Cactus527 Posted February 29 Report Share Posted February 29 On the 12th day before cruising, my live blog did begin... It's almost cruise time! I'm starting this live blog to control my excitement and keep track of all related things. I'll try to update daily before the cruise, and then as things go once onboard. Being my first live blog, I have no idea what's going to happen here. I'm Cactus. I've been cruising sporadically since 2005, both solo and with family, mostly on Royal Caribbean. While I live in the desert, I love traveling and have gone as many places as I can throughout my life. This cruise is a 4-night Perfect Day at CocoCay and Bahamas cruise out of Miami. Port schedule shows Terminal A, so I'm super excited for my first trip out of Miami (how have I avoided this up until now??!?) and out of Icon's terminal. It's a bit of a wonky cruise for me because I have to pack for this trip AND a conference that starts on Saturday after I disembark on Friday. Thank goodness for Southwest's two-bags-fly-for-free policy. Day 1 Miami Day 2 PDCC Day 3 Nassau Day 4 At Sea Day 5 Miami My family calls me two things: The Ruler of Red Lights (when driving) and Overpacker Extraordinaire. I'm hoping the latter doesn't get me in trouble while packing for both cruising and conferencing. I booked a balcony guarantee for this solo cruise because my MEI travel agent had an awesome price for it. I was on Independence in a junior suite in September and absolutely loved the ship/room/location of room, so I had no hesitation in booking Indy's sister ship. The balcony I was assigned was okay, it would have worked, but I went ahead and did a Royal Up bid for both a junior suite and a spacious balcony. The JS failed, but the spacious balcony went through! And, lo and behold, the spacious balcony is in a similar location to where my JS on Indy was. Score! Counting down is killing me - 11 days until I fly, 12 days until the cruise. Of course there's a bazillion things to do in the mean time, including getting over this nasty cold I currently have. Healthy and happy cruising coming soon! ---Cactus OCSC Mike, PPPJJ-GCVAB, DDaley and 11 others 12 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted February 29 Report Share Posted February 29 Wait… you’re prepping your stomach for a 4-nighter??? It’s 4N, go crazy! One of the few benefits to a shorter cruise… you don’t have to worry about that “uh oh, I’ve really been eating a ton” feeling by day 6 or 7. Maybe that’s just me though. Congrats on the RU! PPPJJ-GCVAB, Cactus527, Sweety and 1 other 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweety Posted February 29 Report Share Posted February 29 Have a fun filled cruise. We love Freedom. Just booked three more cruises in her. Cactus527 and OCSC Mike 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted February 29 Author Report Share Posted February 29 8 hours ago, OCSC Mike said: Wait… you’re prepping your stomach for a 4-nighter??? It’s 4N, go crazy! One of the few benefits to a shorter cruise… you don’t have to worry about that “uh oh, I’ve really been eating a ton” feeling by day 6 or 7. Maybe that’s just me though. Congrats on the RU! MEALS GONE WILD!!!! Well, there is a college group that has about 800 on this cruise, so they can do the College Kids Gone Wild while I'm over in the Windjammer making Meals Gone Wild. I did NOT think the RU was going to work, but I really paid attention to the details @Lovetocruise2002 mentioned about her Icon RU. It seems to have worked! Maybe she knows something everyone else doesn't - either way, I'm happy! Lovetocruise2002 and OCSC Mike 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted February 29 Author Report Share Posted February 29 8 hours ago, Sweety said: Have a fun filled cruise. We love Freedom. Just booked three more cruises in her. Lucky! If I was closer to FL, I'd definitely do more Freedom-class ships. As it is, I'm thrilled that Quantum is coming to the west coast so I have *2* ships to regularly choose from. Booked Quantum for November 2025 already - that's going to be fun! Sweety, MaryS, WAAAYTOOO and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted February 29 Author Report Share Posted February 29 11 days until the cruise, 10 days until I travel. I decided to actually look at my flight information today since it's been ages since I bought the ticket. Southwest from Tucson to Houston Hobby to Miami. Since I don't leave Arizona until the afternoon, my Miami flight arrives really late. I specifically chose to connect in Hobby because weather is still iffy this time of year through Vegas, Denver, or Chicago. It also dawned on me that if I'm flying on a Sunday, the Chick-fil-A in Hobby will be closed. Bad travel planning on my part, apparently, LOL. Since it's a late arrival at MIA, and I have credit card points, I just booked a hotel by the airport. Easy peasy, free breakfast, and then Lyft to the port the next morning. Is the area around the airport decent? Are there any shuttle services anyone recommends beyond just Lyft or Uber? Definitely not trying the trolley with the amount of luggage I'm probably going to