Dan Curtis

Pictures from Part 1:
What a beautiful sight!! Freedom’s aft;-)
Seabourne Odyssey, Carnival Sunshine and Liberty
Back to THE terminal!
In The Key line — conveniently located next to the bathrooms

Coco cay was awesome. Really enjoyed overwater cabana 10. It is eastern group far right side when looking south. Kids loved the chicken wingswent to ice show in evening and watched Aqua show from balcony before bed.

My first time uploading pictures, so please excuse the lack of formatting.  
#1 Comfort Inn from the bus stop
#2. Room 801 (802 and 803 are right next door and would have the same views, I believe).  It was a nice room, right around the corner from the elevator and right next to the emergency exit stairs.  Rate was $87+ tax; total was about $100.  Pretty reasonable, especially given the free shuttle services and the breakfast — standard Comfort Inn fare, but had hot scrambled eggs and sausage, muffins, yogurt (including Chobani!), cereal, toast, and fresh fruit.
#3.  Adobo Pork Sandwich with Fries from Airport Liquors and Cafe ($14)
#4.  View from Room 801

Yes, I believe we will always need to monitor variants and work on the un-vaccinated (those who can vaccinate) to support public health, but we also have other global concerns that need addressing (not just COVID).  We don't know that much about omicron, but what we do know doesn't frighten me at this point; I am hopeful that the measures in place for cruising are adequate.  I remain optimistic about 2022 and 2023.  Frankly, I am more concerned about the airline industry (sufficient preventive measures?!)  than the cruising industry.  I want to thank all of the cruisers and crew who are making my planned trips possible and enjoyable!!

I am really tired of ‘the sky is falling, the sky is falling’ mentality from the press and politicians every time a new variant arises.  I know the drama sells for news sites, and allows politicians to be able to be able to hold onto unreasonable control a while longer, but so far, as contagious as this is, the cases presenting are milder:
https://nypost.com/2021/11/27/omicron-variant-symptoms-unusual-but-mild-says-south-african-doctor/
 

Covid is the new flu at this point. We will be doing yearly boosters for the rest of our life and in a few years the media will drop the circus parade amd move on to something else. Even if we had 100% worldwide vaccination this would still stick around unless extreme measures were put into place like a multi month quarantine on top of vaccination and a few other things. 
 
Could I be wrong. Sure. If so I have an old shoe to eat. But at this point these topics are beating a horse that had been dead for 6 months. Let's just bury it here and now...
 
 

Day 6-8 Antigua and Sea days back to Miami
Sorry for the delay in the last few days of the trip. Internet was spotty and I couldn't get my pay to actually go through. So here's the last bit of our cruise... 
Antigua... Weather was absolutely beautiful again. We spent Thanksgiving morning and afternoon our on Runaway Beach and our was so relaxing. Roundtrip taxi right from the port was $24 and 2 loungers with an umbrella was $20 at the beach. Runaway is pretty bare bones... Loungers and umbrellas with a beach bar is what you get. So if you're looking for water sorts or snorkeling this isn't the place for you. In fact snorkeling from the shore can be rough because the under row can be strong in some places. The port day was short with an all aboard at 330pm but we were ready to get a break from the sun and get ready for Thanksgiving dinner. 
The dining room was expectantly a bit busier than other nights but it wasn't bad since we had a reservation. The show once again was changed so we ended up just relaxing in the room after dinner. 
The last two days just consisted of pool time, playing cards, some trivia and eating. 😁 We enjoyed having a solid two days to just hang out on the ship before heading back to reality this week. 
We did book a transfer from the ship to Miami Airport which was $16 per person. We were given an estimated disembark time of 9:20am but they had already called all tag numbers by around 830am. Customs was literally a walk through for us with no delays. 
Our big takeaways from the trip... 
We learned we like a bigger ship. We've sailed Voyager class and up previously and just like that size or bigger. A bit more to do, places to eat and more venues can make a big difference. (We haven't done mega yet... So not sure if that's our cup of tea either 🤷🏼‍♀️) 
Ship shops seem to be running a little low in stock on some things. So if you see something you want (particularly liquor) buy it when you see it. 
Guest count is likely going up, so be prepared. That being said, we came back to news of another Covid variant so this could affect that plan. We were at about 75% so the ship felt pretty full. 
We hate My Time dining. Even though we made reservations for each night and requested a certain table we never sat at the same table. And only had the same serving team twice. This is our own fault as we didn't specify to our TA when she booked our cruise. 
Shows, events and activities changed all the time. You had to refresh the app calendar basically every morning to see what was happening. So if you're an activity planner than you might get frustrated.
In regards to Covid protocols and cleaning, we thought the staff did a great job. And we didn't really see anyone disregarding the mask rules. Occasionally you'd see someone without it but for the most part it was all good. That being said, since everyone essentially was vaccinated (young children excluded) with negative covid tests, I think the masks should have been optional. Just my opinion but if we have to wear one to sail, we're happy to do it. 
So I'll end with some pics from the week. Thanks for coming along! Let me know if there's anything you're wondering about! 

