Ship Reports - Freedom of the Seas

Freedom of the Seas

Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas is one of the world’s largest cruise ship and boasts amazing innovations on board including an interactive family water park, cantilevered whirlpools and a dedicated sports pool. Plus, the ship also features the largest rock climbing wall at sea, a 14-person Presidential Suite and the largest shopping, dining and entertainment boulevard in the fleet. With a full guest capacity of over 4,000 you can imagine how huge the ship is. Sarah was invited onboard the Freedom of the Seas for one night in May 2007 as it was docked in Southampton. Read Sarah’s report to find out more or call 0121 250 2201 or 01543 412768 to book your cruise.

Checking in

I travelled from Sutton Coldfield to join the Freedom of the Seas in Southampton by car. The journey was extremely straightforward and only took two hours.

The ship was well signposted on approaching the port and there were many stewards on duty guiding me to the car park, which made the experience easy and enjoyable. From the car park there was a short walk to the check in lounge, where I was met by Royal Caribbean staff who advised me on all the new attractions on this new fabulous ship including the ice rink and surf water machine.

Cabins

I was most impressed with the size of my deluxe cabin as it had a good sized balcony, two chairs, a table, double bed, large LCD television, plenty of wardrobe space, a dressing table, settee, coffee table and a shower room with a toilet.

I then looked around at the other grades of cabins starting with the Royal Suite, of which there is only one. Inside there is a living area with a large plasma screen, settee, two chairs, dining table, bar, full sized piano, a large bedroom area with an additional dressing area and a large bathroom. Plus it has a huge balcony with its own Jacuzzi, sunloungers, table and chairs! This cabin is of a high quality and definitely designed for the rich and famous.

I then looked at the Owners Suite, which is the next category down from the Royal Suite. There are eight Owners Suites on the ship and they are like the Royal Suite, but on a smaller scale.

The next cabin had a real WOW factor! The Presidential Family Suite can accommodate 14 people and was like the Royal Suite but with more bedrooms.

The Family Ocean View rooms are of an impressive size with a large picture window and a shower room, bunk beds with a dividing curtain, a sofa bed – which could sleep another two people – and a double bed.

Coincidentally, when I looked around an Inside Stateroom with disabled access, a gentleman in a wheelchair was coming out and he commented that the room was of a good size, which is an excellent recommendation! An alternative to the Inside Cabin is a Promenade Stateroom, which has a big bay window overlooking the promenade deck, making the cabin light and spacious.

The soft furnishings in all the cabins are of a high standard and all have flat screen televisions. There are new bed frames, designed to prevent sagging and nine inch thick spring mattresses – sleeping on a cruise has never felt so good!

Daytime activities

The range of activities available is plentiful. The ship has the first ever shipboard surf park and there is a dedicated sports pool and a superb zone for children with interactive fountains, cannons and water jets. Freedom of the Seas also has a rock climbing wall, indoor ice-skating rink and miniature golf course. If you want to get fit they have fitness centre with has a state of the art gym and the only boxing ring at sea.

Evening activities

There is a large variety of bars, a casino, a theatre for evening shows and an ice rink. There is also a late night disco and the Royal Promenade offers a naturally lit four storey shopping mall.

Dining

You will never go hungry on the Freedom of the Seas as you are completely spoilt for choice! The two main seatings are 6:15pm and 8:30pm in Leonardo’s, Isaac’s and Galileo’s dining rooms. Light snacks are available 24 hours a day from the Café Promenade and you can enjoy a selection of snacks from the Sorrento Pizza Bar and various lounges until the early hours. The Windjammer Restaurant is a self service restaurant and is particularly good for lunch.

Summary

My overall and lasting impression of this fabulous ship was a crew of smiling, friendly people providing a warm welcome, good food, excellent service and fabulous entertainment on a 5 star ship for all the family.