Trip Report: Freedom of the Seas Western Caribbean March 25-31, 2018

[Elerja]

We did the same excursion as you. Late afternoon flight back to MN, so this one made sense. We must have been on a different bus, because we did the boat tour first and then walked around the animals.

The raccoon was getting lots of attention when we went through. One of the staff had taken him out of his cage and was playing with him the entire time we were in the area.

My son also held the baby alligator.

We had a huge snapping turtle in our garage one morning a few years ago. My husband somehow corralled it into a box and brought it to a nearby pond. They are not nice. Just glad we noticed him before he "snapped" at anyone.

 

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[CreativeCruiser119]

We did the same excursion as you. Late afternoon flight back to MN, so this one made sense. We must have been on a different bus, because we did the boat tour first and then walked around the animals.

The raccoon was getting lots of attention when we went through. One of the staff had taken him out of his cage and was playing with him the entire time we were in the area.

My son also held the baby alligator.

We had a huge snapping turtle in our garage one morning a few years ago. My husband somehow corralled it into a box and brought it to a nearby pond. They are not nice. Just glad we noticed him before he "snapped" at anyone.

 

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Awesome! How did you like the excursion? I wonder if we were on the same flight! I felt bad for the raccoon, my mom and I are both animal lovers so even though most people find raccoons to be a nuisance, we find them adorable and hate seeing them (or any animal) in the road!

 

And I know exactly what you mean with the snappers, I’ve seen videos, and in addition, several years ago a neighbor had one in their front yard, and it turned out there were eggs in the back as their particular lot is near two ponds. Someone tried to take a picture and got snapped at. I’d be afraid to move it, I’d just wait it out and get pleasure out of watching from a distance! We don’t get tons of snappers in my neighborhood apart from the one pond, and they couldn’t get into my backyard anyway since we have it fenced in because of the pool! We do get tons of frogs and toads though! Glad yours made it safely back to the pond and nobody got hurt!

 

 

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[CreativeCruiser119]

In case the gator was hard to spot in this one...

This was during the boat tour portion of the excursion.

 

 

 

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[CreativeCruiser119]

Day 7 - Saturday, March 31

Flight & Unwinding

We saw Harmony back in port on the way to the airport, so I did my best to take a picture from the moving bus. We arrived at the airport, smoothly cleared security and ate lunch in the terminal before boarding the plane. We ate at Miami Grill, where I ordered a burger and fries. We could see Harmony from the plane as we taxied on the runway, and the flight was smooth, but obviously didn’t feel quite the same without the level of excitement as the one on the way down!

 

It was that evening when we arrived back at MSP. We got back home to unpack and greet the cats, and Dad went back out to get pizza as we were all hungry. The next day was spent at the cousins’ house for Easter, and I got that Monday off because my university observes Good Monday. Then, back to the stressful grind, but summer is only a month away, even though it doesn’t exactly look like it here...

 

I feel the same now as I did when I neared the end of my Harmony review, it’s like reliving the whole “going home” process all over again! I must say I’ve really enjoyed revisiting my experiences here on Cruise Critic, but that said, this still isn’t the end of the review! Next up: condensed recap! I’ll see you tomorrow as I finish this off! Have a great night!

 

In the 3rd picture: “2009: World’s largest cruise ship, Oasis of the Seas, docks at its new home in Port Everglades.” I thought this was cool, and it was located in the Miami Grill in Terminal 2 of FLL.

 

 

 

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[loverofpv]

Loved your report!!! I'm also from Minnesota and will be on Freedom for the 2nd time in a couple weeks!!! Enjoyed all your pics too!!!

[CreativeCruiser119]

Loved your report!!! I'm also from Minnesota and will be on Freedom for the 2nd time in a couple weeks!!! Enjoyed all your pics too!!!

 

Thank you so much for reading! The weather here is out of this world, I just wish it were summer already! You’ll have a great time on Freedom, and I see from your signature that you’re doing the 8-day eastern itinerary- lucky you get that extra day! Have a great time, and thanks again for the positive feedback!

