A Review from a reluctant cruiser - FOS

[POF]

Background

 

I was never very interested in a cruise vacation. Having traveled extensively for work - I really don't enjoy hotels. I tend to be more of an outdoor, hiking, exploring type vacation. I do live the beach and I like pools and water activities.

 

DH has always wanted to go on a cruise, but he doesn't like to sit on the beach, go to pools and is not one to sit in a lounge for very long.

 

I agreed to go - my 50th birthday and our 20th wedding anniversary. We also took our dons 14 and 16.

 

I loved it - I might not want to go every year - but I thought it was an outstanding vacation.

 

Since I was so helped by the reviews here - I thought I would give try to give my experiences and my opinions ( for waht they are worth ) .

 

EMBARKATION / PRE CRUISE

 

We obtained passports - our two sons were internationally adopted - so we felt this was the best way to make sure everything was in order. I would highly recommend it.

 

We also flew down the day before and had planned to visit Seaworld. Our 16 year old managed to scratch his eye and we spend the day in the Cocoa beach urgent care.

 

Country Inn and Suites -- was just fine for a quick overnight stay, clean, free breakfast and convenient to the terminal.

 

We rented a car in Orlando at BUDGET. I will never use them again. it took us approx 40 minutes in line and we had pre reserved and prepaid. The Hertz line next to ours just buzzed right along. I was upset when one of the staff left his customer mid transaction waved over a friend form the side and waited on him for 20 minutes !

 

Car return at Cocoa was also hectic - but the staff were on top of it and very efficient.

 

Embarkation was very easy - we were on the boat by 11:30.

 

Because the boys were in an adjacent room - we could not print their set sail pass ( our TA could not ) - so we had to do it their. The first person at the gate gave me a hard time because I did not have "tickets". Finally he sent me to a line where another guy checked the passports - looked us up and waived us upstairs. I do realize this was a port employee not RCI.

 

SHIP

UNBELIEVABLY BEAUTIFUL ! It was so clean and well kept up. Even the teens kept mentioning it. I saw a few wear and tear items in our cabin - but NOTHING major. By far this completely exceeded my expectations.

 

CABIN

Loved it ! Clean, convenient, lots of storage and did not fell crowded at all we had a Superior Balcony room which was great. It was super quiet and never heard any noise at night.

 

ELEVATORS

I had heard how inconvenient they were and how long passengers waited. We only waited at high congestion times - like coming back from port on a tender. Otherwise - they were just fine.

 

Cabin Attendant -

Superb ! Calixto was our attendant did an awesome job - lots of towel animals, friendly and helpful. I read on another thread where someone thought pre tipping was gauche. I pretipped, basically becasue I was concerned about the boys cabins. I alss tipped him at the end. Our gratuities were prepaid - but I know these folks work for tips and I felt like if I could afford a fancy handbag and to blow money in the casino - I could tip extra. the only annoying thin was to be reminded 10 times about the surveys. That got a little but old.

 

WindJammer -

 

Good Buffet Food. Some things were really tasty - Anything on the Jade side very good. Breakfast got a little dull, but I would mix it up and have eggs one morning, oatmeal one morning etc. We ate here one night and it was really nice. Sometimes I just want plain food and a lot of veggies and not have anyone hovering over me like in the main dining room. It was a madhouse at times, the worst was on port days when people were eating so they could get off the ship. The servers helped you find seats, the lines were not too bad. Everyone seemed really polite.

 

MDR

Our boys loved this and wanted to go every night !

 

Dress code - not enforced. It was Formal and Casual. I saw everything from shorts to long dresses on formal night. We dressed the first night, however the second formal night I let my 14 year old wear a polo. Other nights it was dressy shorts for the boys and DH and capris for me. I really didn't care what other people wore.

 

Atmosphere - - Good - consider that they are feed a LOT of people at once. Meals took about 90 minutes - but we did not mind. We were at a table for four - which was fine with us. The thing I did not like was the 2 nights where they talked forever introducing the staff. I can appreciate recognizing them one evening, but it got long and frankly - I like to chat with my family and relax. We thought the parade of staff was fun - but the singing got a little bit cheesy.

