Freedom of the seas

[phil2]

whats this ship like anyone been on it? looking at combining it with a trip to florida at the end of the year? how much is tipping, never been on royal Caribbean. thanks

[K1200S]

whats this ship like anyone been on it? looking at combining it with a trip to florida at the end of the year? how much is tipping, never been on royal Caribbean. thanks

 

I have sailed on Freedom 3 times and her sister Liberty twice. I would say it is my favorite class of RCI ships and I have sailed at least once on every class. Not sure about the current tipping suggested rate.

[Clarea]

whats this ship like anyone been on it? looking at combining it with a trip to florida at the end of the year? how much is tipping, never been on royal Caribbean. thanks

Current suggested tip is $12 per person per day. This covers stateroom attendant and dining staff.

[DrD]

Awesome.

 

You probably know this but it's best to start by reading the reviews, then do a search for threads.

 

After that process if you have specific questions come back and post.

 

Not that any of us mind chatting about the wonderful FOS but you'll get more info from more people that way.

 

I've been on 12 cruises on 7 ships and FOS is my favorite.

[mickev99]

I posted this question last week and the replies made me so excited to cruise on Freedom!

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1966871

[phil2]

oh thanks guys it sounds brill :D il have a read up

[Cruiser421]

Sailed on her last January! Amazing ship and saying that after having just sailed the Allure (which is also amazing)!

 

 

 

Sovereign of the Seas February 1993

Sovereign of the Seas February 1994

Monarch of the Seas January 1995

Majesty of he Seas January 1996

Grandeur of the Seas June 1997

Enchantment of the Seas January 1998

Grandeur of the Seas January 1999

Adventure of the Seas January 2004

Adventure of the Seas January 2005

Adventure of the Seas January 2007

Adventure of the Seas January 2008

Serenade of the Seas Jan 2009

Adventure of the Seas Jan 2010

Allure of the Seas April 2012

Freedom of the Seas January 2013

Quantum of the Seas January 3, 2015

Edited January 11, 2014 by Cruiser421

[kruzerci]

It's my favorite ship. Tied with Oasis.

[renee1222]

The ship that got my hubby hooked on cruising...what more can I say???

[phil2]

Going to do a ovean view what decks are best fancy one at the fromt but if not doesent mTter Are any decks noisy? Also is it gay friendly and is there many children on board? and can you take tips off? Thanks

Edited January 12, 2014 by phil2

[DarthGrady]

I love FOS, we've done two excellent cruises on her. I really like the layout of the ship, it's obviously gigantic bit still pretty easy to get around. There's a pictorial review from a few years ago linked in my signature if you want to check it out.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[APDMOM]

If you want specific cabin info, search this thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1223724

 

I would also recommend looking at Promenade staterooms. They are great.

[phil2]

Hmm sure they are just dont fancy looking in , is it gay friendly

[bigque]

Link to my Freedom Of The Seas Review from October 2013: :cool:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1934831

[Topo Gigio]

I have sailed on Freedom 3 times and her sister Liberty twice. I would say it is my favorite class of RCI ships and I have sailed at least once on every class. Not sure about the current tipping suggested rate.

 

Also my favorite class of ship.

[notsomadhatter]

Going to do a ovean view what decks are best fancy one at the fromt but if not doesent mTter Are any decks noisy? Also is it gay friendly and is there many children on board? and can you take tips off? Thanks

 

Tips pay a very large percentage (read: almost all) of those specific position's salary.

 

Freedom will see a good bit of children because it sails out of Port Canaveral which is only an hour's drive from Orlando. Walt Disney World and cruising in close proximity = children. Just how many will vary depending on the time of year.

 

Pick a stateroom on a deck with staterooms above and below it to have a good chance at a quiet room.

 

We've never had a problem at Disney or on any of our cruises. Is it "gay friendly" in that you may have dozens of other gay couples aboard? Not sure, again depends on lots of variables. There are companies that charter special interest cruises where all the passengers are gay, if that's more what you mean.

[phil2]

It may be but i prefer to tip who i want , plus im just about affording this holiday of a lifetime so want to enjoy it not worry about tips! Erm no gay friendly just mean everyones ok about it on royal caribbean, november is when we are going :)

[Daghis]

I've never had an issue with Royal Caribbean not being "gay friendly". They don't wave a rainbow flag or anything, but everyone has been very friendly to my husband and me and treated us with respect, just as we would expect for a straight couple.

 

They usually have a very informal "Friends of Dorothy" meeting listed on the community board. It's little more than a time-and-place to meet (like 5 PM at the Champagne Bar), but I've met others there and had a nice time chatting it up with them.

[PSCruiser]

It may be but i prefer to tip who i want , plus im just about affording this holiday of a lifetime so want to enjoy it not worry about tips! Erm no gay friendly just mean everyones ok about it on royal caribbean, november is when we are going :)

 

The standardized add-on gratuities are becoming the norm in the cruise industry, so if you want to cruise, you need to think of these as just another expense, like taxes or port charges.

It really isn't fair to take them off, even though this is possible, as its the method by which crew gets a large part of their salary. Just the way things are done in the cruise industry, so don't think of these "tips" as something extra, they are really basic compensation.

[K1200S]

Cabins 7506 and 7206 are at the very front of the ship. They are a bit larger then other ocean view cabins at the same price. The deck plans don't depict these two cabins accurately.

[phil2]

Ahh they sound good may see if there on, well for now if i can take some tips off i may cruises are a lot as it is

[KansCocoa]

My daughter and I did a Mother/Daughter cruise on the Freedom in 2012. I wrote an extensive review - with photos, and lots of them - in this link HERE. A lot of readers found the link helpful; you might, too! We LOVED the Freedom - I wish you luck in whatever you choose to do!

[yj2cute]

Ahh they sound good may see if there on, well for now if i can take some tips off i may cruises are a lot as it is

 

Understanding that cruising is an expense, but it's really not fair to not pay gratuities to the servers that wait on you, practically hand and foot, for a week because of your budget. It's kind of like dining out. If you can't afford to tip your servers, maybe you should eat at home. I understand that tipping is not a normal part of the culture overseas, but it is on these ships. The staff work extremely hard and deserve every bit of these gratuities. As someone else pointed out, you really should not consider removing the tips as a way of making your vacation more affordable.

[phil2]

My daughter and I did a Mother/Daughter cruise on the Freedom in 2012. I wrote an extensive review - with photos, and lots of them - in this link HERE. A lot of readers found the link helpful; you might, too! We LOVED the Freedom - I wish you luck in whatever you choose to do!

 

thanks so much! booking it now! so excited a week in florida and a weeks cruising this beauty!

[phil2]

are the prices good on the ship? they get tips from that too dont they, glass of coke a good price?