joromay

Thank you!

We are booked for the Apex Holiday cruise this year and will be in Grand Cayman on Christmas Day.  Booked a 3 hour island tour because I wasn’t sure what would actually be open.  Not really a hanging out on beach family.  Has anyone been to Cayman on Christmas Day that can tell me what to expect about what will be open or closed?  Thanks!

Just curious if anyone has stayed in this cabin that appears to be under the pool area.  Should I be worried about noise?  Thanks all.  

Back from my cruise. Had a wonderful time. My sister took her reusable water bottle and was fine. Just wanted to share that I saw plenty of people bringing cases of water on board. At one port (I think it was St. Thomas) there was a supermarket right by the port and one passenger brought a case of water and brought it on board with no problem. So if you want to bring your own water feel free to do so. Great ship, great time!

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Debarkation & Final Impressions

 

 

 

Look, debarkation day is always going to be kind of sucky, right? I am sure everyone misses home and looks forward to seeing their pets, friends, etc. but cruises are so magical nobody wants them to end. But end they do and we just hope the logistics are smooth. Well, it turned out, in our case, the logistics were a comedy of errors.

 

 

 

Given I have already bored you with way too many details, let’s just say we dealt with power issues in the port in San Juan (we were essentially stuck on the ship for an extra 45 minutes which sounds great until you realize we were stuck in the line to get off and it was about 90 degrees with 206% humidity), delayed planes and uncomfortable seats. Oh well, at least we have the Allure of the Seas to look forward to!!!

 

 

 

OVERALL

 

 

 

Ship – The Freedom is still amazing. The Oasis class ships are literally in another class (although we have only been on Allure) but we still and always will love the Freedom. She is aging well and I have no doubt they will continue to improve things in the future. In my opinion, rumors of her demise/downfall are greatly exaggerated.

 

 

 

Food – First and all, please let me come clean…I am not a foodie and neither is anyone in my family. In fact, I am the clown who orders a kids chicken fingers and fries along with my“adult” entrée in the MDR. So, to me the food is perfectly fine. Big thumbs up to the waffles with toppings (you saw that one coming, didn’t you?), French fries- always good on the ship -, mac and cheese in the Windjammer, and French Onion soup in the MDR (B would also want me to mention his new infatuation with escargot). Thumbs sideways (no thumbs down allowed – it is vacation) for the ice cream in the Windjammer which always seemed to be melty, and the lack of selections in the MDR (and they also no longer have pizza in the Windjammer). Speaking of which, the new menus are a downgrade in my opinion. They have taken away a lot of options although to their credit, they seem to be able to accommodate special requests. For example, the head waiter asked what we thought of the new arrangement and P noted that she missed the cold fruit soups that used to be standard on the menus. On the last night, they made a special peach soup for her which she loved. Our server also gets high marks including for surprising B on the last night with a slice of birthday cake (he turned nine the day after we returned). We also had absolutely no issue with the bread already being on the table nor with having to order all three courses at the same time.

 

 

 

Activities on the Ship – Non- cruisers ask me if they will get bored on the ship and I always kind of look at them funny. A couple of reasons for this – (1) I am funny looking; and (2) they have no clue that there is a LOT to do on the ship. In fact, which such a port heavy itinerary, I kind of felt as though we really had to squeeze everything in on the last day and did not have enough time to just hang out and relax. Looking back at everything we did – trivia, rock wall, ice skating, movie at the pool, lots of shows, games, etc., it really is amazing. RCCL has set the bar when it comes to activities on a ship and I am always excited to see what they come up with next. But why hasn’t anyone thought to put a boxing ring on a ship? (That is a joke people…the boxing ring may have been the dumbest idea in history IMO).

 

Crown & Anchor Society – I am very proud to be a Diamond member and, yes, there are times when I have made sure my Seapass card was facing the “right way.” There I said it. Go ahead and dislike me or call me immature or whatever. What I really wish is RCCL was as proud to have me as a Diamond member as I am to be one. My first “complaint” is the way they treat their suite guests compared with those who have shown tremendous loyalty over time. I get that the suite guests are spending a lot of money and they are making an effort to get them to continue to spend a lot of money but my family and other Diamond members have PROVEN that we are here to stay. Just one man’s opinion.

 

 

Crown & Anchor Society II – I have seen a fair amount of discussion on these boards about the Diamond Lounge and RCCL’s apparent effort to limit it to Diamond Plus and Pinnacle members. I will say that if this is true it disappoints me greatly. Having three complimentary drinks on my card is very nice (for the record, I am just as likely to get soft drinks with them as I am to get something alcoholic) but I like having the option to go to the lounge (and the kids love the little Rice Krispy Treats!). I do also understand the concern that the lounge will be overcrowded but I can say this was absolutely not an issue on this cruise. The lounge on the Freedom is very small but there were always open seats. (A personal message to “Pinnacle Man” if you are out there…get over yourself).

