waterlegs

I have just seen you review dont know how i missed it but i loved every moment. Can you tell me please what time was your dinner and then what time did you go to the shows at. We have traditional dining booked for 6.30 but i am now wondering will i make the shows. tk u

Hi. Sorry, I got no notification of posts here recently. We were given MTD by the travel agent. We had booked the first two evenings in advance. The times were around 6.15/6.30. Some nights we booked later. You will be able to judge for the shows when you have your cruise compass but if you are going to a show make sure to tell your waitor/waitress and they will prioritise your table for service and make sure you are finished in time. Most evenings shows were repeated so you could choose the early or late time but some nights, like for the Ice Show there was just one time. It was easy to get reservations made for MTD. Not sure for traditional dining but 6.30 sounds good generally as there is usually a show at 9.45pm. The evenings where there was one show only it was at about 8pm I think...you can recheck the compasses I posted. Enjoy your cruise.

I think you can. I tendered in Villefranche last month and took a train to cannes and spent three hours or so there and then took train to nice. There was works going on the promenade and I was really hot and tired. I literally went to McDs for wifi and lunch and then back to take the train to villefranche. I could have stayed an hour or so in nice if I wanted to however. I considered doing a fast visit to Monaco as well and would have had time but decided to relax in villefranche instead. Villefranche is beautifully charming but not much to do there except souvenirs or relax at a cafe etc.

We disembarked in Barcelona in May. Our flight back to Ireland was supposed to be at 10.45am. We decided to self disembark in the end. This took place at about 6.30am. Once they opened the gangway it was all very fast and once coach was full we were on our way. Airport is only about 30 minute drive from port but that was a Sunday morning early so we were there faster. We had plenty of time and then our flight was delayed. Enjoy your cruise.

I did a review of our recent western Med cruise on Freedom and posted all the compasses. It may be different in the Caribbean, dont know. Most nights there were two shows at approximately 7.45 and 10.45pm. If there was only one show then it would be repeated the following night. We had no problem reserving MTD between 6pm and 7.30pm. We had the same table and staff every night but were moved table the final night but still had the same staff. They tried to place us at a different table one evening and our waiter went mad and insisted on us having our usual table as we would have been in a different section with a different waiter. They like to keep the same guests and earn their tips and will do all to make this possible...or so was our experience. If you want to go to a particular show, make sure you tell your waiter and they will ensure you are served fast and finished on time. Also you will have your compass the night before and can work out what time to reserve your dinner for. Enjoy your cruise.

Great trip review thanks. Do you have to book for the ice skating or just turn up to participate?

No, you can just turn up. Make sure you have long trousers and socks. I actually wore a jumper but was boiling. Wish I had worn short sleeves...then if you fall in short sleeves it could be sore.

Day 8 Disembarking

We had decided to take our luggage off with us instead of doing the tagging system and leaving it outside the door. We had a fairly early flight, so were lined up to disembark at 6.15am. We skipped breakfast as WJ didn't open until 6am. After a bit of a wait in Boleros bar, we disembarked easily. I dont think we were off any quicker this way to be honest as bags that would have been with ours in the tagging system were already ready for collection. We had a little walk to our coach and then got going to the airport. As it turned out our airline was slightly delayed at first and then missed its take off slot so we had a two hour delay but arrived home safe, happy....and ready to do it all again soon!

Glad to say I never developed the post cruise blues. I had a wonderful week but was so happy to come back to my husband and children again that it didnt matter that the big holiday was over. Now I have a few years to talk my husband into taking a cruise as I want to go again but take him and the boys with me next time.

Hope you all enjoyed my trip report. Have lots of ship photos as well if anyone wants to see them or if anyone has any questions go ahead and ask. The only thing I would have changed food wise would be to increase variety in the MDR. I would have liked to try some of the trivia activities or the Quest show. There was so much choice of what to do however that I had to sacrifice many activities for others. Certainly if I get to do a less port intensive cruise one day I would remedy this. Not a bad thing to say about the ship, itinerary or anything though. It was truly memorable for all four of us.

