Families who want big-ship activities without Oasis-class crowds.
Think twice if: Large ship: long walks and busy pool deck on sea days.
See her Europe sailings ↓ · Where is she now? → · Royal Caribbean International's page for this ship →
What she's like
A floating resort with the most to do. Expect lines at boarding, the buffet and tender boats. About 43 tons of ship per guest. As a rule of thumb, 40 or more feels roomy and under 30 feels busy.
Unknown from line's site (English is the shipboard language; nationality mix on Europe sailings not published).
Our judgment, from $ (budget) to $$$$$ (ultra-luxury).
Cabin, main dining room, buffet (Windjammer) and casual venues, basic drinks (water, brewed coffee, tea, iced tea, lemonade, milk, select juices), continental room-service breakfast, entertainment, kids' clubs. NOT included: alcohol, soda, specialty dining, Wi-Fi, shore excursions, gratuities. Top 'Star Class' suites move specialty dining, a drinks package, gratuities and Wi-Fi into the fare.
Adventure Ocean kids' program for ages 3-17; nursery-age care from 6 months on some ships (line's guide: 'kids (6 months to 12 years old)'). No adults-only sailings; adults-only Solarium.
Casual by day; 'smart casual' evenings; 'Dress Your Best' (formal-optional) nights: one on 5-night cruises, two on 6-10-night cruises.
Her Europe sailings, May 2027 to October 2027
24 sailings in Europe on the published schedule, 2 to 9 nights. Tap a start port to see how to get from the airport to the ship.
Where they start
- Southampton , 24 sailings how to get there →
What it costs beyond the fare
| Tips for the crew | $18 per person per day; Suites: $20.5 per person per day; Added to your bill automatically |
|---|---|
| Drinks package | Deluxe Beverage Package and others sold per person per day; price varies by sailing and is shown in the Cruise Planner (no fixed published price found). 18% gratuity added automatically. Can buy online up to 72 hours before sailing or onboard on day 1. |
| Wifi | Not included. VOOM (Starlink) Wi-Fi: $16.99-$30.99 per device per day; cheaper if bought before sailing. |
| Specialty restaurants | Extra charge; 3-Night and Unlimited Dining Packages sold pre-cruise (up to 40% savings). Per-restaurant prices not published on pages checked. |
| Money on board | USD (onboard account in US dollars; other currencies converted, limit USD $950 per person per day) |
How tipping and money work on a European cruise → · Build a full trip budget →
Her restaurants · 1 included, 0 extra
| Where to eat | Cost |
|---|---|
| Chops Grille | Not stated |
| Windjammer | Not stated |
| Sorrento's Pizza | Not stated |
| Café Promenade | Included |
| Chef’s Table | Not stated |
| Johnny Rockets | Not stated |
| Main Dining Room | Not stated |
| El Loco Fresh | Not stated |
| Izumi Hibachi & Sushi | Not stated |
| Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen | Not stated |
Which cabin to book, and which to avoid
| Cabin type | Size | Decks |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean View (deck 3 listing) | 162 sq ft | 3 |
| Interior (deck 3 listing) | 162 sq ft | 3 |
Good to know before you pick
- Deck 10 midship cabins sit directly under the Deck 11 pools and Splashaway Bay
- Deck 10 aft cabins sit under the Deck 11 Windjammer Cafe
- Deck 11 forward cabins 1100-1156 sit beside the fitness center and below the Deck 12 spa
- Deck 12 aft cabins 1892-1902 sit next to Adventure Ocean and the Arcade and below the Deck 13 sports court and FlowRider
- Deck 3 forward cabins are beside the Royal Theater
- Accessible (wheelchair icon) cabins are marked on decks 2, 6, 7, 9 and 10; connecting cabins are marked with a link icon
If you use a wheelchair or walk with difficulty
Royal Caribbean's deck plan marks accessible staterooms and offers accessible versions of cabin types (count not published on the page). Accessible cabins have 32-34 inch doors, no threshold, roll-in showers; request at booking; special-needs form at least 30 days before sailing. Tender policy for wheelchair users not found on pages checked. Elevators: ELEV. marked at a forward bank and a bank aft of midship on decks 2-13; extra elevators by the Centrum on decks 3-5 Our accessibility guide →
Find your way around
Our own deck plans, drawn from the line's official plan: tap a deck to see it from above, with what's at the front, middle and back of the ship. Use “Find on board” to light up every deck with a pool, a bar or a restaurant. Not to scale.
