My first trip to Europe on Freedom of the Seas 9/3/17 with many pictures and video!

[aubreyc1988]

Barcelona

 

 

So after Sagrada Familia, we went to Casa Mila. It was really neat, and I love how there is an audio guide included in the base entry fee.

 

and it's great they let you go on the roof!

[aubreyc1988]

 

 

 

After Casa Mila, I decided I HAD to cut some stuff out of our Visitacity itinerary. First of all, we were exhausted by this time. Getting only 4 hrs of sleep the night before in Paris, and TONS of walking was finally taking it's toll. So I decided to pass on the other Gaudi attractions and see them another time. So we fast forwarded to walking along La Ramblas and head to La Boqueria Market before having supper somewhere in the Gothic Quarter.

 

While walking there, we saw a couple driving off after getting married, with their friends saying goodbye...too sweet :hearteyes:

 

[aubreyc1988]

La Boqueria

 

So far on our trip, I hadn't felt unsafe or felt like I was going to be pickpocketed. Once you hit La Rambla during prime time, that changed for me. This was really the ONLY spot I was worried about being pick pocketed, as you are SO close to so many people here and at La Boqueria. Just make sure you got a handle on your stuff and you will be fine, just like we were. But if you are going get pickpocketed on your trip, it's most likely to happen here.

 

 

La Boqueria is very cool and a must see! All sorts of Gelato, Cheese, Produce, Meat & Fish, it is a feast for your eyes!

 

 

We bought two of the 1 Euro fruit smoothies. They have many types of flavors of these and MANY vendors selling them, so make sure you aren't roped into the guy selling them in the front of the market for 2-3 Euros and walk further back and they become cheaper. They are employing Wal-Marts end cap strategy haha.

 

 

 

[aubreyc1988]

After La Boqueria, we went in search of a restaurant near our hotel and decided upon Milk Bar and Bistro. We saw it PACKED for lunch, and were waiting outside for it to open at 7pm. They are famous for their brunch.

 

http://www.milkbarcelona.com/

 

We ordered 1 appetizer, 2 entrees with an extra side of fries. I was not going away hungry, like I had with Tapas at lunch. This place has HUGE portions. There was SO much food, it really didn't fit on our table! Everything was delicious!

 

 

Plus, it was SO cheap. Our bill ended up being around 30 Euros, and we got a TON of food.

 

After this, we walked back to our hotel, which was less than a block away, and crashed early. Cruise day was next, and we both desperately needed a nice long sleep in a nice comfortable bed!

 

Up next, Embarkation Morning!

[poohtaz]

This is one of the best and most useful reviews I've ever read. Your tips and links are beyond helpful!! Thank you for taking the time to be so detailed. My family is traveling to London and Dublin in March and I wish I had a review with tips such as this to read to help in my planning.

[itchintocruise]

Fantastic review, thanks for posting. Looking forward to more.

[aubreyc1988]

Barcelona (Embarkation Morning)

The next morning, embarkation morning, we woke up after a LOOONG nights rest which was MUCH needed. SO REFRESHING!

We went to go walk around La Rambla when it was quiet and not busy with people. Shops open at 9am, so don't get there TOO early

I wanted to stop at a couple different pastry places for breakfast instead of doing ONE big breakfast. I saw so many good ones on the Ramblas and was disappointed I couldn't try them all!

We walked past this place, which smelled SO good I had to stop inside and get something

We split the croissant, and each got a different type of latte. WOW was that croissant rich!

 

 

 

After that, we went to this place called Escriba. It apparently is HUGE on tripadvisor and is a really old bakery. I walked by it the day before and was ooohing and ahhhhhing at the WONDERFUL pastries and desserts inside, so we walked across the street to get something there.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187497-d240759-Reviews-Escriba_Rambla-Barcelona_Catalonia.html

I unfortunately didn't get any photos, which is crazy! Can't believe I didn't take any, but I was probably too busy stuffing my face. I found this one fluffy looking pastry called ensaïmada, googled it, and it said it was a local Catalan type of pastry, so I had to try it. Here's the wikipedia entry about it if you feel like reading about it.

