~~LIVE FROM Carnival Freedom 10/23/2010~~ 8 Day Western Adventure - or Is It?~~

[ChefSusan]

LIVE FROM CARNIVAL FREEDOM – 8 Day Western Adventure… or is it?

 

After six months of planning, we (my DH, BFF, and her husband) are about to embark on a trip that we have been waiting to go on for so long!!! Even though we are cruising during hurricane season (and know the inherent risks), we are so glad to be back out on the bluest of blue waters, with a foo-foo drink in one hand, and a trashy novel in the other!!!

 

BACKGROUND:

Me (ChefSusan), my DH Cary737, my BFF Deb, and her partner Fred.

 

The four of us live in the Tampa Bay area, and have known each other for about 6 years. Deb and I first met at a Women’s Networking meeting a couple of months after I moved to Tampa from NYC, and our husbands met a couple of years later. Since then, our friendships have grown stronger, and she is one of a few people (besides my husband) that I would gladly cruise with!

 

PRECRUISE:

We started planning this cruise back in April. Deb had only been on one Carnival Cruise (Sensation back in November 2009), and was itching to go on another one. Cary and I were waffling as to which cruise to go on – friends of ours were going on Carnival Dream from 10/16 thru 10/23, and they invited us to join them. We considered it, then when we saw that they were going to the same.exact.ports that we had done twice before this year (Cozumel, Belize, Roatan), we said thanks but no – we wanted to find a few new ports on the Western side.

 

The itinerary attracted us for a couple of reasons:

1. We absolutely LOVE Nachi Cocum, which is a private resort about 10 minutes north of Puerta Maya, where Carnival docks its ships in Cozumel.

2. We had always wanted to check out Costa Rica, as many of my husband’s colleagues could not stop gushing as to the beautiful scenery that the country has.

3. The Panama Locks absolutely fascinate me to no end

 

Carnival Freedom is the only ship on Carnival’s roster that does this particular itinerary, and they only offer it once a month. This meant that if we wanted to go on it, we knew that we had to book it fast.

 

Both of us girls were in, as we work from home; our guys had to switch around their vacations, and they were most successful at doing this!

 

I was responsible for selecting our excursions, and we nailed down all three within a matter of days. Nachi Cocum was the easiest to book – all it took was an email and we were done. We had to do a little bit of research on Costa Rica and Panama, as these were two very new ports to us. Thank goodness for Cruise Critic’s Ports of Call forum! I reviewed the posts pertaining to Costa Rica and Panama, found two very highly recommended independent tour operators (Greenway Tours and My Friend Mario), booked the Six in One Puerto Limon excursion (Limon Bus City Tour, Tortuguero Canal by boat, Banana plantation and packing house, Rainforest on a wagon, Souvenir stores, and a Coastal drive) with Greenway tours, and booked tour #CL 007 (Panama City tour, tour of two of the Panama Canal Locks, canoe trip down the Chagres River, visit to the Embria Indian Village) with My Friend Mario.

 

Now all we had to do is wait for October 22nd to quickly get here!

 

DAY BEFORE EMBARKATION:

A week before we go on a cruise, I watch the weather for the ports that we will be visiting to make any last minute adjustments to the clothes that we pack. For Caribbean cruises, it’s easy peasy – tank tops, tshirts, shorts, capris, a couple of dresses, two bathing suits, and three pairs of shoes for me (love that mix and match!), and for my husband, he usually packs two pairs of swim trunks, tank tops,, polos, tshirts, cargo shorts, a dress shirt, a pair of dress slacks, and three pairs of shoes.

 

We learned that for the first time, we may not make a port due to activity in the Yucatan. Tropical Storm Richard was heading straight for Cozumel, which meant that our beach day at Nachi Cocum was in danger. I quickly figured out that if we divert, which was looking like a very strong possibility, choices for ports were possibly Key West, Freeport, Nassau, Half Moon Cay, or Grand Turks. I said to my husband that we will probably find out what the new itinerary would be as soon as we get on the ship, or possibly during embarkation.

 

Friday morning, we picked up Deb & Fred around 10:45am. They live on the other side of our town, and this gave them ample time to do any last minute packing. We were on the road at 11:00am sharp, which was a good thing! It’s around a 3 ½ to 4 hour drive from Tampa to Ft. Lauderdale, and we decided to stop off for lunch at the Gulf Coast Town Center mall outside of Fort Myers. Cary and I call this our “oh sh*t! stop, as if we’ve left anything at home that was crucial to our vacation (clothes, undies, etc), we can pick it up there. Deb said that she was happy about this stop, as they forgot to pick up a couple of bottles of wine, and she also wanted to get a pair of Teva water shoes for walking around the boat, as well as for when we were at Nachi (or whatever beach we decided to go to)

 

Lunch was at Red Robin, a favorite burger joint that we know of. I had the Guacamole Bacon Burger, Deb had a Mushroom Burger, Cary had the Holy Burger, and Fred had the … burger. After a stop off at Super Target for wine and a few “oh sh*t!” items, as well as a stop off at Dick’s Sporting Goods (yay for Teva’s on sale!), we were once again on the road around 2:00pm.

