Freedom of the Seas Review 9/10/06

[sdear]

This was my first cruise with RCI, and my first time writing any sort of review. I just want to share some of my experience, as I learned so much from the reading I did here prior to our cruise.

 

If anyone has any questions, let me know !

 

Freedom Review

We drove to Miami on September 9th, 2006, the day before our cruise. We wanted to be stress free and not tired on the day of our cruise ! We also planned on meeting up with 16 Cruise Critic members Saturday night for dinner at Bayside Market Place in Miami.

We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Downtown. We got a rate of 90 dollars on Priceline. The room was on the ninth floor, and had a bay view, but we could not see the port. The hotel was very nice, rooms were large and very clean. The Metro Mover , a free public transportation mover, was attached to the hotel and we took that to get to Bayside Market Place. We met up with several cruise critic members that were staying at the Hyatt for the ride over to Bayside ! What an adventure that was ! We seemed to ride around a bit more than we had too J .

Bayside Market place was a fun atmosphere for the night before the cruise. A lot of shops and restaurants to choose from. Sixteen of us , and one straggler that just kind of joined our group, had dinner at LeCafe . The food was good, not the best I have had, but good. Actually anything you eat the night before going on a cruise is good , just because you are so excited !

We arrived at the port around 10:30 am. We dropped our luggage with a porter at the curb, and he “assured” us it would make it to the ship. We then parked the car in the parking garage directly across the street from the entrance for Freedom. Parking was a snap. We were soon inside , and sent up to a waiting area prior to check in. After about 30 minutes, we were led to another area, where we waited for approx 30 more minutes. We were then able to check in , that went very smoothly. I would say it was 12 noon and we were on the ship !

Walking onto that ship was amazing ! The WOW factor is definitely there ! She is beautiful, and it is hard to believe you are on a ship, the size is so huge ! We “tried” to get to our room, but they were blocked off. We went to the Windjammer for a nice buffet lunch, then proceeded to our room.

Cabins - Our room was 9642. D1 on the hump. It was a great room ! The views forward and AFT were great ! The location was central, and made getting to everything a snap. There is absolutely not one bit of noise from the elevator lobby. The bedding is wonderful ! Best I have slept in a long time ! Balcony had plenty of room for the two chairs and small table. Loungers would have worked easily. We had friends in a JS next door to us on the hump. That room was TWICE the size of ours with a very nice walk in closet, and large bathroom. The balcony was also twice the size of ours, but our room was still great.

Service - Our stateroom attendant, Reynaldo, was excellent ! We hope to see him on Liberty. Even after we left our cabin during his “time off” , things were always attended to. We never went without anything we needed in our cabin. In the dining room, we had Romeo as our waiter, and Kingsley as our assistant waiter. They both went above and beyond to make sure we had what we needed. We were assigned to a “large” table, early seating. It was a table for 6. On the first night, we were the only 2 there. We didn’t mind. The second night, we were alone again, so we just chalked it off to the other 4 were doing Chops and Portofino. We did Windjammer on the 3rd night, and 4th night Chops. We returned to the dining room on the 5th night, and were still alone. We decided to just stick it out at that point “alone”, and we had more attention from the wait staff than anyone could ask for ! Next cruise we will ask for a new table if this happens again. All the staff on Freedom were friendly, always had a smile, and always went above and beyond to make sure you were taken care of.

Food- Now, I am not a food critic by any means. I LOVE just about any kind of food lol. The dining room food was good, didn’t find much I didn’t like. The lobster on lobster night was “ok”. I didn’t care for the sauce they put on top. Prime rib was great, and the lamb chops on one night were wonderful. Chops was outstanding. Excellent food and service. We had dinner with some newlyweds from Ireland that we had met on the roll call board. What a great couple they are ! I hope our paths meet again ! The lunch buffet in the Windjammer were great. A little crowded at times, but if you go directly to the back when you enter, the lines were less. Food was good. We ate at Johnny Rockets once and it was very good. The little sandwiches at the deli in the promenade were a hit with my husband. Those were a nightly treat for him. The desserts that they served were also GREAT. Don’t miss those ! I found the coffee everywhere on the ship too strong for my liking. I was always adding a bit of water , as I drink it black. I did buy a coke card, but I probably won’t do that again. The ice tea on the ship is good, and I just don’t drink that much soda.

Shows- Quest was great ! A lot of laughs. “Now you See It “ was also a great show with Drew Thomas. The ice show was wonderful, it’s amazing what they can do on a small rink. On night 5, they did a tribute to the Temptations, by Tribute. That was a great performance ! Once Upon a Time was a great production show, and Love and Marriage was very funny. There were more, but we just didn’t make them all !

Wi-Fi - The in cabin wifi was a problem for us the whole week. We signed up for a package in the internet café on the first day. When we could log on, it took 5 minutes to open a page. The next time we tried to log on, it said my package did not exist. After several times to guest relations, and a few times signing up for a new package, we had them refund everything and gave up on it. Wasn’t worth the time or hassle. Not sure how it worked in the café, but we heard that they were having trouble with the in cabin all week. That is one issue , if they want to offer that service, they really need to work on.

