We went on the 2nd cruise for this ship. It is a beautiful ship and very similar in appearance and layout to the voyager class ships. The architecture and styling of the ship are truly amazing. The royal promenade is magnificent. A nice addition to the freedom family ships is the flowrider, which is fun for the kids and adults. Also, their new bedding is quite comfortable. I hope they put this bedding on all their ships.
embarkation in Miami was smooth and quick. Since we are Florida residents we drove to the port. Parking was easily accessible and $15/day. disembarkation was fair. We were one of the earlier groups off the ship so we didn't have to sit around for too long. Our friends, however, had to wait in a lounge for over 2 hours. They finally just left the ship before their color was called because they got tired of staring at the walls. As U. S. citizens we got through customs more quickly than the international guests.
We found the food in the main dining room to be excellent with a nice variety of choices throughout the week. The food in the Windjammer cafe is good at best. Their desserts are the weakest menu items in all the dining venues. We did not visit the Portofino Italian or Chops Grille restaurants so I can't comment on them. I was disappointed that they now have a $3.95 cover charge for Johnny Rockets with milkshakes being an additional $3. We aren't drinkers, but if you are, there are bars and bars servants at every turn.