 

Service - Oustanding waiter and assistant waiter ( Kelroy). He was hilarious and knew that I loved all the different breads would sneak it on my plate ! They also soon realized that my small wiry DS ( 14 ) eats a lot so they would bring him things to try. DS 14 felt that if he ordered something he had to eat it all - so would order conservatively. I would order what he wanted to try and then give him half my plate. This would prompt our waiter to bring me another entree :) YUMMM

 

Food

its not fine dining, but it ranged between blah and really great. It was much better than I expected.

 

Appetizers were universally good.

 

Soups were good, ( I did not care for the coconut curry or the lobster bisque - but my husband and the boys liked it ).

Tapas was good

Snails were a first time for us - they were OK for me - but the 14 year old and my husband loved them !

Seared Scallops were very tasty.

 

I tried the Roman Vignole Salad - not tasty at all, really awful - the worst thing I had all week.

 

The Prime Rib and carved tenderloin were good. The pork dishes were universally good and we enjoyed the fish and mash.

 

The artichoke crepes were the best thing I had in the dining room. The lobster was OK - but I am from New England and a bit picky with lobster.

 

Iwish they had the option of ordeing an extra veggie or something. I like to eat a lot of produce and aside from salad you got a thimbleful at night. I realize that this is so it isn't wasted - but a side order of veggies would be great addition.

 

Starchy sides were well prepared and I love mashed potatoes ( rarely have them though ) - so I indulged and they were the real thing and very tasty. Food was not as salty as I though and really well and correctly seasoned.

 

Desserts were not to my liking - but my sons had two of them every night.

Peach Blueberry Crumble was not cooked correctly ( raw on top )

Apple Crumble was mushy and odd

Key lime pie was good, but the lemon pie was a disappointment (very small )

 

I thought the windjammer desserts were better.

 

All in all - excellent food here. At times, the waitstaff got a little wearing - but I tend to like to be left alone when I eat. I do not drink to to a medical condition and DH drinks very little. The bar server had an attitude about us not ordering drinks.

 

I liked just walking down the stairs to our table and sitting down. it was very relaxing !

 

OK - I have to go the gym and see my personal trainer to work off the calories ! I only gained one pound on vacation ! And I ate whatever I wanted and had lots of virgin drinks. Idid swim, snorkel, walk the deck and walk the stairs a lot.

 

I will post more tomorrow about the activities, ports, shows, lounges , shopping and disembarkation.

 

Please let me know if you have any questions. I would not hesitate to recommend this vacation to anyone.

[swong13]

FYI...You CAN order extra sides of vegetables with your dinner in the MDR. Now you know for the next cruise.

 

-S

[coordinator23]

Which ports did you visit? Did you enjoy them? We recently did the Eastern route and enjoyed every minute. Freedom is a beautiful ship. I would sail her again. If you liked this class, you would like the Voyager class ships also. Very similar, just a tad bit smaller.

Did you go to any of the shows?

[emeraldcity]

Thank you for taking the time to post your thoughts in detail. It's always interesting to read the impressions of someone who wasn't sure if this sort of vacation would work for them.

[POF]

Thank you for taking the time to post your thoughts in detail. It's always interesting to read the impressions of someone who wasn't sure if this sort of vacation would work for them.

 

Thanks everyone ! Good to know about the extra veggies. I definitely will do that next time ( and there will be a next time ! ) .

 

I recently was promoted to a Senior Director position in our company and I have been working lots of hours and just going crazy. This was the most relaxing time I have EVER HAD. Hands DOWN !

 

Some additional topics !

