A&L_Ont

She is not. In fact I had to lift her up onto the lounger. You can lift her up and into your arms while being rubbed but Just as long as she wishes. She will rub up against your legs when we are outside. Sounds similar to Leonard.

And look who joined me. Reminding myself not to wiggle my toes near her.

That or maybe because most the the guests live within a few hours of the port. I bet if it was a January sailing with guests from the north the crowds, or at least their towels, would be our early.

Just hanging at the home pool today. Niece and nephews are out this week.

The Jays, the team of a nation. Owen has been lucky to get some autographs this year from the players when we go to the games. Now that we are home again we have 4 games for sure and possibly 3 more with local league play downs this weekend, to see if we go to provincials again this year. Glad you could relive your experience again vicariously though us. Heidi was kind, but like the Wheel they eventually send you packing. Thanks for taking the chance and following along.

I know, right? This was the only sea day on the 4 day sailing. The pools didn’t start to get busy until 11am but seats were still available here and there. It was packed at noon.

While BBQing I took a couple flower pictures at the pool. Dinner tonight. Pork chops.

She was travelling single, but her husband was at home.

You are correct. The WJ has them, as well as El Loco Fresh. Only a fraction of the people washed their hands or used sanitizer there at all. Maybe 3 of 10 people washed or sanitized. Many walked right by them. What I was getting at even if the food is served those individuals who didn’t sanitize, such as at Sorrento’s, still put their hands to their mouths. Lord knows where their hands were prior to that, like elevator buttons, washroom door handles etc. They might not touch/dirty serving utensils but they are putting dirty hands to their mouths etc where germs can easily infect them. The disembarkation morning crowd was a zoo in the WJ. The Chops breakfast certainly is a nice treat. We also met a Master in the RC gambling program and they said breakfast was also included for them in Chops. She was Pinnacle was well, but noted about the Master and it’s perks.

JR used to have them on their menu, but that’s for a fee. Not sure about now.

Hope you two do as well.

For those waiting on the calendar… Keep your eyes open for a December drop.

As much as I would have liked two waves for flow riding the days didn’t work this go around.

Many thanks. It is beautiful, but that pier can be daunting.

Our thoughts of a 3/4 night B2B cruise. This B2B itinerary worked for us with our limited time frame and schedule. We would have preferred a 7 day with no turn around day but it was not a big deal. If there had been a 6 night cruise, we probably would have taken it over this B2B. That said it was a great sailing. Thanks for following along and being a part of our anniversary cruise. As of now our next cruise is in March, unless something else comes along. Until then take care of yourselves and see you then. If you have any questions let me know and we will gladly answer them.

Guests demographics for each sailing. Three night sailing This certainly was a weekend party vibe. People who left work early Friday afternoon and were headed back to work Monday morning. We in fact met the Deputy Mayor of Holleywood Beach and that’s exactly what he did. Lots of bachelor/bachelorette parties and groups of friends away for a weekend. There were some families with kids. Lots of folks from Florida, Georgia and we met some from as far as Ohio. The Quest was a riot with the party cruise guests. Four night sailing This was less off a party atmosphere. We saw many more families, honeymooners and even a few babies in strollers. Either way the casino was just as busy. There were many first time cruisers that we met on both sailings. At both Quests more than half the people there had never been to one. All of the newbies we met were have an amazing time and would return to cruise again. All age demographics were well represented.

