Live From The Carnival Freedom: Crossing the Atlantic for a New Whale Tail

[jam19872016]

 

Apparently, we are under a heavy surf warning. Who knew 🙂?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jam19872016]

Making my way back now. I tried to take the walk back a little more inland to get a different view, since I really didn't travel very far today (I did get a new steps record so I guess I really did it just didn't feel like it), but I got a little turned around so I went back towards the water pretty quickly and hugged the coastline back until I knew how to get back to the port.

 

Forget the palm tree, I'm digging the Christmas tree.

 

 

 

 

Back at the black sand beach.

 

 

Almost back.

 

 

There she is, ready to take me back across the pond.

 

 

 

 

 

[jam19872016]

Today was a very successful port day for both my mom and me. I think today was my favorite day for exploring on my own. Pisa was the best since I was on a real tour, and I got to share the memory with my mom, but for independent exploring, this was the best.

 

Looking back, the best ports for exploring were all the Spanish ports. Valencia wasn't great, and Barcelona was certainly overrun with tourism, but Malaga, Las Palmas, Ibiza, and Palma de Majorca were all fantastic days of exploring and left me with great memories that I will treasure for as long as my memory remains sharp!

[SenatorsFan]

Beautiful ocean pictures! Thank you. 👍😊

[Haljo1935]

Great photos! Nothing beats the sound of crashing waves - nice find.

[five.]

8 hours ago, jam19872016 said:

Before I knew it, I was drawn back into the siren song of the ocean.

 

8 hours ago, jam19872016 said:

Looking back, the best ports for exploring were all the Spanish ports. Valencia wasn't great, and Barcelona was certainly overrun with tourism, but Malaga, Las Palmas, Ibiza, and Palma de Majorca were all fantastic days of exploring and left me with great memories that I will treasure for as long as my memory remains sharp!

 

I feel like if you love to cruise, you probably love the sound of the ocean. Those pictures, especially the black sand pictures. Wow. Thank you so much for posting. Those were wonderful. I could almost hear the sound of the waves.

 

When I daydream about being an expat, it's usually the Spanish coastal towns that I am dreaming about. Assuming you only speak English? How was the language barrier?

[princess76021]

@jam19872016 you have spoiled me!  What in heavens name am I going to do when you are done here???  

Have a great day and enjoy your upcoming cruise.  Please, please take us with you!!

Hugs from Texas

[az4ship]

Your photos are stunning. You should frame them

[NE John]

On 11/10/2023 at 11:29 PM, jam19872016 said:

The part of the trip where I could have died, this sidewalk was closed and I had to walk in the highway.

I’ve actually driven in Naples several times and felt the same way. How did I survive. Pure chaos. 

[jam19872016]

Something that drives me a bit crazy is when I'm reading a live review and then when it's over, it takes forever for the author to wrap it up.

 

Ooops!

 

Sorry everyone. Work has kept me busy and then I was on my little weekend cruise and I did not purchase Wifi, just used my free 90 minutes to keep me occupied here and there.

 

I'm off until Saturday visiting my mom for Thanksgiving so I am going to get this thing wrapped up, finally 😄.

 

[jam19872016]

On 11/14/2023 at 4:36 AM, Haljo1935 said:

Great photos! Nothing beats the sound of crashing waves - nice find.

 

On 11/13/2023 at 10:50 PM, SenatorsFan said:

Beautiful ocean pictures! Thank you. 👍😊

Thank you 🙂

 

[jam19872016]

On 11/14/2023 at 6:44 AM, five. said:

 

 

I feel like if you love to cruise, you probably love the sound of the ocean. Those pictures, especially the black sand pictures. Wow. Thank you so much for posting. Those were wonderful. I could almost hear the sound of the waves.

 

When I daydream about being an expat, it's usually the Spanish coastal towns that I am dreaming about. Assuming you only speak English? How was the language barrier?

I have a limited understanding of Spanish. I found myself understanding conversation better after being immersed in it for as long as I was. They also speak English better than most of the Spanish people I encounter daily in Florida.

 

The black sand was not appealing, looked almost like an oil spill. I'll take white sand, or pink sand, but it was interesting to see.

