Freedom of the Seas Review
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We chose this cruise due to the timing (Spring Break). In Tennessee we have an early spring break which somewhat unfortunately coincides with collage spring break. That was our only hesitation at booking this cruise. Yet, we were very satisfied with our decision. Our family includes two boys ages 13 and 11. We had a Family Oceanview Stateroom. We felt like there was plenty of room for the four of us. Especially since there were plenty of activities for us to do. My kids especially enjoyed the mini-golf, ping pong, and the flowrider.
The ship was the largest we've been on. It seemed just large enough to hide the fact there are so many people on this ship. The only real complaint was that on deck 11 one side had a number of smokers. The exercise room was large, but some of the eliptical machines had tv screens that either didn't work or wouldn't change channels. (Yes, I did use them almost every day!) That said, we would definitely cruise on this ship again.
We can be pretty spoiled when it comes to food. While I do not have to, the rest of my family has to eat Gluten-Free. Overall, the staff was knowledge and very accommodating. If anything, my wife said there were times when she felt they were too careful. She also felt like they could have gone the extra mile and made more of the options GF. With that said, we were very satisfied and had plenty of options. We splurged one night and ate at Chops Grille (we had onboard credit). While a little less options for the GF folks, we were again very satisfied. The only complaint here was that the number of GF desserts were limited (to Sorbet). While the rest of my family enjoyed the steak, I recommend the fish. We ate at the MDR for breakfast and dinner and were definitely pleased. The Windjammer, is what it is. For a buffet, it is not bad. It is broken up well which keeps the lines down. The food is fine, but not as good as what we found in the MDR. The pizza at Sorrentos was good but not great. However, they had some of the best dessert options on the ship in my opinion.
Cabin Review
Family Oceanview Stateroom
The cabin is in a great place in that it is just a short walk to the MDR since that is also on deck 3. Though located near Studio B, we never heard a peep. This was the second cruise we've done with the boys and felt like we had more room than the last, similar stateroom that we had on another RCCL ship. The boys bunks came down from the ceiling. The curtain that sections off the beds from the rest of the room was handy. No plastic curtain for the shower is always a win!
Port Reviews
Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades)
There were at least 8 ships at port the day we embarked so it was a bit crazy. We used Park by the Ports which for the price was worth it.
Grand Cayman (Georgetown)
Went to seven mile peach (Royal Palms). If we did this over again, we'd go farther down the beach.