MITSUGIRLYS FREEDOM OF THE SEAS REVIEW & PICTORIAL
Ship Pictures
Now remember I said that I didn't take notes this time around and I'm just winging this review from my old senile memory and pictures to help me out? Well, I'm slacking on the ship pictures this time around too. I don't know what it was this time around. I'll let you in on a little secret as well....I didn't move off of deck 11 (pool deck) or deck 5 (the promenade) until maybe day 3 (with the exception of the casino on deck 4. We usually get on the ship and go exploring and that's when I take most of my ship pictures (and managed to get them without any people in them). But this time I was a little off. I didn't even explore the ship (until around day 3) and even more toward the end of the cruise. I'm a slacker this time around! 😄
So, if I'm missing areas, don't have much on a certain area, or my pictures don't match up to the area I say it is...my apologies.
So...here we go.
DECK 2
Arcadia Theater
The theater is 3 decks tall (deck 2, 3, and 4).
At certain times, they would have a stand set up where you could buy "goodies" for the show. I think it might have been when they are showing movies in there.
However, you had to buy them of course...INCLUDING THE POPCORN (which I noticed was $2.50). That's just crappy I thought. At this point, all I could think about was how Carnival gives everyone free popcorn during movies at the pool (and even a blanket).
Up next is Studio B
This is an ice skating rink that passengers could skate during certain times for open skating (which I found to be sparse during the cruise and you must get there by a certain time to sign up or you get shut out. They go in 45-minute intervals I think it was).
Other times they had an ice skating show with professionals from all over the world including skating champions from the Olympics and also people that have been skating with Disney on Ice.
I believe they may have used the area for other things as well, but I'm not completely sure (from the announcements I heard a few times and also the headliner across the doors mentioned other things going on there...like battle of the sexes). I'm not sure if they covered the ice rink during these venues or what they did.
DECK 3
Art Gallery...
Well, an Art Gallery is an art gallery and I browsed the pictures several times when walking by. I promise you all the ships I seem to go on seem to have the same things no matter who you are cruising with (RC, Carnival or NCL). I really didn't take any pictures of the area and it was more like a hallway that just had pictures lined up and down it.
Here's a picture from a deck up looking down at the area
​A random picture I took around the same time lol
Then since we are talking about art, I'm throwing in some things around the ship that I found in the hallways by the rooms.
This piece was neat. You could turn the handle below and they would dance...well, at least HE would.
Leonardo Dining Room, Isaac Dining Room and Galileo Dining Room.
The dining room is located on decks 3, 4, and 5 in the aft section and all open in the middle. You ate on the deck that depends on your seating (anytime dining or reserved). I do know that if you had anytime dining, you sat on the 3rd floor.
You could use a touch screen to reserve your time if you wanted to or just check in with the person at the counter.
On Air Club.
This area confused me and I was only down there twice. I saw all the controls behind a glass wall and couldn't figure out what it was for at first. There was a room across from it and then a hall beside it that went to the ice skating. I know that it was supposed to be for karaoke but I'm not sure if it was the area that was open beside the hall to the ice skating or if I missed a room. The only time we were down there in the area they were having a dinner mystery theater or something like that.
DECK 4
Boleros
This area was popping during the cruise and it had a dance floor and a latin-theme. I was so mesmerized with the glass sculptures that every time I passed by there I think I was taking a picture. I really didn't take a picture of the area itself. LOL OOPS
CASINO
Now you guys know me...I usually take so many pictures of the casino and the games. Well guess what? I managed to get 1 picture of a game and the only reason I snapped a picture of it was because of the name and it was spelled with an "X" (which is how we spell our dealership).
Then at the entrance and the walls they had people sculptures and they were covered in sparkly jewels and very pretty. I kept swearing I was going to take pictures during the cruise and would completely forget. Then I decided I would take them as we were heading off the ship because no one would be around to get in the way...WELL...that didn't happen either and you'll find out why at the end of the cruise portion of the review. All I can sake it EEEEKKKKKK! GULP!!!
