Labadee, Haiti This was the first port on the Western Caribbean cruise. Labadee is an area built up and maintained by Royal Caribbean. We decided to use this as a beach day - no excursion. Upon arrival at the port we were greeted by a “parade of jet skis and boats” welcoming us to Labadee. We made the short walk to the beach. All lounge chairs and umbrellas are free or a local will set them up or set up a cabana up for a tip. It is very hot so I suggest some type of shade. Please understand that most people take the first area they see, but the best sites are towards the end of the line under the zip lines. The water here is not very clear and once you get into the water a few feet the bottom is lined with rock formations. I suggest using water shoes and renting a floating mat. RC furnishes a very nice buffet lunch under the shelter houses and your drink packages are good on the island also.  There is a building with an artisan market inside for shopping. Here the merchants are not pushy at all and the items are very nice. I do not suggest going to the outdoor artisan market area. They are very pushy, grab you and start putting bracelets on you and of course want you to buy! Excursions for this stop include but are not limited to: 1. A huge zip line over water ($100), 2. Private cabana rentals ($200+), 3. jet skis, 4. Dragon coaster, 5. Private beach excursion.

Labadee

Georgetown, Grand Cayman Island There is no port here so you are tendered ashore by smaller boats in a very efficient manner. We went ashore just to go through the shops. However there are many things to do ashore. The town itself is very clean and the people are very nice. Yes, there are the usual Diamonds International and Tanzanite International but there are also lots of other great shops and restaurants, cafes, etc.

Grand Cayman (Georgetown)

Falmouth, Jamaica - changed to Montego Bay, Jamaica Because of tropical storms, some smaller ships were diverted to Falmouth, so we changed to Montego Bay. All excursions were still available and we stayed an extra hour. Be informed that most excursions involve a lengthy bus ride. I think the main attraction in Jamaica is Dunns River Falls and most all excursions do involve the falls. We took the Dunns River Falls express. It was a 1:45 hour drive to the falls (close to Ochos Rios), but the bus was okay and the air conditioning worked pretty well. Our guide pointed out some “attractions” on our journey. Be sure to wear your swim suit and bring towels and be sure to have good water shoes! If you are planning on climbing the falls don’t bring your camera unless you have a waterproof camera or have someone else that will just be watching to take pictures. You will get wet! The climb - Our guides for the climb were excellent. They made sure that everyone stayed together and they helped us navigate the more difficult sections. They had everyone join hands in one long chain as we climbed. There are areas of medium difficult climbing followed by areas where you can rest in deeper water, slide down a rock ledge or take a backwards flop into the water. The water is cool but it feels good .The climb itself will take over an hour. The guide does make DVD of your group’s climb available for $40. The return trip back to the ship included a stop at “Columbus Park” where there is food and drink for sale. Not much of a park. We could have done without the stop. This was a great excursion and I would recommend doing the climb. I would do it again!!

Cozumel, Mexico The port of Cozumel was the last stop of the cruise. We preregistered for the Deluxe Beach Break at Playa Mia. A treat as we came to port was that the Allure of the Seas was already docked at port and we docked right beside it. The view of these two large ships side by side from the end of the dock was great. At the end of the dock were greeters with signs ready to take us to various excursions. Our group boarded an air-conditioned coach for a short 15 - 20 minute ride to Playa Mia. Upon arrival we were led to a beautiful beach lined with beach chairs. The workers were ready to wait on your every need. We asked for an umbrella and they set it up. They took our drink orders and it was time to relax. The waters were clear , but the once into the water 10-15 feet the sand turned to rocks and seaweed.  Included in this package was use of the floating “wipe-out” maze, paddle-boats, kayaks, and single sail catamarans, and volleyball. This area also has two swimming pools, a water slide, clean restrooms, showers, etc. All the drinks (cocktail or soft), and a great buffet meal with great local variety is also included.  The excursion went from 10:30 am till 4:00 pm. I would recommend this excursion to anyone!

Rooms - Our balcony room was very nice and seemed less cramped than on other ships! The bottom of the bed is curved allowing easy access to the balcony. The closet spaces seems larger and RC have included many storage areas. Our balcony seemed larger than on any ship we have cruised! Very nice. Our room steward was very nice, friendly, efficient and our room was always immaculate! We have become accustomed to the room steward calling us by name and making the infamous towel animals each night. However, the towel animals were only made two of the nights and our steward never learned our name….a very minor detail.

The 4th floor is home to many entertainment venues, including but not limited to Studio B, an Ice Rink, home the fantastic Royal Caribbean Ice.Royal Caribbean-Freedom of the Seas-Western Caribbean Cruise sailing from Port Canaveral
Sail Date Oct 12, 2014 with Ports of Call - Labadee, Haiti, Falmouth/Montego Bay, Jamaica, Georgetown, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Mexico
We had heard so many great comments about Royal Caribbean, we decided after sailing Carnival and Holland America, to try RC ourselves.

Freedom of the Seas Review

Great cruise, food and servers just okay.

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Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Balcony

Find a Freedom of the Seas Cruise from $259