New cruise on freedom

[scalde]

Hi all,

I am planning on a first time cruise on the Freedom of the seas. we first got motivated when we saw her on the travel channel and it looked like great fun. I will be cruising with my wife and leaving the small ones at home as we will be treating this as a second honeymoon.

I guess my first question would be if this cruise would be a good one to take for a first timers in our early 30's? Also is there some reason why the prices go down in September? Is it because it is in the middle of hurricane season? have any of you experienced this cruise in that time of year? what was the weather like? also i am planning on getting a balcony room is it worth the extra 200 per person? also how diffrent is Carnival from RCI? what are the diffrence in night clubs on board? one more question are formal nights mandatory?do i need to have a tuxedo to be able to board the ship? thanks your answers will be greatly appreciated.

[scalde]

also what is the newest ship for carnival cruise lines

[momofmeg]

also what is the newest ship for carnival cruise lines

 

Yes, i guess as you are younger. I did not care for the voyager class as it was way too crowded so I would hate the freedom class, especailly since I have NO desire to surf on ship or off ship!

 

a friend of mine wants to cruise the Liberty and wants me to go with her-she is in her forties and I do feel she is in for a let down. She wanted me to book also but I felt $1300 for 7 days for a balcony is too much and that is the ONLY way I would cruise that ship.

[TravlGrl]

Hi all,

do i need to have a tuxedo to be able to board the ship? thanks your answers will be greatly appreciated.

 

You do not need to have a tux in order to board the ship. You will find that most men wear suits on formal night anyway. You can rent a tux on board, or bring a tux or a suit with you. You are not even required to participate in formal night, and may choose to hit the buffet that night instead. It's up to you! :D

 

We are booked on FOS in November 2008. Can't wait!

 

tj

[Dphipps2]

Be sure to register for your meet and mingle. It's a great way to meet people who will be on your same cruise. My husband and I are mid 30's and we love the Voyager class. I can't imagine going on the smaller ships after sailing on the Navigator. You will have a great time I'm sure.

[EggDropErin]

We loved Freedom. DH is almost 40 and I am almost 30. I think it would be a good first-time cruise. There's plenty for everyone of every age group to do. I am about to have my first balcony room in a couple of weeks. They say once you go balcony, you never go back. :)

[Cruising89143]

Hi all,

I am planning on a first time cruise on the Freedom of the seas. we first got motivated when we saw her on the travel channel and it looked like great fun. I will be cruising with my wife and leaving the small ones at home as we will be treating this as a second honeymoon.

I guess my first question would be if this cruise would be a good one to take for a first timers in our early 30's? Also is there some reason why the prices go down in September? Is it because it is in the middle of hurricane season? have any of you experienced this cruise in that time of year? what was the weather like? also i am planning on getting a balcony room is it worth the extra 200 per person? also how different is Carnival from RCI? what are the difference in night clubs on board? one more question are formal nights mandatory?do i need to have a tuxedo to be able to board the ship? thanks your answers will be greatly appreciated.

 

I have cruised in September. It can be very hot and humid in the Caribbean at this time of year and the lower prices are due to hurricane season and the fact that school is in.

 

As far as crowds, the ship will not feel crowded due to the fact that you will not have many kids on board. I would suggest a balcony cabin but you need to decide if you will be in the cabin much. Since you are calling this a second honeymoon then I would say go for it. The standard balconies on the Freedom are nice and deep compared to many other ships including RCI's Voyager class.

 

This would be a great cruise for someone your age. There is plenty to do on board. Formal nights are not mandatory but to be fair to your fellow guests if you decide not to dress for formal night there are casual dining options available so that you can dress down on those nights. The same holds true for Carnival.

 

Carnival's newest ship is the Carnival Freedom. She is currently sailing in Europe until the fall. The Carnival Liberty is the second newest ship in their fleet. You will get many different opinions on Carnival verses any other line. If you read the Carnival boards most pick Carnival due to price and to be honest if that is the main deciding factor in selecting a ship then I would go with the least expensive. I find a difference between the two lines with RCI coming out on top.