Centrum and multiple decks
I felt like this ship had so many places that were open with winding stairways, glass stairs, multiple stories tall openings and it was just so pretty. So, I'm going to combine all this "stuff" here. (Oh and all the glass elevators everywhere!!!)
They also had several areas that I would call "bridges" that you walk over and could look down on either side to the floor below. Wooden bridges...
Glass bridge
Focus
This is the area to find your pictures taken by the ships photographers during the cruise and also a place to buy "photo" related items. It was a pretty big area and from one side to the other.
They did print all the pictures and you had to locate them yourself. However, they did have an area with computers that you could swipe your card and see all the pictures. They also said it had face recognition so it would attach any pictures to your room number as well. I found that about 75% of the time the photographers would ask for your room number if they took your picture but other times they wouldn't. If the face recognition didn't work, you were forced to look at all the pictures from that day to find yourself and attach it to your room.
Sabor
This was a paid restaurant and they serve Mexican food here. We didn't use it, but man did I want to.
Schooner Bar
This was a cocktail and piano bar. It was always crowded in the evenings as well.
And the last thing I have for deck 4 is that you can go outside and down the entire side of the ship is a smoking area.
DECK 5
Bull & Bear Pub
Cafe Promenade
This is where you could go to get food 24/7 (I believe). They had an assortment of cold sandwiches, pies, and cookies.
It was also a coffee shop. You could get free coffee or specialty coffee and espresso's for a price.
Cupcake Cupboard
You could come here and buy specialty cupcakes already made and they also had classes to design your own.
Would you look at the price of a cupcake? $2.75. Ouch. That better be one good cupcake! I don't really care for buttercream frosting and only like whipped frosting so.... It was also Sakari's birthday 2 days before we left for vacation and I think I had had my share of cake and cupcakes already.
Guest Services
Where you talk to a monitor and not a real person like they have on some of the new ships where the robots make your drinks instead of a real person.
Just kidding...
Ice Cream Palor
Moo
​Next Cruise
Promenade
My absolute favorite area of the ship. It was just amazing in this area. I loved every bit of it (other than it was always so crowded and when they did the parties here, you couldn't move). It was the closest thing I have been to anything that reminded me of the Oasis with the opening in the middle. (I really need to sail the Oasis class).
I really did feel sorry for the people who decided to book the rooms along here. (I think they are considered ocean view rooms...only they don't face the ocean???). The parties they had going on here and the loud music accompanied by the strobe lights would have made it impossible to sleep here at night if you go to be early. Now had these rooms had a balcony that you could walk out onto and participate with the dancing and entertainment...I would have loved to have one of those rooms!
They had bridges in 2 spots over this area. It was not for the public and the "dancers" came out onto here during the parties to get everyone dancing.
There was a stairway leading down to the casino from here too
They had a glass bridge here and they did a lot of photos in this area.
These poles changed colors all the time.
Then Sakari spotted this....she screamed "OH MY GOSH THERE'S A MERMAID!!!!" Only once we got close to it, it wasn't actually a mermaid but someone diving into the water and the bubble trail following her. It was still pretty neat.
This little part that stuck out to stand on looked like a ship. Kinda cool
R Bar
The shops
Everything that all the ships normally have from makeup, perfume, purses, RC logo stuff, clothes, diamonds, booze and so on. I mean everything a person could need on a cruise right?
Sakari has gotten into wearing a lot of necklaces lately and she definitely put a dent in my ship card with the things she wanted.
Shore Excursions
Sorentos Pizza
Another place to get food all the time if the buffet and MDR is closed.
There was always a very long line here...but the good thing is that they moved really quickly (unlike Carnival that is so slow on making the pizzas). They also had a pop station here to get refills, which made it nice.
I also liked that they had a place to sit down and eat inside there.
Star Lounge
I honestly do not remember this place or taking the picture. But when I looked it up, I assume that's what it was.
Vintages
On deck 7, there is a library. I only know about this place because of Kendra having a room on this deck. Otherwise, I would have never figured this out. There never seemed to be anyone in there and I thought it was in an odd place. You had to walk through it to get to the other side of the ship. I completely forgot to take any pictures of it. Oops.
DECK 11
Chops Grille. This was located on one side of the buffet area.