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The Big Wait by
Jim L from Pittsburgh Sailing date: Oct 2008Pros: The cabins were nice and the food was good Cons: Having to wait for everthing, You had to wait in line to find a table in the main restaurant, (the one you did not have to pay extra to eat in) you had to wait to get off or on the ship. If you were going to go on an excursion you had to wait. Now I been on many cruise before and I know there is some waiting in lines involved but this one was the worst by a long shot. Bigger is not always better, ever port the ship stop at there were 3400 passengers coming behind you and thats if your are the only ship in port, the only thing you did not have to wait for was the guy trying to get you to buy another drink from the bar. But by far the worst part of the cruise was how Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines nickel and dime you, there is nothing on this cruise except the food in the free restaurants that they do not charge you for. My bar bill was unbelievable and I am not a big drinker $2.00 for an 8oz. soft drink $5.00 for a 12 oz beer, $8.95 for a mixed drink. When I order a beer I asked for a cup of ice which I poured my beer into to help keep it cool and they charged me a $1.00 for the cup of ice, so I ended up paying $6.00 for a 12oz. can of beer Ship Quality
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Cozumel, Mexico
Labadee (Cruiseline Private Island)Look out for the rocks, beach is the worst. This is their private money making island. .
Waste of time
George Town, Grand Cayman
Ocho Rios, JamaicaDon't Miss: Zip-line over the canopy of the rain forest  74 out of 84 people found this review helpful.
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  Excellent experience! by
James from Boston Sailing date: Jan 2007Pros: Opulence.
Entertainment & Activities
81 out of 112 people found this review helpful.
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Ship Review by
Herve from Boston, MA Sailing date: Sep 2007
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44 out of 56 people found this review helpful.
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Wonderful time at Freedom of the Seas by
A Traveler from Tampa, FL Sailing date: Sep 2009Pros: The Bolero Club with the latin band. Cons: 0 We just came back home from Freedom of the Seas. This cruiseship is out of this world. The personnel, entertainment and service were superior. we danced every night at the Bolero Club with the latin band. Ship Quality14 floors full of beauty and entertainment. Dining/FoodWe looked forward for dinner time, no so much for the food, but for the service. Our table service was completed by an entertainer and a magician, great combination. Those guys really went our of their way to make that moment special. Stateroom QualityVery Clean, close to elevators. Ship Staff QualityI must mentioned James and Gomez, a superior team at the dining table. Our best wishes to both of them. Entertainment & ActivitiesAll shows were Las Vegas style........Lou Davis, the Magician*****GREAT 28 out of 29 people found this review helpful.
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The biggest ship in the fleet lives up t by
Shelby from Boston, MA Sailing date: Aug 2007
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Entertainment & ActivitiesActivities: The wave rider, rock wall and sports deck were fabulous but included long lines for use.
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Cozumel, Mexico
Labadee (Cruiseline Private Island)Labadee is Royal Caribbeans version of Disney World.
George Town, Grand Cayman
Ocho Rios, Jamaica
30 out of 37 people found this review helpful.
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Awesome family cruise by
Kathryn W. from Wichita Falls, TX Sailing date: Sep 2011Pros: everything Cons: nothing This was our second time on the Freedom of the Seas, but the first time with kids. We had a blast, and so did they. They loved the Adventure Ocean program, and the Dream Works experience, and we enjoyed the break. The ship offers so many fantastic options that you could never be bored. The friendly dining room staff are eager to please, and our room attendant was so sweet as well. These people truly take pride in what they do. Also, the shows are PHENOMENAL!!! Ship QualityIt is a beautiful and clean ship. Dining/FoodThe food is very good, but the staff are AMAZING! They truly make the whole experience Stateroom QualityThe staterooms are very clean and in good condition. We had an outdoor stateroom, but was a little tight with two kids. I would suggest an adjoining stateroom next time. Ship Staff QualityThey are so helpful and kind. Entertainment & ActivitiesTop notch 'broadway' style shows. PHENOMENAL cast Children's ProgramsFun, fun, fun! The kids are well taken care of and have a great time!
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Cococay (Cruiseline Private Island)
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.
Philipsburg, St. Maarten
11 out of 11 people found this review helpful.
