Freedom June 9: Fun with a Ring, Seasickness, Pulled Hamstring & Bruises

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After meeting PJ back at the top we set off through Ocho Rios to the White River for a short river tubing trip. This part of the tour was a little more awkward (but still relaxing). Our guide for this portion didn’t even introduce himself until the end which I thought was strange.

 

 

We were dropped off at a small building right above the river where we could get drinks (including beer) to take with us. We were each given a tube and asked to carry it down the steps to the river bank. Our guide helped us into the tube (this time it was just the four of us from the car, no random people in other tours like at the falls) and pushed us off into the current.

 

There were several places of “rapids” and a faster current. I would say Class I rapids at a guess, they were big enough to make it fun but not scary at all. Most of the trip was a gentle float down the river for about a mile.

 

Typical "Rapids":

 

 

 

 

About half way through we pulled off into a bend where there were some rope swings and a platform for jumping (none of us did). There was a small photo hut where you could buy photos and a small hut for beer and souvenirs (mostly carved wood pieces). They would deliver any purchases to the pick-up location to keep them dry. The pictures they took were horrible; all of our faces were shadowed so it wasn’t worth the $4 for the 4x6. This was the most awkward part of the whole day, just the four of us with a soft sell to buy something but we didn’t have any money with us other than cash for the tip.

 

 

Overall this was a great tour. PJ was great about keeping us informed and entertained and he gave us some tips that helped me feel safer and more comfortable in the straw market at the falls. I would do these activities again if I go back to Jamaica.

 

After being dropped back off at the pier we did some shopping while a thunderstorm passed through. I bought two beautiful wood fish that appear to be hand carved (if they aren’t please don’t tell me… lol) and Andy bought some cigars and Jerk seasoning. There is a lovely store there where they let you sample the rum and the Jerk BBQ sauce so you know exactly what you are getting. It was very helpful and probably caused us to spend more than we normally would have.

 

 

We got back on board and got cleaned up and wandered around the ship a little. We played some shuffleboard (I won) and saw a beautiful rainbow spread from the water into the port area. I’ve only seen a few full rainbows before and I hated that I didn’t have a camera with me to document it.

 

Dinner that night was just okay, once the ship started moving again I started feeling bad again so I left after the appetizers and told Andy to stay and enjoy. Our waitress sent back my dinner and a balloon dog with Andy to help me feel better. That was very nice of her.

[Dawniepoo]

I'm loving your review. Thank you.:)

[Cruisecrazy~]

Have you ever been sea sick before on a cruise? Were the seas pretty rough?

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Have you ever been sea sick before on a cruise? Were the seas pretty rough?

 

Two years ago on my Serenade cruise I got sick twice on the smaller excursion boats, but not on the ship itself until this cruise.

 

The first sea day was pretty rough, we were going against the current and it was very windy (there were white caps everywhere on the waves) but I didn't get sick until later that night.

 

I did buy some sea bands on the ship (about $11 I think) that did help as long as I kept them on.

 

I think my sickness lingered more in my head than my actual body. I just didn't trust my stomach after I got sick on Monday night. After Grand Cayman I felt fine the rest of the week (other than right after our Cozumel excursion) and didn't wear the sea bands.

 

I think the next time I cruise I will try to get a prescription for the patch as a precaution. At times I felt worse about being sick and "ruining" our vacation than actually feeling sick if that makes any sense.

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Thursday, June 13th: George Town, Grand Cayman (8:00-4:00)

 

I woke up this morning feeling normal so we had a quick breakfast in the Windjammer (I stuck with Fruit Loops again this morning) before heading down to get in the tender line. They cleared the ship a few minutes before 8:00 and I think we were on a tender by 8:15. The Compass said the first tender would leave at 8:30 so they were running ahead of schedule.

 

The first time I was in Grand Cayman (my first cruise) I was interested in doing Sting Ray City, but my sister and friend were both scared so we didn’t go. This was on my must-do list for this trip.

