Great cruise to Coco Cay and Nassau
Freedom of the Seas Cruise Review
Contributor Level:
Third Mate
Cruises: 2-3 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 15
3 Night Bahamas & Perfect Day (Miami Roundtrip)
Sail date: October 07, 2022
Ship: Freedom of the Seas
Cabin type: Suite
Cabin number: 1244
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 1 year ago
Review summary
We had a great time overall. Coco Cay is fun and beautiful. I'm not a fan of Nassau... too many locals trying to "help" you take a tour and purchase their wares. The ship is worth trying at least once. I preferred Mariner and Navigator over this ship though.Embarkation
Check-in and boarding was a breeze. We completed the online check-in and took our pictures prior to, so the crew members just doubled check our information and let us board. We booked a Suite cabin and was directed to the Suite line. Our friends had booked an interior cabin, but they were allowed to go through with us. A nice perk if you have a friend or family with Suite benefits. I had printed the luggage tags before, so we saved time in handing our bags over to the luggage attendants. We were on the ship in less than 10 minutes from the moment we arrived.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Upon boarding, we headed straight to the dining room and had lunch via the Chops Grille menu. The food was absolutely delicious, with the exception of the Caesar salad which had stale croutons. We had breakfast in the Windjammer every morning... we loved all of the variety of foods offered. And we had our dinners each night in the main dining room. Our servers were great. My only complaints were that the bread was not warm when served and the last day, the lemonade was very watered down and the water was warm, it had no ice. But that did not detract from our overall dining experience. We enjoyed the pizza from Sorrento's and indulged in room service when we wanted some down time in our cabin. My absolute favorite dessert was the Apple a la Mode. We had lunch at Coco Cay Beach Club and it was divine. The starter had a variety of dips and veggies and was fresh. The entrees were equally just as good. We had some snacks around the island. To my group, it seemed like the food on the island was more fresh than on the boat. We did not eat any food when we were in Nassau.
Onboard Activities
We mainly stayed in the Solarium pool area, as the main pool is packed full of people and finding seating can be a challenge. Studio B has ice skating and laser tag, but we were unable to attend either. We hit the casino on our last night and enjoyed some of the slots. The theme for the duration of the cruise was 70's. They had a huge 70's party on the Promenade deck, which was fun. It was packed shoulder to shoulder with people, so we slid our way into Vintages for a few shots and drinks before heading to Studio B to attend the Red Experience night club party. The first night we went to the Star Lounge for music and dancing. Again, it was so full with people it was difficult to walk to the bar or dance. The servers try their best to take orders from everyone, but they didn't reach us at all during our time there.
Entertainment
From the moment you board the ship, to the last night, there is something to do. We attended the comedy show the first night, which showcased two brothers. They were hilarious and surprisingly talented. A very unique show. The 2nd night we attended a Broadway style show, which was entertaining. The dancers and singers are all very talented. You can tell they all work very hard at their craft. We missed the ice skating show on the last night, but heard it was a great show. The DJ in the Star Lounge on the first night was just ok, playing the same music that was played on the pool deck and typical wedding style music. The DJ in Studio B during the Red Experience was awesome! Played much better music and was an all around great experience and we had so much fun. My only complaint about Stubio B was how they had the "bar" setup. They put 2 long tables together on one side of the dance floor and had about 3 bartenders serving all the guests. While they had a pretty fast turnover, the problem is that there were long lines running into the dance floor. Hopefully in the future they place the bar in a better position in the area. But we danced while we waited in line for our drinks, so it wasn't too much of a hassle.
Service and Staff
Our cabin attendant, Alvin, was a GEM! He kept our cabin spotless when we left in the mornings and evenings and always greeted us by name with such enthusiasm. I needed one of my dresses pressed and when I called his direct line, he answered my call immediately and provided me with the garmet bag within 10 minutes. The bartenders in the Solarium bar seemed a bit stressed and overworked the first day when we initially boarded. There were a lot of passengers waiting in lines to get drinks at the bar, so I understand their stress. Again, the order turnover was very fast, so I have no complaints. We didn't sit at the bars, just ordered, grabbed our drinks and went back to our loungers. Most of the crew members will greet you with a friendly smile and are always willing to assist you, should you need anything. Excellent service overall.
