Just off Freedom...W. Caribbean 4/5-4/11

[jbroons]

Great Review...I feel like I'm at an old time movie...waiting each week for the next serial installment....

 

We did the Rays, Reef, and Rum last year...thanks for giving it a good review...we loved the tour and especially loved our beach time at Rum Point.

 

We have done the falls before so we are just doing the Bamboo Beach excursion...can you tell me more about the beach...drinks...food....

 

Thanks....and of course....keep it coming.

 

Thank you!!

The beach at Bamboo Beach Club is beautiful, although crowded in spots from dancers, dj, singers, etc.. (There are plenty of "quiet areas" off to both sides. The sand is super-soft and the water just perfect...you'll love it I think.

 

The drinks are unlimited rum punch, mojitos, lemonade and, I think, iced-tea. The rum, which I had;), comes in little plastic cups but is surprisingly quite strong. The drinks are brought around on trays the whole time and are also available outside the main building. You can also buy other drinks, like the ones that come in those huge coconuts!!

 

The food is also offerred the whole time and it included pasta, jamaican dumplings, jerk chicken (very good) and some other things I can't recall. It's all served Tapas-style, meaning appetizers served on small plates.

 

The only real negative is we only stayed there for 1 1/2 hours....we wanted more!!

[cruisebie]

Until I get at least twenty responses now I will not finish this review, savvy?!

 

Can I hear a call-out for Freedom! Is there anybody out there?....Can I hear a shout-out for Freedom...Can you hear me people??!! Ask not what your ship can do for you....Ask what you can do for your ship!!

 

 

Ok, I'm willing to step up to the plate! How many more times do I need to post?:D

 

You're review is great! I feel like I'm on the ship with you. Can't wait for the next installment. I'll be on the Freedom in June-same 6 day itinerary and it can't come soon enough.

[jbroons]

We're booked on the Moby Dick tour for Stingray City, but after your review I'm thikng about switching to Native Way. Were there other tours at the beach? Lots of shells or did your daughter get lucky? How much was your DVD and do you love it? GO FREEDOM!!!! 17 days to go! (yikes!)

 

NativeWay was great but I can't speak for the other tours. Again, there were 18-20 guests on our boat and the other tours were ALL packed with 35-40...that alone is a reason to go with NativeWay. They also give you squid, if you want, so you can feed the rays...just great!!

 

Kyra got lucky!! After she came back with this beautiful shell, I walked back out with her and there were no other ones like it to be found...luck o' the irish!!

 

The disc we bought is pictures only. It was like $15.00 per picture...so 3 pictures - $45.00...pricey! However, the shots of the girls are priceless with the looks of fear on their pretty faces...one with Shannon even kissing a lucky ray! One of the pictures will actually be our Christmas card next year!!

 

Have a wonderful cruise!!

[lgerrish]

Thank you!!

The beach at Bamboo Beach Club is beautiful, although crowded in spots from dancers, dj, singers, etc.. (There are plenty of "quiet areas" off to both sides. The sand is super-soft and the water just perfect...you'll love it I think.

 

The drinks are unlimited rum punch, mojitos, lemonade and, I think, iced-tea. The rum, which I had;), comes in little plastic cups but is surprisingly quite strong. The drinks are brought around on trays the whole time and are also available outside the main building. You can also buy other drinks, like the ones that come in those huge coconuts!!

 

The food is also offerred the whole time and it included pasta, jamaican dumplings, jerk chicken (very good) and some other things I can't recall. It's all served Tapas-style, meaning appetizers served on small plates.

 

The only real negative is we only stayed there for 1 1/2 hours....we wanted more!!

 

Hi jbroons,

We are doing the Bamboo Beach Club excursion as well. Can I ask why you were there only 1.5 hours - can we stay longer than that?

Lynn (who will be at Bamboo Beach Club in 7 days!)

[jbroons]

Glad you had a great time, John! Kelly is boarding the Destiny right now, and the rest of us will be joining her on Monday. Then 12 short months till the Splendor. I have got to get busy making a decision about my fall cruise!

 

Thanks! Have a GREAT time Karen!! I know that much preparation and anticipation has been building for you guys for a long time....and it's almost here!! Your Destiny awaits!! :p

[dna515]

Cant wait to read! I will be on the Freedom July 4th! Are there pictures?!

 

thanks soooo much!

 

cbc

 

 

I'm also going on July 4. Do you think they will do anything special for the holiday?

[jbroons]

Ok, I'm willing to step up to the plate! How many more times do I need to post?:D

 

You're review is great! I feel like I'm on the ship with you. Can't wait for the next installment. I'll be on the Freedom in June-same 6 day itinerary and it can't come soon enough.

 

Thanks Jeanie....I was just trying to motivate the Freedom lovers!!;)

 

Freedom in June....I'm jealous!! You may have told me before but have you been to KW, GC or OR before?? I did a ton of research so if I can help with ANYTHING, just ask.

