks good to you? Ask for kids desert menu in the dining room.  Can you say cookies and hot fudge sundae???  YUM!

Tea Time

Check out Tea Time which is held mid-afternoon on sea days.  This is similar to a traditional English High Tea with… well tea of course, but also small sandwiches and delicious desserts.  These cakes and pastries are REALLY GOOD!  I enjoy tea time especially for these!  There will be a couple of tea options at no cost, but they will also have more exotic teas for about $1 per tea bag.  If you want coffee or hot chocolate instead, just ask!

Sea Day Brunch

Sea Day Brunch is fantastic and a nice break from buffet breakfast.  It is served from 8am through lunchtime and the menu has favorites such as ‘Funnest French Toast’ which is french toast covered in cereal, pancakes (my favorite are the chocolate chip with chocolate syrup), steak and eggs, eggs cooked any way you want and Huevos Rancheros!  And let’s not forget to start the day with a cocktail… you can get a mimosa or treat your self to the build-your-own Bloody Mary menu!

Snacks for port days

Pack some snacks from the buffet when you leave the ship.  Items like dry cereal or fruit are perfect to throw in your backpack.  Just remember no fruit in Cozumel, they have dogs as you enter the port checking for ‘contraband’ and fruit is one of them.  I heard that Cheerios are fun for feeding fish – disclaimer I have never tried this before…

Make a custom pizza

Custom pizzas are available at the 24 hours pizza spot. You will have to wait a bit, but you get the whole pie!  I don’t recommend requesting this if there is an extremely long line, but if they are not too busy they will be more than happy to make what you want.  I like getting a pizza with extra cheese and taking it to a Dive-In Movie

ORDER WHAT YOU WANT!

You CAN order what you want off the menu!!! More than one appetizer or entrée or dessert are fine!  You are on vacation, if you want to try more than one item then do it!  Now, I am not saying to waste food and order one of everything off the menu and take a single bite.  But, try new things.  If you order something and you don’t like it, order something else.  We love this with our kids because they will try things they have never dared to try before (ox tongue, calamari, escargot, frog legs) because they knew they didn’t have to finish it if they didn’t like it.  And guess what?  They usually really enjoyed it and discovered something new they would eat.  It has made our kids so much more brave with food!

Pre-Order drinks

You can pre-order bottled water and it will be delivered to your room.  This is actually the case for many beverages.  you can order sodas, juice and even alcohol for your room.  The water is reasonably priced but I feel the other drinks are a bit pricey!  For alcohol, you can get a bottle of liquor (rum, vodka, etc), bottles of wine or champagne and packs of beer.

Drink Packages

This is a topic that is very controversial… should you or should you not get the drink package???  Well first off, let’s mention that there are two different drink package on Carnival:  Bottomless Bubbles and Cheers!

Bottomless bubbles is the soda package.  With this, you can get unlimited soda and juice during your cruise.  The cost is as follows: $4.95 per person, per day for children 17 and under plus 15% gratuities or $7.50 per person per day for adults plus 15% gratuities.  Since you are allowed to carry on a 12 pack of soda per person, this does not seem like a good deal to me, but that is a personal opinion.  The other drawback is that the kids have to go to a bar to order the soda and it is sometimes difficult for them to get a bartenders attention.

Cheers! is the alcoholic beverage package.  But it also includes UNLIMITED bottled water, sodas, smoothies, specialty coffees, energy drinks, etc.  On the alcoholic beverages, you are limited to 15 per day.  The cost is $51.95 plus 15% gratuity if preordered before the cruise and $56.95 plus gratuity if purchased on the ship.  This cost is per person, per day and has to be purchased for the length of the cruise (you cannot pick and choose the days to buy it for).  The only exception is when cruising out of Texas, it is not available on the first day of your cruise. The other catch is every adult 21 and older in a cabin HAS to purchase.  So you have to decide if it is worth it for your family to purchase Cheers!

I hope you find these tips helpful!  Be sure to check out our other posts for: what to do before your cruise; extras to pack; what to do after boarding; ports & excursions; shopping; tips & gratuities and activities not to miss on a Carnival cruise.

If you want all 101 Cruise Tips, click here:

Want to see these tips live:  Here is the video:

Want more cruising posts?  Here is our full list.

If you have enjoyed this post, please share!  Also, sign up for our emails so you have every new post delivered right to your inbox!

Thanks,

Alisa

EECC Travels

The post Cruise Tips: Food & Drinks appeared first on EECC Travels.

