FREEDOM REVIEW - 8 Day Western

[LizaMM]

We are planning to do the white water rafting also. I am not sure if we are going to do the ship tour or find an independent. Did you hear of anyone doing a trip with anyone other than the ship? How was yours?

 

I did not meet anyone on our sailing who did it independently. There was someone who wrote a review a couple of months ago. If you search the Costa Rica Board for White Water Rafting it will come up.

 

FYI...In one review the person mentions seeing Carnival tour people walking...that WAS NOT the passengers on the tour....we saw the same thing and talked to them and they were Carnival Crew who are given the option of a cheaper tour and so they don't get the same transport, lunch etc.

 

I went with carnival because last time I was in Costa Rica I met a bunch of people who had close calls due to traffic and I did not want to risk being back late.

 

We LOVED this excursion!

[rosebud1g]

Hi Lisa

Oh I dont know what I was thinking!! We looked at booking the Western Panama Itinerary since we have not done that one, but are doing the Eastern 5 port. How cool was going thru the canal?? can you post some pics of that? Did they have alot of things to do on the ship for 4 port days? Thanks for giving us the review to far! cant wait to hear more, the

ship sounds awesome!!

[LizaMM]

Hi Lisa

Oh I dont know what I was thinking!! We looked at booking the Western Panama Itinerary since we have not done that one, but are doing the Eastern 5 port. How cool was going thru the canal?? can you post some pics of that? Did they have alot of things to do on the ship for 4 port days? Thanks for giving us the review to far! cant wait to hear more, the

ship sounds awesome!!

 

We did not go through the canal. The ship docks in Colon and then there are excursions you can take that either visit the Locks or take you through a couple.

 

We did not go through the canal either time we were there! These excursions are long and not what I personally want to do while on a cruise. I am saving that for a cruise that actually goes through some day ;)

 

There was a lot to do on the ship. A variety of Activities were held both out by the Lido Deck and also a bunch that were in indoor lounges day and night. I think Carnival does a great job with this. You would be hard pressed to be bored!

[CHARLESV32]

Great review so far Lisa!! I am thinking about booking this one on June 6 to do the same route for my 1 year anniv. I have also done the Belize, Panama and Costa Rica on the Spirit and I enjoyed but my wife has never been. I look forward to your review!!

[ooulio]

We were on the same ship as you. We did an independent tour on Panama. We did not want to spend so long going thru the canal either. WE found a guy outside and took a ride to the Panama Canal and drove to it. We walked up the stairs and saw the Canal. Most of the guys wanted $50.00 but we talked him into $40.00 for the 4 of us. Then we went to the casino. We have done the freedom twice. Last year on the EAstern and this year on the Exotic Western.

[LizaMM]

Dining Room

 

We were assigned the Posh Dining Room, Lower Level, Late Seating. We had requested late so this was great. We ate dinner in here every night except for the evening we went to the Supper Club. I will address the Lido Deck food, Room Service and Sun King separately. I thought that the food was very good and my girls did as well. There is a nice variety on the menu each night.

 

 

We went to dinner the first night and I did notice a difference right away which continued throughout the cruise. Our food was just fine but the staff seemed to be rushed, stressed and over loaded.

 

My general observation was not so much that they had more tables to deal with but possibly the fact that the galley was stressed with only 2 dining times versus the 4 that used to happen before.

 

Our original table was for 4 and just the 3 of us were assigned. We usually enjoy having tablemates but decided that this would be nice as well. However, when we were getting ready for dinner the 2nd night I found a card in our mailbox stating that we had a table change.

 

We were moved to the Upper Level of the Posh Dining Room and were seated with a family of 5 (grandparents, parents and 16 y.o son). We had no clue why we were moved. We finally figured it out a couple of nights later when our tablemates said they had requested a change because originally their family was split up. We also became aware that I had the same last name as they did so we decided that they put us all together because they thought we were part of their family group.

