shopping mall amusement park ships

[icyfrost]

about to book the freedom of the seas and trying to ignore the reputation about royal caribbean ships being either shopping malls or amusement parks. Ships look fun for our grandkids, how bout us adults?

[FreshOffTheBoat]

There awesome for both, book it and have a great time.

[NorbertsNiece]

I've been on the sister ship, Independence, and it's fantastic!! It's a destination in itself.

[Ocean Boy]

RCI ships are not only amazing for kids but also for adults. RCI has some of the most innovative ships in the business. Yes, some have described them as shopping malls at sea because of the Royal Promenade where the shops are located. I see this area of the ship in a completely different way. The Promenade is an incredible area where something is always going on. And there always seems to be something new happening everytime we walk through it. Whether it be entertainment, sales, decorations, etc., it changes. With most ships once you see them they are the same all week. The Promedande is always changing and exciting. It is a great place in the evenings to hang out and have a drink, or a snack, or meet up with the family.

 

There are many areas of the ships and they have different atmospheres. You can go to the adult solarium and have a very peaceful time or you can go up to the sports deck and have a very active time. Instead of trying to decide what type of cruise atmosphere you are looking for before you book a cruise and being stuck with that all week you can book RCI and have it all on one ship.... Sedate, Active, Peaceful, Crazy... it is all there for you.

 

Go ahead and book and then sit back and enjoy the anticipation. Freedom, and her sisters, are awesome ships.

[icyfrost]

sounds great,thank u!

[akcruz]

RCI ships are not only amazing for kids but also for adults. RCI has some of the most innovative ships in the business. Yes, some have described them as shopping malls at sea because of the Royal Promenade where the shops are located. I see this area of the ship in a completely different way. The Promenade is an incredible area where something is always going on. And there always seems to be something new happening everytime we walk through it. Whether it be entertainment, sales, decorations, etc., it changes. With most ships once you see them they are the same all week. The Promedande is always changing and exciting. It is a great place in the evenings to hang out and have a drink, or a snack, or meet up with the family.

 

There are many areas of the ships and they have different atmospheres. You can go to the adult solarium and have a very peaceful time or you can go up to the sports deck and have a very active time. Instead of trying to decide what type of cruise atmosphere you are looking for before you book a cruise and being stuck with that all week you can book RCI and have it all on one ship.... Sedate, Active, Peaceful, Crazy... it is all there for you.

 

Go ahead and book and then sit back and enjoy the anticipation. Freedom, and her sisters, are awesome ships.

 

Nicely stated. I just got an email from Princes asking whether you want to sweat or relax on your vacation. Of course, they show rock climbing wall and the flowrider for the sweat. I enjoy having the ability to do both while on a cruise, or DH and I relax at the solarium while the kids are out sweating!

 

Really though, there is so much to do for all ages on the Freedom class of ships you will find what you are looking for. Besides, all ships have the same types of shops as you find in the promenade its just layed out a bit different than other ships. It is a great place for people watching though, grab a drink at the pub, take a seat and watch the show!

[karena1]

Just got off Freedom and have also been on Liberty. Hubby is 66 and I am 53 and we loved both of them. So you have nothing to worry about.

We thought the entertainment on Freedom was some of the best we have ever seen in all of our cruises. Just great shows.

 

So have fun, plenty to do and see.

[O2cruise_again]

I understand the RCI has lots of variety but on Freedom o/t Seas, are there quiet places were you can sit and watch the water go by? We don't want a ship so large that we forget we're on a cruise. Trying to decide between FOS and Celebrity Equinox for 2011, but probably won't make a decision until after we take our first Celebrity cruise this November. Hoping we won't be the youngest folks onboard.

[Jimnbigd]

I understand the RCI has lots of variety but on Freedom o/t Seas, are there quiet places were you can sit and watch the water go by? We don't want a ship so large that we forget we're on a cruise. Trying to decide between FOS and Celebrity Equinox for 2011, but probably won't make a decision until after we take our first Celebrity cruise this November. Hoping we won't be the youngest folks onboard.

 

Often the Viking Crown Lounge -- the semi-circle area above and behind the main pool deck -- is quiet during the day and a great place to watch the ocean and pool area indoors. On the Voyager OTS, deck 4 outside is good also.

