Newbcruiser1 Posted October 21, 2017 #1 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Welcome! This will be a live review from the Freedom of the Seas Transatlantic relocation cruise from Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale, leaving this Sunday, October 22nd! I can't even begin to compete with the in depth live threads by many of the celebrities on Cruise Critic, but I can promise some photos - including food! First, a little bit about me! I am Jen from Canada and contrary to my screen name, I am no longer a newbie cruiser. This will be my 14th cruise overall, 10th with Royal Caribbean, and 3rd Transatlantic. All of those cruises added up to my lowly Diamond Crown and Anchor status! [emoji6] I am traveling "solo" on this cruise. And by "solo", I mean with about 4000 other cruises, including several cruising buddies that I met on last year's Independence of the Seas Transatlantic from Fort Lauderdale to Southampton! The cruise will be departing from Barcelona, with stops in Cadiz (Seville), Spain, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, and La Palma. Given the current political situation in Barcelona and the several hundreds of earthquakes recently which have triggered volcano alerts in La Palma, I am hoping for smooth travels! I am currently sitting in the airport waiting to board my flight from Toronto which will arrive tomorrow shortly after noon in Barcelona! More to come when I arrive! For now, I will leave you with the ship, and the planned journey! (Hopefully those photos work! I am posting this from the handy CruiseCritic app!). Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easyboy Posted October 21, 2017 #2 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Looking forward to your updates. Enjoy your cruise! Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palmetto Pilot Posted October 21, 2017 #3 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Following. I'm on the Nov 5th sailing. I can't wait. I imagine the menus might change but I'd love to see the MDR menus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruisin Moosy Posted October 21, 2017 #4 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Looking forward to traveling with you.......virtually!!! Have enough fun for all of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiselover04 Posted October 21, 2017 #5 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Looking forward to your updates. I have several friends on this cruise. Happy sailing! Jenni Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiwiGal117 Posted October 21, 2017 #6 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Hello Jen! Fellow Cdn here (in spite of my screen name). Looking forward to your report! We are on Freedom next March. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarea Posted October 21, 2017 #7 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Jealous, our TA does not start for a while. Following along.:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfcathorse Posted October 21, 2017 #8 Share Posted October 21, 2017 We have Canadian friends on this sailing also. Will be following your posts and pictures! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paramedicduo Posted October 21, 2017 #9 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Fellow Canadian here...we'll be flying from PEI to Ft Lauderdale on the 4th for Freedom's first sailing back in the Caribbean. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnamac123 Posted October 21, 2017 #10 Share Posted October 21, 2017 ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suesnake2002 Posted October 21, 2017 #11 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Great a nice long live review. Now if i only can figure out how to get points by following Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare mac_tlc Posted October 21, 2017 #12 Share Posted October 21, 2017 I’ll be following... grudgingly [emoji57]. We were originally on this cruise, as a retirement “present”. But — that did not happen as planned , and then my daughter said she was “expecting” and due Oct. 23. Sooooo we had to cancel . Bad news— I’ll be at work on Monday. Good news—- my second grandson arrived Monday[emoji106] mac_tlc Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Namelocg Posted October 21, 2017 #13 Share Posted October 21, 2017 I was on the eastbound Freedom TA in April from Ft Lauderdale. I also sailed solo with friends that I met on a previous TA. I hope you have as great a time as we had and hope you have better weather. If the have "Master Sea Chef" on your crossing make sure you go to every session. It was held in Studio B and had 8? officers competeing against each other, including the captain. It was so much fun and the "Chefs" were a riot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobert Posted October 21, 2017 #14 Share Posted October 21, 2017 We are on the 11/5/17, after the Transatlantic you are doing, so I will read your posts with increased interest. Thanks for taking the time to do this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RM Posted October 21, 2017 #15 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Looking forward to your thoughts and thanks for bringing Freedom home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfkeith10 Posted October 21, 2017 #16 Share Posted October 21, 2017 We have cruised many times but have never done a TA. Looking forward to reading about your time on board during all those sea days. Have a great trip... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dreadpirate3 Posted October 21, 2017 #17 Share Posted October 21, 2017 I'm on her in December, looking forward to your review. I like the food too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sg1phileshipper Posted October 21, 2017 #18 Share Posted October 21, 2017 I enjoyed the Eastbound TA in April and I am very excited to sail along for the Westbound. As said before, if they offer Master Sea Chef, don’t miss it. It is a lot of fun. Cindy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrFunInTheSun Posted October 21, 2017 #19 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Thanks for bringing us along! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kissmya63 Posted October 21, 2017 #20 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Following! I hope you have an awesome trip! Can't wait to read all about it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuCruise Posted October 21, 2017 #21 Share Posted October 21, 2017 I'm a fellow Canadian too from Toronto. Looking forward to following along. Enjoy your cruise! Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colocop004 Posted October 21, 2017 #22 Share Posted October 21, 2017 I will be following as well, we are on Freedom Nov 25th and want to see everything the ship has to offer!! Sent from my iPad using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newbcruiser1 Posted October 21, 2017 Author #23 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Thanks to everyone who's following along thus far! I will try to fulfill the requests that have been made (menus, sea day activities, etc)! My flight to Barcelona was one of the bumpiest rides I've ever had! In fact, it reminded me of the motion when I was on the infamous "hurricane cruise" last year on the Anthem of the Seas that hit 200+mph winds! The seatbelt sign was on for hours on end, with even the flight attendants strapped into their seats. The pilot's explanation was that there were multiple jet streams to climb through during our flight which caused the turbulence. The airline (Air Transat) served a choice of hot sandwich (ham and brie, chicken and pesto, or roasted Mediterranean veggie) with orzo salad, dark chocolate covered acai berries, and a complimentary glass of wine. Unfortunately I was unable to take any pictures because my phone was just about dead and there were no outlets for charging. They also served a second round of beverages and pre-wrapped carrot cake slices prior to landing. I would rate the flight a 5/10. The service was decent, the included light meals weren't too bad, and the flight was an hour shorter than anticipated. I docked points for turbulence (nothing to do with the pilot's abilities - they seemed to handle it well), and also for the horrible seats which felt like they were all reclined halfway up the back. Lastly, the lack of in-seat TVs and the use of an app for entertainment with no power support for charging devices onboard the aircraft. Upon landing, I took the Aerobus to get to my hotel (more on that later). If you're at all worried about not being able to lift your suitcase onto the rack (as I was), fear not! Some kind person on those buses usually helps out! The bus cost 5.90 euros and is the best way to get from the airport to the major tourist centers (Placa Espanya, Universitat, and Placa Catalonia. Beware though - with the recent large demonstrations, buses have been intermittently stopping at Placa Espanya and not proceeding to the other areas (like this afternoon/evening today). Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newbcruiser1 Posted October 21, 2017 Author #24 Share Posted October 21, 2017 So where am I staying? This year, I decided to keep it local given that I only have 24 hours maximum here. I toured virtually every part of Barcelona (including Montserrat!) during my longer stay last fall. As such, this year I decided to stay near Placa Espanya so I could see the Magic Fountains. I originally booked the Pestana Arena Barcelona, but switched at the last minute, just 36 hours prior to checking in - due to it's location "off the beaten path". Instead, I booked the Catalonia Barcelona Plaza hotel which is located right in Placa Espanya. I got to the hotel, and they sent me up to the rooftop bar for a free welcome drink while I waited for my room. The cava was great, but the rooftop pool and terrace were even better: Check out the view! Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newbcruiser1 Posted October 21, 2017 Author #25 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Eventually I was notified that my room was ready. Imagine my surprise when I found out that I was upgraded to an executive king suite on the 6th floor with a Plaza view! The hotel is a winner all around! While there isn't as much in the area as there is around Placa Catalunya, it's perfect for a repeat short visit! It's right near the metro, the train station, the aerobus, and the bull fighting arena-turned-mall. Which also happens to be where I had a late lunch. The entire rooftop consists of restaurant's with patios or open air interiors - very unique! Beware though - if you take the outside elevator up, it costs 1 euro. If you go inside and take the escalators to the top, it's free! Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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