 

No traffic to speak of on Alligator Alley, and after dropping off Deb & Fred at their hotel (Crown Plaza Ft. Lauderdale Airport), we made our way to our hotel, Springhill Suites Ft. Lauderdale Airport and Cruiseport. We selected this hotel for two reasons, we wanted to get our Marriott points (inching so close to Gold level with their frequent stay program!), and they offered a Park and Cruise package ($129/room) where we could leave our car at their hotel while we were on our cruise, and then pick it up when we get back. Transportation to Port Everglades was included in our room price, and all we had to do is pay for the shuttle back (already arranged that - $8/person which I felt was very reasonable!).

 

We met my brother and SIL, plus Deb & Fred’s daughter for dinner at the Copper Canyon Grill in Boca Raton (HIGHLY recommend it – the food was fantastic!). Everyone had awesome meals, I joined my SIL in having a margarita (hell I'm on vacay!!!) and it was so good to finally relax and catch up on life!

 

It is now 7:13am, and in a matter of hours, we will be dragging our suitcases down to the lobby for breakfast, and the official start to our vacation! I will be taking out an internet package for the first time (so that I can post pictures to my Facebook page daily and get our friends back home jealous!), and will update whenever possible.

 

If anyone has questions about the ship, the itinerary, what it’s really like cruising the Caribbean during hurricane season, etc, please ask them here and I will get to them as quickly as I can.

 

Enjoy!!!

[ChefSusan]

I forgot to mention that our roll call has been totally awesome! Many of us gelled quite quickly, and if we make it to Nachi (which will probably be a wash), we have a group of around 10-15 people who will be going there as a group. We're also planning on meeting at the funnel for sail-away, having an impromptu cocktail hour at one of the bars tomorrow (10/24), and hopefully having lunch together during one of our last sea days (10/29 or 10/30).

 

Thank you Cheryl & Joe for starting the roll call for us - we hope that you guys had a blast during the first leg of your B2B - quite jealous and hope to do one of those soon!

[dst]

Have a wonderful trip......we are on the Freedom in January (different itinerary) but did this trip 2 years ago - you'll love it!

[SMSACE6]

I hope it all works out for you. I did this cruise on the Freedom in September and had a blast! Looking forward to hearing more about your cruise.:)

[fototaker]

Leaving in two weeks on the eastern 8 day, and i will be really looking forward to your posts!

[cutiediva]

We are staying at the same hotel pre and after our cruise at the end of the year. What was it like?

 

Thanks,

Linda

[gapearl]

Have a great cruise! I was on the Freedom last year and had an awesome time. Hopefully you will have great weather all week and the tropical storm will head away from your destinations. I can't wait to read more and see pictures when you return!

[boaterette]

Have a great cruise and I am looking forward to your posts.

[gail811]

Thanks for the LIVE update! Just checked the Carnival site and no itinerary changes yet; will keep our fingers crossed for you that Richard does not impact your cruise! Have a wonderful trip!

[ArthurIhde]

i will wait for your more posts

[conchrolls]

Hi.. I just read your post.... are you in Cozumel today, Monday, Oct 25? Or have you been diverted to another port? What is the situation with the hurricane and how are the waves? I have a friend who is a first time cruizer

on your ship. Wonder if she is "faring" okay. I love Carnival and took the Freedom ship on a Mediterranean cruise in 2008 -- Greece, Turkey, Italy.

 

Let us know all is okay on the Freedom ship! Have a wonderful time. Conchrolls

[ChefSusan]

Please note that there will not be any photos until the end of the cruise, as we are paying as we go with internet access!

 

Embarkation was easy peasy! Deb and Fred got on the ship ahead of us (and grabbed the first table they saw in the Lido area), as Deb needed assistance (prescheduled with the Special Needs department). We were picked up at the hotel around 10:45am, left there around 11:00am, and got to Port Everglades around 11:15am. Found a friendly porter who took care of loading our two rolling suitcases onto a pallet, and for this we tipped him $10.00. The porter laughed and said “you guys are pro’s – I did not have to give you the evil eye, like some of these people!” We laughed and said that after 7 cruises with Carnival, we have it almost down to a science – all we have to do is complete this cruise (as well as two more), and then we will be platinum (and will only need to bring one suitcase each)!

