Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas is the second-largest cruise ship sailing the ocean. During March 2010 I had the opportunity to take a 7-night cruise aboard the Freedom of the Seas. The following is a review of the Freedom of the Seas, and an account of what a cruiser might expect onboard.
First sailing in June 2006, the Freedom of the Seas can accommodate 3,634 passengers at any given time. Even with a full load of passengers (as on my cruise), most areas of the cruise ship do not feel overly crowded. At 1,112 feet long and with 15 decks, there is ample room for the passengers to spread out. There are times, however, when passengers tend to congregate in the same areas and the Freedom of the Seas feels a bit tight – namely before dinner and before special entertainment events. Even during these times, though, there are always many places aboard the Freedom of the Seas a cruiser can escape without many other passengers nearby.
At 4 years old, the Freedom of the Seas remains in excellent material condition. Just before arriving onboard, Royal Caribbean had replaced much of the carpeting. Crew members clean the ship every day, and all plumbing and electrical work I encountered was in working condition. The crew takes pride in presenting an immaculate ship to the passengers, and does a successful job. The Freedom of the Seas is clean, sanitary, and remains in near pristine condition.
There are plenty of entertainment activities aboard the Freedom of the Seas. The Freedom of the Seas sports center boasts a rock climbing wall, a wave rider, a miniature golf course, and a basketball court. Other facilities aboard the Freedom of the Seas include an ice skating rink, several pools, and a state-of-the-art workout center (with both cardio equipment and weights).
Dining aboard the Freedom of the Seas is exactly as one would expect. There are many options and the food quality is, in general excellent. The dining room food is well prepared, and passengers can eat in the Freedom of the Seas’ dining rooms for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Additionally, the Freedom of the Seas hosts two specialty restaurants: Chops Grille (a steakhouse), and Portofino Italian Restaurant. The quality of food at these two restaurants is outstanding, though passengers will have to pay ($30 for dinner at Chops, and $25 for dinner at Portofino).
When deciding not to dine in the formal dining rooms, Freedom of the Seas passengers always have the option of eating at the Windjammer buffet on Deck 11. The food here is of average quality, but there are plenty of options and tons of variety. The food in the buffet does not compare to that of Freedom of the Seas dining rooms, but the convenience and speed make the Windjammer an excellent option from time to time.
Other forms of recreation aboard the Freedom of the Seas include a casino (with both slots and tables), an arcade, an 800 person theatre with daily shows, a screening room showing current movies, and the Freedom of the Seas Royal Promenade on Deck 5. The Freedom of the Seas Promenade is a deck full of shopping and dining, and is in many ways the social center of the ship.
Service aboard the Freedom of the Seas is good, though I have experienced better service on other ships. The staff and crewmembers are all friendly, though sometime I found requests had to be repeated. Also, although a minor point, obtaining a soda on the Freedom of the Seas could be challenging… the bar tenders clearly preferred serving those ordering alcohol rather than those ordering soda.
The Freedom of the Seas is an excellent ship providing an excellent cruise experience. As a cruiser, I would recommend this ship to couples and families looking for a big ship with many activities. The Freedom of the Seas provides entertainment to cruisers of all ages, and most passengers I talked to enjoyed their time on the Freedom of the Seas immensely.
