Freedom OTS Trip Review - 2/16/14 (Western) - Playing “Clue” in the Caribbean!

[SherriZ366]

 

History corner: On the end of Columbus Cove Beach sits the old pier used for tendering. A lot of people may not realize this, but for the first 10 years or so that RCI was leasing Labadee, it was a tender port. The lease runs through 2050. The big pier that is there now was just built in 2009 to help support the Oasis ships:

 

 

 

After DD was done with her hour at the Aquapark, we hurried over to grab lunch before they stopped serving at 1:30. Each of the four beach areas has a large covered area they use for serving the buffet lunch (burgers, hot dogs, potato salad, cole slaw (vinegar based – I don’t like it), ribs, chicken, and other picnic type stuff. It is alright – good enough to not go back to the ship to eat. :-)

 

After lunch we started the migration back to the ship. We walked through the “straw market” area of Labadee where they let vendors in to sell things in their booth areas. It is similar to other Caribbean stops, where you are constantly invited to come see what they have to sell. We gave about 95% no thank you’s, then stopped at a stall so DD could buy some weave bracelets. Bartering is also expected, and almost always initiated by them if you start to walk away. There are 100’s of threads on CC regarding bartering. I have only bought inexpensive souvenir type of items under $10, and I usually offer them half of their initial offer and they usually jump at it which tells me that they would go lower, but it isn’t worth my time and theirs to try to haggle down a bracelet from 2.00 to 1.50. :-)

 

On the way back, we headed over to Adrenaline Beach to watch some people go by on the zip line when I heard and felt a crunch. I looked down and there was a pair of sunglasses broken underfoot. They were on the sand leaning up against the concrete sidewalk. I looked closer and just like C3P0 I started to get a bad feeling, as they looked very familiar. They were mine!! We were in a store and it was dark so I put them on top of my head over my hat (like I do often). I didn’t put them back on outside and they fell perfectly off my head and under foot in one fell swoop. Not only were they nice Costa sunglasses, they were prescription! I could feel the blood rise up my face like in the cartoons as my family backed up to a safe distance away from me. They were a couple of years old and I was planning to get an updated prescription after vacation, but the frames were still in mint condition. Being high quality Costa’s, they did not snap, but they did crack and the frames twisted to a point of no return, just outside the range of being able to make due. In summary… Grrr… Day 3 of a 7 day cruise with no prescription glasses to wear outside…

 

We then bypassed the zip line watching and I moped back towards the ship. Here’s a picture of us where 67% of us are wearing sunglasses. I put on my best fake smile:

 

 

And another view of Freedom. She is an impressive looking ship:

 

 

 

 

After getting back to the ship, we got showered up, grabbed a snack at Sorrento’s filled up the Freestyle mugs, then hung out for a while and waited for the ship to leave so the Promenade stores could open up and I could try and find a pair of ZZ Top specials (aka cheap sunglasses). :-)

 

I found what can be considered a bargain (in ship terms), a crappy pair for $30. Only consolation is I used some of our OBC to pay for them. Unfortunately I would be squinting a lot through them for the next 4 days.

 

We then headed to dinner and had the valleys and peaks of our My Time Dining experience this cruise. We arrived for our reservation on time and checked in at the desk. She looked us up and told us that all of Rodson’s tables were taken and we could either wait 30 minutes or have a different server. I was pretty ticked off to say the least because this means that we will have had different waiters each of the three nights so far. To make matters worse, they put us at a table bordering Rodson’s area. So throughout the dinner, he and Helmsley were talking to us even though they had their own tables. I felt bad, but it wasn’t their fault. We made it through dinner and then Rodson came over and said that my “order” for dessert was ready. He then brought Jen and I pieces of Key Lime pie. Then about 10 minutes later, he brought over two more pieces with to go lids on the plates. That was awesome! Both the pie itself and also that Rodson came over to our area to let me know.

 

That softened the blow a little from the seating issues. On the way out, I stopped by the desk again and asked them if there would be any issues the rest of the cruise to make sure we were seated in Rodson’s area. She said she would make note of it. There will be more MTD issues and pie updates each night from here on out.

 

In the Arcadia night three was a special concert by Bowser of Sha Na Na fame. The cruise itself (as well as the week prior) was partially chartered for something called “Rocky and the Rollers Rockin’ the Caribbean”. Their cruise featured several 50’s & 60’s groups. We saw a lot of the cruisers during the week. They had wristbands to signify they were allowed to the chartered events. However, Bowser performed for the whole ship. He did a few Sha Na Na hits (Hand Jive, Good Night Sweetheart, etc). It was a fun hour. Here of some pictures of him doing his thing:

 

 

 

 

That night we returned to our room and saw that Walid hooked us up with another cool towel animal. He was a shining bright spot on the cruise!

