The Freedom of Seas-海洋自由号
The Freedom of the Seas is the first Freedom class ship and there are more coming. At 160,000 gross tons, she is massive. She is also well evolved, as every detail in her construction and décor is simply beautiful. The attention to detail (in the flooring, walls, ceilings, wall coverings and art work) is simply awe-inspiring. Everywhere you look you are treated to visually stimulating design. For this reason I have included a good number of pictures so you can begin the visual experience with this review before you get on the ship.
Solarium Pool
Heading aft, one enters the Solarium. This is truly an excellent area, as the pool was open to the sunlight the entire trip while the surrounding lounge chairs were covered and offered protection from the sun.
The Solarium Jacuzzi's
Wow! The solarium Jacuzzis are cantilevered so that they extend about 12 feet beyond the side of the ship. We spent an afternoon here and had a wonderful time enjoying the views and the companionship of friends.
The Cantilevered Jacuzzis
This kind of extra feature is what makes the Freedom of the Seas a most remarkable ship. There is a bar located inside the Solarium, as well.
The Freedom of the Seas Pool Complex Panorama
The pool area just doesn’t seem large enough for a ship this size, yet it was never so crowded that I couldn’t find a lounge chair. The Freedom has an interesting towel policy, as you are issued two beach/pool towels in your cabin at the beginning of the cruise, but are charged $20 if you lose one. While I am sure the ship is trying to control costs from laundering and replacing towels, the result is that very few folks leave them on deck chairs when they depart. For this reason, it always seemed easy to locate an available lounge. Further, virtually all of the children preferred the H2OZone to the main pool. When you read about it, you will see why.
