Freedom B2B Trip Review 4/28/13 - 5/12/13 (picture heavy)!!!

[SICruiseGirlNYC]

Loving your reviews!!! My DH and I have been on the Oasis twice and the Explorer and all three times we had Richard Spacey. He is a great CD.

[AZAficionado]

However, the primary beverage of the day was Corona, served up in a convenient plastic beach bottle.

 

The Schooner Bar over by Adrenaline Beach was our bar of choice since it was the closest to where we were laying out and catching a refreshing swim.

 

A quick note on swimming and foot ware: Labadee is very rocky and while the beaches are nice and sandy, under the water isn't. Aqua shoes are a good investment and were needed when swimming at Adrenaline Beach. Columbus Cove was nice and sandy, so no shoes were necessary there.

 

 

At some point, we wandered to the far end of Adrenaline Beach.

 

The ship's personnel man just about everything in Labadee. They even cook the food. Lunch is a buffet-style barbeque like you might find at the Windjammer.

 

 

Potato salad (good, typical), Greek salad (very good, nice mix of vegetables, not too Mediterranean), BBQ pork ribs (very good, fall off the bone tender, flavorful sauce), BBQ chicken (excellent, super tender and flavorful), Hamburger (very good, flavorful).

[irishgal432]

Thank you for your review. WE are going over Thanksgiving and this is heaven.

 

You may have me hooked on the hiking trails since the water may be too cold to swim and float in. How long were the trails? Are they all within the RCCL area?

 

We also will have another ship with us on Labadee. Did it seem overly crowded as far as beach space and finding a place to sit to eat?

[AZAficionado]

After lunch, we decided to try the other side and lay out at Columbus Cove. Even with both ships in port, there were plenty of empty loungers.

 

The view from our spot. After a lovely afternoon of sun and dips in the cool water, we headed back to the ship.

 

This is the path through Artisan's Village, where the local merchants have their shops. They can be a little pushy, which is understandable given the economic situation in Haiti (it is an extremely poor country).

 

It takes you to Town Square. These helpful signs are all over the place.

 

Time to talk about the zip line. It is hard to miss and extremely impressive. It runs from the far end of Adrenaline Beach to near Dragon's Lookout Point - basically the entire length of the property. And it runs over the water. I haven't done it, but I've considered it. Everyone who I've talked to who has done it, says it was fantastic and worth doing. Maybe next time I'm in Labadee.

 

The starting point. You can see a bit of the roller coaster that runs down the mountain.

 

[AZAficionado]

 

 

Ok, zip line distraction is officially over. Still heading back to the ship.

 

I wish I hadn't have seen this. By the end of the day, I was hot, sweaty, sticky from sun screen and wanted nothing more than to frolic in a place like this. But that would look creepy. Sigh. Move along, sir. Nothing for you here.

 

Some local dancers put on quite a show on the pier. Very impressive.

 

As we pulled away. A very successful day in port! One down, six more to go.

[AZAficionado]

Somehow it ended up being "try lots of drinks" at the Champagne Bar. Service was excellent, as usual.

 

Sparkling Mojito (very good, champagne + mojito mix) and Bellini Sunset (very good, champagne, peach schnapps, orange juice and grenadine).

 

Sparkling Margarita (very good, Patron, Cointreau, orange juice and champagne) and Champagne Cocktail (excellent, champagne, sugar and bitters)

 

The Main Dining Room service was again very good.

 

Spinach Dip (fair, tasted good but nothing special) and Harissa Soup (outstanding, lamb broth with lentils, veggies & Moroccan spices, very savory & earthy).

[AZAficionado]

Lamb Chops (excellent, on mashed potatoes and white bean ragu, lamb gravy was amazing) and Conchiglione Pasta (very good, pasta stuffed with spinach, ricotta, mozzarella on tomato sauce with pesto).

 

Michele Chiarlo Barbera D'Asti Superiore 2010 (very good, soft tannins, dark fruit, earthy) - a nice compliment to the food.

