No expectations makes for a great FREEDOM cruise! My Story:

[QTMichele]

Thank you so much for the great review.The pictures are great and your children are adorable.

 

Thank you for reading and the nice compliments!

 

Loved the review. We were on the western itinerary last March...we loved her so much we are taking a trip on her again..this time with 10 family members and the eastern itinerary in June! This review really made me glad we chose the FOS again!

 

Thanks again!:)

 

Freedom is a great ship for families! I'm sure you'll have another wonderful trip. :D Thanks for reading!

 

Sorry this is finished. I felt like I was there' date=' too! Thanks Michele![/quote']

 

Don't give up on me... I'm going to add some more pictures soon. Glad you're reading!

[QTMichele]

Great review. We were on the Freedom in Oct. and it's neat to see and compare our cruise to yours. Sorry the weather was so cool but it looks like you all had a great time and your family is lovely. We loved the Beatlemania show also. We were on the Western itinerary. Were there lots of kids on your cruise? We had like 500 in October. Lots of playmates for my 8 yr ds.

 

Even a bad day on a cruise ship is a better day than a good day at work. :) It's all in the attitude! We had 800+ kids on our cruise - a little more than I thought with the time of year. It's was nice - just enough kids in each age group to keep things interesting without being crowded.

 

great review tfs

am leaving this sunday on freedom! :D

 

Have a wonderful cruise!!!!!

 

Michele...I dont think I ever enjoyed reading a review as much as I did yours. Generally by about day 4 or 5 of a review I give up on it. I have to say I was sorry to see yours end. Loved the pictures and your children are beautiful.

 

WOW! Thank you for the generous compliments! I really appreciate everyone that has taken the time to read this. :)

[QTMichele]

I noticed your son is 15 months and we are going to be on freedom March 21st! Any tips for us?? Our other son is 13 and we know he will have an awesome time....any pointers would be awesome! loved your review! For daycare its in room daycare only correct? thanks so much, molly

 

Hi! I'm assuming you mean your son is 13 "months," right? ;) There is no "day care" for kids under 3; however, there is in-room babysitting that may be available on a first come, first serve basis. I would highly recommend requesting babysitting services soon after you board, immediately if travelling during a peak week (Christmas, New Year, Spring Break, etc.). You request this at the Guest Services desk. They will take down your information and the requested times and dates you want services. Then they are supposed to call you to confirm. They did not call me by the first night so I assumed no one was coming. Unfortunately, someone did come to my room and I wasn't there. I explained that I was told they would call to confirm first. It was no problem and the manager over babysitting said the rest of the week was confirmed. Everything worked out perfectly from then on. :) By the way, the babysitters work in pairs - often teams that always work together. You will pay them cash - it was $12/hour for us. I included a tip each night as well.

 

Let me know if you have any more questions. Thanks again for reading!!!

[MandMcruisers]

Michele,

 

That was one of the best reviews I have ever read. Even more impressive was how great a vacation you had with your family (doing it solo that is). Good job mom!:)

[nenner1]

Michele,

 

Thanks so much for your wonderful review! It has helped us so much! (I have been copying and pasting notes off your report into a tip sheet for us to use onboard the Indy next week :D).

 

We have an 18 month old so your baby tips were expecially helpful. I do have one question...the baby splash zone- I have seen pictures of it before and it was just an empty area. Are there any "squirters" or anything? How deep is the water on the bottom?(the picture I saw..it was empty, but of course no babies were in it- and it was specifically the Indy but I wouldn't really expect there to be a difference between Indy and Freedom).

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to do this! I really appreciate it!!:)

Jen

[mj cruiser]

Hi! I'm assuming you mean your son is 13 "months," right? ;) There is no "day care" for kids under 3; however, there is in-room babysitting that may be available on a first come, first serve basis. I would highly recommend requesting babysitting services soon after you board, immediately if travelling during a peak week (Christmas, New Year, Spring Break, etc.). You request this at the Guest Services desk. They will take down your information and the requested times and dates you want services. Then they are supposed to call you to confirm. They did not call me by the first night so I assumed no one was coming. Unfortunately, someone did come to my room and I wasn't there. I explained that I was told they would call to confirm first. It was no problem and the manager over babysitting said the rest of the week was confirmed. Everything worked out perfectly from then on. :) By the way, the babysitters work in pairs - often teams that always work together. You will pay them cash - it was $12/hour for us. I included a tip each night as well.