 

Pools - Super crowded and chair hogs galore ! - Seriously people spending their entire day guarding 6 loungers in the solarium. I swam at night after dinner or early in the AM or occasionally right before dinner. Afternoons weren't too bad near dinner time ( I am low maintenance and can shower and be ready in a flash ! ) . I have had a serious bout with skin cancer - so I can't be in the sun all day anyway. I promised my husband I would not confront chair hogs and seat savers and line cutters - but I did give them my EVIL EYE :D. There were plenty of loungers in the shade away from the pool and lots of quite sunny areas. No worries :)

 

Shows

Welcome aboard show - we came late and stood in the back at the bar - it was good. I enjoyed the comedians and acrobatic act.

 

Drew Thomas Magic Show - Good - Not a huge fan of Magic - but I was very entertained. We came about 15 minutes early and all the seats were being saved. Some folks were saving rows and rows of seats.

 

Headliner was the Spanish Cowboy Singer - so we skipped that.

 

Did not see any of the song and Dance Shows - DH is not a fan and we were just hanging out. ( Also wanted to save something for next trip )

 

Ice Show was AMAZING ! Very well done

 

Love and Marriage - Hilarious

 

Quest - OK - but people were very prepped for it ( guy wore his wife's underwear and then put on her matching bra ) - which I think takes the fun out of it.

 

Goodbye Show - really good

 

Parades - Cute

 

Freedom Fest - OK .... not really sure what it was trying to do.....

 

Lounge Singers - Excellent musicians in all the lounges, Piano Bar, Bull and Bear ( English Pub ) , Olive and Twist - Boleros - I love to listen to live music and it was great fun to wander from venue to venue.

 

Casino - I am really sensitive to cigarette smoke - my eyes water and burn and I tear up. I could smell it - but it did not bother me much at all. Very well ventilated. Lost $20 on the penny slots ... big time I know !

 

Shopping - I avoided the handbag store until the last Sea Day. I saw a bag in the window assumed it was $$$$ and would not go in to look. ( DH finally insisted and it was less than $100 ) . I still decided not to buy it and then it showed up in my Stateroom ! DH likes to surprise me .......

 

Tuscan Pasta demonstration - $15 per person - included pasta demo ( kind of lame ), lunch at Portofino's ( delicious -appetizer, entree and dessert from a set menu ) and a galley tour ( AWESOME ) - well worth the price and a lot of fun.

 

PORTS OF CALL

 

Coco Cay - Soooo Niiiice. Loved it. I read about the rocky beaches, ummm I am from New England and have a beach house..... let me tell you .... that was not a rocky beach ! Water was warm and beautiful. I am not a strong swimmer and have never snorkeled. I am completely hooked. The guy doing the orientation was very sweet and assured me that I could trigger a rescue by pulling the finder and there were lifeguards etc.

 

I did not go out far, but the fish were very plentiful and beautiful. They were around the rocky part of the beach. We saw quite a few different kinds and I saw an eel. ( EWWWW ). I was also mobbed by some white and black striped fish that were either chewing off flaky skin or my suntan lotion.

 

It was very family oriented - I did not see any really inappropriate bathing attire.

 

Lunch was OK - not the best - but not the worst - but chair hogs were putting all their stuff on the picnic tables and preventing others from using them. That should not be allowed. We had to eat on our loungers. The lines for the buffet weren't bad. Burgers were good, salads and fruit were good, desserts were tasty. However a bird pooped on my plate of food. Much to the enjoyment of my sons and all the other people around me.....

 

Straw market was really awful - I did buy a t - shirt for DH.

 

St Thomas - Sapphire Beach -

 

We did not do a ships excursion - but got our own taxi. Talk about bedlam ! the dispatcher got us lined up with other folks, but then the taxi lady we had to follow had a meltdown with the drivers. I was thinking have I made a HUGE mistake. But our driver was good and got us to the beach. I guess I am a sheltered American in that I did not realize how impoverished the islands are. I actually grew up in a poor rural area - and this was similar in some respects. The roads were crazy steep and scary and I think next cruise ( which will probably be without kids ) I will do ships excursions only. I think there is a big risk of having an accident on these roads.