 

 

The changes I mentioned seemed more apparent when we were switched to a different table the 2nd night. In the past everyone was served courses at the same time with the head waiter taking on some tasks and the assistant taking on others. This time we felt a little rushed some nights to order and food was served as it arrived so that we were not all eating at the same time for each course.

 

That extra special attention that I usually enjoy on a cruise was missing. I think that the waiters miss it as well. We had one night – leaving Panama – that was rough seas….the “sickbags” were set out in the hallway and many people were not in the Dining Room. Our tablemates did not show up nor did most of the people in our waiter’s station. We got that old cruise service that night! Jasper had time to chat with us for a bit and we were having a hard time deciding which desert to order. He had been listening and although we each selected one dessert he brought us plates of the others that we had been talking about to try. That night was how our dinners used to always be on a cruise.

 

As far as the food itself….I enjoyed everything I had. Both my girls commented that they thought that the food was better now than our last cruise on the Legend in 06.

[carzyboutcarnival]

I still have 128 dayys till my cruise, wich is 4 months and 6 dayyss! Didn't you love the 4 days at sea!? That is the reson why we booked this cruise but it is NOT comming fast enough! Do you have pictures of your cruise?? That would help ALOT, thanks!

 

cbc!

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

...

Our Steward was Perfecto and I am not sure of the assistant’s name. While I have no complaints about how our cabin was maintained at all – they did a great a job dealing with 2 teen girls and their stuff!! I did notice that the interaction was much less then on previous cruises. While I did not get to ask it was evident that Perfecto had more cabins to deal with then I noticed in the past. Although they were clearly very busy and had no time for small talk the job was done quite well and anything we needed was taken care of timely. What more could you ask for??!!??!!

 

WOW - reading your review... it's.. it's... ALMOST like I was there too!! ;) :D

 

We asked our cabin steward (#6483) how many cabins he was responsible for. TWENTY-SEVEN was his answer! This has steadily increased though out the years. There must be an end ... what do you think... 30... 35 ?? :eek:

 

I trust you put that drink coupon to good use?? :)

 

Hopefully we will see you again (DREAM THANKSGIVING 2010) on the high seas!

 

Tom

[gwilli]

Thanks LizaMM! Great review of the Freedom. Can't wait until July 4th........

 

Has anyone been on the train excursions in Costa Rica or Panama?

[peter78]

This is a great thread for me. My family is going on this ship April 5th. Much better than reading reviews in the review section. I also like the link to the pictures of the ship.

 

Lisa, your comments about people getting different parts of the meal at different times, I have read that in other reviews. I hope we won't see that, but I have learned to go with the flow. I am also concerned about seating for dinner as just 3 of us are going. Who knows who we will be stuck with?

 

Anyway, great review. I saved this thread as a link, so if you have any more info, I am all ears.

[cathyoo]

Wonderful review.. how were your tablemates? Were you pleased with the change?

[DaisyGirl55]

I am sailing on the Freedom for the 8-day exotic Caribbean in September. Can you tell me when the 2 dress-up nights were? I am pretty sure the first one is on Sunday. Just not sure if the 2nd one is on Thursdays or Friday.

 

Enjoying your review, and thanks for the link to the ship profiles. Love reading the Capers...makes it all the more real :D

[LizaMM]

I still have 128 dayys till my cruise, wich is 4 months and 6 dayyss! Didn't you love the 4 days at sea!? That is the reson why we booked this cruise but it is NOT comming fast enough! Do you have pictures of your cruise?? That would help ALOT, thanks!

 

cbc!

 

Yup! We picked this itinerary again BECAUSE of the 4 sea days! I wish there were other 8 Day itin. with 4 Sea Days to choose from!!!!

 

As far as photos.....my camera broke just days before we sailed....I was so upset! I usually take several hundred photos on vacation!

 

My DD had her camera though. I told her that I want the memory card so I can I can pull off some good photos and post them if possible.....you never know what a 16 y.o. took pictures of!!! :eek: I will try and do that this weekend.

