RCCL – Freedom of the Seas Review
Itinerary – comments:
Day 1. After arriving at Port Canaveral we parked in the parking lot adjacent to the cruise terminal. Parking is easy to find so don’t worry about that. We arrived to be greeted with a sizable slow moving line up. This was not the fault of Royal Caribbean, but rather the disorganized port security people. The port security lady was very rude when she found out that she didn’t have all my sailing papers. Oops! Make sure you have your passport and departure pass documentation ready to go!
Day 2. Cocoa Key. – There were many chairs. They warned me to leave the ship early to get a chair. We would have around 1000 to choose from. If another ship is docked I can see how this would be a problem, but not if you are the only ship there. I liked all the beaches, especially the Barefoot beach, where you can walk far into the water. Bring your license if you and your kids want to jet ski. The snorkeling was very good. I saw a barracuda, a stingray, a marlin, a puffer fish, and a yellow(?) fish. The slide was fun for the kids and you can book it there on the island, as is the offshore water park. I would also suggest bringing bottled water or a snack as there isn’t a place to buy a lot of things. I really liked Cocoa Cay. I very nice stop.
Day 3. sea day
Day 4. Saint Thomas – We took an excursion to St. John to Trunk Bay to snorkel. The snorkeling is excellent and the scenery too. It seemed that the trip was going too fast, since only 1 and a half hours were spent in the trunk bay. There are apparently two tours booked in Trunk Bay. We hiked in the afternoon and put the Carnival crowd back. If you get the afternoon tour, be careful that they close the snack shop early, like 3pm in the afternoon. I’m not sure why, it’s not like it’s getting dark.
I have also been to Megan’s Bay on a previous trip. Megan’s Bay also has a beautiful beach, but there isn’t much to do for snorkeling. Regardless of whether you are going to Trunk Bay or Megan’s Bay or somewhere else, this is a great good harbor with plenty to do and see.
day 5. San Martin – St. Maarten / St. Martin is an island divided into two countries: Dutch and French. You can take a water taxi right off the boat in Phillipsburg for $6 all day. It will take you on a 5-minute ride to the town’s shops and beach. There will be people trying to sell you stuff, but they won’t bother you if you say no thanks. We rent jet skis. It was $55 for 35 minutes. We started walking around and got them for $50 and two “free” chairs. Don’t accept first price and see what you can negotiate.
I didn’t go to Oriental Beach like many. There is a chance of seeing nudes from where RCCL goes to the beach, but I don’t think it’s common. I just haven’t heard many people talk about it. I also really liked St. Martin. I didn’t mind people trying to see you stuff as soon as I got off the water taxi, but it definitely wasn’t as bad as what you’d find in Jamaica.
day 6. sea day
Day 7. Day at sea
Day 8 Landing.
Review Comments:
My overall experience was very good. I was surprised that the Freedom didn’t seem much bigger than the Mariner of the Seas. The staff was excellent. We were looked after very well by the dining room staff and the room staff. I also felt that the artists on the ship were very talented as well. However, the shows seemed slow and generally not memorable. I would like to see shows with more energy. I would also like to see programs changed more often. In fact, I sailed on the Mariner of the Seas, where the shows were the same one year apart. Cruise lines need to pay attention to the returning customer!
The putt-putt golf course was pretty, but unimaginatively built. There is almost no way to get a hole in one. The flow rider was a success. Time was split between surfing and kneeboarding. There were a few experts, but most had fun while learning. There was also time for private lessons; in my opinion too long. Up to 5-6 hours a day were spent on those who would pay extra for lessons.
Sailing is a lot of fun. However, there are many hidden costs. Be warned, Royal Caribbean automatically adds tips for everything…even drinks. If you’re not careful, you can easily double tip. Even on the islands there are tip boxes everywhere. Take a bunch of ones and some fives explicitly for this purpose. When you take a cruise, it will cost you more than you planned, especially if you drink alcohol!
I would also recommend not booking a flight too close to disembarkation time. My cruise ship was diverted because someone was sick. She returned the Freedom to port about six hours late. She not only created a log jam when landing, but she created a lot of angry people who missed flights. Word to the wise, get travel insurance.
Another tip for Royal Caribbean: paintings are expensive. I would suggest being able to put the images in a digital format somehow so people can touch up some blemishes. There were several photos that I would have purchased, one or two blemishes could have been touched up on my computer at home. I also think more photos would sell.
I noticed that the same movies were playing which could have easily been varied. Also, the ice cream dispenser on the pool terrace created traffic jams every day. Couldn’t there be a better place for it? Why was it closed at 8pm I think? It should be one of the “open late” places.
Overall, I really enjoyed the experience. I think RCCL and other cruise lines need to work harder to accommodate repeat passengers. I would also suggest changing up the itineraries a bit. How about changing one of the stops instead of the same stops?
Happy browsing!