Middle Aged Drama Queen's Eastern Carib Review: Fun on the FREEDOM!!!

[nyyhoneybee]

Your first review was amazing. Now your doing a ship that will always have a special place in my heart. I did the Freedom last August for my bachlorette party and had an amazing week. We had the same greeter at the Windjammer, he was awesome!

 

Had I known about CC though I am sure it would have been a million times better because I could have done some advance planning and private tours...then again, it was nice not having anything planned and deciding the day before what we should do!

 

Can't wait to read more! Happy Birthday Mickey!

[joand452]

Happy Birthday, Mickey!!

 

Looking forward to another fabulous review!

[CAC104]

After reading your Med cruise review I was wondering if this one could be as good.....naturally it is!

[Virtopia]

Definitely looking forward to this review as it reminds me of my first cruise aboard the Liberty.

 

Keep it up; you're doing an awesome job!

[KansCocoa]

Sherri...so excited to read this review! Loved the med review and took extensive notes so I know where to begin when I finally get to go. To give you an idea of how addicted to your review I am... I'm sitting in a theatre waiting for a production that my husband is playing the drums in reading your review. Love that this cruise was a surprise for Mickey.

 

Wow! Thanks! We were at the theatre tonight...with a drum player...how bizarre! We were at the American Heartland Theater to see "Bingo." Would it be weird, or what, if you'd been there, too?!!!

[KansCocoa]

What?! Birthday party, you must be kidding. We are all waiting. LOL!! Go have fun. You are blessed with a beautiful family...enjoy them!!

 

Question for when you come back...what did you think of the new menu and did you by chance take any pictures of the menus?

 

Again...thank you!!

 

We weren't blessed with the new menu yet, darn it. It must have come right after we sailed. I had to be careful each night while eating, due to a gluten issue - with that said, the Head Waiter was AMAZING in helping me each night with what I could eat. And the food was fabulous! But no...No pics of the menus. Or much of the food. :( I was too busy eating it to take a photo of it!!!

[KansCocoa]

Sherri, your reviews are like a never ending box of chocolates!

 

Loved your serenade review even though I have no plans to travel on it. But your story telling is what keeps me reading.

 

And now you're doing the Freedom so I can kind of re live our recent Liberty Cruise.

 

PS we did the late departure option and it was brilliant having the ship almost to yourself. The worst thing though was battling against those happy new cruises who were boarding as we departed at 2pm. You actually have to physically push past them to get off. :(

 

I LOVE chocolates, so I love the analogy - thank you!

 

Oh, now you're rubbing it in about the late departure! :D We were so hoping to have the ship to ourselves...but alas...not to be. It was more important to disinfect it for the incoming passengers!

[KansCocoa]

Sherri, thanks for doing yet another entertaining and thorough review. Read every word and lingered at most of the pictures of your Mediterranean review and can't wait for the rest, but actually like the inability to post it all at once . . . something to look forward to when I get online each day.

 

I can't imagine how you could keep this cruise a secret from your daughter until just about "welcome aboard" time! I once planned a surprise trip to Vegas for my late husbands 50th birthday . . . making all the plans, including getting tickets to long-coveted popular and expensive shows, phone calls made out in the garage while he napped, secretly getting him the time off from work, making sure he'd have enough of his medications beforehand, etc. When he left for work (he was on a 4pm to midnight shift at the time) the afternoon before his birthday, I frantically got down the luggage, packed for both of us, finalized all of the paperwork, and put the actual airline tickets (yes, this was back when you still had printed tickets (and no on-line check-in :() into a box and wrapped it up for his birthday, which it would be when he returned home after midnight. Yes, he was surprised, especially when I told him that all he had to do was get himself to bed as we were being picked up in about four hours for our ride to the airport. It was a total success - just wish I couldl have come up with some type of a plan that would have included actually being in the car driving toward the airport before he knew.

 

You did good . . . will be thoroughly enjoying the rest of this review along with the many throngs of fans you have generated. Keep it up, you're making lots of people smile.

 

Oh, I loved that story! Aren't surprises HARD work?! But the pay-off was incredible! It's hard enough for me to keep Christmas presents a surprise, let alone this trip!

 

And I'm glad you like the story told in installments...as I sometimes feel guilty that I can't get it posted all in one day...but the creativity would ZAP me! :eek:

[KansCocoa]

Your first review was amazing. Now your doing a ship that will always have a special place in my heart. I did the Freedom last August for my bachlorette party and had an amazing week. We had the same greeter at the Windjammer, he was awesome!

