A
Presentation from One Busy Guy ...
Greetings guests,
fellow crew and OCCASIONAL browsers!
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'.
I came on board in the early fall of 2009 and stayed
for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years... and my birthday. It seemed like a
good idea at the time!
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 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.
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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.
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Destination Videos
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Videos are Posted on
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