DDaley

Greetings from Miami! 
IT’S CRUISE DAY! 
Leaving for San Juan in an hour. Zero days till we go on the cruuuiiiseee ✈️??  and I am so excited!! 

 
Leaving Miami time-lapse

IMG_9749.mov

Greetings from Miami! 
IT’S CRUISE DAY! 
Leaving for San Juan in an hour. Zero days till we go on the cruuuiiiseee ✈️??  and I am so excited!! 

 
Leaving Miami time-lapse

IMG_9749.mov

Greetings from Miami! 
IT’S CRUISE DAY! 
Leaving for San Juan in an hour. Zero days till we go on the cruuuiiiseee ✈️??  and I am so excited!! 

 
Leaving Miami time-lapse

IMG_9749.mov

Greetings from Miami! 
IT’S CRUISE DAY! 
Leaving for San Juan in an hour. Zero days till we go on the cruuuiiiseee ✈️??  and I am so excited!! 

 
Leaving Miami time-lapse

IMG_9749.mov

One day to go!!
I am in the waiting place today since our flight is so late, so I spent the morning at the zoo to relieve pre-travel waiting anxiety! 
Here are the San Diego Zoo stars of the day. Sadly, the baby hippo Tony got sent off to another zoo when he reached 1 year (he has been the star of the day countless times). 
Finally not all asleep! 

Ibex cave hangout (he fought off two baboons to claim his space)



C1283169-9E36-48A2-98DB-3C0B4DBFDE2B.MOV

?
Only one day 'til you go on the cruise,
Only one day 'til you goooo!
?
Have a safe flight and fantastic trip!

Have an amazing trip!  Will be following along with you.

Has anyone done this sailing that was up and paying attention the night between Antigua and St. Lucia? According to the itinerary map on cruisemapper.com, we're gonna sail right through the center of Guadeloupe?

On other itinerary maps I have seen, we go around the outside. 

Even when you zoom in, they're very specific about how we're gonna squeeze right through there! ? 


 
 

It’s nearly time! I feel like I have waited for yeeears to set off on my first cruise as an adult! (It’s been… 84 years… ) In reality, I haven’t had to wait all that long as the days between booking and embarkation maxed out at 146 days. Now it’s down to just SIX days! The saddest part was that I had three vacations to go on between then and now and the poor Grand Canyon and Puerto Vallarta did not get the travel-obsessing they deserved.
In March, my boyfriend and I were looking into different trips we could take for our birthdays this August (on the 22nd and 25th) and as a Puerto Rican he suggested a trip there to visit his mom who went down to help family after Maria. I was pricing it out to stay in PR for around 6 nights (typical length of a land vacation I can afford) when he mentioned having taken a cruise from there back when he was in high school. The next day I googled cruises from SJ and booked a 7-night sailing on Freedom hours later! The price was pretty comparable and on this itinerary we would get the added bonus of seeing 5 other Caribbean ports! Who could say no? It should be noted that I booked during the 30% off sale but I even got us into a JS for less than every vacation I have taken to Hawaii.
After reading about a million fabulous live blogs here I thought I would give it a go because I would love to give back, so if you have any Freedom questions, feel free to ask!
Itinerary
Day 1 8/18 - San Juan, Puerto Rico Day 2 8/19 - St. Thomas 8am-6pm - Magen’s Bay via taxi (haven’t been since I was 7!) Day 3 8/20 - St. Kitts & Nevis 8am-8pm (only ship in port) - Cockleshell Beach via Shore Excursioneer Day 4 8/21 - Antigua 8am-5pm (only ship in port) - Antigua By Sea (RC Excursion) Day 5 8/22 - St. Lucia 8am-6pm - Rainforest Zipline & Aerial Tram via Shore Excursioneer for MY BIRTHDAY!!!! Day 6 8/23 - Barbados 8am-9pm - Catamaran/Snorkel via Shore Excursioneer Day 7 8/24 - Cruising Day 8 8/25 - Return to San Juan With the added bonus of
Day 9 - Extra day in San Juan!
With a newly-renovated oceanfront room at my favorite hotel in SJ, the Caribe Hilton. I could not say no to seeing the renovation for myself. I am also a brand loyalist to my dear, sweet Hilton, specifically because I love getting to pick my own room (e.g. north-facing Disneyland Resort room for fireworks every time). We also got a rental car so we can cruise the island and pick up my boyfriend’s mom so she can point us to the best mofongo!
Who’s Going - my boyfriend (Adrian) and I (Daryl)
Cabin - Junior Suite 9538. The larger balcony is what got me because I am a lanai girl through and through. I get an oceanfront every time I go to Hawaii and even extended the year-round lanai time to include my apartment in downtown San Diego, specifically for sunset balcony-sitting! So suffice it to say I plan on spending a lot of time out there for sail away cocktails and the JS balcony was a major draw. Priority embarkation also sounds nice without having purchased The Key.
Pre-Purchases - I got us the DBP for $44pp/pd during the 30% off sale although I can never figure out if it’s on sale or not cause it remained the same price once the sale was over?! Seems like at $12 each it is not hard to get to $44 per day, I can easily drink 4-5 cocktails and will also need 100+ ounces in water to make up for all that dehydration. Hoping to keep track of my drink consumption like @JLMoran! 
Also got the Voom Surf and Stream for 2 devices for instagramming and live blogging.
Excursions
St. Kitts - Cockleshell Beach transportation that includes a stop at Timothy Hill on the way. A taxi all the way down there was somewhat comparable but with a drink and chair included, it was worth it for the excursion version of going straight to the beach.
Antigua - 80ft catamaran that circumnavigates the whole island! I went back and forth on which beach to taxi to from the port (for the record I had settled on Dickenson Bay - $14, haha) but decided this would be a fun way to see all 365 of them with a lunch/snorkel beach stop on Green Island off the east coast of Antigua.
St. Lucia - Rainforest Aerial Tram and Zipline in the Castries Waterworks Forest Reserve on my biiirthday! I almost did the Pitons zip as advertised on the cruise planner but opted for the one with the sweet 45-minute aerial tram ride through the jungle. I am thinking SD Zoo Skyfari x10!
Barbados - Catamaran/Shipwreck Snorkeling excursion to Folkstone Marine Park and Carlisle Bay. I am a sucker for both catamaran rides and snorkeling (a must in Waikiki and at Hanauma Bay evvvery single time) so I couldn’t pass this one up!
---
I hope I can keep up with this blog as we go. I haven’t been on a cruise since December of 2005 when I sailed HAL Oosterdam with my parents out of our home port of San Diego to the Mexican Riviera. BUT! My very first cruise experience was with my friend's family on RCCL ol’ gal Sovereign of the Seas out of Miami in 1998! We went to Key West, Nassau and the oooolddd fashioned Coco Cay. Would love to try out Perfect Day on a future cruise to see the transformation (besides the fact that I love waterslides).
Ahhh! Seeing the logged-in Royal countdown at 6 Days To Go has me feeling near-constant excited stomach butterflies! ? These 5 work days are going to crawl by.

