Middle Aged Drama Queen's Eastern Carib Review: Fun on the FREEDOM!!!

[CAC104]

Whew. I'm happy to hear that..as I just said, the pressure to produce a "sequel" that is as good as the original is intense! Especially coming so soon after the original!

 

October 7th...Chiefs vs Baltimore...just letting you know I'm a HUGE football fan... hee hee.

Sorry, but I have to warn you....Plan on losing!:D:rolleyes:;)

[FloGaleRNTX]

Hope you enjoyed Mickey's birthday party!!!!

 

Looking forward to reading the rest of your review!!! (I'm not very anxious or anything......LOL)

 

Barbara

[PathfinderEss]

Enjoying your review, thanks for posting it. Looking forward to the rest of it.

[meyer_22]

Loving the review so far!!! Thanks so much for the details. My wife and I sail the FOS in just under two weeks, so I really am enjoying reading about your experiences!!!

[alny5810]

Loving your review. We were on the Freedom in "10 and loved it. We just booked again from 7/13. Looking forward to the enhancements on her and the rest of your review of course.

[KansCocoa]

 

I apologize for the interruption in this Trip Report...we celebrated Mickey's 13th birthday yesterday...a visit to the spa (what else?) in the morning, where she got "cheerleader" hair - and a family pizza party last night. She is a happy girl. Anyway...we last left our excited and overwhelmed Mother and Daughter exploring the beautiful – but initially, very overwhelming – Freedom of the Seas…they were just heading to Deck 5...the Royal Promenade…

 

So. We’ve made it to Deck 5…and here…HERE…is where we are REALLY blown out of the water. Wow…NONE of our previous ships had anything like this. We had a “Centrum” – which is miniscule compared to the gargantuan Royal Promenade!

 

But…I’m getting ahead…let’s start at the front of the ship and work our way back, in keeping with our touring tradition.

 

At the very front of Deck 5 is Pharaoh’s Palace, which reminded me of a Safari Club, just on steroids (for those of you who’ve sailed the Radiance-class ships). Although there would be live music, dancing and entertainment here, we only used it for our Muster Drill.

 

Pharaoh's Palace...

 

Again, I always enjoy the little things with the decor and theming that make ships (or anything, for that matter!) fun:

 

These are outside Pharaoh's Palace....

 

 

 

We then enter the official “Royal Promenade” – and here’s where the fun is…whether you’re in the mood for pizza, clothing, ice cream, jewelry, beer – or just plain and simple people-watching…THIS is the place to be.

 

 

A loaf of bread at Sorrento's...I thought it was fun.

 

Sorrento’s, the pizza place, was one of our favorite places to go for a quick lunch…it’s not that the pizza was exceptionally tasty (but it WAS decent), it's that it was just so much closer to our room. When we got hungry, we'd have to strap on our hiking boots and don a backpack with a compass and provisions if we wanted to hike to the Windjammer; hence, Sorrento’s was primo, as it was just right below our room. It wasn’t until the last day of the cruise that I realized they offered desserts, as well as pizza. Drat. Oh well – my waistline thanks me for not realizing this little tidbit.

 

 

Ben & Jerry’s is located here, but we never went in…I was just as happy with my free Sprinkles ice-cream on Deck 11, or the desserts I could get in the buffet or Jammer, so we never indulged.

 

 

The Cupcake Cupboard...this is ONE busy little shop....

Having learnt that the Cupcake Cupboard was previously a barber shop, all I can say is, what were they thinking? With a barber shop??!! The Cupboard was always busy with paying customers; we never indulged except for the one time we took a cupcake-decorating class. Which was WAY fun. Which we’ll discuss later.

 

 

The Café Promenade offered muffins, tea sandwiches, and cookies (all free) throughout the day…as well as Starbucks coffee (for a cost). Once I found out the Café carried complimentary cookies – well. Sign me up. There was never a need for room service anymore, as I would make a daily stop at the Café for my cookies. I justified it by telling myself I needed the sustenance to walk the 3 miles each day on the ship – and then some. We loved the little tables and chairs the Café had set out in the Promenade; very good for people-watching.

