My Complete Review of Royal Caribbean Freedom of The Seas
Estimated Read Time: 12 Minutes
Me and my family booked a three night cruise to Bahamas and Coco Cay with Royal Caribbean from Miami, Florida. It was a weekend cruise that left on a Friday and Returned on a Monday. Like the seasoned Cruise traveler, we all know you should always fly the day before the cruise and stay in a hotel near the cruise port to ensure you will not miss the ship! We ended up flying the night before and stayed at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami which had an amazing view of the city and bay and was only a short Uber ride away from the Miami Cruise port. The Royal Caribbean ship name was the Freedom of the Seas.
Arriving in Miami Cruise Port: We took an Uber from our hotel to the cruise port and it was super easy and convenient. I had already checked in on the Royal Caribbean app and printed my bag tags a few days before and when I arrived, there were gentlemen waiting to assist with your luggages. I handed them the big luggages and anything I wouldn’t need until tomorrow since I know sometimes luggages are not available until after dinner time. I also handed them the bag tags and they stapled them onto our bags. I kept on me my personal belongings such as wallet, passport, and any other identification as well as the clothing I wanted to wear to Dinner in case I didn’t get my luggages in time. I also tipped them as these gentlemen do usually anticipate tips as well as they deserve it.
Oceanview Balcony Room: We booked an Oceanview Balcony room which was super spacious and more than enough room for a family of three. I really enjoyed being able to walk out into the balcony while the cruise ship was docking into each port and getting amazing pictures! I highly recommend booking a balcony room for any cruise you go on even if you don’t think you will be in the room much because it just makes the cruise experience that much better! The bathroom was still small just like any other room type and it was expected. There were enough outlets in the room that I did not see a need for an outlet extender. Our room had two twin beds that were pushed together and made a very comfortable queen sized bed. I also noticed there was an extra twin bed that could come down from the ceiling but was locked. I believe they are able to pull the bed down if needed by the cruise staff.
Food: I will say I really enjoyed the food on this cruise although I feel like the food options outside of the buffet and dinner service could be more. The specialty coffee shop was an additional charge unless you wanted plain black coffee with cream and sugar. The pizza shop was included in the price you paid for the cruise and the pizza was really good although the only drinks that were included were water and coffee. The food at the dinner service was really good and the staff was super friendly! You were able to order multiple of whatever items you wanted which was great! The drinks included were water, lemonade, and coffee. The had a taco and burrito and nacho station set up right next to the main pool, which was pretty delicious. You were able to upgrade your drinks package on the ship to include soda or alcohol for about $100 per person per night but everyone in the room that is an adult must also purchase the package too.
Adult Pool: They had an adult section on the boat, which was pretty neat if you wanted to be away from the kids. It included a bar, small adult pool area, and a jacuzzi. I was a bit bummed I couldn’t enjoy the jacuzzi as I had a baby with me on this trip.
Kids Pool: The kids pool area was divided in areas depending on how old the child was which was pretty neat. The had slides and splash pads and my baby really enjoyed herself here. This area was right next to the main pool which was pretty convenient to be able to grab a chair in between the kids pool and main pool to be able to watch all the entertainment they had going on at the main pool.
Waterslides: The cruise ship had a waterslide all the way at the top of the boat that looked fun, although I didn’t try it out.
Nassau Bahamas Cruise Port: I have been to this cruise port before and I was only getting off the ship to enjoy the Margaritaville Resort that had a lazy river and clean beach, but we opted to stay on the ship instead and had a nice relaxing sea day on the ship by the pool. My sister did tour the island on her own and ended up getting a tattoo! She said the island was beautiful and if you have never been, its a must to tour and check out!
Perfect Day at Coco Cay Cruise Port: Out of many cruise ports I have visited, I think this is my favorite one and I will probably book another cruise to go back here to enjoy the rest of the island! The cruise port is so huge and has many different areas depending on what you want to do. The best area was South Beach as they had the lounge chairs on the beach with umbrellas all complimentary and had a floating bar that you could swim to! They also had baby sharks that swam around you which was pretty cool! This cruise port also has a huge waterpark and another beach area and a market. Make sure to bring cash if you plan on stopping by the market. The walk from the boat to the port was a bit long considering how hot it was so I suggest taking the free shuttle as soon as you get off the ship!
Entertainment: The entertainment throughout this ship I would say was a bit lacking. Coming from being entertained on a Carnival ship 24/7, I felt that royal Caribbean was a bit more mellow in this area and didn’t really make sure you were entertained on the ship at every turn. They had really great shows that you have to get there early for to get a good seat but the entertainment staff could do a bit better.
Formal Night: I had a really nice experience with Formal Night and suggest having your attire ready and prepared before the trip and make sure you try it on to make sure it looks good before the trip! On formal night, which you will know which night it is on the ship app while on the ship, arrive to dinner about 1 hour before you actually want to have dinner and you will have that one hour to take many professional pictures with beautiful backgrounds. You will have the opportunity to view and purchase these pictures up until the night before the cruise ends. Very important you do this the night before as you will not have access to these pictures once you are off the ship!
Nightlife: I will say I was a bit surprised that the adult nightlife was so lively on a ship that lacked entertainment throughout the ship! They had a different area for the “nightclub” each night and each night it was crowded and super fun! I went out for the adult nightlife every night and was not disappointed! They did ask for room key card to make sure you were of age to enter!
Casino: One thing that was super surprising here was seeing all the kids in the casino! I’m used to casinos not allowing kids in the gambling areas so watching moms and dads gambling while holding their toddler was an ultimate shocker to me! The casino had a variety of table games and slots but it was almost impossible to get in on a game of Roulette table even after waiting an hour for a spot so I pretty much gave up and went to a slot. I suggest checking them out daily as they have daily promotions sometimes like free slot play! If you gamble enough, you may earn perks like free drink packages or even a free cruise!
Check Out: Leaving the ship was nice and smooth and you HAVE to make sure your luggages are packed with the luggage tags the night before the cruise ends and leave them outside the door and keep anything important that you will be scared of losing with you and of course whatever clothes you will be wearing for check out day. on Morning of Check Out, we were able to wake up at 7am, shower, check out of the room and enjoy a comfortable breakfast before getting off the ship. Once we were off the ship and passed security, our luggages were waiting for us in an easy to spot designated area.
Overall Experience: I would HIGHLY recommend this cruise to couples, singles, and families. I don’t think there is anyone that wouldn’t enjoy this cruise. The only downfall is if you are a single traveler, you will most likely still have to pay for double occupancy. The INCLUDED food on the ship besides the buffet and dinner service could have been a bit more as other cruise lines provide so many food station options that makes your experience that much better. My thought is that this cruise will be more fun or crowded during weekends. I would absolutely book this cruise again and making sure it stops at Coco Cay Bahamas again to experience the rest of the island I wasn’t able to see and would rate this cruise 8/10!
Did you Enjoy this Review? Check out my Review on Marriott Maui Ocean Club Here:
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