Freedom of the Seas Cruise Reviews - Reviews

RCI Freedom of the Seas Cruise - 08-23-15 to 08-30-15

John & Brenda Guze - Cabin 6615

john_guze@msn.com

09-05-15

 

In response to your repeated request for our comments regarding our recent cruise

we respectfully submit the following:

 

EMBARKATION - Both being severally arthritic and in our mid 70's had requested wheel chair assistance for boarding. We checked-in at the Handicapped Desk and after waiting almost 40 minutes for service. Only 1 of the 2 chairs requested was available. This was offered to my wife who can neither walk or stand for long periods. After another 15 minute wait, the 2nd chair had still not arrived, so I choose to walk alongside, explaining to the attendant that I use a cane and can not stand or walk for long. Off we went on "Homer's Odessy". Traveling for some unknown reason to the farthest, aft, boarding ramp about 1000 feet down a seemingly unending hallway. Once boarded the ship, we turned left and walked another 800-900ft, back tracking to the other, fwd, boarding ramp area, where people were also entering the ship. Once inside we took the elevator up to the spa -solarium area on deck 11. Then proceeded the length of deck 11 to the Windjammer Cafe. Another 700 to 800 ft. Needless to say – I was exhausted. When asked why we took the long “Scenic” route. The attendant explained to avoid the wait at the elevator bank. Had I know he was taking me on a nearly 3000 ft journey I would have waited for the 2nd chair. A little communication from the attendant was lacking, especially after I explained to him that I can not walk or stand for very long and was visibly using a cane.

FOOD – For the most part very good, with varied selections, interesting presentations, pleasing tastes. However there were 2 outstanding negative meals to comment on. 1st was our initial evening dinner on Sunday night. Our waiter raved about the beef which is wonderfully “like fillet mignon”.. Well it was the farthest thing from it. Too much gristle, fat, and very tough. My wife could not cut hers and asked me to help. I also had trouble cutting mine even with a steak knife. When our waiter saw we were struggling, he offered to cut my wife's meat. And he also had difficulty. Fillet mignon, eh? Afraid NOT! More like a suspicious sales hype to clear tough beef out of the galley. 2nd was the Cordon Blu – coating was very hard, dry, difficult to cut. The chicken was dry and tough. The cheese and ham filling usually abundant was very sparse.

DINNING ROOM SERVICE – Hostess Arty was fabulous. Very pleasant, cooperative with all of our requests, extremely accommodating. We appreciated her professional attention to detail. Area Captain, Peter was most gracious, charmingly remembered my wife's birthday and gave an impressive dissertation on life and marriage values. Waiter Rodson was inconsistent with his attentiveness and attitude. Service ranged from warm and anticipatory to cool to inattentive. He appeared to be very annoyed with our wanting to remove the shrimp tails before applying the cocktail sauce as if these few seconds were disrupting his maintaining a predetermined service schedule. He would often walk and stand about 10 feet away with his back turned to us and made us wait for his return with the cocktail sauce. I took it as a pout. Connie the assistant waiter was extremely attentive and greatly anticipatory to our dinner needs. He quickly and very professionally, in a timely manner, carried out his service duties cheerfully, unobtrusively. He made our meals pleasant and memorable. You should clone and promote him.

ENTERTAINMENT – Production Company was awesome. Ice show fabulous. Assorted acts, musician solos, groups around the ship very enjoyable. Stage game shows too limited in number and VERY disappointing over replaying of SAME Love & Marriage episode on RCTV. Need to show more of previous production show, acts on RCTV for guests who for a variety of reasons or circumstances either missed the initial episode and or would like to see it again. Not everyone is sitting in a bar and drinking the night away. Especial ailing seniors who's multiple cruises over the past few decades have funded your business success. Pay attention to us.