 

Double Chocolate Praline Finger (very good, creamy, a nice blend of flavors) and Warm Chocolate Cake (S) (excellent, creamy, warm, decadent, not too sweet, w/ vanilla ice cream).

[AZAficionado]

After dinner, we went to the Cigar and Single Malt Scotch Tasting. It was excellent. I learned a lot and I know quite a bit about scotch and cigars. I highly recommend it for anyone who even slightly enjoys that kind of thing. I was a bit hesitant at first, as I am with all scotch tastings. I'm not a fan of the peat or smoky scotches and far too often a tasting is loaded with them. None of these were like that at all.

 

The tasting included a Macanudo Hampton Court cigar (very nice and medium bodied, not too heavy), Balvenie 12 year, Glenlivet 12 year, Glenfiddich 12 year, Macallan Select Oak and a cupcake (I'm guessing from the Cupcake Cupboard) as a palate cleanser. All the scotches were great and the cupcake was very tasty.

 

We finished the night at the Casino, which was lots of fun despite losing.

 

Hard to resist when you walk past it on the way to bed.

 

And a swan greeted us at the end of the night.

 

It was past midnight and unlike Labadee, we really needed to be up and off the ship first thing for Jamaica. If you are going off on your own some 45 minutes drive away, you can't afford to waste time and end up missing the ship. We'll see how all that worked out tomorrow...

[AZAficionado]

Loving your reviews!!! My DH and I have been on the Oasis twice and the Explorer and all three times we had Richard Spacey. He is a great CD.

As he keeps putting it (questioningly), he is the best the company has to offer?!?

 

Thank you for your review. WE are going over Thanksgiving and this is heaven.

 

You may have me hooked on the hiking trails since the water may be too cold to swim and float in. How long were the trails? Are they all within the RCCL area?

 

We also will have another ship with us on Labadee. Did it seem overly crowded as far as beach space and finding a place to sit to eat?

The water will not be too cold for swimming in November (he says, setting himself up to be wrong). I was there last October and the water was much warmer than on this trip (water is weird like that, but it kinda makes sense). Water tends to retain heat for a long time. After summer, it is warm. After winter, it is cold.

 

The trails are rather short. If you walked all of them, the total length might be a mile. All of it is on RCCL's property. You'll know if you leave the property (and someone will stop you). Either you just swam a few miles up the coast or somehow hiked the mountain that is in all those pictures.

 

There was no problem finding a place on the beach. In the shade is a different story... There was no problem finding a place to sit while eating. However, there was a bit of a line for lunch, but that was true when I was here before with just Freedom in port. To be honest, I think they could put Oasis and Allure in Labadee at once and not be overcrowded.

 

 

To everyone else who has posted: Thank you so much for the positive feedback. I'm really glad you are all enjoying it.

 

And for those not posting, I see you in the view count (OMG 7,000+ views!!!). Thank you for taking the time to peek in.

[Zhane's mum]

Did you purchase the drinks package?

[KLStrategies]

Was just about to ask that very same question - I got the drink package for my June 9th trip. Did you purchase it, and are you making the most of it?

[Icruzthere4Iam]

Great review AZ! Just read your post about the cigar and scotch tasting. Have not seen or read anything about this event before. I am a cigar lover and while not a scotch drinker would be willing to try some and learn about them. What was the cost for this event? Is it a regular thing? I'll be on Freedom in September and will be a regular in the cigar lounge but any info would be great. Thank you very much.......Jim

[AZAficionado]

Did you purchase the drinks package?

Was just about to ask that very same question - I got the drink package for my June 9th trip. Did you purchase it' date=' and are you making the most of it?[/quote']

When I talked about the packages earlier, I deliberately stayed neutral. But, since you brought it up, I'll share.

 

I did not buy any of the drink packages and had decided that before getting on board. First, it doesn't cover wine and the Wine & Dine doesn't cover Grand Cru Bordeauxs and the like (go figure). Second, those packages are not worth the money for most people, including me. Don't get me wrong. I know a few guys who will financially ruin RCCL with a drink package. But they are serious beer drinkers - every time you see them, they have a new beer in their hands. These guys will finish off a 12-pack by themselves in an afternoon by the pool, bless their hearts.

