11/29/14 Freedom Solo Premier Casino Cruise Review

[NCTribeFan]

Yes, just a teaser. I know my legions of followers have been anxiously awaiting my return and my review.

 

OK, that's a slight exaggeration. :p

 

I haven't even uploaded my photos yet, let alone started writing. And, of course, I'm back at work and haven't unpacked or done laundry yet. I'm still trying to recuperate and get my land legs under me.

 

But I can start with the background, so if no one cares about that, leave now!

 

I sailed on 11/1 on the 2nd leg of the Splendor repositioning from San Juan to Miami. I booked that because I had done a similar cruise in November 2013 on Conquest. You get much more interesting itineraries on these 1-way sailings, and I love San Juan. Plus, many folks who had sailed on Conquest were booked again on Splendor. I managed to talk a friend into joining me on that one and we had a great time.

 

But back in August, after much whining about how Carnival wasn't giving ME any free cruises (which I imagine is because I always have at least one more cruise already booked so why should they do anything to entice me to return?) I received the offer for any of about 12 Premier Casino Cruises.

 

Now, these weren't free. I think they covered the time frame of mid-October until the end of November. I have a work deadline on 10/15, and was already sailing on 11/1, so I decided that one of the latter two would have to do. My options were Freedom on 11/29 for 8 nights or Pride on 11/30 for 7 nights. I love the Spirit-class ships, but I much preferred the Freedom itinerary as it would get me another three new ports and one more night.

 

So I booked it, not even realizing that I'd be flying to FLL on Black Friday. Surprisingly, airfare was quite reasonable. I even had a small credit to apply since we'd gotten a price drop on one leg from the Splendor cruise.

 

I paid $808 (excluding taxes and fees) for an inside. I thought that was pretty good for 8 nights solo. I don't mind being on Riviera deck (I take the stairs to offset the caloric consumption) and actually like my nice, dark interior cabins. I did check the prices regularly and only during the last week did the price for a 1A drop below what I paid for a 4B and only by a few dollars, so I did get a good price. The sailings for this itinerary seem to be fairly high (by Carnival standards) all the time.

 

Plus, I was going to get $300 Casino Cash and my $100 shareholder OBC. I paid part of the fare using some of the Verizon Rewards cards I'd bought and took a couple more with me to apply to my S&S once on board.

 

I have to say that the Roll Call for this cruise was about as slow as any I've every had, and I've had some negligible ones on shorter cruises. There just didn't seem to be any interest! Before the Splendor cruise, I tried to get people to sign up for independent excursions and was getting no interest. I really dislike ship excursions (too expensive for what you get; too much time wasted herding the masses on and off large buses; too much time wasted waited for the people who refuse to be back on time and know they won't be left behind). It was pretty frustrating.

 

And, to be honest, I just didn't have much enthusiasm for this cruise. I can't believe I'm about to say this, but it was too soon after the Splendor sailing! That, combined with the lack of interest on the Roll Call, and I just wasn't very excited about this.

 

When I got home from Splendor, though, I went to that other site and tried to drum up some interest in excursions over there. I never did get any interest in the excursion I wanted in the Dominican Republic, so switched to a different one with the same vendor. When I visit a port for the first time, I always try to do so sort of island tour, to get a feel for what's there, see the sights, and decide where I may want to return should I visit again.

 

I did get enough people for private island tours on Aruba and Curacao, so I was finally all set with air, hotel, and excursions. It was hard to concentrate at work for those couple of weeks between cruises. My brain just wasn't in Work Mode.

[SMSACE6]

Looking forward to more of your review! I enjoyed my 8 days on the Freedom to the max!:) Thanks for posting a review of one of favorite ships.

[cntrycutie987]

We are leaving on the Freedom in 39 days and I already have vacation brain. :). I'm continuously on this site to see all the Freedom reviews. Looking forward to the rest of yours!!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Froufie]

Welcome home Joan. Can't wait to hear all about your trip! :-)

[SenatorsFan]

Looking forward to this! :)

Heather

[Crusin Karen]

I LOVE your reviews so looking forward to this even tho we have never been nor probably ever will be on Freedom. But I said that about the Liberty too and look at my cruise countdown! :eek::D Welcome home!