RCTV - 1st volume control levels channel to channel variations sucks. Either it is a whispering level and must be cranked to max to hear or when you change channels it wakes the couple 3 cabins down the hall. In this day of technological brilliance, we find it inexcusable to suffer such primitive audio neglect. My God, you are in total control of what you put on the local ship network---are you not.? Hello! Is any body home? Any body listening? Does any body care? 2nd Why in the world do we see only ONE version of the Love and Marriage game ALL week? Boring. 3rd Need more weather information on your TV network. One report in the morning on CNN or HLN just does NOT cut it, especially during hurricane season. 4th For people who for health age, personal reasons did not make the initial Production show, or other talent acts, it would be nice to catch it on RCTV later that night or next day or night. 5th The RCTV staff maybe hooked on JAZZ music, but believe me not every one IS, especially 24-7. How about be merciful to our minds and ears and have a variety of softer – elevator music. The youth have their “head banging” musical videos...what about the “quieter” folks.? Believe me, all Jazz is not very producing a very romantic atmosphere either!! 6th What's with all the Spanish audio stations. More English please. Thank you.

CAPTAIN'S HURRICANE UPDATE VIDEOS – We were very grateful and appreciative of the initial efforts taken by our Captain, Ron Holmes, to video tape a status report on Hurricane Danny and his evasive plan options. We saw it initially on Sunday afternoon – evening 08-23. However, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday airing of the same was obsolete out dated info and very disturbing. Coupled with the lack of weather info on the RCTV via CNN and or HLN we felt like mushrooms – In the dark. The 2nd Captain's report of a dissipating Danny but emerging threatening Ericka was a refreshing and much needed update. However while the CNN & HLN where talking of a Category 1 in Miami about Saturday and a Category 2 in mid Florida on Sunday our day of return, the bridge kept feeding us the outdated 2nd video . WHY? Think we couldn't handle the TRUTH? Please be more timely with future weather conditions facing us at sea. Thank you.

SOLARIUM SNACK BAR – Very disappointed that it was closed.

CONDITION OF SHIP – Impressed with cleanliness, decor, and condition of ship.

STAFF – Very friendly, all levels of uniformed personnel, maintenance, room stewards, servers, Customer Service Desk, Officers cheerfully greeted us with smiles and hellos, Made us fell genuinely welcomed. Our room steward, Mark, was pleasantly playful, attentive and quickly responsive to our requests, he made our voyage enjoyable. The abundant visibility of the ship's Captain was impressive. Saw him in often in the dinning rooms. Promenade, Windjammer, on stage, and hallways. Very down to earth. Did not Lord it above anyone. Impressed by his getting in line with others at the dinning room buffet rather than special treatment because of his rank. Very likable man. His videos on the weather came across as sincere, concerned, genuine. But just need more of them and timelier ones.

ANNOUNCEMENTS – Volume control for room speaker worked for emergency fire drill but nothing else.

DECK SPEAKERS – DEAFENING VOLUME LEVEL – Sitting in a deck chair, close to unfortunately the over head speaker horn, and was nearly scared to death when it blasted out an announcement. Understand emergency info MUST be communicated, but why are normal announcements as well?

DECK CHAIRS: Plastic strap lounge and upright chairs on deck are extremely difficult to get in and out of and offer little relaxing comfort. Need more lounge chairs and up right wicker chairs similar to those found around the Solarium pool area.