 

 

The shops are all pretty standard – the General Store (or, as I called it, "The Stupid Store" - as it's for stupid people like me who forgot something important, and now have to pay outrageous prices - which we'll talk about later), the Fashion Boutique, the Perfume Shop, the Jewelry Shop…and the Britto Art Gallery.

 

A sample of stuff at the Logo Shop....

 

 

Behind the Royal Promenade, Guest Relations can be found. This threw me off, as Guest Relations is always on Deck 4 on the Radiance-class ships. When heading to GR on THIS sailing, I would inevitably end up on the wrong deck. I seemed to have a mental block on that, and couldn’t shake it.

 

The Dining Room is on three levels of the ship (Decks 5,4 3) at the very back of the ship; because we were participating in My Time Dining, we would check in on Deck 5 at the Galileo Dining Room.

 

The Main Dining Room....

 

Once again, we had a wonderful MTD experience. We had the same waiter and assistant waiter every night, and they bent over backwards to make sure we had an enjoyable dining experience. I’ll talk more about that later.

 

To be continued....

[KansCocoa]

One thing I should mention here is the Observation Deck on Deck 5….or, the Helicopter Pad area….

 

Mickey and I could SEE this deck from our porthole in our room, as seen below:

 

View from our window...see the deck below???!!

 

 

Every morning and every evening, when we’d peek out our porthole, there would be people strolling about, or sitting on the little benches on this deck.

 

We were jealous.

 

We wanted to stroll about, or sit on the little benches, too.

 

We just couldn't seem to FIND this deck. It's not on the ship's little maps everywhere, so we were a bit stumped. I'm sure if we'd done our homework a bit, there's probably loads of information here on CC about this deck. But - keep in mind - I hadn't done my homework, as the Serenade cruise had taken all of my time and attention. This was a CLEAR case of what happens when you don't do your homework. You miss out on these little hidden gems.

 

 

Finally, on our last evening onboard, I couldn't stand it anymore. We were NOT getting off this ship until we found that darned deck...so we went on a scavenger hunt specifically to find this viewing area…and with a few wrong turns here and there, we are proud to say we FINALLY FOUND the Observation Deck.

 

Whew.

 

To save all of YOU the aggravation that we had to find this little hidden gem, I'm spilling the beans here.

 

It IS located on Deck 5…at the very front of the ship, in case you’re interested.

 

And in case you're interested...our room is the 2nd row from the top...2nd window from the left...

 

There are several benches provided, so you can just sit and relax and watch the world go by.

 

So now you know...in case you're interested.....

 

All right...back to the tour....

 

[BillOh]

Thanks. I don't know when I will do a med cruise, but your review has increased my desire to do so. Great job.

[KansCocoa]

 

We're getting there, folks...your tour of the ship is close to wrapping up, as we're now down to Deck 4…

 

The balcony of the 5-story Arcadia Theater is located on Deck 4 at the front of the ship. (If you don’t want to sit in the balcony, enter the theater on Deck 3).

 

Didja' see what I did there? I took a photo of BOTH Deck 3 and Deck 4 entrances to the Arcadia...cool, huh? You're welcome.

 

This theater was spacious – we never had any problems finding a seat to any of the shows we attended – and we attended just about all of them.

 

View from the balcony...although we never sat here. Mickey INSISTS on sitting in the very front rows of ANY theater we go to. I hate that - but I went along for the ride on this particular cruise.

There’s a free Backstage Theater Tour offered, which we participated in. I’ll have the details later on that, but here’s a view from the stage, looking out:

 

As close as I'll ever get to being on a real stage...sigh.

 

 

 

 

The Schooner Bar is located towards the front of Deck 4, and was where the ever-popular Trivia games would be played.

 

Bigger than the Radiance-class Schooner Clubs...but still never enough seats....

These trivia games were VERY popular; if you want to participate – and want to sit down – I suggest getting there about 15 minutes before the start of the games. Otherwise, you’ll be standing. I learned this the hard way, unfortunately.

 

 

 

Across from the Schooner Bar is The Crypt, a two-story bar/disco…

 

I LOVED the decor in this place...it was pretty awesome.

Again…I was on a Mother/Daughter trip. With a 12-year old. Therefore, I didn’t go to The Crypt – but it looked like a lot of fun!

