Freedom of the Seas Review
Rating by category
Additional details
This was our 7th cruise (4th with RCI). We traveled with another couple to celebrate our respective 25th wedding anniversaries. By choosing a sailing right after the New Year, we saw a nice price decrease.
We flew into Orlando two nights ahead of the cruise so we could visit Universal Studios (we are all big Harry Potter fans). We booked the Sheraton Suites Hotel right across the highway from the airport (~ $110/night) and booked a rental car from Budget (~ $120 for the weekend) with a return at the port.
The hotel is quite nice, although breakfast and parking is not included in the rate we paid. There is a restaurant on-site and there are numerous chain restaurants in the immediate vicinity. The one-way rental cars are a great option to get from the Orlando airport to the port if you have 3 or more people.
Cabin Review
Promenade Stateroom
Very nice cabin - right in the middle of the ship. The bed was very comfortable and we really liked having both the bay window seat and the love seat for additional seating inside the cabin. Even though it is a connecting cabin, we did not hear any noise from next door. The windows blocked all but the very loudest noise out from the Promenade.
Port Reviews
Port Canaveral (Orlando)
Best embarkation and disembarkation ever! Highly efficient staff and facility.
St. Thomas
We booked a private tour through David's Fun Tours. This was the highlight of our cruise. He kept us ahead of the crowds and customized our tour to match our interests. I can see visiting St Thomas again for an extended trip.
St. Maarten
We were disappointed in St Maarten. This could be due to not booking anything ahead of time. We took a cab from the port to Marigot and wandered around a bit. There wasn't much to do so we came back to Phillipsburg. At least there we had a semblance of a shopping and beach area. We ended up getting back on the ship early and enjoying some time on the uncrowded ship.