DISEMBARKATION - 1st We could NOT hear the priority Numbers being called in our room. 2nd We were given INSTRUCTION SHEETS in our cabin which stated that for our Code 9 we were to assemble in the STAR LOUNGE which was FWD about ¾ of the ship or nearly 750 ft away from our cabin 6615. We obediently complied laboring the trek to the STAR LOUNGE. As we arrived at the entrance to the lounge our Disembarkation Number 9 was in the process of disembarking. Great, but we NEVER heard the word, either in our cabin or in the hallway. Why???? 3rd Here we go back to “HOMER's Odessy” We descended to deck 4 and went out on deck to the nearest ramp to the terminal. Surprise! At the end of the ramp in the Terminal we entered a seemingly endless 1000 ft hallway. My God. We had to BACK TRACK our path out. There where only 2 occupied chairs about midway. Heaven help us. Laboring with canes and the grace of God we got to the end of the terminal hallway. An approximate 2000 ft journey. Deleted expletives flew from my mouth like bats out of a cave when we discovered that the OTHER disembarkation ramp was in use in the AFT of the ship. That ramp was about 150 ft from our cabin 6615. But we were directed in the other direction. Why? Poor communications. Needs improvement. We asked someone in uniform RCI personnel in the very long hallway why there were not chairs along the way. We were told "The Fire Marshall feels that they would create a restriction for exiting passengers in the event of an emergency. Let's see if I understand this logic. Oh so a few chairs with people resting on the 1000 ft journey would create an obstruction and be a safety hazard. But stepping over passed out, collapsed, exhausted, perhaps dead passengers would not? Hmm!

CRUISE DIRECTOR – Casey Pefter was tremendous. Entertaining, enthusiastic, exciting fun to listen to, and be around. Liked the way he injected himself into many of the acts and skits. Really enjoyed his morning show on RCTV THANK YOU – To the entire ship for an overall, very enjoyable cruise. This was our 40th cruise over the last 30 years and our 10th RCI cruise. We regret we did not switch to RCI earlier. We will, God willing, be back ! – In fact, April 16th on the Navigator of the Seas for our 53rd wedding anniversary celebration. We hope that our feedback will not be taken as complaining but a sincere conscientious effort to share with you the cruise provider some information that in some small way may improve upon subsequent cruise experiences. Thank you for asking for our feedback. Use it wisely. Thanks to our Travel Agent, Kathy Green, for her pleasant, efficient, effective, professional service. Always available, resolves issues quickly without hesitation or questioning. Appreciated her managing to get us a handicap  room, along with decolonized water and extension cords for our 2 CPAC breathing devices. Thank you again. Looking forward to working with you on any of our up coming cruises. You were a treasure. Wishing you all Bonn Voyage! & Calm seas.

As always they have done an outstanding job, they meet and exceeded our expectations my wife has a food allergy and they more then went out of their way to accommodate her.  We have already. Booked out next one

Best Crew Ever!! Loved this Cruise and Itinerary! We are planning to go on this trip again next year with the entire family. there is plenty for kids and teens to do to keep them busy. 

The ship was big and had many activities to make your cruise a memorable one.

The crew members were friendly and eager to help you when you approach them.

St Thomas was the only stop I did not care about. The other two was fine.

 

Everyone loves the islands and their splendid beaches and that I did enjoy. When it comes to my voyage I wasn't mention to bring my groceries, water,cokes,snacks etc. Yet they forgot I was going to be eating the same food at the buffet. For that there's one place and we know where to go everynight. Bring your best charge card cause they'll charge your service fee per guest and bring extra just in case your generous to leave more then that . By the way charge me 1000 per person but also 150 so I can drink Coke products that's a rip off.No thank you

first 7 day cruise, was very enjoyable. We had some teenagers that hung out on our floor  between the two side, that was being very rowdy. Moving plants in elevator, and being loud, wish the crew had said something more to them.

 

I personally am not fond of huge ships, but considering its size and the number of people, lines, etc., were not too bad.  Going from one place to another a chore.  Crew, especially maitre d's in third and fifth floor restaurants, extremely attentive.  The orange juice served in the restaurant is orange water.  There's a charge for the real thing, or pineapple juice.  The cabin steward was fine but did not check the shampoo container before we boarded.  There I am soaking wet in the shower and NO SHAMPOO.  All requests were otherwise promptly met.  Amazingly, we always found chairs by the adult pool in a shady spot.  Plenty of towels but pools too crowded--god just for soaking.