Switch your phone

Set your phone in airplane mode and use the ships wifi for communicating – this will avoid international fees.  I have heard horror stories of people who didn’t know about this and once they received their first phone bill after their cruise they about had a heart attack!

The Hub app rocks!

Use the Carnival Hub app! It is free to use and has all of the info from the Fun Times where you can set reminders of what you want to do.  Also, there is a chat feature for $5 per person for the length of your cruise so you can text with everyone in your party, even group messages.  Tip: The app must remain open for the chat to work.

Unpack your bags

Unpack as soon as possible, it’s no fun to live out of a suitcase.   This is your home for the next week (or shorter or maybe longer) so make yourself comfortable!  The steward can bring extra hangers if needed.

Have a mini-bar?

Ask the steward to empty the mini-bar (avoid accidental charges and fill up with your own drinks) – some ships do not have a mini-bar. Some have an empty mini-fridge and some have none at all.

Freebies anyone???

Ask the Guest Services desk for a postcard with the ship’s picture on it – should be free.  Also, ask if they can give you a free deck of cards.  Last cruise we grabbed a deck and played cards in the atrium while we waited for show time.

Open my wine please

A corkscrew can usually be obtained by your cabin steward if you brought your own wine.  This is if you want to open and drink it in your room.  If you want to drink it in the dining room, bring the bottle to your waiter and he will open it and serve it with your meal.  Can’t finish the bottle in one sitting, they will put your name on it and hold it for the next evening.  They will even chill it for you. Note: there is a $15 corkage fee per bottle in the dining room.

Update:  I received a comment that someone was charged $25 from a steward for use of a corkscrew.  We have always been allowed to use them at no charge, but I wanted to add this information.  We may want to pack one…

What about glasses?

Your steward can also bring ice and glasses for your wine or other beverages.  Just ask, they will go out of their way to help you make your vacation perfect.

Game time

The library has free crossword puzzles and trivia games each day of the cruise.  There are also board games and… books… in the library

Forgot a lanyard?

Visit the casino for a free Carnival lanyard for your Sail & Sign card.  They are long and stretchy, our kids love them!

Separate your pictures

Take a picture of the day’s schedule each morning, this will date set the photos taken each day on your camera or phone which makes it easy to see each day’s photos at a quick glance.

Pick your daily activities

Look through the list of activities each day and mark what interests you so you don’t miss it.  Mark with a highlighter or bookmark on the Hub app on your phone.

Extra showers…

Use showers, saunas & steam rooms near spa free of charge.  These are nice and larger than the showers in your cabin.  Also, if you have several people getting ready at the same time in one cabin with one bathroom, some can go shower in the spa area.

Meet new friends

Teens need to attend the first night meet & greet!  This will be the best time to meet the other kids in the teen clubs and make new friends for the duration of the cruise.

You may need a nightlight…

Inside cabins are dark. You can turn the tv to the forward camera channel for minimal light at night and it lets you know when the sun is up.  Or you may want to pack a nightlight.

Laundry rooms

Laundry or ironing rooms are on each floor but they are scarce. If ironing must be done, try to go in the middle of the afternoon as there will be a long line on formal night! (This info is Carnival specific)

Pictures!!!

Have your photo taken by the ship’s photographers! You do not have to buy them, but you may want to if they are really great!  How often is your entire family dressed up with a photographer right there?

Our family photo from our last cruise

Secret decks

Look for the ‘secret’ decks at the front of the ship.  Some ships have a deck that go all the way around… and some don’t.  Most of these have secret decks – well they are not really secret but they are not public decks.  You have to access these from a cabin deck, not a public deck like Promenade.  To access these, walk all the way forward and look for an access door leading outside.  You may want to ask the cabin stewards and they can point you in the right direction. (ex. Carnival Magic has on decks 6, 7, 9, 10 & 11)

I hope you find these tips helpful!  Be sure to check out our other posts for: what to do before your cruise; extras to pack; food, dinner & drinks; ports & excursions; shopping; tips & gratuities and activities not to miss on a Carnival cruise.

If you want all 101 Cruise Tips, click here:

Want to see these tips live:  Here is the video:

Want more cruising posts?  Here is our full list.

If you have enjoyed this post, please share!  Also, sign up for our emails so you have every new post delivered right to your inbox!

Thanks,

Alisa

EECC Travels

The post Cruise Tips: What to do After Boarding appeared first on EECC Travels.

Sea days seem the perfect time to enjoy the waterslides and water play area… right? Well, that is what everyone thinks! So they are packed and the lines for the slides can be incredibly long. We made an executive decision for our family that we would choose one port day each cruise to not have an excursion planned. We get off the ship at our leisure and enjoy a few hours in the port and then get back on before everyone else does to enjoy lunch on a near empty ship and hit the waterslides!