Exactly this whole Omicron variant is being blown out of proportion first by the WHO now by governments all across the world looking to scare people.  They are still trying to use this virus as a means to control peoples lives regardless of vaccination status 
 

We have a A1 2 bedroom Aqua theater for my wife, twin boys (turning 7 on sailing) and 5 year old daughter. Also joining is my sister in law and her 18 month old son. There are 3 other families in Sky class suites and two sets of grandparents in Junior suites.
I booked this suite the day it released back in November 2019 while on board Navigator. 
We are flying direct to Miami from San Francisco. I splurged on first class seats since we had lots of American credits from cancelled cruise flights. 
Staying near Miami airport the night before cruise then using hotel shuttle to ship (if times are bad we will use other transportation)
Got an over water cabana for Coco Cay. With current protocols we are required to purchase Royal excursions to take kids off ship in other ports. Because of this rule I purchased a mainland excursion to ruins in Cozumel. (We usually do an island beach club on our own) In Roatan we will go to Sol y Mar for beach time. No plans currently for Costa Maya. The port pass apiary I have read others have done has not been available in cruise planner.
Received Genie email from Shane. Gave him a list for dining times and places for each night. I hope that there will be flexibility to make changes if necessary. 

Made beer and wine requests for our room. I travel with a Yeti bag which I prefer over the cowboy cold fridges in Royal Caribbean rooms. I asked for 2019 vintage Coors Light (high snowfall in Colorado Rockies that year provides a hint of pine) If this is unavailable I’ll settle for 2021 vintage. 
Also asked Shane for an in suite ice cream party the afternoon of my twins birthday for all the kids in group.
Doing COVID tests locally before heading to airport. Plan to do two in attempt to reduce potential sample problems.
Listing this post in “Live Blog” section. No promises on quantity or quality of posts during sailing. Will certainly post a reflection on experience and answer questions once back home.

I was speaking to a guy working for Qantas call v=centre who is based in South Africa. He told me that in lock down they are not allowed to buy alcohol as the Government mediated all the bottle shops to be closed. Now that in in-human. Funny story about how many people are getting sill from drinking various concoctions of home brew.

Just arrived in Australia.. better shutdown the cruise industry! Oh that’s right.. it never started!! 
 
The media are loving this one, as noted above the South Africans are wondering what all the fuss is about, the symptoms are the mildest of any of the variants. 

Just the latest scariant

There's frustration coming out of the South Africa medical community about the overreaction to Omicron since the cases they've found so far have all been very mild

Unfortunately....I agree... ghz.

Day 5 - St Marteen
Well... The day definitely didn't go as planned. My husband got hit with a horrible gastro issue over night and ended up in medical by about 10am. So unfortunately, we never made it off the ship. I figured I'd take to opportunity to talk about the health procedure since I know norovirus and gastroenteritis have been ongoing ship problems long before Covid. 
If you're experiencing any symptoms of Covid or gastrointestinal issues they ask that you stay in your room and call medical. They will send someone up to the room to perform a PCR test (yes, even for just gastro issues) Once they got the test back and it was negative they asked my husband to head down to medical so they could assess and treat. Not to elaborate too much but it was coming out both ends so he was feeling very poorly and running a fever. They medical staff was amazing and got an IV going to hydrate him and also gave him some Tylenol/anti nausea meds via IV. Once he was feeling a bit better they sent him back to his room where he had to isolate for 24 hrs from the last symptom. During this time, he's been able to order from room service and receive bottled water/soft drinks for free. In room movies would also be free, if they were available on this ship. His sea pass has a hold/block on it that will be lifted once he gets the all clear after the 24 isolation. This is to ensure he doesn't access places like the WJ or try to go in port. Both guest services and medical have called a few times in the last 24 hours to check on him and they've all be very sweet. We pulled into Antigua this morning (Day 6) with about 3 hours of time left on his isolation so we're waiting it out to go ashore. 
I have been able to come and go from the room and around the ship (could have gone onshore too but didn't want to leave the hubs alone) and didn't have any symptoms or issues. (We think it might just have been something he ate) I do think it's a bit of that they didn't want me to late with him but I'm thankful I didn't have to honestly. We're both bummed we missed St. Marteen since we had an ATV tour booked that we were looking forward to. Alas, it'll have to wait for next time. 
Hopefully we'll be on a beach shortly and we can share some pics. Weather has and continues to be GORGEOUS! Mid 80s and sunny! 🌞🏖️

Omelets and fried eggs to order are still available. But I don't think I was super clear about the variety. What I meant was essentially all the stations remain the same for breakfast. So the same things are available each day. 😊 Unlike lunch/dinner options which change day to day. 

