The main event of our summer vacation was a 7-day western caribbean cruise on board Royal Caribbean's Freedom of Seas cruise ship. This ship is fairly new and it's maiden voyage was May 2007. At 160,000 tons, it is currently the largest ship in the world. We were lucky enough to have about 80 people that we know on the same cruise. They were all family and friends of family. Large groups always make cruising a lot more fun. 
Besides the standard amenties found on other cruise ships, this one also has a mini-golf course, a full size basketball court, a 3-storey high shopping promenade, the largest climing wall, a kid's pool and waterpark, a kid's adventure camp/sitting service, an ice-skating rink, a fitness gym with a boxing ring and more gym equipment than any other that I've seen on land. It even has an artificial surf park called the Flowrider that creates a 5' high wave so you can boogie board or surf on. The Flowrider was an absolute blast and it kept me busy for the first 2 days. This ship was so large, with so many things to do that by the end of our cruise, I still have not explored all areas and amenities of the ship.
Our itinerary was the Western Caribbean route which includes Labadee Haiti, Ocho Rios Jamaica, Georgetown Grand Cayman, and Cozumel Mexico. The first day or two was a bit of an unknown because Hurricane Dean was on the same route as ours. Fortunately Big Bad Dean did not wreck as much havoc as anticipated so we were able to stay our course.
This is our 4th cruise so you can't really call us experts, but we're no noobies either. Our first 3 cruises were with Carnival Cruise Lines so naturally, we made comparisons between Royal Caribbean and Carnival. I think overall, Carnival gets my vote.
This ship was larger than our previous Carnival ship and has more amenities, but the service and fun-factor on Carnival was better. We found the dining room food and staff on Royal Caribbean could be better. The food was good on some days and not on others. Our servers was not as attentive as they should be. Even on the 6th night, he still could not remember who ordered what. Also, one thing that I did not like was how they would push food on you. They would bring out extra entrees and desserts even if we didn't ask for it. For some, this would be great, but most of the time I was just too stuffed to eat another bite. Yet for me, I felt guilty because there was so much food being wasted. I really wonder how many starving countries we could've saved if we just took what people were not eating in the buffet and dining rooms of the cruise ships.
Besides the food, another important feature of cuise ships were the events and shows. The shows on board the Freedom are unique and the stage is amazing considering the limited space of a ship. The magic show was unbelievable, the ice-skating show was awesome, and the parade shows and stage on the Promenade mall was definitely a sight to see. Although these were quality shows and are unique to this ship, for some reason, we like the events and the planning of Carnival more. It felt like there was more to do and it was more fun.
Part of the fun of cruising is visiting different port-of-calls. Here are my first impressions of them in the order.
Labadee, Haiti:
This area is actually owned by Royal Caribbean and is used as a private resort for their cruising guests only. It boasts pristine beaches and lots of sun activities. Besides that, there's a small market where the locals sell their handi-crafts. We didn't do much here accept hang around the beach.
Ocho Rios, Jamaica
This town was hit by the hurricane, but most of the buildings survived. We saw some bent trees, but nothing major. The town seems poor and not as advanced as what we're used to in North America. We didn't do much here accept a local van-tour and some shopping. It was uneventful and the tourist sights are a rip-off. It seems like they have a secret deal with the cruise ships, because once we said we were from Royal Caribbean, they pulled out a separate pricelist and quoted a ridiculous admission. And they would not budge on this price even though our group had 18 people.
The locals were friendly and I love their "Yah Maan" to every sentence. I guess it's their equivalent to Canadians saying "Eh". I learnt that they were once a British colony and gained independence in the 1960's. Most of them were brought over during the slave trade, hence the majority of them are black. The actual native people are not like the stereo-typical Jamaicans at all.
Being in Jamaica, I just had to learn about Bob Marley. Our driver tells us that he's a Rastafarian and that's why he wears the big hair net. Did you know that Rastafarian is a religious movement which believes that a black person will never receive fair treatment in a white person's world; thus a "back to Africa" movement was started. Bob Marley is definitey the king here, similar to what Elvis is to the Americans.
Before leaving, we were sure to try out their Jerk Chicken. It was better than the ones I had in Vancouver. I washed it down with a local Red Stripe beer; sitting in a very hot and humid local cafe. It's time to get back to the air-conditioined comfort of our cruise ship.
