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Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Lee Walker
Email: LWalker@JELeanos.com
Age: 51
Occupation: Tax Accountant
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Premier-Seabreeze
SailingDate: 5-2-98
Itinerary: Western Carribean
FoodDiningRoom: 100
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 60
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 75
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 100
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 100
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 25
LoungeService: 100
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 80
EntertShowLounge: 60
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 75
Casino: 100
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 75
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard:
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 02 Oct 1998
Time: 18:04:05
Remote Name: 168.143.33.197
Remote User:
Comments
My father, sister and I take this cruise every May after "Tax Season". Dad loves
the Seabreeze because it's small and he can find his way around
without an escort - besides he pays! (Dad is 85). We tried the SS Norway in 1997, but we
hated it because it was just so big and impersonal and
the food and service were terrible. We have met many nice people on the Seabreeze.
Don't expect a week in the lap of luxury, but you will get a clean, well run little ship
with an incredibly attentive crew and wonderful dining. The
dining room was a well run machine, and the service, although for us was harried and
rushed, was still very efficient, and the food never
dissapointed. The only disappointment was the wine steward who had the personality of a
slug, and had no concept of how to present and serve
wine.
The buffet for breakfast and lunch was plentiful, featuring lots of fresh fruits, veggies
and salads with the other usual breakfast foods and lunch
selections. Some people complained that some lunch dishes seemed to be a remake of dinner
meats not served, but they were always fresh and
well presented, and with all the waste on board, I was glad to see some effort at using
food efficiently.
My sister and I love to play blackjack, and the casino had three to four tables open,
depending on the crowd. The dealers were friendly almost to a
fault, giving little lessons to those that needed it, and never gruff or unfriendly. We
played with the same people after a while and developed some
great on-board friendships. Won a little, too! There were plenty of slots, a craps and
carribean poker tables and a roulette wheel.
On board entertainment was OK, they did have a great little "big" band that
played every day at different times, and some really funny comedians.
However, sister and I were usually in the casino, and Dad usually was down for the night
by 11PM.
We experienced some unpleasant noise outside our cabins a couple of nights. Loud, drunk
partiers walking down the hall in the wee hours
penitrates even the thickest walls (Daphne deck). The last night, we had to call security
because the couple down the hall got into a drunken brawl
in their cabin. It was not a good end to an otherwise wonderful cruise. I wear earplugs
when I sleep because if you are a light sleeper, you will be
awakened by loud fellow passengers walking by your door.
Our cabin steward "Percy" was a dream, and seemed to work 24 hours a day. He
brought us clean wine glasses every day, and we never ran out
of ice. He kept the rooms (we had adjoining rooms with Dad)sparkling and I would have
brought him home with me if I could have.
Fellow passengers were an eclectic mixture. Some families with small children, lots of
seniors, and "betweens" like my sister and me, and lots of
honeymooners. No college kids, the first week in May is too late for spring breakers and
school is still in session. Many different economic levels,
but keep in mind that the most expensive suite on this vessel (a nice size
"apartment") is no more than $4500 for a couple for the week.
Some of the fellow passengers were downright scary looking appearing like they had just
come from the tatooing/body piercing salon, and hadn't
bathed in days. Again, this is a bargain cruise, and at the risk of getting blasted for
saying this, the bargain basement prices of the lower deck
cabins seemed to attract a large contingent of trailer park people and young men with more
earrings and hair than women and women with more
tatoos than men.
The entire crew was more than accomodating. My sister is a tennis player, and the head of
the hotel staff made arrangements for her to have a
private lesson at a club in Jamaica, and even lent her his tennis racket. We saw some of
the cruise director's staff get a little snippy at times, but
overall the staff was more than friendly and accomodating.
Good shore excursions. Cayman is nice, but VERY expensive. We rented jeep in Cozumel and
drove to the botanical gardens (beautiful beach and
wonderful beach restaurant, CHEAP food and drink). Jamaica is....well, Jamaica. Good
shopping, Marguaritaville Restaurant is not to be missed, a
destination in itself. I met a wonderful taxi driver named "Nell" and he became
my personal guide and driver for the day.
