Freedom of the Seas - first cruise after refurb

[ckrobyn]

I just booked the Freedom for March 8, 2020 which appears to be the first cruise after the refurbishment - got a great resident rate 😀

Does anyone know if this refurb will include cabins as well?  Very excited to see one of my favorite ships get a makeover!

[Clarea]

If you are asking if they will be adding staterooms, the answer is yes.

 

If you are asking if they are doing a major refurb to existing staterooms, the answer is no.  They would normally only replace / repair as they deem necessary, like carpets, draperies, furniture etc.

[ckrobyn]

10 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

If you are asking if they will be adding staterooms, the answer is yes.

 

If you are asking if they are doing a major refurb to existing staterooms, the answer is no.  They would normally only replace / repair as they deem necessary, like carpets, draperies, furniture etc.

Hi Bob! Thanks for the info - I wasn't expecting cabins to be updated but was hoping for it 😊

Hopefully the refurb is on schedule......

[frank808]

I guess they are adding inside rooms to where the CL is at.  Any other rooms being added?

 

I remember sailing FOS on the 4th cruise after her refurb when they added those panoramic staterooms on deck 12.  Have not been able to sail in the panoramic rooms since that cruise in 2015.  Will finally get to sail in the panoramic rooms again next month on sister Liberty of the Seas. 

[vacationlover_mn]

Have they released the updated deck plan yet?

[Clarea]

Just now, vacationlover_mn said:

Have they released the updated deck plan yet?

 

Not on Royal's US website.

[John&LaLa]

8 hours ago, frank808 said:

I guess they are adding inside rooms to where the CL is at.  Any other rooms being added?

 

I remember sailing FOS on the 4th cruise after her refurb when they added those panoramic staterooms on deck 12.  Have not been able to sail in the panoramic rooms since that cruise in 2015.  Will finally get to sail in the panoramic rooms again next month on sister Liberty of the Seas. 

 

I liked how Freedom mixed it up with a combo of balconies and panoramic. Hopefully the figure something out for the empty deck above

[Tulsacoker]

1 hour ago, vacationlover_mn said:

Have they released the updated deck plan yet?

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-ships/freedom-of-the-seas/deck-plans/1860/02

 

click on the right for the dates for what will changed

Edited September 25, 2019 by Tulsacoker

[John&LaLa]

5 minutes ago, Tulsacoker said:

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-ships/freedom-of-the-seas/deck-plans/1860/02

 

click on the right for the dates for what will changed

 

Not sure they are updated. No SL on 14 for instance 

[The Fun Researcher]

10 hours ago, ckrobyn said:

Hi Bob! Thanks for the info - I wasn't expecting cabins to be updated but was hoping for it 😊

Hopefully the refurb is on schedule......

 

I personally would be wary, and be prepared.   The Navigator had to cancel it's first (and maybe second?) cruise after it's AMPED drydock due to running over schedule.  I'm not sure how the other AMPED schedules have gone.

 

Dan

[ckrobyn]

47 minutes ago, The Fun Researcher said:

 

I personally would be wary, and be prepared.   The Navigator had to cancel it's first (and maybe second?) cruise after it's AMPED drydock due to running over schedule.  I'm not sure how the other AMPED schedules have gone.

 

Dan

 

I am, and will be.

How will RC handle it if they are delayed - I know they will refund the cruise $, but what about the guests who booked air on their own and would be faced with change fees and/or cancellations?  I didn't see a warning on RC when I booked suggesting the cruise may be cancelled, or anything to indicate this was the first cruise after the refurb so beware.....I found all that info on my own.

[Clarea]

12 minutes ago, ckrobyn said:

 

I am, and will be.

How will RC handle it if they are delayed - I know they will refund the cruise $, but what about the guests who booked air on their own and would be faced with change fees and/or cancellations?  I didn't see a warning on RC when I booked suggesting the cruise may be cancelled, or anything to indicate this was the first cruise after the refurb so beware.....I found all that info on my own.

 

With regard to air, they would normally give $100 or $200 for airline change fees.  No full refunds for air, unless the air was booked with Air2Sea. 

[John&LaLa]

12 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

With regard to air, they would normally give $100 or $200 for airline change fees.  No full refunds for air, unless the air was booked with Air2Sea. 

 

I try and always book Air2Sea if it's a sketchy itinerary. 

[ckrobyn]

1 minute ago, Host Clarea said:

 

With regard to air, they would normally give $100 or $200 for airline change fees.  No full refunds for air, unless the air was booked with Air2Sea. 

I am booking on points, so I would only need the change fee to reinstate the points back to my account.

Fingers crossed they are on time - I'm sure they will do what they can to stay on time as generating revenue as we know.....is king.

[ckrobyn]

9 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I try and always book Air2Sea if it's a sketchy itinerary. 

Not me when I can fly for free 😃

[Clarea]

12 minutes ago, ckrobyn said:

I am booking on points, so I would only need the change fee to reinstate the points back to my account.

Fingers crossed they are on time - I'm sure they will do what they can to stay on time as generating revenue as we know.....is king.

 

Not sure they would allow the change fee reimbursement to be used for points, but at least you would not be out the entire air fare.

[ckrobyn]

15 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Not sure they would allow the change fee reimbursement to be used for points, but at least you would not be out the entire air fare.

We shall see....but hopefully we won't need to.

[Nado44]

1 hour ago, ckrobyn said:

How will RC handle it if they are delayed

 

This was the letter received by guests who were booked on the first post-dry dock sailing on Navigator that was cancelled.

[John&LaLa]

1 hour ago, ckrobyn said:

Not me when I can fly for free 😃

 

Being retired has depleted my airline status, and I'm fine with that. 😉🍺

[msstatemom]

Nado44, do you remember how much notice there was between getting the letter and the actual cruise?

[The Fun Researcher]

3 minutes ago, msstatemom said:

Nado44, do you remember how much notice there was between getting the letter and the actual cruise?

 

11 Days

 

 

[The Fun Researcher]

13 hours ago, ckrobyn said:

Hopefully the refurb is on schedule......

 

We are on very fixed schedules during the school year.  In our case if they cancelled the cruise I would have a land based vacation booked as a backup... so no need to change flights.  For us, that would probably mean a land based resort somewhere in the Florida area with no cancellation fee (if cancelled within few days per se).  If the cruise is a go, cancel the resort.  If the cruise is cancelled, well we'd suck it up and make the most of touring/enjoying Florida.  No way I'm going to sit it out up in frozen Michigan when I could be someplace warm with my family enjoying the week.

Dan

 

 

Edited September 25, 2019 by The Fun Researcher

[ckrobyn]

1 hour ago, Nado44 said:

 

This was the letter received by guests who were booked on the first post-dry dock sailing on Navigator that was cancelled.

Thanks for posting this - it helps.

In the event the cruise gets canceled, I'll just book another one and run with the 50% future cruise credit 😉

[Smokey Mountain Tim]

9 minutes ago, ckrobyn said:

In the event the cruise gets canceled, I'll just book another one and run with the 50% future cruise credit 😉

I thought of that too, but remember it is 50% off what we paid for this particular sailing. Both of us got great resident deals, so it won't be 50% of the cost of a different week.

[ckrobyn]

1 minute ago, Smokey Mountain Tim said:

I thought of that too, but remember it is 50% off what we paid for this particular sailing. Both of us got great resident deals, so it won't be 50% of the cost of a different week.

Yah, I get that, but with my ability to take vacation at any time it is still in the win column for me if there is a cancellation. Don't get me wrong - I am really hoping there is no delay and we can sail as planned on March 1st 🙂