 

Had I known about CC though I am sure it would have been a million times better because I could have done some advance planning and private tours...then again, it was nice not having anything planned and deciding the day before what we should do!

 

Can't wait to read more! Happy Birthday Mickey!

 

I can certainly see why the Freedom holds a special place in your heart; I think she has become my favorite ship! And that greeter - I sure wish I'd taken his picture; he made me giggle EVERY morning. :D

 

And you're right...about the planning. The Serenade European cruise took over a year of planning, and so I really didn't plan much for this sailing. I set up two private tours - for our two ports of calls - and then I just sat back and relaxed. It was kinda' awesome to just wing it. I DID miss the CC friendships, though, especially not having any other "adults" to talk to, so to speak. I love Mickey - but she is a kid. Although she will be 13 tomorrow, as she likes to remind everyone! :p

[KansCocoa]

Happy Birthday, Mickey!!

 

Looking forward to another fabulous review!

 

Thanks, Joan - I will pass along the birthday wishes to her!

 

I hope this review lives up to all of the expectations...I feel somewhat like a Hollywood movie producer, hoping the sequel is as good as the original! :p So much pressure!!! :p

[KansCocoa]

After reading your Med cruise review I was wondering if this one could be as good.....naturally it is!

 

Whew. I'm happy to hear that..as I just said, the pressure to produce a "sequel" that is as good as the original is intense! Especially coming so soon after the original!

 

October 7th...Chiefs vs Baltimore...just letting you know I'm a HUGE football fan... hee hee.

[KansCocoa]

Definitely looking forward to this review as it reminds me of my first cruise aboard the Liberty.

 

Keep it up; you're doing an awesome job!

 

Aw, thank you!

 

More posts tomorrow...hopefully! If not tomorrow, for SURE on Monday, as Mickey will be back in school. Woot woot!

[Microcruiser]

We weren't at the same theatre, but that would have been weird! I was at the barnyard players theatre in Mission. They are doing Revolution: A tribute to the Beatles. My husband was playing Ringo :D

[MotherofAurora]

What a great way to wake up on a sunday morning and find you started your Fos review :) Can't wait for the rest of it! Love your pictures, 41 days until we see it for ourselves :)

 

Thanks for taking the time to do this!

 

Kari

[sanderson25032]

Thank you for starting this, its 10.30 Saturday night and I just found this long awaited review, cant wait to read about your adventures with Mickey. We are going to Vegas tomorrow so I will save this for when we return.:D

Edited August 12, 2012 by sanderson25032

[dawngecko]

 

SNAPS to whomever invented these!!!! My LIFESAVER!!!!

 

 

What a great idea. I would have loved to have these when I was on the Freedom. The size was intimidating at first, but we learned our way around within a couple of days. I can't imagine what Oasis or Allure would be like, although I understand they had these installed from the get go.

[Just The 3 Of Us]

YAY!!!! I was suffering from "Drama Queen" withdrawal... ;)

 

What a wonderful mother/daughter cruise surprise, not sure I would've been able to keep that surprise from my daughter - you are a strong, strong woman ;).

 

Oh yes - you have to sail on one of those mega-ships - we're sailing on the Oasis next May (hint-hint)...

 

Patiently awaiting your next installment.

 

Happy birthday to Mickey!!!

 

Barb

[BettyPC]

Happy Birthday to your daughter!! Great start to your review. Loved the Med review & I know this one will be fun also!

[cruzinlady1947]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICKEY !!!!

I have been off the board only 1 day and already your review is into page 4. How exciting to wake up and find that you started your new review. Now, I won't get any work done this week either. LOL :p

 

I hope Mickey has a great day. I am sure you will make her "13th" a special day. My son's birthday (42 yrs., my baby) was yesterday and mine is Thursday. Lots of "good" people born in August. ;)

 

Really enjoying your reviews. I have put my Nook away until your reviews are over. They are better than my book is right now. Can't wait for the rest of the review. Thanks for taking all the time to do this. I can tell you really enjoy it. It shows in your writing. It is never too late to start a new career (writing).

 

Now, I better try to get something done around the house here. We leave on a cruise in 26 days. Woo Hoo!!!!

 

Gwen :)

[MrsPete]

Great story about you and your daughter "sneaking onto the ship". She's adorable in that black and white polka-dot dress too!

 

I'll tell a story I heard from one of my students:

 

They went to Disney, and their parents had planned a cruise afterward -- but the teenaged kids had no idea. It was their first cruise.

