Back from TA Freedom 2-nighter Boston

[ocngypz]

Oh that our weather had been better! I was dying to try the flow rider as in my "other life" I lived in So Cal and surfed extensively.

Unfortunately, Mother Nature did not want to cooperate. Too darn cold and too windy.

 

Our ship was full.

 

Entertainment:

 

Ice Show: WOW. just fabulous. The best I've seen

 

Production Shows: Excellent

 

Solo acts: Hit or miss. Stay away from the fellow with the last name Yee.

He was dreadful.

 

Casino:

 

Some banks of machines are too close to each other. New vendor machines kept breaking down and giving the casino techs a difficult time. Card readers will work with the first revenue sailing out of Miami. First payout is at 125 points with a free drink with a value up to $5.00.

 

Food:

 

For a ship this size, the buffet stations are woefully inadequate. Selections limited.

 

Dining room: Very pretty. Standard Royal Caribbean fare. IMO meals on the Vision class ships are better.

 

Cabins: If you have more than two people, get the largest sized cabin you can afford. We were in an inside 160 sqft. The vanity is very narrow and the drawers do not accommodate much. The closet will be a tight fit for 2 on a seven night cruise. The life jackets and safe take up shelf room in the closet. There were no trouser hangers in our closet. Though plenty of shirt hangers.

 

Bathrooms: The smallest I've had, and I've sailed some pretty old ships in my day. The non-skid surface will snag your stockings if you aren't wearing shoes. Towels are nice and fluffy, but don't absorb very well. Bring your own soap and shampoo etc.

 

New Bedding: An big improvement over what has been, but neither one of us found the beds too terribly comfortable. Ditto the pillows.

 

H20: Kids are going to love it!

 

Spa: Forget it.

 

Gym: Great area, but already starting to smell like a gym! Get rid of the boxing ring!

 

Portofino's and Chops: Were closed.

 

Royal Promenade: Beautiful Morgan automobile on display. Fellows: how do feel about a $94 shave? Seattle's Best..... cappuccino $2.95... yikes!

Champagne Bar: very pretty. Logo shop: expensive... and they were charging 16.5% tax on our ta sailing. For whom, I wonder?

 

Ride: Weather was not with us. Rain, wind and swells. Our cabin was located forward. This ship rolls. Others in our party of some 30 people commented on how surprised they were.. and that they did not think the Voyager class rode as badly in like weather. Our cabins were located on all decks.. forward, aft and mid.

 

On-Air Kareoke (sp) needs more chairs.

 

Nice conference facilities onboard.

 

Separate lounges for Diamond, Diamond+ and Suite occupants.

 

Library - okay.

 

Martini bar - under utilitized. Should be on the Royal Promenade, I think.

 

This ship isn't for me personally, but I can see many of my clients having a great time.

 

Thanks, RCCL for the trip.

[grangermom]

Thanks for the mini-review. When you mentioned the man with the last name of "Yee," I was wondering if he was a piano player. If so, that's the same guy that we saw on the Navigator, and we thoroughly enjoyed his show. It was an interactive/sing-along type show that was very funny.

 

Also, our family of four has stayed in interior rooms of 160 sf on two different 7-nt. cruises. I was chuckling when I read that you felt cramped with just two people. Can you imagine me (a 44-y.o. mom) with a husband and two teenage sons in that room all week? We love cruising, so we just make it work. Of course, we'd love something bigger, but have to stay within a certain budget.

 

So sorry to hear about the weather. I saw the Today show when they were onboard, and it looked miserably gray and cold.

[negc]

We were also onboard and had some experiences which were better and others that were similar to the original poster. We had a category D1 room on deck 9 with a balcony and our bathroom while compact was noticeably larger than our bathroom on Sapphire Princess a few weeks ago. The room was also much larger than our room (similar category) on SP. Our beds were extremely comfortable and the bedding was very nice. We enjoyed Matt Yee very much, although his act doesn't change from performance to performance or ship to ship.

Agree that it would have been nice to have better weather but it didn't keep us from having a great time. I think we would have had just as good a time had we had to pay.:)

I agree that the food was typical of what we have had on previous RCI cruises but found the service staff to be exceptionally friendly and happy to be onboard. Windjammer menu was, IMHO, very good and seating seemed to be quite adequate for the crowd on board.

