Finding my happy in the Western Caribbean on Freedom of the Seas

Just back today from my second cruise aboard Freedom of the Seas - and still not hungry, because it's not 8 p.m. yet! My stomach's still on late seating dining time. This was my second cruise with Royal Caribbean. And this is my first review.

To give you all some background: my first RCC cruise was in November 2010 with my family as we celebrated Mom and Dad's 50th wedding anniversary. I, my brother, his wife and their 3 kids went on that trip to the Eastern Caribbean. It was my first cruise since a 3-day Bahamas trip in the early 80s (a senior class cruise.) It was my sister-in-law's first cruise - and we did it all. If it was on the Cruise Compass, we were there. I think we got five or six hours of sleep each night, if that. Coming home I had to rest from my vacation.

This trip was with the same cast of characters. And the same ship. Only difference - now we sailed to the Western Caribbean.

So I had two goals on this trip. The first was: try to NOT do everything. Spend more time in a lounge chair in the Solarium. :)

My second goal: spend less on my SeaPass card than I did in 2010. This was me in 2010, the night before disembarkation: I was walking down the hallway, laughing to myself at all the two and three-page SeaPass card Statements by each door. "Those people have no self-control," I thought. Then I saw my own - three pages!! I could have bought another seven-day cruise with the total. :eek: Yikes! Doing everything - the spa, the Explorer Academy cooking classes, the fruity drinks, the excursions - does add up.

So, enough talk and on with the pictures and the review. Just to warn you, this will be a multi-part review. Did I meet my two goals? You'll find out. Along the way, we'll cover how I became part of the show at the Arcadia Theatre one night; how I humiliated myself to entertain my family at an entirely different venue, our failed attempts to win at trivia, my slightly more successful attempts to stay on my diet, and the one disappointing excursion, which kept this trip from being a perfect 10.

(But first, let me figure out how to post some of the 233 pictures I took. Then, on with the review!)

First picture - I learned from a fellow member here on the message boards to take pictures of the elevator's "Day of the Week" carpet sign to separate the pictures on my camera. Great tip - and it made for some interesting conversation at the elevator banks. :D

Really excited to read your full review, as I am taking this same trip in September! Thank you so much!

First things first: the speedy check-in at the port. We got to the port early, about 11:30 a.m. Since I immediately joined the Crown and Anchor Society after my first RCC cruise, I got to experience my first priority check-in. My parents are Platinum members, so they stood in their line expecting to go through much faster than me, the lowly Gold. But, oddly enough - there were MANY platinum and above members sailing, while we Gold members were few. You'd think it'd be the other way around. So I whisked through check-in and had to wait on the folks. But not too long - only about 10 minutes. So altogether, check-in took about 25 minutes. Then we marched aboard and like all the other hundreds already on board, made our way to the Windjammer for quick lunch.

After lunch our cabins were ready. My first picture was a shaky mess; this was from later in the cruise. I shared an interior cabin with my 14-year-old niece.

Look - a towel elephant! That's just one of the nice touches on the cruise. That and the fact that the steward cleans your room every 30 minutes, or so it seems. I miss her already.

The wait before luggage delivery gave me time to explore the ship.

I decided to start with the top and work my way down. For some reason, I couldn't get a picture of the Skylight Chapel. But trust me, it's pretty. And small.

Then I walked* down to the Sports Deck (Deck 13), where my nephew Dalton was already hitting the Flowrider. Smart kid, he packed his swim trunks in his carry-on. He learned from our last trip. New cruisers, take note: your suitcases may not get to your stateroom till late that first day (5 p.m. or so.) Hand carry what you need to enjoy Sunday afternoon.

He did really well:

After I got tired of being in the "splash zone" (and he wiped out - it happens to EVERYBODY!) it was off to explore other venues.

At the aft end of Deck 12, tucked behind the teen section (the Living Room) was Johnny Rockets:

I knew I'd treat myself to a hamburger and shake here one day. Somehow, I missed this on my first cruise.

Then I made my way to Deck 11, the Pool Deck. The kids' Water Park, the H20 zone, was oddly quiet. It didn't appear like this again for a week:

And finally, for this post: my favorite place of all on FOS - the Solarium.

I love how the RCC logo seems to float underwater. All the little touches. Ah, one of those comfy, plush blue deck chairs would soon be mine.