Ship Quality
The ship itself is beautiful and MOSTLY clean. I say mostly because in the Adult Solarium pool, they have a bar and seating inside the pool, which was FILLED with drink cups and beer bottles. There were cups and bottles floating IN the pool. It was disgusting. This is not the fault of the crew, but of the passengers who do not have the decency to take their drinks out of the pool when they exit. We stayed in the pool area long enough to see the crew pick up after everyone. The public bathrooms were also not the cleanest, but I only went at night. There was toilet paper all over in the stalls and urine on the floor and toilet seat. There wasn't a bathroom attendant in the bathrooms either. I'm sure in the mornings the bathrooms are spotless, but night time is a different story. We also noticed alcoholic drinks in random places all over the ship in the common areas. Again, if people were more considerate and brought their finished cup to the nearest bar, there wouldn't be drinks everywhere. There were crew members at all times picking up after people. If the passengers had better hygiene and common courtesy, the ship would be spotless at all times of the day. Overall, the ship is very well maintained and clean, given it's dirty occupants.
Cabin / Stateroom
Our cabin was amazing. It's definitely worth booking a suite with Royal. The bathroom has a tub and the balcony and room is very spacious. My only complaint was the AC. I get hot very easily and the cabin wouldn't get cool enough, in my opinion
Ship tip
If you want to enjoy the pool and jacuzzi, I suggest getting up early in the morning and setting a towel on a chair. No one usually takes the chair of there's a towel on it already. We weren't able to enjoy the jacuzzi because it was always filled with people. Have patience when you're ordering a drink at the bar, they serve a lot people. Sit back, relax and just enjoy the moment.
Thumbs up
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Ports of call
I'm not the biggest fan of this island. Only because as soon as you get through the gates to the streets, you have so many people clamering to take you on a tour or try this bar or go to this store. It's all very overwhelming and uncomfortable. Our first trip here we took the ATV tour, which was great. This time, we only went into the island to find some small souvenirs to take back for our family. We stopped at 2 bars and then headed back to the ship. The dock itself has been completely remodeled to accommodate up to 7 ships. I can't imagine how much more crowded it would be in Port with that many people. But there were only 3 ships docked when we arrived. Unless you're doing an excursion, there's not much you would miss on this island. Better to stay on the boat and enjoy the activities you may have missed on previous days.
Perfect Day At Coco Cay, Bahamas
I LOVE this island. There's so much to do and so much to eat. I will definitely be booking a cabana our next cruise, since we like to sit and lounge. Our very first cruise, we did several excursions, so it's kind of a been there done that and now we just want to relax. The main pool gets packed and rowdy. I'm glad I got the passes to Coco Cay Beach Club. The pool and beach are beautiful and peaceful, and the bar was a totally different experience than the main pool bar. At the main pool bar, people will sit on the pool chairs and not move, which makes it difficult to order drinks when you're in the pool. We had to wait 5 to 10 minutes for a seat to finally open up and order our drinks. As soon as we got our drinks, we moved to the closest pool island. Be prepared to walk... A LOT, if you choose not to use the tram. The island is fairly big.
Disembarkation
We had breakfast in the Windjammer and our exit time was between 7:45am to 8:45am. We took our time and procrastinated a little getting off the ship. We put our luggage out the night before, since we didn't want to lug them around that morning. When we finished breakfast we headed down to our assigned deck and noticed a very long line of people waiting to get off the ship. Even though the line was long, it moved constantly and quickly. One of the luggage tags ended up being ripped off my luggage, so I had my duffel bag in a separate section with a crew member. No biggie, but I know next time to use my plastic luggage tags instead of using the sticker ones they provide. As you exit, you scan your face in the computer and you're out the door. Outside is somewhat of a madhouse with people waiting for their Uber and rides. We walked all the way down to where the cars begin to enter and waited for our ride to arrive. Very uneventful, which is a good thing as we were all exhausted. Overall, it's very organized and quick to get off the ship. Just follow the instructions you're given the night before and you shouldn't have any issues.
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