 

The parents told the kids they were considering a cruise for the future, and that they were allowed to go "check it out" before the ship sailed. They told the kids that they had to have an ID picture made to board, and they were required to leave before the ship sailed. They "snuck in" and ate lunch "without permission", and the parents played up the "oh, they don't know we're eating -- they think we're just looking around" thing. The kids were all giggles, enjoying seeing the ship . . . but when the time to leave neared and the parents wouldn't move towards the exit, the kids began to panic . . . when the ship began to move, the kids were terrified, thinking that they'd broken rules and were going to be in serious trouble. The daughter, the one who was telling me the story, said that she was actually crying and begging her parents to go turn themselves in to the nearest security guard before the ship really went out to sea.

 

The kids thought it was a great trick in the long run and loved their cruise.

[mommaof 3]

Happy Birthday Mickey!!

 

Can't believe they are already going back to school in Missouri, mine have almost a month of summer left!

[Jax129]

Loving your review so much!! I'm going on the Freedom in May & your pics are some of the best I've seen, It really gives me a feel of the ship. Thanks, can't wait for the rest of your review!

[Brody66]

I'm so happy to have found your 'Freedom' review. :D Absolutely loved reading your Med review and must say I didn't get a lick of work done for two days for I was so enthralled!!! Having found this as you are writing will hopefully work out better for me and the fam (they will actually get a nice cooked meal, for I'll actually have time between your posts!! :p) Though I must say I'm very tempted to hunt down all of your previous posts to see if there are any other reviews that I have missed! :D

 

 

I laughed at your description of Brainy Brad on your Med Cruise. I have a female version of your Brad. She has one year left to her Latin and Greek studies......where yes she'll then have to continue her education to actually be able to get a job :rolleyes:. She is also always found with her nose in a book.

 

Thank you for all the time and effort it takes for you to put your experiences down into words/photos for us all to enjoy....and enjoy we are, you really know how to bring it all to life!!

[nyyhoneybee]

And you're right...about the planning. The Serenade European cruise took over a year of planning, and so I really didn't plan much for this sailing. I set up two private tours - for our two ports of calls - and then I just sat back and relaxed. It was kinda' awesome to just wing it. I DID miss the CC friendships, though, especially not having any other "adults" to talk to, so to speak. I love Mickey - but she is a kid. Although she will be 13 tomorrow, as she likes to remind everyone! :p

 

I have done enough planning for trips this year (I was in Istanbul at a conference for 10 days earlier this year) that I'm starting to think that I am crazy for the fact that my dream cruise for next year (Alaska) will require planning. I think that I might just step back and take a break and suggest something a little "easier" LOL...or at least that is what I say now. I bet come the end of Sept I'll be ready to plan another trip!

[mjm325]

 

Welcome, everyone, to my trip report/review of the always-fabulous Freedom of the Seas! If you read my recent Serenade of the Seas epic novel, well…kudos to you for your endurance powers! I promise that THIS review won’t be so…um…wordy. I had less days (7, as opposed to 12 on the Serenade) and less family (2, as opposed to 5) to work with…so not as much drama (which can be a GOOD thing, believe me!) but just as much fun, trust me!

 

 

First, a little background: As mentioned above, our family had JUST sailed on the Serenade of the Seas (June 22-July 4) for an epic 12-night Eastern Mediterranean cruise. We had an amazing time, especially with the ports and the people, but we found some things on the Serenade lacking, particularly the quality of the food, the activities and shows, and the service (SOME service; not everywhere, mind you!). Hubby Mike had declared that he wouldn't sail on RCI again, and wanted to explore other cruise lines. However...I've always liked RCI...and got to wondering...which is always scary. Were the food issues only on the Serenade? Were the lack of activities only on the Serenade? Things that make you go, "Huh...I wonder....?" It can drive me NUTS to wonder about things and not know the answers...So…wondering if the “cutbacks” – as I deemed them – were fleet-wide within RCI, I decided to do some further research…and the best way, I figured, to research, was to hop on another cruise. Right? THAT way, I'd find my answers I was looking for.

 

 

So...how would the quality of the food be on a different RCI ship? How would the activities rate? How would the cruise director rate? How would the people of Guest Services rate? THESE were my questions...I needed answers.

 

 

On a whim, I booked myself and my (almost) 13-year old daughter, Mickey, on the July 15-22nd sailing of the Freedom of the Seas. Truly, the purpose of this cruise was for comparison’s sake…oh heck, who am I kidding? The real purpose of this trip was to have some fun in the Caribbean, as well as sneaking in some quality Mother-Daughter bonding time. The boy Klingons were back in Kansas City, with one returning to his job, and the other, seeking a summer job. No more summer cruising for them - such are the "joys" of adulthood.

