Onboard Freedom of the Seas Eastern Caribbean Now!!! 3/8/2015

[LMaxwell]

Do various bars have menus with prices on them?

[Woodmnky]

Enjoy your cruise. I am looking forward to following along, especially since we will be traveling on Freedom next month with our 4yo son.

 

If you have a moment, would you let me know if there was any mention in the Compass or Coco Cay map about a Power Wheels track for little kids (or even better if your grand kids were able to visit this)? DS is not much for the beach, but he loves Power Wheels and I haven't been able to confirm whether this is still going on or not.

[bigmanpw]

I am on the FOS 29th March. I am travelling from the uk with wife and two children.

I am looking at purchasing the ultimate drinks packages for myself and my wife and the soda packages for the kids.

I was wondering if you have any idea how much the drinks packages are to buy onboard and if they add any gratuity to them on purchase.

For Ultimate Package The UK RCCI website is charging £42.19 per day or ($63.51 at todays rate plus an additional 18% gratuity on top of that)

I just wondered if it would be cheaper to wait till we boarded the ship and purchase then.

Any info would be amazing. Enjoy the cruise

 

Sounds like you are getting hammered on the exchange rate through RCI. You can buy the package as soon as you walk on board. The cost on the ship is $55 plus the 18%. At today's spot rate, that should be about £36.47. Depends how favorable the exchange rate is on your credit card attached to your sea pass account is.

[Nanatochase]

Looking forward to your review. Thank you for doing it. We will be on the FOS next month. If you get the chance, I'd like to know about the new restaurant Sabor. I read that it is open for lunch for $15 on sea days. Is it open every night and is the cost the same at night? Thank you so much and enjoy your cruise with the family.

[Coffeewine&sunshine]

So excited to see an Eastern live report. Thank you for sharing your vacation with us. We're on the next Eastern sailing!!!

 

I'd love to know which days if any the spa offers any discounts.

 

Also, any signs of rough seas? This will be my first cruise and I'm a bit worried about sea sickness. Others have reported rocking and rolling lately. Wishing you and me calm seas.

[Badgertr]

I am on the FOS 29th March. I am travelling from the uk with wife and two children.

 

I am looking at purchasing the ultimate drinks packages for myself and my wife and the soda packages for the kids.

 

I was wondering if you have any idea how much the drinks packages are to buy onboard and if they add any gratuity to them on purchase.

 

For Ultimate Package The UK RCCI website is charging £42.19 per day or ($63.51 at todays rate plus an additional 18% gratuity on top of that)

 

I just wondered if it would be cheaper to wait till we boarded the ship and purchase then.

 

Any info would be amazing. Enjoy the cruise

 

 

I like to have my bills paid ahead of time so I would pay in advance. The price is the same, the only reason some people wait to pay onboard is if they have on board credits to use. With my on board credits and all my extra spending my bill at the end of our cruise was only $300, never been so excited to see a bill LOL.

[counsdr]

Hello everyone! The Internet has been slowe than molasses in January and last night we had no internet service I'm sure due to our 55mph winds! Yes we were rocking and rolling which I love, but some, including my daughter who usually loves rough seas, was ill in the middle of the night!

I'll try to answer every question I can, but I'll start with the drinks as that seems to be a prevalent question.

I was shocked at how much drink prices have gone up since last February! Most bars do not have prices on their menus. In Coco cay the Coco Loco is now $12 plus gratuity or $14.77!!! Wines are between $8&12 a glass. rum & coke is $7.75, the drink specials of the day are $10.00.

Today we actually went ahead and bought the Premium Package at $49 for 5 days. We're not big drinkers, but it is extremely easy to make $49 if you have a drink at the pool, 2 glasses of wine, and a Bailey's at night and you're almost at $49! The ultimate package is $55.00. The Royal Replenish is $19 and includes premium coffee, tea, bottled still or sparkling water, OJ, non alcoholic drinks, and sodas. Soda packages are $4.50 for those under 17 and $6.50 over. There is an 18% gratuity on top of that, so factor that in!

[kvas21]

Thank you for reporting! We will be on the next eastern sailing!

Safe travels :)

[UtahCruise]

I am so happy to see a live review. We leave on the 29th. Do you know if you can still get frozen non alcholic drinks with tbe royal replenish package.

[PathfinderEss]

Enjoying your live reports.

[CruisinWith4Kids]

Following...we are booked on the May 17th sailing and so excited! Thanks for your live report!

[counsdr]

Morning y'all!

They have just announced that we have been having very rough seas and high winds that have delayed our arrival in St. Thomas. We won't pick up the pilot boat until 12:15, so our day is short as we have to be back on board by 6:30pm :(

[counsdr]

I am so happy to see a live review. We leave on the 29th. Do you know if you can still get frozen non alcholic drinks with tbe royal replenish package.

 

Yes! $19/day plus 18%gratuity.

[counsdr]

Do various bars have menus with prices on them?

