I and my group of 6 (3 couples) just returned from Freedom of the Seas after cruising on the July 4 sailing. My wife & I have done 16 cruises, and this was our 5th on Royal Caribbean. We sailed with our son (4 cruises), his fiancE (first-timer) and two good friends (first-timers). Rather than write a complete review and regurgitate information obtainable elsewhere, I wanted to list some key points that relate directly to our experience and opinions regarding our cruise.

We stayed at the Radisson in Port Canaveral and our opinions were mixed. The location is convenient and hotel is generally nice. The rooms are laid out in a series of buildings surrounding a central courtyard. There are elevators in only every other building, which makes navigation with luggage a little tricky. Our room looked out toward the port, so we were able to see Freedom on Sunday morning. Most (perhaps all) of the rooms are billed as having a Sleep Number bed, but the one in our room didn't work. We were disappointed to end up with double bed instead of a queen or king, which I would have expected given the prices. We had dinner at Kelsey's Pizzeria, an Italian restaurant right next door and it was excellent. The following morning we went to Zachary's, on the other side of the Radisson, for breakfast. It was also very good. I would highly recommend both of those restaurants, especially for those staying at the Radisson.

I highly recommend Royal Shuttle for transportation to and from Orlando Airport and the port. They were quick and efficient, and their rate for 4 people was $20 per person one-way. The return trip for two of us was $70. Read more