KiwiGal117

Hi APDMOM! Imagine my delight when I wandered over from the RC boards and found your review! As soon as I saw it of course I remembered that you mentioned you would be going. Thanks for the great info - we just got back from a Freedom cruise and your review of yours was so helpful! Thanks again! I hope we meet on a ship one day!

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We were on the cruise just prior - arrived at the port around 10:15 - no wait whatsoever - straight through security, and up to a check in desk, sat a few moments downstairs, then moved upstairs and sat a few more before boarding. All in we were about 30 minutes from dropping luggage to stepping onto the ship with no lines at any point. OP just hit that bad spot of arriving in the thick of it, as he admitted. But 30 minutes I didn't think was bad, but then I wasn't standing in line at all.

Also, that port aft elevator wasn't working either. It did slow things down, but once I remembered, I just used the starboard side. We took the stairs as much as possible.

My picky Italian husband liked the pizza on Freedom last week - as did the rest of our party. The crust was not cardboard at all and the sauce was definitely not ketchup. It is a thin crust

Pizza but this was definitely made on the spot and we thought it was good! Maybe not NY pizzeria good, but better than many of the US pizza chains.

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We arrived around 10:30 at Civitavecchia for our Harmony Cruise in 2016 and we were on board by 11. As that was an interporting cruise they offered a late departure option in the excursions section of our cruise planner.

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Just be aware that they don’t always offer the 10 drink card. We were on Freedom last week and did not see it offered.

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Interesting- thanks for sharing and I look forward to the link to your review in due course!

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We did this last week on Freedom. Meal was definitely not an MDR meal. Yes, the wines were a mix of less expensive/more expensive. We really enjoyed it. There was a lobster salad to start, a choice of mains (a seafood platter - salmon, shrimp & scallops), a meat dish - filet mignon, rack of lamb, and sausage and (for a small(!!) upcharge) lobster. It was $45 per person. We felt it was worth it.

Last week on Freedom they offered a small group lesson for $69 pp, with a max of 8 people- just ask at the Wipe Out desk.

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Thank you for your post.

Even though RCCL isn’t our “foodie” line we find food in MDR to be pretty good (and my escargots are always available!)

 

We are sailing on Freedom next week so I am even more interested. How was buffet overall? Do you remember if smoked salmon was there for breakfast?

Unfortunately I don’t know about smoked salmon. We either ordered room service or went to the MDR for breakfast. I thought the buffet at lunch was good. Lots of choice - everything from hot dogs and fries to stir fry, salads, ribs, fried chicken. I think most people could find something to enjoy. My husband loves the escargot!

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We are getting ready to cruise on Freedom 4/28, first time for RCL. Have cruised on other lines now for probably 12 years. The first time was Holland and I thought the food was extraordinary! Maybe easily impressed for a first-time cruiser, not sure. I have heard that the quality on Holland has also declined along with all other lines, except for maybe the very elite lines. I haven't seen too many reviews of Freedom's food. Can anyone weigh in? We are considering maybe purchasing the 2-nights package of specialty dining, but many have said even the food there was not all that great.

We were on Freedom last week, and found the food to be very good. I was nervous, given recent reviews. However, we did a mix of specialty dining (Sabor, Giovanni's, as well as the wine pairing dinner at Vintages), and MDR. I enjoyed virtually everything and found it well prepared. Food is so subjective, but we were with a group of 10 in total, and everyone agreed the food quality was good. Was it Michelin star good? No, of course not, but we were satisfied with the quality. The staff was great about asking if we were enjoying our meals, and if not, they would get us something else. So there was no reason at all to be upset with a choice or go hungry (like THAT would happen on a cruise ship!! LOL!!!). If you have any specific questions, I'm happy to answer. I thought Giovanni's was an amazing meal - excellent quality, great service. Well worth the BOGO pricing.

We liked the Vintages wine bar!

That should be on your invoice from your TA -- at least mine is.

I booked directly with RCI on the website, not through a TA. I know I could call, but given how long people seem to be sitting on hold, I'll wait a while. I just think they should not be taking vital information away. For one thing, it makes it hard to determine whether prices have dropped.

I think a car rental would be your best option. It's about a 3 1/2 hour drive.

Last week on Freedom, all excursions requiring ferry travel were cancelled. It's hard to know if that will still be the case this week, or three weeks from now. I believe the Tulum Ruins excursion was affected last week. I think the decision will be based on whether the US State Department has lifted its travel advisory.

Has anyone been able to figure out how to see the details of a booking? When I open mine, I see the reservation, but not the details (i.e. how much I paid, when final payment is due, etc.). When I go into it, I only have the option to pay it off. As it one year out, I'm not willing to do that yet.

We had several magnet hooks attached to our walls last week that the stateroom attendant did not remove. .

Same for us. I had a box of them in my luggage, and had them all over the room. No problem.

 

My husband and I are light eaters and find the speciality restaurants wasteful because unlike home when we go to a nice steakhouse, we can't split an entree' or take home leftovers.

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I would think it would be easy for Giovanni's to split an entrée for you. How they would charge for it, that's another question, but I found them to be very accommodating on our last cruise about sharing.

Freedom has stairs in the solarium pool.

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Have fun! We are at the Hilton now - boarding Freedom tomorrow! It’s mayhem here!

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http://www.royalcaribbean.com/beforeyouboard/passportGuidelines.do

Here is the link on the Royal website. US citizens on closed loop cruises do not need a passport - but I agree I would bring one, and honestly - you have time - renew it now just in case. You never know what might happen.

I think if you read the fine print, you will find it says "off onboard pricing", so while the pricing may change online here, there and everywhere, what they are supposedly comparing it to is what you would pay if you booked onboard. Of course none of us know what that pricing is until we get onboard, so difficult to track.

D'oh! I'm on Freedom next week - to follow live, or wait until I get home. Andrew are you live streaming too?? I'll spend my entire cruise following other cruises...

No. No I won't. I'll have something to look forward to when I get back.

My son was 12 when we were on Harmony and I think it was a life highlight! He loved everything about it - lots to do, good food and fabulous experience. We had MTD which we mostly had booked ahead but we were able to easily finalize on board. While I’m sure Disney is fabulous, for older children I think RC and in particular the Oasis class ships is more interesting.

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Thanks - self disembark it will be then!

As well, in the fine print it typically states X% off of onboard pricing, not the regular price we saw in our cruise planners last week.