foxrunner

Just off Freedom and we were charged the corkage in Chops. The waiter apologized and said his supervisors saw us bring in the bottle of wine and he now had to charge us. Our second bottle was not charged the fee.

Great class, lots of fun, a ton of food!

SPICY CRISPY TUNA ROLL YUMMY! Big as noted above. The wasabi is nice and fresh, read hot!

We were on the 4 night (4/17) and they did have comedy once. We saw Alfred and Seymore very funny!

We were off the ship at rum factory then, so no. We didn't hear any scuttlebutt that night either. My wife says that on Facebook folks were complaining about rough seas that night and we both didn't feel a thing. How was the last night for you?

As a new cruiser I'd go to Coco Cay and enjoy all the free amenities. No need to pay for extras as you will enjoy the beach day and get a feel for the island layout. Same advice when on board as far as dining goes, try the complimentary food and see what you think. Nassau is different, you could stay on the ship and enjoy it especially if you don't have a sea day. We walk up to the fort and Queen's Staircase, for the exercise. The city is a bit gritty and if you aren't comfortable being in a developing world environment I'd take a cab. The straw market is right next to the dock and showcases local goods. We have never done any excursions in Nassau as we prefer to save money in one port on each cruise. Welcome to the board and ask away!

At the beginning of the cruise yes, by the end maybe no.

We just got off Freedom and my wife and I had a wonderful time. We eye witnessed 3 marriage proposals and they were all accepted. Can anyone beat that record on a single cruise? It was our 1st time with the UDP and that was great, Giovanni's being our favorite. The amount of food was staggering though! The wings at Playmakers were top notch but the loaded nachos not so much. PD@CC was as usual a great take. Our 1st time in the "Club" and it was fine but probably a one and done. We also watched the lifeguards save a drowning man's life right next to the swim up bar on South Beach. The life guard was amazing and without his immediate action I don't think the victim would have survived. The free snorkeling was just OK, they need to put in more artificial reef structures to attract and build up a reef. We didn't eat in the MDR or Windjammer, so no comment. The "Battle of the Sexes" and "Crazy Quest" shows were really fun. The Freedom on Ice show was also very enjoyable. We thought the ship wasn't too crowded or over run with poorly behaving children as is often posted. We tried Bingo another first and it was just too slow. Not our cup of tea. The ship was in good condition and the slides and other pool side updates significantly improve the overall experience. We have mainly sailed the bigger ships and would gladly go again on the Amped ships in this class.

My boys 20 and 18 Y.O. had a great meal in the MDR without us. We were on date night and they had a great convo with the wait staff. They still text on occasion.

Great review and a reminder to some of the more jaded members about the joys of cruising. Nothing is perfect and a week without laundry, cooking cleaning and dishes is pure heaven.

I'm a nonflower dude, and I was impressed. The bus driver told this story " A 20 something year old storms on to the bus with a complete attitude, yells at me they better serve beer in that stupid garden. The bus driver replied , yes they do as well as a full wine and liquor licenses. On the bus ride back to the ship the driver asked how many beers did you have to the rude fellow. He reply none that place was cool." @deep1 no fishing in the koi ponds though!

Great points by all above. The one weakness of the land vs sea comparisons I have found is that people often compare the land option to their local. Friends of ours that are lots of fun, refuse to cruise. They have more means than we do, as they never had children. They travel to the Caribbean twice a year and spend a week there. They rent a place and eat out at high end restaurants. They spend a grand on air fare, 6K on the villa and I have no idea on meals but a good bit. We don't want to go with them because cruising is much more affordable. They also don't spend any money on excursions as they sit on the beach all day. I often hear people say hotels are $100 a night and they can eat for 50 bucks. We were just visiting our son at UMass Amherst at $189 a night on a non event week in western MA. Dinner at the Hope & Olive (GREAT!) was $30 per plate never mind the drinks as our son turned 21! Long way of saying if your going to do your land vaca in Podunk and eat mac and chees out of a box it can be a real value. I'm concerned that cruise prices are on the rise. The day it starts to costs us 8K on a cruise we will be staying with our buds.

The three big shows are Freedomice.com, Marque and Once Upon a Time. We are on a 4 nighter and probably will only go to two shows. Thoughts ideas insights all are welcome. We aren't with our children and have enjoyed the ice show on Allure. Thanks

I'll try a serious response. Having hiked in the Tetons and Yellowstone with bear spray you are correct in needing it in Alaska. Our Alaska hikes were guided and the guide had bear spray. When we return we will do some unguided hikes and would love to know how you dealt with this. I suppose you could possibly find someplace to rent bear spray??

No I get @twangster tagline. THANKS!

On your next cruise ask for the mattress topper. Your stateroom attendant will put it on free of charge. These come standard in Jr. Suites and above but are available in any room. They make a world of difference for us. Thanks for the great report!

To me one of the things sets apart land vs cruise vacationing is that your costs can be fixed on a cruise. Most of us overspend on vacation any way, the drink packages have built in price certainty. Everyone has their own way of vacationing so just do your thing.

We fly in a day early, but not everyone has the work flexibility to make that work. Looking at all the teachers, 1st responders, etc.. that have rigid time off and set work schedules. If you have to fly in day of, use the great tips above to minimize your risks, and I'd add bring carryon luggage only to that list. Have a great cruise and try not to stress about getting to the ship. Ultimately most of these problems are not controllable.

Not sure because we haven't tried it. We are going on Freedom in 30ish days and I'll let you know. My question is how will they clean the rooms if they are given more stateroom and the majority of people request early or late??

The capacity is one thing but what about price? If royal phases out the older smaller ships where is a customer going to find a value based cruise? Maybe they don't care given the financial stressors brought on by the pandemic. I would think they would want to hold on to the value mass market cruisers instead of having them migrate else where. Interestingly NCL isn't positioning itself to attract these customers either. Maybe the whale tail or those Euro lines will win??

Thanks! Great early post knewby. None of my sailings list this option yet. I wish they would do more bundles at a discount, like bev internet and dining. Even better you choose 2 items from the cruise planner and get an additional 5% off, 4 get 10% kina thing.

Additionally I highly recommend both of these experiences. Especially the free options. The free ones book quickly so you want to book it right after you get on the ship. I don't love heights and both of these were awesome!

132 Days to Go! Wifey and I can't wait!!! Hoping for a price break, but the price is up a grand on a balcony room.

404 Days to Go! Too early? Wifey and I can't wait!!! Hoping for a price break, but the price is up a grand on a balcony room.

The vibe here is spot on. No stupid question and honest answers. Matt and the moderators walk the tight rope well of debate vs disrespect.