[CreativeCruiser119]

Condensed Recap (Somewhat)

 

Needless to say, this was a very much enjoyed vacation. Six nights out of Fort Lauderdale to the Western Caribbean, we had a blast exploring new destinations and beaches. We got to experience a new ship and all that she has to offer.

 

The highlight of the cruise: definitely the Quest! There were so many highlights, but if I had to choose only one, that would be it.

 

I would highly recommend the Freedom of the Seas, but before you go, I’m still not done! I have yet to give my final thoughts and ratings!

 

Next up: my final thoughts! Stay tuned for that!

[kwazi07]

Loved your report and looking forward to your final recap!

 

I’ve always wondered how those post cruise Everglades tours are...seems like you’ve had a good time. I’ve been to the Everglades many times, I definitely prefer the Miami side over the Gulf Coast side. In 2016 we actually went twice, first in July (went to the Everglades near Florida City, then the Keys before going up to Boca Raton) and then in November (focused on Miami which was one of my favorite trips ever). I would highly recommend visiting Miami for a few days, one of my favorite cities. Traffic is horrible, but the sights and culture are worth it!

 

It’s fun to drive down to the Flamingo visitors center which is on the Florida Bay—probably as far south as you can get WITHOUT being in the Keys. We rented a boat and drove around for a little, would definitely recommend if you’re in the area.

 

I always love non-Floridians apprehension to gators. Don’t get me wrong, you’re not going to catch me wrestling one...but down here, they’re a common sight. They’re even the mascot for the University of Florida (where I’m going in the fall...chomp chomp). The closest I got to a wild adult gator was in Payne’s Prairie, near Gainesville, which is where UF is (north central FL). These pictures were taken across the trail from one another...pretty sure they were about to mate as it was mating season. Needless to say we did not walk between these two...

 

 

 

Sorry for the digression but I geek out about Florida stuff sometimes...especially for someone who wants to leave after college, lol.

 

Again, awesome report and loved seeing the same cruise from a different perspective! I promise I am going to finish mine...

 

 

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[CreativeCruiser119]

Loved your report and looking forward to your final recap!

 

I’ve always wondered how those post cruise Everglades tours are...seems like you’ve had a good time. I’ve been to the Everglades many times, I definitely prefer the Miami side over the Gulf Coast side. In 2016 we actually went twice, first in July (went to the Everglades near Florida City, then the Keys before going up to Boca Raton) and then in November (focused on Miami which was one of my favorite trips ever). I would highly recommend visiting Miami for a few days, one of my favorite cities. Traffic is horrible, but the sights and culture are worth it!

 

It’s fun to drive down to the Flamingo visitors center which is on the Florida Bay—probably as far south as you can get WITHOUT being in the Keys. We rented a boat and drove around for a little, would definitely recommend if you’re in the area.

 

I always love non-Floridians apprehension to gators. Don’t get me wrong, you’re not going to catch me wrestling one...but down here, they’re a common sight. They’re even the mascot for the University of Florida (where I’m going in the fall...chomp chomp). The closest I got to a wild adult gator was in Payne’s Prairie, near Gainesville, which is where UF is (north central FL). These pictures were taken across the trail from one another...pretty sure they were about to mate as it was mating season. Needless to say we did not walk between these two...

 

 

 

Sorry for the digression but I geek out about Florida stuff sometimes...especially for someone who wants to leave after college, lol.

 

Again, awesome report and loved seeing the same cruise from a different perspective! I promise I am going to finish mine...

 

 

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Wow, those are wonderful pictures! Thank you so much for sharing them! I have heard Miami is wonderful, and plan to check out the city when I go on Symphony, which hopefully happens sooner than later! I have also wanted to go to the Keys. I’m surprised you want to leave after college, that’s what most people here in Minnesota say as they dream of living in Florida! The Everglades were beautiful, I am happy I got to check the place out and hope to return someday! Thank you again for all your kind words, and I look forward to reading more from your perspective!

