Freedom Western Itinerary 10/26 - some thoughts

[MattInFLL]

Just off the Freedom of the Seas Halloween week cruise. Let me start by saying there was a huge CC reunion group on this cruise, and I met a lot of wonderful fellow CC'ers and overall had a really fun and special week.

 

For the veteran cruisers and those looking for "new" information - the dining menus and order changed from the usual western itinerary. A new menu "Portobello" was introduced last week to replace Shiitake on Day 3. The dining room staff is not sure if it's temporary or not. Also, they switched Jasmine and Basil. So now lobster is NOT on the second formal night (Day 5), but is on Day 6. Again, the dining staff was not sure why and whether it is a permanent change.

 

Over and over again we were told that whatever else may happen in dry dock (Crypt is being replaced by cabins and a restaurant) - there will be no Dynamic Dining added now.

 

OK, now that that's out of the way….

 

Pre-cruise - I stayed at the Radisson Saturday night because so many CC people were meeting there, and it included the week of parking. The Radisson is fine and well located. But the food was just awful. I would not rely on the restaurant.

 

Our group also did an afternoon "watch the ships leave the port" party from Fishlips. Great food and amazing location.

 

The next morning, we used the Radisson shuttle service to get to the port. Very well organized and it's a very quick ride.

 

Embarkation - Freedom was an hour late getting into port. So the whole process was delayed and there was a lot of waiting. But the shore staff is well organized and kept everyone informed. I personally have heard 3 different stories as to why the ship was late and why there was a delay getting the previous pax off. (A crew member with an expired passport, a passenger who could not be accounted for, and propulsion/weather issues.) So not sure what to believe. All I can say is that it happened again to us, and we were an hour late getting back on a night when the clocks rolled back an hour, so we should have been an hour early. I'm thinking reduced speed (for whatever reason). Anyway, long story short, I personally did not experience the wonderfully efficient embarkation at Port Canaveral that I had read about.

 

Once on board, I met my CC friends at the Bull and Bear Pub and got snacks from Cafe Promenade and Sorrentos. It was perfect. Quiet like there was no one on board, because everyone is up at Windjammer and the pool. I've never seen the Promenade that quiet during the day.

 

Cabins were ready at 1:30, and Kenneth my cabin steward was great. I had a D2 balcony. You will have a cruise planner waiting for you with one sheet giving you the highlights of the entire cruise. It's very handy to have.

 

Luggage was really delayed by the morning snafus, which got a bit frustrating. If I had had early dinner, I would not have had my luggage in time. It's the longest I have ever waited for luggage in 36 cruises. But I suppose that was just an anomaly from the late ship arrival.

 

I finally got up to the Diamond Lounge and there was a huge overflow crowd. This was my first trip not spent enjoying the DL. We ended up sitting out in the main Viking Crown most of the time, and got our drinks from the overflow DL card rooms.

 

Since I had already bonded with a number of my fellow CC'ers, I was invited to join them for My Time Dining (I had late seating). The dining room accommodated us no problem. They gave us a table for 13 with a set time and the same waiter and assistant waiter. Erkan our head waiter is a gem. Truly exceptional and personal service.

 

I was very impressed by the MDR food this trip and the service.

 

The Crypt was hopping later that evening, and then I bonded with my late night crew from the social media site that we are not allowed to ever name on this board. That made the Crypt fun every night.

 

OK - one negative. The bar service - overall - is just not great on Freedom. Of course there were a few wonderful bartenders and waiters, there always are - but many of them were very frustrating. I'm sure it comes from the management on board. It seems with the packages they have taken the approach of being really stingy. That's not how Royal usually is. There's being careful and there's making the passenger feel good about the experience.

 

Day 2 - Sea Day. The CC Meet and mingle was scheduled for 10am. Since I hardly ever get to do 7 day cruises, I have nothing to compare it to. Our group did a cabin/wine crawl after that. (Thanks Sal and Tom!)

 

The pool water was cold, so it was lots of Northerners wondering why us Florida people were bundled up :)

 

Ice show is at 2 and 4, by the way. But for me, sea days are about relaxing, and that's what I did.

