Freedom from the Polar Vortex... The GDF family sails RCCL

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Beautiful ship. 

 

That balcony sure is large.  I hope that someday I'll feel comfortable enough to get a balcony on a cruise.  I'm sure that day will come. 

 

Looking forward to reading more. 

[Beckers 1,136]

The Flowrider, and ice skating and rock walls, and all that stuff they put on cruise ships does nothing for me. All of these activities are available at various locations around where I live.

I'm interested to hear about the sail away party.

TCD

Are they included in the price or are they an Extra charge on the cruise?

[Seals 111]

You know, this looks really nice. My kids have been begging to go on another cruise (we've done a 3-day Disney Dream) but the Disney prices are just out of our league right now, especially since we are usually limited to the highest priced time periods because of life activities. Looking forward to more photos and discussion. 

[PoorGABoy 4]

Every time I read these trip reports about a cruise it makes me want to go on one. The ship looks great. With such a large ship and many people on board- did it ever feel crowded?

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

The ship looks great.  Those public spaces are just as nice as what you'll find on a DCL ship.

 

The touch screen directory is a great idea.  They don't have anything like that on DCL.

 

The Flowrider, and ice skating and rock walls, and all that stuff they put on cruise ships does nothing for me.  All of these activities are available at various locations around where I live. 

 

I'm interested to hear about the sail away party.

 

TCD

 

I really liked the touch screens. We only used them a couple times, but it was great when we needed it. 

 

We have all of it except the Flowrider locally. We were happy just relaxing. We don't get that a lot at home. But all the stuff is key for my last comment below. 

 

Beautiful ship.  Looks very similar to the other RCCL ships I've been on.  

 

Does having access to the cruise compass on the touchscreen mean you don't get one delivered to your cabin each day?  That would be a bummer.

 

Nope, you still get them in your cabin too. Having both was great!

 

Beautiful ship. 

 

That balcony sure is large.  I hope that someday I'll feel comfortable enough to get a balcony on a cruise.  I'm sure that day will come. 

 

Looking forward to reading more. 

 

You will! I've got a special tip for you coming when we order room service for the first time. Stay tuned. 

 

Are they included in the price or are they an Extra charge on the cruise?

 

All of that is included. If you want special lessons on the Flowrider, that's extra. 

 

You know, this looks really nice. My kids have been begging to go on another cruise (we've done a 3-day Disney Dream) but the Disney prices are just out of our league right now, especially since we are usually limited to the highest priced time periods because of life activities. Looking forward to more photos and discussion. 

 

Glad you are enjoying it. We really did. How old are your kids? After doing this one, I won't pick an older ship that doesn't have the H2O zone while Z is young. He loved it too much. Having the Dreamworks Experience on board was cool too. 

 

Every time I read these trip reports about a cruise it makes me want to go on one. The ship looks great. With such a large ship and many people on board- did it ever feel crowded?

 

Try it! The ship never felt crowded. Lounge chairs were hard to find around the pool on sea days from about 10-2, but I was always able to find 1 and then another. Sometimes I had to move them. There are sooooooooooo many activities and areas that they spread people out very well. Even on sea days people could be eating, shopping, swimming in one of 4 pools, mini golfing, seeing a 3D movie, Flowrider, etc. etc. etc. Lots of stuff really spreads people out. 

 

We did 2 ship shore excursions, and that's the only time we felt crowds, and that was only when waiting to start. 

[dvccamper 32]

What a great balcony! How far ahead did you have to book to get the cabin you wanted?

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

What a great balcony! How far ahead did you have to book to get the cabin you wanted?

 

We really enjoyed it! Katman might remember more than me since I booked with him. I think I booked in the summer. But I could be totally off. Not-my-Jason, do you know? But that's NOT actually the cabin I booked at first. I did some research and found out about it much later. Much to my surprise, it was open! 

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Yep, it’s still Sunday 3/30

 

It’s time to sail away! The Freedom and all the RCCL ships with the DreamWorks Experience have the characters at the sail away party. Originally, we got a place in a middle a little way up.

 

 

Bad picture showing them walking in flags

 

 

And Alex from Madagascar joined them.

 

 

See the hot tub? So did Z, and he decided that’s where we should watch the party. It’s his birthday, and it wasn’t crowded, so we did.

 

 

They invited all the kids to come dance, but Z watched from the “hot pool.”

 

 

Well, he mostly watched. LOL

 

 

They brought our Shrek and Fiona.

 

 

It was pretty cute, not the excitement of Disney I’m sure, but people seemed to enjoy it.

 

We had some drinks with others because there was a bar with tables right next to that hot tub. I found people to be very friendly all week.

 

After that, we decided to head back to the room. It was about 6:30. We knew there was a big DreamWorks parade at 10:00 that night. The idea was to let Z sleep an hour, and then head out for dinner and the parade.

 

View from my lounger… ahhhh…..

 

 

View standing on my balcony towards the edge of the ship

 

 

I tried to wake up Z around 8:00. He told me to leave him alone. I tried again at 8:30. No luck. At 9:00, I told them there was a parade. He told me he “wanted to sleep, Mommy.” So that’s that I let him do. Jason wanted to explore the ship, so I told him he could, and I ordered room service for myself.

