All Things Freedom of the Seas!

[laurspag]

When my husband and I planned our upcoming cruise, we decided it would be good to get away from the winter weather here in Central New York, and since it was just the two of us, we could go when we wanted.

 

We liked the idea of an Eastern Caribbean intinerary, so we choose a cruise based on that.

 

We have two fringe benefits we didn't even realized until after we booked: an extra day after getting back to get settled due to President's Day, and secondly, Valentine's Day onboard.

 

As long as I'm with my husband, I am happy. I was curious though...do they do anything special or different onboard? It falls on a Thursday, and I don't believe that will be a formal night. I'm sure if we wanted to book a specialty restaurant, they will fill up fast. I just checked, and online booking is now available for that, so....

 

Is there any info you guys can share?

[ksmdcruisin]

Inside cabin for 4?

 

Here's a pic:

 

:D:D:D Great! :D:D:D

[CreativeJourney]

How is the drinking water onboard? Drinkable?

Is the ice made from the same drinking water?

 

Yes and yes. :)

[msgiggles76]

My family and i are sailing on the Freedom in April, i saw in an earlier post on this thread that there was a formal night midnight bbq out on deck. The post was from awhile ago so i was wondering if they still did this?

[AnnaBeth]

We will be cruising in just over a week! Can't wait! :D

 

I'm packing now, and I have a question about hairdryers. When we cruised Disney they had great hairdryers that even had a diffuser attachment. I've got super thick hair that I normally dry straight, but I think i'll have to just leave it curly a lot on the ship. A diffuser really helps cut down on the frizz!

 

What are the dryers like on the Freedom? Are they the typical weak ones that many hotels have? Would a standard diffuser attachment fit on the end? I'd rather not bring my own, but I'd also rather not look like I stuck my finger in a light socket all week too!! LOL!

 

Thanks everyone!

[ninnau]

[quote name='AnnaBeth']We will be cruising in just over a week! Can't wait! :D

I'm packing now, and I have a question about hairdryers. When we cruised Disney they had great hairdryers that even had a diffuser attachment. I've got super thick hair that I normally dry straight, but I think i'll have to just leave it curly a lot on the ship. A diffuser really helps cut down on the frizz!

What are the dryers like on the Freedom? Are they the typical weak ones that many hotels have? Would a standard diffuser attachment fit on the end? I'd rather not bring my own, but I'd also rather not look like I stuck my finger in a light socket all week too!! LOL!

Thanks everyone![/QUOTE]
They have good hair dryers, but I can not remember if they have the diffuser.

[spammie]

[quote name='AnnaBeth']We will be cruising in just over a week! Can't wait! :D

I'm packing now, and I have a question about hairdryers. When we cruised Disney they had great hairdryers that even had a diffuser attachment. I've got super thick hair that I normally dry straight, but I think i'll have to just leave it curly a lot on the ship. A diffuser really helps cut down on the frizz!

What are the dryers like on the Freedom? Are they the typical weak ones that many hotels have? Would a standard diffuser attachment fit on the end? I'd rather not bring my own, but I'd also rather not look like I stuck my finger in a light socket all week too!! LOL!

Thanks everyone![/QUOTE]

Bring your own. The hairdryers on RCCL ships are terrible! You have to hold the button in the entire time for them to operate and there is no diffuser. I have long hair and I always bring my own. Have a great cruise! Freedom is our favorite RCCL ship! Wanda

[Artemis]

(Edited to say, ^ cross-posted, and wow, how could I forget that button?!)

I can't remember if it had a diffuser, but it wasn't robust enough for me. I had to run it longer than usual, which caused the hairdryer to periodically shut off to cool down, adding more minutes to the process!

It was a minor annoyance--we loved FOS! Have a wonderful cruise! Edited October 25, 2012 by Artemis

[Isaboo]

[quote name='luv2travel29'][SIZE=3][COLOR=darkred][B]Hi Flopthis - did you do bernards tour in st marten ?? if so, how was it? I have it booked in 2 weeks..... last time we went to SM, we went on our own to Maho and did Sunset Beach Bar.... so we figured we would do a tour this time.... [/B][/COLOR][/SIZE][/quote]

We did Bernard's tour back in June. It was awesome! The tour guide was great....very entertaining and he had a cooler full of beer, capri suns, Cokes and rum punch (STRONG) that was complimentary. We loved it and tipped him well. :)

[delacruz]

About the hairdryers - just off the Allure, and IIRC the dryers were the same on the Freedom last year - useless! There is a MIN and MAX setting only, and you have to hold the ON button down for it to work.

