Freedom PHOTO Trip Review to ARUBA, GRAND TURK, DR, & CURACAO

[mpcaruth]

Seavis Saono Special Tour Continued:

 

The power boat ride to the island was GORGEOUS! We stopped twice along the way. The first stop was next to some caves to discuss the Taino Indians.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued...

Edited February 3, 2013 by mpcaruth

[mpcaruth]

Seavis Saona Special Tour Continued:

 

 

 

The second stop was at the mangroves where we received information on the natural marine life and habitat.

 

 

 

 

 

And our third, but not final destination was the magnificent Saona Island.

 

A few other boats beat us here:

 

 

 

 

 

A barbeque lunch was served in the shade of this hut. The meal consisted of Caribbean styled chicken, pork, potatoes, rice, and bread. My daughter and I loved the food, and thought it was better than most of the meals on the ship. My picky son found enough to eat to keep him from getting hungry. I should not forget to mention that I enjoyed many rum and cokes, included with the excursion. I regret that I did not get any photos of the food layout for this review. Sorry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 3, 2013 by mpcaruth

[mpcaruth]

Seavis Saona Special Tour Continued:

 

We were at the island for nearly an hour before the lunch was ready, so we took advantage of the snorkeling equipment. Carlos suggested that the best snorkeling could be found near the old pier columns. We saw lots of fish, some a little too big for my daughter’s comfort. She talked the entire time though the snorkel, and her comments were quite humoring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued….

Edited February 3, 2013 by mpcaruth

[mpcaruth]

Seavis Saona Special Tour Continued:

 

 

Various pictures from Saona Island:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[tulipcityfamily]

We will be sailing on the Freedom in March. Although we are doing an 8 night cruise, it will be to different stops. Sailing with me are my 2 DS (9 and 13). If you still have the Camp Carnival and Circle C schedules, could you post them? We've been on other cruises with Carnival, but I want to see if anything has changed with what Camp Carnival and Circle C offers.

[mpcaruth]

Seavis Saona Special Tour Continued:

 

 

Seavis arranges a photographer to go with every tour boat. Silvie was assigned to our boat and she took pictures along the way. I was not interested in receiving her services, since I had brought two of my own cameras… until she showed my husband some of the candid photos she had taken of us on her laptop. Well, my husband came and got me to take a look and I was sold. For $40 I could get the entire CD of photos, plus she would do a family shoot on the beach. Also on the CD are lots of photos of the speedboat ride to the island and pictures of the island itself. I include this in my review in case others decide they do not want to risk taking a camera, they can pay $40 and have a CD full of personalized memories.

 

Here are some of her photos:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued with a stop to see the starfish...

[mpcaruth]

We will be sailing on the Freedom in March. Although we are doing an 8 night cruise, it will be to different stops. Sailing with me are my 2 DS (9 and 13). If you still have the Camp Carnival and Circle C schedules, could you post them? We've been on other cruises with Carnival, but I want to see if anything has changed with what Camp Carnival and Circle C offers.

 

I do have both schedules. It may take a couple of days before I can scan them and post. My son is very shy and did not attend many Circle C events, but my daughter visited Camp Carnival every sea day. One activity that the Freedom lacks from other Carnival ship is Laser Tag. We really missed it on this ship, as it make a great family activity.

[Mizzouaholic]

Looking good so far!

[mpcaruth]

Seavis Saona Special Tour Continued:

 

Well, this review of Seavis is taking much longer than I had anticipated. I just have so many photos to share!

 

There was only one stop heading back to Bayahibe, the sandbar to see the starfish. When we first stopped, we did not see any starfish. It was fun having to walk around searching for them, almost like hunting for Easter eggs.

 

 

 

Searching for her first starfish:

 

 

Carlos educated everyone on starfish and emphasized not to bring them out of the water for more than a few seconds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My daughter found a really small one and shared it with another little girl:

 

To be continued…

[mpcaruth]

Seavis Saona Special Tour Continued:

 

 

This is my last post of the Seavis excursion. It was so much fun, and educational. I try to make every family vacation fun and educational, and this fit perfectly.