[neptune18]

I understand the RCI has lots of variety but on Freedom o/t Seas, are there quiet places were you can sit and watch the water go by? We don't want a ship so large that we forget we're on a cruise. Trying to decide between FOS and Celebrity Equinox for 2011, but probably won't make a decision until after we take our first Celebrity cruise this November. Hoping we won't be the youngest folks onboard.

 

Just off Freedom 2 (or was it 3?) weeks ago. On the sea days I went to the promenade (not the royal promenade- I mean the deck outside where you can walk under the lifeboats). I laid on a lounge chair and listened to my ipod. There were very few people there, you would not have believed there were thousands of people on the ship.

[mjldvlks]

I understand the RCI has lots of variety but on Freedom o/t Seas, are there quiet places were you can sit and watch the water go by? We don't want a ship so large that we forget we're on a cruise. Trying to decide between FOS and Celebrity Equinox for 2011, but probably won't make a decision until after we take our first Celebrity cruise this November. Hoping we won't be the youngest folks onboard.

 

We spent 2 weeks on Independence [virtually identical to Freedom] and I am a huge fan.

 

Jimnbigd mentioned the Viking Crown Lounge which certainly is such a place. There are also tons of places outside where you can pull up a lounger and watch the water. When not in use for evacuations [which are rare] the helipad in the front has benches and is typically a very quiet place -- also closer to the water than many of the open spaces. There is also a "promenade" [not to be confused with the "Royal Promenade" which is an interior space] that encircles the ship on deck 4 or 5 [i can't remember off the top of my head] with steps leading up to the helipad on deck 5 or 6. The promenade has a unique feature that is one of my favorite places on the ship. Just aft of midship, the promenade bows out so there is nothing to the front or rear. It is essentially just a walkway, so there are no deck chairs there but I greatly enjoy standing at the rail in this area and watching the water. If there is any sea life in the area, this is a great place to watch for it -- it is fairly close to the water.

 

Keep in mind that RCI also has several ships that do not have the "shopping mall" interior. The Radiance class is well known for its gals and magnificent views of the sea. Our first cruise was on Splendour of RCI's Vision class which also has a lot of glass.

 

One final comment. As long as they continue to have fitness centers, basketball courts, paddle tennis facilities, jogging tracks, etc. [which they brag about on their website with the statement "Our ships will keep you on the run, literally"] any Princess comment about whether you want to sweat on vacation or not seems rather disingenuous.

[SteveB48]

I think the key here is options. If you put 5000 passengers on a ship and you have only a pool, you've got 5000 people at the pool. Not a pleasant thought! I think royal does a great job at providing options and scheduling them such the people are spread out across the ship.

Do you want to forget you're on a ship? Hang out in the Royal Promenade. Do you want to remember you're on a ship? Hang out on the pool deck or one of the upper deck lounges.

We were on Liberty in 2007 and again in 2008. The first year, my son and I did the flowrider and he did the climbing wall. The next year we got our open water scuba certification on board. My wife and daughter simply layed out and soaked up the sun both years. We were all pretty happy.

Options...

Steve

[cynt]

RCI ships are not only amazing for kids but also for adults. RCI has some of the most innovative ships in the business. Yes, some have described them as shopping malls at sea because of the Royal Promenade where the shops are located. I see this area of the ship in a completely different way. The Promenade is an incredible area where something is always going on. And there always seems to be something new happening everytime we walk through it. Whether it be entertainment, sales, decorations, etc., it changes. With most ships once you see them they are the same all week. The Promedande is always changing and exciting. It is a great place in the evenings to hang out and have a drink, or a snack, or meet up with the family.

 

There are many areas of the ships and they have different atmospheres. You can go to the adult solarium and have a very peaceful time or you can go up to the sports deck and have a very active time. Instead of trying to decide what type of cruise atmosphere you are looking for before you book a cruise and being stuck with that all week you can book RCI and have it all on one ship.... Sedate, Active, Peaceful, Crazy... it is all there for you.

 

Go ahead and book and then sit back and enjoy the anticipation. Freedom, and her sisters, are awesome ships.