 

We made our way past a group of passengers who looked utterly confused as to what they needed to do next, and so began our check-in process. One long line to have they scan in our passports, one long line to have our bags checked, one long line to get our sign and sail cards, and then finally we made it to the point where we “ding in” for the first time. I use this time to say that I am checking in for the first time – this usually gets a chuckle from the person who is taking my picture.

 

Once on board, we made our way to the central elevators by the Atrium, hopped on the first available elevator, and headed towards the Lido Buffet. We found Deb & Fred sitting at a table by the main pool, and after dropping our bags, Cary said that he would watch the bags so that we could get some food.

 

Ah… decisions decisions!!! I knew that the Mongolian Grill would be a very popular destination later in the week, so I chose to have that for my first meal of the cruise. Selected rice noodles, some vegetables (snap peas, regular peas, lettuce, zucchini, spinach, and corn), protein (beef, shrimp, and chicken), plus a little bit of each of the sauces (black bean, thai bbq, and Szechuan), my lunch was prepared for me. Grabbed a couple of glasses of water, plus a plate of the Apple Spice Cake (available only the first lunch of the cruise), and sat down to a very delicious lunch!

 

Deb, Fred, Cary, and I had an enjoyable time just listening to the music, hearing all of the conversations going on around us, and feeling so glad that our vacation was FINALLY starting!

 

1:30pm came, and we decided to make our way to our cabins, which were mere yards away. Deb and Fred knew that we only book balconies if they are available, and since Deb has problems going up and down multiple times, we decided to book our cabins on the Lido Deck. Our reasoning is simple: One spends at least 50% of their time on that deck for quick meals at the Lido Buffet, and all three of the pools on board the ship are located there. Deb was also okay with being on the Port Side, which is extremely important to us when getting to our destinations – we love to watch the boat go through its docking maneuvers, plus there is always the added excitement of watching people running to catch the ship as the gangway is moved inside the ship before sailing! And yes, I do have a very evil side to me!!!

 

We were so glad that we did not have to deal with elevators at the time, as two of them were being used by the people who were responsible for pushing the carts around and delivering luggage. We walked into the cabin, and really felt as if we were home. We knew the layout of the Conquest class standard balconies, and within minutes, we were out on our balcony. Next door to us was RCI’s latest monstrosity, Oasis of the Seas. We marveled at the size of her, as well as the various amenities that we could see, and decided that yes, we chose well for this cruise. We are not the type who enjoy being nickel’d and dime’d to death – just get me to my ports of call!

 

We went next door to Deb & Fred’s hung out with them, and at that point, I made a decision to alert the three companies that we had booked our excursions with that there might be a chance that our itinerary may change, and also informed them that we’d let them know as soon as possible if we were diverting. I believe in covering all of the bases, and giving people head’s up whenever possible.

 

2:15pm came, and we heard a knock on our door – THE FIRST BAG IS HERE!!! My Vera Bradley rolling duffel made it to the cabin in one piece! Oh happy girl I am! We start to unpack it, and of course Deb & Fred are jealous – they had not gotten any of their bags yet 

 

15 minutes later, and not only did our large black rolling suitcase make it on, but OUR RUN RUMMERS ARE INSIDE!!! I am DEFINITLEY a very happy girl, as now we could “enhance” our drinks with rum and vodka!!! Cary and I made a decision to unpack everything now so that we could enjoy the rest of the day, and 15 minutes later, all of our stuff has found its way to their new homes 

 

3:30pm rolls around, and Deb and Fred have one of their bags, which made them happy campers. The four of us trot off to our Muster station (sidebar: no need to bring your life jackets!), and once we get there, Fred asks one of the staff members if there is any way for him to sign up for the Life Boat excursion! Apparently on Fred’s bucket list is an entry for driving one of the life boats on a cruise ship (don’t ask!). The muster goes off without a hitch, and about 20 minutes later, we get the all clear signal. We are now one step closer to hearing the horn blow, officially signaling the start to our vacation!

 

We quickly head back to our cabins, grab our sunglasses and beads, and head off to the nearest bar for our first adult drinks! Deb and I both had the Mocha Chocolate Getaway, Fred had The Cruiser, and Cary got a Mojito. After clinking to a job well done, we made our way to the Funnel on Deck 10, where some of the members of our roll call were meeting for sail away. But before we can get there, the horn blew, and I let out a big W00T!

 

We made it to the Funnel, and only a few people were there. It was most disappointing, but then again, there are those who are big talkers on roll calls (and then disappear once on board), and there are those that will actually follow through on their plans. We fall into the second group!

 

We chat for a few minutes, then decide to head over to the Endless Pool aka the Adult Pool area. We choose this as our “hang out spot” for two reasons –it’s quiet and there are no children allowed there! Yes we miss out on all of the crazy stuff, but if we REALLY want to experience it, we can always walk up there.