 

 

 

In the center of the ship is the HUGE casino. Seriously, this thing is HUGE. And it’s configured…weird. There are no straight paths for cutting through, which made navigating it difficult at times. You might be asking, “Sherri – why would you have to navigate through the casino?” Good question. I’ll answer that. Sometimes, the Royal Promenade on Deck 5 would be packed – perhaps due to a parade, or a party – and so the ship’s Powers-That-Be ENCOURAGED you to navigate the ship on Deck 4. (You can’t cut through on Deck 3 due to Studio B- the ice rink.) The casino is all twisty and windy and narrow – and smoky – so it’s just not a good place to cut through if you’re attempting to get from one side of the ship to the other. A small complaint, though – nothing major.

 

 

On the other side of the smoky casino is the Photo Gallery, which is another reason sometimes why we were cutting through the casino. To go see our photos. The photos were displayed on the usual racks surrounding the gallery – BUT. BUT. They also had an AWESOME technologically-savvy way to see your photos, as well.

 

Mickey AT the kiosk while ON the kiosk...cool, cool, cool!

 

There are these little kiosks located here, where with a swipe of your Seapass card, you can pull up all of your photos in one place. AWESOME! We could NOT get it to work one night, though, no matter how often we swiped our card…and then we moved to a different kiosk, and voila. It worked. So…here’s a tip: IF THE KIOSK YOU’RE AT IS NOT WORKING – MOVE TO A DIFFERENT ONE. They’re known to be a little temperamental…it may not be the operator, it may be the machine. If you're not into technology, as I said, you can always still do the Great Photo Scavenger Hunt that we all so know...and hate. (At least I do. I hate scavenging for our photos - what a time-waster, that could be better spent slothing at the pool or eating cookies at the Cafe Promenade or indulging at the spa...but I digress. Sorry.)

 

 

Behind the Photo Gallery is Bolero’s, a Latin dance bar. This was a popular place on our sailing, as we had a HUGE Latin population onboard, which I’ll talk about later.

 

At the back of the ship is the 2nd floor of the Main Dining Room, the Isaac Dining room.

 

To be continued….

[lalabee79]

Sherri I am officially part of your fan club, having followed you here from your Serenade review!!

 

I cruised the Freedom in 2008 - my first and only RCI cruise to date and by far my favorite cruise EVER. That ship is incredible and I'm reliving my trip through your review. Thank you! My DH and I are planning an RCI cruise for the spring and were planning to look at the Oasis or Allure, but this review is making me want to book the FoS again!

[donnaman43]

Your reviews are amazing. You have a beautiful, fun, and sassy family!!!!!Way to enjoy life.

[john160]

I am going on Freedom next year, Cococay, San Juan, St Maarten. Loved your serenade review, would be my dream cruise, but Freedom I already have booked. So make sure you don't skimp on the details :D

[wolfganghowell]

ACK :eek: No! I can't be caught up! I have been waiting for this. Hurry up hurry up! Glad you girls had fun and I still think you need to drag your hubby on the 11/4 sailing. I think you would be excellent candidates for our BFFAW (Best Friends For A Week). Well, ok BFFAW The Sequel because we're already cruising with the official BFFAW's that we met 3 years ago on a cruise. :)

 

Looking forward to more!

[Steppy08]

Any PODS on that helicopter pad? ;)

[IrishLassie]

 

 

.

 

There’s a free Backstage Theater Tour offered, which we participated in. I’ll have the details later on that, but here’s a view from the stage, looking out:

 

As close as I'll ever get to being on a real stage...sigh.

 

 

Mickey AT the kiosk while ON the kiosk...cool, cool, cool!

 

 

There are these little kiosks located here, where with a swipe of your Seapass card, you can pull up all of your photos in one place. AWESOME! We could NOT get it to work one night, though, no matter how often we swiped our card…and then we moved to a different kiosk, and voila. It worked. So…here’s a tip: IF THE KIOSK YOU’RE AT IS NOT WORKING – MOVE TO A DIFFERENT ONE. They’re known to be a little temperamental…it may not be the operator, it may be the machine. If you're not into technology, as I said, you can always still do the Great Photo Scavenger Hunt that we all so know...and hate. (At least I do. I hate scavenging for our photos - what a time-waster, that could be better spent slothing at the pool or eating cookies at the Cafe Promenade or indulging at the spa...but I digress. Sorry.)

