Freedom of the Seas - Sept. 10 Review

[pmanchuk]

Well everyone, I'm home after my first cruise and thought I'd share my thoughts. I sailed on the Freedom of the Seas this past week departing Miami on Sept. 10 on the Western Caribbean route.

 

Let me first get the bad stuff out of the way:

1. Port of Miami - What a joke! First of all, I realize this isn't the airport BUT why can they not provide you with a little receipt of sorts for your luggage? Maybe it's just me, but when they tell you to leave your bags on the sidewalk for the next 4 to 5 hours... my faith that they'll turn up in my stateroom later that night really started to dwindle. Of course they did show up, BUT when asked if they provided any type of receipt, they staff at the port all said "no... this is the way we do it, with no tickets... and that's all I can tell you." Next complaint about Port of Miami... the terminal for Royal Caribbean is pretty large... and I'm sure there's more than one entrance, so WHY is it that all 3000+ people need to cram into one line at the far end of the building... a line that snaked outside and into the parking garage (in 90+ degree weather of course)? Common sense would say open a second entrance (gasp) and add a few more security staff (double gasp) to process people there, rather then squeezing everyone through the existing 3 metal detectors! And of course, the port really knows how to wrap up your holiday for you... when you get off the ship and wait at the baggage carousel for over an hour waiting for your bags... and mine had white labels! (supposedly the first to come off)... the port is just so slow and generally incompetent in my opinion.

 

2. Wireless Internet Onboard - slow, slow, slow, slow, and slow! Not to mention, halfway through the trip, the system had a "problem" as the staff called it, which forced me to recreated my account (and I lost about 30 minutes of prepaid time!)

 

3. Cellular at Sea - the signal strength was fantastic all over the ship EXCEPT in the stateroom (where I would have used it most)... I'd say only 25% of the calls I tried to make on my cellphone while I was in my stateroom (or on my balcony) actually went through.

 

4. Pool Bar - these were by far the weakest drinks of anywhere onboard. Mind you, I don't normally drink all that much (usually 2 or 3 and I'm done), but when I was hitting my 4th and 5th mojito by the pool and barely had a buzz, I knew something was wrong... and this was consistent throughout the week. Many times I had to ask the bartender to add more alcohol (and trust me, I felt odd asking).

 

SOOOO, that's pretty much the "bad"... everything else was phenomenal! Let me point out a few things that really stuck out in my opinion that made the experience so amazing:

 

1. The ship - having never been on a cruise before and hearing all the hype about the ship being the largest... I was concerned it would be overwhelming, but honestly (to me) it felt like the perfect size... not too small (i hate feeling cramped), but not too big either... you could still find places to hide if you wanted, but without getting lost. On top of it, it's new... everything shined, everything was beautifully kept.

 

2. The stateroom - I splurged and booked an Owners Suite and honestly it was the best decision I made! So many people say you never use the stateroom, but I did quite a bit... when I wanted some quiet time or just to catch the top of the news, it was a great place to stretch out... relax, enjoy a drink before dinner, etc. And not to forget the ENORMOUS balcony... a table, two chairs and two chaise lounges! I guess for someone who's not so outgoing (I tend to prefer my own space), this really made the vacation... having that space to enjoy.

 

3. Chops & Portofino - Ok... so not quite gourmet, BUT I did go to each twice during the week... and every extra dollar spent there was worth it! The wait staff was incredible... very professional... and the food was definitely far above that in the dining room. Here's a little side note, don't bother requesting a window table... you're in the middle of the ocean and you can't see ANYTHING once it's dark! I preferred the quieter tables in the corners, away from the windows and kitchen (since the tables near the kitchens were far too bright).

 

4. Staff - In general the entire staff was excellent... so friendly and so well trained! I wish the restaurants in Miami (where I live) were staffed by these people! The smiles, the "how are you this evening, Sir?", the "have a wonderful day" attitudes... just all in all (even if some of them were fake "this is my job and I have to be nice" attitudes) it made things so much more enjoyable.

 

So now for the ports and shore excursions... keep in mind though, I could have stayed onboard all week, never gotten of once, and still would have been just as happy!

