Too many extra charges 😐

Freedom of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

joanh510

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 11

Overall rating:

3 out of 5

6 Night Western Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)

Sail date: April 09, 2017

Ship: Freedom of the Seas

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: 7511

Traveled as: Large Group

Reviewed: 7 years ago

Review summary

The staff was great . Every person was extremely friendly & helpful , however I dont believe the gratuities should be automatically added to our SeaPass card . That should be a personal decision .

The food was not excellent in the main dining room like it was 14 years ago when we cruised . Just average . A bit of a disappointment that in order to get great food You have to pay money at their specialty dining areas .

Bars were plentiful - but again , I'm not happy about the added gratuity

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Children's Programs

5 out of 5

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Bathroom shower was extremely small & hard to even turn around . Bed was large & very comfortable . Plenty of room in the cabin , except for the small bathroom

Ship tip

It would be nice to know ahead of time where the free food & coffee was located . Didn't find out until midway through the cruise . The Windjammer's food was actually better than the main dining room , in our opinion .

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida

2 out of 5

George Town, Grand Cayman

3 out of 5

Cozumel, Mexico

3 out of 5

Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico

3 out of 5

Traveler Photos

8 Comments

ctcruiselover2 7 years ago

I always have the gratuity taken off the first day. We tip very generously every day to the crew who service us. I'm not sure at the end if the cruise how much the crew gets and how much the ship keeps. This way I know the very hard work the crew does gets rewarded. And let me tell you, when you tip each day, word gets around and your treated as if your royalty!

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Gonz 7 years ago

You had the option to pre pay those gratuities during the booking stage.....everyone has to pay one way or another

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Windjam064 7 years ago

I agree that (in general) food quality has gone down a bit on the ships. presentation is still great, as is service. no worries though. we have come to consider the gratuities to be a service fee (like the resort fees many hotels charge). it is the price of admission and most of that money goes to people who work 70 hours a week for 7 months in a row. most of the crew work to support their families back home. if you get superior service, then slip them direct cash as a thank you.

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Patrick4 7 years ago

just cruised Freedom, food was fantastic!

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MikeNCcruiser 7 years ago

Most major Cruise Lines invoke a gratuity for staff. Lines that don't include gratituities in the elevated price of the cruise. Most of the staff on board work 7 months straight 7 days a week to send money home to their Families in Foreign countries. I have no problem paying gratuities and usually leave a cash tip for the stateroom attendant and waiter. Beverages add 18% to each drink so I may add a dollar or so for outstanding service. With Bartenders on the Allure, Oasis, and Freedom, I have noticed some indifference with the bar staff. I only add an additional tip if they are outgoing and welcoming.

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monkie67 7 years ago

I payed mine when I booked my cruise.

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eddiemac1 7 years ago

next time, on the very first day, go to guest services and tell them you don't want it added.

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ajbaby713 7 years ago

where did you guys cruise to?

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