This was my first time on a cruise and it will definitely not be my last with Royal Caribbean.  They had an abundance of activities as well as so many shows to try and make.  Whether you love activity or you want a laid back, comfortable cruise; this one covers the whole spectrum.  Look to the top deck for swimming, volleyball, soccer, the infamous flow-rider, the rock wall, and much more.  You can stay active in the day and still have plenty of time for an afternoon nap, and then go on to make 2-3 shows in a row.  It's all very well coordinated and hosted.  The service was impeccable, that alone would bring me back no matter what the rest of the cruise was like.  The food was awesome and it was so nice to be waited on hand and foot.  What a great treat. I would say that even with all the awesome choices for excursions, you barely need them with such great activities, great staff, and great food :)

Disappointed in this cruise, not the usual good service in the dining rooms.  The server and asst server we slow and sometimes not available.  The head waiter ended up up taking care of us.  There were 11 family members in our group and although were made our reservations several months ahead, our group was spread out in the dining room.  Had to wait almost 2 hours after we boarded to get a table together abd get insistant DISAPPOINTED.  The music in the theater was so loud I stopped going to the shows and my grand daughters has to leave because it hurt their ears.  You added more rooms to a ship built for a fewer number, the result was over crowding.  We are Emerald  Members but our perks are fewer and I believe you raised the number of nights to get to the next level.  On board signing up for drink packages you did not show the cheaper packages.  Quit going to the casino ALWAYS LOSING!  May have to look at a different line,

Overall the cruise ship met all of my family's expectations. The staff in the dining hall was exceptional. The food was very good, but it did not blow us away. The staff at the nursery for children under 3 years were wonderful! It was very reasonably priced at $8 an hour and I was very comfortable with the staff. They allowed us to have a little adult time.

my wife and my 90 year old parents were looking forward to the chop house for dinner. we came to dinner with a full wine glass. the waiter showed us the recommended wine and we graciously refused. the waiter was no longer had time for us. Our first set of 4 steaks medium rare (pink in the middle) came out well done and cold (530 dinner) our second set of steaks were cold as well and still not really pink in the middle. Three of 4 side dishes were also cold.  ????  not what we were expecting at all.

Our italian dinner and giovani was superb -- again 530 dinner  and we were the only table of 4. (two 1/2 hour diner) Staff, chef, waiter, and maitre d were superb

 

My only complaint is that the dining room smothers everything with alcohol...and I don't consume alcohol for religious reasons so we couldn't really eat dinner there.

I don't think the staff could've been better if they tried. They really made the trip. Especially since the boat caught on fire. . . the staff really came through to keep everyone calm, safe, and still keep us happy.

Great trip with family. Could have been better if could stay longer on main islands.

Cruise ship need more Starbucks in more places. Need more types of shops on shop mall area. Less jewelry shops, too many. The music needs turned down every where, could not understand.  

The cruise was a good overall although there are a few things I would change. My hubby and I took two cruises ( RC and Carnival) before we had children so this was our first family cruise. I had to keep reminding myself that this was a family cruise. LOL

Cabin: (Get a suite)

The cabin is small for a family of four but manageable. I would opt for a suite next time for added comfort or maybe adjoining rooms so the kids could have their own bathroom and space. We had two over sized twin beds which was put together to make a queen bed. The kids had bunk beds that came out from the walls.  I didn't like hearing the beds squeak when they moved around or when they climbed down to use the restroom.

The bathroom is small but not bad. I like the enclosed shower feature. We did bring in air freshener from home as someone recommended. There is no fan. I expected the bathroom to have an awful smell which it didn't.

We stayed in cabin 9689 (aft) which I would not recommend. Floor nine is nice and quiet but our cabin was probably above the engine so the beds vibrated at times or we heard a humming sound. I didn't like the swaying motion either. I would opt for midship next time.

Food: (Sandwiches and treats provided on Deck 5 Starbucks for free)

The food was okay. The kids enjoyed the Windjammer which is casual dining for breakfast lunch and dinner. We mainly ate there for breakfast. After a couple of days the food choices became redundant: pancakes, waffles, bacon, sausage, eggs, omelet station, same pastries, etc.  