[PathfinderEss]

Looking forward to your report.

[jbhcw]

glad you're doing a review....seriously considering the Valor out of PC in May...to Aruba and Curacao....will look forward to info on tours there!!

[NCTribeFan]

Pressure's on! :p

 

At least I uploaded my photos last night, so I really have no reason to not get started. Well, except I'm actually supposed to work while I'm at work, and when I get home, I really should consider getting my suitcases out of the hallway and do some laundry!

[NCTribeFan]

Friday, 11/28, Fort Lauderdale

 

I had done most of my packing on Thanksgiving (rather than have DD & DSIL over for a meal; no way was I going to cook when I was leaving town for 9 days!). I arranged for an airport taxi to pick me up 11:20. I was really surprised that the airport was so quiet. I had figured there would be post-holiday crowds, but I guess that wasn't going to happen for another day or two.

 

I was there plenty early, so I got something to eat and the went over to the bar to have a beer and watch some sports on TV. Yes, it wasn't even noon, but, hey, I was on vacation (again)!

 

After an uneventful flight (well, the landing was a bit unsettling; felt that we came in too fast and the braking was rather dramatic), I got my bags, and called the hotel for the shuttle pick-up at about 4:15. I'd stayed at the Hyatt Place Convention Center a couple of times in the past (pre Miracle 2009 and post Conquest 2013). I like it there, but the price was quite a bit higher than it had been in the past. And the shuttle to the pier is no longer free.

 

Thanks to some info on the Florida Departures board, I booked through ValueTrips at a lower rate (had to put down a deposit but it was fully refundable and I still earned loyalty points).

 

I checked in, then walked over to Publix to pick up a bottle of wine to carry on. I wasn't hungry but decided to stop at Firehouse Subs and pick up a sandwich for later. Well, it smelled So Good that I ate every crumb when I got back to the room.

 

I sat and watched TV, and really wanted to go down to the bar and have a beer, but I was still too full, even hours later. I had to pound on the wall at about 11 pm because there were shrieking kids next door.

[NCTribeFan]

As usual, I was up pretty early. Went down and had my breakfast (I like Hyatt Place's breakfast - they have "real" food and not just sugar and caffeine). Another solo female from the Roll Call was staying there and we'd decided to share a taxi to the port rather than take the hotel shuttle. My experience in the past was that the shuttle drops off people at various ships. We got "stuck" at the Princess pier the first time - blocked in by trucks making deliveries.

 

We had planned on leaving the hotel at 10:30, but someone on the other page posted that they were already checked in and in the waiting area at about 10:10!! So we just met in the lobby and I checked out while she called for the taxi, which arrived in about 5-10 minutes.

 

The shuttle is $7 per person, and the taxi was just under $11. So, we each paid the driver $7 and went straight to the luggage drop off. Since we would've tipped the shuttle driver, it ended up costing slightly less and was much less of a hassle. I pointed out my Priority tags and the porter slapped the orange FTTF sticker on my bags. He also put on one my friend's bag.

 

It seems that the VIP check in is slower these days than regular, but it didn't take very long. I was in the lounge by 10:45. It was almost full. I think they put the Platinum/Diamond people in there PLUS the FTTF PLUS the Premier Casino people. You can imagine what it was like in about another 15 minutes - standing room only.

 

I was on board by 12:30. There was a Goody Bag on the bed when I arrived. In it were two travel cups (one clear, one stainless), two bags of trail mix, a black casino lanyard with a black card signifying free drinks, the invitation to the intro cocktail party and drawing that afternoon, and an itinerary for the week showing the times of events.

 

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Then it was time for my first on-board lunch. I stopped in the Thirsty Frog Pub and got a beer then went up to Fish and Chips to eat.

 

 

Although I really didn't need the access, I went ahead and bought the $60 Value internet plan. Next time (if there is one), I'll just get the Social.

 

 

The Other Roll Call planned an informal M&G at 2:00 in the sports bar. Since the Michigan-Ohio State game was on, it was pretty crowded. I sat with Roll Call folks (taxi buddy plus a couple who were on the 11/1 Splendor sailing). I talked to a group of people sitting behind us who were a combo of Michigan and Ohio State fans. Since I'm originally from Cleveland, I have to cheer for Ohio State. I also had to point out to the Michigan fans that I went to school at little Appalachian State University, who beat Michigan in The Big House a few years ago.

