RCCL Freedom of the Seas on the western itinerary

[FrancescaH]

Hi all. I just wanted to share a bit of my experience last week on Freedom. I can walk but it's limited so use my Jazzy powerchair full time on board. We bring along a manual wheelchair as a backup but I never touched it.

 

We've sailed Freedom before so it is obvious I like the ship's accessibility. What impressed me was the ports of Labadee and Falmouth. I had been to Labadee before but having to have myself pushed around in one of the beach wheelchairs never appealed. The new pier and sidewalks they put in have made a world of difference. I could go in my Jazzy with my husband to pick up my son from the Adventure Ocean facility... I couldn't go all the way to the sign out as it wasn't sidewalked to the front of the building but I was at least within sight of it. Now I won't be shy about going ashore there.

 

Falmouth is by no means completed but they put in curb cuts as you move from the main square to the outer buildings. The vendors need to learn not to block the curb cuts as a couple did but that I assume will come with time. It is another port I am totally willing to explore again with my Jazzy.

 

And I also want to say I appreciated the Adventure Ocean staff. My almost 7 year old son has ADHD and Asperger's Syndrome (high functioning autism) and for once we had no bad reports. They obviously were flexible to his needs and made it work which provided my husband and I some cherished adult time.

 

Oh, and the photographers were great. We always have lots of photos taken and since I can't get on the floor for the lifestyle backdrop, one of the photographers asked us to come back as he finished one of his later sessions. We did and he preceded to raise the lights enough to account for me in the Jazzy with my husband on his knees and my son standing. He even got some shots where you can barely tell I'm in the powerchair. I was impressed at his willingness to work with us.