~~~Possible Group "Escape the Winter Blues" on the Carnival Freedom 02-12-11 ~~~

[happylady]

:cool:~~~Possible Group "Escape the Winter Blues" on the Carnival Freedom 02-12-11 ~~~:cool:

 

Come join us for a sure cure of those "winter blues" on the Carnival Freedom February 12, 2011. Yep, I know, it's a long way off, but think about how much time you'll have to save for excursions, DOD's, donating to the casino, snagging that balcony or suite you've always wanted, etc.:rolleyes:

 

The 8 day itinerary couldn't be better:

 

Sat, Feb 12 - Ft Lauderdale, FL

Sun, Feb 13 - Fun Day At Sea

Mon, Feb 14 - Cozumel, Mexico - 8:00am to 5:00pm

Tue, Feb 15 - Fun Day At Sea

Wed, Feb 16 - Limon, Costa Rica - 10:00am to 6:00pm

Thu, Feb 17 - Colon, Panama - 7:00am to 4:00pm

Fri, Feb 18 - Fun Day At Sea

Sat, Feb 19 - Fun Day At Sea

Sun, Feb 20 - Ft Lauderdale, FL

 

Breathtaking waterfalls, enchanting beaches, lush rainforests and exciting nightlife are just a few of the attractions you'll experience on this 8 day Carnival Western Caribbean cruise. Relax on the powder-soft sand of a quiet beach, swim with stingrays or visit local wildlife habitats. Whatever your desired level of adventure, you're sure to find it in the Western Caribbean. Whether it's adventure or relaxation you're looking for, Carnival Western Caribbean cruises offer the best of both worlds.

 

FT LAUDERDALE, FL

Port Everglades is Fort Lauderdale's waterway to the world. This cosmopolitan city spans 23 miles of Atlantic coastline. That's 23 miles of sun, sand and surf for you to enjoy. World-class golf, dining, shopping and sporting events await you in this city by the sea, first made famous in the 1960 film "Where The Boys Are."

 

COZUMEL, MEXICO

Long before Cancun became a popular destination, Cozumel was well-known as a diving spot and home to the world famous Palancar Reef, which gives divers the opportunity to view thousands of brilliantly colored fish. Non-divers can kick back on a sun-drenched beach, or enjoy any number of seaside activities, such as shopping in colorful marketplaces or dining in an open-air café.

 

LIMON, COSTA RICA

The lush, peaceful country of Limon, Costa Rica, has long been a well-kept secret among biologists and beachcombers. And it's easy to see why. More than 27 percent of Costa Rica's amazing terrain is designated as national park, biological reserve, wildlife refuge or some other category of protected area. Home to hundreds of thousands of species of exotic flora and fauna, this special fertile land is also a haven of spectacular beaches that stretch for miles, jungle rivers perfect for rafting and kayaking, and wonderful historic ruins.

 

COLON, PANAMA

There's more to Panama than the canal. Panama's ethnic mix is reflected in its arts. This is a proud nation that honors its many Indian tribes and its rich Spanish legacy. You can shop for traditional arts, such as wood carvings and ceramics, tour an Embera Indian village or take part in a peaceful kayaking trip. One thing is sure - once you've embraced Panama, you'll find it hard to leave.

 

:DWhat a great present this would be for that someone special in your life....starting with you! You know you deserve it, so who else want's to go??:D

[anamanxs]

Looks like this could be a blast! GREAT intro with lots of information! Never too early to plan a GREAT time! Count me in! :o

[happylady]

Yeah!! Let see how many of our Alaska buddies we can talk into joining us. :D

[happylady]

After seeing Samantha Brown's story on the Travel Channel, I can't wait to cruise on the Freedom. The ship looks so beautiful.

 

Anyone else interested?

[anamanxs]

I missed her program, but I have been looking at other posts and it looks like a beautiful ship also!

[singbluesilver1]

oog sounds intresting

[happylady]

I'm waiting to hear from Laura at Cruise Critics. It may be too early for us to be declared "official", but it never hurts to try. :rolleyes:

 

We've never done a western cruise and would love to give it a try.

[anamanxs]

I did this back in Jan 2004 on Celebrity, wonderful cruise and a GREAT way to Beat the winter Blues! Warm sunshine, beautiful oceans and the Canal is an amazing site, one you must see!

[happylady]

I did this back in Jan 2004 on Celebrity, wonderful cruise and a GREAT way to Beat the winter Blues! Warm sunshine, beautiful oceans and the Canal is an amazing site, one you must see!

 

I'm really looking forward to seeing the Panama Canal. I was looking at the excursions and see one that looks really interesting. You travel by bus to the Pacific side of the canal then board a ferry and travel through the canal to the east end. The estimated length of the tour is 8 hours which seems really long, so I'll have to really think about if it'll be worth it or not.

 

Did you take any excursions on your visit?

[anamanxs]

We did not do that one. We did the one that goes to the locks where you can see the ships go through and then onto the city of Colon. We saw the orginial town that a pirate burned down and then went dowtown and ate lunch. Food was pretty good. Downtown was different like being in a big city with tall buildings and lots of traffic. The driving reminder me of being in Spain. CRAZY!

 

It can take all day to just go through the locks, you may be waiting for a very long time just sitting there.

