Review: Freedom of the Seas

[Terre]

Been back a few days now and here's my review...these are my opinions.

Sorry, it's long, but I tried to get everything in.

 

Freedom of the Seas

September 4—11, 2016

Category E2, Deluxe Ocean View State Room with Hump Balcony

34th Cruise, 6th with Royal Caribbean

Western Itinerary: Grand Cayman, Labadee, Falmouth, Cozumel

Captain: Toni Calne

Cruise Director: Cuddy Cudworth

 

Pre Cruise Hotel:

Having sailed on the Freedom last year, we chose her again for this year’s cruise and booked last November. After almost a year later, it was time to leave Charlotte and head to Cape Canaveral. We had booked our hotel room with the Radisson Resort at the Port for the night before, which has complimentary parking while on the cruise and complimentary shuttle to and from the cruise terminal. The Radisson is nice, could use some updating, but it suits us just fine. The rooms are typical with comfortable beds, TV, refrigerator, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion. It also has a ceiling fan, which was great for sleeping. It has a business center with computers and a printer, a fitness room, and a large pool. It has a restaurant that serves breakfast and dinner. (Link to pictures: http://i1336.photobucket.com/albums/o660/Terre52/Liberty%20Cruise%20June%202014/Radisson%20Hotel/IMG_4291.jpg).

 

The Radisson is less than five minutes from the cruise terminal. We always opt for the self debark from the ship, leaving around 6:40 a.m. and the shuttle is always there waiting for us.

 

We drove around inside the terminal, finding a fishing pier and spent some time watching the fishermen. We did watch two Carnival ships leave around 4:30 and got some shots of them sailing away

 

For dinner, we ate at Madd Jack’s. We had planned to eat there last year, but went to Papa Vito’s instead. A couple of people working at the hotel we talked to recommended Madd Jack’s so we went there. I got ribs which were pretty good, not the best I’ve ever had by any means, but good. The slaw is to die for. It has bleu cheese in it and it is soooo good. It gave the slaw a very nice flavor and a little kick that is out of the ordinary, and for me was addictive. My husband had a plate of ribs and brisket. I tasted the brisket and it was tender and very tasty. You get large portions and we ending up having to take a box back to the hotel to eat later in the evening.

 

Madd Jack's:

 

Madd Jacks' Cole Slaw:

 

Embarkation Day:

We had booked the Radisson’s 10:30 shuttle, which is the first shuttle to the port, but we actually left earlier than that. We arrived at the port, checked in and were on board the ship by 10:40. We decided to take our large suitcase and one a little smaller and checked both rather than dragging around a carry-on because we knew we couldn’t get into our cabin until 1:00. We headed for the Windjammer for some lunch and yes it was wild and crazy, but then, the Windjammer is always wild and crazy. People are going in all different directions, walking in front of you, stopping on a dime in front of you and you just have to be on your toes. You’d think we’ve never seen food before.

 

The Ship:

The ship is large and reminds me of a mini-Oasis of the Seas. It has a Flow Rider, rock climbing wall, and ice skating. The Royal Promenade is beautiful and all lit up with colored lights. You will find shops and snack shops along the Promenade. The Freedom has the inside promenade rooms which overlook the Royal Promenade; we had one of those last year and enjoyed it.

 

There is the kiddie pool, main pool on Lido, and the adult only pool at the Solarium. I didn’t take too many pictures since we sailed the Freedom last year, but I will include a link with those pics so you can get a feel for what the ship looks like.

 

Our Cabin:

We had the ocean view cabin with the hump balcony. With beds pushed together, we had a king bed. I had asked for the foam mattress topper and that made it more comfortable. We had a love seat, coffee table, and desk/vanity with TV. There are plenty of very small shelves inside the mirror behind doors on each side of the mirror, plenty of drawers for things and a small shelf over the TV.

 

The closet has four or five shelves for more clothes, etc., and there are plenty of hangers for your clothes. Our smaller suitcase fit under the bed, but the large one wouldn’t fit. There wasn’t room for it in the closet, but there is a space between the bed and the sliding door to the balcony that was the perfect place to hide it and it fit perfectly! The safe is also inside the closet and you will need to program in a four digit number to lock it and unlock it.

