Freedom B2B Trip Review 4/28/13 - 5/12/13 (picture heavy)!!!

[atlgants]

Subbing!

[AZAficionado]

Perhaps this will be answered later on in this review, but I wonder if we have to search for our pictures or if there is the newer face-recognition procedure?

 

I like your very thorough approach to a review. Thank you.

 

 

Kathy

It has been many, many years since I let a ship's photographer take my picture (not much point as I'm not going to buy the picture). So, I'm just guessing as to how it works these days. I think the procedure hasn't changed - they display the photos grouped by event/venue and you have to look through them. I don't think face recognition software is mainstream enough to be used to help find vacation photos. Give it a few years...

 

To everyone else - thanks for all kudos and sorry I'm a bit slow to respond. I figured this review was all but dead and buried, so I stopped checking regularly. Yea for thread necromancy!!!

[luv2trvl]

Thank you for your wonderful review. I am getting so excited reading this and looking at all your great pictures. We will be on the Freedom for the first time in 42 days.

[jcaz14]

Hello my fellow Arizonian-

 

Thank you for your FANTASTIC review! We will be sailing on FOS (Western) in a month. Can hardly wait!

 

Just a Cozumel question. Can you walk into the center of town? We want to do a little shopping so the kids can buy some cheap souvenirs. I'm guessing Cozumel is the place to do that. We don't have an excursion planned there, just want to do some sight-seeing. Can that be done via my 2 feet, or would it be prudent to get a cab?

 

Thanks again!

 

PS: Since I will be traveling with teenagers- thanks for the heads up about the chickens. I guess that's why they call it the "birds and the bees." ;)

[Clarea]

Hello my fellow Arizonian-

 

Thank you for your FANTASTIC review! We will be sailing on FOS (Western) in a month. Can hardly wait!

 

Just a Cozumel question. Can you walk into the center of town? We want to do a little shopping so the kids can buy some cheap souvenirs. I'm guessing Cozumel is the place to do that. We don't have an excursion planned there, just want to do some sight-seeing. Can that be done via my 2 feet, or would it be prudent to get a cab?

 

Thanks again!

 

PS: Since I will be traveling with teenagers- thanks for the heads up about the chickens. I guess that's why they call it the "birds and the bees." ;)

I'd estimate it's around 2 miles to the center of town from the International pier. We walked one way once, and decided to do the taxi on the way back.

[AZAficionado]

Hello my fellow Arizonian-

 

Thank you for your FANTASTIC review! We will be sailing on FOS (Western) in a month. Can hardly wait!

 

Just a Cozumel question. Can you walk into the center of town? We want to do a little shopping so the kids can buy some cheap souvenirs. I'm guessing Cozumel is the place to do that. We don't have an excursion planned there, just want to do some sight-seeing. Can that be done via my 2 feet, or would it be prudent to get a cab?

 

Thanks again!

 

PS: Since I will be traveling with teenagers- thanks for the heads up about the chickens. I guess that's why they call it the "birds and the bees." ;)

Distance-wise, walking to town is very doable. However, depending on the weather, it may not be the most appealing activity. There were a few times I've been to Cozumel and it was really hot, especially directly in the sun. I'd recommend deciding when you get there. You can also try walking and hail a taxi on the way if it isn't working for you.

[Hard-habit-to-break]

Wow - what an awesome review. I loved all your photos. Thanks for your extensive review.

[lovetocruise75]

 

Of course, chicks come from eggs. But do you know how they make the eggs? Well, we got to see it, up close and personal, in all of its glory. This is a family review, so no pictures (actually, it happened so fast, there was no way I could get a picture). Ladies, be glad you're not a chicken. So, the rooster, after crowing, leaps onto this poor, unsuspecting chicken's back, holding her by the wings. Begin the sexual harassment lawsuit. Then came the beak to the back of the neck, just to make sure she didn't escape. Add assault and battery to the charges. Then came a single beautiful moment and the rooster hopped off. No goodbye kiss or C-note on the table. And that's how they make the eggs. Yikes. I guess they don't know about "No means No".

 

HILARIOUS!!

[TheGaDawgFan]

Very late to this review, but it is the best I've read on CC. We can't wait to be sailing on the Freedom in a couple of months. You've given me some great info. Love the food and drink reviews!

[SilverDollarDoll]

Guess what? People are still reading your review and I'm still joining with all the others in saying BEST REVIEW I've ever read. I do have a few questions if you don't mind.

1. Do you have any thoughts about booking Port or Starboard choices?

2. How can we be notified if you post any future reviews (possibly the Alure you mentioned)?

3. Do you take advantage of the on ship pre-reservation for future cruises. You mentioned you do have another B2B and JS room reserved.

4. I know you mentioned you don't have "us" pictures, too bad. It might spoil my head picture of the two of you. I can see that your wife has very skinny arms and a cute mid-body shot....hard to believe with all the food and drink she seems to enjoy. And, if I picture you (be forgiving here) it would be a 400 pound, drunk with a lampshade on his head, enjoying a cigar........................only kidding of course. I know your probably one handsome dude with a gorgeous wife. Cruise On and Thanks.

[rcclfanbp]

Thank you AZAficionado for a very beneficial and well organized review!

 

My wife and I have not yet sailed the Freedom class of ships but FOS has been on our to-do list for a couple of years. Perhaps 2014 will be our lucky year. Having sailed all other RCCL ship classes, I am guessing that the Freedom class of ships will be our preference. I am even more convinced after reading your review.

 

Brian

[Alaskalovr]

I have this exact same B2B booked in October 2014.. was on Freedom in 2011 but cannot wait to do the B2b ..something about staying on when they kick everyone off makes me happy :D ..

