First, a little history: This was my 17th cruise and my husband's 1 and my husband's 13th cruise. Living in Florida, we try to take advantage of living in a state with 5 cruise ports, and usually go on at least one short cruise and one longer cruise each year. This was our 7-day cruise on Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas. I have sailed with Royal Caribbean before and have achieved Platinum status, but this was actually my first week long cruise on one of their larger ships. All of my other Royal cruises have been on their Sovereign class ship. The WOW factor was definitely evident all throughout our cruise!

Getting There/Cabin Info: This cruise was a Sunday to Sunday cruise, although I generally prefer those that leave port on a Saturday. That extra day before returning to work, and to reality can be quite needed after sailing on a ship chock-full of activities! We drove to the port, arriving around 12:30. The lines were long at check-in, but moved quickly and smoothly. We were on the ship by 1:15, and as our rooms were ready, we went directly there to drop off our carry-on luggage. We had a great balcony cabin on the 9th deck (9316), and spent many mornings and evenings out on the balcony just enjoying the water and the scenery. By the way, I just loved the shower door in the bathroom! Much better than fighting with the shower curtain and having water all over the floor every time I take a shower.

Up we went to the Windjammer to grab a bite to eat, then we walked around the ship oohing and ahhing at everything we saw. The spa had tours and booking specials, and we enjoyed walking around the Promenade. Soon it was time for the muster drill, and while I was grateful not to have been required to wear my life jacket, we were outside where it was very hot. Once muster was over, we went upstairs for a cool drink and standing out on the deck for sailaway. By the time we made it back to our room, our luggage had been delivered. Unpack, freshen up, and get ready for our early dining. Read more