Freedom 3-Night Review

[GnarleeDude]

Took this 3 night Freedom Cruise on June 16^th with my oldest daughter (9 years old).  This was the standard Coco Cay and Nassau itinerary.  We’ve been on Freedom a couple times before, but this was our first 3-nighter.

 

There are many Freedom Reviews – so I won’t go crazy on what’s been discussed.  The cabins are looking a little dated and worn, and the bathrooms are where this really shows.  Everything was clean, but just looking worn out.  I recommend brining some kind of multi-plug/USB outlet device, since there’s only a couple outlets in the room.  We did an interior cabin for the first time on Deck 9, and it was good for the two of us with plenty of space.  We usually do a Balcony and I did miss being able to go outside, but for such a short cruise we were seldom in the cabin, so not a big issue.

Leaving out of Miami was great, we had an 1130 Port Arrival time and we got there around 1045.  There was no line and nobody checking arrival times.  We were on the ship in about 10 minutes, which was the fastest and smoothest check-in I’ve ever had.  We hit the Wind Jammer first thing and it was wide-open, not crowds, plenty of tables, lots of food….it’ was great.

 

The ship itself is in good shape and well maintained, but seemed like they need more staff on trash patrol.  On the upper decks in the evening there was trash, cups, and empty beer bottles everywhere.  I don’t think I’ve ever noticed this much trash before, and did not seem like there was any staff around trying to keep up with it.

[GnarleeDude]

We did the main dining room for dinner the first two nights, and the Menu was the Welcome Aboard menu the first night, Italian the second night, and Caribbean third night.  The new menu/food was all fine, I didn’t notice any drop in food quality.  Everything was edible, but nothing was really outstanding.  I know some people complained about long wait times, but dinner only took around an hour for us each night.  We did Izumi for the last night and it was great, the Chefs put on a great hibachi show and the food was good.  We did breakfast the first day in the main dining room and for some reason the service was horrible and slow, I had to flag down multiple people to just get coffee.  We did Wind Jammer for both breakfast and lunch and El Loco Fresh – all were good and had plenty of options.

 

This itinerary mirrors Independence which leaves out of Port Canaveral.  I debated between the two ships but stuck with Freedom because it had the amplification and left out of Miami.  At Coco Cay with both ships, there was still tons of space and chairs all around the pool and beach throughout the day.  At Nassau, the new port entrance and market were open.  It was nice and clean, but Nassau is still Nassau once you get out of the gate.  We did notice that Independence left significantly earlier from Nassau than we did, and I assume that’s because they have a longer trip to get back to Orlando?  So, if you are deciding between the two and want more time in port, that’s something to consider.

[GnarleeDude]

My daughter did the kids club a couple times and she always enjoyed it.  I did notice that the Zoom Wi-Fi worked great throughout the ship.  It cut out a few times when we were going through bad weather, and it was a little spotty on CoCo Cay, but in general it worked really well and was very fast.

 

Overall, it was a great trip.  I did always hear that these 3-nighter’s were more of a party crowd.  While the pool deck was always hopping, I didn’t notice anymore craziness or drinking than on a regular 7 night cruise.  I wouldn’t hesitate to do another 3-nighter if it fits the schedule.

[karena1]

19 minutes ago, GnarleeDude said:

Took this 3 night Freedom Cruise on June 16^th with my oldest daughter (9 years old).  This was the standard Coco Cay and Nassau itinerary.  We’ve been on Freedom a couple times before, but this was our first 3-nighter.

 

There are many Freedom Reviews – so I won’t go crazy on what’s been discussed.  The cabins are looking a little dated and worn, and the bathrooms are where this really shows.  Everything was clean, but just looking worn out.  I recommend brining some kind of multi-plug/USB outlet device, since there’s only a couple outlets in the room.  We did an interior cabin for the first time on Deck 9, and it was good for the two of us with plenty of space.  We usually do a Balcony and I did miss being able to go outside, but for such a short cruise we were seldom in the cabin, so not a big issue.

Leaving out of Miami was great, we had an 1130 Port Arrival time and we got there around 1045.  There was no line and nobody checking arrival times.  We were on the ship in about 10 minutes, which was the fastest and smoothest check-in I’ve ever had.  We hit the Wind Jammer first thing and it was wide-open, not crowds, plenty of tables, lots of food….it’ was great.

 

The ship itself is in good shape and well maintained, but seemed like they need more staff on trash patrol.  On the upper decks in the evening there was trash, cups, and empty beer bottles everywhere.  I don’t think I’ve ever noticed this much trash before, and did not seem like there was any staff around trying to keep up with it.

