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

[fletch1027]

Thanks! Appreciate the quick replies!

 

No problem. My post tomorrow will talk about what we did after Dunn's. It was pretty cool...

 

 

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

[fletch1027]

 

After Dunn’s River Falls, Javia asked us if we wanted to do something fun and memorable and unique to Jamaica. We said lead the way, and he said we were going to visit a man named Carl the Spice Man. We drove through Ocho Rios and headed towards an area called Fern Gully. Fern Gully is a three mile stretch of road that was created in the early 1900’s when an earthquake destroyed one of the 8 rivers in the area. I guess they decided not to change the name to “Siete Rios”. :-)

 

Anyway, Fern Gully is one of the most scenic places I have seen in a long time. The road through there is almost completely shaded by trees and 300 varieties of ferns. A friend at work from Jamaica said that before the last big hurricane hit the island, it was a lot thicker canopy – almost to the point of being dark.

 

Some photos from the side of the road, that don’t give it justice:

 

 

 

We then got to meet Carl the Spice Man. He is quite the character! His home is on the side of the road in Fern Gully. Can’t beat the scenery on any side of his place! We spent about an hour with Carl, and he showed us a huge assortment of fruits as well as plants that are used to make spices. He broke open a cocoa bean pod and we all got a sample bean. Until now I never knew how a cocoa bean eventually becomes chocolate.

 

We also got to learn about and try several Jamaican fruits like sugar cane, grapefruit (sweet – unlike “American” grapefruit), almonds. I know sugar cans isn't a "fruit", but according to Elf, it is one of the four food groups!

 

We then were shown spices still in plant form including cinnamon, lemongrass, ginger root, allspice, basil, and nutmeg that I can remember.

 

 

Here is a picture of Carl in action. He looks like a scary dude at first glance, but he is the nicest guy!:

 

Carl

 

Yours truly, about to sample some fruit:

 

 

 

Us with Carl – in the running for Chrismas card picture this year :-)

 

 

 

Well, I’ve hit the 6-picture limit for this post, so the Jamaica tour will continue shortly…

 

 

.

 

 

[fletch1027]

 

Wow, not a lot of chatter on the old trip report lately. Have you all grown tired of my posting slowdown? One last post about Day 4... :-)

 

Meeting and visiting with Carl was a great addition to our tour. That is yet another reason I prefer private over ship tours. That experience is something that a ship tour cannot deliver, and seeing something like that gave us a new appreciation for Jamaica and her people.

 

After our trip to see Carl, Javia wanted to take us to see what he calls his “secret place” on the other side of Ocho Rios. I was very curious to see what he wanted to show us. All I can say is that is has to be see to be believed. It was breathtaking and is now the new wallpaper on my work computer! See for yourself:

 

 

 

The gentle breeze, shade trees, and the view of the ocean while hearing the waves crashing down made me think of how I could make a day of laying on a hammock there all day. :-)

 

We then stopped by the Ocho Rios Jerk Centre for some great jerk chicken, festival, and Ginger Beer. I had never had Ginger Beer, but Javia ordered one so I gave it a try. It was pretty good. Here’s us with Javia having some lunch:

 

 

 

By now it was time to head back to Falmouth. All aboard time was 6:30. We told Javia that we wanted to get back to the port by 4:30 so we could do some knick-knack shopping. We got our son a Jamaican Bobsled shirt (he’s married so missed out on the cruise :-) ) and DD had some spending money found a wood turtle and some more string bracelets that she liked. The vendors are really ready to deal when you shop at the end of the day after the Navigator has shoved off and the Freedom crowds are heading back on board.

 

We were back on Freedom by 5:30 and since we back into Falmouth, I headed up by Johnny Rockets to take some more pictures:

 

Looking down at Margaritaville

 

 

 

Jamaican sunset over Falmouth just before sailaway

 

 

We got cleaned up and got ready to head down for our 8:00 MTD dinner reservation. We got the runaround again regarding us being seated with Rodson. What they did this time was to honor our request, but seated us at a table adjacent to his area and “added” us to his area. This was technically good for us, but I felt bad for him having to take care of us in addition to his normal area. I guess we were low maintenance, because DD ordered the steak from the “classics” menu almost every night. Starting tonight, Rodson required her to pick another entrée to try to try and get her to try new things. It was pretty funny. Also when Jen or I would order an entre, he would usually say something like “that’s small – what else do you want”. I think it was his goal to make sure we gained a few pounds by the end of the week. For dessert, to my surprise I was presented with a slice of Key Lime pie as well as two more to go orders! I think they took my Key Lime pie request very literally! :-)

 

After dinner, DD headed up to the sports deck for Teen Boogie Boarding at 10:00, and we wandered a bit to walk off dinner and sat out by the pool for a while and relaxed before calling it a night.