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Relaxation!!!! by
Michele P from West Dundee, IL Sailing date: Jan 2010Pros: Experiencing the different ports of call. Cons: Often felt there wasn't enough to do for the 40 something age group Beautiful ship, lots of pools, elevators, restaurants and activities. Ship QualityShip was huge, layout was very friendly. Very clean, tons of staff to take care of your every need. Very friendly personel. Dining/FoodOverall we mainly ate at the Windjammer Buffett. My husband preferred the assortment to the main dinning room menu. Very large and beautiful restaurant located on the 11th deck. Nice assortment of salad, soups, entrees, fruits, breads etc. We were not impressed with the quality, such as the powdered scrambled eggs but made to order eggs were available. The main dinning room food was average. My husband stated his Prime Rib was tasteless, my Salmon was dry one night and my duck was overcooked another. The lobster day was yummy and I asked for two since they were small. We had my time dinning. We enjoyed this because we could go anytime and eat without a wait or scheduling our dinner. What I didn't like is that we really didn't get to know anyone since we were sat by ourselves each time, unlike at a scheduled time where you sit with the same couples each time. Excellent wait staff!!! Stateroom QualityBeautiful room, comfy bed, great view. Extremely clean, the attendant was in our room 3x's a day and was exceptionally friendly. We were very happy with the accomodations. Oh and there were 6 pillows on our bed which we loved! Our attendant Michelle was the best! Ship Staff QualityStaff was wonderful, friendly and attentive. Entertainment & ActivitiesThe Ice Show and the nightly productions were absolutely wonderful. Many performances received standing ovations. I highly recommend. We didn't partake in many activities otherwise. I did use the spa which I really enjoyed but was very expensive. My husband had fun with the trivia and there was a game show men vs. women which was very funny and interactive. 12 out of 14 people found this review helpful.
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Cruise apparently for the elderly by
A Traveler from Council Bluffs, Iowa Sailing date: Jan 2010Pros: Snorkeling adventure in St. Thomas was the best one that we've ever had. Cons: Lack of free food in the evenings We recently traveled on Freedom of the Seas, the second largest ship in the world. It's a huge ship- in fact, it's too big. Elevators were continuously busy and wait times were several minutes, or you could walk. The ship has over 12 floors so walking 12 flights is nearly impossible. Many things on the ship cost extra, besides the amount that we already had paid. Dinner at a steakhouse on board was $25.00 per person. There is also an Italian cafe that costs per person. Free ice cream cones are available next to the pool, in children size cones. There were always lines waiting to get ice cream. That closed down in the evening, and the only place to get any was from Ben and Jerry's on board, for a fee. Our snorkeling side tour, was excellent, but disorganized as to where everyone should meet. There was a HUGE population of elderly on the ship, and mortorized wheel chairs were left in aisles, so you had to walk around them. I work with the elderly and love them, but many of these people were extremely rude and others in our group commented on their rudeness. Our immediate staff were wonderful, but other staff were rude to us and to others and we have never experienced that before. This was our 5th cruise so we are no strangers to cruises. Ship QualityThe ship is so large that there were always waiting lines for the elevators. Sometimes we had to wait for several elevators as they would be full when they stopped. Sometimes the elevators didn't stop on our floor, and at times appeared to be held on other floors for long periods. Dining/Food The main courses were very good, but I was disappointed in the desserts. Most of the cake desserts were very dry. Stateroom QualityThese were the most comfortable beds we've ever slept on while cruising. Ship Staff QualityOur waiter worked the hardest I've ever seen to get everything right, from our names to our beverage choices. He even took notes to remember things. We were walking on the promenade one night that formal pictures were being taken. We happened to walk partially across a lit walkway (where no one was waiting to be photographed) and saw a rope blocking the other end off. Realizing we weren't supposed to be there, we turned around to walk back and were yelled at, yes yelled at, by the staff, to get out of there. One of the card dealers told a woman who asked a question about the game that if she didn't know how to play, she shouldn't be playing it. Entertainment & ActivitiesWe thought that some the tours were very expensive. One of the jet ski tours wanted $95.00 for a person to drive it, and then twenty some dollars for the passenger. We've never paid that much before so elected not to do so. Our snorkeling adventure in St. Thomas, was by the far, the best we have ever had. It was a guided tour and our guide pointed out numerous things for us and was very informative. What we didn't like was that it was disorgnized as where to meet for the tour. Nothing was explained ahead of time and when we asked on the dock they were uncertain where the representative for the tour would be. We were finally told to just go to a certain area and they would find us. The ice skating show was amazing...hard to believe what they can do on such a small area. 10 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