 

1. Cozumel - This was (from what the staff said) the first time the Freedom had docked at the International Pier (which was in pretty rough shape!) I thought it was interesting that they had the ferry to the mainland tender to the other side of the ship and those going on the island exited portside onto the pier, and those of us going elsewhere boarded the ferry starboard. Anyway, the ferry wasn't that bad... but the water was very calm. We did the Tulum Express... I'm glad I did it, but I wouldn't do it again. The bus ride was just that... and Tulum itself had VERY little shade as you walked around... and it seemed the tour guide always stopped in the sunniest place he could find to talk for 15 minutes. It got to the point that people were trying to leave the tour and he was sudo-yelling at them that they needed to wait until he was done. When the ferry dropped us back off at Cozumel, there was no time at all to shop... it was a quick taxi ride back to the pier to be there on time.

 

2. Grand Cayman - Did the 2-man bubble sub... great excursion if you don't want to get wet. Keep in mind though, the shape of the bubble acts like a reverse magnifying glass... fish that are a food in length appear 3 inches! Still it was great since I hadn't done a scuba dive in a couple years and didn't want to do a refresher before we left. Aside from that, I checked out a few stores... found a great Breitling I loved... but WAY too expensive... oh well, maybe next time.

 

3. Montego Bay, Jamaica - Honestly, I never got off the ship... I decided to stay onboard and enjoy the pool with less people... just a much more relaxed day than the sea days. Plus the only excursion that really interested me was Dunn River Falls, but the concierge onboard said he had a lot of complaints about the length of the bus ride there... and after the Tulum experience, I decided to skip it. SOOO instead, my entertainment that morning was the life boat drill... all of a sudden I looked off the balcony and all the life boats on starboard side were in the water motoring away from the ship! If you're not expecting it, you really think twice about what's happening!

 

4. Labadee - Surprisingly, this was REALLY a great place... Royal Caribbean has definitely spent a great deal of money here and it's pristine. It was also nice to see the staff on shore... you know, keeps the same friendly faces your used to around... and I avoided the marketplace as per a lot of recommendations here because I didn't want any haggling to ruin my day.

 

So those are pretty much my comments that I can think of... by the way, even on sea days... there are PLENTY of deck chairs (albeit maybe not right next to the pool, but still plenty). The worst part really was getting off the ship this morning... I never knew I'd enjoy it quite so much. Of course, seeing her leave port this evening as she went by my condo, full of the next crowd of lucky cruisers made me all that much more jealous!

 

Anyway, to whoever sails her... you'll definitely have a great time no matter what you do!

[ChristieNJ]

Yay, we leave in exactly one week from today!!! Thanks for the review! We are sooo excited. Every ship and every trip has their ups & downs...it's to be expected. However, I will welcome the downs as long as I get my booty on that ship! :D :D

[ChristieNJ]

Oh by the way.....how much is the cell phone connectivity onboard?

[LizzeeGoinCrusin]

Thanks for quick review. We leave next week, time get serious about packing. I was really wondering about the WiFi, I plan to bring my laptop, but maybe I will bypass going online. Would appreciate any tips you have to offer.

[dfishner]

It sounds from your post you had a great time on Freedom, I could not agree with you more, getting into the port of Miami was so confusing it took me a hour to park and where the ship left from it did not dock in the same place when we returned so it was quite a hike to find the car. I swore I would never go out of Miami again. I will stick with Ft everglades plus it nearer to home.

[GMoney]

Oh by the way.....how much is the cell phone connectivity onboard?

 

Prices vary based on your wireless carrier and the options you've selected with them.

[sdear]

We were there with you ! What a great ship, and you nailed the problems on the head !

 

The port was a nitemare , not so much on the day we left, since we were really early, but leaving was terrible..we waited 2 hours for our luggage .

 

Same problems with the internet, we signed up for packages TWICE ...and ended up getting a refund on both. You should call RCI and get your money back on that....they gave ours back without a problem. They felt bad about the issues. I would have left my laptop at home for sure. I won't bring it on Liberty until I hear better things. It was a waste of time bringing it for sure. Alot less hassle to just go use the internet cafe...and I heard the connection was faster there. When we "did" get connected in the cabin..it was veryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy slow....and I have a fast laptop.

 

Our cell phone worked well everywhere....we have Cingular. I believe it was 1.69 a minute through Cingular...I had to call them before we left to make sure we had international roaming.

 

Great review !

