Freedom v Independence

[Pharmtony16]

Comparing 7-day itinerary on Freedom vs 5-day itinerary this Sept 2024 for family of three. Fare & taxes off by $60. Is the Freedom as up-to-date as the Independence? Or is the Independence much more updated? It seems the last major refurbishment was for Freedom in 2020, but Independence was back in 2018. We sailed on Indy in Dec 2022, and thought she was in need of refurbishment. I read online Indy did have a refurbishment in Feb 2023, but doesn't seem to have been much. Any thoughts? Which ship would you rather sail on? Itinerary doesn't matter to us. TIA!

[Tree_skier]

7 days always trumps 5 days

[George C]

There sister ships go with 7 days.

[OCSC Mike]

5 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

7 days always trumps 5 days

 

This. They're way too similar to sail one over the other and give up 2 days.

 

For the sake of the question... I prefer Freedom b/c it has El Loco Fresh.

[Pharmtony16]

@Tree_skier yes, I think so too. I am also wondering if the Splashaway bay is the same on both ships. We'll be living there all 5 or 7 days. 🙂

 

Also noted that the Freedom gym and spa has a different layout than Independence. I think the locker rooms/steam/sauna are gone!

[Tree_skier]

Just now, OCSC Mike said:

 

This. They're way too similar to sail one over the other and give up 2 days.

 

For the sake of the question... I prefer Freedom b/c it has El Loco Fresh.

Honestly I haven't been on either but have been on Liberty and I think that she is more in need of a refurbishment than her sisters.  I'm basing my recommendation on that.  

 

I can't imagine that there is significant enough difference to give up the 2 days.  My rule of thumb is book the longest cruise you can that fits the schedule.  

[smokeybandit]

The ships are close enough to being the same that 7 nights trumps 5 nights and the rest is even.

[Tree_skier]

2 minutes ago, Pharmtony16 said:

@Tree_skier yes, I think so too. I am also wondering if the Splashaway bay is the same on both ships. We'll be living there all 5 or 7 days. 🙂

 

Also noted that the Freedom gym and spa has a different layout than Independence. I think the locker rooms/steam/sauna are gone!

Here are videos of both.

 

 

 

 

 

[OCSC Mike]

2 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

Honestly I haven't been on either but have been on Liberty and I think that she is more in need of a refurbishment than her sisters.  I'm basing my recommendation on that.

 

Liberty is the only one I have NOT been on but my impression is you are correct.

[Tree_skier]

Just now, OCSC Mike said:

 

Liberty is the only one I have NOT been on but my impression is you are correct.

I love Liberty... 

 

Of the Freedom/Voyager class I have sailed...

 

Liberty, Mariner, Navigator and Adventure.  I've sailed them all but Mariner multiple times.  I love them all. They each have their quirks and deficiencies.  I think Navigator is my favorite but Liberty was the cruise that in 2018 addicted me to cruising.  

 

I know some folks are Oasis class or nothing but I love this class of ship too and find the experience just as good as any Oasis class ship... just different.

[OCSC Mike]

1 minute ago, Tree_skier said:

I know some folks are Oasis class or nothing but I love this class of ship too and find the experience just as good as any Oasis class ship... just different.

 

Everyone likes what they like.

 

I do prefer Oasis class but we went back on Indy in 2022 after several years of Oasis class (and one Radiance in Alaska where I didn't care what ship I was on) and we had a good time of course. Since food is so important to me, the one thing I missed was a couple more included venues like ELF or Park Cafe (nothing was free at Fish N Ships at the time) but it certainly didn't ruin the cruises or anything.

[wdwkings]

The ships are sister ships as mentioned, while there may be some differences it wouldn’t come down to that for the decision.  Itinerary might help but you said that doesn’t matter to you.  
 

The key would be price.  In the OP post the cost difference was only $60.  Getting two more days at essentially the same price, that is the easy decision for me.  Why by 3 tires when you can get 4 at the same price, why get a small coffee when you can get the large at the same price, etc. The dollar per day charge is the better value with the 7 day.  

Edited June 26 by wdwkings

[PhillyFan33579]

I have cruised on both Freedom and Independence in the last two months. As others have stated they are very similar ships. The few differences would not negate picking the longer cruise in my book. Once again as others have mentioned Liberty is the least up to date Freedom class ship. I sailed on her several months ago and had a great time (she has the best water slides of the three Freedom class ships in my opinion). However, I would not cruise on Liberty during football season since she doesn’t have Playmaker’s, which Freedom and Independence both have.  

[smokeybandit]

I've been on Freedom twice, but both prior to the amping. I'm on Freedom again in March and definitely look forward to it.

[Southern Dan]

Freedom is high on my list of ships I want to sail on but it probably won't be for a couple years at least.  I already have 4 cruises booked through the next 14 months and the short Caribbean cruises Freedom is doing Fall/Winter of 25/26 aren't itineraries I'm particularly interested in.

[Saab4444]

Freedom is blue!

[RobInMN]

Might matter to some people, but pretty sure either Liberty or Independence doesn't have Coke Freestyle machines. I don't remember which one as I've only been on Freedom in this class. 

[orville99]

17 hours ago, Pharmtony16 said:

Comparing 7-day itinerary on Freedom vs 5-day itinerary this Sept 2024 for family of three. Fare & taxes off by $60.

If there is only $60 difference in the total cost between the two itineraries and ships, then unless the Freedom itinerary is abysmal, I'd choose it in a heartbeat.😇

[bouhunter]

17 hours ago, George C said:

There sister ships go with 7 days.

Exactly, see no reason to pick one over the other for the ship itself.

[dragontrainer]

3 hours ago, RobInMN said:

Might matter to some people, but pretty sure either Liberty or Independence doesn't have Coke Freestyle machines. I don't remember which one as I've only been on Freedom in this class. 

Currently Freedom and Independence are both listed as having the Coke Freestyle machines, Liberty does not have them.

 

Ships with and without the machines factor into my decisions as you note.

[Cherful59]

On 6/27/2024 at 8:31 AM, RobInMN said:

Might matter to some people, but pretty sure either Liberty or Independence doesn't have Coke Freestyle machines. I don't remember which one as I've only been on Freedom in this class. 

3 Freestyle machines that I saw on June 3rd cruise.  1 by cafe promenade and 2 in windjammer, 1 of which was broke for all or part of my cruise.  After the 1st 2 days, I quite going to it.  Cruise was only 4nights.  I was drinking Diet Coke when I drank soda, so most of the time I just got it at one of the bars.  
 

There were 8 of us with 3 kids (2 almost 6 and 1 almost 12) who had never cruised before.  
 

I would not hesitate booking Freedom for 7nights.

[CntPAcruiser]

On 6/26/2024 at 4:41 PM, Pharmtony16 said:

Also noted that the Freedom gym and spa has a different layout than Independence. I think the locker rooms/steam/sauna are gone!

 

So true, and sad. Freedom was one of our favorite ships, and now we'd avoid sailing her again since the dreaded, so-called amplification. It absolutely ruined several good ships for us.