Final day of cruise compasses

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Day 7

Naples was our final port of call and our last day was a sea day. Last night during the show the ship started swaying for the first time and I think there was a thunderstorm. This morning I was up bright and early. I went straight out on deck expecting rain as we were rocking so much. The mad thing was the sun was shining gloriously yet again but the wind was blowing wildly, so much that I needed to hold on to something to steady me on deck. This seemed unusual as in Ireland, wind is synonymous with rain and cold and black clouds. I went to the jogging track before deciding not to chance it. Grabbed breakfast in the WJ and then hit the whirlpool and solarium. Unfortunately the water wasnt very warm but relaxing nonetheless. After showering I dressed in my jeans and jumper and headed to studio B for a session on the ice. Hadn't set foot on an ice rink in eight years and struggled even then. Was determined to give ice skating at sea a whirl however. Wearing a helmet for it was a novelty but a good idea. Really enjoyed this activity and managed not to fall. By the end of the session I was able to get around the rink without holding the edge. lol. Was amazed watching the young people so daring and not afraid of falling. There was a child that had turned three the day before. No fear whatsoever. After this I went to cafe promenade as hadnt tried it out yet. Had a gorgeous strawberry cake and lovely coffee. Very impressed. Problem here is the cafe is very difficult to find a seat in.

It was then time to go to the star lounge and learn the Jive dance. This was great fun. I have never been a Strictly fan but enjoyed these classes immensely and the dance teachers were so lovely. Considering taking up classes now.

Hit the gym for the threadmill then instead of being blown off the jogging track. During all this time the rest of my family were in the fitness centre at the metabolism lecture and signing up to some detox programme which they have started now. Good luck to them.

In the afternoon we all met up in Cafe Promenade again as my mother expressed a desire for afternoon tea. Given I had already been there and had cake earlier, I brought a cereal bar from my cabin this time and just had a diet coke with it.

The Move it Move it Dreamworks spectacular parade was on in the Royal Promenade early evening. I really enjoyed this. Costumes and music were spectacular. Wish my kids could have experienced it. Maybe one day.

Our final dinner, we were at a different table for some reason...maybe down to the time we chose but it didnt matter in the grand scheme of things. Lovely dinner again and we said our goodbyes to Nicholas and Marion our table waiter and waitress.

The final show of the cruise was a farewell variety show, featuring Jaz Danion, a french artist who was phenomenal at balancing and catching. Before he came on, cruise director Mercedes presented a feature on first time cruiser questions. This was hilarious. She is so funny and had us laughing til our sides ached.

The evening finished with my two sisters and I enjoying a few scoops in the Bull and Bear with resident musician James Brown performing. It was our second night here but we stayed longer this time. He is very talented and connects well with his audience through his music but seemed very quiet. When he had finished for the night I asked him if we could have a photo with him. To my surprise he not only posed for photos with us but sat with us for at least an hour and shared some of his life experiences of living onboard and off board with us. Very interesting time.

And so the time came to our last sleep in our little cabin. Hit the bed at about 3am and had to be up again at 5.30am.

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I was surprised to experience swaying at all and had it ,only when I sat, for about a week. During the cruise we felt no sway until the last day.

And here are the compasses for Day 6.

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After meeting with the group and Alex the guide again, we travelled back along both coastlines to Pompeii. We had paid extra for a guide here and it was worth it. I feel a guide is a necessity here unless you have a specialised degree in Pompeii itself. I thought I knew a fair bit about it but learned more. The guide was invaluable at injecting his own personality into it and knowing how to avoid the crowds at certain places as well. With all that said, I was a little disappointed in Pompeii. Perhaps I was just very tired at that point. Sure it was interesting and glad I saw it. You would need about four to five hours I think to see all of it. We only had two and they flew by so fast.

We were back to port in plenty of time for our sailing once again, after a long but enjoyable day. Second formal night was this evening and we decided we would go to the royal promenade and get a proper photo taken of the four of us together. It was good fun and we got one good enough to buy the next day with our OBC. We were slightly late for the headline show after dinner, Once Upon A Time. I thought the stage sets and props and costumes were great. Didn't quite enjoy this show as much as marquee but my sisters thought it was the best of all the shows.

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So in Positano, we browsed through the narrow stairways of shops and art galleries until it brought us down to the beach, in photo above. Very small place but very beautiful. We then met up to continue on our way to Sorrento. Few more pics of Positano and the coast road.

