This was our best vacation ever! I would go on it again next week if I could.
Overall the Freedom of the Seas was a very well-maintained ship with plenty to do for a single mom with 2 teenage boys (16 & 18). We felt safe at all times. Food/drinks, activities, and service were absolutely outstanding. Even on rainy days there were plenty of things to keep us occupied. Bring your family photo shoot clothes, there are many opportunities for beautiful, professional shots. Also bring magnetic hooks to increase storage in your stateroom (walls are metal). Would also recommend bringing both US and EU adapters if you have both, our US adapter was too large to plug into the US outlet but thankfully we were able to use the EU adapter/outlet. Also, bring extra cash for tips. The high-energy staff works long hours to keep everyone happy, they definitely earn it. This was one of the best vacations I've ever had!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Food, drinks & service delivered in the Main Dining Room were superb. Excellent 3-course menus with plenty of vegetarian options, service was spectacular. Don't miss your assigned dinner time by more than 15 minutes or your table will be given away. Windjammer was very busy, at times difficult to find seating and/or a cleared table, with many decent food options designed to appeal to all types of eaters.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Pools and hot tubs were fun, during peak times difficult to find an open seat in the hot tubs. We checked with the rock-climbing wall a couple times but the lines were too long. PRO TIP: as soon as you board the ship, hit the areas you feel will be busiest later in the cruise - rock-climbing, FlowRider, water slides, hot tubs - to experience before the long lines form.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Top notch performers! From the ice-skating shows to the comedian to the Broadway-type shows, these people are pros. PRO TIP: when the comedian tells you the late show is ADULT - believe them! And don't sit next to your adult children at that show, either.
Children's Programs
did not participate
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The staff is top-notch. Kind and helpful to the greatest extent, their training is apparent. Don't forget to bring extra cash to tip them for their outstanding service. Tip envelopes available at Guest Services.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Saw staff cleaning common areas at all times of day/night. Ship was clean and well-maintained, and well-staffed to keep it that way.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Oceanview cabin was small - which we expected. It was a bit outdated, however, and could have used some upgraded finishes - carpet, desk, bathroom. However, porter kept it "ship-shape" as much as possible, refreshing it daily. The main mattress - which appeared to be 2 twin mattresses pushed together - was surprisingly comfortable and supportive. Not the case for the 2 twin Pullman beds (pulled down from the ceiling) - these were very thin mattresses resting on metal platforms. The porter has a tool to lower them if they are needed, otherwise they rest within the ceiling. When lowered, they impinge upon the headspace of the bed resting on the floor. One teen boy complained about it being uncomfortable and hurting his back, and one thought it was fine. PRO TIP: bring magnetic hooks to increase storage - the walls are metal.
Ship tip
be ready for professional family photos, bring magnetic hooks, extra cash for tips
The catamaran/harbor excursion was nice, just a slow ride around the harbor looking at celebrities' homes. The straw market is huge so plan time to walk around there for a while. PRO TIP: buy a couple plain cheeseburgers to feed the starving/nursing street dogs. Nassau needs a solid TNR program to fix their street dog population - PLEASE!! Perhaps RC could initiate a program like this with the Nassau government, my guess is they would have plenty of buy-in from NA customers who would donate towards this very worthy cause. What great PR that would be!
I rated this excellent, although it rained almost all day so our jet-ski excursion was cancelled due to "safety concerns." We lugged snorkeling gear here (December 26) only to find the water to be pretty cold, so between the water temperature and the rain, never used it. We did take a trip around the small island on the tram, but were unable to see much from that. Chill Beach was nice. One bonus: PLENTY of beach loungers! Don't feel like you will miss out, there are plenty of seats with umbrellas to go around, even with 2 full ships docked for the day.
Disembarkation was smooth. Beware of individuals offering you "cheap" rides to the airport or local hotels, they will jack up the prices after you arrive. Ours went from $10 to $35.
Could you let me know what temps were in ports? Trying to figure clothing to bring. Last year at this time was cooler, however, we had a different cruise. Thank you.
Thank you for your enlightening review. We will be doing the exact cruise in 17 days. I am so ready! Just one question. How were the mattresses on the beds? My husband has back issues. Thank you.
Great review and happy you had a good time.. I went on the Freedom in April of 2017 and had a blast.. the ship, staff, and itinerary were incredible. Navigator was another great ship. Happy Cruising!
Nice review! Great suggestion! I always feel horrible when seeing the street dogs. My dog was a street dog from PR. I have donated to a Nassau animal shelter in the past.
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