Freedom of the Seas 12/2 Semi Live, Maybe, Sort of, Kind of Trip Report

[43mpd902]

So over the past 227 days, since I book this cruise with my DW and my brother and his wife, I have debated on whether or not I should give a live, semi live or whenever I can get to it trip report for others to follow. I have finally decided I am going to give this a whirl and see what happens. This is my first time doing this so please have patience.

 

So to start this out, I feel it is important to go back to the beginning. This all started in March of this year. I work for a small town police department and just finished up investigating the double murder of a well known elderly couple in our community. The  investigation and working short staffed during the period became extremely stressful. Having been in this line of work for 20 years, I knew it was time to get away but unfortunately circumstances did not allow that until December. So after some very lengthy discussions with my DW, brother and his wife it was decided, we would venture out to find a vacation that provide light at the end of the tunnel if you will. By my nature I am a planner when it comes to travel. I suppose I can thank my father for that. All it took was one car ride through South Dakota with five of us and no fuel in the middle of nowhere in a Dodge K car, for those who remember them. Yep not going to have that happen to me. Its all about plan, plan, plan.

 

So enough of that. So after perusing the many websites and deals that are to be had like a kid in the candy store, so many choices but which one to pick. I landed on what appeared to be a pretty good deal, RCCL FOS leaving from Puerto Rico on December 2, 2018 sailing to the beautiful Southern Caribbean. I contacted the group and explained what I found. After a week or so of back and forth and back and forth- kind of like a cruise ship but seemed more like a dingy in 15 ft seas, we booked the next adventure. This was going to be my brother and his wife's first cruise and my DW and I's 4th cruise, although first on RCCL. After I booked it, I sure hoped I didn't screw it up. So like any good planner and self proclaimed cheapskate, I watched and watched and watched the RCCL website to play the elusive game- "How low can you go?" After several weeks and getting our cruise fare down several hundred dollars, I felt pretty good and it helped smooth the waters for my brother so he knew it would be alright. The only problem was there were still over 200 days to go. Ugh why so long and will it ever get here.

 

So like any good planner, I started doing what any good planner does, I researched and planned. I know most of you are probably thinking oh heaven he would drive me nuts. Well I am pretty sure I did just that with my group. So if the trip report just ends, please send someone looking for me, they might have thrown me overboard. But I used my resources and researched as much as I could. I scoured the Cruise Critics message boards for ideas and advice. I asked questions and found answers.

 

I figured a good start to our journey would be to find out what Puerto Rico had to offer. I followed the advise of one contributor here and contacted Puerto Rico's Tourism folks and requested all sorts of maps and brochures. Within a weeks, I had bus schedules, maps, and everything I needed to start. I highly recommend that you take advantage of this if you can. You can contact them at this email if you would like: contact@tourism.pr.gov . 

 

Next up was to find a hotel for the night before we sailed. So many choices but also not an easy decision as Puerto Rico was still recovering from Hurricane Maria. Settled on the Courtyard by Marriot Isla Verde. Id near the airport, but it is right on the beach so who cares about a few planes overhead. Well maybe I will but I will let you know when I get there. I then set out in search of airfare. Search all sorts of airlines and travel sights and decided Southwest Airlines it was. Not a huge fan of not picking my seat, as a 6-3 lets just go with 250 plus man I like room. No I need room, small spaces and I don't get a long. Southwest Airlines was cheap and few all my luggage for free so winner winner. Now only 157 days to go.

 

If you haven't figured out like to talk, so I will make the rest of this short. We looked at each port and decided what best fit us. So here is a preview of what is to come. Our first stop will be Curacao. We have rented a car and will be touring on our own. Looking to do the Hato Caves, Shete Boka, Willibrodus for some flamingos and find a nice beach somewhere. Also looking to spend sometime by the port and stroll over the Queen Emma Bridge. 

 

Next is Aruba. We have booked the Island Ultimate Tour (9.5 hours) through ABC Tours. Seemed to have good reviews and why not take advantage of being in port for 16 hrs, plus our next day is at sea so plenty of time to rest. Stop three St. Kitts and Nevis. We have booked the Valley of the Giants Rainforest Tour with  Greg's Safari. Last stop, St. Thomas and another car rental, Snuba- because who doesn't like to Snuba- well except maybe everyone in my group, a little more sun and some shopping. All excursion were booked though third party vendors so I will let you know how it goes.

