Funeegal

Ok. People watching was in full force today. It was fun. I like to watch people meet people and have a good time. We went back to the room to get ready for dinner Tonight is dress your best and we wanted to stop by the suite lounge to let Christian’s know RCL messed up the sip tour brunch time. While Rita really made up for it by giving us a tour of the galley and a delicious lunch, we at least wanted to tell him about the time mess up. I had my confirmation email ready. I explained the story. He apologized and said he thought 11:30 as well. I let him know Rita was amazing, the wait staff amazing, and it was made up, but RCL needs to get their cruise planner and app together. All good. The people watching continued in the MDR when we had a WTF moment. A guy and his girlfriend/wife came into the MDR. She had a nice cocktail dress on. He was wearing an open Mariners baseball shirt and vaping. Open as in I could see his bare chest and all the hairs on it! Funny not funny. Since when does the MDR allow that? And the vaping? The MDR hasn’t been busy so we’ve been getting to know our waiter and Asst. Waiter. They are great! Learned a thing or two about the surveys when I asked. The service really has been outstanding on this ship. Better than what I had on Ovation, Symphony, Anthem, and Oasis. Adventure was amazing, but that was out of Nassau immediately after COVID when sailing at 30% capacity. So my friend doesn’t want to go home Friday. We went to next cruise to see if we could stay on for the 3-day and leave on Monday instead. Unfortunately, the ship is fully sold out. However, the next cruise guy said he would contact us if there is a cancellation. Stay tuned. *It is unlikely we will get to stay on for the 3-day, but one can hope.

No. There are few teens and young school aged kids. I see some toddlers and infants. This is a great time to cruise. Kids that were off for Thanksgiving are back in school and the ship is only at 3700 out of 4500.

No. There are few teens and young school aged kids. I see some toddlers and infants. This is a great time to cruise. Kids that were off for Thanksgiving are back in school and the ship is only at 3700 out of 4500.

I’m sorry. I should have made myself more clear. The mental note is for ME. There is nothing with this for other people. I am a big person who is not comfortable in my body. Yes, totally different topic and my own personal issue, but there is no way I would want to be in a hot tub or pool where other people can see my floppy bits through glass.

Sip.Tour.Brunch FAIL! I will give credit where credit is due…the Asst. Matre’D did her best to remedy the situation, but the experience was meh. My email receipt and cruise planner showed this starting at 11:30AM. I called Guest Services twice to confirm the meeting point. We arrive at 11:15AM at the Deck 4 MDR and didn’t see a soul on site. We went down to the deck 3 MDR and asked where we are to meet. Confirmed deck 4. Waited until 11:35 and still no other guests in sight so we went back down to the 3rd floor MDR and inquired again. We were told to wait on deck 4 MDR and someone would bring us back. When Rita met us, she said the tour started at 10:30AM. She tried her best and showed us the galley very quickly and then seated us for our brunch. Most of the guests were already on dessert. We were rushed through in 1 hour vs. two. It was fine, but I plan saying something to Christiano this evening. Rita did everything right, but the cruise planner and reservation was wrong. We watched a decent Belly Flop contest from the deck above the lime and coconut. It was less crowded and not as noisy. The sexiest man co test was lame. I’ve seen good contests before and this one stunk. We spend the rest of the afternoon in the solarium and just came back to the room to get ready for suite lounge pre-dinner. We are planning to see the headliner this evening.

Good morning on Day 3! It is a sea day and I am getting the hang of posting from my phone! We just finished breakfast in Chops; reserved for suite guests. It was nice and quiet and I had perfectly cooked over easy eggs that were served hot. I also had beautifully plated lox and bagel.

Suite pics

Boarding pics. Suite area and snacks

We got to the beach club around 8:30am. All of the pool beds were taken by then so we claimed a lounger in the pool. They look uncomfortable, but are surprisingly comfortable. I love the beach club. It is quiet and calm. Even with the Wonder, the beach club was not even close to full. I had the lobster for lunch and it did not disappoint. Sorry for no pics, I always forget before I bite.

I forgot to mention that we were at Cococay with Wonder of the Seas. She is huge! However, I made a mental note of what NOT to do on Wonder while in port….