 

The lighting over the desk/vanity is very bright, as well as the lighting in the bathroom.

 

We used our balcony some, but not a lot, mostly at night. Now for the bathroom…what can I say? Those of you who have sailed the Freedom know how tiny the showers are. I actually showered with one door open because I was too claustrophobic with both doors closed. I usually shower in the spa since the showers are larger and you have more room to move around in them, but I was lazy this year, napping too long to go to the spa. That is an option, however.

 

Our Cabin Steward, Makruf, was the best ever. He went out of his way to get something I asked for and made sure I got everything I asked for. The room was never a mess with him around. I swear he hid in our closet because we could leave for 5 minutes, come back and our bed was made, shoes lined up, and bathroom clean! Seriously, I’m not kidding, this guy is wonderful. He is so humble and cares very much about his guests and his job. We gave him an extra tip the last day and he was very appreciative.

 

Makruf:

 

First & Second Sea Days:

We were lucky enough to get a chair at the Solarium pool, and spent most of the day there. On the second sea day there were many chairs with towels saving them, so there were only chairs in the shade and those went quickly as well. I could not get a chair the second sea day, but it was mostly cloudy and did rain some.

 

Ports of Call:

Grand Cayman – We didn’t get off the ship this day because we have been there, done all that. It is a pretty island though and if you have not been here before, there is plenty to do: shopping, Seven Mile Beach, snorkeling with sting rays, visiting Hell, and much more.

 

Labadee – I love Labadee. Here we spent the day lounging around watching people, the water, and whatever else came our way. There is a roller coaster on the top of the mountain and there is also a zip line that comes out over the ocean. They have several cafes spread out over the island and we were in Columbus Cove so our café was the Columbus Cove Café. Lunch consisted of hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken and ribs, French fries, etc. There were also desserts and my favorite strawberry kiwi water.

 

Labadee:

 

 

Falmouth – Another port where we didn’t leave the ship. You’ll have to find another review with info about this port.

[easyboy]

Nice. Following your review.

[Terre]

Cozumel – We did get off here. We decided to go to Mr. Sancho’s. We have gone to Nachi Cocum many times, so we decided to try something different. Mr. Sancho’s is nice and for $55 per person, you get all you can eat and drink for the day. It also has an ala cart side, but I don’t know the price for that. We enjoyed the all inclusive side, which also included a buffet with tacos, wings, and more. All the food I had was good. From the menu I had chicken fajitas and guacamole and chips. I got tacos from the buffet and I liked them. Remember that the prices on the menu are for the ala cart people. If you purchase the all inclusive, the food is included.

 

Mr. Sancho’s is newer, laid out well with lots of chairs on the beach front and both pools are nice. It has an open air massage that stayed busy. There are canoes that you can use included in the all inclusive price, and ones you can rent if you choose the ala cart price. The pool for all inclusive guests is very nice and we enjoyed the swim-up bar. The pool has tables and seats all around it in the water which is nice. Our bartender at the swim-up bar was Andres and he kept our drinks flowing. Before you finished one, he had another sitting on the bar. Our waiter for the day was Gabby and he was very busy. He had the whole section we were in; however, most people who stayed in the pool ordered drinks from the swim-up bar.

 

Please don’t forget to tip; your $55 does not include tips. We enjoyed Mr. Sancho’s very much, but it does get quite crowded.

 

Mr. Sancho's:

[Terre]

Food:

Dining Room: We had Anytime Dining and made reservations for 5:45. We were seated at a table for two somewhat close to the window and had that table every night. We ended up with different people at the table beside us every night.

 

The first night I ordered a chilled raspberry and watermelon soup that was scrumptious! We somehow missed the prime rib on the menu and thought I didn’t see anything I wanted so I ordered the linguini pomodoro. That was very good and is on the everyday menu or the “Classics” menu. Along with that I also got the shrimp cocktail. My husband ordered the Atlantic grilled salmon. For dessert we both got the carrot cake. It was very flavorful and good, but the icing was too rich for me.

