Review of Freedom of the Seas - 3/17/13 (Western) - Of All Things "so nice"

[Calico Jack Sparrow]

 

Cruising is really a rich man's way of travelling. We " regular" folk who now enjoy it must endure this way of doing things. If everyone who works on /for the cruise ship got paid a fair wage by them, the price would be a lot more and fewer people would cruise.

 

It is simply part of the price you are expected to pay.

 

It's not their fault, that's just the way it is, and everyone should just understand how this works and "take care of the workers appropriately". We all know we are exp0ected to tip the server in a restaurant; cab drivers; barbers/hairdressers; baggage handlers; etc. Same with cabana people, and tram operators. You got to calculate that into the cost of cruising. I usually bring around $100 in small bills simply for that purpose. By the end of a weeks cruise I probably used $300. *tipping can be a very effective way to get great service. :D

[fletch1027]

We awoke very early to yet another awesome day in the Caribbean!:

 

Sunshine

High: 83

Humidity: 78%

Wind: SE @ 7 mph

UV Index: 11 (extreme)

 

A person can get used to this weather! We got up early so we could try and get on the first tender off the ship to make our 9:30 (ship time) excursion with Captain Marvin's. This was our first experience with room service on the ship. We put the card out the night before, and our food came right at the middle of the 7:00-7:30 window.

 

Below is the details on the pair of excursions we did that day:

 

 

Vendor: Captain Marvin's - http://www.captainmarvins.com/

 

AM Tour: Two-Stop Stingray / Snorkel Tour

Size: about 20 people

Cost: $35 pp (w/ cash discount)

 

 

PM Tour: Hell / Turtle Farm Island Tour

Size: about 9 people

Cost: $30 pp

 

 

We were headed down towards Deck 1 when the announcement came - they started tendering about 15 minutes early. We got on the first tender and headed to shore. Getting off the tender at George Town, the path leads into the port area, and there is an absolute mass of people, signs, and tents for all of the ship and private tours that are meeting up.

 

This is one of the advantages of Captain Marvin's. They are not set up here. To get to them, we walked out of the breezeway under the shops to the left of the port area, crossed the street and there they were! If you look up and can see the Diamonds International building, they are directly to the left of that.

 

Captain Marvin's location (at the Waterfront Centre):

 

 

Once we paid for the excursions (they give a discount for paying cash), we had a short wait for the shuttle van that took us to the dock to meet up with the boat. While waiting, we had a great view of the ship "parking lot"

 

Freedom keeping a safe distance from the Conquest… :-)

 

 

The tour boat was docked a few miles away in what looked like a residential area. The boat was nice with covered seating both upstairs and on the main level. We were at about 2/3 capacity, so there was plenty of room to move around. The boat also had a bathroom and drinks (water or punch) was provided as part of the tour.

 

After a short ride through a channel, passing some really nice houses, we were out in the ocean and this was the view!

 

Heading out to the sandbar - I can't believe how awesome the water looks!

 

 

The ride out to the stingray sandbar was about 20-25 minutes across some of the most beautiful water I have ever seen.

 

Here we are approaching the Stingray sandbar:

 

 

To be continued…

 

 

 

-

[fletch1027]

We arrived at the sandbar behind a few other tours, but before the larger cruise ship tour groups. It is all very organized where the Capt. Marvin's tour guides did a great job of keeping our group together. The sandbar area in general is very large and spread out. They also do a great job of talking to us about stingrays behavior and also organizing people that are interested in holding and "kissing" them so everyone can have a turn.

 

Some info about the sandbar. I am a shade over 5' 9" and the water level at the sandbar came up to a little higher than my waist. Also, we had brought our water shoes, but out on the sandbar, there is a rule that everyone has to be barefoot. That's OK though because it is all soft sand.

