My Cruise Adventures

Entertainment

The Freedom of the Seas excelled in the category of entertainment. In many ways, the ship itself is the destination. There are enough activities that there is no real reason to go ashore.

You may have seen their TV commercials featuring the FlowRider. First available in water parks, this contraption allows you to surf on a moving stream of water. My daughter was interested in this since she saw that first commercial, and this was one reason we chose this ship. The FlowRider offers two styles - stand-up surfing or boogie boarding. Some of the participants were very good, while others never seemed to get the hang of it. There is seating for at least a hundred viewers, and a TV channel devoted to it.

The rock wall was not open as often as scheduled due to the weather. We did end up climbing twice, at a time where there were no other climbers. There were numerous routes and it looks like at least four climbers could climb at once. They provide shoes, a harness, and a helmet, and instructions if necessary. They also provide a belayer - a person on the other end of the rope that takes in the slack as you climb. The belayer lowers you down safely when you finish or fall. You do need to bring your own socks.

The stage shows were, in a word, awesome. Our first major production was magician Drew Thomas, a recent contestant on the America's Got Talent show. While the magic portion of the show was good, the accompanying dancers really made the show. At the start of the show, four dancers appeared, wearing futuristic costumes. They had metal circles around their waists, which they hooked to thin metal cables. They then proceeded to dance on the background video display, running up and down, pivoting in their circles and doing various acrobatic maneuvers. I had heard of this vertical dancing before but never seen it. I cannot adequately describe it, but it was incredible.

We also watched the ice show. There were a total of ten skaters, and the show lasted almost an hour. There were a few minor glitches, due either to defects in the ice or the motion of the ship. However, the coreography was amazing, as were the costumes. I see why this show is described as the one must see attraction on the ship.

One other must see activity is the Quest. This tooks place at the ice rink, which was covered with a wood floor. The audience was divided into ten groups, and each group had a cruise staff member, who picked one male and one female team captain. The cruise director then mentioned an item or activity, and audience members from each group participated. Each item/activity had a time limit, and points are given for completion and style. This is an adults-only show, for good reason. Some of the activities were:

Build a 6-person human pyramid.
Show a non-ear piercing.
Get one male audience member to wear lipstick.
Link 6 belts together.
Get one male to wear pants and shirt backwards.
Get one male to wear a woman's bra, shoes, and handbag.

This is one of the games that almost requires you to drink first.

Another must see activity are the two Promenade parades. The first happened on the first night, at 11 PM, and was not well attended because people didn't know about it. The last one was right before the last day's dinner and was packed. Get there early to get a good position for photos.