IRMO12HD

HAHA.  JS a gateway drug.  Be afraid.  Be VERY afraid
😇

There was no added cost for the Welcome Lunch, correct? 
I am doing the Key on my Freedom cruise as well, but i'm not Diamond yet. So the added extras seem great for me, especially the access for the shows as i heard the Ice skating show can get crowded. 
How do they know you are Key holders, is that added to your Sea Pass card?

I purchased The Key on my past cruise on Navigator.  I loved the perks.  I will say if it's a short cruise, like 4 days, and there are no "Cruise" dates, I found that a lot of the perks did not get used.  For instance, the private hours at the rock climb, or flowrider.  These were provided when we were on shore excursions.
I did like the quick check in, and the ability to hand off my carry on to someone else to take care of.  The lunch at Chops was awesome.  The steak was amazing, and the burger was too 🙂  The internet combined with The Key was really nice too.  I brought my laptop and hooked it up to the TV in room and streamed Netflix, because the in room TV entertainment is always less than spectacular lol.

I purchased it for my next 7 day cruise and hope to use it the extras for the shows and what not.
Oh, the ala carte breakfast on departure date was SOOOO good too.
The Key is a pro move.

How was the muster drill done.  Was it just through the phone app.  Was it quick?

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

OK the muster drill was weird I must say.  I remember being told (or reading somewhere) that what is supposed to happen is you get on the ship, and you have so many hours to visit your muster station and “check in” using the App.  But that’s not what happened.  As soon as we got onboard we were directed to our muster station where an employee was standing there and giving a brief (and I mean BRIEF- like 90 seconds) overview of the life jacket to people in small groups of about 5-10 (or even as small as just your family).  
Since I mentioned the app… it’s worth nothing everyone should DOWNLOAD THE APP BEFORE YOUR CRUISE.  Everything is in the app, it’s so much easier.  

Cruise Day Part 2: All Aboard!
Some more pre-boarding thoughts and observations
Bag Drop to the Right (yellow carts, guys in white hats)
Bathrooms to the left of the Entrance Doors.  The Key and General Boarding were to the Left; suites line to the right
Getting onboard:
30 minute walk to Carnival terminal and back; in line at 10:30. The Key line area was pretty well marked; as I came up, someone asked to see my Set Sail pass; at first they wanted me to go stand in the growing line by the wall where they were sorting people by their arrival times — but then pointed me to The Key line, where I was the second “group” in the line.  The other “arrival time” lines were sorted out in short order; I’d guess there were 50-60 people in the 11:30-12:00 group.  Our group entered the building at 11:00 — sea pass, Vax card, Covid test results at door; Up escalator; Vax card, passport check and picture, then on to the Security check.  Surprise!  Had to empty my water bottle, just like at the airport (any open liquid containers is what I was told, so I guess maybe an UNOPENED bottle of water might have made it through?  If you tend to get thirsty while waiting, just be prepared.) and then passed through, up another escalator into the Waiting area. In The Key seating at 11:15
Boarded the ship at 11:45.  And yes, I had misty eyes and a quaver in my voice!  
One problem in the waiting area was water.  You couldn’t take opened drinks (I.e., water bottle) through Security, but there was no place to refill it once you got to the seating area.  There were vending machines, but I don’t know if they were working or not.  Fortunately, we only had a 1/2 hour wait, but I was getting thirsty.
 
 
 

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

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

Ok, so maybe this will be a semi-Live Blog, at least for the first two days until I get the hang of it!
First, some details about my Cruise Day morning:
Part 1 — The Arrival and the Walk
I got on the first shuttle — we left at 9:10 (about — after loading 8+ people and their luggage.  I was the only one going to Terminal A, which happens to be the first stop, as the route cars/busses have to follow is a one-way loop.  Got to the Terminal about 9:30 a.m.  Found a porter right away (the folks in the white hats standing near the yellow carts to the right side of the terminal entrance).  Turned my suitcase over to them and watched it go onto the cart — Mission 1 complete!  Asked where the Key line would be, and was told it would be to the left of the Entrance doors.
Happy Note #1:  There are public restrooms available!  To the left of the Entrance doors.  Hooray!  I can drink water on my walk!
 
Having relinquished my suitcase to the (hopefully) tender mercies of the porters, I decided to go for a walk and get some pre-cruise steps in (plus, I was early!).
 

