I sailed onboard Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas and booked the cheapest stateroom possible.
Making her launch in 2006, Freedom of the Seas is the namesake ship of the Freedom Class ship. When she debuted, she became the largest cruise ship in the world, a title that Royal Caribbean ships have held ever since.
In early 2020, she received $116 million in upgrades through Royal Caribbean's Royal Amplification program, during which she got the Perfect Storm water slide duo, upgraded resort-style Caribbean pool deck, Splashway Bay, and new dining venues, such as an enormous Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade, Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen, Izumi Hibachi & Sushi, and El Loco Fresh.
During a recent 4-night cruise to Nassau and Perfect Day at CocoCay, I paid a little over $1,500, including port fees and gratuities, for a guaranteed inside stateroom, meaning that I was not immediately assigned my exact cabin.
If you're wondering why so much for an inside room, there's two reasons.
First, this was a holiday sailing over the very popular July 4th holiday. Cruises over a holiday will always cost more due to higher demand.
Second, I booked this cruise just a month before the sailing. I booked it on June 2, 2023 for an embarkation date of July 3, 2023. Booking a last-minute sailing doesn't necessarily mean a deal.
Earlier this year, I sailed onboard Liberty of the Seas and was disappointed in the overall shape that my interior cabin was in-- it definitely needed some tending to!
I was interested to see how my experience onboard an older Freedom Class vessel would be and was pleased to find that this cabin was in much better condition.
As soon as I walked in, I noticed that the layout was extremely similar to that on Liberty, with the small loveseat pushed against the right wall.
My cabin measured close to 150 square feet, which is the average size of most interior cabins across their fleet.
Since I was sailing alone, I decided to keep the two beds pushed together. If you are traveling with friends and family, you might want to separate them into two twin-sized beds to help maximize the limited floor space.
Beside the bed there were two nightstands. Even though the stateroom's phone was sitting on top of one, there was enough space for my glasses and a glass of water at night.
Above each nightstand was a lamp attached to the wall and reading light.
The desk area felt spacious with more than enough storage, especially considering that there were hidden shelves behind the mirrors on the left and right.
One thing I have learned to be prepared for on older ships is the lack of available outlets, so that did not come as a surprise to me on Freedom of the Seas.
There were no outlets or USB plugs beside of the bed. There were two American outlets, as well as one European plug, located at the desk.
The cabin also came equipped with a mini-fridge. There was a single adjustable shelf inside that could be moved according to your preferences, and while I only used it once, it kept my beverage cool.
Immediately after entering the cabin, you will find a closet on the right. Inside, there were plenty of shelves and hangers. Even if I was sailing with another guest, I do not think we would have struggled unpacking, especially since this was only a 4-night cruise.
The safe was also located inside of the closet. On a recent cruise onboard Navigator of the Seas, it was in a shelf above the television.
The bathroom inside of my stateroom was as I expected: a small, standard cruise ship bathroom. There were a few signs of wear and tear, especially along the top border of the mirror; however, it was minor.
Compared to newer ships, such as Symphony of the Seas, the sink is located in the middle of the vanity, rather than to one side. This means that there is available storage space on both sides of the sink. Plus, the vanity tends to be wider, too.
There was more storage underneath the sink, and this is where I kept my cosmetics bag and hair straightener. On the back of the door were two hooks to hang items like towels and wet swimsuits.
One thing that pleasantly surprised me was the water pressure, both in the shower and the sink! It was so strong that I had to be careful turning the sink on.
In terms of location, my cabin (#8677) was situated at the aft of the ship on Deck 8. While I enjoyed being able to walk three decks to reach either the pool deck or Royal Promenade, I wish it had been more centrally located.
Overall, I was happy with my stateroom onboard Freedom of the Seas.It was cozy and a comfortable place to return to each evening. I had a fantastic stateroom attendant, which always makes the experience better, too.
