Live from Freedom of the Seas March 6, 2016

[orville99]

OOPS! Let's try this again. The WJ is only crowded if you try to sit in the entrance area. If you go to the back there are additional serving areas and plenty of seats. The solarium is usually quiet. DW naps there every day. Aft views are few in number and highly coveted, so they go fast. There is a cigar lounge on deck five forward. And finally, considering the number of octogenarians (and older) on our FOS cruise last week, it doesn't seem to be much of a problem for them to get around.

[John&LaLa]

OOPS! Let's try this again. The WJ is only crowded if you try to sit in the entrance area. If you go to the back there are additional serving areas and plenty of seats. The solarium is usually quiet. DW naps there every day. Aft views are few in number and highly coveted, so they go fast. There is a cigar lounge on deck five forward. And finally, considering the number of octogenarians (and older) on our FOS cruise last week, it doesn't seem to be much of a problem for them to get around.

 

Deck 4

[Cruisin Kay D]

HOBBSEY -- I think you & your father will like Freedom. Concerning your question about your dad navigating around the ship, I want to tell you our experience -- we are mid-70s & I really don't like to walk much. We & several friends booked Independence for 1st time for a 2 week cruise which occurred last October. But as time grew closer to final payment I was quite concerned about the size of the ship & how far we would have to walk, but I decided not to cancel.

 

We (including our friends) were very surprised how much we enjoyed the layout of the ship, and found it very easy to navigate!! Independence & Freedom are well-designed ships, with 2 large stacks of elevators, which basically divide the ship into thirds. (Most ships have 3 stacks of elevators.) On this type of ship, most of the favorite activities & bars, Casino, IceShow, stores, pools are in the middle third, between the fore and aft stack. This is the middle third of the ship, where you do the most walking about & where the indoor Promenade is located.

 

The aft third is the 3 story beautiful Main Dining Room and at top the Windjammer & various outside activities like flowrider, climbing wall, mini-golf, Johnny Rockets. The front third of the ship has the 3 stories of the theater and a nice large bar/lounge 1 floor above that, the spa/fitness areas at the top, etc. We really enjoyed watching the people of all ages trying to surf on the flowrider -- there is "bleacher" type sitting on 3 sides of the flowrider!

 

We ended up liking the Independence so much that we booked the sister ship Freedom for our family cruise, upcoming in May.

[SherriZ366]

I can only verify 9338. :eek:;)

We will be in 9328 in June so I may check with Concierge when we get closer.

 

Our cabin steward, Sugiarto, on our 1-10-2016 cruise said that they were installing mattresses starting with the top decks and working their way down).

 

Sounds like your JS did not get the super-hard mattresses we have been reading about.

Edited March 15, 2016 by SherriZ366

[orville99]

We will be in 9328 in June so I may check with Concierge when we get closer.

 

Our cabin steward, Sugiarto, on our 1-10-2016 cruise said that they were installing mattresses starting with the top decks and working their way down).

 

Sounds like your JS did not get the super-hard mattresses we have been reading about.

 

We were in 9356 on FOS last week, and the mattress was like sleeping on a plywood plank:(

[John&LaLa]

We were in 9356 on FOS last week, and the mattress was like sleeping on a plywood plank:(

 

Was it a pillow top like my picture earlier. Our mattress looked new. Well be back in August in one of the new Deck 12 balconies. I'll give an opinion on that as well.

[Clarea]

Thanks for the review. Nice to know they are offering the Kummelweck in WJ. Hope that spreads to othet ships without a Park Cafe.

[John&LaLa]

We will be in 9328 in June so I may check with Concierge when we get closer.

 

Our cabin steward, Sugiarto, on our 1-10-2016 cruise said that they were installing mattresses starting with the top decks and working their way down).

 

Sounds like your JS did not get the super-hard mattresses we have been reading about.

 

Is that cabin a JS?

[SherriZ366]

We were in 9356 on FOS last week, and the mattress was like sleeping on a plywood plank:(

Maybe the pillow tops were only for JSs and up as as part of the new Suite Perk. John and LaLa were in a JS as we will be in June.

 

We did request egg crates from Special Needs for our Jan. cruise and the mattress (still the old ones) was very comfortable.

[SherriZ366]

Is that cabin a JS?

Yes. Just ahead of the hump. A few doors down from 9338 where you were.