 

Soups ordered that were good are mushroom, New England clam chowder, creamy garlic soup, and we had French Onion in Chops Grille. Appetizers we ordered are crab cake, shrimp cocktail, and spinach dip. I noticed that some of my bowls had soup running down the outside. I hope that happened with the delivery from the kitchen and not that the chef forgot to wipe off.

 

Other entrees ordered are pork tenderloin and shrimp ravioli. On the second formal night we ordered both the Fisherman’s Plate which has shrimp and lobster tail, the and prime rib.

 

Desserts ordered were vanilla soufflé, bittersweet chocolate soufflé, carrot cake, rum baba cake, and ice cream.

 

For the sixth night, we ate in Chops Grille. You can read about the food here under my Complaints section.

 

We were perplexed at what attire could be worn in the dining room. On two separate occasions, we saw them turn away men for wearing tank tops to breakfast – yes, breakfast! In the Compass it states that no tank tops, shorts or short pants, or flip flops could be worn in the dining room, yet on the second formal night, we saw them seat a guy with shorts and flip flops, and the girl with him had on very short shorts and flip flops. If they could get in on formal night, why couldn’t those two guys be seated at breakfast??

 

Windjammer: I found some things that were good in the Windjammer. Last year they had these wonderful spring rolls that we never found this year. It still has the strawberry kiwi water that I loved last year and drank lots of! I found the beef stew that I loved from last year. The crepes are good and are made to order. Breakfast at Windjammer is nothing to write home about, but I realize it’s hard to keep that amount of food hot. I opted for the made to order omelet and they were always good. Be sure you order the herbs for it. The Windjammer has just about everything you’d want. The Windjammer is not open later in the evening, so don’t expect to go there for a late after show snack.

 

Room Service: We ordered room service one night. They said the delivery would be 40 minutes, but it was there in about 20. Don’t forget to tip the person who brings it. Those trays are heavy! We ordered the spinach dip, which came warm, the turkey and cheese Panini, chocolate chip cookies (you get three cookies), cheese plate, and milk. All of this was good. We split the Panini and there was enough of everything else for the both of us. There is a charge for room service after midnight until 5:00 a.m.

 

Around the Ship: Along the Royal Promenade you will find pizza and sandwiches at Sorrento’s; sandwiches and cookies at the Café Promenade; Cupcake Cupboard; Ben and Jerry’s; and on deck 12, Johnny Rockets. Note: Some of these places charge for some or all items, and Johnny Rocket’s has a cover charge of $6.95 per person and is open from 5:00 p.m. until midnight.

 

Now for a little food porn:

Prime Rib:

 

Fisherman's Plate:

 

Lobster Bisque:

 

Linguini Pomodoro:

 

Pork Tenderloin:

Edited September 16, 2016 by Terre

[Terre]

Shows and other Entertainment:

The first night’s headliner was Louis Johnson, a comedian. He is pretty funny and we went back for his adult only show the next evening. It was adult material, but he wasn’t raunchy and excessively dirty like some comedians think they need to be. I enjoyed both his shows.

 

Day two’s headliner was the production show, “Marquee”. It was a tribute to Broadway shows by the Freedom’s dancers and singers. This show is tastefully done and a step up from the typical cruise show on other cruise lines.

 

Day four was “Now You See It” with Drew Thomas. You cannot miss this show! For those of you who are fans of America’s Got Talent, Drew Thomas was the runner up in season two, I believe. His show is very professionally done and is a class act. If you love magic, you have to see this. I won’t tell you much about it, but you will be amazed and you’ll be left wondering, “How did he do that!” We sat on the front row and still couldn’t figure out how he did some of the magic. I have partially figured out how he and his assistant disappear and then appear in the back of the theatre, but I won’t tell you what I discovered – I’m sure Drew wouldn’t want me to tell his secret… We got to talk to Mr. Thomas between shows and he is so nice, always stops to talk to you, and is a very down to earth person.

