Middle Aged Drama Queen's Eastern Carib Review: Fun on the FREEDOM!!!

[Just The 3 Of Us]

Another awesome review, Sherri!!! I have to tell you - I have not even opened my Kindle in WEEKS - first your Med review and now your Freedom review. :D

 

My husband bought me an alexandrite ring a couple years ago on one of our cruises - I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!! :)

 

Barb

[momof4_tn]

Sherri - I noticed in an earlier post where you mentioned you had done mission work in Falmouth in the past. We took a RC cruise last year to Falmouth and are going again in January. My husband and I had discussed trying to get with a local mission group there and see if there was anything we could do or bring with us. Kind of a giving back to the community. Would you happen to know of anything?

[KansCocoa]

Again, loving this review....

 

Thank you! I *HOPE* to get to more tomorrow; I have a ton of Red Cross stuff to do today, as well as an evening meeting I have to get ready for. Friday is WIDE OPEN on my schedule, so I hope to get a bunch of posts posted!

 

 

Alexandrite is my dream gioielli! Even Steve admitted it was a cool stone when I forced him into one of the jewelry stores. Maybe some day...

 

I actually had a really cool Alexandrite ring we bought several years ago in Cabo from Royal Jewellers...and it was stolen in a house burglary back in 2006. :( It's my birthstone, so I felt extra-connected to it....One of these days, I hope to get something similar! (Yes...we had it insured...but I've never found one like it, since.)

 

 

I am in the same cabin as you just a deck above. I know I was taking a chance with a cabin all the way in the front but after reading how bad it was with you I think I am screwed. I do get sea sick easily, any remedies you think shall help other than cancelling after my final payment?

 

Hmmm...don't cancel! Honestly, it was worse in the evening, so I learned if I took a Bonine before I went to bed, I was fine. I just didn't have any Bonine that night. I later went to the General (Stupid) Store onboard and paid a small fortune for Bonine - so don't be stupid like me; make sure you have it already packed!!! If you're really prone to seasickness...look into the patches. I don't want to scare you off; it could have been because of the storms we went through that made it so rough. Or - ginger tables work, too.

[KansCocoa]

Awww - we had Elvis from Sunny Liston Tours on our June 2010 Oasis cruise! Memories!

 

Hey Sherri - did you see my question earlier about when you said "they no longer allow tricks by passengers or staff on the Flowrider" (paraphrased)? I was wondering what this meant. The Flowrider is one of our top cruising priorities and we're looking forward to it on Allure in a few weeks.

 

While I'm writing, also wanted to let you know - since you're on the fence about ever taking an Oasis class cruise. After the spa, you can walk right out of the spa and into the Vitality Cafe and get your juice! I am not sure if it's free though. But you could also just ride the elevators that are right there up to the Solarium cafe and get juice. Lots of options without having to run all the way back to the Windjammer.

 

Wasn't Elvis fun?! We had SO much fun with him that day...he was GREAT!

 

And I'm glad you reminded me about the Flowrider; I DID see that, but it got lost in the shuffle...sorry! No tricks...they said no more spins and twirls. You can ride on your knees or ride standing up - but no more turns and such. Hope that makes sense, as I am NOT a Flowrider person! I think a staff member hurt their ankle recently - so they've banned the twirly stuff.

 

It sounds like a good set-up on the Oasis, as I felt like I had worked-out after my work-out, just trying to get some juice!

 

Sheri,

My email is (fishingfrye@comcast.net) Send me an email and I will give you my cell number. We are arriving at Old Key West at Disney on Sunday evening and will be in Epcot for the wine festival on Monday, leaving late that afternoon to go back to Jacksonville. I would love to find a time to meet up and talk. We are also taking an Eastern Med cruise next May (on the Navigator) but are traveling to Rome, Florence and Venice before our cruise.

 

Barbara

 

Will do, Barbara! I am driving up from Ft. Myers on the 11th, and will be checking in around 11:30 or so. I could meet you at Epcot, since it will be in my "back yard" at the Beach Club!

 

Another awesome review, Sherri!!! I have to tell you - I have not even opened my Kindle in WEEKS - first your Med review and now your Freedom review. :D

 

My husband bought me an alexandrite ring a couple years ago on one of our cruises - I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!! :)

 

Barb

 

Thanks, Barb! And it's all FREE reading! Woot! I envy you the Alexandrite ring; I had one until it was stolen in a house burglary years ago...they also got my tanzanite rings, as well. My grandmother had quite a jewelry collection, living for so many years on St. Thomas, and I had some of her pieces. :(

[llkingsz]

Spoke with the reservation agent and am getting another family stateroom with promenade view (so its not exactly an inside with no window) for pretty much the same price that I paid for the OV. Do you suggest I move?

