Swtiching from Disney so many ?'s

Big time Disney cruisers but have decided to try RC for quite a few reasons. Price, now have teenagers, alcohol policy change, just to name a few but I am feeling overwhelmed and maybe because I was so familiar with Disney that I don't even know where to start. We booked the Freedom for late May with a guarantee balcony. Already got our stateroom assignment, Deck 10 #1390, seems good from what I can tell. Thoughts?

Ok so when do we start booking specialty restaurants and should we since it's our first cruise?

What drink package should we get for the 2-15YO girls? Normally on Disney they drink the soda but like to have a smoothie or daiquiri at least once a day.

Is there a rainforest type day pass for the spa?

Do we have to book shows and when?

We booked the 830 regular dining because I didn't quite understand the MTD but figure I can change to that.

Sorry for all the questions, I am doing lots of reading to find my answers also, but if anyone wants to direct me to threads I would love that also.

Thanks everyone!

The soda package is called Royal Refreshment and is $4.50 per day for guests under age 18. If the kids also want non-alcoholic cocktails, they would have to upgrade to the Royal Replenish package which is $19 per day for all guests. A fee of 18% will be added at the time of purchase for tips.

You may or may not be able to book shows, it depends on the ship.

We had no problems booking specialty restaurants once onboard FOS, which was a big change from Disney where you have to sign up immediately. There seemed to almost always be space available.

We had MTD and made daily reservations before boarding and were seated with the same waitstaff nightly. We chose to have a table for just our family and MTD made this a bit easier. If you choose MTD the system lets you prebook times, but they were either very early or late times. The middle times were blocked out and you had to book those onboard. So choose whatever works best for your family.

We found non-alcoholic smoothie drinks (as well as specialty coffee drinks) to be about $5.50 each. Consider this when deciding whether your kids will drink enough of them to justify the $19 a day package or whether you are better off just buying a soda package and letting them purchase the others ala carte. The soda package includes a cup that can be filled at the Coca Cola Freestyle machines and you also get a sticker on your cruise card that lets you get fountain soda from restaurants/bars.

For us, Freedom exceeded Disney in a couple of areas and fell slightly below in others. However, considering that we paid 50% of what we would have paid on Fantasy for the same week we were very pleased overall.

Big time Disney cruisers but have decided to try RC for quite a few reasons. Price, now have teenagers, alcohol policy change, just to name a few but I am feeling overwhelmed and maybe because I was so familiar with Disney that I don't even know where to start. We booked the Freedom for late May with a guarantee balcony. Already got our stateroom assignment, Deck 10 #1390, seems good from what I can tell. Thoughts?

Ok so when do we start booking specialty restaurants and should we since it's our first cruise?

What drink package should we get for the 2-15YO girls? Normally on Disney they drink the soda but like to have a smoothie or daiquiri at least once a day.

Is there a rainforest type day pass for the spa?

Do we have to book shows and when?

We booked the 830 regular dining because I didn't quite understand the MTD but figure I can change to that.

Sorry for all the questions, I am doing lots of reading to find my answers also, but if anyone wants to direct me to threads I would love that also.

Thanks everyone!

Currently on FOS you do not book shows in advance. They are first come, first seated.

Don't worry, it will all make sense after day 1. I am a long time Disney cruise lover. I have 9 under my belt and another one booked for next year.

You will see differences. Both have their pros and cons. Don't worry about the reservations. You can either make them in advance on line, or worry about it when you get onboard. It is nothing at all like scrambling for Palo reservations!

You teens will love RCCL. The shows and entertainment are fun and there is a ton to do. Have a great time!

I don't believe RCCL offers any sort of spa day-pass, but they do offer some discounts for port days, and maybe the first day of the cruise. Also, the showers, sauna and hot tub in the spa are available to use for no charge.

As for the stateroom location, my only concern with it would be that it's immediately under Windjammer. I imagine that could be a little noisy when they're setting up in the morning for breakfast and while service is going on.

Awesome info, thanks everyone!

Any other tips are greatly appreciated, but I feel like I've got a good start and am really looking forward to our first of hopefully many RC cruises!

As for the stateroom location, my only concern with it would be that it's immediately under Windjammer. I imagine that could be a little noisy when they're setting up in the morning for breakfast and while service is going on.

I wondered about this also, but I was hoping since it wasn't in the way far back I might be ok. Can I change a guarantee cabin?

This ship class is very easy to navigate. You'll be an expert by the end of Day 1!

