bobert

I have been on FOS twice this year including last month. While I will say that the food on Royal in general is not what it used to be, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary as to the food. I must confess that we were given a gift of the ultimate dinning package and while we did enjoy it I will not do it again on the next cruise. What I have noticed on my last several cruises is that the Windjammer dinners seem to have improved as the MDR has diminished.

I thought the bedding and service overall were quite good. So I really wouldn't worry too much about someone else who was unhappy with their experience, as yours will be different and you should make the absolute best of it.

We have eaten at Sabor on Navigator in the past and it was excellent but we just ate at Sabor on Freedom this month after the menu change and we were very disappointed in the selections. It used to be a fine dinning Mexican restaurant and now it is a taco stand. I could no longer recommend it although the staff was still very pleasant.

I was on Freedom also last week and the only time I was in a pool was immediately after it was opened in the morning. This was not an intentional strategy but after reading this I guess it should have been. Makes me appreciate my own pool and hot tub at home where I am the only one that goes into them.

Thinking back I was a lifeguard for years at a hotel pool and amazingly we never had this problem back in the 70's and I have no idea how we were so lucky since most of our crowd was highly intoxicated.

As another one of the lucky ones to be boarding tomorrow, I can't thank you enough for the care and effort you have put into this review. Having the opportunity to enjoy your cruise as I wait for mine, has been amazing. Thanks again and enjoy every minute you have.

It is 8 days till Freedom and 83 till Navigator.

We are doing this itinerary 11/5/17.Have been to all of these ports and love this ship and all of its' related siblings. As if you could tell from my signature. One of my favorite cruise memories of all times was dinning at the Captain's Table on Freedom's second voyage with Captain Andrews.

We are on the 11/5/17, after the Transatlantic you are doing, so I will read your posts with increased interest. Thanks for taking the time to do this.

Obviously it is a personal choice. From my perspective it adds a lot even if I don't use it because it makes the cabin living space feel larger from added space within in your field of view. I have cruised at all times of year and even in summer I tend to use the balcony a lot. For me the private direct ocean view and the ability to use it is one of the biggest positives on any cruise. But as I said it is a personal choice.

Be warned once you book a balcony it will be hard not to book one the next time.

I have been on both in last year and a half. I am booked on each in the next five months. So it is clear that I am very comfortable on either. I really didn't see any difference between our cabins in terms of condition. Both appeared in great shape to me and honestly even when each was new you could find things that were wrong if you looked. Each has small details that the other doesn't have. The peek-a-boo bridge on Navigator is neat, if it is open. The slightly expanded spaces on Freedom can also be nice, ie the extra space on the Royal Promenade and the extra space between the curtain and the sliding glass door of a balcony can be useful. But really the experience is almost identical, at least in my experiences on each. As you can see in my signature I have been on each a number of times. It would be fair to say that each are among my favorites and I think you would do almost equally well on either.

I have been on her several times in the last couple of years and I have nothing but great things to say about her. Don't worry about what you have read it is just the people who didn't get what they wanted and felt the need to complain that tend to dominate here. I am very found of all of the Freedom class ships and when I went on Independence the first time I saw the same negative reviews but after being on her there is just no basis for them. Go with an open mind and I am sure you will have a great time.

A questions to OP and others who have cruised Freedom OTS in Dec 2016 or Jan 2017: Has prime rib been returned to the MDR dinner menu?

Thanks in advance for your reply.

I was on board last week and while it was not listed on the menu our Waitress told us that it was available on the second formal night and my wife had it and loved it.

Have a fabulous time. We have spent a wonderful Christmas on board and had a great time on her earlier this year.

21 days till the Freedom of The Seas.

48 days do we board the navigator.

Great review. I am really enjoying sharing your trip.

Excellent excellent review! Thoroughly enjoyed your experiences and living or reliving my own from the Independence. Thank you for taking the time and sharing. It is well written reviews like this that make it feel like they are the second best experience to actual cruising.

Definitely following . I had never been tempted by Oasis but you may just be peaking my interest.

Count me as another one who is very much enjoying your labor of love. As an amateur photographer who has not had the privilege of cruising the last several years, I am getting lost in just enjoying reliving my experiences through your pictures.

It has also been more than a dozen years since my one trip to Hawaii And that makes this trip even more fun for me even though I have not cruised there.

Just wanted to say thanks make sure you know how much your effort is appreciated and sharing is the best part.

Keep up the good work. And most importantly keep enjoying and keep posting as I will be enjoying with you your lovely wife. I feel almost as if we have actually cruised together.

:-)

Thanks for sharing I really enjoyed it.

Six days to Liberty and i never got around to even putting it in my signature.

One, i guess it is time to start packing!

50 and counting untill Liberty of the Seas according to RCCL's website. Interesting looking at the RCCL website it gives an evan number of 50 and the clock generated by this site shows it as 49 and change.

Thanks Brian for all of the effort, I just finished reading your thread and enjoyed your account enormously !

Thanks Brian for all of the effort, I just finished reading your thread and enjoyed your account enormously !

I did a Discover Scuba with the ship's tour on a Voyager X-Mas trip in

St Thomas a couple years ago and have now done well over 150 dives in the last three years.