I used a lot of hair gel to keep down the frizz and just let my hair dry naturally most days.

About Bernards Tours on St Maarten - we had a blast! We had 10 people from our Roll call and we got our own tour van with Dave (DJ) as our driver. Very friendly and informative, and just the right mix of sightseeing, beach, eating and shopping for us. Watch out for that Rum Punch!

I don't remember the name of the beach area he took us to, but it was very nice. We paid $10 for 2 lounge chairs, 1 umbrella and 2 drinks.

[MrsB05]

[quote name='Isaboo']We did Bernard's tour back in June. It was awesome! The tour guide was great....very entertaining and he had a cooler full of beer, capri suns, Cokes and rum punch (STRONG) that was complimentary. We loved it and tipped him well. :)[/QUOTE]

Just off today. We did Bernard's on Thursday. Nice overall tour of the island for a decent price.

Sent from my VS840 4G using Tapatalk 2

[laurspag]

We will be on FOS for the 7 day Eastern Caribbean starting Sunday, February 10th. Can anyone confirm what nights are formal nights? Sorry, I know it's been asked before but I was having troulbe finding it.

I made reservations for my husband and I for Valentine's Day, but now I'm wondering if that is one of the formal nights or not.

I've been on Explorer for the 5 day Bermuda twice and on Monarch for the 4 day Bahama cruise, so this is my first time with more than one formal night.

[MrsB05]

[quote name='laurspag']We will be on FOS for the 7 day Eastern Caribbean starting Sunday, February 10th. Can anyone confirm what nights are formal nights? Sorry, I know it's been asked before but I was having troulbe finding it.

I made reservations for my husband and I for Valentine's Day, but now I'm wondering if that is one of the formal nights or not.

I've been on Explorer for the 5 day Bermuda twice and on Monarch for the 4 day Bahama cruise, so this is my first time with more than one formal night.[/QUOTE]

Just off Freedom Eastern. Formal nights were Monday (Day 2) and Friday (Day 6). Monday is also the Captain's Reception.
Great ship. We had a wonderful time despite Hurricane Sandy!

Sent from my VS840 4G using Tapatalk 2

[laurspag]

Thank you for your post. I am really looking forward to our cruise!

[firts]

can you here the deck chairs moving about when the pool deck gets cleaned in middle of night ?? I have heard that the noise has ruined the cruise for some folks. they could not sleep.

[Eng23]

[quote name='firts']can you here the deck chairs moving about when the pool deck gets cleaned in middle of night ?? I have heard that the noise has ruined the cruise for some folks. they could not sleep.[/quote]
Deck 9 is 2 decks below the pool deck. There is an entire deck of cabins between Deck 9 and the pool deck. You will not hear any noise from deck chairs or pool maintenance on Deck 9.

[gto1970]

Im booked on the FOS for the first time in Oct. We just got off the LOS in November. I realize they are sister ships. Are there any noticable differences between the two?

[kruzerci]

[quote name='gto1970']Im booked on the FOS for the first time in Oct. We just got off the LOS in November. I realize they are sister ships. Are there any noticable differences between the two?[/QUOTE]

Hardly anything besides minor differences in decor. They are both absolutely fantastic!

[pele719]

Does anyone know if the sports bar or any bar for that matter on the Freedom will get Pay Per View events? I am a huge UFC fan and there is a big fight on the last night of my cruise. Thank you for the help

[Atty]

[quote name='pele719']Does anyone know if the sports bar or any bar for that matter on the Freedom will get Pay Per View events? I am a huge UFC fan and there is a big fight on the last night of my cruise. Thank you for the help[/QUOTE]

I've never seen PPV. They played World Cup matches but never UFC

[euphio]

Does anyone have a copy of the menu at Squeeze - the juice bar on FOS?
My wife loves veggie juices in addition to fruit smoothies. Just curious to see what they might have - she's really looking forward to it.

[copnlpn2]

Can anyone tell me if Vintages is still offering the wine pairing dinner...if I recall properly, the cost was somewhere around $50 and included a five-course meal with wines paired to each course...

And are they still offering the past cooking class in one of the specialty restaurants? I had a great time at both events and want to do both again, if they are available.

If you haven't been on the Freedom before, you are in for a treat! What a delightful ship, with a marvelous crew!

[Barbiegator]

[quote name='laurspag']I have a few questions I am hoping someone can assist with.

Does RCI typically have anything special going on for Valentine's Day? My husband and I were talking yesterday, when we realized we will be on our cruise on Valentine's Day.