[KansCocoa]

Sherri - I noticed in an earlier post where you mentioned you had done mission work in Falmouth in the past. We took a RC cruise last year to Falmouth and are going again in January. My husband and I had discussed trying to get with a local mission group there and see if there was anything we could do or bring with us. Kind of a giving back to the community. Would you happen to know of anything?

 

This POST that I blogged about back in 2010 describes the mission work in some detail...it's a medical clinic right in little sleepy downtown Falmouth. The clinic relies on donations of bandaids, OTC medications, etc that we bring down in our suitcases before we go. I wrote this post in 2010 because I'd had other people ask about what we were doing in Falmouth. It was interesting to see Falmouth "before" RCI invaded....!

 

I have a contact name and number at the end of that post - but keep in mind, this was written January 2010 - so it may have changed. Let me know if you need more help!

 

My blog also has lots of stories of what we did at the mission over the years...it was always interesting and always gratifying....

[KansCocoa]

Spoke with the reservation agent and am getting another family stateroom with promenade view (so its not exactly an inside with no window) for pretty much the same price that I paid for the OV. Do you suggest I move?

 

If it's the same price...and you are prone to seasickness...I would say yes. There is definitely more motion on the front of the ship...although you could risk it, and have your Bonine, patch or ginger pills at the ready! Good luck with whatever decision you choose... :)

[My2Kitties]

Finished Serenade...started this one...enjoy your writing...

 

wish there was a way to surprise my daughter...since she is 28 and works there is no way to surprise her...we try to go away together once a year but she is going to Rome to sail the Navigator on Oct 7 with some friends (I am a tad jealous) so we will do a winter mom/daughter trip...btw, your review was so good I shared it with the girls since they are going to be in Rome, Athens and Turkey and your information is helpful...

 

Thank you again...great review!

[KansCocoa]

 

We last left our travelers on the beautiful island of St. Thomas, in the US Virgin Islands, spending a day with Elvis from Sunny Liston Tours....

 

After leaving the always-beautiful, but always-crowded Megan’s Bay, we headed up the mountain for a quick photo stop at the famous Drake’s Seat. Well. It's not WORLD famous, but it's famous on St. Thomas, anyway. This is the vantage point where Sir Francis Drake supposedly spied on enemy ships of the Spanish fleet…it has a GREAT overview of Megan’s Bay beach below:

 

You can see why it was ranked in the Top 10 of Most Beautiful Beaches by National Geographic....

 

It has to make you wonder that perhaps Sir Drake was not spying on ships, as reported, but spying on bikini-clad women???

 

 

Mickey and I...up on Drake's Seat....

 

As long as I can remember – even back in 1979 – there’s a guy with a donkey up here, and for a small fee, you can sit on the donkey for a photo op. For all I know, it's the SAME guy from 1979 (or before) with the SAME donkey. Remembering how deathly allergic Mickey is to donkeys (after our experience in Santorini on the Serenade) – we, uh, didn’t do that.

 

Windy...but nice....

 

 

 

There’s now just Mickey and I, and a couple from Ohio in the safari (as the open-aired cabs are called). As we load back in the safari and head to our next stop, we hear the most horrific sound…looking at each other in consternation and confusion, we’re trying to determine the source.

 

“It’s not the brakes, is it?” I ask, a bit fearfully…if you've seen some of the hilly roads in St. Thomas, you understand my apprehension.

 

Ohio Guy says, “No…it’s not the brakes…but whatever it is, it’s AWFUL.”

 

We then realize…it’s our driver, Elvis. He’s singing. Or attempting to, anyway.Let's just say - he doesn't exactly sound like his namesake - not by any stretch of the imagination. But - he DOES sing with enthusiasm, for sure. Before we know it, Elvis demands that ALL of us MUST sing, as well…and the rest of the afternoon will be spent singing such classics as “Follow the Leader” and "I Gotta Feeling" and “Who Let the Dogs Out.” And, as Elvis said, we didn’t sing like “no little chihuahuas” – we sang like GIANT German Shepherds. WOOF. You should have seen the looks we got from passersby as our safari went singing down the road…it was very obvious that we were having WAY too much fun – and we hadn’t even had rum punch!

 

 

Soon, we were singing and climbing, up and up and up – on our way to Mountain Top – at 1,500 feet, it’s the island’s highest point, and the Home of the Famous Banana Daiquiri. This is a bar/shopping venue – and the back porch offers some stupendous views of the island, as well as the island’s neighbors.

