Cheapo dad's trip report on Freedom of the Seas

[KPfromCT]

WOW!!! I was just going to ask where the pictures of the family are, and you posted your embarkation photo!

 

I cannot believe how tall the boys have gotten!!!! Oldest one looks to be a hair taller than you, and the younger one, taller than mom!!!:eek::eek:

 

Loving your review, Harry! Patiently waiting for more...

 

Hope you feel better. Sucks to catch the "cruise crud", as we call it in our family.:D

[Sherman793]

Oh my gosh!! You are so funny and you take fantastic pictures! You are making my cruise heart very happy!! We missed an entire year because BOTH of my children got married six months apart. The son first then the daughter in December....sooo no vacations for us last year. But we have a cruise booked for October 2017 so these awesome reviews will just have to hold us over!:p Thanks for being so detailed!!

[harryfat1]

Get well soon Harry! I hate coming home with colds from cruises. And there is a lot of that coughing one going around. ~Patti :)

 

Hi, Patti,

 

Thanks for the well wishes. Took a Tylenol last night on top of all of other cold related meds and went to sleep after watching the east coast New Year’s countdown 3 hours early. Felt slightly better this morning but the cold is still there but you wouldn’t expect a cold to just go away in 2 days.

[harryfat1]

What a great report. I read your Allure one previously. I thought I was a freak about planning cruises but you sir are a hero - emailing to find out the entertainment and specific dining locations - brilliant!! [emoji113]🏽[emoji113]🏽[emoji122]🏿[emoji122]🏿

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for the kind words.

 

If there’s one thing I have learned through the years is that even though your friends/family/coworkers think you are super anal in your vacation preparation, you go online and read the community forums such as CC, you realize there are ALWAYS people out there who are way more anal than you.

 

People think you are anal in having color coded spreadsheet? Ha, you find you there are people who color code their daily clothes.

 

People think you are anal in booking 2 cruises out for next year? Ha, you find out that people here have 10+ cruises already booked.

 

Although I do think CC folk’s are much more mellow compared to the Disney Boards folks. I used to hang out there when my kids were younger and we planned the elaborate Disney vacations. Now those folks are the real die hard. Back when Disney opened the dining reservations 180 days out and they make you call to reserve, I read posts by people waking up at 3 AM in west coast time to call FL at 6 AM EST when the phone bank first opens just so they can secure a dining spot at the 180th day out.

 

Now that is hard core dedication. I can’t come close to matching that…

[harryfat1]

Get well soon, both my wife and I came down with head colds when we returned, most likely caught it on the flight back from FL.

 

Hi, James,

 

Thanks for the well wishes. I might have the similar head cold. Coughing and stuffy nose and periodic headaches. Guess it’s better to be sick post cruise than during the cruise…

[harryfat1]

WOW!!! I was just going to ask where the pictures of the family are, and you posted your embarkation photo!

 

I cannot believe how tall the boys have gotten!!!! Oldest one looks to be a hair taller than you, and the younger one, taller than mom!!!:eek::eek:

 

Loving your review, Harry! Patiently waiting for more...

 

Hope you feel better. Sucks to catch the "cruise crud", as we call it in our family.:D

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for the kind words.

 

Yeah, the younger one grew a lot the past 2 years - we had to spend a lot of money buying him new clothes and shows as he was constantly outgrowing them.

 

The older one is taller than me so just another sign of me getting older. You know you are getting old when you kid is taller than you.

[harryfat1]

Oh my gosh!! You are so funny and you take fantastic pictures! You are making my cruise heart very happy!! We missed an entire year because BOTH of my children got married six months apart. The son first then the daughter in December....sooo no vacations for us last year. But we have a cruise booked for October 2017 so these awesome reviews will just have to hold us over!:p Thanks for being so detailed!!

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for the compliment.

 

I am trying to be a comedian when I retire as a CPA and then go on the cruise ships to perform my comedy act by telling bunch of Finance related jokes…

 

Our family love the size of the Oasis class ships. Hopefully you will enjoy them as well.

Edited January 1, 2017 by harryfat1
Typing with my toes is not as easy as it looks...

[harryfat1]

Happy New Years to all the folks that are following along this trip report. Hope you all have a happy and prosperous New Year.

 

I really appreciate all the feedback and encouragement from everyone.

 

I will try to upload pictures and continue on with the trip report today - as long as my stamina holds out. We have a big family dinner tonight at our place for the New Year's gathering so I will unavailable from afternoon onward. We’ll see how far we can go today.

[harryfat1]

Here is the picture of just the 4 of us on board. Note all the backpacks.

