Odie's Pre-Cruise Sunday And Monday

Hey Friends,

I hope this finds you having a good weekend. Can you believe we are more than halfway through February? 

Before I get to the topic of today's post, my Aunt Theresa had a request. We were discussing the blog, and she had something special for me to tell you today. She wanted me to tell the world that I love my AWESOME aunt!

Well, I love my Aunt Theresa to the moon and back! She is one fantastic lady. She has been by my side since my first memories, cheering me on! Theresa has been there to wipe my tears, dream with me, teach me to imagine big things and love life!

I am really so blessed to have her in my life! She always tries to help wherever needed and brings me so much joy! Theresa, is that good enough? Hope this makes you smile!

Odie's Pre-Cruise Sunday And Monday 

Now, back to regular programming. This post is number 2 to recap my vacation last month. Click here to see my travel day to Florida. Today, we will be focused on Sunday and part of Monday leading up to the big Singing At Sea 2024 event. Pictures shared in this post are from mine and Nicole's phones. 

Sunday

Sunday was dedicated to much needed rest and relaxation. We spent the whole day on the property of the Hilton Garden Inn. It was the chill day that we needed to enjoy our vacation to the fullest!

Church was on Mixlr with my church at Dryden Road Pentecostal Church. Bro. Jared Burris preached a message that really spoke to both of us! We had a great conversation,  Bible study and prayer that afternoon that encouraged our hearts.

Good food was also on the menu for the day! We ordered breakfast and dinner from local restaurants through DoorDash. Sunday's brunch was yummy; we ordered coffee and croissants. It was from Foxtail Coffee Co., but we promptly forgot to take any pictures.

Dinner was from Proccolino's Ristorante & Pizzeria. We placed the order at the same time as brunch and scheduled the evening delivery. We anticipated dinner time all day!

Before dinner, we went outside to enjoy some sunshine and see the beautiful hotel grounds

Below is our Sunday Dinner.

Bread

Stuffed Shells

Nicole's pasta dish. She said it was one the best things she had ever eaten.

Desserts, the cannoli for Nicole and chocolate cake for me.

 

Sabrina was the lady at the hotel front desk in the afternoons and evenings. She was extremely helpful and friendly!

Then It was back to the room to prep for cruise day on Monday. Nicole decided to pre-order Monday's breakfast. She chose another local place called 407 Cafe. We were excited to wake up Monday morning. Their frappes were amazing. We will order from them next year. It is already on our radar.

Monday 

It was embarkation day for Singing at Sea 2024. We were up and ready to head to the ship before 9 AM. 9:30 was our scheduled shuttle time.

When two shuttles arrived to pick up the cruise guest from our hotel, neither shuttle was equipped with a lift for me and my scooter. Several other wheelchair users decided to get on the shuttle with the assistance of family members. I could not climb the step so we had to wait for the accessible shuttle to arrive.

Angela was a Carnival Cruise Line employee helping with the shuttles. We were so thankful for her assistance that day. Angela stayed in contact with us while we waited. She assured us the shuttle would arrive for us. We just did not know the timing. A horrible accident caused a shutdown and major traffic backup between the hotel and the cruise port.

Thankfully, we had a good place to wait for the shuttle. The firepit outside the hotel was nice to sit by as we waited.

This was a screenshot of the weather while we waited. This was a chilly day for Orlando. 

Thanks to Angela from Carnival Cruise Lines, Amy Brown from Templeton Tours INC and Mr. Richard, the shuttle driver. With their assistance, we were shipbound by 1:30.

We were thrilled to be headed to board the Carnival Freedom! Although we were many hours behind schedule, we were excited to be going forward with vacation!

Port Canaveral bound! We had the shuttle to ourselves.

First glimpse of the Carnival Freedom, our home for the next five nights.

By 2:30 in the afternoon, we were on the ship. We were some of the final people to board. I was happy to finally be on the boat. 

Here is a look at the tiny cabin we called home during the cruise. Room number 6311 was a fully accessible stateroom. 

It met our needs perfectly. Nicole and I worked together well as roommates! Thank you again to Nicole Estes for being a superb travel companion. We made so many fantastic memories during our vacation! I am still smiling when I remember all of them!

That wraps up our pre-cruise adventures. Come back next week for another Singing At Sea 2024 recap. The real fun is about to begin!

 Singing At Sea PSA. 

Several people have contacted me in the past, interested in the Singing At Sea cruise. I highly recommend this cruise chartered by Templeton Tours! It is my favorite vacation! We are planning to go next year! 

2025 is already booking up fast for the 49th annual Singing At Sea. Next year, it will all take place on the Carnival Freedom again. The dates are January 27-February 1st 2025. 

The ship sails from Port Canaveral, Florida, on Monday. Tuesday is spent at sea. Wednesday is a port day at Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic. Thursday is another port day at Grand Turks. Friday is another sea day sailing back toward Florida. Saturday morning the ship arrives back at Port Canaveral. The bars and casinos are shut down on the ship for the week. You are surrounded by fantastic food, fellowship and great southern gospel music for your time on the ship.

Contact Templeton Tours here for more information. You can put down a deposit to reserve your spot today. The remaining balance is due in November 2024. The southern gospel groups on board get credit for every passenger who signs up with their group as their host. You can choose any group from the list of entertainers for the week. 11th Hour was our host this year. They were great to sail with, and we highly recommend them as a host group.

It will not give you any special perks, but if you sign up for the 2025 cruise, tell Templeton Tour that Andrea Boggs recommended it! 😆

See you next time!

Odie