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ensa%C3%AFmada

WOW was it good. It reminded kind of like a slightly less sweet funnel cake...somehow WAY better than a funnel cake. We took it for an "On the go" treat. A little tip, which some of you may already know, is that if you eat inside a restaurant, it costs less than eating on the Terrace/terrassa outside. And if you take your food on the go, I think the price is even cheaper, This particular ensaïmada was HUGE, enough for two people to share. Because we took it on the go, had the reduced price of .60Euros. SO good! I definitely recommend getting several things from this bakery!

[riclop]

Thanks for the report.

[aubreyc1988]

After breakfast, we walked around some more, found this local market where vendors put their second hand finds. Seemed to be a flea market of sorts, but lots of vendors were selling collectable coins and cards.

 

 

 

On my visitacity list, I HAD plans of monuments and museums we were going to see, but we just decided to take it easy and didn't do any of those things. We will just have to come back!

 

Barcelona was really fun and while I enjoyed Paris more, it still was AWESOME, especially the Sagrada Familia. A lot of my family and friends were concerned for me, because of the recent terrorist attack. Don't let that hold you back from coming, because that is letting the terrorists win. Barcelona is a lovely, SAFE city! We did see a spot where there were flowers for those hurt from the attack. Such a great city, with great caring people!

 

 

We then walked around some more, took some more pictures

 

 

Love the snail detail on the door!

 

[aubreyc1988]

 

 

Barcelona is so much fun just to walk around and take photos of the things you see...as you can probably tell from the number of photos I am posting

 

 

 

Remember that Milk Bar and Bistro place we ate at the night before? I found a picture of it! Like I previously said, Brunch is a BIG deal here, but maybe next time we will partake!

 

[aubreyc1988]

Another place that was hopping is right across the street. I looked it up the previous night, and it's also highly rated on tripadvisor

 

 

 

http://www.benedictbcn.com/

 

One thing I learned on this trip is that you don't need tripadvisor for food recommendations when in Europe. As the official planner of our trips, I will tell you to NOT spend time planning where you will eat in ports on this trip, because every place you go to will be SO delicious! Spend your time researching other things. In my limited experience and time abroad, I just think other countries have such higher bar for food and food quality that it's pretty hard to be disappointed with a place you just happen to find. Meanwhile, in the US, I feel like it's pretty easy to go wrong with restaurant choices. If you have been to Europe and are an American and feel the same, please let me know, I'd love to see if this is actually valid or if I have just been really lucky.

 

 

 

So around 10:00 we went back to our hotel to chill and get our bags. Checkout for our hotel was noon.

 

This was our view from our hotel room. Not a great view, but we did see some people out on the other buildings balconies. When booking online, it appeared all rooms have balconies but that is not the case. A bit of deceptive marketing, if you ask me.

 

 

When in Europe, download the app called MyTaxi. This is what you should use instead of Uber. It is similar to Uber, but we found their rates to be much cheaper. It is a little different from Uber. Before you exit the MyTaxi, the driver will have a tablet or phone, that shows you the rate, and you agree (or disagree if it's not the right fare) to it, and also put if you are going to pay with the card you have on file with the MyTaxi app or if you prefer to pay in cash Euros. It was really easy to do, but slightly different from just getting out of an Uber and letting your card on file pay. We really liked using the MyTaxi app. The ride to the port was cheap. I'll have to ask my husband in the morning how much it was, but it was under 20 Euros. Make sure you tell the Taxi driver to take you to the correct port, Port Vell or simply say Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas, they should know what you are talking about.

 

The Columbus Monument on our taxi ride to the port

 

 

And finally, we are at the RCI terminal! Let the absolute CHAOS (yes, it was THAT bad of an embarkation) of boarding this ship begin!

[Dennis#1]

Great pictures. Enjoy reading your write up. Thanks.

[JamesEM]

Thanks for sharing, looking forward to more reports and photos.

