LIVE from the Freedom of the Seas 7/23/21

[jam19872016]

Hello everybody.

 

I plan to go live with a review from the Freedom of the Seas on 7/23 for a 3 day cruise to Perfect Day and Nassau.

 

I have written reviews before but this is my first attempt at a live and my first time writing a review on the Royal Caribbean boards. 

 

If you have questions feel free to ask away and I will do my best to find out for you and report back. 🙂 

[back-at-it]

Following ... If at all possible a photo of common drink prices.  

 

Thank you

[jam19872016]

About me:

 

I am 33 years old and living in Florida has always made cruising an easy and affordable vacation option for me. My last cruise required a flight to St.Maarten to board the Celebrity Millennium on what was an amazing cruise and a truly special experience.

 

It was totally worth it but I am happy to be able to drive to reach my destination again. Living in North Florida, I laugh about how much I used to complain about the drive to Miami instead of the quick skip, hop and a jump to reach Pt. Canaveral. I know me, and I will complain about it again at some point, but for right now I continue to be so so thankful for this opportunity and for scenic sail aways, Miami is hands down the best port still within driving distance.

[jam19872016]

Traveling with me this cruise is my good friend and frequent cruise buddy, we will call her M because, well her name starts with m. Also coming along is her friend who we will call J because....well you get the point lol. I know J through M and they will be rooming together and I will have my own room that was comped through Casino Royale. I have an Ocean View and I believe M will be in a JS which was also comped through Casino Royale. Can you guess which one of us is the high roller 😁

 

This review will be casino heavy, food p0rn heavy since we all purchased the unlimited dining plan, and hopefully drink p0rn heavy since I bought the deluxe drink package. I was really on the fence about that purchase since I am not a big drinker and I will have free drinks in the casino. I am hoping that free (prepaid) drinks available at other venues will draw me out of the casino a bit.

 

I probably won't have a lot to offer about the ports of call although I am intrigued about perfect day. This is my first visit there and it looks cool. But I am booked to return 4 more times through March and I imagine it will be pretty hot, so I will play Coco Cay by ear.

 

I do not plan to get off in Nassau. M and J are planning to go to Atlantis and/or Baha Mar while I work on my day drinking.

[jam19872016]

18 minutes ago, back-at-it said:

Following ... If at all possible a photo of common drink prices.  

 

Thank you

Will do. Thanks for following along.

[sandebeach]

Good luck in the casino!

[CaroleC]

17 minutes ago, jam19872016 said:

for scenic sail aways, Miami is hands down the best port still within driving distance.

I’ve always loved sailing out of Fort Lauderdale past all of the beautiful (expensive looking) houses and the end of the beach where people stand and wave as you head out to sea. 

[jam19872016]

I will be driving down to M's house in South Florida tomorrow. I will be making a stop along the way for some lunch in Daytona. Daytona was my first vacation passion before the cruising bug bit me. I rediscovered how much I love it there last year when cruising was not an option for me.

 

Unfortunately though, its not a good value at all compared to cruising which is even more true now that tourism is picking back up. I was going to pair this trip with a nights stay (tonight) in Daytona Beach but honestly the prices were just too much to justify it especially after my experience there before my last cruise (Daytona is crazy crowded right now y'all). So just a quick stop in for a bite to eat and and I will be on my way.

[jam19872016]

7 minutes ago, sandebeach said:

Good luck in the casino!

 

Thank you! I have walked away with house money on my last two cruises, so statistically the odds are not in my favor!

No, gotta think positive. My last Royal cruise I took a bloodbath, so I am due for a good run. Yes, I like that line of thinking much better. 😃

 

5 minutes ago, CaroleC said:

I’ve always loved sailing out of Fort Lauderdale past all of the beautiful (expensive looking) houses and the end of the beach where people stand and wave as you head out to sea. 

 

Miami is my favorite so far, but Fort Lauderdale is nice too. One of those houses has its very own Flowrider in their backyard.

 

Picture taken during sailaway from the Carnival Magic July 2019.

 

 

 

[sandc4e]

Oh, this is gonna be a good one!  Enjoy!  

[Tree_skier]

Following along.  I love live reviews. 😉 

[CruisinMama2003]

Following & Thank You!

[irishgal432]

Enjoy!  We were on last week and loved it!  We booked again for the end of August when bookings opened up.  

[BSR]

Enjoy your cruise. 

[discru]

Following. Have a super time!  Can’t wait to hear about ur experiences. 

[papajak]

Thank you!!! I will be following along! Enjoy your cruise!

 

[Jimbo]

What games in the Casino do you play?

[ReneeFLL]

Looking forward to reading your review.

[bt6799]

Have a great cruise, looking forward to your review.

 

Any info you can offer on table limits will be helpful.  Also wondering if they have a Let It Ride table for my wife.  Thanks in advance.

 

We loved Coco Cay last March and definitely will be returning on our Freedom cruise end of October.

[Mikew0805]

 

3 hours ago, jam19872016 said:

About me:

 

I am 33 years old and living in Florida has always made cruising an easy and affordable vacation option for me. My last cruise required a flight to St.Maarten to board the Celebrity Millennium on what was an amazing cruise and a truly special experience.

 

It was totally worth it but I am happy to be able to drive to reach my destination again. Living in North Florida, I laugh about how much I used to complain about the drive to Miami instead of the quick skip, hop and a jump to reach Pt. Canaveral. I know me, and I will complain about it again at some point, but for right now I continue to be so so thankful for this opportunity and for scenic sail aways, Miami is hands down the best port still within driving distance.

I am on the same sailing, in a comped casino room as well. I always moaned about the drive to FLL/MIA from where I am, (Tampa area) but now... not a word. I cannot wait to get on board! 

[perfect match]

Looking forward to this review! Thanks in advance for doing it! 

[jam19872016]

 

 

Good morning everybody. One more day!!!

 

Got some stuff to do around this house this morning and then i will be making my way down south.

Edited July 22, 2021 by jam19872016

[jam19872016]

12 hours ago, sandc4e said:

Oh, this is gonna be a good one!  Enjoy!  

 

Thank you 🙂

 

 

12 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

Following along.  I love live reviews. 😉 

 Thanks for following, I enjoy them too!

[jam19872016]

12 hours ago, CruisinMama2003 said:

Following & Thank You!

 

Thanks for following!

 

12 hours ago, irishgal432 said:

Enjoy!  We were on last week and loved it!  We booked again for the end of August when bookings opened up.  

 

That's great to hear! I am looking forward am considering also booking it again, just not sure if I can squeeze it in.

[jam19872016]

11 hours ago, BSR said:

Enjoy your cruise. 

 

Thanks 😁

 

10 hours ago, discru said:

Following. Have a super time!  Can’t wait to hear about ur experiences. 

 

Thank you! Can't wait to share my experiences with everyone.