Production shows and Ice show were excellent. The card readers worked on the slot machines I donated to in the casino but somehow trying to reach the 125 point level for a free drink on a cruise where the drinks were already free seemed sort of pointless.LOL

[Tanmanny]

We had a PR Category room overlooking the Promenade...167sf & felt very small...agree with much of previous poster comments...I grinned when the towels were mentioned as my DW made the exact same comment about being very fluffy but didn't soak-up the water...we also thought FOS needed to have more elevators...getting off this am, we had to wait 10 min & finally walked down (TA's got on up elevators & rode them up back down (maybe that was the problem?:)...it is a beautiful ship & definately geared for families...the disco for teens will be a big hit...OMG there must have been 60-70 arcade games!...I heard that the captain purposely did not use the stabilizers as it would consume more fuel (drag, I guess?)...we couldn't understand why the was so much roll for the ship size, either...I will recommend FOS...will be a great experience (also a great revenue stream for RCI with all the "partner" shops onboard)....

[Pradagal]

Thanks for the short review. Thought the rooms would be a little roomier on such a large ship? I guess have to get sooo amny people on board rooms still small. Always like D1 or higher anyway. The yikes on the price of cappuccino had me a little confused. That is the going rate we pay on land in cali. Didn't think that was bad at all.

Thanks again always enjoy reviews on new ships:) .

[nanner10]

I think it is safe to say that the towels are brand new for a new ship. The sizing the manufacturer uses to make that orginal "nice and fluffy" feel coats the terry and reduces absorption. It probably takes a couple launderings to be washed out.

 

If you use fabric softener on your towels at home it will also reduce absorption, but, probably not as much.

 

A note to all the TA's and VIP's who are able to take all these mini cruises ... please use lots and lots of towels so they will repeatedly washed and all nice and ready for us on the first cruise for the paying guests on 6/4/6, LOL!!!

[WatchHill]

Just returned from the two nighter out of Boston and posted my observations in the sub folder, Freedom Frenzy, in the Love from the Freedom thread.

 

Yes, give the towels a few months of harsh soap & very hot water and they'll be just like what we're used to aboard ships.

 

Darcy

[Twaincruisers]

nanner10, we are not TAs or VIPs, but we will try to use the towels for you on our charity cruise (no freebie!) on June 3. We have been on many cruises on many cruiselines that included really old, small ships so don't expect to be disappointed as OP seemed to be!

[TWC]

On these mini cruises, do you need cash in the casino, or will they let you charge to a personal credit card?

 

What did you need for IDS? Drivers license only?

 

Any "Gifts" besides the cruise itself?

[ericworldz]

...I heard that the captain purposely did not use the stabilizers as it would consume more fuel (drag, I guess?)...we couldn't understand why the was so much roll for the ship size, either...I will recommend FOS...will be a great experience (also a great revenue stream for RCI with all the "partner" shops onboard)....

 

I hope this is true. Can someone else please confirm this? With the ship this size, I'm worried why people are experiencing this kind of motion. I have been on the Navigator, and it only moves very slightly.

[beachrus4]

Oh this would be good to know if they didn't use the stabilizers. I was sick on the ship this past weekend, and was worried about my Monarch of the seas sailing this summer. I have never gotten sick before.:o

[caviargal]

I hope this is true. Can someone else please confirm this? With the ship this size, I'm worried why people are experiencing this kind of motion. I have been on the Navigator, and it only moves very slightly.

 

She rides rough but I did not ask the Captain whether the stabilizers were being used. It just seemed obvious to me that they would be but I could be wrong.

[DNCButler]

We just got off of the same cruise as the OP on Sunday. First off, travelling on a ship with other TA's is sometimes an embarassment and can change the atmosphere of a sailing and I do believe this was the case again.

 

I did not feel that this ship moved any different from any other ship that I've been on over the last few years. It's a ship on an ocean and it does move! But we did not have swells. It was cold and windy for sure but seas were not "swelling" as we've had on other cruises.

 

The beds were wonderful. The flat screen tv frees up counter space. The closet was fine for 2 people for one week. I LOVED the doors on the showers instead of shower curtains.

 

The menu was limited for us as it was not a regular sailing. Therefore, we did not have the options that are normally available on a revenue sailing.

 

The staff was wonderful and did not run into one staff member that was not willing to bend over backwards to accomodate us.

 

As for paying for Cappuccino, I paid $3.50 at the airport Friday morning for a small cup. At home that's about the same price. So I do not have an issue with that.

 

I did think that some of the merchandise was a bit pricey, such as $50 for a sweatshirt.

 

Wish the weather had been better though, a covered pool would have been great! That's about the only thing I would recommend for the next ship.

[caviargal]

We just got off of the same cruise as the OP on Sunday. First off, travelling on a ship with other TA's is sometimes an embarassment and can change the atmosphere of a sailing and I do believe this was the case again.