 

The headliner for day five was “Once Upon a Time” by the dancers and singers. I wasn’t as impressed with it this year, maybe because I’d already seen it, but it just didn’t seem to be as exciting as it was last year.

 

Day six’s headliner show was “Ice Spectacular: FREEDOM-ICE.com”. This is another must see, in my opinion. This is an excellent show, even though some of the skaters fell several times. I honestly don’t know how any of the performers – skaters or dancers -- do what they do on a moving ship.

 

On the last night, the headliner was Nery Saenz, another comedian. I liked him as well, he is a funny guy and also did an adult only show, but we did not see it.

 

The Love and Marriage show is always funny even though by now we know all the questions, you just never know what kind of answers you’ll get, especially from the couples who have been married the longest. Our oldest couple on this show has been married 62 years, and was very funny with their answers.

 

Battle of the Sexes is another fun thing to watch. We break up into a girls team and a boys team. Five or six men and women participate and have “activities” and races to do. It’s really fun to watch.

 

Now this brings me to the Quest. Let me tell ya, people will do just about anything when they’ve had a few drinks and even if they haven’t! Men wearing bras, people doing the worm, false teeth…you don’t want to miss the Quest. That’s all I’ll say about that, you’ll have to see it.

 

The Quest:

 

 

 

Debarkation:

Nightmare…that’s the only word I can think of to describe it. Like I said earlier, we always do self debarkation so we can get off very early and catch the first shuttle back to the Radisson. Usually we can walk off between 6:30-6:45. We got down to the gangway around 6:30 and there was a long line. We got to the end and waited and waited. The line did not move. 7:00 came and went. I finally asked one of the crew what was wrong and she said that the gangway was not connected to the terminal yet. Oh, yeah…people were getting quite restless and vocal. The line was beginning to wrap around to the front, and we all knew what would happen when we would start moving.

 

The crew member finally began directing people to the other gangway. Most everyone left for that one and as soon as they all began heading that way, they got ours connected and we began getting off. It was around 7:30 when we finally got off and we just missed the Radisson’s first shuttle and had to wait for the second one.

 

Things Not to Miss:

The ice show

Drew Thomas’ show

The Quest

 

Disappointments:

Food – I just didn’t like the menu selections and had to get the linguini more often than I liked. Not many of the desserts appealed to me and they always sound and look better than they taste so I got ice cream most nights.

 

Complaints:

1. We had reservations in Chops Grille one evening and although the appetizers, soups, and desserts were good, our steaks were not cooked properly. I ordered the 6oz. filet mignon medium and my husband ordered the 9 oz. medium well. Mine was more medium rare, too rare for me so I couldn’t eat it. My husband’s steak was well done and dried out so that he couldn’t eat it. The waiter was tied up with a large table and by the time he came to check on us, it was too late to wait on another steak even though he offered. This happened with my husband in the main dining room as well. They just couldn’t get the steaks cooked the way we ordered them.

 

2. On the first night my large suitcase did not arrive. They kept telling me to wait that luggage would be delivered up to 8:00. One person told me 9:00, but I could see that no one was delivering luggage anywhere. I thought the problem may be with the small fan I brought; I was told by Special Needs that I could bring a small fan. Just before dinner I went down to security and it wasn’t there, but the officer told me to check with Guest Services to see if it was there…I had been there once, and called them twice…could no one look back there???? I went back up to Guest Services and the person I spoke with took me to their back room and yes, it was there. He couldn’t open it, I had to wait for security to open it. We waited and waited. He called them twice and the third time he called down, they told him to just let me take it. The fan was the problem. Now my complaint is, why couldn’t someone notify me that it was at Guest Services; I had been checking with them all afternoon about it. Someone could have said, oh, let me check our back room…

 

3. Towel hogs at the Solarium pool. There were chairs with towels in them all day with no one, just the same lonely towel. It didn’t matter how early you got there, there were no chairs to be had. They certainly didn’t take the towels after 30 minutes like one sign says. The Pool Patrol did, however, tell someone they had to take a small child out of the pool, so that was enforced.

