mbk999 Posted November 14, 2017 Report Share Posted November 14, 2017 Great posts, enjoy the cruise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted November 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2017 Stopped by Vintages pre-dinner for a glass of wine. I like the selection of wines better on Freedom over Harmony. Dinner was in the MDR, food was fine but the wait staff were a bit overwhelmed. Not a big deal, it's not like I was going anywhere. At 5:30 pm I wasn't expecting them to be hopping like they would be in prime time. Menu from MDR tonight: Top tier event tonight was in Studio B with none other than Super Mario! The international skaters did a special show for the top tier to the music of Queen, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Prince and others. Well done! A new Pinnacle couple was crowned tonight as well. Mario was presented yet another certificate and he did a short 2 minute but well delivered talk about his views of RCI and why he is Loyal 2 Royal. They didn't announce his C&A count but it's got to be approaching if not over 7,100 by now. The Captain mentioned of the 4,069 on board 2,319 are C&A members. Us emerald were in the minority with something around 170 compared to 1,101 gold and 400+ diamond. If I heard correctly ~20 Pinnacle are on board. In other news, I checked my upcoming Anthem booking that is a longggg 6 days after this Freedom cruise and my Oceanview Guarantee has finally posted my stateroom assignment. Scored an upgrade to a balcony on deck 11. Woohoo! This will be my diamond cruise - the cruise after which I turn from an emerald green to shiny diamond! Thanks for the upgrade Royal Caribbean! But I'll save more Anthem talk for another Live Blog...stay tuned, don't change that channel. One last thought - no deck noise from the pool deck so far this cruise despite being on deck 10 right under it. Sleeping like the baby that I am. JLMoran and Lovetocruise2002 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted November 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2017 I should have mentioned the Royal Swedes last night in the Star Lounge. Great cover band. Tonight the Star Lounge had 'Finish That Lyric Game Show' - very fun! A bit later was a street party in the Royal Promenade, bring on the 70's. Quite the party, the Promenade was packed. Lots of fun, everyone had a smile on their face. What a fun ship! That area by Boleros on deck 4 is very interesting and it draws me in every time I walk near it. I love blown glass and this area has it on many different walls in and around Boleros. JLMoran 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted November 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2017 The Captain mentioned earlier we will be in Cozumel with Liberty of the Seas tomorrow. I'm looking forward to getting a sneak peak at the ship I am confident I'll book soon based on this Freedom experience. I can see why people love the Freedom class ships that Liberty and Independence belong to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestingBird Posted November 14, 2017 Report Share Posted November 14, 2017 6 hours ago, JLMoran said: Tried to like that last one / give it a Thanks. “Sorry, you cannot add any more reactions today.” ?? Yeah, I get that message a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted November 14, 2017 Report Share Posted November 14, 2017 7 hours ago, twangster said: Stopped by Vintages pre-dinner for a glass of wine. I like the selection of wines better on Freedom over Harmony. Red wine selection does look pretty decent. Malbec, Shiraz, and Zinfandel are all varieties I've learned I like. I assume Toscana is not the same as Chianti, even if both are from Tuscany, but I'll definitely try that out in the hope it's similar. Definitely looking forward to trying these out and seeing which one(s) becomes my dinner standard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted November 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2017 Finally a sunrise! Out of the rain from yesterday we are approaching Cozumel. Here are some pictures from deck 12 this morning: Skigoofy, Lovetocruise2002, mbk999 and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted November 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2017 The Windjammer area also contains Jade, Giovanni's Table and Chops Grille. The Windjammer is located aft on deck 11 with panoramic views. Windjammer has its own bar: Freedom also has the Freestyle drink dispensers: JLMoran 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted November 14, 2017 Report Share Posted November 14, 2017 10 hours ago, twangster said: In other news, I checked my upcoming Anthem booking that is a longggg 6 days after this Freedom cruise and my Oceanview Guarantee has finally posted my stateroom assignment. Scored an upgrade to a balcony on deck 11. Woohoo! This will be my diamond cruise - the cruise after which I turn from an emerald green to shiny diamond! Thanks for the upgrade Royal Caribbean! But I'll save more Anthem talk for another Live Blog...stay tuned, don't change that channel. Awesome news about the upgrade! Can't wait to see the pics and blog from Anthem since we're going too in a few months. Do you get to keep the balcony cabin for both legs of your B2B? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted November 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2017 5 minutes ago, Sabrinaklai said: Do you get to keep the balcony cabin for both legs of your B2B? No, I'm switching to an Inside with Virtual Balcony. I want to try a VB as that is what I've booked for the Alaska Group Cruise and I'd like to validate that is going to work for me. I don't mind moving cabins, 19 nights in one cabin is okay, but I like to try different things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted November 14, 2017 Report Share Posted November 14, 2017 Love the sunrise photos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweety Posted November 14, 2017 Report Share Posted November 14, 2017 I love Freedom. We had an awesome time. We are still talking about the baked chicken in the WJ. I am Jamaican and so was the cook. We exchanged recipe. RestingBird 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floski Posted November 14, 2017 Report Share Posted November 14, 2017 13 hours ago, twangster said: On our first cruise in '15, our room was the top one on the left. What a wonderful view of the Promenade. I'm super excited about oasis in Jan, but am also longing to get back on Freedom ASAP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted November 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2017 As promised the Captain delivered us to Cozumel on time where we met up with the Liberty of the Seas. The port area of Cozumel features a collection of shops and some bars. Not far outside the port area are less expensive shops. I've been to Cozumel several times and the color of the water amazes me every time. Since we were not scheduled to arrive until 11am several people were out early in the adult only Solarium to get a head start on their tan. When sisters meet... I then headed up to Olive or Twist near the top of the ship aft. Amazing views from up there. Last stop was the Chapel. Down to the pier... JLMoran, FlowBro Ty, Lovetocruise2002 and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjac Posted November 14, 2017 Report Share Posted November 14, 2017 6 hours ago, twangster said: Here are some pictures from deck 12 this morning: Hey, you are REALLY good.....you actually beat all the early morning lounge chair reservists! twangster 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted November 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2017 I neglected to mention last night I found an emerald pin waiting for me in my cabin after dinner. Boston Babe and FlowBro Ty 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted November 14, 2017 Report Share Posted November 14, 2017 Interested to hear how you spent your day in Cozumel. Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted November 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2017 10 minutes ago, Matt said: Interested to hear how you spent your day in Cozumel. Enjoy! Third visit this year. Sixth or seventh overall. I just walked out of the port area and turned left towards town. There are a few bars on the water heading in the direction of town where you can grab a Margarita and hang out watching the amazing water with the ships as a back drop. A few rain cells came through so I had to time it to avoid getting wet. Enjoyed WJ for meals today. On previous visits I've rented a jeep or done an excursion so this time I just self-explored. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted November 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2017 Day 4 Dinner - My Time Deck 5 Galileo Dining Room Service tonight was back to what I've experienced on other ships - very good! Let's start with the menu, Shiitake Night: I chose the Roasted Rack of Lamb. It was delicious. Great flavors. Perfect portion. I wanted more because it tasted so good, but I didn't want to be over stuffed so on to dessert. Dessert Menu: Tonight's ice cream was Butter Almond and while I am not a big dessert person, I went for it. Yum. JLMoran 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted November 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2017 I hope @Matt has budget for more storage because I'm not done taking pictures! I love this ship. So many things, where do I start? First off, you don't often get to see a cantilevered hot tub from the outside, but with Liberty still beside us, here is one: When sisters hang out you've got to take pictures... But all good things must come to an end. Alas Liberty of the Seas, Bon Voyage until we meet again... Back to our ship, the Freedom of the Seas, I mentioned earlier lots of places to hide out and escape or sort of, yet stay tuned to the vibe of the ship. Here are some of those: The computer area: The Library right below it (note the opening to the computer lab above) The Crown and Anchor Loyalty area: An observation area deck something overlooking the Royal Promenade (I can't remember right now, what deck am I on?). Speaking of Matt, he is a big Sabor fan, so here is Sabor on the Freedom, right across from the Schooner Bar (I was saving this for a