 

Towel Elephant

 

It was overall a good day three. Had a couple of issues with the sunglasses and MTD issues, but how bad can the day really be when you are on vacation in the Caribbean?? :-)

 

Tomorrow… Jamaica… Yeah mon!!

 

 

 

I've moved from prescription sunglasses to Fitovers

https://www.fitovers.com/ that I get from my optician. They are about $50 and have a strap so you can hang then on your neck while you are inside. This is also helpful on a day that alternates between clouds and sun. The tinted lenses wrap around and shut out more sun.

[kevinsgirl88]

Loving your review can't wait to read more! :)

 

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[bbw187]

More.....more.....more plz!

[fletch1027]

More.....more.....more plz!

 

Yep, I meant to post a lot more frequently, but the side effect to being off for a week is the pile of work awaiting your return. :-(

 

I'll do better!

 

 

 

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[mickev99]

Yep, I meant to post a lot more frequently, but the side effect to being off for a week is the pile of work awaiting your return. :-(

 

I'll do better!]

 

 

 

I've never understood why other people can't just do all of our work when we're on vacation. Like little elves or fairies....is that too much to ask????

Edited March 6, 2014 by mickev99

[FSUDAVE]

Love the review. Do they still have the "Quest" show?

[philps]

where are you fletch

[theminnow]

where are you fletch

 

Ditto. This is a great review. We are doing the same itinerary and thoroughly enjoy this review as well as his review from last years cruise.

 

Craig

[fletch1027]

Love the review. Do they still have the "Quest" show?

 

Yes, the Quest show is still happening. We didn't do it, but I think it was on night 4 or 5...

 

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[fletch1027]

where are you fletch

 

More on the way today! Sorry for the delay. :-)

 

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[tlw440]

More on the way today! Sorry for the delay. :-)

 

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Fletch lives.:D:D:D

[alaata]

More on the way today! Sorry for the delay. :-)

 

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Cool looking forward it.

 

3/16 freedom of the seas.. ONE MORE WEEK!!

[evelyn51]

Cool looking forward it.

 

3/16 freedom of the seas.. ONE MORE WEEK!!

 

 

Same from Canada! ;)

[fletch1027]

 

Big apologies for the lengthy delay between trip review posts. I have been busy-busy-busy. As they say here: No worries mon! Also, I need another cruise! Anyway, here goes another day:

 

On the Western Caribbean cruise, there are 4 ports. 2 early and 2 late. Early for me is 8:00 port time (Labadee and Grand Cayman). Setting an alarm on vacation – how nuts is that? :-)

 

Falmouth is one of the two “late” days – meaning a 10:00 port time. It was a beautiful morning as we pulled into Falmouth. We got breakfast and headed down to Deck 4 to get some pics of the trip into port. Navigator beat us into port. I think their port times are 9-6, whereas we are 10-7. Probably to not cause a stampede through the port.

 

 

Before we head into Jamaica, for anyone who is interested, here is what we bring with us when we go into any port city:

 

First off, we use these waterproof cases which work really well. It is a lot smaller than a wallet or purse, and enables us to keep it with us at all times whether we are wet or dry. Jen and I each have one:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Witz-Sport-Cases-Surfsafe-Colors/dp/B0007PENQ0/ref=sr_1_16?s=boating-water-sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1394458366&sr=1-16&keywords=waterproof+case

 

Inside hers she carries: her and DD’s sea passes, her license, and photocopies of our passports

 

Inside mine I carry: my seapass & license, cash for the day + little extra, one credit card

 

The idea is to take only what we need for the day as well as a backup plan if we were to miss the ship due to medical, accident, etc. Everything else (passports, other cash, other credit cards, etc) stays in the safe in our cabin so if our waterproof cases get lost or stolen we will be inconvenienced temporarily but not totally screwed. So far at the 8-10 ports we have been to over the last couple of years, this has worked out well.

 

Here we are pulling into our parking space @ Falmouth:

 

 

 

Now regarding Jamaica in general. On the CC boards (ship boards as well as the Port of Call boards), there are several categories of people. This is a general list that I have come up with from doing a lot of research for our two trips in the last 12 months. I list them in order of “adventure” :-):

 

- never leave the ship

- get off the ship but do not leave the Falmouth port secure area

- get off the ship and take a ship tour

- get off the ship and take a private tour

- get off the ship and rent a car

- get off the ship and walk around the city of Falmouth

 

** The next paragraph is my opinion and observations and in no way is meant to offend anyone **

 

That being said, I can understand peoples fear and trepidation in regards to thinking places like Jamaica are “dangerous”. I don’t know if people are used to thinking of vacation in regards to someplace like Disney World or if people on vacation tend to turn off their natural defenses, but in my opinion, “real” cities like you will visit on a cruise should be treated like any major city in the United States. I work in downtown Atlanta. Common sense and knowledge dictates where in the city I should and should not go. It is the same with any city on vacation. Those that either stay on the ship or stay inside the gates of the port area in Jamaica are really missing out on some of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.