 

Deb and I immediately jump into the water, with our guys heading back to the cabin and dropping off our stuff. The both of us were so happy to finally be in a pool! Yes we live in Florida, but there are only so many hours to the day that one can actually relax at a pool! Ok that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!!! Once the boys (whom we have now nicknamed frick and frack) come back with towels and proper footwear, they share with us the first of many funny moments that we knew we were going to share: while walking back to our little homes on board, a guy who is part of the “Rainbow Pride” group smiled over at our husbands – I guess he thought they were a couple, which was so far from the truth! We all got a laugh out of it, and commented that if we happen to run into that same guy, we would have to walk ladies in front of the men as a joke!

 

The pool water is getting a bit cool, so it’s hot tub time! We stay there for about 45 minutes, and none of us wanted to get out! No hot tubs at either of our communites, and I said to Cary that if we ever move to another community, we will have to make sure that there is at least one hot tub in the pool area!

 

After turning completely into prunes, decided to head back to our cabins so that we can prepare for dinner. The designated “meet” time would be 7:15 so that we could hopefully be seated by 7:30pm.

 

About 10 minutes after walking into our cabin, we heard a knock on the door – our plate of strawberries was being delivered!!! I absolutely love the tuxedo’d strawberries that they have at the coffee/pastry shop, so one of our little traditions is to have a plate of them delivered during embarkation, along with a box of chocolate chip cookies.

 

Jumped into a very welcoming shower (water pressure rocks up on the Lido Deck!), and a short time later, Deb & Fred knocked on our cabin door. They were pleasantly surprised by all of the goodies that we have in our cabin, and of course they each took a morsel!

 

We choose to have the ability to dine whenever we want when on a cruise, so we always select the “Your Time Dining” option if it is available. If it is not, then we go for early dining. We met our hostesses and Maitre D’ for the cruise, and after making my request for a copy of the menus for each night (to be uploaded to CC along with the daily Fun Times,) we were seated immediately.

 

We then met the dining room team that would be serving us tonight – Heshbon (our head waiter), Cesar (our waiter), and Carlo (our runner). I handed over our bottle of wine for dinner (a 2009 Seven Daughters White Table wine that I love), and said to them that if they treat us really good, we’ll request them for the rest of the cruise.

 

Cary and I are creatures of habit when it comes to dinner. Since we’ve been on 6 cruises together (and my solo when I was single), we practically know the menu for each night, and order accordingly.

 

For appetizers, Fred ordered Cream of Tomato Soup and Caesar Salad, Deb ordered Beef Barley Soup and the Hearts of Iceberg Lettuce Salad (with thousand island dressing), I ordered Gazpacho and a Caesar Salad (that did not make it to the table), and Cary ordered the Cured Salmon and Candied Tomato and Tropical Fruits. I explained to Deb & Fred that the only time I photo at dinner is when we have dishes that are new to us, so for tonight, no food porn 

 

The food came, and the Gazpacho was just as I remembered – a little bit of heat, a lot of flavor, and I finished it quickly! Everyone was happy with their choices.

 

Heshbon poured the wine for us (after I did the swirl and sip), and after clinking to a fantastic day with some of our favorite people, we all enjoyed the wine (and yes, I was charged the $10 corking fee, which I gladly accepted).

 

A little while later, our main courses came: the boys got their St. Louis Ribs, I got the Flat Iron Steak (was not in the mood for ribs and nothing else appealed to me), and Deb got the Chicken a la Grecque. Everything was yummy, and as soon as I was done, I complained to Heshbon that I did not like my choice – we both got a laugh out of it.

 

Dessert selections were: Crème Brulee for Fred, Black Forest Cake for Cary, Fresh Fruit and Gouda Cheese for me, and Warm Chocolate Melting Cake for Deb. Deb was the only one who did not have coffee – she has very little caffeine. I sometimes wish I was not as addicted as I am to that!

 

Cary said that he’d go back to the cabin and drop off the rest of the fruit platter, and we said to meet the three of us at the Casino. After dropping off Fred at the sports bar, Deb & I first went to the gift shop (to look for a wallet and instead got myself and Valerie tshirts), then to the Jewelry store (to get a pashmina for Deb for the evening), and then FINALLY we went to the casino!

 

I found my “five line $.025” slot machine, and after uploading a little bit of gambling (we never charge against our S&S card, as that is how someone goes to the poor house at the end of the cruise), I played my favorite machine for about 45 minutes. Deb and I had fun catching up on things (and of course sharing a little bit of gossip from a couple of social groups that we belong to), and she got the hang of the machine I was playing (actually got a couple of really good wins off of it!). We decided to go over to the cage so that I could take a little bit of money off my Players account – I was very intrigued by the Fun 21 game, and wanted to try it out. I love playing blackjack, but hate it when I am at a table where one person does not know what they are doing (and ergo screw up everyone else)!

