Freedom of the Seas Cruise Reviews - Reviews

First time on RCC, I think Freedom of the Seas fares worse than all the ships we have been on in almost all aspects. Particularly, Windjammer food quality and variety are below average with Jade Asian fairs almost non-existent. A rope was used in the middle of the buffet to block the access from both sides, first of such scene ever encountered. Unlimited Internet by the day or days is the only option but the connection was so bad that sometimes it simply wouldn't load the login page. We purchased 6 day package but it's only useful for about an hour per day, not worth the money at all. The stateroom lacks the basic amenities of even a motel, there's no glasses, ice bucket, lotion etc, no sanitary bag unless you ask for it. We forgot to pack toothpaste, the guest service simply told us to buy it at the store although other cruise lines usually provide it in staterooms. Our luggage wasn't delivered until we asked and were told to pick it up because they wanted to  check the contents thoroughly for alcohol. They found nothing but a bottle of wine which is allowed. We were among a long line of guests there to pick up luggages, totally unpleasant experience we never had with other cruise lines.  

For the most part it was a great cruise.  I believe the worst issue on the boat was just communication and guest services was just horrible - they never seemed to know what was going on and they were horrible about communicating if there was an issue and getting it resolved.  The food on the boat was great and majority of the staff that we encountered were very friendly and went out of their way to help with what you needed.  The entertainment on the boat was simply amazing! I have never been on a cruise with so much talent.   We would certainly go back on the ship again.

My family and I loved our cruise on Freedom of the Seas.  The crew was great, the cabin was larger than expected (room 7676), especially when you include the balcony.  There were plenty of things to do on the ship - pools, bars, restaurants, shows, etc.  My children (3 and 9) enjoyed the kid's programs.  You won't be disappointed.  

This was my first RC cruise. I have to say the service was exceptional. The few problems I had were resolved right away. The staff know you by name. I felt very safe aboard this ship. I enjoyed the shows, the dining room, the adult only pool and the ports of call.

There are a few negative things I could say. For one the internet packages are $20 per day and you have to purchase it for the entire cruise. That's $140 for one device. People who bought it complained the internet was too slow. Also, the prices for the arcade games are $1.50 each. They warn parents that children are able to use their seapass cards here, but I don't understand why they don't have packages where parents can pay for a certain amount of time. Also, they are always trying to sell you stuff - watches, jewelry, etc. The ATM machines charge you a $6.50 service fee. Casino slots are tight. Don't even bother.

We had 6 of us on this cruise (three couples with balcony staterooms).

We were disappointed in the dinner service as we had to wait  quite a while

for attention in the first few days of the cruise. After complaining to the matre'd

we did have improved service. She told us the fault was not with the wait staff

but that the kitchen staff was shorthanded and that the waitstaff had to help

with the food prep. The other shortcoming was with the excursions. After

waiting by a boat dock for a boat trip the boat staff informed us that we would

have to wade in waist high water to get off the boat onto shore. All of us  being elderly we decided not to go but that ruined our afternoon on the island.

The next excursion was outright cancelled as that amphibious vehicle had

mechanical problems. We got the message about an hour ahead of the trip.

On the positive side, we enjoyed excellent service in the windjammer restaurant

for breakfast, had fun in the casino and at the evening shows.

Overall, the cruise was very good even though the first and last day ocean crossing was very windy.  Dinner service and food was very good.  As for breakfast, need more people to clean tables and some were walking around like zombies.  As for service around the pool, well, not too great.  Some people were smoking just outside the smoking area and dumping ashes on the deck.  When we mentioned this to a cruise steward, he shrugged.  My husband asked if he was going to do anything about it, and he just walked away.  Too scared for their jobs.  Not enough management walking around to make sure things run smoothly.  As for the islands, they were great. Swimming with the dolphins in Cayman was the best day ever!

Several things I didn't like.  Housekeeping held onto soap like it was gold.  We were down to nothing, and had to ask for more.  When we went to eat on Monday night, we were refused for lack of "formal" dress--and refused in a fairly rude manner.  On my last cruise, there was one one formal dining night, Thursday; this time there were two, but they made it hard to know that.  The next night when we went to dine, our table had been given away to someone else.  At that point, I just skipped the dining room and ate in the Windjammer cafe.  When I say the refusal for lack of formal dress was rude, I mean just that.  They could have said: "I'm sorry, sir, but we now have two formal dining nights; sorry if you didn't get the message.  Can I hold your table until you dress more formally?"  Instead,m they snarled at me, as if I were a social pariah, inflicted with deadly leprosy, and they were obliged to yell "Unclean!  Unclean!"  So others could flee from my filthy presence!  My next cruise will DEFINITELY NOT be on Royal Caribbean/.  The Caribbean was fine, but there was nothing royal about my cruise or that ship.

