Freedom of the Seas January 26, 2020 gone

Freedom of the Seas January 26, 2020 is no longer showing. Balconies have been gone for months but there have been junior suites available - something like 30. Now all of a sudden it disappeared. Would this indicate that it is chartered or just pulled from inventory due to the dry dock earlier in the month?

Could be either. RC sometimes takes weeks to notify people when cruises are cancelled.

Just hope for everyone’s sake that this isn’t going to be a repeat of the Adventure drydock debacle this year

This means 2 of the 4 January 2020 Freedom sailings have dropped off of the RCCL site. Jan 12th has been missing for a while now. I also see Vision has been added out of San Juan.

Patty

Just hope for everyone’s sake that this isn’t going to be a repeat of the Adventure drydock debacle this year

I'm sorry, but I don't know what the Adventure drydock debacle was? Never been on this ship, and we are sailing her next year on a B2B2B.

I booked the Jan. 26,2020 Freedom cruise on March 18, 2018.

The Jan. 12,2020 did not show up when I booked 18 cruises on the Freedom onboard thru NextCruise on the Adventure this past March.

The NC manager thought there could be a charter for the week of 1/12/2020.

I'm sorry, but I don't know what the Adventure drydock debacle was? Never been on this ship, and we are sailing her next year on a B2B2B.

The debacle was an extra drydock scheduled after people had already booked cruises. Adventure had a drydock in the fall of 2016 but it could not be fully completed because a hurricane at the time affected delivery of supplies. Subsequently they scheduled another drydock for January/February 2018 even though people already had reservations for those dates. Booked passengers were given compensation in the form of onboard credit for a future cruise, along with reimbursement for airline change fees. They were also given a list of sailings on the Adventure of the Seas and Jewel of the Seas in January through April where they could rebook with price protection - meaning they would get the same class room for the same price as originally paid if the current price on the new cruise was higher. This all happened with about 9 months notice.

This will not affect your cruise other than that you will be on a nicely refurbished ship.

The debacle was an extra drydock scheduled after people had already booked cruises. Adventure had a drydock in the fall of 2016 but it could not be fully completed because a hurricane at the time affected delivery of supplies. Subsequently they scheduled another drydock for January/February 2018 even though people already had reservations for those dates. Booked passengers were given compensation in the form of onboard credit for a future cruise, along with reimbursement for airline change fees. They were also given a list of sailings on the Adventure of the Seas and Jewel of the Seas in January through April where they could rebook with price protection - meaning they would get the same class room for the same price as originally paid if the current price on the new cruise was higher. This all happened with about 9 months notice.

 

This will not affect your cruise other than that you will be on a nicely refurbished ship.

You make it sound so easy

As someone who had 8 cruises booked b2b on the Adventure from January this year (and all in the same room), I can assure you it was nowhere near as simple as you’re making out.

Trying to accommodate the number of guests from a Voyager class ship into a Radiance class ship that had already been on sale for almost 12 months was horrendous. Yes, they will price protect certain cruises, but not all of those affected (they will give you a list of cruises that you can change to) and the change fee for airfare goes nowhere when you’re dealing with international flights. Also, the extra on board credit given out, in no way compensates for all the hassle

We, and several other guests had to do 3 weeks on the Jewel and then fly to Miami and stay overnight, to pick up the Adventure out of drydock. Not exactly how we’d envisaged our 8 weeks in the caribbean. Oh, and no, they didn’t pay for the flight or the hotel!!

Also, the level of obc etc., depends on what class of room you book

If you know different, please let me know and I’ll be the first to take it up with Royal

You make it sound so easy

 

As someone who had 8 cruises booked b2b on the Adventure from January this year (and all in the same room), I can assure you it was nowhere near as simple as you’re making out.

 

Trying to accommodate the number of guests from a Voyager class ship into a Radiance class ship that had already been on sale for almost 12 months was horrendous. Yes, they will price protect certain cruises, but not all of those affected (they will give you a list of cruises that you can change to) and the change fee for airfare goes nowhere when you’re dealing with international flights. Also, the extra on board credit given out, in no way compensates for all the hassle

 

We, and several other guests had to do 3 weeks on the Jewel and then fly to Miami and stay overnight, to pick up the Adventure out of drydock. Not exactly how we’d envisaged our 8 weeks in the caribbean. Oh, and no, they didn’t pay for the flight or the hotel!!

 

Also, the level of obc etc., depends on what class of room you book

 

If you know different, please let me know and I’ll be the first to take it up with Royal

We must have been on the Adventure together then - but just for one week.

Your case is extreme (8 consecutive cruises!) but I barely missed having my trip affected and know I was lucky. I felt bad for the people who were canceled because even with price protection there was a good chance that the room they wanted was gone, for example I think there were few or no grand suites available on the price-protected dates.