Mexican port): Speaking of the Schooner Bar... Which leads us to the Casino ... Changing gears for a moment, I really like Vintages. So here is one of my favorite venues: For those that prefer the pub, across the 'street'... In case I'm losing the shopping crowd, here is a photo to re-focus your attention... Here is the B&J menu: One last shot of the end of the Promenade near the elevator bank: And with that, it's time for the Love and Marriage Show. Can't miss it... Lovetocruise2002, Skigoofy, SpeedNoodles and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloatMe Posted November 15, 2017 Report Share Posted November 15, 2017 Fantastic blog! I Love the pictures. I believe I saw you taking the photos up on deck 12 yesterday as I was running on the track before sunrise. We should do quick RCblog meet up somewhere on the ship. Mark A. Swisshelm on FB @m_swisshelm on twitterTwitter When people ask me how the cruise was, I'll just send them this link to look at your photos? twangster 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted November 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2017 On 11/15/2017 at 5:14 AM, FloatMe said: We should do quick RCblog meet up somewhere on the ship. Absolutely! Keep an eye out for contact later today. Here is our Cruise Director Abe Hughes hosting the Love and Marriage Show. Abe has been a great CD. He told a joke during the welcome aboard show on day 1 which he credited to Johnny Carson, someone he admired growing up: "If you're wearing a speedo but you can't look down and see the speedo, you're over the speedo-limit" So true... abm234, JLMoran, SpeedNoodles and 2 others 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted November 15, 2017 Report Share Posted November 15, 2017 11 hours ago, twangster said: I hope @Matt has budget for more storage because I'm not done taking pictures! I love all these photos. You're doing a fantastic job. Please keep it up! twangster 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted November 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2017 Day 5 - Sea Day, Caribbean Sea on our way to Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Yeah mon! I have to give credit to Royal Caribbean for how they modified our itinerary when our some of our Eastern ports were closed. They could have 'cheaped out' and saved money on fuel but instead they kept four ports and sent us back and forth across the Caribbean Sea keeping the same number of port and sea days. Awesome cruise so far, well done Royal Caribbean! I slept in and missed the sunrise. Oh well. I moved my MTD reservation until later tonight hoping for a good sunset. Fingers crossed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianAlt Posted November 15, 2017 Report Share Posted November 15, 2017 This is great! Thanks! twangster 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted November 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2017 Breakfast today was in the MDR on deck 3, Leonardo's Dining Room. A Canadian couple from Vancouver told us a Cozumel story at breakfast. They went scuba diving in Cozumel booked directly as it was full through RCI. Coming back to the ship the waves were up and the dive boat couldn't dock. After several attempts to dock, it was clear they couldn't without smashing into the pier, so as a result they were going to divert to the a downtown pier and were told they would need to take a taxi to the ship, but it was getting close to 'back on board time'. Plan B was to jump in and swim to the pier where Freedom was, so they did. Port security freaked out and there was much shouting back & forth between the dive boat staff and port security but in the end they were allowed up a ladder and onto the pier. Absent of towels they boarded Freedom dripping wet but just in time. They had a one year old in the nursery so missing the ship was not an option. I've heard of pier runners, but this was my 1st account of pier swimmers. SpeedNoodles, Neaxan, RestingBird and 2 others 2 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted November 15, 2017 Report Share Posted November 15, 2017 2 hours ago, twangster said: Abe has been a great CD. He told a joke during the welcome aboard show on day 1 which he credited to Johnny Carson, someone he admired growing up: "If you're wearing a speedo but you can't look down and see the speedo, you're over the speedo-limit" So true... I have heard awesome things about Abe Hughes! Never have been fortunate enough to sail on a cruise with him as CD. We missed him by a month on Harmony ? Tim Connor is also great! We had him on Allure and I laughed so hard during the Quest and the Belly Flop contest that I was literally in tears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted November 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2017 Cruise Tip # 1307 - Take a photo on your phone of the ship contact information for each port found on the back of the Cruise Compass before leaving the ship. It changes at each port and lists the closest US Embassy, local police, ship's local agent and the telephone number of the ship and RCI Miami. You just never know when you might need this, such as the story of the pier swimmers