Freedom of the Seas Review 8/18-8/25

[luv2cruise0618]

Hello Cruisecritic friends,

 

My name is Melissa and my family and I are just off the Freedom of the Seas. I’d like to share our adventure with you. So come along on our fun journey!

 

Here’s a little background on our family :

 

Myself, DH Will, Jordan10 years old, Grace 7 yrs old and Gabrielle 4 years old. We are from Connecticut. We are avid cruisers! DH and I started cruising back in 2001, where he proposed on our 1st cruise ship. Since then, we have been hooked! Prior to starting our family, we were taking approximately two cruises per year. We have now cruised approximately 15 times, all on Royal Caribbean. Since the children have come along, we have done five cruises. Jordan has Cruised five times, Grace has cruised four times and Gabrielle has now Cruised three times. We are diamond members on Royal Caribbean.

 

After many months of planning, we began our adventure on August 15th with pedicures, banking, last minute shopping and packing. We started very early on August 16 with an early a.m. flight leaving out of Bradley at 6am. DH and I pulled and all nighter packing, loading the car, cleaning and closing up the house. The children were put to bed with backpacks packed and in their clothes. We woke the children up at 3:15am and loaded them in the car. We pulled out at 3:40am and arrived at our valet parking at approximately 4:20am. The shuttle ride placed us at the terminal at 4:30pm. The lines were crazy long and we made thru baggage check and security by 5:30am at which point t Kaesong had just begun. We flew from BDL to LaGuardia from 6am-7:10am. Everyone slept on the first flight, thank God. At LaGuardia our next flight departed at 7:55am. We ran thru the terminals as the gates were far apart and arrived spot on time for boarding. This flight was from 7:50-11:30am. Kids flew well, sleeping and then enjoying some tv and iPads and games. More to come shortly....

[luv2cruise0618]

Upon arrival at SJU, we got our luggage and headed to the taco stand. I must say that the taxi process is very organized. Staff are on hand to assist you with the fixed pricing from the airport with our approximate 6 bags not including carryons and backpacks. The taxi price was $26 - $20 flat fee plus $6 for 6 bags I guess.

 

Our pre-cruise stay was at the Sheraton Puerto Rico Casino and Convention Hotel. The selection of the hotel was a painstaking process as I was torn between the courtyard Isla Verde and the Sheraton. The kids opted for Sheraton because it has a direct view of the cruise pier with freedom of seas.

 

Pro and Cons of the Sheraton:

 

Pros:

Proximity to Cruise terminal

Customer service was strong

Club room for basic snacks

Outstanding breakfast buffet but pricey ($20 per adult and $10 per child)

Uber is alive and well

Infinity pool

Staff go above and beyond to meet needs

Casino

Great music in evenings

Good gym with frozen towels

 

Cons:

Pool is small

Meals are pricey

Not much in walking distance

Slightly dated

Limited breakfast in club room (best to go to main buffet)

 

If I were to do it again, I’d go with the Courtyard.

We spent our two days (Thursday and Friday) resting and relaxing at the pool. Dinner ore-cruise was at Longhorn steakhouse which was outstanding!

 

More to come...

[luv2cruise0618]

Saturday, Aug 18th - embarkation day

 

The family got a good night’s rest and was up at 8:30. We had a another delightful breakfast with 🥓 bacon, Sausage, made to order eggs, French toast, pancakes, toast, fruit, a delicious oatmeal porridge, grilled vegetables, smorgasbord of cheeses and meats, yogurt, Cereals, Coffees, teas, Juices, l milk, Hot chocolate. You name it. It was there.

 

After another lovely breakfast, we dressed and were heading to the pier at around 10:45am. We scheduled an Uber and the ride was approximately $5. Note: if you hail a regular taxi they charge $10 plus $1 per bag. Note there is traffic to the pier.

 

We arrived at approx 11:45am and there were no long lines (used diamond line inside terminal but lines were still short for others). We were in the terminal by 12 noon. We went thru security, check in, pictures, etc and were on board by 12:10pm. Not bad!!! The kids were super excited!

[Desert Cruizers]

Thank you for your review, daughter & I will be on the Freedom but not before March of 2020. Why would you recommend the Courtyard over the Sheratan. This will be our first time to SJ for a cruise.

[luv2cruise0618]

Thank you for your review, daughter & I will be on the Freedom but not before March of 2020. Why would you recommend the Courtyard over the Sheratan. This will be our first time to SJ for a cruise.