Great ship, great food, great crew. Book the higher end cabins D Deck and above and you
won't be dissappointed if you are looking for a more
intimate cruise on a smaller ship. We've already booked our cruise for May 1999, same
cabins!
De and Embarkation was a breeze, but don't bother trying to check in earlier than 12:30,
they won't even let you in the building, and boy, is it hot
outside.
We took wine with us and no one seemed to care. We would have a glass in the cabin and the
restaurant manager told us that we could bring our
own wine to dinner if we wanted, although the literature says otherwise. The last night,
we brought our own wine to dinner, and tipped the wine
steward (15% of the cost of wine and alcoholic beverages you order at dinner are added to
your bill and that's the wine stewards tip).
Pool is VERY small, good only for dunking. Two whirlpools VERY HOT on B deck with more
sunning area and lounges and a bar.
Great walking deck with lots of lounges. It would have been nice if they had waited until
late morning to set up the lounge so the walkers and
runners could have a wider deck.
Exercise room - good equipment, very small, claustrophobic, no windows. Two stair
steppers, bench weights, no free weights.
Had dinner at the captain's table formal night. Unbelievable food and service, we were
thrilled to be invited.
Name: khristine Florio
Email: kristy.florio@NBC.com
Age: 40
Occupation: audience coordinator NBC
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Dolphin-Seabreeze
SailingDate: oct 25th, 1998
Itinerary: supposed to be Mayan Americas
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 88
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 75
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 88
ShoreExcVariety: 79
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 86
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess: 70
ExerciseFacilities: 75
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 70
DiscoNightclubs: 87
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 77
ShopsOnBoard: 88
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 13 Nov 1998
Time: 16:02:08
Remote Name: 192.35.39.38
Remote User:
Comments
This was supposed to be a Mayan Americas cruise going to Cozumel, Belize and Roatan Island
Honduras with the final day to be spent in Key West on Halloween for Fantasy Fest.
Needless to
say that Hurricane Mitch destroyed all that plus killed 10 thousand people. Everyone
waiting to
board the Seabreeze in Pt. Everglades was incredibly dissappointed in the change in
itinerary as
most people had booked this cruise at least 6 months in advance. This was a destination
oriented
cruise and most people including myself had already booked our shore excursions for the
fabulous
Mayan ruins, rainforests and snorkeling in what is considered the 3rd best coral reef in
the world.
The people going on the cruise understood of course that this was not to be and that
instead we
would be going to Nassau, Puerto Rico and St. Thomas. Certainly not bad destinations but
ones
no one had planned on or had a real desire to go to. Getting past all that the cruise on
Premier's
Seabreeze was quite pleasant and I feel for the very cheap price I paid for the trip,
quite good.
The ship was built in the 50's and is not a glamour ship such as one would find on
Carnival for
instance. It is small and intimate and you meet many more people than you ever do on the
mega
ships. My cabin which I shared with my parents aged 84 and 74 was big enough for sure. It
contained a double which my parents shared, a single lower for me and there was an
available
upper berth. The bathroom is small but functional. Yes, the fixtures seemed a little worn
but
extremely clean. I felt comfortable immediately. The ship only has two small elevators and
sometimes the stairs wore on my parents, but nothing extreme. The passengers are
definitely a
mixture of ages and personalities, but very pleasant and without pretensions.The service
crew on
the ship was the best I have ever experienced on any ship. Everyone was polite whether or
not
they were expecting a tip from you at the end of the cruise or not. Which has not always
been
true on other cruises. The bar staff that sells drinks during trip are around but not
pushy and
very sweet. The cabin steward was great and always invisible. The best, by far were the
restaurant staff members from the head hosts down to all the busboys. Our waiter Antonio
from
Portugal could work in any swank restaurant anywhere. He was funny, intelligent and
absolute
master at his job. Everything was done with precision and fastidiousness. Never obtrusive.
Adwin
the busboy was full of tricks and excellent at his job. We noticed that everyone else at
the
various tables felt the same way about their servers. It just made the whole dining
experience
great. The food itself is pretty good. Some things were excellent, such as the fish
specials each
day. The tables are immaculate and reset at least 4 times a day whether they are used or
not.