This has worked out perfectly for our family as we get to go on the slides over and over… and over again. We actually have to catch our breath sometimes in between slides… Have you ever counted how many steps you have to climb to get to the top??? Here’s a hint… it’s A LOT!!! On earlier cruises, we maybe were able to slide once or twice and then gave up because we were tired of waiting in the lines. But now, we slide until our heart’s content or until we are just too tired of climbing the stairs.

Waterworks on the Carnival Dream

The Carnival Dream is part of the Dream class of ships which also includes the Magic and the Breeze. These ships all have a fantastic water park including multiple slides and other fun features. There are two big slides on each of these ships. The Twister is an enclosed tube slide which is very long and has many twists and turns. The Drain Pipe is an enclosed tube slide also but is much shorter and shoots you out at an incredible speed into a huge bowl. Both are super fun!!! On the Dream, they are both yellow and dark blue in color, but these colors vary by ship as well. What is really cool going down the slide is that the yellow areas are dark and the blue areas are light… when you are going through at a fast pace you will be in darkness, then light, then darkness, then light all the way down.

The other slides and water park features will vary by ship. The Dream has two sets of racing slides, one for big kids and one for the wee little ones. It was fun watching my big kids (all teenagers) try to race on the little racer slide. Don’t worry, the area was empty so they were not displacing any little ones. Me and my husband even gave it a try.

The water play area has a bright blue bottom which is cool on the feet and has an inch or two of water all around. There is also water squirting from pipes all over the park and even fountains shooting up from the ground. You WILL get wet just walking through here!

All around the water park is comfortable plastic seating and large umbrellas for shade. So if you just need a break from playing or if you are parents keeping an eye on your kids, there is a perfect spot to rest.

Follow the Rules…

A few of the rules for the big slides are:
1. One person at a time – and this is strictly enforced as one employee is at the top of the slides and waits for a cue from the employee at the bottom to give the all-clear before another rider can go
2. No children under 42”
3. Do not block the end of the slide – so get off and out of the way when you are finished so the next person can slide
4. Must go feet first – though I must say this one is not strictly enforced…
5. Wait for the signal from the attendant before sliding

Super secret benefit of slides on a port day…

Well, it’s really not that secret but is something we really enjoy… The entrance to the slide is the highest point on the ship and OH MY GOSH THE VIEW!!! You can see a great distance from up here and are able to view the island/port in great detail from this vantage point. So be sure to bring your camera (preferably waterproof) when you make your trek up to the top of the slides to capture this view forever!

What about the pools???

Well, they are pretty empty too! When we get our fill of the water slides, we grab a bite to eat – because we have worked up quite an appetite climbing all of those stairs – and hit the pool on Lido. Luckily you have two fantastic options for Guy’s Burgers or Blue Iguana Cantina. And guess what? The lines are non-existent for these too!

So you want to take those fun underwater shots of your kids without a thousand people in the pool? Or do you want a soak with your hubby without a bunch of kids doing cannonballs? Now is the time to do it! We did both!!! There were literally a handful of people in there with us. I have NEVER seen the Lido pool so empty before!

Don’t forget your sunscreen!!!

If a picture says a thousand words, then a video says a million!  Here is the video from our experience:

Want to see more from this cruise?  Here is the full Carnival Dream Playlist.

If you have enjoyed this post, please share!  Also, sign up for our emails so you have every new post delivered right to your inbox!

Thanks,

Alisa 

EECC Travels

The post Cruise Tip: How To Enjoy an Empty Carnival WaterWorks!!! appeared first on EECC Travels.

We were docked in a marina surrounded by fishing boats, a yacht or two… and even a famous sunken ship. Well, I am exaggerating about the ‘famous’ part, but it is in a lot of pictures of this port so it has become a bit iconic. Windmills off in the distance show the power that can be harnessed from the winds blowing off the sea. There were lots of palm fronds laid out to dry to thatch a gazebo being built on a pier. We could not get over how beautiful the landscape was! We walked all around the top deck of the Dream so we could see the island from many angles.

A quiet morning

This particular port on Isla Roatan is owned by Carnival so only their ships (and sometimes Princess) will port here. That makes for a quieter experience as there are never more than two ships in port at a time. We were lucky enough to be the only ship on this particular day. A major benefit of this being a Carnival port is that there is a very nice beach that is included at no extra cost. So our plan for the day is to peek through the shops and buy a few goodies to take home and then hit the beach!

