Freedom 8 Day Western Cruise Report...With Photos!

[AryMay]

Earlier in the day, the guide that had come with the other four from the ship left. Since they had rushed to join us in the canoe that morning, he had just left his car on the side of the busy highway and was worried it was going to be towed. He told them he would meet them when they got back.

 

When they got ready to leave, Anne suggested we join them in the canoe since it was starting to rain. She said if we left then, she would have time to take us to see the canal and locks…something we hadn’t planned to do.

 

There was a light rain falling as we made our way back in the canoe…but I had brought along some ponchos so we weren’t affected. The ride back was peaceful and pleasant.

 

 

Once back at the boat landing…the other guide was nowhere to be found. Basically the four people were stranded on the side of the busy highway not knowing what to do.

 

Anne managed to squeeze all six of us in her small SUV…but apologized to us quietly for having to “share” our tour once again. Even though the other 4 had already visited the canal, she followed through on her plans to take us there…and they were stuck going again. Somehow their guide was able to get Anne’s cell number and eventually caught up with us at the canal demanding to be paid. I’m not sure how the rest of the day played out for those folks…but it has convinced me picking up a guide at the dock can be risky!

[AryMay]

Seeing the canal was a bonus…it wasn’t a priority to us, but to be so close and not get a chance to see it would have been a shame. I have seen locks in operation in Kentucky and Michigan…but being at the Panama Canal was seeing one of the wonders of the world…and a special piece of history.

 

 

 

We were lucky enough to see three boats go through the locks in the short time we were there and learn some of the facts of how the canal operates.

 

Here is one of the ships just starting into the first lock...

 

 

The same ship as the water level in the lock is rising...

 

 

The mules (the locomotive looking things) are tied to the ship on each side. They travel along a track on the side of the locks to keep the ship centered. This prevents the ship from banging into the sides of the lock.

 

 

We were to be back on board by 3:30 and Anne returned us to the dock at 3:00. As we hugged and said good-bye we talked of returning sometime…perhaps to spend more time with the Embera. DH is even talking of an extended visit where he can bring medical supplies and train the Embera in some basic first aid practices.

 

There are many duty-free shops at the pier in Colon…but we were tired and dirty and opted to just grab a t-shirt in the shop that we walked through to board the Freedom.

 

Our day in Panama was the highlight of the cruise for us. I realize that much of what we saw in the village was “tourist entertainment”…but still you have to marvel at these people who live the way their ancestors have lived for many, many years. And…I can’t imagine any better way to experience the Embera people than with the personal touch that comes from visiting the village with Anne Gordon.

 

Thanks for sharing our "port days" with us. As time allows, I will try and cover the sea days...there were FOUR on this cruise. I didn't take notes so my thoughts will be kind of random and haphazard. If you have any specific questions, please ask. I'll do my best to answer or perhaps someone else from our cruise can chime in.

[celticd1]

Great review of the ports! Thanks!

 

Looking forward to the sea days! :)

[Tee Tee]

Hey Arymay

Awesome review. I am doing this cruise over Halloween with a singles crusie and will be doing this exact cruise on the freedom. When the singles cruise agency initally released the excusions they were offering I have to admit that visiting an Embera village did not sound as exciting as swiming with the dolphins in Cozumel or the zipline in Costa Rica that I was able to sign up for through them. But through advice from the cruise director and a little research on the internet I thought that I would give it a try and sign up for it anyway. But you have really convinced me through your insightful review that this will be an awesome excurions and one that I will never forget. Thank you so much for taking the time to write it. I heard you mention you brought ponchos. Is there anything else that was useful? What kind of shoes do yu suggest?

Laticha

[gmomof3k]

What a great review.....We will be doing the same cruise on the Freedom in Feb........

 

Just wondering if you have a way of getting intouch with Anne Gordon..

 

Thanks

Jodi

 

 

 

***Past Cruises***

RCI Nordic Empress 1/91

Pre Big Red Boat 9/95

Celebrity Galaxy Eastern 1/98

RCI Radiance Alaska 7/06

Carnival Victory Canada 8/06

NCL Pride of Hawaii 7/07

Carnival Liberty Western 12/07

Carnival Trumph Western 8/08

Ruby Princess Western 4/09

 

***Future Cruising***

Carnival Freedom Exotic Western Panama Canal 2/10

[AryMay]

What a great review.....We will be doing the same cruise on the Freedom in Feb........

 

Just wondering if you have a way of getting intouch with Anne Gordon..

 

Thanks

Jodi

 

 

 

Here is a link to Anne's website: www.emberavillagetours.com

 

You can find her email address on the site. If you contact her, please tell her that Mary Miller says "hi"!