 

To be continued….

 

 

Loving your review, just as much as your last one! Great job. As far as the photo center, you should see how they do the photo's on Oasis! Everyone has their own album & your pictures are put into them & the # of your album is on your SetSail Pass card! Wonderful idea & if you didn't want to look on the computer you could just pull your album out, LOVED IT ! :D

 

Can't wait for more of your review, keep it coming! Also, belated Happy Birthday to Mickey. Oh, forgot to ask, do you have to sign up for the Back Stage tour?

Edited August 14, 2012 by IrishLassie

[KansCocoa]

Sherri I am officially part of your fan club, having followed you here from your Serenade review!!

 

I cruised the Freedom in 2008 - my first and only RCI cruise to date and by far my favorite cruise EVER. That ship is incredible and I'm reliving my trip through your review. Thank you! My DH and I are planning an RCI cruise for the spring and were planning to look at the Oasis or Allure, but this review is making me want to book the FoS again!

 

Wow - my Fan Club! Awesome! Now I just gotta' get some glossy 8x10's and autograph them and mail them out! :D

 

I have to say, I'd sail the Freedom again in a heartbeat! I don't know that I will ever go bigger - but I never say never!

[KansCocoa]

Your reviews are amazing. You have a beautiful, fun, and sassy family!!!!!Way to enjoy life.

 

Thank you, fellow Missourian who's practically in my backyard! It's that "Show Me" attitude inside us! :)

[KansCocoa]

I am going on Freedom next year, Cococay, San Juan, St Maarten. Loved your serenade review, would be my dream cruise, but Freedom I already have booked. So make sure you don't skimp on the details :D

 

Oh, John - have I ever skimped before?! I don't know the meaning of the word "skimp" when it comes to writing! :)

 

I will certainly give it my best shot...more to come, for sure!

[KansCocoa]

ACK :eek: No! I can't be caught up! I have been waiting for this. Hurry up hurry up! Glad you girls had fun and I still think you need to drag your hubby on the 11/4 sailing. I think you would be excellent candidates for our BFFAW (Best Friends For A Week). Well, ok BFFAW The Sequel because we're already cruising with the official BFFAW's that we met 3 years ago on a cruise. :)

 

Looking forward to more!

 

I'd better get going and post some more so you have more to read! That would be awesome if I could convince Hubby Mike to sail as soon as 11/4 - but I think he needs more convincing. I'm working on it...I'm trying to pull in all the favors that he owes me....! :eek:

[KansCocoa]

Any PODS on that helicopter pad? ;)

 

Man - a 7-day Caribbean cruise is far different with regards to packing than a 12-day Mediterranean cruise! Mickey and I shared ONE suitcase between us! :eek: A swimsuit, shorts, and a few dresses - and we were good to go!

 

BUT - if there HAD been a pod on that pad - I would have been having a fit - as that was my VIEW! :p

[KansCocoa]

Loving your review, just as much as your last one! Great job. As far as the photo center, you should see how they do the photo's on Oasis! Everyone has their own album & your pictures are put into them & the # of your album is on your SetSail Pass card! Wonderful idea & if you didn't want to look on the computer you could just pull your album out, LOVED IT ! :D

 

Can't wait for more of your review, keep it coming! Also, belated Happy Birthday to Mickey. Oh, forgot to ask, do you have to sign up for the Back Stage tour?

 

I've heard of that new system - what a great idea! It's just hard to believe that with the technology available to us, it's taken them this long to figure this out! They could take that valuable real estate where the photo racks are - and put in something else that would generate revenue....like a chocolate shop or something!

[riclop]

Wow - my Fan Club! Awesome! Now I just gotta' get some glossy 8x10's and autograph them and mail them out! :D

 

I have to say, I'd sail the Freedom again in a heartbeat! I don't know that I will ever go bigger - but I never say never!

Sherri you should try the oasis or allure and you wont regret it, they are fabulous!!

[KansCocoa]

Oh, forgot to ask, do you have to sign up for the Back Stage tour?