Our day in Mahogany Bay was the only port day of the cruise that we did not have an excursion booked. So we decided to take it easy and let the bulk of the people get off of the ship and then we could exit at our leisure. This was really nice! There is usually so much hustle and bustle getting off the ship with thousands of other guests, being able to walk down and walk off was fantastic.

Off the ship, we go…

Of course, you must walk through the duty-free shops to get into the port… But we didn’t mind as our goal for the next hour or so was to do some shopping. These shops are always nice and cool and have something for everyone… Jewelry, check. Booze, check. Cute/corny souvenirs, check. There is a nice photo op as soon as you exit this first shop. So of course, we had to stop for a family picture. It was really neat to look to your left and see the ship right there. It was even close enough that you could hear the announcements on board.

From this area, you can take a right and head to the beach or a left and into the courtyard of shops. We took a left and after a few steps could hear the locals playing music. Colby looked at me and says ‘Mom, I will see you in three hours, just give me your wallet’ which made us all laugh. But you really could spend a lot of time in this area as there were quite a few shops.

Let’s go shopping!

I do have a philosophy about shopping in the Caribbean… never buy anything in the first shop you go into. If you find something you really like then make a mental note of it as you can always go back. But usually, the shops closer will be more expensive than the shops further into the port. That was definitely the case here. While there were some very cute items in the first couple of shops we entered, we found items we liked just as much for a fraction of the cost just a few shops down. We found one that was a jackpot for us! We left with pretty much everything we wanted to buy in one spot and it was all reasonably priced.

It was nice to see that there was more here than the basic t-shirts and seashells you think of. There were many locals who were selling handcrafted items. Our favorite buys were a hand carved wooden box and a wind chime made from a coconut and bamboo. But of course, we also left with t-shirts, magnets, sand in a bottle, an apron and Honduras money from the Toucan Souvenir & Gift Shop Outlet (best shopping we found in this port).  What can I say, we’re suckers.  Colby even found a small light with his name on it which was awesome as we never find his name!

Now, off to the beach

On the way to the beach, there are these really cute photo ops outside of Fat Tuesday of HUGE shoes and other props you can stand with and take really fun photos. There is also a line of saddles where the boys got their cowboy on!

To get to the beach, you can either take a chairlift for $12 per person (this is for the day) or there is a beautiful walkway with huge palms and a nature trail. It is a short walk, but if you get tired along the way there are cute benches and even some swinging hammocks (which of course we had to play on).

After a short distance, you walk under the sign for Mahogany Beach and cross the bridge over the turquoise lagoon. It is absolutely beautiful! In the lagoon area, you can rent jet skis, paddle boats, paddle boards, water trikes, and kayaks.

Island paradise

‘I wish I could stay here forever’ reads a sign as you walk into the beach area…. and it is so true! There is a clear walking path which is a wooden walkway with tastefully done landscaping on either side. There are cute items here and there like a large comical alligator hiding among the plants or a big blue shark with his mouth wide open on the beach showing off his impressive teeth. A few feet in and the sand surrounds you. Here the palm trees reign. On the left are places to grab a bite to each like Hurricane Hole where the special of the day is Caribbean Jerk Chicken…YUM!

And to the right is rows upon rows of beach chairs and beyond, the blue water. Most of these chairs are free to use but if you want one with a covering there is a fee. The sand is white, the sky is blue and the water is warm and inviting. Being a free beach there are quite a few people here but we never felt crowded. After getting the lay of the land, we go to stake out a spot for the day. We find some chairs in the shade of large palm trees and the adults decided to sit back and relax for a bit while the kids hit the water.

Time to explore

After a bit of relaxation, we decided to grab the GoPro and go explore! There is nothing else like walking down the beach as the water laps calmly over your feet… Ahhh… So, this area is very spacious and has many different areas. Beyond the beach is another restaurant and a beach bar where we go settle for a cold drink. Next a walk along the very long pier out to the snorkeling area. From the end of the pier, you can turn to look back at the beach and see the ship looming large in the background.

That’s enough walking around, time to get in the water. It feels nice and cool after walking around in the Caribbean sun for a while… We had a wonderful time swimming and just playing around in the water as a family.

Activities on the beach

Do you want your hair braided? You can do that right on the beach! Want a massage with the sound of waves lapping in the background? Yep, you can do that too. There is also a playground for the little kids and a giant chess set for the bigger ones.

In addition to the items you can rent in the lagoon, you can also rent snorkeling gear to use outside of the swimming area and full body floats for sun lounging in the water. Our boys chose to build sand castles and search for seashells.
Tip: buy small lingerie bags from the dollar store and stick them in your beach bag. These are perfect for gathering shells and rinsing the sand off. And when you are done, you have a bag full of clean shells as souvenirs!