The end of the day. I finally got some good people watching in and it certainly didn’t disappoint. The dress code tonight and I use the term dress code loosely was resort casual. I put on my slacks and v-neck embroidered tshirt/blouse and A and I headed to the MDR. I know this may sound snooty and b*tchy, but seeing is believing and I think it is time for RCL to somewhat enforce a dress code or define it better. I saw one woman wearing cut off ripped shorts and a crop top in the MDR. Several men were in board shorts and tshirts. At the table next to us was a women chewing like she was a cow eating cud; using a fork with one hand and her fingers pushing food onto the fork with the other. It really was just gross. I ordered the cod in lemon butter. I took one bite and covered it up with the rice. Disgusting! We decided to finish dinner and head to Windjammer where the food was also abysmal. We decided to hit the hot tub and met a nice man and his wife; from the inland part of Alaska. Well, the hot tub bubbles finished. The water was still and all of a sudden the gentleman had quite a few bubbles rise from his nether region and come to the surface! It took everything I had not to laugh. Yes, this mom still thinks farts are funny like a 12 year old, but I expect good manners in the MDR. Guess what…it happened two more times! we are calling it a night a bit early. We have a sea day tomorrow and may just spend it on our large balcony or on the outside portion of the suite lounge.

Day 2 - Cococay We awaked this morning around 7AM and had ordered room service for breakfast. I can't get over that they ring the doorbell and not call you on the phone! We enjoyed coffee and breakfast on the balcony before heading to the beach club today. The beach club is always so relaxing! This is truly what both of us needed today. I will also mention that the Wifi is noticeably faster than when I was on Freedom this past March. A good thing!

I guess I am a bad live blogger. I am trying. Embarkation Day Did I mention this is my first time in any kind of suite? It is going to be hard to book a balcony room again after this experience! We got to the port of Miami around 10:40 for our 10:30-11AM check-in time. There was no line for the Suite and Pinnacle guests and were welcomed inside immediately and instructed to take the elevator up to whatever floor was mentioned. We got off the elevator and went right through security. Huh. I am used to checking in and then going through security. Ok. We were directed to the lounge where there was water and snacks! We sat down and a port person came right over to us. We showed our passport, she scanned it, and done. Check in complete. Wait....what?!?! The entire process took less than 10 minutes. We enjoyed some water and A had an egg salad sammie and a cookie. We were told to please line up and at 11AM on the nose, we were on the ship. Still didn't too much of a chance to people watch, but I was very impressed with the process. We immediately went to our muster station. Done. We decided to take the tour of the spa to be entered into the drawing for $500 worth of services. The ship was empty so we figured we could get that done and over with and why not try to win? We wandered around a bit and got our soda cups. We found the Suite pool deck. I now know why it is first come first served on Freedom. There is no monitored entry so anyone can go there. There is only a sign on one side that indicates Suite guests, but two staircases. It doesn't matter. We found the Suite lounge and Diamond lounge. I got a decent cup of coffee and was happy. Around 11:45, we went to the Windjammer for lunch. It wasn't too crowded yet, but left when it got noisy and headed back to the suite lounge until the rooms were ready at 1PM. I love love love the outside area of the suite lounge. I told my husband that I get free fancy coffee in the lounge and said I was in trouble now. He said, "Trouble? Explain." I said we are done for since now I only want to sail in a suite. LOL! His response was priceless. Oh no....I just heard the credit card in my wallet start whimpering like a naughty puppy caught in the act of piddling on a Persian rug. We got to our suite and honestly can't believe the size of it! I think the best part is as someone who is 5'2", I think it may be a hazard to get into the shower! I knew the sides were tall due to videos and such, but the stupid thing comes up to my mid-thigh! It is hysterical for me to get in and out of this tub! We hit the suite pool deck for the sail away party and that for sure is where the best people watching is! It was a blast! We headed to the suite lounge at 4PM to meet with the suite concierge, check on our lunch reservations for Coco Cay Beach club, get some snacks (a goat cheese toast, meatball, mini crab cake, and some kind of fritter, and a drink before dinner. Ok. Dinner in the MDR. I had the mushroom soup and salmon. It was fine. We saw the ice show and sat in our reserved section. Same ice show as we saw this past March and it was fine. Good. Couple of bobbles, but I can barely skate so no complaints there. We then decided to go to the Adult Majority Rules game show in Olive and Twist. Let me tell you this game could have been so much better. There hasn't been great people watching and that is because the people on the cruise are boring. Their answers were TERRIBLE! The game had the potential for funny and raunchy (it was an 18+ game), but the answers sounded like they were from boring vintages! We hit the bed and fell asleep. The suites on Freedom are on deck 10. We are under the solarium. I was concerned about noise, but it has been fine. However, I was awakened in the middle of the night when I heard chairs being moved above. It lasted just a minute or so, but it did wake me. I am a very light sleeper.

