Cheapo dad's trip report on Freedom of the Seas

[metsgiants]

I read trip reports on the psychedelic experience

 

 

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[DebbieMo]

Do you have the open hours page of the compass for day 1? All the other days are basically the same but would like to know what's different on embarkation day.

 

 

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[harryfat1]

Harry,

 

I'm in FL and wanting to do a road trip out west in 2019 with stops to check out the sights. Would love to hear about the places you visit and what you would recommend. I'm a cheapo mom so I'm sure I could learn a lot from you.

 

Do you have the open hours page of the compass for day 1? All the other days are basically the same but would like to know what's different on embarkation day.

 

 

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Hi,

 

We went to Utah/Arizona 3 months ago. Will use these pictures as digression points for my next trip report.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m by no means any expert on road trip savings expert. You can get better tips online than what I have to say.

 

The good thing about road trips is that the entertainment cost is pretty low in only having to pay for the National/State parks as nature viewing is either free or pretty reasonably priced. Your highest expense on the road trip is likely hotel/lodging.

 

Just like cruises, timing is everything. If you must travel during the summer periods when your kids are out of school, but so are 99% of other kids from North America, you will have to pay a premium in the hotel prices.

 

I’m somewhat of a lodging snob in that I don’t go for the bottom of the barrel motels. I believe in the phrase “you buy your neighbors” in hotel stay. I typically opt for the mid-level hotels that have decent free breakfast meals and on weeknights have free food that can pass for light dinner or as addition to what you would get in take outs.

 

If you want to save on food cost, get hotel rooms that have mini kitchens so you can cook your own. If you plan to use a town as a base for multiple nights sightseeing in the area, rent a condo or house from VRBO or Airbnb and get food at local grocery to cook in the kitchen.

 

Download the app Gasbuddy to get an idea on the fuel cost at various areas before you leave on the road trip so you know what places have cheaper gas prices and plan your gas stops accordingly. For cities that has a Costco, go there as they typically have the lowest prices in town.

 

Also dowbload apps that have truck stops, such as TA/Loves/Pilot truck stops. I like those stops as typically they have cleaner bathrooms & nice AC area for the stops.

 

Attached is the day 1 scan of the hours. Easier to do the PDF attachment than a full page JPG scan and then having to upload to Flickr & do all the cut and past edit.

day 1 freedom.pdf

[joand452]

Looking forward to your next cruise trip report, so I can read more of your summer road trip. Those photos are outstanding! I really want to go out west.

[DebbieMo]

Wow, beautiful! It will be a summer trip since it will likely be 3 weeks. Did you go in June? Was it super hot? I know we're from FL and should be used to the heat but we're not in the heat as much as people think we are.

 

I like that phrase "you buy your neighbors". We also look for decent hotels that serve breakfast and will pay extra attention to location since the west is all new to us.

 

Thank you for the tips and for Day 1 compass, appreciate it! We are on the same itinerary in April.

 

 

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[harryfat1]

Looking forward to your next cruise trip report, so I can read more of your summer road trip. Those photos are outstanding! I really want to go out west.

 

Hi, Joan,

 

How are you? Good to speak with you once again.

 

How was your trip to Vegas? Did you get to see the Bellagio fountains? We were on the north side of the strip this time and we saw the Cirque show “Love” with the Beatles music while we were there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for looking forward to my next trip report as my marketing department (of one) is promoting the upcoming event similar to coming preview attractions at the movie theaters. It’s a classic case of counting chickens before there are even any eggs as my sailing isn’t until December, my typical month of cruise travel. So my marketing team is promoting a trip report that's basing on events that hasn’t even happen yet…

 

Although I find your response interesting as it seems you are more interested in my digression talk of my summer road trips than my actual main cruise report. That’s like buying an iPhone just because you like the box that holds the phone instead wanting the phone itself…;p

[harryfat1]

Wow, beautiful! It will be a summer trip since it will likely be 3 weeks. Did you go in June? Was it super hot? I know we're from FL and should be used to the heat but we're not in the heat as much as people think we are.

 

I like that phrase "you buy your neighbors". We also look for decent hotels that serve breakfast and will pay extra attention to location since the west is all new to us.

 

Thank you for the tips and for Day 1 compass, appreciate it! We are on the same itinerary in April.

 

 

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Oh, yeah, it was crazy hot in Vegas and Arizona by June. Vegas was at 110 degrees when we were in town and we had to do the 3 mile hike in 95 degree heat to get to the Arch in Utah that you saw in previous post. That Arch isn’t exactly next to the parking lot. It was a tough long hike in the heat to take that picture.

