Help us decide - Adventure vs Freedom

[Ronsangel]

We are a late-30's couple, no kids...have been on the Explorer as well as a Princess ship in the past. Currently deciding between a Southern Car. cruise on the Adventure vs. a Western Car. cruise on the Freedom. Has anyone been on either or both of these ships? Which did you prefer? I like the idea of a newer, larger ship with the Freedom, but maybe there's something to be said for a smaller ship? We like taking part in the entertainment offerings...comedy, shows, karaoke, movies. Thoughts? Thanks in advance for your help!

[LookingForward2]

both ships are great! The southern route is much better in my opinion. While the Freedom is a little bigger, the Adventure is by no means a small ship at all.

I would choose the itinerary you like better since the ships are very similar.

[bigeagle12]

Adventure and Explorer are sister ships .. LOVE them. We would always take a Southern route over a Western route. Love the southern ports. Freedom is basically an expanded Adventure .. a little larger and a few more amenities.

[funfamilyof6]

We have been on the Freedom twice and loved her both times!

 

We liked the Freedom much more than the Explorer, just our opinion, but we did have teens/kids with us. With all that being said, since you are travelling without kids, I may pick the Adventure unless you think you will get a lot of use out of the flowrider since that is the biggest difference between the two.

 

Either way, you will not be disappointed. :)

[DonnaK]

As the others have said, Adventure is nearly the same ship as Explorer (with a change in decor and the shows). So you know what to expect there. Freedom is a slightly streched version of Explorer, with a few added amenities like the flowrider and the pizza venue. Without kids, these extras seem to matter less.

 

You cannot go wrong on either ship, but Adventure has a significantly more interesting itinerary, especially if you are traveling late-fall, winter, or early-spring when the weather should be better the further south you go.

[BillOh]

both ships are great! The southern route is much better in my opinion. While the Freedom is a little bigger, the Adventure is by no means a small ship at all.

I would choose the itinerary you like better since the ships are very similar.

 

I'll second that, must be the NW PA thought patterns as I'm an Erie Native. I've not been on Explorer before, but have been on two in that class. Having never done a Southern Caribbean cruise, I would choose that. Had I already done both, I would go on Freedom again, I love that ship. To the OP, your in a no-lose situation, which ever you choose, do the other next year.

[Ocean Boy]

I have been on both ships. I would give the edge to Freedom only because I like the flow rider. Aside from that both ships stack up about equally for me. In your situation I would absolutely go with Adventure as the southern Caribbean itineraries beat the western ones by FAR. For me, a flow rider would hardly be compensation for doing a western sailing on Freedom.

[bajathree]

We are a late-30's couple, no kids...have been on the Explorer as well as a Princess ship in the past. Currently deciding between a Southern Car. cruise on the Adventure vs. a Western Car. cruise on the Freedom. Has anyone been on either or both of these ships? Which did you prefer? I like the idea of a newer, larger ship with the Freedom, but maybe there's something to be said for a smaller ship? We like taking part in the entertainment offerings...comedy, shows, karaoke, movies. Thoughts? Thanks in advance for your help!

 

First off Adventure isn't what you would consider a "smaller" ship....you would have to go to radiance class to achieve that.

Cruising IMO is largely ship dependent...with that being said and considering your ages I would with no doubt choose Freedom. That western route that Freedom offers is great...it has 4 stops including Grand Cayman which is a great island. They are all active port stops that offer many activities or beaches where you can take it as leisurely as you like. When it comes down to the ship itself....Freedom wins in my book hands down...newer ship....newer design....hate the semi-enclosed balconies on Adventure....and if your young and active you will love the Flowrider....Freedom has also been enhanced or "Oasis-ized" .

[debshomespun]

We love the southern itinerary over the western. Just for that, we would go on the Adventure. Depends on if you have been to the ports before. The Freedom is a larger version of the Adventure. The Adventure still have the Royal Promenade, ice skating rink for shows, and skating, mini golf.

 

Whichever you choose, you will have a great cruise. They are both great ships with great shows and great ports to visit.

[rjrpar]

Check air prices to Puerto Rico, they are very high from most US cities.

[luvfamvaca]

IMHO you can't go wrong with either of the ships in question but I would choose Southern over Western personally. We went Southern on the Adventure and absolutely loved it. (the only downside was flying to/from San Juan because my whole family is terrified of flying! :eek:)

[Gordo]

This is a tough call. The ships are very similar with the main difference for us being the flowrider on Freedom (which we consider a huge plus, even though we are older than you :D).

 

Since the ships are so similar I would suggerst you let the itinerary be your guide (overall we are bigger fans of the southern route).

 

Having said that, we had so much fun with the flowrider on our last cruise that this feature alone would probably help tip the scales in favor of Freedom.

 

Clear as mud, right???

 

Good luck with your decision.

[AF-1]

Since you've been on Explorer, you know what a large ship feels like. Freedom is a tad larger with a few more things onboard that Adventure doesn't have. You should choose your cruise based on either having fun on the ship, or ports of call. Since both ships are pretty close you will need to decide where you want to cruise. Here may be a few tips.

Adventure is based in Puerto Rico, it has been there for years; RCI caters to southern hemisphere clients; meaning you will have a lot of pax from the caribbean; hence, most of the cruise passengers will be speaking spanish and the ship caters to this clientle. The Airfare to San Juan will be more than Orlando. I was on Freedom in Dec 11; had a ball; good luck with your choice.