We were on the same cruise - as usual, it was amazing.  Guys at the pool deck were constantly cleaning, we never saw anything laying around, but we are not up there late at night.  Our cabin was fine-we always get the same one-, we ate in MyTimeDining every night and service was great, food was good, no complaints.  CocoCay was so gorgeous.  We had a great time.  Love our 3 night getaways.  Back on Freedom again in Aug/Sept.  Glad you had a good time.

[karena1]

21 minutes ago, GnarleeDude said:

We did the main dining room for dinner the first two nights, and the Menu was the Welcome Aboard menu the first night, Italian the second night, and Caribbean third night.  The new menu/food was all fine, I didn’t notice any drop in food quality.  Everything was edible, but nothing was really outstanding.  I know some people complained about long wait times, but dinner only took around an hour for us each night.  We did Izumi for the last night and it was great, the Chefs put on a great hibachi show and the food was good.  We did breakfast the first day in the main dining room and for some reason the service was horrible and slow, I had to flag down multiple people to just get coffee.  We did Wind Jammer for both breakfast and lunch and El Loco Fresh – all were good and had plenty of options.

 

This itinerary mirrors Independence which leaves out of Port Canaveral.  I debated between the two ships but stuck with Freedom because it had the amplification and left out of Miami.  At Coco Cay with both ships, there was still tons of space and chairs all around the pool and beach throughout the day.  At Nassau, the new port entrance and market were open.  It was nice and clean, but Nassau is still Nassau once you get out of the gate.  We did notice that Independence left significantly earlier from Nassau than we did, and I assume that’s because they have a longer trip to get back to Orlando?  So, if you are deciding between the two and want more time in port, that’s something to consider.

We don't normally get off in Nassau, but did this time, since we wanted to go to the beach.  New port area is nice, but we did not really do any shopping.  Once out of the port, no one single person bothered us as we walked to Junkanoo.  Anyone we did encounter said - hi, welcome to our island - and that was it.  Junkanoo was great, water was calm, I took a couple walks.  We did smile as we sat literally 5 feet from people at Margaritaville and we spend $35 for 2 loungers/umbrella and can only imagine what they spent-and we were on the same beach, right next to them.  

 

[A&L_Ont]

@GnarleeDude thanks for the review of Freedom. We are doing a B2B on Freedom in July in the same cabin. We are going to take a relaxed approach on port days and it was nice to read about your thoughts on board the ship. 

[GnarleeDude]

18 minutes ago, karena1 said:

We don't normally get off in Nassau, but did this time, since we wanted to go to the beach.  New port area is nice, but we did not really do any shopping.  Once out of the port, no one single person bothered us as we walked to Junkanoo.  Anyone we did encounter said - hi, welcome to our island - and that was it.  Junkanoo was great, water was calm, I took a couple walks.  We did smile as we sat literally 5 feet from people at Margaritaville and we spend $35 for 2 loungers/umbrella and can only imagine what they spent-and we were on the same beach, right next to them.  

 

We walked around Nassau for around 2 hours, and it's not bad and nobody bothered us.  But while the new port area is new, everything else is the same.  Not a shot at Nassau though.

 

I will note that it seemed like we were docked at the farther end of the pier, and it is a bit of a walk to get to the shopping area.  I heard several people asking for wheelchairs or carts to help with the journey.  Something to consider if you have little kids or have trouble getting around.  My 9 year old was hot and complaining by the time we walked back...

[amyphil]

Thanks for the review....we are going on the July 21st 3 night cruise. We haven't been on the Freedom in several years so looking forward to seeing the old girl, again.

We also plan to just go to Junkanoo beach for a bit. How far is it from the port....? Can you take a cab or just walk.

Thanks, Amy

[A&L_Ont]

9 hours ago, amyphil said:

Thanks for the review....we are going on the July 21st 3 night cruise. We haven't been on the Freedom in several years so looking forward to seeing the old girl, again.

We also plan to just go to Junkanoo beach for a bit. How far is it from the port....? Can you take a cab or just walk.

Thanks, Amy

 

Hey, we are on the same sailing as you and stay on board for the 4 day after.  

 

We went to Junkanoo in January and took a taxi but others have walked there.  I don't remember how much the cab cost was as my friend did not let me pay.  Google maps says it's a 12 minute walk. 

[amyphil]

Thanks for the info.....how did you like Junkanoo? We thought we just go there for a bit instead of paying for a resort for a day. Not too crazy about Nassau but my husband loves the water.

A question about the entertainment....do they have a show every night....time?

Thanks for the help. We haven't cruised since Covid so really looking forward to the trip

Amy

[A&L_Ont]

5 minutes ago, amyphil said:

Thanks for the info.....how did you like Junkanoo? We thought we just go there for a bit instead of paying for a resort for a day. Not too crazy about Nassau but my husband loves the water.