 

4. No order to the Windjammer, but that’s the way it’s designed. People are going in all directions, abruptly stopping, breaking in front of you to grab something, not using tongs or laying the tongs’ handle part on top of the food, grabbing food with their hands, OMG, like I said, it’s wild and crazy in there.

 

5. At Labadee they had put all the food out at the buffet at Columbus Cove Café and had just uncovered the food when one of the golf carts came driving in kicking up the dirt and sand which blew right over the food. This happened probably 5-6 times while we were waiting for them to open up, and just like in the Windjammer, people picked up food with their hands instead of the using the tongs, or laying the tongs with the handle on top of the food. I admit that I’m a germaphobe, but this stuff is just common sense, people.

 

Tips:

I got this tip from Cruise Critic and I love it; I wish I’d known about it years ago. I took a magnetic clip for the wall to hold important things like invitations and other things that we didn’t want to lose or get mixed up with all the sales flyers that come with the Cruise Compass.

 

If you can’t fit into the shower in the cabin or are claustrophobic like me, you can shower in the spa. Just give them your sea pass card and they will give you a key. When you are finished, return the key and get your card back. The showers are bigger and the towels are softer. There is also a sauna and steam room in the shower area if you want to spend some time in them before you shower.

 

Just around the corner from the elevators, there are interactive menus that give you information on what to do, how to get there, dining options, and menus.

 

Don’t forget to put your cell phone on airplane mode, or else you’ll have an expensive phone bill later. Better yet, turn it off and put it in the safe; you’re on vacation, enjoy it.

 

Radisson Pics: http://i1336.photobucket.com/albums/o660/Terre52/Freedom%20of%20the%20Seas%202015/Radisson/IMG_6270.jpg

 

Pics of The Freedom: http://i1336.photobucket.com/albums/o660/Terre52/Freedom%20of%20the%20Seas%20Pics/IMG_6353.jpg

Edited September 16, 2016 by Terre

[mooseman52b]

Following.

 

We will be in Cozumel in February and are considering Mr Sancho's. Your nice pix may have sealed the deal. How did you get to Mr Sancho's?

Edited September 16, 2016 by mooseman52b

[Terre]

Following.

 

We will be in Cozumel in February and are considering Mr Sancho's. Your nice pix may have sealed the deal. How did you get to Mr Sancho's?

 

Thank you! We took a taxi. You have to walk a little bit trough all the shops to get to the taxi station. When you are ready to leave, there are taxis outside waiting for you. You will enjoy it, try to get there early.

 

I forgot to put a link to my entire album...here ya go: http://s1336.photobucket.com/user/Terre52/library/Freedom%20of%20the%20Seas%202016

Edited September 17, 2016 by Terre

[Terre]

Just realized I forgot to put a link to my entire photo album:

http://i1336.photobucket.com/albums/...6/IMG_7205.jpg

Edited September 17, 2016 by Terre

[Clarea]

Enjoying the nice photos!:)

[riclop]

Thanks for the review.

[Terre]

I see that my link isn't working; let's try this one:

 

http://s1336.photobucket.com/user/Terre52/library/Freedom%20of%20the%20Seas%202016

 

You will need to double click the first picture to enlarge if you want and then click the arrow key to the right.

[harola]

 

 

Our Cabin Steward, Makruf, was the best ever. He went out of his way to get something I asked for and made sure I got everything I asked for. The room was never a mess with him around. I swear he hid in our closet because we could leave for 5 minutes, come back and our bed was made, shoes lined up, and bathroom clean! Seriously, I’m not kidding, this guy is wonderful. He is so humble and cares very much about his guests and his job. We gave him an extra tip the last day and he was very appreciative.

 

 

 

Makruf:

 

.

 

 

Last year we had the same cabin steward in our JS at Splendour. Apparentely he moved to the Freedom after Splendour was sold. He was indeed very nice and humble!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[Terre]

Last year we had the same cabin steward in our JS at Splendour. Apparentely he moved to the Freedom after Splendour was sold. He was indeed very nice and humble!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

He told us he'd been on the Freedom only three weeks. Very sweet man.

