Freedom of the Seas Review

4.0 / 5.0
2,406 reviews

Lovely Ship, Great to be back!!

Review for the Bahamas Cruise on Freedom of the Seas
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Cruise Kay
6-10 Cruises • Age 50s

Rating by category

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Additional details

Sail Date: Nov 2021
Cabin: Ocean View

This was our first cruise since 2018! We love cruising and missed it during the pandemic. Then my husband got Covid and was sick to the point where we had to wait nearly a year before he felt well enough to travel again. But Freedom of the Seas was GORGEOUS, and our cruise was perfect. Everything we love about cruising came together for this trip: An amazing, sparkling clean ship full of things to do and a beautiful pool deck, a menu of optional activities, terrific food, perfect weather, and attentive, wonderful staff.

We spent our days the same way...a sunrise walk around the upper deck on the walking trail (lots of other people up there at that time doing the same thing, but not crowded.) Breakfast at Windjammer. A day of being poolside, or wandering the ship, or just choosing a lovely spot to lay around and watch the ocean drift by. We were always able to find a great chair on the sun deck, and anytime before noon, the pools were almost empty, so I swam a lot. They played movies on the screen over the pool, too. There was also the Solarium pool as an option. We tried out lots of hot tubs and really liked the solarium one, as it overlooked the ocean (or port.) The ship had a flowrider and a rock-climbing wall and a sports court.

We ate only in the Windjammer each time, and snacked at the taco bar and Cafe Promenade. Food was great in the Windjammer--really great. Huge selection of items, flavors, and international food, as well as a constant supply of delicious desserts. Cafe Promenade food was just so-so, and the selection seemed more limited than I remembered.

Cabin Review

Ocean View

We had an INTERIOR ROOM---not sure what the category is, so I may have guessed "1N" incorrectly. We were on the 11th floor. This put us close to the action--we usually just took the stairs to go to the Windjammer or the pool. Beds were very comfortable. Room was small but not TOO small. We had a couch and a little desk. Just enough drawers and storage for two--if you have two adults and two kids in here, the room would get really small and really cramped really fast. But we found it cozy and quiet. Very quiet, in fact. Shower and sink were tiny, but that's standard. Good lighting, nice carpet, and the temperature was just right.

Port Reviews

Nassau

Nassau is a mess. Don't bother getting out and wandering around, especially if you have kids. We went there in November 2021 and it was under a lot of construction, so we found ourselves weaving through fence mazes and picking our way over rubble and torn up concrete just to exit the port area. Once in town, we were harassed endlessly by people wanting to braid my hair or drive us somewhere or come in their shops. We did go into one shop and buy a few things, but then we hurried right back to ship. We did not feel at all safe or comfortable there, and felt unable to just walk around and look at things without harassment. The straw market was either not there or it's been moved---we visited it years ago (and it was full of harassment, too,) and it wasn't in the same location anymore. You couldn't have paid me to stop and eat or drink anything in town. Overall, it was full of locals anxious to talk us into spending money on one thing or another. And that's fine, but it's just not for us. We won't be back. In the past, we've taken the bus tour to Atlantis...that's worth seeing once, I guess, but nothing essential. Next time, we will treat Nassau as a day on the ship.

Perfect Day at CocoCay

What's not to like about Coco Cay? It's gorgeous. If you're a beach person, you'll love it. They have options for what kind of beach you want to visit or what kind of chairs you want, etc. Lots of food and drink on the island that comes off the ship. Beautiful sand, clean, well-maintained walkways and common areas. There's a small waterpark there that looked fun--we heard lots of screams from people using the super-tall water slide. There's a pool there, too. Take cash if you want to buy something. There's a small market area on the island now (this was new to us,) where locals sell goods. Some of them are handmade, most of them are t-shirts and hats and totes and cover-ups. They require cash or credit card, of course, so you'll need more than just your Sea Pass. It's easy to get on and off the ship here, and there's a tram if you don't want to walk all the way down the pier. Lots of palm trees, white sand, and beach life here, and a great view of your ship.

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