As a test of uploading images from my phone, I bring you my first cruise souvenir from ‘98, still proudly displayed on my vacation magnet-laden fridge. Do they still make these? I will have to get a Freedom magnet! 

Our fish is still on n the water.  He made a little friend the same age as him.  He’s shy so it’s only because she talked to him first. ☺️
They’ve been playing for a while, then she just asked him to go to the hot tub with her.  Everything is happening so fast. ??
 

Once the sea depth is over 10 feet what's the difference?  :) 

Hubs asked if I knew of any places and that was one of only three I had written down. They should give @Lovetocruise2002 restaurant credit for the business she is sending them. ?

I'll definitely grab a few. I like to travel with my own towels (I use my Turkish ones now) but like how compact and quick dry these look! Also love the head wraps for my long hair! I know what folks are getting from me for xmas this year! Thanks!

Love the towels! I am looking on their web site... are they "microfiber" or more like the thin cotton "Turkish Towels"?
PS - Following along!

Oh my sweetness!!! Now that I have access to my email I’m seeing some of the Blue Lagoon pictures.  They don’t want to cooperate good on my phone.  I think I can download better on a pc, but here are a few:
 

Day 4 - Sea Day
Hubs couldn’t sleep so he got up and went to the pool.  Lil guy and myself slowly got up right after, went to breakfast and met him at the pool.  We spent all day there until about 1pm. My fish was finally tired. We sailed by Coco Cay and could see a ship docked there from very far away. 
Had annoying chair hogs in front of us at the pool.  Put four towels down on four chairs at 9am and left. At around 11am there were families looking for chairs so my husband said something to a worker and he said anyone could have the chairs. A family took two of the four chairs stayed an hour and left.  A second family then came and took the two chairs they vacated. About 12:30pm here comes chair hog family to start their day and they instantly start in on the two people saying they had to get out of their chairs. The family gets up and my husband interjected and told them they didn’t have to get up.  He told the chair hog family that they can’t reserve chairs for four hours without being there and think that’s okay.  Chair hog mom says, “Well my kids didn’t want to get up sooooo...” ???
You could tell that she was the one that just got up and not the kids. 
We headed back to the room for a nap.  Got up and had our second visit to the Suite Lounge. Lil guy had coke and two crab cakes. We met more lovely people and Mario came in as well. Had dinner at the dreaded Windjammer because the dining room was not appealing either.  We’ve seen a lot of rainbows outside because of all of the rain showers. 
Then off to see the show for the evening Showgirls. After the show we packed up and then went to the 80’s party. 

