Freedom of the Seas -- review of 10/4-11 sailing

[SimonTemplar]

Great review so far!

 

And, I'm still trying to figure out what you meant in that last sentence about the menu :)

 

Yes, automatic censoring software can lead to funny results. Does CC change "hello" to "****o"?

 

I should have written that the menu for that night was "Shiitake," the correct spelling as Bob pointed out. Instead, I transcribed the misspelling from the day 5 Cruise Compass, and Cruise Critic edited the misspelling as "****ake." The result is what I deserve for writing a post while trying to pay attention to "Castle." I cannot perform multiple tasks simultaneously and perform them well.

 

And here is the info from Royal Caribbean's main dining room menu regarding the Shiitake selections:

 

"SHIITAKE—The earthy, smoky flavor of the shiitake mushroom adds depth to stir-fry, soup, pasta and our own spectacular Shrimp Gyoza entrée plate. Packed with protein, iron, vitamins and minerals, shiitake has long been a treasured delicacy in Asia and the South Pacific, a fascinating part of the globe sailed by Royal Caribbean ships year-round."

 

I did not attempt the Shrimp Gyoza, but the strip steak was tasty.

[SimonTemplar]

(Because I cannot keep files organized, I'm out of sequence with the following post, which is all about the day 4 breakfast.)

 

We were up early and watching from the windows as we approached St. Thomas. Very picturesque and a lot of fellow cruisers on the helipad at the bow.

 

This morning, we went to the main dining room for breakfast and who greeted us at the doors? Miss Pauline! The girls gave her high 5s after they did their Purell ritual. We used a lot of hand sanitizer before they were toddlers, but I don't know that we used more at home than we did on this trip, and I am positive Thing 2 would love to have one of the Purell stations at home. Possibly more than one Purell station, she was that relentless about the ritual.

 

The MDR experience was relaxing. The food is not better compared to WJ, the variety is not as good compared to WJ, but MDR is calmer and our waiters were helpful. Breakfast fare in both locations is okay, but if I had to choose, I would opt for the breakfast at Best Western. A Pop-Tart (brown sugar-cinnamon, toasted) would have been preferable to the pancakes or waffles served on the ship. The french toast was loaded with cinnamon, so I give a rating of "tasty" to that one item.

 

Ruminating on the toast makes one wonder how the crust achieves its remarkable combination of tough and chewy. The bacon served to DW this particular morning may have touched the inside of a skillet briefly before escaping. Fortunately, MDR also provides a buffet station, so cooked bacon was easily available.

 

DW noted that she preferred breakfast on our Norwegian cruise and preferred the NCL food overall to RC. I'm not a foodie at all (see Pop-Tart comment above), so I will not dispute DW's pronouncement.

 

Seeing Miss Pauline at breakfast in the MDR reminded me that the crew works long hours, and I appreciated their politeness and service even more.

[LisaGoeke]

Enjoying your review.

We once had 8200 on FOS when our kids were younger and loved all the extra room. It was perfect for our family back then. Now that they're older we need to have at least two bathrooms, LOL.

Thanks for the link about the parking voucher program. We're heading back to the Freedom next June and will definitely stay at one of those hotels listed.

[SimonTemplar]

The girls woke up ready for a big day on the big ship. Breakfast in the MDR came first, followed by photo scavenging in the gallery on deck 4. After changing into our bathing costumes (slipping in a Peppa Pig reference), we tried one of the big pools with the girls. They really enjoy climbing up and down ladders into pools, but we have to help them despite their admonitions: "I can do it myself!"

 

Everyone was having a good time in the pool, but we did have a couple of guys jumping into the pool and splashing the girls and a couple of older women who were just chatting and relaxing in the water. The older women asked them to observe the rules about jumping in, DW also asked, and then the pool patrol became involved. The guys explained, "Hey, you get in a pool to get wet," which is classic "change the subject because you can't win the original argument" strategy. They then left in a huff.

 

We have one girl who learns from closely watching what people do, and she learns quickly. I'm hoping she learned what not to do from those 2 guys.

 

After making a few laps around the pool in their floaties, and multiple ascents and descents on the ladders, we had worked up a big appetite for lunch by the H2O Zone. We snagged a table and I waited with girls while DW braved the lines. While we waited, an older Asian woman seated at the table next to us got up to leave, and as she passed us, she flashed me a smile, pointed to the girls, and gave me a thumbs up while nodding and smiling. I asked the girls to wave to her and she was very happy to return the favor to them. In any language, triplets are fun.

