Our Final Look at Freedom Pre-Drydock:Dec 7th (Including Western Compass)

[APDMOM]

Our first Platinum Pamper

In the afternoon we had our Crown and Anchor Top Tier event - our first, since we had just turned platinum on our cruise in March. It was a great experience, and we found our favorite band here - Casablanca. Unfortunately, it was a bit late in the cruise, but they play in Olive or Twist at night.

 

We got an invitation for this event:

 

Casablanca:

 

 

Three members of the best staff team I have cruised with:

Dru (cruise director), Sandra (Loyalty and Cruise sales), and Jeremie (activities director)

 

 

Michael Rasmussen, Hotel director and best "ad lib" comedian:

 

Some of the snacks served:

 

During our meeting, the announcement was made that we would be returning to Grand Cayman for a medical emergency. The staff I encountered handled this decision very professionally, and showed their compassion for people, as they chose to sail back 2.5 hours for the patient. This set us back about 6 hours, which caused Cozumel to be out of the question. Personally, I would agree with a whole week of canceled ports if it meant it could save a life. I felt sorry for the captain and his staff, who were even accused by some passengers of lying about the baby needing medical care.

 

I know many people are upset and will disagree with me, but I don't think it is worth the stress and anger to pursue some kind of compensation by Royal. Personally, I believe in making the best of the situation and to enjoy my cruise to the max - not worrying about what I can get out of Royal due to the decreased speed. I am thankful the cruise was not cancelled, because my parents came from Africa to travel with us.

[APDMOM]

From missed lobster to John Joseph and Johnny B

We skipped the second formal dress up. Unfortunately, the wrong menu was posted on the electronic system, so we did not know lobster was being served...So, we missed the lobster. Another reason to book another cruise :) Did I mention I don't ever order the lobster? But I will make up any good reason to book another cruise ;).

 

At 7:30 pm, my mom and I peeked in on the show to see if we would like to come back at 9. We could not leave, these guys were so funny! The way they combined music with their comedy was very creative and hilarious. They had me in stitches. So, we came back at 9. It turns out the second half is the best.

 

[APDMOM]

Pack your bellbottoms and paisley shirts...

 

We closed the night out with "Dancin' in the Streets", a 70's disco dance party on the promenade. I wish I had brought some bellbottoms! The "party" was very well done, including great costumes, some Dreamworks characters, and Dru shooting t-shirts into the crowd:

 

 

 

 

 

 

They sold drinks in these souvenir light-up cups. We skipped them at this party, but got them later in the week...

[APDMOM]

With that, it is time to close this night out too.

 

To be continued: Our im promptu extra sea day. ;)

[BillOh]

I know many people are upset and will disagree with me, but I don't think it is worth the stress and anger to pursue some kind of compensation by Royal. Personally, I believe in making the best of the situation and to enjoy my cruise to the max - not worrying about what I can get out of Royal due to the decreased speed. I am thankful the cruise was not cancelled, because my parents came from Africa to travel with us.

[/size]

 

I agree with you, though at the least they should open up some internet and phone for people to make plan changes. Though it does seem to me that Royal is working harder these days to discourage you from private excursions. There were reports from others on your cruise some where refunded the port fees for Cozumel, but others weren't that seems odd. I'm fortunate, the only medical emergency that has been on one of my cruises was the final sea day and the ship had to circle 45 minutes waiting for a helicopter.

[APDMOM]

Day 6, Plan B: Sea day

 

Good morning sunshine on our im promptu sea day... (Why is it so easy to wake up early when I don't have to get ready for work?)

 

Sunshine meets the wake of the ship:

 

 

Sunrise over the Flowrider

 

[APDMOM]

Room service breakfast and some more exploration of the ship

 

We decided to order breakfast room service, since DS and I both love this treat at least once per cruise. I forgot to scan the room service breakfast menu, but will do so next week, when we are back home. Watch this space for more documents to come :D

 

We had put the card for room service out the previous night, to be delivered between 8 and 8:30 a.m. We got a call around 8:10 that room service was on the way, and it was delivered around 8:25. After some fun family breakfast and coffee time in our PR window seats, we headed to the Promenade Cafe to meet the captain and his staff again. This was more of an informal visit, where the staff walked around to chat with passengers - not the formal, entertaining Q&A session that we had earlier this week. The Promenade Cafe got too loud and crowded, so we went for another stroll to see some other areas of the ship.