Overall impressions

We were extremely impressed with Mahogany Bay. Let me just say that this port is absolutely gorgeous! Lush greenery, white sand beach with areas of sun and areas of shade, island music, a cold drink and a wonderful day! We really liked that there was a day we could spend in a tropical paradise that did not cost anything extra than the cost of our cruise. The area is well laid out with plenty of area for shopping, plenty of beach chairs for lounging, and a beautiful setting in which to spend the day.

If a picture says a thousand words, then a video says a million!  Here are our experiences at Mahogany Bay: Beautiful Isla Roatan – Part 1 and Spending the Day at Mahogany Bay Beach – Part 2.

Want to see more from this trip?  Here is the full playlist.

If you have enjoyed this post, please share!  Also, sign up for our emails so you have every new post delivered right to your inbox!

Thanks,
Alisa
EECC Travels

The post Beautiful Port of Mahogany Bay on Isla Roatan, Honduras appeared first on EECC Travels.

We love dinner time!

After spending the day in Belize we were starving and ready for dinner time!  One thing I like that Carnival does with their dinner menu is that there is a section labeled ‘Port of Call’ which will feature specialties from the port you visited for the day. For Belize, this was Belizian Fry Jacks for an appetizer and Chili Rellenos as a main with a Grand Sunset cocktail.  I decided to branch out of my comfort zone and try the fry jacks… unfortunately, they were not my favorite… Basically just fried dough with a spicy dipping sauce.  But I give Carnival an A for effort in bringing the local culture onto the cruise ship. 

Another interesting menu area is the ‘Rare Finds’ which used to be called the Didja as in ‘didja ever try this before?’  These are menu oddities that the teenage boys in our group always enjoy trying.  Tonight was the Ox Tongue which was determined to taste like roast beef so I would be ok eating that. 

We love dinner time as we all get to sit down and relax with dinner served at a slow pace.  We may have split up during the day but all come together to talk about our experiences.  The full meal can take up to two hours, but that is all part of it.  In your normal life, you go into a restaurant, maybe order an appetizer and then your meal.  And the servers get you in and out.   On a cruise, you sit back and enjoy the meal being brought to you in courses… Bread service, appetizers, main dishes, and desserts.  I promise you will never leave hungry!

Tonight the table is covered with fried chicken, beef tenderloin, linguine with Italian sausage, swordfish, ribs… basically, if it was on the menu then someone in our large group ordered it.  All of it was so good! 

It’s shhhhoowwwwwwtime!

And for some light entertainment… it’s shhhhoowwwwwtime!  We had the BEST wait staff and they pulled us up into the show when it was time to dance.  Tonight the featured song was ‘Happy’ and Jason and the kids all learned the special dance while I made sure to record all of the memories. 

Where is the best bar on a Carnival ship???  Hands down it is the Alchemy Bar!  After dinner, we made a stop to visit our favorite bartenders and Ufuk decided I needed a special drink.  After determining that I am a chocolate lover, he whips up the ‘Deal Closer’ which is a chocolate martini.  But this is not just a drink… he wrote my name on the inside of the glass in chocolate syrup and shaved dark chocolate on top.  One word… YUM!

The most fantastic 80’s show ever!

Last year on the Carnival Freedom was the first time we had ever been blown away by a show on a cruise ship.  So we were pleasantly surprised to learn the same show was on the Dream.  We made sure to get to the theater very early so when the door opened we made a beeline to the front row center.  We were both born at the end of the 70’s so our childhoods were made from this music.  Needless to say, we know most of the words and are ready to sing along!   Jason gives this show on a scale from 1-10… a 12!

They start out with a pre-show where the performers come out with hair teased as big as it will go.  The crew ‘plugin’ their camera to the big screen and point out members of the audience to interact with and make them larger than life for everyone to see.  This is always fun and gets the crowd excited for what is to come. 

I mentioned the big screen before, but once the show starts it is an integral part.  For those of us who remember the birth of MTV (yes back when they actually played music videos), Max Headroom was the face of this movement and is how this show is started.  The first official song of the show is ‘Hungry Like the Wolf’ where we meet the performers as they rise in front of us from under the stage.  Another really cool effect they use is treadmills to allow them to run in place.  I guess it is something you have to see but is very visually appealing.

Girls just wanna have fun! 