It’s today! It’s today! Shuttle is at 10AM. Our check in time is 10:30AM. Vacation mode is on! A and I hung out at the hotel and pool yesterday. We checked in around 9:45AM. We laughed and hung out and relaxed! We went to bed early and I slept about 9 hours. It is glorious! So excited for today!

Yes! I check in at the priority line (sky caps don’t work at 3AM). There is never a wait, but between one young lady arguing with the AA personnel and having to call several people to the family who was trying to find their identification, it held up the line. It also amazes me that those in the TSA pre-check line are asked to leave the line when they don’t have TSA pre-check. The people watching was not the best yesterday. Many were too tired and it left me with some boring viewing.

It’s my travel day! I woke up at 1:45AM. My friend was boarding her flight from Phoenix at the same time. Got to the airport and waited 15 minutes in line to check my bag. I have priority status with the airline so this was quick. TSA pre-check wasn’t open yet, so I got in line. Once it opened, I made it thru in 15 minutes. Let the people watching begin! I can only hope people choose kindness today.

2 days until we cruise. My friend start her travel today. Since she is flying from AZ, she is taking a red eye that departs just after midnight. I have the first flight of the day out of O'Hare. Sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do and flying the Sunday after Thanksgiving is far from pleasant. O'Hare tends to be better (less delays) in the early morning than later in the day. Let's hope the airport is not a mess at 4AM. I have TSA pre-check and have status with the airline so I hope everything goes smoothly. The only small bump is rain is expected, but that is better than snow! The prize (cruise) is worth taking a 5AM flight out of O'Hare. I am overpacked. I decided to check a bag and instead of filling it up halfway, I decided to fill 3/4 so I have lots of clothing choices. LOL! My carryon consists of a backpack since I have to bring my work laptop (just in case) and a small travel purse. Christiano emailed me back and said he would take care of our lunch reservation for Coco Cay. I figure we will visit him in the Suite lounge on Day 1. T-minus 6 hours until my alarm goes off to wake up. Yeah, tomorrow will be tiring for both of us, but hopefully we can nap tomorrow afternoon. Let that relaxation begin!

5 days until we cruise. The surprise is out. We both received an email last night from Christiano, the Freedom of the Seas Suite Concierge! It was A who texted me to let me know about the email and asked me WTHeck was going on! So I had to let the cat out of the bag. Her response was priceless! She texted, "I feel so fancy!" The email laid out most of our suite benefits and Christiano's hours in the Suite lounge. I know this is an auto generated email, but it makes this all the more real. A has been having a tough time with her youngest. A is counting the hours until she flies!