 

I selected Captain Marvin because of good reviews and he offered an industry discount that no one else appeared to give. In order to maximize beach time (I knew we wouldn’t get any beach time in Jamaica) we decided on the two snorkel tour, the stingray sandbar and Coral Gardens.

 

Here is a link: https://www.captainmarvins.com/two-stop-stingray-snorkel-tours. This price is $38 per person. Similar ship tour was $75 per person (total savings of $74, not including the discount).

 

Again, Freedom was the only ship scheduled to be in port today, so our main concern was doing an early excursion to avoid the ship tours.

 

Captain Marvin’s was very easy to find. Walk down the pier outside the gates and it is on the corner to the left (at least where the Freedom tenders docked, worst case scenario is you walk two blocks to the left if they use the other dock). We checked in early so I had time to do some shopping at the store next door. I bought a Christmas ornament, a beautiful picture frame made of sea glass and seashells and a stone sting ray before the bus was ready to leave.

 

 

They loaded us up on the bus and drove us to the marina where we boarded the “Oh Boy” for the morning. I didn’t count how many were on our tour but it was a full boat (but not overcrowded at all). It was a nice calm boat ride to the snorkel stop, it probably took about 20 minutes or so. They handed out flippers and masks and we hopped in the water. There was a large variety of fish (more than I expected) and some nice coral. I felt like we had plenty of time to see and explore over the reef.

 

 

 

 

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We got back onboard and did a quick hop over to Stingray City. There were a lot of boats at the sand bar and I was worried that it would be too crowded to enjoy but I was wrong. Plenty of sting rays to go around and once everyone got their first look our group spread out just a little bit as we took turns holding the sting rays.

 

The rays were bigger than I expected and a lot heavier than I thought they would be. Their skin felt like a dolphin, soft, smooth and yet firm.

I wish we could have spent more time there, but we had enough time for everyone to get time with the animals and hang out in the water.

 

 

 

 

 

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After we got back to the dock they had several buses heading in different directions including one that dropped us off at 7 Mile Beach. We didn’t specify where to go so they dropped us off at Royal Palms Beach which had a $2 per person entrance fee. We had lunch (we split a hamburger and fries, water and 2 rum punches was $46 US dollars) and spent some time in the water before grabbing a taxi back to the pier. We did not use their chairs since we would only be there an hour or so.

 

 

 

 

 

Back at the pier the line for the tenders was long (I think we got there around 2:00, maybe 2:30) but moved fairly quickly. I let Andy hold our spot in line and I browsed in a few shops but didn’t find anything I had to have. We did get some really good gelato while we waited in line. I think a small was $7 each. We finally got on board about 3:15.

 

Tonight was the second formal night. Andy and I looked like lobsters because we forgot to reapply sunscreen. Fun. We went to watch the sunset on outside decks while we waited for dinner. Sunset was later than I was expecting and I was getting irritated because we were going to throw the dinner service off schedule by being late. He kept saying “just one more minute” and I was mentally tapping my toes.

 

 

 

Finally, just as the tip of the sun went below the water, there it was. The green flash! I saw it!!!! WOOHOO!!! Andy didn’t see it which was too bad since he was the one who wanted to stay and watch the sunset anyway. lol

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Tonight was also Quest. I was tired, but I knew this activity would be right up Andy’s alley. He is much more outgoing than I am and I knew he would end up participating in one way or another. He ended up being one of our team captains. Lol

 

Without getting into too much detail that may ruin the game for others. Andy managed to pull his hamstring in the last challenge. He had no shirt on, my strapless bra on his head and he tried to do the worm (which pulled his hamstring somehow). I laughed so hard!! Well, not at him getting hurt, but the antics leading up to the injury.

 

Today is the first day my stomach has felt normal all day since I got since on Monday. I did wear my sea bands on the boat, but the water was pretty smooth. I took them off to shower in the afternoon and forgot to put them back on. I didn't wear them the rest of the cruise. Woohoo!!

 

 

 

[FluffsMom]

Thanks for the review - we're heading out this Sunday and your pictures are getting me so excited for our trip!!!