[luvfamvaca]

Since you've been on Explorer, you know what a large ship feels like. Freedom is a tad larger with a few more things onboard that Adventure doesn't have. You should choose your cruise based on either having fun on the ship, or ports of call. Since both ships are pretty close you will need to decide where you want to cruise. Here may be a few tips.

Adventure is based in Puerto Rico, it has been there for years; RCI caters to southern hemisphere clients; meaning you will have a lot of pax from the caribbean; hence, most of the cruise passengers will be speaking spanish and the ship caters to this clientle. The Airfare to San Juan will be more than Orlando. I was on Freedom in Dec 11; had a ball; good luck with your choice.

 

All good points, we did have many people on our cruise out of Puerto Rico that were speaking spanish, it wasn't an issue at all but we really didn't get to mingle as much as we would have liked thanks to my limited high school level spanish lol …and yes, our airfare was expensive (note: our next trip is a no-fly :))

[bigeagle12]

I agree flights to San Juan can be expensive but since you are in Canada and have to fly to departure port anyway .. you may find the additional cost may not be that much.

 

San Juan is beautiful and a great port (our favorite). If you choose that cruise fly in a couple days early if you can and explore SJ and the rest of PR .. it is a beautiful island.

 

And if you are cruising in the winter months .. SJ is already warm 80's .. versus cruising out of Florida which can be anywhere from 50's to 70's.

[pcur]

IMHO you can't go wrong with either of the ships in question but I would choose Southern over Western personally. We went Southern on the Adventure and absolutely loved it. (the only downside was flying to/from San Juan because my whole family is terrified of flying! :eek:)

 

I agree (except for the flying part), as I love to sail out of San Juan. I consider SJ another port on the cruise, and sailing out at night is wonderful. There are not many ports where you get to sail away at night. So, add this to the Souther Caribbean itinerary, and I think you have a better cruise experience. We stayed pre-cruise at a lovely updated hotel that was a great price, so we were able to extend the vacation with a few days in SJ before:

 

San Juan Park Hotel

Munoz Rivera Avenue #54

San Juan, PR 00902-3954

 

Orbitz had a terrific deal with a free night if 3 were booked.

 

I've been on both the Freedom and the Adventure, and except for the flowrider there wasn't a lot of difference.

[dwdwnurse]

We've sailed on both ships and really like both, but as others have said...that Southern Caribbean route is the best! The only place I like to visit when we go western is Grand Cayman. The Adventure is plenty large with lots of things to do onboard!

[Jimnbigd]

Do you want more port days or sea days? The Adventure OTS will be port-intensive, with only one sea day I think. For the Freedom OTS you have to include ground transportation from Orlando to Port Canaveral in your overall costs. Anyone know how much this is usually? I'd probably go for the Adventure OTS, unless you wanted to see Disneyworld and other Orlando attractions too.

[Ronsangel]

Wow, so many great opinions and suggestions! I knew Cruise Critic members would be the experts on this! I do like the itinerary of the Adventure ... have always wanted to visit Aruba. Have never been on a Western itinerary either, although many of you are suggesting that the Southern has it bear. And if the Flowrider is the big difference with the Freedom, the ship choice has just become less important because although we're still 'young', our bodies are not, so you won't find us on it anyway! :) I think the scales are tipping toward the Adventure. Does anyone know if there is an outdoor movie theatre on it? We loved the Princess movies under the stars shows. Also, is the selection of dining options as good on the Adventure, or are there more options on the Freedom? Loving your feedback....thanks so much for all the help!!! PS - we're flying from Detroit (we live close to the border) and flights to San Juan aren't that much more than flying to FL!

[Ronsangel]

PS - it's the November 25th sailing we're looking at, so guess we'd better make a decision soon! :)

[Palmetto Pilot]

My vote is from the Freedom. The Freedom class, in my opinion, is the best RCCL has to offer. As far as the itinerary, I'd much rather be on the southern route than another western. Tough choice but you win either way.

[OTownNick]

I would do Adventure because of the itinerary ....and both ships are great.

 

It was probably my favorite cruise of all time.

[Ocean Boy]

Does anyone know if there is an outdoor movie theatre on it? We loved the Princess movies under the stars shows. Also, is the selection of dining options as good on the Adventure, or are there more options on the Freedom? Loving your feedback....thanks so much for all the help!!! PS - we're flying from Detroit (we live close to the border) and flights to San Juan aren't that much more than flying to FL!

 

Adventure does not have an outdoor movie screen. This has been added to Freedom's pool deck.

 

Eating venures on Adventure: Main Dining Room, Windjammer (buffet), Cafe Promenade (pizza, sandwiches, desserts, drinks), Johnny Rocket's (burger place), Portofino's (Italian). Room service.

 

Freedom has the added venues of Sorrento's Pizza, and Chops Grill (steak house).

[vickiw0318]

The Aruba/Curacao route on the Adventure has two sea days. I would probably give the nod to a Freedom class ship, but the Southern Caribbean routes can't be beat. Can't wait to go again in April.

[Jimnbigd]

One of the ports on the Nov. 25 Freedom of the Seas is Grand Cayman. This is tendered (small boats that take you from ship to shore and back). If the seas are rough, Cayman will be skipped. Question: Are any of the ports on the Nov. 25 Adventure of the Seas tendered?

 

My spot check shows only balconies and suites remaining on the Adventure of the Seas. In fact, cabin location might influence your decision. This late date, you might not have the best cabins left.

 

I think there is a 1-day sale today (Wednesday, Oct. 15). You might check. I could save you some money. I don't know if the sale applies to Canada.