 

Last year and this year in Jamaica, we were in the 4th group, choosing the private tour route. This has really worked out great for us. Private tours for us are the way to go. Ship tours are a lot more people and a lot less personal. Yes, there is the chance of "missing the boat", but if you have trustworthy tour guides, they are experts in the areas of traffic and drive times so they will get you back with plenty of time to spare.

 

In both trips, we have booked tours with Know Jamaica Tours (knowjamaica.com). I cannot say enough positive things about how they run their tour company. The first time we used them, it was because of all the positive comments I found for them both on CC and Trip Advisor. This past trip, I was one of the ones writing good reviews from our first experience last year! Last time we did Dunns river Falls, lunch and sightseeing. This time we thought about doing something new, but also wanted DD to see what we did., so we did something similar this time.

 

As an aside, we were tempted by doing the Secret Falls (Blue Hole) waterfalls this time, but in researching it, I couldn’t find any “official” information about it. The only information I could find was on tour company websites, which for me set up a red flag. I have heard two different things: it is owned by a private individual and it is public property, not sure which is the case. What I did find was that although it is a very beautiful place, it seems very unregulated and to get there takes travelling down some dirt roads in need of maintenance. Not that “off the beaten path” is a bad thing, but when I am in an unfamiliar place, this scenario is concerning in terms of safety. Safety both in terms of physical safety as well as on-site triage and/or medical response time if there is an injury swinging from ropes and jumping off of cliffs into the water. Yes, Dunn’s is more crowded, but there is a medical station at the beach and it is a place that is regulated by the tourist board and government. Anyways, that’s my opinion about Secret Falls.

 

We got off the ship, and in Falmouth just past the last building the parking lot begins and that is where the private tour meeting place is. We got there and Javia Shaw was there waiting for us. We jumped in his nice new Toyota van and we were off! Below is a picture of the FOS from the parking lot:

 

 

 

Dunns River Falls is about a 35-45 minute drive from Falmouth. It is about 3/4 of the way to Ocho Rios and the highway that takes you there runs in parallel with the beach. We had a great discussion with Javia along the drive as he told us all about his life growing up on the island, as well as history and a lot of other topics. On the way there we stopped at Columbus Park (as in Christopher Columbus - part of the history :-) ) which overlooks Discovery Bay to take some photos and see the samples they have there of old (hand crank - hard work!) farming equipment like corn huskers, sugar cane processors, etc.

 

Discovery Bay is also a very beautiful area:

 

 

Columbus Park has a replica of an old ship bow that is good for pictures

 

 

There is a huge almond tree there where you can get fresh almond samples

 

A monument overlooking Discovery Bay

 

 

 

To be continued...

 

 

 

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[Cmoore19]

Great review! Love the pictures!

[fletch1027]

Fletch lives.:D:D:D

 

Yes he does, except for Fletch Lives not being as good as the original... :D

[tlw440]

Great review and photos, keep it coming.

[fletch1027]

 

Before we left Columbus Park, I came across an interesting monument. From studying it, I can only conclude that it is commemorating Jamaica’s first IT department. Since that is my field of employment, it makes perfect sense to me. :-)

 

 

 

After leaving Columbus Park / Discovery Cove, Javia took us to Dunn’s for our waterfall adventure. Using the waterproof cases I described earlier, meant that all we had to leave in Javia’s van was stuff like my towel, sandals and one of my cameras. We headed to Dunn’s river armed with the waterproof Nikon Coolpix.

 

 

This photo is the beach where Dunn’s River meets the ocean. A cool piece of movie trivia is that the first James Bond movie (Dr. No), used this same spot for filming the famous beach scene. Here is a photo of the beach where the falls comes out:

 

 

Here is a link to an image from the movie with the same area in the background:

 

http://www.007museum.com/dr_no_bondbeach.jpg

 

 

We then proceeded to hike up the falls with our group and guide. I took several photos on the way up, picking out a few for the review:

 

 

Just a little bit up. The beach & ocean are still visible

 

 

 

A little farther up. It isn’t a very hard or strenuous hike, especially with the guides and other people assisting, but looking back and down it seems pretty high!

 

 

 

 

Same idea, I thought it was cool to see the way the water comes over the rocks, around trees, etc. Also good to point out that the water is pretty chilly at first, but you get used to it fast. There is shade for just about the entire hike up, so I went light on the sunscreen. I can imagine this would feel really good in the summertime…

 

 

 

This is at the top looking beyond the hiking area. Hard to believe what looks like a small river creates so much action down the falls!

