Freedom of the Seas Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Always something to do. Great cruise.  Wonderful staff. This was our first cruise and we will definitely cruise with Royal Carribean again. 

A few things that could have been different is how they took pictures on formal evenings and how they called out passengers for the tender line for excursions. We had the best stayer room attendant and the kids loved his towel animals. 

Our favorite take-away from the adventure of a cruise is visiting with other cultures. We have an opportunity to explore the diversity of our planet from meeting others whether guest or staff. A cruise is all about expanding your horizon and Royal Caribbean does this very well in itinerary and accommodations.

This is my second cruise on Royal and I have to say I was sadly disappointed.  The cabin smelled very musty, the AC was not working very well room was very stuffy and warm even after having it checked out, the water for showering was luck warm at best and the beds were very uncomfortable.  As far as the food it was not very good at all and it was the same thing every night.  We had the misfortune of having a group of 15 to 20 young adults on board that must have thought there was no one else on the ship.....they would come out on the pool deck playing there music to the point you could not hear the music provided on the ship and playing it during movies and cont. to do so even after being asked to turn it down several times, this issue was taking to crew staff but cont. thru out the cruise.  Over all our cruise was very disappointing and will not cruise Royal again.

My wife and I have been on several cruises. This was an excellent first time cruise for our two young teenage girls. The rock wall, Flowrider (wake boarding), Ice skating, and the standard kids activities kept them happy. The shows were very good. The Promenade was also spectacular. The food was very good, with exception that several nights my wife and I were underwhelmed with the dishes, compared to other cruise experiences. The wait service however was the best we have had. The service on the ship as a whole was outstanding. Housekeeping, guest services, excursion services and the people we experienced throughout the ship were all great. The exception was the Casino. It had quite a few problems. If you're going and gambling is a big part of your cruise, I would think twice.

SO-SO experience as the embarkation process had terribly long lines and wait was over 1 hour to board the ship. Disembarkation was a breeze. Only 1 soft serve ice cream machine for a ship full of ice cream lovers, not good, waits as long as 30 minutes for ice cream. Really!!

We had a good time. There was some good times and bad times. But I enjoyed the cruise very much! Didn't like the long check-in lines and the check-in process very slow and unorganized. Enjoyed the boat and the staff. Didn't care for the Starbucks on the boat. I wanted the old Barista back. They used to make their own premium coffee and teas. I enjoyed all the boat activities. One night we did need 1 more ice cream machine. it ran out 4 times. LOL. Can't wait for my next cruise. 

Highlights- ports of call and the shore excursions - Costa Maya was fun because we have never been there before - Cayman Islands - our second time there; the first time we did stingray city, this time around we enjoyed kayaking in the Caribbean along with snorkeling and a beach break.  Cozumel was also fun - and also our second time there; we did a tour of the Mayan Ruins and then enjoyed some beach time.  The Diamond status definitely made our embarkation seemless and relatively quick compared to prior cruises. We also enjoyed the Diamond Perks like the free food and drinks every night between 4:30 and 8:30 along with up to 3 complimentary drinks from any of the other bars on the ship.  The lowlights - it was the week before Christmas - and there were very little by the way of holiday cheer on the ship - other than the very large tree in the Promenade.  The service was not nearly as good in the main dining - we often felt forgotten as people were served their deserts and we were still waiting on salads and water refills.  And the lines- we waited in line for everything it seemed - which is typical I guess for a cruise vacation - but this one we definitely felt the presence of all 4400 passengers - and over 1000 of them were under the age of 21. I dont think we will cruise the holiday time frame again - but overall we had a great time together and made the most of the ships amenities; theater show, ice show, flow rider, rock wall, and the Promenade.  If I could make any suggestion here - I would suggest that if you know you will drink a lot - regardless of the beverage type, and if you know that you want a lot of the photos taken by the ship's photographer, and if you know you will want an internet package - it really does save you money to buy these packages ahead of time; online; and before you board the ship.  I wasn't sure if it was legit or not - or just away to upsell you on the front end when booking the cruise - but I did buy the internet package and a water package - both about 50% less than if you do it on board.  same with shore excursions - take advantage of any online discounts you may be offered on booking the shore excursions because it does save you money.  On board - everything is expensive - for example - one 6x8 photo is $16.99 - and you know how many photos are taken - so buy a package and do it online.  Beers are $7.99 each (with gratuity) - so if you have at least 4 to 5 per day - it makes sense to buy the alcohol package.  And mixers - can run $12+.  If you have a lot of sea days - that is where you will spend the most money - that is when these beverage packages really make sense.  We only had 2 sea days and we took advantage of the freebies in the Diamond lounge so our drink cost was minimal.  Lastly - the internet was DREADFULLY SLOW AND CUMBERSOME TO LOG INTO and it would boot you out without warning and frequently. The cool thing is that wireless is available throughout the ship - and you can text message family and friends at home using imessage if you all have iphones - just don't expect speed. We really do like Royal Caribbean and it is nice to earn a "status" that allows you to save money and convenience while sailing.

