Always Interesting to Compare

[HeatherInFlorida]

I'm not a big RCL fan, but a friend sent me this link to amazing pictures of the new Freedom of the Seas. If you have a little time to spare, click on "slideshow" when you get to the site. And prepare to be amazed!

 

Since I have trouble on a Vista class making my way around:o , I would be lost forever on this ship. No wonder people disappear!!!:D

 

Still, I have to say it is an extraodinary ship and it's always fun to compare what some of us are used to with something so completely different. I particularly love the name of one lounge "Olive or Twist":) .

 

Take a look: FREEDOM OF THE SEAS - Interior & Exterior Pics album

[SForman]

Heather,

 

Thanks for sharing the link.

 

Seth

[gizmo]

Amazing ! "Olive or Twist" caught my attention also. What a great name.

[Robin7]

a friend sent me this link to amazing pictures of the new Freedom of the Seas. If you have a little time to spare, click on "slideshow" when you get to the site. And prepare to be amazed!

 

And I am! Holy rowboat, Batman! That's quite a ship. My husband's brother and his wife are HUGE RCI fans, but we've not yet sailed RCI. I'm not sure we will. I don't think I'd be comfortable on a ship that size, although it is beautiful. 3600 people is just too many for my vacation. (Wouldn't you be waiting in line a lot for the miniature golf or the rock wall or the surfing thing???? Not my idea of fun.)

 

The pictures remind me of a Las Vegas hotel/casino. The atrium and promenade are incredible! I wonder if there's a charge for the Ben and Jerry's????:eek:

 

No wonder my inlaws were kind of grousing about the size of the Oosterdam when we cruised together last fall. They're used to something completely different. I'm awfully glad there are different cruiselines for different styles of cruising. Right now I'm thinking the Zaandam is going to be PERFECT.

 

Robin

[Atomica]

WOW -definately high on the wow factor.

 

I haven't yet been on RCL, but I'd like to. The Serenade & Radiance of the Seas are frequently here in Vancouver, and they look like very nice ships - very modern, but traditional looking at the same time. I'd probably start with one of them and work my way up to Freedom.

 

Then again, I'd like to try the Queen Mary 2, so I may just go straight for the gold :)

[albertiger]

The person that reserves the cabin (visible in pic. #12) over Ben & Jerrys that has to look at the cow's rumps, receives free ice cream for the duration of the cruise!:D (no foolin!)

[karen2cruz]

Thanks for the pics. We have been on it's sister, the Mariner of the Seas, and it was just as fabulous-looking. Our kids, all teens at the time, loved the mall, the rock climbing, Johnny Rockets diner... and we liked the ice skating show. But, it is too much a a "city" feel for us. We like the "smaller" ships.

 

Looking forward to our first HAL cruise and the Vista Class, which will not seem large to us, after Mariner of the Seas and Golden Princess. Hopefully, this will not be our last cruise on HAL and we can experience the other class ships as well.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

It certainly does have that "WOW" factor but I kept thinking as I was going thru the pictures 2 things. It sure reminds me of Las Vegas (which is where we live and I like getting away from) 2nd I kept thinking about all the things that attracts familys with lots of kids running around. Oddly the person who took these pictures has very few people in them at all and it must have been on a cruise. Do you suppose they got up VERY early in the morning to take these pictures?

While it looks very nice I think I prefer my 5187 aft cabin on the Oosterdam:) To me that is Home Away from Home.

[sail7seas]

Fun looking at but Nope, Not for Us!!!

 

When she unloads her hordes on a small Caribbean ....... Watch out!!!

 

I never say never, but this is about as close to never as it gets......for me.

 

[Schplinky]

We're booked on her for September. I can assure you that having been on navigator, which is not all that much smaller, that the crowds and lines you fear are expertly distributed and were never an issue for us. These ships are a marvel of architecture, to be sure. I do not recall ever standing in line, save for exiting a show or bingo. We felt much more hemmed in on a smaller Celebrity ship but that was mostly because there was, relatively, little to do so everyone was on the pool deck claiming their own space. On Navigator, we were constantly amazed at how few people there seemed to be around, since there were so many things going on and small crowds were flocking to each of them. We kept seeing the same people over and over and never had the impression that we were on a ship of over 3,000 souls.