 

I did not feel that this ship moved any different from any other ship that I've been on over the last few years. It's a ship on an ocean and it does move! But we did not have swells. It was cold and windy for sure but seas were not "swelling" as we've had on other cruises.

 

The beds were wonderful. The flat screen tv frees up counter space. The closet was fine for 2 people for one week. I LOVED the doors on the showers instead of shower curtains.

 

The menu was limited for us as it was not a regular sailing. Therefore, we did not have the options that are normally available on a revenue sailing.

 

The staff was wonderful and did not run into one staff member that was not willing to bend over backwards to accomodate us.

 

I did think that some of the merchandise was a bit pricey, such as $50 for a sweatshirt.

 

Wish the weather had been better though, a covered pool would have been great! That's about the only thing I would recommend for the next ship.

 

I guess you must have seen some of the same TAs as I did, who seemed to spend the entire cruise consuming all of the alcohol they could imbibe:rolleyes:

 

Those shower doors are also on Radiance class and are a big improvement.

 

As for staff, the folks who served us in the dining room were not up to par.

 

We could not get a second cup of coffee at breakfast, we were served cold food and soup at same time as entree, both dinners and one lunch entrees for those at our table were all mixed up! And, the waitress at lunch chose to shout a question at a gentleman at the other end instead of walking down there; very rude. There were two RCI reps at our table who immediately apologized and told us that this is not the way RCI normally does things.

 

A table mate was served wine in a glass that was broken and cut her lip.

 

Utensils were not replaced.

 

Elevators took forever and the smoke as an issue.

 

Of course, all of these things will perhaps improve but some will not. Also, some of the things I care about are not at all relevant to others.

 

Re movement, the way the ship is designed - minumum draft to get into ports and maximum capacity - there is simply no way IMO that the ride will be comparable to a vessel that is designed as an ocean liner. I believe the laws of physics prohibit that :). I notice quite a bit of motion which quieted the second day. But I think the ship is simply not as smooth a sailor as others because of the design.

 

Many will love her for the bells and whistles. As a Diamond Plus member, I am appreciative of RCI's generousity in inviting me aboard. My curiousity is satisfied. I am not one of those to whom RCI is marketing this ship (and class of ship) because personally it does not at all suit me. BUt I have no doubt that kids will make this ship successful.

[DNCButler]

That's really a shame that we had such different cruises while on board the same ship. Just yesterday morning we had refills constantly during breakfast and never had to ask for any during the short time we were on board. We ate on deck 4 the first night and deck 3 Saturday night.

 

The shower doors really are wonderful, my comment had nothing to do with any other RCI ships though as posters before our cruise had asked about them so I commented on them. Also, the balcony doors will be able to open and slide back to adjoin the next cabin. There was more wind noise that we noticed on this ship at night but I actually liked it.

 

My DH is in a wheelchair and I do have to say that we had one problem getting all the way to a window table in his chair. At that point the waiters all rushed over to us to move chairs and tables in order to clear the space for us. We did not have one staff member that did not assist us when we needed help. I am also someone who suffers from smoke and will usually avoid any areas that are full of this. This sailing DID have quite a bit of smoke in bar areas but with TA's "bumming" free cigarette's from the bar I have to think that just like free drinks, free smokes also adds to the problem! Note to smokers, you can't buy cigarretes on board these pre sailings, BRING YOUR OWN.

 

Muster drills are also mandatory. Many did not even bother to show up for this even though many many announcements were made and bars closed! Disabled passengers were let go while a bit ahead so that elevators could be used which was a very nice touch. However; the only day we had a problem was disembarkation. They need to provide a private perhaps crew elevator to take passengers with mobility issues off the ship.

 

Oh and even though for us internet was free, it was painfully slow!

[caviargal]

 

My DH is in a wheelchair and I do have to say that we had one problem getting all the way to a window table in his chair. At that point the waiters all rushed over to us to move chairs and tables in order to clear the space for us. We did not have one staff member that did not assist us when we needed help. I am also someone who suffers from smoke and will usually avoid any areas that are full of this. This sailing DID have quite a bit of smoke in bar areas but with TA's "bumming" free cigarette's from the bar I have to think that just like free drinks, free smokes also adds to the problem! Note to smokers, you can't buy cigarretes on board these pre sailings, BRING YOUR OWN.

 

Muster drills are also mandatory. Many did not even bother to show up for this even though many many announcements were made and bars closed! Disabled passengers were let go while a bit ahead so that elevators could be used which was a very nice touch. However; the only day we had a problem was disembarkation. They need to provide a private perhaps crew elevator to take passengers with mobility issues off the ship.

 

Oh and even though for us internet was free, it was painfully slow!