 

Chops - Our dining group combined our reservations and did Chops. I don't understand the fuss over the new menu. I still love it. And the recent pics of the slabs of meat floating in grease were not our experience. With one exception, everyone's steak was prepared perfectly and delicious (and presented perfectly). We recommend the bacon appetizer and onion soup and the shrimp. For sides, the new tater tots are very good.

 

Day 3 - Labadee - I have not been since 2002, so it is completely different. Remember that you will need to check out your towels at the gangway and check them back in at the end of the day (for every port day). Your drink packages work also work on shore there.

 

I did the zip line first thing in the morning. Exhilarating is all I can say. I next did the coaster. It was fine. Would not do it again. By the way, there are lockers available at each location. They cost $8 and you can use them all day.

 

2 of our dining group had a cabana at Barefoot Beach because they had a GS and they were kind enough to invite me. All I can say is, that experience is pretty sweet. Upgraded lunch with steak and shrimp, waiter service, floating mats and your own private tram service to get to other places like the market. But this is only for Pinnacles and upper suite guests (not JS). Glad I got to enjoy it. (Thanks again Mike and Tammy!)

 

Most of the people went back to the ship by 2, which did not make sense to me since we did not have to be back on board until 3:30 and the water was perfect (pool water was still cold).

 

Day 4 - Falmouth, Jamaica - I really did not want to go to Jamaica, but I wanted to do a western itinerary, so there it was. I did a Dunn's River Falls excursion through the ship. It truly is fun and I am glad I did it. But running the gauntlet through the "market" as you exit and they try to get you to part with as much money as possible kinda ruins the experience. I've traveled a lot and have been to very poor countries and Jamaica definitely is high on the list of feeling dangerously poor. You are fine on the excursion, but I would not venture beyond that. The port itself is fenced in and fine and has all the usual tourist shops and a Margaritaville. But since our excursion was an hour late getting back, and I had a spa appointment, I really did not get to experience the port area. I never need to go back to Jamaica.

 

That night on the ship was the "deck party". It was truly lame. Thankfully they opened the Crypt a little later.

 

Day 5 - Grand Cayman - I had never been here, and did a "classic grand cayman" tour through Shore trips. If you want to get off fast, be on the early tenders at 8:30 ish before the lines start. I was booked with Captain Marvin to Stingray City. That is amazing. The stingrays are a little freaky at first, but they are friendly. Then we went to the Turtle Farm and to the town of Hell. The Turtle Farm is fun. Hell is OK. If there's one thing to do, then it should be Stingray City.

 

Grand Cayman is so different from Jamaica. There is a lot of wealth on the island and everyone is incredibly friendly and not just trying to get you to part with your money.

 

I got back on board and did a snack at Johnny Rockets. It's always good and I love the view. But there was no singing by the waiters this time and I was there for a while. Oh well, I survived.

 

Since I was expecting it to be "lobster night" for the second formal, I had booked Portofino's (I don't like lobster and don't really like that menu). I invited a friend and we had a lovely dinner. I wish Portofino's was not being phased out. I like that menu so much better than Giovanni's. A really nice dinner. We each had the veal saltimbocca and it was perfectly prepared. My friends had the seafood skewer and the oso bucco the night before and raved about those, too.

 

This night was the Absolut 20 white party in the Solarium. It is much better done and well attended but ends a bit early and then people are directed up to Olive or Twist in the VCL. If you are with a group (like I was) you can always make your own fun. The staff make some odd late night choices is all I can say.

 

One more negative comment - Cafe Promenade is open 24/7 but Sorrento's closes at 3. Late night people want Pizza, not sandwiches and cookies. Odd choices again.

 

Day 6 - Cozumel - I have been there umpteen times and lately have been doing Nachi Cocum (if anything). This trip there was a group from here doing the Cozumel Bar Hop bus. Look it up. It is a whole lot of fun. They take you to the eastern side of the island (which is beautiful) and to four different beach bars with great drinks and good food. It is not a drunken frat boy bar crawl. It's just the right amount of fun. I highly recommend it. Be sure to ask for the special menus at Coconuts :)

 

It was Halloween, so after some quick port shopping it was time to get ready. I had ice show reservations at 7, but skipped it. I've seen it on several ships and it's always the same to me (it's very good, it just gets repetitive.)