 

The girls ate heartily and then asked for ice cream. We learned on day 2 to go light at Sprinkle's -- not too much ice cream on the cone because too many opportunities to spill until the ice cream is below the level of the cone and if the ice cream does manage to stay in the cone, the melt turns the cone to a soppy, leaky mess.

 

We went back to the stateroom to change into dry clothes for the girls' first ever movie in a theater: Home was playing in Arcadia Theatre. I was hoping for popcorn at AT, but no. We picked up 3-D glasses for everyone, but one size fits all did not fit our girls. The movie was still enjoyable, even if it will not go down in the annals of film with "Snow White," "Beauty and the Beast," or "Toy Story." After turning in our glasses, we went back to the stateroom to relax a little before our final formal night.

 

All 11 of us made it to the MDR for formal night. The menu was Jasmine, almost all of us had the prime rib and lobster tail and we finished the meal with baked Alaska. I had one very tired girl who wound up sitting on my lap for the last half of dinner, so managing a lobster tail wasn't easy but lobster is motivation to achieve. After dinner, we went in search of a photographer to snap all of us and after that plan fell apart, we had a family portrait made on the stairs. You'll see it on this year's Christmas card.

[SimonTemplar]

Enjoying your review.

We once had 8200 on FOS when our kids were younger and loved all the extra room. It was perfect for our family back then. Now that they're older we need to have at least two bathrooms, LOL.

Thanks for the link about the parking voucher program. We're heading back to the Freedom next June and will definitely stay at one of those hotels listed.

 

You're welcome! When the girls are older, we will need at least 2, too. Maybe we'll try the adjoining balcony rooms.

[LuCruise]

We signed up for the double-decker bus tour of St. Maarten. The excursion travels all around the island, makes 6 stops, including Maho for airplane photos and Orient Bay for naturist photos, and the tour guide points out interesting features of the Dutch and French sides. This tour take about 3 3/4 hours and the stops are short -- the longest was 25 minutes, so shopping is done in a hurry.

 

 

Loving your review. Freedom looks like a great ship.

 

For the St Maarten tour, was this a Royal excursion or something like St Bernard's tour? I'm asking since I haven't seen any Royal ones that go to Orient and Maho.

[SimonTemplar]

Loving your review. Freedom looks like a great ship.

 

For the St Maarten tour, was this a Royal excursion or something like St Bernard's tour? I'm asking since I haven't seen any Royal ones that go to Orient and Maho.

 

The St. Maarten tour was a Royal excursion. We opted for the Royal excursions because we had enough onboard credit to cover the Secret Sands and the Open Top Double Decker tours. The Open Top goes to Orient Bay and Maho and you spend 20–25 minutes in both locations, but you spend maybe 10–15 minutes in Marigot, so you cannot do much.

 

We were supposed to depart St. Maarten at 4:30 and the pilot boat was ready for us, traveling back and forth in an arc from one side of the dock to the other (a form of pacing for the impatient pilot, I suppose). About 4:45, a golf cart comes zooming from the island (if one can truly write that a golf cart "zooms") and down the dock with 2 passengers. They stagger onboard, the gangway is removed, the ropes tying us to the dock are cast off, and we depart about a half hour later than expected. When the captain says they'll wait for you if you take an Royal excursion, they really will wait for you.

[jnojr]

I was on FotS for the same itinerary a couple of years ago. Too many sea days for me. But it was a great cruise, great ship, great staff, great times!

[SimonTemplar]

A couple of photos of the interior of 8200, a photo of Freedom from the Charlotte Amalie waterfront at the end of Hibiscus Alley, and Shrek and Eduardo (very nice guy who should one day be a cruise director, if that's what he wants to do) at the DreamWorks character breakfast in Leonardo's.

[SherriZ366]

A couple of photos of the interior of 8200, a photo of Freedom from the Charlotte Amalie waterfront at the end of Hibiscus Alley, and Shrek and Eduardo (very nice guy who should one day be a cruise director, if that's what he wants to do) at the DreamWorks character breakfast in Leonardo's.

Thanks for posting. Is the sofa a sleep sofa? Where was the bunk room? Thanks Edited October 22, 2015 by SherriZ366

[SimonTemplar]

Thanks for posting. Is the sofa a sleep sofa? Where was the bunk room? Thanks

 

The sofa is a sleeper, but not a pullout bed. More of a futon and much more comfortable than the usual sofa bed.

 

The bunk room has a door and the bedroom with the king bed has a curtain.

[SherriZ366]

The sofa is a sleeper, but not a pullout bed. More of a futon and much more comfortable than the usual sofa bed.