 

 

Elvis had picked some beautiful bougainvillea, which he presented to all of the ladies. Mickey LOVED that flower – that flower didn’t leave her sight the rest of the afternoon, and she was quite heartbroken when she realized she couldn’t take it back on the ship.

 

 

 

We indulged in some of the banana daiquiris...a virgin one for Mickey, and the "real deal" for me.

 

 

 

The verdict? Wow. They're strong - but good. I think I enjoyed Mickey's better, as it wasn't so overpowered by the rum....Speaking of overpowering rum, check out what its in the parking lot of Mountain Top:

 

Just what everyone needs...a 30' blow-up rum bottle....

 

 

Mountain Top has tons of souvenirs, snacks, drinks - and facilities. If you want a great view - enjoying a great drink - then I would recommend stopping here briefly.

 

 

[KansCocoa]

Here are some of the shots up on Mountain Top...which, strangely enough, was very quiet...there weren't too many tourists up here at ALL. Which was NICE!!!

 

 

 

 

I could live here.

 

And...in case you "forget" why Mountain Top is famous - other than the fantastic views:

 

7 million....plus two....

 

After leaving Mountain Top, our next stop was Skyline Drive...for another very quick photo opportunity:

 

 

Soon...we were on our way to the beach...yay!

[KansCocoa]

 

It’s about 2:00 pm now…and we’re in St. Thomas until 7:00 pm…with this in mind, Elvis takes us to Sapphire Beach, where he drops us off and promises to return at 4:30.

 

 

Sapphire Beach is a free beach located on the east end of the island, at the Sapphire Resort. Mickey and I rented some chairs ($7 USD pp) for the afternoon. There’s shaded trees everywhere, so if you’re trying to avoid the sun – you can do so without an umbrella.

 

 

 

The initial entry into the water has some rocks…which made it a bit treacherous walking in…but once past the rocks, it was nice and sandy. After we rented some snorkeling equipment ($5 USD per hour), Mickey spent quite a bit of time in the water, checking out the fish and coral.

 

 

 

I enjoyed just relaxing, reading my Kindle, and snoozing off a bit of that banana daiquiri.

 

 

 

There are numerous ducks and other birds along this beach, that are not afraid of people. At all. They will waddle right up to your chair – or beach bag – looking for a handout, I would guess. At some point, I giggled (ow. Which hurt my sore stomach) at the absurdity of my situation…sitting on a beach in the beautiful Virgin Islands…being entertained by a bunch of ducks.

 

 

 

The beach was quiet…not too crowded at all, and as the afternoon got later, it emptied out, to where Mickey and I felt as if we had the beach to ourselves (besides our feathered friends).

 

 

 

 

Don’t be surprised to see an iguana…sunning himself in the sun, and blending in with the sand….

 

 

My take on Sapphire Beach: it's not the most beautiful beach, due to the sea wood and rocks...but it IS a bit more peaceful and quiet than Megan's Bay. If you don't mind crowds - then MB is the beach for you, as long as you don't mind the entry fee. If you want peace and quiet - find a different beach. If your kids want to snorkel - than Sapphire Beach would be a good choice.

 

At 4:30 prompt, Elvis was in the parking lot, waiting for us - and after a short drive around the island, he was dropping us back off at Havensight Mall, and we were saying goodbye.

 

My verdict on Sunny Liston Tours (which is where Elvis works): I thought it was a great way to see the island, have some fun, learn the trivia, etc. We chose Package #1 for $40 pp, and it delivered everything it promised. Elvis was GREAT - and the sing-a-long was a memory I'll cherish forever with Mickey.

 

My verdict on St. Thomas, in general: It's a great shopping port, if you're in the market for jewelry, watches or liquor. If you want a great day at the beach, my personal choice is to charter a sailboat and sail around the islands....Or, catch the ferry and head over to St. John - where it's less crowded and more beautiful. Trunk Bay is a beautiful beach with a great underwater snorkeling trail.

 

So...anyway...back on the ship...my hamstring muscles are getting increasingly sore as the day progresses, thanks to my Boot Camp sessions. I have one destination in mind - the hot tubs. While Mickey relaxed in the room, I made a bee-line for the pool deck, where I enjoyed a hot soak. It was bliss. The solarium was empty, as well, which was another piece of heaven - relaxing on the padded cushions, with a Diet Coke in hand, reading my Kindle. Life was good.

