Exactly ten years ago, the Carnival Breeze was arriving in North America for its first stateside season. After debuting with a summer program in Europe, the Carnival Breeze arrived in PortMiami for the first time on November 21, 2012.
Four days later, the vessel departed on its maiden U.S.-based revenue voyage, an eight-night cruise to the Southern Caribbean. Sailing roundtrip from Miami, the itinerary included visits to Grand Turk, La Romana, Curaçao and Aruba.
The 130,000-ton vessel was later christened during a special ceremony that took place at its homeport on December 10, 2012.
Tracy Wilson Mourning, founder of the Miami-based Honey Shine mentoring program, served as Breeze’s godmother and initiated the breaking of the traditional bottle of champagne on the hull during the invitation-only event.
Then the largest Carnival ship sailing from Florida, the 3,650-guest cruise ship continued to offer itineraries departing from PortMiami through late 2016.
With the Carnival Vista debuting in Miami, the Breeze repositioned to Galveston for a year-round schedule of Western Caribbean cruises that is still being offered today.
Closing out the Dream-Class, the vessel had first entered service in June 2012, offering a complete season in Europe.
The program included a series of 12-day itineraries in the Mediterranean departing from Venice, Italy, and Barcelona, Spain.
Ports visited included Dubrovnik, Croatia; Athens, Greece; Izmir, Turkey; Messina, Olbia, Civitavecchia, and Livorno, Italy; Monaco, Monte Carlo; Marseilles, France; and much more.
Following the Carnival Dream and the Carnival Magic, the Breeze offers all of the Dream-Class signature elements, including expansive facilities for children and teens, a 23,750-square-foot Cloud 9 Spa and The Lanai, an outdoor promenade featuring cantilevered whirlpools that extend over the ship’s sides.
Other features include a WaterWorks aqua park with a 300-foot-long corkscrew water slide, an indoor/outdoor café and live entertainment venue called Ocean Plaza and a wide range of dining choices, including Guy’s Burger Joint, Bonsai Sushi, BlueIguana Cantina and more.