 

My husband found another starfish:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carlos was a great guide. He really made the trip fun for the kids, as shown below splashing my son. When Carlos told me he was from Barcelona, I immediately asked if he had run with the bulls. Yes, he had numerous times, but he has calmed down now and spends time guiding excursions and scuba diving in the Dominican Republic.

 

 

 

The taxis dropped us off at the dock with nearly an hour before ship departure. So, I had a little time to shop for souvenirs, though there was nothing special near the dock. Fortunately, I had bought a Taino-style oil painting while on Saona Island for my souvenir collection. My daughter also got a hand made necklace while at Saona.

 

Here’s a picture of the local boys playing baseball near the cruise dock. I wonder if the next Sammy Sosa is here?

 

 

 

 

 

Goodbye DR. Next up: Curacao

[katiel53]

Op,

Your pictures are just beautiful and your family is magnificent. I am looking forward to your other pics. I have been to the Dominican Republic on cruises and have never left the port, but now I wish I had.

 

Keep up your review. We may just go on Freedom based on your review. Thanks so much.

[INCHARGE]

Very nice review. You have a very good looking family. I am looking at this itinerary for my next cruise, so I am watching your review closely. Thanks for sharing.

[azrayne]

The tour with Seavis in La Romana was one of my favorites too. Loved Carlos our guide and the beauty of the island. Thanks for sharing the starfish pics. My camera died when we got there and I missed all the starfish pics.

 

While at the starfish another giest and I decided toswim to shore......its a lot firther than it looks. But the sand in the water near the shore was like quicksand. As you stood, you sank to your hip bone. Very funny after having the "celebration drink and cake" with the starfish

[mpcaruth]

The tour with Seavis in La Romana was one of my favorites too. Loved Carlos our guide and the beauty of the island. Thanks for sharing the starfish pics. My camera died when we got there and I missed all the starfish pics.

 

While at the starfish another giest and I decided toswim to shore......its a lot firther than it looks. But the sand in the water near the shore was like quicksand. As you stood, you sank to your hip bone. Very funny after having the "celebration drink and cake" with the starfish

 

Cool story about the quick sand. It makes you wonder what sea critters are lurking under the sand. I had forgotten to tell everyone that more rum, cake, and fresh pineapple were available at the starfish stop.

[mpcaruth]

Very nice review. You have a very good looking family. I am looking at this itinerary for my next cruise, so I am watching your review closely. Thanks for sharing.

 

Thank you! I think you will really enjoy this itinerary. Aruba is amazing! Currently the Freedom offers three different itineraries, which are all outside of the typical ports for all the cruise lines. If I were retired, I can just see myself taking all three back to make for a 21-day cruise. I don't know about you, but I get tired of Nassau, St. Thomas, St. Martin, and Cozumel.

[mpcaruth]

Op,

Your pictures are just beautiful and your family is magnificent. I am looking forward to your other pics. I have been to the Dominican Republic on cruises and have never left the port, but now I wish I had.

 

Keep up your review. We may just go on Freedom based on your review. Thanks so much.

 

Thanks! I encourage you to research Dominican Republic on the Port of Call forum and you will see many positive reviews and suggestions. The eastern itinerary on the Freedom looks very nice too. You can read my Panama review to get more details on the Freedom ship.

[shelkate1]

We just did this itinerary in October. We had a wonderful trip and can't wait to see the rest of your take on your trip. It looks like you had an amazing time.

[NewtoCruisewKids]

I read one of your other reviews where you said you use the Aquapac. Are you still using it? Do you recommend it?

 

I love your pictures and your reviews !

[mpcaruth]

I read one of your other reviews where you said you use the Aquapac. Are you still using it? Do you recommend it?

 

I love your pictures and your reviews !

 

Thanks!

