My wife and I sailed from Port Canaveral on February 8 for our fifth Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas cruise. We chose the Eastern cruise for a change since we had been on the Western Caribbean the last three trips. Not a good idea as we experienced rough weather and rocky seas for a good part of the cruise. It did not get warm until we reached St Thomas.

Our experience was a mixed affair. While we managed to have a good time, we experienced some problems that should not have happened. Our dining time was messed up and it took several attempts until it was finally resolved. We almost missed our first dinner. Our Crown and Anchor membership was inaccurate and it took the entire week to get that fixed. We had the feeling that the staff, while friendly, did not seem as capable as usual.

Our dining experience was also mixed. The food was not up to the standards of our last three trips, in quality and portion. The dining staff was good and luckily, our dining companions were really nice, Important because we were traveling alone. The food at the Windjammer was adequate but getting a seat was a challenge. Read more