 

Let me know if you have any more questions. Thanks again for reading!!!

 

 

Did you put your little one to bed before the babysitters came in? did you ever do the baby program where you went to the group for 45 min or something like that....how was the crib? thanks so much for taking the time to answer!!!! your review was awesome. I just ordered some uv swimsuit shirts like u had in one of your pix!! sooooooo cute!

[QTMichele]

Michele,

 

That was one of the best reviews I have ever read. Even more impressive was how great a vacation you had with your family (doing it solo that is). Good job mom!:)

 

Thank you sooooo much!!! :) We did have a great time - nothing better than family!

 

Michele,

 

Thanks so much for your wonderful review! It has helped us so much! (I have been copying and pasting notes off your report into a tip sheet for us to use onboard the Indy next week :D).

 

We have an 18 month old so your baby tips were expecially helpful. I do have one question...the baby splash zone- I have seen pictures of it before and it was just an empty area. Are there any "squirters" or anything? How deep is the water on the bottom?(the picture I saw..it was empty, but of course no babies were in it- and it was specifically the Indy but I wouldn't really expect there to be a difference between Indy and Freedom).

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to do this! I really appreciate it!!:)

Jen

 

Thanks for reading! The baby splash zone has a few inches of water - and it's nice and warm! (I like to think it's because the SUN warms it... lol) There is one sculpture that lightly sprays water downward. The area appears smaller in photographs than it really is; although, it's not a big area. It does hold quite a few babies and their moms (or dads, grandparent, etc.). They were enforcing the rules here - no one but a grown up could be in the pool with the babies.

 

Have a wonderful cruise, Jen!!!

[QTMichele]

Did you put your little one to bed before the babysitters came in? did you ever do the baby program where you went to the group for 45 min or something like that....how was the crib? thanks so much for taking the time to answer!!!! your review was awesome. I just ordered some uv swimsuit shirts like u had in one of your pix!! sooooooo cute!

 

Yes, he was sleeping every night but one. It made it so much easier on the sitters and my son. He was awake one night - he just wouldn't go to sleep - so they walked him around the ship, took him to Adventure Ocean and gave him a stuffed AO Octopus, then brought him back to the cabin. I came back to check on him and put him to sleep for them. It worked out great.

 

We never made it to the playgroups (Royal Babies and Tots) - we just had too much on our plate. We did borrow toys from AO - highly recommend this. It's just easier to use their toys instead of bringing your own. They have several "packs" to choose from too. :) The toys were clean, but I brought Clorox wipes for my own comfort. ;)

 

We reserved a crib when we booked; however, it wasn't in the stateroom when we arrived. Our attendant told us that he had it, but didn't want to set it up for us until he checked with us since the crib would have taken up the majority of the floor space. We decided not to use it since my DH wasn't with us. The baby just slept with me without any problems. Our attendant was willing to set it up and take it down whenever we wanted it - a nice gesture, I thought.

 

I love the SPF rashguards! My DS's was 50 SPF - great protection from that Caribbean sun (when we had sun!). Gotta keep the beautiful baby skin nice for as long as possible!

[nenner1]

 

 

Thanks for reading! The baby splash zone has a few inches of water - and it's nice and warm! (I like to think it's because the SUN warms it... lol) There is one sculpture that lightly sprays water downward. The area appears smaller in photographs than it really is; although, it's not a big area. It does hold quite a few babies and their moms (or dads, grandparent, etc.). They were enforcing the rules here - no one but a grown up could be in the pool with the babies.

 

Have a wonderful cruise, Jen!!!

 

Thank you so much! :)

[inghilch]

Fantastic review! Thanks so much. You are helping me a ton! I will be on the FOS the week of Feb 14th with my twin 5 yr old girls, my 3 yr old son and some extended family. Question. Is the ship stroller friendly? Did you bring your stroller into the dining areas? Can you bring your stroller into port? I noticed you had your son in a back pack but my 3 yr old is a bit too heavy for that! Thanks again!

[QTMichele]

Fantastic review! Thanks so much. You are helping me a ton! I will be on the FOS the week of Feb 14th with my twin 5 yr old girls, my 3 yr old son and some extended family. Question. Is the ship stroller friendly? Did you bring your stroller into the dining areas? Can you bring your stroller into port? I noticed you had your son in a back pack but my 3 yr old is a bit too heavy for that! Thanks again!

