Amazingly, it wasn't too hard waking up at 7 after getting to bed at midnight. Yeah, I wish we could've slept a little longer, but that's the nature of diving on a cruise. We were scheduled to arrive in Freeport at 8, so in order to eat, grab our gear and get in line for disembarkation we needed to be ready to go by 8:15.
After such a large dinner the previous night, I wasn't that hungry. Some pastries, coffee and chocolate milk and I'd be good to go. Our dive gear was already prepped and ready, and amazingly the Lido buffet wasn't crowded at all. We were able to eat and get back to the cabin in time to watch our arrival into Freeport from our balcony.
It's so much easier having everything ready the night before. We could relax and enjoy our arrival into Freeport without having to rush. Once the ship started its actual docking procedures, we grabbed our gear and staged in the passageway (hallway) on deck 3 at the forward stairwell. Shortly after 8, we were given the all clear to disembark.
As a rule, we prefer to use a private dive operator instead of one through the cruise line. The biggest reason is that we almost always get a smaller dive boat, versus a large "cattle boat." Private dive operators tend to allow you to "dive your computer" instead of limiting your dive to a pre-determined time. I booked our dives with private dive operators in both Freeport and Nassau after some research and made all of the arrangements ahead of time. Let's do this!
As we were completing all of our paperwork, Nick drove up with another diver, Kirk Dougherty, who would be joining us today. Paperwork done, we piled back into the truck and headed to the marina to board the dive boat "Adventure 1." Kirk is a photographer and would be taking many photos on our dives. Good thing, too. If you recall from my previous blog describing our day in Key West, I wrote that I checked the battery in my GoPro. I'm telling you, I did! Shortly into our first dive, I noticed the "low battery" signal flashing. Crap!
Kirk was kind enough to provide photos from these two dives to me, so all of the diving shots below were taken by him. He has a website where you can view (and purchase) some of his work. I encourage you to visit his website and take a look at what he has.
Note: I was encouraged to adjust the color of these photos as I saw fit. The composition of the photos is strictly the effort and talent of Mr. Dougherty. Any unusual coloration is due to me and me alone.
Reminder: You can click on any image to see a larger version. It will open in a new window so you won't lose your place here.
My basic stats for Pygmy East:
After such a large dinner the previous night, I wasn't that hungry. Some pastries, coffee and chocolate milk and I'd be good to go. Our dive gear was already prepped and ready, and amazingly the Lido buffet wasn't crowded at all. We were able to eat and get back to the cabin in time to watch our arrival into Freeport from our balcony.
It's so much easier having everything ready the night before. We could relax and enjoy our arrival into Freeport without having to rush. Once the ship started its actual docking procedures, we grabbed our gear and staged in the passageway (hallway) on deck 3 at the forward stairwell. Shortly after 8, we were given the all clear to disembark.
As a rule, we prefer to use a private dive operator instead of one through the cruise line. The biggest reason is that we almost always get a smaller dive boat, versus a large "cattle boat." Private dive operators tend to allow you to "dive your computer" instead of limiting your dive to a pre-determined time. I booked our dives with private dive operators in both Freeport and Nassau after some research and made all of the arrangements ahead of time. Let's do this!
photo by Kirk Dougherty
Our dives today would be with Sunn Odyssey Divers. From previous communication, I knew we would meet Karen just outside the main gate of the cruise terminal. Karen and her husband Nick own and manage Sunn Odyssey Divers, which made me happy to have booked with a family-owned business. I especially appreciated Karen's detailed instructions and the last minute e-mail she sent us to ensure we didn't have any questions.
Even though Keith and Barbara wouldn't be joining us, Vinnie from the Facebook group would. A few months before the cruise I posted on the group page that Cindy and I would be diving in Freeport and Nassau and would love to have other group members join us. Vinnie elected to join us for the Freeport dives but would use Carnival's dive op in Nassau. The three of us piled our dive gear into the back of the truck and climbed in for the short drive to the dive shop.
Karen is originally from Oklahoma and met her future husband while vacationing in Freeport. She's a charming lady and we enjoyed visiting with her as she drove us to their shop. We needed to pay for our dives, sign waivers and have Karen verify our certification cards ("c-cards") before we actually went diving.
Sunn Odyssey's dive shop
As we were completing all of our paperwork, Nick drove up with another diver, Kirk Dougherty, who would be joining us today. Paperwork done, we piled back into the truck and headed to the marina to board the dive boat "Adventure 1." Kirk is a photographer and would be taking many photos on our dives. Good thing, too. If you recall from my previous blog describing our day in Key West, I wrote that I checked the battery in my GoPro. I'm telling you, I did! Shortly into our first dive, I noticed the "low battery" signal flashing. Crap!
Kirk was kind enough to provide photos from these two dives to me, so all of the diving shots below were taken by him. He has a website where you can view (and purchase) some of his work. I encourage you to visit his website and take a look at what he has.
Note: I was encouraged to adjust the color of these photos as I saw fit. The composition of the photos is strictly the effort and talent of Mr. Dougherty. Any unusual coloration is due to me and me alone.
Reminder: You can click on any image to see a larger version. It will open in a new window so you won't lose your place here.
Cindy and I set up our dive gear
photo by Kirk Dougherty
Nick chose "Pygmy East" as our first dive site for the day. He gave a thorough pre-dive briefing and described what we were likely to see. Are you ready to go? Inflate your BCD, regulator in, mask on, and follow me into the water.
Hello, Mr. reef shark
photo by Kirk Dougherty
Cindy takes in the sights
photo by Kirk Dougherty
Beautiful reef
photo by Kirk Dougherty
Vinnie (L) and our Divemaster Nick (R)
photo by Kirk Dougherty
Cindy (L) and me (R)
photo by Kirk Dougherty
Porkfish
photo by Kirk Dougherty
What was down there?
photo by Kirk Dougherty
Almost close enough to touch
photo by Kirk Dougherty
My basic stats for Pygmy East:
Max depth: 64 feet
Bottom time: 38 minutes
Average visibility: 60 feet
Before I started diving, I always thought of sharks as these mindless, predatory killers. Chalk that irrational (or just ignorant) feeling up to the movie Jaws, I guess. I wasn't even 10 when I saw that movie, and the silty waters of Padre Island didn't help, either. Was that a small piece of seaweed that brushed by my ankle or a killer great white shark? I couldn't tell but figured I'd be safe if I stayed in shallow water. Halfway up to my knees would be deep enough.
As I learned more about sharks and shark behavior, I realized I'd be lucky to see sharks in the water while diving. Instead of being scared when I saw these beautiful creatures so close by, I was elated.
Time to complete our three-minute safety stop and climb back on the dive boat. I hope you enjoyed this dive as much as I did. We'll change out our tanks while Nick takes us to the next dive site. Be sure to drink plenty of water during the surface interval so you stay well hydrated.
Shark Junction is our second dive for today. The water is still a bit choppy, but we'll be fine. Just stick with me and I'll get you back safely. Ready? Let's go!
Bottom time: 50 minutes
Average visibility: 60 feet
Before I started diving, I always thought of sharks as these mindless, predatory killers. Chalk that irrational (or just ignorant) feeling up to the movie Jaws, I guess. I wasn't even 10 when I saw that movie, and the silty waters of Padre Island didn't help, either. Was that a small piece of seaweed that brushed by my ankle or a killer great white shark? I couldn't tell but figured I'd be safe if I stayed in shallow water. Halfway up to my knees would be deep enough.
As I learned more about sharks and shark behavior, I realized I'd be lucky to see sharks in the water while diving. Instead of being scared when I saw these beautiful creatures so close by, I was elated.
Time to complete our three-minute safety stop and climb back on the dive boat. I hope you enjoyed this dive as much as I did. We'll change out our tanks while Nick takes us to the next dive site. Be sure to drink plenty of water during the surface interval so you stay well hydrated.
Shark Junction is our second dive for today. The water is still a bit choppy, but we'll be fine. Just stick with me and I'll get you back safely. Ready? Let's go!