 

Great question. The Courtyard Pools by pictures are spectacular with swim up bar and this hotel is right on the beach. The sitting areas were also high quality. Take a look at their website online for a visual. They are also on Isla Verde with a lot more restaurant options in surrounding area, walking distance. This courtyard is not your traditional one. It is actually considered a resort. Very posh from the pics! Prices were comparable - $200 plus per night. Book early and rates may be better.

[mpdog42]

Looking forward to the rest of your review!!:D

 

Mike

[aliciam]

Can't wait for the rest! Thanks for sharing your experiences!

[Desert Cruizers]

Thank you, I will take a look at it. coming from So Calif & Colorado for the daughter we will probably come in 2 days pre cruise..

[Dennis#1]

Thank you for your review, daughter & I will be on the Freedom but not before March of 2020. Why would you recommend the Courtyard over the Sheratan. This will be our first time to SJ for a cruise.

Check out the Intercontinental Resort. It is close to the airport. Been to San Juan several times, and the Intercontinental remains our favorite. It has a large pool and great beach. Short taxi ride to old SJ.

[luv2cruise0618]

Day 2 - St. Thomas

 

We enjoyed a great breakfast in the Windjammer with all the fixings - bacon, sausage, omelets made to order, cereals, grits, oatmeal, assorted breads, baked beans, ham, cereals, fruits etc. it was a struggle to find a table even on a port day. Windjammer can be very hectic and guest etiquette was lacking at times on this cruise - cutting lines, pushy, etc. It is best to time breakfast a bit earlier.

 

We opted for a beach day. Upon leaving ship there are a number of tour operators. We have been to St. Thomas many times and have usually gone to Magens bay, which is one of the top 10. However we opted for Coki Beach this time around. Coki was breath taking, however it is definitely very rocky and water shoes would be best. Taxi to Coki Beach round trip was approx $80 plus the cost of beach chairs and umbrella. Family enjoyed our day there. Magen’s Bay is our favorite and we will visit next time.

 

We returned to the ship around 4pm for a 6pm dinner seating for formal night. Dinner was lovely...photos forthcoming

[EeyoreRN]

Following along as I will be sailing on Freedom in May with DD 24 and DS 22. Can't wait!!

 

I'm glad to hear your embarkation was painless. Can you please elaborate a little more on what you did that day after boarding? Lunch? Dinner? Shows? Was pool crowded? Thanks!!

 

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[jodyndavid2004]

I’ll be on board in two weeks

[luv2cruise0618]

Following along as I will be sailing on Freedom in May with DD 24 and DS 22. Can't wait!!

 

I'm glad to hear your embarkation was painless. Can you please elaborate a little more on what you did that day after boarding? Lunch? Dinner? Shows? Was pool crowded? Thanks!!

 

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

Hi Eeyore - on embarkation day we enjoyed the lunch in the Windjammer. Then we registered the kids for Adventure Ocean. We explored the ship. We had pizza at Sorrentos and just chilled for a bit, enjoying the promenade. The pool got very crowded by 3pm-ish. But the music was going and vacation vibe was fully on. We used the time before dinner to do some unpacking and then after dinner as well. One of our suitcases did not arrive so we were focused on resolving. Found suitcase at guest relations. The show that night was a comedian. Unfortunately he was not very good and many folks walked out. I will be uploading compasses at the end of review. We also went to the Diamond Lounge and had a few glasses of wine overlooking the ocean.

[Ollevonc]

Was on this sailing also!!! Was an amazing week!!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[EeyoreRN]

Was on this sailing also!!! Was an amazing week!!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Please also provide a review and pics!

 

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[grace0803]

I was on the same sailing with 44 of my friends and family. I loved every single stop but the ship's food, evening/night entertainment, and guest services staff were a disappointment.

 

This was my second RC cruise. My first one was on Enchantment of the Seas in 2011 and the food was so good. The food this time around fell flat. I only savory and delicious item was the rack of lamb. There was food outside on the pool deck. You had to go inside to the Windjammer cafe... it was very annoying set up. But again, the island stops made up for everything. We did excursions at every island.

 

Entertainment

The club was very small and the music played was 70's and 80's music (and it was not 70's & 80's night). We did our own party at the solarium one nights.