The midnight buffets ranged from adequate to excellent and the desserts were great. I also
ate
the best Bleu Cheese I've ever had at two of the buffets. The shows at night were really
quite
good for the small space they had to work in and the singers and dancers really tried hard
and
had nice voices. The cruise director, whose name is Bernie is suave and funny and good
host who
shows up at almost every event and kept things moving. He doesn't entertain (sing and
dance)
as many of the cruise directors do but as an MC he was great The deck space is great and I
found that on D deck the port and starboard deck chairs were usually empty and this was
the
most pleasant place to relax and watch the ocean. We hit bad weather traveling from Nassau
to
Puerto Rico and the ship really rolled. Swells were high and people were sick. But my
family wore
the scopalamine patch and we were fine. These really work. I get motion sickness on
airplanes so
I'm very sensitive. Take something with you, Bonine or patches, you may need them. I
booked a
lower deck, middle of the ship to get the least motion and it worked out great. Also our
cabin was
pretty soundproof which I heard was not true everywhere on board. As far as the ports were
concerned they were the least of the trip because they weren't where I wanted to go and
you
can read reviews of St. Thomas anywhere. I found this to be a very good value for the
money. A
pleasant trip on a vintage ship with great traveling companions including my parents and
people
we met. Lines were not long at all. Most of the time there was no waiting for anything.
Negatives: Embarktion was a nightmare due in part to the change of itinerary. Elevators
are small
and there are only two. Not enough signage to tell you where you are which was very
important
to my parents. The casino minimums were too high in my parents opinion and shore
excursions on
Eastern Carib. itinerary were limited.
My parents are already asking about next year and hope Premier will have some different
trips
planned.
kristy florio kristy.florio@NBC.com
Name: Steven Kaplan
Email: SKap826@AOL.COM
Age: 48
Occupation: Management
NumberOfCruises: 7
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Dolphin-Seabreeze
SailingDate: 11/15/98
Itinerary: Mayan
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 88
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 99
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 50
EntertShowLounge: 96
OverallPortsofCall: 100
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 80
DiscoNightclubs: 88
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 23 Nov 1998
Time: 21:16:46
Remote Name: 152.163.201.59
Remote User:
Comments
I have been on numerous cruises and found my cruise on the Seabreeze to be very enjoyable.
The entire ship was very clean and was constantly
being painted, varnished and scrubbed. The Seabreeze is not a new mega liner, but is very
comfortable and has the feel and look of an ocean liner
not a plastic and neon floating palace. This was the smoothest of the last 7 cruises I
have been on. At times you did not know you were at sea. The
crew tries very hard to please you. I saw the captain walking around the ship on several
occasions and talking to the passengers. You do not see this
on all ships.
The food in the dining room was rather good with 5 choices each night. The outdoor buffets
for breakfast and lunch were basic but good. There are 2
lunch buffets served on different decks. The buffet in the Pastorale Cafe is more
elaborate with different choices each day. The buffet in the Planents
Counter is the basic salad bar, burgers, hot dogs and chicken. Plenty of desserts and
fruit at both locations. There is also self serve fruit drinks, coffee
and tea available all day on deck. The midnight buffets were not enormous but were very
good. 2 of these buffets are on deck and were quite nice.
The 4:00pm tea is very good. It is a small buffet with different sandwiches and desserts
The cabin I had was larger than I expected and very clean. The cabin steward was like a
ninja, always there but never seen.
The casino is small but very well run. There are plenty of slot machines, never had to
wait for one. There is a roulette table and 4 black jack tables. The
best part were the numerous nickel slot machines. You do not see many of these around
anymore.
The entertainment was very good, singers and dancers, a musical group, and a magician.
There was music in the Royal Fireworks Lounge, the Carmen
Show Room and The Serenade Bar. Be sure to go to the Seranade Bar after the shows and
listen to Ted the piano player jam with some of the ship
performers. Between 5:00pm and 8:00pm there is happy hour in the Carmen Lounge. You have
to pay for the drinks, but the meatballs, vegtables &
dip, chicken wings etc. are free.