We did My Time Dining for dinner and thought we could go whenever we wanted which isn't true. You have to make reservations for the time slot you want. The only time that was left was 5:30 so that's what we ended up doing. The food here was a little better. The portions were skimpy at times especially with the salads. I had to request a second salad on more than one occasion. The deserts were okay. The service was great in the sense that they went out of their way to accommodate you. The main complaint is that it took 1 hr 45 minutes or so to eat dinner which caused us to miss the 7:00 show. Shows are held nightly at 7 & 9. You have to arrive at least 20 minutes early to get a good seat. We didn't make it to the 9:00 show because our kids were tired by 9. You may want to eat dinner at the Windjammer which is casual and offers a variety of options.

 

Drinks: (Deck 5 in back of Star bucks have cups for water)

We didn't do any beverage packages. Water, lemonade and tea is provided. The drinks at the Windjammer sit on a tray and you choose what you want. They were quite awful and were watered down by the ice cubes. I requested a drink without ice and it was bathwater warm. Not good.  

Water is provided throughout the ship but you have to search for it. One main spot is on Deck 5 in the back of where Star Bucks is located. You have to pay for coffee but sandwiches, cookies and treats are free. 

 

Entertainment/Activities

The Ice Show was awesome!! A must see.

Ice Skating was fun but chaotic.

You get 30 minutes to skate and they only allow 30 people on the small rink. The 30 minutes include you getting your gear(knee pads, elbow pads, helmet, skates) and putting it on. The first time we went it took us 20 minutes to get everything on. We were in the second group.The kids only had 10 minutes to skate! Stressful.  The second time we went super early and were the first group to go. They allowed the first group to get their gear early so we had a full 30 minutes to skate. Get there early! Pack long pants and socks! Sign waiver before trip online!

 

FlowRider:

Awesome! Kids loved it but the lines are super long. Think amusement park. There is a cost of $69.00 for lessons only! It is free to do the Flowrider. Many people didn't know this. They thought they had to pay $69.00 which is for lessons only. Sign waiver on line before trip!

 

Rock Climbing

Awesome! Please have your waivers signed. Long lines because people were signing paperwork. Annoying. Bring long pants or comfortable clothes. Shoes provided.

Casino:

My hubby and I were excited about going but it was a let down. RC allows smoking in the casino and we could only tolerate being there a short time. I also didn't like that the casino is right next to the photo gallery so as you're looking at pictures with your kids you can smell smoke. Not good!

Dress:

The dress code was not always enforced during dinner which angered some people. People wore t-shirts, shorts, etc. One man was turned away because he wore shorts and it wasn't pretty. The wife was upset because three other men were allowed in with shorts.  We adhered to the dress code but honestly I would rather have a more casual experience. 

 

Kids Camp:

My kids are 8 and 12. The camps are broken down into the following age categories:

6-8  9-11 12-17.  My 8 year old was too mature for the 6-8 group so we bumped her up to the 9-11 which wasn't a problem. My 12 year old was uncomfortable being with the 12-17 age group so we bumped her down to the 9-11.

I honestly think the 12-17 range is too wide and should be more a 12-14 group and a 15-17 group. In the 12-17 group the kids could come and go as they please which I felt uncomfortable with. I  was dissatisfied when parents were turned away during the 12-17 orientation on the first night. Parents were told that the orientation was for the teens only and instructed the parents to wait outside. This turned me off as well as a few other parents with 12 year olds. The staff person told me that my daughter would let me know what was discussed. This was outside my comfort level and in my opinion inappropriate. 

Adult activities:

I was probably the most disappointed about the activities for adults. The majority of the activities for adults started at 9:45pm  so my hubby and I weren't able to participate. Our kids were exhausted by 9:30!

RC should offer early adult activities from 8-10pm and late activities starting at 10:00. The kids camp closed at 10:00pm and it would have been nice to drop the kids off at camp at 8 and attend some adult activities. I feel that RC does a good job catering to kids and adults after hours but not to parents who can't do the late night stuff! I'm not sure why some of the adult activities weren't offered during the day. For example on our first RC trip we did the Newlywed Game in the afternoon.Such activities were' not offered during the day.

