FREEDOM’s just another word for a really awesome cruise: Sept 22-29, 2013

[Nicksmom82]

Hello! So cruise #6 for my wife and I, and #3 for our 7-year-old daughter Sophie, is in the books. We cruised on the Freedom of the Seas, from Port Canaveral, on the eastern Caribbean itinerary.

 

Our group consisted of the three of us (R and I oh so close to the big 4-0), my parents (in their 60s), and my youngest brother Kevin, his fiancee (both in their 30s), and their 4-year-old son. The trip was made possible by my very generous folks, and we’ll always be grateful for that!

 

We had three D1 balcony cabins on Deck 9 -- 9314, 9316, and 9318. We were able to get the stewards to slide the dividers back, making one large balcony. I really like that -- the kids can go back and forth between the cabins without going into the hallway. (My parents’ room and my brother’s room also had an interior connecting door).

 

We are booze smugglers, and all of our booze made it through. My brother did have a bag sent to the “naughty room” based on a non-alcoholic beverage inside. Will explain that shortly.

 

And away we go….. (I’ve got this entire review written, so each part will pop up in fairly quick succession, as I compile the pictures to post with each. Whole thing should be up in less than an hour.)

~ Enjoyed reading your review of your sailing on the "Freedom". We are flying in from NY a day before the cruise and we are also staying at the same hotel, The Best Western as you did. Looking so forward on this cruise. We are doing the western sailing. ~

[SRQfireman]

as somebody kind of eluded to.....car rental/parking.....I'm sure you ran the figures.....but for somebody who hasn't done that before, it sure seems like it would be cheaper to rent the car one day.....drop all your stuff/people at the ship.....then drop your car off and get a shuttle ride back. Now you're paying to rent the car sitting in a lot in which you're having to pay to park your car (paying for 2 things now!).......but there must have been some method to your madness there :D

St Thomas.....it appeared you parked at Havensight (granted it.....way the heck out on the end of the pier!)......Does RCCL always park at Havensight (anybody else know also?) and it is usually that last spot?? That can be quite an extra hike each time you want to get to the front gate there.

Thanks for the great review though.......I see you had a "Columbia" shirt on....I assume you're in the medical business with HCA / Columbia ? (or it use to be "HCA" I know)

[cruising to paradise]

Enjoyed your review. We are doing the same cruise in January, reading this makes me more anxious..

[ericrz]

as somebody kind of eluded to.....car rental/parking.....I'm sure you ran the figures.....but for somebody who hasn't done that before, it sure seems like it would be cheaper to rent the car one day.....drop all your stuff/people at the ship.....then drop your car off and get a shuttle ride back. Now you're paying to rent the car sitting in a lot in which you're having to pay to park your car (paying for 2 things now!).......but there must have been some method to your madness there :D

St Thomas.....it appeared you parked at Havensight (granted it.....way the heck out on the end of the pier!)......Does RCCL always park at Havensight (anybody else know also?) and it is usually that last spot?? That can be quite an extra hike each time you want to get to the front gate there.

Thanks for the great review though.......I see you had a "Columbia" shirt on....I assume you're in the medical business with HCA / Columbia ? (or it use to be "HCA" I know)

 

Fortunately, the Best Western doesn't charge for cruise parking, so we were all set there! Wanting to have an SUV (to be sure to have room for our multitude of luggage!) the National "rent-for-a-week-and-leave-it-in-the-parking-lot" plan was better for us than two one-way rentals, because I can rent at a midsize rate with National and then take a Chevy Behemoth or Ford Brontosaur upon arrival. :D

 

My "Columbia" shirt is from the sportswear company, not the medical one.

 

We were in Havensight, and we arrived at 12PM, meaning we were behind the Disney and Carnival ships. My guess is, with a noon arrival, the last spot on the pier is the only one left!

 

My dad walks with a cane, and he was happy to see that there was a golf cart shuttle service up and down the pier for people who needed that assistance.

[bcarl]

I love National and wish they had an office in Cocoa Beach for drop off so I could use the Emerald Aisle as well, but they don't so I haven't rented from them in quite a while (since I stopped doing Disney 3x per year). If I got a good enough rate for the week, with free parking, it makes sense to keep the car, but most of the hotels have a higher park and sleep package so a one night rental, with a rental shuttle drop off, makes more sense for us.

 

Thanks for your review.

 

I was looking at National for an upcoming cruise and found a drop off location at 6211 N Atlantic Ave, Cape Canaveral. I called them and they have a shuttle that will run you to the cruise ships or back to your hotel. It comes up in their online system as Cape Canaveral_national.

 

Thanks for the reviews. Looking forward to our trip on Freedom.