 

I think that hoardes descending on islands comes more often from the number of ships in port than from one ship like Freedom. We spoke to a man in St. Thomas and he told us that the previous week, 9 ships had been in port representing 16,000 people, on the same day. That's the sort of thing I keep an eye out for when we book.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Well ... she's not our style ... doesn't mean there's anything wrong with her, we just like smaller ships.

 

But I must admit I think some parts of the ship are magnificent. However, I did wonder how it would look when you added the 3600 people!!!

 

The other thing is that, unlike some, we like to know we're on a ship Many people gasp "gosh, I didn't even know I was on a ship!" and my answer is ... then why go??? But I do understand it's a personal preference and I admit I would love to tour the ship. She is quite amazing to say the least.

 

Since the waverunner wasn't even on, I have a feeling the photographer (who seems to be professional) may have taken them during a special event just before her maiden voyage. Even the way the chaises were lined up in perfect order leads me to think few were on her yet.

[torpeedo]

Those are great shots! Gives you a good feel for the ship.

We considered the Freedom for about 5 minutes and then regained our senses! We love the S class ships. I think this ship will be great hit for the 20-40 year old crowd. They will have a ball. Their kids will have a ball too. Just send me a postcard!!

[Schplinky]

Well ... she's not our style ... doesn't mean there's anything wrong with her, we just like smaller ships.

 

But I must admit I think some parts of the ship are magnificent. However, I did wonder how it would look when you added the 3600 people!!!

 

 

I'll post our pictures once we've sailed. I expect to be active on this board through January when we sail on Westerdam. We found that taking pictures early in the morning or just after boarding made the ship look empty. Maybe that's what this person did?

 

I agree that I like to feel I am at sea also. We didn't feel removed from that on Navigator but I can see how some would have that impression. Oh well, to each their own. My feeling is that I hope as many people as possible will sail on ships I don't care for so the demand and prices for "my" ships will be kept lower. :)

 

It's interesting to note that for the first month, RCL has been restricting the capacity so as to give the crew time to ease into the larger crowds. I think it's next week's sailing where they will remove some of those controls.

[jhannah]

She's a knock-out ship, that's for sure. But it's way too much for me. I know she will provide much enjoyment for those who sail her ... but it won't be me.

[traveller123]

Thanks so much for providing that link to the pictures... what an amazing ship!!! I think I would feel like I was visiting a small city as opposed to travelling on a cruise ship. There appears to be something for everyone, and I'm sure younger families would love it. However, I can't imagine travelling on a ship that large. I think I'll stick to my favourite, the Rotterdam.

[boatlover]

We're booked on her for September. I can assure you that having been on navigator, which is not all that much smaller, that the crowds and lines you fear are expertly distributed and were never an issue for us. These ships are a marvel of architecture, to be sure. I do not recall ever standing in line, save for exiting a show or bingo. We felt much more hemmed in on a smaller Celebrity ship but that was mostly because there was, relatively, little to do so everyone was on the pool deck claiming their own space. On Navigator, we were constantly amazed at how few people there seemed to be around, since there were so many things going on and small crowds were flocking to each of them. We kept seeing the same people over and over and never had the impression that we were on a ship of over 3,000 souls.

 

I think that hoardes descending on islands comes more often from the number of ships in port than from one ship like Freedom. We spoke to a man in St. Thomas and he told us that the previous week, 9 ships had been in port representing 16,000 people, on the same day. That's the sort of thing I keep an eye out for when we book.

 

Schplinky -

Can you give more info about your experience on Navigator. We have never sailed with our kids (7 & 4) on HAL or X. We always thought we would choose Disney when we are ready to include them. But I am curious about RCI, it seems that they are more suited for kids (compared for HAL and X, which are heaven for us adults!) and I wonder if you can confirm? Also, when cruise shopping RCI always seems to be more expensive than HAL or X, but still cheaper than Disney, which I think is crazy expensive. Does RCI really cost a lot more than HAL/X or am I just shopping at the wrong places?