 

Hi! Yes, the ship is stroller friendly. I debated over the stroller issue - bring a full size (Peg Perego Pliko P3) or go buy a nice umbrella stroller (I didn't really want to spend $100 on a good umbrella stroller since this is our last child). I made the decision to bring the full size (save some money and have all the full size features with the stroller) based upon the rationale that if the ship is wheelchair friendly, then it must be stroller friendly. :) I never had any issues getting through the hallways or main corridors EXCEPT during the 70's dance party in the Promenade. It was so packed, that I just didn't feel like pushing my way through the mob. I really didn't take the stroller in the dining room. Technically, you could, but it is quite tight in there.

 

We didn't bring the stroller into port, but I don't see why you couldn't. If you're going to the beach, then you should consider that pushing a stroller through the sand will be virtually impossible. You could carry it to your spot, then use it as a napping spot for your child. ;)

 

Yes, we had the back pack - loved having it as an option and used it quite a bit on the first day (it was easier walking the stairs than taking the elevator to each floor while we toured the ship). If my dad was with you, he'd volunteer to carry your 3 year old - the man loves a challenge. :p My baby weighs 25 pounds - not a problem carrying him around, but I could definitely tell I was carrying more than my usual self! :D

[QTMichele]

As promised, I'm posting a few more pictures. Enjoy!

 

The Pools at Night

 

 

The H2O Zone is closed in the evening (notice yellow tape)

 

 

 

[QTMichele]

Some random shots inside the ship.

 

 

 

The kids and I spent a few dollars here twice. The girls thought it was so cool to eat Ben and Jerry's on a ship! It was good.

 

 

I just love the "street signs."

 

 

The Arcadia Theater

 

 

Christmas decorations were up for our sailing, but they took them down on January 7th, the day after the Epiphany.

 

 

[mspink98]

We fly down one month from tomorrow for our 2/21 cruise. These pictures are making me with (even more than I usually do) that it was sooner. It can't get here fast enough!! Thanks for the great review and pics!

[QTMichele]

Everyone loves food!

 

The case in front of Sorrento's. Be sure to ask about their Paninis they make fresh each day. They're only available during certain times. Unfortunately, I didn't get to try one. Will book another cruise and try again!

 

 

Jade, at the entrance to the Windjammer

 

 

Windjammer/Jade Buffet Samples - go ahead, try some!

 

 

 

 

[QTMichele]

It just keeps on coming!

 

After all the food, let's look at a few more random pictures.

 

 

Thirsty?

 

[QTMichele]

We fly down one month from tomorrow for our 2/21 cruise. These pictures are making me with (even more than I usually do) that it was sooner. It can't get here fast enough!! Thanks for the great review and pics!

 

Glad I could help you with the anticipation! :) You're going to have a great time! ENJOY!!! (And thanks for reading!)

[msakmom]

Michele,

 

I have thoroughly enjoyed your review and the pictures. We were in Florida the same week you cruised, and I can vouch for you, it was cold! I'm glad you and your family were still able to make the best of it and enjoy your cruise. I can tell by your review, that the weather wasn't the important part; family time was. I'm sure you'll treasure those memories forever.

 

Thanks for taking us with you.

[QTMichele]

I just wanted to thank everyone again for following me along as I re-lived our fabulous cruise on the Freedom. My family had a wonderful time experiencing a new class of ship for us. We enjoyed it so much that we're already discussing our next family cruise. (Any suggestions? We want to try Oasis!)

 

Our overall experience was excellent - really, we wouldn't change a thing. Okay, the weather left a LOT to be desired, but there's not much anyone can do about that. I'm not sure if I mentioned this, but the wind was incredible on our sailing. There were winds at 60mph! Decks were closed on multiple occasions because of high winds.

 

Opportunities to eat (and overeat) were numerous. We found the food to be quite good. We enjoy food and are easy to please. The main dining room had enough options each night for each of us to find something we liked. The desserts were lacking in flavor/richness, but there were a few that stood out (flourless chocolate cake was great!). The Windjammer seemed boundless in its offerings. My family always found something good to eat, and then some. Johnny Rockets is a fun place to eat, but you will pay a small cover charge ($4.95). I think it is so easy to overlook the Cafe Promenade and Sorrento's - they are wonderful places to have a bite to eat. Unfortunately, we didn't dine at Chops or Portofino's this trip (but I've loved them in the past!).

