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LIVE From the Freedom of the Seas

Trainman-2

By Trainman-2,
in Royal Caribbean International

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Trainman-2

Trainman-2

Posted
Posted

Hello Everyone,

 

Carol and I are at sea on the Freedom's Eastern Caribbean Itinery! Here we were in the Olive and Twist Lounge on Deck 14 this afternoon before the ship sailed.

 

DSCN9231.jpg

 

A Personal Note:

 

A week and a half ago we moved from Fort Mill, SC to Palm Coast, FL. The move was mainly downsizing from a 5 bed room home with 3.5 acres to a smaller 3 bed room home with a great screened in pool and lanai. The new house is still total chaos. The Master Bed Room is set up. The Kitchen stuff is mostly put away, and Carol wanted cabinets in the Laundry Room which I finished yesterday.

 

The rest of the house is furniture and boxes everywhere!

 

We are ready for a break and this cruise was scheduled months ago and the timing couldn't be any better.

 

This is our first time on the Freedom. The Mariner was the largest RCI ship we had been on before today.

 

We left our home in Palm Coast (on Florida's East Coast 20 miles north of Daytona Beach) about 8:30 this morning, stopped at McDonald's for a snack and then drive to Port Canaveral arriving about 10:15. WE hunk out in the parking lot for about 30 minutes (YES! We are both "Evil Smokers") and then headed inside.

 

We are Diamond Members (this cruise is our 24th cruise credit so we'll be Diamond Plus next time) so we were processed in promptly. We sat and waited about 20 minutes and were on the ship about 11:15.

 

Then off to the Windjammer for an excellent lunch!

 

More to come...

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Radio "Live from...." Rare

Radio

Posted
Posted

Thanks Trainman. . . You know that I'll be tuning in every day !

 

I LOVED the Freedom of the Seas, and I am sure that you and Carol will love your cruise !

 

Have a great time. . .

 

 

Radio

:rolleyes::rolleyes:

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luckyprincess

luckyprincess

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Hope you and your lovely wife have a great time, Trainman! My Daddy (yes, we Jersey Italian girls still call them that when we're adults:D) is an evil smoker, too:rolleyes: - can you let me know about the smoking situation? He and my Mom were able to take a cruise a few years ago (first not Jersey shore vacation they've ever had together in their 46 years of marriage:o) and had an amazing time. However, that was before the new smoking rules. He's a stubborn but lovable man, so if the available smoking areas would make him uncomfortable I know he would be unhappy. Can you let me know where he can smoke and if you were hassled at all? I wish he could and would quit but if he's going to smoke I want to be sure he doesn't have to walk for 20 minutes to have one.

Thank you!:D

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Trainman-2

Trainman-2

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We are both tired from all of the work on our new home so we spent the afternoon on Deck 14 in the Olive and Twist (O&T) Lounge where there are some tables set aside for the "Evil Smokers".

 

The H2O zone is impressive and it was teaming with kids having fun. However, every time I went to take a photo they all disappeared!

 

DSCN9232.jpg

 

We left the O&T to go to the Gala Mustard Drill (Life Jackets were not required) and then headed back up to the O&T for sail away. We went down to our cabin on deck 6 and our suit cases had arrived so I was able to wear nice slacks to the MDR.

 

We are at a table for 8 and have great table mates, all adults. We had an excellent dinner time with stimulating conversations. The food was good! We both had the prime rib, Carol's was well done and mine was medium rare. It was a good cut of meet and the flavor of the gravy was "just right." We were offered a choice of baked or mashed potatoes and three of us ordered mashed. We all got baked but the waiter said he was bring mashed and in a minute or two he showed up with a plate full of mashed potatoes. This left me facing the question of what to do with my baked potato. The two immediate solutions that came to mind were to roll it under the table or toss it over the railing down to the Dining Room on Deck 3. I ended up putting it on my Butter Plate. This is the first time on a RCI cruise that we didn't get exactly what we ordered.

 

Overall, it was a great dinner!

 

Another Personal Note:

 

Carol is very weak from the chemo-therapy she had after Breast Cancer. She walks with a walker and is very slow. I am a disabled veteran and use a cane most of the time.I have never encountered so many rude people as I did tonight in the dining room. The Ship's Photographers and the Wait Staff were the worst! I understand they are in a hurry to get their jobs done but five of them almost knocked Carol and her walker over. But many of the passengers, both adults and kids were just as bad. I am going to have to walk close behind her to protect her from being run over or knocked down by people rushing by us while I try to ask the people who stand in the middle of the walk ways to talk to move aside and let her through.