Everything about the cruise was excellent.  The food. The ship was exceptionally clean. The staff friendly. Great entertainment even though we did not go and see any shows. The pools were immaculate. Deck chairs were clean. What a beautiful ship! The stop-overs were well organized (but $100 pp to zipline in Labadee??).

Negatives: Everything is extra. It feels like all they want to do is charge you.  We did not get any free bottled water in the cabin - purified water would've been great. The refreshment package should be included so a person does not have to walk around with that huge drink holder. 

The galley tour was not good at all. Too many people per group - we did not hear one word that was said. The brunch thereafter was not good at all. 

Big negative is the 18% gratuity that is added to absolutely everything. Then they have an additional line on the bill for a tip? Then they give you two envelopes at the end for extra gratuity and just before you leave they hit you with a huge bill - mostly gratuities for making up the room etc and at $13.50 pp each time...not good. Bad ending to a nice holiday. We were relieved we had breakfast at the WindJammer every day.

Dining and housekeeping staff were exelent. Quality of boat could be improved. The stops that the boat makes should all be walking distance from the port. The private island labadee and st. Martin were great. 

Freedom of the Seas 8 night Eastern was a wonderful vacation for our multi-generation family of 7.  Everyone had an easy time finding something to make them happy for the entire trip.  The ports of call were great and allowed us to visit places we have not been to before.  St Maarten was beyond beautiful.  We did a private snorkel excursion and got to spend some wonderful time talking to some locals while exploring the water.  St Kitts we visited Dolphin Encounter and enjoyed an amazing afternoon in the water with the dolphins.  San Juan was the only port that we found disappointing.  Some probably loved it, we simply didn't. 

We had two balconies on deck 7 (7370 and 7370) that were perfect.  Close enough to the elevator but far enough that there was not a lot of foot traffic in the hallway.  We had great views pulling into the ports from the balcony.  The ship in general was extremely clean.  The staff was incredible.  Every single person was quick to make sure that everything we needed or wanted was found.  The Adventure Ocean staff were amazing and the DreamWorks experience was also great.  The cruise director was fun and the captain did a great job of giving us information in regard to other ships and islands we were passing.

The only complaint we had was with the Coke Freestyle machines.  There are four in the Windjammer which are only accessible when the Windjammer is open and even then only 2 worked the entire time and during morning hours only served juice type drinks.  There was one in the arcade that would have been accessible 24 hours a day but it was down the entire trip.  There were two in the promenade that seemed to work.  It is something to consider when deciding whether or not to get the soda package.  We don't spend a lot of time in the promenade so it was a hike from the pool area when Windjammer was closed.

This rounded out our Freedom class ships and of the three in that class Freedom and Liberty were the sure winners with Independence simply not matching.

We loved seeing St. Kitts and the tour of the old part of the island including the Batik factory and Old Fort at the top of the hill. Roads were in good condition owing to a recent visit by Prince Harry. Narrow winding road goes around the island (don't try this yourself) tour buses have to blow the horn as they go around curves. Views are lovely. People are nice. It's not as commercial as St. Maarten. But, tourism is king. Sugar cane is gone, so it's only a matter of time before cruisers are expected to shop til they drop. Royal Caribbean emphasizes the shopping more than I ever remember on a cruise. Dining rooms are lovely, wait staff is pleasant. Room stewards are hard working. Ship was very full. They charge $3.00 for a water bottle now. We did get to bring wine on board. We felt like the dining room was crowded at breakfast and lunch time. Only one open at those times. It's best to eat on the early side. We thought the 5:30 dinner was too early. Would like to see it go back to 6pm.  

My husband and I have been extremely fortunate. Over the last 25 years we have been on approximately 50 cruises. Normally 2 times per year. We LOVE cruising and we are not terribly fussy. We are last minute cruisers and not necessarily loyal to any cruise line. The bulk of our cruises are on Princess and NCL, with the balance on Cunard, Celebrity, Carnival - in that order. This was our first Royal Caribbean cruise and we were not impressed. At all. It was loud and crowded. This ship ( and RCL in general ) apparently caters to families with small children. That's great, but doesn't always make for a peaceful experience coexisting with childless travelers. We are in our 50s. But we are young 50s! Lol. We just want to chill. The buffet food was seriously disappointing. Cold and tasteless most of the time. Very repetitive. My husband has a neurological disorder so we don't always like getting "dressed" for dinner. After 5 nights of bland, we finally resorted to eating in the dining room for the final 2 nights. The dining room food was very good. Service was terribly lacking in the buffet, but definitely on par in the dining room. Our favorite part of this cruise was the cruise director!! Casey from Canada. Great guy. He is truly outstanding :) Funny, funny, funny. Overall, it was an ok cruise, but I have to say disappointing overall. Too loud. Too many people. Too many kids running wild. Too many first time cruisers.  Too many drunks. Everything was just a bit too much I guess. We will return to Princess and NCL whenever available. We just want to chill. 