[AryMay]

Hey Arymay

Awesome review. I am doing this cruise over Halloween with a singles crusie and will be doing this exact cruise on the freedom. When the singles cruise agency initally released the excusions they were offering I have to admit that visiting an Embera village did not sound as exciting as swiming with the dolphins in Cozumel or the zipline in Costa Rica that I was able to sign up for through them. But through advice from the cruise director and a little research on the internet I thought that I would give it a try and sign up for it anyway. But you have really convinced me through your insightful review that this will be an awesome excurions and one that I will never forget. Thank you so much for taking the time to write it. I heard you mention you brought ponchos. Is there anything else that was useful? What kind of shoes do yu suggest?

Laticha

 

Here is the list of suggested items that Anne had emailed to us:

 

bottled water to drink

light rain coat (for rain or spray from the lake on the boat)

sunscreen

sun hat

organic bug spray**

camera

shoes that can get wet, Teva type sandals are perfect.

extra cash in smaller bills to purchase any crafts (priced from $5.00-300.00)

 

** I have available bottles of an all natural organic Insect repellant, Gruber's Jungle Oil, for purchase at $10.00/bottle. Made by a local gentleman here in Panama.

The mosquitoes were a bit bothersome when we were walking around looking at the plants. Anne offered to let us use some of her insect repellant, but we declined. (We're from Minnesota and the mosquito is our state bird!) Most of the time they weren't really a problem.

 

I had purchased some cheap, plastic ponchos at the dollar store before going to Disneyworld a year ago and never used them so threw them into our pack. They were 2 for $1 (you can tell they were really "quality"! :rolleyes:) For the short time that I had mine on it was fine.

 

I wore a pair of waterproof Keen sandals and they worked out well. DH wore a pair of old tennis shoes which he threw away once we returned to the ship. With the rain it did get a bit muddy.

[Chelseaprincess]

Mary,

Thanks for your great review and beautiful pictures! Looking forward to the rest. Please keep it coming.

We will be doing the same itinerary in December on the Miracle:p. A quick question regarding independent tours you took in Costa Rica and Panama. How far in advance did you contact those providers and how did you pay? Thanks,

Chelsea

[gracie65]

What a great review, thanks for sharing. We are looking at this itinerary for next year.

[AryMay]

Mary,

Thanks for your great review and beautiful pictures! Looking forward to the rest. Please keep it coming.

We will be doing the same itinerary in December on the Miracle:p. A quick question regarding independent tours you took in Costa Rica and Panama. How far in advance did you contact those providers and how did you pay? Thanks,

Chelsea

 

I went back and checked my emails...I contacted both Charlie Soto (OkeyDokey) and Anne Gordon in mid-April...about 2 1/2 months before the cruise.

 

With the OkeyDokey tour, we didn't pay anything until the end of the tour...and then we paid cash to Rey (the tour guide).

 

Anne requested 25% deposit which we paid using PayPal. The remainder we paid to her at the end of the tour. Much of what we paid her went directly to the Embera at the village. My DH was so taken with the Embera people that he also gave extra money to the guy who did his tattoo and to Marco that I mentioned in the review. I on the other hand made a lot of craft purchases! ;) All in all...not a cheap day...but a great day! :)

[Chelseaprincess]

Thanks! We will definitely do the Embera village tour.

[michelle1836]

arymay- thanks so much for your wonderful review. we are thinking about doing this exact cruise next summer. While I am new to cruising I was just going to book through Carnival but your review is making me think twice

[AryMay]

I did not keep notes on activities during sea days…and with four of them the days all kind of blend together. I have a list of some random topics I’ll try and cover…but if anyone has any specific questions I would be glad to answer if I can. :)

 

One “activity” that I had not read much about on these boards was the “Quest”. The Capers described it as “adults only interactive activity”…”join your entertainment team for this team based mission that is sure to be one of the most memorable events of your cruise.” This was held on Tuesday night of the cruise at 10:30 pm in the Victoriana Lounge (the main show lounge.)

 

DH and I went to observe so sat in the upper seats of the lounge. Jaimie and Eli (assistant cruise directors) got teams formed and gave each team a card with a large number on it. They would take turns asking the teams for some item or some silly action and then one person from each team would rush the stage to see who could get there first. There was an attempt to keep track of points based on who got their first, second, etc…but it was very chaotic. :eek: Example…the first team that can bring a pair of false teeth. One guy ran up on stage and spit his out of his mouth! Another…the first team that has a guy skipping in women’s shoes. As the night went on, the items & actions got more “adult oriented”.