Drink packages - if they're only having one specialty drink per day, you may be better sticking to the Royal Refreshment (soda) package and paying a la carte for extras. If they may want more than the one non-alcoholic cocktail or smoothie per day then the Royal Replenish would be a better deal for you.

Shows - first come first seated.

Dining - My Time Dining (MTD) is like going to a land-based restaurant. You arrive at the Main Dining Room (MDR) when you are ready to eat. There will be two lines: "With" reservations and "Without" reservations. If you want to make reservations you can do so in advance online, or you can book reservations on embarkation day. OR, you can wing it and go each night whenever it works best for your family and simply get in the 'no reservation' line. You won't have to wait long. They will offer to seat you with others at a larger table, or you can request a table for just your party. If you do make reservations in advance, some popular times are often blocked out on line, but those normally are still available when you get on the ship. And, even if you book your reservation in advance, you can change it easily - even on the day of the reservation - by calling down to the MDR. It's really very easy. You can also request that you retain the same servers and same table each night with MTD.

I wondered about this also, but I was hoping since it wasn't in the way far back I might be ok. Can I change a guarantee cabin?

We've sailed in Deck 10 D1's on Freedom, and never heard any noise from the Windjammer. I believe that once you get an assigned stateroom, you can switch it for another one in the same category (if available) The problem you may face is 1390 is a D1 cabin, and there aren't that many of them on Freedom. If it was me, I'd stay where you are.

As for Specialty restaurants, I'd wait until you got on board for three reasons: 1) if you pre-book, you pay when you book - not like Disney, and 2) Once you're on board they usually have discount offers for specialty restaurants that you won't see if you pre-book, and 3) it gives you a chance to see the venues and the menus and decide whether they're for you. Freedom has two: Giovanni's (~Palo), and Chops Steakhouse.

I agree with the recommendation to only get the basic soda package for the teenagers. If they're only doing one or two fancy drinks a day, you're $$ ahead with the basic package.

MTD - We always do this (8:30 is too late for us, and 6:00 is too early) we usually pre-book all nights at the same, and then adjust with the Maitre D' if we need to move a time because of something else going on.

Important safety note: Make sure your girls have bathing suits that are designed to stay securely in place. They will want to try the surf simulator (Flow Rider), and more than one suit has been separated from its owner when they wipe out (and they will wipe out):eek:

You can ask to be moved to another cabin of the SAME category, if there's something available. We always book deck 10, and haven't been bothered by noise.

I wondered about this also, but I was hoping since it wasn't in the way far back I might be ok. Can I change a guarantee cabin?

You can, but I believe it has to be in the exact same category as the cabin you have been assigned, so you'd be in another D1. I'm not sure how the reassignment process works. Ideally you'd want something on Decks 7, 8 or 9. All of those have D1 cabins and are between decks of staterooms.

I just got off Freedom with my 15yo son two months ago, so I'll answer some of your questions from that perspective, skipping over some of the items that have been addressed extensively already.

Ok so when do we start booking specialty restaurants and should we since it's our first cruise?

This is entirely up to you. I find the Main Dining Room perfectly acceptable, others choose to spend money for the Upgraded Dining Experience. Unless you know for sure that you absolutely must experience a particular specialty restaurant, my recommendation would be to try the MDR your first night and decide from there (see below for more thoughts on dining). Nobody I know had problems booking specialty restaurants on-board for our sailing.

What drink package should we get for the 2-15YO girls? Normally on Disney they drink the soda but like to have a smoothie or daiquiri at least once a day.

As others have said, find out exactly what your girls will/won't want each day. If they're going to want lattes and squeezed OJ and smoothies every day in addition to soda, the $20 package might be best. But if they only want one smoothie/mocktail per day, the soda package plus a la carte purchases would be cheaper.

Do we have to book shows and when?

Nothing on Freedom is reserved or needs tickets as of this time. Do get to Quest (adults only) early, as it was Standing Room Only for our sailing, and you definitely don't want to miss it!

We booked the 830 regular dining because I didn't quite understand the MTD but figure I can change to that.

More thoughts on dining... I personally prefer the late seating for dining so I don't have to cut my afternoon activities short to prep for dinner, but a lot of the teen events start at 8pm or 9pm. I was traveling with a group for a wedding, and I excused my son from attending dinner with us most nights so he could join his new friends (he did join on Formal Nights and for one night when we had a group dinner party in a specialty restaurant to celebrate the wedding, but he skipped dessert on formal nights so he could get out and go have fun). He ate in the Windjammer / Promenade Cafe / Sorrentos, either by himself or with his new ship-friends, on the nights he didn't join our group for dinner.

