I know some of you are concerned about having enough of ports on a cruise to avoid being bored on board, so perhaps I should stress exactly how much of a destination Royal Caribbean ships themselves have become.
When Samantha Brown traveled on Freedom of the Seas for the Travel Channel (
click here to see a series of short videos from that show) in 2006, Freedom of the Seas was the largest ship in the world. Now,
Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas have surpassed Freedom of the Seas, but that doesn't make Freedom of the Seas any less impressive, even after having been on other big ships.
Because cruise lines use the business philosophy of "Never Ending Improvement" championed by American
W. Edwards Deming which led to the Japanese remarkable growth after WWII, you shouldn't be surprised to know that in 2011, this relatively new ship was updated to include some of the breakthroughs pioneered by Oasis of the Seas.
I started with the Royal Promenade video, because this is a feature of the ship I think everyone enjoys and clearly shows the scale of the onboard experience. It really feels like being on a little street in Europe, sans cars racing by.
Taking Freedom of the Seas on a cruise from Pt. Canaveral gives you the chance to visit
Orlando area attractions like Epcot, Universal Islands of Adventure, Kennedy Space Center and
the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. In the case of your family, your three girls would be starting from East of the Mississippi, making this a relatively easy place to meet.
Many people begin doubting that they will like spending time on a Royal Caribbean ship, but what those same people have found is that by the final port, they are frequently reluctant to get off the floating resort, because they have so much more to explore onboard or simply want to relax and savor their favorite spots. Royal Caribbean has become the favorite of families like yours for good reason.
For most of us, a Caribbean cruise epitomizes cruising, and Royal Caribbean is the leader for summer time cruises there.
Better service leads to better trips!
