Freedom of the Seas. Did we book the right cruise for us?

GreenB · #1 (**permalink**) April 18th, 2007, 07:51 PM

Hi Everybody!!
Well, this is my first post in this Message Board and I guess it is for a good reason.

I booked the Freedom of the Seas leaving on October 14th 2007 Caribbean 2 persons, my Wife and I, mid 40s.
We are a very active couple. We don’t gamble at all and we don’t like to stay up all night, but we like to have fun. So we hang around the casino for a while just to watch people. The same happens with lounges and discos. We are not heavy drinkers and we are usually in bed by midnight. We also enjoy good food very much.
I haven’t paid for the cruise yet but I have to on Saturday April 21st. So I still have time to cancel.
Reading previous posts and for what I’ve heard elsewhere I am quite curious about a few things.
I don’t think October 14th is a holiday period. Or is it?
Will it be really full of noisy kids running around?
Will it be really full of noisy annoying grown ups?
A lot of drunken teenagers?
Are the staterooms quiet enough to have a decent night’s sleep?
Are the shows onboard worthwhile?
What about the food in the main dining room. Is it good?
What else do you think we should expect of a ship this size?

I hope someone can help me or much better, convince me that we booked the right cruise. My wife and I have been having second thoughts.

Thanks a lot for your time and help.
GreenB

subtropic · #2 (**permalink**) April 18th, 2007, 08:09 PM

The Freedom is a big ship (the biggest at sea right now I think) so there will be many many activities for you to choose from for times aboard ship. Pools, wave rider, ice skating rink, casino, movies at night, etc. Food is good and there are many options there. There should not be a problem with kids out of control, wandering drunks, and undue noise. There will always be exceptions to all this but the odds are heavily in your favor that you will have a great time.

17andacruiseaddict · #3 (**permalink**) April 18th, 2007, 10:59 PM

ok i am only 17 but i feel i can put some input into this. my mom is 55 and she always finds fun. the clubs are fun, while im out and about i see her around having a great time. she doesnt drink heavily onboard either anymore cuz it is way to expensive to get drunk on the ships nowadays. a shot is 5 dollars and she can get a half pint of jack here for that much lol. but the shows are fablous. vegas style. lounging on the deck day or night is fun. having the night air in ur hair is fanstastic (great if u have a balcony). people watching is alway a fun activity. and u guys are a married couple, on vacation, u should be able to make your own fun anywhere u go anyway. freedom of the seas to me is a great choice for anybody. i will be on august 12, 2007. but ive heard great things from my family who has been on it and other fellow cruisers. have a blast

GreenB · #4 (**permalink**) April 19th, 2007, 10:31 AM

Good morning.

Thanks to subtropic and to 17andacruiseaddict for your prompt answers.

17andacruiseaddict has a point and it is that we are a married couple. But my main concern is not how fun it will be. I'm totally confident it's going to be a fun cruise. My concern is: will we be able to get our peace of mind or will it be a "frenetic" cruise?
Thanks.

Cassandra · #5 (**permalink**) April 19th, 2007, 11:14 AM

You should not have a problem with drunken teenagers. It's October so school will be back in session. I would not expect to see alot of kids either.

However, if there are & they are running around acting like maniacs. Don't be afraid to speak up either directly to them or the ship security. Might not be your kids - but that doesn't mean you have to put up with the behavior.

seadog2 · #6 (**permalink**) April 19th, 2007, 03:35 PM

Even with all of the activities on board , you will still be able to get your peace of mind. As far as the cruise being frantic, don't worry about that. You can do as much as you like or as little as you like it's all up to you. DW and I were on the freedom in Sept '06 and we had a blast. I think you picked a fine ship. BTY what type of cabin do you have? Hopefully there is a balcony attached to it for you and your wife to enjoy. Have fun.