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

Yes, you can. I don’t know if it works the same way, but log out of the internet on one device, and you can log into the other. 🙂

Congrats on achieving Diamond status, and hope to see you onboard!  I remember how excited we were to 'arrive' at Diamond, and that was when they were only offering the cheap booze during happy hour. 🙂  We will receive our first crystal block on this ship, on our way to Diamond+ by the end of next year ourselves.  I figure unless we win the lotto, Diamond+ is where we will stay.  Pinnacle seems so far away right now.    
Hope you see you guys onboard too!  
Any of you who'd like, feel free to post pics, or share anything you'd like, in this thread.  🙂  

Ok, so maybe this will be a semi-Live Blog, at least for the first two days until I get the hang of it!
First, some details about my Cruise Day morning:
Part 1 — The Arrival and the Walk
I got on the first shuttle — we left at 9:10 (about — after loading 8+ people and their luggage.  I was the only one going to Terminal A, which happens to be the first stop, as the route cars/busses have to follow is a one-way loop.  Got to the Terminal about 9:30 a.m.  Found a porter right away (the folks in the white hats standing near the yellow carts to the right side of the terminal entrance).  Turned my suitcase over to them and watched it go onto the cart — Mission 1 complete!  Asked where the Key line would be, and was told it would be to the left of the Entrance doors.
Happy Note #1:  There are public restrooms available!  To the left of the Entrance doors.  Hooray!  I can drink water on my walk!
 
Having relinquished my suitcase to the (hopefully) tender mercies of the porters, I decided to go for a walk and get some pre-cruise steps in (plus, I was early!).
 

Ok, so maybe this will be a semi-Live Blog, at least for the first two days until I get the hang of it!
First, some details about my Cruise Day morning:
Part 1 — The Arrival and the Walk
I got on the first shuttle — we left at 9:10 (about — after loading 8+ people and their luggage.  I was the only one going to Terminal A, which happens to be the first stop, as the route cars/busses have to follow is a one-way loop.  Got to the Terminal about 9:30 a.m.  Found a porter right away (the folks in the white hats standing near the yellow carts to the right side of the terminal entrance).  Turned my suitcase over to them and watched it go onto the cart — Mission 1 complete!  Asked where the Key line would be, and was told it would be to the left of the Entrance doors.
Happy Note #1:  There are public restrooms available!  To the left of the Entrance doors.  Hooray!  I can drink water on my walk!
 
Having relinquished my suitcase to the (hopefully) tender mercies of the porters, I decided to go for a walk and get some pre-cruise steps in (plus, I was early!).
 

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

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

C-0!
It’s Cruise Day!  I made it to Miami yesterday right on time — about 10:45 a.m.  While my suitcase was not the LAST one off the plane, it was also not in the first 40!  
Some MIA (Miami International Airport) tips:
1.  If you’re catching a Hotel Shuttle, look for and trust the “hotel shuttle” signs in the baggage area.  They know where you’re supposed to go even if you don’t!  The hotel shuttle stop is across the first lane of traffic, and kind of hidden.
2.  It’s a bit of a longish walk from the far gate — if you’re following a 7’0” tall person, do not necessarily try to keep pace with them!  On the other hand, I did get to the Baggage Claim area really quickly 🙂
I stayed at the Comfort Inn & Suites on Mokena Drive; it’s not the most exclusive area, but the shuttle worked out well, and I felt perfectly safe as a solo traveler.  The desk staff was very helpful; I was all set to leave my suitcase with them and go exploring until my 3:00 check in time.  Fortunately, when they asked me if I cared if I had one bed or two in the room, I replied that one was fine — and they gave me my room right away!   I had a great room on the 8th floor (801) looking west so I could watch planes taking off, but the soundproofing works really well and there was little noise.  I did use public transportation (bus) to go into town to a Target to get a replacement “bite valve” for my water bottle; it managed to fall off somewhere between my arrival and departure gates in Atlanta.
Made my 9,000 steps goal for the day!
Red-Eye Flight tip:  find your afternoon/evening meal early (I recommend the Airport Liquor Store and Cafe on 36th Street — had an awesome pork sandwich with adobo chiles and French fries) and be prepared to go to bed early — I made it until 8:30 pm and that was it — lights out until 5:30 this morning!
I decided to catch the early (9:00 a.m.) shuttle to the Cruise Port (another nice thing about Comfort Inn & Suites — they offer a free shuttle TO the Cruise Port).  I know, I know, “don’t get there too early, you’ll just have to wait.”  I don’t mind waiting, though — I’ll find a porter and get rid of my suitcase pronto, and then go find a spot to sit and read.  I guess my only concern is whether there are any restroom facilities available to people waiting outside, but can always ration my water intake if there aren’t.  I do have The Key, so my latest instructions from RCL were to make sure I am at the Terminal around 11:00; my arrival time on my Set Sail Pass is already 11:30, so either way I’ll have about a 2 hour wait.  
I don’t have the DBP on this first half of my S2S, so I’ll probably have one Sailaway drink — hmm, decisions, decisions!
All for now; I’ll post more once I get on Freedom — solo!

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!
 