Georgetown, Grand Caymans
Out of the 4 port of calls, I liked this city the most. It was tropical, but not poor like Jamaica. The city was orderly and clean. A little history lesson now. It was accidentally discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1503. He was returning to Europe from his las voyage to the Americas when a freak wind pushed him off course near two tiny, low-lying mounds of earth. He named the islands "Las Tortugas" after the multitude of sea turtles that he found there. On later maps, the islands were labelled the Caimanau, the Carib Indian word for "crocodile". The name "Caimanas" refers inaccurately to the iguanas native to the islands, not crocodiles. The islands remained unsettled due to pirate raids until the 17th century. The Caymans were magnets for buccaneers such as Sir Henry Morgan and "Blackbeard" Edward Teach. Myths about fortunes buried here by pirates endure, although little has been discovered. We were tempted to search out the great Jack Sparrow, but time did not afford us that adventure.
The Cayman Islands were territories of Jamaica until 1962 when Jamaica gained their independence. The Cayman Islands decided to remain as British subjects. I wonder if this is why it appears more advanced and prosperous than Jamaica?
This port is especially memorable because we got a chance to snorkel and swim with Stingrays. They actually swam right up to us and we were able to feed and pat them. I even kissed a Stingray, twice! The locals say kissing a Stingray brings 7 years of good luck, so I should be good for the next 14 years. It was definitely an experience of a lifetime.
Cozumel, Mexico
This city is actually on a separate island east of the mainland. It is not as prosperous as North American cities, but better than what I had envisioned of Mexico. We participated on a city tour that included a snorkelling break. The water here is amazingly clear, more than those at our Grand Cayman snorkelling site. There was more fish to see and we were able to feed them. It's amazing how whole schools of fish come at you once you release the food. It's clear that they are used to human interaction.
The town was beautiful with some brightly painted buildings and murals. We asked for a recommendation for a local mexican restaurant and it did not disappoint. If I had to choose, this would be my 2nd favorite port.
The last days of a cruise is always mixed with emotions. As much as I didn't want the fun to end and the food to stop, I was glad that we're heading home. I think a 7-day cruise is the perfect duration. My last cruise was a 14-day itinerary and it was a little bit too long.
For those of you who haven't tried cruising or think that it's only for old folks, definitely try it yourself. There's so many things for everyone and every age group to do that you won't be disappointed. But as an advice, I would choose the newer and larger ships which tend to have more amenities. This would make it really feel like a "resort at sea".
Besides the standard amenties found on other cruise ships, this one also has a mini-golf course, a full size basketball court, a 3-storey high shopping promenade, the largest climing wall, a kid's pool and waterpark, a kid's adventure camp/sitting service, an ice-skating rink, a fitness gym with a boxing ring and more gym equipment than any other that I've seen on land. It even has an artificial surf park called the Flowrider that creates a 5' high wave so you can boogie board or surf on. The Flowrider was an absolute blast and it kept me busy for the first 2 days. This ship was so large, with so many things to do that by the end of our cruise, I still have not explored all areas and amenities of the ship.
Our itinerary was the Western Caribbean route which includes Labadee Haiti, Ocho Rios Jamaica, Georgetown Grand Cayman, and Cozumel Mexico. The first day or two was a bit of an unknown because Hurricane Dean was on the same route as ours. Fortunately Big Bad Dean did not wreck as much havoc as anticipated so we were able to stay our course.
This is our 4th cruise so you can't really call us experts, but we're no noobies either. Our first 3 cruises were with Carnival Cruise Lines so naturally, we made comparisons between Royal Caribbean and Carnival. I think overall, Carnival gets my vote.
This ship was larger than our previous Carnival ship and has more amenities, but the service and fun-factor on Carnival was better. We found the dining room food and staff on Royal Caribbean could be better. The food was good on some days and not on others. Our servers was not as attentive as they should be. Even on the 6th night, he still could not remember who ordered what. Also, one thing that I did not like was how they would push food on you. They would bring out extra entrees and desserts even if we didn't ask for it. For some, this would be great, but most of the time I was just too stuffed to eat another bite. Yet for me, I felt guilty because there was so much food being wasted. I really wonder how many starving countries we could've saved if we just took what people were not eating in the buffet and dining rooms of the cruise ships.
Besides the food, another important feature of cuise ships were the events and shows. The shows on board the Freedom are unique and the stage is amazing considering the limited space of a ship. The magic show was unbelievable, the ice-skating show was awesome, and the parade shows and stage on the Promenade mall was definitely a sight to see. Although these were quality shows and are unique to this ship, for some reason, we like the events and the planning of Carnival more. It felt like there was more to do and it was more fun.