 

Look into getting this book as it has scenic drives all every state. I have the previous version as a used book bought from Amazon (Cheap). Good investment and great coffee table reading book. Should give you some ideas on what to see as you drive westward.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Most-Scenic-Drives-America-Spectacular/dp/0762105801/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1504571222&sr=1-2&keywords=The+Most+Scenic+Drives+in+America

[joand452]

We actually stayed at The Bellagio! It was where my husband's conference was being held. Unfortunately, the weather was chilly and windy, so my hopes of just sitting at the pool were dashed. I forgot the charger to my good camera, so that also meant my plans to take a tour to the Grand Canyon were dashed. There was no way I was going to the Grand Canyon, just to use my iPhone. I just did a lot of walking and sitting...

 

No, no, I love your cruise reports, too, :D but I go on cruises, so know what it looks like. I've never been to the Grand Canyon or Utah, etc., so those photos mean a lot. And your photography skills are so much better than mine.

[NHProud]

Your photos are fantastic ! They even look better than the real thing. I've just discovered your cruise reports and they are really well written . Lots of talent , there .

 

 

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[Dremac373]

Great report and awesome photos, thank you very much for taking the time to share and bring us along

[JamesEM]

Thanks again for the great photos, while being as Easterner I have been to the West Coast many times, however have not visited the Vegas area. Best wished on a great family vacation this Winter and I'm also looking forward to your reports and photos. As for me, next month our entire family will be sailing on the HOS, DW and I are really looking forward to our family get together.

 

Jim,

[harryfat1]

We actually stayed at The Bellagio! It was where my husband's conference was being held. Unfortunately, the weather was chilly and windy, so my hopes of just sitting at the pool were dashed. I forgot the charger to my good camera, so that also meant my plans to take a tour to the Grand Canyon were dashed. There was no way I was going to the Grand Canyon, just to use my iPhone. I just did a lot of walking and sitting...

 

No, no, I love your cruise reports, too, :D but I go on cruises, so know what it looks like. I've never been to the Grand Canyon or Utah, etc., so those photos mean a lot. And your photography skills are so much better than mine.

 

Oh, that’s too bad you didn’t get to see Grand Canyon. If your cell phone is from the last couple years, you could have taken many nice pictures with that.

 

Many of the pictures I have just posted came from either my or my wife’s cell phones. Not all came from SLR. My wife is the owner of the family SLR – I typically don’t get to use it as it’s her baby. But after this road trip, even my wife is now talking about leaving the SLR at home for the upcoming cruise and just uses cell phone and smaller point & shoot.

 

Nah, no photographic skills here. Just point and shoot.

 

All the pics below came from my 2 year old Samsung Note 5 phone (the older version that doesn’t explode) to show you that newer cell phones can be cameras…

 

Antelope Canyon in Page, Arizona. About 4.5 hours from Vegas so next time you are in town, consider making a side trip out here for a night or two.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glen Canyon Dam, one of the tallest dam in the US (#4 per Wiki)

 

 

 

Monument Valley

 

 

Canyonland National Park

 

[harryfat1]

Your photos are fantastic ! They even look better than the real thing. I've just discovered your cruise reports and they are really well written . Lots of talent , there .

 

 

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Great report and awesome photos, thank you very much for taking the time to share and bring us along

 

Thanks for the compliments. Glad to hear the info I provided was useful.

 

As for the pictures, the cameras and cell phones did all the work, I just aim and press a button. Dummy see, dummy take picture. It's the great outdoors that makes the picture interesting.

[harryfat1]

Thanks again for the great photos, while being as Easterner I have been to the West Coast many times, however have not visited the Vegas area. Best wished on a great family vacation this Winter and I'm also looking forward to your reports and photos. As for me, next month our entire family will be sailing on the HOS, DW and I are really looking forward to our family get together.

 

Jim,

 

Hi, Jim,

 

Vegas is an acquired taste. A tad too fake/artificial for my liking but it's a great party town or just walk around 24/7 seeing the sights.

 

Here is the largest Ferris wheel in the world at Vegas as you know they do everything on big scale out there.

 

 

Yes, I remember you mentioning that you will be on a cruise soon during one of your posts on how bad the Royal web site was (still is). Have fun on your cruise with the family.

 

Super envious of you able to sail on HOS. I like them big. Play that rap song when you are on sailing away. ;p

 

Are you guys worried about hurricane Irma making a sharp turn northward? Hope it won't head your way.

[SenatorsFan]

Harry, I'm so glad that I'm still subscribed and can see all these beautiful vacation shots! It looks like you had another good road trip. I'll look forward to your next cruise, too. :)

Heather

[Destaw71835]

Enjoyed your review!

 

 

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[danae76]

My husband and I are doing this cruise December 17, 2017. Thank you for the great photos and details. I especially will remember the elevator trick after returning to the ship from the port. It's our 2nd cruise and 2nd on the Freedom. We did the Eastern Caribbean jaunt for 7 nights in April 2015. I greatly enjoyed reading your thread and all the comments from others. It was very enlightening.