 

Instead of staying on the stage, Jaimie and Eli would roam around with the microphone so you never knew where the people would be running to. We didn’t stay long…but it kept getting wilder and wilder with people jumping over seats to try and get their number counted first.

 

As we were leaving the lounge a couple came rushing by us…she was holding her head and blood was streaming down her face. The guy said she had gotten hurt in the shuffle playing the Quest. They were on their way to the first aid station on deck 1. Since DH is an EMT he checked her out and said it wasn’t serious…just bleeding a lot.

 

I talked to some people the next day who said they had a great time…but it makes me wonder. Will Carnival continue this activity? Pretty wild game + participants who have been drinking = more accidents? :confused:

[n2qmt]

Thank you for a FANTASTIC review!! We are doing this same cruise in less than a month. I am so excited. I was half-heartedly trying NOT to look at all the great pics so as not to spoil the surprise but I couldn't resist!! I soooooooo can't wait now. Cheers!

[Chacooe]

Funny you should mention that...I was just looking at the photo I took of the front of the ship and wondering if there were other decks that had access to the front. We should have done more exploring!

 

The week went by so fast...I wondered about a cruise with 4 sea days, but at the end of the week I still had things on "my list" that I didn't get to do on board. This just turned into a very relaxing cruise...which we needed.

 

Thanks so much for putting together the meet & greet. It was nice to run into the Cruise Critic people during the week and say "hi"!

 

I don't know if anyone knew this, but those rooms at the front of the ship that have the windows but you can't really see anything out of them are sold as inside cabins, they are not sold as oceanview. How I know is these are the ones that I get and I love them. I have one booked on the Splendor for next January on the Lido Deck.

[AryMay]

I don't know if anyone knew this, but those rooms at the front of the ship that have the windows but you can't really see anything out of them are sold as inside cabins, they are not sold as oceanview. How I know is these are the ones that I get and I love them. I have one booked on the Splendor for next January on the Lido Deck.

 

Actually I did realize that...John Heald had mentioned this on his blog recently. It would be nice to get the window for an inside price...but I would feel like I always needed to keep my curtains closed for privacy. Are the cabins any larger or have different layouts that the ones along the sides of the ship?

 

I think there are a few porthole cabins that are also being sold as "insides" now as well.

[Chacooe]

AryMay, I loved your review, I would have to say that it is one of the best I have read on these forums. I was wondering though, is there anyway that we can sent the tribe things that they could use, like medical supplies, clothes, good shoes or whatever. I would love to give to people like this.

 

Also, would you mind doing a review of John Heald. I have only heard bits and pieces about him, but I would really like to know more about him.

[RAVI360]

wow.................this is by far one of the most informative reviews i ever read....thank you for sharing

[AryMay]

AryMay, I loved your review, I would have to say that it is one of the best I have read on these forums. I was wondering though, is there anyway that we can sent the tribe things that they could use, like medical supplies, clothes, good shoes or whatever. I would love to give to people like this.

 

Anne has information on her website about making donations to the Embera. http://www.emberavillagetours.com/Village_Donations.html

 

I'm sure they would appreciate any gifts you would send but you can email Anne if you aren't sure what would be most appropriate. :)

[fmuir]

This review was fantastic, makes me wish it was sept 26 already when I do this same cruise.

 

The information about your tours was great and I loved the pictures. I need to look for that camera.

 

I know it was mentioned, and you alluded to it about private tours, ie the accident and getting back to the ship late and also the group that ended up with you in Panama. I gamble in the casino, that is a gamble that I dont think I could take. However the "Adventure you took with Anne must have been amazing.

 

Fraser

[Lisaanne]

This review was fantastic, makes me wish it was sept 26 already when I do this same cruise.

 

The information about your tours was great and I loved the pictures. I need to look for that camera.

 

I know it was mentioned, and you alluded to it about private tours, ie the accident and getting back to the ship late and also the group that ended up with you in Panama. I gamble in the casino, that is a gamble that I dont think I could take. However the "Adventure you took with Anne must have been amazing.

 

Fraser

 

 

I was planning on taking this tour before this fantastic review. Now I can hardly wait. If you or any of your group is interested, we are cruising with you.

[AryMay]

Also, would you mind doing a review of John Heald. I have only heard bits and pieces about him, but I would really like to know more about him.

 

I was like you...I had read that John was a great CD...but didn't really know much about him. I knew he must be good because some people even plan their cruises based on what ship he will be on!

 

John has a great sense of humor (or humour as he insists it is spelled) but yet comes across as a caring, personable individual. In the shows he hosts, he makes the passengers the "stars"...but does it without being sarcastic or arrogant.

