"LIVE" From the FREEDOM of the SEAS, 8-15 May 2011 (Eastern)

[Trainman-2]

Food Art & Carving...

 

 

 

[Trainman-2]

Art On Board...

 

It is everywhere and I am sure that many cruisers never slow down and check it out.

 

These two are self animating (If you turn the crank yourself) and are on Deck 6, Starboard, near the Aft Elevators.

 

 

[goouchjac]

[quote name='Trainman-2'][B][COLOR=darkred]Growing Old Ain't For Sissies![/COLOR][/B]

[I][COLOR=black]As we watched the passengers from three ships stream ashore, we watched where they went. It looked like at least four blocks in the hot sun to the shopping area.[/COLOR][/I]

[I][COLOR=black]After a lot of thought and discussion we decided not to get off the ship. We would have had to take our walkers and a bunch of rest breaks between the ship and the shopping area. And when we got to the shopping areas the walkers would be in the way everywhere we went.[/COLOR][/I]

[I][COLOR=black]I can't tell you how disappointing it is to be alive and well but not able to do all of the things we did years ago.[/COLOR][/I] :eek:[/quote]

But you are able to go on a cruise and enjoy it:D,, just think of all the people who can't :eek:...enjoy, life is too short tosweat the samll stuff..:)

[givemeliberty009]

[quote name='Trainman-2'][B][COLOR=darkred]Growing Old Ain't For Sissies![/COLOR][/B]

[I][COLOR=black]As we watched the passengers from three ships stream ashore, we watched where they went. It looked like at least four blocks in the hot sun to the shopping area.[/COLOR][/I]

[I][COLOR=black]After a lot of thought and discussion we decided not to get off the ship. We would have had to take our walkers and a bunch of rest breaks between the ship and the shopping area. And when we got to the shopping areas the walkers would be in the way everywhere we went.[/COLOR][/I]

[I][COLOR=black]I can't tell you how disappointing it is to be alive and well but not able to do all of the things we did years ago.[/COLOR][/I] :eek:[/quote]

Look at the bright side, you two will still have some energy when everybody gets back on the ship tonight :). Has Judith ever been to the Caribbean? I hate that she couldn't get off the ship if this is her first time :(. I'm sure she's having a blast on the ship though!

[lauraapp]

Enjoying your review and pictures! Who is the cruise director? We will be on in December....

[dixieva]

Enjoying your review.

 

Sorry you didn't get off the ship in St. Thomas. Every time we've been there they have a trolley kind of thing that takes you right to the shops. Sometimes there's a little wait for it but it takes you there and brings you back. It's free but we usually tip the driver.

 

Hope the rest of your cruise is fun for you both.

[HB Cruiser]

You see, we were booked and supposed to have been sailing on this very trip with you. As a matter of fact, we were to be in the room exactly two decks above yours for our annual vacation. But, OH NO! :eek: That darn thing called "responsibility" kicked in and I had to make the very, very, very difficult to decision to, (dare I say the word), cancel the cruise in favor of staying home to take care of maintenance projects that demand a chunk of the cruise money. :(:(

 

PS: No, we are NOT cancelling next year!

 

We know the feeling. Our business is not what is should be and we have been through the decision of going/not going for the past three cruises, all of which we have elected to go and boy were we glad we did.

 

I know we will be going through the same thing next year as well. Unfortunately they say the economy is getting better, well, I wish it would here to make our decisions easier.

 

Hopefully, next year will be a go!!!!!

 

Tim

[speakertosuits]

Growing Old Ain't For Sissies!

 

As we watched the passengers from three ships stream ashore, we watched where they went. It looked like at least four blocks in the hot sun to the shopping area.

 

After a lot of thought and discussion we decided not to get off the ship. We would have had to take our walkers and a bunch of rest breaks between the ship and the shopping area. And when we got to the shopping areas the walkers would be in the way everywhere we went.

 

I can't tell you how disappointing it is to be alive and well but not able to do all of the things we did years ago. :eek:

 

I think they might have shuttle service to the shopping area.

 

The ship ahead of you is the Carnival Glory. Go here to find out who is in port with you

http://www.cruisereport.com

Definitely enjoyed your detailed "live" reports. Thanks for them.