 

 

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[CreativeCruiser119]

Lovely trinket from Grand Cayman!

 

 

 

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[kwazi07]

Wow, those are wonderful pictures! Thank you so much for sharing them! I have heard Miami is wonderful, and plan to check out the city when I go on Symphony, which hopefully happens sooner than later! I have also wanted to go to the Keys. I’m surprised you want to leave after college, that’s what most people here in Minnesota say as they dream of living in Florida! The Everglades were beautiful, I am happy I got to check the place out and hope to return someday! Thank you again for all your kind words, and I look forward to reading more from your perspective!

 

 

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Thanks! Be sure to go to Versailles in Little Havana if you have the time...it’s not the BEST Cuban food in Miami but it’s an institution! The Keys are nice but I always underestimate how long they are, lol.

 

And re: leaving after college. I love the weather here and the beaches but I love city life...UCLA for med school is my goal. I know I’m lucky to live where people vacation but I’m just looking for somewhere more exciting to spend my 20s/30s. I’d be down to move to Miami, but I LOVE CA...let’s see where life leads.

 

 

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[CreativeCruiser119]

Final Thoughts & Ratings

 

Okay, now that I have finished the report part, I thought I would share my thoughts. Now I will warn you, some of this may be a bit biased simply because of how much I love Royal Caribbean, but I will try to be as honest as I can. So here goes.

 

Ship: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a wonderful ship with that megaship feel, but still has a lot of the original things that Freedom class is known for. I would gladly sail on Freedom again, and plan to do down the road after she gets the drydock that Liberty received shortly before my sailing on her, and is being done on Independence as I write this. Besides the crowds, which had a minuscule effect on my otherwise perfect vacation, I had the time of my life and am extremely grateful for yet another cruise vacation in the books. Highly recommend the Freedom of the Seas and Royal Caribbean in general!!

 

Crew & Service: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The crew was phenomenal. Always willing to do whatever they can to be of service, from our stateroom attendant to the dining room staff and more. Nothing but the highest of accolades for this dedicated group of people.

 

Food & Beverage: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Okay, I can be really biased when it comes to food because just about anything I eat on a cruise ship is good, but I thought it was very good on this ship. I have enjoyed Sorrento’s Pizza on every cruise we’ve been on, but Mom can attest that it’s been better on some ships than others. It was cooked perfectly on this ship, and I frequently had a slice or two as a late-night snack. We also love the Cafe Promenade. Of course, the Main Dining Room and Windjammer buffet were fabulous, as were the virgin cocktails I ordered from the various bars onboard.

 

Staterooms: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved our staterooms. The double balcony was nice, having adjoining rooms. Our stateroom attendant Carlito did a remarkable job keeping everything ship-shape and was always flexible around our schedule. Well done.

 

Shore Excursion #1 - Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman: 4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️[emoji92]

This was a great experience, and I enjoyed everything about it. The reason for the half-star deduction was due to our driver’s apparent laid-back attitude toward the ship’s schedule. Don’t get me wrong, he was a great guy and did everything exactly right in getting us there and back, I just felt like he could’ve been a little more accommodating in making sure we weren’t the last ones back onboard. Other than that, I absolutely loved this experience, and would highly recommend.

 

Shore Excursion #2 - Triple Play, Costa Maya: 4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️[emoji92]

Once again, very much enjoyed, the only reason for 4.5 stars being that the cenote wasn’t quite as much as we had hoped. Other than that, it was very unique, especially the tandem biking! Would recommend.

 

Shore Excursion #3 - Paradise Beach, Cozumel: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

While I enjoyed all of our excursions, this was my favorite one. The property is absolutely breathtaking, and the staff are extremely kind and helpful. No complaints at all here, there’s so much to do from the beach to the pool to the water sports activities, not enough to do in one day. I would most definitely recommend a visit to Paradise Beach, and look forward to returning.

