Just off the Freedom -8/11-8/18 - review

[springgrl]

Just arrived home on Sunday from a magnificent cruise on the Freedom of the Seas. Some background - our party consisted of myself, DH, DS (20) and DD (15), we booked two balcony cabin guarantees and were fortunate to be assigned side-by-side cabins on the hump, 6th floor and also cruised on the Freedom last July so we have some point of comparison.

 

We left on the Saturday prior to the cruise because we leave nothing to chance! Our family has it all together, we are an organized, well-oiled machine. Lists made, items checked off, bags weighed, tickets and all confirmations placed in a folder, full tank of gas to get us to the airport - you get the picture. Well, about an hour and a half into our two-hour ride to the airport, DS says "Did anyone take the hanging bag?" You know, the one with the suits, shoes, ties, and dresses for formal night? Um, no. Too late to go all the way back home so we ran to a Kohl's near the airport and purchased two ties, button down shirts and a belt. So we were THAT family without suitcoats and wearing casual shoes in the dining room - sorry. Luckily, being women, my DD and I had extra dresses in the luggage so we looked good :)

 

Fortunately, everything else went according the plan. We stopped at the Publix in Cocoa Beach to pick up the essentials - four bottles of wine - and Sunday morning we were on our way to the beautiful Freedom of the Seas!

 

Embarkation - Smooth as silk. We were on the ship within 20 minutes of arriving at port, about 11:30 am. The only small issue we had was when security told us we could only bring aboard two bottles of wine. We asked for a supervisor and, after we explained that each adult was in a different cabin, we were permitted to take all four with us.

 

Cabins - We were assigned two side-by-side cabins on the hump on deck six. This was the first time we had hump cabins and felt that the balconies were deeper and somewhat larger than those flush to the ship. Our cabin attendant opened the door between our two balconies and we easily fit four chairs, two tables and a chaise lounge with room to spare.

 

Service: As usual, we had excellent service for the most part. Our cabin attendant was friendly and non-obtrusive, which we like. The dining room staff was polite, however, I think our assistant waiter was scared of me! Apparently, peppering the food on the table was her duty and she became very nervous when I picked up the peppermill and tried to pepper my own food. She also insisted on filling the wine glasses after only a sip or two and I politely asked her to wait until I drank some more. Poor thing, it was only her second week on board and I hope I didn't frighten her too much!

 

Food: In my opinion, I thought the food was better than it was on our cruise last July. I like the new menu choices and I also feel the portions are more reasonable. DS would sometimes get two entrees but for myself and DD, the portion sizes were perfect. There were some hits and misses but, when I don't have to cook, it is a win-win situation. For those who like escargot, due to a worldwide shortage, the dish was served with scallops instead.

 

One evening we ate at Chops and it was delicious. We took advantage of the Celebration Package which includes ad $30 beverage credit if you dine there on Day 1 or Day 2. Another evening, DH and I thoroughly enjoyed the Wine Pairing Dinner at Vintages. It was amazing! Even though you have the same menu choices as the Main Dining Room, the food, plated beautifully, served at the correct temperature and paired with the perfect wine tasted special! It is $49 a person and was the best money spent all cruise. You are greeted initially by the Executive Chef, each wine is fully described by the Vintages sommelier and the intimate atmosphere elevated everything. Highly recommended.

 

Also, for those who enjoy wine, there is value in purchasing the wine package. We bought the 7 bottle package and the list did include bottles which were $59 and $62/each. The least expensive bottle we selected was $59, so, at $220 a package, we enjoyed significant savings!

 

Coco Cay - Enjoyed Coco Cay. We were waitlisted for a cabana but, alas, none were available. We took the nature trail which led us to the beach beyond the cabanettes. Very secluded, lounge chairs available and few people. There is a BBQ on the island and this critique is not for RCL, it is for the guests. I noticed people grabbing rolls and putting them back after handling, picking up cheese and other condiment with their fingers, etc. The worst offense was a gentleman who scooped up ice in his cup, noticed he had also gotten a lot of water with his ice, put his hand over the top of his cup and drained the water through his fingers over the top of the fresh ice. Never ceases to amaze me.

 

I would be happy to answer any questions you might have about any aspect of the Freedom. Just one other note, the children on this cruise were very well-behaved and polite. Kudos to their parents, guardians or grandparents!

[BikerBabeCruiser]

Thanks for the great review!! We will be on Freedom in November and I love to read all about her.

[njmomof2]

I have friends on her this week, and we board her on Sunday. We cruised on her twice last year so we are looking forward to being back on again.

 

Lucky you that they have you side by side balconies in a guarantee. Since I travel with my boys (15.5 and 11) and my mom, I'd love to do that and we did it once with OV cabins, and were lucky enough to have side by side, but not connecting. Easier with the inner door.

