Freedom review 9/5/10 - more info than you can stand!

[texnewbie]

Hey,

 

Tony mentioned earlier it was with Stingray Sailing (www.stingraysailing.com). I only know this so off-the-top-of-my-head because after reading about it in Tony's review, I did a little more searching on TripAdvisor and read multiple positive reviews. I ended up booking with them for our January stop in Grand Cayman.

 

 

Thanks for the information. We are planning on cruising in June 2012, and We plan on taking our old children (22, 19, 16) to this. I think they will love it.

[Tony1865]

Those watershoes are ADORABLE. Where did you get them?

 

;)

 

Aw, shucks. I'm so honored to be cited for my extraordinary fashion sense. Maybe it's genetic - our daughter graduated last December with a degree in fashion merchandising and marketing, and in her first job after graduation is making doggone good money for a freshly-minted college grad.

 

But, in answer to your question - Wal-Mart. Nothing but the best will do for us. :D

 

Gonna work some more on the report proper later today, Lord willing.

[Tony1865]

Hey, for all y'all who were asking about the shop with coins, etc. - found it! It's Artifacts Ltd., and their (sorta sparse) website is www.artifacts.com.ky/ .

 

Fun place for browsing, and it's the kind of place where you can spend a lot or a little. I had my street name wrong - it's on Harbor Dr. You can't miss it.

 

We loved Georgetown. I'd love to spend a week on Grand Cayman.

[Tony1865]

I'm guessing for the partying crowd, getting some time in Cozumel is pure bliss. Sure, why not?

 

But, unapologetic geek that I am, I was pumped about Cozumel because it would be the portal for me to check out the Tulum ruins. I'm a big history buff, remember? So if you aren't one of those, then our shore excursion probably wouldn't thrill you like it did me. But even DW Teresa, who tolerates my obsessions, was impressed.

 

After breakfast in the Windjammer, we went ashore as soon as we could. We booked the Tulum tour through RCCL, just because the logistics - from the ship to the ferry to the mainland to a bus to Tulum and back again - were potentially kinda dicey. If we had a problem getting back to the Freedom, I wanted to make sure they'd wait for us. As it was, we didn't have a whole lot of time.

 

It's about a 45 minute ferry ride from Cozumel to the mainland. This was no leisurely float - that ferry MOVED. It wasn't too choppy, but you definintely felt movement.

 

 

We disembarked at Playa del Carmen. A street scene:

 

 

The bus ride from Playa del Carmen to Tulum was about 45 minutes. It was terrific to have some air conditioning. It was so hot I thought we'd all spontaneously combust, like the snakes in the Subway commercial.

[Maybaybie10]

Tony- we did the Tulum excursion back in 2001 and I swear it was the hottest I have ever been in my life! There is no shade while they are explaining everything and you can see the water, but can't get in it. I thought I was going to melt!

[Cruisinini]

Wow! What an awesome review, I love your sense of humor!! It's always fun to hear how other naturally shy people (INTP here) really enjoy cruising, doesn't seem like we should but we do!

 

You have me so excited to sail on the Freedom that I'm glad our turn is coming very soon.

 

Thanks for sharing "too many" details about your cruise experience, those are my favorite kind to read.

[Cruisinini]

Sorry... deleted my double post.

 

Apparently I wanted you to know how awesome your review was I needed to post twice!

[Tony1865]

So. Tulum. Like I said, it was a 45 minute or so trip. Got to see some of the Mexican countryside, which looked fairly barren along the "interstate".

 

We had a guide and a bus driver. I loved our guide ... don't remember his name. He was full of trivia and kept up a lively banter the whole way.

 

At Tulum proper, our first stop was at a quasi-shopping center. Some folks might've found this off-putting. There were free drinks (lemonade and a fruit punch) at one large store, but they really, REALLY wanted us to shop. Granted, there was a lot of silver and pewter and semiprecious stone jewelry, and some kinda neat ceramic work. It was borderline "pressure," but not awful. Actually, it must've worked, because we did buy a ceramic bowl. And negotiations were welcome, sort of.

 

We saw these folks:

 

 

We took an open air tram the mile or so to the ruins themselves. HOT. Dusty.

 

At the park proper, we were introduced to our next guide, a Mayan chap named Andy, which I'm sure is a common Mayan name. What was so, so cool about this was that he was sharing with us about his ancestors. He called attention to his features - short, almond-shaped eyes, dark complexion, which he believed gave credence to the theory that the Maya came across the land bridge from Asia to North America. He could have passed for an Eskimo.

 

He also passed out umbrellas so that we might have our own shade. We didn't get one - not a good call. O my stars, I thought we were in the infernal regions before the day was over. And the humidity. Whew.