 

Shore Excursion #4 - Everglades Animal Park & Boat Tour, Fort Lauderdale: 4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️[emoji92]

I absolutely loved this, everything from seeing the animals to touring the Everglades by boat. The half-star deduction is due to our driver’s dozing off on the job (go back a few posts to read about this). Once again, not his fault if he was tired, but at the same time, there were several of us waiting and our belongings were in that bus. At least it didn’t happen while he was driving! Overall, this was such an amazing experience, we had never been to the Everglades before and thought this was the perfect way to visit. Highly recommend.

 

Shore Excursions Overall: 4.625/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️[emoji94]

Despite my VERY minor complaints, I loved each and every one of our shore excursions. Despite not getting to do our planned excursion in Grand Cayman, we got to experience a famous beach, and overall had a blast getting to know the islands we had never visited and revisiting Cozumel for the 4th time as a family.

 

Experience Overall: 4.925/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a trip to remember, I could (and have) go on and on about how great of a time I had. If I had the chance to repeat the whole thing, I would do it in a heartbeat.

 

So those are my final thoughts, and if anybody has any questions or would like clarification in any area, please don’t hesitate to ask! I’m still not done - next up: the next cruise? Just because I don’t have anything booked, that doesn’t mean I can’t start planning! Stay tuned to find out!

 

 

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[kwazi07]

Great summary and fair points! Looking forward to hearing about the next cruise...I’m in the same position, planning but nothing booked. But, we may be “jumping ship” onto another cruise line ;)

 

 

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[CreativeCruiser119]

Thanks! Be sure to go to Versailles in Little Havana if you have the time...it’s not the BEST Cuban food in Miami but it’s an institution! The Keys are nice but I always underestimate how long they are, lol.

 

And re: leaving after college. I love the weather here and the beaches but I love city life...UCLA for med school is my goal. I know I’m lucky to live where people vacation but I’m just looking for somewhere more exciting to spend my 20s/30s. I’d be down to move to Miami, but I LOVE CA...let’s see where life leads.

 

 

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Mental note taken! Thanks so much for the recommendation! And I agree, it’s always nice to see new places! I’ve become attached to Minnesota and actually enjoy the seasons (we’ll see how I stand on that when I have to shovel my driveway every day), but as of now I plan to stay here but travel often - and yes, that means many cruises! I just hope I can marry someone who I can get as into cruising as I am. California is beautiful, as a matter of fact our next big family trip is in August to San Diego, where we like to go every few years to spend a week or so on La Jolla Beach. Absolutely marvelous. Best of luck to you in your studies, I have no doubt in my mind that you’ll go far regardless of where you choose to go to school!

 

 

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[CreativeCruiser119]

Great summary and fair points! Looking forward to hearing about the next cruise...I’m in the same position, planning but nothing booked. But, we may be “jumping ship” onto another cruise line [emoji6]

 

 

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Thank you so much again! Now that you’ve cruised Voyager and Freedom class, perhaps Oasis class may be a possible contender? Just a recommendation - we absolutely love it! Regardless of whether you stick with Royal or not, cruising is a great way to vacation and see new places and you’ll have a great time whichever line you choose! I can’t wait to hear all about it when you do!

 

 

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[CreativeCruiser119]

The Next One: I Just Wanna Be a Part of Your Symphony!

 

That was fun! I very much enjoyed writing this trip report. Now, while I do not have any cruises booked, I do have plans to sail on the brand new Symphony of the Seas as soon as possible. I also plan to sail on the future Oasis 5 when it comes out, as well as Freedom’s sister, Independence of the Seas, down the road as she is in drydock right now getting refurbished, and I will be able to say I’ve completed the Freedom-class trifecta.