C-6 (Cruise minus 6 days)
First, the obligatory background.  I was first bitten by the cruise bug in 2013, when my husband and I joined about 1500 bikers on the High Seas Rally – a charity-driven biker cruise (well, we shared Freedom OTS with about 2000 other non-biker guests).  The charity (and purpose) of the cruise was to raise money for kidney dialysis – and provide an opportunity for about 15 dialysis patients to experience cruising (and for many, their first vacation) while receiving dialysis on board – and completely free of charge! It was an amazing experience -- and the bite sank deep!
Fast forward to April 1, 2019, when we were supposed to embark on our first Transatlantic on Oasis of the Seas – when (no fooling!) a crane fell on Oasis, shattering her aft and our aspirations of being on a megaship.  Two years later, I made this new reservation on my first cruise ship – Freedom of the Seas!
Cruise data:  I first reserved this cruise through my TA in April 2021, because it fit in well with my goal of accomplishing a B2B or S2S this year.  It has always been a solo cruise, and I made a concerted effort (with my TA) to search out price reductions through the months after the initial reservation.  At his urging, I reserved an Interior cabin on the 8th deck, right around the “corner” from Central Park.  In the end, I saved about $300 on my original booking by going to a non-refundable deposit; cost per night is about $82.00.
Ship:  Freedom of the Seas
Cabin Type: Interior (8th Deck Forward)
Cruise Length: 4 Nights
Cruise Itinerary: Miami – At Sea – Nassau – PDCC – Miami
Cruise Planner Purchases:  The Key, Casino Lesson, Nassau Snorkeling, PDCC Beach Club
Sooo. . . some caveats.  I am unabashedly low maintenance.  I don’t do makeup or hairstyling, and am most comfortable and relaxed in casual clothes.  I drink water from the tap (have even drank water from a garden hose and lived to tell the tale – although I DON’T drink irrigation water (yech!), and always carry my water bottle empty through the TSA checkpoint and fill it up right away at the first water bottle filling station I can find.   Therefore, I won’t be grabbing (or griping at the lack of) bottles of water onboard the ship.  I also don’t get straws – maybe for slushies/Slurpees/smoothies, but for other drinks – not a chance.  I do understand how the feeling of a paper straw decomposing between one’s lips is gross, and so may bring one or two plastic ones – or just drink my slushie/smoothie really fast. Since I don't have the DBP on this sailing, I will be picking and choosing my beverages with care; I am, as my DH is eager to point out, "frugal."  Well, he says it a different way, but the point is the same!
The reason I titled this blog “Simply Solo Freedom) is because this is what it is and what I am.  As part of my milestone birthday this year, I wanted to: a) go on at least one cruise, b) cruise on a ship class I hadn’t been on before, c) stay in a cabin type I haven’t been in before, and d) try a solo cruise (my husband is not as fond of cruising as I am, and was very supportive of my trying it on my own).  Since I couldn’t see just going on a 4-Night and calling it good after a 2500 mile flight, I added a fifth goal – try either a side-to-side or back-to-back series of cruises.  The result:  a solo cruise on Freedom, and following that, a cruise on Oasis – originally solo but my daughter said she’d like to try cruising.  So this particular cruise is a simple solo cruise – with a few firsts in terms of things I’m trying (The Key, Casino lesson, Coco Beach Club) and a few goals for myself:  maintain a live blog,  figure out how to navigate Miami using public transportation, and enjoy the ship!
What I will include in the blog:  timelines and experiences; answers to the questions I’ve posed on different forums in the past; pictures of my interior  cabin and its pros and cons; and experiences with the RoyalUp program, having put in two (minimum or near-minimum) bids for upgrades.
Although this is a solo cruise. I hope you’ll enjoy the experience with me!
 

Man how things have changed.. Just a Couple of months ago I was on Symphony with my wife of 23 years.. Now I'm divorced stressed and needing a cruise!  I cant wait to share my experiences with you all from my Pre-cruise Stay at the Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront to my week on Harmony being a newly single person..   Coming with me is My friend Lisa and Ill be meeting a few people that I've cruised with before..  
No.. I don't have the dining package.. Drink Package on the other hand is a must..  I think its time to venture into the world of different cocktails, talk to strangers and hopefully entertain you all.. again its my first live blog..  
Ill be shooting and blogging from my iPhone 12 Pro XR..  Hopefully ill figure out how to upload pics from my Phone..   
 
Until Friday..  Peace Love and whatever crap you're into lol! 

No issues with going to the French side today. We took a taxi to Orient Beach.
The driver said you never know but that he didn't think there would be a repeat of tbe road blocks anytime soon. He said a lot of people were hurt financially and were angry with the protests.

I just completed a private taxi tour of the whole island. Had no trouble at all.
For anyone interested,  I used taxi 222 driven by Ramon. I highly recommend him. He's knowledgeable, friendly,  prompt and funny. You can contact him at ramon.amador74@hotmail com

Happy turkey 🦃 day all !

Happy Thanksgiving to All! And to top it all off, I was able to check in to our first cruise since 2019!! Stayed up until midnight to check in and snagged an 11:30 boarding time. 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!   We are looking forward to gathering with family for food, football, and fun!