Cancel Freedom of the Seas to book Eclipse?

[auggiemom]

Hi All,

 

We have been on 4 RCCL cruises and currently have the Freedom of the Seas booked for December in a hump cabin. I have really wanted to try a S class ship and after reading reviews I see that AQ Cabin 1606 is available on the Eclipse. I have had several health issues in the last year, so rest and relaxation is really what I'm looking for. Will I be unhappy if I cancel and go with the Eclipse?

 

Anyone with any opinions, please let me know. We do not have kids, so we don't need any activities that cater to them.

[C-Dragons]

Hi All,

 

We have been on 4 RCCL cruises and currently have the Freedom of the Seas booked for December in a hump cabin. I have really wanted to try a S class ship and after reading reviews I see that AQ Cabin 1606 is available on the Eclipse. I have had several health issues in the last year, so rest and relaxation is really what I'm looking for. Will I be unhappy if I cancel and go with the Eclipse?

 

Anyone with any opinions, please let me know. We do not have kids, so we don't need any activities that cater to them.

 

I must admit that my opinion is a little biased because Eclipse is my favorite X ship so far, and I have yet to sail on Freedom. If the itineraries are similar and you are looking for a nice relaxing cruise I would recommend Eclipse. AQ class is geared more towards the experience that you say you are looking for. And since you have cruised 4 times with Royal your C&A status would be made equivalent on X, so if you are Diamond you would be Elite on Eclipse. The perks are quite nice. :)

[Goldiesmom]

It all depends on your cruising style. We tend to be more casual cruisers and would pick the Freedom. Celebrity is a OK but too formal for us. We have cruised on Celebrity, RCCL and Carnival. Carnival would be my first choice with RCCL a close 2nd. The Carnival beds are much more comfortable than the Celebrity IMHO.

[Muushka]

Hi All,

 

We have been on 4 RCCL cruises and currently have the Freedom of the Seas booked for December in a hump cabin. I have really wanted to try a S class ship and after reading reviews I see that AQ Cabin 1606 is available on the Eclipse. I have had several health issues in the last year, so rest and relaxation is really what I'm looking for. Will I be unhappy if I cancel and go with the Eclipse?

 

Anyone with any opinions, please let me know. We do not have kids, so we don't need any activities that cater to them.

 

I would cancel Freedom in a heartbeat for S class! We are X cruisers and used to the product. We have only been on 1 S class, but it by far exceeded our expectations. We loved it.

 

Last year we decided we needed to expand our horizons so we did Freedom. While the ship is nice, we much prefer X S class. To us there is no comparison to the experience on RCI compared with X. If you don't have children (we don't either), you will probably feel a lot more relaxed on the beautiful Eclipse.

 

Happy planning!

[Orlandocruiser]

If you are looking for a relaxing cruise Eclipse is the way to go. We did Freedom in April and while we liked it and would sail her again for a quick cruise(we are only 50 minutes from the port) it is a really BIG ship. We are active people but we found that we got weary walking from one end to the other. It was fun sitting at the cafes on the Promenade and watching people go by (Eclipse has nothing like that) but we liked the layout of the buffet area much better on the Solstice class ship. We sailed FOS on a really off week ("only" 250 kids according to one of the activities directors - 1500 the week before) so depending on the week you have chosen you wouldn't have a lot of quiet.

[leftyrn]

Hi All,

 

We have been on 4 RCCL cruises and currently have the Freedom of the Seas booked for December in a hump cabin. I have really wanted to try a S class ship and after reading reviews I see that AQ Cabin 1606 is available on the Eclipse. I have had several health issues in the last year, so rest and relaxation is really what I'm looking for. Will I be unhappy if I cancel and go with the Eclipse?

 

Anyone with any opinions, please let me know. We do not have kids, so we don't need any activities that cater to them.

 

We just got off the Equinox and have also cruised on Liberty and Independence of the seas and are Diamond plus with RCCL. Equinox was our second Celebrity cruise. WE also had cabin 1605 which was on the hump port side. While I unfortunately had an accident and broke my ankle on day 4, this ship was incredible and a more quiet ship than the Freedom line, no parades, no kids, no constant hawking of bingo, and just a step above RCCL in my opinion.

 

I would jump at the chance to switch. If nothing else you would get a taste of what Celebrity has to offer. I think you would like it. :D Happy Cruising

[Muushka]

more quiet ship than the Freedom line, no parades, no kids, no constant hawking of bingo, and just a step above RCCL in my opinion.

 

And no maniacal man in the buffet area screaming GOOD MORNING!!!!:rolleyes:

[lusitanica]

Hi All,

 

We have been on 4 RCCL cruises and currently have the Freedom of the Seas booked for December in a hump cabin. I have really wanted to try a S class ship and after reading reviews I see that AQ Cabin 1606 is available on the Eclipse. I have had several health issues in the last year, so rest and relaxation is really what I'm looking for. Will I be unhappy if I cancel and go with the Eclipse?

 

Anyone with any opinions, please let me know. We do not have kids, so we don't need any activities that cater to them.

 

The Eclipse will be more relaxing.

But is AQ worth extra money? I don't think so. You can get the same cabin in a better location and save a lot.