 

Want to see the menu? Here it is.

 

 

It’s not huge, but there are some good choices. Here’s a tip… Are you listening DIT??? You might notice there’s a Cheese Burger listed under sandwiches. Then, there’s a Bistro Burger under entrees. The burger under the sandwiches is a crap fast food patty. The Bistro Burger is delicious!!!! (And we’ll get back to a theory Mr. GDF and I have about the Bistro Burger later.) Isn’t it weird that they have 2 totally different patties on the same menu?

 

Here’s my food.

 

Fruit

 

 

Bistro Burger no onion… not sure why the cheese doesn’t look melted because it was.

 

 

Fries

 

 

Pizza for Z if room service woke him up; it didn’t (nothing special, like a frozen mini pizza)

 

 

And that’s all my pictures from Sunday. We actually went to bed pretty early because we were convinced Z would wake up at about 5:00 AM.

 

Tomorrow is a day at sea and formal night! 

[Katman1356...Jason 1,140]

We really enjoyed it! Katman might remember more than me since I booked with him. I think I booked in the summer. But I could be totally off. Not-my-Jason, do you know? But that's NOT actually the cabin I booked at first. I did some research and found out about it much later. Much to my surprise, it was open! 

 

I have August for when you originally booked but you switched to that room after that. I Cant find when but I feel like November

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Thanks for the tip on the burger.  

 

Wow, Z must have been tuckered out from the whole tooth thing and then the excitement of the sail away.  

[BigTom 76]

I could go for that bristo burger and some fries right now. Looks good

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

Love the balcony pics!

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

Great updates and awesome pictures.

What a beautiful ship.

Z is so darn adorable.

Good job scoring that huge balcony.

$55 for booze doesn't sound bad. If I remember correctly isn't a beer about $6 or $7 each. A glass of wine $8-$10 a glass.

It would not take long to drink $55 worth of booze. The only problem I see with the program is that I would be drinking all day to make sure I got my money's worth.

That was nice to let Jason explore the ship on his own. How did he do in the casino? Lol

The menu had a pretty good selection and the fries looked great.

[Katman1356...Jason 1,140]

Great updates and awesome pictures.

What a beautiful ship.

Z is so darn adorable.

Good job scoring that huge balcony.

$55 for booze doesn't sound bad. If I remember correctly isn't a beer about $6 or $7 each. A glass of wine $8-$10 a glass.

It would not take long to drink $55 worth of booze. The only problem I see with the program is that I would be drinking all day to make sure I got my money's worth.

That was nice to let Jason explore the ship on his own. How did he do in the casino? Lol

The menu had a pretty good selection and the fries looked great.

 

The nice thing on that drink package too is that tips are already included in that. 

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

I have August for when you originally booked but you switched to that room after that. I Cant find when but I feel like November

 

I think that's about right. 

 

Thanks for the tip on the burger.  

 

Wow, Z must have been tuckered out from the whole tooth thing and then the excitement of the sail away.  

 

The burger was yummy! And I think that was it... he was just beat. 

 

I could go for that bristo burger and some fries right now. Looks good

 

Me too!

 

Love the balcony pics!

 

Thanks! It was beautiful. 

 

Great updates and awesome pictures.

What a beautiful ship.

Z is so darn adorable.

Good job scoring that huge balcony.

$55 for booze doesn't sound bad. If I remember correctly isn't a beer about $6 or $7 each. A glass of wine $8-$10 a glass.

It would not take long to drink $55 worth of booze. The only problem I see with the program is that I would be drinking all day to make sure I got my money's worth.

That was nice to let Jason explore the ship on his own. How did he do in the casino? Lol

The menu had a pretty good selection and the fries looked great.

 

Beers were around $5-8, and wine that I'll drink was about $9-12. Mixed drinks were $8-10. Couple that with my Diet Coke and bottled water, and I know we got our money's worth. 

 

He didn't go to the casino. Ha ha! We're not gamblers really. He was walking around with his nice camera taking ship pictures that I should steal and checking out different bars and entertainment venues. 

 

The fries were great, hot and crispy. 

 

The nice thing on that drink package too is that tips are already included in that. 

 

Very true. The package includes a 15% tip. We did tip additionally in some situations. 

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

 

 The ship never felt crowded. Lounge chairs were hard to find around the pool on sea days from about 10-2, but I was always able to find 1 and then another. Sometimes I had to move them. There are sooooooooooo many activities and areas that they spread people out very well. Even on sea days people could be eating, shopping, swimming in one of 4 pools, mini golfing, seeing a 3D movie, Flowrider, etc. etc. etc. Lots of stuff really spreads people out. 

 

 

 

Not being able to find lounge chairs by the pool is a big problem on DCL too- at least in the family area.  So, that's not a unique issue with RCCL.

 

The room service menu looks good.  I noticed that there are sodas and Evian water listed on there.  Would those choices be covered by your drink package?

 

Are there any "secret" room service items?  The big secret on DCL is that you can order Mickey Premium bars from room service (for "free"), but they're not on the menu.