 

We returned to find another Walid specialty. There was a pig towel animal “hogging” the remote… :-)

 

 

 

An early day tomorrow as we sail towards Grand Cayman!

 

 

 

 

.

 

 

[EllaDuChien]

 

 

An early day tomorrow as we sail towards Grand Cayman!

 

 

 

Yay! This is the part I am waiting for! I have not been to GC and had not heard much about what to do when there.

 

The secret spot is beautiful!! What a place to while away the day! And I LOVED Fern Gully, so pretty! Last time I was in Falmouth, we did a horseback ride & swim, I'm thinking this might be a good tour for this time.

[kitt82078]

I am convinced! We just booked this itinerary for july 2015. Lord, it will be steamy!

Thanks so much for the great info and pics, really helpful!

[nicolen1101]

I'm looking at the tour site you posted. We have a 6 year old and our daughter will be almost 2, was it a regular van with seatbelts to accomodate a car seat?

 

Totally requesting Key Lime pie on the first night when we go. It's my Dad and DH's favorite.

[fletch1027]

I'm looking at the tour site you posted. We have a 6 year old and our daughter will be almost 2, was it a regular van with seatbelts to accomodate a car seat?

 

Totally requesting Key Lime pie on the first night when we go. It's my Dad and DH's favorite.

 

Yes it was a Toyota mini-van. Identical to a Sienna, but a different name. I think Toyota imports directly from Japan to Jamaica...

 

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

[theminnow]

I can't speak for the rest of them but I have not grown tired of your review. Keep posting away!

 

Craig

[myacuna]

I love reading your review. I am too lazy to post my own! Reading this review, I wish we had done something in Falmouth. We got off the boat and walked around, and really enjoyed the empty ship. We've been on a land vaca in Jamaica and did a bunch of the touristy stuff, but Fern Gully looked fun. Guess I will have to go back!

[LSMHcruisers]

I also love your review! We will be on Freedom of the Seas March 30th, same itinerary. It's our first cruise and your review is so helpful. Can't wait to read more!

[fletch1027]

I am convinced! We just booked this itinerary for july 2015. Lord, it will be steamy!

Thanks so much for the great info and pics, really helpful!

 

Yes and no. For places like Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Labadee, it will likely be similar to Feb-Mar. Like in Jamaica, the average high/low in March is 75/84. In July it is only 3-4 degrees more - 78/88. There is a bit more rain average in July (3" vs. 2").

 

Where you will feel it is in Cozumel. The average when we were there was 82, and due to the humidity it felt hotter. In July it is over 90, so I can only imagine how that will feel... :eek:

[kitt82078]

Yes and no. For places like Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Labadee, it will likely be similar to Feb-Mar. Like in Jamaica, the average high/low in March is 75/84. In July it is only 3-4 degrees more - 78/88. There is a bit more rain average in July (3" vs. 2").

 

Where you will feel it is in Cozumel. The average when we were there was 82, and due to the humidity it felt hotter. In July it is over 90, so I can only imagine how that will feel... :eek:

 

 

 

YAY! I hate the heat, but it is wicked hot here in July in NC, so what difference does it make? :cool:

 

And really, who needs Cozumel? we've been there so many times that we now use that day to stay on board and do everything we had to wait for earlier in the week. :)

[FSUDAVE]

Fletch, tell me about the "classics" steak. I see it is called Manhattan Strip Steak I believe it was. Decent piece of meat?

 

Will they still bring you a couple of extra Lobster Tails without all the fixins?

 

Were doing our second FOS in April on the Western route. We too are from Atlanta (Suwanee)

[Clarea]

Fletch, tell me about the "classics" steak. I see it is called Manhattan Strip Steak I believe it was. Decent piece of meat?

 

Will they still bring you a couple of extra Lobster Tails without all the fixins?