- Deck 15 , Small open-deck structure (no named venues)
- Deck 14 , Suite Lounge; Viking Crown Lounge; Crown Lounge
- Deck 13 , Freedom Dunes; Rock Climbing Wall; Sports Court; The Perfect Storm (waterslides); FlowRider
- Deck 12 , Vitality at Sea Spa; The Lime & Coconut; Running Track (both sides); Movie Screen; Nursery; Adventure Ocean; Arcade; Johnny Rockets
- Deck 11 , Vitality at Sea Fitness Center; Solarium; Whirlpools (Solarium); The Lime & Coconut; Main Pool; Sports Pool; Splashaway Bay; El Loco Fresh; Chops Grille; Giovanni's Italian Kitchen; The Plaza Bar; Windjammer Cafe
- Deck 10 , Cabins
- Deck 9 , Cabins
- Deck 8 , Cabins
- Deck 7 , Cabins
- Deck 6 , Cabins
- Deck 5 , Outdoor Deck; Star Lounge; Library / Card Room; Sorrento's; Bull & Bear Pub; Casino Royale (non-smoking); Royal Promenade and Promenade Shops; Cafe Promenade; Shore Excursions; Next Cruise; R Bar; Guest Services; Main Dining Room
- Deck 4 , Royal Theater; Izumi Hibachi & Sushi; Schooner Bar; Bar; Casino Royale; Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade; Centrum; Boleros; Main Dining Room
- Deck 3 , Royal Theater (lower level); Studio B; Photo Studio; RCTV; Art Gallery; Main Dining Room (lower level)
- Deck 2 , Studio B / Center Ice Rink
What to book, and when
Booking, check-in and reservations
App check-in is available up to the morning of boarding (opening date not found). Beverage packages bookable online up to 72 hours before sailing. Deposit: 10% of fare or the standard deposit, whichever is higher; $500 per person for 15+ night cruises. Assistance requests 30 days before; sign-language interpreting 60 days.
Paying and cancelling
Cancellation charges follow the standard policy for your sailing; non-refundable-deposit fares lose the deposit. Exact day thresholds not published from the pages checked.
Tips for her Europe sailings
Summer 2027 Freedom of the Seas from Southampton; Barcelona and Rome (Civitavecchia) round-trips. Onboard currency exchange limited; carry euros for ports.
The ship in numbers
- Cruise line
- Royal Caribbean International
- Kind of ship
- Mass-market
- Built
- 2006
- Last refit
- 2020
- Guests
- 3,634
- Crew
- 1,360
- Guest decks
- 14
- Gross tons
- 156,271
- Length
- 339 m (1,112 ft)
- Width
- 56 m (185 ft)
- Flag
- Bahamas
- Class
- Freedom class
- Ship number
- IMO 9304033
- Sister ships
- Liberty of the Seas
- In Europe 2026–27
- Northern Europe & Baltic, Norwegian Fjords, British Isles, Atlantic Coast (Spain, Portugal, France)
Highlights
- Lead ship of the Freedom class (2006)
- US$116 million dry dock in early 2020
- About 3,782 guests at double occupancy
Sources & what we could not confirm · 13 sources · checked 2026-11
- Royal Caribbean: Freedom of the Seas ship page
- Royal Caribbean: Freedom of the Seas deck plans (ship profile data: length/beam in feet, crew, speed)
- Wikipedia: Freedom of the Seas (secondary)
- VesselFinder vessel record (registry: flag, gross tonnage, year)
- Royal Caribbean: What is included on a cruise
- Royal Caribbean FAQ: dress code
- Royal Caribbean FAQ: beverage packages
- Royal Caribbean FAQ: deposit requirements
- Royal Caribbean: designated smoking areas (UK site)
- Royal Caribbean: accessible cruises guide
- Royal Caribbean FAQ: local port currency (UK site)
- Royal Caribbean FAQ: children and teen activities
- CruiseTimetables.com: Freedom of the Seas schedule (independent listing)
- Dining cost marked only where the ship page says complimentary; other venues left blank (cost not stated on the pages read)
- Deck plan venue labels are drawn as images (SVG paths), so per-deck venues could not be read
- Beam is Royal Caribbean's published figure, which appears to be maximum width including bridge wings
- Royal Caribbean International: Drinks package price (dynamic, not published)
- Royal Caribbean International: Online check-in opening date
- Royal Caribbean International: Final payment date and cancellation penalty schedule
- Royal Caribbean International: Wheelchair tender policy
- Royal Caribbean International: Nationality mix on Europe sailings
- Deck plan: Cabin sizes came only from the deck 3 room listing in the page data; other categories not captured
- Deck plan: Liberty of the Seas assumed to match as sister ship (its own plan files exist but were not compared)
- Deck plan: Deck 15 drawing shows only a small structure without venue names