 

The premium package is $55, let's forget the gratuity because it is added to the package price and to each drink price - it works out to be exactly the same. A beer is about $4. House wine is about $6. The martinis I so enjoy are $10. Just to break even, I'd have to drink 5 1/2 martinis every day, including days at port and Day 1. There is no way I'm drinking 5 or 6 martinis in a day, 14 days in a row and remaining within the alcohol and guest conduct policies (your mileage may vary). The bartenders on board were telling people that unless you drink 11 drinks every day, it isn't worth it. That's probably about right. Even the drink of the day is only $6 or $7. You'd have to have 9 of them each day (63 over one cruise, 126 during a B2B) just to break even.

 

I didn't keep exact track, but I did specifically pay attention (I was curious). Assuming I downgrade everything I drank to fit within the premium package (bottle of wine becomes 2 glasses, Remy Martin XO becomes Maker's Mark), there were only 3 or 4 days out of 14 that I would have broken even. The rest, I wouldn't have drank enough. And I'm sure you can see from the pictures, I'm not afraid to drink on vacation. Oh, one more thing - the new alcohol policy does specifically say they can refuse to serve you even if you have the alcohol package (not that it really needs to).

 

All that being said, there were lots and lots of people on board who bought the package. I even watched a couple buy the package on Day 3. Here's how that worked. Everything they had purchased until then stayed on their Sea Pass card (no credit or pro-rating). Then they were charged for 7 (yes, seven) days of drink package (that's how it works, length of the cruise or nothing). They still went for it. Many people with the package said they wanted the peace of mind, which it does offer.

 

As I said in Part 1 of the review, depending on your tastes, the packages can be a bargain.

 

Great review AZ! Just read your post about the cigar and scotch tasting. Have not seen or read anything about this event before. I am a cigar lover and while not a scotch drinker would be willing to try some and learn about them. What was the cost for this event? Is it a regular thing? I'll be on Freedom in September and will be a regular in the cigar lounge but any info would be great. Thank you very much.......Jim

The cost was $30 or $35 per person and they did offer it twice each week. I'm not sure if it is an "official" or "regular" event or if it is a pilot program or a one-off. This is the first time I've seen it. I hope it stays. From talking to the guy who ran it, he said had the knowledge to run several different events covering bourbons, whiskey, etc. I hope it becomes a regular thing.

[dfgf]

The premium package is $55, let's forget the gratuity because it is added to the package price and to each drink price - it works out to be exactly the same.

 

Excellent review, but I have to correct this one thing. The premium package is $55 per day and already includes gratuity. They don't tack on another 15% - it's already built in.

 

Just want to make sure that any of your other readers out there are comparing apples to apples.

[AZAficionado]

Excellent review, but I have to correct this one thing. The premium package is $55 per day and already includes gratuity. They don't tack on another 15% - it's already built in.

 

Just want to make sure that any of your other readers out there are comparing apples to apples.

Yea, my mistake. It works out to 5 martinis a day. 12 beers or 8 glasses of wine a day. Or 7 or 8 drinks of the day each day (~52 for the week, ~104 over the back to back).

[AZAficionado]

Day 4 - Falmouth, Jamaica

 

 

And the daily Compass.

 

 

Doing your own thing on shore takes a fair amount of research before you set sail. You can't just step off the ship in Jamaica and expect to find great things to do. When I did my research, I looked for the best beaches and great local food. That led me to Doctor's Cave beach and the Pork Pit, both located near the "Hip Strip" in Montego Bay about 20 miles/45 minutes from Falmouth. The plan was to leave the ship as soon as it docked, catch a "cab" to Montego Bay, sit on the beach with a bucket of Red Stripes, grab a bite at the Pork Pit, see the local shops and head back to the ship.

 

We set an alarm (yea, I know. An alarm on vacation? What's wrong with me?), grabbed breakfast at the 'Jammer and were ready to go before the ship finished docking. We weren't the first ones off the ship, but it was close - only 200 or 300 people beat us (not bad for a ship with 4,000 passengers).