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

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

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

C-0!
It’s Cruise Day!  I made it to Miami yesterday right on time — about 10:45 a.m.  While my suitcase was not the LAST one off the plane, it was also not in the first 40!  
Some MIA (Miami International Airport) tips:
1.  If you’re catching a Hotel Shuttle, look for and trust the “hotel shuttle” signs in the baggage area.  They know where you’re supposed to go even if you don’t!  The hotel shuttle stop is across the first lane of traffic, and kind of hidden.
2.  It’s a bit of a longish walk from the far gate — if you’re following a 7’0” tall person, do not necessarily try to keep pace with them!  On the other hand, I did get to the Baggage Claim area really quickly 🙂
I stayed at the Comfort Inn & Suites on Mokena Drive; it’s not the most exclusive area, but the shuttle worked out well, and I felt perfectly safe as a solo traveler.  The desk staff was very helpful; I was all set to leave my suitcase with them and go exploring until my 3:00 check in time.  Fortunately, when they asked me if I cared if I had one bed or two in the room, I replied that one was fine — and they gave me my room right away!   I had a great room on the 8th floor (801) looking west so I could watch planes taking off, but the soundproofing works really well and there was little noise.  I did use public transportation (bus) to go into town to a Target to get a replacement “bite valve” for my water bottle; it managed to fall off somewhere between my arrival and departure gates in Atlanta.
Made my 9,000 steps goal for the day!
Red-Eye Flight tip:  find your afternoon/evening meal early (I recommend the Airport Liquor Store and Cafe on 36th Street — had an awesome pork sandwich with adobo chiles and French fries) and be prepared to go to bed early — I made it until 8:30 pm and that was it — lights out until 5:30 this morning!
I decided to catch the early (9:00 a.m.) shuttle to the Cruise Port (another nice thing about Comfort Inn & Suites — they offer a free shuttle TO the Cruise Port).  I know, I know, “don’t get there too early, you’ll just have to wait.”  I don’t mind waiting, though — I’ll find a porter and get rid of my suitcase pronto, and then go find a spot to sit and read.  I guess my only concern is whether there are any restroom facilities available to people waiting outside, but can always ration my water intake if there aren’t.  I do have The Key, so my latest instructions from RCL were to make sure I am at the Terminal around 11:00; my arrival time on my Set Sail Pass is already 11:30, so either way I’ll have about a 2 hour wait.  
I don’t have the DBP on this first half of my S2S, so I’ll probably have one Sailaway drink — hmm, decisions, decisions!
All for now; I’ll post more once I get on Freedom — solo!

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

C-0!
It’s Cruise Day!  I made it to Miami yesterday right on time — about 10:45 a.m.  While my suitcase was not the LAST one off the plane, it was also not in the first 40!  
Some MIA (Miami International Airport) tips:
1.  If you’re catching a Hotel Shuttle, look for and trust the “hotel shuttle” signs in the baggage area.  They know where you’re supposed to go even if you don’t!  The hotel shuttle stop is across the first lane of traffic, and kind of hidden.
2.  It’s a bit of a longish walk from the far gate — if you’re following a 7’0” tall person, do not necessarily try to keep pace with them!  On the other hand, I did get to the Baggage Claim area really quickly 🙂
I stayed at the Comfort Inn & Suites on Mokena Drive; it’s not the most exclusive area, but the shuttle worked out well, and I felt perfectly safe as a solo traveler.  The desk staff was very helpful; I was all set to leave my suitcase with them and go exploring until my 3:00 check in time.  Fortunately, when they asked me if I cared if I had one bed or two in the room, I replied that one was fine — and they gave me my room right away!   I had a great room on the 8th floor (801) looking west so I could watch planes taking off, but the soundproofing works really well and there was little noise.  I did use public transportation (bus) to go into town to a Target to get a replacement “bite valve” for my water bottle; it managed to fall off somewhere between my arrival and departure gates in Atlanta.
Made my 9,000 steps goal for the day!
Red-Eye Flight tip:  find your afternoon/evening meal early (I recommend the Airport Liquor Store and Cafe on 36th Street — had an awesome pork sandwich with adobo chiles and French fries) and be prepared to go to bed early — I made it until 8:30 pm and that was it — lights out until 5:30 this morning!
I decided to catch the early (9:00 a.m.) shuttle to the Cruise Port (another nice thing about Comfort Inn & Suites — they offer a free shuttle TO the Cruise Port).  I know, I know, “don’t get there too early, you’ll just have to wait.”  I don’t mind waiting, though — I’ll find a porter and get rid of my suitcase pronto, and then go find a spot to sit and read.  I guess my only concern is whether there are any restroom facilities available to people waiting outside, but can always ration my water intake if there aren’t.  I do have The Key, so my latest instructions from RCL were to make sure I am at the Terminal around 11:00; my arrival time on my Set Sail Pass is already 11:30, so either way I’ll have about a 2 hour wait.  
I don’t have the DBP on this first half of my S2S, so I’ll probably have one Sailaway drink — hmm, decisions, decisions!
All for now; I’ll post more once I get on Freedom — solo!