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Terrific time by
Kathi G from Philadelphia,PA Sailing date: Aug 2009Pros: Crew, restaurant staff, shows, FloRider, basketball court, minigolf Cons: Shopping Shelby is annoying...obviously on the take for local stores, not giving advice that's best for the passengers.Also totally ripped off with sale of her $25 book of coupons...the book's touted value included discounts at ports we didn't visit! Amazing ship, awesome staff and crew, terrific evening shows. Our room was small but comfortable and incredibly clean! Loved the towel animals every night. Boarding process was smooth and easy as was the disembarking. Pools were wonderful and we really enjoyed the FloRider, basketball courts and mini golf. Tons and tons of positives but "Shopping Shelby" is a total ripoff who is obviously on the take from all the vendors in the different ports. Purchased $25 coupon book that she promised had $400 in savings and free items but didn't say that included several ports we werent even going to visit! In one port, she and her staff were sticking "Hard Rock Cafe" stickers on people without asking and telling them to go there for lunch. How dare they stick something on people without asking!!!! If I want to advertise for the Hard Rock, I'll get paid for it. Also didn't like the big push in the Royal Promenade to buy, buy, buy. It was so bad that we didn't realize until the last day that the food in the coffee shop and pizza place were free-of-charge. Also missed that there wasn't a midnight buffet. Ship QualityBest I've ever been on! Dining/FoodService in all dining areas was terrific as was most of the food. Steaks and prime rib in main dining room were small, and looked more like something you would find in a diner or off a buffet line. Food in the Windjammer buffet was terrific, well presented, hot, varied and imaginative. Stateroom QualityRoom was comfortable, location was great, spotlessly clean! Ship Staff QualityLoved everyone except "Shopping Shelby" and her staff. Entertainment & ActivitiesShows were professional, amazing and delightful. Disappointed not to be able to get into the ice show because it was SRO the first night and timing of added show didn't work for our dinner time. Cruise director was great and very talented. Instructors at the FloRider were amazingly patient and knowledgeable.
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Cozumel, MexicoLoved the Segway Tour. Guides were smart, funny, attentive. Beach Resort was beautiful....had a delicious lunch for two for $23 including tip and an AWESOME 15-minute massage for just $20.
Don't Miss: Segway Tour Labadee (Cruiseline Private Island)Unfortunately, our Ziip line was cancelled due to high winds - no one's fault but disappointing. All brochures, etc. led me to think that Labadee only offered activities that were an extra charge. Didn't know that there was a relaxing beach, hammocks and cabanas available at no charge so because we were scheduled for the Zip Line, I didn't bring my book and my mother stayed on the ship. By the time our Zip Line was cancelled, it was too late to take the tender back to the ship, collect my mother and my book and return to the islandl. It was beautiful, though, just the retreat it should have been but the cruise line was so busy trying to sell excursions, etc., I didn't know about the free amenities.
Don't Miss: Hammocks, cabanas, lunch George Town, Grand CaymanReminded me of Bermuda. Wonderful natives. Loved Margaritaville.
Don't Miss: Margaritaville - music, food, pool, views, play area for kids Ocho Rios, JamaicaThe non-stop harrassment by the locals was awful. We took a tour to Dun's River Falls. After a wonderful drive through Fern Gully, we were taken to 2 different shopping centers, parked in front of "recommended" stores and then totally ripped off. When we got to Dun's River Falls, we were accosted non-stiop by locals pushing "free gifts" in return for "donations" on the way into the park, in the shopping area of the park, itself, and on the way out of the park. It was scary and aggravating. The climb up the falls was terrific but a little more difficult than the brochures indicate. Tour guide made no effort to indicate restful locations for people who weren't going to climb the falls.
Don't Miss: Dun's River Falls but only if you can avoid the locals and the shopping centers 12 out of 15 people found this review helpful.
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It was a very relaxing experience. by
Christian from Puerto Rico Sailing date: Jul 2007Pros: Room service.
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Cozumel, MexicoThe best.
Don't Miss: Carlos and Charlie. Labadee (Cruiseline Private Island)Espanola.
It was the best beach.
Ocho Rios, Jamaica
12 out of 15 people found this review helpful.
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