Opinions" Freedom Antigua or Freedom Costa Rica?

[big al]

Hi all - My wife & I and possibly another couple are considering one of the two 8 night cruises on the CCL Freedom next April '11...we are both veteran cruisers..we have done 26 on all except Costa..my wife wants to go somwhere where we haven't cruised to, so I looked at the 2 Freedom cruises. I've never been to Costa Rica, nor Panama on the 1st cruise and the 2nd cruise itinerary includes Antigua & Tortola ,the latter which we went on HAL in 2005 and LOVED it...point: I've been reading many reviews on Limon,CR., and Colon,Panama, and both are NOT very positive....the Antigua cruise also includes San Juan, St.Thomas/St.John (love it), and Nassau (never get off any more..)....the Panama cruise also includes Cozumel,which we've been to 8-9 times....we were thinking of doing a forest tour & beaches tour in CR, and Panama maybe see the locks and something else...I am a beach bum, and I've heard the beaches in Antigua are beautiful, and we could definitely go back to the Baths in Virgin Gorda-we were there only a few hours and it was a cloudy, drizzly day there when we went....

 

Also, anyone ever stay in the 8M extended balconies in the aft? How was it? Thanks...

 

Big Al

[Coolhand]

Hi,

Mywife, DS and I did the Freedom to Antigua, San Jaun, Puerto Rico, etc cruise and loved it. We went to Vrigin Gorda ans the baths on the Ferry DS and I climbed all over the rock formations and caverns created by the sea, wing and rain. The only negative was it was overcast, drizzly and windy, but beatiful none the less. We also did a jungle ropes course on this cruise as well and a nightime kayak excursion in Bioluminescent Bay. Fantastic!

 

We also went to Costa Rica on a previous cruise on the Legend at least I think it was that ship. The Wife and I did Ziplining there, great fun.

 

FREEDOM is a larger ship than the LEGEND but we had an aft wrap on the LEGEND and spent most of our time laying out there reading and listening to the wake. FREEDOM the Wife and I had a normal Balcony room Midship while DS#1 had an interior room to himself, DS spent most of his time in the KAROKE Lounge singing. We enjoyed the Shows on Both Ships.

 

I would take the PANAMA Cruise because I simply have not been there yet, but I really liked the FREEDOM CRUISE Above if I had already visited the Panama Canal. Just my two cents worth.

Coolhand:)

[golfadj]

We have done both and think we preferred panama.

 

The baths were a real nice thing to see so you cannot go wrong with either.

[agavin]

We did the Costa Rica/Panama sailing last year and loved it. We're going to try the other one you mention in January.

 

There's a review in my sig if it helps :)

[remharri]

I also did the Eastern route on the Freedom last November and we loved it. Although, I will say, the beach we went to in Antigua I was not impressed with. We did the horse back riding (booked through the ship) and the beach it was at was filled with trash. I wasn't very impressed with Antigua that much at all. But thats just my opinioin. But, I will say I LOVED Tortola and the Baths, that has been my favorite stop out of all of them and all the cruises I've been on. Tortola it self I thought was such a cute little town and there was a spice store there that I went CRAZY at buying spices and sauces. I don't think you can go wrong with that cruise, it has been my favorite yet.

 

~Regina

[terigo]

It depends on whether you are a sight-seer or a beach-goer.

 

Costa Rica is lush and chock full of interesting things to do and see.

 

Antigua is lovely, (they boast 365 beaches - one for every day of the year)

but I have never found it to be a terribly interesting island. There are other places to go to see sugar mills and forts.

 

I definitely vote for Panama Canal cruise.

[sturderick]

We LOVED the eastern on the Freedom. We went to a beautiful beach in Antigua and had a mini Island tour and found it very interesting. I am a beach bum too and always love going to The Baths. St. John has beautiful beaches too. This would be my choice. 5 ports is awesome(even though we don't care for Nassau either). Good luck and have fun no matter which one you choose.

[GaNavy]

I did the Western on Freedom last year and am doing the Eastern this fall. I had a great time on the Western - we substituted Belize for Cozumel because of the flu scare at the time - CR and Panama were nice once, but I would take that trip again just for the 4 sea days.

 

But I will say that if beaches are important to you, take the Eastern - there are no beaches in CR or Panama, but you can find nice beaches on all of the eastern calls (well maybe except for that night call in Puerto Rico - unless you do the bioluminescent kayak tour :o).

 

Whichever you choose, you'll probably love Freedom - I know I do, she's just a little better than her fleet mates, food, entertainment, staff, all a cut above.

 

I hope you enjoy your cruise :)

[big al]

Thanks for all the replies,guys....question: how far from Colon is the Panama Canal itself? Nobody has had the extended 8M balconies in the aft? Thanks again...

 

Big Al

[JeffHatfield]

We did the eastern this year and the western last year on the Freedom. We enjoyed both, but the eastern is a very busy cruise with 5 ports and the western includes Panama.

 

We did the train trip in Panama.