have. I think I've finally turned a corner on my cold too. Huzzah! I love Hobby. So much smaller and comfortable than Bush. This was one of my favorite parts of our Texas trip last year (Allure in July 2023) - TEXAS SIZE (and shape) WAFFLES Home. Or, rather, near home, when you're waiting for your kids to be done with sports practice and you wander off. No coyotes during this photo, thought I do remember counting about 15 lizards in various places... She Sails Away, Lovetocruise2002, JohnK6404 and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted February 29 Report Share Posted February 29 10 minutes ago, Cactus527 said: I did NOT think the RU was going to work, but I really paid attention to the details @Lovetocruise2002 mentioned about her Icon RU. It seems to have worked! Maybe she knows something everyone else doesn't - either way, I'm happy! I say a lot of things what did I say about the Icon RU? I cannot even remember anymore… Cactus527, jbrinkm, asquared17 and 2 others 2 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted February 29 Author Report Share Posted February 29 Just now, Lovetocruise2002 said: I say a lot of things what did I say about the Icon RU? I cannot even remember anymore… I remember you specifically saying that you researched the type and amount of rooms left for particular categories before deciding what to bid on. You also had a budget. I applied the same to my RU bids and it worked. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted February 29 Report Share Posted February 29 3 minutes ago, Cactus527 said: Home. Or, rather, near home, when you're waiting for your kids to be done with sports practice and you wander off. No coyotes during this photo, thought I do remember counting about 15 lizards in various places... That’s beautiful! WAAAYTOOO, Cactus527 and Sweety 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted February 29 Report Share Posted February 29 2 minutes ago, Cactus527 said: I remember you specifically saying that you researched the type and amount of rooms left for particular categories before deciding what to bid on. You also had a budget. I applied the same to my RU bids and it worked. Thank you! Oh yes, that! I was tracking those suites like crazy, I wanted out of Tot town so bad. I am glad it worked out for you too! Sweety, asquared17 and Cactus527 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted February 29 Report Share Posted February 29 5 minutes ago, Cactus527 said: free breakfast I die a little inside every time someone mentions eating breakfast on embarkation morning. At least it's free. Sweety, Cactus527 and WAAAYTOOO 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted February 29 Author Report Share Posted February 29 6 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: That’s beautiful! Right? I grew up in the Midwest, I actually moved to Arizona sight unseen for school. Spouse is an Arizona native, so we've stayed. I LOVE IT HERE. So beautiful, but there are still mountains. I can see snow right now from my window, but it's way far away and 70F/21C in my backyard. Lovetocruise2002 and Sweety 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted February 29 Author Report Share Posted February 29 4 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said: I die a little inside every time someone mentions eating breakfast on embarkation morning. At least it's free. I get a royal case of hangry if I don't eat breakfast, even in small amounts. Typically, it's a protein bar, but on vacation? BRING IT ON. Sweety, MaryS, WAAAYTOOO and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted February 29 Report Share Posted February 29 32 minutes ago, Cactus527 said: It also dawned on me that if I'm flying on a Sunday, the Chick-fil-A in Hobby will be closed. Bad travel planning on my part, apparently, LOL. If this is the worst thing that happens on your trip, you’ll be fine ! I do love Chick-fil-A myself but rarely get it down my way. Sweety and Cactus527 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK6404 Posted February 29 Report Share Posted February 29 Enjoy the cruise!!! Don't worry, sail away will be here before you know it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyfsu21 Posted February 29 Report Share Posted February 29 17 hours ago, Cactus527 said: On the 12th day before cruising, my live blog did begin... It's almost cruise time! I'm starting this live blog to control my excitement and keep track of all related things. I'll try to update daily before the cruise, and then as things go once onboard. Being my first live blog, I have no idea what's going to happen here. I'm Cactus. I've been cruising sporadically since 2005, both solo and with family, mostly on Royal Caribbean. While I live in the desert, I love traveling and have gone as many places as I can throughout my life. This cruise is a 4-night Perfect Day at CocoCay and Bahamas cruise out of Miami. Port schedule shows Terminal A, so I'm super excited for my first trip out of Miami (how have I avoided this up until now??!?) and out of Icon's terminal. It's a bit of a wonky cruise for me because