Freedom of the Seas Review

4.0 / 5.0
2,405 reviews

Amazing First Cruise

Review for the Western Caribbean Cruise on Freedom of the Seas
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Prajay
First Time Cruiser • Age 20s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
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Entertainment
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Additional details

Sail Date: Aug 2016
Cabin: Oceanview Stateroom
Traveled with children

This was my first cruise and my first holiday in America, the same goes for my parents and brother. Returning our Alamo rental car was easy at the port and they provided a shuttle bus to the cruise terminal. Embarkation and disembarkation went smoothly. Our luggage was delivered to our room. Check in was from 11 to 3. We arrived at 1, however I recommend arriving as early as possible so you can start exploring the ship.

We had booked an eastern Caribbean cruise, planning to stop off at Coco-cay, Philipsburg St. Maarten and Charlotte Amalie St Thomas. Due to weather conditions our cruise route changed to the western route. Philipsburg St. Maarten and Charlotte Amalie St Thomas were replaced by Costa Maya and Cozumel. This is not Royal Caribbean's fault, however I feel that the original route would have offered a better experience.

The ship was like a floating city; featuring the Arcadia theatre, sports deck, casino, studio B ice rink, fitness centre, royal promenade, top deck and multiple restaurants. The royal promenade is the centre of the ship, with the appearance of a grand mall. Throughout the cruise, WiFi, beverage and photo packages are constantly advertised on the cruise planner documents and around the ship. We did not opt for any of these since they were quite overpriced. There were many 'sales' on board, mainly watches and jewellery. After a while I found this quite annoying. I was happy that waiters did not insist on showing drinks menus at all times as they do elsewhere and accepted my choice of water and my parents choice of lemonade.

Cabin Review

Oceanview Stateroom

Cabin I

Initial impressions were that the cabin was tiny. There was 1 double bed and 2 bunk beds which swung down from the ceiling. I am 6 foot and my brother not far behind. Admittedly it was a struggle getting into and out of our beds but they were very comfortable. We all banged our heads once or twice! Ultimately, we did not spend a great deal of time in our cabin, so the size was not much of an issue. The room was well equipped with a sofa, desk, chair and enough storage space for clothes, shoes etc... There was space under the bed for suitcases. The bathroom was compact but fully equipped. The shower was good, with good temperature and force. The cabin had a round window, with a sea view. It was nice to wake up to this view. There was a dial allowing you to control the rooms temperature. Sound from other rooms was never an issue.

Housekeeping and room service were amazing. Maids often made towel animals which were a very nice touch. The bunk beds were folded up during the day to allow more space in the room and pulled down before we returned from dinner. This could only done by a staff member, I'm guessing for safety reasons. The staff only forgot once, and it was easy to call them to pull them down.

Port Reviews

Port Canaveral (Orlando)

Easy car drop off (Alamo) and shuttle to terminal

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