[harryfat1]

My husband and I are doing this cruise December 17, 2017. Thank you for the great photos and details. I especially will remember the elevator trick after returning to the ship from the port. It's our 2nd cruise and 2nd on the Freedom. We did the Eastern Caribbean jaunt for 7 nights in April 2015. I greatly enjoyed reading your thread and all the comments from others. It was very enlightening.

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for the kind words. Glad to know the info was useful.

 

Your cruise is the same as ours in terms of itinerary and time of the year. My favorite time to cruise is always December as the ship is decorated in holiday theme.

 

Have a great time on the Freedom. We will be going to the Eastern Caribbean on the Indy few days after you guys sail off.

 

Harry

[ChicAgo_Cruiser43]

Harry,

 

Even though it's been just under a year since you began this thread, I have just gotten to it and loved reading along. I will be on the Freedom on the December 3rd sailing with a couple friends and this thread has really helped me get my fix in for cruising and get even more excited about my trip.

 

As so many other posters have said, it feels like we know so much about you and your family and now it was as if we were alongside you for your cruise! It's so strange that there's hundreds, possibly thousands of people out there who know you so (relatively) well and yet you barely know us! I feel compelled to say that I am in tax accounting with half of my CPA completed and will actually be taking an exam the day before I leave for Ft. Lauderdale.

 

Just wanted to pop in and say I really enjoyed reading everything you had to say, especially with all the time you put in posting and all the time we spent reading!

 

My regards,

Brad

[DISFANS3]

So you did the DAM DAM tour...lol

[harryfat1]

Harry,

 

Even though it's been just under a year since you began this thread, I have just gotten to it and loved reading along. I will be on the Freedom on the December 3rd sailing with a couple friends and this thread has really helped me get my fix in for cruising and get even more excited about my trip.

 

As so many other posters have said, it feels like we know so much about you and your family and now it was as if we were alongside you for your cruise! It's so strange that there's hundreds, possibly thousands of people out there who know you so (relatively) well and yet you barely know us! I feel compelled to say that I am in tax accounting with half of my CPA completed and will actually be taking an exam the day before I leave for Ft. Lauderdale.

 

Just wanted to pop in and say I really enjoyed reading everything you had to say, especially with all the time you put in posting and all the time we spent reading!

 

My regards,

Brad

 

Hi, Brad,

 

It’s a pleasure meeting you via the Internet. It’s great to speak with another fellow CPA/Finance person. Must be hard to study and plan for the vacation the same time. So hopefully you didn’t waste too much time on my trip report versus studying for the exam.

 

Thanks for kind words on the trip report. Hopefully the info was helpful to you and your friends.

 

December is my favorite time to cruise as you have the ship decorated for the holidays and especially with your sailing in early December, which is one of the bargain time for cruises in the Caribbean. All bean counters like us can appreciate the savings.

 

Have a great cruise on the 3rd and good luck on the exam.

 

Harry

[harryfat1]

So you did the DAM DAM tour...lol

 

Oh, yeah, the DAM DAM tour is great.

 

Super cheap, think it was $5 for adults and $2.50 for kids under 17. Where else can you find a guided tour at this price? Much cheaper than the Hoover dam tour outside of Vegas. Gets the two big thumbs up from Cheapo dad...

 

View of dam from above at visitor center:

 

 

 

 

View of the bridge while standing on the dam (from picture above)

 

 

 

 

 

View of the dam from below (that's real grass by the way):

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ChicAgo_Cruiser43]

Harry,

 

After all the time I spent reading through your report, I felt compelled to enlighten you with some knowledge after returning home from my sailing on 12/3 on the Freedom.

 

If I recall correctly, you were rather disappointed that there was no prime rib or duck offering in the MDR while you sailed. You may be pleased or upset to learn that on my sailing, not only were both offered, but they offered the prime rib twice.

 

The first prime rib was actually the first night of the sailing on Sunday the 3rd. The duck was offered as an entree the next night on day 2 I believe, along with a couple duck appetizers on days 3 and 4. Prime rib was then offered again on day 5, the second formal night, in addition to the lobster.

 

I had initially thought the second prime rib was offered solely because they had a lot left over from the first night, but I was surprised to find that I enjoyed the second round significantly more. I found the first night's prime rib to be average, the duck entree delicious (my first time having duck), and then the second rib to be very tasty.

 

Thought I'd let you know,

Brad

[Lamar Cheeks]

thanks for the great report, will be on FOS in January, looking forward to it

[harryfat1]

thanks for the great report, will be on FOS in January, looking forward to it

 

Thanks for the compliment. Hope you have a great cruise on the Freedom next month.