Minkster1973

I've continued my research at each port and we have finally decided on an excursion. We will be going to Mr. Sanchos Beach Club in Cozumel. For $55 each we will have all-inclusive access to their beach, menu, and bar. We also found out you can get a 30-minute massage on the beach for $35, so that will be happening as well. We will totally get our monies worth on this little excursion we booked outside of Carnival. I am so excited about it! Have any of you been?

Jan, I do love the Dunkin' Donuts coffee too! It's so smooth! I purchase most of my K-cups from Amazon. The price is much better, but also, there's so many more choices. So yes, I retired my old coffee maker last year and invested in a Keurig. Man, I love that thing! I live alone, so I don't need an entire pot of coffee, which is what I consumed on Saturday and Sunday mornings. My coffee diet has changed a lot! Girls, I used to drink a pot a day, minimum. Every day at the office, never after noon, and then my weekend mornings. Now the most I have is two cups a day and I no longer drink it at work. I drink it at home before work now and then I drink water all day at work.

Ditto!! Haha!

Although my initial thought was, "Heck yea! That's the way to live!" I really don't think I could or would do it. Cruising is great because it's special and done on occasion. If I lived on a ship, I don't think I would consider it all that special after a while. I think the beach life is something I'd find more enjoyable.

I agree about the toppings bar. The mushrooms and grilled onions were to die for.

Well, if I had to guess, that attorney is looking for a big payout. Nonetheless, I pray for peace for his family, especially his husband. What a horrible way to lose your spouse.

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. :)

WTVJ, NBC6 8:54 PM, Nov 7, 2015 46 mins ago WTVJ - NBC6 SHOW CAPTION According to the initial statement by Royal Caribbean, 35-year-old Bernardo Albaz jumped off the Oasis of the Sea cruise ship intentionally. According to his family's lawyer, however, this is not the case. "It was not a suicide," says Mike Winkleman, attorney for the Albaz family. "Bernardo did not jump." Winkleman says it was anti-gay comments from crewmembers that led to the horrifying moment that left Albaz dangling on the edge of the ship. Albaz and his husband Eric were married a year ago in New York State. According to Winkleman, "there were several different occasions where there were anti-gay remarks against this legal-married gay couple like, 'Hi, lipstick.'" Winkleman also said it was his understanding that these comments were repeatedly said to the couple. The lawyer continued by saying Albaz was at one of the ships bars when another anti-gay comment was directed at him. "Bernardo ended up getting in a huge altercation and ended up in his cabin where he is furious and ultimately Royal Caribbean security came to the scene," said Winkleman as he continued his account of the events. "As a result of the altercation in his cabin Bernardo falls off his balcony onto the life boat area." It was at this point, which can be seen in the video, Winkleman says you can hear Albaz's husband Eric screaming at the security guards while Albaz hangs on for his life. Winkleman also told reporters that the family wants Albaz found. "They [the U.S. Coast Guard] did find a body matching the description of Bernardo that was spotted by an airplane but they were not able to recover the body." Royal Caribbean issued a statement on the matter: Our onboard security team responded to the guest's stateroom after a neighboring guest complained about a domestic dispute on the guest's balcony. Our staff did not have a physical altercation with the guest and were unable to prevent his jumping from the stateroom balcony. Royal Caribbean is deeply saddened by this event. We will continue to provide assistance to the family as well as law enforcement.

Welcome to my very best friend in the whole wide world!! Yay!!

Welcome, Jen! So glad you finally got around to registering. Now get in the habit of at least checking in once a day. The people here are very nice.

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.

Jen and I both are early birds, so I can see us touring the ship early in the morning as you suggest. I just have to have my coffee delivered first.:)

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?

I liked the Guy's burger, but I didn't think it was worth all the praise it gets. Being from the Midwest, we know good burgers and steaks. I thought the Guy's burger was just okay. Please don't read that comment and think that I'm a complainer at all. I ate Guy's twice on my first Carnival cruise. I tried it on the first day because I heard it was amazing. I also had it when I got back on the ship after a day at port. I was too tired to go to the MDR and it was quick. Again, it was okay. I was hungry and it served its purpose. I just don't think it beats a couple of local places around here, that's for sure.

Beautiful!

How embarrassing! I was testing different signatures and now that feed on the right looks ridiculous. LOL

I hadn't seen this forum yet! Thanks for the warm welcome.I will put my cruise history in my signature. :)

When I went on my cruise in January of 2013, I was too scared to smoke on the balcony. It was really windy! I always smoked in the designated area on Deck 10. I tried to smoke in the casino, but it was too smoky in there so I just inhaled. LOL Does anyone know the rules for e-cigs? I realize they're posted on the Carnival website somewhere, but I'd rather talk here. :)

I'm glad to hear you liked it! I've done a little research and am really looking forward to this itinerary. My first cruise was the Eastern Caribbean on Glory. We went to Nassau, St. Thomas, San Juan, and Grand Turk. I had so much fun!! Jen and I have decided not to do any excursions this time. We are looking forward to walking and shopping at the ports. She and I have been friends for 30 years. She has never left the country before, so she really doesn't want to be tied down to schedules. I'm with her. I never want to have to look at my watch, other than to get back on the ship, which we will do in plenty of time because we plan on getting pool time in while most people are on the islands. That may sound silly. We can get in a pool anywhere. But truth be told, she's not much of a swimmer, and I'm kind of scared of the ocean. I've faced my fears via snorkeling at Molokini Crater in Maui, I've waded in the Gulf of Mexico and a bit in the Caribbean too, but I tend to get a bit panicked, so the pool on the ship is perfect, in my opinion. Anyway, now that you know a bit about me, any suggestions? We will be crazy with the camera, liberal with the adult beverages, and our morals will be questionable. It all makes for a great time. :)

I played in a hold'em tournament on Glory in 2013. There were about 200 players. I took 7th place. Most of my time in a casino is playing three card poker.

I do! My BFF of 30 years and I are doing the Western Caribbean on Carnival Freedom in February. It's the Blogger Cruise with John Heald, which happened by accident. She has never been out of the country. We are over the moon excited! Only 121 days to go! When we booked we had over 500!

I'm Michelle from Kansas. I think the population here is filled with more seasoned cruisers than I am, but I'm working on that. I like your site. Thanks for having me.

I go off the grid when cruising. No phone, no Facebook, no nothing. It's so nice. :)