[Trainman-2]

Here is a photo of the port area from our balcony. The buildings with the red roofs in the upper center are the main shopping buildings.

 

 

We saw the shuttle several times but it is the walkers that cause problems. We need them to sit and wait for the shuttle but then they are a pain to fold up and drag onto the shuttle with us. Then when you get somewhere they are a pain to maneuver around in the narrow aisles of a store.

 

Tomorrow we are going ashore no matter what!

[Trainman-2]

There is a diesel powered Electrical Generator running constantly in the port area and it is loud. I am sure the folks living in the houses overlooking the port hate it.

 

In the photo you can see it behind the green fence.

 

 

[pearlie]

Thank you so much for your reporting! It has been one of the highlights of my week!

I am younger but have some mobility issues, staying on board is always an option, and really sometimes it is great.... When we were on the Oasis, we skipped Nassau and explored the ship at our own pace, and loved every minute of it....

 

Happy Sailing!!!

[Choochala]

A Trainman-2 Sanitary Recommendation

 

(Don't ask me how I learned about this!)

 

 

It is best not to attempt to flush an excessive amount of RCI's World Renowned Toilet Paper at one time.

 

If you do, chances are your toilet will cease to function as designed!

 

 

The good news is that when we called Maintenance at 9:45 pm it only took 4 minutes for a technician to appear at our door and 9 minutes for him to restore our toilet to full functionality!

 

I just about fell off my office chair! Too funny!!! Take care and watch the TP! :p

[Trainman-2]

A Problem At Home :eek: :eek: :eek:

 

I got the email below from my Brother Tom who had received a call from my neighbor that my Garage Door was open...

 

Jim, I went up early this morning to check on your house, called the police on the way and they were there when I got there. Garage door was open but all in the garage looked to be untouched, door to the house was locked. We went in using my key, looked through all the rooms and all looked OK.

When we left we closed the garage door and unplugged it so it can’t be opened without plugging in. We left through the front door.........................

 

 

A number of times recently I have returned home to find that my garage door was open. Each time I thought I had forgotten to close the door even though I was sure I had.

 

When I get home I am going to call a garage door security expert and get some answers. The unit is an older Sears unit that came with the house and I am guessing that one of my neighbors has an opener that opens both his door and my door at the same time.

 

Unplugging the opener has solved the problem for the moment but I suspect a new, modern, more secure opener may be my next purchase.

 

I always back my car into the garage. I have a 2x4 screwed to the floor as a stop which works well and leaves 3" between the nose of my Corvette and the door. This gives me lots of room to unload the trunk. I have developed a habit of pulling out of the garage, hitting the door close button, and then putting on my seat belt. I then confirm in the rear view mirror that the garage door is closed.

 

 

Comments from Garage Door and Security Experts are welcome...

[alxpro]

Art On Board...

 

It is everywhere and I am sure that many cruisers never slow down and check it out.

 

These two are self animating (If you turn the crank yourself) and are on Deck 6, Starboard, near the Aft Elevators.

 

 

 

Very cool. We will be sure to check those out!

[alxpro]

I just about fell off my office chair! Too funny!!! Take care and watch the TP! :p

 

thanks for the tip!

[alxpro]

A Problem At Home :eek: :eek: :eek:

 

I got the email below from my Brother Tom who had received a call from my neighbor that my Garage Door was open...

 

Jim, I went up early this morning to check on your house, called the police on the way and they were there when I got there. Garage door was open but all in the garage looked to be untouched, door to the house was locked. We went in using my key, looked through all the rooms and all looked OK.

When we left we closed the garage door and unplugged it so it can’t be opened without plugging in. We left through the front door.........................

 

 

A number of times recently I have returned home to find that my garage door was open. Each time I thought I had forgotten to close the door even though I was sure I had.

 

When I get home I am going to call a garage door security expert and get some answers. The unit is an older Sears unit that came with the house and I am guessing that one of my neighbors has an opener that opens both his door and my door at the same time.

 

Unplugging the opener has solved the problem for the moment but I suspect a new, modern, more secure opener may be my next purchase.