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I loved Sorrento as well. I went to the small limoncello factory and was able to taste lots of different flavoured limoncello and limoncello themed biscuits too. The pure yellow stuff was a bit strong for me but I loved the creme di limoncello and bought some of that. Then found an al fresco cafe where I got a very large margarita pizza, a full salad and a large glass of wine for €10 and free wifi with it. I expected Sorrento to be expensive and had half planned on buying a sandwich or pizza slice and walk while eating but I really enjoyed this meal and some quality alone time too.

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Day 6 Naples

I had another shore excursion booked with RIL via our roll call. There were seven of us booked for Pompeii, Positano and Sorrento. After an early rise and quick breakfast I met the group and we were very easily met by our driver Alex. He spoke good english, was a great safe driver and his van was better than the one in La Spezia...less high and easier to get in and out of. He didnt have water for us but he was great all round. Very witty and pleasant young man. He consulted with us for planning the day and it was decided we would visit Positano first and eat in Sorrento, with Pompeii in the afternoon. He took us on a motorway and then on to the Sorrento coast, stopping for photos and then to the Amalfi coast, stopping again. His knowledge of the area was great. Positano is beautiful and quite unique to any place I had been to before. I have never been to Greece but Alex compared Positano to Santorini. I need to sign off now but will continue this later. Will post a pic to sign off.

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Thanks for posting the compasses they have been a great help in deciding if we cruise on this ship. As my daughter is a Dreamworks fanatic we were considering a sailing this summer. However seeing how few character appearances are listed each day compared to the other D/W ships we have sailed on we have decided not to.

Glad they are of help. Was worried if they were clear enough to be ledgible. Not sure how the other ships are but I thought there was alot of Dreamworks characters on it. Not alot of characters but they appeared often. They were present on deck 11 for first sailaway and they were usually present by day or evening in the royal promenade. Then on the final day there was a dreamworks parade which I really enjoyed. Also the Once Upon a Time show. Not dreamworks but great for kids.

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Day 5

This was the Citavecchia port. We had all been to Rome before so we decided to stay on board and relax as it was a port intensive itinerary and Rome was quite a distance from port too. So a day onboard started with a little lie in, breakfast and then the whirlpool in solarium. Dipped in and out of the pool, read on the poolside lounger and did 2km on the track. Grabbed a cold food plate from WJ for a poolside lunch. Took some time to visit areas of the ship I hadnt yet been to. After dinner in the MDR we went to the Freedom ice show which was great. Very talented skaters and choreographers. Had a few scoops in the Schooner bar afterwards where the music was good.

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Another enjoyable activity I forgot to mention on day three was the cha cha dance class. This took place in the Star Lounge with two or three of the professional dancers. It was really good fun and they were very encouraging.

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Day 4

Early rise to meet our tour group from roll call and find our RIL guide to take us to Florence and Pisa. Security at La Spezia was abit strict. The police would not allow us walk certain ways to find our Romeinlimo vehicle. Turned out there was a shuttle bus to take to the port gate first. Once there our guide Vini welcomed us and brought us to the van which was waiting across the road from the port. There were eight of us booked on this tour. Vini was very pleasant and extremely knowledgeable with good enough english. He had cold bottles of water for us. Unfortunately the microphone was gone for repair so hearing everything was a little difficult but he did his best. We had a two hour trip to Florence, passing through the Chianti region and tuscany hills. We saw the famous white marble quarry clearly in the distance as we drove. we headed first for the Piazza Michelangelo to get the panoramic view of the city. Unfortunately this was all closed on the day because the Giro d'Italia was passing through. Vini left us off in the centre of the tourist area, near the Accadamia, as some people had a visit booked. He was very clear about meeting point and time and gave us clear recommendations and directions on what to see and where to eat in the area. There was a huge queue at the Sante Croce basilica so we didnt get inside. The building is magnificent on the outside however. Very difficult to get a good photo because it is in a confined space and many tourists about. The replica of David was surrounded by scaffolding as the fountain there is being upgraded. We enjoyed walking to the Ponte Vecchio and the nearby markets. All the buildings and museums were impressive from the outside. We went to a cafe for italian lunch and free wifi before returning to our meeting point. I would return to Florence again if I had a few days to spend there. It was pretty but felt we couldnt see it in a few hours. On route to Pisa, we visited a vineyard very briefly as some of the group wished to purchase wine. Then on to Pisa, which was really nice, but again time was too limited here and I would have liked to visit the surrounding buildings. Vini seemed very anxious to have us back to the ship on time, understandably. We were back with plenty of spare time and we ate in the WJ that evening.