 

 

WOW - reading your review... it's.. it's... ALMOST like I was there too!! ;) :D

 

We asked our cabin steward (#6483) how many cabins he was responsible for. TWENTY-SEVEN was his answer! This has steadily increased though out the years. There must be an end ... what do you think... 30... 35 ??

 

I trust you put that drink coupon to good use?? :)

 

Hopefully we will see you again (DREAM THANKSGIVING 2010) on the high seas!

 

Tom

 

LOL.....It was great to see you guys again!

 

It was crazy how many cabins they have. Our service did not seem to be affected as far as the cabin being maintained and getting anything we requested though. I don't know how those stewards do it!

 

I know you ate in Sun King a few times but did you have a similar view of the Main Dining Room as I did????

 

I used the DOD card...THANK YOU :D

 

I would consider the Dream for Thanksgiving for sure! That would probably be a family cruise with whoever I can pull out of school.

 

One of the people I became friendly with on the Freedom called me yesterday and we were talking about booking the Dream for the end of Feb 2010......that would be my solo cruise. :cool:

[LizaMM]

This is a great thread for me. My family is going on this ship April 5th. Much better than reading reviews in the review section. I also like the link to the pictures of the ship.

 

Lisa, your comments about people getting different parts of the meal at different times, I have read that in other reviews. I hope we won't see that, but I have learned to go with the flow. I am also concerned about seating for dinner as just 3 of us are going. Who knows who we will be stuck with?

 

Anyway, great review. I saved this thread as a link, so if you have any more info, I am all ears.

 

 

Glad you are enjoying so far...more to come soon!

 

I had read about the dinner situation as well and went with an open mind. We went with the flow as well and certainly enjoyed ourselves. Had we not cruised before we probably would not have even noticed.

 

We were disappointed when we were initially seated alone and then we looked around and said ....hey, this will be just fine! You never know who you will get stick with! LOL

 

Wonderful review.. how were your tablemates? Were you pleased with the change?

 

We were very pleased with our tablemates. They were very easy to chat with and seemed like a very nice family.

 

I am sailing on the Freedom for the 8-day exotic Caribbean in September. Can you tell me when the 2 dress-up nights were? I am pretty sure the first one is on Sunday. Just not sure if the 2nd one is on Thursdays or Friday.

 

Enjoying your review, and thanks for the link to the ship profiles. Love reading the Capers...makes it all the more real :D

 

 

Elegant Nights were Sunday and Friday. The Captains Party was the first Elegant Night.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

...

 

I know you ate in Sun King a few times but did you have a similar view of the Main Dining Room as I did????

 

...

 

Our first night in the main dining room was the second night of the cruise, and service seemed OK. We had a little time to chat with our server and mentioned that we like to be out of the dining room BEFORE the "festivities" begin each evening - she seemed to understand. The next night in there (3rd night of the cruise) it was incredibly S L O W... I mean we did not have our first starter until 35 minutes into the meal. She apologized, saying something about a horrible line in the kitchen. That meal took a full 90 minutes. Our average is 50 minutes or so -- we almost always SKIP dessert! After that evening they were back "in the groove", and everything came swiftly. We had a very nice table (4 person booth) just for the two of us overlooking the lower level in the aft dining room. We were able to arrange that ahead of time thanks to a contact or two we have at Carnival. :)

 

...

I would consider the Dream for Thanksgiving for sure! That would probably be a family cruise with whoever I can pull out of school.

...

 

That would be GREAT - the BEES are starting to BUZZ... :D

 

...

One of the people I became friendly with on the Freedom called me yesterday and we were talking about booking the Dream for the end of Feb 2010......that would be my solo cruise. :cool:

 

hmmmm... we just so happen to be booked on the 2/27 sailing.... :cool:

 

 

Tom

[LizaMM]

