FREEDOM OF THE SEAS: BEHIND THE LENS. September 8-15, 2024

[Lionesss]

35 minutes ago, LobsterStalker said:

I had to double check on this as I always thought they made the next one bigger so it could be advertised as the (next) biggest ship in the world .

According to what I found , Liberty was actually 1111.94 , and Indy 1112

....

Cheers

That is probably the answer to why the difference although minimal in the length of the ship. 
 

Thanks for sharing. 
 

The site I was reading just printed 1112. Not the 1111.94. 
I wonder if there is another length discrepancy. 
 

Take care. 

[Lionesss]

Good morning and;

 

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

 

Today has two meanings for us. 
 

First and foremost—-

 

 

Yes, 9 days till we cruise. 
 

However today as I recall in my memories was our——

“Gotcha” day for Miss Lizzy. 

She started out as a timid, leave me alone kitten ————

 

 

 

To a bonding  Velcro, never leaving your side pretty kitty. 
Her favorite pastime is seeing what she can get away with. 

1.  Clawing furniture even with scratching post conveniently located and with weekly pedicures to help alleviate the length of clawing. 

2. Rearranging curtains to get a better view out windows. 

3. Putting her toys as trophies on my pillow. 

4.  Swatting your foot as she sneaks out from underneath furniture to attack you. 

5.  Setting off the home security system. 
so when we are away she plays behind closed doors in her bedroom. 
We are on a first name basis with all of our local members of police department, even with the department having their issues.  This is why we have a house sitter stay at the house when we are gone. This way pretty kitty attacks them and can bond with them 24/7. 

6.  Sitting on the kitchen table to get a better view of what you are cooking. 

 

  

 

But other than that we have been reading about the upgrades and changes on the Freedom since the last time we sailed. 
 

1.  Water slides. 
 

2.  Lime and coconut bar scene on pool deck

 

3.  Water zone splash pad. 
 

4. Play Makers. 
 

5.  Running track. Modified due to additional cabins. Gotta check this out. 
 

6. Trying to find out if they got rid of cigar lounge?????  That was always an area to avoid. 
 

7.  Also if the still permit guest on front helipad deck for sail away. 
 

8. The sectioned off pool chairs for suites, is it still there. Never used. Too hot there. 
 

 

These to mention a few. 

 

Be safe. 

 

[perfect match]

Sue, your Miss Litzy is adorable! 😻 our girl Merida would love her, but I hate to think of the trouble the two of them would find to get into. I think you said Lizzy was in her terrible twos? So is Merida. She has very strong opinions and is not afraid to express them! 
 

 

 

 

[Lionesss]

 

Eight days till we cruise. 
 

Today I finish ironing and organizing all my clothes and personal items to pack tomorrow. 
You would think with all the cruises we have taken we would reduce and take less, but it always seems we throw stuff in the suitcases “ just in case”.  
 

The weather here in northeastern Ohio has been challenging. Bad storms yesterday with many branches down. 
 

But I was able to see a beautiful rainbow as we were meeting friends at a local restaurant. 
 

 

 

 

That made me look at the forecast for FLL and so far it looks overall dry and calm for our arrival and sail away. 
 

 

 

Now that being said —-In addition to getting ready to cruise I have been baking for our friends daughters wedding. 
 

So far have baked 

 

Chocolate chip bars

 

Almond kiss cookies

 

 

Chocolate Bark

 

 

Almond sugar cookies

 

 

 No picture but lady lock dream cookies. 
 

Today making 10 dozen buckeyes. 

 

When all is said and down I will have about 90 dozen to plate and create cookie table. 
 

Sunday and Monday I will be baking more;

M & M cookies

Melt aways

Nut kolachi

Apricot Kolachi

Nut Kieffels

 

I can safely wrap and freeze these for 3 weeks. 

When I get home on Sunday after the cruise I will have a turn around day and leave for Bowling Green to babysit and come home Wednesday night. 
This only leaves Thursday to finish baking. 
 

Ok. Gotta get this day going. 
 

Take care. 

 

[princess76021]

i'm late to the beginning of this but not for the cruise!!  yay!!!

thanks for taking us along

hugs from texas

[mets07]

Your baking is amazing! 

 

And I am also impressed (pun?) you are still ironing. I don't think I have used an iron in 20 years.

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

[Lionesss]

9 minutes ago, mets07 said:

Your baking is amazing! 