 

The sailaway party looks much more subdued than Disney's, but it looks good enough to me.  I like it that the pools are open.  On the DCL ships, they cover the pools to make a dance floor for the sailaway, and then reopen them once the ship sets sail.

 

I hope we get to see the photos Jason took with the good camera while he was at the casino exploring the ship.

 

TCD

[DaveInTN 3,247]

A casino is one thing that excites me about our upcoming RCCL cruise compared to our DCL one. Not that I'm really a gambler.... but the people watching has to be top notch.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

That food looks great!

 

Z picked a great spot to sail away from.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Not being able to find lounge chairs by the pool is a big problem on DCL too- at least in the family area.  So, that's not a unique issue with RCCL.

 

The room service menu looks good.  I noticed that there are sodas and Evian water listed on there.  Would those choices be covered by your drink package?

 

Are there any "secret" room service items?  The big secret on DCL is that you can order Mickey Premium bars from room service (for "free"), but they're not on the menu.

 

The sailaway party looks much more subdued than Disney's, but it looks good enough to me.  I like it that the pools are open.  On the DCL ships, they cover the pools to make a dance floor for the sailaway, and then reopen them once the ship sets sail.

 

I hope we get to see the photos Jason took with the good camera while he was at the casino exploring the ship.

 

TCD

 

I think chair hogging is a problem on all ships. And at the Fort too! Hmmm....

 

There aren't any official secret items from my looking around, but they will sometimes bring you things that aren't on there by request (from what I've heard).

 

The covered pools would encourage people to get up and dance, but I kind of like them open too. Z certainly did!

 

I need to get Jason's camera tonight because I think that's where my missing pictures are. 

 

A casino is one thing that excites me about our upcoming RCCL cruise compared to our DCL one. Not that I'm really a gambler.... but the people watching has to be top notch.

 

I bet you're right. The bummer about the casino on RCCL is that it's smoking, and it's the only place on the ship people can smoke inside. Therefore, I think it stinks, but I'm really sensitive to that. 

 

That food looks great!

 

Z picked a great spot to sail away from.

 

His spot was better than mine. I'll admit it. We ended up kind of in the "front row."

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Monday 3/31

Since it was a sea day, and we didn’t have anything planned for the morning, I didn’t set an alarm. I also figured Z would wake up at about 5:00 AM, but he slept until 7:30. That’s right… he slept over 12 hours! Man, he was worn out. But he was ready to go that morning!

 

We decided we’d get dressed, have breakfast in the main dining room, and then take Z to Adventure Ocean for about an hour to get him used to it. After that, we figured we’d hit the pool.

 

They have these in the elevator. I thought I’d take a picture of it each day, but I didn’t.

 

 

The main dining room has a menu you can order off, and also has a buffet area if you want to eat faster or supplement what’s on the menu.

 

We sat by ourselves because that’s what we like. We even drank a couple mimosas… because we could. Our waiter made a bunch of things with the napkins, and I know I have pictures of them, darn it. Something funny is going on with photobucket or my files.

 

I ordered an omelet and bacon. Everything but the hash browns were good. Those really didn’t have any flavor.

 

 

We explored a bit after dropping off Z.  

 

Here’s the adult pool.

 

 

 

We visited the gym for the one and only time, not to work out just to see it.

 

Here’s a boxing ring in the gym. I wonder if it ever gets used.

 

 

Aerobics room

 

 

We picked him up and headed guess where…. The H2O Zone, our other home on the ship.

 

 

 

 I found chairs near the “hot pools.” Winning!

 

 

And you’ll never guess what Z did… he made a friend.

 

 

Jason always points out that he has good taste.

 

Z still needs a nap most days, and since tonight was formal night, we made sure to head back for a nap. While he slept, we hung out on the balcony.

 

 

Kind of weird how we can look down on rooms below us. Check out that suite balcony!

 

 

We chilled for a bit. I might have dozed some.

 

 

And then it was time to get ready for formal night. But you are going to have to wait until the next update to see some major Z handsomeness! 

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Are the entire casino areas smoking? 

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Are the entire casino areas smoking? 

 

It might be half and half. Maybe Gwen knows. I've also heard it's non-smoking on formal nights, but I can't confirm because we didn't go then. 

 

There were definitely a few times I walked through there and there were very few people and smokers.  I'm guessing it's most crowded at night after dinner. 

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

I'm surprised that formal night was on your second evening.  Did they have two formal nights?

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

It might be half and half. Maybe Gwen knows. I've also heard it's non-smoking on formal nights, but I can't confirm because we didn't go then. 

 

It used to be all smoking, but it's been a few years since I've cruised with them and they have made some changes in their smoking policies since then.  Bottom line, I don't know.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I had a great-aunt who lived in an assisted living facility for a couple of years.  They had the days of the week posted on the elevators there too.  I don't want to see that on a cruise ship.

 

I think gyms on cruise ships are a waste of space- a really nice bar or chicken wing buffet or something could go in that space, right?

 

I still want to know if your drink package covers room service drinks.

 

I assume that Miller Light was part of the package too, right?

 

TCD