 

 

[PCWalton1]

Sherri,

Pictures are great, now I am really looking forward to getting to St. Thomas next May. Lucky for you to have so few ships in port to cut down on the crowds. Right now for our visit in May the good news is our ship will be the only ship there (subject to change of course :rolleyes:). The bad news is we are on Allure so we are bringing the crowd with us. :eek:

Maybe about 4000 of them will decide to stay on board that day, yeah right.

 

Bill

[sailingawaysoon]

Awesome review! We are headed back on the Freedom Aug 26th with the same itinerary. I feel like we've seen a lot in St. Thomas, but haven't experienced many of the beaches. Is there one you can recommend that has chairs, a bar area, food available, etc? We don't mind the crowds, just prefer having lunch, enjoying the beach and people watching. Thanks for sharing your wonderful vacation!

[Canadian Tyler]

Loving the review, thanks for sharing it with us all!

And what a great surprise. Kudos for being able to keep it a surprise that long!

[Jax129]

Sherri,

 

Your pictures are all amazing, what kind of camera do you use?

[IrishLassie]

LOVE the pics from St.Thomas ! One question about Johnny Rockett's, do they serve breakfast & is there a charge? I know they did on Oasis & there was no charge. Just wondering would like to try it, or maybe do lunch there one day. We never went when we were on Oasis. Thanks for the help & looking forward to the rest of your review. :)

[KansCocoa]

Sherri,

 

Maybe about 4000 of them will decide to stay on board that day, yeah right.

 

Bill

 

That made me laugh! I'd go straight to St. John, and get away from the crowd, if it were me! :)

 

 

I feel like we've seen a lot in St. Thomas, but haven't experienced many of the beaches. Is there one you can recommend that has chairs, a bar area, food available, etc? We don't mind the crowds, just prefer having lunch, enjoying the beach and people watching. Thanks for sharing your wonderful vacation!

 

If you don't mind the crowds, then Megan's Bay is for you. It will cost $8pp for the cab ride, and there is a $4pp entry fee. I WISH St. Thomas had the set-ups like the beaches in Cozumel and other Mexican ports, but they don't...so, MB would be your best choice. Just my opinion - others may differ!

 

Loving the review, thanks for sharing it with us all!

And what a great surprise. Kudos for being able to keep it a surprise that long!

 

OMG, that was hard - keeping that surprise! Never again! :p

[KansCocoa]

Sherri,

 

Your pictures are all amazing, what kind of camera do you use?

 

Wow, you are too kind! Normally, Hubby Mike says my pictures are awful! I just used a Nikon Coolpix...with 16.0 Megapixels...I think it was the beautiful material I had to work with!

 

 

LOVE the pics from St.Thomas ! One question about Johnny Rockett's, do they serve breakfast & is there a charge? I know they did on Oasis & there was no charge. Just wondering would like to try it, or maybe do lunch there one day. We never went when we were on Oasis. Thanks for the help & looking forward to the rest of your review. :)

 

On the Freedom, there is not a breakfast at JR's - darn it! It wouldn't open until 1:00 pm or so. And yes - there's the usual $4.95 cover charge, which includes all the FOOD. Drinks are separate, and cost extra. I LOVED the onion rings...I could have made a meal of those alone! And the shakes were creamy and delicious. You HAVE to go...to dance, if nothing else. :rolleyes:

[KansCocoa]

 

 

Tonight, our dinner theme was “Get Out There.” Not sure what that means – with regards to food – but I DO know I tried the Jalapeno Potato Soup – and it was pretty darned good. I don't normally "do" jalapeño peppers - so I guess I "got out there", huh?! The Banana Bailey’s Crème Brulee for dessert – yum.

 

 

After dinner, our waiter, Sunil, got out the toothpicks, and set up a trick for us on our table…which BLEW us away! Mickey, of course, HAD to try and recreate the trick…so there we were, at a table in the dining room, with my daughter on her knees in front of the table, playing with toothpicks. Of course, at that moment, a crew member with STRIPES decides to walk by, and looks curiously at my (almost) 13-year old daughter playing with toothpicks. On her knees. In the dining room. Oh, THIS looks good, I thought.

 

“Um...she’s trying to do a trick the waiter showed us,” I explain, seeing his puzzled look. Yup. When caught looking stupid, your best bet is to throw someone ELSE under the bus - in this case, we threw Sunil under that bus.

 

 

Well. Now the Striped Crew Guy is intrigued, so he comes over and spends the next 10 minutes at our table, working with my daughter, attempting to recreate the trick, as well, with no success. Sunil got the biggest kick out of this, which led to him giggling…and that DARNED giggle! I, of course, start laughing, which causes all sorts of pain with my still-sore tummy, so I’m grabbing my stomach with pleas of, “Stop it! That HURTS!!!! Don’t make me laugh!!!!”