Well of course they do!  Big hair, big poufy skirts, and leg warmers… Yep, it’s definitely the 80’s!  Wow, so many songs from our childhoods!  Wake me up before you go, go!  And be sure to hit that high note!  Here the stage goes dark but is lit with almost a black light.  All of the performer’s costumes glow under the light and the background screens dance wildly and then the bright colors return in a flash.

‘Take on Me’…  This is the one that blew us away last year.  You have to remember the music video that moves between real life and comic with the characters reaching back and forth…. Yes, they were able to duplicate this to perfection!  The screens rotate back and forth as the scene changes and they open to reveal the performers behind.

And now for the silly stuff

You have to have a part of the show that just makes you laugh and they achieved this with Van Halen’s ‘Jump’.  This was hilarious between the singing back to back and the over exaggerated use of the microphone stand to literally jumping when they said ‘Jump’.  I had a huge smile on my face the whole time. 

There were several small montages of songs grouped together.  But my favorite was the ‘One Hit Wonders’ with songs like ‘Relax’, ‘Supersonic’, ‘Tainted Love’ and of course Devo with the traffic cone looking things on their heads singing ‘Whip It’! 

The only part of the show that verged away from family-friendly was, well, Madonna.  But let’s be honest, Madonna was not family friendly.  They did a good job of making it sexy without being too risqué. 

The Jacksons

What would any 80’s show be without the Jacksons??? Each cast takes this show and makes it their own so the Janet Jackson part was completely new to us.  They did a fabulous job with the costuming and songs of ‘Rhythm Nation’, it felt very authentic to the original music video.  This song ends with the performers being lowered into the stage, very dramatic.

But the show stealer would have to be Michael Jackson!  As the cast is brought down into the depths after ‘Rhythm Nation’, the screens light up with the shiny black shoes and high-water pants that we know and love.  One of Michael’s songs would not be enough so we start with ‘PYT’ (Pretty Young Thing) as he rises from the stage donning a black suit, fedora, and sparkly white glove.  And yes, he goes straight into a perfect moonwalk!  He does a great job of pulling off the iconic MJ.

Next up is a duet singing of ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’ but the show stopper is ‘Smooth Criminal’!!!  The entire cast is dressed in old gangster style and they nail the leaning in and out that is so iconic with this song.  We are not sure if Annie is ok?  But we know we have been hit by a smooth criminal! Then boom, the finale, the lights go dark and the gangsters sink away into the stage.  GREAT SHOW!!! 

The party continues in the lobby…

Chris ‘the Flying Scotsman’ directs to head out to the lobby for the Michael Jackson Showdown.  We had attended the Motown Showdown earlier in the cruise so knew it would be a lot of fun… out we went!  

We grabbed a prime spot and Chris comes out wearing a sparkly black jacket…  you’ve gotta love a man who is confident enough to wear this!  The crowd is split into two sides for the competition… Team Michael and Team Janet.  It was a battle of the sexes, men vs women.

The first song plays and we are trying to determine which side can dance the best.  These things really bring out the fun and it was a blast watching people let loose! This one went to Team Janet…  Of course, there has to be some Jackson Five included and everyone knows the words to ‘I Want You Back’ and sings along as loud as they can!  This one goes to Team Michael!

My childhood comes flooding back!

The songs keep rocking on covering the entire span of MJ’s career and it was so much fun watching our fantastic cruise director as we were singing and dancing along.  Let’s see how many of the song lyrics are still stuck in my head and how many I have no clue what they are??  When everyone knows a song and hundreds of people are singing along together… it’s pretty amazing!

On Chris’ favorite song, he makes us repeat a vow that “I will sing my face off as loud as I can, hallelujah!” So, of course, we follow suit and sing loud and proud to ‘Who’s Lovin’ You’.  Chris surprises us as he goes down on his knees to belt out this song to a lovely lady in the audience. 

The highlights of the night were seeing everyone moonwalk in unison to ‘PYT’ and the famous ‘lean’ during ‘Smooth Criminal’!  I cannot express enough how much fun this was.  These showdowns are hands down the most fun we have ever had on a cruise ship and is something we will never forget!

Some things you just need to see… so here are the videos!  Happy Dinner & Special Drinks (part 1); The Most Awesome 80’s Show Ever (part 2) and Michael Jackson Showdown (part 3)

Want to see more from this trip?  Here is the full playlist.

If you have enjoyed this post, please share!  Also, sign up for our emails so you have every new post delivered right to your inbox!

Thanks,
Alisa
EECC Travels

The post CRUISE LIFE: Dinner & an 80’s Show… Yes Please! – Carnival Dream appeared first on EECC Travels.