 

I then pre-packed about four months out. Wanted to make sure I was going to have room before I left of course and then just waited, and waited, and waited. Most people dread December because of Christmas, but come on already bring in the snow and Santa. I spent the next four months watching RCCL's websites for some great deals. Scored a great deal on the Refreshment package $15 a day on Cyber Monday. Love Cyber Monday. Booked the Mystery Dinner as well, hoping the reviews are right and it is a good time.

 

Which brings us to today, pre-travel day. Stayed up until 1 am packing last night, realized that 58 lbs on my check luggage was not going to work. Completely rearranged the suitcases and got them to an acceptable level, Yippie! Managed to get everything packed into these. Now just waiting for the DW and brother and his wife to get off work so we can leave for our hotel. Will be staying near the airport this evening and then off to Puerto Rico in the morning with a 0630 flight. But in true Minnesota fashion there is an impending snow storm to send us off. Hope to land in San Juan on time and find the beach shortly there after.

 

Travel safe everyone and I will update the report as I can.

 

 

[Canadian Tyler]

Will be following along. Have a great cruise!

[43mpd902]

1 hour ago, Canadian Tyler said:

Will be following along. Have a great cruise!

Thanks for following. Looking forward to sun and relaxation

[EeyoreRN]

WOOHOO!!!  I am so excited for a live Freedom review!  I will be watching obsessively!!   Thanks for taking the time to do this and bon voyage!!

[PhilNDebbieAtSea]

Hope you have a great cruise! ThNks for taking us along!

[ronpes]

Thank you for taking the time and trouble to post this live review. I look forward to joining you.

We are Sailing Freedom in 3 weeks time and cant wait.   Thanks again.

Ron

[z4ltw]

Thanks for sharing your experience, hope your travels to PR are smooth.

I'm doing May 12th but different ports, St. Martin, St. Kitts, Antiqua, St. Lucia and Barbados

Also thanks for everything that you LEO's do! 

Edited December 1, 2018 by z4ltw

[43mpd902]

Well we finally made it to the hotel before tomorrow mornings flight. Got going just a bit later then I wanted and made it to dinner by 8 pm. Discussed at dinner with my DW, brother and his wife that I was doing this report. Almost didn't make it out of dinner. I will post a photo of them later, just in case.

 

Made it to the hotel after 10 pm and was treated to a symphony from the other side of the room by my brother. Apparently dinner did not go over so well. Time for bed for a 3 am wake up call. 7 hours until our flight leaves. Will pick up in a few hours. Home sweet home for 5 hours.

[43mpd902]

First I want to start by thanking everyone for following. If you did not follow this, all I would be accomplishing is annoying my brother, his wife and my DW.

 

Travel Day:

 

Well four hours of sleep is not bad before a full day of travel. Then again, 4 adults, one room, and a whole lot of snoring will probably do that. Walk up call at 3 am for a 4 am shuttle to MSP airport. Arrive around 430 am at the airport and boy were we in for a major surprise. This was the first time flying Southwest Airlines and this is how we were greeted.

 

Not a bad way to start out our vacation. Took a half hour to get through check in and security. Got held up a bit when my phone was "randomly selected" for extra screening. I kind of think it was profiled. I knew that guy looked like an iPhone fanatic. But at last we all made it through screening and onto the gate where our charity awaited.

 

I have to say for this being our first time flying Southwest Airlines I was really impressed. I stood at the gate and asked about the big boned passenger policy.  The flight was not full so was able to get the reserved seat for extra room. With not so great knees, back, hips, and a few extra lbs this was wonderful. Hats off to Southwest for the customer service and flight today. They were great. Marty the flight attendant kept things light and had us laughing right after we boarded. We departed on time and arrived early for the connecting flight in Baltimore. Had just enough time to get McDonalds and catch the connection. Once we boarded, we were informed the plan was mostly full but not completely, which was great- extra room again. Then "Houston we have a problem." The captain got on the PA and advised use that Southwest had OVERBOOKED the cargo hold. You have to be kidding, the plane was not full and they overbooked the cargo area. I knew I should have packed lighter. All joking aside, took a few extra minutes to add luggage and remove cargo. No big deal after all we are on vacation. Again flight was great and staff were friendly. 

