A Presentation from One Busy Guy ... 

It was only a few weeks after my 'Explorer of the Seas' adventure that I traveled to Port Canaveral, Florida to join the 'Freedom of the Seas'. It was 195 miles and a little more than three hours but I did get really good mileage! Each ship and crew has its' own unique and distinct personality. The Freedom is currently one of the three largest cruise ships in the world with astronomical statistics. It's 1112 ft long and weighs in at 154,407 gross ton. It carries 4370 passengers and about 1376 crew. And for the next few months it will hold the Guinness Book of World Records spot as the largest passenger cruise ship in the world. In short, it's a really long walk to anywhere. Sister ships include the 'Liberty of the Seas' and the 'Independence of the Seas'. All will soon be eclipsed by the most grand cruise ship construct ever devised: 'The Oasis of the Seas'.

Click the Freedom crest for a little behind the scenes video. Click on the camera for slide show images of the ships interior.

All the grand vessels, the exotic itineraries and especially the masterful cuisine could not and would not exist without the multi-faceted, personal contributions of some 62 nationalities. Many individuals work long hours at impossibly tedious jobs and yet somehow manage to return time and again. Many crew members are away from home and family for 6 or 9 months. Even so you can count on receiving a warm smile or a lilting hello. Life altering friendships are forged here, new skill sets appear. To work closely together in this way expands perceptions. We come to embrace a sense of belonging that not only creates a superlative team effort, but we come to encounter our posture as citizens of the world. This abundant charm blends effortless into storied reunions and emotional farewells.

To work as the resident pub entertainer is demanding but it's also great. I'm able to meet guests at their  their very best. Looking for fun. Looking to celebrate. And so I have knitted together a bit of recent pub activity into a video I snapped from my stage. View it by clicking the 'Bull and Bear' graphic on the left. I'm also able to have crew access. For my part the best and most enjoyable cruise encounters is with the incredibly fascinating, indispensable and flat out awesome individuals who people this seascape with their gentle charm. Enjoy a cruise vacation and you will see for yourself! 

AT THIS WRITING:

The Freedom of the Seas sails consecutive 7 day Caribbean cruises. Week one of our itinerary departs a sleepy Port Canaveral on a Sunday afternoon. After a day at sea, we arrive at Royal Caribbean's private island/beach known as 'Labadee' (For more on Labadee view the slide show images below). Back on the ship we head to Ocho Rios, Jamaica (Wednesday); Grand Cayman (Thursday) and Cozumel, Mexico (Friday). Saturday is another day at sea returning us to Port Canaveral on Sunday morning. Another group of guests shuffles on board for the 2nd half of the ships itinerary. 

A second week on the Freedom will find you departing on Sunday afternoon as well and arriving at Coco Cay (Little Stirrup Cay, Bahamas) on Monday. This is also a private island/beach offered by Royal Caribbean. Where 'Labadee' features magnificent verdant slopes, 'Coco Cay' is sandy and flat with some rocky, volcanic shoreline. Tuesday is a day at sea. We arrive in St. Thomas (Wednesday) and St. Maarten (Thursday). St. Maarten has also expanded their port facilities to accommodate the 'Oasis of the Seas'. This is followed by two days at sea (Friday and Saturday) returning us once again to Port Canaveral where we arrive Sunday morning and prepare to set sail on the itinerary of week one.

Images on the left come from the private island of 'Labadee'. A stunning piece of real estate adjacent to and yet separate from the nation of Haiti. The island has been fitted with a water park, a roller coaster, a sky ride (zip line) and a number of cafes. All of this is in addition to the standard resort fare you might expect; wave runners, snorkel beaches, parasailing, beach mats and the like. A new docking pier has replaced the small 'tenders' (Nina, Pinta and Santa Marie) that once shuffled guests forth and back. The island is peppered with old stone battlements that have been integrated into a theme. All this along sandy beaches under the sizzling Caribbean sun. A pleasant 25 minute walk will bring you full circle.

Many guests stay on board for the entire two weeks (back to back cruisers). Modest panoramas of our cruise destinations are posted on You Tube and can be viewed by selecting the related image on the right. Or, you can click on a link below to view using Windows Media Player (wmv format).

Ship Tour Ocho Rios Grand Cayman Cozumel  Port Canaveral  St. Maarten  St. Thomas   The Pub

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