 

So, I didn't really mingle at all. Before long, it was time for muster drill. I headed to my muster station D, but commented to the crew member that standing for long periods hurt my back and was told to sit in the Chic dining room, which was just forward of the muster station. Of course, there were people sitting there, on their cell phones for the entire time, talking over the announcement and totally ignoring everything. And, of course, absolutely nothing was said to them.

 

Since we weren't in the middle of a mob of people, as soon as it was over, I was able to head right up to Lido for my first Guy's Burger. Now, I really, really enjoyed them on Conquest last November. But, honestly, I was a little disappointed this time. Both times I got one, it was so charred that I had to pick off the burnt bits. I don't mind charred meat, but when it's to the point that that is all you taste, it's a bit much. Next was sailaway.

 

 

Then it was time for the casino cocktail party. Since I was stuffed, I didn't partake in any of the food items. I think I had one glass of wine and waited for the first drawing, then went back to the cabin. I don't know if my bags arrived early or not since I'd been out and about all afternoon. When I returned to the cabin, they had been placed inside, so I went ahead and unpacked.

 

I changed and headed to the casino which was, as expected, packed all week. I didn't have any luck at all.

 

I was still so stuffed from the Guy's Burger that I didn't even go to dinner until 8:40. I typically have late dining, but since I didn't know what to expect with the casino activities, I opted for YTD. I was seated at table 173, in John's section.

 

After dinner, I went back to the casino, got my $300 casino cash, immediately wasted half of it doing nothing at the slots. It was a little rough, so I took 1/2 meclizine and was in bed around 11:30.

[NCTribeFan]

Sunday, 11/30, at sea

 

It was pretty cool and damp. I got up, had my first made-to-order omelette, and took my cup of tea, hoping to sit up on Serenity and read. And it's closed off due to "high winds." Bummer.

 

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The casino was packed and was very smoke-filled. More on that later. I decided I'd have a mimosa since it was well before noon!

 

The two sea days on Splendor, we went to brunch and had not-very-good experiences. I decided to give it another try, so went closer to closing time to have lunch. I decided on steak and eggs. The filet was pretty good (I typically eat steaks rare but ordered it medium-rare hoping a little additional cooking might keep it from being stringy). I did not use my drink coupon since I knew I'd be in the casino soon and would get whatever I wanted there.

 

 

It had cleared up a little so I tried to sit out on Deck 3 and read but it was very, very windy.

 

Went to tea at 3 and sat and listened to everyone complain about feeling sick. I honestly don't know why people aren't prepared when they board. Just because you haven't had any problems with motion/seasickness in the past doesn't mean you won't next time. It isn't difficult to buy a small pack of meclizine and keep it in your travel bag.

 

I went to dinner at about 7:30 and had to wait 30 minutes for a table in the same section. After dinner, it was back to the casino where I continued drinking white wine (had a few during the day). I decided it was time to try my hand at the roulette wheel. I've always wanted to but have stuck to slots in the past. I didn't have any success.

 

At some point, I apparently went to the piano bar. And I don't even like the piano bar! And drank more wine. I may have been there when it was closing time.

 

 

I drank too much wine on this day!!! :o

[NCTribeFan]

Monday, 12/1, Grand Turk

 

I woke up at about 7:15, only because Jen came on over the speakers shrieking about something. I am not a fan of Jen.

 

No, I did not feel particularly good. I'm just way too old to consume alcohol all day and stay up late. In fact, I'm so old that I now feel crappy the next day even when I haven't even had enough to get a buzz the night before. It's just not fair!

 

I decided to try a breakfast burrito. I had one on Conquest and sort of liked it but prefer to have warm eggs. The guy behind the counter asked how I was and I confessed that I was a bit hung over. I drank lots of water and had my hot tea (very strong with milk and sugar, thanks) and took a 2nd cup back down to the cabin to get ready to head off the ship.

 

I was watching the bow camera and could see it was raining but the people leaving the ship were casting shadows on the pier. I decided to head out anyway. I no longer do much of anything in Grand Turk. This was my 4th stop in about 12-1/2 months. I go through the Duty Free shop, turn right, and head away from the noise and activity. I got settled on a lounger and sat in the sun and read for a couple of hours.