[orville99]

Was it a pillow top like my picture earlier. Our mattress looked new. Well be back in August in one of the new Deck 12 balconies. I'll give an opinion on that as well.

 

No, it was just the mattress with a paper thin pad on top of it. We ended up sleeping on top of the comforter to get some extra padding - still wreaked havoc with my hip and DW's bum knee.

[pema]

Thanks for the review. Nice to know they are offering the Kummelweck in WJ. Hope that spreads to othet ships without a Park Cafe.

What is Kummelweck In WJ

[John&LaLa]

What is Kummelweck In WJ

 

Kummelweck is the roast beef sandwich served on ships with a Park Cafe. Very tasty. Freedom serves it in conjunction with Freedom Fest on the last sea day

[Clarea]

What is Kummelweck In WJ

WJ is the Windjammer restaurant, the name of the buffet on Royal ships.

 

This is the Kummelweck:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M5_4ydqP0U

[John&LaLa]

WJ is the Windjammer restaurant, the name of the buffet on Royal ships.

 

This is the Kummelweck:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M5_4ydqP0U

 

Did you notice when he sliced it, it was nice and rare. I rarely see it that way on most of the non Oasis ships.

 

It was rare on Freedom, though. :D

[Clarea]

Did you notice when he sliced it, it was nice and rare. I rarely see it that way on most of the non Oasis ships.

 

It was rare on Freedom, though. :D

There was a slight shade of pink on the sandwiches on Vision last week, but not like the video. No chips either.

[niksmom630]

There was a slight shade of pink on the sandwiches on Vision last week, but not like the video. No chips either.

 

 

Didn't really enjoy my sandwich on Brilliance...overdone and chewy...nothing like the ones I've had on Oasis and Allure. Although they did have vinegar potato chips and sun chips, neither was a great complement to the sandwich 😝

 

I was kind of disappointed....had been looking forward to the Park Cafe on Brilliance....

 

Edited to add, I'm glad to hear they are on Freedom...is it just one day they are offered?

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

Edited March 16, 2016 by niksmom630

[John&LaLa]

Didn't really enjoy my sandwich on Brilliance...overdone and chewy...nothing like the ones I've had on Oasis and Allure. Although they did have vinegar potato chips and sun chips, neither was a great complement to the sandwich 😝

 

I was kind of disappointed....had been looking forward to the Park Cafe on Brilliance....

 

Edited to add, I'm glad to hear they are on Freedom...is it just one day they are offered?

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

Yes, only on last day

[NCSU#1]

We're going on the May 15th sailing (eastern). Does anyone know the MDR menu order? Trying to book some specialty restaurants and would like to know the name of the menu each night (i.e. which nights are Mojo, Saffron, ****ake, Pimiento, Basil, Jasmine and Pomodoro)?

 

Thanks!!!

[Clarea]

We're going on the May 15th sailing (eastern). Does anyone know the MDR menu order? Trying to book some specialty restaurants and would like to know the name of the menu each night (i.e. which nights are Mojo, Saffron, ****ake, Pimiento, Basil, Jasmine and Pomodoro)?

 

Thanks!!!

This is from a while back and I've not seen any recent reports to confirm:

 

Mojo, Saffron (Formal), Pimiento, Shiitake, Basil, Jasmine (Formal), Pomodoro

[blitzerlove]

Where there any issues with noises being on deck 6?

[Woodmnky]

I saw a mention of breakfast in Sorrentos, can anyone comment on what was being served?

[handbellplayer]

Kummelweck is the roast beef sandwich served on ships with a Park Cafe. Very tasty. Freedom serves it in conjunction with Freedom Fest on the last sea day

 

What is Freedom Fest? I don't remember anything like that on our last Freedom cruise (of course, that was several years ago).

 

Also, any word on the availability of VOOM internet?

Edited March 20, 2016 by handbellplayer

[TNcrzr4life]

Thanks for all the info. Sailing on April 17 and cannot wait. Freedom class is nee for us. DH loved Oasis class and I loved Brillance class so hopefully this will strike a happy medium. What is the difference between the 10 drink punch card and the last two sea days card?

[yvet]

Thanks for all the info. Sailing on April 17 and cannot wait. Freedom class is nee for us. DH loved Oasis class and I loved Brillance class so hopefully this will strike a happy medium. What is the difference between the 10 drink punch card and the last two sea days card?

 

 

The first is for 10 drinks and the other for unlimited drinks....