Our first night in the main dining room was the second night of the cruise, and service seemed OK. We had a little time to chat with our server and mentioned that we like to be out of the dining room BEFORE the "festivities" begin each evening - she seemed to understand. The next night in there (3rd night of the cruise) it was incredibly S L O W... I mean we did not have our first starter until 35 minutes into the meal. She apologized, saying something about a horrible line in the kitchen. That meal took a full 90 minutes. Our average is 50 minutes or so -- we almost always SKIP dessert! After that evening they were back "in the groove", and everything came swiftly. We had a very nice table (4 person booth) just for the two of us overlooking the lower level in the aft dining room. We were able to arrange that ahead of time thanks to a contact or two we have at Carnival. :)

 

 

 

That would be GREAT - the BEES are starting to BUZZ... :D

 

 

 

hmmmm... we just so happen to be booked on the 2/27 sailing.... :cool:

 

 

Tom

 

I think if we had stayed at a table just the 3 of us I might not have noticed the issues I mentioned. Since as a group we would arrive at the same time, order at the same time etc it might have been smoother. Since we were with others the defferential of when we received food was very noticeable.

 

That is so funny that you are booked on the 2/27 Dream! I had not noticed.....but then again you have so many cruises who can keep track :D

 

I am looking into it. I was wanting to go in Jan for a solo but the end of Feb might work for me very well. It would actually be a nice time since it would be after the kids winter break and give me a nice vacaion after the hustle and bustle of the holidays and the Feb break.

 

I may just have that one booked before long!!! Of course I still have stuff to do before I sail in April - hotel, excursions etc. so I might wait to book until after I get back from the Liberty to help get me through the PCD!!

[LizaMM]

Lido Deck Dining

 

This is where we had lunch every day. I can’t really comment on breakfast because we only ate this meal on our 2 shore excursion days – once room service and once on the Lido.

 

There is a fabulous selection of food! We never got anything from the “standard” buffet and always selected one of the specialty stations – Tandoor, Mexican, Fish & Chips, Grill, Deli, Pizza or Mongolian.

 

I had Mongolian Grill and the Fish & Chips twice. Both very yummy! The Mongolian Grill is a great addition. It does take a while though since each person’s meal is prepared fresh upon selection. Certainly worth the wait in my opinion!

 

I had Tandoor once and enjoyed it and of course had to have the deli and grill each once as well. The girls ate from the grill a couple of times. My favorite pizza is the goat cheese….I only had that at 4:00AM after closing down the disco 2 nights so you can imagine that at that point it was certainly delicious and hit the spot!!!!!

 

There is a Sushi Bar on the Promenade Deck in the evenings. It looked good and while I have enjoyed it on other cruises I never did make it there this time.

 

There is also a “Late Bites” small buffet on the Promenade Deck every night (except during the deck party evening which had a regular midnight buffet on the Lido Deck). I never got anything but my girls got some cookies and brownies once. I can’t really say what the selection was but thought it was worth mentioning since so many people have been asking about what is available Late Night now that the midnight buffets are gone.

 

 

Room Service

 

I used this at least once a day for coffee and for breakfast the morning we were in Costa Rica.

 

The service was prompt and the staff friendly but I have to mention that with the exception of the first day something was always wrong! It was little stuff that we were able to work around but it was consistent…..things like ordering coffee for 4 and only getting 2 coffee cups or bagels for 3 and 1 small dish of cream cheese and no butter which we asked for, or milk instead of cream. Nothing major and we opted to adjust rather than call them back.

 

Sun King Supper Club

 

Amazing!

 

I booked our reservation online for Tuesday night – which was Rachel’s 19th birthday. I have been to the Supper Club on a ship before but this was my girls first time.

 

The food was incredible. We all got the filet and loved every bite. The service was superb and our wait staff friendly.

 

The music was not live but it seemed appropriate. I know there has been much discussion about this on the boards. The music blended into the background and I did not really notice it so therefore I am assuming it was appropriate! Since I was with my DD’s romantic dancing was not in the picture anyway!

 

None of us could finish our desserts and we were so stuffed when we left!

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Sun King Supper Club

 

Amazing!

 

I booked our reservation online for Tuesday night – which was Rachel’s 19th birthday. I have been to the Supper Club on a ship before but this was my girls first time.

 

The food was incredible. We all got the filet and loved every bite. The service was superb and our wait staff friendly.