Our room....another place where my baby couldn’t stay out of the window.  It has two bathrooms, only one has a shower.

3 days to go!
I have been thinking about packing for this cruise since I booked it! I started my iPhone note list that long ago and it has grown steadily to 80+ line items since then. I only ever travel with a carry on suitcase and a second, smaller carry on for under the seat (22” Samsonite and a Lo & Sons Deluxe Tote) so fitting all the stuff we’ll need between that and CBFs carry on is going to be a feat.
I go on a LOT of beach vacations and am always shocked at the amount of people who packed like they were going somewhere completely different. Really? You’re headed to the beach for days on end and you’re bringing only bathing suits and the postage stamp towels provided by the hotel? Amateurs! 
When I set out for a beach vacation I have a list of essentials that are coming with me and it will be no different for this cruise (although of course I’ve spent about $300 on random Amazon things I think I need!).
Beach Non-Negotiables
Our own towels (Dock and Bay, they fold up suuuper small and dry extremely quickly) that are also nice for identifying chairs on the pool deck
Beach tent for shade minus that chairs + umbrella price tag per beach
Beach sheet
Beach bag
Cooler bag
3 plastic reusable water bottles (2 for cocktails, one for extra ice) with neoprene sleeves
Camelpak for water
2 Swimways spring floats
2 Goggles
Underwater bags and waist bag for bringing valuables into the water with us
It looks like a lot but I will get it to fit. Especially once CBF presents his carry ons with empty space! Packing is a fun puzzle. 
If anyone is in the market for a beach shade device, I highly recommend the beach tent I linked in the list above! I toiled on Amazon for literally 5 months prior to finally choosing/buying one. I brought it to the beach here in San Diego for a trial run and it held up well in wind and was very easy to take down and put up. Best and most important part is that it fits easily in the carry on! Seen below upside-down and labeled as 'Gorich.' I had to replace the muuuch older tent I have been using (since my parents took me to St. Thomas in 1994!) and think I chose correctly. 

3 days to go!
I have been thinking about packing for this cruise since I booked it! I started my iPhone note list that long ago and it has grown steadily to 80+ line items since then. I only ever travel with a carry on suitcase and a second, smaller carry on for under the seat (22” Samsonite and a Lo & Sons Deluxe Tote) so fitting all the stuff we’ll need between that and CBFs carry on is going to be a feat.
I go on a LOT of beach vacations and am always shocked at the amount of people who packed like they were going somewhere completely different. Really? You’re headed to the beach for days on end and you’re bringing only bathing suits and the postage stamp towels provided by the hotel? Amateurs! 
When I set out for a beach vacation I have a list of essentials that are coming with me and it will be no different for this cruise (although of course I’ve spent about $300 on random Amazon things I think I need!).
Beach Non-Negotiables
Our own towels (Dock and Bay, they fold up suuuper small and dry extremely quickly) that are also nice for identifying chairs on the pool deck
Beach tent for shade minus that chairs + umbrella price tag per beach
Beach sheet
Beach bag
Cooler bag
3 plastic reusable water bottles (2 for cocktails, one for extra ice) with neoprene sleeves
Camelpak for water
2 Swimways spring floats
2 Goggles
Underwater bags and waist bag for bringing valuables into the water with us
It looks like a lot but I will get it to fit. Especially once CBF presents his carry ons with empty space! Packing is a fun puzzle. 
If anyone is in the market for a beach shade device, I highly recommend the beach tent I linked in the list above! I toiled on Amazon for literally 5 months prior to finally choosing/buying one. I brought it to the beach here in San Diego for a trial run and it held up well in wind and was very easy to take down and put up. Best and most important part is that it fits easily in the carry on! Seen below upside-down and labeled as 'Gorich.' I had to replace the muuuch older tent I have been using (since my parents took me to St. Thomas in 1994!) and think I chose correctly. 