 

Entertainment and activities were good to great on this cruise. I really enjoyed the shows I went to and wish I had time to see more. The ship offered so many options to keep us as busy as we wanted to be, or not. Unfortunately, we just didn't get around to trying many things, including the rock wall, mini-golf, ice skating (don't forget those long pants!), and so much more. The pools were cool, but were a huge source of FUN for my kids.

 

The Adventure Ocean program was good. My girls enjoyed going and meeting new friends, and the staff treated them well. They made crafts each day and participated in many active activities. The toy lending program is offered through Adventure Ocean as well. This is a great addition for families travelling with children too young to participate in the clubs.

 

I am a non-smoker and do not tolerate smoke well. I found the Freedom to be non-smoker friendly while still catering to the wants of smokers. There are areas of the ship that smell stale and smokey (especially the casino and the Crypt), but most areas are well contained. There are only a handful of bars that people can smoke in, plus balconies, and a few open air decks. There was no smoking in the Royal Promenade - a huge plus to me!

 

Our staterooms were great! We had one junior suite and 4 promenade cabins in a row, each pair connecting). The JS was very roomy with more than enough space for two people - more than enough space for 4! The promenade cabins were surprisingly efficient and roomy too. There isn't a lot of extra floor space, but there is plenty of seating with the love seat and window seat. Storage space was more than adequate, especially since these rooms are made for a maximum of two people. Out stateroom attendant always kept our rooms clean and orderly, and provided great towel animals each night.

 

Service on the Freedom far exceeded my expectations. At the minimum, service was excellent! Special mention must go to the Windjammer staff who consistently went above and beyond their call of duty by going out of their way to find tables for our group, bringing us drinks and food, finding highchairs, etc. I cannot say enough about their service. Also, our headwaiter was phenomenal. He was present for each meal and always offered his services to our family. He was wonderful to my children as well.

 

I've only cruised twice, both times on Royal Caribbean, but they've made a cruise fanatic out of me! Out of my entire family, really! I cannot wait to try more of their ships, and perhaps re-do the ones we've already been on. Their product is great for families with a little (or a lot) to do for people of all ages. My children tell me every day how much they miss "the cruise," and how they want to be back on the ship. Me too.

[QTMichele]

Michele,

 

I have thoroughly enjoyed your review and the pictures. We were in Florida the same week you cruised, and I can vouch for you, it was cold! I'm glad you and your family were still able to make the best of it and enjoy your cruise. I can tell by your review, that the weather wasn't the important part; family time was. I'm sure you'll treasure those memories forever.

 

Thanks for taking us with you.

 

I'm so sorry about your weather! At least were able to get out of Florida! But, as you said, the family time was the important and memorable part. :)

 

Thanks for reading!!!

[jrwray]

Thanks Michele for for the time and effort you spent to share your review with us. I went on the Eastern Carribean cruise on the Freedom last year in February and enjoyed it. Last year the freedom went out of Miami and we are looking forward to going this February 7th out of Port Canaveral. Thanks again

[inghilch]

Perfect! That's exactly what I needed to know! Great points about the sand. I was thinking about my 3yr old napping if we were out on the town port days. I actually picked up a couple of umbrella strollers even for our 5 year olds! On a recent trip to the Moon Palace to Mexico, there was a tremendous amount of walking and instead of dealing with the whining and or carrying them, I was thinking at times I could just plop them in the stroller!

 

Thanks again for all your help!

[QTMichele]

Thanks Michele for for the time and effort you spent to share your review with us. I went on the Eastern Carribean cruise on the Freedom last year in February and enjoyed it. Last year the freedom went out of Miami and we are looking forward to going this February 7th out of Port Canaveral. Thanks again

 

Thanks for taking the time to read! It was fun putting all of this together. I just can't believe it's over though. :( Time to book another cruise! :D Have a gret time on the Freedom!!! Port Canaveral is so EASY!

 

Perfect! That's exactly what I needed to know! Great points about the sand. I was thinking about my 3yr old napping if we were out on the town port days. I actually picked up a couple of umbrella strollers even for our 5 year olds! On a recent trip to the Moon Palace to Mexico, there was a tremendous amount of walking and instead of dealing with the whining and or carrying them, I was thinking at times I could just plop them in the stroller!

