Would Anyone turn down the Inaugural Cruise on Freedom? If Yes, Why?

[zotzer]

Have you heard from your friend who's onboard Freedom now that the ship is in NY?

 

Viclo,

Yes! He called yesterday. I couldn't talk long, since I had a lunch meeting. He had to be back at work by 3:00 himself and said he'd call today.

 

They just docked in NY after moving from Cape Liberty, and I think they are there until 11:30 tonight. If they let him off the ship, I imagine he will call shortly. I dunno...the schedule is pretty damned busy.

 

They didn't have the crew internet up during the transatlantic, but now that they are in the US of A, communications seem to have returned. :)

Tracy

[Viclo12]

Zotzer.

 

Thank you.

 

Can I ask you to email me at viclo@optonline.net? I have a quick question regarding the Freedom crew but don't really want to post it on here. Sorry, you're the only person I've seen on these posts that knows a crewmember and I need to inquire something. Thank you!

[goaliegurl89]

My family and I happen to be sailing on the freedom inaugural cruise also and in my opinion i say change to the inaugural....Though mariner is my favorite ship ,ive been on it twice so far, i still say go on freedom because 1. Freedom is pretty much mariner but a couple 100 feet bigger and sum new features 2. Your whole family gets bragging rights as to being the first (paying) customers on the newest and biggest ship in the world 3. Also about the whole fear of it being over crowded and your children not having fun due to it..its almost quite the opposite the more people means the more kids meaning the more children your kids will have to play with. 4. Also their should be a good amount of kids on board for your children to play with because florida schools get out 1 or 2 weeks b4 the inaugural....well hope this helps!.....

[RayJay]

Having been on a 17 day inaugural cruise on a Carnival ship (from Miami, through the Canal and up to San Fransisco) I say I'd do it again in a second. In fact we were booked on FOS inaugural but had to change dates as our relatives couldn't sail then. (Now August). There is something very festive about being on the first paid cruise. The fire boats go crazy with the water jets, sometimes in color!! The helicopters and the news media are still in a frenzy (even after the Today show coverage I'd bet). There were absolutely no problems with the Carnival cruise and I don't know if the ship was behind schedule as far as being totally ready for the first cruise. FOS was on time and has plent of time to address problems. Seasoned crew are put aboard new ships and I'm sure they used crew from Voyager class ships to staff FOS. There is much similiar between the two classes of ship. I adon;t see too much difficulty in adapting to FOS. RCCL has my vote on doing everthing just right. They always have on my 16 cruises. Bon Voyage!!! PS: We are booked already in a suite on Liberty of the Seas, the inaugural in May 2007.

[SailyaCruise]

Thanks to everyone for the input, we are going to book it in the morning and I am soooooo excited! Can't wait!!

I think you made the right decision. Royal Carib has done such a superb job with its Voyager line ships, I've never ever felt overcrowded on this class, which I've sailed four times. I expect only better service on the Freedom class ships. Plus I've read here that there is alot of poaching of exemplary employees from other Voyager line ships so I don't expect "ramping up" to be an issue.

 

I might add that I sailed the Jewel, which is beautiful but contrary to many, smaller ships just aren't my cup of tea. I very much felt the overcrowding there, especially in the Atrium part (main hub) part of that ship. I also missed the parades, the ice show, the latin jazz in Boleros, everything felt smaller, just not the same cruise experience for me. From now on no class smaller than Voyager/Freedom/and eventually Genesis class for me. I'm already beginning to scout around on progress of the Genesis class. Sorry to go off on tangent, but I hope you will enjoy your Freedom cruise.

[SailyaCruise]

NOT TRUE!You do not know what you are talking about!

In fact we saw longer lines on the smaller ships! We were on the Adventure of the seas and the lines were shorter than on the Empress, Legend or Radiance or Serenade.:p

I tend to agree with you. As I just posted I felt the crowding issue more on the Jewel, but it has never been an issue for me on Voyager classes. I think this is one of the biggest fears/misconceptions about larger ships. I feel like such a RC booster, but they really do a great job managing the crowds. I think my only crowding complaint is the lines for the photographer on formal nights. That's about it.

[beachrus4]

I didn't think it had been to Boston yet either Zotzer. I'll be boarding for 2 nights this Friday from Boston!

[cruizinrican]

Unfortunately, I have heard too many nightmare stories on inaugural cruises to ever want to take one myself. Examples: food cold or not enough or they just plan run out before the end of the cruise, service slow or just terrible, unloading and loading of pax lenghthy and etc.

 

Remember most of these people have never had the opportunity to work together and are on a new ship so everything is new and has to be worked out. Unfortunately, people who cruise the inaugural are like guini pigs (sp?) for the staff and ship, inorder to work out all the kinks someone has to go first. I just rather it not be me. LOL :eek:

[RayJay]

FOS will have been sailing, stopping at ports, picking up new passengers, catering to many dignitaries for several weeks before the first paid cruise. As stated before, select crew are picked from other large ships to man this new vessel. RCCL is most capable of pulling off an inaugural with flying colors. I'll eat my shoe if this doesn't happen!! (maybe I should start wearing pastry shoes just in case ??!!). RCCL has never even close to let us down and can't imagine it happening now. As I stated in another section we were booked on the inaugural but had to change to August to accomodate family that want to come along. The important thing is that every last passenger on the inaugural has a great time!!!! Bon Voyage!!!!

[David4]

My 18 year old daughters graduation was too close to the first sailing so we booked on the second,if they had one more snow day we would have missed the cruise.I would have liked to have sailed on the first.