 

I always back my car into the garage. I have a 2x4 screwed to the floor as a stop which works well and leaves 3" between the nose of my Corvette and the door. This gives me lots of room to unload the trunk. I have developed a habit of pulling out of the garage, hitting the door close button, and then putting on my seat belt. I then confirm in the rear view mirror that the garage door is closed.

 

 

Comments from Garage Door and Security Experts are welcome...

We used to have that problem. There is a code on your garage door opener and it matches the code someone else has on their remote. We called and got the code changed and no more problems.

 

Trainman: do you know of a champagne bar card that you can purchase on Freedom that allows you to order several different kinds of champagne cocktails? I read it on CC, but I dont know if it was on Freedom or another ship. thanks. Great posts. Really enjoying the pictures of the ports. Cant wait till our sail coming up soon.

[rcrdale]

Do you by chance live by a military base? We have had problems here in Pennsylvania with the radio systems on the military bases causing garage doors to open and close.

[time4u2go]

When we leave, we always unplug our garage door opener and insert big screwdrivers through the holes in the track downward to block the wheels of the door from moving.

 

We also turn off the water to the house (but I know that's another topic).

[will773]

Even though it stinks that you didn't get off today, the ship must have been EMPTY! Hope you had some time to walk around without crowds of people everywhere.

[goouchjac]

There is a diesel powered Electrical Generator running constantly in the port area and it is loud. I am sure the folks living in the houses overlooking the port hate it.

 

In the photo you can see it behind the green fence.

 

 

 

I don't remember those diesel powered generators,,were they there last year:confused:..

By the way, how did you guys enjoy Chops:D..

[NeuroQueen]

I just figured out how to post today, so please forgive all of the posts! I'm like a kid in a candy store. Trainman you are a rock star, as another post said. I'm sailing on the OASIS in 16 days and you are the perfect appetizer. Your story is so romantic and you both looked marvelous on formal nite. I took a few days off this week to get organized for the cruise and your posts have been the highlight. I wish I knew how to post pictures. Keep up the great work. Don't EVER worry about your walker. I know it is difficult to travel with mobility issues (cruised with my mother many times, and she had a mobile scooter). It may take a bit longer to get off of the bus, but don't worry, many of us will be there sooner than we think. Tell us your next cruise as I, and many others would like to meet you.

[jmf123]

Art On Board...

 

It is everywhere and I am sure that many cruisers never slow down and check it out.

 

Thank you for reminding us of the art on board Trainman, millions are spent on shipboard collections and it's likely that cruisers miss out on some beautiful and fun pieces. And not to take away from the Freedom, but here are just a few to look for on RCI ships: The Radiance has lovely scale models of racing yachts in the Windjammer, Brilliance has a tile mosaic peacock in the spa. The Liberty's $8 million collection includes life-like photographs of martinis in the Viking Crown lounge and aboard Independence, a 12- by 16-foot surrealist installation is made with 17,760 spools of thread -- and it certainly turns heads.

 

I have a commemorative book (2001) from Royal Caribbean (Elegance at Sea), that showcases the art and architecture found on RCI and Celebrity ships. It's always fun and interesting to spot what is waiting for us around the corner- like those colorful sculptured cows on Serenade's Deck 13! I've forgotten the whimsical bovine names, but they are great and just one of 3,336 pieces of art(!) in the ship's $5.3 million collection, commissioned by 128 artists from 30 countries. I've heard there is an Art Tour on the Oasis (to see its $10 million collection!), that sounds interesting and enjoyable.

 

I hope that you and Judith had a great day and a wonderful Chops dinner!

[LisaGoeke]

Any idea if they have the Mongolian Grill BBQ for dinner in the Windjammer? We had it on the Liberty, loved it, and asked about it on the Oasis and we were told they weren't doing it. :(

 

Not a garage door expert, as we always used to unplug ours when we left for vacations, but we recently got a new one and it has a "lock" on the indoor remote that can lock any other remotes from opening it. Works out great and is a nice extra security for the door.

 

Loving your report, especially the pictures of the food. :D

[cruiseorbust]

Trainman, Glad you are having fun! I am sorry if you already posted this, but who is the cruise director currently?

[Trainman-2]

Tor Isak Olsen - Captain

 

Graham Seymour - Cruise Director