[aubreyc1988]

Embarkation

Initially, we were going to wait until noon or 1pm to head to the port, but I just felt like heading to the ship, chilling on one of the pool loungers with a drink in my hand. Plus, I was afraid if we waited much later, the taxi prices would go up, so we left the hotel around 10:30AM for the port, to get there by 11am

Once we entered the port building, we got in line for the Emerald check in, but all the lines were moving really fast. We were done with that part in lesss than 10 minutes. Then we went to go find a seat and that is when we noticed that there were a LOT of people in the terminal. There were no available seats and not even any place where you could sit on the floor, out of the traffic, against a wall. So we moved to the side and found a place to stand and wait. I think we got boarding numberer 26. As we stood there, waiting, more and more people started coming in. It became more and more crowded. By 11:30, I was thinking we would have started boarding, at least for the Suites, but this was not the case. Soon, it was tough to even find a place to STAND. My husband and I both thought it was a HUGE fire hazard and that the building was definitely over capacity. By noon, boarding still hadn't started. :eek:

I started to become pretty grouchy,as I was sore from all the touring and walking we did, and to not even have a place to sit on the floor was crazy. There were no announcements made about when boarding would begin. Over in the duty free shopping area, it was wall to wall people, there really was no way to escape it. Boarding probably started around 12:30. It was about 1pm when our number was called, and we went towards the sign that said "To the Ship". Boy, was that a mistake. you had to go through the duty free area, and they had just a crowd of people from all sorts of previous numbers trying to get through to the ship. I really can't explain it, was just MASS chaos. :mad:

We got on the ship around 1:40pm and went to Boleros bar to get a drink. While sitting there, one of the bar staff told me that the cruise before was chartered and was a EDM music cruise and that they had a really rough time getting people off the ship that morning. But even so, the terminal and the process they had for boarding the ship would have been crazy if they had been on time! I still can't believe how miserable the whole experience was. This wasn't RCI's first voyage out of this port on this itinerary, so it was shocking to me how they handled the crowds of people trying to get on the ship. I wish we had just waited at the hotel until checkout because sitting in that terminal was a pretty crappy start to our cruise.

[MCazer]

Embarkation

 

Initially, we were going to wait until noon or 1pm to head to the port, but I just felt like heading to the ship, chilling on one of the pool loungers with a drink in my hand. Plus, I was afraid if we waited much later, the taxi prices would go up, so we left the hotel around 10:30AM for the port, to get there by 11am

Once we entered the port building, we got in line for the Emerald check in, but all the lines were moving really fast. We were done with that part in lesss than 10 minutes. Then we went to go find a seat and that is when we noticed that there were a LOT of people in the terminal. There were no available seats and not even any place where you could sit on the floor, out of the traffic, against a wall. So we moved to the side and found a place to stand and wait. I think we got boarding numberer 26. As we stood there, waiting, more and more people started coming in. It became more and more crowded. By 11:30, I was thinking we would have started boarding, at least for the Suites, but this was not the case. Soon, it was tough to even find a place to STAND. My husband and I both thought it was a HUGE fire hazard and that the building was definitely over capacity. By noon, boarding still hadn't started. :eek:

I started to become pretty grouchy,as I was sore from all the touring and walking we did, and to not even have a place to sit on the floor was crazy. There were no announcements made about when boarding would begin. Over in the duty free shopping area, it was wall to wall people, there really was no way to escape it. Boarding probably started around 12:30. It was about 1pm when our number was called, and we went towards the sign that said "To the Ship". Boy, was that a mistake. you had to go through the duty free area, and they had just a crowd of people from all sorts of previous numbers trying to get through to the ship. I really can't explain it, was just MASS chaos. :mad:

We got on the ship around 1:40pm and went to Boleros bar to get a drink. While sitting there, one of the bar staff told me that the cruise before was chartered and was a EDM music cruise and that they had a really rough time getting people off the ship that morning. But even so, the terminal and the process they had for boarding the ship would have been crazy if they had been on time! I still can't believe how miserable the whole experience was. This wasn't RCI's first voyage out of this port on this itinerary, so it was shocking to me how they handled the crowds of people trying to get on the ship. I wish we had just waited at the hotel until checkout because sitting in that terminal was a pretty crappy start to our cruise.