 

The port area in Falmouth was only recently built and is a very nice shopping area. I was in Falmouth the first time Oasis docked there and the port area was basically a sand lot. The town is very poor and it was amazing to see the positive change that just two years with the new port had on the local population. I wish I had before and after pictures to show you, but I don't.

 

The port area. Those are all shops, including a duty-free cigar shop (wink, wink, nudge, nudge).

[AZAficionado]

 

 

 

But, there was no time for shopping and sight-seeing now. We had to catch a bus into Montego Bay.

 

Here are the rates for anywhere you want to go. $20 per person, round trip to the Hip Strip. Not bad.

 

So, here is the deal. These rates are for a tour bus that seats maybe 20 people and they wait for the bus to fill up before going. They usually have a "tour guide" that provides all kinds of great information about Jamaica and the sights along the way. However, they also always try to drop you off at one particular beach club in Montego Bay (Aquasol). On the way back, they also try to make a stop at a shopping area. Something tells me it is no accident. Stick to your guns and your agenda and you'll end up at the beach you want instead of the beach they want.

 

Anyway, we were surprised when there was no tour guide. The driver told us all about the sights as he drove. And when everyone wanted to go to Doctor's Cave beach, he took us straight there. He didn't even mention shopping or making any other stops on the way back.

 

I'm hesitant to even mention this topic, but the driver brought it up as advice and I think is worth repeating. The fact is, in Jamaica you will be offered drugs ("smoke") by somebody. Despite their prevalence, drugs are not legal in Jamaica and you will get into trouble if you are caught. However, if you try to bring drugs back onto the ship, it is an entirely different kind of trouble - Jamaican jails are "not nice like your American jails" to quote the driver. Jamaican security to get back on the ship is very tight (pat downs for the guys, etc.) It won't be the ship personnel that catches you. It will be Jamaican security on Jamaican soil. Don't be stupid, especially while on vacation in a foreign country. End of advice.

 

Our chariot.

 

We passed by a number of resorts and you can pass for a day pass and use their facilities. That is another great option for how to spend the day in Montego Bay. On prior trips, there were people on the bus who did that. We dropped them off on the way by and picked them up at the end of the day.

[AZAficionado]

The bus driver dropped us off right in front of the entrance to Doctor's Cave beach and gave us a time when he would return to pick us all up. This is really important - make sure you set your watch to his watch. Jamaica is in a different time zone from Florida and the ship stays on Florida time. You do not want to miss your ride back to the ship. It isn't the end of the world if you do as you can catch a cab. But, it is not the optimal way of doing things.

 

There is an entrance fee to the beach ($6 per person) and a charge for beach chairs ($6 each) and umbrellas ($6 each). They also have snorkel gear as well. Once you pay, a nice man gathers any chairs or umbrellas and takes them to whatever spot you want.

 

 

 

It was pretty crowded, but one of the most beautiful beaches I've been to. The water was amazing. Crystal clear and cool. However, it can be a bit rocky in spots. So, bring your aqua shoes.

 

Our spot on the beach.

 

The beach access is through the Doctor's Cave Beach Club which has waiters that roam the beach offering drinks and food. A bucket of Red Stripe beers was all we needed. There are "vendors" who roam the beach selling woven bracelets and jewelry among other products. They are not pushy at all and were quite nice and respectful.

 

At one point, we walked down to the pier a ways down the beach.

 

 

The beach continues beyond the pier.

[AZAficionado]

It is near the approach to the Montego Bay airport.

 

The source of the crowds - two Carnival ships docked at the Montego Bay harbor.

 

There are changing and bathrooms right on the beach as well as showers. We cleaned up and headed off for lunch. A few hundred yards down the hill is a place called the Pork Pit. It doesn't look like much, but I didn't come for the decor. It also isn't very tourist-friendly. The people are nice, but expect you to know what to do. You order at the counter. The menu is in pounds for the pork and fractions for the chicken. 1/4 pork is a quarter pound of jerked pork. 1/4 chicken is a quarter of a jerked chicken. They'll give you a tray, any sides or drinks you ordered and a slip of paper. You take the slip out to the cooking pit and the "chef" will fill the rest of your order, hacking it up with a machete as you watch. Take your food to a table (pick-nick table, to be exact) and enjoy the best local food in town.