[tiggerman101]

I have done the Panama and Costa Rica Freedom cruise. We were in an Aft-Wrap which was great. Panama was interesting and we did the all day ferry through the locks tour. You really need to have something booked both there and Costa Rica as you really won't find much by walking off the dock. The four sea days were great and overall it was a different cruise then your typical Caribbean route. I can't tell you exactly how far the locks are from Colon, but you have a lot of options to getting there (different tours, etc).

 

I went to Antigua on the Victory where I had an extended Aft Balcony cabin. I loved being on the back. The balcony is deeper and the view is amazing. Just be aware that the dividers are slanted so you can see your neighbor's balcony. It wasn't a big deal to us as our neighbors were awesome and we had fun out there every night.

 

I liked what I saw of Antigua but we used it as a beach day and got a day pass to an all inclusive resort (Jolly Beach Resort). It was a good place, but I would do an island tour if I went back. If you want to do something really cool from Antigua, then look up the helicopter tours that will take you over the still active volcano of Montserrat. I really wanted to do this, but the helicopters were still being repaired from damage they received during a hurricain. It cost some $$$ but I have heard great things.

[cruisetexas]

We've done both of those itineraries, both on the Freedom in an 8M!

 

So, we really enjoyed Cozumel (tried a new company for catamaran two reef snorkel trip that was excellent. We enjoyed CR and Panama, but as previously posted, definitely not a beach trip. We did book a beach day and had a nice time in CR (not into the hazardous stuff.....ziplining etc.) and did a day trip in Panama. The canal is not far from the port, but I would say could be 'done' in about an hour.

 

We loved the Eastern, segway in San Juan...great fun...then dinner and pina coladas, Antigua went with a group on an island tour and then Jolly Beach, Tortola, catamaran to the Baths via patouche.com (great company), and wandered Nassau for about an hour.

 

We love the 8M (are scheduled on the Miracle this February for the Southern eight day). There are pros and cons, but since this will be our 5th 8M, not big into the cons!

 

Here's a link to my review of Panama. http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=63636

 

Here's a link to my review of the Eastern: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=943749&highlight=cruisetexas

 

Let me know if you have any questions.

Susan

[big al]

We've done both of those itineraries, both on the Freedom in an 8M!

 

So, we really enjoyed Cozumel (tried a new company for catamaran two reef snorkel trip that was excellent. We enjoyed CR and Panama, but as previously posted, definitely not a beach trip. We did book a beach day and had a nice time in CR (not into the hazardous stuff.....ziplining etc.) and did a day trip in Panama. The canal is not far from the port, but I would say could be 'done' in about an hour.

 

We loved the Eastern, segway in San Juan...great fun...then dinner and pina coladas, Antigua went with a group on an island tour and then Jolly Beach, Tortola, catamaran to the Baths via patouche.com (great company), and wandered Nassau for about an hour.

 

We love the 8M (are scheduled on the Miracle this February for the Southern eight day). There are pros and cons, but since this will be our 5th 8M, not big into the cons!

 

Here's a link to my review of Panama. http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=63636

 

Here's a link to my review of the Eastern: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=943749&highlight=cruisetexas

 

Let me know if you have any questions.

Susan

 

Susan- Thanks so much for both reviews!!...I personally would rather do the Tortola cruise, but my wife is interested as well in the Costa Rica cruise..told her this was NOT the CR you see on commercials with the amazing beaches,and that I'm reading lots of "dissppointments" in the Panama & CR ports of call...though I LOVE the 4 days at sea....actually,we would have almost 3 full days on the Tortola cruise because San Juan you get in so late and we may not get off (except maybe to get a drink at the Parrot Club?)

 

Also, what cons did you find in the 8M's? I've stayed in afts on RCI, and NCL, so been there before...just be careful HOW you walk out there if neighbors can see you....also, my wife HATES bugs, mosquitos,etc., and I'm wondering how bad it would be doing the rain forest type stuff..(I'm VERY fine on a beach w/ a beer & sunshine!!)...Thanks again!

 

Big Al

[nothomeonacruise]

The Panama Canal is close to the port. It's not a long drive there. We did the Portobello / Locks tour. I don't know if it's still offered, but it sure gave us a view of the countryside. The locks were very interesting. We watched a giant barge squeeze through with what looked like inches to spare on each side. The drive to the canal is interesting to say the least. There are soldiers in the streets with guns, and very old buildings in town. Colon is not pretty at all. However, it's much better once you are out of the city. Portobello is a lovely old town.

 

 

As stated, this is not a beach cruise, except for Cozumel. We didn't get to do any excursions in Costa Rica due to weather, but I hear there are great things to do.

 

Here is a link to our trip there in '08 slideshow:

 

http://s438.photobucket.com/albums/q...view=slideshow

[cruisetexas]

Al, I really have no cons for the aft balcony. Some people think it gets too warm back there because it's not shaded enough, but we always cruise in February and haven't had an issue with being too hot (plus we're from TX, so we know hot). I love how quiet it is at the back of the ship, nobody walks around back there unless they have an aft cabin. I thought the balconies were private enough for us....if you're at the rail you can see into other's cabins, but if you're in a chair with your feet on the rail, you are not visible. Pulling out of port is such an incredible site as you sail away.