Yes, I'm actually casting a shadow
photo by Kirk Dougherty
Horse-eye jack, I think
photo by Kirk Dougherty
Nurse shark
photo by Kirk Dougherty
Who's watching who?
photo by Kirk Dougherty
Black grouper
photo by Kirk Dougherty
What will she find?
photo by Kirk Dougherty
I think Cindy's enjoying the dive
photo by Kirk Dougherty
Colorful reef fish
photo by Kirk Dougherty
Two fun dives today, and we need to gradually make our way up to 20 feet for our safety stop. We'll just hang out by the descent line and once our three minutes are up, we can finish our ascent and climb back onto the dive boat. Fins off, and be careful climbing the ladder. I'll follow you up.
Excellent dive! Judging from the looks on everyone else's face, I believe they had an awesome second dive, too. I'm definitely making sure all of the GoPro batteries are fully charged for tomorrow's dives in Nassau.
Excellent dive! Judging from the looks on everyone else's face, I believe they had an awesome second dive, too. I'm definitely making sure all of the GoPro batteries are fully charged for tomorrow's dives in Nassau.
My basic stats for Shark Junction:
Max depth: 49 feet
Average visibility: 65 feet
We broke down our dive gear as Nick took us back to the marina. Cindy and I would rinse our dive gear in the freshwater showers on the Lido deck when we got back on the ship. For now, everything would go back into our dive bags for the trip back to the ship. Nick would drop us off so he could get ready for the afternoon dives, and Karen would take us back to the ship. Cindy and I each bought a t-shirt to add to our already large collection.
Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed diving with Sunn Odyssey Divers, and the next time we are in Freeport we'll totally dive with them again. Diving in Freeport in the future? Contact them and see what they can do for you. Please tell Nick and Karen I said "hi."
We broke down our dive gear as Nick took us back to the marina. Cindy and I would rinse our dive gear in the freshwater showers on the Lido deck when we got back on the ship. For now, everything would go back into our dive bags for the trip back to the ship. Nick would drop us off so he could get ready for the afternoon dives, and Karen would take us back to the ship. Cindy and I each bought a t-shirt to add to our already large collection.
Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed diving with Sunn Odyssey Divers, and the next time we are in Freeport we'll totally dive with them again. Diving in Freeport in the future? Contact them and see what they can do for you. Please tell Nick and Karen I said "hi."
Now you don't have to Google their info
Karen dropped us off at the terminal and we were back on board the Freedom by 1:45. The normal routine is to drop off any non-essential stuff in our cabin and take our dive gear up to Lido for rinsing. Our top priority, though, was lunch. First breakfast was many hours ago, and both of us were ready to grab a bite to eat. Happily, most people were still ashore so we were able to take advantage of no lines at both Guy's Burgers and the Blue Iguana Cantina. Cindy and I decided to split something from both places.
Whoa! This pie packs a nice cinnamon punch! I'm glad to see an apple pie recipe that calls for a lot more cinnamon than the "standard" pie. Very nice! A flaky crust made this pie even better, and balancing the hot filling was the rich vanilla ice cream. Note to self: The next time I see this particular menu combination, order two meatball appetizers, and two apple pie desserts and call it good.
Blue Iguana's pork tacos
A "Pig Patty" from Guy's Burgers
Oh, yes! No wait for both of these fine offerings, so we quickly got our orders, and sat down at one of the many open tables. Diving with sharks followed by a delicious lunch. Life is good! After devouring our tacos and burger, we retrieved our dive gear from the cabin and rinsed it off in the Lido showers.
The aft Lido pool was practically deserted, so finding a bunch of sun loungers close together, and in view of the pool, was easy. We rinsed everything off and spread it out over a few loungers to dry. As if we hadn't spent enough time in saltwater, we both jumped into the pool to relax and stay cool. The tropical sun didn't take long to dry our gear, so we gathered it up and took everything back to the cabin.
Whew! After such a fun-filled day, I needed to grab a glass of ice water and watch sailaway from our balcony. Wait, a shower and clean clothes, then the balcony for sailaway. Yep, getting wet...again.
Sunset sailaway
Pilot boat coming alongside
As I watched the pilot boat come alongside to pick up the pilot, Cindy reminded me that dinner was less than fifteen minutes away. I hurriedly got dressed into my dinner wear and we went downstairs to the MDR. Yes, we still had an appetite, even after a late lunch. That's why we split our lunch.
Appetizer: Baked meatballs in tomato sauce
These two meatballs sat in a rich, velvety tomato sauce, covered in a warm, gooey cheese. Each meatball was two bites, so as an appetizer they were just the right portion.
Entree: Baked ziti
Ham, green peas and cheese
I guess tonight's dinner had a strong Italian theme. Either that, or I just happened to pick an appetizer and entree that worked well together.
Dessert: Apple pie with vanilla ice cream
Whoa! This pie packs a nice cinnamon punch! I'm glad to see an apple pie recipe that calls for a lot more cinnamon than the "standard" pie. Very nice! A flaky crust made this pie even better, and balancing the hot filling was the rich vanilla ice cream. Note to self: The next time I see this particular menu combination, order two meatball appetizers, and two apple pie desserts and call it good.
Tomorrow is going to be an early day, as in really early. As in the freakin' sun isn't even up yet early. And once again we are faced with the dilemma of what to do for a couple of hours before bed. We perused the Fun Times and decided to watch one of the large production shows: 88 Keys. We've seen this show before, on another cruise, and enjoyed it then. Besides, Ben Gentry would be performing so off we went to deck 3 forward to the main lounge. We'd watch the show and return to the cabin for the evening.
We got there early enough to get good seats and watched as Ben led the audience in a singalong of "Baby Shark" before the actual show began.
Baby shark do do do do do dooo...
What was that? You aren't familiar with "Baby Shark?" Let's just say that it's one of those kid's songs that will get stuck in your head despite your greatest effort to keep it out. Oh, you think you're immune? Ha! Take the challenge and click here for the YouTube link. Don't say I didn't warn you, though. Go ahead, do it.
I told you so...
Before you ask, yes, that song did go through my head at least once when were diving today, especially when one of the reef sharks swam by.
88 Keys was a fun show, and Ben performed brilliantly as expected. He would be at the piano bar starting at 11, but by then we'd be asleep. Cindy and I spent some time on the balcony, listening to the water flow by the ship before calling it a day. With such an early morning, we placed a room service order for first breakfast so we could maximize our sleep time.
Have you ever been to Freeport on a cruise, or stayed there in a resort? What did you think about it? Please leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
For your convenience, here are the links to the rest of the blogs in this series:
Back to the Bahamas on the Carnival Freedom
Day 2: Our First Fun Day at Sea on the Carnival Freedom
Day 3: Key West on the Carnival Freedom
Coming up next, our day in Nassau, where we got to dive with more sharks and lots of colorful fish. Click here and you'll be magically teleported right to it.
Until next time....
carpe cerevisi
88 Keys was a fun show, and Ben performed brilliantly as expected. He would be at the piano bar starting at 11, but by then we'd be asleep. Cindy and I spent some time on the balcony, listening to the water flow by the ship before calling it a day. With such an early morning, we placed a room service order for first breakfast so we could maximize our sleep time.
Have you ever been to Freeport on a cruise, or stayed there in a resort? What did you think about it? Please leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
For your convenience, here are the links to the rest of the blogs in this series:
Back to the Bahamas on the Carnival Freedom
Day 2: Our First Fun Day at Sea on the Carnival Freedom
Day 3: Key West on the Carnival Freedom
Coming up next, our day in Nassau, where we got to dive with more sharks and lots of colorful fish. Click here and you'll be magically teleported right to it.
Until next time....
carpe cerevisi
Lovely pictures! wow looks like so much fun to go diving like that. Also those food pictures make me hungry!
ReplyDeleteI'm sooooo glad you are enjoying the series, Jeff! I'm trying to knock out the next one after a delay. Thank you!
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