We are in our 40s and this was our third cruise. We've cruised with RCCL and NCL before and had good experiences. Our last cruise was in the early 90s so it felt new to us again. We have traveled extensively and have many experiences to compare this to.

We flew into Miami the night before and took a cab to the JW Marriott/Miami. It was a nice Hotel and an excellent stay. We took a cab over to the Cruise Terminal around 11:30 am. Check-in was quick and easy. The Freedom was quite impressive. It truly is a big beautiful ship. Loved all of the artwork around the ship. You'll see something different every day.

We went to Windjammer for lunch and had no problems (the only time). Afterwards we went exploring the ship and this is when we learned how much RCCL has changed. We were hit with waiters offering us drinks. At first I thought they might be complimentary for new passengers. No such thing! We walked through the beautiful Promenade and there was so much soliciting going on. We weren't prepared for this and were a little put off. I bought the soda package and felt it was worth it. We made our reservations at Chops and the Spa and were able to get good times. I was surprised that there were now fees for many activities like fitness classes. No more Midnight Buffet. Read more