[April-in-NC]

Friday, June 14th: Cozumel, Mexico (10:00-7:00)

 

Cozumel was the hardest port for me to figure out. The original plan was to swim with the dolphins (I loved doing this at Blue Lagoon in Nassau) but I just couldn’t get excited about it. I believe the main issue was we can’t bring our own camera in the water (we could at Blue Lagoon) and pictures are insanely expensive at over $100 for a package. I finally narrowed it down to the Mini Sub and a few 4x4 tours that included snorkeling and made Andy decide. lol Andy decided that the mini subs looked like something the Jetson’s would have, so that made the decision for us.

 

We booked the Cozumel Mini Submarine Adventure with Cozumel Cruise Excursions (Island Marketing) and it does not look like this was offered through RCI at all, so it is hard to determine a cost savings. The helmet dive is the closest I could find and it was $99 per person. We paid $74 and get to use the resort facilities (but not the pool) for the whole day when we are finished. We saved $50 and probably got a better tour than what is offered by the ship. Here is a link to the tour we took: http://cozumelcruiseexcursions.com/cozumelHelmetDiving.htm.

 

The tour did not include transportation so we paid $10 (including tip) to get us to the Hotel Cozumel. It took us a second to find the check in place, but once we were there everything was a breeze. The agent explained how everything worked and showed us where we would start the tour and showed us around. Lockers are available, but we left our stuff at the hut with the other dive team members.

 

 

Because we showed up early they went ahead and put us on an earlier excursion which opened up more time for us to do other things. I was a little nervous about being completely underwater, this would be the deepest I’ve ever been.

 

They lift the scooter into the water and we climbed down a ladder and swam “under” the helmet and popped our head up into the air chamber. There is a scuba diver there with you and will help guide your head in so you don’t get hurt. Once you are inside you pull your body forward until it is sitting on the seat. The diver will ask you if you are okay with a hand sign. If you are good to go you flash the “ok” sign. If you are not good you give the “thumbs up” sign and that means you need to go back to the surface.

 

All of these pictures are from my camera, I haven't uploaded the "professional" pictures to Photobucket yet.

 

 

 

 

 

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[Beccafcr]

great review :)

[Merion_Mom]

You have a great underwater camera!

[SWManiac]

You're doing a great job!! Love reading your review!!

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You have a great underwater camera!

 

It's brand new!!!! My old one died at the end of my Victory cruise last summer (luckily after our last water excursion). I had put off replacing it until we booked this cruise. I bought a Panasonic Lumix TS4 from Amazon. It was a little more than I wanted to spend but it was worth it because it does take great pictures. The shutter delay is a little longer than I prefer, but I am used to my DSLR. :D

[pam_1024]

after we got back to the dock they had several buses heading in different directions including one that dropped us off at 7 mile beach. We didn’t specify where to go so they dropped us off at royal palms beach which had a $2 per person entrance fee. We had lunch (we split a hamburger and fries, water and 2 rum punches was $46 us dollars) and spent some time in the water before grabbing a taxi back to the pier. We did not use their chairs since we would only be there an hour or so.

 

 

 

 

 

back at the pier the line for the tenders was long (i think we got there around 2:00, maybe 2:30) but moved fairly quickly. I let andy hold our spot in line and i browsed in a few shops but didn’t find anything i had to have. We did get some really good gelato while we waited in line. I think a small was $7 each. We finally got on board about 3:15.

 

Tonight was the second formal night. Andy and i looked like lobsters because we forgot to reapply sunscreen. Fun. We went to watch the sunset on outside decks while we waited for dinner. Sunset was later than i was expecting and i was getting irritated because we were going to throw the dinner service off schedule by being late. He kept saying “just one more minute” and i was mentally tapping my toes.

 

 

 

finally, just as the tip of the sun went below the water, there it was. The green flash! I saw it!!!! Woohoo!!! Andy didn’t see it which was too bad since he was the one who wanted to stay and watch the sunset anyway. Lol

 

love that dress!

[Keith1010]

Congratulations.

