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Freedom of the Seas 5/31 - 6/7 Review


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Hello Everyone:) I am going to do this short and sweet! It was a great cruise with the normal ups and downs....There will always be something that does not go according to one's expectations so you have to roll with the punches. This was our first time doing an Eastern Caribbean Itinerary which was so-so. I like the excursion offerings better on the Western ones but these were okay.

 

First Day---Embarkation was smooth and well done. We got to the port at 10am and were on by 11am. There's not that much people there if you arrive early. The process is simple...just have your paperwork done in advance and voila perfection! The buffet was good...yummy! We took our time and then went to sit by the H2O Zone while my son went swimming. Our inside connecting rooms were ready at 1:00PM but they looked smaller than the room in Mariner....I learned that it was because of the connecting doors:)LOL....Our suitcases arrived around 3:30....Prior to Muster Drill. We were assigned to a resteraunt so there was air conditioning. I felt bad for those we saw going out to the decks. Those preservers are brutal but necessary. There wasn't a real big party for Sail-Away...really low-key....Disney does it up much differently but I guess thats what the extra expense is for:) Our dining experience was okay that evening. However, our servers were not as attentive to our son as previous cruises...no worries he got over it. Hmm I had steak that night and it was really good. I can tell you that all week they had lots and lots of seafood. It looked tempting but I'm allergic to the shrimp, lobster, and scallops....So I did not try any....those in my table loved them. I did not enjoy my other choices too much unfortunately....Pizza at Sorrentos and Crostinis are delish but you can only eat that so much! The parade in the evening was fun! You have to stay up to do that....Have the kiddos relax after dinner and the parade is at 11:30pm.

 

2nd Day--Coco Cay is pretty but Labadee has more shade. I like it better but thats just me. We went quickly (1 hour) as we're more pool ppl then beach:) Many ppl came back for lunch on the ship. We were not fond of the barbecue fare. My sis stayed a bit longer on the beach and said they had ribs, chicken, potato salad, and fruit....The pool was great and the hot tubs in the solarium are a must do! Tonight was formal night. Don't forget to see the captain and take pictures. I was not aware that I could bring my son's model ship to sign and so we missed the opportunity that day. Luckily he wrote a letter to the Captain and they sent him his ship signed back later on in the week.

 

3rd Day--Simply a relaxing at sea day by the pool with a bunch of crazy fun activities---belly dancing class, belly flop, men sexy legs contest, line dancing. 70s Night was great. But my son was so tired. You have to literally get someone to get there an hour early to the promenade to find a seat to sit down. I saw what I missed on the RCTV.

 

4th Day--St. Thomas---woo hoo! We went on the Pirate Duck Adventure and highly recommend a relaxing excursion and interesting. If you want them to let you off for shopping then you can do that on the way back to the port. We got back to the ship and went to the pool. We made a Karoake video at the On Air Club.....Its about 19.99 for a DVD. Cool!

 

5th Day--St. Maarten...we went without a specific excursion today from RCCL. We took a water taxi ($6) from the port to town and went shopping. We stopped by the Holland Beach Hotel to sit for some drinks and a quick bite to eat. You can see our cruise ship from here. But the very best thing was the SEGWEYS are right in fron of this hotel to rent. They are $30 for a half hour tour. The tour guide teaches you how to ride the segweys and takes you on a tour along the boardwalk. MY son loved this. If I would have done it with the ship, then the cost would have been $75. We had ample time to and from the ship. Trust me...they were a lot of fun. You can shop, do segweys, and the beach...plus there's good stuff to eat along the way. It was lobster night tonight! Formal Night again too!

 

6th Day and 7th Day---these days kind of blend into one b/c they are both relaxing by the pool sea days. I packed on Saturday after breakfast and made sure I had time to enjoy the boogie boarding on flow rider....mini golf....basketball....rockclimbing....and iceskating.....There is another parade with a circus theme on the last night....Get there early!!!!!

 

Side notes: I forgot to mention alot!

Quest was on Friday night and it was a lot of fun. Get there early! The 80s party for all ages was right after Quest!

Love and Marriage show is a must!!!!!!!! Super funny!

Surprisingly, I enjoyed the shows! My two favorite were the Ice Show and Once Upon A Dream! Shows were all kid friendly I believe. Even Quest and the Love and Marriage would be tame enough for the 12 yrs and up....They've heard and seen worse on the media.

Boleros Club is a lot of fun...Spanish dancing before 2nd seating and between 10-1am!

 

I did not keep the compasses....:(

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How old do you have to be to ride a segway? My kids are 13 and 11, and we are limited with choices on fun excursions because of their age. A lot of excursions you must be at least 12.

 

Would love to do this.

 

We are sailing the exact itinarary on the Freedom in August!

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My son is 11 and rode the segwey.....They should be fine. Go to the Holland Beach Hotel and rent your segwey.....it was a good deal and should not be passed up. Prior to going on our trip, I tried to look up a site for them but they don't have one. I found someone else who mentioned it here on cruise critic and was nervous about doing it. I did it and it was great for my son. It wasn't a long tour and he just wanted to see what it was like. So its worthwhile. There is a little shack next door to the hotel that makes warm sandwhiches and their steak and cheese sandwich is great.

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Hi, Arlene! I wondered if you and Josh got to do the segways. Brennan and I did them, too. They were so much fun! Brennan's favorite thing we did, in fact.

 

Hope everything is going well for you, now that we are all home. Tell Josh we said hi!

 

Ruth

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HI Ruth and Brennan and everyone else....I am happy you got to do them too. We're going on the Oasis next May 22, 2010:)

 

Cruising Mom I did not bring them to scan them. I'm sorry....all I can say is that there are some good things on the menu especialy seafood. Just try what you want and if you don't like then ask for something else. HUGS!

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Did you get any menus to scan over?

 

Randi, you can't (aren't supposed to) take the menus with you. They are not disposable. They are large (p)leather portfolios with cardboard paper inserts.

 

I have some pictures that I took, but I don't have the menus themselves.

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Thanks NenaCruise;

 

Patty and I are waiting for the cab to take us over right now...Glad you had a good time, now it is our turn....(By the way, my daughter;s team got clobbered in the state soccer tournament, we would have been better off going the week you went as planned !)

 

David:D

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