Hi and welcome back :)
...back to our 2008 holiday...
Next we boarded what was then one of 2 cruise ships with the grand title of 'Largest in the World'...
Royal Caribbean's 'Freedom of the Seas'...
passengers : 3600
crew : 1300
160 000 tons
15 Decks
Once again this 'boarding' was an exercise in HECTIC...
due to small kids...pensioners...a pram and a car-seat
but it was oh so exciting too...
Were we in for a treat!!!
EVERYTHING about the Freedom was magnificent... there is no other word for it...
our state-room...the food...the entertainment...the decor...the service...all A+
Her maiden voyage was in 2006... and so she was in pristine condition inside and out...and has since been refurbished in 2011.
What people who are not familiar with cruising need to understand is that it's a floating hotel resort holiday...
with stunning views that are ever changing...food for my soul...
and it's exactly the kind of holiday you want...you can do as much or as little as you wish...
lie around reading from sunrise till sunset or keep busy...VERY BUSY... you will NEVER get through all this ship has to offer...there is just no way... she has something for everyone...
what more could one ask for or need or want...NOTHING...
Cruising is THE IDEAL holiday for families ... and i do mean kids of all ages...
take it from me...i have been on one cruise before we had babies...
and five since...one while 7 weeks pregnant with Brandon which was when Bianca-Leigh was 2 years old...
and Bradley was 18 months when we sailed on the Freedom...to sum it up i have been cruising with toddlers...tweens...teens...and with morning-sickness...i have done it all...with a smile on my face!!!
But then it must be said...i have a totally awesome husband...who i can totally count on for help...
I will let the photos tell some of the story...
a view from one of the many lounges...
plenty of stairs...but also ample and very efficient lift services...
and a all round safe environment...to relax and have tons of fun in :)
she dwarfs another ship... that sticking out bit is the Jacuzzi...it was huge and was situated either side of the Freedom...in a section of pools where no children were allowed...and Edwin and i stole just a few moments to go sit and relax in the warm waters overhanging the ocean...COOL
the main dining-room could be accessed from 3 decks...
there was also plenty of more casual eating places with food of a very high standard...
and loads of stunning variety...
I enjoy the sea breeze on our private balcony...
where there were 2 chairs and a little table...
behind Bradley is his pram...
and the glass doors lead into our state-room...
which slept all five of us very comfortably.
smile :)
Bianca-Leigh is like a second mom to Bradley...
and there hidden behind them is that car-seat we lugged halfway across the world...
it was a must ... a bothersome must :)
just like his indispensable stroller...
sleep :)
walk...
Brandon and Bradley take a stroll out on deck just as the sun is about to set...
it doesn't get better than this people :)
beautiful :)
she watches over him in the baby pool...
a stranger kindly offers to take a photo of us...
Brandon was off having fun away from us at the time :(
the AWESOME H2O ZONE
super cool fun for kids
this ship is so big...that at no point do you feel cramped...and the cruise was fully booked...
this deck was the 'Promenade deck'...
it ran the length of the ship just about...and it felt like a mall...
with shops and eating places...like we needed any more eating places...
one thing i will admit again...is that my obsession with photography had not come to full strength yet...
in fact i do believe i hardly shot any photos...this holiday would have been documented VERY differently if i were to go right now...but i had Bradley very much 'on-my-hands' 'on my mind' and 'on my heart'...
so the photos are not great but ok...they do tell the story :)
the kiddie pool was warm water and only that deep...
with very very strict hygiene rule that were enforced...
he loved it :)
holidaying is hard work Mommy...
at every turn there was something cool to be discovered on this ship...
Bradley started walking early like at 9 months [all my kids did]
so on this holiday he was truly 'walking strong'...
and it caused people to get excited at seeing this tiny human on this big adventure...
and they would try to talk to him or approach him and he would totally freak-out and not in a shy way...
lol he had a good case of 'stranger anxiety'
one of the things i was worried about when we were planning this holiday was what Bradley
would eat...i was still breastfeeding him...but he clearly needed more than that...
all passengers eat REALLY WELL on a ship... and Bradley was no exception...
it was on this holiday that i realized just how much he loves to eat fruit...
he basically lived on it...that and some dry cereals...cold meats...soups...and salads...
here he is eating chunks of salmon in one of the more casual dining areas...
and LOVING IT :)
the pools were all lit up at night...lovely hey...
to take this photo i put down our video camera on a deck chair...