 

You do not sign up for the free Backstage Theater Tour...it was on the last sea day and we just met in the theater (for whomever was interested).

 

However, there is a more comprehensive tour, the All-Access Tour, that takes you through the galley, the bridge, the engine room, etc. THIS tour is $150 pp and you must pre-purchase tickets (get them the day you get onboard) You have to have pants and closed-toe shoes for this tour.

Edited August 14, 2012 by KansCocoa

[EV2008]

OK Sherri where are you?? I am waiting - I know I know you have things to do, I am sure you are busy BUT I want to continue with the great read.

I have been enjoying both of your Cruises your Med cruise brought back a lot of memories for me when we went - Thanks for sharing so much of your time with all of us here.

[KansCocoa]

It’s still Embarkation Day…Our travelers are still running around the Freedom of the Seas, taking a tour and trying to get their bearings…

 

So…we’re down to Deck 3…which mainly consists of “spill-over” from the deck above, like the Arcadia theater and the Crypt.

 

The ice rink, Studio B, is located in the middle of Deck 3. We only came for the ice show, and never came to ice skate. Because frankly, neither one of us knows how to ice skate. Well...we told ourselves it was REALLY because we didn't bring long pants on this sailing...but we both knew the real reason. We're klutzes and would be the first ones to break our necks if we tried to skate.

 

This photo is NOT Studio B...but I needed to put it in, because it shows the beauty of the ship. And it IS taken on Deck 3 - looking into the Art Gallery. My ONE photo I took of Studio B is a blurry mess. So, to spare your eyes, I'll put in the pretty picture, instead. You're welcome.

 

 

There’s the karaoke and sports bar, On Air…and frankly, because neither one of us knows how to sing, we really didn’t venture to this venue, either. Except – for a little hidden treasure that we discovered on our last sea day, that is NOT to be missed. Especially if you want to impress the Klingons. Anyone know what little hidden treasure is? On Deck 3? By the karaoke bar? We’ll talk more about that later.

 

 

The Art Gallery and the main floor of the Main Dining Room are also on Deck 3, as well…blah, blah, blah.

 

 

Deck 2 has the Screening Room (for movies) and the conference rooms. We only ventured down here because we did a Scavenger Hunt one day and I had to not only know how many conference rooms there are (5, if case you're wondering), I also had to know the names of them (they're all named after islands or places in the Caribbean - go figure.)

 

So. That concludes our ship’s tour.

 

The good news is, it really doesn’t take THAT long to tour the ship…although you wouldn’t know that, since it took me a full week to write about it. Sorry. Trust me, though. The ship is large - and initially overwhelming - but by the end of the day on Sunday - we were pros at getting around, with only a few wrong turns here and there as the week went on, which is par for the course with me. You truly don't need a GPS to navigate this ship, and you always have those handy-dandy, really cool LED touch screens to find your way.

 

 

Our self-tour of the ship concluded about 12:30 on Sunday - still too early to check out our cabin....so we did what all the other 9,295,295 passengers were doing. We headed to the Windjammer.

 

 

The Windjammer, on Embarkation Day, is worse than a Walmart the day after Thanksgiving…people dodging and darting, children chattering and laughing, hands reaching in and grabbing the deal of the day – which, in this case, is the myriad of food offerings on the bountiful buffet. Mickey and I plunge in with the best of them, and miraculously, find a table for two where we can sit and rest a bit and have a much-needed lunch. She's still pretty shaken up with regards to the surprise; I think she's still waiting for security to show up and escort us off. I'm not sure where this lack of trust in her mother comes from...??? Because it's the first day of the cruise, and we still have Really Good Intentions, we dine on salads and forgo dessert; while we're nibbling our rabbit food, we can’t help but hear the frequent announcements, asking guests to clear out when they’re done snarfing to make way for new guests. Okay - they didn't quite put it THAT way - but that was the message.

 

 

At 1:30 or so, we decide to find our room…so, we take the elevator from the Windjammer straight up to Deck 9, and begin the hunt for Cabin #9202. With our usual sense of non-direction, we initially didn’t realize we had taken the elevator at the BACK of the ship – and our room is in the very FRONT of the ship…and after walking, and walking, and walking – with no perceived end in sight – I initially was cursing the location of our cabin.

