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Carnival Freedom - February 20, 2016 - Blogger Cruise

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So this is the cruise Jen and I will be on. We are SO excited!

We were originally booked for the same day on Glory, the exact same itinerary I did in January of 2013, with a couple of friends of mine from Kansas City. There has been a falling out and Jen and I decided to change itineraries. The thought of being neighbors with former friends would've been awkward.

As a result, Jen and I will experience Freedom for the first time together. It appears to be very similar to Glory, but I will be honest, I didn't see as much of the ship as I could have. I became quite comfortable with new friends I made and ended up hanging in the same place for most of the week. I guess I could be considered a creature of habit.

This cruise will be different. Jen and I will want to see and experience as much as possible while on the ship while relaxing and enjoying the views as well. I was a part of a Facebook group on Glory, but I never made the time to go to any of the meet-ups. This time, being on a Bloggers Cruise, it appears there will be a lot more options for activities and whatnot. Have any of you been on a Bloggers Cruise?

I think Jen and I will take part in a couple of things, but she and I will definitely let loose more while on our own. I have wonderful memories throughout the years with Jen, and I expect to make more on this trip. From the eleven hour drive to Galveston, to the ship and all the ports, and the ride back home, I think it will be amazing!

We haven't booked any excursions, and we don't plan to. I enjoyed walking around the shopping places, people watching, and finding quaint places for a snack and a drink on my last cruise. We will take tons of silly pictures on our own time and then head back to the ship for more fun. We don't plan to wear ourselves out trying to get to everything. Jen and I enjoy the simple stuff.

Jen is an amazing singer. We will spend time at the karaoke bar. I like trivia, but everything I've read, there are a lot of people who cheat, so I don't see getting into that. I may try my luck at some Bingo and at some 3-card Poker in the casino. Any suggestions?

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Michelle - Your cruise on the Freedom will be lots of fun! I've never been on one, but the Carnival Bloggers cruise is the annual cruise hosted by Carnival's senior cruise director, John Heald, for fans of his blog. I hear "Tea Time with John" is very popular.

Sounds like you've got a great plan for your cruise. I am a plan-head kind of person - especially when we do European cruises with all the history and culture and not-to-miss sites. In the Caribbean, though, sometimes it's just as fun to make it up as you go! :smile: As a sometime-blogger myself, I do like to see a new ship from top to bottom, and I find that the best time to do that is early a.m. while everyone's still sleeping. I get up, throw some clothes on, take my camera and see all the areas of the ship that I may not make it to for the rest of the itinerary. It's quiet, and I can get some great sunrise photos, too! I return to the cabin just as my cabin mate is waking up. After a shower and change (or maybe a nap, LOL!), I'm ready for breakfast!

Karaoke is always fun. My daughter, a voice major in college, always does it - including the live version with a band, but it's also fun to watch those other brave souls get up and wail their hearts out! My husband and I played Broadway Trivia on our last cruise, and as much as we thought we knew, there was a theater kid there who was smarter than us! I don't think it's cheating so much as it is people who are trivia nuts and do every trivia contest on every cruise.

My husband likes to be entertained and gets bored sitting around, while I like to relax a lot - in a lounge, in the sun, or whatever. But I do try to make a point of trying one new thing on every cruise. On our last cruise, it was Wii bowling. What a blast!

Whatever you choose, have fun!

Jan

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We have been on the Freedom at least 3 (possibly 4) times and have loved each cruise. We got back this October and was not at all disappointed. They have made some huge improvements and changes on the Lido deck that will not disappoint. If you have the same cruise director, you will LOVE him. Loaded with personality and truly gets in to the cruising spirit.

Didn't do any of the shows. Basically used the 7 days as a true vacation of getting up when we did, eating when we did, doing what we want and sleeping when we wanted to.

Didn't plan any excursions and had a wonderful time. Our first stop was Roatan. Jerry stayed on the ship. I got out and walked around. Found a "native" who spent about 1.5 hours talking to me about the island, the tourism, etc. Next stop was Belize. We hooked up with the Red Cross in Belize and volunteered our time. THE most amazing experience ever. Last stop was Cozumel. We took a taxi to Chan Kanaab Park (our favorite place), parked ourselves under the thatched "roof" and people watched. Walked around the park, took pictures like a tourist, went back to the beach and parked again.

Gotta love being on island mode. Hope you two get to share in the same type of leisurely experience.

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Deb, that is the exact itinerary we are doing in February! Thank you for sharing.

Jen and I will do similar to what you did. We will definitely try a show, but we won't be devastated if flashy lights divert us in a different direction.It's all about what is making us happy at any given moment. She and I are so in sync, and without saying a word, we can get away from anything to move on to other things. We are very good travel companions.

I love the little shops around port. I know many pressure people to buy, but I'm convinced I have resting face,so I'm very rarely bugged. Oh, and Jen and I are definitely people watchers. :tongue:

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We had room service on non port days for coffee, tea and pastries. It served as our wake up call and it was really nice to just have that little bit of pampering. One night I tried room service again and was told that it would be over an hour. So I declined. But that told me that folks are really using the service.

I'm a coffee lover (ok, snob) and I brought Starbucks VIA with me. Didn't have to use it. The coffee from the lido deck was quite delish and was never burnt, dull or leaving you with a nasty taste.

Let me know if you have any questions and I'll try to address them. I still haven't put my scrap book together. I do have the book with all of the excursions so I can certainly provide info ...

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I consider myself quite the coffee snub as well, but you couldn't pay me to drink Starbucks. I've never been a fan. It leaves a horrible taste in my mouth.

I remember the coffee on Glory being very good, but one thing I missed was my liquid French Vanilla creamer. I won't forget this time.

I get a little overwhelmed with all the negative reviews I see about Freedom. Trust me, I won't let it affect me. Frankly, I think people nitpick too much when it comes to Carnival. My vacations are what I make of it, and this one will be no exception. :)

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