 

Since Matt’s and my spring breaks don’t seem to align any more - this year was an anomaly - my family is done with cruises for the time being, and our next big trip after this summer’s California trip will be Hawaii in the summer of 2019, which I am still looking forward to. However, I still very much plan to cruise with friends, and at the very latest I’ll be booking Symphony the day after I turn 21 in January of 2020! So 2019 may be a cruising gap year for me (we’ll see) but I’ll do my best to get on Symphony as soon as possible, and anticipate I’ll be cruising over summer 2020 at the latest. Matt also wants to cruise to Alaska one day, so we’ll see what becomes of that. I think that would be a unique experience as well.

 

My Symphony cruise obviously won’t be booked for quite some time, but when I do book, I’ll try my best to remember to write it here! And you can expect another one of these reports after that cruise! It will be one of the 7-night Caribbean sailings out of Miami, which look to have some pretty cool ports. I don’t know which one yet, as I loved Roatan when I went there on Liberty, but also really want to see the new waterpark in Coco Cay! I have only been there once, during my first cruise in 2012 on Monarch, but it was obviously much different than it will be by the time Symphony comes to the Caribbean. So we’ll have to see!

 

For my accommodation and that of any friend(s) that join me, I will be looking at the cheapest option, a category Q interior stateroom. Yes, I love a view, especially a balcony, but since I am a college student on a budget, I can go without it. I’m just happy to be on the ship, and the category Q’s are conveniently close to the aft elevator lobbies and several activities on the ship such as the Boardwalk.

 

I will be focusing around Deck 9 or 10 as these are right in the middle of everything, and this was part of what I loved about my Deck 10 location on Harmony. Practically equidistant from the Royal Promenade/ entertainment and the pool deck, and within close proximity to one of my favorite places, Central Park. If anyone has feedback, please let me know! I look forward to it already.

 

Next up: closing remarks! I’ll save that for tomorrow, so you have one last post to look forward to. Have a great night everyone!

 

~Once again, I own no rights to this beautiful photo of the Symphony of the Seas.~

 

 

 

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Edited April 17, 2018 by CreativeCruiser119

[CreativeCruiser119]

Day 7 - Saturday, March 31

Breakfast & Disembarkation

 

We arrived back at Port Everglades Terminal 29 bright and early, and it wasn’t long before they were already paging into cabins calling numbers to disembark and trying to track people down. I’ll also add, given the topic, that I did not hear any of lost kid announcements like we have on past cruises, for example “would (insert name here) from (insert deck # here) please proceed to Guest Services.” They must have a new method of finding them, as I the only two announcements I heard all week paging people to Guest Services were on the first day before departure and on the last morning just before getting off the ship.

 

At this point all room keys had been deactivated, so after opening our phones and checking notifications, we packed our belongings and ate breakfast in the Windjammer before heading to the Arcadia Theater to meet up with our group for our post-cruise excursion. On the way to the front, we crossed the pool deck where I took a short video of the H2O Zone, as, being 19, I had never made it in there despite being a kid at heart and enjoying the spinning current pool during my Oasis and Allure cruises. I will also add that I had seen pictures from Freedom class ships of the main H2O Zone pool being 5’7” deep, but they fixed it during Liberty’s drydock making it 2 feel deep. It appears that, at some point, they did the same on Freedom, which I felt was much more appropriate for its intended audience. I also took a short video of Super Mario’s Office.

 

Our post-cruise excursion was an Everglades Boat Tour. We had originally booked this last year, but cancelled due to everyone being worn down, particularly me due to my sickness. As I’ve mentioned here and in my Harmony review, my minor cold didn’t stop me in the least from making the most of my experience, but by that time we were all just ready to go home! So we booked it again for this year, and I’ll cover it in detail in my next post.

 

After everyone from our group was in attendance, we were led out of the theater and off the ship with no lines. Quite an advantage of booking post-cruise excursions, as by the time we had cleared customs and began boarding our bus to the Everglades, we looked up and saw a long line of people waiting to get off the ship! Customs wasn’t any longer than usual, and before we knew it we were off for our final excursion of the cruise.