You cannot beat this ship for the price. I have cruised with Carnival, Royal Carribean,
NCL and many lines that are not around anymore. I have paid
much more for cruises, but this was one of the best.
The Seabreeze is a classic liner that runs smooth in the sea, hardly knew we were moving.
There is no glitz, plastic or neon, just a grand old ship that
is clean (no rust) and very well run. A great value for the money. I'm going again next
year.
Name: Joanne Wanninger
Email: jwmadcity@webtv.net
Age: 47
Occupation: corporate compensation consultant
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Dolphin-Seabreeze
SailingDate: 11/29/98
Itinerary: mayan americas
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 70
CabinComfort: 75
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 75
CabinAmenities: 75
FoodLidoDeck: 75
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 80
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 8090
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 70
GoodForHoneymoon: 80
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 75
LoungeService: 80
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 85
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 70
WheelchairAccess: 60
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 70
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 65
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 80
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 7060
ShopsOnBoard: 75870670
SpaceRatio: 80
OverallCruiseValue: 80
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 08 Dec 1998
Time: 22:53:11
Remote Name: 209.240.200.32
Remote User:
Comments
Three important things to keep in mind re:this ship/cruise: - it's a budget cruise (you
get what you pay for!) - it's an old ship -
nothing fancy or big or especially beautiful - this is a Destination Cruise to see the off
the beaten track ports of Belize and Roatan
Initially, I was quite apprehensive when I went up to the pool deck to the afternoon
buffet after being taken to my extremely small
outside cabin (one lower bed & one upper bed). I was traveling solo on this cruise. At
the buffet, I did not notice anyone close to
my age - they were all seniors!!! I would guess that approximately 60-70% of the
passengers were 70 and over. I was later told by
a couple travel agents that due to numerous cancellations due to Hurricane Mitch, the
cruise line advertised last minute specials
for $399 in the Florida newspapers - hence lots of older passengers!
That said - I did have a wonderful cruise! There was a very good variety of shore
excursions & underwater excursions to choose
from although some were a bit pricey compared to what you woud pay if you were staying on
the island (ex. $45 vs. $25 for
snorkeling trip). On Roatan, the Tabyana Beach excursion was a good choice - gorgeous
beach & super snorkeing from the
shore. No signs of damage from MITCH on the west end of Roatan - it is truly a miracle
island! This is a very poor island & many
passengers were shocked to see the livng conditions of the islanders. On Belize - well, we
never docked in or at Belize! Due to
very shallow water, we anchored four miles away from Belize City - another very poor town
according to those who went ashore. I
went on the all day snorkel trip to Shark- Ray Alley - awesome swimming & snorkeling
with lots of manta rays & nurse sharks!!
Had a nice lunch at Belize Yacht Club on Ambergris Caye & some time to walk around San
Pedro. Another good choice - it was
an excellent day! On Cozumel, we went to Chankanaab park & had a great time
snorkeling, watching the dolphin show, and
walking through the archeological trail to see the replicas of Mayan statues & heads!
Dinner was always excellent as well as the dining room service. Same excellent bar waiter
service on the outer decks. In fact the
crew - not the cruise staff - made this cruise very enjoyable!
The day activities were the usual ones: bingo, horse racing, act auction, napkin folding,
line dancing classes. But the two-person
steel drum band from Trinidad on the outer deck was wonderful & a pleasure to listen
& dance to. Night time entertainment
wasn't the greatest except for Mallcu - a wonderful Mexican musical group & Richard
Sanders - a very funny comedian &
magician.
Name: Tammy Davila
Email: mrsyay@aol.com
Age: 31
Occupation: self-employed
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Dolphin-Seabreeze
SailingDate: November 29, 1998
Itinerary: Cozumel, Roatan, Belize, Key West
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 85
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 65
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 98
BeautySalon: 95
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 90
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 65
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 93
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 23 Dec 1998
Time: 00:00:12
Remote Name: 205.188.199.34
Remote User:
Comments
First of all, we had a great time.
