Freedom of the seas??

Question

Im going on a cruise to the eastern caribbean in Sept. We have a balcony room on deck 9...i've never been on a cruise before and dont know what to expect...any advise? can you feel the ship moving on the 9th deck? (they've told me that if you're too high or too low you can feel it)

Answer 1

I have cruised on the Freedom and almost 20 other ships.  The Freedom rides very smooth.  You will not feel the motion of the ocean very much.  In fact most times you will not even know that you are moving unless you look out a window or your balcony.  You don't have to worry about rocking because the ship is so long and it also has automatic stabilizer that prevent most of the motion that older ships used to get.  The stabilizer deploy like wings under the water to keep the ship

steady.

The high balcony cabin will be a plus for you.  WE had cabin # 8560 and we loved it.  You will love the ship also.   The ship has so many great on board activities.  It has the rock climbing wall, the flowrider where you can surf right on ship, an ice skating rink, a fabulous free Ice Capades type ice show that you should not miss (tickets are free but you have to go to a designated place to get them.), a mini-golf course, a H2O Zone water park for kids, THE best gymnasium on any ship, several pools and hot tubs on the pool deck and a solarium (covered area) for adults only with a pool and two huge hot tubs that hang over the sides of the ship so you can see the ocean as you sit in the hot tubs.. The ship has a mall down its center with shops and eating places, a casino, show room and a bunch of lounges with a variety of music, and a disco that really unusual.

Each and every day you will receive in your cabin a newsletter  called "CRUISE COMPASS"  which will tell you what is happening the next day and what time.  The ship will also have shopping presentation which tell you where to shop in St Thomas and  St Maarten.  Also, as soon as you board the ship go to the Purser's desk and ask for one or two of the mini-maps of the ship.  They are credit card sized and are handy in helping you find your way around.  

The ship has an internet cafe but its expensive.  So if you really need to get online wait until you get to St Thomas and there is an internet cafe right outside the pier grounds, across the street from the shopping mall by the pier.  There is also an internet cafe in St Maarten about one block over from the main shopping street in town.

The Windjammer Cafe, which is the big buffet area that everyone uses for breakfast and lunch, gets really crowded and we found that ordering breakfast in the room (its free, just tip the server a couple dollars) and eating on the balcony was great.

The price of your cruise includes your cabin, all meals (except the specialty restaurants), all shows and entertainment, and use of all facilities on ship. The things that you will have to pay for are:

GRATUITIES: They will amount to about $10 per person in your cabin per day; about $70 each for a 7 day cruise. When you check in at the pier they will set up an on-board charge account for you to cover any and everything you may buy on ship. They will issue you a "cruise card" which will also serve as your room key and pass to get on and off the ship. At the end of the cruise they will add the gratuity to your tab and you can pay with a credit card or cash, your choice.

ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND SOFT DRINKS: Coffee, tea, milk, juice, and lemonade and punch will be provided free but you must pay for drinks (alcoholic beverages) and they will add a 15% gratuity to each drink of soft drink order.

PHOTOGRAPHS: Cruise lines will take plenty of photographs of you all over the ship, in the dining room, and as you exit the ship in ports. These will cost a lot, like $15 to $20 for most. Skip them and save yourself a lot of money. Take your own camera and have the other passengers photograph you on and off the ship.

TOURS/EXCURSIONS: These are listed on your cruise line web site and you can reserve them well before the cruise and pay for them also. If you wait until you are on ship to book tours they will be charged to your on board account (then you can pay cash to settle your account on the last day). Once you book your cruise the cruise line will send you a booklet listing all of the tours.

SOUVENIRS: Anything you buy on ship from a gift shop or duty free shop goes on your on board account. Things that you buy on shore you pay cash or credit card for.

CASINO: If you plan to gamble on ship you will need cash for that.

OTHER: most cruise lines have what they call "specialty" restaurants where there is a gratuity/service charge. All other food on board is free and its not really necessary to budget for food; you cannot eat all that will be available.

If you want/need to have your hair done, get a massage or wrap, or any services from the spa, you will have to pay for them. You can use the gym free but the spa stuff cost big bucks.

HERE'S A COUPLE MORE TIPS:

- Its best to pack using soft-sided luggage because with space limited in your cabin it fits under the beds better if its not hard sided luggage. Take a small carry-on bag for the last night of the cruise. On the last evening you will be required to put your luggage outside your cabin by about 2:00 AM so that they can start taking it down to the lower deck for offloading the next morning. So you will need a small bag for your toiletries and your clothes that you sleep in.

-- If you can take a six-pack of bottled water and soft drinks in your carry-on for your cabin. You will have to pay for both on the ship and its nice to have those handy in the cabin.

- If you are taking your cell phone, MP3 player or other item that needs to be plugged in take an extension cord as the plugs in the cabin are generally not in the best places and there are usually only one or two.

- Take a small bottle of hand sanitizer. There are generally sanitizer dispensers at the entrances of restaurants, the buffets and dining room, but some times the are not there or not working. The sanitizer helps prevent the spread of the Norwalk Virus that sometimes occur on cruise ships.

-- If you want to use the pools, hot tub or gym as soon as you get on ship, pack those clothes and things in your carry on bag because you may not get all of your luggage until about 6:00 PM

Answer 2

I just got back from a five-dayer and it was terrific. You are going to have such a great time. We stayed on Deck seven in a room with no balcony or windows and it was stuffy and you couldn't tell what time it was, the weather, etc. Your balcony will come in so amazing, especially with the gorgeous carribean view! As far as the boat rocking, the ninth deck isn't terrible, it's actually really good. Decks seven, eight, nine and ten are generally where most of the restaurants, entertainment venues and other activities are located so it's nice to be right there. In general, you can't feel the boat rocking all the time and it helps when you're at port or anchored because you don't rock at all! The last day, if it is a day at sea can get a little intense but it turly isn't anything to worry about. If you do get seasick you can go the infirmay and they will hook you up with a bracelet or pill for sea sickness, from my experience the seasickness remedies can make you a little dizzy. Expect to have "sea legs" when you get off the boat and get home, where you feel like you're swaying but you're not. Hope you have a great cruise and the best of luck!

Answer 3

kewl you will have a great time not to worry