 

Guest Services

The line was always near the elevator.... that was a flag. My husband had to leave mid trip because of work. We ask several guest service staff members if he was go to go to the airport. They all said he was set. He got to the airport and was stopped by immigration. Guest services never said he had to go to the immigration office across from the ship. $110 in taxi $$... he got the stamp. I went to guest services to let them know what happened and they were cold and dismissive

 

Sorry for sounding super negative. :-/

[Chayshannon]

Hi guys

This was my first time on RC and unfortunatly it was not as good as I was hoping. We have cruised before and I guess I was always going to compare. I did attend the cruise critic meet and mingle and did highlight the few issues I expereinced.

Please dont think this was a bad holiday it was far from it just felt that there were areas that fell short. Overall I loved the cruise just dont think I will be returning to RC anytime soon.

My main gripe was the wait times for the main restaurant. I opted for my time dining as I never know what time I want to eat. We had to wait 5 of the 7 nights and one of these was after making a reservation. I dont expect to wait if I have reserved dining so this was frustrating waiting in a line for up to 30 mins. The standard of waiter service varied from each part of the restaurant as did the food quality. I enquired and was told the lead waiter oversees the food but I definately got better service on the starboard side of deck 5. Meal came with more sauce, more on plate etc.

Entertainment was disappointing. Anything I wanted to do music trivia etc seemed to clash and not as good as previous ships been on.

Guest Services queue was always long and when you have to go because they decline your credit card for no reason its pretty annoying.

 

Please dont let me put people off it was a lovely holiday and most of the staff are terrific just felt it did not have the sparkle of my previous cruise and hope RC will see this and put in some changes.

[BobNoxious]

Pl;ease add pics and more details! #subscribed

[grace0803]

Hi guys

This was my first time on RC and unfortunatly it was not as good as I was hoping. We have cruised before and I guess I was always going to compare. I did attend the cruise critic meet and mingle and did highlight the few issues I expereinced.

Please dont think this was a bad holiday it was far from it just felt that there were areas that fell short. Overall I loved the cruise just dont think I will be returning to RC anytime soon.

My main gripe was the wait times for the main restaurant. I opted for my time dining as I never know what time I want to eat. We had to wait 5 of the 7 nights and one of these was after making a reservation. I dont expect to wait if I have reserved dining so this was frustrating waiting in a line for up to 30 mins. The standard of waiter service varied from each part of the restaurant as did the food quality. I enquired and was told the lead waiter oversees the food but I definately got better service on the starboard side of deck 5. Meal came with more sauce, more on plate etc.

Entertainment was disappointing. Anything I wanted to do music trivia etc seemed to clash and not as good as previous ships been on.

Guest Services queue was always long and when you have to go because they decline your credit card for no reason its pretty annoying.

 

Please dont let me put people off it was a lovely holiday and most of the staff are terrific just felt it did not have the sparkle of my previous cruise and hope RC will see this and put in some changes.

 

 

Thank you, I was hoping I was not the only person feeling this way. I always look for the positive... before the negative.

[GalwayGirl03]

Can't wait to read more we are on Freedom in Dec with our three kiddos, 9,6 and 2! What type of stateroom did you stay in? How was Adventure Ocean...this will be kids third Royal cruise too..we are pretty addicted too!!!

[Scoobydobe7]

Hi guys

This was my first time on RC and unfortunatly it was not as good as I was hoping. We have cruised before and I guess I was always going to compare. I did attend the cruise critic meet and mingle and did highlight the few issues I expereinced.

Please dont think this was a bad holiday it was far from it just felt that there were areas that fell short. Overall I loved the cruise just dont think I will be returning to RC anytime soon.

My main gripe was the wait times for the main restaurant. I opted for my time dining as I never know what time I want to eat. We had to wait 5 of the 7 nights and one of these was after making a reservation. I dont expect to wait if I have reserved dining so this was frustrating waiting in a line for up to 30 mins. The standard of waiter service varied from each part of the restaurant as did the food quality. I enquired and was told the lead waiter oversees the food but I definately got better service on the starboard side of deck 5. Meal came with more sauce, more on plate etc.

Entertainment was disappointing. Anything I wanted to do music trivia etc seemed to clash and not as good as previous ships been on.

Guest Services queue was always long and when you have to go because they decline your credit card for no reason its pretty annoying.

 

Please dont let me put people off it was a lovely holiday and most of the staff are terrific just felt it did not have the sparkle of my previous cruise and hope RC will see this and put in some changes.

 

Did not know that "guest services" declined credit cards...I have always been under the impression it was the credit card company that declined the card???