MaryLou · #7 (**permalink**) April 19th, 2007, 05:33 PM

My hubby and I sailed on Freedom last September. My hubby is in his early 50's and I'm will turn 50 this year. We both LOVED this ship. We do not drink or use the casino, but we still LOVED this ship. I really do not think you will have any regrets about booking this cruise.

yellosno · #8 (**permalink**) April 19th, 2007, 07:29 PM

Book it !! You will always regret it if you don't. It is not the things you do in life that you regret, in the end, it is the things you don't do.

thecruisequeen · #9 (**permalink**) April 19th, 2007, 08:56 PM

Go ahead and pay for the cruise on Saturday you won't be sorry. October there should not be alot of kids on board. We were on the Freedom last June and will we on the Freedom again next Sunday 4/29.

8)

Happy cruising everyone!

17andacruiseaddict · #10 (**permalink**) April 20th, 2007, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenB

Good morning.

Thanks to subtropic and to 17andacruiseaddict for your prompt answers.

17andacruiseaddict has a point and it is that we are a married couple. But my main concern is not how fun it will be. I'm totally confident it's going to be a fun cruise. My concern is: will we be able to get our peace of mind or will it be a "frenetic" cruise?
Thanks.

lol i feel special because i was mentioned by name. anywayz do u mean will you be able to find some quiet time to relax and stuff. if so, yes i do think you will be able to. there is a part of the deck that towards the front on the same deck the pool is on. they usually have alot of chairs and barely any people around so its usually quiet. plus if u early risers the ship is alway quieter in the early morning and late late night (around 1-3 am). and for relaxation there is always the spa as am option. hope this helped

GreenB · #11 (**permalink**) April 20th, 2007, 01:26 PM

Thank you very much to everybody.

YES. YOU CONVINCED ME!!!!
I will book the cruise right now. And I mean it. Right now.
Seadog2 asked me what kind of stateroom I booked. It is a Junior Suite and it does have a balcony. A large balcony BTW.
It is in deck nine, in between 2 Junior Suites as well.
Do you want to know what the highlight of our cruise will be?
Scuba Diving.
My wife and I are accomplished NAUI Scuba Divers. So we really look forward to Cozumel and Grand Cayman.

As I said before, I deeply thank everybody for your time and help.

seadog2 · #12 (**permalink**) April 20th, 2007, 04:00 PM

GreenB, The Junior Suites on the Freedom are wonderful. DW and I had the JS it's more than enough room for you both. SCUBA diving, man that sounds like BIG FUN. If you scuba on Cozumel maybe you can try the parasailing on Labadee it's fun too!! Well you have 6 months to go before you cruise, now comes the hard part........ WAITING. Enjoy. 8)

17andacruiseaddict · #13 (**permalink**) April 20th, 2007, 06:58 PM

we leave on freedon aug 12th. we have a balcony with a panoramic view. anybody have an exact picture of this room? i cant seem to find the room on the site or even after i googled it. panoramic is on that curve that sticks out (like those hot tubs)

seadog2 · #14 (**permalink**) April 21st, 2007, 07:05 PM

17andcruiseaddict what is your room number? What deck are you on. When you say that "it's on the curve the part that sticks out" your cabin sounds like it could be on the hump. I usually go into RCI website to find mine.

RCscoop · #15 (**permalink**) April 21st, 2007, 07:31 PM

GreenB: by now you've booked your cruise. Good for you, I guarantee you won't regret it. When I read your post, it sounded like you were describing my wife and me

. You've had your questions answered, so I'd just like to welcome you aboard and offer a couple of other things.

You went with a nice balance of balcony/suite with a JS. It's very roomy with some suite touches. Now I could give you all the details, but that would spoil the fun of discovery when you enter the room for the first time. (Hint: it's quite a bit bigger than the largest balcony stateroom, and a bigger bathroom and balcony too.)

This ship has soooo much to offer with active stuff to do, quiet couple time, and really good food. Make reservations at Portofino's and Chops Grille (Portofino's is better). When you reserve your dining time, take as soon as they open to get a window seat.