 

Once we arrived in San Juan, caught a cab to our humble abode for the night the Courtyard by Marriott Isla Verde. We were met at the door by James who was super helpful. Gave us some tips on where to eat and got 4 free Pina Coladas. After getting settled in, we check out the hotel grounds. I can tell you I was pretty impressed. The reports on the sand fleas or bugs or sand mosquitos based on the bites were pretty accurate. There were some bites but not to bad. After all our state bird is the mosquito. Found the hotel property well kept and very clean. Nicely decorated for Christmas as well. We then left on a walk for dinner.

 

Despite James advice about area restaurants we settled on Chilis in Carolina. Was about a 10 minutes walk, no big deal. I would not recommend it. Food was okay, but there are better options. We then walked back to the hotel and got the free Pina Coladas. Nothing fancy but tasty. Spent sometime on the patio and beach and watched the Jewel of the Sea head out on their voyage. It was then back to the room for some R and R before embankment day. Woohoo!!!!!

Forgot to take my picture until after it was 1/4 the way gone. Oops.

 

 

Edited December 2, 2018 by 43mpd902
Misspelling

[43mpd902]

One other thing of note about the Marriott. It is located right by the runway of SJU. There will be plane noise if you stay here. It just all depends on how much you can tolerate. I am pretty easy going about this type of thing so no big deal. Also cost of cab was $12 plus bag and airport fee which came to $20 plus tip for 4 people and six bags. Not bad. 

Edited December 2, 2018 by 43mpd902
More Info

[Wilson]

Have a great cruise! We board Freedom on the 9th so take great care of her.

 

I was on Freedom with my son a couple months ago after getting an incredible law enforcement discount that was combinable with my Crown & Anchor discount. We got a balcony on deck 8 for $313 per person! Looking forward to returning in a week and have surprised my wife by upgrading to a Suite. 

 

Were they offering a LEO discount for your sailing? Look forward to your live review. 

[43mpd902]

9 hours ago, Wilson said:

Have a great cruise! We board Freedom on the 9th so take great care of her.

 

I was on Freedom with my son a couple months ago after getting an incredible law enforcement discount that was combinable with my Crown & Anchor discount. We got a balcony on deck 8 for $313 per person! Looking forward to returning in a week and have surprised my wife by upgrading to a Suite. 

 

Were they offering a LEO discount for your sailing? Look forward to your live review. 

Unfortunately no discount. But ended up getting a deck 9 balcony for around $650 per person.

Edited December 2, 2018 by 43mpd902

[SnubaQueen]

Following

[Wilson]

Security reported that someone was already at the terminal with their face pressed against the glass. Is that you?

[43mpd902]

15 minutes ago, Wilson said:

Security reported that someone was already at the terminal with their face pressed against the glass. Is that you?

Not yet. Heading out shortly. He has more hair then I do

[Wilson]

2 minutes ago, 43mpd902 said:

Not yet. Heading out shortly. He has more hair then I do

 

Hahahaha. 

Did you happen to go into old SJ last night? If so, lots of Christmas decorations and lights?

[Tahina cruising]

Following. I got off of the Freedom a few weeks ago and booked for next year in October. I can’t wait to read your review!

Edited December 2, 2018 by Tahina cruising

[FMZ]

Have fun, I'll be following along!! 

[43mpd902]

Embarkment Day

 

Good morning for Puerto Rico!

 

The day has finally come. No more waiting,  no more anticipating, no more freezing in a Minnesota winter. Well technically that was yesterday when we left Minnesota and arrived in San Juan. Woke up this morning to absolutely perfect weather. Could not have asked for a better start to the day.

 

Spent some time at the Marriott before we ventured out to the pier. DW got some practice snorkeling in while I took in the sights. If you are looking for a nice, well maintained, convenient hotel, I highly recommend this one. Staff was fantastic and I could not have asked for better view.

