Freedom PHOTO Trip Review to ARUBA, GRAND TURK, DR, & CURACAO

[mpcaruth]

Aruba continued:

 

 

 

Then we began to off-roading adventure as we headed along the coast toward the of gold mine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The gold mine ruins:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued…

[mpcaruth]

Aruba continued:

 

 

 

Stop at a really small church:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next to last stop was at the Lighthouse. I didn’t get a picture of the lighthouse, but managed to catch it in a photo at Arashi Beach. There was a herd of goats that roamed the field next to the lighthouse. Again, the animals intrigued my kids (pun intended).

 

 

 

 

Our final stop was Arashi Beach. The kids snorkeled some here, but we were really not in the right location to see anything. The water was a nice refreshing end to a hot, dusty, and fun day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued…

[cruises42]

Yes it is very bumpy, but tolerable in my opinion. The vehicles are not really jeeps, but are Land Rovers. They are equipped with shocks and struts for off- roading. The seats are probably 4 inches thick and supported with inner springs. With that said, we "bounced" rather than jerked around. My husband has back problems from a bad car accident, and the excursion didn't bother him. For comparison, I think jet skis are really bad on my back, and this tour much more kind to my back.

 

Thanks! I really wanted to take this tour but was worried about my back, but it sounds like it'll be OK.:)

[cruiseclues]

Aruba continued:

 

 

 

We made our way to the Natural Bridge. I was really impressed with the beauty of this coastline. It was like none I had ever seen. There was a little store her for souvenirs and drinks. My son needed to use the restroom, but had to come back out and go to the jeep to get money – yep, you have to pay to use the toilet!

 

 

 

 

Far:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Near:

 

 

 

 

 

The collapsed larger bridge:

 

 

 

 

 

 

What appears to be some sort of tradition: stacking rocks. I forgot to ask our tour guide why. Stacks were all over the place, so each of us decided to add our own to the landscape.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued...

 

When we were on our 4x4 excursion in Aruba and I saw the rocks stacked up for what looked like miles taking up most of the beach from the waves back as well, it was an incredible sight. I thought it might be some sort of religious practice, but when I asked the guide, he said it was for luck.

[MDSue]

You really should be a professional photographer- you have a great eye for composition!

 

We just got back from Aruba a few weeks ago, but stayed at Palm Beach the whole week. I'm really enjoying your pics of the other side of the island.

[wrigley80]

I enjoyed your pictures of Aruba. When you think of the Caribbean you don't really think of Cactus being anywhere around :rolleyes:

[auburngirl]

Sure. I will scan them into pdf format and post a link to the files, along with the Camp Carnival and Circle C schedules. It will probably be a few days before I can get to it, but I will try sooner.

 

Just checking to see if you have posted these yet. Your photos are getting me really excited about the cruise.

[mpcaruth]

Just checking to see if you have posted these yet. Your photos are getting me really excited about the cruise.

 

Ha ha... it seems like you missed my post in all your excitement. Go back to post 91. I gave a link to all the funtimes and camp schedules. Now you can get more excited about your upcoming cruise!

[auburngirl]

I had subscribed to the thread and for some reason, I stopped getting the emails. Didn't know you had posted Aruba photos either. Thanks

[y7anks3]

OK Folks! I have scanned and uploaded the Funtimes, Circle C Schedule, and Camp Carnival (9-11 y.o). Enjoy!

 

 

Here's the link:

http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/show.php?i=1556555&cat=2

Hey

Good evening

Thanks for posting the funtimes..... but it seems the site is not working for its saying the limit have been reach and i need to back another day

[Mahtomedi]

I learned something new today after being a member of CC for 7 years. I did not know I could subscribe to a thread-what a great thing.

 

Also the pile of rocks is known as a cairn. I always thought they were some mystical thing because the first time I saw them was in Sedona Arizona.

[NS-Cruiser]

I learned something new today after being a member of CC for 7 years. I did not know I could subscribe to a thread-what a great thing.

 

Also the pile of rocks is known as a cairn. I always thought they were some mystical thing because the first time I saw them was in Sedona Arizona.

 

 

The piles of rocks remind me of Inukshuks which the Inuit build in the arctic ...they build them "So others know we were here"...

 

I can't wait for another 8 weeks until we can start this same itinerary...

 

First we got to get through the SNOW storm we are having on the East Coast of Canada.... :eek:

[CruizinTwosome]

I learned something new today after being a member of CC for 7 years. I did not know I could subscribe to a thread-what a great thing.

 

Also the pile of rocks is known as a cairn. I always thought they were some mystical thing because the first time I saw them was in Sedona Arizona.

 

I didn't either. Can you tell me how to subscribe to a particular thread?