 

 

 

 

Pic of outside of Windjammer as RCI tries to upsell you at every nook and cranny by setting up shop all over the ship (more on this later)

 

 

 

 

Pic of the younger one with the grandparents on the deck 12 – last time you will see it this empty the entire cruise.

 

 

 

 

 

There were a lot of ships in port that day. Just looking out you can count at least 6+

 

 

[harryfat1]

Two years ago, when we were on the Allure, we had the smug feeling that we had the biggest ship (and ship butt) anywhere on any port. 2-4-6-8, who has the biggest butt of them all – we do, we do. Yeah!

 

Now on the Freedom, we no longer have that and I have to look across the harbor at Allure’s ship butt and be envious. Sigh…

 

Remember what I said in the beginning about bias – our bias is for the big ships. I like them big and round. Which leads to my favorite rap song (you KNOW what’s coming right?) – Sir Mix A lot. I can’t name 3 rap songs to save my life but this rap song I know.

 

For those who are not familiar with this video, you can check out the YouTube video for the original video, which has over 14.8 million views as of this writing. However, I also found this YouTube. I didn’t realize the Seattle Symphony did a performance with Sir Mix Alot couple years back. So for the symphony crowd, check out that video with 3 million plus views. Great stuff – never thought a big city Symphony with perform a rap song and with all the audiences going up on stage to participate:

 

 

 

I can hear the guy in the kitchen yelling out now “Honey, this guy is linking his trip report to video on rap song about buns. We need to email CC to get 4 months back from our subscription price”

 

 

[harryfat1]

So while on deck 12, it was the perfect time to play with the mega zoom camera to see what’s happening with the other ships.

 

Here’s the normal view

 

 

 

 

Zoomed in a bit more

 

 

 

 

Here is Allure’s behind and the people aboard. It would be too funny if I happened to capture someone from CC just at the right moment.

 

 

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

This picture is looking out at the condos area where passes by before heading out of the port. With max zoom, you can see people way out there by the beach.

 

 

 

 

 

These are the zoomed in pics

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really liked what the mega zoom can do outdoors. Indoors it has limitations.

 

 

Here’s an attempted selfie but it didn’t turn out so great

 

 

[harryfat1]

Here’s a pic of the shuttle drop off area where we were earlier and still more people being dropped off at 12 something:

 

 

 

 

A lot of top deck space on the Freedom class ships

 

 

 

 

Other cruisers have reported have the replacement of the deck chairs in November. So what did they do with the old ones? Well, at least some are here – the proverbial elephant burial ground with hundreds of them piled up high locked away on deck 12.

 

 

 

 

As we are very near FLL airport, there are constant flights of airplane overhead as we walked around. Saw this one flying by and with the zoom, I was able to make out it was a Delta plane.

 

I think I heard this joke on a from a comedian while on a Carnival cruise – you know what Delta stands for? Don’t Expect Luggage To Arrive…

 

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

More ship pics

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

One good thing about being in terminal 29 – way out by the edge is that you have nicer scenery around the area than the Oasis class terminal at 18.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a picture of the water taxi cruising by on the Hollywood Beach route. If we had been on the water taxi yesterday on this route, we would be sailing along the mega cruise ships.

 

 

 

Edited January 1, 2017 by harryfat1

[CruisinfromRI]

Harry, I hardly ever post but wanted to thank you for your great review. I loved reading your Allure review, so you can imagine how excited I was to see your name pop up with the same ship we are sailing in a month or so! I read hundreds of posts, but a few names have stuck out over the years … yours being one! Your review style and level of detail (the accountant in me loves the level of specificity) are very relatable. Happy New Year to you and your family, and thank you so much for sharing this information with all of us! :)

[Glitch1928]

Harry, do you keep a journal or something during your trip? You have an amazing amount of detail and I must know the secret! [emoji57]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[harryfat1]

Since my boys are now older, they have outgrown the kiddie pool area so this is one of the few pictures I have of this place.

 

 

 

 

Here are few pics of the Solarium as my one and only visit to the place. I’m just not the Solarium type, but I know many folks on CC love them. Cheapo dad wants to walk around and see things. I would be bored in the solarium after 5 minutes as there would be nothing else to take pictures of.

 

 

Since I’m illiterate, not like I can sit and read a book there. Think last time I read any book was to my kids called “5 little monkeys jumping on the bed…”

 

 

 

 

Look, kids, chairs. Bet you that that don’t have chairs like this back at home. Take a picture…

 

 

 

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

Harry, I hardly ever post but wanted to thank you for your great review. I loved reading your Allure review, so you can imagine how excited I was to see your name pop up with the same ship we are sailing in a month or so! I read hundreds of posts, but a few names have stuck out over the years … yours being one! Your review style and level of detail (the accountant in me loves the level of specificity) are very relatable. Happy New Year to you and your family, and thank you so much for sharing this information with all of us! :)

 

 

Hi,

 

Thank you for your compliments.

