This was my first cruise in almost 30 years and things have definitely changed. Freedom of the Seas is enormous and for all purposes, is a floating city! Our stateroom was comfortable and clean, the common areas were spacious and the amenities abound. The staff was super responsive to our every need and they were friendly and gracious. For me, the ship was a bit too big and navigating from deck to deck took more time than I would have liked. Several times, we left one activity to head for another one, and it might take a good ten minutes for us to get there ! By that time the second activity had already started. I was exhausted from all the walking - esp. when the elevators were engaged in transporting other passengers and left us stranded for several minutes. I mean, this is should be a relaxing vacation, yet I found myself stressed by the long, fast walks to get to an activity on time!

Now, on to the dining.....honestly, I was not impressed! The dining room offered some pretty boring dinners and some very bland desserts. The Windjammer café - self-serve - was basically the same fare day after day...how many times can I eat a hamburger? The best meals were served in Portofino (at an additional charge). Definitely do the Murder Mystery Dinner, which includes dinner there! Fantastic! We also did the pasta-making class which included lunch ($15.) in the Portofino - excellent! Johnny Rockets is on board for a charge of $5.95 but the waiters won't dance!

For me, this cruise was all about the entertainment. They wow-ed me every time. the orchestra is fantastic, the singers and dancers mazing and the shows are totally entertaining from start to finish. My problem was what to do after the show? For the most part - nothing! There is nothing to do other than going to a bar and I'm not a bar kind of girl......disappointing. Read more