Mini Prime Run-Feb 7-9th Freedom of the seas

[Ampurp85]

I really wanted to make prime.

It was as if the universe was like, Alicia, we want you to make prime too.

@AshleyDillo shared with me something that blew my mind. Because this has been a short cruise season, Club Royale lowered the prime threshold. You only need 1500 point to be prime and your status last until 2023. As I had stated in my last live blog, I was only about 10 points from being at 1500....which is now prime!!!!

Ashely said I should just send a check for $55 but I called, and they said that wouldn't work.

Actually, first I looked at what I could possibly book to make the 1500pts before March 31st. I couldn't sail until April, at the most. But the heavenly gates parted, and Freedom had a 2N sailing from Feb 7-9th, which was weird. I had 2 $100 off coupons from my previous forays into the casino. I do have to work Sat and Sun, but I am work from home during the week. Yolo. I booked an interior stateroom for $248 with grats. Used my point for an AA flight to Miami, the day of with insurance, plus it doesn't leave until 5:30pm.  I am on the first flight, but I know I shouldn't have.........but prime is so close.

This will be the first cruise I will not be buying anything. As a Diamond member I get 1 free day of internet, my 4 drinks and all that other wonderful stuff. I plan to start my free day way after sail away so it last until most of the second day. I have no plans to do anything but earn my status and get some tacos from PDCC.

This is my first time on freedom. The goal, which should be easily achieved, is to make prime my first night. Then enjoy all the wonderful free things on this cruise.

[WAAAYTOOO]

Wow !  Thanks, Alicia.  This is the first I have heard about CR status being extended again.  I hope I’m reading and interpreting it correctly.  Losing my Prime status was the thing I was most concerned about since we have not been able to cruise.  This is really great news.

BTW, I think you’re doing the right thing by booking a shorty on FR to get the last of those points in.  Being Prime really makes a lot of difference. Best of luck !

[AshleyDillo]

Having just done a 2 night on Indy..it goes by sooo fast!

[Yesiamthere]

 

Congratulations on becoming Prime!

I really like being Prime.  I pay just port charges and taxes for my balcony room.  I use monies that the room “should” of cost in the casino.  Have lost all.  Have broken even.  Have come out way ahead.  It’s how I roll now.

I like getting money from the cashier at no extra cost.  I love being how to get free drinks anytime the casino is open.  I actually get a drink in there and take it a show.  Also, I fill up my room with bottle water from the casino.  

[Ampurp85]

I might have the worst luck when it comes to testing.

Since I booked this such short notice, my testing options were limited. I schedule a test at CVS, it was the last appointment available for such a short notice. Saturday the 5th at 4:45. This morning I got notice that they made a mistake and last appointment was actually 4:30 and not available. No biggie I have several free testing sites within distance of me. I made an appointment for 4:30 at the one a block away from my job. I get there at 4:10, I would rather be early than late, and a sign on the door says they will be out for lunch from 3:45-5pm. It is 7 degrees in Chicago, I wasn't going to wait around. So, I go to the next location, and they do my test. Super easy as I scan a QR code and input all my information.

This is where things get weird, she asks if I need the results. I was like yes, why would I take a test and not need the results? I was like you can email them or print it here. She was like "we give you a card........" I was like why print a card when you can email results? She stares at me and fills out a business card. I am looking at her like you got to be kidding me. Everything but the result is handwritten on a business card. It has a QR code that when you scan just says negative. I can't use that. I was pretty upset that I wasted my time.

Ugh!!! 

Now I have to rush to another location. They close at 5pm and I literally walk in at 4:55. I ask beforehand about how they deliver the result and thankfully they email them. I already knew I was negative, but it was still annoying to have to tickle my nose more than once within an hour. I had actual, usable results by the time I made it home. 

The cruise is a mission, so I just have a backpack. Which is filled with two days of clothes and my kindle. I have never taken such a short cruise, but I am looking forward to El Loco Fresh. I have a 1pm boarding time, the earliest available, which is great because I land at 11:30. Gives me some time to pick up water and soda since I am not paying for soda/refreshment package. 

[melmar02]

Wow, what a hassle! Glad it was negative though and congrats on prime!

[Ampurp85]

When I boarded my plane, I realized two things. I have never flown coach in America Airlines and people really do suck. I booked this short notice so no higher class seats were available. Flight was full and on time. Everyone seemed to have 3 bags and didn't want to check them. It took 45min to board because of this. I wasn't in a rush so no biggie for me. However about a third of the pax had connections to make.

It was Chicago so they had to de-ice the plane. Our 7am takeoff turned into a 7:30 takeoff. I was squashed and uncomfortable the entire flight. Nobody had their mask on in the back where I was sitting and it was hot on the plane. We arrived only 15min after our scheduled time but MIA was mess. We waited another 20min because other planes were blocking our arrival gate. This is where things get dicey. Several pax only had 30min or less to make their connecting flights. The attendant ask if those pax who weren't catching another flight,  to allow those to disembark first. Nope. They proceeded to slowly disembark by row, taking their sweet time getting ridiculous carry-ons down inefficiently.

Lots of cursing later I caught my Lyft to the port. I had a 1pm check-in time but it was 12:38, I decided to try my luck. They checked my negative test and Vax card, sent me straight through.  As a solo I again used the suites/pinnacles area. It was a very smooth and easy check-in. This was a first, they put on my white bracelet for me and tied it too tight.