 

 

Mother & Daughter

 

 

With this in mind, this trip was a surprise for Mickey. I don't really know WHY I wanted it to be a surprise...maybe because I've never been able to pull off the "We're going to DISNEY!!" surprise - or even a surprise birthday party...and darn it, just ONCE, I wanted to surprise my kids. Just once. Because…I am not one to keep a surprise – OR a secret. Yup – I’ll be honest. Do NOT tell me anything you don’t want known, because I’ll blast it out there via Facebook, Twitter, my blog, or my big mouth…oh, I don’t MEAN to spill it, but it just…happens….so it was amazing – AMAZING, I tell you – that I managed to pull off this little surprise. (My kids are just like me when it comes to secrets…I’ll never forget Brainy Brad when he was 5 years old, coming in one night and saying, “I’m not supposed to tell you that we bought you a leather coat for Christmas.” Gah. Like mother, like son.)

 

 

Anyway…back to the cruise…our family arrived back in Kansas City from Europe on July 5th from our Serenade sailing; I’d previously made plans for Mickey and I to travel to Florida on July 8th for a few weeks at our vacation home in Ft. Myers. As we were packing for our Florida adventure, I oh-so-casually mentioned that she might want to “throw in the dresses you wore on the Serenade” – in case we decided to “go someplace fancy to eat in Ft. Myers.” Man, I’m good. :rolleyes:

 

 

So, Mickey and I arrive in Ft. Myers and have a fabulous week in the sun, lounging on the beach, working on our golden tans. Okay. Not really. I made that up. Ft. Myers was being inundated with torrential rain the entire first week we were there, so we actually sat around the house every day, while she voraciously read her Kindle and I voraciously wrote my Serenade trip report. You’re welcome.

 

 

As it got closer to July 15th, our Embarkation day on the Freedom, I began dropping bits into our conversation such as, “Wow. It sure is raining a lot. Maybe we should go over to the east side to see if they have sun?” Or another gem: “Hmmm…we’ve never checked out Cocoa Beach. We should pack up a suitcase and go spend a few days there.” Again…I am SO smooth.

 

 

So, the evening of July 14th, I pulled out a suitcase, and told Mickey to pack up…that I was sick, just SICK of the rain, and we were heading to Cocoa Beach to search out the sun. And, “Oh – throw in some of your nice dresses that you wore on the Serenade – we may go to some fancy, schmancy restaurants over there.” (I had to do this; otherwise, how were we going to get formal wear in our bags???!! For a supposedly week at the beach??!! Surprises require creativity – and I am just FULL of it. Creativity, that is. Among other things. :p)

 

 

Early on the morning of July 15th, we hopped in the car and began the (almost) 4-hour drive across Florida to Port Canaveral – which is close enough to Cocoa Beach that my (almost) 13-year old daughter, who never pays attention in the car anyway, unless we happen to be passing a McDonald’s, would never question. We needed to stop for breakfast at one point, and Mickey INSISTED it be, what else?, McDonald’s, so I ended up slurping a Diet Dr. Pepper along the way…which turned out to NOT be such a wise decision.

 

 

As we’re leaving Orlando behind us, and heading into the swampy, jungles of no-man’s land that is between The House of Mickey Mouse and Port Canaveral, I realize I need the…um…facilities. That darned Diet Dr. Pepper. Of course, there ARE no facilities in the swampy jungles east of Orlando, unless I want to park and wander into the muck and mire and find a big bush – but with my luck, I’d find a giant alligator, as well - and so I am increasingly uncomfortable. However – using my creativity – I decided to use my pea-sized bladder to my advantage. As we got closer to Port Canaveral, I began saying, “Man…I need a restroom. Maybe in Port Canaveral, there’ll be a place to go.”

 

 

Soon, it was about 11:15 am, and we were driving over the bridges where you can see the beautiful cruise ships off in the distance…the Disney…the Carnival…the Freedom.... My excitement was almost palpable, but I still oh-so-casually said, “Huh. A port. Wonder if there’s a restroom facility down there where the ships are?” Mickey shrugs; my increasingly-uncomfortable situation is not her concern at this point. When I saw the exit for the Freedom of the Seas, I pulled off, looked at Mickey and said, “There HAS to be a restroom by that ship…we’ll just park the car and see if we can find one. They won’t mind.”

 

 

So…she NEVER questioned the fact that I pulled into the Port Canaveral cruise parking terminal, grabbed a ticket, and parked the car. And I managed to find a parking place within 25 feet of the porters who were collecting suitcases. Nope. In her innocent naivety, she still assumed I was on the hunt for a restroom. Although…she was getting a little nervous…”Mom…are you SURE you can park here?” She glanced around nervously at the HUGE ship, right in front of us, and the chaos of arriving & departing passengers.