[y7anks3]

Hey

Good evening

Thanks for posting the funtimes..... but it seems the site is not working for its saying the limit have been reach and i need to back another day

Hey

Thanks was able to view the funtimes...... thanks for posting them...... just curious did they have the Beatles show when u were abroad....... I heard the Freedom has a great Beatles show..... Just curious

[mpcaruth]

Hey

Thanks was able to view the funtimes...... thanks for posting them...... just curious did they have the Beatles show when u were abroad....... I heard the Freedom has a great Beatles show..... Just curious

 

 

Yes, they still have the Beetle show. We saw it in 2011 and it was great, but we skipped it this cruise. They had to do the Beetles show earlier in the week, because the guest performer did not make the ship (for whatever reason). I think the Beetles show was Tuesday night, but it typically Thursday night.

[mpcaruth]

I didn't either. Can you tell me how to subscribe to a particular thread?

 

Near the top of the screen in the blue line there is a drop down box which says, "Thread Tools". Click this and then click "Subscribe to this thread". If you select " no email notifications", you can see new subscription posts when you go to User CP from the top banner anywhere in CC Forum.

[y7anks3]

Yes, they still have the Beetle show. We saw it in 2011 and it was great, but we skipped it this cruise. They had to do the Beetles show earlier in the week, because the guest performer did not make the ship (for whatever reason). I think the Beetles show was Tuesday night, but it typically Thursday night.

Okay

Just looked over the Funtimes and I did not see the show listed...... thats why I was asking...... and I heard good things about the show....

Thanks

[CruizinTwosome]

Near the top of the screen in the blue line there is a drop down box which says, "Thread Tools". Click this and then click "Subscribe to this thread". If you select " no email notifications", you can see new subscription posts when you go to User CP from the top banner anywhere in CC Forum.

 

Thank you! I would sub simply by posting a comment, but this works too! lol

[cruiseclues]

I've looked at all your past cruise photo review posts...maybe a week or two ago...the photos are good in each review...but I can see a definite progression...your photo skills are now at an incredible level...it is such a pleasure to look at them. You seem to be as good or in many cases better than professional photographers...assuming you didn't go professional, already...thanks again for the outstanding experience provided by this review.

 

:):):):)

[mpcaruth]

I've looked at all your past cruise photo review posts...maybe a week or two ago...the photos are good in each review...but I can see a definite progression...your photo skills are now at an incredible level...it is such a pleasure to look at them. You seem to be as good or in many cases better than professional photographers...assuming you didn't go professional, already...thanks again for the outstanding experience provided by this review.

 

:):):):)

 

Wow! Thanks for the compliment. I bought myself my DSLR camera 2-1/2 years ago. I love taking photos, but it seems to irritate the rest of my family. I am pretty sure I will keep my day job and keep photography as my favorite hobby.

 

I love reading other Cruise Critic reviews and want to share my experiences to help others plan the trip of a lifetime. I feel so fortunate that we can cruise as often as we do.

[SweetpeaOne]

Very nice review. Thanks for sharing. Nice pictures also.

[cruiseclues]

I also feel so fortunate that you can cruise as often as you do. :):):)

[PathfinderEss]

Very nice review, thanks for posting it and the wonderful pictures.

[Orpheo]

$$$ Money Saving Tips $$$

 

 

I started off this review indicating I would let everyone know some of my money saving tips. I must admit, I love getting a bargain! I also want to make sure I don’t get too cheap to miss out on what’s important to us: experiences in port.

 

 

 

$ Pre-cruise hotel:

I use Hotwire, Priceline, and hotel reward points. For two nights stay, this can save $1-200.

 

 

 

$ Pre-cruise parking:

I do not typically park at the port parking facility. For this cruise, we used Park N Go, and it was perfect! Cheap, professional, fast, and prompt on picking us up after the cruise. Port paking for 8 day is $15 daily (or $120). Our pre-booked cost for Park N Go was $69.67, including taxes.

 

 

 

$ Cheapest time of the year to cruise:

January and November and the first week of December (based solely on my observation!). Most expensive time to cruise: holidays and July.

 

 

 

$ Cabin:

I always try to book the largest (s.f.) cabin for the lowest price. Ocean View cabins are the biggest quad cabins, and there are also special “interior” cabins that are larger than standard interior cabins. The special cabins include PT (porthole), 4J (picture window) and 4K (French door). The special interior cabins are significantly less than the standard OV cabin. There are a limited number of these special cabins for quads. So… I must always book early. When I originally booked this cruise, there were no special quad interior cabins available. I booked 11 months out for $2500 for an OV quad. This 8-day cruise is very popular, and the laws of supply and demand make it one of Carnival’s most expensive. I watch the cruise price at least weekly between booking and final payment. At about 10 months prior to sailing, a PT quad cabin became available at $2200, and I switch cabins and saved $300. I noticed that the OV quad cabin price went up to $2950 just before final payment. Further justifying the need to book early to save money. Summary, by booking early and watching for a PT cabin, I theoretically saved $750.