If you go to the H2O Zone early in the day, you'll find it empty. This is a fun time for a couple to enjoy it before little ones show up. DO THE FLOW RIDER! Climb the wall, see an ice show.

I'll offer more later if you have questions, Steve

17andacruiseaddict · #16 (**permalink**) April 24th, 2007, 12:49 PM

yeah its on that hump cabin 8340. but i couldnt find an exact picture. i wanna c what the balcony looks like. ive been in a regular balcony on rcl, but i just wanna c how different it looks

seadog2 · #17 (**permalink**) April 24th, 2007, 02:20 PM

17andacruiseaddict, you might have to wait until you get on board to see what it looks like exactly. I know that because you are on the hump, sometimes those balconys are a little deeper than most and sometimes not. For sure you will have a nicer view because the hump sticks out from the ship. Deck 8, deluxe ocean view, Midships, on the hump, not bad. Should be nice . Enjoy.

RCscoop · #18 (**permalink**) April 25th, 2007, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 17andacruiseaddict

yeah its on that hump cabin 8340. but i couldnt find an exact picture. i wanna c what the balcony looks like. ive been in a regular balcony on rcl, but i just wanna c how different it looks

On the Freedom class ships, the balconies on the humps (both sides) are not any deeper because the cabins follow the contour of the hump. The deeper balconies are found on the Radiance class ships, as those cabins are lined up straight, but the balconies follow the curve of the hump, thereby making those toward the outer portions of the hump deeper.

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17andacruiseaddict · #19 (**permalink**) April 25th, 2007, 10:58 AM

thanks guys. yeah to see the actual room i guess ill just have to wait. *sighs*

ragtiki2005 · #20 (**permalink**) April 25th, 2007, 06:20 PM

Hey 17andcruiseaddict- I had a hump balcony cabin on the Explorer of the Seas and just loved the different view you have compared to a regular balcony cabin. You will really it. Bob

GreenB · #21 (**permalink**) April 26th, 2007, 01:54 PM

Hi Steve Cooper / RCscoop.

You went with a nice balance of balcony/suite with a JS. It's very roomy with some suite touches. Now I could give you all the details, but that would spoil the fun of discovery when you enter the room for the first time. (Hint: it's quite a bit bigger than the largest balcony stateroom, and a bigger bathroom and balcony too.)

Yes you are right. I’m not going to inquire about it. I am totally confident I chose the right stateroom so I don’t want to spoil the extras.

This ship has soooo much to offer with active stuff to do, quiet couple time, and really good food. Make reservations at Portofino's and Chops Grille (Portofino's is better). When you reserve your dining time, take as soon as they open to get a window seat.

Where can I make reservations for Portofino?
How far in advance?

Thanks a lot for your time.

robertj · #22 (**permalink**) April 27th, 2007, 10:16 AM

Where can I make reservations for Portofino?
How far in advance?

We boarded Freedom at 11:30 a.m. and made reservations at Chops as soon as we got on board...you can call from any phone on ship.

RCscoop · #23 (**permalink**) April 27th, 2007, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robertj

Where can I make reservations for Portofino?
How far in advance?

We boarded Freedom at 11:30 a.m. and made reservations at Chops as soon as we got on board...you can call from any phone on ship.

I agree with Robertj: I would go to Chops one of the first stops once on board. That way you'll get the reservation day & time you want. Plus, it's good to have that out of the way. Good luck, Steve

17andacruiseaddict · #24 (**permalink**) April 27th, 2007, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ragtiki2005

Hey 17andcruiseaddict- I had a hump balcony cabin on the Explorer of the Seas and just loved the different view you have compared to a regular balcony cabin. You will really it. Bob

cool, no pics?

ragtiki2005 · #25 (**permalink**) April 28th, 2007, 12:07 AM

17Cruiseaddict- I will look through my archives and see if I can find some. If so, I will PM you with my email address. Bob