Quick review of 1st cruise! Freedom of sea 27 sept.

[Team fraser]

Hello,

Just wanted to briefly describe my first cruise experience! We sailed the Western carribean route on the freedom of the seas!

 

Check in was smoother than any airport!

When I first saw the ship I was in awe of the sheer size of her! Our cabin was an interior cabin and was really comfortable with clever storage! We never really missed a lack of window but if we are lucky enough to cruise again it would be a bonus to have one!

We went up to the windjammer buffet after settling in. It was rammed and was hard to get a table. I was worried it was going to be a sign of things to come! However I think it's probably the only time that everyone wants to eat in the same place at the same time and the ship never did feel crowded again!

We were hugely impressed with the food all week in the windjammer and main dining room. We tried Sabor the mexican restaurant and really enjoyed it too!

The facilities on the ship are fantastic and of high quality!

Entertainment was surprisingly excellent and in no way felt tacky or forced! For the whole week the general atmosphere on the ship was fun and friendly and both the staff and the passengers just seemed really up for a good time!!

The ship is beautiful and of a very high standard!!

Our excursions went smoothly and gave a nice taster of each island! Our only disappointment was the seas being too rough to dock at grand Cayman!

As a first cruise experience my husband and I were very impressed and have recommended it to our friends and family!

We are keen to sail again and have been browsing options for next year!!

 

Currently there is an offer if you book a cruise for early next year then the 1st passenger pays full price but the second passenger pays half price. Are these offers commonplace and do the prices tend to go up closer to the times of departure?

 

Many thanks for all your advice before we went! It's a very helpful forum for us newbies!

 

Laura

[papaflamingo]

You'll see the Buy One Get One Half Off (BOGHO) all the time. Pay it no mind. What you'll learn is prices go up and prices go down. Look at the bottom line. If the price is good for you, then book it. Doesn't matter if it's a "BOGOHO" or not. Then as the cruise approaches, keep checking. Up until final payment you can take advantage of a lower rate. After final payment, you are locked in. However you can take advantage of upgrading for little or no additional. For example, we had a balcony on an Alaska cruise. After final payment the Junior Suite was actually less than what we paid. So we upgraded to a Junior Suite for free.

Anyway, I noticed you said "if you're lucky to cruise again." You're hooked. You WILL cruise again. That's how it goes. Never gets old. So go ahead, take the plunge and book another one. Remember, assuming you are in the U.S., you can always cancel for a full refund of the deposit. Any questions, anyone on this forum is more than happy to give advice. Welcome to the wonderful addiction of cruising. :)

Edited October 14, 2015 by papaflamingo

[Fionat29]

What a fantastic review! Thank you! We are just looking now at a universal stay and eastern caribbean cruise on this ship, so you're review was perfectly timed!!