Hi! We will be on the October 19th sailing with you! We have a large group coming for a wedding. Jealous of your back to back. See you at the Meet and Mingle?!

[msjaxson]

Hi! We will be on the October 19th sailing with you! We have a large group coming for a wedding. Jealous of your back to back. See you at the Meet and Mingle?!

 

Woohoo!! Should be a great time !! Can't wait

[Jenny in TX]

I have really enjoyed your review so far. Only half way through, but hope to finish reading it tomorrow. Thanks for sharing!

[counsdr]

Thank you so much for this most awesome and detailed review!

I was on her in 2009 for the exact same Eastern cruise. I had only been on the Explorer a few weeks before and I was not crazy about FOS. I'm going to give it another try next month. After reading you're entire review, I'm excited to try it!

We have similar tastes in wine, so I hope they aren't out of them!!

Than you and your wife again!

 

Cheryl

[DrD]

It has been many, many years since I let a ship's photographer take my picture (not much point as I'm not going to buy the picture). So, I'm just guessing as to how it works these days. I think the procedure hasn't changed - they display the photos grouped by event/venue and you have to look through them. I don't think face recognition software is mainstream enough to be used to help find vacation photos. Give it a few years...

 

To everyone else - thanks for all kudos and sorry I'm a bit slow to respond. I figured this review was all but dead and buried, so I stopped checking regularly. Yea for thread necromancy!!!

 

They use face recognition for pictures, there's kiosks where you can insert you seapass and it pulls up your pictures. They also display them in the traditional way.

[ediesbeads]

I loved this review! We are planning to go on the Freedom or Independence in March and I will definitely come back and review this review again before we go. :) Thanks so much for all your hard work! I read it over two days and I feel like I went on a cruise myself!

 

Edie

[nyonefivetwo]

Thanks for the great review! My family and I were shipmates with you the second half! Your pictures and commentary brought back some great memories. And now I want to go cruising again...

[russianmom]

A group of friends are considering this for next summer.

 

This review pretty much sealed the deal for us!

 

Thank you :D

[Raenstoirm]

Loved the review. We are heading out on Freedom in a few weeks. Funny irony with your review though, we were on Grandeur on your Labadee day.

[beshears]

My, oh my, what a review and with awesome pictures.:)

 

We are two older (age 71, but YOUNG at heart, and people think we look YOUNGER TOO.:)) ladies that are going on the FOTS for the first time the end of april. We cruised 25 years ago, and I have been crusing ever since. I cruised RCCL years ago, and they LOST:mad: our luggage for almost 4 days. Hopefully this does not happen again.

 

I love reading reviews, and have been doing it for years. To say the least, I have never seen anyone (even with pictures) do such a DETAIL of information as you have. You are GREAT! I have not read all your review, but with your "detailed" pictures, I can see how that is really going to help us out.

 

We have an (could not afford an oceanview or balcony like on Princess or Carnival) inner room on deck 9, so hopefully this will be a good room.

[AZAficionado]

Guess what? People are still reading your review and I'm still joining with all the others in saying BEST REVIEW I've ever read. I do have a few questions if you don't mind.

Sheesh, go read something else people (just kidding). You guys caught me ignoring my review and the cruise critic boards in general - sorry for that. When the responses kinda died out, I stopped looking.

1. Do you have any thoughts about booking Port or Starboard choices?

I do, but it depends on which side of the ship faces land, which can vary from port to port. I like facing the land, except at the port of origin - the forklifts loading and unloading bags really kill the balcony experience.

2. How can we be notified if you post any future reviews (possibly the Alure you mentioned)?

Check the boards. This review stayed on the first page for several months. If I do another one, I'm sure it will be hard to miss. Right now, I don't have plans to do one.

3. Do you take advantage of the on ship pre-reservation for future cruises. You mentioned you do have another B2B and JS room reserved.

I don't, but I did look into it. The onboard credit was not enough to make up for trying to plan a cruise while at sea (aka without all the resources/information available at home). However, if I were cruising on a budget (interior cabin), as many people do, booking on board would be the only way I would book.

4. I know you mentioned you don't have "us" pictures, too bad. It might spoil my head picture of the two of you. I can see that your wife has very skinny arms and a cute mid-body shot....hard to believe with all the food and drink she seems to enjoy. And, if I picture you (be forgiving here) it would be a 400 pound, drunk with a lampshade on his head, enjoying a cigar........................only kidding of course. I know your probably one handsome dude with a gorgeous wife. Cruise On and Thanks.

You are most welcome. I do have "us" pictures, just none from this cruise. However, I wouldn't want to spoil the mental images people have formed with a picture, no matter how accurate those mental images might be. :eek:

 

To everyone else, thanks for reading and I'm so glad you enjoyed the review. Sorry again for the late response. I really don't want to be one of "those people" who write a review and then disappear, even though I seem to be one of "those people". Doh!

 

Now, go read some other thread!!

[SeaWatch]

Yay - yet another Freedom review! I love the Freedom - can't wait to read more and to see pictures! I have never done a B2B, but it's my dream...one of these days....sigh.

 

Do you happen to know if the Freedom has a hairdryer available?

[counsdr]

There is a hair dryer in the desk/bureau draw, but it's not very strong. If you need to use it a lot, either bring your own, or be patient.

 

Cheryl

[beshears]

Awesome, awesome review which I just finished. :)

 

I was thinking back almost 25 years ago when we took our first cruise. We went with a group of entertainers from Branson, Missouri who were part of the entertainment on the ship. I remember one of the men saying on the "last day" of the cruise, "Well back to Campbell's soup." This is so true. How much more spoiled could a person get then on a cruise??