Freedom of the Seas Review
Rating by category
Additional details
We had a great vacation but the cruise portion was average at best. Fortunately, we had long days in port and only two sea days.
The service staff all did a stellar job. My only complaint here is that sometimes the food servers were a bit too attentive. It became very obvious they were doing this so that we would rate them a 10 on the post cruise survey. At first, It became somewhat of a joke between my husband and I. By the end, we were getting very annoyed by the dinner interruptions to remind us of the survey.
Other areas of improvement include the food selection and entertainment schedule. The windjammer served the same food day in and out. Additionally, the main dining room menu served variations of the same proteins with little thought or creativity night after night. By the second sea day, there was no fresh mint to be found which meant the end of my favorite vacation drink, the mojito. Luckily, I had enjoyed my fair share prior to this. :-)
Cabin Review
Promenade View Interior
There was nothing wrong with the cabin itself but I learned that interior cabins are not for me. We selected it to save a bit of money and the window into the promenade was nice.
Personally, I prefer a little sunshine peaking through the window when I wake up. The absolute worst part though was waking up to the loud parties taking place in the promenade at night. Obviously, if you're going to be out past 11 this won't affect you but for us early birds it's a major inconvenience.
Port Reviews
San Juan
We love San Juan. Previously we've explored OSJ, toured Bacardi, and hiked the rainforest. This time we went on a tour of the bio bay. If it's your first time, I suggest checking out OSJ or the rainforest but the bio bay is also a neat experience.
Bonaire
We tried to go to Divi Flamingo Beach Resort & Casino but they were full and not accepting day passengers. Instead we took a taxi to Coco Beach. The beach is very rocky but the snorkelling is top notch. Definitely come prepared with water shoes and your own snorkel if you can.
Aruba
I was excited to return to Aruba but it turned out to be our least favorite port of the trip. We took a taxi to Eagle Beach but it was so windy we were getting pelted with sand and didn't stay more than a couple of hours.
Curacao
Exploring the downtown area was fun. Afterward, we headed to Mambo beach. This area has really grown since our last visit but it was still lovely. Be prepared to pay for a sunbed but you'll receive a beautiful beach and calm waters in return.
St. Maarten
This was another one of our favorite ports this cruise. I wanted to explore downtown before heading to the beach. We'll definitely be avoiding that in the future. You can't walk two steps without someone trying to sell you something.
Next we headed to Maho beach. There were 7 ships in port and it was incredibly crowded. We were still able to find some space to hang out for a few landings but it wasn't very relaxing. We took a 10 minute walk to Mullet Bay and it was like we had crossed the entire island. The water had some nice waves which were fun to play in.