 

And I am also impressed (pun?) you are still ironing. I don't think I have used an iron in 20 years.

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

Ironing. 
 

Yup. 
 

Once a week at least. 
 

-Shirts

-Pants ( long dress and shorts)

 

Someone,  not mentioning any names (Rick) has  to have his cargo pants and shorts pressed, all those goofy pockets do not dry right. 

-Table clothes. 
-Seasonal curtains

-seasonal bed linen 

 

Never ending. 
 

My mom laid the guilt on me. 
and

no I DO NOT iron pillow cases. 
 

Be safe. 

[derorim]

1 hour ago, Lionesss said:

Ironing. 
 

Yup. 
 

Once a week at least. 
 

-Shirts

-Pants ( long dress and shorts)

 

Someone,  not mentioning any names (Rick) has  to have his cargo pants and shorts pressed, all those goofy pockets do not dry right. 

-Table clothes. 
-Seasonal curtains

-seasonal bed linen 

 

Never ending. 
 

My mom laid the guilt on me. 
and

no I DO NOT iron pillow cases. 
 

Be safe. 

 

I found this picture of me the other day. I think this might be the last time I ironed. 

 

[HBE4]

Wrinkle-free fabrics might be the best invention ever, better than sliced bread & right up there with wheel and indoor plumbing 😄

[HBE4]

On 8/29/2024 at 7:16 AM, Lionesss said:

Better yet, after they built Freedom of the Seas the realized future ships in this class needed more room so they were made BIGGER and added footage.

1,112 feet for the two subsequent ships. 

A whole foot.

 

On 8/29/2024 at 8:02 PM, LobsterStalker said:

I had to double check on this as I always thought they made the next one bigger so it could be advertised as the (next) biggest ship in the world .

According to what I found , Liberty was actually 1111.94 , and Indy 1112

....

Cheers

 

My first cruise was on Liberty back when she was about 1 year old & Indy had just been launched a few months earlier. At the time, they were the largest ships in the fleet (Oasis was still a year away). Another passenger had mentioned at the time that each new ship in the Freedom class was  a few inches longer than it's predecessor. 

 

The popular, uninformed guess was that shipyard had "tilted" the railings out a little more with each ship so they could boast about building the 3 biggest cruise ships afloat.

[perfect match]

Sue, beautiful rainbow! 🌈 

Your baked goods are making me very hungry. They look delicious!😋 

Ironing? No thank you! Not if I can help it.😂

 

[Lionesss]

Well. 
Tonight was a total failure. 
 

I have once again attempted to make the peanut/chocolate treat called Buckeyes. 
 

Being of Slovak/Polish descent and a traditional kolachi, pierroghi baker let’s just say it’s not gonna happen. 
 

or

 

A graduate of Pennsylvania State University and not

O - H - I - O —was bad omen. 
 

I did make them and they don’t really look pretty and the chocolate coating over peanut butter—- lets just say use your imagination. But better yet, here’s what frustration looks like. 
 

 
I have to clean them up. Then freeze. 

Then I decided to make church windows. 
Talk about —-what was I thinking. 
 

This is what they are supposed to look like. 
 

 

There chillin now. In 79 min I will know if they go in the freezer or in the trash can.  
 

I need a drink. 
Diet Coke zero  free —- on the rocks sounds about right. 

 

 

 

OH. I DID NOT TELL YOU THE BEST OF THE BEST PART !!!!’ 

 

Well my husband Rick

 

The spouse 

 

The love of my  life. (Anyone who can put up with me for 33 years and 21 days deserves an EZ pass into heaven). 
 

Sue’s husband ( he hates that title)

 

ARE YOU READY. 
 

Asked me if I was going to post live from this vacation. 
 

My response ———

 

I go Rick. 
Honey

Spouse 

 

There are currently 4 CC members posting live and doing an awesome job. 
I don’t know which one to go to first to read. 
 

Who is going to want to read another Freedom cruise thread after one was just done last week. I could never compare, to that sharing of pictures and dialogue. 

Besides, with all the newer ships out there , it would be hard to find interesting facts. 
 

 

Well,  I didn’t say I wasn’t.  But also did not admit it. 
 

Let’s just say. 
No harm. 
No foul. 
 

What he does not know. Won’t wig him out. 
 

Besides it’s football season. 
He will be too busy watching the porpoises (Dolphins) lose. 