 

Looking forward to your review. Thank you for doing it. We will be on the FOS next month. If you get the chance, I'd like to know about the new restaurant Sabor. I read that it is open for lunch for $15 on sea days. Is it open every night and is the cost the same at night? Thank you so much and enjoy your cruise with the family.

 

I just posted this long thread answering a bunch of questions and they pulled it for what reason I don't know :confused:

Only bar I've seen with prices so far is Viking Crown which is now called Olive or twist. All drinks are $10.

Sabor and Giovanis are open for lunch $15. Chops is $20, sea days only.

 

I don't know anything about Power Wheels, but I'll ask in the kids club.

 

I went over to Coco Key for only a short time. I sat on the beach and had a coco loco. I didn't need a cabana!

 

Let's hope this goes thru!

Cheryl

[Woodmnky]

That is a bummer that St Thomas will be cut short and about the rising cost of drinks. Hope you are having a wonderful time anyways and that your daughter is feeling better today.

[counsdr]

What part of South Carolina did you drive from and how long of a trip was it? I am trying to plan my trip from Michigan and coming that way. Thanks.

 

The drive from Charleston to Port Canaveral is 6-7 hours depending on traffic and stops. My family live in Columbia which is 1.5-2 hours north west at the junction of 26&77.

[counsdr]

Today my whole family feel sick from the rocking and rolling. I'm enjoying it!

[GEARADRIFT]

What part of South Carolina did you drive from and how long of a trip was it? I am trying to plan my trip from Michigan and coming that way. Thanks.

 

May be able to help you out a little bit. If you will be be coming down I-26 way through Spartanburg, SC. I have made the drive many times between Spartanburg and Jacksonville, FL. 5 hours and 30 minutes (driving time). It's another 2 hours and change (10-15 minutes) from Jacksonville to Cape Canaveral. Total travel time = 7.5 to 8 hours. If you are coming down through Charlotte, NC it is about the same (7.5 to 8 hours). I highly recommend taking the EAST Bypass (I-295) around Jacksonville if you are going to be passing through during working (traffic hours). The WEST Bypass takes you across the St. John's River and the Buckman Bridge. During traffic hours in the afternoon, the southbound lanes can get pretty backed up. Have a safe trip down.

[ampc007]

I am getting really worried about my family being sick from rocking...every single report lately has said its been bad! Is this normal?? We are traveling eastern in sept.

 

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[LeCricket]

eta... posted in wrong forum

Edited March 11, 2015 by LeCricket

[minniann007]

I am getting really worried about my family being sick from rocking...every single report lately has said its been bad! Is this normal?? We are traveling eastern in sept.

 

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We were on Freedom last week and I can confirm that it was really rocking !!! It was our 9th cruise and I have never felt a ship move that much ( we've been twice on Liberty and twice on Freedom). During the night especially ... We were not sick though

[Deputydawg304]

May be able to help you out a little bit. If you will be be coming down I-26 way through Spartanburg, SC. I have made the drive many times between Spartanburg and Jacksonville, FL. 5 hours and 30 minutes (driving time). It's another 2 hours and change (10-15 minutes) from Jacksonville to Cape Canaveral. Total travel time = 7.5 to 8 hours. If you are coming down through Charlotte, NC it is about the same (7.5 to 8 hours). I highly recommend taking the EAST Bypass (I-295) around Jacksonville if you are going to be passing through during working (traffic hours). The WEST Bypass takes you across the St. John's River and the Buckman Bridge. During traffic hours in the afternoon, the southbound lanes can get pretty backed up. Have a safe trip down.

 

 

Thank you very much for the info. Still deciding which way to head down from Michigan. Might just take 75 with everyone else. Thanks.

[Betsynh]

We love a ship with a great piano bar... have had the best and worst on RCCL. Can you try to check out who the performer is and whether s/he is JUST piano or embellishes the piano with lots of electronics? We are sailing April 19th and getting really excited! Thanks so much.

[counsdr]

My daughter has never been sick on a ship and she is this cruise. All I can suggest is that if motion bothers you, get a scopolamine patch. By September, you could have smooth seas or a hurricane.

We did not arrive in St Thomas until 1:30 PM! I was really angry because AH Riise would no longer deliver to the ship and we had to lug our liquor back to the ship!

James was wonderful as usual! Sherri and Harvey, James said to say lol to you!

Cheryl

[counsdr]

look forward to your reviews. Im curious what the all aboard time will be in St Thomas. Trying to decide if we have enough time for both Coki and Sapphire on our own,

I assume formal is second and sixth nights.

I won't ask about the food. Everyone has different opinions.

What time are the evening shows. I have 7:30 MTD and wonder if I can make it to the shows.

Have fun..

 

All aboard time in St Thomas is 6:30 PM, however we didn't dock until 1:30 in the afternoon!!!

Yes formal nights are 2 and 6.

I'm disappointed as I feelthe main courses were better last year. Our chicken Marsala tonight was awful!

The shows are approximately 7 and 9 PM.