 

Excursions:

Coco Cay: Great time. Went to Barefoot Beach. Clear water, not deep. Kids had great time snorkeling. You won't see any colorful fish but kids had great time nonetheless.Lots of water activities too. Food provided by RC.

This was a tendered location so getting off the ship took 45 minutes. It was painful!!! So many people and so slow! Least favorite part of trip!

 

St. Thomas:

Took a taxi to Magens Bay!  $8 for adults. Free for kids 13 and under. AWESOME!! Such a beautiful beach! Nice amenities-changing room, food, chairs, etc. This was our favorite!!!!! BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

 

St.Martens

Took an Island Tour which was great! Excursion included a stop to shop. Then went to beach which was nice. If you go to Orient Beach may see nudity. A few people went snorkeling at Majo Beach the one with the planes. Unfortunately the beach was closed so check to make sure before you book excursion.

 

Sea Days:

People used towels/books to reserve chairs by the pool starting at 7;30 Am. This was a huge problem. RC didn't enforce the rule of not reserving chairs so people did what they wanted. The ship was fully booked (4,500) so it felt crowded.

 

Elevators:

Slow slow slow! We climbed the stairs the majority of the time. If an elevator comes get on it. It will eventually take you where you need to go.

 

Things to Pack:

hangers from home -we left them behind

safety pins

sweater/sweat shirt

long pants

socks

old water shoes-left behind. They never dried

Baggies/trash bags for wet clothes, etc.

Extra pool bag

Over the door make-up bag to store incidentals

Final Thoughts

The kids had a great time! It would have been more enjoyable for my hubby and me if we we were able to partake in some adult activities. The ship is clean and the staff was superb!

 

 

 

 

 

Excellent cruise- the entertainment was fabulous.  The ship's staff and crew were friendly and always eager to assist.  Dining options 24/7 around the ship allowed for all our food needs to be satisfied.The excursions we selected exceeded our expectations for quality. Highly recommend a visit to Stingray City. We had adjoining balcony staterooms which fit our needs for 5 perfectly.  Not only were our cabins connected, but the balconies were able to be connected to each other.  It was worth the extra cost to have the flexibility. Port Canaveral is an easy port for cruise travel.  We parked out car at the Radisson nearby and were transported to the port. 

Our Cruise coordinator, Katie Otero, from Cruises Only was helpful throughout the process!

Was a good time didn't care for st. Thomas business district very pushy. St Maarten was really nice and always love going to cocoa cay. Could've spent more time in ports though

Highly recommended!! There always free pizza, cheesecake pops and coffee!!!

Great activities, great shows and great food!!!.  The service was excellent.....The pictures were beautiful

 

My husband, son, daughter-in-law, grandchildren (16 & 19), and myself all had a wonderful time on this cruise.  The ship is beautiful. This was our second trip on the Freedom.  Our waitstaff and room steward were terrific!!!  The crew were visible and interactive.  The Captain was on deck more than once.  This was a nice touch.  The ship needs more pop machines and the ones there need to be in working order.  The show times were not convenient for us with a late dinner unless we went to the early show.  Not always an option.  We did see the ice show and I highly recommend it.  It was a lot of fun.  Great entertainment. 

My family and I have been wanting to try Royal Caribbean cruise line but we were not as impressed as we thought we would be.  The ship Freedom of the Seas was just okay and the staff overall was mediocre.  We enjoyed the ports of call more than being on the ship. In the past we have cruised with Disney Cruise Line twice, Carnival Dream & Breeze. My teenage kids actually told me that the Carnival Dream and Breeze was so much better & said please do not book RC again. We ate dinner at all the private restaurants each night except one.  We were not a fan of the food at the buffets.  The spa team members were just okay as well.  Nothing impressive for the money.