*At this point in the cruise, I'm still energetically walking up the stairs, instead of taking the elevator. And I had salad and grilled fish for lunch at the Windjammer. How long will it last? Place your bets now!

Next up: a short stroll down the Royal Promenade and the cheesy hilarity of Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre! Plus, gratuitous shots of appetizers, entrees and desserts. Yes, I'm one of those people.

Really excited to read your full review, as I am taking this same trip in September! Thank you so much!

Thank you! You will have so much fun. And the anticipation is the next best thing to taking the trip.

I will try to give as many details as possible .... I'm amazed at how few pictures I took. 233 sounds like a lot - but I left out so many!!!! :p

All day long, ever since we left the port, every time I've looked at my watch I couldn't help but think that a week ago, we were doing X. And at 8:35 p.m. one week ago, I was enjoying the Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre. I think we were just about to have dessert - and the murderer was about to be announced!!!! (Don't worry - I'm not giving that away.)

But first, a few more pictures of the ship before we go to the Murder Mystery.

I took a quick stroll down the Royal Promenade on the interior of the 5th deck of the ship - and proved I am a terrible photographer. Sorry, guys!

Here's the start of the Royal Promenade:

A little blurry, but it does capture the immensity of the Royal Promenade.

Here's the sign close up:

This is Vintages, the wine bar aboard the ship. Love the grapevine motif around the front:

And this is a mural from the interior of the Bull & Bear Pub, the English Pub just across from Vintages. I love the dancing bears:

And to finish my stroll down the Royal Promenade: a picture of the entry hall to Pharoah's Palace, a combination dance club/lounge:

I can't tell you how many kids (and their parents) pose between the mummies with their arms crossed. Quite the photo op!

Back to the Murder Mystery - it was an optional specialty dining experience for $55. And yes, it is worth the money.

When I entered my cabin Sunday afternoon, I found a white envelope addressed to me. It contained my invitation to the The Mill Valley High 10th

Reunion - the setting of our murder mystery.

We began up in the Olive or Twist Lounge (Isn't that the best name for a bar?) on Deck 14 where waiters served us champagne and hor d'ouerves:

While we were sipping champagne and munching our nibbles (so much easier to spell) the actors set the stage for the mystery. After "Act 1," the waiters guided us by table to Portofino, the Italian specialty restaurant.

Oops ... that's six pictures, and that's my limit for a post. So - next post: the dinner portion of the Dinner Theatre.

yeah, can't wait to read more. We leave Saturday! (but it's western)

The dinner portion of the MM Dinner was fantastic. Waiters came by and poured our choice of red or white wine. The bread on the table was a rustic artisanal bread. For dinner, we started with an antipasti assortiti that looked big enough to be a meal.

Then we had a choice of either zuppa del giorno (minestrone) or insalata alla cesare (caesar salad.) No picture here.

The entree was a choice of Tiger Shrimp or Filet Mignon - the Italian names are too long at this point. Just go to Portofino and look at the menu! Regular meals at Portofino are only $25.

And the filet:

...was superb. That picture doesn't do it justice. I should have taken the photo after I'd taken a bite so you could see how perfectly the chef interpreted medium-rare. Believe me when I tell you this was the best meal I had all week. That white mound on the side is white truffle mashed potatoes with a cheese crumble on top.

In between each course the actors would rush back in and give us more details. First, the victim was revealed in a shocking fashion. Then, as dinner progressed, more clues were dropped. It was cheesy, overwrought and hilarious.

Finally, we had our desserts: tiramisu served inside a thin chocolate cup. Everybody ate their chocolate shell:

Is that not gorgeous?

I have a few more pictures of the zany cast - but that would give away too much. Be sure to book the Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre under specialty dining at the same time you do online check-in - if you wait till the day of the cruise, it will be too late. It's limited to about 50 or 55 people. And it is so much fun! By 10 p.m. we were all laughed out.

So, next post: Monday - our first sea day. It's a great day for exploring the ship's activities and relaxing on a deck chair. There's so much to do on board the ship ... it takes an act of will to just do nothing!

We'll be on the Freedom this time next week! Thanks for your review so far.

I can see the pictures in your first post, but not the others. My computer is messed up and being replaced tomorrow though, so it could be me.

Sorry to hear that, GaDawgFan,

I'm seeing the pictures - so, hopefully it is just that computer. Better luck tomorrow!

We'll be on the Freedom this time next week! Thanks for your review so far.