 

Next up: Everglades Boat Tour & Animal Park! (Sorry for photo quality - once again, video screenshots)

 

 

 

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I forgot, I did make it to the H2O Zone once, very briefly on Day 2 - I got hot while watching the bellyflop contest, so I had my family save my spot on Deck 12 while I went down to the pool deck, ran across the splash pad to cool off, and then quickly made my way back upstairs before I could miss any more of the competition. It was fun!

 

 

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[CreativeCruiser119]

Closing Remarks

 

Well, folks, this is it! I sincerely hope you all have enjoyed reading this review as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Even though the review itself is done, I will continue to be subscribed to this thread, so I will be still be notified of all comments that come through and make sure to reply to each one. So I highly encourage you all to continue to leave your thoughts and questions!

 

I would like to say thank you, first of all, to my family for booking this, to our stateroom attendant Carlito for taking care of us, waiter Lizel and assistant waiter Sutirtha for their unmatched service in the Dining Room, Captain Espen and his navigation officers for driving us around and keeping us safe for the week, to Drew and Alex and their entire entertainment team for making the onboard experience one to remember, and to the rest of the crew on Freedom of the Seas who make sure guests like us have the vacation of a lifetime. And last but most certainly not least, thanks to all of you for reading! I wouldn’t have any reason to write this if I didn’t have an audience, so thank you all for giving me a reason to recap my journey! I have very much enjoyed sharing my experiences and interacting with you all.

 

I hope you all have enjoyed what I have written, and once again encourage everyone to continue weighing in with your thoughts and questions as I will continue to monitor both this thread and my one from Harmony. Until next time, take care, and thanks again for joining me as I recapped my Freedom of the Seas adventure! Happy sailing to all, and to all a great cruise!

 

 

 

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Edited April 17, 2018 by CreativeCruiser119

[CreativeCruiser119]

One last thing I forgot to add: my new and improved Royal Caribbean SeaPass Card collection! From left to right and top to bottom, these are my cards from Monarch, Oasis, Allure, Liberty, Harmony, and now Freedom + my WOWband from Harmony. All of these will be kept, and the collection will only be added to as the years go on!

 

Thank you all once again for reading, this was a blast to write and I once again encourage everyone to continue to let me know your thoughts and ask any questions you may have! Just because I’m done with the formal review, that doesn’t mean I won’t still be keeping tabs on this thread! Safe travels to all, and I can’t wait to read more reviews from other perspectives!

 

 

 

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[CreativeCruiser119]

Hello all!

I have just started a thread with the Cruise Compasses for this sailing:https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=56326678#post56326678

I know Freedom is no longer sailing this itinerary (relocated to San Juan last month) but figured it may be helpful to anyone looking for an idea of what goes on onboard the ship. Thanks again to everyone who followed along here, and happy sailing to all!

[CreativeCruiser119]

Saturday, August 4

UPDATE: The next ones (Yes, ones with an S!)

Hello again everyone! I told you I would still keep this thread active, and a promise is a promise right? Well, my family and I have been doing some planning, and we have not one, but two cruises in the works! Granted they are rather far out, but we still have them to look forward to - despite the fact that they’re not even open for booking yet! But at least that will allow us to snag the best cabins right away!

 

We have the next few summers all planned out and while not all of them are cruises, they’re all to warm places so I’m extremely excited for each and every one! I’d talk about them all if I could, but this is a cruise site so I’ll go more in detail on the cruises. Our plans are:

 

-End of this month (summer 2018): 8 days in La Jolla, California - a trip we do every 2-3 years and enjoy! In 2015 we also made a day trip to Disneyland a part of the trip (we fly out but rent a car for the week), which we will do again this year! Now I’ll be able to say I’ve been to both Disney World and Disneyland twice!

-Summer 2019: 10 days in Hawaii, something we have been looking forward to for awhile and can finally check off the bucket list!

-Summer 2020: Symphony of the Seas return to the Caribbean - we will be looking for one that stops at both Roatan and Coco Cay, as we enjoyed Roatan on our 2016 Liberty cruise and also have not been to Coco Cay since our first cruise back in 2012 on the Monarch, and of course the new Perfect Day island makeover is too tempting to pass up!