 

I put down a little bit of money, and after around 30 minutes, I was very happy with the streak that I was on, and walked away. Yes folks – I walk away from streaks – that’s how my late father taught me to play blackjack, this is now my game of choise, and I am once again sticking to this story!!!

 

Deb and I decided to go back to our cabins, and the boys decided that a little bit of comedy was in order. I worked on this review for about an hour, popped in the “millionaire” game into my DS (always travels with me), and played a little until Cary got back to the cabin. Cary shared with me some of the hysterical jokes that the first comedian told the audience (something about how the men make the money and don’t have a say as to where they are cruising with their wives, which is oh so true!!!).

 

HAPPY GIRL I AM!!!

[ChefSusan]

DAY TWO: DAY AT SEA

 

Please note: actual food selections to be shared post cruise. Could not remember what we had! *LOL*

 

Woke up around 6:00am to an incredible sunset, which I watched from our balcony and was able to photo with my camera (Sony CyberShot DSC-H20), We pre-ordered coffee and toast, which was delivered around 7:45am. Deb and Fred looked over the balcony around 8:00am, and they had a good night’s rest. We decided to quickly get dressed, drop off our stuff at the Endless Aft Pool and Bar, and grab a little breakfast. We were happy to see that the chair hogs were not up as of yet, so we secured our four chairs port side (to ensure that we got a good amount of sun)

 

Breakfast for us comprised of omelets (egg whites for Deb & me, and regular eggs for Cary & Fred), bacon (yes the bacon police was out in force), diced potatoes and onions, cantaloupe/melon slices (for me), Mexican quesadilla (for Cary), oatmeal (for Deb), milk for Fred, and PassaGuava / OJ for Cary and I (in our tumblers).

 

We enjoyed our breakfast for about ½ hour, and then made our way to our chairs. By the time we got to them, there were a few more people in the area, and yes sports fans, some of the folks had alcoholic drinks in their hands. Maybe I’m getting a little older, but I cannot fantom starting to drink that early!!!

 

Finally around 10:00am, I felt brave enough to jump into the water. Instead of flopping into the saltwater pool, I gingerly made my way in. My body adjusted quickly, and it once again felt good to float around on a 80,000 ton ship in the middle of nowhere! The sun was beating down on us big time, we were enjoying ourselves, and life was good… very good!

 

We chatted with a bunch of folks around us from all over the world, and before we knew it, it was 11:45am. Deb and I were going to enter the Slots tournament ($20 buy-in on your S&S card, and the eventual winner would get $500 if they had the highest points after the last round).

 

Lunch:

Lamb, ham, loaded baked potato – fred

Chicken, salad, eggplant, deb

Double pastrami on rye, noodle salad, mac & cheese, loaded potato skin, apple – susan

Mexican quesadilla, mish mash – cary

 

Slots tournament 1:40pm – made it onto the leader board, only to fall off a round later. Played more of the Fun 21 game (broke even), hung out with a few of our roll call folks at scott’s piano bar, back to the room, murder mystery game announcement, high tea with deb, more gambling, prep for dinner

 

Dinner – once again sat in Heshbon’s section – they were very glad to see us!

SURF & TURF!!!

Comedy show starring Frank Del Riva – totally hysterical, many laughs. Deb left due to queasiness.

 

Cary to big screen to watch the football game, Susan to the casino to play some more Fun 21 – both winners!!!

[ChefSusan]

DAY THREE: WE MADE IT TO COZUMEL! WE MADE IT TO COZUMEL!

 

Please note: once again photos/actual food selections to be shared post cruise! Me thinks the double rum pina colodas and two shots of tequila may have done my brain in a little bit! *LOL*

Woke up to rain due to the outer bands of Hurricane Richard, which ended up hitting belize :( :mad: hopefully they did not have too much devastation.

 

Fred & Deb picked us up around 8am and we walked over to the Lido Buffet, where we proceeded to carb up. Destination for the day: Nachi Cocum.

 

Post brekkie, watched/video’d Triumph (our “sister” ship) dock next to us. Our port balconies looked at their starboard :eek: :D

 

Off the ship around 9:30am, and first stop: the photo ops outside Fat Tuesday’s. Next stop: Drugs & Deli, where I stocked up on Zoloft and Zpacks, as well as bought 5 vanilla bean and 5 vanilla extract for friends and family. Next stop was a tshirt shop, as I forgot my beach towel. $10 later, I bought a really cool beach towel!

 

Met Cheryl, Joe, Helene, and Dan (from our roll call) and all of us hopped into a cab. Cost to NC: $40 for 4 couples including tip. 10 minute drive later we stepped foot on NC for the first time. Everyone’s first time, and they fell in love with it!

