Freedom... Could Care Less

[cruiser_carol]

There is definitely a demand for ALL SIZES of ships. We sailed the Legend of the Seas to the Med this summer and she was wonderful.. A really elegant ship with a warm and intimate atmosphere. All the crew were so friendly you felt at home from the moment you stepped onboard. The ship was full to capacity...we stood inline at the C & A desk..with loads of others.. to rebook for next year. The response from the Uk market was so over whelming that the ship will sail again this year exclusively to the Uk from late April to late Oct. the Fares for the 14 day Med cruise..were significantly cheaper than any other RC ship sailing Europe Med..and they were for a longer cruise. Brilliant Value and a Fantastic Itinery.

 

These mega mega ships will cost an awful lot more to operate... in fuel costs, repairs, ship maintainence inside and out,Cleaning, extra crew and staff, and the Biggest Concern..if there are 3 ships ..keeping them ALL FULL for Every Sailing. Each new model Adds more and more items you are paying Extra for...including the fare itself.. 10 different Restaurants..shopping malls. How long are the queues for all the activities they hype?..wave surfing etc. How many hours are they open each day and how many kids waiting amongst 3000 plus passengers?

 

I would gladly travel on any ship and would certainly enjoy seeing these super liners..but I do feel there is an awful lot to be said for a personal atmosphere and a true cruise feeling. The real ship versus resort or theme park. The best part of our trip... aside from the amazingly beautiful ports...was the wonderful way we were made to feel by the crew who treated us so specially and made us feel important. They chatted with us regularly aaand knew us by name... I cannot help think that on a ship a nearly a mile long and well over 3000 passengers..it will be very difficult to get to know anyone.. or they you. I wouldn't like to be just a number. Just my opinion.

[Luv4dacruise]

I have to agree as well, when i go on a ship, i like it to feel like a ship vs. the Mall of America. I know this is the RCI board but my favorite ship was the Royal Majesty years ago, before they harpooned it, sliced it in 2 and stuffed it to be larger. Not to say that i will never sail on the Freedom though, the cruise lines have only been building bigger and bigger for the past 20 years. In another 20 what other options will we have but to sail these behemoths! We need to enjoy the little guys while they are still around :)

[Luv4dacruise]

These mega mega ships will cost an awful lot more to operate... in fuel costs

 

Just to clarify, with the extra amount of paying passengers onboard, it is actually substantially less for the lines to operate the larger ships, especially in fuel.....

[PhoenixCruiser]

If we were taking an extended family cruise (10 adults and 8 kids, right now) we would be interested in the FOS, however if it is just the two of us dinks we would choose a different ship :D

 

I do hope, however, that they will be able to visit better ports when EOS comes out.

 

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[abridalmaven]

I love BIG, the bigger the better, but to each her/his own. I was on the Nordic and sea days left me a little bored. I loved the Adventure. I also had a great time on the Serenade and Radiance, and the Legend of the Seas, but after all those intense port days in Hawaii, I was ready for the rest.

[FitzLA]

For those of you who do not like freedom of the seas and it's size, I guess it is safe to say that you will not like this either

 

http://www.freedomship.com/

 

And here are some photos of it

 

http://www.freedomship.com/freedomship/gallery/new/new1.shtml

[syndyj]

Great point! As I was scrolling thru this I started to sense SOME who deeply wished they could but convince themselves they won't pay the extra. I personally don't mind kids except nowadays kids are more rude and inconsiderate. ( gosh I'm sounding old!! LOL)

 

I'm looking forward to my Sept. 10th cruise on the freedom. We are going with the neighbors who are bringinga total fo 5 kids but I can rest assured they will be have as they are angels around here. With school in session the "kid count" should be low. I'm excited about the newness and can't wait!!

 

Don't knock it till you try it !!!!!!!