Wow. I can't believe it is happening. This was a long time in the making. 6 days until we cruise. The Ship - Freedom of the Seas 11/28/2022 - 12/2/2022 The Room - One bedroom Grande Suite - Deck 10 About Me - I am a wife, age 50-something, to an amazing man and a mom to two exceptional teens. We've been married for 20 years. Our two beautiful children, ages 18 and 15 are on the autism spectrum. In addition, the older has an intellectual disability (among other things) and the younger has some wicked ADHD going on. Each has their strengths and challenges and both are exceptional in their own ways. I wouldn't change it for the world, but this mama needs a break! Between working full-time and then dealing with all of the things at home, it is time for some R&R! We don't really have anyone who can watch our kids, so we recently decided that my husband and I need to get away separately to have a break. It is my turn since my husband went to ATL to visit a friend in the summer. Our next family cruise will be with Autism on the Seas over New Years. The Traveling Companion - A good friend of mine who is age 40-something. We met on a cruise when we were both traveling with Autism on the Seas. The organization is a TA. However, they also provide volunteers to help our special kiddos and give parents some respite. We met in 2016. She has 4 kiddos; 3 are older than my oldest and 1 is a year older than my youngest. Two are on the spectrum (similar to mine) and one has epilepsy. She probably needs a break more than I do! The Story - My friend, A, and I decided to take advantage of a low priced cruise immediately after Thanksgiving. We both had some cruise credits to burn and airfare credits to use up. We picked a date, our husbands agreed, and we didn't wait for them to change their minds! We originally booked a balcony cabin. About two months ago, I decided to price an upgrade to a Jr. Suite. It was very reasonable so I booked it. This would be my first time in any kind of suite. Same for A. I never told A I upgraded and she didn't notice the cabin change (both were on Deck 9). My plan was to surprise her. I was so excited for an espresso maker in the room! I was also excited for double C&A points! Then, I got a Royal Up invitation a day or so after check-in. I decided to bid the minimum for a 1 bedroom Grande Suite and a 2 bedroom Grande Suite. Again, I never said a word to A. We started planning the trip and cruise itself. Well, I started planning and A tends to agree or tells me to decide. As long as we financially agree, she is easy going and we both like the same things. It works for us. We made sure our flights landed at about the same time (she is coming from Phoenix and I am coming from Chicago). We have a hotel for the night before the cruise (using points I have) and have arranged for their $10 per person shuttle to the Port of Miami. Our cruise plans include: Day 1 - 10:30AM check-in. Day 2 - Cococay Beach Club - It just went on sale for $78.99 per person so we decided to get it today. We are really living it up! Day 3 - Sea Day - We booked Sip.Tour.Brunch - I can't wait to see the Galley. Day 4 - Nassau - Blue Lagoon - Neither one of us has been there so we decided to give it a try. We've been to Nassau many times and I guess I am looking for something new. Hope it is at least relaxing. I don't mind boat rides either. Day 5 - Let's not talk about this. It is a sad, sad, sad, sad, day. We originally purchased The Key, but now that we have a Grand Suite, we decided to cancel it. It makes the Royal Up worth it even more since we save The Key price. We purchased internet and a soda package. Neither one of us are huge drinkers and I have Diamond status so I can get 4 drinks per day anyway. I made Diamond status on my last cruise (Alaska B2B), but didn't get the chance to check out the Diamond Club or use my 4 drinks per day because my family ended up with COVID and in quarantine on Day 3. For this cruise, A and I plan to check out both the Diamond Club and Suite Lounge. I am all about coffee and can't wait to get good coffee in my room AND in the lounges! It is the little things...coffee, quiet, R&R I haven't started packing... I am looking forward to a large balcony, free room service, espresso maker in the room, pillow top mattress, suite pool deck, suite/diamond lounges, not getting awakened by my oldest at 4AM. I also love me some people watching! That may be my favorite past time... Stay tuned...I will do my best.

Thanks for the responses! This is a 4-night and The Key was $2/day more than the internet per day (total $8) so Chops and hand delivery of luggage to the room is worth the $8. I am a diamond member, but my travel friend is not so we will most definitely take advantage of the suite lounge. LOVE that we can get free room service as well! This is a mom's get-a-way and this just makes it extra special. *Excited Suite Newbie*

Hi! I just won a Royal Up bid for a Grande 1-bedroom suite on the Freedom of the Seas. I have The Key booked. I was wondering if Voom internet is included. If so, I want to cancel the Key. The suite benefits are similar and we don't need to eat in the main dining room for lunch. Also, does Freedom have a suite pool deck? I am reading and it seems like I can't get a straight answer. Thanks in advance! First time in any kind of suite. I usually book balcony rooms!

Thanks! My app tells me we are currently getting the ship ready. I did find a cruise compass and did find the same! Our cruise is 6/25/2023 Explorer of the Seas.

I checked. The Explorer of the Seas is not on the app.

Hi! We were on a Europe cruise back in 2019 (Barcelona) and I swear the early dining time was around 6PM. Does anyone know what the early dining time is for the Greek Islands cruise?

Hi - Our lovely Alaska B2B cruise (7/1-7/15) resulted in a COVID quarantine on Day 4 of the second week. Thank goodness we had an amazing first week! The letter RCL provided to us says we would be refunded within 30 days of the cruise. I am still within that time frame. The letter also states I will be reimbursed for hotel and food for the remainder of our quarantine and the receipts, etc. are to be submitted to an RCL email address. I submitted the receipts and received an acknowledgement email that my email was received (7/18). I am wondering if anyone else was in this situation, how long did the refunds take and was it as smooth as the letters described? @Matt