 

Were doing our second FOS in April on the Western route. We too are from Atlanta (Suwanee)

I've not been on Freedom lately, so maybe the experience there is better. However, on other ships I've been on recently, you get about a 50/50 chance with the Manhattan Strip Steak. Sometimes reasonably good, sometimes tough and gristly.

[DrD]

I also love your review! We will be on Freedom of the Seas March 30th, same itinerary. It's our first cruise and your review is so helpful. Can't wait to read more!

 

Come join us on our Meet and Mingle thread.

 

I'm glad this review is getting some more excited for Jamaica. It's really beautiful and I think it's a shame so many don't want to do anything there just because of the reputation of the port.

[uncle John]

The steaks were not bad just sometime if you had an in between normal seating time it would be on the dry side.

Nice review Fletch!! Now I know why we did not see that much of you on the ship. :D

Your pics are way better than mine.;)

[CathyCanada]

Really enjoying your review and pics, Fletch, thanks!

[fletch1027]

 

 

Grand Cayman is a great place. I can totally understand why so many rich Europeans & Americans move there. No taxes AND a Caribbean paradise… sign me up!!

 

It is kind of an anomaly compared to the other three ports. Grand Cayman is famous for having the highest bank to resident ratio in the world. Almost 600 banks for a little over 50,000 citizens. I think there may be quite a bit of wire transfers happening. :-)

 

Grand Cayman also has the highest GDP per capita in the Caribbean and I think near the top 10 for the world. It is because of this that I give this friendly tip:

 

TIP: the Grand Cayman dollar is worth MORE than the US dollar. $1.25 USD is only worth $1.00 GCD. Be very aware of this when shopping and verify which currency the price tag is listed in.

 

That is after getting to the island. First you must get there, and this is also the Freedom’s only tender port. We didn’t have to be checked in for our tour until 9:30, but we still wanted to be on the first tender boat because I would rather hang out on the island as opposed to standing in line on Deck 1 waiting for the next boat (although I am fascinated with “behind the scenes” goings on, and you get a chance to see some of that when on Deck 1. I always try to linger near the “I-95” corridor for a few seconds to look each way and see people scurrying around (I-95 is the nickname given to the big hallway that runs the length of the ship on Deck 1 used mostly for moving things around out of site to the passengers). It reminds me of the utilidoors that run under the Magic Kingdom @ Disney World. I had a great “behind the scenes” experience on Day 7 that I will go into detail on later.

 

Anyway, we had a quick Windjammer breakfast and hopped on the aft elevators around 7:50 and headed down to Deck 1. We were easily on the first tender of the morning, which filled up and headed to GC at about 8:20. Here’s a photo of the sun rising up as we headed for shore.

 

Sunrise on the tender

 

 

For today’s tour, we also went with a non-ship tour. This time using Captain Marvins. In studying for the cruise last year, we read a lot of great things about them and had a great time. For this time, we decided to not mess with a good thing and booked them again. The tour we booked this time was the “Stingray City & 2 Stop Snorkel” tour. If you book with Captain Marvins, they require a credit card to hold your reservation, but do not charge it until the day of the tour. That way, if the ship has to skip the port due to weather they don’t charge it, so no worries about making sure you get a refund. On the flip side, if the ship does stop but you don’t show up, they will charge you for it.

 

TIP: If you book with them and pay in cash (they take USD), you will get a 10% discount

 

Checking in with them is very easy. When you get to port, there are tons of folks in the port area selling tours and there are huge tents for the ship tours. Captain Marvins’ office is across the street from the port next to Diamonds International.

 

They loaded us up in the shuttle and we had about a 5-10 minute drive to the dock where their boats park. It is there where we had the first iguana sighting of the trip. On the way we got a good overview of some Grand Cayman history & general information.

 

We got to the boat dock, loaded up and headed out. There were about 25 of us on the boat and about 4-5 crew members. The boat dock is in an area called Governors Harbor. There are some NICE houses here.

 

The first stop is Stingray City and then the two snorkel stops. Some photos of the way out:

 

 

Do all teens love mornings equally? :D

 

 

 

Heading out Governors Harbor

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, it does feel like you are on Magnum PI, sailing past Robin Masters' estate! :D

 

 

To be continued…

 

 

 

.

[mickev99]

I can't speak for the rest of them but I have not grown tired of your review. Keep posting away!

 

Craig

 

This needs a LIKE button! Can't wait to see what you did in Cayman. We are doing Stingray sandbar and two snorkeling sights with Nativeway in June and I can't wait!!