[AlanAllyn]

We have been on the Equinox in Aqua class and the Independence. We loved them both. If it is rest and relaxation you are looking for, I would go with the Eclipse. I agree with previous poster that Aqua is not worth a lot of extra money and would rather take a !a with a larger balcony.

[auggiemom]

Thank you for all your replies. The reason I chose the AQ1606 is it was recommended due to the large balcony. I liked the fact that they came with a lounge type chair as well. Does anyone have any recommendations then for rooms/location? My mom and her friend will also be joining us and she just left a message stating that she thinks the concierge class gives more as far as amenities go. Doesn't the AQ get all those amenities, plus the tea, pillows, water, etc? Any help greatly appreciated. I have 1606 on hold, but could change. I am platinum with RCCL, and know that we become the same level on Celebrity (with whatever that matches too on CCL). Does that include any type of balcony discount like on RCCL?

[lusitanica]

Thank you for all your replies. The reason I chose the AQ1606 is it was recommended due to the large balcony. I liked the fact that they came with a lounge type chair as well. Does anyone have any recommendations then for rooms/location? My mom and her friend will also be joining us and she just left a message stating that she thinks the concierge class gives more as far as amenities go. Doesn't the AQ get all those amenities, plus the tea, pillows, water, etc? Any help greatly appreciated. I have 1606 on hold, but could change. I am platinum with RCCL, and know that we become the same level on Celebrity (with whatever that matches too on CCL). Does that include any type of balcony discount like on RCCL?

 

Cabins on the hump with large irregularly shaped balconies are the best. Your AQ 1606 cabin is there but there is the pool deck right above. 1606 is in a deep shadow of a huge ovehang (pool deck) supported by "fish bones".

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=25370062&postcount=5

[auggiemom]

Thanks. I have 1231 and 1108 on hold. They are also hump cabins. My husband and I think that we will bypass the AQ class this time and do the concierge class. We figure we can spend the savings in a specialty restaurant. Please let me know your opinions of the cabins I have on hold.

[Gonzo70]

I need to clarify some misinformation you have been given on this thread. 1606 is one of the best non-suite staterooms on the ship; it is highly coveted. It has nearly a triple sized balcony, is near the elevators/stairs and is serviced by the room steward who services the Penthouse Suite (so higly regarded steward). The only possible issue is the balcony is covered, so if you like a lot of sun - not good, if you prefer shade, very good.

 

The Aqua Class perks are nice, but not worth lots of money over Conicerge Class. If the difference in price is not great, the main perks include dining in Blu (a smaller, more intimate venue the main dining room that most people feel is a strp up from the main dining room) and freeaccess to the Persian Gardens (part of the spa with heated ceramic lounge chairs, sauna and steam room). There are some additional perks as well such as free bottled water in your stateroom, massaging jet shower in your bathroom etc.

 

An S-Class ship on Celebrity is a much, much better choice than a Freedom class ship on RCI if you are looking for relaxation. RCI is superior if you have children traveling with you since there are so many bells and whistles for children/teens/young adults and RCI also is better if you are looking for lots of nightlife and action, but for a quiet, relaxing, upscale experience Eclipse greatly exceeds RCI Freedom class ships.

 

Edit: Regarding your question about loyalty programs - if you are Platinum with RCI's Crown & Anchor Society you will be recognized as Select with Celebrity's Captain's Club (their middle level). You will need to call Captain's Club (their phone number is on X's website) to register with them once you have a deposit for your cruise. Celebrity does not have balcony discounts like RCI does.

[auggiemom]

We don't have children, so when I saw that the Freedom was adding the Dreamworks animation stuff to it, it sort of steered me away. I love kids, don't get me wrong, but I think this time, we would prefer to try X. Thanks for all your help. I am still on the fence between AQ and Concierge...better make up my mind soon...lol

[dogsrule]

I have cruised both and would choose Eclipse AQ in a heartbeat!!!! Food in Blu is much better quality and not as rushed as well as the service. JMHO;)

[BroncosFan2010]

Hi All,

 

We have been on 4 RCCL cruises and currently have the Freedom of the Seas booked for December in a hump cabin. I have really wanted to try a S class ship and after reading reviews I see that AQ Cabin 1606 is available on the Eclipse. I have had several health issues in the last year, so rest and relaxation is really what I'm looking for. Will I be unhappy if I cancel and go with the Eclipse?

 

Anyone with any opinions, please let me know. We do not have kids, so we don't need any activities that cater to them.

 

To me, that would be a no-brainer!

[Wine-O]

To me, that would be a no-brainer!

 

Concur. We were on Solstice in 1606. It's a great stateroom, huge balcony, great location, and dining in Blu is the best. Go for it!!!

[phinn]

I have been in both AQ and CC cabin. For me, a no brainer is the AQ for Blu alone. Best food I have eaten in a dining room on any ship. Whatever you choose, you will have a great cruise, enjoy!

[tally10]

We have been on the Independence and the Eclipse. Both are wonderful ships and we would cruise on either one of them in a heartbeat. If you are looking for things to do, I'd go with the Freedom. If you want total relaxation, go with the Eclipse. The cabins are a bit smaller on the Eclipse but we like the non-smoking policy and the food is better in the MDR on the Eclipse. RCI's buffet in the evening is much more extensive and better than the Eclipse's evening buffet. Depends on what you are looking for. You will definitely find the Eclipse more sedate if you are looking for R&R.