 

Met up with Susan and Carol from the rc – they thought they missed us at the taxi stand, and hung with them for a while.

 

Cocktails: cary-margaritas, fred-orange and rum, susan-pina colodas, deb-water

Food: Nachos, guacamole, seafood cerviche, fish tacos (S&C), beef fajitas (D&F), chicken fried tacos (D&F). food was out of this world as always.

 

Post lunch we moved to the pool, where we proceeded to hang out with 35 Baltimore Ravens fans, as well as four people from triumph. Had many laughs, 1 tequila shot cary, 2 tequila shots susan nobody 3 tequila. Bought a few trinkets (F&C cigars for sailing into panama + a little bag made out of gum wrappers (which is now going to be Ellie’s birthday present when we see them in a couple of weeks) = $40 (plus a gift from the owner).

 

Cab back to the ship ($10/couple), fun walk back to the ship (D&S pedi cab back), no line onto the ship. Bumped into the two comedians who were hysterical (Rich & Frank) and said that we were going to be in their acts over the next couple of days (no worries mon!). C&F back to the cabins before us, they were fast asleep.

 

S&D danced on the balcony as both ships prepped for sail-away. Filmed that plus a few people doing their best “RUN FOREST RUN!” imitations, then filmed the ship pulling away from triumph and Cozumel at approximately 5:00pm and as we did that, I let out the biggest W00T!!! THANK YOU COZUMEL FOR AN AMAZING TIME – NEXT STOP COSTA RICA!!! Showed deb the secret door area (observation deck) on our deck – she liked it!

 

Dinner at 6:45pm – cary bailed during appetizer as he was not feeling well. Food absolutely rocked!

Fred: thai beef salad, Caesar salad, ny strip steak, pumpkin cheesecake, coffee

Deb: cream of pea soup, crepes with spinach & ricotta, ny strip steak

Susan: crepes with spinach & ricotta, gazpacho blanco (getting the recipe thank you Braminian!), rack of lamb with ground lamb in puff pastry, coffee

 

Off to the casino where D&S played Fun 21 again, and S had another killing!!!. D did good as well. Up to the big screen where the boys were happy – the cowboys played a good game, but the giants outmaneuvered them – “Cuzzy” Brandon Jacobs scored two td’s but also had a fumble… bad bad cuz! (DISCLAIMER: Brandon Jacobs is really not my cousin. His last name is my maiden name, and everyone in my family has Brandon Jacobs football jerseys (I will share mine when we get back, as I forgot to pack it :( :(

 

2 pastrami sammies (S&C)

 

Deb crashed 2 minutes before the end of the game

S&C&F back to cabins during the post game show

[ChefSusan]

DAY FOUR: DAY AT SEA

Once again, photos post cruise!

 

Woke up to the most incredible sunrise I have ever seen (photo’d and filmed), Filmed & photo’d the wake from the ship. Today is the day when you can fill your laundry bag with dirty clothes and wash EVERYTHING IN THERE for $15.00! One of our favorite things about the ship is that! Currently awaiting coffee, juice, and toast, which is one of the reasons for booking the balcony. Made a decision that from now on, when any of our friends cruise with us (and don’t want to book a balcony), we’ll have them book an inside across the hall from us, and give them a key so that they can use our balcony whenever they want!

 

Jumbo report: jumbo was a bad boy last night. He and Mr. Ellefant snuck out of our cabin. Their first stop was to the casino, where they won about $400 playing fun 21. Their next stop was the disco, where they met Daniella and Svletana from Belirus. The two girls got Jumbo and Mr. Ellefant drunk, then the four of them went to the crew bar & disco where they had a rip roaring time. Needless to say, jumbo was ALMOST grounded – we had a little talk, and jumbo will not do that again. That’s my 1st story for today and I’m sticking to it!

 

Had breakfast at 9am, dome at Endless pool was closed so deb cary and I went to deck 5 – deb watched me play Fun 21 (did not win but I played with the ship’s money), and cary came in 2nd at 80’s trivia (had he gotten there at 9:30am he would have won a ship on a stick!). Pool time 9:30 to noon. Spoke to a man who emigrated from Russia back in the 1970s was a pilot, spent 1 year 12 hours a day learning English so that his family could better themselves – his friend did the original pictures of Rebbe Schneerson (tell Rabbi Mendel & Tzippy!) Met dan and Deanne from Toronto – previous cruise big church group, bad experience on Triumph, disappointed that their TA was not able to do anything for them. Sounds like a job for deb!

 

Lunch – fish & chips (ahi tuna shooters, fried cod w/ French fries, maui onion/fritters/?, French Brest/cookies/red velvet cupcake/sugar free cookies.