we took a few shots and walked off leaving the camera lying there...
it was with great distress that we South Africans remembered what was forgotten and
practically ran back sure it would no longer be there...all our precious holiday memories lost forever...
how wrong we were...
i don't think that would have happened here in SA...sadly
this was the area where no kids were allowed...not even to walk through...
i thought that was a bit much...but there was so much for kids to do that it didn't present a problem at all...
each day when you got into the lift for the first time you were greeted by the day of the week...
very helpful and a cute idea :)
an ice-rink at sea...a firm favourite with Brandon :)
other things to do...
the theater where various shows and performances took place day and night...
the wave-rider...where you could learn to surf...
the totally decked-out games arcade...
disco for underage teens...
art gallery
daycare for the little kids...we didn't use this...
rock-climbing wall...
basket ball court...
golf simulator...
shuffle-board games...
ping-pong tables...
and probably a few activities i have forgotten about....or don't know about...
Our destinations were interesting to say the least...but life on board is what it's all about for me :)
you only get to see a little slice of life on land and that's enough...
*I didn't go onto Grand Cayman...i needed a break from travelling with kids... so i kept my kids with me and skipped the travelling... we spent a peaceful day at the H2OZone...resting in the shade...
and playing in the pools :) bliss...
*The island of Labadee [Haiti] was the first swim in the sea for Bradley EVER...not too shabby hey :)
I think this shot is amazing because in the forefront we have Brandon and in the background we have
the Freedom :) cool ...
*Ocho Rios [Jamaica] didn't impress me...not even one tiny little bit...
*Cozumel [Mexico] was nice enough...
the larger Freedom is on the left...BIG hey :)
me and the kids :)
we were in a shop looking around...warning the kids not to touch and break anything...
trust Brandon to do this lol but i had to quickly take a shot :)
then this happened ... too cute :)
my little LoveBug...
and then it was all heart breakingly... over...
and we were back to traveling with kids...pensioners...the stroller and car seat...
It was time to catch a bus...
my Dad is walking behind me and you can just see Edwin's late Dad sitting there on that bench...
that's us on the bus...on our way...
to pick up our van for our journey to Orlando Florida...
to that magical place...Disney World...
one last look back...
it was a sad moment to see our ship and know we were leaving her...
Bianca-Leigh actually refused to disembark...her feet remained planted at the very point you cross over from the ship onto 'land' and she looked up at me and said..."I'll get off if you promise me we'll come back again one day..." and she meant it and i do so hope i'll be able to keep my word to her...with all my heart actually :)
and then i looked forward...
eyes facing forward watching the road that would take us forward...
onward to Orlando....and the magic...
Bits and Bobs...
*the Freedom now ranks 4th in the world of Largest Cruise Ships...
*the chocolate-chip-cookies on the ship were large enough to feed a family of 5 :)
*my Dad drank iced-tea from the self-service drinks station for days...thinking that the Coke in the US was watered down and flat...
*the bathroom in our state-room had a malfunction on the formal evening of all nights...and although it was promptly sorted out...the kids and i had to use my Mom's bathroom to shower...
*we had a few funny moments of getting lost and Brandon thinking he knew his way around better than us...not...
*the lifeboat drill is taken VERY seriously and was rather difficult for me with Bradley...i had to wear the life-jacket and couldn't hold Bradley easily and he was a little freaked out by the goings on...
*my Mom got lost and sat down on the stairs a had a good cry...
*we ate and ate and ate...so good...
*i had to feed Bradley in my evening dresses in the bathrooms...fun...not...but that's breastfeeding for you hey :)
*my late father-in-law won money in the Casino ... enough to almost cover the cost of their cruise...
*lastly i just want to mention that...travelling...hormones...kids...pensioners...strollers...car-seats...luggage watching, carrying, pulling...packing...unpacking...taxi rides...hotels...fire-drills...tours...boarding ships...and so on... can really make the most sane person a little loopy ...on our first night on the ship...Bradley had a meltdown and was crying and crying...inconsolably ...it was more than a little scary for this mommy and i convinced myself that he might be seriously ill...off we rushed to see the ship's doctor ... and on our 'little' walk to find the doctor Bradley stopped crying and i calmed down and left the doctor in peace :) this was the only episode of this kind for the whole holiday thankfully :)
*and so much more happened...what an epic adventure for us intrepid travelers :)
coming soon...
our time in Orlando Florida