 

We did a walk through the rainforest in both CR and Panama, and forgot to bring bug spray (NOTE they do not sell bug spray on the ship). Fellow travellers were kind enough to give us a spritz of theirs, you will definitely need it. CR is absolutely not the same as the Pacific side, in fact both Colon and Limon were pretty depressing/poor areas. More industrial type ports. It was pretty cool to see all the ships lined up for the canal transit when we approached Panama. NO shopping at either port if you're interested in that kind of stuff.

 

You will be happy with the Freedom, whichever itinerary you choose. I'm glad we did the Panama/CR trip, but wouldn't go back again. I'll never tire of the blue blue waters of the islands, though!

[big al]

Al, I really have no cons for the aft balcony. Some people think it gets too warm back there because it's not shaded enough, but we always cruise in February and haven't had an issue with being too hot (plus we're from TX, so we know hot). I love how quiet it is at the back of the ship, nobody walks around back there unless they have an aft cabin. I thought the balconies were private enough for us....if you're at the rail you can see into other's cabins, but if you're in a chair with your feet on the rail, you are not visible. Pulling out of port is such an incredible site as you sail away.

 

We did a walk through the rainforest in both CR and Panama, and forgot to bring bug spray (NOTE they do not sell bug spray on the ship). Fellow travellers were kind enough to give us a spritz of theirs, you will definitely need it. CR is absolutely not the same as the Pacific side, in fact both Colon and Limon were pretty depressing/poor areas. More industrial type ports. It was pretty cool to see all the ships lined up for the canal transit when we approached Panama. NO shopping at either port if you're interested in that kind of stuff.

 

You will be happy with the Freedom, whichever itinerary you choose. I'm glad we did the Panama/CR trip, but wouldn't go back again. I'll never tire of the blue blue waters of the islands, though!

 

CruiseTex- Even though we live in S.Florida, still also love those blue waters as well...I should've sang in the Beach Boys...Tell the teacher we're surfin'...Surfin USA....I think it's Virgin Gorda here we come!!

 

Big Al

[cruisetexas]

Hey Al,

Congrats on the decision. While I'm not sorry we did our last cruise, I really felt like I 'missed' cruising with those ports. We also love sea days, and (just to throw something into the mix) will probably re-do our eight day trip to St. Lucia, St. Marteen and St. Kitts on the Miracle in 2012. Two sea days on each end and great ports, too!

 

Enjoy. Check out patouche dot com for the baths. We only do catamarans when available....smooth ride and easy in and out of the water. Try the segways, it's fun and easy!

 

Susan

[big al]

Hey Al,

Congrats on the decision. While I'm not sorry we did our last cruise, I really felt like I 'missed' cruising with those ports. We also love sea days, and (just to throw something into the mix) will probably re-do our eight day trip to St. Lucia, St. Marteen and St. Kitts on the Miracle in 2012. Two sea days on each end and great ports, too!

 

Enjoy. Check out patouche dot com for the baths. We only do catamarans when available....smooth ride and easy in and out of the water. Try the segways, it's fun and easy!

 

Susan

 

Not sure about catamarans because my wife does not swim...deathly afraid even of a jet ski...nice idea..I'll run it by her...thanks again...

[ChefSusan]

Big Al,

 

My husband and I did Freedom's Eastern Itinerary last October, and had a blast! We also did the catamaran to Virgin Gorda via Patouche - I am not a very strong swimmer, and our catamaran was equipped with a dingy that brought myself and my friend Marilyn to the Baths - everyone else snorkeled their way through the Baths.

 

Tell your wife that they also have life jackets if you feel the need to put one on - I did both ways!

 

Regardless, you are going to enjoy the five islands in 8 days - it's an incredible way to see that part of the Caribbean!

[big al]

Big Al,

 

My husband and I did Freedom's Eastern Itinerary last October, and had a blast! We also did the catamaran to Virgin Gorda via Patouche - I am not a very strong swimmer, and our catamaran was equipped with a dingy that brought myself and my friend Marilyn to the Baths - everyone else snorkeled their way through the Baths.

 

Tell your wife that they also have life jackets if you feel the need to put one on - I did both ways!

 

Regardless, you are going to enjoy the five islands in 8 days - it's an incredible way to see that part of the Caribbean!

 

Very good tips!! Sounds like fun..never done the catamaran thing because we like to hang out at the beach...BUT- maybe we can hang out at St. John's Trunk Bay and Antigua's beach and do the Baths thing w/Patouche.....satisfying both needs....

 

Big Al

 

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[Crusin Hogs]

I also did the Eastern route on the Freedom last November and we loved it. Although, I will say, the beach we went to in Antigua I was not impressed with. We did the horse back riding (booked through the ship) and the beach it was at was filled with trash. I wasn't very impressed with Antigua that much at all. But thats just my opinioin. But, I will say I LOVED Tortola and the Baths, that has been my favorite stop out of all of them and all the cruises I've been on. Tortola it self I thought was such a cute little town and there was a spice store there that I went CRAZY at buying spices and sauces. I don't think you can go wrong with that cruise, it has been my favorite yet.

 

~Regina

 

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