 

JUMBO REPORT #2: jumbo announced that for the remainder of the cruise, his name is J to the Umbo, and that he’s the latest hip hop artist to be signed by Jay Z, who apparently has a couple of talent scouts on board. Not sure who they are, but once we do, we will have a chat with them  That’s story #2 and I’m sticking to it!

 

Won the first round of turbo trivia (got my first medal!), Cheryl & Joe won the love & marriage game (video’d), and WE KICKED ASS IN THE NAME THAT TUNE TOP 40 GAME!!! Not only did we both won another medal of honor but WE WON A SHIP ON A STICK!! I don’t ever have to whine to John Heald in order to get one!!!    Cary and Fred did not do well at the sports trivia, but more importantly, we bumped into Billy & Andrea from Ft. Myers, and not only did the 6 of us decided to go to dinner together tomorrow night (they also are doing YTD), but I am going to teach them how to play fun 21 after dinner (and then a movie after that).

 

While hanging out with our “new neighbors”, Deb and I spoke to Shannon from the Spa. I inquired as to when they would be opening up the “Spa Heaven” special – your choice of three spa treatments for $99. Shannon said that they were going to be offering this starting Thursday night, and after I pouted a little, she made a deal: if we booked two appointments at either 8am or 9:15am on Thursday or Friday, she would not only take our reservations at that time, but would allow us to make our spa selections at any point prior to our time. Since we knew that the next two days were going to be absolute killers, we chose to book our appointments for 8am on Friday morning. This was going to be presents to ourselves for “making it through” the next two days’ worth of six hours excursions!

 

Tonight’s main event was The Chef’s Table. This three hour dinner is one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences that one should never pass up when offered. BACKGROUND: back in August of this year, John Heald announced via his blog that Carnival was going to start offering THE CHEF’S TABLE, which is a private three hour dinner with the Chef de Cuisine (Executive Chef) and his senior staff. They present a three course (yes sports fans you heard me right, THREE COURSE) appetizer and champagne that is served in the main galley, then moves to the private dining lounge at the Deck Three Dining Room of whatever ship you are on. From there, you are seduced into oblivion with a five course (again yes sports fans, you heard me right… FIVE COURSE) meal that is absolutely and positively mind numbing!!!

 

Our host for the evening was Chef Andrew D’azuz, who hails originally from India. Chef Andrew started his career at a young age where he learned the culinary arts on the hip of his father, who was a successful restaurantier in India. At age 18, Chef Andrew attended Culinary School, and after working for the next eight to ten years at various hotels in his home country, he headed to the US. On his VERY FIRST TRY, he was hired by Carnival to be a Junior Chef in one of their eight ships, and he has worked his way up to Freedom. Chef Andrew’s favorite cuisines include Italian and Asian, and of course what chef does not like working in the Patisserie!!!

 

Prior to the thirteen (six couples and one single) of us meeting up at the Lobby Bar at 6:30pm, I had inquired as to whether or not I would be allowed to photo the various dishes. All Chef Andrew did was smile, which meant “no, you are not allowed to photo any of the courses or the galley areas. I said to him that I completely understood, and did not press the issue. I also informed Chef Andrew that Deb did not eat any type of pork, as well as my famous fungi allergy, and he said that he’d be able to work around these two obstacles.

 

Deb & I were served by Chef Sylvia, who hailed from Peru, and besides being one of SIX FEMALE CHEFS on board, she also heads up the Fish & Chips kitchen, which is always one of our culinary stops at least once on board a Conquest class ship! Our waiter was Milos, who hailed from Belirus (again a bucket list destination for us!), and he was an absolute delight!

 

Throughout the five course meal that we were served (or should I say “forced” to submit to our tummies!!!), Chef Andrew shared stories about the dishes that he personally created for us – how he came up with the combinations, what his thought process was for mixing the sweet and savory, and of course what the inspiration was! As a Chef myself, I could definitely appreciate every single detail that went into each and every dish!

 

Our menu for the evening will be shared post cruise (or at a later time).

 

After dinner, the four of us slowly made our way back to our cabins. Deb and I changed into our pajamas, and the boys stayed in what they were wearing. We worked on the Murder Mystery game (I think we solved it!), and I shared with everyone the itineraries for the next two days’ excursions.

 

Since I made a killing in the Casino (thanks to Fun 21, I decided to wipe out our S&S card with my winnings. I counted out the money that the casino graciously “gave” me, and saw that it would cover at least 80% of our bill. Cary was so glad that I was going to do this – it showed that yes I FINALLY have financial responsibility!