 

Oh boy! I am guessing you already dropped your luggage and just had carryon bags at that point?

 

Were you in a suite? Don't they have a separate area to sit?

 

We are Diamond, but always go with friends, so never get to use that perk. But was hoping that if we do arrive before boarding starts, that they have the lounge to go into. Would be great to get to see it for a change!

 

Also, I want to get a couple of bottles of wine, and wanted to know if I can get them in the duty free shop before boarding. This is would be easier for me to carry them on this way.

 

Thanks for all the insight! I hope your whole itinerary is up before we leave next Monday. It has been so wonderful to read!

[aubreyc1988]

Oh boy! I am guessing you already dropped your luggage and just had carryon bags at that point?

 

Were you in a suite? Don't they have a separate area to sit?

 

We are Diamond, but always go with friends, so never get to use that perk. But was hoping that if we do arrive before boarding starts, that they have the lounge to go into. Would be great to get to see it for a change!

 

Also, I want to get a couple of bottles of wine, and wanted to know if I can get them in the duty free shop before boarding. This is would be easier for me to carry them on this way.

 

Thanks for all the insight! I hope your whole itinerary is up before we leave next Monday. It has been so wonderful to read!

 

I didn't see a diamond lounge, but there might have been one. We were not in a suite, had an inside booked...we typically do not sail in suites, but I've been on a few cruises and this is the worst embarkation I have ever seen. Bordering on physically unsafe, not just uncomfortable. We did drop off our two carryons with the porter, and just had a backpack which we carried on. We aren't really dressy people for dinner so we are not fussy about having our bags with us. Would have been a nightmare with luggage trying to get on the ship, I can't even imagine!

 

And I am trying to get faster at posting, just real life intervenes and I am editing my photos as I go, so I hope I am finished by next Monday as well, so I can start planning my next cruise hehe

[Sunny AZ Girl]

The embarkment problems were surprising to me to read. When we boarded the Harmony last year in Barcelona for the TA it was the easiest embarkment we ever had. We also arrived between 11 - 11:30 and we literally just walked onto the ship! We never even had a chance to see a lounge. I sure hope for this year's TA on the Freedom out of Barcelona they have some of those issues straightened out!:eek:

[MCazer]

Is it doable to buy a couple of bottles of wine in the Duty Free shop at the port to bring onboard? I know we are allowed to bring them aboard. Just want to make sure, or I will buy them somewhere by our hotel and carry them on. Just would rather get them at the port then lug them around from the hotel. LOL

[Clarea]

Is it doable to buy a couple of bottles of wine in the Duty Free shop at the port to bring onboard? I know we are allowed to bring them aboard. Just want to make sure, or I will buy them somewhere by our hotel and carry them on. Just would rather get them at the port then lug them around from the hotel. LOL

Should be no problem as long as it's your initial embarkation day.

[aubreyc1988]

The rest of embarkation day was pretty uneventful. We went to the muster drill, in which our muster drill "Leader" was yelling at people the whole time during muster drill. We had dinner at 6:30pm, set time dining and met our fabulous table mates for the cruise, went to the casino for a bit to donate to Royal Caribbean, and then went to bed.

Cassis

 

For Cassis, I wanted to do the Calanques from Cassis. The RCI tour prices were really high, but my Rick Steves Med Cruise book told me it was EASY to do on your own, but I felt like the information in the book just wasn't detailed enough for me. If you are like me, when people say "oh this is easy", I think "Oh don't worry, I will find some way to screw it up" so I searched the internet for " How to" guides for Calanques on your own, video, etc and really didn't come up with much.

 

This guy has the best resource out there and is what I built my plan on.

 

http://mikestravelguide.com/the-easiest-way-to-get-from-marseille-to-cassis/

 

However, Aubrey's "How to do the Calanques on your own" guide is a little different. I think a combination of both of my explanation and Mike's will get you where you need to go! Also, you have any questions about how to do this that I do not address or do not address clearly enough, please do not hesitate to ask questions. I'll try to answer them as best as I can.

