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‘But Who’s Running Canada?!’ - Freedom of the Seas March 13 2016 Review

CanadaCathi
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meatloafsfan

meatloafsfan

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I'm in.

 

I'll be sailing the Freedom next February so I'll be happy for whatever photo's you can give me (oh, and I am so for all of those odd, back of the closet kind of things - we take pictures of accessible bathrooms because you would be surprised how difficult they are to find outside the USA and it's important for our family because my mother is a full time wheelchair user - so I totally get people who absolutely need to see those odd things).

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Otterman34

Otterman34

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I’ll eventually get back on track. 800+ outstanding work emails are about to come crashing around me so I’ll do my best to get posts updated and questions answered as I can.

 

These are not the 800 e-mails you are looking for......

The cruise review can go on its way...

 

;)

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CanadaCathi

CanadaCathi

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Ok, it sounds like we're ready to go. Remember, if you brought snacks, you have to share with the group.

 

Sooooo starting at the beginning; I booked the cruise last May via a travel agent. I’m going to be honest here, I don’t think the TA did much for me, so I’m not using one for our next cruise. I’m pretty type-A and compulsive about planning, which to be fair doesn’t leave much for a TA to do in the first place. She basically confirmed the rate/room I’d already found, gave me $50 OBC, and that’s the last I heard from her other than to collect the final payment last December, and then not again until the week of the cruise! I was able to book my own flights and figure out the airport/port transfers ok on my own so no big deal, but I had used a different TA for the Disney cruise and that one was much more engaged and helpful. So, there you go, my two cents on that.

 

I booked a March departure date that lined up with Jelly’s March Break – this is why there were so many friendly Canucks on board. When we were checking in, the agent asked if we’d left anyone behind to take care of the country, there were so many of us on board. How many? Well, during the illusionist performance the woman who sat down in the seat directly in front of me in the theater (the theater which was filled with hundreds of people, mind you) was a teacher from my daughter’s school. Crazy, right?! Every time I turned around, there was someone else who lived like, less than 10 miles from me. Translated to Canadian, that's 16.09344 kilometers. Anyhow, that’s how I decided on our dates.

 

Starting the Vacation Early

 

I asked the internet which hotel I should book that was more than just a bed and a roof, and the internet told me to stay at the Radisson Resort at the Port. Now, this is not a cheap place to stay, but if you want to start your relaxin’ in advance, I highly recommend it. I would never, ever, EVER fly in the day of a cruise – I’ve seen those people in the airport, wailing and begging and pleading as they missed their connections and their ships. I don’t want to be those people. You don’t want to be those people. Traveling in March from Northern Ontario, you just can’t be positive what the weather is going to throw at you. More on my love for the Radisson later.

IMG_5844a.jpg

 

Do What You Can In Advance

 

Have you ever seen the lines at Guest Services the first day of a cruise? Don’t be in that line. Being in that line means less time out in the sun, waving at all the sad people left behind on land. Do as much as you can in advance so that you’ve got less to worry about when you get aboard. Book your excursions, make your dining reservations, all that good stuff. I know there are some things you have to wait to do, like if you're just drenched in extra money and want to book some crazy exclusive expensive cabana that is in short supply. But I made all our specialty dining reservations, purchased our drink packages (yes, I’ll cover drinkies later), booked excursions, completed our paperwork/waivers, and made our MDR MyTime reservations (5:45p, I’ve got a kid) before setting foot on the big boat.

 

A note on the Chef’s Table reservation – this was not initially available to schedule when dining first opened up, it popped up a few weeks later. Just an FYI. And yes, the Chef’s Table was in the Windjammer, which was a little weird, but it was still a lovely event that I’m glad I did once. You get a galley tour as part of it (to be completed on a different day), which was interesting. And – you guessed it – I’ll talk more about it later. And I have pictures of all the food/wines, so eat before you read that one.

 

I don't think I'm going to take up your time with advice on what to pack, there are only about a gazillion posts and websites with checklists that range from the sensible to the astoundingly insane. I usually take two suitcases because I hate to be without, and I include things like a trillion types of suntan lotion and a popup hamper, but you do what works for you. I take advantage of the midpoint laundry service; on this cruise it was $30 on Wednesday to fill a small bag with stuff, and we got it returned late afternoon on Friday.

 

Coming up next - departure!

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fairymum

fairymum

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I was on this cruise and if you're one of the Canadians that was in the bull and bear Saturday night what was the mony mony song all about, I so wanted to gate crash that party [emoji23] can't wait to read your review

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wdwluvin

wdwluvin

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Just read the 1st page but I'm in! Fellow Canadian - I was on your cruise too. (I think we Canucks basically took over the ship:))

I also just reported here that we converted from Dis to the Royal-side. Can't wait to read more - I'll be wearing the stretchy pants for a few weeks. That cruise food was soooo good!

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JessyCruises "Live from...." Rare

JessyCruises

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I was on this cruise and if you're one of the Canadians that was in the bull and bear Saturday night what was the mony mony song all about, I so wanted to gate crash that party [emoji23] can't wait to read your review

 

 

I wasn't on the cruise but are you talking about audience participation during Billy Idol's "Mony Mony"? We have always done the sing along, not sure how I ever learned it or where it came from and cannot repeat it here for obvious reasons :). I did just find this link which has some info. http://ajournalofmusicalthings.com/where-did-the-special-lyrics-in-billy-idols-version-of-mony-mony-come-from/

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DrD

DrD

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Posted (edited)
I wasn't on the cruise but are you talking about audience participation during Billy Idol's "Mony Mony"? We have always done the sing along, not sure how I ever learned it or where it came from and cannot repeat it here for obvious reasons :). I did just find this link which has some info. http://ajournalofmusicalthings.com/where-did-the-special-lyrics-in-billy-idols-version-of-mony-mony-come-from/

 

It's pretty old, I was singing it in college in 1985 in NY state. I have no idea on the origin either.

 

Nice countdown clock, huh?

Edited by DrD
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