 

Coming from New England near the Cape - I am used to broad stretches of beautiful sand beaches. Sapphire was smaller than I expected ( although I think my expectation was unrealistic ) . The trees were nice and shady, bit the dive shop guys were kind of rude. We didn't know how it worked and they were a bit impatient with us.

 

 

Near the rocky outcrop is good snorkeling - but there is a big drop off. its obvious that the sand has been trucked in for part of the beach area. The water was clear and green and warm. It was kind of rough the day we were there. Further down the beach it is shallower and no rocks.

 

No problem with cabs - our driver came back - but about 3 other cabbies tried to poach me. There was a concierge there making sure everyone had a ride.

 

The scenery can't be beat - one of the most beautiful views I have ever scene - well worth it. I can't quite imagine what a driving tour of St. Thomas would show us.... but next cruise - I am doing the kayak and snorkeling excursion.

 

Shopping was good - I bought a ring at the shops near the pier.

 

St Martin

 

I wish we did not have back to back port days - we really wanted to laze around the ship. We had planned to go to Orient Beach - but given the cost over and back and knowing we only wanted to stay about 2 hours ..... we decided to just shop in Phillipsburg. The shopkeepers are aggressive. We did get an OK deal on jewelry and a pendant and a watch for my son. I like to browse in the stores - but if you look in a window you feel kidnapped. my two boys however collected all the free gift coupons and got little things to give to their friends (girls ) back home ;)

 

We walked all the way down front street and went off on some side streets. We thought there would be more historical things to see and do - but maybe we missed it. We talked to a couple who went on the turtle snorkeling and then a tour of the French side. They loved the snorkeling - but thought the tour was not so great.

 

St. Martin was beautiful and the town of Phillipsburg was charming. we spent about 3 hours shopping and walking and hanging out and then went to the boat to swim and nap. Next cruise - I want to snorkel with the turtles.

 

Disembarkation

 

We originally wanted to do luggage valet - and I am glad we didn't. There was really no need to. Our flight was at noon and we asked our limo company to pick us up at 9:30 AM.

 

Guest Services advised me to allow 2 hours to get off the boat... I am not sure why. So we left in group 4 at 7:30 AM. Now - according to the video - we were to be led off by a staff member. Umm did not happen and we were a bit confused on the best way to get off the ship. There was seriously no rhyme or reason as to when people left. I understand your luggage might not be out. But we were thinking of walking off and they told me we had to go by 7:15. I think we could have walked off at any time.

 

Luggage pickup was on a conveyer and was easy and we had our luggage and went through customs by 7:45. So now we got to sit at the terminal for an hour and a half. I called the limo guy and he said he would leave - but it would still be 9:15. I used a small company SUNRAY. I've used them 5 times for pickup and drop off in Orlando. They are great - personal service and cheaper than the bus transfer. At $38 per head - the bus would have been $152 for us. The limo was $110 before tip.

 

GOOD to KNOW - There is a bathroom outside the terminal. Thanks goodness - because that cup of coffee caught up with me.

 

Other Stuff

 

Oh yes - the coffee was fine on the ship - not the best - but drinkable. DH and I would mix coffee and hot cocoa and make a mocha. I would get soft serve icecream outside and then add coffee and make a drink. ( I do this at home with coffee and ice cream ) .

 

Seasickness - I was VERY CONCERNED ! - but no issues, I did get queasy on the water taxi in St. Martin - but went and stood up front and was OK.

 

Staff were super friendly and nice. I know they are working for tips, but the service was outstanding everywhere - I am picky and I have NO COMPLAINTS. I have a nice swatch watch I bought in NYC which attracted the attention of a couple crew members - so they had to show me their watch and they were great to talk with.

 

We had 250 quincenerias in board with us from Argentina. They were fine. A but rambunctious but no worse than any other teens. I interacted with a few - they were asking some questions about where things were and they were very polite.