 

Thanks again for all your help!

 

Glad I could help! I loved having the option of the stroller... kids just get too heavy and tired to be carried or walk all the time. Aren't strollers great? :) Have a wonderful time!!!

[tinaka]

This is a great review...thanks for all the info.

 

We have been on the Freedom once before, however our upcoming May trip will be our first with our DS, who will be 12 months at the time, so, I had a few questions for you.

 

You mentioned that you had reserved a crib for your son and didn't use it, but I was wondering if you knew if it what type they provide? I'd assume a standard Pack n Play, but figured I would ask.

 

Also, in the H2O zone, I know the baby splash area is the only place that allows infants in diapers, but how strict were they with letting you walk through the main area while holding an infant? I know their reasoning for not wanting diapers in the pools (and I agree that we don't want kids swimming with diaper contents), but I could easily see my son loving being walked under the streams while in our arms.

 

Finally, how did you handle transportation in the ports? If I remember correctly, the open air shuttles in St. Thomas don't have seat belts, so a carseat would be useless.

 

Thanks in advance for your help!!!!

[QTMichele]

This is a great review...thanks for all the info.

 

We have been on the Freedom once before, however our upcoming May trip will be our first with our DS, who will be 12 months at the time, so, I had a few questions for you.

 

You mentioned that you had reserved a crib for your son and didn't use it, but I was wondering if you knew if it what type they provide? I'd assume a standard Pack n Play, but figured I would ask.

 

Also, in the H2O zone, I know the baby splash area is the only place that allows infants in diapers, but how strict were they with letting you walk through the main area while holding an infant? I know their reasoning for not wanting diapers in the pools (and I agree that we don't want kids swimming with diaper contents), but I could easily see my son loving being walked under the streams while in our arms.

 

Finally, how did you handle transportation in the ports? If I remember correctly, the open air shuttles in St. Thomas don't have seat belts, so a carseat would be useless.

 

Thanks in advance for your help!!!!

 

You're so welcome! Thanks so much for reading! :)

 

I didn't see the crib because it was never brought to our room. The steward said he was afraid it would take up too much room while we were unpacking. Because there isn't a lot of floor space in a PR room, I decided to skip the crib altogether. I was told it was a Pack-N-Play. I've read that they're usually in good shape on RC's fleet, but every once in a while someone gets a dirty one. :rolleyes: I would definitely bring Clorox wipes!

 

The baby splash zone is the only place where diapered kids are allowed. On one port day, I was carrying my baby through the area to get to one of my girls. No one said anything to me, but there was hardly anyone at the pool (plus it was raining slightly). I did NOT put him in the water, but he did touch a few of the water spouts. Personally, I don't think this is a big deal since only his hands were touching the water, BUT because so many parents will take this further, I do like that the deck staff were out in full force enforcing the rule that NO babies could go through the main H2O Zone. And, yes, they did enforce it every other time we were there. My mom was carrying my son one day and was asked to leave the area and directed to the baby zone - she didn't realize he couldn't be there because the signs aren't that noticeable. On a positive note, there is one water feature in the baby area that the babies can crawl under. :)

 

In St. Thomas we used the open air taxi to go to the beach so we didn't take a car seat. This made me nervous (except for my 10 year old, my kids are in safety seats - ALWAYS!), but then I realized that if none of us were being restrained, then I shouldn't stress about not having the car seat. Fuzzy logic, I know. :rolleyes: On the way back, we took a cab - I thought it would be open air, but it wasn't - it was a regular "bus-like" cab - and it had seat belts! The belts were hit or miss - some had all the parts, others did not. Hmm... In St. Martin, we took the water taxi, then walked around - we didn't go anywhere in a vehicle. I can't tell you what to do, but the optimum way to travel is with a car seat. There are "portable" restraints on the market, but most car seat safety techs advise NOT to use them because they can be safety issues in themselves. IF you have an infant seat, then I would recommend using it along with one of the stroller frames. This way you'll have a stroller plus a car seat in one. I have an infant Graco seat with one of the stroller frames that I no longer use, but considered using it for the trip.

 

Let me know if you have other questions - I'd be happy to share my experience. :)