Changes coming to Freedom

[davekathy]

1 hour ago, island lady said:

 

That is what I thought as well, though the "always reliable and accurate 😂 " RCI website does not show that on deck plans after May 3rd for deck 10.   But I would agree with you, my DS friend, to be accurate information.  Website info.  Not!  😜  That is exactly what they did with little sister Mariner.  

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-ships/freedom-of-the-seas/deck-plans/2008/10

We didn't care for Freedoms CL anyway. DL was much nicer (but the DLC for both legs of that cruise was the worst. The bar staff was great and that's all that really matters). That's how the whole conversation started with the LA as we told her we didn't like the CL location. I guess time will tell. If it doesn't happen, then I guess I started one hell of a rumor. 😜 Hell, it's almost 2020!!! Man, how time flies when your retired and having a blast. 🍺

Edited August 21, 2019 by davekathy

[cruiseguy1016]

2 hours ago, cr08 said:

Interesting. So we are set to take our cruise on Mar 29. The itinerary has been San Juan, St Maarten, St Kitts & Nevis, Antigua, St Lucia, and Barbados. But now sounds like some of that is changing. Any specific confirmation? I don't think it'll change our decision to take this cruise but just something to be aware of as we are still in the middle of figuring out excursions.

 

Why do you think your itinerary is going to change? I have not heard of any itinerary changes after amplification.

[LuCruise]

Any plans for Freedom to return to the US?

[molsonschooner]

5 minutes ago, LuCruise said:

Any plans for Freedom to return to the US?

it has been sailing from US ports as long as I can remember

[fletch1027]

38 minutes ago, cruiseguy1016 said:

 

Why do you think your itinerary is going to change? I have not heard of any itinerary changes after amplification.

 

I believe that at some point, St. Maarten will be on the same itinerary as the ABC islands as opposed to the other “eastern” islands...

[cr08]

45 minutes ago, cruiseguy1016 said:

 

Why do you think your itinerary is going to change? I have not heard of any itinerary changes after amplification.

Per the ***** post:

 

Beginning March 8, 2020, the reimagined Freedom will sail year-round, 7-night Southern Caribbean itineraries from San Juan, Puerto Rico and will include stops in St. Lucia, Antigua and the ABC Islands – Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao.

 

So not ALL ports are changing, but somewhere Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao are getting tacked on, likely taking place of something from the existing itinerary. Per our RCI account it doesn't seem to indicate any changes at least as of right now.

[karena1]

6 hours ago, Itsasecret80 said:

 

I think we are the 2nd cruise out of the hatch...04/12/20. I sure hope we don't get cut either...this is literally the ONLY week we can travel!!

We are on that same cruise!

[karena1]

6 hours ago, Itsasecret80 said:

 

I think we are the 2nd cruise out of the hatch...04/12/20. I sure hope we don't get cut either...this is literally the ONLY week we can travel!!

Right now the cruise for 3/15 is still showing up, so should be okay, at least so far

[fletch1027]

7 minutes ago, cr08 said:

Per the ***** post:

 

Beginning March 8, 2020, the reimagined Freedom will sail year-round, 7-night Southern Caribbean itineraries from San Juan, Puerto Rico and will include stops in St. Lucia, Antigua and the ABC Islands – Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao.

 

So not ALL ports are changing, but somewhere Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao are getting tacked on, likely taking place of something from the existing itinerary. Per our RCI account it doesn't seem to indicate any changes at least as of right now.

 

These are the current alternating itineraries. What changes for after 3/8/2020 is that the itinerary that does the ABC islands will be swapping St. Maarten for St. Thomas. Not sure if the other itinerary is changing. This is based on me looking at itineraries this morning for early 2021...

 

 

[drrich2]

Skipping through the video, I see slides, so I take it they're being added, so the effect may be somewhat like sibling ship Liberty of the Seas? Wife and I plus 2 more cruised Liberty years ago, before it had the slides. It was a really nice ship, Voyager-class on steroids, but I thinking about it I miss Central Park and the Board Walk from Oasis-class. Then again, I figure Freedom-class can hit some ports Oasis-class can't. 

 

For families with kids, adding the slides (Splash-a-Way Bay?) would be a plus, and might help mitigate the absence of the Board Walk somewhat. I like Southern Caribbean itineraries. 

 

Richard

[fletch1027]

1 minute ago, drrich2 said:

Then again, I figure Freedom-class can hit some ports Oasis-class can't. 