 

Thank you for this write up. I'm going on the Liberty in a few weeks and I can't wait to experience the sedate, active, peaceful, crazy atmosphere.

[Cruising89143]

RCI ships are not only amazing for kids but also for adults. RCI has some of the most innovative ships in the business. Yes, some have described them as shopping malls at sea because of the Royal Promenade where the shops are located. I see this area of the ship in a completely different way. The Promenade is an incredible area where something is always going on. And there always seems to be something new happening everytime we walk through it. Whether it be entertainment, sales, decorations, etc., it changes. With most ships once you see them they are the same all week. The Promedande is always changing and exciting. It is a great place in the evenings to hang out and have a drink, or a snack, or meet up with the family.

 

There are many areas of the ships and they have different atmospheres. You can go to the adult solarium and have a very peaceful time or you can go up to the sports deck and have a very active time. Instead of trying to decide what type of cruise atmosphere you are looking for before you book a cruise and being stuck with that all week you can book RCI and have it all on one ship.... Sedate, Active, Peaceful, Crazy... it is all there for you.

 

Go ahead and book and then sit back and enjoy the anticipation. Freedom, and her sisters, are awesome ships.

 

Could not have said it better. The first time that I saw the Voyager of the Seas, I too thought that it looked like a mall. Boy was I wrong after stepping aboard the Navigator. It was great and hooked me on RCI.:)

[funfamilyof6]

Our experience on the Freedom was a great one. Personally, I hate malls and am not a big fan of amusement parks (with the exception of Disney and Universal). I would never compare my experience on the Freedom as either. It was just simply put the BEST vacation ever...so good in fact that we booked the same cruise again.:D

 

In my opinion both children (our kids did) and adults (we did) would love the experience.

 

Don't worry about opinions and what people say...you will have a wonderful time!:)

[goouchjac]

about to book the freedom of the seas and trying to ignore the reputation about royal caribbean ships being either shopping malls or amusement parks. Ships look fun for our grandkids, how bout us adults?

 

Well we are grandparents also and enjoyed the Independence so much last year we are going on the Freedom in Jan.:)..

Believe me,,there are manyof us "young grandparents" who sail on the big ships,,,my hubby loves the promenade,,,think he just likes to sneak to Sorrento's for the pizza when I'm not looking:D..

Go and have fun,,,life's too short....:cool:

[ehfl]

We adults always have a great time on Freedom class ships. Remember that the "shopping mall" (actually called the Royal Promenade) has a Pub, a Wine bar and a Champagne bar....definitely grown-up stuff. There really is something for everyone aboard.

[mjldvlks]

. . . The promenade has a unique feature that is one of my favorite places on the ship. Just aft of midship, the promenade bows out so there is nothing to the front or rear. It is essentially just a walkway, so there are no deck chairs there but I greatly enjoy standing at the rail in this area and watching the water. If there is any sea life in the area, this is a great place to watch for it -- it is fairly close to the water. . .

 

This is the area I was talking about:

 

[The Big Booper]

All modern cruise ships have a corridor running thru the ships with stores on both sides of the corridor. The difference between the Royal Promenade and the shopping corridors on other, smaller ships is that it is easier to move back and forth on these wider corridors on the big ships. Especially when the theater and the dining room let out at the same time.

[Ocean Boy]

All modern cruise ships have a corridor running thru the ships with stores on both sides of the corridor. The difference between the Royal Promenade and the shopping corridors on other, smaller ships is that it is easier to move back and forth on these wider corridors on the big ships. Especially when the theater and the dining room let out at the same time.

 

Wow, I find it interesting that that the only difference you see in the Royal Promenade is that it is wider and easier to transit through. I guess we all really do see things differently.

[dougp26364]

about to book the freedom of the seas and trying to ignore the reputation about royal caribbean ships being either shopping malls or amusement parks. Ships look fun for our grandkids, how bout us adults?

 

We have no children who sail with us and we love Royal Caribbean. There has always been more than enough adult activities.

 

My guess is the reputation comes from those who either haven't sailed on RCI or are jealous of all the activities, shopping and dining options offered onboard RCI ships.