We stayed in a Junior Suite on this cruise and it was wonderful! We also had an excellent Cabin Attendant, Naz, and super wait staff for our My Time Dining.

I was disappointed with the merchandise "sales " for Royal Caribbean items as a sale was listed in the daily Compass but the merchandise never arrived onboard the ship. Another issue was the disembarkation process in Port Everglades. We were assigned the last group and were to leave the ship by 9:45.  After Group #22 was called, we were informed that all remaining groups were clear to leave. But that meant another 1000 people were trying to get off the ship and the process took over 45 minutes to complete and another 30 minutes once we had our bags.

I’m a platinum member of RCCL, and have cruised approximately 20 times with RCCL and other lines.  However, I have to say, that I was a little disappointed in this cruise.  Not entirely, but with a few items. 

First of all, the service and the staff on this ship were great.  They were all extremely helpful and friendly.  The cruise director seemed part comedian, and always a hoot to listen to.  The ship itself was in good shape, and as with all RCCL ships, was beautiful.  My main complaint was the food.  RCCL, in my opinion has always had good food.  However, we had just gotten off a Carnival (Conquest) for another trip with our children before going on this one with my sister and brother-in-law.  I have to say that in comparison, Carnival’s food was much better.  I had a sirloin steak one evening on Freedom, and have to say it was the worst steak I’ve EVER had.  It was almost as if it had been boiled.  It was pale, tough, flavorless, and I ate only a few bites.  They’ve evidentially never tasted “cake” as all of their desserts were some type of “mousse.”  All desserts I would rate about a 3 out of 10.   The dining room menu was mediocre, and the buffet on the Lido deck about the same. 

The ports were nice.  St. Kitts is a very small island, but seemed to be fairly well maintained and very pretty.  We took a tour there, and it was very interesting.  In San Juan, we also went on a tour, but it was raining, and the tour started in the afternoon.  So about 1 hour into it, it was already getting darker, and you couldn’t see as much.  We got back to the ship in the dark.  Labadee is great.  What a beautiful island, and with all the amenities, it made it a terrific day.  Be sure to ride the Dragons Tail coaster - a short but very fun ride.  We got the “day pass” for only $10 more.  We’ve been to St. Maarten many times, and unless you go on an excursion, most of the area is shopping.  We did have a tour scheduled, but it was cancelled because of some protest going on with the island people.

The entertainment in the theater was above average, but not on par with the Carnival production that we had just seen.  It appeared to be more like a high school or college production, not a “Vegas” review.  The other entertainment (i.e. – ice skaters, comedians, etc. again, were not bad, but just mediocre.

I will probably continue to sail with RCCL because I love their ships.  However, on this particular cruise, it was just a little below my expectations.

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very relaxing, great food and service, friendly and passionate staff! Excellent shore activities on our own (flexible and inexpensive), unforgettable memories! 

except Costa maya (you have no other choices (such as renting a car or taking a taxi -- taxis are not allowed to pick up passengers at the port and you can only get taxi from a block away outside the port which you have no way to know when you just get off the ship), or other tours, but to join the tour from the cruise at the port), really disgusting. 

stateroom is aged (can especially tell from the bathroom), drawers are not clean and the circuit board of the safe is exposed.

Everything about the ship was great! The late night shows were very entertaining, the dining room service was exceptional! The cleaning and room service was also exceptional and very clean ship!  I was hoping they had better food selection in the WindJammer.  My suggestion would to change the food selection every such as Asian day, Mediterranean day, Jamaican food day etc....

the personnel on rccl where outstanding but management sucks, they now charge 5% for me to use my own money in the casino, they used to play bingo with multiple games, I paid $142 to play 3 games, how cheap can you get, and all I got for my money was a stupid t-shirt with the word bingo, in large letters on the back, the couldn"t even use rccl logo on the back, my grandkids wouldn"t even wear them, I threw them in the garbage. also on one occasion we did not dress up and supper in the buffet. what a disappointment. I found hot dogs, french fries, and hamburgers. what kind of supper buffet is that. If rccl continues to get cheap then i might as well get cheap also and start looking for bargains on other cruise lines. I have been on 4 rccl cruises. what a big disappointment that they have gotten that cheap. I traveled with my son and his wife and paid for us all at chops, the lobster for $21 dollars was a 1 pd. lobster cut in half. not more than 6 or 7 ounces of tail. and my braised beef was unchewable. when I brought it to their attention they just took it away with no remorse or comment of any kind, what a wasted $161

I thought the cruise was very nice however, I think there are a few changes that could be made. 

1.  The staff did not seem as friendly as my first trip with Royal Caribbean.

2.  We purchased a non-alcoholic beverage package and many times there was no bottled water when we asked for it.

I sustained a knee injury in Colorado before coming on board which limited my participation in all activities. That said, I still rated it as "good" Perhaps next time will be better.