 

 

 

Itinerary – Ports of Call – I mentioned it before but five ports in five days is a lot. We all agreed that it would have been better if we had a sea day in the middle but alas. What was most interesting was each member of the family independently ranked each port and then we shared the results. Antigua and St. Kitts were definitely the big winners while Barbados was the little winner (once again, there are NO losers when it comes to a trip like this). And St. Lucia scored very high despite the issues we encountered. Overall, I personally see the islands/ports thusly:

 

 

 

St. Maarten – An old standby that we continue to love. We hope they continue to make progress on the road to post-hurricane recovery as there is clearly work to do. That said, we will be back in March on the Allure and I cannot wait!

 

 

 

St. Kitts – Quickly becoming one of the favorites of our family. The area at the dock is very nice and the people are friendly. And we met some new friends named Watson, Angela and Ayla. Can’t wait to return and possibly make a first trip to Nevis.

 

 

 

Antigua – The big winner of the three islands we had never visited before. Amazingly soft sand on the beach and a nice shopping area. We are relieved they avoided the wrath of the hurricanes and pray for the recovery of Barbuda.

 

 

 

St. Lucia – Still a bit of an unknown but I look forward to making a return trip and taking Spencer Ambrose up on his offer. Stunningly beautiful. I wish I could comment on Castries and the banana plantation but, well, you know…

 

 

 

Barbados – A bit of a letdown or simply our least favorite? It is easy to say that the setup at the beach was not ideal but you can then remember the incredibly soft sand and the turtle and stingray. It is easy to say the city of Bridgetown was nothing special or that the port itself was too industrial but they you think of the palm trees and aquamarine water. That said, I choose the latter. (Next time, I do believe I would try and find a more private beach).

 

 

 

OVERALL – For gosh sakes it is a cruise. I tend to get frustrated when I read people’s reviews that comment on little stuff that went wrong and I hope when they look back they focus on the positive memories and not the little stuff (that is not to say that serious issues do not occur and I am so sorry to hear when they do). Sure, I mentioned several “issues”but at the end of the day, running out of smoked salmon and not visiting a banana plantation and facing fewer choices in the MDR are not going to outweigh the fact that I spent seven days on a beautiful ship visiting fantastic islands with my incredible family. Do I look back and say “wow…that was the best cruise I have ever been on?” Yes, I do…because so far they have all been. I hope you are as lucky as I am to be able to say that.

 

 

 

Thanks for reading! Only 234 days until our next cruise vacation adventure!!!!!

 

 

 

{Postscript - A big THANK YOU to everyone for reading and for your comments. Writing this review took quite a while but it really helped me relive our incredible trip! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! And I promise I will do my best to answer any and all questions! To everyone who has an upcoming cruise - have a GREAT time! And I hope to see all of you on the high seas someday.

What a wonderful review! Thanks for taking us along for the ride! Looking forward to being on the ship on Saturday and even more so after reading your review.

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I saw someone brought on a case of water on the Oasis last week

They carried it around with them.

 

We brought a case of water in a extra bag. If it made it, it made it. If not, it was worth the gamble. We stopped at Target and paid 3 or 4 bucks for the case.

Thanks much!

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We usually put a 12 pack of bottled water in a tote bag by itself with a luggage tag and check it. We are fully prepared to have it confiscated. So far it has always arrived at our cabin. Don't be afraid to ask questions here there are some lovely knowledgeable people who make up for the few nasty posters. Have a great cruise. :)

Thank you, very kind of you!

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OP, you do know that the ship's water is pure and fine for drinking, right? If you like to drink it from a bottle, why not just pack a refillable water bottle and use that?

Great idea, thanks!

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Hi joromay! Thanks for your kind words! I am glad you are enjoying the review. I'll bet you can't wait...I would be so excited that I would not be able to sit still. While your itinerary is different, it is still amazing (the FOS alternates itineraries every other week). Have you been to those islands before?

 

 

 

We actually arrived at the pier at 10:15 - probably boarded just after 11:00. It is worth noting that while they allowed passengers with "status" to stand and approach the gangway first, there was not a long time between groups (when we went on the Allure of the Seas last summer, they literally called everyone by group and had everyone else stay in their designated areas).

 

 

 

And I agree with your decision to board the ship as early as possible. After all - more ship time = more fun!!!!

Thanks so much you are awesome! We’ve been to Aruba but not the other islands. We specifically picked this itinerary because my niece is studying vet medicine in St. Kitts and we wanted to stop in and visit. We were supposed to go to St. Thomas in 2004 but Hurricane Frances made us go west instead. Keeping our fingers crossed for this year!