 

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I needed more caffeine, so went back to the ship, got a cup of tea, and went up to the Serenity deck. There were people spread out all over the seating area, sleeping, so when the frequent showers came through, there was nowhere to retreat. Sigh.

 

 

I finally gave up and went to lunch. Tried a couple of soft tacos, which were good but I would've liked some guacamole (probably could've asked for some but I had figured there would be some on the salsa bar, but there wasn't). I decided to pay for a beer and got a Dos XX from the bar. Yes, drinking again. And I felt considerably better after lunch.

 

Headed back down to the cabin to get out of the swimsuit (wearing a 1-piece under clothing is not fun, especially when you need to use the restroom and have to pretty much disrobe in the stall and then get it all back where it belongs!). I dozed a little (I don't really take naps; when I go to sleep, I want to sleep for hours and hours and hours!). Back up to the buffet for more tea and outside to read.

 

I went to dinner at about 6:45 and again had to wait almost 30 minutes for a table in John's section. This time, I was at table 115, by the window. I had the sushi appetizer and the jerk pork, which was excellent. I'm not sure I've ever had pork that was that tender.

 

Time to try my luck in the casino. No wine for me, though! I ended up having a couple of Coors Light over the course of about 4 hours. I hit for $65 in a $0.25 machines (playing $0.75 spins); $30 in a penny slot, then turned my $60 into $100 at the roulette wheel. :D

[KroozFoolz]

Looking forward to more, Joan!

[NCTribeFan]

Tuesday, 12/2, Dominican Republic

 

Got up at 7 and headed up to Lido (there really are a lot of stairs from Deck 1 to Deck 9!!) for another breakfast burrito. Different guy behind the counter this morning. As we were approaching La Romana, the ship basically pulled up, did a 90 degree right-hand turn, and backed up to the dock.

 

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There were boys playing baseball when we arrived and even more when we were leaving.

 

Not in my photos, but there was a group of people on ATVs (would be to the left of the baseball diamonds) that roared over as we were docking and were honking their horns and waving.

 

I must interject here that I got to know several young minor-league baseball players from the DR. They were The Nicest Kids (so much nicer and friendlier than the American kids who were way too impressed with themselves - talking in generalizations, I know, but still). They used to talk about their beautiful island home. Yes, it's a very poor island but the people seem to be so nice!

 

Since this was my first visit to the DR, I'd wanted to do an island tour (as I like to do at every port on my first visit). But I hadn't been able to really find one that appealed to me. So I decided I'd like to do the River & Nature tour through Seavis. At least I'd get to see some of the island that way. Except I couldn't get anyone to join me. Seavis wanted 12 (or 14 or 16) people to do the tour. I think Carnival offered one, but I just didn't want to do a ship tour.

 

So I ended up switching to Seavis' Saona Island excursion. I knew Carnival also offered this excursion, but, again, I much prefer to book directly with the vendors and I'd read reviews of this that raved about it. OK, I wasn't going to see the island but at least I'd see a tiny bit on the way to the excursion headquarters.

 

Since we had more than the minimum number signed up, we received a 10% discount off the $65 price. But we also had to pay $15 round trip taxi fare to get to Bayahibe. I hadn't paid enough attention to the details and realized my confirmation didn't really give much in the way of directions, so there I was, trying to find info on their website as I was getting off the ship (before I'd lose my Carnival internet connection. I was able to get a quick glance at the map on their website and figured out how to find the taxis. I walked up and was put on one that was nearly full. They added one more couple and we were off to Bayahibe, about 10 miles east of La Romana.

 

Once there, we drove through a very crowded parking area and directly to the spot on the beach where Seavis operates. We checked in and paid the women and were directed to our boats. We were on boat #1 with Ingrid as our guide. She's Dutch (meant to ask how she ended up in the DR and not on one of the Dutch islands but never got around to it). We rebalanced the boat and off we went. We slowed at one point and she told us about the rock caves along the coastline where the native Tainos would shelter during storms.

