Overall, it was a great week. I have booked 4 more cruises on this ship over he next 3 years. It may not have all the bells and technology of the Oasis Class ships, but it is very easy to get familiar with the ship layout and nothing is ever very far away. The ship does cater to more families and kids with the 2 water parks in addition to the swimming and sports pools. So, if you are looking to have fewer kids, I would suggest one of the other Freedom class ships.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Ground crew and staff were very friendly and helpful. From the ladies who greeted me at baggage claim at IAH, to the shuttle driver to Galveston and the entire port check-in process, everyone had a smile and started the trip off on a good note.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The food was good overall. I ate in the Windjammer for lunch on 2 days and overnight in the Main Dining Room. The MDR staff took amazing care of some special requests for the week, including, making sure we had toasted pumpkin seed rolls (my favorite) every night on the table as well as a cheese and fruit plate overnight before we ordered our meals.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
I dodged a bullet sailing the week AFTER Thanksgiving. I was told there were some 1,500 kids onboard the week of Thanksgiving and the ship was utter chaos. My week had just over 4,050 passengers and it did not seem crowded at all. Plenty of deck chairs all over the ship and ample spaces in the whirlpools. There was minimal trouble scheduling spa treatments at reasonable times as well. The gym was empty until the last 2 days (sea days) of the cruise.
Day Spa and Fitness Center
5 out of 5
During the 7-night cruise, I had 3 treatments with Hershey in the spa. She was amazing. 90 minute hot stone on the first night, a 90 minute top to toe on day 3 (Cozumel) and then a modified 20/20/20/20 for 80 minutes on day 5 (Jamaica). Spa was clean and relaxing.
NOTE: The spa is located UNDER the mini-golf course. If there are a lot of kids or players, that noise is right above you. Plan your treatment sessions accordingly.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
There were 3 production shows onboard - 2 in the main theater, including Saturday Night Fever and 1 in the ice arena. The quality was very good overall. I preferred the stage shows over the ice, but it was all very well done and definitely talented casting.
Children's Programs
Not traveling with kids
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
From the cabin attendant to the Excursions desk, everyone was always helpful with any questions I had. If they were not the right person, they would have the right person get in touch with me or would schedule an appointment to meet with the right person. Anis, the Diamond Concierge was amazing! He assisted with a few Crown and Anchor questions, set up an appointment with the Next Cruise desk and an appointment with Nick, with Shore Excursions, to book excursions on upcoming cruises,
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The ship is starting to show her age. Overall, the cabins are in good condition, but a little dated and worn. There were signs of extreme carpet wear on the stairs. The elevators were in excellent condition despite them being in constant use. The only draw back to the design is having the spa under the mini-golf course. The water slides, rock climbing wall and sports court are all to the aft on Deck 13. There is a kids water park on Deck 11 right in front of the Windjammer. In essence, the Freedom Class is a slightly larger version of the Voyager Class - everything else is about the same, just more cabins.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The cabin was located on Deck 10 - midship. The location was close to the midship elevators and most of what I was doing onboard. Windjammer is Deck 11 Aft, the fitness center is Deck 11 Forward and the Spa is Deck 12 Froward and my dining was 8 pm on Deck 5 aft - easy access to stairs which I used 90% of the time.
Ship tip
Take advantage of the Port days for discounts on Spa and Fitness services. These days have significant discounts on services and you have the spaces to yourself.
Now that you do not need to fill out the customs form, the debarkation process went very smoothly. I used the self- assist departure process. There was a long line of others doing the same thing. So, that was a bit of a delay onboard the ship trying to accommodate the line and luggage of those doing the self-assist. The shuttle to IAH was great - wifi and power at each seat.
I cruise more for the ship and the get-away than the actual ports. I have been going to the Caribbean for over 20 years. Not many cruise ports I have never been to. Working to earn top tier with Royal Caribbean.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