 

We plan on cruising next August as well and I think I'm going to buy air and wait it out and see what deals come up. They had unbelievable pricing on Oasis, Allure and Freedom starting at about 10-12 weeks out and it dropped as we got closer, so I'm going to hold tight and wait for the right price and then push the button. Hope I have the guts to go all the way LOL!!!

[SWManiac]

Thanks for posting! I'm bummed about the escargot tho. The last few cruises on freedom had them!

[vrock]

Thank you for the review. I have a question about your cabins did it have the lounge chair or did you request it. We will be in a hump cabin on deck 6 as well. So excited. Were you on the port or starboard

:)

[Jimnbigd]

This isn't your DD (15), is it?

[springgrl]

Vrock - One of our balconies had the chaise lounge and one did not. The balconies on either side of us also had lounges. I would imagine that you could request one if one is not already there.

 

Jimnbigd - Not my DD, however, but close. Got a good chuckle out of it and I recognize the pouty face all too well!

[vrock]

Thank you:)

[stahlee]

I also was on the Freedom and had a hump room on floor 8, port side room 8648. I met a great group of people at the Flowrider and ended up hanging out all week. I always meet great people, but this time is was a group of great people.

[xcell]

how do you get the celebration credit?

[springgrl]

Xcell - If you go into your reservation and go into specialty dining, you will see an option where you can make reservations for either Chops or Portofino on Night 1 or 2 of your cruise with an offer of a $30 beverage credit. You can reserve it on the website or can go straight to the restaurant when you board on day 1 and ask for that package.

[Wildcatfish]

Nice review!

 

when I don't have to cook, it is a win-win situation.

 

...and they clean up afterwards, too! I so appreciate that!

[goouchjac]

Nice review!

 

 

 

...and they clean up afterwards, too! I so appreciate that!

 

And I agree:D:D:D

[mikechass]

We were on the same cruise, I had two smallish kids with us. Just wanted to thank you for the "creds" you posted...

I will add, that by far the kids were WAY more polite then MANY of the adults.

My son, (12) said he has never seen so many entitled adults in his life... ha

I was somewhat concerned that they would spoil someones dinner in the MDR by laughing or talking to loudly... turns out the swearing, complaining and food wasting around us was more of an issue then my kids and their giggles. Just goes to show that you gotta let stuff slide and not pay to much attention sweating the small stuff!!

Great cruise, they loved it. My daughter was the little one sobbing when we disembarked. She made the staff, and even the customs agent cry as well.

Glad you had a wonderful time...

Chass

[CaribbeanCrush]

Thanks for the info on the wine package. :)

[Nicksmom82]

Just arrived home on Sunday from a magnificent cruise on the Freedom of the Seas. Some background - our party consisted of myself, DH, DS (20) and DD (15), we booked two balcony cabin guarantees and were fortunate to be assigned side-by-side cabins on the hump, 6th floor and also cruised on the Freedom last July so we have some point of comparison.

 

We left on the Saturday prior to the cruise because we leave nothing to chance! Our family has it all together, we are an organized, well-oiled machine. Lists made, items checked off, bags weighed, tickets and all confirmations placed in a folder, full tank of gas to get us to the airport - you get the picture. Well, about an hour and a half into our two-hour ride to the airport, DS says "Did anyone take the hanging bag?" You know, the one with the suits, shoes, ties, and dresses for formal night? Um, no. Too late to go all the way back home so we ran to a Kohl's near the airport and purchased two ties, button down shirts and a belt. So we were THAT family without suitcoats and wearing casual shoes in the dining room - sorry. Luckily, being women, my DD and I had extra dresses in the luggage so we looked good :)

 

Fortunately, everything else went according the plan. We stopped at the Publix in Cocoa Beach to pick up the essentials - four bottles of wine - and Sunday morning we were on our way to the beautiful Freedom of the Seas!

 

Embarkation - Smooth as silk. We were on the ship within 20 minutes of arriving at port, about 11:30 am. The only small issue we had was when security told us we could only bring aboard two bottles of wine. We asked for a supervisor and, after we explained that each adult was in a different cabin, we were permitted to take all four with us.

 

Cabins - We were assigned two side-by-side cabins on the hump on deck six. This was the first time we had hump cabins and felt that the balconies were deeper and somewhat larger than those flush to the ship. Our cabin attendant opened the door between our two balconies and we easily fit four chairs, two tables and a chaise lounge with room to spare.

 

Service: As usual, we had excellent service for the most part. Our cabin attendant was friendly and non-obtrusive, which we like. The dining room staff was polite, however, I think our assistant waiter was scared of me! Apparently, peppering the food on the table was her duty and she became very nervous when I picked up the peppermill and tried to pepper my own food. She also insisted on filling the wine glasses after only a sip or two and I politely asked her to wait until I drank some more. Poor thing, it was only her second week on board and I hope I didn't frighten her too much!