A question about the entertainment....do they have a show every night....time?

Thanks for the help. We haven't cruised since Covid so really looking forward to the trip

Amy

When we were there we were on Harmony so I can’t answer the show question. Junkanoo was busy but we also went at 2pm and only the Tiki Bar.  My friend knows the owner so we went for beverages and a visit. If I were going to the beach I’d arrive early only as it looked super crowded that that time.  
 

Just a heads up, the luggage tags are now able to printed. 
 

Andrew

Edited June 21, 2023 by A&L_Ont

[amyphil]

Thanks, Andrew....yes, just got the email with the cruise docs...was so happy to see the luggage tags. I want to pack now, lol, but my husband says I'm crazy. It's been too long since we've cruised.

We'll probably go to the beach early in the am and come back to the ship right after lunch. July is hot so we'll most likely take a taxi, instead of walking.

Maybe we'll see you on board....thanks again

Amy

[A&L_Ont]

I think after a long time away you will find it great to be back. Don’t forget to E-muster as well. Typically you can watch the video in the the terminal while waiting to board and then check in at your muster station. 
 

Supposedly there is a day pass again at the Colonial Hilton (which is still closed) but I haven’t read any reviews since it’s reopening. Possibly an option. As for taxis we asked about them at the end of the pier. It’s organized chaos but similar to most islands. LOL
 

We will head to the Fish Fry and the Tiki Bar in Nassau on one of the two cruises but will determine that by the weather. My wife doesn’t want to give up a day of sun if the weather will be raining one of the other days. 
 

Enjoy your return to cruising and maybe see you onboard. 

[GnarleeDude]

5 hours ago, amyphil said:

Thanks for the info.....how did you like Junkanoo? We thought we just go there for a bit instead of paying for a resort for a day. Not too crazy about Nassau but my husband loves the water.

A question about the entertainment....do they have a show every night....time?

Thanks for the help. We haven't cruised since Covid so really looking forward to the trip

Amy

For the 3 night, the shows were: Ice Show on Night 1, Headliner/Comedian on Night 2, and a Production Show on night 3.  We only made it to the Comedian, but he was good.  There was also lots of games, trivia, and music happening each night throughout the ship.

[2wheelin]

4 hours ago, GnarleeDude said:

For the 3 night, the shows were: Ice Show on Night 1, Headliner/Comedian on Night 2, and a Production Show on night 3.  We only made it to the Comedian, but he was good.  There was also lots of games, trivia, and music happening each night throughout the ship.

Do you recall times for the shows?

[GnarleeDude]

Show times were 7:45 and 9:45 PM.  We had the early traditional dining time (5:45) and didn't have any problem making it to the 7:45 show.

[karena1]

On 6/21/2023 at 8:21 AM, amyphil said:

Thanks for the info.....how did you like Junkanoo? We thought we just go there for a bit instead of paying for a resort for a day. Not too crazy about Nassau but my husband loves the water.

A question about the entertainment....do they have a show every night....time?

Thanks for the help. We haven't cruised since Covid so really looking forward to the trip

Amy

Junkanoo is fine, we have been going there for years.  2 loungers/umbrellas about $35-$40 depending if you can get them to come down.  Literally right next door to Margaritaville.  We sat probably 5 feet from where they were sitting.  Vendors with food/drink.  Water is super clear and calm.  Totally beats paying for a resort pass.  Vendors that did stop by us also went into the Margaritaville section and stopped by them also.  But were not that many of them.  

[karena1]

21 hours ago, 2wheelin said:

Do you recall times for the shows?

We just got off Freedom Monday.  All shows were 7:45 or 9:45.

[amyphil]

Thanks, all for the great info. We have MTD at 7 so we'll probably make the 9:45 show as making the 7:45 will be too rushed. When we board maybe I'll try to change the dining time to 6:30. We'll see how that works out.

 

Do you remember what the mealsl were on each night...theme  nights or regular menu. I remember the food to be pretty good...not fancy restaurant quality but good and nice selection. We've never had a problem finding something we liked.

 

I'm glad we decided to go to Junkanoo  instead of paying for a resort for a day...the prices are crazy now. When we cruised several years ago, we went to the Melia for the day and the price was about $ 60...however, the Melia is under construction now so the beach will be fine and then back to the ship if we get tired of it.

 

Many thanks, again....just did our check in and printed out our luggage tags...now to pray for good weather.

 

Amy

[GnarleeDude]

The menus in the main dining room were: Welcome Aboard the first night, Italian the second night, and Caribbean the third night.  You can go on the App and pull up the menus for each night too.

[A&L_Ont]

Thanks Dude. 👏