We are still wishing we were on our week-long cruise aboard the Carnival Breeze and to say we had a great time would be a huge understatement. To be honest, it was so much fun, and I have so much to share, that I don’t even know where to start. So this post is the first of a multi-post series sharing our favorite parts of the trip. Along with several things we feel you should know before taking a family cruise of your own. In this post, I am going to be highlighting our beautiful ship and all the things that make our time onboard truly spectacular. If you are traveling with your kids than this post is for you! I am going to be sharing everything you need to know before taking your family on the Carnival Breeze and tips on making your cruise the best one possible. Here is what you need to know when cruising on the Carnival Breeze with kids.
Carnival Breeze Accommodations for a Large Family
We are a family of 5 and that can be challenging when cruising. Most of the rooms on a cruise ship accommodate 4, so here is what we did.
We had to get 2 rooms and we decided on an interior room and a balcony. The balcony room was significantly bigger so 3 of us slept there (myself and my two younger daughters) and my husband and oldest daughter stayed in the interior room. The interior room was just used for sleeping and it was just across the hall so it was super convenient. Plus it was nice to have that extra bathroom when all 5 of us were trying to get ready in the morning.
You also have the option of having 2 adjoining rooms. Since we really wanted a balcony room (if you have never cruised in a balcony room you are missing out and I highly suggest the added cost) it would have been a bit more to have two so we decided to save and opt for the second room to be interior.
Don’t be scared of booking two rooms. Since cruise prices are based on “per person” it’s not exponentially higher like booking 2 hotel rooms would be. If being cost-effective is most important to you then opt for the interior. If you have a little extra to spend the two adjoining balconies are the way to go.
If you are looking for items to bring on your cruise to make the most of your vacation, be sure to check out this post. I share all my packing essentials when cruising with my kids and what items really keep us organized in the room. There are some items in there that I would never cruise without!
Carnival Breeze Food that kids will love
- Sea Day Brunch – This pops up at the top of my list of cruising on the Carnival Breeze with kids because we almost didn’t do this. It ended up being my favorite meal of the cruise so I have to make sure I tell you about it. On Sea Days (days you aren’t in at a port) you can head over to the main dining room for brunch. No reservation necessary, just walk over. There is no additional cost for the Sea Day Brunch either, its included in your cruise! My girls ordered the fruit loop french toast and as the staff brought out their plates you could hear the squeals! I highly suggest this brunch, the food is delicious.
- Guys Burger Joint – If there was one thing we ate the most it was Guys Burger Joint. It was right there on the pool deck in front of Lido Marketplace. It was so nice to be able to grab a bite in between some sunbathing and pool time. There was a lot of hype about these burgers and I have to say, it lived up to every bit of it. I still crave these delicious burgers and I loved how they had the topping bar so you could load them up just the way you wanted.
- BlueIguana Cantina – Another easy walk up pool deck favorite. We would grab tacos and bring them back to the pool chairs to eat there. So yummy! We also loved going here for breakfast. The breakfast burritos are massive and so amazing. This is a must for your family when cruising the Carnival Breeze with kids.
- Pizza Pirate – Pizza, 24 hours a day! That is all I am going to say! What kid doesn’t like that?!?!
- Cucina Del Capitano – If you are looking at taking your kids to a specialty dining restaurant while cruising on the Carnival Breeze than this would be my pick. This is an additional cost but its extremely reasonable. $15 per adult and only $5 per child. The food here was delicious and the ambiance was so much fun for the family. They would sing Italian songs throughout the night and my girls thought it was really funny.
Things to do on the Carnival Breeze with kids
- Waterworks – Every kid loves the pool but the Carnival Breeze has something even better. WaterWorks water park. This has something for all ages including big slides and sping you around and smaller slides that my 3-year-old couldn’t get enough of!
- The shows – I loved that the Carnival Breeze had so many family-friendly shows in the evenings. I highly suggest bringing your kids. If you think it’s a little late (which it was for my 3 year old) bring them ready for bed in their PJs. That way if they fall asleep or are super tired after, they can go right to bed. Don’t miss the Family Game Night, so much fun!
- Dance parties – When people say Carnival is the “fun ship” they aren’t kidding. There was always a deck party or music trivia going on at any given time. The girls even loved the belly flop contents at the pool.
- Suess at Sea – I had zero expectations of this event. I thought it was just going to be a little show and that’s it. It was so much more than that. We met in one end of the ship, followed the characters in a parade, and chanted all the way to the other end. SO MUCH FUN! Then there was an interactive performance on the stage which was pretty funny. Don’t miss this when cruising on the carnival breeze or any carnival ships.
- Movies on the pool deck – this became a nightly thing for our family. They hand out free popcorn and we get to watch movies under the stars.
Childcare on the Carnival Breeze
The reason we love cruising so much as a family of 5 is because there is something for everyone. As parents, we focus so much on planning things that our children will enjoy or activities and food that accommodate them, but it’s also important that the adults get some rest too. One of the things that appealed to us even before we started cruising was that there was free childcare on the ship. I was still a little skeptical, I didn’t want to just stick my kids with babysitters the whole time, and they end up hating their vacation. Oh boy, I was so wrong. On the Carnival Breeze, its called Camp Ocean because of just that, its a camp for kids, and they love it! My girls begged to go to Camp Ocean every single day and would memorize the activity calendar to make sure they got to be there for their favorite part.
Camp Ocean was such a blessing for us on our cruise because we could sneak away and enjoy some adult time without sacrificing our children’s fun! We used it during dinner one night so we could celebrate our anniversary and on a port day when the girls didn’t feel like exploring.
Make sure to visit camp ocean on your first day on the ship to get your kids registered.
So there you have it. All my top tips when cruising on the Carnival Breeze with kids. I hope this post is helpful to you. If it is I would so appreciate you sharing this on social media or Pinterest. A share is the greatest compliment!
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