 

Anyway. I'd never visited Mayan ruins before, and while I know there are larger and more elaborate ruins out there (think Chichen Itza, which I'm now dying to see), this was a great introduction to this culture. Tulum means "walled city," and its location right on the water made it something special.

 

Andy at the entrance gate:

 

 

My feeble memory informs me that this is the Temple of the Frescoes. If I'm wrong, someone correct me:

 

 

Handprints. Eerie!

 

 

The centerpiece of the city, the main temple. A couple of photos:

 

 

 

[Tony1865]

Iguanas were EVERYWHERE. I took some photos of them, but when they started asking for tips, I put my camera away:

 

 

Looking down at the Caribbean from the temple. Can't beat that view:

 

 

This is the iconic "descending" or "diving" god, the main deity of Tulum:

 

 

 

 

I genuinely loved this excursion, but would have loved it much more if it hadn't been so stinking hot. Teresa and I were both soaked. Now, I live in central Mississippi, and know all about heat and humidity, but this was nuts. We started out as lively tourists ... by the time we got back to the bus, we were plodding zombies. I'd do it all again in a heartbeat, though.

 

We were fed, uh, lunch on the bus trip back to Playa del Carmen. Our guide went to great lengths to explain that RCCL had provided the lunch. It was a Caprisun juice drink, some peanuts, a little fruit cup, some candy, and one of those Chicken of the Sea tuna lunch kits, consisting of a packet of tuna, some Ritz crackers, some mayo, pickle relish, and a little spoon to spread it all with. You know, the ususal gourmet fare. Kind of like what they served on the Carnival Splendor.

[kembo]

I loved the quality of your underwater photos. I ordered the Dicapic today for my camera. I used a disposable underwater camera on my last cruise and it was OK at best. Very excited that I found this option!

[jldev]

Tony, like so many others, I am loving reading your review! We are booked on the same Western Caribbean Freedom of the Seas cruise next October 16 and the Tulum tour is top of our list of things to do! Reading about the extreme heat, I will feel a bit guilty about taking our children (aged 13, 10 and 6 by then) but we are coming all the way from Wellington, New Zealand and neither DH or I want to miss seeing the Tulum ruins. Looking at that beautiful beach below the ruins, were you given the chance to have a swim? I'm just wondering that, if the ruins touring gets too much for our girls, perhaps I would be able to take them for a swim at the beach while DH sees more of the ruins.

[Tony1865]

Tony, like so many others, I am loving reading your review! We are booked on the same Western Caribbean Freedom of the Seas cruise next October 16 and the Tulum tour is top of our list of things to do! Reading about the extreme heat, I will feel a bit guilty about taking our children (aged 13, 10 and 6 by then) but we are coming all the way from Wellington, New Zealand and neither DH or I want to miss seeing the Tulum ruins. Looking at that beautiful beach below the ruins, were you given the chance to have a swim? I'm just wondering that, if the ruins touring gets too much for our girls, perhaps I would be able to take them for a swim at the beach while DH sees more of the ruins.

 

You sure can swim. You'll just need to carry a change of clothes with you. I *think* there are some changing facilities available.

 

Maybe the weather will be a bit cooler for y'all. If you're the least bit interested, I'd rate Tulum as a must-do.

[Fuffty]

Tony, do you have the menu for the MDR ?

[BballinQT24]

I just read through your entire review thus far and am really enjoying it and looking forward to the next installment!

[bhpeters]

Tony,

We are taking this cruise in Jan, hopefully it won't be quite so hot as we also want to do the Tulum ruins. Question: we want to do some shopping to get mexican vanilla and cinnamon, will we have any time for shopping at all before getting back on the ship?

 

also, what time did you have to get up for this tour? Since it's the last excursion day I'm afraid I'll be too tired and miss it. :eek:

 

Thanks for your wonderful review!

[proudpatriot07]

 

Guy Harvey, the well-known artist, scientist, diver, angler, conservationist and explorer, fiercely devoted to his family and his love of the sea, has a great shop in Georgetown. Teresa was able to score a University of Alabama Crimson Tide national championship t-shirt. She went into holy raptures - Alabama, Guy Harvey, Grand Cayman all rolled into one. You go, girl:

 

 

 

Guy Harvey has started designing collegiate shirts for a lot of teams. I know a store in our mall now has Clemson & South Carolina Guy Harvey shirts with pictures of tigers and gamecocks that he's drawn. They're *really* cool. But that's really interesting that you found an Alabama shirt in Grand Cayman :).

 

Still kinda surprised the SEC championship this year isn't a rematch tho ;).

[proudpatriot07]

I'm finally getting a chance to catch up with my cruise critic reading list :). I really love the fish pics, the stingray pics, and the Mayan ruin pics- even though I'm doing the other Freedom itinerary and won't get to see any of this!

