Freedom of the Seas Review
Great Itinerary, balcony issues, lonely dining, activities not for older
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We have been on 16 cruises, 7 cruise lines. We chose this cruise for the itinerary as we had not been to Spain or Italy. We spent most of our time either sleeping or off on excursions. We booked half of our excursions through other vendors because most of Freedom's excursions were described as rigorous, and 2 or our party of 3 have mobility issues (not wheelchair). The Cassis tour was good (beach); the Juan les Pins beach excursion was good & bad. No changing rooms nor toilets but a very nice beach. Neither beach had lounges or chairs. The tour from La Spezia to Florence was disappointing as not enough time was allowed to see the famous David statue. We were instead taken to see various tombs, none of which our teenage companion wanted to see. The bridge, Ponte Vecchio was nice to see but we had to do a lot of walking to get there and back to the area of the tombs at Santa Croce.
The activities on the ship were geared for healthy young people. Our teenage grandchild has juvenile arthritis. There was a wave rider (looked dangerous to me), a climbing wall (ditto), a small ice rink (could be fun if physically able), & mini golf (yes!!) The ping pong tables were hidden away in the children's area and were always being used by very small children. On the only day at sea, we could not find unoccupied seating by the pools except by the kiddie pool (not what we needed!) We only saw 1 show and it was fairly good. We had early dining, and we were usually alone despite our original request to be at a larger table. We ended up at a table for 6, & our table mates did not show up. A couple times, a couple in their 30's was seated with us (not their designated table) & we enjoyed their company. Service was adequate. Dining took a very long time, and we were always having to wait lengthily for dessert. The food was mostly good. The beef tenderloin was stringy and hard to eat. The prime rib was very good. I never saw any ice sculptures. There were places where we wanted to take photos but the ship photographers were always using those spaces. Disembarking was a nightmare. We had to wait in the world's longest taxi line which was constantly being breached by rude individuals. Nowhere to sit, and we literally stood there for 1 1/2 hours. Hate these big ships!
Cabin Review
Junior Suite
The cabin was fairly spacious for the 3 of us. Plenty of room for our luggage. The bed was comfortable. There was only 1 electrical outlet 110, and luckily there was one European outlet so that I could use my converter also. We had 2 tablets, 1 phone, a curling iron, a hair straightener, & 2 cameras with rechargable batteries. This caused some strife. The balcony was disappointing. There was no breeze & no sun. It was like being in a cubby. I consider the view obstructed, with pilars, railings, and even a flag! We were at the rear of the ship. Below us, we could see the large expanse of a suite's veranda. We were far from being able to see the sea. The veranda below us had problems too. People from a public area were dropping cigarette butts every night onto that veranda and perhaps could have caused a fire. The occupants were very unhappy and initially accused the occupants of the balconies above them.
Port Reviews
Barcelona
We took our own excursion into the Pyrenees Mountains & visited a wonderful beach.
La Spezia (Cinque Terre)
Took Florence on your Own ship excursion. Took too long to get to Florence & had no time to see what we wanted to see.
Rome (Civitavecchia)
We hired our own private chauffeur & we got to see everything that we had wanted to see with minimal walking. Worth the expense. (Driveinrome).
Naples
Took an excursion through World Tours, to see Capri and Pompeii. Was awful. Waited over an hour, standing in hot sun, for people from another ship who never showed up. Then hurried through Pompeii in the afternoon when it was too hot & kept being handed off to different guides. Only saw a tiny part of the ruins. No opportunity to even buy a postcard. Capri in the late morning was also disappointing because young guide hurried us along a steep and crowded path by shops with no opportunities to stop & take photos or shop. It seemed pointless. Would have rather waited below & shopped or looked around. And tour did not include cost of taking boat ride to see blue grottos. The ferry was overcrowded & stifling (inside) because the outside seats were already taken.