 

Shortly after we checked out, we headed to the pier to finally see our home away from home for the next week. Took a cab from the hotel which was not bad. With tip we paid $34 for 4 of us and half the clothes we own. As we got to the pier, there she was the Freedom of the Sea. My brother and his wife got there first up close and personal looked of a cruise ship. Needless to say, they were impressed. As we arrived at the pier, I was alittle concerned based on the number of people around the terminal, but I soon found out it was not big deal. We arrived at about 1115 to 1130. After dropping out luggage with the porters, off we went. Took no time at all to get through registration and onto the ship. We made it on before Noon. Time to explore and figure out where everything was.

 

Our first stop, was to the Dining room to adjust our my time dining. On my previous cruises, I have enjoyed watching us leave ports of call and wanted to make this a priority. So we tweaked a few things and were set.

 

Off to the Promenade. As we go to the Promenade, all I can say is wow. Really that was all any of us could say. Having sailed Carnival in the past, I thought I new what to expect. I was wrong. The space was fantastic. It was nicely decorated for Christmas and convenient to move through. Plus it had everything I needed. Pizza and ice cream. We checked out a few more areas and then off to Windjammer for lunch.

 

Windjammer lived up to its name. It was jammed packed. Lots of people and may just as confused as I was on where to go or sit. But after a few elbows, a little blood and some tears shed, I told the 10 yr old little girl she could have the table if she would just leave me alone. But seriously, it was difficult to find a spot. Once we found our spot, I it was time to take advantage of our refreshment package. Pina Colada one of the day and two of the trip.

 

After lunch we made our way to our state rooms and to my suprise luggage started to show up. Stateroom was nice. Balcony was good size enough room for two chairs and a table. Could even have more if you wanted. Bathroom was small to say the least. And when I say small I mean small. I am not sure I am going to fit in the shower small. Found two whole outlets in the entire room. Completely missed bringing the multi plug. Such a rookie move. Also forgot a clock. Oops. After unpacking some of our stuff, off to more exploring and more Pina Coladas.

 

Sat in on the get to know Freedom show. Don't waste you time, more of just a recap of what you already know about the trio. The ports, the shopping and the decks. I did learn they will not make me walk the plank so that is a positive. Also had to watch the show with out my brother and his wife. Apparently his card magically chanced his photo to someone else, so he had to correct that.

 

Dinner was in the MDR this evening, where we met Dennis, the section Manager and our servers Royson and Placid. Very pleased with all. Dennis and I are going get great. It was impressive he remembered all of our names and he talked to every table. Chose the Calamari, fresh fruit, and Spicy Pork Chop for dinner. No dessert for me. I am watching my figure. But had two more Pina Coladas.

Back to our room to watch us set sail from the balcony. Absolutely breath taking exit to the port with the fort off the starboard side.

 

The showing this evening was well done. Unfortunately our comedian got sick before his show. But the aerial team did a great job. After the show it was back to the room to turn in for the night.

 

I will add the cruise compasses later when I get back home.

 

Pina Colada count: 6

[ronpes]

Thanks again for posting this detailed report. It is VERY much appreciated as I read this is very cold Scotland and I simply cant wait just 2 weeks time when we will be onboard.

 

 

[43mpd902]

A few more photos from the day.

 

 

I will conquer this wall. I am sure I can get up at least 3 feet it.

[43mpd902]

21 hours ago, Wilson said:

 

Hahahaha. 

Did you happen to go into old SJ last night? If so, lots of Christmas decorations and lights?

Did not make OSJ. Going there on Sunday when we return.

[Wilson]

4 minutes ago, 43mpd902 said:

Did not make OSJ. Going there on Sunday when we return.

 

I am sure it will be beautiful. 

 

Thx for all the info and pics. Enjoy your day!

[Wrunkles]

Thanks for the review!  If you make it up by the spa, can you let me know if they have showers you can use?  (without having a class or appointment booked)

[cybergenie]

Great job on your review, so far!  Loved the pics.  Looking forward to the rest of your cruise review.  We are going to be on the Freedom December 30 for New Years.  Can't wait!  We absolutely love cruising out of San Juan.  Royal Caribbean is our favorite cruise line.