3 days to go!
I have been thinking about packing for this cruise since I booked it! I started my iPhone note list that long ago and it has grown steadily to 80+ line items since then. I only ever travel with a carry on suitcase and a second, smaller carry on for under the seat (22” Samsonite and a Lo & Sons Deluxe Tote) so fitting all the stuff we’ll need between that and CBFs carry on is going to be a feat.
I go on a LOT of beach vacations and am always shocked at the amount of people who packed like they were going somewhere completely different. Really? You’re headed to the beach for days on end and you’re bringing only bathing suits and the postage stamp towels provided by the hotel? Amateurs! 
When I set out for a beach vacation I have a list of essentials that are coming with me and it will be no different for this cruise (although of course I’ve spent about $300 on random Amazon things I think I need!).
Beach Non-Negotiables
Our own towels (Dock and Bay, they fold up suuuper small and dry extremely quickly) that are also nice for identifying chairs on the pool deck
Beach tent for shade minus that chairs + umbrella price tag per beach
Beach sheet
Beach bag
Cooler bag
3 plastic reusable water bottles (2 for cocktails, one for extra ice) with neoprene sleeves
Camelpak for water
2 Swimways spring floats
2 Goggles
Underwater bags and waist bag for bringing valuables into the water with us
It looks like a lot but I will get it to fit. Especially once CBF presents his carry ons with empty space! Packing is a fun puzzle. 
If anyone is in the market for a beach shade device, I highly recommend the beach tent I linked in the list above! I toiled on Amazon for literally 5 months prior to finally choosing/buying one. I brought it to the beach here in San Diego for a trial run and it held up well in wind and was very easy to take down and put up. Best and most important part is that it fits easily in the carry on! Seen below upside-down and labeled as 'Gorich.' I had to replace the muuuch older tent I have been using (since my parents took me to St. Thomas in 1994!) and think I chose correctly. 

JOE THAT IS MY FAVORITE SCENE! My mom and I quote it all the time. She used to pull sh*t like that when I was a kid and I would get so embarrassed. 
I am not quite at her level of retired income (she makes more than I do and I have a JOB) but one day I, too, will forego the hauling! 
Oh, and yes! It's super light! As are the towels and floaties. ?

OMG, Joe...every time I see "you" on the beach I say to myself, I would HATE that! When the kids were young we'd always go to a beach that had little walking from car to sand/water.
Sorry for the minor hijack @DDaley . Can't wait to hear about your cruise!

3 days to go!
I have been thinking about packing for this cruise since I booked it! I started my iPhone note list that long ago and it has grown steadily to 80+ line items since then. I only ever travel with a carry on suitcase and a second, smaller carry on for under the seat (22” Samsonite and a Lo & Sons Deluxe Tote) so fitting all the stuff we’ll need between that and CBFs carry on is going to be a feat.
I go on a LOT of beach vacations and am always shocked at the amount of people who packed like they were going somewhere completely different. Really? You’re headed to the beach for days on end and you’re bringing only bathing suits and the postage stamp towels provided by the hotel? Amateurs! 
When I set out for a beach vacation I have a list of essentials that are coming with me and it will be no different for this cruise (although of course I’ve spent about $300 on random Amazon things I think I need!).
Beach Non-Negotiables
Our own towels (Dock and Bay, they fold up suuuper small and dry extremely quickly) that are also nice for identifying chairs on the pool deck
Beach tent for shade minus that chairs + umbrella price tag per beach
Beach sheet
Beach bag
Cooler bag
3 plastic reusable water bottles (2 for cocktails, one for extra ice) with neoprene sleeves
Camelpak for water
2 Swimways spring floats
2 Goggles
Underwater bags and waist bag for bringing valuables into the water with us
It looks like a lot but I will get it to fit. Especially once CBF presents his carry ons with empty space! Packing is a fun puzzle. 
If anyone is in the market for a beach shade device, I highly recommend the beach tent I linked in the list above! I toiled on Amazon for literally 5 months prior to finally choosing/buying one. I brought it to the beach here in San Diego for a trial run and it held up well in wind and was very easy to take down and put up. Best and most important part is that it fits easily in the carry on! Seen below upside-down and labeled as 'Gorich.' I had to replace the muuuch older tent I have been using (since my parents took me to St. Thomas in 1994!) and think I chose correctly. 