 

One of the guides retrieving a stingray:

 

 

Who wants to feed a stingray?:

 

 

Yours truly holding one - their skin feels similar to a dolphin:

 

 

 

They also like to do a photo op where they put a wing over your shoulder:

 

 

A conch shell with a resident living inside:

 

 

Next: on to the snorkel adventure

 

 

 

-

[fletch1027]

After about 30 minutes at the sandbar, we said goodbye to the stingrays, and headed to the snorkeling area. On the tour website, it says that we would go to one of two places depending on the crowds and weather. The one we went to was great - we were the only ones there. After a brief tutorial on how to use the snorkel and fins (included in the tour cost), we all hit the water.

 

Being a germ-a-phone, I was happy to see the masks and snorkels in soapy water. :-)

 

I love taking pictures, and I knew this was an opportunity that does't come around often, so I "splurged" on a $100 underwater camera. Using the CC boards as a resource, I decided on the new Nikon Coolpix S31. It performed flawlessly! Between that and the clear waters I had fun firing off pictures. All in all we spend about 45 minutes snorkeling.

 

Here are some of underwater picture samples:

 

 

 

The tour guides tossed out leftover squid to bring the fish around!

 

 

Fish hiding in the coral:

 

 

These little yellow fish hung in a group camouflaged in some yellow plants:

 

 

The worlds biggest aquarium!:

 

 

Fun's over :-( Everyone back in the boat!

 

 

Overall this was an awesome tour and I would recommend it for everyone to do at least once! There were about 20 people on the boat, but it did not feel crowded, and that is a lot smaller group that what I read about regarding RCI sponsored excursions. The 3-4 person Captain Marvin's boat crew did an excellent job!

 

 

Next up - Island tour

 

 

 

 

-

[MBRN]

I am loveing this review. We will be on FOS in July!!! Our second cruise but first on FOS!!! Thank you for the tips i will be writting them down. :)

Edited March 29, 2013 by MBRN

[bdink921]

My cruise on the Freedom will be absolutely the best if the cover band Blaze of Glory is still on the entertainment list! I hope, I hope!!!!!!!!!

 

(Um, I'm a bit of a Bon Jovi fan...:D:D)

 

Thanks, Fletch, for giving me something to dream about!

 

Ditto!! Hoping they will be on out 4/28 cruise.

[nyonefivetwo]

I went to BYU from 88-90, then I was living in Provo again in 1992. Got engaged and moved back to GA in 92 and we have been here ever since. I can honestly say that I miss the mountains!

 

Enjoy Weber - go Wildcats! :D

 

Go Cougs! The mountains are pretty awesome...but I'd rather have a beach ;)

[deedeetoo]

I have a question about your tour with Capt Marvin in Grand Cayman. Was there anywhere shady on the boat for someone to sit if they didn't want to get in the water? One member of our party is not physically able to do the "in the water" thing but still wants to accompany us.

Edited March 29, 2013 by deedeetoo

[fletch1027]

I have a question about your tour with Capt Marvin in Grand Cayman. Was there anywhere shady on the boat for someone to sit if they didn't want to get in the water? One member of our party is not physically able to do the "in the water" thing but still wants to accompany us.

 

Yes, both the upper and lower decks were covered and shady. Out if the 20 of us, about 4-5 of the people didn't get in the water, but the boat is close enough to the action to still watch and take pictures, etc.. Hope that helps...

[Luv06012012]

Regarding the stingray/snorkel trip....how did you know which time to reserve? We are doing the same ship and itinerary as you in May. Booking through this company saves money and I thank you for sharing this with us!

[Luv06012012]

Okay...I just went on Captain Marvin's site and put in a reservation and I saw that it gave a morning time span so you can ignore my previous question. I know we just provide our cc # to hold the reservation and we can pay cash upon arrival, but after I put in the reservation I got an email saying "we will contact you shortly". Is that all I'm supposed to get for now? It made me nervous....

[fletch1027]

Okay...I just went on Captain Marvin's site and put in a reservation and I saw that it gave a morning time span so you can ignore my previous question. I know we just provide our cc # to hold the reservation and we can pay cash upon arrival, but after I put in the reservation I got an email saying "we will contact you shortly". Is that all I'm supposed to get for now? It made me nervous....