 

 

We love FOS and the Oasis class! In my experience (in regards to Caribbean ports), the only ports Oasis doesn’t do is tender ports (like Grand Cayman).

[cr08]

12 minutes ago, fletch1027 said:

 

These are the current alternating itineraries. What changes for after 3/8/2020 is that the itinerary that does the ABC islands will be swapping St. Maarten for St. Thomas. Not sure if the other itinerary is changing. This is based on me looking at itineraries this morning for early 2021...

 

 

 

Apologies as I am new to all this. So if I am understanding correctly they simply have alternating itineraries from week to week for the same ship and likely the 3/29 trip will continue through the aforementioned ports I listed prior. I had originally thought it was just a single itinerary run every week and was getting these ports swapped out. 

[drrich2]

True they don't hit tender ports. Even with non-tender, I think the pier-side area has to be deeper to accommodate Oasis-class. They can hit a pretty good range of islands and when one starts out cruising it's not such a big deal, but after a few if you're after 'new' islands/ports, then it's time to drop down in size to something with more port options. 

 

Then again, if you've hit enough islands that the ports don't matter quite as much and the ship/cruise itself is more important, may be time to back to Oasis-class. Which is what we've been doing recently.

 

Richard.

[fletch1027]

6 minutes ago, cr08 said:

 

Apologies as I am new to all this. So if I am understanding correctly they simply have alternating itineraries from week to week for the same ship and likely the 3/29 trip will continue through the aforementioned ports I listed prior. I had originally thought it was just a single itinerary run every week and was getting these ports swapped out. 

 

Yep, Freedom has 2 different itineraries that alternate weeks. Freedom will be staying in PR (at least through what’s been listed so far into 2021...

[dada2199cc]

Super disappointed that Hooked wasn’t mentioned.  We love Hooked so much and heard rumors they were replacing Sabor with it on Freedom.

 

boo!

[jbethel11]

8 hours ago, fletch1027 said:

Noticed that the Italian restaurant is going to be Giovanni's. Maybe the era of Jamie's Italian is over?

8 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

 

I'm getting that impression.

This is also backed by Oasis keeping Giovanni's Table unlike some of her sisters. I guess my thread had some validity to it.

[Ourusualbeach]

2 minutes ago, jbethel11 said:

This is also backed by Oasis keeping Giovanni's Table unlike some of her sisters. I guess my thread had some validity to it.

It’s pretty simple actually.  With the parent company no longer being around they can’t grant any licences to add new locations.  Existing locations under licence can continue to operate.  We will find out more in April 2021 when Anthem heads for her drydock.

[Ourusualbeach]

20 minutes ago, dada2199cc said:

Super disappointed that Hooked wasn’t mentioned.  We love Hooked so much and heard rumors they were replacing Sabor with it on Freedom.

 

boo!

Oddly it wasn’t added to Oasis or Allure which I thought would have been prime candidates to receive this.  I imagine that finding a spot large enough to accommodate the restaurant including kitchen is the challenge.

[jbethel11]

11 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Oddly it wasn’t added to Oasis or Allure which I thought would have been prime candidates to receive this.  I imagine that finding a spot large enough to accommodate the restaurant including kitchen is the challenge.

This is also why Oasis and Allure will not receive Wonderland. The structural composition of the current space could not fit a galley in order for Wonderland to operate. 

[Jax129]

9 hours ago, island lady said:

 

I still miss Portofinos.  😞 

ME TOO!!!!!!!!

[Biker19]

11 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

 We will find out more in April 2020 when Anthem heads for her drydock.

Quantum may provide that info in just 3 months.

Edited August 22, 2019 by Biker19

[Ourusualbeach]

11 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Quantum may provide that info in just 3 months.

True.  I wondered if her being over in Asia would change anything but since they also put Jamies on Spectrum it looks like they are keeping the main restaurants similar.

[Biker19]

8 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

 I wondered if her being over in Asia would change anything but since they also put Jamies on Spectrum it looks like they are keeping the main restaurants similar.

Odyssey will provide a definitive answer in about a year.

[bouhunter]

17 hours ago, fletch1027 said:

 

If it's like the other ships, Playmakers will be on the Promenade, but I'm not sure what it replaces on the Promenade?

Playmakers on Independence is on deck 4, not on the Promenade.  At least on Indy it's a large place, no where something like that would fit on the Promenade.

Edited August 22, 2019 by bouhunter

[sellwingri]

When is Explorer scheduled for dry dock?