agp_mzk Posted May 19, 2014 Author #26 Share Posted May 19, 2014 (edited) Debarkation Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end eventually. On debarkation morning, I met up with Lee for breakfast in the dining room. I had tags for Zone 1, and he had Zone 6, but we sat on the Promenade and hung out until the final call came for everyone to finish disembarking, around 10:30 am. Suzanne, another member of our group, stopped by for a little bit as well. She had such a great time that she had booked the second leg of a B2B on our ship! I wish I could have stayed on board with her; I wasn't ready for the magic to end. My luggage was easy to find, sitting all by itself in the Zone 1 section of the terminal! It took about 45 minutes to get through the debarkation line, but we breezed right through customs. Lee and I were the last of our group to separate at this point, and I grabbed a cab to the airport. While waiting to check in for my flight, I bumped into a couple of the members of my roll call - for the first time since the day of embarkation! FYI for those who fly Allegiant: The weight limit for checked bags is 40 lbs, not 50 like most airlines...I was definitely "that girl" who had to transfer clothes from my checked bag to my carry on at the ticket counter. :rolleyes: The plane boarded on time, but we sat on the runway for over an hour before taking off. The pilot was having some kind of problem communicating with the air traffic control officer. Finally, we took off for an uneventful flight home, and I was back in my own house for the first time in ten days around 7 pm. I have to say that taking this solo trip was the best thing I have ever done for myself. The increased confidence and sense of empowerment that I gained were much needed after what had been a pretty rough few weeks leading up to the cruise. The people I met this week have made a permanent impact on me. The only word that I can use to sum up the experience is "magical". I don't think I'll ever be able to top this week, but we're sure going to try! Thank you all for your compliments on the review! I hope at least a little of the fun we had comes through in the words and pictures I've shared with you guys. Edited May 19, 2014 by agp_mzk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agp_mzk Posted May 19, 2014 Author #27 Share Posted May 19, 2014 Did you get to see any shows at the main theater? I didn't go to any of the production shows; they're not really my thing. Other than the comedy, the only "shows" we saw were the hypnotist and the Love and Marriage show. The hypnotist didn't do much for me, but the Love and Marriage show was pretty funny and entertaining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinyrose Posted May 19, 2014 #28 Share Posted May 19, 2014 Nice review! I enjoyed living vicariously through you. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenMF Posted May 19, 2014 #29 Share Posted May 19, 2014 (edited) One of my table mates, John, creates videos that he posts on YouTube as "crusiecrewtv". I can't wait until he gets the ones from our sailing posted! They are sure to be hilarious. OMG - I know John!! That's too funny! Edited May 19, 2014 by KarenMF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuzzBuzzen Posted May 19, 2014 #30 Share Posted May 19, 2014 The scooter thing looked like it came from Captain Nemo's Atlantis. Great review , I am really enjoying the commentary and wonderful photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruzkitty Posted May 19, 2014 #31 Share Posted May 19, 2014 Loved your Review and pics-thanks for taking the time to post! We'll be cruising on the Freedom in September. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToriB Posted May 19, 2014 #32 Share Posted May 19, 2014 Loved the review! I was on this sailing with you, actually just a walk down the hallway, I was in 8-340. It was my first balcony ever, and I loved the location. I was right by the stairs that came up to Guy's and Blue Iguana. That's a dangerous location for easy access to food. I ate way too many burgers and burritos during the week. haha. I'm sad it came to an end but as of a few hours ago I'll be sailing a 5 day on the Paradise next week. Woooohooo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arubanut Posted May 19, 2014 #33 Share Posted May 19, 2014 Great review and pictures,thanks for posting!!!! We will be on the Freedom in August(my first cruise):) . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chathamman Posted May 20, 2014 #34 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Awesome review, great pictures and glad you had a wonderful cruise!! We leave 6-1-14 on the Freedom and cannot wait. I noticed you did not mention the Piano Bar, or the Alchemy Bar, so I am guessing you bypassed those? ...that being the case, did you hear any feedback from others? ...also, is all the construction complete? AGAIN, GLAD YOU HAD A GREAT TRIP! