RCI’s Freedom of the Seas:
Choices,
	Choices,
	Choices
	At 160,000 tons, the Freedom of the Seas ranks as the world’s largest passenger vessel, offering exceptional choices in accommodations, activities and cuisine.

By Marilyn Green

It is categorically impossible to do everything you want to do on Royal Caribbean International’s Freedom of the Seas in seven days.
Amid concerns about long lines, which did not materialize on my cruise except at the FlowRider surfer, and a feeling of being an ant on an elephant — definitely not the case — the real problem with Freedom is making choices.
Take the woman who was explaining to a friend the fine art of getting into an inviting striped hammock while balancing a book and a drink. She announced, “This is the second day I’ve done this — I just love it — and I know I should be trying out the spa and swimming laps and shopping like I planned, but this is so relaxing.”
There are only so many hours in the day and the temptations are strong. Along the 445-foot long Promenade, in addition to the logo wear (and Freedom holds great bragging rights), there are glittering shops selling everything from activewear to toys, jewelry, watches, formal clothing, handbags, etc., etc.
Interspersed among the shops, men filled the chairs in A Clean Shave, a traditional barber shop that incorporates spa services for men. While both sexes filled their plates with white and dark chocolate doughnuts, Danish, muffins, croissants and coffees at Latte-tudes coffee bar and discovered the adjoining bookstore. Ben & Jerry’s was constantly in action, and evening strollers gravitated to the Vintages Wine Bar, the English Bull and Bear Pub and Sorrento’s Pizzeria as they recovered from shopping.
Afterwards they became penitent and many of the coffee shop gang could be seen on the jogging track, even at 8 p.m. They also headed for the truly stunning fitness area which has one full sized boxing ring. Freedom’s “Fight Klub” offers a variety of boxing-related activities, including one-on-one training sessions with an experienced instructor (one male, one female), sparring sessions with freestanding body master bags and workouts.
A partner, Life Fitness, is the largest health club exercise equipment supplier in the world and has brought to the fitness area the Cable Motion Series, which allows exercisers to do flexible strength training, with different weights for arms and legs. There is an ample supply of state of the art fitness equipment with an LCD screen on each piece, including the Next Generation Power Plate, which uses subtle vibrations to increase workout efficiency. RCI president Adam Goldstein said, “These are not even in land-based fitness facilities yet, but we are told Madonna has one.”
And yes, Virginia, I never saw a line, even for the treadmills, which is unusual on any ship.
Steiner Leisure, which recently launched Generation Y spa services for teens on ships, is bringing in Pathway to Yoga classes, step classes, conditioning sessions, stretch classes and BOSU training, a core workout with a rubber domed BOSU balance trainer. They are also initiating Salsamania Latin-inspired exercise classes and a “Night Klub” indoor cycling program in a high-tech nightclub environment.
Besides a huge range of spa treatments and salon services, Freedom’s spa offers acupuncture for pain management, detoxification, facial rejuvenation and more. In addition, the spa offers onboard seminars on healthy eating, detoxification and the use of their polar body age system, which tests fitness and measures physical age compared to chronological age.
The rock-climbing wall was very popular, with teenagers busily explaining to one another the easy route, the more difficult one and “the killer route” up. The 32-foot wide and 40-foot long Flowrider Surf simulator had guests lining up for surfing or body boards.
Lane markers were set in the main pool’s dedicated sports pool in addition to organized activities, while more leisurely swimmers enjoyed the adults-only solarium pool. The semi-circular Jacuzzis hanging 112 feet over the ocean are big enough to to take a few swimming strokes in and are surrounded by handsome wicker tables and chairs that were filled through the day. The ceiling with its sail-like stretched canvas is a nice touch, as are the shrubs and flowering plants.
Adults enjoyed their private area, but many were vocal in wishing for equal time in H2O, the fantastic waterpark for children, stuffed with Yellow Submarine colored figures and arches that sprayed the delighted kids, who took to the water cannons to spray back. Brightly colored beach balls rose over the sculptures and some passengers without children were waiting by the ice cream bar to borrow one and gain admission.

