Itinerary: Freedom of the Seas – Western Caribbean (Coco Cay, St. Thomas, St. Maarten)
General: I would NOT recommend Freedom of the Seas, however I have a neutral rating on Royal Caribean overall.
This review contains many positives and negatives about our experience. As I explained to someone, unlike a Ritz or Four Seasons that makes an effort to make sure that 100% of the customers receive an outstanding experience, Royal Caribbean is in the business of dealing with the masses and therefore does not attempt to get to that level of service since making that effort would cost significantly more than satisfying just 90-95% of the people. We have cruised with RC many times (we are now Diamond status with them), which gives us perspective on what to expect from them and overall this cruise failed to meet expectations, though there were many positive experiences. This is a longer review, but I have it broken out by sections to make it easier for you to focus on what is important to you.
the drive to the beach was an experience, however the beach itself was nice and relaxing. We went to the Dutch side.
St. Thomas is our favoite port for shopping and food. It did not disappoint.