My cruise on Freedom of the Seas ~ 9-21-14

[pepsishot]

These are about perfectly sized. If you can't run 1024x768 its time to get a new monitor.

 

That's just about what my hubby said. :D:D:D

[pepsishot]

Day 5: Still in St Maarten...

 

Once back on the ship we of course had to drop off all our goodies. We passed our room steward on the way. He was just always on top of everything. We never had to ask for a thing. He just knew what and when we needed anything. Can't imagine how the trip might have gone without him.

 

He mentioned getting my note and that he carefully listened for any ruckus "George" might make while we were out. He said all had been quite. "George" was on his best behavior...

 

 

Love that he played along with my sense of humor. Not everyone gets it or maybe just doesn't want to.

 

The heat took its toll on my DH so while he napped, I enjoyed the view from my spot in our room and read for a while...

 

Later on our way to dinner we passed Darrel once again. He asked if "George" was still being a good guest for us. I told him he was even though "George" had looked a little guilty when we entered earlier. ;)

 

He said he'd have a "talk" with him while we were eating and I think it helped as "George" was fast asleep when we came back later...

[Yorkvillain]

Great pics and review.

[pepsishot]

Day 6: Friday --

 

Sea day...

 

I had started a routine somewhere along the way. Didn't notice it until looking back on pictures. Each morning after breakfast was Starbucks and reading time. I moved around from one lounge area to another. This morning I hung out in the back corner of the cafe...

 

This was a very relaxing day. We went to a seminar and some other things. Nothing major. My turn to nap and try to catch up on some missing sleep since we became night owls and I'm not used to that. We climbed the rock wall. DH did surfing on the Flowrider.

 

After dinner was the Quest. This was, along with the Love and Marriage show, something I had read about and couldn't wait to see in person. Now the other day when we saw the L&M show I was laughing too hard to take any photos but trust me, it's too funny to miss. We even watched it again when they aired it on their tv channel.

 

Now Quest, I do have pictures and video, but I will only share this one of our 2 captains for our team...

 

The other pictures, I feel I would need permission to put out here in the public world. I will however share them in my home with my really, really close friends. :D

[LivetoCruise412]

Loving your review and your pictures! I think they are a perfect size, your camera takes beautiful pictures I can see all the details in them.

We are sailing on Freedom of the Seas this Sunday and can't wait. What room number were you in, hoping our room steward is as good as yours. Thanks again

[pepsishot]

Day 7: Saturday --

 

Last day. This made me really sad. I was enjoying the routine and quite life. No work. No phone calls. No texts. Just sun, sun, sun.

 

Packing was quick and easy. Took about 10 minutes out of our day, if that. I had taken advice from someone on this forum to pack my stuff in plastic zip-lock bags. So unpacking was just as quick. Each outfit in its own bag. Once worn, back in it went. Or into one of the extra bags for dirty clothes. Re-bagged the items I had hung up and we were done. So easy!

 

Because of the missed excursion we had a credit on-board. We put that into good use for my DH. He went on the All Access Tour...

 

 

So he spent half the day going into all the places we don't get to see. Learned so much about the ship and crew. How everything runs and gets taken care of. I'm pretty sure he enjoyed this far more than he would have our plans in St Thomas. I'm really glad he had this chance. It's probably the only thing he truly enjoyed about the cruise. He's really not big on crowds or standing in line.

 

Don't get me wrong. He had fun at the shows, during them. Getting out after wherever they were, not so much.

 

So finalllllly.... On our last night.... I was able to get sunset pictures. I had tried a few other times but those nights the skies were just too cloudy to get anything I liked.

 

This is us failing at a selfie with the evening sun in the picture...

 

This is was NOT the right sky for it. But we laughed and kept trying.

 

We also made our way to mini golf...

 

See, while everyone else was packing, we found we had most of the ship to "ourselves". Very few people were out in the early evening. It was a wonderful night to walk the upper deck. The moon was shinning on the water. We weren't flying as fast to get where we were going so the wind wasn't bad.

 

That was something I'm not sure is considered "normal" or not. I found it hard to enjoy being out most of the days/nights. Felt like I was going to be blown right off the ship if I wasn't careful. There were areas that sure, they weren't as windy but there weren't that many. I could't hang around the smoking areas which were pretty perfect in the breeze department as the smoke causes me to have migraines. So I found this trip to be limiting on outdoor time that I thought was comfortable. Maybe it was the time of year... Maybe it was that we seemed to be always at top speed... or maybe that's just the way they all are.

 

Anyway, onto the good-bye show. It wasn't what I expected. Not really even a show. These guys were awesome to watch though...

 

If not for them... There was no "show". But since we didn't really have anything else pressing to do... I'm glad I went? I don't know. I'm still deciding on that.

 

Now, the late night comedy guy... He was well worth seeing...

 

We laughed and laughed. Even after the show was over. We'd think about something he said and start laughing again.

 

 

We did have some things along the way we didn't like. Our waiters, all but the first night we had the same ones regardless of when we showed up, were very here and there with their service. They'd take our sea passes to order our wine with dinner and some nights we'd get them right back with our drinks. Some nights we had to remind them more than once to return them. When DH would get a second glass, some nights they'd take the card again, other nights they wouldn't.

 

This also happened in a couple of lounge/bar areas. If you can bring my drink, why can't you bring back my card??? Having them attached to a credit card that is very easily charged to makes me nervous. Yes we did check our account every night through the tv. But still. I would like to have not stressed about it for one second.

 

Our MTD waiters seemed to put forth more effort the last evening. Shouldn't have waited until then in my opinion. Oh well. It was what it was. Might have been the waiters, might have been the MTD which seemed very hectic compared to looking over at the other levels of the MDR. Maybe I just expected too much.