It’s nearly time! I feel like I have waited for yeeears to set off on my first cruise as an adult! (It’s been… 84 years… ) In reality, I haven’t had to wait all that long as the days between booking and embarkation maxed out at 146 days. Now it’s down to just SIX days! The saddest part was that I had three vacations to go on between then and now and the poor Grand Canyon and Puerto Vallarta did not get the travel-obsessing they deserved.
In March, my boyfriend and I were looking into different trips we could take for our birthdays this August (on the 22nd and 25th) and as a Puerto Rican he suggested a trip there to visit his mom who went down to help family after Maria. I was pricing it out to stay in PR for around 6 nights (typical length of a land vacation I can afford) when he mentioned having taken a cruise from there back when he was in high school. The next day I googled cruises from SJ and booked a 7-night sailing on Freedom hours later! The price was pretty comparable and on this itinerary we would get the added bonus of seeing 5 other Caribbean ports! Who could say no? It should be noted that I booked during the 30% off sale but I even got us into a JS for less than every vacation I have taken to Hawaii.
After reading about a million fabulous live blogs here I thought I would give it a go because I would love to give back, so if you have any Freedom questions, feel free to ask!
Itinerary
Day 1 8/18 - San Juan, Puerto Rico Day 2 8/19 - St. Thomas 8am-6pm - Magen’s Bay via taxi (haven’t been since I was 7!) Day 3 8/20 - St. Kitts & Nevis 8am-8pm (only ship in port) - Cockleshell Beach via Shore Excursioneer Day 4 8/21 - Antigua 8am-5pm (only ship in port) - Antigua By Sea (RC Excursion) Day 5 8/22 - St. Lucia 8am-6pm - Rainforest Zipline & Aerial Tram via Shore Excursioneer for MY BIRTHDAY!!!! Day 6 8/23 - Barbados 8am-9pm - Catamaran/Snorkel via Shore Excursioneer Day 7 8/24 - Cruising Day 8 8/25 - Return to San Juan With the added bonus of
Day 9 - Extra day in San Juan!
With a newly-renovated oceanfront room at my favorite hotel in SJ, the Caribe Hilton. I could not say no to seeing the renovation for myself. I am also a brand loyalist to my dear, sweet Hilton, specifically because I love getting to pick my own room (e.g. north-facing Disneyland Resort room for fireworks every time). We also got a rental car so we can cruise the island and pick up my boyfriend’s mom so she can point us to the best mofongo!
Who’s Going - my boyfriend (Adrian) and I (Daryl)
Cabin - Junior Suite 9538. The larger balcony is what got me because I am a lanai girl through and through. I get an oceanfront every time I go to Hawaii and even extended the year-round lanai time to include my apartment in downtown San Diego, specifically for sunset balcony-sitting! So suffice it to say I plan on spending a lot of time out there for sail away cocktails and the JS balcony was a major draw. Priority embarkation also sounds nice without having purchased The Key.
Pre-Purchases - I got us the DBP for $44pp/pd during the 30% off sale although I can never figure out if it’s on sale or not cause it remained the same price once the sale was over?! Seems like at $12 each it is not hard to get to $44 per day, I can easily drink 4-5 cocktails and will also need 100+ ounces in water to make up for all that dehydration. Hoping to keep track of my drink consumption like @JLMoran! 
Also got the Voom Surf and Stream for 2 devices for instagramming and live blogging.
Excursions
St. Kitts - Cockleshell Beach transportation that includes a stop at Timothy Hill on the way. A taxi all the way down there was somewhat comparable but with a drink and chair included, it was worth it for the excursion version of going straight to the beach.
Antigua - 80ft catamaran that circumnavigates the whole island! I went back and forth on which beach to taxi to from the port (for the record I had settled on Dickenson Bay - $14, haha) but decided this would be a fun way to see all 365 of them with a lunch/snorkel beach stop on Green Island off the east coast of Antigua.
St. Lucia - Rainforest Aerial Tram and Zipline in the Castries Waterworks Forest Reserve on my biiirthday! I almost did the Pitons zip as advertised on the cruise planner but opted for the one with the sweet 45-minute aerial tram ride through the jungle. I am thinking SD Zoo Skyfari x10!
Barbados - Catamaran/Shipwreck Snorkeling excursion to Folkstone Marine Park and Carlisle Bay. I am a sucker for both catamaran rides and snorkeling (a must in Waikiki and at Hanauma Bay evvvery single time) so I couldn’t pass this one up!
---
I hope I can keep up with this blog as we go. I haven’t been on a cruise since December of 2005 when I sailed HAL Oosterdam with my parents out of our home port of San Diego to the Mexican Riviera. BUT! My very first cruise experience was with my friend's family on RCCL ol’ gal Sovereign of the Seas out of Miami in 1998! We went to Key West, Nassau and the oooolddd fashioned Coco Cay. Would love to try out Perfect Day on a future cruise to see the transformation (besides the fact that I love waterslides).
Ahhh! Seeing the logged-in Royal countdown at 6 Days To Go has me feeling near-constant excited stomach butterflies! ? These 5 work days are going to crawl by.