 

We discovered this conference center (I think it was deck 2):

 

We also found some "hands-on" art. You turn the lever to activate the moving pieces.

 

 

Another nice spot for a family picture - The stairs outside Arcadia Theatre:

 

[APDMOM]

The Krypt

 

These pictures will soon be worth a million bucks (I wish)... This is The Krypt, which will no longer be in this location after drydock.

 

 

 

I hope they will recycle this beautiful staircase!

 

 

 

 

[APDMOM]

So much to do, so little time

 

The activities staff did a great job adding fun sea day activities at the last minute. There were quite a few things I was interested, often happening at the same time. So, I had to choose, and add to my list of reasons to "book another cruise" ;)

 

We attended the Visual Trivia with Jeremie. He showed pictures of places around the world, and we had fun adding to our Bucket List :D (Oh when, oh when will my ship come in?)

 

Due to the busy ship on a sea day, we opted for lunch in the main dining room. I had the barramundi, which was a bit too spicy for my taste. I personally enjoy spicy chicken, but it just did not work for the fish as far as I am concerned.

 

Lunch in the MDR: Tip: If you don't want to sit with strangers during breakfast and lunch in the MDR, just clarify to the seating host that you prefer a table for 2 (or how many you have in your group). They honored this request for us every time.

 

Holland America passing us during lunch:

 

In the afternoon, we enjoyed "The Penguins of Madagascar 3D" in the Arcadia theatre. We decided to show up about 15 minutes before the doors opened to get a good seat and to make sure they didn't run out of 3D glasses. It ended up not being a problem though. The Compass states "limited seating". I suspect this would be more of a problem when many kids are on the ship.

[APDMOM]

A beautiful sunset and Different dinner

 

We had a beautiful sunset at dinner:

 

I opted for two appetizers for dinner, since I did not see a main dish that caught my interest. Also, I could not choose between the two soups - pineapple and mushroom. :D So, I just had both!

 

 

 

 

[APDMOM]

Once upon a time

 

Disclaimer: I have a strong music background, so I listen to music with a critical ear... This show was a disappointment on this cruise. The show itself, including choreography and costumes, is excellent and it was one of the highlights of our previous FOS experience. However, the singers spoiled the show with their forced singing/ screaming. Only one of the male singers was really good. At least they all sang on key :) This was the first week with this cast. I can't see that the ladies' voices will last long.

 

 

 

 

 

We were greeted by some crazy monkeys to close out the night:

 

 

 

 

[APDMOM]

Day 7: At Sea for one final day

 

Dreamworks Breakfast

 

We booked the Dreamworks breakfast in advance for this last sea day. The booking was fortunately done before they started charging for the breakfast. This was most likely our last Dreamworks breakfast. I do not think it is worth paying for it. Although it was fun, it was clear that the serving staff do not enjoy this part of their jobs at all. It was the only time on the cruise that I found the waiting staff to be rude. They even took my mom's plate before she was done eating. I have never seen this happen before.

 

The activities staff members were excellent, though, and they put together a fun set of songs to accompany each character. After the songs, they gave each table a chance to greet the character and to take pictures with your own camera. This is pretty nice, considering that it would be a prime opportunity for Royal to make more money on pictures... Too bad they did not have King Julian this time. He is our favorite :)

 

Here are some pics of the fun:

 

 

[APDMOM]

The menu:

 

I love the wit! "Stinky Coffee Breath" :D

 

 

 

[APDMOM]

Freedom Fest:

This afternoon presented quite the ant hill of activity on the promenade, with Freedom Fest in action. There were a variety of demos, live music, and food samples. Here are some of the pictures from that event:

 

Towel folding demo:

 

Napkin art:

 

Food carving:

 

Food samples:

 

 

Live music:

Edited December 23, 2014 by APDMOM
add pic

[APDMOM]

More of Freedom Fest:

 

 

 

DH and I took advantage of the buy one, get one free Bahama Mama, and got our souvenir "light up" glasses:

 

We opted for room service lunch, enjoying a Bistro Burger, the Honey stung chicken, and the chips with artichoke dip. I wish I had remembered about the chips and dip sooner... it would make the perfect late night snack :)

[APDMOM]

Johnny Rockets Milkshake

 

Johnny Rockets had been on our "to do" list all week, so we finally took advantage of our bogo milkshake coupon. The milkshake was good, but not worth the full price, in my opinion.

