We chose this cruise line for its generally high ratings and reviews among young families and couples. We decided to splurge and go for one of the balcony rooms, which I have to say, was worth the extra cost. The balcony room certainly helps with any seasickness, and not to mention, having your own private balcony away from everyone else is also nice. The rooms themselves are of an average quality. For the money we paid for one of the nicer rooms, the bathroom is still quite small. But otherwise, the room service was very good, and we really liked our room attendant.

The dining was subpar at best to be honest. The menu lacks in true variety, many of the same starters and meals repeat day-to-day. On past cruise liners, I've enjoyed a much greater variety of food and eating venues, The Freedom of the Seas does offer other dining options (i.e. the Chopp's Grill, Sabor, Johnny Rocket's etc.), but many of the other restaurants will cost you an extra fee. The only "free" dining options are the main dining room and the Wind Jammer, plus a couple of cafe-like restaurants in the promenade. But I say "free," because some meals still cost extra. For Ben & Jerry's ice cream for two alone you'll probably drop a tenner.

Now, entertainment. Woo boy, get ready, because this is where this review goes from smooth to rough. The entertainment options are terrible. For starters, your meal and planned excursions will frequently overlap with certain entertainment options (which we didn't mind too much compared to the other issues). My biggest beef, so to speak, with thus cruise line is that every single entertainment option is a sales pitch! From the sports activities to the spa (which by the way, the spa treatments are incredibly overpriced), you will be consistently driven by the employees to buy even more! There is an art gallery and auctions, but unless you can meet the reserve prices, good luck! Oh, and then, there's the casino and arcade, which as you would expect, cost extra. But, just as an example, one game in the arcade can cost $2.25 a play! Read more