My dear wife Karen and I have enjoyed many fantastic cruises together on a bunch of really nice ships.

I believe the biggest we’ve been on were the two that took us to Bermuda, the very first I ever took, which left from New Jersey, and the second out of the Port of Baltimore. Different boats, the second larger than the first. The Pride of America, the Norwegian ship that flies the American flag that took us on our anniversary celebration around the Hawaiian islands, was plenty big.

Freedom of the Seas took my breath away.

The view from a tender boat, off Cocoa Kay.

The Freedom of the Seas’ statistics were relayed several times by cruise director Cuddy, first at the welcome party in the Aracadia Theater. (More to come about that grand auditorium in another day’s post.) This ship, which was the biggest in Royal Caribbean’s fleet when it first went into the water, holds about 200 shy of 4,000 passengers, and another 1,500 or so crew.

It looks stunning in the sea, up close and really up close.

The forward side.

It looks interesting from angles.

From the tender boat up close.

It even imposes itself on the senses from a distance.

It’s out there.

Its presence enticed my dear wife Karen to give a wave from the tender boats, used to shuttle passengers to and from Cocoa Kay because water around the key are too shallow to dock the ship. (More to come on that stop another installment of the series, too.)

Karen gives an impromptu wave of jubilation toward our ship.

I simply could not keep the focus of my iPhone 6 off this ship.

Off St. Thomas.

Off St. Marteen.

Passengers get set to explore St. Marteen.

The boats you don’t want to use.

At dock in St. Thomas.

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