 

[APDMOM]

Dreamworks Parade/Stampede

 

Despite our efforts to get good seats at Bull and Bear pub, all seats had been taken by 45 minutes prior to the parade. We therefore settled for standing room in front of the logo shop. This is a good place to be, but not quite as nice as sitting at Bull & Bear. It was very crowded, and quite a stampede to get out of there in time for dinner. We ended up being 10 minutes late for dinner. This was poor planning on RC's side.

 

Tip: If you opt for a promenade cabin to view the parade from the room, anything around 7283 will be good. I would recommend deck 6 or 7 for a better vantage point.

 

Here are some pics of the parade:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[APDMOM]

 

 

 

 

At the end of the parade, confetti falls all over the promenade:

 

[APDMOM]

Those noisy hangers :)

 

We ended our last night on the ship with our favorite snack from the promenade cafe.

 

While lying in bed for one last night, all I could hear was the clang-clang of empty hangers in the closet. It is as if the room is announcing, "The cruise is over". Man, I can't wait until our house is paid off so that we can do our back 2 back, and those hangers could be full of clothes for a second week :D

[APDMOM]

Final day: Back in Port Canaveral

 

We opted for a relaxed breakfast in the MDR. We had initially planned on eating at 8:15. Fortunately, DH remembered just in time that the MDR closes earlier on the final day. We made it down there about 7:40 am. The staff was helpful and friendly, as if it were our first day. They did not rush us, and service was excellent. It was a much different experience from the Dreamworks breakfast.

 

Disembarkation was fairly uneventful. We were initially a bit ahead of schedule. Things slowed down while we were enjoying breakfast in the MDR. We were not in a hurry, and waited for our number to be called. Surprisingly, they called numbers 22 through 30 at the same time. It was still not too bad - only crowded for luggage pick up. Port Canaveral is one of the easiest ports for customs, especially if you are a foreigner. My parents usually have to go to their own line for foreigners, and it can often take them almost an hour more to get through. This time, we were allowed to stay together, and we were through customs in under 5 minutes.

 

On the way out, I got to snatch a picture of our future cabin (or at least the mirror image thereof). We will be in 1700 next Thanksgiving. Our countdown has started, of course! :D

 

 

 

Until next time...

 

 

Well, this was more of a report on our daily activities than a "review", but I hope it was helpful for most. I will post some other documents next week, like daily specials, the room service menu, etc. Enjoy planning your next cruise vacation :D

 

[BillOh]

Thanks for taking the time to do this it was appreciated. It will hold me over until the reviews start coming in post Dry Dock and we will be in our final countdown. I'm also encouraged about the hotel we picked and getting in an our of PC for the first time.

[APDMOM]

Thanks for taking the time to do this it was appreciated. It will hold me over until the reviews start coming in post Dry Dock and we will be in our final countdown. I'm also encouraged about the hotel we picked and getting in an our of PC for the first time.

 

You are welcome! We love Port Canaveral. We have cruised from all the ports in FL, as well as Seattle. Port Canaveral is always the easiest and friendliest. We drive to all the Florida ports.

 

Enjoy your countdown! I know when we lived in Ohio, these cruise countdowns had a whole different meaning as far as getting away from the cold! :D

[theminnow]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your review. Thanks for taking the time to post.

 

Craig

[looksandletters]

Thank you so much for this review!! Loved all of the photos, definitely made me excited to sail in May!

[gottogocruisin]

Your review was so down to earth and really easy to follow. I am taking our daughter on her first cruise for her 50th birthday so I am reading everything I can to help make her cruise the best of the best. I have gotten so many interesting items to put on my list and I thank you for taking the time to do this review. Hugs to you and Merry Christmas. You have definitely helped me.

Kay