Spa- I was able to walk in the spa on a sea day and get right in. Had the facial and massage. It was wonderful, and the therapist wasn’t pushy at all trying to sell products. I told her right up front I wasn’t interested, and no pressure from her what so ever.

Meet and Mingle – M& M was on first sea day at 1030 in Olive and Twist. We had a great turn out and did a gift exchange with gifts from our home state. They had snacks and drinks, and we played one game that the ship staff put on. They gave us all a water wallet.

Tendering – We docked in Cozumel and Jamaica. Tendering overall was ok. Grand Cayman was the worse, getting back on the ship. ( maybe because I was tired and hot )

They have the tendering at Labadee down to a science. What a breeze.

Ports - We just walked around Cozumel, and had some fun at Carlos and Charlies. In GC, we did Rays and Reef. The stingrays were awesome even though I was leary after what had happened the week before we left. They were just awesome. The snorkeling was also very cool ! I followed a guide around from another boat that had squid in his pocket and saw a lot of fish ! The buses that this tour used going to the drop off were hot and horrible. That was my only complaint. The boat was great, and not over crowded at all. Jamaica we just walked around, and watched some of our cruise mates work some deals on jewelry lol. We did the jet skis in Labadee and had a ball ! There is nothing like zipping by the FOS on a jet ski ! I really really enjoyed Labadee, and the lunch they have on the beach is great !

Debarkation- Our tags were for 815-0845. We walked right off at our schedule time, and immigration was a piece of cake. Then the luggage….ughhhh ! We waited TWO hours for our luggage. There were a lot of unhappy people with our same tags that morning. I am not really sure what happened, as I heard a lot of people saying they never had a problem like that. Once we got our luggage, the porter took them over to the garage side for us, and we were on our way.

I do have some pictures at http://travel.webshots.com/album/554269686KGVPRO if you are interested. Sorry they aren't in any particular order, but you can look at what you wish.

Thanks,

Sue

[joycemoore]

Thanks for sharing! We leave on Oct. 8 on Freedom. We've been on three Voyager Class ships and loved them all. Can hardly wait to experience Freedom!!!!

[peteukmcr]

I'd just like to add my thanks for sharing your experiences and photos. 4 weeks today and we'll be onboard - can't wait.

[shellden]

Sue

Thank you for sharing your expierence. Sounds like you had a pretty good time,to bad your other table mates never appeared oh well.

Thanks again

[TACMS]

Thanks for sharing.

 

JOYCETM: We leave on Oct. 8th too! Can't wait (23 of us altogether!!)

[sdear]

Your welcome and have a great time ! Was a great week..can't wait to do Liberty !

[The Big Booper]

Thanks for the review. We were on Freedom early August so it brought back memories. We had to skip Labadee because of weather so it was interesting to see your pics.

 

You had a great room steward based just on what he did with the hanging monkey. Our steward just did the bare minimum and it took him several nights to catch on that we left extra sunglasses, necklaces and baseball hats on our bed for a reason when we left for dinner.

 

This is the picture I was talking about from your album....

 

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2826898070092274605ErIXde

[Elizanessie]

Thanks for the review...I cant get enough reviews :D Only 6 weeks for me till the Freedom...and I am so excited .....like a kid at Christmas hahahaha:D

[tonypct]

Sue, thanks for your review. The Mrs and I were on FOS in August and we loved it.

 

Interesting to hear that you docked at Cozumel, because we tendered there.

 

I agree 100% with you about the in room wifi service. For High Speed Internet Service, it was more like dial-up. But there were a few times when it did work pretty well and the closer we got to Miami, the better it worked. I can't explain that as I am no "techie."

 

What I find interesting about all the FOS reviews is that no one mentions the cruise director, James Andrews. I think that's a good thing and it reflects the fact that he was so good at what he does that it seemed to be normal. My one and only other cruise, on Grandeur last year, had what I thought was a poor cruise director. James, on FOS, aka The Boy From Oz (he's Australian) was funny, friendly and very personable when we saw him around the ship.

 

To those of you going on FOS, enjoy and do let us know what you think!

[Dave85]

Thanks for the great review. I can't wait for Liberty next year.

 

We had the same problem with the luggage retrieval in Miami on Navigator, btw. They really need to iron that out. Those little airport style bag movers (assuming they were using those for Freedom too?) are woefully inefficient... because they put people's bags on according to tag time. So the people who linger on the ship past their time, or have a leisurely breakfast, have their bags going around and around and taking the spot of other bags that need to go as well.

 

I don't know about the rest of you, but I miss the days of that huge warehouse room with all the bags on the floor. Yes it can be stressful finding them, but more often than not your bags are actually there and available.

[sdear]

The monkey was definately a cute one ! He put the tiara and beads on it that we wore to recognize other CC members on the first day :D I didn't have to leave a thing out for him, he found things to use ! He also made sure the room was cleaned twice a day, even when we left "late" on certain days.

 

As for docking in Cozumel, we were the first ! The doc is still pretty tore up, but they had done enough repairs to make it useable for FOS. Not sure how the schedule will be for docking from here on out, but it made it nice for sure.