Getting to know the suspects

Prior to the show presentation, the six suspects wander the theater interacting with guests. Mrs. White dressed in full maid costume was going around dusting everyone… by the way, Mrs. White was played by a man which ended up being hilarious. Colonel Mustard kept playing with his mustache and pulling up his pants, which were forever falling down. Mr. Green was very friendly and sat down and carried on a long conversation with several kids near us with his feet propped up on the stage. Professor Plum walked around with his hands in his pockets, eyes wandering the room, looking very mysterious. Ms. Scarlett flounced around flirting with everyone. And Mrs. Peacock was bossing everyone around. We had a fun interaction with Mrs. White, who was Mr. Boddy’s cabin steward who came with his, I mean her, feather duster to clean my camera.

Mr. Boddy is murdered

The lights go dark and a screen lights up where we see Mr. Boddy stumbling around the cruise ship and he appears to be injured… He slumps on a railing and the screen goes to black. The next thing we see is him dead on the floor being dragged off camera! Then all that remains is a chalk outline… The captain comes on the screen and asks us all for his help solving this heinous crime. The six suspects are standing on stage, each with a weapon in their hand, looking very guilty. Once the rules are explained by the captain, Mr. Boddy walks out onstage, takes a pose and promptly falls over dead. We had a great view of his death as we were in the front row!

This show was delivered in a very humorous way by Officer Billy Ocean aka the cruise director, Chris the Flying Scotsman. He is all decked out in sailing whites, hat and all and speaking in a strong accent reminiscent of Sean Connery. He tells us that Mr. Boddy was on the cruise ship because he always wanted to be a cruise ship’s captain and was a world class sailor. He was learning the ropes from the team who were all now suspects. “He was loved by many but hated by a few.”

Now for the details…

• Mr. Boddy was last seen leaving the nightclub at 11:00 pm and his body was found at midnight giving us our murder time frame.
• Ms. Scarlett swears she didn’t do it! She worked with Mr. Boddy as a member of his crew for the last three years. She was promised that when he became a captain, she would be his first mate. But instead, he fired her… She followed him on this cruise so she could let him have it. She is an expert in knot tying and has a rope in her hand. She was alone on the Lido deck at the time of the murder.
• Mr. Green is the financial officer on board and he is passionate about the color green…. Especially money. He even organizes crew only ‘special’ bingo games. Mr. Boddy came to one of these games and lost a lot of money… so he sold Mr. Green out to the captain and these games were no more. He was ruined! He is also passionate about conservation and held all of his bingo sessions by candlelight. He was on stage with the candlestick. Mr. Green was in the library at the time of the murder.
• Professor Plum is an educated scholar and gentleman so could not have committed this simple crime. Mr. Boddy borrowed his laptop and deleted a training video he had created to be used by the entire Carnival fleet… but he does not hold grudges. He insists that he can fix things and a wrench was found on his desk the night of the murder. He was in the training center at the time of the murder.
• Colonel Mustard is the security officer on board and it was his first time ever on a ship. He takes his job very seriously… he takes everything very seriously. Mr. Boddy wanted to change all of the protocols he had put in place when he became captain! Being the head of security he had access to a revolver which was found to be missing the night of the murder. He was in the security office at the time of the murder.
• Mrs. White is Mr. Boddy’s cabin steward. She said he was very dirty and one night she found documents and plans to get rid of the warm chocolate melting cake removed from the dining room. When he found her, he threatened to fire her… which was not a very good idea as ‘no one threatens me’ and she loves the chocolate melting cake. She is the only one with access to his room and when it was searched a pipe was found missing from the sink. She/he was on Promenade deck at the time of the murder.
• Mrs. Peacock is very English and she lives a fabulous life because she lives in a suite on cruise ships! Her husband was the original designer of Carnival cruise ships so he made sure she always had the best cabin no matter which ship she decided to sail on. Well, that is until Mr. Boddy came along… he said she did not deserve it and convicted Carnival to remove her privileges. She collects expensive knives and had just bought one that day in Cozumel which was found missing the night of the murder. She was alone in her cabin at the time of the murder.

Murder plus comedy???

This was delivered making everyone laugh. No one could understand Officer Ocean when he said ‘murdered’ because his accent was so thick. Each of the suspects interacts with the body and moves and poses him… and even takes selfies with him! Mrs. White was hilarious as she told Jason he was very dirty indeed and proceeded to dust the body is a position where his/her open skirt was directly above Mr. Boddy’s head… It was great fun and I was looking forward to getting the clues and solving the murder of Mr. Boddy!