 

We are all still here, just waiting patiently (???) for the next installment!

[S.A.M.J.R.]

 

 

Grand Cayman is a great place. I can totally understand why so many rich Europeans & Americans move there. No taxes AND a Caribbean paradise… sign me up!!

 

It is kind of an anomaly compared to the other three ports. Grand Cayman is famous for having the highest bank to resident ratio in the world. Almost 600 banks for a little over 50,000 citizens. I think there may be quite a bit of wire transfers happening. :-)

 

Grand Cayman also has the highest GDP per capita in the Caribbean and I think near the top 10 for the world. It is because of this that I give this friendly tip:

 

TIP: the Grand Cayman dollar is worth MORE than the US dollar. $1.25 USD is only worth $1.00 GCD. Be very aware of this when shopping and verify which currency the price tag is listed in.

 

That is after getting to the island. First you must get there, and this is also the Freedom’s only tender port. We didn’t have to be checked in for our tour until 9:30, but we still wanted to be on the first tender boat because I would rather hang out on the island as opposed to standing in line on Deck 1 waiting for the next boat (although I am fascinated with “behind the scenes” goings on, and you get a chance to see some of that when on Deck 1. I always try to linger near the “I-95” corridor for a few seconds to look each way and see people scurrying around (I-95 is the nickname given to the big hallway that runs the length of the ship on Deck 1 used mostly for moving things around out of site to the passengers). It reminds me of the utilidoors that run under the Magic Kingdom @ Disney World. I had a great “behind the scenes” experience on Day 7 that I will go into detail on later.

 

Anyway, we had a quick Windjammer breakfast and hopped on the aft elevators around 7:50 and headed down to Deck 1. We were easily on the first tender of the morning, which filled up and headed to GC at about 8:20. Here’s a photo of the sun rising up as we headed for shore.

 

Sunrise on the tender

 

 

For today’s tour, we also went with a non-ship tour. This time using Captain Marvins. In studying for the cruise last year, we read a lot of great things about them and had a great time. For this time, we decided to not mess with a good thing and booked them again. The tour we booked this time was the “Stingray City & 2 Stop Snorkel” tour. If you book with Captain Marvins, they require a credit card to hold your reservation, but do not charge it until the day of the tour. That way, if the ship has to skip the port due to weather they don’t charge it, so no worries about making sure you get a refund. On the flip side, if the ship does stop but you don’t show up, they will charge you for it.

 

TIP: If you book with them and pay in cash (they take USD), you will get a 10% discount

 

Checking in with them is very easy. When you get to port, there are tons of folks in the port area selling tours and there are huge tents for the ship tours. Captain Marvins’ office is across the street from the port next to Diamonds International.

 

They loaded us up in the shuttle and we had about a 5-10 minute drive to the dock where their boats park. It is there where we had the first iguana sighting of the trip. On the way we got a good overview of some Grand Cayman history & general information.

 

We got to the boat dock, loaded up and headed out. There were about 25 of us on the boat and about 4-5 crew members. The boat dock is in an area called Governors Harbor. There are some NICE houses here.

 

The first stop is Stingray City and then the two snorkel stops. Some photos of the way out:

 

 

Do all teens love mornings equally? :D

 

 

 

Heading out Governors Harbor

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, it does feel like you are on Magnum PI, sailing past Robin Masters' estate! :D

 

 

To be continued…

 

 

 

.

We are also using Captain Marvins (combo stingray/snorkel & hell/turtle farm). GREATLY looking forward to this part of the review!

[debs1505]

So in GC is it better to pay with US $ or GC $?

 

Loving the trippie :)

[cruisehappy52]

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.

I'm on the same cruise and can't figure out which tours. Where are you looking for excursions?

[DrD]

I'm on the same cruise and can't figure out which tours. Where are you looking for excursions?

 

Google the names mentioned. Also check the ports of call boards here, plenty of recs. that's how we found ours.

[TheGaDawgFan]

I got behind, but I'm caught up now. Really enjoying your report!

 

18 days away for us! Can't wait for sunshine!

[rjeash]

We stayed at East End in GC in 2009 and used Captain Marvin's and they are fantastic. I loved it so much my daughter and I are using them again and my husband is so jealous.

Edited March 13, 2014 by rjeash