 

John

[jbroons]

Hi jbroons,

We are doing the Bamboo Beach Club excursion as well. Can I ask why you were there only 1.5 hours - can we stay longer than that?

Lynn (who will be at Bamboo Beach Club in 7 days!)

 

Good question....We were delayed at the very beginning sitting on the bus for 20-25 minutes waiting for 2 people who never showed-up. Then, because Dunn's River Falls was soo crowded, that part took about 1 1/2 hours instead of the usual 45 minutes. The walk to & from the Falls to the bus was about 15 minutes each.....and the bus rides were 20-30 minutes each time (from Freedom to the Falls, from the Falls to BBC and from BBC back to Freedom). They also wanted to make sure that everyone got to their ships on time.

 

You can stay longer if you get your own transportation back to the ship.

[jbroons]

I'm also going on July 4. Do you think they will do anything special for the holiday?

 

I'm sure that CBC will give you some information as well. I believe that Disney is the only cruiseline that is allowed to have fireworks shows....probably because they own Castaway Cay so it's their property. That's just my guess anyway....no fireworks on Carnival.

[newbieMom]

Is it tonight yet????

[mitchpam]

Love the cliff hanger ending... very creative. Keeps 'em coming back! We have looked at this itinerary a few times and think it seems very well paced. My only fear is...do you think 6 days is a long enough cruise? (dumb question, cause I know it's not, but were you able to fully relax and enjoy in that time?)

Can't wait for the rest of the story....

[jbroons]

Love the cliff hanger ending... very creative. Keeps 'em coming back! We have looked at this itinerary a few times and think it seems very well paced. My only fear is...do you think 6 days is a long enough cruise? (dumb question, cause I know it's not, but were you able to fully relax and enjoy in that time?)

Can't wait for the rest of the story....

 

Thanks so much! Yes, 6 days is long enough! I found that the time spent in ports was not long enough....kind of like a tease! However, what it does do is give you a taste of someplace that may become a vacation choice in the future....like Grand Cayman!!;)

[jbroons]

Is it tonight yet????

 

Almost! You are truly insatiable!!;)

 

See you real soon....

[chevygirlgonecruizin]

Love the daily review! I too am going on the Freedom in 17 days! :o I just booked the Tranopy tour thru Carnival for our Jamaica excursion. I like to be adventurous. (chairlift, bobsled and zip-line).We plan on just enjoying the beach and shops in Grand Cayman. On our last cruise with Carnival we swam with the stingrays at their private island and it's definately something everyone should do at least once.

:confused: Question... Do you know if the cabin doors on the Freedom are metal? I wanted to decorate my door and didn't know if I could use magnets to hang things or if I needed to bring tape.

Thanks,

Kelly

[AnnieB925]

We're sailing on Freedom on May 3!!! This review is making me crazy! I just can't wait to go.

 

We missed GC on our last W.Carribean cruise due to rough seas. The captain made 3 attempts and then gave up. We had another "fun" day at sea. I soooo want to make it in this time!

 

EXCELLENT Review........keep in comin'!:D

 

GC is the abbreviation for Grand Caymans. It is one of the nicest, refined, albeit expensive ports in the Carribean!!

 

On this cruise, there was a problem with tendering at the downtown area due to rough seas and the tide. There is another tendering area that is a distance from the center of town. However, they can only handle 3 ships there. There were 5 ships sheduled for that day. The Carnival Pride followed the itinerary as the Freedom except they left from Miami. They had to just sail past GC and lost a day at port!! The Pride is a smaller ship. We figured GC would rather have a ship with 3,600 passengers than one with just over 2,000!!!

[Kan't Wait]

I am enjoying your review as well.

 

We will be on Freedom May 9th for the 8 day to Cozumel, Costa Rica and Panama.

I am glad to hear that you think the food is great. I watch what I eat and try to eat as healthful as I can. I will eat foods that are "bad" for me while on vacation if they taste reeealy good; so honestly how is the fish and chips? Is it worth the fat and calories or is it just okay? I already get that we need to try the warm melting chocolate cake....did you happen to try any other desserts like the Bitter Blanc? Can you recall if they had fresh berries- like blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries? Do they have a ice cream like Hagen Daas? My husband loves Indian food and I read that they have an Indian station at the buffet- did you happen to try that?

I know that you traveled with your daughters but did you happen by the piano bar and if so was how was that? Were there any areas that seemed to have too much smoke in the air besides the cigar bar and casino?

I guess that's it for now, thank you.

[jbroons]

Love the daily review! I too am going on the Freedom in 17 days! :o I just booked the Tranopy tour thru Carnival for our Jamaica excursion. I like to be adventurous. (chairlift, bobsled and zip-line).We plan on just enjoying the beach and shops in Grand Cayman. On our last cruise with Carnival we swam with the stingrays at their private island and it's definately something everyone should do at least once.

:confused: Question... Do you know if the cabin doors on the Freedom are metal? I wanted to decorate my door and didn't know if I could use magnets to hang things or if I needed to bring tape.