 

First of all, we docked in Marseille from 9am-6pm. Before I go into detail about how to do the Calanques from Cassis, if you are too hesitant about doing the Calanques from Cassis because of time constraints, you CAN do the Calanques from Marseille Old Port, but I believe it is a little more expensive and they go to different Calanques. As I have not done it from Marseille, I can't really tell you more than that. I DID research both options and decided on the Calanques from Cassis.

______________________________________________________

My "Journal" of notes for the day consisted of this

 

"Sept 4th – Marseille (Docking in Provence)9am-6pm

 

Uber to Metro Gare de St.Charles (€15), Metro to Cassis(€25), go through tunnel to get to Bus, get off at Casino/Port, short walk to port, (QuaiSaint-Pierre 13260 - CASSIS) Boatride on Calanques (€50) = €150 with lunch probably.

 

https://www.trainline.eu

 

 

General info: Wear church clothes in casewe want to go inside a church. Cover shoulders, cover knees.

Edited September 26, 2017 by aubreyc1988

[Jax129]

I love all the packing and planning tips!! Thank you, great review, this is a trip I really want to do, so these reviews really help & excite me.

[easyboy]

Very interesting review and nice photos!

[aubreyc1988]

My notes were PRETTY accurate, although the taxi to the metro station was more like 30 euros than 15. This is because we took a taxi that was lined up and waiting at the port. I think if we just walked out of the port and called a taxi, it would have been 15 euros.

 

The taxi driver was extremely pushy, didn't want to take us to the train station and kept on saying "I can drive you to Cassis" and kept on telling him "No" firmly. I recommend you to do the same, the taxi would be so expensive and it's SO easy by train.

 

Once you get to Gare St Charles, look for a ticketing machine - they are everywhere

 

 

The white ones are for handicapped people, woops!

 

Try for a yellow one!

 

 

We purchased a roundtrip ticket with times, but you don't have to do it like this, and you can purchase one way, and then purchase a return ticket for the way back later.

 

Then follow the instructions on your ticket and look at the screens to help you navigate to your train. Ours wasn't far from where we got our ticket. If you are confused, ask one of the officers outside of the train to help you.

 

Here is an example of what your ticket will look like. We got off the ship as early as we could and went straight to the train station, so this should help you timewise what to expect.

 

 

This train station was very big, clean, super nice!

 

 

 

This was our train.

 

[aubreyc1988]

This is how the train looks on the inside

 

 

When you get to Cassis, cross the tracks, go under an underpass of sorts, and it will take you here

 

 

At this point, you need to find the Casino bus, which looks like this

 

 

If you are unsure if its the right bus to the Casino, ask the bus driver, as you buy tickets from him. I am unsure of the price. Each ticket is a one way, so when you are ready to go back, you pay the driver again. Be sure to keep the paper ticket, as they reload it. On to way to the Casino stop, it was 1 Euro per person. For some reason, it was less on the way back, but either way, pretty cheap. Be sure to have an assortment of coins in the local currency with you, as it makes buying stuff really easy. A lot of people will say you can just charge everything but we found that not the cash. Much easier to buy the bus tickets here just with some coins, and also easier to buy pastries or small souvenirs with euro coins, in exact change.

 

Heres us, really excited that we actually found the Casino bus and didn't have to pay 90.00 for an Uber :')

 

 

We are sitting in different rows so we can each have a window seat...true love doesn't always mean you sit next to each other!

[aubreyc1988]

Here's some photos I took en route to the Casino stop

 

 

 

 

And here we are, the Casino Bus stop at Cassis' port.

 

 

 

Here is the walking directions from "Casino" to the port ( I mean, it's pretty easy, just follow the road that goes towards the ocean, but like I said before, I want to be as detailed as I can be for you guys! When you arrive at the Casino bus stop, pull out your phone and you can type in "Quai Saint-Pierre, 13260 Cassis, France" and that will give you walking directions there, or just print out the walking directions before hand! You want to be on Rue de l'Arlene walking towards the water. And also, if a little confused, remember to just use common sense! We saw some people who looked like they were headed to the beach and just followed them, as well as followed my "Journal"

 

and then you are there!