 

Sue

[pmanchuk]

Hey everyone... hope my mini-review is helpful.

 

To clarify a few things that were brought up:

1. Cellphone - my carrier is Cingular (I believe they have the cheapest rates onboard), but most other US carriers also work onboard with the exception of one or two (I'm sure a search here will let you know which). In regards to the rate, it WAS $1.69 per minute at the beginning of the week, BUT Cingular then permanently increased it (for Cingular) to $2.49 per minute as this past Thursday I believe. You need to make sure you have International Roaming activated on your account. I know a lot of you are against the idea of taking your cellphone with you on holiday, BUT considering the alternative ($7 in room for ship to shore calls), I'll gladly hang on to the cell throughout the cruise. ALSO, as a side note to those techie folks (such as myself) who use their cellphones as a watch... be cautious since most cellphones will automatically update their time when you get to shore in a different time zone. Fortunately, my phone asks me first and I can select to keep my home timezone regardless.

 

2. Port of Miami - IF you didn't overpack (that's about what, 2 people on the whole ship!?), you might want to do the express disembarkation - which means you carry your own luggage off the ship. For me, that wasn't possible since there were two large suitecases, two garment bags, plus one rolling and one regular carryon, plus a laptop... between two people! Otherwise, be prepared to wait, and wait, and wait. The best example of "Port of Miami" intelligence was the line outside when I arrived at the port at 12 noon... the line that snaked outside the terminal... rather than going in a repeating "S" patern... the line actually came out of the terminal, around a staircase in a circle, then CROSSED over itself... and into the garage. You've never seen so much confusion as when a line actually crosses itself like that! Quite comical! :)

 

3. WiFi - For some people, a computer is a necessity. Since I run my own business, I didn't have the luxury of just disconnecting for the week... so I did end up doing some work by connecting online to my office. For that reason (since the info was business related and a little more sensative), I had no choice but to use my own laptop. I did notice there was a regular ethernet port in the stateroom... so I'm wondering if the wireless in the staterooms is pretty much the older system (just wireless in addition to the wired) that was used on the Voyager ships that everyone complained was so slow...

 

4. Miscellaneous Tips -

a. AVOID Johnny Rocekts on sea days from about 11 to 2... there was actually a 15 minute waiting line when I went on Saturday!

b. Also, for some reason... the port aft elevators always seemed underutilized compared to the rest of the ship... I was always able to get an elevator in record time there. Unfortunately though you need to be semi-agressive when waiting for an elevator... if you're fairly nice like I am, you could end up missing elevator after elevator because each time the door opens, people literally come running to get in... and some of them think nothing of pushing you out of the way!

c. Bring a small backpack so you can take your towels and sunscreen, etc. on shore with you. Being a first time cruiser, I never thought about it and ended up having to buy a bag onboard.

d. "Dress-Code" - when they say "smart casual" for Portofino and Chops they mean (for guys) a pair of pants (not jeans) with a button up shirt... while when they say casual for the main dining room... that could be anything from jeans and a polo to pants and a button up shirt. "Formal night" in the main dining room (for men) seemed to be an equal mix of tux and regular suits. Of course there were people on the "fringes" of those categories in every situation... I'm just letting you know what my general impression was :)

e. Pool Bars - about 50% of the time (even after they got to know me), I still had to order my drink "... in a regular glass please!" otherwise they put it in the "upgraded" plastic glass with the blue bottom for an extra $1 or 2 (I forget the exact increase)... and that's not the swirly glass I'm talking about either. Some of the bar tenders were fine with it... a couple times though I go a glare.

f. Reservations @ Chops & Portofinos - I did what most recommended and made my reservations the afternoon I boarded BUT (again being a first time cruiser), I didn't think in terms of scheduling well. Instead of keeping my reservations the same time as my regular dining room seating, some varied plus or minus an hour... which really makes hitting the shows difficult sometimes. I'd recommend making reservations for the same time as the dining room seatings. Also, I found my meals there took about 1.5 hours as opposed to the 2 hours they tell you to plan on (but I suppose I could have dragged it out longer).

g. Guest Relations - if you plan on paying down your seapass with cash or need to do anything at the guest relations desk near the end of the week... do it before Saturday (the last sea day) because EVERYONE and their brother is there. I went down late Friday night to pay my seapass balance (rather than have the whole thing get charged to my credit card) and while you'll still have the few charges from Saturday hit your card, it was a lot easier than waiting in those lines!