 

Yes, internet was truly awful! The staff said they are aware of the problems and working to resolve.

 

I also noticed the lack of attendance at the muster drills and found it quite disrespectful :(

 

I cannot imagine why it would be smoky because of free cigs, however. If one smokes, they smoke. And the number of smokers is probably pretty average among cruises, except - hopefully - those with a fitness theme.

 

Agree that special needs folks would be better served with designated elevator.

 

As for me personally, just because something is free does not mean I will drink, eat, whatever, more of it. I am a wine drinker and the wine being served was pretty bad. I asked to buy a good bottle and was told no, they were not set up for it. So, my drinking was very limited. And I really noticed no more drunks than usual.

[DNCButler]

As for the "free" cigarrettes, they were the crews that they were giving out to people and it seemed like those, just like with free drinks were in excess of regular revenue sailings. And I don't know that people actually knew that those were the crews, not free, but their own that they paid for on their own that were being handed out.

 

And I agree, I didn't see as many "drunks" as I have on other sailings. Maybe it's that there is so much public space that I just didn't notice as much. And we don't gamble so we don't spend much time in the casino so that limits our exposure there. And the casino did not looks crowded at all Saturday night when we kept passing through. Oh! On that note, for a ship that was supposed to be sold out, there were empty cabins on each side of us too. So I don't think it was a full ship.

 

As for the wine, I didn't care for what they served the first night but that's my personal preference. I've never been a "wine snob" as my sister says, and I won't drink it if I don't like it. But I did have a nice Australian wine in Vintages but I can't remember the name of it.

 

Favorite bartender was Zibi in Boleros! Went there Saturday afternoon and he was so wonderful to talk to! At night he and the other bartenders worked their butts off to keep up and never with a missed beat!

[negc]

We too had a wonderful 2 night cruise and unlike some, did not notice that much movement. Service we received throughout the ship was friendly and very good and the crew members we encountered all seemed very happy to be on this brand new ship. We were disappointed with the Presidential Family suite - especially wonder about the balcony (what is the reason for the green painted metal section that extends from the PFS balcony railings to the back of the ship? - will they place some sort of greenery there- wonder why they didn't just extend the balcony all the way back and make the living room/dining room area larger.

I understand that some people missed our sailing,despite its delayed departure, because of the horrendous accident that closed the MassPike in both directions, which might explain some of the empty cabins. It may also be that they limited the number ofpassengers, as they said they will be doing for the first few sailings, to aid in getting everything operating properly. Also noted that the extremely soft and luxurious towels did not have much absorbency and appreciate the posts where the reason was explained. Will see if they are better by the time we sail next October.:)

I must say that I am more enthusiastic about the Freedom now that I have actually been on board, but I still wish they would build more of the Radiance class ships. When I mentioned that to Adam Goldstein when we had a chance encounter in the corridor outside my room, he indicated that the economies achieved by building these larger ships makes it highly unlikely that we will see more Radiance class or size ships in RCI's fleet in the foreseeable future.:(

[caviargal]

I must say that I am more enthusiastic about the Freedom now that I have actually been on board, but I still wish they would build more of the Radiance class ships. When I mentioned that to Adam Goldstein when we had a chance encounter in the corridor outside my room, he indicated that the economies achieved by building these larger ships makes it highly unlikely that we will see more Radiance class or size ships in RCI's fleet in the foreseeable future.:(

 

That exact question was asked at the Diamond Plus Cocktail Party. Capt. Wright stated that bigger and better was the plan at RCI, not building smaller ships.

 

I found it interesting that very few DP members raised their hand when asked if they were booked or planned to sail on Freedom. But, many questions were asked regarding the smaller ships.

 

Looks like cruisers like me will have to look elsewhere and that is a shame. But I understand that RCI has chosen a specific business path and intends to follow it.

[GMoney]

We too had a wonderful 2 night cruise and unlike some, did not notice that much movement. Service we received throughout the ship was friendly and very good and the crew members we encountered all seemed very happy to be on this brand new ship. We were disappointed with the Presidential Family suite - especially wonder about the balcony (what is the reason for the green painted metal section that extends from the PFS balcony railings to the back of the ship? -

 

I agree about the PFS balcony; I was baffled by this. Real waste of good space!

[bbuchanan]

We had a PR Category room overlooking the Promenade...167sf & felt very small....

 

According to Royal Caribbean's TA guide; 149 sf on the Freedom. I'd have loved another 20 sf. These rooms are painfully small....with a lack of storage to go with them. The Adventure, Explorer and Voyager are 167, Navigator 153 and Marineer 161. So, at 149, they are woefully small.