[mcatmcat]

[emoji1360]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Terre]

[emoji1360]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

:D Thank you for the thumbs up!

[waterbugohio]

Very nice review and your pictures are awesome.

 

Glad to hear that some rooms are still getting the mattress toppers. Seems to be a hot topic here. Some say there is no way you will get one, other say they did. Sounds like a real luck of the draw. Did you request it ahead or just asked your room steward?? Was it an actual mattress topper or just a duvet folded and put on the bed??

[mark22mac]

That guy at the quest show with the black bra is an absolute riot. My wife and I met their group at the pool a few times and they were one crazy(West Virginia)bunch.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Terre]

Very nice review and your pictures are awesome.

 

Glad to hear that some rooms are still getting the mattress toppers. Seems to be a hot topic here. Some say there is no way you will get one, other say they did. Sounds like a real luck of the draw. Did you request it ahead or just asked your room steward?? Was it an actual mattress topper or just a duvet folded and put on the bed??

 

I actually requested it from Special Needs before the cruise, probably 4-5 months before. It does make the bed more comfortable especially with the two twins pushed together. It was the foam (egg crate) mattress topper and I asked for a top sheet under the duvet.

 

That guy at the quest show with the black bra is an absolute riot. My wife and I met their group at the pool a few times and they were one crazy(West Virginia)bunch.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Mark, he was in our group and because he'd seen the Quest before, he knew what was coming. It took a LOT of coaxing to get him out there! Good to meet you at our M&G!

Edited September 18, 2016 by Terre

[Merion_Mom]

Terre, thank you for taking the time to write such a helpful review. Your pictures are beautiful, too.

[Terre]

Thank you, Merion_Mom, glad it was helpful to you.

[Terre]

I forgot to mention the CD, Cuddy Cudworth. He was new to us this year, but I liked him. Of course he said and did what all the other CDs do and say, but every time we saw him around the ship he would stop a minute and speak to us. He's very likeable.

[AmberTeka]

I enjoyed your review. We were on the same sailing. We had the exact same type cabin as you did.......Hump cabin close to elevators. It was our first cruise on RCI.

 

I enjoyed the cruise. You have to work hard to NOT.enjoy a cruise. I agree with you on Cabin service. A++++. But Our balcony cabin had issues. The door to the balcony was so difficult to open that we left it open a bit when we were out there. We feared we would be locked out. My husband has a college degree because he could kick a football and tackle people real good. Not a wussy.

 

The TV scared us. You had to pull the TV out and wiggle the wire. We called maintenance. They came. They said it was fine. Cabin attendant did all he could but...( He was Excellent in all ways) TV Stations were extremely limited. DreamWorks. TNT. TBS. ESPN (2). CNN International and CNN Headlines News. Foreign Language stations. ( three Big Bang Theories in Spanish) NO NBC. ABC. CBS. Plastic Bubble Shower did get me at first. Then I enjoyed the water not running on the Floor. It Was claustrophobic. NEVER seemed to get really warm water. My Husband had no issues. DID love all of the storage space. LOVED the huge closet. All of the shelves and drawers. Cabin, all in all, was OK.

 

We had early dining. We had the best wait staff ever. Funny. Fast. Smart. Nice. I run out of adjectives. We did not miss a night. Too much fun. Both of our team was tipped extra. And some hugs too. Rare for us. (the hugs not the extra Tipping). The food I felt did not compare with Carnival. There was a Cesar Salad every night. Garden Salads did not seem to exist. The desserts were not sweet enough. I am shamed to admit as to how much of a dessert addict I am, but I am.

Windjammer..........Only went Twice. Once for breakfast. Once for lunch. Very Crowded. Food was OK. Cruise Ship Buffet Food. Cookies made me long for Carnival's chocolate chip cookies.

I discovered where Ben and Jerry's was the sixth day of the cruise. LOVED IT. Also found Studio B on that day. Found ship hard to navigate. Casino was not crowded. The slots were tight. Perhaps that explains not being crowded.