 

Glen

 

When we booked the Freedom it was only $100.00 more than the other Voyager class ships starting at $699.00. However, if I were looking at booking today where the prices have skyrocketed, I would not book it either. I don't think SOME of the people have some deep wish to sail the Freedom but are not going to pay extra, I think they are smart in waiting for the prices to drop or taking the same money and getting a much better cabin on another Voyager class ship (inside vs balcony).

 

I am very excited to sail the Freeedom , but RCCL has two more Freedom Classs ships in the making, so what's the big deal if people are not interested in the Freedom now? When the reviews and pics start coming in, maybe they will get excited and book the Endeavor, and then they will be sailing a new ship as well ;)

[Inshape]

We cruise in Jan, with our kids. We take them out of school and find at that time there are not many kids on any of the 4(soon to be 5) cruises we have taken. So if you are interested in FOS I do think you need to consider the time of year you will go and then kids overrunning the ship should not be a big consideration. I was not that interested in FOS because of the lack of sea days. AS on a voyager class ship a lot of ammenities are closed on port days, so with only 2 sea days on the current 7 night cruise it leaves a lot of time that these things will be closed.

[Host Caroline]

I much much prefer smaller ships and am only going on Freedom because it's a group.--- otherwise would never have booked on it.

The Voyager-class ships don't "feel" as big as they are and we enjoyed the Mariner and are really looking forward to the Explorer next year.. But ships the size of the "former" EOS, Nordic Empress etc. would be my first choice were there more of them going where we want to go!!!!

[peggyy]

I too prefer Radiance class over Voyager but I must admit, those hot tubs hanging off the side of the ship do intrigue me.

[always on vacation]

Ignorance is bliss.... I love all the Voyager and Freedom class bashing from people who have never even given the bigger ships a try. Hello, people to space ratio is all relevant no matter what size ship your on. I've been on big and I've been on little, and have NEVER felt crowded...To be honest with you I don't have complaints about either size.

 

I hate Carnival cruise lines...Oh, wait I've never cruised Carnival.

I think limburger cheese is horrible, Oh wait I've never tried it.

 

If you want to find something to complain about, try complaining about the price to sail on Freedom as compared to the other ships. RCCL even has relevancy in regards to it's pricing.

 

Have a great day, I think I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.

[Lynnees]

Ignorance is bliss.... I love all the Voyager and Freedom class bashing from people who have never even given the bigger ships a try. Hello, people to space ratio is all relevant no matter what size ship your on. I've been on big and I've been on little, and have NEVER felt crowded...To be honest with you I don't have complaints about either size.

 

I hate Carnival cruise lines...Oh, wait I've never cruised Carnival.

I think limburger cheese is horrible, Oh wait I've never tried it.

 

If you want to find something to complain about, try complaining about the price to sail on Freedom as compared to the other ships. RCCL even has relevancy in regards to it's pricing.

 

Have a great day, I think I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.

 

You did wake up on the wrong side of the bed. Looks like you're looking for a fight.

 

No one here is bashing the freedom. Everyone is doing what they have a right to do - expressing an opinion. Read it again........

 

I would suggest you go back to bed and roll over to the other side.

[hstrybuf]

It doesn't appeal to me right now. I've been on Navigator and that was big enough for me as was the Grand Princess. The name is catchy if not the itinerary. Once they get the bugs worked out (all new ships have them) and reports start coming in on the pros and cons of the ship, crew, itinerary etc. then maybe I'll consider it.

[MEGADAN]

I just booked it. Not my choice, but my kids "gotta have it!" As for DH and myself, we don't mind being on a huge ship. This is our 13th Cruise and we are quite happy just being on a cruise. The choice to pay more and go to Western Carribean, which we've done millions of time, was made because the kids were so hooked on the hype of the new, big ship with a flowrider.

I will note, though that this year we went on the Mariner with a Group and none of the Group would want to pay the price to go on the FOS this year.

Like others have noted, I can't mock it until I've sailed it, so you will have to wait for my review in Sept 2006. lol

[MrPete]

Am I the only person who has no interest in the Freedon of the Seas? I haven't sailed Voyager calss and have no desire to.