 

So - That's it - I loved it - I got a little stir crazy last sea day - but it was a top 5 vacation. The only thing that beat it was our honeymoon on Sanibel Island in Florida.

 

Thanks again for all the help and questions answered

[ace1zoe2]

Thanks for sharing your review. I loved it sounds very honest & straight forward.

[maureencruiser]

Glad you liked it- I think maybe next time you are in St Maarten, you should go to Maho Beach. I can't think of any 14 and 16 year old boys who wouldn't want to see this!

[hellsop]

Yeah, check out the briefs on him!

[Langley Cruisers]

Glad you enjoyed overall.

 

 

St Thomas - Sapphire Beach -

 

We did not do a ships excursion - but got our own taxi....The roads were crazy steep and scary and I think next cruise ( which will probably be without kids ) I will do ships excursions only. I think there is a big risk of having an accident on these roads.

 

Coming from New England near the Cape - I am used to broad stretches of beautiful sand beaches. Sapphire was smaller than I expected ( although I think my expectation was unrealistic ) .

 

Couple of points: many of the roads in St. Thomas are steep and winding; I wonder what makes you think a ship's tour would have you avoiding this? Or did you just phrase that incorrectly? The cab drivers do this daily and even though you may have felt unsafe or scared, the drivers will get you there. My husband grew up in the Caribbean and he always says that most of the accidents are caused by tourists in rental cars, not by locals.

 

Also, Sapphire is not representative of all the beaches in the area. We have also been there but would not go back; you perhaps feel the same way. There are other gorgeous beaches on the island, probably more of what you were expecting. :)

 

.

[hellsop]

Iwish they had the option of ordeing an extra veggie or something. I like to eat a lot of produce and aside from salad you got a thimbleful at night. I realize that this is so it isn't wasted - but a side order of veggies would be great addition.

 

Oh, they can totally do that. ESPECIALLY if you brief the waiter beforehand that it's something you like. A table-mate (back a few cruises) wished aloud for a more substantial salad, and the following evening a big bowl of hearty greens with broccoli, mushrooms, red and yellow bell peppers and purple onion showed up on the table, and a gravy boat of some kind of creamy Caesar dressing. Another table asked about it after dinner, and they got one the next night as well. By the third night, there were probably six tables on that side of the dining room getting those shared salads instead of the little ones off the menu. I have no idea if that lasted past that cruise, but it was a really nice thing to have happen.

[JAYRAY1259]

Background

 

I was never very interested in a cruise vacation. Having traveled extensively for work - I really don't enjoy hotels. I tend to be more of an outdoor, hiking, exploring type vacation. I do live the beach and I like pools and water activities.

 

DH has always wanted to go on a cruise, but he doesn't like to sit on the beach, go to pools and is not one to sit in a lounge for very long.

 

I agreed to go - my 50th birthday and our 20th wedding anniversary. We also took our dons 14 and 16.

 

I loved it - I might not want to go every year - but I thought it was an outstanding vacation.

 

Since I was so helped by the reviews here - I thought I would give try to give my experiences and my opinions ( for waht they are worth ) .

 

EMBARKATION / PRE CRUISE

 

We obtained passports - our two sons were internationally adopted - so we felt this was the best way to make sure everything was in order. I would highly recommend it.

 

We also flew down the day before and had planned to visit Seaworld. Our 16 year old managed to scratch his eye and we spend the day in the Cocoa beach urgent care.

 

Country Inn and Suites -- was just fine for a quick overnight stay, clean, free breakfast and convenient to the terminal.

 

We rented a car in Orlando at BUDGET. I will never use them again. it took us approx 40 minutes in line and we had pre reserved and prepaid. The Hertz line next to ours just buzzed right along. I was upset when one of the staff left his customer mid transaction waved over a friend form the side and waited on him for 20 minutes !

 

Car return at Cocoa was also hectic - but the staff were on top of it and very efficient.

 

Embarkation was very easy - we were on the boat by 11:30.

