We have cruised on the Freedom fleet once before and loved it so planning a 2nd trip felt like the right thing to do.

After a transfer from the airport, we flew through check in and was walking around the vessel by 12 noon. We made it into our room by 1:00 pm and it was nice as expected. We ate in the dining room the first night and was disappointed to find that we did not have a small table which we had requested a full year in advance. We have three teenagers and they put us at a table with two families with children under the age of five. We immediately asked to be reassigned but were told they could not accommodate us. Needless to say, that was the only night we ate in the dining room. Besides the table assignment, the food and the service was average. Instead of the dining room we ate in Windjammer, Johnny Rockets, Portofino and Chopps. They were each wonderful and the specialty dining options, Portofino's and Chopps, were well worth the upcharges ($20-$25 per guest).

Important Tip: Do not pay in advance for your gratuities, wait until the end of the trip so you can be sure your tips go exactly to the people who provide you good service. I saw a lady very upset that she paid upfront and did like us, only ate in the Main Dining room once and of course those gratuities are not refundable. Luckily we waited so we were able to generously tip the waiters who actually served us. Read more