h. Shows - I'm not much of a "show" person, but I'll say I saw the Ice Show and the Farewell show on Saturday... the Ice Show is EXCELLENT and the Farewell show (I forgot the exact name of it) was a nice way to wrap up the week. From some of the clips I saw on television onboard, I'm thinking I should have tried to make the Broadway Review show too... next time I guess. The others really didn't appeal to me personally... but seriously, don't knock em till you try them!

i. Cruise Director - James... you know, especially during the love and marriage show, you could see some of the "fake happy facade" (that's part of his job)... a bit over done, BUT in general, he was great. I'm afraid to ask how many shots of espresso he has in the morning because this guy has more energy than you can ever imagine! Like the rest of the staff, you can tell this guy LOVES his job (and the spot light). Anyway, definitely 2 thumbs up to him!

j. Sun - of all people (as pasty white as I am), I should know better... and trust me, I pretty much bathed in sunscreen morning, noon, and night... yet I still ended up with sun poisoning and a nasty heat rash too. It's amazing how when you sit by the pool with a drink in hand, and the ocean breeze cooling you down, how you don't realize just how badly you're toasting. Interestingly enough, the people who seemed the most red were those who stayed in the pool longest... just be careful.

k. Smokers - IF you do not smoke and/or have an aversion to smoke, I'd recommend against the lounge chairs on the top deck, especially on the sides of the spa... seems this was the most popular smoking area... plus I think there were ash trays near the railings there too.

 

By the way, I'm curious if anyone else had a balcony on starboard and noticed all the little american flag attached to the balcony railings... what was that about?

[pmanchuk]

Oops... forgot one other thing about the cellphones...

Sometimes I could dial as normal... 10 digit number (starting with area code)... the way all my numbers are stored in my address book...

 

BUT there were time on the ship and in the ports where I had to dial the international code +1 then the 10 digit number (for those of you who don't know... usually -- on most phones -- you get the + by pressing and holding the 0 button).

[CruisinRD]

We just got back as well. Some of the same comments as you . For Port of Miami, we drove down the day before and stayed in Sonesta Suite in Coconut grove, so not so rushed to get to the port. We parked in the garage after checking the bags in at the curb. We arrived a bit later than you - around 1:45 - line was long, but moved smoothly - they were trying to get as many people in out of the sun as possible. Once on board, went to cabin (7334-36-38-there were 6 of us). Absolutely loved the cabin. We had carried on bathing suits and headed right to the cantilevered hot tubs for a while.

Meals for the week were generally good. Windjammer dinner buffet was nice, but I thought the Mariner had more variety. The Jade foods were great.

Portofinos on Tues pm very nice, but extremely slow - over 3 hrs for the 6 of us, and had to watch another group of 4 have a food fight - throwing food at each other and all over the floor. They provided some entertainment. We were almost as loud, but no flying food!

My favorite excursion was the canopy tour in Jamaica - it was amazing!

On the last day, we had purple tags, got off the ship almost on time, and had only a brief wait for the luggage. My husband got the car out of the garage, but got lost and wound up driving in circles around the garage to get out! We will definitely book this ship or the Liberty again.:D

[hardingk]

Thanks for the reviews! We leave on Sunday as well!

[Schplinky]

Excellent andhelpful reviews. We leave on Sunday also.

[pmanchuk]

Well Schplinky hardingk, if either of you have a last minute change of heart, I'll take your place on Sunday!

 

I can't believe there was actually a food fight in Portofino's! I'm sure it had some entertainment value, but come on... that's just rediculous if you ask me.

 

I guess next time (haven't booked, but I definitely see a "next time" coming!), I'd either arrive earlier or later to the port to hopefully miss the big rush and huge lines and book a port side stateroom (well that's if you book something with a balcony). It seemed most of the good views while in port and at sea were on the port (and of course I was on starboard).

[flagger]

I bet all the little American flags had something to do with cruising over 9/11.

[travelwitch23]

The best of nine cruises I have been on. (Last five on brand new Carnival ships, 2 Celebrity, 1 Princess grand class. Breaks down to 3 western carib, 3 east carib, 1 south carib and 1 exotic western.)