 

Overall, I'm very happy to have convinced my DH to take me. I had a wonderful time. I would go again even if everything was the same way. I would just know better for next time.

 

The shows were great. The performers were wonderful.

 

Quick final thoughts on Sunday morning. We choose to carry our own luggage off even though that hadn't been our plan. Each of us only had one bag. Not having the "pressure" to be packed by a certain time on Saturday or to be ready to leave the ship when they called your tag number, was worth it. We woke when we wanted to. Ate breakfast without trying to listen to announcements over the noise of everyone talking. No keeping track of time and being in a certain place by a certain time. When we were ready, we got our bags from our room, rode the elevator for the second time in a week. Walked off without waiting. The line in customs was about 5 minutes or so long. Not too bad.

 

And for eating and drinking anything we wanted... we both lost weight! We are letting the stairs take all the credit. It had nothing to do with being careful. I completely lost track of the MILES we walked each day. And that's just on the ship, forget adding in all the walking in the ports. Or counting the amount of stairs we climbed.

 

Nice side bonus to the week. I'll take it.

[pepsishot]

Loving your review and your pictures! I think they are a perfect size, your camera takes beautiful pictures I can see all the details in them.

We are sailing on Freedom of the Seas this Sunday and can't wait. What room number were you in, hoping our room steward is as good as yours. Thanks again

 

Thanks for reading.

 

We were in room 9214. Darrel was heading off the ship the same day we were. He was going home for 9 weeks to be with his family.

 

I hope you have wonderful time and a great room steward too!! Even though you don't see them much, they really do make a big difference in your trip I think.

[pepsishot]

Great pics and review.

 

Thanks!

[oceanblue33]

First of all thank you so much for your review. Is there a starbucks coffee shop on freedom I didn't know that. Great pics also.

[pepsishot]

First of all thank you so much for your review. Is there a starbucks coffee shop on freedom I didn't know that. Great pics also.

 

Thank you for reading. I'm sure I've forgotten a thing or two I wanted to say but figure I can add them in later. There's just so much to cover on a cruise! Always something going on somewhere almost 24/7.

 

There's no special, just Starbucks shop on Freedom. You'll find it in the Cafe Promenade where they make the what you might call the "top sellers". Chai Tea, Mocha, Espresso, etc.

 

It does cost extra unless you have a drink package that includes Premium Coffee. Which is any of the prepaid daily drink packages except the Soda Only package.

[cruiserdudebobby8]

amazing pics

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[pepsishot]

amazing pics

 

 

Thank you :)

[BillOh]

Where in Western NY are you from?

[Mike_from_ATL]

I found out about this place through an internet search of what to do in Philipsburg. I am a huge fan of Star Wars. Kinda drives DH crazy sometimes. However, he was interested in going through the museum part just as much as me. The 2 highlights of this stop. Being up close to my favorite man of all time...

 

And also getting to meet Nick Maley, one of the creators of my wise and awesome favorite green guy...

 

Nick spent some time walking through the museum with us talking about some of the different movies he worked on. Sure he has dvds playing with info of things about stuff as you walk through. However, getting the chance to ask questions thrilled my DH. He's really a behind the scenes kind of mind. It was a joy. He even signed and dated the items I had bought earlier.

[/img]

 

Hello and thank you for an awesome review. Your pictures are incredible.

 

I do have a quick question re the Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit; is there an admission charge to get in or is it more like a store to sell stuff? My boy and I are big fans and it would be a neat stop either way, just want to set his expectations...

 

:)

[pepsishot]

Where in Western NY are you from?

 

Near Buffalo

[pepsishot]

Hello and thank you for an awesome review. Your pictures are incredible.

 

I do have a quick question re the Yoda Guy Movie Exhibit; is there an admission charge to get in or is it more like a store to sell stuff? My boy and I are big fans and it would be a neat stop either way, just want to set his expectations...

 

:)

 

Thanks. I wish I could have added more photos but then again, maybe that would have been too many :rolleyes:

 

As for admission; It's $10 per person OR if you buy, I think it was $50, in the shop (shop part is free) you get into the museum for free. They allow you to take as many photos as you like and there's no time limit to spend in there. It is smaller than I thought it might be but it was well worth the $10 to me. Nick said he is also adding things whenever he can. We were very thankful when we were there we had the place to ourselves. Felt no pressure to look faster or not ask questions, etc.

Edited October 7, 2014 by pepsishot

[lovetocruise75]

Nice job! Glad you had fun. We love Freedom!

[pepsishot]

Nice job! Glad you had fun. We love Freedom!

 

Thanks, I really enjoyed our time on the Freedom. Hoping for more cruises in my future :D

[A Pisces]

I enjoyed your review and pictures! Glad you had such a nice cruise!

[CRUISEBOY305]

Great review. Love Love Love your photo's. Thanks for sharing.

[pepsishot]

I enjoyed your review and pictures! Glad you had such a nice cruise!

 

 

Great review. Love Love Love your photo's. Thanks for sharing.

 

Thank you both.

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[BillOh]

Near Buffalo

 

Been to the Anchor Bar quite a few times, and the Falls of course. I grew up about 80 miles west of you in Erie.

[pepsishot]

Been to the Anchor Bar quite a few times, and the Falls of course. I grew up about 80 miles west of you in Erie.

 

Been to the Anchor Bar only once. My Hubby has been few more times than me. The Falls are something to see. The boat ride is crazy sometimes. We spend just as much time in Erie as we do going into the city as we're actually a little below Buffalo. Erie's not too far and has better beaches.

[bigbny1]

one word for your review AWSOME!!!!!

 

 

B

[pepsishot]

one word for your review AWSOME!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

B

 

 

Thank you! I appreciate everyone who's taken time to read it. Writing gave me a way of being back there again.

 

Thank you all for letting me share my adventure with you.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums