Usually they do not promote their travel plans.
But here we have the next few months — offered up in the hope as a sales pitch like this is Royal Caribbean or Carnival.
But all is not quite like the real cruise lines offer when they say “explore the islands.”
It starts out sort of “normal” looking in the first 3 weeks of July — probably after they get an infusion of funds from the Maiden Voyage in June, so they can afford fuel. And perhaps because Mr. Miscavige likes to extend his stay from the annual Maiden Voyage vacation into an extended scuba diving experience. But three weeks, and that’s it.
Then through August and September things are back to normal — stuck in Aruba and Curacao and then 3 weeks tied up Cartagena. This is no “cruise” ship. This is dock ship.
It’s not that much different than being quarantined for measles….
As you can also see, the are trying to persuade people to show up because it’s “cheap”…
Somewhat odd for a ship that has a purpose of delivering OT VIII, and those people have already spent half a million or more to get trough OT VII. A few hundred bucks for a cheaper flight isn’t going to make any difference.
And even more bizarre, they are trying to convince people they can spend time in the ports they visit. Anyone who thinks this is going to work out has a big surprise coming when they set foot on the Prisonwinds. They should get familiar with the term “dilettante” right now to save themselves time in ethics when they get there.
Bright Idea for their next promotion: hold an “Otis Redding Week” to celebrate their official theme song “(Sitting on) The Dock of the Bay”.
I worked aboard the Prisonwinds for the better part of two years. Late 80’s. There were times when the stress on the staff was very palpable. I saw a few break down and crying while on post. This was not uncommon. What I saw while aboard was enough to keep me away from Scientology for a long time. The environment was always tense. I was much younger and more naive then and of course that was pre-internet. I can only imagine what the locals are thinking about the ship now, being able to read about some staff being held against their will. I hope Scientologists will heed the warnings to NEVER EVER SET FOOT ON THE FREEWINDS. Once they have your passport, you are at their mercy, and these people are not “right” in head. In some cases, some of those people act like sociopaths. Good riddance Scientology!
I just spent the evening watching the Truman Show. OMG! I had always sort off imagined what happened to various SCN members, trying to escape! This has brought new meaning to the soul, of those escaping the fabricated Hell that is what SCN has become. I lose my best friend to this cult 40 years ago, and two years ago, he came back into my life. The reunion was trepidatious at first, but quickly relaxed. Nonetheless I was still concerned that I was being filmed/watched due to my friend’s prior stature. Yikes! My concerns were not without concern.
Its been over a year, and it seems that my pal and I are not worth the effort any more, since we seldom see each other, due to work and life beyond. But for me throwing a lifeline so many years ago, may well have set the stage for the joyous reunion we enjoyed, and my friend is free from Scientology (SCN).
As time passes for those without any prospects of external help and resources, I can help but wonder how many other are stuck in a false reality, and I sincerely hope Mike’s Aftermath Foundation can help liberate those wanting to get out of the total mind Fuck that SCN continues to be.
If people do plan a trip aboard their prison ship, it would be wise to make 2 passports….of course hiding one for yourself. ( and a cell phone , to be hidden as well. ) Also, tell others back home so they know where to look for you if you should mysteriously go missing!
Wow the cruise ship to hell
Yup. The Freewinds is anything but free.
It costs a shit ton more than the shit ton you think it’s going to cost you. And it’s no fun besides.
Do all trips come with complimentary mesothelioma?
Slightly off topic but Mike, I’m so glad you and your family have now experienced the fun of a REAL cruise! Quite the difference, eh?
I went to the Freewinds a couple of times.
The first was in the early 90s.
At that time, it was still possible to have some fun there. I went scuba diving a couple of times and went on tours of all three of the islands the ship visited.
I did not have any attention at all from the IAS and no one tried to take large amounts of money from me.
I did have a great deal of attention from Sea Org recruiters which was a real drag. I did not sign-up. Thank God!
I was promised huge case gains and wins in my life after a visit to the ship.
On my return home I was offered a new job completely out of the blue with a 60% increase in salary, by far the most money I had ever earned up to that point.
I know that correlation does not necessarily mean causation and I expect this was just a coincidence.
I was impressed at the time though!
Other than the SO Recruiters, the other thing I hated was the routing form to get approval to go home. This took up to a day to get through and was a complete waste of time.
The second trip was 10 years later and was much less interesting. Everything was much more serious and no one went out on excursions much any more. The IAS still didn’t bother me. The leaving routing form was still the same and there were no life changes afterwards.
I would not have gone anywhere near this ship if I had known about the blue asbestos.
I imagine all of the craziness with IAS regging started soon after my final visit.
I am very happy to have missed out on this.
I’m REALLY surprised that Fleecewind visitors get any chance to see the ports they stay in. I would expect that any excursions arranged through the boat would be marked up something fierce, perhaps even amounting to the cost of a a ‘donation’ to the IAS or some such thing. I wouldn’t be surprised if the vultures charged heavily to get down the gangplank to WALK around the port — undoubtedly sending along a ‘handler’ to keep you from stopping in an unapproved store or bar/restaurant, just to “keep you safe”. ‘Course, that would expose the ‘handler’ to the real world, possibly allowing them to realize that the real world isn’t nearly as scary as they portray, particularly on small Caribbean islands who depend on tourism.
Nope!
Nothing like that at the time.
The scuba diving I booked directly with the provider and the other tours I did.
Walked around Aruba and Willemstad in Curacao on my own.
Wasn’t told anywhere was off limits.
I visited the Freewinds in the 90’s. The “routing in” form and the “routing out” form both took me through the registrar gauntlet. The same was true of Flag during that period.
They did take my passport and held it until I completed the “routing out” form to their satisfaction.
I was able to get out on one island for half a day of recreation. The rest of my time was spent on course, trying to finish in time.
That was my first tropical cruise experience. Temps and humidity stayed in the sweltering 90’s with no relief, day or night. The Freewinds is so small that it’s not practical to stay in its air conditioned interior (and you spend enough time there on course). I’ll never go on another tropical cruise.
Why is the Freewinds restricted to the Caribbean? Is it prohibited from docking in the U.S. or Canada? Or does it stay in such a small area to conserve fuel? From talking to an ex-Freewinds crew member, I know that operating expenses have always been a problem for the Freewinds, partly due to Hubbard’s self-serving financial policies.
I saw the regular reg on my RFs but not the IAS.
When I went to Flag in the early 2000s, the IAS Reg was on the RF. You were expected to donate $1000 per visit to Flag. I am sure this became much more aggressive later on.
I bought something minor from the Freewinds reg for $200 or something like that.
They did take my passport but then again, when I went on a regular cruise with Cunard they did the same thing.
It seems like I did a lot better than you on excursions, at least on my first trip.
Don’t remember the heat being too bad but I went early in the year on both occasions and so maybe I missed the worst of it.
Yes, this is truly false advertising. I once went to the ship with my “2D” for a “vacation”. I was new to Scientology. I was a nightmare week for sure. First, I was going to take a fun sounding class and when I got there the reg said I was not qualified to take the course even though the Celeb center in LA sold it to me. Next, the IAS person tracked us down when we were out shopping and “ordered” us back to the ship. Same this happened the next night when we were in the middle of a nice dinner–some IAS person calls the restaurant and tells us to return immediately. I said screw them, but my 2D who was OT panicked and rushed us back. I had no idea what was wrong. Then at the IAS meeting, I left went to the bathroom and was checking my emails and the ship captain comes into the restroom to find me. It was scary and they had my passport. When it came time for us to leave they told my 2D to stay and run through an ethics cycle. They let me go because I said no way was I staying longer, but my 2D wasn’t able to leave with me. It really was a prison of belief ship.
Horrible experience. I hope your 2D is now your ex-2D, unless he woke up like you did.
Yes an ex now, they made sure of this.
Oh. My. God.
Mary Ryan, this is horrible even for the Ship. And I will bet my bottom dollar that they wanted you to leave first so that they could get him alone in the ethics cycle to convince him to divorce you or break up with you. I hate calling someone “my 2D” because it doesn’t tell you if they are a girlfriend or a wife, a husband or a boyfriend.
Or just your fuck buddy.
Cindy offered:
” I hate calling someone “my 2D” because it doesn’t tell you if they are a girlfriend or a wife, a husband or a boyfriend.”
I deal with that by saying she’s my wife, typically, OR sometimes, “My lovely Lady”, which is even more non-discriminating than 2D, which IMO, just means “lover” if it’s unqualified, AFAICT. Scientology was SO lacking in descriptors for the 2nd Dynamic. AND MustSavage , or someone, has been trying to change 2D to mean ANY act of creation. Hubbard tellingly first called it the ‘sex dynamic’, only weakly connecting in child creation or rearing at the time.
