This was our 15th cruise, 5th on RCCL. Because of prices, we had recently done several Carnival cruises, but really wanted to do a RCCL this time. Freedom is now the 2nd largest ship. I really like the larger ships for their amenities, but I think it is too large when dealing with holiday cruisers. Embarkation was okay; It went relatively fast on line. As a note, RCCL people at the port were very nice and smiled! We avoided the photographers, got into our room quite fast and our luggage was already there. Before doing anything, went to see if we could change our dinner seating. For future reference, we were there @ 1pm. (See below). Went up to the buffet and immediately saw changes in the selections. Carnival has so much more to choose from and RCCL did not have much. It didn't change in 7 days. Room was nice; nice to have a sofa to sit on, but had to climb over beds when put together. We are 61 and not skinny, so it became a chore. TV had little on it when in the cabin and they showed the same movies over and over. I look forward to seeing newer movies on cruises, but not on this one. We had booked late so we got late dining. With so many families on board (Thanksgiving), everyone wanted 6pm. We tried to change and were put on a waiting list. We then went to see about Anytime Dining, but it is anything but! The daily newspaper suggested checking each day for reservations, but they were made before boarding and subsequently couldn't get it. They kept telling us we should have checked earlier even though it was early. RCCL's attempting to have the same amenities as other lines, but failing dismally. Luckily, two days later we were put in a 2 person table.

A word about the food. We always looked forward to the food, especially in the dining room, on RCCL. One evening, they served my husband and I filet: 2 slices of beef, 2 asparagus and about a 1/4 cup mashed potatoes. My husband had asked the wait staff her opinion and she suggested the beef. A word to staff: base your opinion on whom you are recommending food portions to.

The best part of the cruise were the service personnel. All friendly and helpful. Entertainment was mostly good. Carnival has them beat on production shows & their commedy shows, but the singers at these shows were phenomenal. The jazz show at the Olive & Twist (the last evening) was great showing off the singers' range. The ice shows were good and they were accomodating when we had to change days because of the change of dining time. I must admit, having cruised a lot, we have a lot to compare experiences to. What I liked was the accessibility of the library and that it was truly a quiet place to read. We loved the Promenade and the Coffee shop with it's endless Seattle coffee and snacks. Sorrento's was okay but the pizza is "nothing to write home about!" They did have great little desserts though. The seventh day, they had what could be described as a street party with food samples and some "how to's." Read more