 

Yes, I gave them a CC to use to hold the reservation. They are quick to respond to email questions. When we checked in that morning, we ha the option to pay cash or have them use the CC that we reserved it with. You'll have fun!

[fletch1027]

We were a little concerned about coordinating the pair of tours, because Freedom is only in port for 8 hours - less than 7 if you subtract time for tendering, but Capt. Marvin's did a great job of communicating between the tours and the Turtle Farm / Hell tour driver was waiting for us when the boat docked, so we hopped off the boat and transitioned to the other tour.

 

On the "way to Hell", we passed by a local landmark called the Old Homestead. It was built in the early 1900's and is popular on things like postcards (and also island tours apparently) :-)

 

 

 

The next stop was Hell. Which is more of an area as opposed to an actual city. There is a Post Office where you can buy stamps to send back post cards to people back home with a cool Hell postmark. Postage for 4 post card stamps is $1 US. If you plan to do this, make sure you have small bills, because since it is a government office if you use a larger bill, your change will be in Cayman currency (unless you want some of that). There are also a few small shops next to the post office where you can buy post cards (50 cents each US).

 

Hell got it's name due to an odd desolate looking area the size of a football field that feature black limestone formations sticking up in the air. It was cool to see. Some photos:

 

 

 

Photo ops are also available:

 

 

One of the gift shops (and local resident):

 

 

Where goats roaming around seemed the norm in Jamaica, Grand Cayman has lots of chickens roaming around - now that's what I call free range (insert rimshot here). There is also another popular resident roaming around - the iguana. They are protected so they are hanging out all over the place. Here are some examples:

 

 

Count the iguanas up in this tree. It's hard to tell by the photo, but we counted 11!

 

 

To be continued…

 

 

 

-

[fletch1027]

The last leg of the island tour was a stop at the Turtle Farm. We were there for about 45-60 minutes. That seems quick, but it was perfect to see what we came to see. In my opinion, a tour that goes exclusively here would be a waste of time. To me, an hour was perfect. Our Capt. Marvin's tour guide guided us around the Turtle Farm. He did a good job and explained lots of things about them. Here are the photos:

 

 

The mating pool - where the females far outnumber the males!:

 

 

 

The oldest guy in the park. I think he is 70+ years old:

 

 

After a thorough hand sanitizing, we are allowed to old some of the baby turtles. This was a very cool part of the tour for us:

 

 

 

After that trip, we stopped by a restaurant to drop off some folks that were going to eat there and we went back to the Capt. Marvin's office where we began the trip that morning.

 

 

Next: goodbye to Grand Cayman

 

 

-

[fletch1027]

Well, it's sad to say goodbye to Grand Cayman. I have experienced things today that I will remember forever. It's too bad that the Oasis class ships are too big to tender - I would love to cruise on Allure or Oasis, but missing Grand Cayman would be a shame! How can you deny yourself water like this?? :-)

 

 

 

Anyway, the "last tender" time is 3:15pm ship time, and we get back to Captain Marvin's a little after 2:00. The only down side to the excursion combo is that we have been doing so much cool stuff, we just now realized that we had not eaten lunch yet.

 

My goal was to eat at Paradise Bar and Grill, because in my research I saw that they have grouper sandwiches, and grouper is my favorite fish. However, the walk to there and back would have put us too close to the 3:15 time, so we shelved that idea until next time. Have to have a reason to come back, right? :-)

 

We settled for getting some frozen lemonades and beef patties at a stand that was inside the cruise / pier area and snacked on that while we waited in the tender line. While in line, I saw a lot of "Honey Badger" t-shires for sale at one of the gift shops. Despite being an island paradise, I realized that they are about a year behind US pop culture. :-)

 

OK, frozen lemonade (check) - RCI $25 rental towel (check) - suntan (check) - tourist picture (check)

 

 

 

Tendering back to the FOS:

 

 

Sheriff Brody would not have needed a bigger boat if he was on Freedom!:

 

 

Back to the ship to prepare for formal night. Yes, on the western itinerary, formal night is on the 5th night and a port day. I am assuming it is for these reasons:

- Day 6 is a much later port day than Day 5 - giving people less time to get ready than today

- Day 7 is a day at sea, but then there would be no time left to sell everyone formal night photos! :-)

 

Before dinner, we attended our last show of the cruise, Once Upon a Time (no relation to the ABC show - no Disney cross promotion here!!). It is billed as a "production based on world-famous fairy tales, performed to popular songs from the 60's, 70's and 80's with a modern twist". Wow, that is a mouthful. It has also been in the Freedom since it first launched in 2006. It was a good show, with well performed music, and very elaborate sets for a cruise ship. It was worth the 50 minutes. It had songs ranging from Popular (from Wicked - maybe that will be featured on Quantum next year) to Meatloaf, Duran Duran, Paula Abdul and many more that fit in with the fairy tales (Cinderella, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, and Pinnochio).

 

After the show arrived 20 mins early to our MTD reservation and still didn't have to wait. After a nice dinner, we changed and went back up to the pool deck to watch Brave on the big screen.

 

We were pretty exhausted, so we called it a night early and returned to our room to see our latest towel creation waiting for us. It was a "wascally wabbit"! :-)

 

 

 

Tomorrow we head south down the Mexican coast …

 

 

 

-

[tutuwahineLV]

omg... that has to be the best begining of a review I've ever read. Cant wait to hear how the first part of your week went.

Thanks for sharing your journey...

2-2

[cruisingrightalong]

So on the Western Freedom you only have 1 formal on day 5? not 2 formals?

 

Lou

[fletch1027]

So on the Western Freedom you only have 1 formal on day 5? not 2 formals?

 

Lou

 

No, there are two formal nights. The other one is the first day @ sea (Day 2)

[Georgiagolfer]

DW and I did the sting ray city excursion 2 years ago when on CCL Dream. One of the best we have ever done. As we are on the same itinerary as you, we are thinking of doing this again.

 

Really loving the review.

[fletch1027]

DW and I did the sting ray city excursion 2 years ago when on CCL Dream. One of the best we have ever done. As we are on the same itinerary as you, we are thinking of doing this again.

 

Really loving the review.

 

I would definitely do it again! That's the farthest I have been from shore in waist deep water! :-)

[Georgiagolfer]

I would definitely do it again! That's the farthest I have been from shore in waist deep water! :-)

 

Yeah, that was almost as awesome as the stingrays. Seemingly in the middle of the ocean, you have a sandbar.:confused:

[BrewsterCruiser]

Did anyone happen to watch Brian Williams "Rock Central" Friday nite. Quite the story on Carnival and how they are a multi-billion $$ company and pay .06% taxes. The Miami Heat owner claims that is all he needs to pay. Port taxes are paid by the cruisers. Go into the Rock Central site, very eye opening !!!!!!!!

[BrewsterCruiser]

DW and I did the sting ray city excursion 2 years ago when on CCL Dream. One of the best we have ever done. As we are on the same itinerary as you, we are thinking of doing this again.

 

Really loving the review.

 

Hi there, we were also on the same cruise as Fletch sorry we didn't get to the meet & mingle, in fact we "forgot". We got so caught up in the days activities and showing the ship to my step-daughter, by the time I remembered it was over:(

We used Mobey Dick tours, very, very good as well. They have a website. No C.C required just send them an e-mail and they will confirm. We paid cash at the pier. We met the operator at 9:15 ship time and they dropped us off wherever we wanted to go at the end of the tour. We decided not to go to 7 mile beach as we were pretty sun burnt already, even with 50 SPF! The stingray city tour and snorkeling the coral reef tour was $50 for each person.

[BrewsterCruiser]

Great pictures Fletch. We "forgot" our underwater camera in the room when we did our tour...so please folks remember your camera, unbelievable snorkeling. The best the whole cruise!!! But, I guess like you Fletch we will just have to go again!:D

Great review, makes me feel sort of sad it is all over! Great weather we had!

[alaska_planner]

just starting your review!

thanks for taking the time to share it with us!! :)