 

I especially appreciate the “silent majority” of the CC people that “de-cloaks“ during their reading of my trip reports and makes a comment as I know it’s not an easy thing to do. So I am touched by folks such as yourself that leaves a nice comment.

 

Looks like you will be on the same western Caribbean itinerary as us so hopefully when I scan and post all the daily compasses, it will help you in your cruise planning.

 

Have a great cruise if we don’t talk again before you leave.

[harryfat1]

Harry, do you keep a journal or something during your trip? You have an amazing amount of detail and I must know the secret! [emoji57]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Hi,

 

Actually I don’t have a journal at all.

 

Years ago when the boys were young, I brought along my laptop and lug that big old door stop onto the ship so they have DVD to watch while we get dressed for formal nights – still going to sleep hearing the Wiggles and Barney songs. Then I would use the MS Word to write down the key points of the day.

 

Nowadays, I stopped bringing the laptop. I think with my son doing the videotaping and us watching it now (we just finished day 3), it helps to trigger the memory. And all the photo files have time stamp on them so it’s easy to get the time right. I think I might have missed some stuff in my report in what happened daily but I’m sure nobody really cares. Good enough is good enough.

[harryfat1]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look, tables. How about that? We don’t see tables back at home. Take a picture

 

 

 

 

I know it’s been less than 30 minutes since I just finished eating lunch and all the desserts but how can you pass up an ice cream place and no line without getting something?

 

 

 

 

 

[twincheryl]

Thanks for your great review! Fourteen months until our cruise on Freedom. We are slowly inching our way up to the bigger ships... ha ha... Look forward to more...

[harryfat1]

Thanks for your great review! Fourteen months until our cruise on Freedom. We are slowly inching our way up to the bigger ships... ha ha... Look forward to more...

 

Hi,

 

Thank you for the compliments.

 

I see you will be on the Explorer before the Freedom. I think many people will tell you there’s only a minor difference between the Voyager and Freedom class ship in terms of noticeable size difference that can impact your cruise experience.

 

At your rate of progression, I see Oasis class ship in your sailing horizon in 2019…

[harryfat1]

I wished I had more time to just stay there for an hour longer taking more pictures but the rest of the family wanted to move on from the FL heat.

 

Last one from the top deck:

 

 

 

 

 

At about 1:10, they made the announcements that our cabins are ready so we headed down to deck 7. In following the cheap dad’s budget, we booked 3 Promenade view cabins with connecting portion where the boys have their cabin and my wife and I in the other. Yes, I know you are thinking that I am not really keeping with my cheapo dad theme of lower costs by trying to cram 4 adults in to a quad inside cabin.

 

First of all, I get sea sick at drop of hat. I worked in downtown San Francisco first 5 years of my career and had to take subway to work daily and if I don’t sit at certain seats facing certain direction, I would get motion sick when I get off. Not good to feel that way trying to work daily - if you know what I mean. I need to book something to see outside either at the RP or ocean view - just to look at something. Since RP is something special only for certain RCI class ships, we opted for that. We had been in RP cabins on the Mariner so we know what to expect.

 

Besides, RCI doesn’t really have much of a 3rd and 4th person discount for our cruise. For our cabin, it was less than $600 per person for the cruise or $2,400 for family of 4 in 2 cabins before travel agent OBC. Good enough for me to be in 2 separate cabins. The extra shower/bathroom makes thing go much faster on the formal nights when you try to get 4 people ready.

 

I was very happy to drop off the wine in the cabin – dang heavy to carry on backpack. We always walk onto the ship with just backpacks. No roller suit cases or anything. Easier to move around and sight see with backpacks (and of course taking pictures). Drawback is carrying 2 bottles of wine walking in the heat/sun of FL on deck 12 isn’t that much fun.

Edited January 1, 2017 by harryfat1

[harryfat1]

Saw this on the way to the cabin

 

 

After resting in the cabin for while (the connecting door can’t be opened yet), we went to check on our table location at the MDR. Unlike the Allure cruise, this time there was no problem with our table for 6. All good at the location we requested – close to the piano. Which I didn’t know at the time there would be no musicians to entertain us during dinner time. Next time, I will need to double check on the musicians and move to different location accordingly.

 

I am actually embarrassed to admit I didn’t take ANY pictures of the cabin before we messed it up. My wife took some but that’s with family members in them, but none are just of them stand alone. I took some later on after we decorated them so I will show those when I get to those sections.

 

 

But here’s one pic of the RP from our PR view cabin overlooking the shopping area down on deck 5. My wife loves the location and the view as she can look down daily to see what’s on sale.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 1, 2017 by harryfat1