 

It’s also good to mention that there were several people that were there with their families that did not hike up the falls. There is a trail on land that people can use if they do not want to get in the water. There are also several places going up the falls where people can bail out if they need to.

 

The falls is a lot of fun, and a private tour like Knowjamaica can get you there ahead of the cruise busses which means smaller crowds when we were there.

 

Tipping: The guides that bring the groups up the falls “appreciate” tips. I planned for this and based the tip amount for excursions activities similar to restaurants where I tip between 15-20%. So for ours I gave him a $10 tip which was around 17% (admission to the falls is $20 pp).

 

We met back up with Javia, got a little dried off and headed off on a legit Jamaican adventure!!

 

To be continued…

 

 

 

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[mickev99]

Wow, I didn't realize the falls were that close to the ocean! I'm so excited, we are doing Dunn's Fall and Green Grotto Caves (my kids love rocks & minerals) when we are there in June. We are using Courtney Taylor Tours, though, they came in A LOT cheaper than Marva. With a family of 5, it made enough of a difference for us, and he got good reviews also. Anxious to see more!! Thanks for all the photos!!

[DrD]

Wow, I didn't realize the falls were that close to the ocean! I'm so excited, we are doing Dunn's Fall and Green Grotto Caves (my kids love rocks & minerals) when we are there in June. We are using Courtney Taylor Tours, though, they came in A LOT cheaper than Marva. With a family of 5, it made enough of a difference for us, and he got good reviews also. Anxious to see more!! Thanks for all the photos!!

 

I'm using Courtney Taylor soon, look for my review after I get back.

[mickev99]

I'm using Courtney Taylor soon, look for my review after I get back.

 

I definitely will!

[Beeeeeford]

 

We got off the ship, and in Falmouth just past the last building the parking lot begins and that is where the private tour meeting place is. We got there and Javia Shaw was there waiting for us. We jumped in his nice new Toyota van and we were off!

 

Fletch-do you know what your tour was called? I can't find one with KnowJamaica for Dunn's River Falls that start in Falmouth. All of the ones I see say they don't start there.

 

Edit- this is the description I get.

Dunn’s River Falls and Margaritaville Shuttle

 

DESCRIPTIONITINERARYDATES & PRICESREVIEWS

Enjoy one of the islands natural treasures located in Ocho Rios, where you will be massaged by cool cascading waters at Dunn’s River Falls.

 

Climb the falls ascending 600ft of watery limestone steps all carved by nature, as you go along in a human chain led by experienced guides.

 

Please note that this tour does not depart from Falmouth.

Edited March 11, 2014 by Beeeeeford

[fletch1027]

Fletch-do you know what your tour was called? I can't find one with KnowJamaica for Dunn's River Falls that start in Falmouth. All of the ones I see say they don't start there.

 

Edit- this is the description I get.

Dunn’s River Falls and Margaritaville Shuttle

 

DESCRIPTIONITINERARYDATES & PRICESREVIEWS

Enjoy one of the islands natural treasures located in Ocho Rios, where you will be massaged by cool cascading waters at Dunn’s River Falls.

 

Climb the falls ascending 600ft of watery limestone steps all carved by nature, as you go along in a human chain led by experienced guides.

 

Please note that this tour does not depart from Falmouth.

 

The tour from Falmouth is called the Treelawny Tour. It's an open tour where you set the agenda as to what to do, that's what makes it cool. :-)

 

 

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[mickev99]

Fletch-do you know what your tour was called? I can't find one with KnowJamaica for Dunn's River Falls that start in Falmouth. All of the ones I see say they don't start there.

 

Edit- this is the description I get.

Dunn’s River Falls and Margaritaville Shuttle

 

DESCRIPTIONITINERARYDATES & PRICESREVIEWS

Enjoy one of the islands natural treasures located in Ocho Rios, where you will be massaged by cool cascading waters at Dunn’s River Falls.

 

Climb the falls ascending 600ft of watery limestone steps all carved by nature, as you go along in a human chain led by experienced guides.

 

Please note that this tour does not depart from Falmouth.

 

FYI, when I was doing my research for my upcoming cruise, you have to email the places for a Falmouth tour and they will give you prices. KnowJamaica quoted me $45 pp plus entrance fees. Courtney Taylor gave me $29 per adult, $25 per child (can't remember the age for a child, but mine are 9, 9, & 11 and fit within that range) plus entrance fees. For 2 adults and 3 kids, the price difference was enough to go with Courtney. I have read great reviews on both, though.

[Beeeeeford]

The tour from Falmouth is called the Treelawny Tour. It's an open tour where you set the agenda as to what to do, that's what makes it cool. :-)

 

 

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Thanks! Appreciate the quick replies!