I have to pack for this trip AND a conference that starts on Saturday after I disembark on Friday. Thank goodness for Southwest's two-bags-fly-for-free policy. Day 1 Miami Day 2 PDCC Day 3 Nassau Day 4 At Sea Day 5 Miami My family calls me two things: The Ruler of Red Lights (when driving) and Overpacker Extraordinaire. I'm hoping the latter doesn't get me in trouble while packing for both cruising and conferencing. I booked a balcony guarantee for this solo cruise because my MEI travel agent had an awesome price for it. I was on Independence in a junior suite in September and absolutely loved the ship/room/location of room, so I had no hesitation in booking Indy's sister ship. The balcony I was assigned was okay, it would have worked, but I went ahead and did a Royal Up bid for both a junior suite and a spacious balcony. The JS failed, but the spacious balcony went through! And, lo and behold, the spacious balcony is in a similar location to where my JS on Indy was. Score! Counting down is killing me - 11 days until I fly, 12 days until the cruise. Of course there's a bazillion things to do in the mean time, including getting over this nasty cold I currently have. Healthy and happy cruising coming soon! ---Cactus Freedom is awesome, we take weekend trips on her quite a bit. This is literally one of the best ships in the fleet (IMHO). Cactus527 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted February 29 Author Report Share Posted February 29 1 hour ago, WAAAYTOOO said: If this is the worst thing that happens on your trip, you’ll be fine ! I do love Chick-fil-A myself but rarely get it down my way. THEIR HONEY BBQ SAUCE. OMG. I'm sorry, I need to lay down for awhile now... WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted February 29 Author Report Share Posted February 29 19 minutes ago, JohnK6404 said: Enjoy the cruise!!! Don't worry, sail away will be here before you know it! It can't come fast enough! ROYAL CARIBBEAN TAKE ME AWAY!!!! #calgon PPPJJ-GCVAB, MaryS, asquared17 and 3 others 1 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted February 29 Author Report Share Posted February 29 3 minutes ago, tonyfsu21 said: Freedom is awesome, we take weekend trips on her quite a bit. This is literally one of the best ships in the fleet (IMHO). Yay! I loved Indy and I've heard so many great things about Freedom. Is there a favorite spot you have on there? Anything that stands out on board? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyfsu21 Posted February 29 Report Share Posted February 29 17 minutes ago, Cactus527 said: Yay! I loved Indy and I've heard so many great things about Freedom. Is there a favorite spot you have on there? Anything that stands out on board? I really enjoy the Viking crown lounge especially at night! I miss this concept on the newer ships. OCSC Mike, WAAAYTOOO, JustMeJoe and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted February 29 Author Report Share Posted February 29 53 minutes ago, tonyfsu21 said: I really enjoy the Viking crown lounge especially at night! I miss this concept on the newer ships. I'm totally going to try this now. Thank you for the idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyfsu21 Posted February 29 Report Share Posted February 29 34 minutes ago, Cactus527 said: I'm totally going to try this now. Thank you for the idea! Awesome spot to hang out and grab a drink with lots of good people watching! It gets pretty busy late night. Snotarni and Cactus527 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 1 Author Report Share Posted March 1 2 hours ago, tonyfsu21 said: Awesome spot to hang out and grab a drink with lots of good people watching! It gets pretty busy late night. I've only ever been here on sail away on...Navigator? I think. It was fun to watch the people soup in the pools from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asquared17 Posted March 1 Report Share Posted March 1 OH YES I AM HERE FOR THIS!!! Cactus527 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 1 Author Report Share Posted March 1 10 minutes ago, asquared17 said: OH YES I AM HERE FOR THIS!!! Let's hope shenanigans are minimal. I've got all my body parts crossed that we don't get a PDCC day like yours on Oasis recently! Ampurp85 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 1 Author Report Share Posted March 1 10 days until the cruise, 9 days until travel. Happy March! Since I opted for a better room than my typical interior (balcony), I've had to tell myself daily to keep my budget a little more reasonable for other things on board. That being said, I think I'm pretty happy with what I've got going on: The Key (for the faster embarkation, lunch on Day 1, included Internet, and better debarkation) Refreshment Package Dinner at Giovanni's Italian Kitchen Hideaway Beach at PDCC Pool deck casita for Nassau I'm going to attempt to get a lunch or dinner reservation at Izumi (not hibachi) for Day 4 / Sea Day as soon as I board, but we'll see how it goes. It seems weird that you can't make a reservation for regular Izumi through the cruise planner right now. I'm the weirdo that loves just