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Just back from 2 weeks on the Freedom.

DreadPirateRobert
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DreadPirateRobert

DreadPirateRobert

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This was our first B2B and it was wonderful. I don't know about you but with most of our 5-7 day cruises a little clock in my head starts as soon as we board. This time with 14 days to relax, do something, do nothing it didn't.

I selected these cruises for a B2B because the first week was Roatan, Honduras Belize and and Cozumel. The second week Montego Bay, Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel, Mexico. Repeating Cozumel was sort of nice because the first week there was all beach time at a private beach club and the second trip there was all shopping.

Embarkation

Since we are still Gold, I purchased FTTF so we could get on board a little quicker and enjoy some other benefits. In my opinion it's worth the price. It may not be to all people. So... we arrived at the Galveston terminal right before our scheduled check in time. We usually stay at the Harbor House hotel right there at the port. Though a boutique hotel without many amenities and a bit pricey it is nice to just be able to walk down to the terminal with our luggage and board.

Check in was quick and easy. FTTF gets you a much shorter line for check in. We had cards and were seated in seemingly no time at all. After about 45 minutes they began boarding weddings then Diamond and Platinum. We were able to go straight to our cabin and drop off our carry on luggage before heading up to grab a bite. (I'll warn you now, food won't be a big topic in this review, sorry. My wife and I have both had gastric bypass surgery. Meals for us are 4-6 bites total.)

We headed back to our cabin and were pleased to find our luggage in our cabin. I gotta tell you it was pretty cool to unpack knowing we would be there for the next 14 days.

CABIN: We love the aft balcony cabins and were fortunate to have the same one for both weeks. Our cabin was 7449. We like deck 7 because it's only 2 flights up to the lido deck and has cabins above and below as opposed to lounges, dining rooms etc. It's a standard sized cabin with an extended aft facing balcony. I love being able to watch the wake roll out behind us as well as be able to see sights from both sides of the ship. The only thing I could complain about was the condition of our balcony. There was quite a bit of rust on the white walls dividing the balconies and the dark glass at the rail was very dirty. Sort of a small thing but first impressions count. Our cabin itself was spotless.

Leonard, our cabin steward, was great. It took him a day or two to catch on about how much ice we used. Once he "got it" and 2 full buckets started showing up, everything was cool.

FOOD:

Despite my earlier disclaimer, we did eat. It's just not a focus for us. Without boring you with a post bypass diet I'll just say it needs lots of protein, very little sugar or carbs.

Breakfasts were usually from the Blue Iguana. They have great salsas for eggs. The service is fast, friendly and the food is fresh.

On sea days lunch was grab some sliced meat and cheese from the buffet. My wife loves the Rueben sandwiches from the deli, she just tosses all but a bite of the bread.

The cerviche from the Fish n Chips place on the Freedom were also a big hit.

 

Dinners were all from the Chic dining room. We did Your Time Dining. I have mixed feelings about it. We could devote a whole thread to the pros and cons. All that aside the service was excellent and what we did eat was very well presented and tasty. My wife did comment about meats being over cooked. She would have to ask for rare, to get medium rare prime rib or steak.

 

So that's a start to my review. I'll cover ports and activities on board later. Hope it has been helpful. I'll be glad to try answering questions if you have any.

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Raxter54

Raxter54

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Thanks for the review. We sail on the Freedom next February, and booked the cabin next to you, 7448. I do have a couple questions - is the Habana Bar smoking or non-smoking? And what all is available to eat in the Blue Iguana Cantina? Tacos? Burritos?

 

Thanks, and looking forward to the rest of your review....

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KarJer

KarJer

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We sail Freedom on July 2nd and loved reading your review. Do you happen to know where coffee is available earlier than 6:30? We are early risers but not alarm setters so don't really want to schedule room service.

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DreadPirateRobert

DreadPirateRobert

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Thanks for the review. We sail on the Freedom next February, and booked the cabin next to you, 7448. I do have a couple questions - is the Habana Bar smoking or non-smoking? And what all is available to eat in the Blue Iguana Cantina? Tacos? Burritos?

 

Thanks, and looking forward to the rest of your review....

 

Habana hosts cigar events so there is smoking at some point. I don't think it is a dedicated smoking spot though. Tacos and burritos are most of what BI does.

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JenniVamp

JenniVamp

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Can't wait to hear more! We cruise B2B on the Freedom in August. Would love to know any details about the process. Did you have to get off the ship to go through customs between cruises?

 

All of our B2B's have been out of Long Beach and the process has been difficult each time. I'm dreaming of a B2B where we actually get back on the ship quickly and don't get stuck hanging out in a "holding spot" for hours and hours while the ship is cleared. I like for that extra day between cruises to be special.

 

Jennifer

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freedomcruiser891

freedomcruiser891

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We sail Freedom on July 2nd and loved reading your review. Do you happen to know where coffee is available earlier than 6:30? We are early risers but not alarm setters so don't really want to schedule room service.

 

 

Coffee is 24/7 on lido! It's pretty good coffee too (in my opinion some will disagree I'm sure)

 

Love the review and love the freedom. Hoping to go on her a third time after our Disney cruise in December

Edited by freedomcruiser891
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DreadPirateRobert

DreadPirateRobert

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We sail Freedom on July 2nd and loved reading your review. Do you happen to know where coffee is available earlier than 6:30? We are early risers but not alarm setters so don't really want to schedule room service.

 

Right there with you. Most mornings I was up at 0530. Grabbed coffee in the Lido dining room many mornings on my way to the gym or going for a stroll around the deck. I love the ship in the early mornings while most are asleep. I think the fru-fru coffee place opened by 0630. There is a charge for that however. I read complaints about the regular (free) coffee in the Lido restaurant. I have no complaints but then again I'm not a coffee conisuer.

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DreadPirateRobert

DreadPirateRobert

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Can't wait to hear more! We cruise B2B on the Freedom in August. Would love to know any details about the process. Did you have to get off the ship to go through customs between cruises?

 

All of our B2B's have been out of Long Beach and the process has been difficult each time. I'm dreaming of a B2B where we actually get back on the ship quickly and don't get stuck hanging out in a "holding spot" for hours and hours while the ship is cleared. I like for that extra day between cruises to be special.

 

Jennifer

 

It was our first B2B but I can't imagine it being any easier. All we had to do was show up at the library at 1030. They had coffee, juice and pastry available. Someone from guest services walked us off the ship. We got in line for customs in a special line. That part took longer than I'd hoped (about 20 min). After that we walked back on the ship, given new S&S cards, had our picture taken as B2B guests and that was that. Later in the 2nd week we were given those pictures.

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DreadPirateRobert

DreadPirateRobert

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Another question for you - where was your muster drill conducted? I'm assuming that since we are book in 7448, right next to 7449, that we would have the same muster station.

 

Thanks!

Our muster station was G.

That is starboard side deck 3 or 4, I believe. I'll admit to having a cocktail or two before muster drill. I just followed the directions of the crew members in the stairwells. Muster was easy, fairly quick and no real inconvenience.

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DreadPirateRobert

DreadPirateRobert

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Was there a refrigerator in your room?

 

Yes. It was more of a Mini-Bar with sodas and a variety of airline sized bottles of liquor. We used it to stash a few hard boiled eggs and some yogurt. I suppose I could have asked my cabin steward to clear it but we only needed a little bit of room.

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