 

The Striped Crew Guy then looks at all of us like we’re a bunch of loony birds, (which we kinda' were), and makes his escape. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, indeed – right there in the MDR.

 

 

The headliner tonight was Drew Thomas, a magician who once appeared on “America’s Got Talent.” So, does he “got talent?” Does he EVER!!!! The judges on AGT declared him as “the best illusionist” they’d ever seen. WOW! THIS IS A DO-NOT-MISS show. Really. If you are in the middle of the best meal you’ve ever had, say, at Portofino, and it’s time for this show to begin…you MUST put your fork down – excuse yourself – and walk away from that delicious meal – and SEE this show! You will be blown away. That’s all I’m saying about that.

 

In fact…this is the ONLY time I have EVER – on any review - recommended you see the show TWICE. Yup. Because you’ll be so blown away the FIRST time (at 7:00 pm), that you’ll want to come back at 9:00 pm to see if you can figure out how he did it. It’s that good.

 

 

The night is already somewhat surreal…what with my increasing leg pain…the Striped Crew Guy at dinner…the magic of Drew Thomas…so what’s a little Halloween costumes to add to the mix? Yes…tonight was the Costume Party for the BTG’s onboard…and it’s fun to watch the most-elaborate costumes EVER parade back and forth on the Promenade.

 

 

The Family Dance Party was held at 10:00 pm on the Pool Deck…but being that I can barely even WALK at this point – let alone, dance – we skipped it. Betcha’ can’t guess what we did instead?

 

Yup. Kindles. Cozy, comfortable beds. Peacefulness.

 

Life was good.

 

[jjl64]

Sherri,

 

When you were at Sapphire Beach, did you notice if there was a stand where you could get food and drinks? Were there any restrooms and were they clean? I've read many conflicting reviews lately about Sapphire Beach. Some people claim that the food and beverage stand is now closed and the bathrooms are beyond filthy, and others say that there is a place for food and drinks and that the bathrooms are just fine.

 

We are trying to plan our excursions for our January cruise and we wanted to spend the day at Sapphire Beach, but some of the reviews have us concerned.

 

Thanks!

[truffles2]

I just used a Nikon Coolpix...with 16.0 Megapixels...I think it was the beautiful material I had to work with!

 

 

There are many 16.0 megapix Coolpix cameras. Could you be a bit more specific? 4300? 8200? etc. I ask because my old Coolpix is needing a replacement and I'm having a hard time finding something. I really want to stick with Nikon. Thanks in advance. The number should be on your camera (or manual)

[KansCocoa]

Sherri,

 

When you were at Sapphire Beach, did you notice if there was a stand where you could get food and drinks? Were there any restrooms and were they clean? I've read many conflicting reviews lately about Sapphire Beach. Some people claim that the food and beverage stand is now closed and the bathrooms are beyond filthy, and others say that there is a place for food and drinks and that the bathrooms are just fine.

 

We are trying to plan our excursions for our January cruise and we wanted to spend the day at Sapphire Beach, but some of the reviews have us concerned.

 

Thanks!

 

There was a stand for food and drinks, but we didn't get anything...we had water bottles still with us, and we'd bought snacks at MountainTop that we were still eating...

 

There WERE restrooms, but we didn't go in....

 

So...I'm not much help here, huh?! I will have to check these out more next time I travel so I can do a better review!!! I'm sorry about that!

[KansCocoa]

There are many 16.0 megapix Coolpix cameras. Could you be a bit more specific? 4300? 8200? etc. I ask because my old Coolpix is needing a replacement and I'm having a hard time finding something. I really want to stick with Nikon. Thanks in advance. The number should be on your camera (or manual)

 

See...can you tell I'm not a gadget person?

 

Okay...I have my camera in hand...had to look around on it...but I found this:

 

S6100

 

Does that help?! :D

[Alter Ego]

Couldn't help but notice your duck picture. Guess you just have something against pidgeons!:)

 

Enjoying your review - I hope this doesn't sound mean, but I can't wait for the continuing boot camp saga. I'll bet you'll be the last one standing in that class!

[paul_a142]

See...can you tell I'm not a gadget person?

 

Okay...I have my camera in hand...had to look around on it...but I found this:

 

S6100

 

Does that help?! :D

 

This may help http://www.nikonusa.com/Nikon-Products/Product/Compact-Digital-Cameras/26269/COOLPIX-S6100.html

 

Regards.

 

Paul