-Summer 2021: Ovation of the Seas, finally checking off Quantum class and Alaska! This will be for my brother’s high school graduation, we’re hoping Ovation will still be in Alaska but given that she arrives in 2019, reliable sources have indicated to me that she will more than likely be there for awhile! Which is good, because we have always wanted to try a Quantum class ship, and feel that Alaska is the perfect place for one.

 

With me being in college and spring breaks most likely not lining up (again, we got lucky this past year!), we figured summer would be the way to go. At first my parents were hesitant about going to the Caribbean in the summer due to the heat, but none of us could pass up a chance to go on Symphony so the plan now is to stock up on SPF and spend a lot of time in the water!

 

By 2021 I will be nearing the end of my college career, earning my bachelor’s degree in accounting and then going an extra year for my CPA. I am currently working an unpaid internship for the summer at the City Hall in a neighboring suburb from where I live, working part-time in the city’s finance department. For me, right now it’s more about gaining experience and building up the resume, so since they were willing to hire me, who am I to complain about money when I have more than enough saved up anyway? Anyway, the point is, even though I’ll be nearing the end of my college career, I’ll still be living at home simply because dorm life just isn’t for me! So I guess I can say I’ll be making the most of my last few years of living under this roof - couldn’t think of a better way to do it!

 

That being said, summer 2020 sailings are not yet open for booking (only up through April 2020 at the moment), but we’re already looking at cabins for that cruise! You may recall me mentioning going on Symphony with friends and staying an interior cabin - well, they’re still welcome to come at their own expense, but as a family we will be staying in our same cabin arrangement as on Harmony, that being Deck 10 with the parents in an oceanview balcony and Matt and I directly across the hall in a Central Park balcony - we wrote down our top 3 choices after looking at the deck plan. Our first choice is 10206 and 10207, which are the exact same cabins as we had on Harmony (except the balcony 10207 is angled slightly differently on Symphony). Our second choice would be next door to the aft in 10208 and 10209, and our third choice is the mirror image of our Harmony cabins, which would be 10606 and 10607. I would be perfectly happy with any of the three!

 

We really loved our cabins on Harmony, so it will be nice to have the best of both worlds again! We loved this location because of the musician directly below, outside of Park Cafe (port side, directly below cabins 10197-10213, about) and Jamie’s Italian (starboard side, directly below ~10597-10613). In addition, 10206 and 10606 have a slightly angled balcony due to being at the end of a hump, but do not cost extra since they still aren’t quite as large as the extra-spacious balconies on the center of the hump. That was also a unique perspective for us on Harmony!

 

I will be back with another update when that’s booked, and if 2021 bookings open at the same time, we might book Ovation then as well! As far as itinerary and cabins on that cruise, all we know is that we will be going to Alaska and that at least one of the cabins will be an oceanview balcony, with the second one being either an adjoining balcony (as with Freedom), or a virtual balcony across the hall. Again, stay tuned - Symphony may not be open for booking for several months, Ovation likely even further out, but rest assured I’ll be back when Symphony is booked, and again after that once Ovation is booked!

 

Anyway, I just wanted to give you all this update as we as a family have decided on these plans and are beyond excited to take each and every one of these trips! Thanks again everyone for following, and I encourage everyone to continue asking any questions you may have! Until then, I’ll see you once we’re booked, and more than likely again for future trip reports from Symphony and Ovation!

 

NOTE: as with all photos that I post that weren’t taken by myself or a family member, I do not own any of the photos in this post nor do I receive any incentive for using them. Full credit rightfully belongs to Royal Caribbean International and each image’s respective uploader on Google Images.

 

Take care everyone, and happy cruising! [emoji924]

 

 

 

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Edited August 4, 2018 by CreativeCruiser119

[CreativeCruiser119]

Not to mention I turn 21 in January 2020, so I’ll be able to enjoy the complimentary wine that comes with the Central Park balcony ;)