 

Funny you pointed James Andrews out haha. I forgot to mention him, but he was awesome. So full of energy I got tired watching him ! Not one negative thing to say on him actually. He has us laughing pretty hard at Quest. :D

 

Dave , you are so right about the bags. The early tag bags were jamming up things pretty bad. I say once their time is past, they should yank those off and put them in a pile for pick up. I have a feeling some of our luggage for our tag color got lost somewhere..as others didn't have the same issues we had. Next cruise, we are carrying them off ! (packing lighter too..I took wayyyy too much stuff :eek: )

 

Sue:p

[mommomporkchop]

Elizanessie,

 

My family and I will be sailing on the FOS on 11/5 too. It seems like it's taking forever to get here. Hopefully we'll meet at the meet and mingle, you'll recognize me, I'll be the one with the grin from ear to ear!

 

See you 6 weeks from today!!

Kathy

[Travel luv]

Just curious..what was the price for a massage and facial? Were they both for 50 min?

 

Thanks

[sdear]

I paid 89.00 for both. Seems like I was in there for over an hour easily. The girl that did mine was great....I wish I could remember her name.

 

She wasn't pushy at all either, which I really appreciated.

 

It definately was worth it !

 

Sue

[Travel luv]

$89 each or for the two? Sounds like a good deal!!

[cmdrake]

Sue,

Love the pictures, especially this one. (I'm third row from the back, in the white t-shirt. :D

 

C.

[freedom-lover]

Thanks for the review. We will be sailing on October 29th. Do you happen to know if their is an ATM onboard?

[sdear]

They have an ATM by the guest relations desk on level 5, and several in teh casino. I did get cash once, and they charged you 5.50 fee. You can also take cash from your seapass account by going to the casino, and you don't get charged that fee.

 

cmdrake...you shoulda said hi !!! :D Wasn't it just the best time ever ??

 

 

funtravelor, it was 89.00 for both together...then of course i gave her a tip. The time she spent, and just her general technique was worth it. Seems like her name had Cinnamon in it somehow...she had short dark hari, dark skin, and wore white silver eyeshadow. I would try to get her lol. (they might think your nuts describing her :D )

 

I just can't wait to go on Liberty next year. Looking back at my pictures tonight, there were so many things we didnt do on the boat, and on shore. We sure felt like we did everything though lol.

 

Have fun :)

 

Sue

[emmy]

Sue.. I noticed from your pictures that the Grand Buffet was held in the Dining Room... on the June 4 inaugural sailing they were trying it in the Windjammer..i for one did not like it there..just did not have the spectacular wow factor as in the dining room... glad to see it is back in the dining room...

 

less than 3 weeks now for me

[penguin6969]

Great pictures - thanks for sharing them with us. We can't wait until our trip Dec 9th. Counting the days...

 

Can I ask you what type of camera you have - nice - clear pictures.

 

Thanks again,

[SherriZ366]

Sue -- enjoyed your review. We are booked in the same cabin for Feb. 10, 2008. Looks like a great cabin and balcony. We may have to switch weeks but hope not. Pretty far in advance anyway.

 

James Anderews was our CD on Mariner '05 and he was great. Wonder if he will stay on Freedom or go to Liberty.

[SherriZ366]

Sue -- enjoyed your review. We are booked in the same cabin for Feb. 10, 2008. CHecked out your pictures which were great -- especially the sunset. Looks like a great cabin and balcony. We may have to switch weeks but hope not. Pretty far in advance anyway.

 

James Anderews was our CD on Mariner '05 and he was great. Wonder if he will stay on Freedom or go to Liberty.

[CruisinRD]

At the Farewell show, they announced that this was the last cruise on the Freedom for James Andrews. He was going on vacation and then to another ship -can't remember which one.

[SherriZ366]

At the Farewell show, they announced that this was the last cruise on the Freedom for James Andrews. He was going on vacation and then to another ship -can't remember which one.

We'll just have to track him through the thread on CDs. He was good. Sorry for the double post -- some computer problems today.

[sdear]

Emmy,

 

Yes, the buffet was in the dining room ! I was happy to see that after reading the PBS's reviews and all ! BTW..we sailed with CaptainKangaroo and had an absolute ball with him ! Our waiter told us that it will be back in the dining room permanantly . I am sure they had too many complaints.

 

Penguin,

 

It's a Kodak V570. It's a great little camera although I haven't figured out all the settings yet. Some of my nitetime pics didn't turn out real well. Overall, I love it and it's so easy from camera to computer to print to email etc etc. I had a real hard time with the buffet pics...but I was too eager to look around then mess with the camera lol.

 

Sherri,

Glad you got to see the cabin then ! It's a great cabin, and GREAT location. We booked a JS on Liberty in the same location next year. (one room over ) . 9642 was actually in the center of the hump, with another D1, then on both sides of the D1's, were Js's. The ship is just amazing ! Try to get that location if you have to switch dates..you won't be sorry.

 

Wow...I didn't go to the farewell show, I didn't know James Andrews was leaving the ship. He really did a great job. Wonder who will take over, and who will take Liberty.