 

My first stop was the Casino cage, where I saw my two friends Myhlene and Jennifer. Both of them were sad to see me “cash out”, but immediately had smiles on my faces when I told them that I’d be back Wednesday night to do a little bit more gambling. I then shared with them the story about Jumbo and Mr. Ellefant’s adventures the previous night, and they said that they’d keep a look out for either of them, as well as send them home if they sneak out!

 

On my way to Guest Services in Deck 3, I bumped into Samantha (Liverpool) and Pamela (Cape Town, SA), both whom give couples/girlfriend massages at the Spa. I shared with them that Deb and I were going to be going there first thing Friday morning, and they said “BOOK WITH US!!!”, so I said that I would do so! Deb and I are in for one heck of a treat in a couple of days! I also asked that they be on the lookout for my wayward “son”, and they agreed to do that for me!

 

My next destination was Guest Services, where Irina assisted me with settling at least part of our S&S account. I am very happy to report that we only have a little bit more to go until our bill is wiped out!

 

Finally, I made my way up to Deck 9 and the jumbotron, where Cary and I were going to at least watch part of “Up in the air” with George Clooney. We made it to about the half way mark, when we decided to pack it in and crash.

 

We came back to the cabin, got ready for tomorrow morning, and literally fell asleep!

[dst]

Susan - loving the review....I feel like I am on the ship with you :)

 

We love deck 9 & 10 and book the balconies up there as often as we can. We just gave up our 1054 cabin for a suite, I hope we won't regret it :D

 

Keep the review coming................

[viaggi_per_mare]

Susan,

Great review. We did this cruise in 2008 on the Liberty. It was a great cruise. Glad you are having a good time. We'll keep reading....(we I am not working of course;))

[raytownlady]

Hey Susan & Cary, Glad to hear that you're having a great cruise! Looking forward to reading the rest of your review!

[Puffsmommy]

Sounds like you guys are having a great time Susan!!!

I love all the little details...please keep em coming! We get on the Freedom Sunday Oct. 31...maybe we'll pass you in the port!!!:p

[ChefSusan]

Susan,

Great review. We did this cruise in 2008 on the Liberty. It was a great cruise. Glad you are having a good time. We'll keep reading....(we I am not working of course;))

Please send our love to Foster - Jumbo cannot wait to meet you guys! Perhaps this will happen the next time we are in Buffalo... will email you on FB deets :)

 

Hey Susan & Cary, Glad to hear that you're having a great cruise! Looking forward to reading the rest of your review!

HEY GIRLIE!!! Miss not cruising with you!!! Jumbo now has his own FB page - if you are on there, please join!

 

Sounds like you guys are having a great time Susan!!!

I love all the little details...please keep em coming! We get on the Freedom Sunday Oct. 31...maybe we'll pass you in the port!!!:p

We'll not only wave, but we will also keep the ship in tip top shape!

 

For those of you who are on Facebook, "J-to-the-Umbo" now has his own Facebook page! Please feel free to join in the fun!

 

Currently it is 5:35am. We are about to pull into Colon, Panama. I can see some lights off in the distance. Will post yesterday's adventure, as well as today's, at some time today. PS Jumbo was an angel yesterday!

[ChefSusan]

Susan - loving the review....I feel like I am on the ship with you :)

 

We love deck 9 & 10 and book the balconies up there as often as we can. We just gave up our 1054 cabin for a suite, I hope we won't regret it :D

 

Keep the review coming................

Where is your "new" home? I'd never give up a balcony for a suite anywhere on the ship - I'm too much of a c control freak!!! I'm a creature of habit - give me a balcony on the port side as far as possible, or I won't cruise!!!

[ChefSusan]

We are staying at the same hotel pre and after our cruise at the end of the year. What was it like?

 

Thanks,

Linda

The hotel absolutely RAWKED! Awesome beds, refrigerator and microwave oven in the bed, full suite with a delightful shower (hubby travels for a living, so if the shower is horrible, we know it!), great continental breakfast, and FREE PARKING for the duration of your cruise if you book the Park & Cruise package!!! They also have a Fly and Cruise package as well which is awesome as well! It's going to be our "hotel of choice" in the Port Everglades/Port of Miami area for all of our future cruises :-)

[dst]

Where is your "new" home? I'd never give up a balcony for a suite anywhere on the ship - I'm too much of a c control freak!!! I'm a creature of habit - give me a balcony on the port side as far as possible, or I won't cruise!!!

 

 

New home is 7315........I hope I do not regret this :)

 

 

Love reading the review - feels like we are sailing together

[dst]

Susan - While you are sailing the seas; I thought I would let you know that we are having some HOT weather....It was 91 today in Venice, I am down here for work but dang its hot!

 

We had to turn the AC back on at home :)

[Puffsmommy]

Hey Susan...you must be having a great time...we haven't heard from you in a while!!! please keep us posted....inquiring minds wanna know??