 

“Holy MOLY!” I said, at one point, huffing and puffing as we make our way down the hallway that seems to go on FOOOOORRRRREEEEEVVVVVEEEEERRRRRRR.

 

The FOREVER Hallway...I was almost to the point of leaving a trail of breadcrumbs.....

 

 

Once we realized what we’d done, (taking the elevator at the back), we never made that mistake again – preferring to use the elevators at the FRONT of the ship, so it didn’t seem quite so far to hike to our room. That is ONE freakin' long hallway from the aft to the bow. Trust me.

 

 

So…Cabin #9202:

 

WAAAAAY up in the front. In the nose of the ship. And you can see that LONG hallway that goes from the back to the front.

 

 

When I sail with Hubby Mike, we ALWAYS have to choose a hump cabin. Hubby Mike was diagnosed several years ago with Meniere’s disease, which is an inner ear disorder that affects his balance and hearing. It’s not unusual for him to experience dizziness and balance issues up to six months or a year after we cruise, so to mitigate the effects, we've become Permanent Hump People. Since I didn’t have Hubby Mike on this cruise, I thought I would live dangerously and do something very different – NOT get a hump cabin. Well. Not to mention, that by the time I booked, all the coveted humps were gone. So were the afts. I had no choice but to become an ex-Hump People. The Cabin Gods have spoken and I was kicked off Hump Island.

 

 

#9202 was one of the few cabins remaining open, and I’m really not sure why…because when I checked it out on DeckPlanGenuis, it’s listed as a cabin that has a little extra space. Well. Count me in. I need space. Especially after having just sailed for two weeks in the Royal Suite…space would be an issue. Or, so I thought. Anyway, #9202 it is.

 

 

 

So…what’s my verdict of #9202? I’m giving it mixed reviews, and here’s why….I think the space is more than adequate…and this photo below shows the “extra” space it has, due to the slant in the forward wall:

 

The forward wall juts out a bit, giving a few feet of extra space...just perfect for me to move the dreaded knee-banger - oops, I mean glass coffee table - and use it as a side table for my bed.

 

 

The storage was adequate, as well…we had plenty of room in the closet for our Super Important Stuff, and the bathroom was perfect for the two of us. RCI does a GREAT job of giving you shelves, drawers, and cabinets to store all your Super Important Stuff. So – kudos to the design. We also LOVED our forward-facing porthole, although one drawback was that our drapes HAD to be completely closed in the evening so as to not to interfere with the Bridge activities. (And I know this because I received a telephone call from the 2nd Engineer on the Bridge our first night, kindly asking me to shut my drapes. Oops. My bad.)

 

 

The location wasn’t too bad…yes, it was definitely a hike to get to our room, but after the first day or so, it became the norm. And it was free exercise. We learned to not forget anything before we left our cabin, because it wouldn’t be a short trip back to retrieve anything. I actually liked being so far forward, as we didn’t have any “runners” running back and forth in the hallway. Our hallway was quiet.

 

 

The cabin was quiet, as well, for the most part. I NEVER heard our neighbors on either side, although I know they were there, as we’d see them enter or leave their cabins. We DID hear a perpetual “whooshing” sound – almost like the water was running in our bathroom – but it wasn’t. I could never figure out the source of this sound; you’d start to hear it when you got close to our little hallway.

 

 

Really, the only negative I had was the motion…besides the usual back and forth rocking, that a ship in the Caribbean is bound to have, we’d get an additional “bouncing” up and down. It would be worse at night, when we’d be in bed…I’m not one to get seasick, but there were two nights on this 7-night sailing I had to take Bonine. Bleh.

 

 

Karen and Mickey

 

Our Cabin Attendant was Karen, a delightful young lady from Jamaica. I told her of my frequent mission trips to Falmouth (I was doing mission work in Falmouth before RCI ever HEARD of Falmouth!), so she and I became BFF's on this cruise. Mickey and I could leave our cabin in the morning, make it as far as the Royal Promenade, realize we forgot something, head back to the room - and it would ALREADY be cleaned!!! Amazing!

 

So...we've checked out the ship...we've had our Jammer fix...and we've checked out our cabin...what to do next????

 

 

Edited August 14, 2012 by KansCocoa