Official info from Carnival:

“You know the story — Mr. Boddy has been murdered and it’s up to you to figure out whodunit. Classic CLUE… except this time there’s a seafaring twist: the gameboard is your ship and the suspects have come to life. Yikes! Fortunately, you and your fellow cruisers — along with the good Officer Ocean — are all on the case. Grab your free CLUE Case File to get started. That’s how it starts, but the story unfolds as you cruise — visit scheduled events around the ship to collect clues. So… who (do you think) dunit? Was it Professor Plum in the Library with the wrench? Colonel Mustard on Lido Deck with the candlestick? Miss Scarlet on the Promenade with the wrench? Your ship’s captain is offering a unique reward for the answer, so crack the case (you know… who, what and where) and you’re in the running for the big prize. Game on, sleuths!”

Want to see this story come to life?  Here is the video: Carnival Dream Day 3: Part 5

Want to see more from this trip?  Here is the full Carnival Dream Playlist. 

If you have enjoyed this post, please share!  Also, sign up for our emails so you have every new post delivered right to your inbox!

Thanks,
Alisa
EECC Travels

The post CRUISE LIFE: CLUE: Murder Mystery on Carnival Dream appeared first on EECC Travels.

The BEST burger in the world!

My snack of choice was a juicy burger from Guy’s Burger Joint. I am not kidding when I say that this is one of the BEST burgers anywhere. They are smashed on the flat top grill and a blob of cheddar cheese is added which somehow melts perfectly over the patty. The cooks also add butter to the buns and place them on the same grill which makes the bun soft and locks in the flavor from the juices in the meat. Are you getting hungry??? I am not finished yet… The fries. These are double fried French fries. They fry them and pull them out to partially cool and then fry them a second time before adding the seasoning. These are so good that sometimes we will just go get a plate of fries to snack on! Once you have burger and fries in hand, you head over to the toppings bar. What is special about this is how thin everything is sliced. Shaved lettuce, thinly sliced tomatoes, and paper them pickles plus onions (grilled or raw), mushrooms, etc. To top it off you can go with the basic mayo, mustard or ketchup of you could try one of Guy’s signature sauces. Our favorite is the donkey sauce.

Uh oh, a storm is coming…

As the sky became darker, we decided to move under shelter. You know a storm is coming when they pull up all of the shade umbrellas around the pool. One deck up are some nice and comfy outdoor sofas and there was actually one available… We are not usually lucky enough to snag one of these since they are so comfortable that people do not usually leave them! This is the perfect spot to people watch or see a Dive-In Movie. I laid back and rested my head on the armrest and placed my feet in Jason’s lap… Not a bad way to spend an afternoon. Now Jason decides to do something he had not done in years… he smoked a cigar. This super comfy seating just happened to be in one of the smoking areas on board and he had procured himself a ‘Cuban’ cigar in Cozumel so he figured why not. He thoroughly enjoyed it but promised not to make it a habit.

We were too relaxed to move for a while and decided to forgo the dining room. Since we had just had a burger, we weren’t hungry enough to eat again anyway. We determined that we could eat at the deli after the two shows we planned on seeing that evening.

Still in a relaxed mode, we moved indoors to the lobby as we awaited the theater to open. Here they had a very talented guy playing the steel pans and we stayed and listened to him for quite a while… cold drink in hand.

The funniest show I have EVER seen!

As the time for the first show to begin, we worked our way to the front among everyone playing bingo. Once the bingo game was over we were able to snag the front row, which we absolutely love! This guy was amazing!!! His name was Rich Pupera and he had us laughing the entire time! This was billed as a comedy/magic show so we were not sure what to expect. He played this perfect… until the kids who were his assistants messed up his ‘trick’ cards which got a huge laugh from the audience. There was a lot of audience interaction and being in the front our family was included. We had three teenage boys with us and he singled them out and began to pick on them for being from Louisiana, but they loved it! My nephew, Hayden, was chosen in a trick as well and he absolutely loved the attention. I really can’t even begin to describe how amazing this show was… but luckily my camera was running and I have all of the jokes and tricks and laughs saved forever!

Want to see this story come to life and the amazing comedy/magic show?  Here is the video: Carnival Dream Day 3: Part 4

Want to see more from this trip?  Here is the full Carnival Dream Playlist. 

If you have enjoyed this post, please share!  Also, sign up for our emails so you have every new post delivered right to your inbox!

Thanks,
Alisa
EECC Travels

The post CRUISE LIFE: Relaxing Poolside & Fantastic Comedy/Magic Show on Carnival Dream appeared first on EECC Travels.