SHIP - I would not consider the Seabreeze a rust bucket as some call it. As a matter of
fact, I can't say I recall seeing any rust
anywhere. It did take us a day or two to get acquianted with which stairs went to where. I
have bad knees and by the end of the
cruise my knees really were hurting. We were on the C deck and there is no access to the
rooms except by means of stairs. I
do have to say that we never seemed crowded at all. We had no trouble finding chaises, but
did have a hard time finding tables to
eat at in the back.
The Carmen Lounge was used for alot of the daytime and early evening events. Each evening
there was Happy Hour from 5-8 and
they served little appetizers. There was a different drink of the day costing $2.75. The
bartenders were always available but I did
not find them to be pushy. For all bar tabs tips are automatically added. The Orchestra
was pretty good. In the Fireworks Lounge
the band was bad in my opinion. I could hear them each time I went to my room, but that
was enough to know I didn't want to go.
My parents sat in in the Serenade or Prelude Bar (whichever one does the piano) and they
said Ted was great and the singer
was wonderful (broadway quality).
The whirlpool was never too crowded and a pretty comfortable temperature. The pool is
really the size of a postage stamp. There
were actually people in the pool though. There are no towels provided at the pool, you get
them in your room (they are blue).
The gift shop had some nice items. But hold out until the end. On Saturday the put some
Seabreeze T-Shirts on 50%. They also
sold some rings on Thursday for $25 and on Saturday they were $10. The liquor was a decent
price. If you bought it in the gift
shop the stored it for you until the last night, unless you want to pay a 20% surcharge to
drink it in your room. We packed two
12 packs and two bottles in our checkin luggage and didn't have any problems, just don't
carry it on. But beware, if you bring on
liquor or purchase it in port and get it to your room, do not open it unless you plan to
drink it all. You are not allowed to bring
opened containers off the boat. We ended up giving our cabin steward half a bottle of
crown royal and parrot bay rum.
The Dining Room is set up nicely. It could use some better lighting in some areas. We were
seated in the back corner (whcih we
looked because it was quiet - Table 17). We were originally seated in the main seating.
But we had requested a table for 4 and
we were then assigned to a table for 6. We then switched to late seating so we could get a
table for 4. I will discuss more on the
dining later. We had Chris as our waiter (from India) and Wayne as our busboy (from
Jamicia) and there service was suberb.
As for the Casino and Gym, I never used them. Although I did have to go through the gym
many times to get to other areas. The
Allegro shop was never opened (due to being shortstaffed). But I did ask the lady in the
main gift shop to get me something out of
the Allegro ship that I had seen through the window and she was very accomodating. The
Minuet Gift Shop does not exist
anymore - it is now a wine cellar.
PORTS OF CALL
First I will tell you that we obtained the shore excursion list prior to paying off our
cruise and prepaid and booked all of our
excursions. Little did we know that this would not only save us alot of time in lines, but
also saved us from attending the port
talks. We also had alittle added bonus, some of the excursions we cheaper for the price we
prepaid than what others paid on the
ship. All of the info I am going to mention is from the excursion catalog that you get on
the ship. I could only tell a few changes
from the list we had obtained earlier from the list onboard. One was that the Baboon
Sanctuary in Belize was not offered and the
Cave Tubing was. They did not offer the Dolphon Show and Tropical Treasures Bird Park -
apparently the cages were destroyed
during the hurricane and all of the birds escaped.
COZUMEL - We chose not to take a shore excursion from the ship. You dock at the new pier
(which is in the middle of town).
You dock north of the International Pier and south of the downtown pier. It must be a
shallower pier, because the Commodore
ship docks next to us) which is a smaller ship also. We docked at 9:00 in Cozumel. If you
chose the Cancun tours you have to
leave the ship at 7:00. Before getting off the ship they have each arranged tour meet at a
specified time and place to leave the
ship together. We chose to go to Chankanab Park and do some snorkeling. We got off the
ship right away and took a cab
waiting at the end of the pier for $8.00 (4 persons) to the park. The entry into the park
was $7.00 per person. I wasn't sure what to
expect, but it was nicer than I thought it would be. The park is very clean and well
maintained (especially the vegetation). The
trick here is to get off the ship right away and to go straight there. We must have gotten
there about 10 minutes before the
Carnival ship exited their people (they all ad Carnival towels) so there were not many
seats left and they filled up fast. We only
stayed for 2 hours and made a quick walk through the gardens and then left. We wanted to
have time to go shopping also.