 

I do want to go to Cozumel one day though as I've heard good things about it- plus it must have been pretty cool to ride for 45 minutes through Mexico and just see things (can't you tell I just like to drive around aimlessly?)

[Tony1865]

Tony,

We are taking this cruise in Jan, hopefully it won't be quite so hot as we also want to do the Tulum ruins. Question: we want to do some shopping to get mexican vanilla and cinnamon, will we have any time for shopping at all before getting back on the ship?

 

also, what time did you have to get up for this tour? Since it's the last excursion day I'm afraid I'll be too tired and miss it. :eek:

 

Thanks for your wonderful review!

 

This was almost a "sleep in" day, since the ship didn't dock until 10 a.m. We didn't have a whole lot of time after returning to Cozumel, maybe an hour or so. There were a handful of shops right at the port, as well as in Cozumel's central plaza. I think you'd probably have time to pick up some goodies if you knew specifically what you were looking for.

[Tony1865]

Guy Harvey has started designing collegiate shirts for a lot of teams. I know a store in our mall now has Clemson & South Carolina Guy Harvey shirts with pictures of tigers and gamecocks that he's drawn. They're *really* cool. But that's really interesting that you found an Alabama shirt in Grand Cayman :).

 

Still kinda surprised the SEC championship this year isn't a rematch tho ;).

 

Amy, we live in a "house divided" - I can't remember if I mentioned this, but DW is the Bama fan, and I'm a hardcore Auburn guy. So. It does indeed make the SEC championship interesting. I don't know where I'm gonna watch the Iron Bowl this year. Auburn vs. Alabama is always hard to watch with DW, and this year, even more so. If we can just get through all this awful drama with Cam Newton ...

 

Sorry, folks. Back to the topic at hand! I'll get us out of Cozumel later today.

[Daycare Provider]

Tony-where is Margarittaville in relation to the port?????:D

by the way I love your review

Angela

[filamino]

Tony, This is one of the best, if not the best review of a cruise I have ever read. Thanks for all the hard work in getting this completed!

[strawberryblondeagain]

Thank-you so much for your report!! This is exactly what I was looking for :D!!

 

We have sailed DCL Magic 3 times now and we love the Magic. I'm looking at Freedom of the Seas for next year. Kids will be 11 and 14 and I think this ship will be a great fit for us.

 

I love the movie theater on the Magic...did you watch any movies on FOS? I don't care for the softserve icecream on the Magic, it seems like icemilk and a bit runny, not creamy. Does FOS have free softserve and if so, what was it like?

[bob123]

Tony,

 

Loved the review of Tulum. We were in a resort on the Mayan Riviera this past March and toured Tulum, and the weather was quite bearable, although we did share some shade under the trees with the iguanas now and then. Concerning a previous post, there are plenty of shops in the mall to buy vanilla. And Coronas. And Pacifico. And Dos Equis. One interesting fact about the original Mayan inhabitants: they deified those born with birth defects. They considered them to be special gifts from God. Sort of like how my wife, who is a special needs teacher, considers them today. I did not see any beach changing facilities but hey: you're in Mexico. People change right on the beach. I noticed the Senor Frogs in Playa in one of your pictures. A word of warning to future visitors: Some on our cruise a few years ago had their drinks spiked with x-tasy. They were totally out of it for about six hours and had to seek medical help on the ship.

 

Love the review.

 

bob123

[Tony1865]

Tony-where is Margarittaville in relation to the port?????:D

 

by the way I love your review

 

Angela

 

I remember seeing it ... it's on that main drag that runs right along the waterfront. If I recall (and maybe someone else can help us out here), you'd bear right on that waterfront street, heading roughly south/southwest.

 

We didn't visit there, so like I said, I'm kinda vague. Wish I could be more helpful.

[Tony1865]

Thank-you so much for your report!! This is exactly what I was looking for :D!!

 

We have sailed DCL Magic 3 times now and we love the Magic. I'm looking at Freedom of the Seas for next year. Kids will be 11 and 14 and I think this ship will be a great fit for us.

 

I love the movie theater on the Magic...did you watch any movies on FOS? I don't care for the softserve icecream on the Magic, it seems like icemilk and a bit runny, not creamy. Does FOS have free softserve and if so, what was it like?

 

The Magic's movie theater is downright palatial compared to the Screening Room on the FOS. We didn't see a movie there, although I did peek in it at one point. It's so small that it seems like an afterthought, and I've seen home video theater setups that were far nicer. I guess if you were trapped on board during a rainy day it might be an option.

 

There is indeed soft serve available. It's not too bad, but you do get what you pay for (it's free). It had sort of a chalky texture. Folks were lining up to get it, though.

 

Ben and Jerry's is a good option if you want the real thing, but it'll cost ya. It seemed eerily deserted most of the time, despite its prime location on the Promenade.