 

Enjoyed the review.

 

Keith

[April-in-NC]

love that dress!

 

Thank you! I got it at JC Penny last summer before my Victory cruise. I think it was under $50... I've worn it three times now, so I'm getting my money's worth out of that one.

[pam_1024]

Thank you! I got it at JC Penny last summer before my Victory cruise. I think it was under $50... I've worn it three times now, so I'm getting my money's worth out of that one.

 

I found it on their website! :D $55 right now, but i will keep checking back for it to go on sale. I may buy it anyway lol.

[April-in-NC]

I found it on their website! :D $55 right now, but i will keep checking back for it to go on sale. I may buy it anyway lol.

 

Maybe it was $55, I don't remember exactly, but that sounds about right. The dress is a little bit stretchy so it is pretty forgiving.

[April-in-NC]

Cozumel Continued...

 

After my stomach mostly recovered and we bought our photo CD we asked for lunch recommendations. We were told Alberto's was a few minutes walk away. This restaurant was mentioned on the Cozumel Port of Call board and got good reviews so I did not hesitate.

 

We walked about 10 minutes or so (more at a stroll, we weren't in a hurry and it was hot) to the restaurant and found it without any trouble. We just continued down the main road away from the port until we saw it. I believe they call this their "downtown" location.

 

Service was good, the food was great and they hailed a taxi for us when we were finished.

 

Andy said the fist tacos were the best he has ever had and probably the best food he ate on the cruise. I loved the guacamole but the pico & chips were just okay for me. My lunch was a quesadilla which was good but didn't sit well on my stomach (a little to heavy after being sick during the excursion).

 

 

 

 

 

 

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After lunch we grabbed a taxi (the waitress hailed one for us) back to the cab for $10 (including tip).

 

We did our souvenir shopping, I bought a veggie/chip and dip tray that was made in Mexico and had removable compartments. The pattern was busier than what I normal get, but I knew it would always remind me of our first vacation together. It was $30 and I saw several stores in the port that had similar items. I also found a Christmas ornament for $3 in one of the little shops.

 

At this point I was hot, tired, and my sunburn was hurting so I left Andy to look for tequilla for friends and I went back to the ship and showered. Once he got back I was debating a nap but we decided to go try out the Flowrider for the first time.

 

I was pretty nervous because I don't like "jumping" into things and watching people load in by throwing their bodies onto a boogie board and into rushing water was intimidating to me. I let Andy get in line first and I volunteered to get pictures. lol

 

 

 

 

Andy did pretty good and only wiped out when he tried to get up on his knees...

 

Next up it was my turn... While standing in line all of the kids/teens were giving me advice and making my head spin... It sounded pretty hard to do.

 

 

 

I did it! I think my first ride was longer than Andy's... We kept riding until after we left port. We decided to skip dinner in the MDR so we could keep playing and do some other things that we hadn't had time to do with me being sick earlier in the week.

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We did Johnny Rocket's for dinner and it was VERY good. The onion rings were the perfect size for me (I don't like the big ones with a lot of onion) and the burgers were HUGE. One patty was the equivalent of two Windjammer patties and we both ordered doubles. I had to remove one of the patties and I still didn't finish the burger.

 

 

BOGO Milkshakes with my Gold coupon... Strawberry for Andy and Peanut Butter for me (mine needed a hint of chocolate to make it fantastic).

 

 

Beautiful sunset this evening... No green flash tonight.

 

 

We went to go see Marquee in the theater. Andy and I were both pretty disappointed. The quality was there but the music selections were pretty random in my opinion. We are both pretty familiar with Broadway music and we only recognized the set from Phantom of the Opera. Tonight was the first night on board for this cast.

 

 

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Our next stop was a spur of the moment decision to the 70's Dance Party on the Promenade. Pretty cheesy and kinda fun. It was worth the stop but I do wish they would have the 80's party here instead. I don't like most 70's music/disco so I got bored (and tired from the day) pretty fast.

 

 

 

Then it was off to bed where a swan greeted us on our bed.