We have reservations overnight at the Residence Inn before our cruise. We have transportation arranged; we are not renting a car. I know there are a few fast food places within walking distance. Are there other places as well? I think the hotel website lists a few places as .7 miles away. I'm just thinking that as much as we enjoy walking, this isn't our suburban neighborhood, you know? Are there any local spots a bit closer?[/quote]

You can walk over to the port, 5 choices to dine, Millikens is the best for special occasion. Others are bars and seafood ,Grills serves only grilled food but very good.

[redpryor]

This will be my first time on the Freedom of the Seas. I just have a few questions. I got through the first 35+ pages, but then just had to skip to the end! Whew!

1. I have a quad interior connecting room on Deck 9 (category K). Do these rooms have a chair or couch in addition to the beds? Does anyone happen to have pictures of these rooms?

2. Do all staterooms have safes and fridges?

3. Do we need tickets/reservations for any of the shows onboard? Can any of these be booked before we leave?

4. Are kids allowed in the cantilevered hot tubs? Are there any hours during which kids are allowed in the Solarium?

5. Does the Sorrento's pizza taste like frozen pizza? Or is it actually good?

6. Does the Tutti salad bar appear in the Main Dining Room only on sea days? Or every day?

7. Does the Johnny Rockets offer breakfast?

8. I'm doing the Western itinerary. Which ports have docks and which are tendered?

9. Are the DECT phones still in practice? What are the requirements to get them?

10. Do they still hand out free lanyards at Adventure Ocean?

11. Can kids get spa treatments (like a pedicure) with me?

12. Has anyone had recent success taking a case of bottled water onto the ship?

13. For express checkout, when can you realistically expect to leave the ship pier (with luggage in hand - on a shuttle).

Sorry so many questions! Sometimes reading through these boards just gives me ideas for [B][I]more[/I][/B] questions! I'm an obsessive planner!

[funfamilyof6]

[COLOR="Red"][/COLOR][quote name='redpryor']This will be my first time on the Freedom of the Seas. I just have a few questions. I got through the first 35+ pages, but then just had to skip to the end! Whew!

1. I have a quad interior connecting room on Deck 9 (category K). Do these rooms have a chair or couch in addition to the beds? Does anyone happen to have pictures of these rooms?

[COLOR="Red"]Chair...no pictures, but you can see an interior room with couch on Royal Caribbean website[/COLOR].

2. Do all staterooms have safes and fridges?

[COLOR="Red"]Yes to the safes. All staterooms have a fridge with goodies you can purchase. You may be able to get your steward to possibly empty it. I use it for my insulin bottles. I will tell you that the fridges really aren't that cold.[/COLOR]

3. Do we need tickets/reservations for any of the shows onboard? Can any of these be booked before we leave?

[COLOR="Red"]According to what I have read online, yes now, but you probably will only need tickets for the ice show. I would book everything just to be safe. [/COLOR]

4. Are kids allowed in the cantilevered hot tubs? Are there any hours during which kids are allowed in the Solarium?

[COLOR="Red"]You have to be 16 to be allowed in the Solarium and cantilevered hot tub area.[/COLOR]

5. Does the Sorrento's pizza taste like frozen pizza? Or is it actually good?

[COLOR="Red"]My family loves the pizza, but this is just our personal opinion.[/COLOR]

6. Does the Tutti salad bar appear in the Main Dining Room only on sea days? Or every day?

[COLOR="Red"]Not sure, what is the Tutti salad bar???? :confused:[/COLOR]

7. Does the Johnny Rockets offer breakfast?

[COLOR="Red"]Only on the Oasis and the Allure.[/COLOR]

8. I'm doing the Western itinerary. Which ports have docks and which are tendered?

[COLOR="Red"]Grand Cayman is tendered.[/COLOR]

9. Are the DECT phones still in practice? What are the requirements to get them?

[COLOR="Red"]Not sure.[/COLOR]

10. Do they still hand out free lanyards at Adventure Ocean?

[COLOR="Red"]Not the last time I was on which was in August 2011.[/COLOR]

11. Can kids get spa treatments (like a pedicure) with me?

[COLOR="Red"]Yes.[/COLOR]

12. Has anyone had recent success taking a case of bottled water onto the ship?

[COLOR="Red"]Yes, we always do and have never had a problem. [/COLOR]

13. For express checkout, when can you realistically expect to leave the ship pier (with luggage in hand - on a shuttle).

[COLOR="Red"]Not sure.[/COLOR]

Sorry so many questions! Sometimes reading through these boards just gives me ideas for [B][I]more[/I][/B] questions! I'm an obsessive planner![/QUOTE]

My answers are in red Edited January 12, 2013 by funfamilyof6