This was our 4th New Year's cruise with RCCL. It was our first time on Freedom, which has surpassed the Voyager as our new favorite ship. Our party consisted of myself,husband, daughter(15), son(17), son(5), and friend(17) We flew from Massachusetts to Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 27th. We used GO Airport Shuttle. This company offers both shared and private service, no reservations needed. They have a desk right outside of baggage claim. We opted for the private van, no wait and held all the luggage! Approx cost was $135+tip. We were at the Holiday Inn Port of Miami within 30 min. Our rooms were not ready,so we checked our luggage and headed out for a walk. We went to Gloria Estefan's Bongo's for lunch. Do not go! It was overpriced and terrible, both food and service. We then walked to Bayside Market- easy place to spend an entire day and a variety of restaurants. The hotel was OK. The rooms were clean and comfortable. We had a view of the port and could see the Freedom when we woke up. Plenty of cabs available for the very short ride to the pier. Day 1,Dec 28th- arrived at the pier around 11. Check in for Platinum/Diamond had no wait. We had our seapass cards and directed to the next waiting area in under 15 min. We were then told boarding was to be delayed until 2pm!. We were also told they did not have a C&A lounge for Platinum/Diamond, as there were "too many people". This was disappointing, but the next announcement changed and boarding started around 12:15. We explored a little, found our diningroom table, then grabbed lunch in the Windjammer. The food was fine. Standard cruise buffet: Assorted salads, fruits, sandwiches, soups, hamburgers, hotdogs, a few hot dishes(always at least 1 vegetarian) and a dessert table. Staterooms: We had adjoining rooms deck 2 outside. This was our first time this low in the ship and it was fine. Porthole provides a good view, and the room was very quiet at night. The bedding was great!Not the Ritz, but better than any ship we've been on. Staff/Services: We had first seating in the Leonardo's dining room. Mustapha and Katey were outstanding. My husband couldn't decide between pasta and another dish on the first night. Mustapha served his dinner and each night brought a dish of the pasta for the table to sample. The cruise director Richard is in a class of his own. RCL should find a way to clone him! We have seen all of the usual shows, Quest, Love & Marriage. They are always entertaining, but Richard made them hysterical! Only minor criticism would be the cost of pictures. Maybe they could keep the price for individual pictures the same, but they should offer some type of package deal to those of us who like to buy a lot of pictures. Day 2-Our first day (almost 2) was at sea. I will say that the deck patrol were definitely visible and tracking the "chair hogs". This was a very welcome change from prior cruises. I watched numerous "hogs" return to find their towels or other items removed and someone else occupying "their" chair. We stayed primarily at the H2O zone and the flow rider. Both are amazing and entertaining. Day 3: Arrive in San Juan around 5pm. We walked around Old SanJuan, then took a short horse and carriage ride. Should we ever have this arrival time again, I would stay on the ship. There were 6 ships in port, way too crowded! San Juan has a few very interesting sites, but not in the dark! The ship does not offer any excursions either. Day 4: St.Thomas- We took a cab, which is actually an open sided safari type truck, to Magen Beach. Charge for cab was $8.00 per person. The beach was crowded, but beautiful. We stayed about 3 1/2 hours then made a quick walk through some of the stores at the pier. New years eve was great. The promenade was wall to wall people for the record setting 10,000 balloon drop at midnight. There was also a foam party on the pool deck. Day 5: St. Maarten- Again we picked up a cab at the end of the pier to Orient beach. Cost was $7.00 per person. For families afraid of the nudity warning, I wouldn't worry. While there is some, it is not overwhelming. Our 5 year old didn't notice and the teens were not mortified. Although it was a holiday, the stores at the pier were all open.Days 6&7 were sea days. We did everything from Bingo, Casino, and shows. Never got into the fitness center, but it looked nice. Intended to check out some of the boxing activities, but ran out of time. You really can't do everything! Food/Drink: We did not do the soda or water package. Our kids like the virgin pina coladas. We did the gold level wine package and liked each wine we tried. Did not try Chops or Portofino's' as we like eating dinner with the kids. Johnny Rockets, Sorrento's,and Promenade cafe were good and staff attentive. No complaints over any meal in the dining room or Windjammer. Used room service for breakfast wake-up call. They always call first, then deliver your order. Coffee is always nice and hot. Adventure Ocean: Our 5 year old loved it. He requested to attend all or nearly all of every session. He loved the science experiments and the art activities. The teens spent every night at Fuel/Living room usually back by 1:30- 2am. There is a 1am curfew, but frequently their "parties" would run later.Disembarkation: We had booked an excursion with RCL to the everglades with a drop off at Fort Lauderdale airport as our return flight was not until 6:50 pm. We were assigned a meeting time in Pharaoh's Lounge at 6:30am and we were off the ship by 7:30am and through customs and on the bus by 8:15. Unfortunately we were done with the entire excursion and at the airport before 2pm. Would not hesitate to recommend this ship to anyone. While we've never had a bad cruise, this one was fantastic!!