I suppose that’s because he was never much more than a sperm donor, getting HIS gratification without regard to the possible outcomes. Thinking a bit more, that pretty much describes his life, as I see it. It’s good that many men take SOME responsibility in such matters. Certainly Ron didn’t seem to be much involved in his kids’ lives unless they were working for him — a purely business relationship. The non-blood messengers got more fatherly attention from him than his offspring, as I recall.
LOVE isn’t considered, except by those of us who remembered that quaint emotion from our wog days
Wow, its gotten really bad. It was always bad but this is horriable. Is your ‘2D’ still in? I hope not ?
Yes still in. He needed to dump me to get through OT 7.
So are they persona non grata in Bonaire now?
We can only hope.
freebeeing asked:
“So are they persona non grata in Bonaire now?”
Is that where the infected person boarded? If so, I see no reason that the PORT would reject the boat, though the airports and airline that brought her from wherever MIGHT tighten up passenger screening for communicable diseases. I dunno, just spitballing. I DOUBT any place will blanket exclude scientologists just in case one might be an anti-vaxxer who is infected.
No such luck.
Perhaps the Freewinds, the Sea Organization, and Scientology need to change how they promote themselves.
If they just owned who and what they are and what they did, it might actually be more effective for them than constantly lying and pretending to be what they are not for “PR reasons“.
“Come to the Freewinds’ Extreme Endurance week! How much money will YOU have in your pocket at the end of it??”
“Scientology: the ONLY religion that makes you think you’re better than everybody else, just like you already knew!”
“Although joining the Sea organization is tough, abusive, and a never-ending grind of work, at least you won’t get paid anything, be able to start a relationship, or have any free time.”
What have they got to lose, they tried everything else? Might appeal to those with authoritarian leanings, which seems to be gaining popularity in the world today.
The one thing to remember. The Freewinds is the home of the IAS. So you don’t leave that boat without the added expense of a flat out donation to that fraudulent organization.
Once you’re on you are theirs to reg as they please. Time off course to explore??? That violates courseroom policy! No? Tsk tsk. ?
Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay. I sat on the dock of the Bay once. It took me almost 3 hours to get the splinters out!
Ouch 😉
Wear your shorts next time 🙂
Damn! I ALWAYS forget to do that.
Once in, your passport is safe kept under seven padlocks. You have to follow the route in and the route out. You can not explore the engine room or the crew cabins.
Of course you will be freed from any of your money assets, so get there in a hurry
I got to explore the engine room. I overhauled every machine down there. I even made it out of there alive, but just barely. Six doctors and the Captain told my wife that I was going to die.
Hey Bill. How goes it? Give me a holler when you get a chance. Your old comrade in arms. Royal
The Fleecewinds is nothing but an Extortion Floating Ship.
Thanks to the brave souls who told the World ABOUT Scientology – the World KNOWS!
Everything Scientology promotes is a lie.
Everything!
NO state of Clear or OT!
No fun cruise on the Fleecewinds – no snorkeling, scuba diving, excursions to the islands. Just sit on that ole rust asbestos filled bucket of floating evil and get regged day in and day out.
Please – tell 5 new people a day about this evil cult.
Provide REAL HELP to the planet and CLEAR it of Scientology.
Very true.
ultimate bait and switch game. Right up ElRon’s alley. But I also think this is another barometer of how the cult is doing. Every time they put out these fliers and other information they allow a glimpse inside- and it doesn’t look pretty. I’m sure there are fewer and fewer people who would qualify to take OTVIII “classes” and the trickle of people who can afford to is likely dwindling as well. Where will that leave the Freewinds? obviously docked for long periods of time. And Im pretty sure that first cruise is to prime locations to try to get people to forget about the measles.
Kat
The other day I spent some time searching all over for some of those dreaded ‘body thetans’. Searched my arms and legs, torso and face, but, nope I couldn’t find a one. I found a couple of age spots which got me thinking how lucky was I to avoid hitching a ride on the “Fleawinds” last week!
Kat offered:
“And Im pretty sure that first cruise is to prime locations to try to get people to forget about the measles.”
At THOSE prices AND the required IAS donations, it’d be far cheaper and less stressful to go for a “morning constitutional”(Walk or run) and just keep going. In my experience, a passport wasn’t needed in the major Caribbean destinations; just to get back home by public carriers. A good picture ID (Driver’s License) worked fine for most folks, I saw. A Passport just got us through more quickly as they didn’t ask us anything more than “Have a good time?” as they stamped the passport. ‘Course, most ‘Mericans who just got passports to go to get fleeced won’t know that, nor that they can get replacement passports at the local US Embassy. Trapped by belief and ignorance.