 

How does one give an opinion of a VC having never sailed one? :confused: :confused:

[Catnip]

How does one give an opinion of a VC having never sailed one? :confused: :confused:

 

Well, I have never cruised on the mega-ships, but I do know that I do not want to! Just the sheer size & passenger number turns me off.......

just personal preference........;)

[cruise182]

Well, I have never cruised on the mega-ships, but I do know that I do not want to! Just the sheer size & passenger number turns me off.......

just personal preference........;)

 

I agree!!;) :eek:

Had FOS booked but have canceled the cruise. We were on the Golden princess and that was to big. I can only imagine how big FOS will be!! The radiance class is the best fit for us...thus far!!:)

[Lynnees]

Just an analogy - one does not have to burn one's hand to find out the stove is hot.

[SailyaCruise]

Sorry for the long rant, but here goes. DEFINITELY a mega-ship Fan here. I personally prefer the larger class ships to the smaller ones. My first RCCL cruise was on the Adventure (or Navigator I can't remember which) a few years back. I had no idea what to expect when I stepped on the ship, and I was just floored by its beauty, the amenities, the shopping, the live latin jazz combo at Boleros, everything. We loved the ice show, the parades, events unique to Voyager line ships. In 2005 we sailed on the Mariner and my Voyager class brand loyalty was sealed.

 

In December 2006 some of my co-workers talked me into sailing with them on the Jewel of the Seas. Lovely ship, but I was disappointed in its size, lack of choices to grab something to eat when Windjammer was closed, NO ICE SHOW, NO PARADE DOWN MAIN STREET, NO PROMENADE, dearth of stores and RCCL merchandise, etc. I definitely felt like I was on a stunted version of a Voyager class ship, and I was very disappointed. And to top it off, I felt the ocean more on that ship, and I was miserable with sea sickness for the first two days. I've never been seasick on the Voyager class ships. One positive thing about the Jewel was the covered Solarium. GORGEOUS.

 

I will be sailing on the Freedom on Aug. 6 this year with some first-time cruiser friends, and most of the fears I hear from them is that they will feel confined and bored. I feel responsible for their good time because I have sold this ship harder than a used-car salesman at the end of the year. I'm not worried because I'm sure they'll enjoy the Freedom.

 

My only decision is whether to go on another small ship with another set of friends who want to do Panama Canal in Dec. 07. I'll probably go as that will be my 5th RCCL cruise and I can book an aft cabin or a suite for what I'm paying for the Freedom at peak time. But after that, I'm Platinum and will be sailing the next two Freedom Class ships in a run-up to a JS on a second Freedom class sailing in '08 and then the GENESIS in 2009!!

 

Everyone is different, I respect that. But I personally prefer large mega-ships with spacious public accommodations that offer tons of activities. I can see in a few years that it will be a hard sell to even get me back on a Voyager class ship. It'll be strictly Freedom and Genesis classes for me. For Caribbean cruises it's not the destination, it's the ship. In Europe, however, the reverse is more fitting. Who cares about a royal Promenade when I can promenade down Ramblas Catalonia in Barcelona or the Bridge of Sighs in Venice!

[RDeagazio]

Give me the Radiance and Vision class ships any day!

After I sail on the FOS pre-inaugural cruise, that will be it for me. I have no interest in the mega ships-- not enough windows, too many kids and there's only so many bars/lounges I can visit in a week.

[Schplinky]

Our first cruise was on Navigator of the Seas and our second was on Constellation, a ship of 2000 souls. We found there were more quiet nooks on Navigator by far and that another thing it had going for it was the variety of activities. On Constellation, if you didn't like the one scheduled activity at any given time, you had to wait another hour for the next thing.