A large and very active video arcade displayed flashing lights day and night, and the nearby air hockey games drew spectators, adult and teens. The teens have their own colorful space, The Living Room, with TVs, a coffee bar, games and comfortable chairs for just hanging out, besides the Fuel Teen Disco and the kids only pool and waterslide. Movies, private dinners, scavenger hunts, science classes (build a volcano!) and computers are also available for younger cruisers.
In addition, family karaoke and family disco hours are posted, and the line’s alliances with Fisher-Price and Crayola benefit the youngest cruisers.
As if all that weren’t enough, there is the ice skating rink, a 9-hole miniature golf course and golf simulator, a sports court for basketball and volleyball — have I forgotten something?
There’s certainly no shortage of choice when it comes to dining on board. Freedom has 10 restaurants, including the 1950s burger heaven Johnny Rockets, the elegant Chops Grille, Italian cuisine in Portofino and Jade’s Asian specialties.
The ship’s Windjammer Café is cut into double stations in such numbers that it takes days to work your way through the lunch possibilities, with substantial hot meals, sandwich standards and ethnic dishes. The food, from the elegantly served dishes in Chops to the self service in the buffet, was fresh, extremely well prepared and varied beyond anyone’s ability to eat the things they particularly liked.
Clubbing on Freedom of the Seas is like circulating through an exciting resort town, with plenty of jazz, sing-along piano, solo guitar, cabaret, unusually good production shows and gorgeous ice skating that impresses even those who don’t like ice skating. Latin Dance in Boleros and disco in The Crypt go on until the early hours, as does the Connoisseur Club Cigar Lounge.
Among the outstanding possibilities are Olive or Twist in the Viking Crown Lounge, with martinis, jazz and sophisticated snacking, the Plaza bar with sake and tea as well as traditional mixed drinks, The Bull and Bear Pub and the Champagne Bar. Vintages Wine Bar is delightful and the private club for Crown & Anchor members in the Viking Crown is a real loyalty program perk.
The ship’s Arcadia Theatre seats 1,350, almost exactly half the size of Avery Fisher Hall, home of the New York Philharmonic. The five-story, domed theater showcases spectaculars based on everything from magic to Grimm’s fairytales on its gold-framed stage.
This ship is made for multigenerational cruising, and, besides triple and quad stateroom categories, there are a number of connecting rooms and suites in all categories, including the Presidential Family Suite, which sleeps 14 people with four bedrooms, four baths and 810-square foot outdoor living area with a whirlpool and wet bar.
Family suites are 588 square feet with a 234 square foot balcony. They have two bedrooms with twin beds that convert into queen-size beds (one room with third and fourth Pullman beds), two bathrooms and a living area with a double sofa bed. Some junior suites also have a sofabed in the sitting area; family staterooms have a similar situation without the balcony, but with more stateroom space than a junior suite.
Freedom debuted the new Royal Caribbean bedding program, which brought even more difficult choices as guests experienced a reluctance to leave the cushy mattresses, 220-thread count cotton blend sheets and beautiful duvets.
The Promenade-view staterooms, although smaller, are extremely popular and the occupants are seen sitting at the windows watching the people below, especially on formal nights. When a parade goes through, guests flock to these cabins, one of which has a special feature: it is located above the Ben & Jerry’s.
All staterooms have flat screen TVs, vanity areas, minibars and safes, elegant colors and décor and imaginative artwork.
Although the feel of Freedom is very, very similar to that of a Voyager-class ship, it really is immense — something you are aware of when viewing it from the outside.
Freedom is wider than the White House is long, longer than the Chrysler Building is tall and has enough staterooms to host all NFL, NBA and MLB players and coaches in one sailing. Freedom carries nearly half again the number of passengers the QM2 accommodates, although after the debut of two sister ships, the Freedom class ships will lose their title as largest in the world to Royal Caribbean’s 5,400-passenger Project Genesis, scheduled for delivery in fall 2009.
Goldstein said at the boxing ring ribbon cutting, “The reason this ship is as big as it is is because this is what it takes to offer our customers what they want. In our busy lives the quality of our vacations is becoming more and more important.”
He would have been pleased if he had met a first-time cruiser, a guest of an agent I had met at embarkation, who refused to be excited about the ship in the terminal. When I ran into her at breakfast on the last day she was making a list of friends to tell about the cruise. “This is the way to have a vacation,” she told me. “For anyone!”