 

Here is my opinion:

 

Embarkation: Not bad. Arrived at the port about 10:45am. Took 30 min to park and take care of baggage. There were nine of us. The lines to get on were not too bad and the process moved pretty quick. THe only really stupid thing was after we checked in we went to the line to get on the ship. We were told we could not get on the ship because we didnt have a blue dot. We had to backtrack about 100 yards to get our picture taken for the seapass security system. then get back in a long line to get on the ship. We were on the ship by 12:15 and were told under no terms were we to go to our cabin until 1:00. They strictly enforced this.

 

Opening Buffet: Very confusing, crowded. Food was okay, the usual hot dogs, hamburgers, roast beef, mashed potatoes, french fries. Not that impressed with the buffet but you could find something good to eat if you looked hard enough.

 

First stop was Boleros to see the famous Adrian. He was in true form and kept us laughing all week. Boleros became my husbands hangout during the day because he loved the mango lava flows and Adrians sense of humor. Adrian was up to par all week and so was Manwell, Jimmy Carter and Jum. Very funny and professional bar staff.

 

Stateroom: 7408, the famous aft corner starboard balcony cabin. Awesome! The balcony was roughly 15 X 15 and came with two chairs and one lounger and one tiny patio table. We brought our own roll-up table for room service. Yes it is one half mile to the elevator but after that you don't have to walk so far just go up and down. My husband whined about the walk all week but I found if you planned your trips right you could conserve your walking to about seven miles a day. Hey I only gained 3 and a half pounds on this cruise...considering the amount of booze I drank and the desserts I ate that's not bad at all! LOL

 

Will write more later as I am back on weight watchers and its dinner time and I am starving.........LOL

 

Kim

[CruzinRD]

Haven't gotten back on the scale, but did get a nice tan that got noticed at work! Yes, there really was a food fight. The people were pretty plowed at the start of dinner. We had seen them upon embarkation and they were rowdy then as well. Pretty easy to spot them all week long - they were from the same hometown as my hubby and the accent is hard to miss - we picked up this info during the Portofinos dinner - very loud talkers. We had such a good time anyway. Cozumel is starting to rebuild - rented a van and snorkeled around the island. The zip line in Jamaica was an adventure and the staff was incredibly helpful. We snorkeled in Grand Cayman also - did the Reef and wreck trip. Loads of jellyfish- got stung on the arm and neck. Our cabins were great - especially when we opened all the dividers and had an extra large area. Can't wait til next time!

[CruisinDawn]

Anyone get the time of the Crown & Anchor Welcome Back Party & the Platinum/Diamond Party? I know many of you have seen me ask this question over and over it's not because I am obsessed with free drinks :D well maybe a little but we have a HUGE Meet & Mingle group with several activities and hope that these parties won't interfere with any of them.

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

[travelwitch23]

We ordered some special packages about 6 months before the cruise because we decided to go all out as this was our only cruise this year. We ordered the bon voyage decorations/cake. The decorations consisted of a sign on the door saying "Bon Voyage" and I think RCCL or Freedom of the Seas. It was about 14 X8. Also got a really cool sort of wind chime hanging thing that wasn't a wind chime but a spiraling decoration with little discs and balls and hung over the couch along with two spirals of silver twisty things (sorry I'm not better at desc; ;)

 

Also a disco shaped ball made of blue crepe paper with streamers gold and blue and a nice tasty cake. We also ordered the grand romance package. The veuve cliquot (I was a VC Virgin) champagne in the yellow bottle (looks orange to me) was there on arrival. The cake and the chocalate covered strawberries were not there on arrival. The decorations and the bottle of champagne were; also the two robes. The robes were gorgeous - if only I wasn't too fat to fit into it. My husband loved his and I prayed that one day I might actually be able to tie mine without a huge gap in front. I called guest relations about the cake and the flowers and the chocalate covered strawberries that were not present and told them I was having a sailaway party with guests and could they please send them. THey arrived within thirty min.