 

There is an economy of scale at work on a larger ship that allows the line to keep prices down and I'm all for that. Frankly, most of the reasons folks give for avoiding the big ships (crowds, too much walking) were no more a factor for us on Navigator than Constellation, mostly owing to the design of the ship. Am I going to climb the rock wall, go skating, run the jogging track and surf all in one day? Not likely but I like the idea of having more than a trivia game or napkin folding to choose from.

 

We have no great attachment to the Freedom itinerary but the ship is the attraction and as long as it's sunny and warm, she could drop anchor just off land for all I care. That said, I hope that Endeavour will take up an Eastern itinerary, which seems likely given Navigator's departure from that itinerary in summer 2007.

[beachlovergirl]

As soon as I saw the commercial with the guy surfing on the back of the ship I knew this ship was NOT for me. On the other hand my husband loved the Adventure of the Seas which I thought it was just too big and I felt like I was at the mall in the Promenade. I prefer the smaller ships and he loves the bigger ships. We'll be on the Radiance of the Seas in October so I'll be happy. So we just compromise. Next time we'll go on a larger ship to keep him happy. We both love having lots of choices.

[SailyaCruise]

There is an economy of scale at work on a larger ship that allows the line to keep prices down and I'm all for that. Frankly, most of the reasons folks give for avoiding the big ships (crowds, too much walking) were no more a factor for us on Navigator than Constellation, mostly owing to the design of the ship. Am I going to climb the rock wall, go skating, run the jogging track and surf all in one day? Not likely but I like the idea of having more than a trivia game or napkin folding to choose from.

 

We have no great attachment to the Freedom itinerary but the ship is the attraction and as long as it's sunny and warm, she could drop anchor just off land for all I care. That said, I hope that Endeavour will take up an Eastern itinerary, which seems likely given Navigator's departure from that itinerary in summer 2007.

Excellent points. RCCL has done a great job in hiding the feel of overcrowding on its Voyager class ships, from the dining accommodations, to tendering, to disembarkation -- I have no complaints, and I'm confident the same will be true of the Freedom and Genesis classes. Most of the negative remarks I hear about the mega ships are about the crowding. I had the same fears before I'd set foot on these ships a few years ago, but my fears have been unfounded. Too many activities, too many public areas to setup shop with a great book or just to enjoy drinks with friends. But, variety is the spice of life and some just people prefer smaller ships.

[Nitra]

I went on the Voyager and did not like it one bit, thought it was toooo crowded, the cabins are smaller, the elevators too slow, the promenade is highly over rated, it is harder to get around the ship, etc so I join those without a bit of interest in the Freedom or bigger ship. I think it is out of control! There is a market for it or the ships would not keep getting bigger. I hope they never totally do away with the smaller ships, there are some of us that love them, it is obvious by how they seem to sell out.

[AlDubya]

I have to agree with the poster who said that if you haven't been on a Voyager class ship you're being foolish by saying you don't like it. You can't give an honest and intelligent opinion about something you have not experienced.

 

For instance, someone mentioned the rock climbing wall and said it looks like some paper bag paper mache thing. Uh, no it doesn't. It's apparent that you haven't been on the ship and seen it in person. It's actually solid rock/stone (or something to that effect).

 

Now, I realize different things are for different people. Personally, I prefer the larger ships. Why? More options. More things to do. I don't find the ship's size overwhelming at all. Furthermore, because of the increased size of the ship, the increased passenger list doesn't make the ship any more crowded than any of the other ships. There is more room, more things to do, and people remain dispersed throughout the ship.

 

I have never found a problem with being overrun by kids. Yes, there's quite a few at the pool area during the day (but this is to be expected on any cruise). However, if it simply bothers me, I just move over to the adult only solarium pool area (which isn't crowded at all) and enjoy my time there.

 

Personally, I love the Voyager class ships and can't wait until my honeymoon on the Freedom in September. I can understand how people who have tried both my prefer the smaller ships. I can't understand how people who haven't even put a single foot onboard a Voyager class ship can have such a strong (and often times wrong) opinion of them.