 

In case you are interested: I once posted photos of our past cabins. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=33702019&highlight=obstructed#post33702019 (FYI, Carnival now uses the term Picture Window instead of Obstructed View)

 

 

 

$ On Board Credit:

I used a Carnival Future Cruise Certificate to receive a $100 OBC. (Sadly, these are no longer available). Following every cruise I book with my online travel agent, I receive a $25 OBC voucher for my next cruise. Through reading Cruise Critic forum, I learned of a Master Card promotion receiving $50 OBC. I also received an additional $50 OBC from my TA. This nearly paid the gratuities.

 

 

 

$ On board drinks:

We do not buy the soda package. I do carry on a few sodas and lots of Crystal Light drink mix packets. Some of my drink packets have caffeine; this is to supplement the nasty coffee on the ship. My husband has a Carnival credit card and earns Funpoints each month. We use our credit cards to purchase everything and pay it off each month. This process really works for us and we get many free perks. My husband cashed in his points for drink vouchers: We got 8 free adult drink tickets and 8 free soda tickets. VIFP (past guests) each get a free drink coupon (with the ridiculous restriction of redemption only from the main dining room at either breakfast or lunch). We redeemed the VIFP coupons at breakfast to get un-opened, mega-sized canned Fosters beer, which we carried back to the cabin and placed in our fridge for later consumption. We also attended the Gold level and higher VIFP party. We drank a few drinks at the party and carried a mixed drink out with us “for the road”. We don’t typically drink during the day, and I only have a glass of wine on formal night. We really only have drinks at the Comedy Club. And of course, for those more daring, rumrunners are an option.

 

 

 

 

$ Casino:

The only way to save money here is to not loose! I only played slot machines during this cruise. I literally set myself a limit of putting $20 on my sail and sign card for slots. If I double my money at a machine, I stop. If I loose half of my money at a machine I stop. I either take a break or move on to the next machine. I have also noticed that the machines seem to pay out more during the beginning of the week and take more the end of the week. With that said, I probably played for a total of 2 hours all week and came home $40 richer. One thing that I had wanted to do, but never got around to it: use a receipt for a Classic Cocktail to get a match and play token in the casino. I have read you can do this. On Royal ships, I always use my match token on the roulette wheel and have always come out ahead.

 

 

 

 

$ Shore Excursions:

 

I use a cash reward credit card and put all my rewards into a vacation kitty for shore excursions. This amounts to over $300 of “free” money. I also put all my mail-in rebates (if I get any) into this “free” account.

 

Aruba: Another great find on CC forum was a coupon code for 10% off Carnival shore excursions. I successfully used this coupon code to get a discount on our North Shore Jeep Safari excursion in Aruba. It saved $30 for my family of 4 ($272).

 

Grand Turk – we did not spend any money here except to buy a shot glass. The pool and beach are free. The ship sells $10 Grand Turk T shirts on the next sea day. We did not buy any food here, as I have a hard time spending money at a facility that is just like the Margaretville in the States.

 

Seavis Tours – La Romana – The tour cost for the 4 of us was $254. Which included transportation, lunch, snorkeling gear, rum & beer. This tour would have been worth the money even if it had not had the drinks and lunch!

 

Curacao – The taxi to the beach did not seem like a bargain. It was $100. But there was no acceptable alternative for us, as we really wanted to hit a nice beach and snorkel. As we had packed water and snacks in our cooler, we did not need to purchase food in port. We ate dinner on the ship before going back out to Willemstad.

 

In looking at the numbers above, it appears that we only “spent” (after “free money” deducted) a little over $400 on shore excursions and tips.

 

 

 

$ Souvenirs:

Every person is different is what the want for souvenirs. I always get a cheesy shot glass at each port and try to buy something handmade too. I find the souvenirs tend to be less expensive further away from the cruise dock.

 

 

 

$ Spa:

Sadly, I do not use the spa facilities. I am just too frugal to do it! I keep thinking that my husband can give me a massage (:D), and "do I really need to relax any more than I already am on vacation". I have attended the spa raffle on boarding day, unsuccessfully trying to win a free luxury treat.

 

 

 

 

 

I am sure there are other money saving tips that I just cannot currently bring to mind. If something pops up, I will add it later. Cruise Critic Forum is a wonder place to learn about money saving opportunities from fellow cruisers. Just post a question or use the search function.

 

To be continued...

 

Great tips;)

[navybaby1113]

Thanks for the review. We're debating on this itinerary on either the Freedom or Breeze for our next cruise.