 

Because the boys were in an adjacent room - we could not print their set sail pass ( our TA could not ) - so we had to do it their. The first person at the gate gave me a hard time because I did not have "tickets". Finally he sent me to a line where another guy checked the passports - looked us up and waived us upstairs. I do realize this was a port employee not RCI.

 

SHIP

UNBELIEVABLY BEAUTIFUL ! It was so clean and well kept up. Even the teens kept mentioning it. I saw a few wear and tear items in our cabin - but NOTHING major. By far this completely exceeded my expectations.

 

CABIN

Loved it ! Clean, convenient, lots of storage and did not fell crowded at all we had a Superior Balcony room which was great. It was super quiet and never heard any noise at night.

 

ELEVATORS

I had heard how inconvenient they were and how long passengers waited. We only waited at high congestion times - like coming back from port on a tender. Otherwise - they were just fine.

 

Cabin Attendant -

Superb ! Calixto was our attendant did an awesome job - lots of towel animals, friendly and helpful. I read on another thread where someone thought pre tipping was gauche. I pretipped, basically becasue I was concerned about the boys cabins. I alss tipped him at the end. Our gratuities were prepaid - but I know these folks work for tips and I felt like if I could afford a fancy handbag and to blow money in the casino - I could tip extra. the only annoying thin was to be reminded 10 times about the surveys. That got a little but old.

 

WindJammer -

 

Good Buffet Food. Some things were really tasty - Anything on the Jade side very good. Breakfast got a little dull, but I would mix it up and have eggs one morning, oatmeal one morning etc. We ate here one night and it was really nice. Sometimes I just want plain food and a lot of veggies and not have anyone hovering over me like in the main dining room. It was a madhouse at times, the worst was on port days when people were eating so they could get off the ship. The servers helped you find seats, the lines were not too bad. Everyone seemed really polite.

 

MDR

Our boys loved this and wanted to go every night !

 

Dress code - not enforced. It was Formal and Casual. I saw everything from shorts to long dresses on formal night. We dressed the first night, however the second formal night I let my 14 year old wear a polo. Other nights it was dressy shorts for the boys and DH and capris for me. I really didn't care what other people wore.

 

Atmosphere - - Good - consider that they are feed a LOT of people at once. Meals took about 90 minutes - but we did not mind. We were at a table for four - which was fine with us. The thing I did not like was the 2 nights where they talked forever introducing the staff. I can appreciate recognizing them one evening, but it got long and frankly - I like to chat with my family and relax. We thought the parade of staff was fun - but the singing got a little bit cheesy.

 

Service - Oustanding waiter and assistant waiter ( Kelroy). He was hilarious and knew that I loved all the different breads would sneak it on my plate ! They also soon realized that my small wiry DS ( 14 ) eats a lot so they would bring him things to try. DS 14 felt that if he ordered something he had to eat it all - so would order conservatively. I would order what he wanted to try and then give him half my plate. This would prompt our waiter to bring me another entree :) YUMMM

 

Food

its not fine dining, but it ranged between blah and really great. It was much better than I expected.

 

Appetizers were universally good.

 

Soups were good, ( I did not care for the coconut curry or the lobster bisque - but my husband and the boys liked it ).

Tapas was good

Snails were a first time for us - they were OK for me - but the 14 year old and my husband loved them !

Seared Scallops were very tasty.

 

I tried the Roman Vignole Salad - not tasty at all, really awful - the worst thing I had all week.

 

The Prime Rib and carved tenderloin were good. The pork dishes were universally good and we enjoyed the fish and mash.

 

The artichoke crepes were the best thing I had in the dining room. The lobster was OK - but I am from New England and a bit picky with lobster.

 

Iwish they had the option of ordeing an extra veggie or something. I like to eat a lot of produce and aside from salad you got a thimbleful at night. I realize that this is so it isn't wasted - but a side order of veggies would be great addition.

 

Starchy sides were well prepared and I love mashed potatoes ( rarely have them though ) - so I indulged and they were the real thing and very tasty. Food was not as salty as I though and really well and correctly seasoned.