A couple items of concern we thought was worth noting. Hand washing - cleanliness among guests We only saw people hand washing at the windjammer where they were highly encouraged. We rarely saw other people use it at other venues and locations such as Sorrento’s, Playmakers, or even getting back on the ship. I wonder with guests getting off the ship ever 3/4 days they have departed before sickness can become an issue. Could it be people are lazy, the ship isn’t pushing it or a combination of both. Maybe it’s just a pandemic lag on my part, but I was always a fan of hand washing and sanitizing well before 2020. The ships itself is clean, the guests however IMO could wash their hands more. I didn’t sniff armpits, but I didn’t smell any from afar either. 😉 Vaping I don’t want to turn this into a debate, just wanted to note who followed the designated locations for those that didn’t. We wanted to note vaping. We saw people sneaking quick vapes around the pools, the Schooner Bar, and Studio B during the Quest. These were the spots we saw it first hand. On the first sailing one of the Quest Vaper’s was a team captain. The CD called him out and took points away before the competition started. On the 4 day sailing the guilty vaper was in the second row. The CD saw it, called them out, and again removed the 5 points like the cruise previous. I’d like to commend the smokers who stayed in the designated areas, and took the time to go there VS sneaking a vape off in the corner of a room.

I’m going to break our final thoughts into a few segments, to make it easy to follow along. Itinerary It would not have been our first pick, but it was practically our only choice. That said it was very decent. The two stops at Coco Cay were very. Stopping and getting off the ship in Nassau was a change for us. There are huge port improvements. Going to fish fry a great outing. We made our other stop at Nassau a “sea day” and stayed on ship. Our final true sea day seemed anticlimactic as we could see MIA all day, but the ship kept us out of the rain and in the sun. Food All around it was really good. I might have picked a food dish that wasn’t to my liking but they were all cooked properly. We found specialty dining restaurants were not as busy on the 3/4 day sailings compared to a 7 day cruise on Oasis Class ships. For example, there were walk ins at Giovanni’s at 7pm on the last night. Suite breakfast in Chops was very nice, we also ate at Hibachi, Playmakers, Chops Steakhouse and Giovanni’s. No issues at any venue. Cabin - Grand Suite On top of our comments earlier in the review, Lisa found the toilet to be mounted high. Her feet dangled. We figure the toilet was a replacement toilet which was higher. The tub is a bit of a step up to get into as well. The height is OK for us, but we thought both our moms would have a problem getting in. Cabin was in a great location right by the forward elevators. Those forward elevators on dissemination morning were quiet compared to the masses at the aft elevators. Pool deck We spent all of our time at the solarium pool. Great bar staff and waiters. They made frequent rounds and drinks came quickly. On a positive note none of the pools were closed because anyone had an “accident”. I’m not sure if they are heated or if the sweltering heat kept them at 88 degrees. Ship We found it to be in great condition. Sure if you looks in the corners you will see some wear and tear but she was built in 2006. She has all the features of an Oasis Class ship, just on a smaller scale. As for entertainment, it wasn’t Oasis Class but we knew that coming in. No ATS etc, but we enjoyed the ice show, the schooner bar, the pub and some of the shows that involved guest participation. We heard that Freedom is ranked second in guest satisfaction of all RC ships and we can see why. Internet We found it to be exceptional anywhere on the ship. From connecting, to watching videos, to uploading videos to YouTube. Interesting enough, I could not get a speed test to run at anytime. I muse if RC is blocking this from happening, not that it really matters. I was just curious. Crew They were friendly and always seemed willing to please. Harry our cabin steward was awesome. Really every crew member we came across from Guest Services to the towel station we’re willing to help. Senior Officers They were highly visible throughout both cruises. We saw them on the Royal Promenade in the day and night, on deck at sail away, greeting guests every port day while coming back to the ship, and the Captain had his breakfast most mornings among the suite guests in Chops. It was nice to see them out so much, and they seemed to be approachable.

But with flex seal…

Maybe bell bottoms?

Back home now. Very proud of myself for keeping up on this thread the entire time I was gone. That alone is a mission.

Final thoughts are crafted and will be posted between loads of laundry tomorrow. Lisa and I chatted often during the cruise and on the trip home.

We have been home for about an hour. Suitcase are unpacked and laundry is sorted. Grandma got her bottle of gin and has headed home. Tomorrow we will have her over for a steak dinner as an extra thanks. Lucy also appears to be happy that we are home. I think. I also can’t believe how the hydrangeas have grown. We got 3” of rain while we were away.

Us next. Let’s go Detroit.

Sadness. Flight home time and the weather reflects our mood.