 

A lot of people dressed up and they did a costume parade on the promenade. And the ship was really decorated. They had a number of family activities throughout the evening. People were having a good time. At 11 they did the new "silent disco" in the Crypt with costumes. There was a good turnout.

 

Day 7 - Sea Day - awww, a true case of the sads for the last day. Our CC crew did a slot pull at 11 (Thanks Fran for organizing it). Always fun. Then it was pool hang out time. In a week of otherwise perfect weather it was very windy and chilly on deck. All I can say is I feel sorry for the people who did the guest/officers volleyball tournament. They must have been freezing.

 

I did the Windjammer for the first time all cruise for lunch. What can I say, the WJ is always the same to me. It's perfectly fine, but not a wow.

 

It was a day of goodbyes and relaxing. Labadee felt like forever ago, so I think it was a good week.

 

Disembarkation - as I said before, we were an hour late getting in. But other than the wait to get off the ship, the rest was very efficient. My bag was waiting for me and customs was a breeze. I went to the Radisson waiting area and got on a shuttle that was waiting and was at my car within a few minutes.

 

General stuff - I don't usually do the production shows, so I can't really comment. We did the Captain's welcome aboard and one late night comedy show.

 

As for the other entertainment, we also did Battle of the Sexes (fun to watch), Love & Marriage (always a hoot), and the new one, 60 Seconds or Less (simply stupid IMHO). And of course Quest - I never miss that.

 

Fellow passengers - I have been cruising out of Miami and Fort Lauderdale for a while now, so it was interesting going out of Port Canaveral. It's definitely a different crowd from South Florida. Older overall, fewer latinos, and lots of people traveling from all over and tacking on a trip to Disney and Orlando. And, frankly, I'm not sure I have ever seen so many inappropriate speedos and bikinis. :) I will just leave it at that.

 

I'm sure I will have more to add and am going to try and get the Compasses scanned...

Edited November 3, 2014 by MattInFLL

[Maybaybie10]

Thank you for the review!

 

We were on Freedom in 2011 and my husband's favorite place was the Crypt- he stayed there until the wee hours of the morning with his brothers and he's very sad to hear it's being replaced. He had the most amazing bartender on that trip- Astin. Do you happen to remember if he was one of the bartenders on your trip?

We are going back on Freedom in April and can't wait!

 

Thanks!

[fish6]

Was Casey still the CD? We are going in December and are curious to who the CD will be. Also did you find the one new menu good?

[tabbi_cakes]

The Silent Party!!!! So funny!

[happymanitee]

Thanks for posting this! We are going on this cruise in March. I can't wait!!

[FloridaPalms]

Thanks for the review Matt. We love the stingrays at Grand Cayman too - freaky but fun! I'm taking the pre dry dock 2-day on Freedom in January just to show the ship to a first time Royal cruiser. See you in 24 days on the Liberty!

 

~ Judy

[ang73]

Was Casey still the CD? We are going in December and are curious to who the CD will be. Also did you find the one new menu good?

 

Casey was our cruise director the week before (10/19 cruise)

 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Forums mobile app

[theminnow]

Matt,

 

Thanks for the review. We'll be following in your footsteps in the spring.

 

Craig

[MattInFLL]

Casey is currently the CD, but not sure how long he will be on. He's very funny. There is a thread here with the current CD's and it usually gives the time frames.

 

I am attaching a picture of the Portobello menu. (I still don't know how to post the full picture within a post). I had the Frappe to start (not as good as the Strawberry Bisque, but still good) and the BLT starter salad, followed by the Tortellacci as a main course (which I really enjoyed). I remember that others at my table had the meatballs to start and really liked them.

 

Maybaybie10 - Astin was not one of the bartenders (at least that I saw). Igusti was my bartender. He worked there and the Diamond Lounge overflow rooms. He said they rotate bar areas every two months or so during their contracts.

 

I am also sad to see the Crypt go. I think it's a great nightclub venue, and the Viking Crown does not have that same vibe.

Edited November 3, 2014 by MattInFLL

[MattInFLL]

Oops, forgot to upload.

 

And actually, when I just tried to look at it, I could not make it bigger. If someone wants to tell me how to directly post it into the reply box, I am happy to try.