 

The music was not live but it seemed appropriate. I know there has been much discussion about this on the boards. The music blended into the background and I did not really notice it so therefore I am assuming it was appropriate! Since I was with my DD’s romantic dancing was not in the picture anyway!

 

None of us could finish our desserts and we were so stuffed when we left!

 

We enjoyed it as well! The supper club decor is MUCH better than on the Glory. Like night and day. The prerecorded music (as you pointed out) was a better mix than on the Glory TO BE SURE. Though 2 out of 3 nights I did hear some Beatles music care of ZAMFIR, LOL... :rolleyes: Oh well, that is more appropriate than Blind Melon and Pink (on the Glory)!!! :eek:

 

Tom

[LizaMM]

We enjoyed it as well! The supper club decor is MUCH better than on the Glory. Like night and day. The prerecorded music (as you pointed out) was a better mix than on the Glory TO BE SURE. Though 2 out of 3 nights I did hear some Beatles music care of ZAMFIR, LOL... :rolleyes: Oh well, that is more appropriate than Blind Melon and Pink (on the Glory)!!! :eek:

 

Tom

 

LOL....yes...I thought the decor was better than the Glory as well. Actually, there was one thing that really got to me in the Emerald Room on the Glory and that was the neon green strip lighting that went around the room :eek: I get that it was called the Emerald Room but I could not help but notice (and think it was awfully out of place) those emerald lights!

[LizaMM]

Cozumel, Mexico

 

I booked the Royal Swim directly through Dolphin Discoveries prior to our sailing. I was very happy with this. I booked just the girls and I watched from a bench. A new place – Dolphinarius – has opened in Cozumel and Carnival must have switched their excursions over there. It was quite nice at Chankanaab since this meant that the cruise ship excursions were elsewhere – since we were cruising during a popular Winter Break week this was a good thing! Additionally, the only other ship in port was the Liberty.

 

We walked off the ship and immediately headed to the Taxi Station. A Cab to Chankanaab Park was 10 dollars. Ship Time was 1 hour ahead of Cozumel time for us so we arrived nice and early – It was only about 8:30 at the Park. I think we were the second people to arrive.

 

I had to pay an entrance fee since I did not book a Dolphin Swim for myself. It was $16 for me.

 

We checked in with Dolphin Discoveries and they told us where to meet for the 11:00 Royal Swim. We set ourselves up under a palapa on the beach. We decided to swim out to the platform in the water. The entrance to the beach is very rocky…..large rocks which are slimy etc so be prepared. The waves were coming in and it was a little difficult at one point. The depth drops quickly and if you realize this then you can kind of get yourself over the rocks quickly.

 

The Royal Swim was fantastic! I had asked about being able to go out on the dock area so I could watch. They told me it would be a $5 fee and no cameras but the woman said that I would probably be able to see just fine from the benches which is what I wound up doing.

 

Rachel and Emma had a blast! I will be booking this same excursion for my younger kids when we sail on the Liberty in April. And a note….I believe they are offering a Special price for Carnival Cruisers who book in Feb for a swim anytime before 4/15….check out the website.

 

As far as the photos went….they were selling a video for $50 and had some photos of each person printed up that were $14 and $16 depending on the size.

 

The arm bracelet for the Royal Swim entitled each person to a drink at either Senor Frogs or Carlos and Charlies. We opted to just get a cab back to the pier. We did a little souvenir shopping. We ate at Panchos Backyard – excellent!! Did a little more walking around and then got a margarita at three Amigos before returning to the ship.

[rosebud1g]

Hi Lisa!

Great review so far! Do you know if Carnival still had the chocolate

fondue fountain at the lunch buffet? I had it on my 2 more recent past cruises with Carnival and it was to die for! I was just curious if they were

still doing it. I sure hope so!

[LizaMM]

Hi Lisa!

Great review so far! Do you know if Carnival still had the chocolate

fondue fountain at the lunch buffet? I had it on my 2 more recent past cruises with Carnival and it was to die for! I was just curious if they were

still doing it. I sure hope so!