 

Yes, I am still using the Aquapac underwater camera bag. I have had the same one for the past 4 cruises. I absolutely recommend it, as you can use it with your favorite pocket zoom camera. It's a little awkward changing camera settings through the bag (especially while trying to swim with it underwater). They also make them for DSLR cameras, but I just not willing to take the risk with my DSLR.

[CruizinTwosome]

You have a beautiful family, mpcaruth.

 

Thank you for such a great review. We're looking at this itinerary, too, so I'm paying close attention.

[mpcaruth]

You have a beautiful family, mpcaruth.

 

Thank you for such a great review. We're looking at this itinerary, too, so I'm paying close attention.

 

Thank you!

[mpcaruth]

Next Stop: CURACAO

 

This port was my 12-year-old son’s favorite port. He says it’s because of all the snorkeling, but I think the topless lady at the beach may have had something to do with it too. Since we did not arrive in port until 1:00 PM, it was a slow-paced morning. I got up early for some alone time and a power walk on the top deck, while the family slept in. We got off the ship as soon as passengers were released and headed directly to the taxi area. We shared a taxi with 4 other cruise passengers and headed to Porto Marie. It was $25 per person round trip. I had researched before the cruise between Porto Marie and Cas Abao. They seemed to offer pretty much the same, but I chose Porto Marie as others had posted snorkeling was very close to shore. I thought this would be best for my daughter who is not a strong swimmer.

 

 

 

 

 

The beach was nice and not overly crowded when we arrived around 2:30. I suspect it was much more crowded earlier in the day. We stayed at Porto Marie until sunset. The was a concession hut, but we did not buy anything. We had packed snacks and water to take with us. I always carry a soft-sided cooler on cruises, and we refill water bottles with the ship’s tap water. Carrying drinks with us is a must with children, as well as snacks containing protein. It keeps the crankiness away in the Caribbean heat.

 

 

 

Porto Marie:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wasn't going to post any more of my review tonight, but the Super Bowl is just not interesting to me. Since I have a busy week ahead, it's either tonight or next weekend.

 

 

To be continued...

[mpcaruth]

Curacao Continued – Porto Marie

 

We spent a few hours snorkeling. There were numerous artificial reef balls near the shore. We saw a wide range of fish. I heard another visitor say the snorkeling was even better far out, but we were content with what with saw within a few hundred feet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think this is a spotted trunkfish (next two photos). My son was thrilled to see him, and we followed him around for a while.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued...

[MDSue]

Great review and pics, OP! I'm doing this same cruise in March and a large group of us have already booked the Seavis tour.

 

Your pics are some of the best I've seen. Can't believe you are using an aquapack for some of them. I used a DiCaPAc for years and loved it-have been through two waterproof camera since (and both malfunctioned in the water). I'd love to know what camera you used and what photo-processing and hosting site you are using to post your pics.

 

Thanks for the great review!

[mpcaruth]

Great review and pics, OP! I'm doing this same cruise in March and a large group of us have already booked the Seavis tour.

 

Your pics are some of the best I've seen. Can't believe you are using an aquapack for some of them. I used a DiCaPAc for years and loved it-have been through two waterproof camera since (and both malfunctioned in the water). I'd love to know what camera you used and what photo-processing and hosting site you are using to post your pics.

 

Thanks for the great review!

 

You will love the Seavis tour!!!

 

I used the Aquapac with my point and shoot Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1. I have used this pair for over three years now. Since the cruise I have upgraded my Lumix to the DMC-Z19 - improved low light photos, better HD video, and manual camera settings. I had an older Lumix with an older Aquapac bag that I dropped forever into the deep coral in Labadee in 2009. The older Aquapac did not float, but I have confirmed the newer one does!

 

I also use a Cannon Rebel DSLR camera when the environment is good. The photo-editing software I have used for the past 8+ years is Photoscape. It is free and can be downloaded from CNET dot com. I thought about buying Lightroom, but have been satisfied with the free Photoscape editing program. And lastly, I use Photobucket to host my photos for Cruisecritic.

 

Now you know all my photo secrets!