LIVE From the Freedom of the Seas

[Lynne95]

I just love this live reports! Thanks so much for doing them!

[MyNameIsGermy]

Thank you for your pictures and updates - I love following your cruise travels!

 

-jtslater

[Sky616]

Hi, we will be on FOS next week. Have a great week. Are you going to the casino this week? Are the formal nights smoke free?

[Judi2112]

I am so jealous. Came off our B2B on Freedom a week ago and we want to go back. Enjoy!!!!!:D The long haul flights are so worth it!

[waf125]

If you attend the M&M please tell Jewel and Vic that Vicki says hi!

 

 

Please tell them Lee and Martha also say hi! :D If you see a Cindy and Marilyn, please let them know we hope they are enjoying themselves. :D We were supposed to be on this cruise as a reunion with the above Jewel, Vic, Cindy and Marilyn but were unable to make it.:(

 

Hope you all have the time of your lives!!

[rosecitycruisers]

Trainman-2 enjoy your live reports as always..If you by chance meet Del & Jerry tell them Jim&Pat expect them to be booked on the 10-10-10 cruise...I'm sure they will check out the the Diamond Lounge.

 

Jim

[sailingawaysoon]

Hello Everyone,

 

Carol and I are at sea on the Freedom's Eastern Caribbean Itinery! Here we were in the Olive and Twist Lounge on Deck 14 this afternoon before the ship sailed.

 

 

A Personal Note:

 

A week and a half ago we moved from Fort Mill, SC to Palm Coast, FL. The move was mainly downsizing from a 5 bed room home with 3.5 acres to a smaller 3 bed room home with a great screened in pool and lanai. The new house is still total chaos. The Master Bed Room is set up. The Kitchen stuff is mostly put away, and Carol wanted cabinets in the Laundry Room which I finished yesterday.

 

The rest of the house is furniture and boxes everywhere!

 

We are ready for a break and this cruise was scheduled months ago and the timing couldn't be any better.

 

This is our first time on the Freedom. The Mariner was the largest RCI ship we had been on before today.

 

We left our home in Palm Coast (on Florida's East Coast 20 miles north of Daytona Beach) about 8:30 this morning, stopped at McDonald's for a snack and then drive to Port Canaveral arriving about 10:15. WE hunk out in the parking lot for about 30 minutes (YES! We are both "Evil Smokers") and then headed inside.

 

We are Diamond Members (this cruise is our 24th cruise credit so we'll be Diamond Plus next time) so we were processed in promptly. We sat and waited about 20 minutes and were on the ship about 11:15.

 

Then off to the Windjammer for an excellent lunch!

 

More to come...

Love the pic. My husband and I were enjoying that very same spot in early September. I love the Freedom. We can't wait for our next cruise on her! Cant wait to read the rest of your posts while on board!

[BarbaraSails]

:DEnjoy Freedom! I love that ship. I've been fortunate to sail her three times. Absolutely beautiful! And the FlowRider is awesome!!

 

I was afraid to try it the first two times aboard her, but that third cruise I gave in...Wow! I'm so glad I did. I was there at least an hour or two each day it was open. This mid-forties lady gave the youngin's a run for their money on the FlowRider! LOVE IT! :D

 

Congrats to you and your wife's near Diamond Plus status! That's got to feel good. I pray you'll encounter nicer folks on our cruise. Have a wonderful cruise. :)

[MAZANDSTEVE]

Enjoying the live report, thank you.:)

[miamiyogi]

Thanks for the live reports and remembering the folks here on Cruise Critic. HAVE A GREAT TIME!

[Linco711]

Thanks..can't wait to hear more...

[mothwoman]

A live trip report is awesome, I love hearing about your trip. I'm wondering what you are using for internet services. Did you just buy the big lump sum of minutes or are you doing something else?

[tnt10]

Love the report, especially from a smokers view.

Is it me or are the pictures on your last couple of posts not showing up?

I do like the firt one though....

Thansk for writing this.

Happy Cruising,

TnT

[golf43]

Have a great cruise. I think the Freedom is the best. We were on her last June. Please write a review when you return. Make sure to stop at the coffee shop for some chocolate chip cookies. They were so good and free too. Enjoy your new home too when you get back. :)

[Bob-in-VA]

Eagerly awaiting each post...we're on the 11/22 sailing :D

[Samira0207]

great review! I feel like I'm sailing with you both. Great pictures as well!

[beej]

I'm leaving in 2 weeks and 4 days to begin a b2b on the Freedom. I am so looking forward to your posts. i only hope that i can wait with some amount of patience, NOT! Loved the pix. Can't wait to see what you write next. I am really sorry about the rudeness of the people and staff. My GF walks with a cane and has problems. I don't think they want to deal with 2 crazy old ladies. I would report any staff that was rude enuff to endanger your wife. That is not a good thing.

 

Hopefully, it was a one day excitement spilling over thing. Let us know. Have a wonderful cruise

[cruiznfevr]

Traniman - I'd much rather be where you are today than here in Ft Mill. It's rainy and chilly. I hope you enjoy your new home in Florida and enjoy the rest of your cruise. We will be on FOS this time next year so it's great to see your pics and hear your review. Looking forward to the rest.

[unccruzer]

Love the Live reports. Thanks. Looking forward to the next installment.

[joan_al]

What's the link for the live stuff?

[MreenD]

Thanks for your reports. I'm enjoying reading them. We are on the FOS Eastern Caribbean at the end of January 2010 and are really looking forward to it!:D

[Jaxsonbrownie]

Thanks for the live updates Trainman, I babysit for a girl who is on that cruise with her family. I think they have a group of 37 all together. Glad to see it is going great so far, thanks again! I was hoping to geta glimpse of her in your pic of the water zone for kids, but then you said they all dissappeared! Keep them coming..:)

[Trainman-2]

Tuesday, Day 3, 7:00 am, At Sea

 

 

It looks like it is going to be a nice day today. We will be at sea all day and later on Carol will head up to deck 12 do do battle with the Chair Hogs and get some sun. I will hang out in the shade, or search for smoking areas, or explore the ship. and absolutely, jump into the pool.

 

Speaking of pools, here is the Solarium...

 

 

The photo below was taken from inside, between the two banks of forward elevators, looking back at the pool. Thee is a nifty area in the pool where you can swim under the pool bridge and maybe even look down toward the Royal Promenade below. I plan to check this out later today.

 

[Trainman-2]

Yesterday we explored the ship a good bit, partly looking for the smoking areas.

 

We found this nifty display between the banks of elevators on Deck 11, forward.

 

 

We visited the Flow-Rider for the first time and decided this was for folks younger than us. But it is pretty neat!

 

 

The two girls are RCI Flow-Rider Instructors and they are pretty good!

 

 

[Trainman-2]

There is a nice miniature Golf Course just forward of the Flow-Rider on the Port side.

 

 

The main pool is nicely laid out and even had tiers of lounge chairs for the sun lovers.

 

 

We had lunch in the Windjammer yesterday. (My favorite place) It was not crowded at all because most people had gone ashore to Coco Cay.

 

 

Speaking of going ashore, some of our evening table mates went ashore yesterday. They headed down to the tenders at 10:30 am and found the back of the tender line on deck 3. They waited in line about an hour before they were able to board a tender on Deck 1.