( hee-hee). 

Okay. 
 

Sea you later. 
 

I just got asked by the Mister if I wanted to watch a movie. 
I go no. Looking up recipes. 

He goes that’s a lot of typing to just be looking. 
 

I go I’m taking notes. 
See that’s why I did not share this thread. 
 

I’m  going to hell for lying. 
 

Anyway. 
 

Later

 

Sea you. 

 

Edited September 1 by Lionesss

[BonTexasNY]

Sue, your threads are amazing pre-cruise as well as during the cruise.  These last few countdown days will fly. I know you and Rick will have a super cruise.

 

BTW, for those familiar with Sue's amazing luck in the casino, she can't pass it on to others.  I was standing next to her in the casino on Oasis, March 2023, close enough to touch my arm against hers.  Nope, nothing, nada at the machines.  For me anyway. But what fun we had on that cruise! 

[gambler]

Looking forward to your review. I also have zero luck at the slots so usually just stick to blackjack where I can usually hang for awhile.

[Lionesss]

 

 

Good morning. 
 

7 days till we cruise. 
 

I have been up since 3:38 am. 
 

Why?

 

 

Yes. 
 

For whatever reason Miss Lizzy decided to try to give my hand a “licking”. 
Guess she thought i needed my hands washed.  
 

Now I had 2 choices. 
Plan A.  Give Lizzy a flying lesson. 
Nope, not going to happen. She’s to cute. 
 

Plan B. Get out of the comfy bed. 

So I am up and Lizzy decides to lay on her bed and go back to sleep. 
 

I thought about starting my dough to make my nut kolachi,  however the kitchen aid mixer is way too ((((LOUD))). And do not want to wake the Rickster. 
I’ll let Lizzy do it. 

 

So time to watch FOX news and see what supposedly is happening. 
 

More later. 
 

 

 

[Lionesss]

Me again. 
 

You know how sometimes you hit

a “ Bump in the road”, unexpectedly that 

changed all your plans?

 

Yup. 
 

Our day. Well the spouse hit a bump in the eye. Let me explain. 
 

So Mr. Rick by no choice of his woke up with a stye affecting his right eye. 
 

Now, you don’t want to see his frustrated sad face so here is a picture of what a stye looks like. 

 

Always something before vacation. 
 

So off to Ready Care at 11am. 
 

Well it must be a day of medical concerns, he was 14th in line. 

 

It is now 1:23 pm and just getting seen. 
 

Now since this is a ready care, unless your in acute distress, your turn is determined by the order you came in. So the facility can treat those with acute issues first or send them off to the hospital. 
 

So antibiotics and ointment 

 

Later
 

 

 

Edited September 1 by Lionesss

[Sea Dog]

2 minutes ago, Lionesss said:

Me again. 
 

You know how sometimes you hit

a “ Bump in the road”, unexpectedly that 

changed all your plans?

 

Yup. 
 

Our day. Well the spouse hit a bump in the eye. Let me explain. 
 

So Mr. Rick by no choice of his woke up with a stye affecting his right eye. 
 

Now, you don’t want to see his frustrated sad face so her is a picture of what a stye looks like. 

 

Always something before vacation. 
 

So off to Ready Care at 11am. 
 

Well it must be a day of medical concerns, he was 14th in line. 

 

It is now 1:23 pm and just getting seen. 
 

Now since this is a ready care, unless your in acute distress, your turn is determined by the order you came in. So the facility can treat those with acute issues first or send them off to the hospital. 
 

So antibiotics and ointment 

 

Later
 

 

 

 

Sorry to hear about Rick’s stye. Those things are not fun. Good that you guys discovered it early and get it taken care of before you leave.

[Lionesss]

Here I stated minimal dialogue and I’m yipping away. 
 

Updates. 
 

Today we were supposed to pack. 
 

Yup. 
 

Today we were supposed to pack. 
 

Oh I said that already. 
 

Well we didn’t. 
 

But. 
 

I was not happy with the buckeyes so I made buckeye flat treats. Aka Reese’s cups. 
 

Very happy with results. 
 

I can probably salvage about 4 dozen of the buckeyes so all was not wasted. 
 

Since I had to make the buckeye copy cats the spouse decided to mow. 

 

 

 

No packing today. 
 

But barring any detours. Packing tomorrow. 

 

It will get done. 
 

Be safe. 