 

Food: In my opinion, I thought the food was better than it was on our cruise last July. I like the new menu choices and I also feel the portions are more reasonable. DS would sometimes get two entrees but for myself and DD, the portion sizes were perfect. There were some hits and misses but, when I don't have to cook, it is a win-win situation. For those who like escargot, due to a worldwide shortage, the dish was served with scallops instead.

 

One evening we ate at Chops and it was delicious. We took advantage of the Celebration Package which includes ad $30 beverage credit if you dine there on Day 1 or Day 2. Another evening, DH and I thoroughly enjoyed the Wine Pairing Dinner at Vintages. It was amazing! Even though you have the same menu choices as the Main Dining Room, the food, plated beautifully, served at the correct temperature and paired with the perfect wine tasted special! It is $49 a person and was the best money spent all cruise. You are greeted initially by the Executive Chef, each wine is fully described by the Vintages sommelier and the intimate atmosphere elevated everything. Highly recommended.

 

Also, for those who enjoy wine, there is value in purchasing the wine package. We bought the 7 bottle package and the list did include bottles which were $59 and $62/each. The least expensive bottle we selected was $59, so, at $220 a package, we enjoyed significant savings!

 

Coco Cay - Enjoyed Coco Cay. We were waitlisted for a cabana but, alas, none were available. We took the nature trail which led us to the beach beyond the cabanettes. Very secluded, lounge chairs available and few people. There is a BBQ on the island and this critique is not for RCL, it is for the guests. I noticed people grabbing rolls and putting them back after handling, picking up cheese and other condiment with their fingers, etc. The worst offense was a gentleman who scooped up ice in his cup, noticed he had also gotten a lot of water with his ice, put his hand over the top of his cup and drained the water through his fingers over the top of the fresh ice. Never ceases to amaze me.

 

I would be happy to answer any questions you might have about any aspect of the Freedom. Just one other note, the children on this cruise were very well-behaved and polite. Kudos to their parents, guardians or grandparents!

 

Hi,my name is Cathy,I'll be flying down w/ DH & dear friends of ours. We also will be flying down the day before our sailing{ like you've stated, want no-surprises }. We will be on the Freedom soon,10/13/2013. We have the same cabins booked, deck 6, on the hump #6336 #6338. My question is, how soon we're you able to have the dividers open between the two cabins? We were very interested on having them opened, this way it's easier to hang out w/ our friends. Loved your reviews, thank you !! Our last sailing was on the Oasis, we loved it. Have heard from so many people, good things about the Freedom, so we are all so looking forward to sailing on her!!

[springgrl]

Nicksmom82 - you will love the Freedom! Our rooms were 6338/6340, so you will have one of the rooms that we had. When we were allowed to go to our rooms (1:00pm embarkation day), we were greeted by our cabin steward, Lola. We asked her to open the door between the balconies but she couldn't do it immediately because she had to go and get the key. After unpacking, we left the room and by the time we returned, about 5:00pm, the door was open.

[excitedtocruise]

Were you able to keep the balcony doors open the whole cruise?

[frisbeewife]

I was on the same cruise and I dont think you would've wanted to leave the balcony door open because it was just too humid most of the time. I live near Port Canaveral so I'm used to humidity, but by the end of the week even the money in my wallet locked in the safe felt damp - and that was with the balcony door closed except when going through it. Don't get me wrong -I loved the balcony and was out there as often as possible, but I had no desire to leave the door open. I'm going on a Southern Carib cruise in January out of San Juan and I'm hoping the humidity will be lower.

 

 

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[frisbeewife]

Btw, we were on deck 10 in rooms 1560 and 1564 and because of the overhanging whirlpool above us, the divider between the balconies was solid metal and couldn't be opened. We were disappointed but didn't let it bother us. Better than having the whirlpool land on our balcony!

 

 

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[springgrl]

excitedtocruise - yes, the door between the two balconies were open the entire cruise. It was great!

 

frisbeewife - I was talking about the balcony door between two adjoining hump balconies not the balcony door to the room. You are right, if you have that door open all the time either the humidity or wind will get you :)

[Robinola]

How was the weather? Were you on the east or west?

It rained quite a bit in Florida that week!

[springgrl]

Robinola - The weather was fantastic that week. Sunny skies, warm temperatures and calm seas. The only rain we saw was a pop-up shower which drenched the last tender back from Coco Cay. We saw a sea of blue towels covering the heads of those who were on the top floor of the tender. We did the Eastern itinerary.

[Keith1010]

I enjoyed your review.

 

Keith

[johnindialantic]

How were the other 2 ports of call?

Sea days at the pool?