Thanks,

Kelly

 

I'm jealous of you too...17 days...good for you!! I am not sure about the door being metal....just bring magnets & tape. Every door I saw decorated had tape used, fyi.

[jbroons]

I am enjoying your review as well.

 

We will be on Freedom May 9th for the 8 day to Cozumel' date=' Costa Rica and Panama.

I am glad to hear that you think the food is great. I watch what I eat and try to eat as healthful as I can. I will eat foods that are "bad" for me while on vacation if they taste reeealy good; so honestly how is the fish and chips? Is it worth the fat and calories or is it just okay? I already get that we need to try the warm melting chocolate cake....did you happen to try any other desserts like the Bitter Blanc? Can you recall if they had fresh berries- like blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries? Do they have a ice cream like Hagen Daas? My husband loves Indian food and I read that they have an Indian station at the buffet- did you happen to try that?

I know that you traveled with your daughters but did you happen by the piano bar and if so was how was that? Were there any areas that seemed to have too much smoke in the air besides the cigar bar and casino?

I guess that's it for now, thank you.[/quote']

 

1. In the MDR there are "healthy" selections available throughout the meal...I didn't try any but heard that they were very good.

2. Fish & Chips were VERY good...3 sauces to select from. Yes, it's worth the caloric intake.

3. Yes, we had creme brulee and baked alaska......both VERY good.

4. No Haagen Dazs.....soft ice cream at the self-serve station and "hard" ice cream in the MDR, which I thought was very good. Again, not Haagen Dazs or Ben & Jerry's though!!

5. The piano bar was great....didn't spend a lot of time there but a lot of pax were raving about the good time they had.

6. Smoke.....No, besides Habana Bar and the Casino, the only other place I saw smoking was outside on Lido next to the bar area...port side I believe.

7. Didn't try the Indian food but heard that it's awesome....seriously....spice level however you want!!

8. Berries.....I know they had melons, strawberries, bananas & apples but don't recall seeing blueberries, blackberries, etc.....sorry...maybe someone else can recall.

 

Anything else, just let me know!!;)

[jbroons]

We're sailing on Freedom on May 3!!! This review is making me crazy! I just can't wait to go.

 

We missed GC on our last W.Carribean cruise due to rough seas. The captain made 3 attempts and then gave up. We had another "fun" day at sea. I soooo want to make it in this time!

 

EXCELLENT Review........keep in comin'!:D

 

Thank you....I guarantee that you will make it to GC this time;) Can you take me with you on May 3rd? Please....Pretty please? Have a magical time!....Oh wait, that's Disney!!:p

[crazy cajun]

The crazy cajuns ( Bob & Sherrie) will be invadeing the freedom on 5-9-09.

If you don't want to party hard avoid the folks w/ the LSU purple and gold on.

We have a great roll call going and a cabin crawl and maybe poker crawl for the cruise.

TA called and said docs are in and it's getting

close.

Hopefully the night sweats and tremors wont start till we are in single digit count down.

[jbroons]

The crazy cajuns ( Bob & Sherrie) will be invadeing the freedom on 5-9-09.

If you don't want to party hard avoid the folks w/ the LSU purple and gold on.

We have a great roll call going and a cabin crawl and maybe poker crawl for the cruise.

TA called and said docs are in and it's getting

close.

Hopefully the night sweats and tremors wont start till we are in single digit count down.

 

 

Excellent....just do not forget your ginger root capsules, crawfish and po boys. I hear that the SoNoLa food station on Freedom is superb...quite spicy;)

[newbieMom]

Kelly & Annie ~ WooHoo! We're on the same cruise:) I get a little dizzy when I think how close it's getting. DH & I cruised for our honeymoon 17 years ago, but not since. I'm packing already;) So, who are you both traveling with? Husbands, friends, boyfriends, kids????

[newbieMom]

By the way.....the sun is setting here in Chicago. Tick tock!

[cruisebie]

Thanks Jeanie....I was just trying to motivate the Freedom lovers!!;)

 

Freedom in June....I'm jealous!! You may have told me before but have you been to KW, GC or OR before?? I did a ton of research so if I can help with ANYTHING, just ask.

 

John

 

I've been to GC a couple of times-beautiful place! But haven't been to KW or OR.

 

The BBC sounds great in Ocho, we may do that. This time around it's just DH & me, and he is having some problems with his foot, so I think we will skip DRF. That climb sounds like it might be a little tough with a foot problem.

 

In KW, we'll probably do the Old Town Trolley, just to see everything. And then hit some of the bars and stumble back to the ship.:p Which bar was it that you said had web cams? I'd better avoid that one!;)

[crazy cajun]

Excellent....just do not forget your ginger root capsules, crawfish and po boys. I hear that the SoNoLa food station on Freedom is superb...quite spicy;)

had 6 lbs of boiled crawfish for lunch today.

Glad the boss ate them also . we both snuck a short nap in after lunch.