[anamanxs]

Here is a picture of the Gatun Locks you can see the high side on one side and the low as the Locks move ships through them. It takes all day to travel from one side to the other.

[happylady]

Great picture Annette. The Panama Canal is something I've always wanted to see. I'm sure it will be one of many trip high lights.

 

As Annette pointed out, this cruise would be a great Valentine's Day treat for that special person in your life. Just imagine giving a little box with the cruise tickets to your loved one on Christmas with the following message..."Merry Christmas. We are leaving in 6 weeks on a fantastic Caribbean cruise so we can "Escape the Winter Blues" & celebrate Valentine's Day".

[stitchisbad]

We've never done a group cruise but this looks interesting.

[happylady]

I did a group cruise on the Disney Magic in 2001. We all booked separately but met on the message boards and became friends prior to the cruise. We planned a couple events during the cruise....a sail away meet with bubbles for the kids, a meet and greet during a sea day and a wine tasting party in one of the suites. The group was very casual with some attending every event and others only attending one. We actually became good friends with one couple and did a few other activities with them during the cruise and have seen them three times since (even though we live 1500 miles apart).

 

With Cruise Critic, we have the possibility of becoming an "Official" Cruise. This will give us some added benefits like a reduced deposit, possible OBC, meet and greet party, gifts, etc. I haven't yet heard back from Laura of Cruise Critic. They pick and choose which cruises become "official". I'm hoping there are enough people interested to make Cruise Critic give us the go ahead.

Check out the "Official" group for the May 11, 2010 cruise on the Carnival Spirit to get an idea of what groups sometimes plan. [thread=984033]Click her for Spirit Cruise Info[/thread]

[anamanxs]

Hey Kathi,

 

I was just looking at pics of the Freedom and it looks like this definelty looks like a fun cruise, Valetine's Day as well as escaping the winter blues!

[LEtue]

Oh darn, I got so excited when I saw the thread but....I really want to sail the Freedom on the alternate itinerary. :(

 

This would be President's Week in the N.E. right? That should bring lots of people to your group :)

[hazeleyez3]

This would be perfect!! We have been looking at this itinerary and trying to decide if we wanted to do it next November. If we do it in February instead we have Valentines Day, not to mention my husband and I had our first date on 2/13.

[happylady]

This would be perfect!! We have been looking at this itinerary and trying to decide if we wanted to do it next November. If we do it in February instead we have Valentines Day, not to mention my husband and I had our first date on 2/13.

 

Then this would be the perfect itinerary for you!! We've done an Eastern, a Bahamian and have an Alaskan cruise planed for next year. We've always wanted to try a Western and this will fit our schedule perfectly.

 

I'm hoping we get a bunch of people interested and am able to become "official" with Cruise Critic. :D

[hazeleyez3]

Trust me...I am really hoping it will become official. I have been wanting to do Costa Rica and Panama for some time now, plus we love sea days.

 

I am getting a bit tired of the same Western Caribbean ports (Grand Caymen, Jamaica, Belize, Honduras, etc), and because another couple asked us, we are doing another one in January...so, we are ready for something new

 

I only get 2 weeks vacation at this point so, if it turns out to be a group cruise we will be able to look at another itinerary for next Thanksgiving (as opposed to this one). I will only need to take 3 days then, and can save the other 2 for a short land vacation somewhere.

 

I get very antsy if I go without a vacation too long (and my husband has apparently caught the disease as well) so...February is perfect.

[anamanxs]

Me too, I would love to do this cruise! Kathi, have you heard from Laura, if not you may want to send her another e-mail since it looks like she got a lot of member cruise approved in the last couple of weeks.

[happylady]

Me too, I would love to do this cruise! Kathi, have you heard from Laura, if not you may want to send her another e-mail since it looks like she got a lot of member cruise approved in the last couple of weeks.

Annette---We must be on the same wave length!! I just sent her another email asking about our status!! :D

 

For anyone wanting to take a look at this cruise, Arymay has posted a fantastic review with great pictures. The link to the post is:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1027676

 

Reading her review and seeing the fantastic pictures makes me wish I was on the cruise right now!! How can I wait a year and a half??:o

[anamanxs]

Annette---We must be on the same wave length!! I just sent her another email asking about our status!! :D

 

For anyone wanting to take a look at this cruise, Arymay has posted a fantastic review with great pictures. The link to the post is:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1027676

 

Reading her review and seeing the fantastic pictures makes me wish I was on the cruise right now!! How can I wait a year and a half??:o

 

Wow, you are right...wonderful review and I can't wait. SPIRIT (Alaska - Northern Beauty) and then FREEDOM (Southern Beauty)!

 

The camera she used was amazing, I am going to have to check that out!

[anamanxs]

Be sure and check out the next post on the link listed above it is amazing.

[happylady]

After a few more emails, I finally heard back from Laura. It's a "no" since the Miracle back-to-back cruise is around the same time. They stop at two of the same ports and are out of Ft. Lauderdale. I like this itinerary better since we'll stop at Costa Rica instead of Belize. I think we'll still plan on this cruise...might wait for the Spirit cruise to sign up, so that we'll get the added benefits.

[*Luv2Cruz*]

Sounds like a great idea. I was just looking yesterday at a similiar cruise/date but for 2010 BIG birthday & V-Day.:D Lotsa lottsa lucky with your group!;)