 

We met our room steward Kerwyn who was totally sweet and adorable. We could tell we would get along great. He was very tired and said he was running a fever and we told him not to bother with us that night. He gave us some extra bath towels and the next days compass. He was fabulous all week and is an angel to put up with us slobs. I really liked the fact we had a clothes pile on the left side of the couch all week and Kerwyn just let it be. Which is exactly what we wanted. We could find what we were looking for and we didn't have to worry about somebody seeing our skid marks (EW!!! LOL) Kerwyn was one of our favorite room dudes of all time. He is going on vacation for seven weeks after the 9/17 sailing.

 

We had nine people in our group. The rest of the group was 5 people who were in three promenade cabins - 7329, 7327, and 7325. They all loved their cabins. The other two people in the group were in a balcony cabin 7380. The two in the balcony cabin stated that they loved it but they didn't spend much time on the balcony as they were busy enjoying the ports and the ship.

 

MOre later

KIm

[travelwitch23]

The sailaway party was a bust. The rest of my group for the most part were non-drinkers and were busy doing other things during sailaway. Four of them came by for cake and one came by for a spot of champagne. I made the most of it by downing the rest of the champagne and a few bud lights (yes a few ;} LOL

 

We missed the welcome aboard show because it was at 7PM - consisted of the comedy of max dolcelli and the "feats" of anna and jimmy. I saw Jimmy and anna later in the week - they were from sweden and extremely fit and good looking and talented in scarve swinging and hanging spinning something like that. I didnt see max dolcelli later in the week (don't think he appeared again) but I did get to see jimmy and anna later in the week and they were good - short act but fun. They appear in the final show of the week a variety show of comedy and them. Our friends went to the show and said it was pretty good and that we should have seen it.

 

Dinner was at 8:30 but of course we like to go out for a pre-dinner drink so we hit bolero's again. Our dinner was pretty exciting. We had late seating and our waiter was Richard who was so nice, so emphathetic and so professional, funny and downright sweet I couldn't believe it. Only two of our tablemates showed up that night. Wayne and Sally from Tampa were there and they were phenomenal!! Never had tablemates I remotely "liked" before - I loved these guys!! They were from cruisemates/cruise critic and we had so much in common. They were from Tampa and we talked each others ear off. The dinner did not appeal to me that night but everyone else thought it was great. I have to state now that I am an extremely picky eater and I was not thrilled with the first night's menu. The head waiter Maurice was extremely upset that I didn't eat my first night's dinner. I had ordered the prime rib medium rare and it was practically raw. I ate three or four bites and that was enough for me. I did not complain or send it back as that is not my style. Figured I would fill up on decaf and dessert and I did - no problem mon :)

 

Later

Kim

[cappi]

Kim,

 

Our family have the same stateroom. We have actually 2 aft rooms on deck 7 and one corner aft on deck 9. Did you use third pullman? Where is it located (directly above the bed)? I am afraid my mother in law is going to bang her head... I am debating to get a triple room with a sofa bed.

 

Which dates were the formal days?

[travelwitch23]

General Info for Day one:

 

family welcome aboard show 6PM, Studio B, featuring adventure ocean dream team and ice cast.

 

mystery theater, "mill valley high reunion" dinner and a mystery, dial 3035 for resv.

 

freedom ice show takes place on monday, wed, thurs. pick up tickets mon 945am to 11am.

 

dinner is casual attire, early at 615, late at 845.

 

drink of day : csi miami. drinks are 595 in the "cheap " glass or 895 in the glass you can buy at the dollar tree.

 

soda package available $42 for adults, $28 for children (17 and younger)

 

casino opens 630pm; photo gallery 630pm, gym 1130am, spa 11:30am

some spa "signature" (read expensive ) treatments available $20 off today only

 

eating schedule .........

 

 

lunch windjammer only 12-4pm

 

dinner windjammer 630-9 (dress code no bare feet or tank tops)

 

chops and portofino open 6-945pm; mystery dinner 730pm $49.50 p/p

 

reg dinner in main dining room stated above

 

snacks in

cafe promenad 24 hours

ben and jerrys 1130-11pm

johnny rockets 530-Midnight

boleros and casino - midnight snacks Midnight - 1am

 

activities

 

dining questions with the maitred --- 1130-345pm, issacs, deck 4

 

adventure ocean youth prog open hse 1-4pm

 

lifeboat drill 445pm

 

sailaway 5pm

 

adv ocean family welcome aboard show 545pm, studio b

 

adv ocean regis and family fun 615-845pm

 

welcome aboard show (late guests pre-dinner 7pm, early guests 9pm post dinner)