If your girls are social / joiner types, they will probably not be thrilled with late dining because of the teen activities. But you know your girls best -- there was another 15yo in our group and she's very shy and quiet, and she was perfectly happy eating dinner in the MDR with The Old People every night, while my 15yo was off tripping the light fantastic with his buds. So you may want to do the early seating in the MDR, you may want to keep your late seating assignment, or you may want to do MTD and customize your dining time to your family's schedules/preferences each day.

More along those lines -- if your girls are going to eat on their own in order to attend teen activities on certain nights, that means you and your husband can have a romantic dinner for two. Maybe that would be an opportunity for you to try one of the specialty restaurants, if that interests you. If you do have a table assignment in the MDR and you're not going to be there (eating in Windjammer or a specialty restaurant) on a particular night, it's polite to let your waitstaff know in advance so they can plan accordingly, particularly if you are at a larger table -- that way they don't delay the meal's start for everyone else while waiting for you to show up.

Additional thoughts from the parent of a 15yo:

The arcade will be free for one hour on the first evening (time will be listed in the Compass), and there will also be a "meet and mingle" type event in the teen lounge that first night. If they are social at all, I *strongly* encourage your teens to attend the group meet that first night. Even if they don't want to attend all the teen activities that are scheduled throughout the week, that first night gives them an opportunity to make friends with the other kids on board, and then they can travel around in groups and make their own fun.

Curfew is 1am for anyone under 18yo -- the girls will need to either be with a parent or back in the cabin after 1am. The teen nightclub closes at 1am, and Deck Patrol will give them a few minutes to travel back to the stateroom; after that time, Deck Patrol will round them up like cattle and deliver them to their door. ;)

If you have any other questions from the parent-of-a-teen perspective, I'm happy to help. Freedom is a great ship for teens... my son hadn't cruised in over a decade, and he had an absolute blast. Enjoy!

Wow Brillohead, AWESOME info! The girls can be social when they want to, so I will make sure they meet up that first night. Great to know about the curfew! The girls usually meet us for dinner, which was nice because we don't usually see them too often while cruising, but I don't want them to missed fun planned activities so maybe I will consider changing to MTD. I feel the same way about early dining, like I am cutting my day short, but I also am the type of person who hates waiting on a table, so I guess I will think on it. Is there any sort of communication between the teens and parents - Disney has the app for your phone that you can text.

Thanks again, really helpful info!

As our cruise gets closer, I have a few more questions. Will be get a Port Arrival Time, like on Disney, when we pay in full or can we arrive anytime?

Also, the price of our cruise is only about $14 higher than when I booked but I now see they are offering a $200OBC, can I call and just get them to change our reservation to that or do I have to cancel an re-book? Our PIF date is in March.

Thanks!

As our cruise gets closer, I have a few more questions. Will be get a Port Arrival Time, like on Disney, when we pay in full or can we arrive anytime?

Also, the price of our cruise is only about $14 higher than when I booked but I now see they are offering a $200OBC, can I call and just get them to change our reservation to that or do I have to cancel an re-book? Our PIF date is in March.

Thanks!

As long as you are before final payment you can call and get the new promotion.

Show up at the pier about 10:30 and be one of the first to board.

As our cruise gets closer, I have a few more questions. Will be get a Port Arrival Time, like on Disney, when we pay in full or can we arrive anytime?

Also, the price of our cruise is only about $14 higher than when I booked but I now see they are offering a $200OBC, can I call and just get them to change our reservation to that or do I have to cancel an re-book? Our PIF date is in March.

Thanks!

Port Arrival Time: You can board at any time, once boarding has started, of course. Normally, if departure is around 4:00-5:00, you can board as early at 11:30am, or so. Sometimes a bit earlier - sometimes later - all depends on how quickly the ship is ready from the last cruise. We arrive at the port by 10:30am, and normally are waiting in line for the check in to open - but usually our wait is less than 30 minutes, maximum. You may get an email as your cruise approaches "telling" you of your boarding time window - eg "Please check in between 1-2pm"... ignore those - you are free to check in whenever.

New Pricing: Call whoever you booked your cruise with. sometimes those offers are for new bookings only. But, generally speaking, if you find a price drop, you can claim it - before final payment date.