 

I can see the pictures in your first post, but not the others. My computer is messed up and being replaced tomorrow though, so it could be me.

Not you...I can't to see them either.

Looks promising, when you get the photos figured out, I look forward to the rest!:D

That's terrible! I'll work on this some more tomorrow. Hopefully you'll all get to see them.

First set of pics worked for me too. But can't see any of the other posts.. just the little "X"'s

Still can't see the photos.:(

Still can't see the photos.:(

Still working on it ... waiting to hear from the Webmaster why this didn't work for you. I can see them! I'll be back later today with more.

I can't see any either after first post.

How are you posting pics? I use photobucket (free,) works every time.

I can't see any photos past the Solarium, but either way, I'm enjoying your review and can't wait to read more! We're going this cruise in June. Can I ask if your brother had any kids in the age range of 9-11? I would love to ask a few questions about the kid's club if possible.

Thanks!!

I can't see any either after first post.

 

How are you posting pics? I use photobucket (free,) works every time.

 

 

Okay, I'm going to try that! I'll use Photobucket to repost my photos from the last two entries, then move on.

Let me know if you can see this photo:

Mickev99:

My nephews are 16 and 11, and my niece is 14. They had a great time - we hardly saw them! My youngest nephew did a few of the Adventure Ocean activities but mainly liked to hang around with us and do excursions. (My older nephew quickly found a group of guys his age and they were on the Flowrider every day. He and my niece also went to the Teen Dinner the last night of the cruise.)

I'll ask my 11-year-old nephew for a report on more of their activities and post that for you.

I can't see any photos past the Solarium, but either way, I'm enjoying your review and can't wait to read more! We're going this cruise in June. Can I ask if your brother had any kids in the age range of 9-11? I would love to ask a few questions about the kid's club if possible.

 

Thanks!!

Mickev99: Just heard back from my sister-in-law; my youngest nephew was a little shy; he looked into the Adventure Ocean room but didn't participate in any of the activities. I think I also heard him say there weren't any 5th graders around at the time. But it looked like the group had a full roster of events - every day they had their own Cruise Compass (the daily activities sheet) for their age group.

Thanks so much! My kids will be going into port with us but we will definitely need the kid's club for wine tastings and things like that! They are just excited that they will be together, the age groups were different when we cruised with NCL. Mine are 9,9, and 11 and all girls and are very close (and usually like each other, LOL)! I am so excited to see more of your adventures! Oh, and I can see that last pic just fine.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

Okay, I'm going to try that! I'll use Photobucket to repost my photos from the last two entries, then move on.

 

Let me know if you can see this photo:

Yes it's perfect.

Thank you for being patient with my technical difficulties. This is a repost of an earlier post - this time, the pictures should show!

All day long, ever since we left the port, every time I've looked at my watch I couldn't help but think that a week ago, we were doing X. And at 8:35 p.m. one week ago, I was enjoying the Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre. I think we were just about to have dessert - and the murderer was about to be announced!!!! (Don't worry - I'm not giving that away.)

But first, a few more pictures of the ship before we go to the Murder Mystery.

I took a quick stroll down the Royal Promenade on the interior of the 5th deck of the ship - and proved I am a terrible photographer. Here's a shot of the Royal Promenade:

A little blurry, but it does capture the immensity of the Royal Promenade.

Here's the sign up close:

This is Vintages, the wine bar aboard the ship. Love the grapevine motif around the front:

And this is a mural from the interior of the Bull & Bear Pub, the English Pub just across from Vintages. I love the dancing bears:

And to finish my stroll down the Royal Promenade: a picture of the entry hall to Pharoah's Palace, a combination dance club/lounge:

I can't tell you how many kids (and their parents) pose between the mummies with their arms crossed. Quite the photo op!

Back to the Murder Mystery - it was an optional specialty dining experience for $55. And yes, it is worth the money.

When I entered my cabin Sunday afternoon, I found a white envelope addressed to me. It contained my invitation to the The Mill Valley High 10th

Reunion - the setting of our murder mystery.

We began up in the Olive or Twist Lounge (Isn't that the best name for a bar?) on Deck 14 where waiters served us champagne and hors d'ouerves:

While we were sipping champagne and munching our nibbles (so much easier to spell) the actors set the stage for the mystery. After "Act 1," the waiters guided us by table to Portofino, the Italian specialty restaurant.