The shopping was not as good as I had hoped. We are used to getting bargains (leaving on
the Texas-Mexico border we go
frequently), but did not really find any here. We went to the pharmacy and got our
medicine as usual and only purchased a few
small items. The usual stuff was in the gift shops, chess sets, onyx, blankets and liquor.
We had to reboard the ship at 4:00 pm.
I think it was more like 4:30 before we pulled out though. We were on the D deck watching
the sunset while we were pulling out
of the dock area, when I noticed that there was some movement in the water in the front.
We went up as far as we could see and
were entertained by 5 dolphins riding the bow of the ship. So watch out for that.
ROATAN - Again I was not sure what to expect with Roatan. first because of the hurricane,
second because of the lack of printed
material about it. We were to dock in Roatan at 9:00 am - but I guess because of the rough
seas the night before we didn't get
into Roatan until 11:00 am. This was only a problem for those taking the Island Dicovery
Tour (which we did). Apparently this tour
sells out fast (they even had some persons as standby). There is a morning and a afternoon
tour offered, take the morning one.
We were on the morning one and got off the boat about 10:45 or 11:00 and didn't get back
until 3:15 - the afternoon one left at
3:30 and got back at 6:30. The one main problem with that was that it gets dark at 5:30,
which means that one hour of their tour
was in the dark.
The Island Discovery Tour was very nice. There were only four choices of tours, if you
weren't a diver. This is one port that I have
heard negative about, but don't feel that way. Yes, where we dock looks like poverty to us
(but the people are happy), for some it
is the only way of live they have ever known. I find it interesting to travel to other
areas and see the way others live. And of course
do not judge the whole island for what you see at the dock. The island is BEAUTIFUL and
the water colors on the other side is
outstanding. I actually got some of my best pictures from the whole cruise on the other
side of Roatan. You are transported in
Toyota like van that seat 12 persons (they don't over pack them. We had a nice young girl
(Gina) that rides along with you to
answer questions and explain things to you. We visited an area that the Garifuna people do
some native dances for you. This is a
bathroom stop (only one stall for men and women). You can also purchase a soda here or a
mixed drink. There are few seats so
get one first. Then we went on to Jonesville where they take you on a motorized canoe ride
through the mangrove tunnels (don't
worry the water is shallow enough to stand in). There were alot not taking this ride and I
personally feel they missed out. The
tunnels were very pretty and keep your eyes out for little crabs on the roots and iguanas
in the trees. From there we went to
Marble Hill Farms. Here you visit the home of two persons (not originally from Honduras)
that make jellies and jams from the
native flowers of Roatan. You are able to try the jellies first. I bought 9 jars, and now
wish I had bought more of the Hibicus Flower
Jelly (superb). If anyone takes this tour and would do me a favor of asking how we can
order additional jars, I would grately
appreciate it. From there you go back to the boat.
As far as shopping, there isn't much. But I would say that this was the place I got the
best bargains. There is a little mercado on
the pier where you dock. There was a different assortment of goodies then I have seen at
other places. We purchased about 5
little mahogony bowls and one large one. We also purchased some rum (the 7 year is suppose
to be better). There were alot of
wood items to be bought.
BELIZE - First we had planned and booked the Baboon Sanctuary, but then found out before
we left that there was a snorkeling
with Sharks and Stingrays. Having never done this why not. There were a few things about
this trip that you should know though.
First of all you docked in open water and tender back and forth to Belize City. We were
told that all of the excursions were back
by 2:00 pm - that is except for ours (which we found out after we left on or excursion).