 

wine tasting, vintages, 930-1030p

 

family disco, the disco 10-1045p

 

karaoke, 11-12pm, on air club

 

parade, promenade 1115pm

 

entertainment schedule

 

poolside 2-3pm and 3:15-4pm, 5-6 pm carib fusion (reggae pool band)

 

pub, jimmy blakemore, 10-11pm, 11:30-12:30

 

olive or twist, australian jazz quartet 10-10:45pm, 11:45-1am

 

piano bar, willfredo (Acoustic guitar) 10:15-11pm, 11:30-12:30

 

dj, the crypt, (disco) 11pm-late, 18 or older

 

the first day was great but couldn't seem to time the entertainment right. Everywhere I showed up I got a great seat and then it was time for the entertainers to go on break. Maybe better luck tomorrow.

 

Day 2 to follow.

 

Thanks,

Kim

[travelwitch23]

I don't think we would have been happy with this room as a triple. It was so small compared to the rooms we have had in the past but we managed nicely with the two of us. The third bed is right over the very comfortable queen? bed. I would not like it if I was in the main bed, not sure how comfortable it is for anyone in the upper bed. Mother in law happy there?

I think not but if you really want to cruise I guess it won't be a big issue. The balc is phenom -- only prob is the humidity is pretty high on our trip and there were many times it was too hot to go out there. Cabin is comfy enuf if you stay on the big bed and watch the HDTV (awesome size and pic) Here are the TV details; FORGETTABOUTIT -- no NBC, CBS, ABC only RCCL channels and CNN, Fox news, TCM and some little kids channels. There may be a few more channels but for this today show junkie who also missed the finale of big brother and the premiere of survivor (not such a big deal as i can watch them on line now if i ever find the time or ever end this review LOL) it was slightly disappointing. THe pay per view are a greedy $11.95. we never used the PPV.

 

later,

 

kim

[Hooked on Cruises]

Kim,

 

Thanks for a great review. I will be sailing in two weeks, JS Aft 10th floor. I've read that you have brought your own roll-a-table. I own one myself, and I bought it for that purpose, but my friends are telling me not to bring it. I rather have a nice size table than that small coffee size that I have to eat out of my lap. How did you carry your table? Did you leave it in a box or carried it yourself. It is heavy so I am wondering what is the best way. I am planning on spending a lot of time on my huge balcony. Any info is greatly appreciated.

 

Hooked

[darrencantwait]

Oops... forgot one other thing about the cellphones...

Sometimes I could dial as normal... 10 digit number (starting with area code)... the way all my numbers are stored in my address book...

 

BUT there were time on the ship and in the ports where I had to dial the international code +1 then the 10 digit number (for those of you who don't know... usually -- on most phones -- you get the + by pressing and holding the 0 button).

 

Sounds awesome. I leave in less than a month. Thanks for the info on the +1. I had no idea you needed the +. I think Cingular told me 11. Or 01. I have to call my Nephew for his birthday, it's on a sea day, and that would have driven me crazy if I made arrangements for roaming and then couldn't dial.

[pmanchuk]

I bet all the little American flags had something to do with cruising over 9/11.

 

Oops... DUH! You'd think I'd realize that... considering Sept. 11 is also my partners birthday! I hate to say it (not to sound cold), but it's amazing how easy it was to forget the 5th anniversary of 9/11 while being onboard the Freedom! (maybe it was the higher than normal intake of alcohol and sun!)

 

In terms of the dialing +1 on the cellphone, I believe it actually replaces the 011 or something like that. I don't remember exactly... try dialing like you would normally and if it doesn't go through, try +1 then the number. OH by the way, for Cingular customers, make sure they add "International Roaming" to your account, and not "International Dialing". I know it sounds so simple, but last year when I arrived in London and tried to call family to let them know that I arrived... none of my calls would go through (because they put the wrong service on the phone). "International Dialing" means you can call another country while you're in the US, whereas International Roaming is the opposite (you can call the US when you're outside the country) which is what you need!

 

For all of you who have actually weighed yourselves since getting off the ship yesterday... I give you credit for having the guts to do it! I refuse to get anywhere near a scale! I figure I'll wait a week for things to "even out" before I test my luck.