above. For example, here is the info for Cozumel: Matt, BrianAlt, rjac and 3 others 3 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted November 15, 2017 Report Share Posted November 15, 2017 Good tip! I'm guilty of never doing it, but it's a good idea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbk999 Posted November 15, 2017 Report Share Posted November 15, 2017 21 hours ago, twangster said: I've been to Cozumel several times and the color of the water amazes me every time. Agreed. Our first time in Cozumel we did an excursion to Passion Island and the water was aqua green. It was beautiful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted November 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2017 More art from the aft elevator bank. Very fitting for the Freedom of the Seas and since we sailed on 11/11. Many thanks to all veterans and active service personnel including their families! And a shout out to a Periscoper @FloatMe I presume... I'm also on deck 10. Lastly you never know what interesting aquatic life you'll see in the middle of the Caribbean Sea: That's Harmony of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world! She was with us on day 1 in Port Everglades. Now we are trading destinations as she heads to Cozumel and we head to Jamaica. I sailed on her in September and she is a great ship! FloatMe and FlowBro Ty 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted November 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2017 Before sailing I noticed the All Access Tour did not appear in the cruise planner but it is offered on board for $89 pp. Time for the belly flop contest. This was well attended: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floski Posted November 15, 2017 Report Share Posted November 15, 2017 (edited) 6 hours ago, twangster said: More art from the aft elevator bank. Very fitting for the Freedom of the Seas and since we sailed on 11/11. Many thanks to all veterans and active service personnel including their families! As an Air Force vet, the first time I saw this I was in awe. We got to look at these F-16s and F-15 a lot, as our room was close to that elevator. ***I'm such an idiot. The middle plane is obviously an F-18, not a 15. I don't deserve to be in the Air Force...*** This blog is amazing; thank you for taking the time to post all of this! Oh yeah - that blown glass art in and around Bolero is gorgeous! Edited November 15, 2017 by Floski Ummm, stupidity? twangster 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted November 15, 2017 Report Share Posted November 15, 2017 3 hours ago, twangster said: Royal Caribbean art: Fighter jets on Freedom of the Seas rjac and twangster 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2mybugs Posted November 16, 2017 Report Share Posted November 16, 2017 I'm loving this blog. I sail in March on the 6 day freedom cruise! I can't wait to get back on this ship I sailed in March 2016! My husband hasn't been on freedom so i can't wait to have him read this and see how much fun we are going to have! Jane twangster 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted November 16, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2017 Here is the three level main dining room: And some outdoor photos now that we are at sea and it was a great sunny day. Ice cream anyone? The adult only solarium pool is outdoor. It has underwater seats by that bridge so you can sit with your drink and enjoy the water. The really like the open access to the helipad on the bow. I was scouting this for a sunset shot later tonight. Deck 4 outdoors. You can walk around the whole ship but there are stairs to get up to deck 5 and helipad access. Mostly covered except for the helipad access area and bump out around the MDR. The bump out around the MDR and great spot to watch pilot boats. JLMoran 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted November 16, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2017 Here are my sunset and golden hour photos from tonight. The three bars around the pool area (not including the solarium bar): JLMoran 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted November 16, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2017 Dinner tonight was Johnny Rockets. I had the smoke house burger with fries and onion rings. $6.95 charge (plus 18% service charge). I had planned to eat in the MDR but I was out taking sunset pictures and I was right there so thought I'd try Johnny Rockets. The smoke house burger was pretty good as were the rings but the fries are the same as in Windjammer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted November 16, 2017 Report Share Posted November 16, 2017 @twangster, do you use a circular polarizing lens or a neutral density filter when taking your outdoor shots, or just bare lens? Your skies and the ocean are so sharp and clear, no reflections or glare or anything! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweety Posted November 16, 2017 Report Share Posted November 16, 2017 So excited. I just brought a wide fisheye lens. Come on January cruise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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