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Technically prohibited, but usually allowed.

 

 

 

There is a duty free store in the cruise terminal that sells 1L bottles of water.

Great thanks!

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Does anyone know if you can bring your own bottled water when you board? I can't seem to find anything for or against it on the RCI website (other than non-alcoholic beverages are prohibited, but I wouldn't necessarily consider water non-alcoholic, I would think soda, juice, etc.). Anyone with any experience that can tell me? Thanks so much! I leave in 11 days (YAY!).

Thanks for the review; it's been great! We're leaving on FOS in 11 days and I can't wait! It's interesting that our itinerary is slightly different (St. Thomas, Aruba, Curacao and St. Kitts). Did I read correctly that you were on board at 10:15 am? We are Platinum members and want to go on board early, but didn't know how early we could actually board. When we did the Anthem two years ago, we were given a "window" for when to board, but I'm not seeing that this time, so I'm just not sure what time to arrive. We're coming into San Juan the day before as well and going to OSJ in the afternoon so we figured we would board as early as possible to enjoy the ship before it gets crowded. Thanks!

Thanks all; really appreciate your responses! 17 more days! Can’t wait!!

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Leaving on Freedom on less than a month and I can't wait! Just wondering about formal night. How many will there be and what will dress be expected for men (suit jacket optional or not), women and kids. Thanks All!

Thank you both!

Will be in St. Thomas in a month on Freedom of the Seas and can't wait! Does anyone know which port we will be docked at, how far it is to downtown Charlotte Amalie, and what a taxi would cost? We have an excursion to Magen's Bay in the afternoon and they said we could choose to drop off in CA and return would be at our own expense but I'm worried about not getting back in time for cruise departure. Thanks!

I don't know why it's not listed, but it was one of my favorites. During the day it's open for brunch. In the evening, it's a combo buffet-full service restaurant. You self serve appetizers and dessert but order an entree that is served to you. Dinner is Mediterranean fare and is excellent.

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You're welcome. It's a beautiful ship with lots to do. If you have anyone who wants to do the bumper cars go right up there after you eat lunch. Won't be much of a line because as the cruise goes on, more and more people make their way up there and the lines are crazy. Have fun!

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Yes, it's outside of the Seaplex on Deck 15

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My husband packed Docker shorts and Docker long pants. Other than in Grande, he wore shorts and a collared shirt or polo shirt. Almost all the men were dressed the same so everyone was very comfortable.

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We just got off the Anthem and it was sold out. The only place where you really felt crowded was in the pools. Service was great and everyone had a great time. I am sure you will too.

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If you can, make your reservation ahead of time. We did and it was very easy getting on. You show up 10 minutes before your scheduled time and they will weigh you (ugh!) and take you up in groups of 14. They told us that the reason they weigh everyone is because the emergency harness can only hold up so much weight, so they need to be sure that they're not over. Since the ship was full, they did not do the full 360 degree experience since that takes 20 minutes and they would not be able to accommodate everyone. If your ship is not full, they may do the whole thing.

If you do not have a reservation, try to make reservation on board as soon as you get on the ship or even go stand in line and see if anyone with a reservation doesn't show up. It was a really cool experience, so I hope you get the chance to do it!

The sandwiches and pizza were good but I missed the cake pops! They had cookies and cheesecake when I went. My daughter loved the beignets for breakfast at Chic and was disappointed they didn't have them on departure day. I am sure you will enjoy them as well!

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When I first read this I was wondering how she missed the rings, but these safes are deceiving. We just got back from our cruise and one day, my husband thought he lost his wallet that he thought he had put in the safe but couldn't find. After both of us panicking and checking the safe, he went down to Guest Services to see if someone had turned it in. I looked everywhere in the room and finally said a quick prayer and went back to the safe to check one more time. I swept my hand all around and there it was, tucked into the front right corner. So yes, it's crazy but it happens and these tips of putting things in ziploc bags or glasses is a great idea so you won't lose anything. I am so sorry that she lost those rings; very sad.

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I think that is a great way of putting it; it is definitely more upscale than traditional Solarium bistro which is why I was confused when I made my pre-boarding reservations since I had no idea what to expect. It's really like a lovely little restaurant. The Solarium itself is absolutely beautiful and very large. The pool is more like three large circular pools one leading into the other. More meant to be sit down pools rather than swimming pools. Picture a whirlpool without the heat and jets! I never got a chance to use it myself since I was watching my daughter in the indoor pool but my friends went and loved it. One really cool touch was the large swing right in the front so you and your partner could swing and watch the ocean. Lovely! Forgot to say that you can easily take food out to your lounger or your room from here. I hope you have as great a time as we did and let me know if I can answer any other questions!

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