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agp_mzk Posted May 20, 2014 Author #35 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Awesome review, great pictures and glad you had a wonderful cruise!! We leave 6-1-14 on the Freedom and cannot wait. I noticed you did not mention the Piano Bar, or the Alchemy Bar, so I am guessing you bypassed those? ...that being the case, did you hear any feedback from others? ...also, is all the construction complete? AGAIN, GLAD YOU HAD A GREAT TRIP! Thank you! I walked by the piano bar on the first evening to check it out (a "singles sing-a-long" was listed in the FunTimes for that particular time slot), but the crowd was considerably thinner/older than I was interested in, so I didn't go inside. I stopped at the Alchemy Bar on the last evening between the race and dinner. Service there was a bit slow but friendly. The drinks were tasty and quite delicious! Not all of the construction was complete, but nothing that was ongoing affected my cruise in any way. I think the kids club was in a temporary location during our sailing. The water slide was only open on embarkation day; they were working on it the remainder of the cruise. There were workers on the ship making minor adjustments to light fixtures, etc. most days in several different locations. They had a portion of the deck around/below one side of Serenity closed and some equipment over there; I'm not sure why or what that was. There may have been other things still being constructed as well, but those were the only ones I noticed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tropicaledrink Posted May 20, 2014 #36 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Hey Neighbor! (I'm up the road in the Tri Cities area) thanks for the review! I'm boarding Saturday, so good to hear some feedback! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chathamman Posted May 20, 2014 #37 Share Posted May 20, 2014 THANK YOU for answering all these questions. ...much appreciated and happy cruising! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellbtm Posted May 20, 2014 #38 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Wondering if Red Frog Pub offers the appetizers as they have on Breeze. Anyone know?? Sent from my iPad using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
092306 Posted May 20, 2014 #39 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Really enjoyed your review and pictures!! Glad you had a great cruise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agp_mzk Posted May 20, 2014 Author #40 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Wondering if Red Frog Pub offers the appetizers as they have on Breeze. Anyone know?? Sent from my iPad using Forums I'm not certain, but I believe they do. I know for sure that they give the free plantain chips and spiced nuts - both of which were delicious, by the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lgerrish Posted May 20, 2014 #41 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Wonderful review!!! I cannot wait to visit the Red Frog Pub. Did you go to the Blue Iguana? I'll be on the Freedom in June and am anxious to see all the upgrades. Loved seeing your pictures - looks like you had a fabulous cruise. Thanks for sharing!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agp_mzk Posted May 20, 2014 Author #42 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Wonderful review!!! I cannot wait to visit the Red Frog Pub. Did you go to the Blue Iguana? I'll be on the Freedom in June and am anxious to see all the upgrades. Loved seeing your pictures - looks like you had a fabulous cruise. Thanks for sharing!! Thank you! Yes, I did have lunch from the Blue Iguana one day. I thought the food was very tasty, and I liked that the burrito wasn't gigantic (like a typical Qdoba/Moe's/etc. serving). I wished that there was a greater variety of toppings offered, but overall I give it a thumbs up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PathfinderEss Posted May 20, 2014 #43 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Great review, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyndi03 Posted May 20, 2014 #44 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Do you know if they offered luggage express? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agp_mzk Posted May 20, 2014 Author #45 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Do you know if they offered luggage express? Yes, I believe that Luggage Express was offered on this cruise, although I didn't take advantage of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcjigs Posted May 20, 2014 #46 Share Posted May 20, 2014 I've been eagerly awaiting info on the Freedom, as I'm on her in just a few weeks. thanks for taking the time to give your review. :D I really enjoyed it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buggerbean Posted May 20, 2014 #47 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Hi, Thanks so much for the review. Was the Tandoor grill still there on the lido deck aft? I've heard it is not, I love the Indian food served there. Sailing on the Freedom on the 22nd of June. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agp_mzk Posted May 20, 2014 Author #48 Share Posted May 20, 2014 Hi, Thanks so much for the review. Was the Tandoor grill still there on the lido deck aft? I've heard it is not, I love the Indian food served there. Sailing on the Freedom on the 22nd of June. I don't believe there was a Tandoor grill. If there was, I never saw it, and it was never listed in the FunTimes with the other dining options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crusinpsychRN Posted May 21, 2014 #49 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Last 2 trips out of Tampa, Platinum cruisers did not get VIP cards to board, they checked everyone's card. Those in line without a Platinum or Diamond card were told to go to the end of the line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmberTeka Posted May 21, 2014 #50 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Great Review. We are thinking of a cruise on the Freedom in Oct. or Nov. Thank you for taking the time to do it and post it. Do you have the Fun Times? Will you post them? thanks again. Looks like you had a lovely cruise but that you would have a good time no matter where you sailed!!! Cheers to You! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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