 

Desserts were not to my liking - but my sons had two of them every night.

Peach Blueberry Crumble was not cooked correctly ( raw on top )

Apple Crumble was mushy and odd

Key lime pie was good, but the lemon pie was a disappointment (very small )

 

I thought the windjammer desserts were better.

 

All in all - excellent food here. At times, the waitstaff got a little wearing - but I tend to like to be left alone when I eat. I do not drink to to a medical condition and DH drinks very little. The bar server had an attitude about us not ordering drinks.

 

I liked just walking down the stairs to our table and sitting down. it was very relaxing !

 

OK - I have to go the gym and see my personal trainer to work off the calories ! I only gained one pound on vacation ! And I ate whatever I wanted and had lots of virgin drinks. Idid swim, snorkel, walk the deck and walk the stairs a lot.

 

I will post more tomorrow about the activities, ports, shows, lounges , shopping and disembarkation.

 

Please let me know if you have any questions. I would not hesitate to recommend this vacation to anyone.

I may have missed it somewhere but what ship were you on?

[cjknox]

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. Once you go on a cruise you never go back. I'm a firm believer in cruising at least once in your life. It's something everyone should try.

[Merion_Mom]

I may have missed it somewhere but what ship were you on?

 

As the thread title states, FOS, or Freedom of the Seas.

[Merion_Mom]

I was also mobbed by some white and black striped fish that were either chewing off flaky skin or my suntan lotion.

 

You REALLY made me laugh out loud with this! :eek: ;) :D

[andiloveu]

Great review! Next time your in St. Martin you should go to Maho Beach. It is so crazy how the planes go right over the beach and when they take off from the airport you get blown away. We are taking our boys in December and I know it will be a must see for them.:)

[Philly Steve]

Great impressions of a first cruise vacation. Thanks for posting. :)

[KeywestK]

Thanks for posting a wonderful review. I'm so glad you enjoyed your first cruising experience, especially since you weren't quite sure what to expect. And just so you'll know for the future, not only can you order extra veggies at dinner, we've been known to order an extra entree for the table to share. Hey, sometimes is hard to decide what to order ; )

[swim13]

Nice review! I'm so glad you all had a great time on the Freedom of the Seas, we absolutely loved that ship!!

 

I would suggest looking into Oasis or Allure for your next cruise! :D

[big al]

Glad you liked the Freedom..we also loved her & sister, Liberty Of The Seas..as other posters have said, next time DEFINITELY go to Maho Beach in St. Maarten..Orient Beach is popular, but be warned there is a nude beach there, though all the way on the right when you get there...with teen boys, definitely try the Oasis or Allure of The Seas..you will NEVER see them or have to worry about them being bored..just the Aqua Park diving show is spectacular! The Royal Promenade on the Oasis ships is TWICE as wide as the Freedom, and most of all, IMO, Central Park on deck 8, is the highlight of the ship, especially at night..you can see the stars on a clear night, hear birds chirping, all while being seranaded by a classical trio in the middle area...amazingly, although the Oasis is 40% bigger than the Freedom, it never felt crowded to us, mainly beacuse the ship is divided into 7 "neighborhoods"....trust me, the boys & you all will love it...it's like the Freedom on steroids!!

 

Big Al

[xxoocruiser]

 

 

MDR

Our boys loved this and wanted to go every night !

 

Dress code - not enforced. It was Formal and Casual. I saw everything from shorts to long dresses on formal night. We dressed the first night, however the second formal night I let my 14 year old wear a polo. Other nights it was dressy shorts for the boys and DH and capris for me. I really didn't care what other people wore.

 

.

 

RCCL does not have a mandatory dress code rather it offers a "Suggested Guideline" and states that on it's website. Here's the link : http://www.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/faq/details.do?pagename=frequently_asked_questions&faqId=255&faqSubjectId=334

 

Therefore no enforcement required.

 

Glad you enjoyed everything else !