 

This is not going to be easy.

 

The Freedom is currently one of RCI's biggest ships. We didn't really realize how big it is until we saw the Carnival Sensation. The Freedom towers over the sensation and we were actually looking down on her smoke stack from deck 14. :D

 

DSCN9234.jpg

 

More tomorrow...

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tomko2

tomko2

Posted
Posted

So sorry to hear that you are encountering inconsiderate staff hopefully the first day rush will settle down and you and your wife will not have to worry about being knocked over.

Very much enjoying your log; will keep watching for updates.

Enjoy your cruise!

Kathy:)

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uksimonusa

uksimonusa

Posted
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Would love to hear about the smoking in the Bull and Bear Pub, it used to be that you could smoke at the bar and behind the railing, have heard now that it is 100% no smoking, have 4 cruises booked on Freedom next year, hope I can still enjoy a pint and a cigarette at the bar

 

Thanks

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Dett

Dett

Posted
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Is there really a favorites list...If so how do i do it.

 

Thanks

 

At the top of the thread is an option called Thread tools. Click on it and choose subscriptions to add it. Then you can choose how often you want updates, immediately, daily, etc.

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Trainman-2

Trainman-2

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Would love to hear about the smoking in the Bull and Bear Pub, it used to be that you could smoke at the bar and behind the railing, have heard now that it is 100% no smoking, have 4 cruises booked on Freedom next year, hope I can still enjoy a pint and a cigarette at the bar

 

Thanks

 

 

Sure enough, as I read here on the Boards a few weeks ago, smoking on the Starboard side of the Pool Deck has been banned! I asked about this at Guest Relations and was told that it was still “OK” to smoke there but they were cleaning the ashtrays and would put them out soon. But the ash trays never appeared.

The Starboard side of the Pool Deck is the only shady place with table and chairs where smokers can sit down. We went up to Deck 12 for a smoke after lunch in the Windjammer yesterday but it was full sun, hot, and there was no place to sit. All of the Pool Lounge Chairs were stacked up and tied together.

I have noticed that even in the bars that allow smoking the number of smoking tables is limited. In the Olive or Twist Lounge on Deck 14 there are only 7 small tables for 4 in the front where smoking is allowed. Smoking is not allowed at the bar.

The Cruise Compass lists the following bars where smoking is permitted in a limited area.

- Sky Bar

- Boleros

- Olive or Twist

-Casino Bar

-Connoisseur Cigar Club

I will go by and check out the Bull & Bear Bar for you but it is not listed as "OK" for smoking. :eek:

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mom3times

mom3times

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At the top of the thread is an option called Thread tools. Click on it and choose subscriptions to add it. Then you can choose how often you want updates, immediately, daily, etc.

 

Thanks so much..I will be sailing on Freedom Nov. 8th..I am counting down every second..:D:rolleyes::cool:

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Trainman-2

Trainman-2

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Today is Day 2 and we are at Coco Cay.

 

We will not go ashore because we are "ship people" and we will have the pool deck almost to ourselves today. The Chair Hogs and Excursionistas will all be ashore.

 

We went ashore on our last cruise on the Monarch two months ago and Carol had her hair braided ($50) and we ate the BBQ lunch which is always good.

 

There were, and always have been, a lot of flies in the BBQ Dining area. I would think that RCI would have the island sprayed from the air to wipe them all out. There are lots of environmentally friendly chemicals that could solve this problem.

 

Here is the BBQ lunch being loaded on the tenders.

 

DSCN9249.jpg

 

Another tender with crew headed ashore

 

DSCN9255.jpg

 

Here is a quick shot of Coco Cay

 

DSCN9252.jpg

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Trainman-2

Trainman-2

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The doors on Deck 11 from the Elevator area to the Pool area are automatic rotating doors. These eliminate the traditional blast of wind through the doors on the other RCI Ships we have been on and probably save the ship a bunch of A/C costs.

 

DSCN9248.jpg

 

It was funny yesterday because when Carol got in with her walker and started following the thing around she missed the place to get out the first time she went by it. I got is with her for the second go round and told her when to get off.

 

I don't know what would happen if someone got their walker or scooter or themselves caught in it.

 

I do not plan to test it to find out! :eek:

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