[barbarah33]

Royal Caribbean was the first cruise line I ever sailed and I loved it - I still do 20 years later. There is plenty to do for all ages and all kinds of activity levels: on a cruise you decide how busy or mellow you want to be. There is lots to chose from or you can simply sit in the sun reading a book.

No, you do not need a tuxedo and formal gown for the formal nights. As the last poster pointed out though if you opt not to partake in formal nights then choosing to eat in a buffet, Johnny Rockets, etc. would be polite to the others on the ship who are all dressed up. You are on vacation so the decision is yours.

 

Since you are celebrating an occasion I would go for the private verandah - they are wonderful to have. Sleeping with the doors open so you can hear the ocean at night, going out there in the morning as you wake up and taking a breath of that fresh air first thing, having a drink while watching the sun set before heading off to dinner, etc. It's all so special. The bad news is that once you have one you may not want to sail again without them.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

We are in our sixties and loved Freedom of the Seas. We have also sailed Carnival Liberty. I would take Freedom of the Seas anyday over Carnival Liberty. We enjoyed Freedom of the Seas so much that we booked its brand new sister Liberty of the Seas for late May.

 

We never felt very crowded, certainly no more crowded than we did on Carnival Liberty--a smaller ship than Freedom of the Seas, by the way.

 

I would choose a balcony room. I have never read here at Cruise Critics anybody say they were sorry they booked a balcony and would have much preferred an oceanview or inside cabin instead. I think a balcony will be especially nice for your honeymoon.

 

September Caribbean cruises are generally cheaper because it is the hurricane season--actually the peak of the hurricane season--and fewer people book cruises, perhaps out of fear. But the Caribbean is so big, you might have a tropical storm or hurricane active in the area somewhere, but never be impacted at all where you are cruising. I 'd say your biggest risk might be a change of itinerary to avoid a hurricane.

[Cuizer2]

Hi all,

I am planning on a first time cruise on the Freedom of the seas. we first got motivated when we saw her on the travel channel and it looked like great fun. I will be cruising with my wife and leaving the small ones at home as we will be treating this as a second honeymoon.

I guess my first question would be if this cruise would be a good one to take for a first timers in our early 30's? Also is there some reason why the prices go down in September? Is it because it is in the middle of hurricane season? have any of you experienced this cruise in that time of year? what was the weather like? also i am planning on getting a balcony room is it worth the extra 200 per person? also how diffrent is Carnival from RCI? what are the diffrence in night clubs on board? one more question are formal nights mandatory?do i need to have a tuxedo to be able to board the ship? thanks your answers will be greatly appreciated.

 

Carnival, Royal Caribbean, NCL and Disney all have a lot of families. Princess has some. HAL, Celebrity and the luxury lines have very few families. If you are more active and you are not bringing your kids, I would recommend Carnival, RCI or NCL. If you are more sedate, then I would recommend Princess, HAL or Celebrity.

 

Why do prices go down in September? Two reasons. One, hurricanes, as you noted. Two, because the kids are returning to school, so there is less demand.

 

I was on the Navigator of the Seas in August 2004. There was a hurricane one week before my cruise and another hurricane one week after my cruise. The weather for my cruise was great, except for a little rain in the afternoon in Grand Cayman.

 

Only you can answer the question, is a balcony worth $200 more. Many people, myself included, love the balconies. However, depending on your budget, you might find a better use for the $200 (like a special shore excursion).

 

Carnival and RCI are not that different. I have been on both, and both offer a very similar cruise experience. Not the same, but similar. I like the ships of RCI better, but I have found the food on Carnival is a little better. The standard cabins on Carnival are a little bigger than the standard cabins on RCI's newer ships, and a lot bigger than the standard cabins on RCI's older ships.

 

Both lines are family friendly and tend to attract a younger more active group of passengers. Some people (mostly RCI fans) believe that RCI is a step above Carnival. Having been on both, I disagree. Both offer a similar quality cruise experience, and I would cruise on either one.

 

Formal nights are not mandatory and even if you attend the formal dinners, you don't need a tux. A suit is fine. If you don't want to dress up (and many don't) you can attend all the nights activities, and have dinner at the buffet. If you want to wear a tux, and you don't own one, you can rent one from the ship.