hanging out in my cabin and enjoying time to myself. I'll go to trivia, or the pool deck, or the solarium, or catch some shows, but I'm perfectly happy just hanging out there. When I had the JS on Independence, I didn't go to any of the shows because I was just enjoying my room! The biggest question I'm still wrestling with is: if I just want to chill out and lay somewhere on a beach at PDCC, should I do it at Hideaway Beach or not? On the one hand, I've done PDCC so I know what's around the island. The Hideaway Beach pass was only $20. On the other, it's $20 I could spend elsewhere and it might be too loud no matter where I go. At least I still have a few days to think about it. It seems ludicrous that it's $20 for my sailing, but my Allure sailing in September is still showing it at $60 (I got it for less on Black Friday). Today's adventure: dumping out all my travel stuff and sorting what I need and what I don't. Potato may attempt to help, but I'm not sure how useful she's going to be... She Sails Away, Sweety, WAAAYTOOO and 6 others 6 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted March 1 Report Share Posted March 1 Potato. What CUTE picture ! She looks like a sweetie. We also love hanging out in our room. People often say, “…the room is just a place to sleep and shower so we don’t care what kind of room we have…”. Not us ! We are in our room a LOT and need to have a bit of space. I say, if you can get Hideaway Beach for $20, go for it ! That’s a pretty reasonable price and you’ll know whether it’s worth paying [most likely, more $$$] for, in the future. I’m still pi$$ed that they originally said it would be complimentary and then turned it into a for-fee thing, so I refuse to go, but I think $20 is about as low as I’ve ever seen that fee. PPPJJ-GCVAB, Lovetocruise2002, Cactus527 and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted March 1 Report Share Posted March 1 22 minutes ago, Cactus527 said: I'm the weirdo that loves just hanging out in my cabin and enjoying time to myself. Count me in that weirdo category too! I love just hanging out in my cabin. That is one of the reasons why we don't mind spending a bit extra on our cabins. So many say it's not worth it cause you're barely in it, but we are. Good to know we're not the only ones. 24 minutes ago, Cactus527 said: Potato may attempt to help, This makes me laugh. You have a pet named Potato and I have a plant named Potato. Well actually, the plant was a gift from a student for my birthday last year. It became the class plant and we kept it in the classroom for the rest of the school year. One kid named it Potato and it sort of just stuck. Now Potato is at home with me since I took the year off. jbrinkm, Cactus527, Ampurp85 and 3 others 4 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 1 Author Report Share Posted March 1 6 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said: Potato. What CUTE picture ! She looks like a sweetie. We also love hanging out in our room. People often say, “…the room is just a place to sleep and shower so we don’t care what kind of room we have…”. Not us ! We are in our room a LOT and need to have a bit of space. I say, if you can get Hideaway Beach for $20, go for it ! That’s a pretty reasonable price and you’ll know whether it’s worth paying [most likely, more $$$] for, in the future. I’m still pi$$ed that they originally said it would be complimentary and then turned it into a for-fee thing, so I refuse to go, but I think $20 is about as low as I’ve ever seen that fee. That's what I was thinking regarding Hideaway Beach - at worst, if I only stay for a few hours, it's just $20. I can at least try the new pizza offerings? Ha! I didn't realize it was supposed to be complimentary. WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 1 Author Report Share Posted March 1 2 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: Count me in that weirdo category too! I love just hanging out in my cabin. That is one of the reasons why we don't mind spending a bit extra on our cabins. So many say it's not worth it cause you're barely in it, but we are. Good to know we're not the only ones. This makes me laugh. You have a pet named Potato and I have a plant named Potato. Well actually, the plant was a gift from a student for my birthday last year. It became the class plant and we kept it in the classroom for the rest of the school year. One kid named it Potato and it sort of just stuck. Now Potato is at home with me since I took the year off. Hahahaha, I love that you had a class plant. I have a black thumb, so our dogs are lucky I haven't killed them yet. Potato is her nickname. We were doing something in the kitchen with her one day when she was a puppy, and she showed off her unique brand of not-smart-dog. She also happened to be sitting by a bag of potatoes. Spouse commented that she had the coloration and intelligence of the bag of potatoes, and the nickname stuck. Sweety, Lovetocruise2002 and PPPJJ-GCVAB 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted March 1 Report Share Posted March 1 5 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said: This makes me laugh. You have a pet named Potato and I have a plant named Potato. Having a plant named Potato is way funnier than having a dog named Potato ! …but I’ll be Potato, the dog is way more fun than Potato the plant ! Cactus527, PPPJJ-GCVAB and Lovetocruise2002 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted March 1 Report Share Posted March 1 6 minutes ago, Cactus527 said: I love that you had a class plant. I have a black thumb I have a black thumb too! That's why it became the class plant because they kids said they would care for it lol. I am surprised it is still alive and green during this time in my house 4 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said: Having a plant named Potato is way funnier than having a dog named Potato ! If you only knew the kid who named it, it would be an even funnier story lol Cactus527 and WAAAYTOOO 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted March 1 Report Share Posted March 1 23 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said: People often say, “…the room is just a place to sleep and shower so we don’t care what kind of room we have…” It's just a place to sleep and shower (and change clothes). Yep, that's us, but my go to line is that cruising is so great b/c there are an infinite number of ways to enjoy it. Everyone likes what they like. Cactus527, WAAAYTOOO and Snotarni 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 1 Author Report Share Posted March 1 3 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said: It's just a place to sleep and shower (and change clothes). Yep, that's us, but my go to line is that cruising is so great b/c there are an infinite number of ways to enjoy it. Everyone likes what they like. When I cruise with Spouse, that's how we are - room is just to sleep and shower. It's a different kind of adventure for sure! OCSC Mike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
She Sails Away Posted March 1 Report Share Posted March 1 This will be fun! Cactus527 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbrinkm Posted March 1 Report Share Posted March 1 3 hours ago, Cactus527 said: The biggest question I'm still wrestling with is: if I just want to chill out and lay somewhere on a beach at PDCC, should I do it at Hideaway Beach or not? On the one hand, I've done PDCC so I know what's around the island. The Hideaway Beach pass was only $20... Potato may attempt to help, but I'm not sure how useful she's going to be... You could use the $20 Hideaway Beach for this cruise to test whether or not you like it (and do you like it $60 worth for your next cruise?) - $20 does feel like a low commitment cost. Our dog is Pancake (a Golden) - we didn't name her but I love that it is her name. Ampurp85 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ampurp85 Posted March 1 Report Share Posted March 1 Potato is so cute. My cat is named Senator Meowkins and we call her Sen for short. She always helps pack by laying in the suitcases and refusing to move. I am about 73 days from cruising Freedom, so enjoy.......but I am definitely the room doesn't matter camp.......but I am often solo, so the space is great no matter the category. jbrinkm, Cactus527, Sweety and 1 other 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 1 Author Report Share Posted March 1 2 hours ago, She Sails Away said: This will be fun! Yes! Getting more excited as the days pass. She Sails Away and WAAAYTOOO 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 1 Author Report Share Posted March 1 1 hour ago, jbrinkm said: You could use the $20 Hideaway Beach for this cruise to test whether or not you like it (and do you like it $60 worth for your next cruise?) - $20 does feel like a low commitment cost. Our dog is Pancake (a Golden) - we didn't name her but I love that it is her name. That's another thought I had too. If I really like it, I can go back in September. Easy decision when it's only 20 bucks. I love that your dog's name is Pancake! We once had a cat named Donut, and since we once had a dog named Belle and we live in the southwest, Spouse says we are obligated to have a dog named Taco at some point. Lovetocruise2002, jbrinkm, WAAAYTOOO and 1 other 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cactus527 Posted March 1 Author Report Share Posted March 1 1 hour ago, Ampurp85 said: Potato is so cute. My cat is named Senator Meowkins and we call her Sen for short. She always helps pack by laying in the suitcases and refusing to move. I am about 73 days from cruising Freedom, so enjoy.......but I am definitely the room doesn't matter camp.......but I am often solo, so the space is great no matter the category. Thank you, Potato is pleased that you find her attractive. She definitely did not help while I was going through my stuff earlier; in fact, she got into a wrestling match with her sister and fell part of the way down the stairs. Aka normal day with Potato. Senator Meowkins IS THE BEST CAT NAME EVER!!!!!! Maybe your cat can join my friend's dog named POTUS for some sessions, lol. WAAAYTOOO and Ampurp85 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.