 

“Oh, sure,” I said. “We’re just looking for a restroom.”

 

And then, I got REALLY creative. Or devious. Whichever way you want to call it.

 

“HEY!” I squealed. “What if we tried to get on that ship???!!! I’m sure the ship has a restroom.”

 

She looks over at the Freedom (which, by the way, is jaw-dropping beautiful when you’re right up beside her - I was almost speechless...almost – probably how I’d feel if I was to suddenly find myself right beside Angelina Jolie or Meryl Streep, but I digress) and she visibly swallows.

 

“We CAN'T just go get on the ship,” she says, although I can see she’s a bit tempted. Sometimes, she has to be the practical ying to my crazy yang.

 

“Why not?” I ask. “All they can do is say no,” I add. “Let’s go try! I’ll tell them I’m DESPERATE for a bathroom…too much Diet Dr. Pepper. They’ll understand.”

 

 

I grab the suitcase out of the trunk (which - if Mickey was paying attention, but she NEVER is, and I knew this, being her mother - she would have seen our RCI luggage tag attached to the suitcase…but she was oblivious) and wheeled it over to the porter.

 

The porter’s exact speech: “I work for tips, and if you want your suitcase to get on the ship, and to get on the ship in a timely manner, I can make sure that happens, especially when I work for tips, so I’m just saying, that with a tip, I’ll handle your suitcase.”

 

Okay. We get it. You expect a tip. So I tipped him. (And just a note – our suitcase didn’t make it to our room until right before dinner at 7:00 pm. AND - a wheel on the bottom had been snapped off. Perhaps I didn’t tip enough??!! Or perhaps tips don't make a darn bit of difference....)

 

 

I had surreptitiously pulled out our passports and our Seapass documents and had them in my hand, flashing them at each security stop along the way, the whole time chatting with Mickey. It went like this:

 

Me: “Well…we got past THAT guy. I wonder how far they’ll let us get on the ship?”

Mickey: “Mom. We shouldn’t be doing this.”

Me: “Why not? All they can do is say no.”

Mickey: “Mom. We shouldn’t be doing this.”

Me: “Why not? We’re not sneaking on. We’re going through the lines, just like everyone else.”

 

When I showed our documents and passport to the REALLY official looking security guy, the one with the stripes and badge and stuff, he very carefully looks at everything, and says to Mickey, “You….” And she gulps…”look fine,” and then indicating me, he says, “But YOU! You look like trouble.” Wow. How did he KNOW??!!! Dang, he was good. He says to Mickey, "Keep an eye on her...and have a good time."

 

 

Okay. Perhaps it was cruel to carry on the surprise for this long…especially seeing Mickey’s increasing nervousness about “getting caught”…but it was almost comical. The lines were relatively very short, and we were moving along at a fast pace, and I finally couldn’t hold back any longer. Especially as we were going into the Diamond line and walking up to actually check-in and get our Seapass cards. Not to mention, I was about ready to have a heart attack. I mean, if you've cruised before, you KNOW how your heart races and how excited you get when you're actually inside the building and getting ready to check in...it's EXCITING!!! But...combine that with the excitement of trying to pull off the Surprise-of-the-Day, and I'm pretty much trembling. Something's gotta' give. It wouldn't do Mickey any good to have her mom drop dead in a faint at this time...

 

 

“Okay,” I confessed. “We really ARE going on this ship. We’re going on a cruise.”

 

:eek:

 

Mickey’s face was priceless at this moment. Shock. Disbelief. Wanting to believe. But still not quite believing. And then – she punches me.

 

Yup. Punched me in the arm. Ow.

 

“GAH!” she says. “I can’t believe you DID that!!!”

 

But I did. And it was great.

 

We're issued our Seapass cards, we walk and take our photo, and we're walking on to the ship.

 

So…now…on to the ship. And what a ship it is.

 

But...I really DO have to find a restroom. Let's hope - with the immensity of this ship - they DO take into account mothers who have drank way too much Diet Dr. Pepper along the way....

 

 

 

ok, I read your Serenade review and kept thinking, gosh, I know her from somewhere... and I just couldn't place it.... until you said you had a vacation home in Ft. Myers! I live here, lol =) I'm sure I've seen you around, especially since I work in real estate for a homebuilder... I wonder if you came to my sales office when you were looking for your vacation home?!?!?! Nonetheless, hi neighbor!!!