 

 

John is Carnival's senior cruise director...and brand spokesperson. To get a feel for his personality...and what makes him so popular...read his blog: http://johnhealdsblog.com

 

I discovered John's blog right before our cruise and wrote him a message asking about email confirmations for the supper club reservations made online. I had tried to make a reservation several times and never did get any confirmation. The very next day I received an email so I can't help but think John didn't have something to do with it. He also responded to my question on his blog and asked me to drop off a note with my name and cabin number at the guest services when we boarded the ship.

 

I did just that and also included a brief message about how we were looking forward to cruising with him. I also explained how DH is employed at a full time job while also working as an EMT with the local ambulance and going to school to become certified as a paramedic. Basically...that we REALLY needed this vacation!

 

I had no idea, but on sea days, John does a "Morning Show" that is broadcast on the big screen tv on the Lido Deck...as well as on the cabin TV's. The very first morning I had returned to the cabin to shower after walking on the jogging track...I flipped on the TV and he was just starting to read my letter on the show.

 

After reading the letter he even called my cabin and we chatted on air for quite some time. Throughout the week he encouraged people to write him notes...particularly to praise or recognize someone special they were sailing with...and he would read the notes on the show. (He also features some of these notes on his blog.)

 

The next day we came back to our cabin after breakfast to find these gifts...all from John.

 

 

I hesitate to post this because there are too many people who go out of their way to get "free stuff" as it is. John himself commented on the cruise and on the blog about so many people who complain hoping to get something. So...please don't contact John just to see what he will give you! :mad: Who knows...you might find yourself the subject of one of his blogs if you do!

 

Carnival has given John free reign for what he talks about on his blog...and he pulls no punches talking about what jerks some guests really are! John must have the patience of Job to deal with these people...and still keep a smile on his face!

[vacruizer]

I was like you...I had read that John was a great CD...but didn't really know much about him. I knew he must be good because some people even plan their cruises based on what ship he will be on!

 

John has a great sense of humor (or humour as he insists it is spelled) but yet comes across as a caring, personable individual. In the shows he hosts, he makes the passengers the "stars"...but does it without being sarcastic or arrogant.

 

 

John is Carnival's senior cruise director...and brand spokesperson. To get a feel for his personality...and what makes him so popular...read his blog: http://johnhealdsblog.com

 

I discovered John's blog right before our cruise and wrote him a message asking about email confirmations for the supper club reservations made online. I had tried to make a reservation several times and never did get any confirmation. The very next day I received an email so I can't help but think John didn't have something to do with it. He also responded to my question on his blog and asked me to drop off a note with my name and cabin number at the guest services when we boarded the ship.

 

I did just that and also included a brief message about how we were looking forward to cruising with him. I also explained how DH is employed at a full time job while also working as an EMT with the local ambulance and going to school to become certified as a paramedic. Basically...that we REALLY needed this vacation!

 

I had no idea, but on sea days, John does a "Morning Show" that is broadcast on the big screen tv on the Lido Deck...as well as on the cabin TV's. The very first morning I had returned to the cabin to shower after walking on the jogging track...I flipped on the TV and he was just starting to read my letter on the show.

 

After reading the letter he even called my cabin and we chatted on air for quite some time. Throughout the week he encouraged people to write him notes...particularly to praise or recognize someone special they were sailing with...and he would read the notes on the show. (He also features some of these notes on his blog.)

 

The next day we came back to our cabin after breakfast to find these gifts...all from John.

 

 

I hesitate to post this because there are too many people who go out of their way to get "free stuff" as it is. John himself commented on the cruise and on the blog about so many people who complain hoping to get something. So...please don't contact John just to see what he will give you! :mad: Who knows...you might find yourself the subject of one of his blogs if you do!

 

Carnival has given John free reign for what he talks about on his blog...and he pulls no punches talking about what jerks some guests really are! John must have the patience of Job to deal with these people...and still keep a smile on his face!

 

Thanks again for taking the time for this great review!

 

I just finished reading John's blog today - and guess what? Someone actually had the nerve to post that they read here on CC that he gave free gifts and wanted one.

 

Too bad what started out as a nice gesture by John for some of his blog fans is turning into a "give me my free stuff" thing. :(

[mrs141]

Wow awesome review.

 

I will be sailing in October. I can't wait. I am bummed that John will not be the cruise director. My fiance has sailed with him and loves him. I bought him a John Heald bobble head a while back. I am a fan of his blog. Love it.

 

Thanks so much again. Oh I love those underwater pictures. Great photos. I have my eyes on a Cannon D-10 now

[terri910]

A John Heald bobble-head???!!!???

 

 

I didn't know there were such things....