Apologies, it was this night that my sisters went to the show "Fourever" and loved it. We then went to the "dancing in the street" 70s night on the royal promenade which was good fun and finished with a few drinks in the very quiet Olive or Twist in VCL.

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I hadnt noticed that myself as we didnt do any speciality dining. The food was great in the MDR. My only reason to do speciality would be for more variety. We did eat in the WJ after the Florence/Pisa tour as we were pretty tired and felt like a less formal atmosphere. We were glad of that and food was good there too.

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Day 3

I was the only one of our party going ashore today. Was up bright and early, had breakfast in WJ and a km or two on jogging track and got the tender boat to Villefranche at 7.45am. Villefranche was spectacular from the sea and seeing the ship from the tender boat was equally beautiful. The tender boat took less than ten minutes to reach the little dock.

Once ashore, I followed the shoreline around the corner until I found the steps leading to the railway station. Had trouble operating the ticket machine. Someone did it for me and as a result I got a ticket to Cannes for something like 1.20. We had a bit of a wait for the train but it was fast and comfortable when it came. I took it to Cannes. It was the day before the film festival started so there was plenty of excitement with the preparations. Cannes is very easy to get around on foot. The golden palm imprints near the festival hall was enjoyable, as was a walk along the seafront. I also took the little train around the town. This covered the festival side and also the old town which is beautiful. Really enjoyed my few hours here and glad I went.

I then took a train to nice. Weather was very hot and I didnt stay here too long. There was construction work on the promenade, so I veered into McDonalds for free wifi instead. I think nice is a pretty city but I was feeling tired at this point and wanted to explore the little town of Villefranche as well before tendering back to the ship.

Loved Villefranche. Full of charm and very pretty, although a little too quiet. There was a small market here, which was worth a look.

Back on board, I found my family on the pool deck. They had enjoyed a day chilling out. We all enjoyed the usual lovely dinner. My sisters went to the show that evening, which was the group "Fourever". They thought it brilliant. My mother and I strolled through the evening offers on the royal promenade. Later, my sister and I took a lounger on the pool deck under the stars to watch LaLa Land on the big screen. Retired to bed very tired but happy.

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The cruise compasses are taking up alot of photo space. I might just post photos and if anyone requests the compasses I can post them together. I have plenty of ship photos as well as port ones so if anyone wants any particular place let me know.

I was there this year the day before the festival started. If I wanted to stay there then I wouldnt go during the festival as alot of work going on and construction of tent cafes on beaches etc. The day before it was exciting to witness the preparations and I took the little train trip, which covered the festival side and also the old town which is lovely and I wouldnt have really found on my own. I loved my few hours in Cannes.

Day Two

We arrived in Marseille at 9am. After a great nights sleep I felt like new and after breakfast in the WJ, I took to the jogging track for a walk. Four of us disembarked about midday and walked to where the free shuttle bus was. we had to wait 40 minutes for it but once it came it was plenty big for a crowd and didnt take long to reach Joliette. We walked to the old port from there. It took about 10 minutes. I took the little train to Notre Dame de la Garde. It was about €8 return journey and the bumpiest journey in my life. The views were great from the basilica. I just did a quick visit and came back to the old port and then walked to Joliette and got a shuttle straight away.

Made it back on board a tad late for the meet and mingle but just in time to be given raffle tickets. Won a bottle of wine and my sisters won some RCCL merchandise. Very poor turnout but apparently many did not receive their meet and mingle invites and didn't know it was on. Such a pity.

It was the first formal night, so we dressed in all our finery and made it back to our window table in the MDR. Unfortunately I only got a photo of the menu the first night. Food in the MDR was very good but needs more variety. Service was very good and our waiter Nicholas and assistant Marion were lovely. My mother got her extra dessert with birthday candle and waiters and manager singing happy birthday to her. She was ecstatic with the little bit of fuss.

The headline show was Marquee. Being a big fan of musical theatre, I loved this show. Great singing, dancing and costumes and some of my favourite musicals were covered. Just wished it could have gone on for longer. We all headed to bed after that.

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