Freedom of the Seas is a fantastic ship....big, but easy to navigate. Our favorite feature was the promenade...always something happening, bars, shops, coffee shop, pizza, pub, music, entertainment and great people watching. Get a seat early on the show nights. Cabins were large and comfortable with lots of storage. Well designed big bathroom...sink faucet pressure not real good. The people in the cabin next to us thought they were the only people on the ship...every night when they returned to their cabin, they went out on the balcony and talked very loudly and played music finally quieting down about 12-1am. Usually, this is the type you'd see on a Carnival cruise or at Hooters. Dinner was My Time and we made a 5:30 reservation each night at same table with same waiters. Service was exceptional and food selection and quality very good. Most breakfasts and lunches also in the dining room, but some in the Windjammer buffet. We found that we ate less if we went to the dining room, but sometimes the selections at lunch were very limited. The best part about eating in the dining room at lunch is the fantastic salad bar. You tell them what kind of greens, veggies, dressing and meats and they mix or chop it for you. The buffet is the buffet...good variety, a lot of it, well designed and never waited in long line. One day at lunch we sat next to a table of rowdy +or- 12 year olds. My teacher wife asked, "where are their parents?"
The entertainment was okay. Guess I'm getting tired of the same old Broadway productions. The Magician, the comedian, ice show and trapeze act were real good. Wish they would do a show of just 60's & 70's music without emphasis on dancing. We also enjoyed Terry Dobson in the Pub, scattorgories and the Quest. RCCL needs to look at the entertainment types and venues on the NCL Epic and Getaway and maybe introduce some of those ideas into the RCCL ships. Just being honest.
Pools and Lido deck well designed. It was not crowded and plenty of chairs. Note-they go fast at the solarium pool. Service was very good, just not as good as it used to be. A lot of kids on this cruise, but for the most part, well behaved.
Deck 6 is a good deck, but our cabin was exactly midway between the two elevator banks which meant that we had to walk half the length of the ship just to get to the elevators. I would recommend a cabin closer to the elevators and probably more aft than forward.