If I had know their was a large group of 1,150 I would have postponed my cruise. I was a bit upset when speaking with another couple and learned that they had a Suite and paid way less that we did for a Jr. Suite.

Gracious service & attention to every detail; excellent entertainment, along with the many different activities that are offered, make every day a fun experience.  

Love Royal Caribbean but things seem to be changing. Most of the staff seemed sad and fought amongst themselves. I could sense a lot of tension. With that being said this was my second time in this ship with this itinerary. Great ship. Always a lot going on. 

This was our 6th cruise with RCI and although we still love cruising with them they are starting to slip on certain issues.

With gratuities being automatically debited to your onboard account, some ship staff are not giving the same high standard of service as before when they relied on your discretion as to how much to tip.

The evening entertainment schedule was very unfriendly for the second sitting dinner at 8pm. A few events were impossible to get to especially on a couple of nights when the dining room service was very slow.

Good food but service effected by the gratuity issue mentioned above.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST is the continued overcharging of internet service. The signal on the ship was so weak I couldn't conduct business which I have to do while on vacation. The best signal I got on the entire cruise was off the ship in a local bar in St Thomas AND IT WAS FREE !!!!!!!!!

With the amount of profit that the cruise lines are making it's about time that WiFi was free especially for poor service.

In September we went on a carnival cruise and it was such an amazing experience that we decided to go on a Feb cruise also. We decided to try out Royal after hearing from people. To be honest we found that it did not even compare. There were some things we liked about Royal (less partiers, no salt water pools, bigger pools) but there were far more cons (technical difficulties with elevators being slow, doors not opening or opening extremely slow, room wasn't as nice, screws falling out of the door, food was a step down (weird I know, goes against everything I read, dinner menu was not nearly as great) just led to a ok experience. We had a blast at the ports which redeemed the vacation but the first day at sea was so rocky (winds at 60 mph) and the last day was so cold that we couldn't be outside as much as we wanted (I know this is something that Royal has no control over). But I think if we never cruised before we would have loved it, we just were let down after hearing the hype and comparing it to the carnival valor last year. Hope this helps someone. Remember my thoughts and your thoughts may be different. Cruise satisfaction highly depends on what you enjoy doing. My wife and I do not drink or party, we like to enjoy the sun and relax.

Overall the cruise was very good.  There were some issues getting proper seating for dinner because the cruise was sold out but it was finally resolved on day 2.  There was a special private musical group on board that seemed to take up most of the activities, leaving those without access to their shows with little to do.

This cruise was one of our most unforgettable trips.  We have taken over 27.

The time from getting into line for registration and onto the ship was less than ten

minutes.  The time leaving upon arriving home port and getting to our transportation was less than ten minutes.  Wonderful.

The crew was fantastic.  So nice and helpful.

The food was great.

Most of all, the entertainment was tops..and I mean tops.

Our cabin was clean, with plenty of room.  Our cabin steward was helpful and friendly.

The stops were perfect.  One had a little more walking, but so much to do and see.

This was a wonderful trip.    Lynn

Didn't feel there was enough staff.  Dirty dishes were not actively being removed from tables in Sorrento's Pizza, Cafe Promenade & buffet.  Felt funny just leaving our dirty dishes on the table when there were other people looking for an empty table. Cabin steward cleaning carts w/clean towels & sheets and vacuum cleaners left in hallway most of the week.  We had it right outside our cabin door.  No food available outside by pool.  Have to go downstairs to Deck 5 for pizza or sandwich or through the inside buffet.  This was 7th cruise and 1st on Royal Caribbean.  We're going back to Carnival.  Better service and layout of ships much better.

We had a great time on our recent cruise.  Our waiter at the restaurant was amazing and so attentive; especially with our small children.  Our server Siddhesh Mhatre would cut their food, showed them magic tricks and really made our dinner time fun! We had a pretty late dinner slot so it really made all the difference for us having such a great server!

Had a very good time.  Cabin attendant, Javier, was exceptional.  The dinning room staff was great- Ronnie and Hemsley.  Ship was well maintained and everyone really worked hard.

It was 7 days of heaven in the Caribbean.  Although the weather wasn't always

cooperative, The cruise made up for it.  This is a great ship with lots of opportunities.  Highlights were the fantastic shows,  the yummy meals, the

friendly staff and the professional approach to cruise life.  The Freedom is

a great ship and don't miss the Ice Show!!!!!!

The cruise was great we had lots of fun lookent eing forward to another one soon the crew members were great food was excellent everything was made to order the rooms were good overall everything was great it was a smooth sailing

The ship was clean but needed some updating. The food in the windjammer good and dinner service was great. The carpeting in the windjammer was repaired while we were on the ship.