This means 2 of the 4 January 2020 Freedom sailings have dropped off of the RCCL site. Jan 12th has been missing for a while now. I also see Vision has been added out of San Juan.

 

Patty

In addition to these 2 cruises being unavailable the sailings for Jan 19, Feb 2,9 and 16 are also showing very limited inventory. There is only 1 category of each cabin type showing available to book.

In addition to these 2 cruises being unavailable the sailings for Jan 19, Feb 2,9 and 16 are also showing very limited inventory. There is only 1 category of each cabin type showing available to book.

Yep. It's been that way for some time. We had B2B on Freedom Jan 26/Feb 2 2020. Have since moved to another ship for unrelated reasons. But it will be interesting to see what happens if anything with Freedom then.

The debacle was an extra drydock scheduled after people had already booked cruises. Adventure had a drydock in the fall of 2016 but it could not be fully completed because a hurricane at the time affected delivery of supplies. Subsequently they scheduled another drydock for January/February 2018 even though people already had reservations for those dates. Booked passengers were given compensation in the form of onboard credit for a future cruise, along with reimbursement for airline change fees. They were also given a list of sailings on the Adventure of the Seas and Jewel of the Seas in January through April where they could rebook with price protection - meaning they would get the same class room for the same price as originally paid if the current price on the new cruise was higher. This all happened with about 9 months notice.

 

This will not affect your cruise other than that you will be on a nicely refurbished ship.

Oh my goodness, quite the debacle for sure! Thanks for explaining this to me. I guess Mother Nature can wreak havoc on anything she wants to. I hope everything worked out for all the affected cruisers....what a nightmare to deal with!

We must have been on the Adventure together then - but just for one week.

 

Your case is extreme (8 consecutive cruises!) but I barely missed having my trip affected and know I was lucky. I felt bad for the people who were canceled because even with price protection there was a good chance that the room they wanted was gone, for example I think there were few or no grand suites available on the price-protected dates.

Honestly, it may be hard to believe but our case isn’t extreme. Every January to March, we see the same people who travel for the same amount of consecutive weeks as us, and even longer, so we weren’t the only people in this situation.

Thankfully, Information on cruise critic is often more up to date than anything from Royal, so after reading the various comments about Freedom, we’ve already transferred our booking to the Vision for 2020.

This means 2 of the 4 January 2020 Freedom sailings have dropped off of the RCCL site. Jan 12th has been missing for a while now. I also see Vision has been added out of San Juan.

 

Patty

I booked B2B Vision for January 2020.

I booked B2B Vision for January 2020.

Looking at your signature, you are very well traveled!

Minor correction:

FREEDOM 12/6/201 = FREEDOM 12/5/2015?

I booked B2B Vision for January 2020.

I think you’ve made the right choice, and we love the Vision anyway. See you on onboard!!

Hopefully Freedom is getting a nice Suite Lounge added in the VCL,.

Looking at your signature, you are very well traveled!

Minor correction:

FREEDOM 12/6/201 = FREEDOM 12/5/2015?

Ahh..thanks!! Somehow that "5" dropped off my signature. Probably been that way for awhile...thanks for pointing it out! :cool: Corrected now. :)

I think you’ve made the right choice, and we love the Vision anyway. See you on onboard!!

Are you on in January 2020 also? I love the little Vision class ships :hearteyes:, and hate to see them going away. :(

Are you on in January 2020 also? I love the little Vision class ships :hearteyes:, and hate to see them going away. :(

Yes, we are , and love that class of ship. We originally booked the Freedom but after this year’s Adventure fiasco, and the comments here and on the roll calls, we moved our 8 weeks. There’s no way I want to even think about having to go through something like that again. We’re more than happy to be on the Vision

Panicking about the rumours of the Rhapsody being sold at the moment

Yes, we are , and love that class of ship. We originally booked the Freedom but after this year’s Adventure fiasco, and the comments here and on the roll calls, we moved our 8 weeks. There’s no way I want to even think about having to go through something like that again. We’re more than happy to be on the Vision

 

Panicking about the rumours of the Rhapsody being sold at the moment

When we were on Rhapsody this last February, IT officer on board said the ship was indeed being transferred to Pulmanter and should happen in the next year or so, but he did not have a date.

Then Rhapsody showed up for bookings for 2020...go figure. So this morning I booked favorite corner aft JS for 2/15/2020. If it gets sold...oh well...will have to do something different. But will miss her dearly.

Yeah, I noticed the same bad vibe for PR Freedom sailings...not sure why...but they are there. We loved Freedom when she was here in PC and miss her very much. I was about to book Freedom also for 2020..but decided to switch to Rhapsody. Tampa is a drive to port for us, so it can be easily changed if needed.