Edited November 3, 2014 by MattInFLL

[MattInFLL]

Oh, and it appears Casey is currently on a 4 month contract that started on Aug 10 and he was unsure who was replacing him, but he thought he would be back after his break.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=44631834&postcount=2118

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

Over and over again we were told that whatever else may happen in dry dock (Crypt is being replaced by cabins and a restaurant) - there will be no Dynamic Dining added now.

 

 

Thanks for you review!

 

Just out of curiosity, did the staff show any positive or negative reaction to the idea of Dynamic Dining? And whether it was going to be added or not?

[mrpayroll]

Thanks for you review!

 

Just out of curiosity, did the staff show any positive or negative reaction to the idea of Dynamic Dining? And whether it was going to be added or not?

 

Go back and read his third paragraph for your answer.....

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

Go back and read his third paragraph for your answer.....

 

Sorry, I should have worded my question a little differently. I saw what he said about it not being added, but I was mainly just curious if he had heard any opinions about DD from the staff, like whether they wanted to see it implemented or not.

[cookie-lady]

Regarding the lobster being on the 6th night. Our waiter said that they switched the nights, as the night they served it there are not usually as many people dining in the MDR so it was a way to cut costs. But apparently one of the first questions the waiters are asked by passengers is "when is lobster night". So, they didn't cut any costs by switching nights as those that love the lobster nights ate in the MDR anyway :)

[MattInFLL]

OfTheSeasCruiser - actually, no, I did not get any sense from the staff of whether they wanted to see it implemented or not. But we were in the MyTimeSection, so those staff are perhaps more used to the idea of non-traditional. The head waiter just said - not now - and acknowledged that a lot of guests were not happy about it, and that they wanted to see how it performed on Quantum and Oasis first before making any more decisions.

 

cookielady - that makes some sense since Day 6 is Cozumel from 10-7, so people can still be out during first seating, and Day 5 is Grand Cayman when everyone has to be on the tenders by 3:15. But it just seems to make no sense not to have the "special meal" on a formal night.

 

I am loyal to Royal and I understand it's a business, but the cost cutting just seems to be getting way too obvious and deliberate...

[BillOh]

Pre-cruise - I stayed at the Radisson Saturday night because so many CC people were meeting there, and it included the week of parking. The Radisson is fine and well located. But the food was just awful. I would not rely on the restaurant.

 

Our group also did an afternoon "watch the ships leave the port" party from Fishlips. Great food and amazing location..

 

Thanks Matt, Lots of good information to digest. This will be our first cruise out of Port Canaveral and we are staying at the Radisson. I am planning on watching the Saturday ships sail from Fishlips, hoping to make it a pre cruise roll call event. Hopefully the only meal we will eat at the Radisson is a pre cruise breakfast.

[BillOh]

Fellow passengers - I have been cruising out of Miami and Fort Lauderdale for a while now, so it was interesting going out of Port Canaveral.

 

As I mentioned it will be my first time out of Port Canaveral. When I cruised Freedom the first time it was from Miami and Labadee didn't yet have a pier. I can't wait for Spring. As of yet we don't know who our cruise director will be according to Donna's list.

[MattInFLL]

Thanks Matt, Lots of good information to digest. This will be our first cruise out of Port Canaveral and we are staying at the Radisson. I am planning on watching the Saturday ships sail from Fishlips, hoping to make it a pre cruise roll call event. Hopefully the only meal we will eat at the Radisson is a pre cruise breakfast.

 

Be sure to try the hog wings at Fishlips :) The ahi tuna was really good too, and I don't like fish. Upstairs on the covered "open" deck is the best place for ship viewing (IMHO).

 

Breakfast at Radisson is probably OK. For dinner I had meatloaf and mashed potatoes - hard to screw up - but it was truly just not good. My 7 dining companions didn't seem thrilled with their meals either (nor did they look appetizing).

[leaveitallbehind]

Matt it was our pleasure that you joined us at Barefoot and glad you enjoyed the day - we certainly did as well with you.

 

Hope to sail again with you....

 

M & T

Edited November 4, 2014 by leaveitallbehind

[MattInFLL]

Matt it was our pleasure that you joined us at Barefoot and glad you enjoyed the day - we certainly did as well with you.

 

Hope to sail again with you....

 

Same here! It was definitely a special week on board.