Part of the fun of cruising is visiting different port-of-calls. Here are my first impressions of them in the order.
Labadee, Haiti:
This area is actually owned by Royal Caribbean and is used as a private resort for their cruising guests only. It boasts pristine beaches and lots of sun activities. Besides that, there's a small market where the locals sell their handi-crafts. We didn't do much here accept hang around the beach.
Ocho Rios, Jamaica
This town was hit by the hurricane, but most of the buildings survived. We saw some bent trees, but nothing major. The town seems poor and not as advanced as what we're used to in North America. We didn't do much here accept a local van-tour and some shopping. It was uneventful and the tourist sights are a rip-off. It seems like they have a secret deal with the cruise ships, because once we said we were from Royal Caribbean, they pulled out a separate pricelist and quoted a ridiculous admission. And they would not budge on this price even though our group had 18 people.
The locals were friendly and I love their "Yah Maan" to every sentence. I guess it's their equivalent to Canadians saying "Eh". I learnt that they were once a British colony and gained independence in the 1960's. Most of them were brought over during the slave trade, hence the majority of them are black. The actual native people are not like the stereo-typical Jamaicans at all.
Being in Jamaica, I just had to learn about Bob Marley. Our driver tells us that he's a Rastafarian and that's why he wears the big hair net. Did you know that Rastafarian is a religious movement which believes that a black person will never receive fair treatment in a white person's world; thus a "back to Africa" movement was started. Bob Marley is definitey the king here, similar to what Elvis is to the Americans.
Before leaving, we were sure to try out their Jerk Chicken. It was better than the ones I had in Vancouver. I washed it down with a local Red Stripe beer; sitting in a very hot and humid local cafe. It's time to get back to the air-conditioined comfort of our cruise ship.
Georgetown, Grand Caymans
Out of the 4 port of calls, I liked this city the most. It was tropical, but not poor like Jamaica. The city was orderly and clean. A little history lesson now. It was accidentally discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1503. He was returning to Europe from his las voyage to the Americas when a freak wind pushed him off course near two tiny, low-lying mounds of earth. He named the islands "Las Tortugas" after the multitude of sea turtles that he found there. On later maps, the islands were labelled the Caimanau, the Carib Indian word for "crocodile". The name "Caimanas" refers inaccurately to the iguanas native to the islands, not crocodiles. The islands remained unsettled due to pirate raids until the 17th century. The Caymans were magnets for buccaneers such as Sir Henry Morgan and "Blackbeard" Edward Teach. Myths about fortunes buried here by pirates endure, although little has been discovered. We were tempted to search out the great Jack Sparrow, but time did not afford us that adventure.
The Cayman Islands were territories of Jamaica until 1962 when Jamaica gained their independence. The Cayman Islands decided to remain as British subjects. I wonder if this is why it appears more advanced and prosperous than Jamaica?
This port is especially memorable because we got a chance to snorkel and swim with Stingrays. They actually swam right up to us and we were able to feed and pat them. I even kissed a Stingray, twice! The locals say kissing a Stingray brings 7 years of good luck, so I should be good for the next 14 years. It was definitely an experience of a lifetime.
Cozumel, Mexico
This city is actually on a separate island east of the mainland. It is not as prosperous as North American cities, but better than what I had envisioned of Mexico. We participated on a city tour that included a snorkelling break. The water here is amazingly clear, more than those at our Grand Cayman snorkelling site. There was more fish to see and we were able to feed them. It's amazing how whole schools of fish come at you once you release the food. It's clear that they are used to human interaction.
The town was beautiful with some brightly painted buildings and murals. We asked for a recommendation for a local mexican restaurant and it did not disappoint. If I had to choose, this would be my 2nd favorite port.
The last days of a cruise is always mixed with emotions. As much as I didn't want the fun to end and the food to stop, I was glad that we're heading home. I think a 7-day cruise is the perfect duration. My last cruise was a 14-day itinerary and it was a little bit too long.
For those of you who haven't tried cruising or think that it's only for old folks, definitely try it yourself. There's so many things for everyone and every age group to do that you won't be disappointed. But as an advice, I would choose the newer and larger ships which tend to have more amenities. This would make it really feel like a "resort at sea".
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