Some were told (or misunderstood) that it
was a half day trip. We set anchor in Belize at 8:00 am. If you take a excursion they
again have you meet as a group and take
the first tenders out. If you are on your own, sleep in because the first tender that
non-excursion persons are allowed to take isn't
until 9:00 am. For the snorkeling trip we went on the speed boat met us at the ship and
then took us to three different spots
before we found any "activity". This of course was after an 1 1/2 hour ride to
the sight. The sight is right near Ambergis Caye (35
miles north of Belize City). After snorkeling for about 2 hours, which was great, we were
taken to the Belize Yacht Club on
Ambergis Caye in the town of San Pedro for lunch. There our lunch was included, that being
chicken, rice, cole slaw and
plantains. I found the manager there, Eddie, to be very accomodating. When we reached the
Yacht Club I was upset to know that
we were not going to be back at the ship until 4:30 pm (30 minutes) before the last
passenger was to be on. I expressed to Eddie
that there were two purchases I had wanted to make on the mainland and was not now going
to be able to make them. He saw
that I was upset and offered to have one of his drivers go into town and get me one of
them. After he returned with my purchases,
I then learned that our driver was not going to leave with the boat for another hour.
Seeing that there was a little town there, I
asked Eddie how far it was to walk to town or could we take a cab for me to make my other
purchase. He then offered to have
his driver drive us around town to buy what I needed. So even though we never made it to
the mainland of Belize, I did (with
Eddie's help) get the two items I wanted. After lunch we went back out to the same spot
and snorkeled for two more hours. By
the time we went back after lunch, we were all so tired that half of us did not get back
into the water. The boat holds 25 persons
and your equipment is included. The boat does not have a bathroom, so come dressed already
in your bathing suit. If I had a
recommendation to make to Premier (which will be in my letter to them) is that this be a
half day trip. I would have been nice to
get back to the ship around 1:30 or 2:00 and still have time to tender into Belize City
and look around. The cost for this trip is $70
if bought on board. We purchased it ahead of time and it was $49. The ship sets sails at
5:30 pm.
KEY WEST - Having lived in Ft. Lauderdale for 6 years my thoughts of visiting Key West was
"been there, done that". But I am
glad I got off of the ship after all. There has been alot of developement there in the
past few years. We didn't take any tours, just
walked around the town and did alittle shopping. I had talked to our busboy at our table
and he mentioned that he always stops
in Key West and eats Jamaican food (he is from Jamaica). I had always wanted to taste it,
so I asked him for a recommendation.
I was not disappointed. The restaurant is on the main road in front of the ship (Front
Street). It is on the corner on the opposite
corner of the red house. The address is 300 Front Street and the name is Coco Palms and it
is upstairs. The owner Warren
helped us and asked us if we wanted to taste something different and we said yes. My
husband tried the curried goat and I was
so upset that I had not tried it. I was so tender and delicious. I tried the Jerk Pork and
it was good too. We mentioned that we
were from the ship and he offered us a special, and the price was great. Try their island
cheesecake, it is to die for.
Name: Mark Leventhal
Email: markleventhal@sprintmail.com
Age: 50
Occupation: consultant
NumberOfCruises: 7
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Dolphin-Seabreeze
SailingDate: 12/20/98
Itinerary: Honduras, Belize, Key West
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 99
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService:
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 95
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 96
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 80
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 99
DiscoNightclubs: 99
DeckSpace: 99
Stabilization: 99
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 03 Jan 1999
Time: 09:50:21
Remote Name: 38.27.177.146
Remote User:
Comments
We sailed on the Seabreeze as a family over Christmas, 1998. I am 50, my kids are 7 and
10, my wife is . . . .younger than I am.
In short, this is a great ship for families. It had one of the best childrens programs
I've ever seen. The ship is small enough to
allow my 7 year old the comfort to roam the ship comfortable. Every member to the crew was
friendly, offering greetings at every
encounter. Our waiter was the best. Geairmo was personable, patient and great with my
kids. It is obvious he will move up the
ranks quickly. The food was good. There was a different kids menu at evey dinner
(obviously they could order anything off the
regular menu, too.) All in all we had a great time. My wife and I have been on fancier
ship, but the family expererince was the
best.
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