 

Shows............Really Liked Once Upon a Time. thought it was witty. Liked the full orchestra. Liked the 16 singers and dancers. The Marquee Show was good. Did not get to see the ICE Show. Just too busy and not knowing how to find places.

 

Activities............Trivia ...........beyond awful. Trivia matches were held in the Schooner's bar. Which holds maybe 30 people comfortably. As about 60 people showed up for Trivia daily..and often more, you can imagine the result. Hurt Feelings. Chair hoarding. Chair saving. More Hurt feelings.

Quiz questions seemed to be picked for being the most obscure possible in their big book of questions. Hosts, most of whom had thick accents ( nothing against accents. Who does not want to sound exotic and romantic?) but UNDERSTANDING the Questions is a big part of Trivia. Regardless of Trivia being billed as "General Knowledge". they were always lots of Pop songs, lots of Movie Stars. Lots and Lots of Tv Serials. Geography. History. Humanities. Artists............Very few questions. they did one entire Trivia on Harry Potter. Missed that. Instead of Battle of the Sexes being a Gender Trivia that is a tiny bit naughty but children can come...........ON FOS....It was X-Rated. they did have it late at night and labeled Adults. And everyone seemed to love it. I admit that.

 

We have been on many cruises. The Trivia sessions on Freedom of the Seas were the worst I have ever seen. And we have sailed Carnival. HAL, Princess. NCR. Celebrity.

A NEW Cruise Director? A NEW Activities Head? THERE is an appetite for Trivia. The large groups showing up proved that. Corny jokes from the leader. Totally NO response from passengers. We quit going. FIRST TIME ever.

 

Ship was lovely. Loved the Find MY Stateroom signs. Only way we ever got returned to our cabin.

STAFF.........outside of Activities...........PERFECT. Could not have been nicer

Passengers...............as on most cruise ships............could not have been nicer.

 

I will stick to Carnival I think. Actually our next cruise is Carnival HAL...the Eurodam....Met a lot of nice people on Freedom of the Seas. And Honestly........I COULD have done better at hosting Trivia. So many nice people there each day........to listen to the nimwit questions ..and not treated all that nice by the staff. We quit going..

Edited September 19, 2016 by AmberTeka

[JamesEM]

Thanks for the review, will be on the Freedom in November.

[ATG]

We just got off Freedom yesterday. Here are my thoughts. Note that DH and I are D+, so obviously we like RC. We are retired and in our 60s. This time we had a GS.

 

Cabin. The standard GS, clean and all in working order. The big surprise was the balcony furniture. We had small table with 2 chairs and 2 loungers. The seats all had really thick pads and were VERY comfortable.

 

Food. MDR food was the same as all other ships, some good, some okay. Windjammer did not seem as crowded this time. Food there was better than usual but not very hot. Specialty restaurants

Chops was very good, steaks cooked as ordered. We tried the bacon and didn't like it, it reminded me of BBQ ribs not bacon.

Giovanni's was great, as usual.

Sabor was okay. We weren't planning on going, but they were offering 20% off and free margaritas. Food was reasonable but service was really slow. We waited a very long time for the check. I just can't get over paying $29 for tacos.

Johnny Rockets was okay. I didn't think it was as good as usual. I tried the apple pie I have heard so much about. YUCK, underdone crust and gummy filling.

 

Entertainment. The Eagles tribute band was great. Drew Thomas did magic and I thought it was the worst show I had seen. The ice show was very good.

 

Miscellaneous

 

Internet was slow, but usable. I bought it at 30% off ahead of time ($63). It was $12.99 on the ship.

 

The cruise had a very large number of Pinnacle and Diamond Plus on board. Both suite lounge and Diamond lounge were crowded. I think that many frequent cruisers were on before Freedom goes to Fort Lauderdale. We met one couple who had been on Freedom 59 times and another with 44.

 

Chair hogs were not as common, but staff did nothing about them.

 

All in all, a very good cruise.

[JaniceB]

Thanks for your review.

 

Would did you prefer Mr Sanchos or Nachi?