Deciding which cabin to select for a cruise can be difficult. For our Southern Caribbean cruise on Freedom of the Seas, the Princess and I booked a guaranteed balcony. We were assigned to a portside balcony cabin, 6638. Reviewing the plans, this balcony is considered an Ocean View Balcony Cabin (a 2D Category stateroom).   For cruisers comparing different options on the ship, we have put together this Freedom of the Seas Ocean View Balcony Cabin Review. 

Freedom of the Seas Ocean View Balcony Cabin Review

We first sailed on Freedom of the Seas back in 2010. After hearing the ship was going through a 100+ million dollar renovation, we knew it was time to get back onboard the ship. Following the deals online, about 10 months out one of our travel agents was running a promotion. The sale deal for a guaranteed balcony included $150 of onboard credit, free gratuities, and a specialty dinner. Plus, the rate was lower than what Royal Caribbean was offering at the time. 

So, when we did our online check-in about 30 days prior to our cruise, we learned that we were assigned to cabin 6638. Reviewing the deck plans, we realized the room was right next to the mid-ship elevators. Further, it was a “hump” balcony. While the location was ideal, we were worried that being close to the Promenade would mean our room was noisy. Luckily, we can report we did not hear a peep at night. 

According to the online deck plans, this room has a total square footage of 188 square feet. The balcony itself is listed has having a total area of 42 square feet. Although, with the hump location we suspect our balcony was bigger than the online dimensions. 
 

The Layout of the Ocean View Balcony Cabin on Freedom of the Seas

This stateroom had a very typical setup for Royal Caribbean to which we have grown accustomed. Unfortunately, it appeared that during the ship’s amplification that stateroom did not received any updated furniture or fixtures. This was surprising as our our cabin on the amplified Navigator of the Seas did receive updated decor, a new love-seat, and  the more modern Royal Caribbean color palette. Instead, Freedom of the Seas maintained the older, green and yellow motif. 

Upon entering the room, our bathroom was to the left. As far as cabin bathrooms, this was a standard setup. It did not look like much was changed or updated to this part of the room during the amplification process. There was a cylinder-shaped shower with a sliding door and a strategically designed sink and toilet area.

The closet was located across from the bathroom. For seven days, it provided just enough  space to hold all our clothes between the hangers and several shelves off to one side. Again, this was a pretty average closet set-up. 

Beyond the bathroom and closet was a sitting area with a love seat to the left. This space often becomes our storage area during the cruise. We did also use magnetic hooks to hang things like beach bags and hats on the wall over the couch for extra storage and convenience. As mentioned before, this couch looked like it has seen better days.

Still, it did its job during our Voyage. 

Inside the Ocean View Balcony Cabin 

In front of the couch was the usual desk with a large mirror and plenty of cabinet space. The desk is always multi-purpose for us. We use it as a charging area, blogging station, and a spot for the Princess to get ready. Although, we did have to get a little creative with storing all of our gear. It did feel like we could have used a few more cupboard sections for our laptops, cameras, video supplies, etc.

Still, we were able to make do for the entire trip. 

Off to the side of the desk was a small flat screen television. You can position the TV mount so that it is viewable from either the bed or the couch. Below the television, there is also a small refrigerator that we used to keep our bottles of water cold.

The bed in this cabin category was located directly in front of the balcony door. We are not all that picky when it comes to the bedding, but it did provide adequate comfort during the cruise. After the long days and nights on Freedom of the Seas, we had no trouble falling asleep!

One lucky benefit was getting an oversized balcony. This space provided plenty of leg room. It was ideal for getting pictures of sail-ins and sail away. Also, during our afternoon breaks, we could use the balcony for blogging or social media. We only wished more balconies on the ship provide this amount of space. 
 

Recap of Freedom of the Seas Ocean View Balcony Review

We lucked out with our guaranteed balcony booking being assigned a Freedom of the Seas Ocean View Balcony cabin. While the room did not receive any upgrades during the amplification, it was a comfortable room with just enough space between the closet and desk. 

The room layout was manageable with enough storage available. However, it would have been nice to see some new upgrades to the rooms like additional outlets and USB ports, especially by the bed.

Having sailed in a variety of Royal Caribbean cabin categories from inside rooms to junior suites, we were more than satisfied with this room. While we were a bit worried about the location, being right near the promenade ended up being the ideal position. While it was a bit of a hike up to the pool deck, we never waited long for an elevator. Given the perks we received with our travel agent we would certainly opt for booking this category on a future cruise ship. 

Comments

Have you sailed on a ocean view balcony cabin on Freedom of the Seas? Drop us an anchor below with your review of this stateroom category.