Freedom 2013 - First Sea Day

We didn't really do much for either the sea day or St. Thomas. The first sea day we were a little tired from all the dancing on formal night, so we took it easy.

The helipad, at the front of the ship.

We did wander around the ship a bit. This is a great ship, with lots of indoor and outdoor spaces.

Hanging out at the Pub

The promenade is a great place to watch the world go buy, so we did a little of that.

Crown and Anchor Party

The Crown and Anchor party is ostensibly a thank you to returning cruisers, but they use it as an opportunity to shill their next project. I don't mind. There is entertainment, meetings and greetings from ship's officers, and, this time, a sneak peek at the new ship Royal Caribbean is building: The Quantum of the Seas. Oh, and free cocktails or soft drinks.

Towel Animal

We really just had a relaxing day, with a lot of reading, and some hanging out in the hot tub, and when we got back to our room, the above creation was waiting for us.

Freedom 2013 - Coco Cay and First Formal Night

We woke up in the morning to a view of the Bahamas. We had been a little late departing the night before, so we were a little late arriving at Coco Cay. It was a little rainy to begin with, but promised to clear shortly.

One small thing I really enjoy about the Freedom of the Seas is the Day of the Week carpet tile on the elevators. I tried to take a picture every day to help me place my pictures.

Once the rain ended, the water was beautifully clear, and not horrifically frigid. I was told there was a stingray at the beach, although I missed it. I did catch a glimpse of the 3 foot sand shark swimming around while I was in the water. He was cute. Sadly, I did not have my camera at the time. I did get some shots of other wildlife, both in the water and out.

I have normally gone to the snorkel beach, but we left our gear at home this time, so we tried a different beach. The water was nicer, with less reads.

After we had our fill of fun and sun, we tendered back to the ship to get ready for formal night.

The View of the Ship

Sailors Beware!

 We love getting dressed up for formal night, and so here we are. We had a lovely evening, and ended up dancing the night away in the Crypt. I did change into less formal clothes half way through the dancing.

I am a very lucky woman.