 

The bunk room has a door and the bedroom with the king bed has a curtain.

Thanks for the details.

[riclop]

Thanks for your review.

[SimonTemplar]

Day 7 found me in Leonardo's at 7:45 and waiting in a line of guests. I was there to ask the hostess if we could crash the DreamWorks character breakfast because I forgot to call for reservations the day before. When I finally made it to the hostess stand, I was told we would need to be there by 8:00 and we only had 5 minutes to go, and then she asked for my stateroom number. I said, "8200" and she said, "Oh, the triplets! Yes, we'll have room for you."

 

When we returned, the girls were excited to spend time with Shrek, Puss In Boots, and Princess Fiona at breakfast. I do not recommend the chocolate pancakes or chocolate waffles -- they are not palatable, and our girls did not eat them despite their love of chocolate. The rest of the DreamWorks breakfast menu is the same as the usual breakfast fare, but the food isn't why we were there. We were there to meet characters and the girls loved them all! Eduardo and the rest of the crew were high energy and devoted to helping the youngsters have a good time.

 

After the character breakfast, we finally visited the helipad at the bow of the ship. We had gazed out of our windows for 7 days at the helipad and we all wanted to see the view from the bow. The girls ran around and around and around the helipad while we took photos of the view and looked up at the bridge. Then it was snack time on the Promenade to make up for the lack of a tasty breakfast.

 

We wanted one last time at H2O Zone and the sprayground, and DW also wanted to check out the 2 for $20 tee shirt sale by the pool. None of the tee shirts were "must have," so no purchases made. All loungers were already taken, so we staked out spots at a table poolside. This time we plunged into the bigger pool at the back of the sprayground, and we had more fun than should be allowed. And we weren't splashed by adult yahoos.

 

After drying off and having lunch by the pool, we returned to the stateroom for fresh clothes, a movie, and to begin packing for the trip home. We had missed FreedomFEST, but it's impossible to do it all, isn't it?

 

Next up was a class at Cupcake Cupboard for the girls at 4:30, and the ladies there were helpful, pleasant, and talented. The class was a big ask for our youngsters because they don't have the ability yet to stir and mix, but we could handle that part for them (and a few other tasks). We created cats and then the girls performed a taste test. Yum!

 

Another benefit of the cupcake class was we could stay in the shop and watch the DreamWorks Move It! Move It! parade. All the girls enjoyed the parade, especially Thing 2 because she was able to give Shrek a high five as the ogre passed by. And they enjoyed picking up confetti after the parade.

 

Down the stairs to deck 3 and Leonardo's for our final meal in the MDR. The girls danced with Miss Pauline and Miss Rose, a waiter in the next section asked for a photo with the girls, and we all enjoyed the Pomodoro menu and the key lime pie. We said our goodbyes and good nights to all at our table. The girls said, "Goodbye, dining room!" as we exited.

 

Back in the room, the girls were tired and ready for bed and we were ready to finish packing. Lots to do before our disembarkation time at 7:30 in the morning.

 

My final task of the night was to swing by the photo gallery a little after 10:00 and pick up our CD. Yes, we bought the photo package.

[SimonTemplar]

Thanks for the details.

 

I hope the details are helpful. 8200 was a nice room for us, and I have a few more photos, including some panoramic views, but I have to decrease the size and quality to post to CC.

 

If you want to see a video tour of the room, that is available on YouTube at

. Once we watched the video, we knew we made the right choice for us.

[SherriZ366]

I hope the details are helpful. 8200 was a nice room for us, and I have a few more photos, including some panoramic views, but I have to decrease the size and quality to post to CC.

 

If you want to see a video tour of the room, that is available on YouTube at

. Once we watched the video, we knew we made the right choice for us.

Thanks for the link!!

[wishtdream]

 

My final task of the night was to swing by the photo gallery a little after 10:00 and pick up our CD. Yes, we bought the photo package.

 

How much was the photo package when purchased onboard? We were planning on pre-purchasing before our 11/1 cruise, but it is not being offered.

[SimonTemplar]

How much was the photo package when purchased onboard? We were planning on pre-purchasing before our 11/1 cruise, but it is not being offered.

 

The complete photo pkg, digital and print, is $399 and the digital-only pkg is $349, but RC offers $50 off throughout the cruise. You may be able to negotiate a better deal on the last night but not much better. We received a couple of extra photos and those were conceded reluctantly.

 

If you are inclined to buy the photo pkg, take advantage of photo ops whenever offered. If you're traveling with a group, try to use one SailPass for all photos.