[jam19872016]

On 11/14/2023 at 8:45 AM, princess76021 said:

@jam19872016 you have spoiled me!  What in heavens name am I going to do when you are done here???  

Have a great day and enjoy your upcoming cruise.  Please, please take us with you!!

Hugs from Texas

I'll be starting another live soon 🙂 

 

On 11/14/2023 at 4:23 PM, az4ship said:

Your photos are stunning. You should frame them

Thank you!

[jam19872016]

Deleted scenes:

 

I took a bunch of photographs that I didn't post for one reason or another. Some were pointless and not worth sharing. Like this one.

 

 

Actually, that was for a time stamp so I knew when I made it in the terminal, but not really worth posting, except I did anyway.

 

Most I intended to post, but I just didn't right away but I wanted to share them at some point so that is what I will do now.

 

Some may have been posted, I'm trying to keep them straight which ones were not posted, but its likely some of these are duplicates at this point.

 

My first view of the Freedom as I am getting ready to board.

 

 

 

I read a lot of reviews and watched a lot of videos on Freedom leading up to the review, and they all had to point out the Disney ship and how they wished they were on it, I'm good over here but I got the mouse shot anyway.

 

 

More ship spotting as I do my first day on the walking track. I am not sure but going to assume this is Independence of the Seas. 

 

 

Mardi Gras as we left Grand Turk

 

 

 

Random MSC cargo ship near Amber Cove.

 

 

 

 

[jam19872016]

Never seen these drinks before, I considered trying them but I'm not a big fan of aperol.

 

 

 

No idea why this didn't make it, but I don't see it so here is a bonus gratuitous cake shot.

 

 

I didn't get a lot of sunsets on this cruise, lots of cloudy days, but Nassau did not disappoint during an evening walk on the track.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jam19872016]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jam19872016]

 

 

 

 

The seagulls in Nassau are as aggressive as the vendors.

 

 

 

[jam19872016]

Pizza line at 11:33. I sure did not miss this on the Journeys cruises.

 

 

Even worse was the late night snack line, which is the line I waited in.

 

 

Peeking into the kitchen while I waited in line.

 

 

Grand Turk tried to give me a sunset.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[techteach]

I sure hope the late night snacks were worth that long wait!

[jam19872016]

 

Line must have moved quicker tonight, I got mushroom pizza! Usually I've been waiting so long I just take pepperoni. Score!

 

 

My mom loved her steward from her 10 days in her own cabin. She even got six towel animals in five days. She had me line them up at the end for a photo.

 

 

 

First day coordinates on the TA.

 

 

The sea about half way between Florida and Bermuda.

 

 

 

[jam19872016]

3 minutes ago, techteach said:

I sure hope the late night snacks were worth that long wait!

That late at night with the drunk munchies, anything is worth the wait 😅.

 

Late night choices have improved in the last year, but its not great by any stretch of the imagination.

[jam19872016]

Somewhere in the Atlantic, a day out from Azores.

 

 

 

Pizza line much more manageable on the crossing.

 

 

The work on the funnel had begun, and today it was snowing.

 

 

This was being spit out of the funnel, the crew worked hard to keep it cleaned up but during the last few days there were a lot of nasty things being spit out of the funnel and I am sure some of it unfortunately ended up in the water. There were also a lot of sparks flying which was more than just a little unsettling. 

 

 

 

 

[jam19872016]

Coming up next I will have some extra pictures from my time on Queen Elizabeth and the return crossing and my final thoughts on the trip. Then tomorrow or Friday I will be starting another live for my next trip which I will include a link to in this one.

 

Thanks for following along!

[Haljo1935]

1 hour ago, jam19872016 said:

Coming up next I will have some extra pictures from my time on Queen Elizabeth and the return crossing and my final thoughts on the trip. Then tomorrow or Friday I will be starting another live for my next trip which I will include a link to in this one.

 

Thanks for following along!

Look forward to seeing the rest of this one and ready to dig in to the next one.

I am excited to see your pis & thoughts on the Azores as we go there in 2 weeks.

[princess76021]

Yay!!!

Hugs from Texas