The gangway deposited me right at my eMuster station and I was able to knock that out. It was only 12:45 at this point but I wanted to just check.  I was right my room was ready and my seapass card was at my door. I am in an interior cabin deck 8 room 445, right by the elevator. Nobody is in the rooms on my left or right. Originally it said sail away was 5:30 but we sailed away after 6 and the casino didn't open until 7.

I also ran into an issue. When I checked my points it said I had 1490. When I checked again it said 1290. Club Royal said Mariner gave me the wrong amount of points and it updated the correct amount. I really wasn't keeping track so this could have been true. I was like fine, its still only 210pts, I could do that. Mariner is no longer my favorite ship.

After dropping my carry-on off. I went for lunch. El Loco Fresh is everything.  I love tacos. Although they aren't authentic, they are very good.  I had El for my first lunch and then again for my second lunch.  I explored Freedom while I waited to get my casino on. It is a mix of families, young folks, singles and veteran cruisers. The decks were on and popping.  I just want to point out on board the drink package was $216pp. For only 2 days thats $100+ each day. Lots of people brought it though.

I visited the diamond lounge and it was empty. I love how it has access to an outside deck. I has some fruit and watched sail away from there. I figured the casino would be in a delay so I might as well catch the ice show at 7 and then settle in. I really like how Studio B looks on Freedom and the show was decent. Several performers fell and my heart sank each time it happened.  I'm not talking small falls but bodies hitting the ice falls. It was sad.

I went to the casino,  ordered a Blue moon and settled in. My first machine was bad. It originally recognized my card and then didn't.  So I moved and that machine froze on me with my money and card stuck. It took 15min to fix. I debated if I should get dinner and come back. But I figured push come to shove I can go to Sorrento's. I had a decent run but needed a bathroom break. When I returned my machine was taken. So I went to another and stayed through until I hit prime.

I was actually able to get all my drinks this time. However at the end of thr night the casino host put a "prime" sticker on my seapass, so now my drinks are overflowing.

Today's decision is do I want to hold up in the casino or ......well there isn't much else. Maybe some shows I can see later. Oh yeah casino host said guest were made aware of the changes before them.

[WAAAYTOOO]

Congratulations on getting to Prime !  That is such a huge deal.  

[AshleyDillo]

Yaaaaay! Welcome to the Prime club!

[Ampurp85]

I would like to thank @AshleyDillo For the heads-up. My new prime status is all because of her.

So far I've had 2 drinks with my new status. Played a little more because PDCC is rather boring alone. I got off at 9am and was back on by 10:30. Lots of trivia has been canceled because no one is there to do it. Schooner is empty. So was the diamond lounge. I need to ask how many are on this sailing but to be honest if it's more than 1000. I would be shocked.

I will be watching the production show at 7pm. Then attending karaoke....maybe the comedian if I feel up to it. I brought so little I am already packed.

[Yesiamthere]

Mission accomplished!  Welcome to the Prime Club!!  

[Ampurp85]

Sorry about the delay......

The production show, while the storyline was meh, was the best I have seen since the restart. The singers actually had decent voices that could harmonize together, and they danced really well. I doubt this was a thing pre-pandemic, but half of the ice-skating cast were also performers in Once Upon a Time. I originally thought that my eyes were playing tricks on me and/or that all the falling had the performers faces etched in my mind. But nope, several other people vocalized my thoughts that they were indeed the same performers. CD said the sailing was 50% and guest services said they had 1922 pax. Which seems like a lot more than I felt or saw. I feel like this number is wrong, but they know better than me. There was a music sailing after this one and I watched them set up stages and speakers on deck 11 throughout the day. 

After the production show, I went to the casino for a few drinks. It was never really full in the casino but there were 3 guys who never left the bar. I saw them sitting there, talking to the bartenders each time I passed by. A guy playing at one of the poker tables hit $12,000 and they made an announcement to congratulate him. He continued to play for a while and won one more decent amount. I got another of my prime drinks and headed to the Star Lounge for karaoke. The crew member who did karaoke on Freedom was more interested in singing than allowing others. He had a great voice, but it was funny how he would sing the songs he wanted, while those who signed up had to wait. It was packed with every seat taken, no mask on by majority of the pax and people standing in the doorway. I cut out early to watch the adults only comedian. He was probably a 2.5/10. I hate comedians who curse for the sake of cursing, if you get my drift.

My intentions were to have an early dinner at El loco Fresh. But I fell asleep around 4pm and woke up at 6:30 on the dot. I just went to the shows instead and got a Playmakers burger for late dinner. The shops on the promenade were popular but no one was hardly at any of the bars. This is why I don't believe it was that many pax on this cruise, nothing was ever crowded. Breakfast at the Windjammer wasn't too bad. I did notice they never really had crispy bacon and chocolate milk. No tables were closed to socially distance, so that's probably why it never felt crowded. Disemebarkment was smooth and took probably 5 minutes. My thoughts are I wouldn't do another 2-day cruise unless it was an add-on. You get there and then it's over. I didn't get a chance to explore Freedom like I would have liked, but I loved her and can't wait to spend more time on her in Jan 23'. 

 

 

[WAAAYTOOO]

I'm soooo glad that you were able to take this little shorty and make Prime.  It will be sooo valuable for you over the next year.  Congratulations !!