 

Heather - thanks for posting this link! Ah, on second thought, why did you do this??? Now you have me thinking and planning!! :)

[HeatherInFlorida]

..................

Heather - thanks for posting this link! Ah, on second thought, why did you do this??? Now you have me thinking and planning!! :)

 

:) ..... boatlover, thinking and planning is a good thing! When you stop thinking and planning, you've basically stopped.:)

[AlohaPride]

I got overwhelmed just LOOKING at the pictures. I don't think I would want to be at sea with 3,000 + people. At that point you just become another number, not an individual to the employees on board. I'll stick with the Noordam ;-)

[obriendan]

WOW!! Thanks for the link. To each his own, but, as has already been stated, is it cruising or Las Vegas with the ocean nearby? Not for me.

[Schplinky]

Schplinky -

Can you give more info about your experience on Navigator. We have never sailed with our kids (7 & 4) on HAL or X. We always thought we would choose Disney when we are ready to include them. But I am curious about RCI, it seems that they are more suited for kids (compared for HAL and X, which are heaven for us adults!) and I wonder if you can confirm? Also, when cruise shopping RCI always seems to be more expensive than HAL or X, but still cheaper than Disney, which I think is crazy expensive. Does RCI really cost a lot more than HAL/X or am I just shopping at the wrong places?

 

Heather - thanks for posting this link! Ah, on second thought, why did you do this??? Now you have me thinking and planning!! :)

 

I think RCL devotes the largest part of their ship of any line to the kids club so there was a lot going on. The little gaffers even had their own Cruise Compass (the daily) and their own pool. There were, apparently, 300 children onboard but we never saw them. You would have been hard-pressed to convince me there were more than 30. We saw one little girl crying when her parents "made" her get off at the end of the trip. I don't have kids so I cannot comment on the actual program but there certainly always seemed to be stuff planned. I like the thoughtful ways they integrated family life into the ship without changing my experience as a childless passenger. For instance, they had movie showings that were for mom's with babies so they didn't have to feel bad if they cried. They had family disco time that allowed families to dance but was far earlier in the evening than I would go out. The waiters seem to always have the children entertained and ours kept the children at the next table entranced with napkin folding and simple magic to the point where they were very well-behaved for the full 90 minutes of dinner each night and yet we never felt we were ignored or neglected. If I had kids, would not hesitate to try RCL with them. The new Freedom ship has a lot of different categories of family cabins that will sleep many people, even in inside categories. I would check it out if I were you.

 

As far as RCL prices go, agents aren't allowed to discount them the way the various carnival brands can be discounted. That doesn't mean there isn't competition, though. We used *****.com to get "bids" on our last cruise and were offered free insurance, onboard credit and excursions so it still pays to shop around.

[Copper10-8]

Cool pics! Amazing what they can fit in that ship. Thanks for posting!

[mrmac]

Boatlover,

 

Yes, RCI gets to charge a premium for their Voyager class ships, and they get it because they are fantastic ships for families and lots of others, too. The Mariner looks to be cheaper than the others on many sailings so look to sail from Port Canaveral if you'd like to experience one of these ships. We like all kinds of ships. Looking forward to the Ryndam, too. We love to cruise!

[RuthC]

Heather, thanks for the links to the pictures; I did look at every single one of them.

One thing that struck me was in the interior shots there was little---if any---opportunity to see outside. Even the outside directs the view in---not toward the ocean.

Being one with the sea is probably the best part of cruising for me.

The interior shots especially looked very nice on an individual basis. I think, however, that I would be on a kind of sensual overload if I were looking at it all at once.

Give me an S-class ship any day, though. This is not for me.

[Schplinky]

 

The interior shots especially looked very nice on an individual basis. I think, however, that I would be on a kind of sensual overload if I were looking at it all at once.

.

 

Excuse me for being mischevious but I think you mean sensory overload...

[jhannah]

Excuse me for being mischevious but I think you mean sensory overload...

You don't know Ruth, do you??? :D