[Sea Dog]

I want to make some Buckeye’sfor the first time this holiday season. So you feel the squares are easier than the rounds? Is there a particular recipe for the squares?

[Lionesss]

48 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

I want to make some Buckeye’sfor the first time this holiday season. So you feel the squares are easier than the rounds? Is there a particular recipe for the squares?

 

 

I followed this recipe and was very pleased with results. 

 

 

The traditional way was a PIA. 

 

They are $10 a dozen, probably because they are a PIA to make. 
 

Cheaper to make.
 

Good luck.  

 

Edited September 1 by Lionesss

[h20skibum]

12 minutes ago, Lionesss said:

They are $10 a dozen, probably because they are a PIA to make. 

Our bakery is a little higher, but theirs always look perfect.  Because they are a PIA to make, we buy those. 
 

[Sea Dog]

46 minutes ago, Lionesss said:

 

 

I followed this recipe and was very pleased with results. 

 

 

The traditional way was a PIA. 

 

They are $10 a dozen, probably because they are a PIA to make. 
 

Cheaper to make.
 

Good luck.  

 

Thank you Sue so much for the recipe. I had never had them before until last year when my neighbor brought some over around Christmas time. I loved them but what’s not to love with a combination of peanut butter and chocolate? I will let you know how they turn out.

Cheers!

[Lionesss]

 

Good morning.   6 days. 
 

And a safe Labor Day to all. 
 

On today’s agenda making nut Kolachi. 
 

The recipe is from circa 1950’s. It was my moms. 
 

 

 

Catch you later

[Lionesss]

Good afternoon. 
 

Now that the suitcases are packed and the 2 carryons have room left and the checked baggage both weigh less than 60 pounds it’s time to look at the daily planner. 
 

WELL HOLD YOUR HORSES.   

SHUT THE DOOR

DROP THE MIKE
 

Looking back we have sailed RCI many a time over the years and low and behold this is the first time I have ever seen a “FREE” offering multiple times a day and every day of the cruise.

RCI, are you becoming generous in your older age?

 

Curious about this offering. I would rather have but not limited to the return of   Items that used to be available/present, which are now only a memory. 
 To name a few:

 

-chocolate on pillows

-RCI ink pen in cabin

-real soap, shampoo and hair conditioner in cabin

-automatically find printed cruise compass in cabin 
-lobster tails the size of lobster tails 

-onion dinner rolls

-shot glass with “shot of the day in MDR”

-the original quest

-a CD that interacts with guests

-the original drink glass (glass) of the day. 

-getting RCI C & A towels free for loyalty. 
not the mini travel bag given on every cruise, because they say they ran out of them. 
-midnight buffet. 
-Tux  rental 

-Paper notices of events sent to cabins instead of just in APP. 

-Not having your MDR first seating spot removed because you’re in a suite and you have CK. But we have friends not in a suite and we want to dine in MDR with them. (The response of going to WJ if you want to dine with friends) was really uncalled for.

 

I know I’m silly. 
Not like I’m going to go to guest services and remove my gratuities because these are no longer in existence.

Besides, I’m usually too busy running down poolside with my towels before dawn to save my loungers so I don’t have to look for a spot after lunch. 
It seems pool chairs are a “HOT” commodity. 

However. 

I can only imagine what next, well shall we say ….going…..going….gone! 

 

I hear by undertake the challenge of acquiring these tokens. Let the  collection begin on embarkation!!
 

That being —— to collect and proudly wear on my forearm RCI jewelry. 

 

 

 

I wonder how cheap they are???

 

Pictures will follow as I proudly display these. 
 

Next job at hand—
 

To see what we want to sea in the cruise planner. 
 

Later. 
 

I heard there is much more to do than go to the casino every night. Hmmmmm

Really. 

 

Be safe. 

 

 

Edited September 2 by Lionesss

[Luckynana]

On 9/1/2024 at 6:47 PM, Lionesss said:

 

 

I followed this recipe and was very pleased with results. 

 

 

The traditional way was a PIA. 

 

They are $10 a dozen, probably because they are a PIA to make. 
 

Cheaper to make.
 

Good luck.  

 

 

Thank you for this recipe, Sue!  My daughter told me I should make this.  Everyone (with the exception of Jim, who doesn't like peanut butter) in this household loves Reese's pieces, etc., banana dipped in melted peanut butter, etc., etc.😊