 

On to Saona Island. There was no real dock where we landed (destroyed during a huricane and the new one isn't finished). We had the option to park ourselves on either side of the covered hut area (bar, massages, trinkets/jewelry, restrooms, kitchen) where there were chairs but no real loungers. There were also palapa-type seating areas (covered with canvas, not thatched) that provided some shade.

 

 

I wasn't overly impressed with the beach, but I'm not really a beach person. I parked myself in a chair, made sure to refresh my sunscreen, and walked up and down the beach a little. There were small boats that came right up onto the beach. One boat arrived (a different private excursion; don't think they were ship pax) and it looked like they had a nice grilled lobster lunch.

 

 

Our excursion included drinks and lunch. Since my stomach was still not terribly happy with the sea conditions (and the stop to look at the rocks where we sat there bobbing up and down and up and down for several minutes had made things worse), I first opted for just a Pepsi. Shortly after, I decided another Pepsi would be nice, but with a little rum added. I discovered on the Splendor cruise, when I was suffering from some motion sickness on the excursions, that a little rum actually helped settle it. Of course, the syrup in the soft drink helped, too, but I like to think it was mostly the rum!

 

Lunch consisted of freshly-cooked chicken, pork, potatoes, rice & beans, salad, and fresh fruit. It was quite good.

 

 

[NCTribeFan]

We headed off shortly after lunch. We had a look at the mangroves, and then our next stop was the "natural pool" that is a very shallow area (like knee-deep in places) with areas of sea grass that is home to many starfish. Ingrid told us all about them. Then she brought out the cake and pineapple and the jugs of fruit punch and bottles of rum. So there we are, standing in the middle of this incredibly-colored water, eating cake and drinking rum punch.

 

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When I was younger, long before I ever cruised and saw the Caribbean, I thought that the color of the water in the pictures I saw just had to be fake. I mean, water just couldn't possibly actually come in bright aqua and turquoise, right? :p

 

Starfish, cake and rum punch party! The very blonde, very tan woman in the bikini is Ingrid, our guide.

 

On our way back to Bayahibe, we raced boat #2. Of course, since we were #1, we won. As a non-swimmer, it was a little unsettling, but I had on my life vest and tried to relax and enjoy the ride. It was quite fun.

 

Back on the beach, we were immediately approached by little boys with 2-liter bottles of water who would pour it over your feet to wash off some sand and then expect to be paid. I know this annoys some people, but this is a very poor island and I absolutely do not begrudge the locals trying to make a few dollars off the tourists. Even the least affluent of us are wealthy by their standards. We invade their tropical paradise and then get upset when they try to earn a little money off us? I don't. If I'm not interested, I simply say "no, thank you" and keep walking. It really isn't that difficult.

 

On the way back to the ship, PITA (a name (fondly) given by us all to a Cuban guy on our boat and in our taxi who was just one of those "characters" that you meet) was giving advice to a young man who had purchased cigars from one of the vendors on the beach. He identified the cigars as to which were authentic Cubans and which were DR. He then proceeded to tell him exactly what to do to the Cubans so they couldn't be identified and confiscated.

 

Back on the ship, I went up and got my 2nd Guy's Burger and a Thirsty Frog. Again, the burger was burnt and I had to peel away a lot of it.

 

 

There was a bottle of Prosecco in the cabin from the Players Club. Just what I needed, right?

 

When it was time to depart, the voice came over the speakers calling out about eight names. I like to hang out on Deck 3 to watch the sailaway (closer to the dock). Sure enough, here comes a group of people, taking their time strolling along. Someone must've said something, because they started running. Now, I don't happen to find pier runners amusing. I find them annoying. After all, I would've liked to have spent more time in port but I always make sure I'm back in plenty of time. Just like the stragglers on excursions, it is so incredibly rude and selfish to make others wait for you just because you have absolutely no consideration for others. Just once, I'd like to see a driver (or the master of the vessel!) leave these people behind. Well, as long as it isn't me, of course!

 

 

I know I had to wait for a table but don't think it was a long wait this time. I had the peach soup (I always have whatever chilled fruit soup is offered), the turkey & pasta (appetizer size for my entree) and bitter-n-blanc.

 

Back in the casino, I played roulette (used only my black $100 chip from the prior night) and left with $240! I'm liking this roulette game!