 

Where the magic happens.

 

We had 1/4 jerked pork (excellent, crispy outside, juicy inside, nicely spicy), 1/4 jerked chicken (excellent, tender and juicy, great spicy flavor) and rice & beans (good, nothing special). They had a scotch bonnet vinegar sauce ("hot sauce") that was simply incredible. I forgot to take a picture before the food was gone, but then presentation isn't exactly their thing. If you like jerk, you need to go to the Pork Pit.

 

Back on the ship - we only brought about a week's worth of clothes with the intention of using the laundry services. It was already day 4 and I wasn't sure when the Wash & Fold day was, so I went looking for our cabin attendant (who seemed to appear out of nowhere). He provided me with the Wash & Fold bag in advance and confirmed that day 5 is when it happens. For those that don't know, you can fill a bag with socks, t-shirts, shorts and underwear and they will machine wash it and fold it for $25 ($10 off coupon for Diamond members and above). The bag isn't that big. I recalled some of my prior military training and rolled everything up (takes up the least amount of space).

 

12 pair socks, 2 shorts, 12 t-shirts, 10 underwear.

 

Just to change things up, we decided to go to Vintages before dinner at Portofino. Service was great, but the place was pretty much empty. Although, most of the places to sit were set for dinner.

 

Caymus Conundrum 2011 (very good, refreshing with a touch of sweet).

 

They provided us with a nice selection of cheeses and fruits with crostini.

[AZAficionado]

Dinner at Portofino was very good. I highly recommend doing dinner there. It is well worth the additional charge.

 

They started with a nice selection of breads, Roasted Red Bell Pepper Spread, Black Olive Tapenade, and Roasted Garlic Olive Oil (all excellent, especially the red bell pepper spread).

 

Risotto ai Gamberetti (excellent, tender rice, creamy sauce, grilled shrimp, crispy onion strings) and Carpaccio di Manzo (excellent, melt-in-your-mouth beef, shaved Parmesan, mixed greens, fried artichoke leaves, great blend of complimenting flavors).

 

Spiedino di Mare (very good, nice selection of seafood: lobster, salmon, shrimp, scallops, creamy tomato beurre blanc complimented all the seafood, presentation was better than food) - they remove it from the skewer for you.

[AZAficionado]

Pappardelle Ai Funghi (outstanding, Mascarpone cream sauce was fantastic and tied the pasta to the mushrooms).

 

La Crema Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2011 (very good, bright and crisp with enough oak to give it a buttery finish).

 

Tartufo (excellent, a nice blend of white and chocolate creamy fillings covered in dark chocolate ganache, for the chocoholics) and Tiramisu (excellent, deconstructed, the very subtle flavors blended nicely).

 

After dinner, we went to Cigars In the Sky - where they move the Cigar Lounge up to the Sky Bar. It was very nice to enjoy a cigar outside on the pool deck. They were showing a Beyonce concert on the big screen.

 

Torched Cherry Sangria (excellent, a nice blend of fruity and dry from the wine) (my new favorite drink) and Ultimate Cosmopolitan (very good, typical Cosmo).

[AZAficionado]

At 11:30 on the pool deck was Dancing Under the Star which included a buffet. They allowed pictures before it opened.

 

Got to have the blinking glasses ready...

 

 

 

 

 

[AZAficionado]

 

 

 

Mexican meatball, Pigs in Blankets and Salami Tapenade Crostini (all very good).

 

There was a pretty good turnout for the dancing.

 

Of course, an evening buddy...

 

Another successful day in port. Next up are then antics in Grand Cayman, but that is for tomorrow....

[Jax129]

Loving your review! You've got very good taste in wine.

[bcrace]

Thanks so much for taking the time to do such a thorough and detailed review.

 

It almost satisfies my pre-cruise hunger for my trip on FOS in October... almost... ;)