 

The chocolate buffet was on Saturday - the last Sea Day. I never made it so i am not sure what they had but I know that the fountain is usually part of that.

 

ENJOY!!

[LizaMM]

Limon, Costa Rica

 

I prebooked the White Water Rafting excursion with Carnival online for this one. I considered booking an independent tour but having been in Costa Rica before and seeing people just barely making it back due to traffic I stuck with the ship!

 

The cost was $115 per person. There were 2 times available and we went with the earlier one.

 

This was great fun! I had purchased the excursion for the 3 of us but Emma had gotten a little too much sun the day before and did not feel well. She wound up staying in the cabin and sleeping the day away. Rachel and I went together and it was wonderful! I can’t tell you how many times I thought how lucky I was to have this experience and time with my daughter! She and I laughed so much and had such a joyful time together!!!!

 

We met at the pier by the buses. A coach bus took us first to the Tour Companies lodge area where we could use the bathrooms etc. We got back on the Coach bus and were taken to a spot on the side of the road where there were trucks waiting for us.

 

Now this part was the real adventure! We got on the back of the pick up trucks which had wood railings all around and wooden floors. We were divided up into a couple of them. These drove us down the rocky dirt road – well path – to the bottom of the mountain where the boats were waiting at the river. I was fine as long as I did not look over the edge!!!

 

I had read a review by someone else who took an independent tour a couple of months ago where it was mentioned that the Carnival tour people had to walk down to the river. There was a whole group of people who were walking so I asked them about it. It turns out that this is the Carnival Crew who are offered a much cheaper excursion that does not include the same transportation or the lunch that the passengers get on their tour.

 

Once we got down to the river we were given lifejackets, helmets and oar. We broke into groups and got into the rafts….groups of 6 and 8. The guide on the bus had gone over all the safety equipment and some basic info on how we would paddle etc. The guide on the raft went over it all again.

 

Then it was time to begin….we paddled out and went through a little ‘test” area so we could get the feel of it….Then we were off. This was really so much fun! Parts of the river were very calm and gave us the opportunity to really take in the view and other parts were rapids that went up to Class III. Our boat did very well and we had no fall-offs but we watched as one whole raft overturned and dumped all 9 people in it (8 plus the guide) and another that lost half the people. Everyone was quickly rescued and pulled onto other rafts. When we got to a clear area we brought all the rafts on the bank so everyone could get back in their proper place. I should mention that in addition to us having guides on each raft there were a couple of kayakers in the water alongside us to help out and assist with any topplers.

 

I thought the guides were wonderful and friendly. They really added to the enjoyment and spirit of the excursion.

 

At the end we got out of our rafts and walked up the bank to the coach bus that had been sent over for us. We were brought back to the tour operator center where we had a very nice buffet lunch. There was juice and such included but we purchased a beer at the bar.

 

I should also mention a couple of things…..both when you get in the water and when you get out there are very rocky areas that you have to walk over so don’t be surprised by that. AND one of the guys in a kayak is a photographer. He will paddle ahead and then perch in various spots to take photos of you and your adventure. All the photos of all the rafts will be on one CD which you can purchase and he makes an effort to make sure that there are a whole bunch of photos from each raft. The CD can be purchased for $30 and also has a bunch of photos from Costa Rica as well.

 

 

I think we had about an hour or so to change and have lunch which was just right. Then it was back on the bus to head to the pier. I took a very nice nap at this point!

 

When we arrived back at the pier we spent a little time walking around and shopping for souvenirs. I wanted to get some coffee and a coffee mug. I collect coffee mugs from each port of call and ship and I never got one last time I was in Costa Rica.

 

There seemed to be a good variety of items and even women doing mani/pedis and massages.

 

 

COLON, PANAMA

 

This was actually a do nothing day for us! We did get off the ship at around 10AM and walked around the pier area for a bit. There were just enough shops to keep us busy for souvenirs. I bought some coffee. I went to the grocery store there for that and it was about half the price for the same thing in the gift shops…..so anything that you may want that can be purchased in the grocery store instead I would suggest checking it out! They also had a large selection of wine etc.