 

[theverro]

Hello! thanks for the review, we are on the Freedom Jan 4th sailing!

 

I am liking the $60 for the cruise value internet package. Cheaper than what it was before, right? How was the service, pretty quick? For me, it would mostly be for email, the facebook and maybe.. a semi live report..

 

Thank you!

[navybaby1113]

Enjoying your review so far. We'll be sailing on the Freedom again in a week and can't wait.

[gizmo911]

Enjoying your review. I lost a small fortune at the slots last cruise so I was thinking about playing roulette on my next one. You look like you did well. Did you play more than a $1 on a number? I have about 7 numbers I like, all birthdays. What are your winning numbers, if you are so inclined to share (lol)

[NCTribeFan]

Roulette - I was pretty conservative. I prefer to place a chip on a line or corner. It increases the chances of a win. Of course, it lowers the payout, too. You give them cash (or your card - they charge 3% normally), and they give you a pile of colored chips that are $2 each. Only 1 person at a time can play using "regular" chips (since the dealing can't track which $5 chip belongs to which player). Purple was my favorite.

 

The board at the non-smoking wheel wasn't correctly recording the numbers and people would walk up, look at it and think, "wow, it's hit 10 reds in a row; better bet a chunk on black!" So we were trying to be sure to warn people when they came up that the board wasn't accurate.

 

But, really, it makes absolutely no difference. It's like a coin flip. The odds of black coming up just because the last 10 numbers have been red is 50/50. Well, not exactly, because of the green 0 and 00, but you know what I mean.

 

There was a couple who played all week that bet 17 all the time. And hit several times. Another couple played 23. Another guy played 22. I saw all of them win but they also played a lot and didn't win. I have no idea who might've come out ahead or who lost their shirts.

 

I tend to bet the 3s - 3, 13, and 33, but I also always put a chip on the line between the zeros.

 

I stood and watched a guy one day putting $5 chips on multiple numbers (and multiple chips on several) and was raking in the black chips. I came back a little later and he was then peeling off the $100 bills to buy more chips. I'm pretty sure he won a ton and immediately gave it all back.

 

I like to quit while I'm ahead. The night I turned $100 into $240, the dealer asked why I was leaving when I went to cash out. "Um, because I'm ahead!" She looked surprised.

 

What I liked was that I could sit and play, usually, for a long time on my initial $60 or $100. I've been know to burn through that at a slot machine in a matter of minutes! And roulette feels so "Monte Carlo," know what I mean? I felt like I was actually gambling for once. :p

[cowgrlkirby]

We are leaving on the Freedom in 39 days and I already have vacation brain. :). I'm continuously on this site to see all the Freedom reviews. Looking forward to the rest of yours!!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

We are on the same cruise!! Have you joined the roll call yet? I am so ready to go, I despise cold weather and I am in the need of some sun!!

[NCTribeFan]

Hello! thanks for the review, we are on the Freedom Jan 4th sailing!

 

I am liking the $60 for the cruise value internet package. Cheaper than what it was before, right? How was the service, pretty quick? For me, it would mostly be for email, the facebook and maybe.. a semi live report..

 

Thank you!

 

I never bought an internet package in the past and don't even know what the "usual" pricing is. I always just put the phone in airplane mode and turned off data roaming, using it as a camera and to keep some travel notes.

 

I think I mentioned in a separate thread about this service that there were a couple of times that I couldn't connect. I just logged out and logged back in and it was fine. Speed seemed fast enough. I uploaded a picture from the ports to my FB page daily and they loaded easily enough.

 

My cabin was on Riviera and I had no problem with signal down there.

 

I really don't need to stay connected, though. If this is ever available to me in the future, I'll just do the Social plan, if that.

[KroozFoolz]

Tuesday, 12/2, Dominican Republic

 

 

 

Love this photo!

 

Looking forward to reading about your stops at Aruba and Curacao.

[NCTribeFan]

Thanks. I like that photo, too.

 

I'll get back to this soon. I've had the "pleasure" of sitting through two straight days of continuing education - one full day of individual taxation, one of business taxation. My brain is pretty numb!

[boaterette]

I am enjoying your review. I know what you mean about being brain dead from the ce's. I remember them well. :)