Day 3: Day At Sea

We departed from Naples, Italy and moved forward to Rhodes, Greece, which is one of the largest of the Greek Isles and home to one of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World, the Colossus of Rhodes. Due to the distance between Naples and Rhodes, we had a full day of relaxation with no shore excursions. But don’t be fooled, a cruise ship at sea doesn’t mean idleness. The Freedom offers a variety of fun-filled activities while at sea. Photos below!



A beautiful chandelier found at the Victorian Lounge.


On deck 3, you can sit and relax or you can dance to the leisurely beat of romantic music. It seems to be always manned at night with an eloquent singer and instruments. During the day, someone is usually playing the piano.



On several decks, primarily on 3, 4, and 9, you can find a plethora of restaurants and cafes. I was quite happy with the fact that the ship had chocolate-covered strawberries and the internationally sought after dish called “chicken adobo” (ask for it when you get on a cruise ship, they’ll know what you mean).




The ship offers a variety of shops on deck 5. If you didn’t finish your souvenir shopping in one of your shore excursions, you can purchase some souvenirs in the ship’s shops for a set amount of time.

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One of the best services on board is Carnival Freedom's European spa service. Run by a company based in London, they offer comfortable massages, a beauty salon, a gym, and other luxuries. One note of caution, if you are interested in some of the products they sell, make sure you ask for the prices ahead of time; otherwise, you are in for a surprise!



Several swimming pools, spas, a big screen TV, and jogging areas are available for people that want fun in the sun. Just remember to put on your sun block or you’ll have to pay your dermatologist a visit in a few years regarding skin cancer.



Every day at the Victorian Lounge, there are nightly shows and games. From song and dance to magic shows to Bingo nights…none of which really interested me. But to each his own!



If you let the stewards clean your room, you’ll get a surprise every night after dinner. These towel animals are a favorite for everyone, especially for my eight month old.

There are other things to do aside from what’s listed above. There are casinos, bars and clubs, but these to me are a waste of time and energy. Stick to the free food (not really free, its included in your ticket)...and go off to those excursions!

Day 2: Naples, Capri, Sorrento, Pompeii

Port of Naples
As we docked into the port of Naples, we were ready for our all-day excursion that would bring us into Capri, Sorrento, and then Pompeii.

I found the port of Naples to be very beautiful in the morning. I'm beginning to think that Carnival Freedom's captain specifically programed the ship to arrive at the early hours in the morning just so we could see this beautiful scene below as the sun's rays slowly crept up on the landscape.


Port of Naples, Italy

Capri
Immediately after we docked, our group went directly to a jet boat that would take us to Capri. According to insiders in the area, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones were staying on the island for six days. While a lot of the cameras were looking for them and other celebs on the island, my camera was poised for another celebrity...the island's celebrated coast. Click on the thumbnail below for a bigger image.


Island of Capri

Sorrento
After Capri, we went to Sorrento for a much needed rest and lunch. This quiet community is home to many shops, delightful restaurants, friendly people, and a bunch of crazy drivers on mopeds. ;-) We went to some of the shops in Sorrento and found some amazing wood work.


Sorrento Italy


Pompeii
Last but not least, we went to the historical site of Pompeii, where sadly, a city has been frozen in time by a volcanic eruption. When you see Pompeii in your history books, don't under estimate its size or its people. This city was a modern marvel in its prime. I was impressed for instance with the city streets. They were "paved" with large stones and in the middle of the road were small pieces of marble. The small marble stones were used as reflectors for the residents' oil lamps at night to help guide them and to show them where the road was. Additionally, the sides of each shop had "parking lots" for horses. There were rings on the street corners to tie your horse to.



Ruins of Pompeii

I will be posting more pictures for this particular trip as time allows...but the pictures above should give you a taste of this particular shore excursion. You can click on each image to see a larger size.