 

We got back on the ship and had lunch and then very much enjoyed the less crowded Lido Deck and no chair hogs to be found! WOO HOO!!! There was a movie on the big screen at 1:00 and I was able to relax between my loungechair and the hot tub watching it.

 

I just want to mention that we set sail late from Panama. Apparently there was traffic and a couple of tour busses were late coming back. These were Carnival excursions so the ship waited for them.

[LizaMM]

Days At Sea

 

One of the main reasons I picked this itinerary was for the 4 Fun Days At Sea…..I LOVE them!

 

There were many activities going on, both out on the Lido Deck and also held in various indoor lounges. All the usuals…..ice sculpture, Hairy Chest, Synchronized Swim, various trivia contests etc.

 

We spent much of our Sea Days relaxing on deck mixed in with a little walking around the ship.

 

I had read some posts about the use if the Big Screen interfering with music but I am happy to report that that was NOT the case for us at all. In the early morning there was news on the Big Screen. At 9:30 Todd would have his morning show with the asst. CD showing. After that it would be music. Usually for a little while it was from the speakers with seascape pictures showing on the screen and a couple of times it was a musical concert shown with the accompanying music. At 11:30 ish the band would start to play. The band hours varied depending on the activities but I really found there to be no change due to the Big Screen….except for the Bingo that was played out there one day for a little while.

 

They even had karaoke out on the Lido Deck one afternoon which led into the first round of auditions for the Legends Show. I thought it was a lot of fun to have this outdoors and people did seem to enjoy it.

 

Movies were shown on the Big Screen at night….with the exception of Port Days which offered an afternoon movie or concert for those who stayed on the ship.

 

We really enjoyed the bands. Most days it was Eclipse and they also had Music Connections out there a couple of times who were excellent. Eclipse was very good and played a nice selection. My DD made a few requests which they played for her.

 

The Chair Hogs were out in FULL FORCE during this cruise. Boy is that annoying! The first day at sea I wound up finding a single lounge chair on the upper deck by the aft pool. I stayed there by myself for about an hour. My girls just stood and sat at the edge of the pool until someone left. They were departing from 3 lounges which was perfect for us! Emma put our stuff down while Rachel came to get me.

 

We were also able to get chairs on the upper deck near the Main Pool by nice people letting us move over some chairs and squeeze between them one day.

 

Other days I was up early – on Friday night I never slept at all – so I was out there early and we were able to get chairs near the pool.

 

I DID NOT see any enforcement of the “No Saving” rule. There is a sign posted on the pool and it was also posted in the Capers every day. As a matter of fact on that first sea day my DD was watching a group of chairs that were only occupied by towels. After an hour she was fully ready to have their stuff moved and another passenger told her off…..he said “how would you like it someone were to do that to you??” She told him that she would not be in the position of hogging a lounge chair and breaking the rules in the first place…..luckily this is when a women told my DD that the 3 of them were leaving in 5 minutes and we could have their chairs so that ended any possible discord!

 

I did however, see enforcement of no drinks in the hot tubs and there were no children in the aft pool or hot tubs anytime I went back there.

[jbroons]

Lisa -

Hope your kids are feeling better! Did they pick up sickness from the cruise?

I'm sailing on April 5th for 6 days - CANNOT WAIT!!!

I have two daughters 15 & 12. Please tell me everything you can about the ship and camps for the kids. My oldest insists she is NOT doing it. But...from what I've read on these board, I will check it out with her on the first night and hopefully she'll want to participate in something. Any and all info will help.

Can't wait to hear more!

 

300....I'll be on the 4/5 Freedom cruise as well with my daughters 15 & 17!! We are psyched and also CANNOT WAIT!!!

 

Check out this link....you will love it!! (Have you posted in our roll call....it's moving slowly thus far but will hopefully pick up soon!!)

 

https://www.bookccl.com/irman/