Oops ... that's six pictures, and that's my limit for a post. So - next post: the dinner portion of the Dinner Theatre.

(Again, thank you for your patience. This is the last re-post so I can show you the pictures that didn't post the first time.)

The dinner portion of the MM Dinner was fantastic. Waiters came by and poured our choice of red or white wine. The bread on the table was a rustic artisanal bread. For dinner, we started with an antipasti assortiti that looked big enough to be a meal.

(You know, it doesn't look as good in the picture - but that's just my bad. It was beautiful!!!)

Then we had a choice of either zuppa del giorno (minestrone) or insalata alla cesare (caesar salad.) No picture here.

The entree was a choice of Tiger Shrimp or Filet Mignon - the Italian names are too long at this point. Just go to Portofino and look at the menu! Regular meals at Portofino are only $25.

And the filet:

...was superb. That picture doesn't do it justice. I should have taken the photo after I'd taken a bite so you could see how perfectly the chef interpreted medium-rare. Believe me when I tell you this was the best meal I had all week. That white mound on the side is white truffle mashed potatoes with a cheese crumble on top.

In between each course the actors would rush back in and give us more details. First, the victim was revealed in a shocking fashion. Then, as dinner progressed, more clues were dropped. It was cheesy, overwrought and hilarious.

Finally, we had our desserts: tiramisu served inside a thin chocolate cup. Everybody ate their chocolate shell:

Is that not gorgeous?

I have a few more pictures of the zany cast - but that would give away too much. Be sure to book the Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre under specialty dining at the same time you do online check-in - if you wait till the day of the cruise, it will be too late. It's limited to about 50 or 55 people. And it is so much fun! By 10 p.m. we were all laughed out.

So, next post: Monday - our first sea day. It's a great day for exploring the ship's activities and relaxing on a deck chair. There's so much to do on board the ship ... it takes an act of will to just do nothing!

(Okay, end of re-posts! Next post will be all-new, with all-new pictures and a special "hidden" feature of the FOS I found for the first time on this cruise.)

Thanks for the review, I'm looking forward to it! I'll be on this cruise in about 6 weeks...

Monday morning I got up and did the one thing I promised my gym instructor I'd do: I headed to the FOS' ShipShape Gym and did my workout. My trainer created a 45-minute routine for me which I did 3 times that week. People would look at me funny when I told them I was going to work out while on the ship, but that gym was busy any time of the day or night. Working out on a treadmill isn't so bad when your view out the window is

the beautiful waters of the Caribbean. After I did my personalized workout, I stuck around for the 30-minute stretching class led by one of the gym's trainers. That 7 a.m. class was full, with about 20 or so people. Everyone has good intentions on Monday of cruise week!

After working out, it was time for breakfast. The "Egg Harbor" line in the middle of the Windjammer is the place for made-to-order omelets. You tell the steward what you want in your omelet, she gives you a number and you come back in 5 minutes to pick up a delicious omelet. Yum!

After breakfast it was time to get on with the serious business of relaxing with my book. I headed to the Solarium, but it was a sea day and everyone was on board. So, those coveted blue deck chairs were all occupied. That's when I kept walking and found a neat little spot at the forward end of Deck 11 between the Solarium and the gym. It's a semi-private balcony, hidden in plain sight by a glass door. I got there and found my dad had made the same discovery:

It was a beautiful, quiet place to read and relax.

At 11:30 that morning I got up and made my way to the Crypt for the Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle. I had the best time meeting people from the message boards, including Pat and Vicki from the Cachers group:

At the end Belle, the Activities director, gave away door prizes. I won a bottle of Zinfandel! We later enjoyed it at dinner that night in the main dining room - no corkage fee, either (since it was a prize.)

After another healthy lunch in the Windjammer (no bread!) I headed over to the Pool Deck for the International Belly Flop competition. The crowds were packed and the contestants were just nuts. Can't believe they endured that pain for the fleeting glory.

The rest of the afternoon was spent doing serious relaxation - the rest of the family went to the ice show, but I had seen that before. And besides, being indoors seemed like a waste of good Caribbean sunshine.

That evening was the Captain's Welcome Reception on the Royal Promenade. This is fuzzy, but you see Captain Tor Olsen at the left, posing for pictures with guests.

The Freedom of the Seas Orchestra played for the reception, and they were fantastic.

Next post: Dinner that first night.