Overall we had a great time! This was our first trip without our kids, so it was a very different experience. Usually I stay busy with activities for them, so just relaxing was super nice. This cruise can be as busy or as boring as you make it….I was looking for boring on this trip 😆.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
I’m pretty sure our trip was 100% capacity, no FTTF or VIP embarkation, so it was packed! The lady checking us in said there were over 4000. The process was fairly smooth, I used the VeriFLY app which I think helped. Everyone was friendly and helpful. Masks were required which makes sense because it’s a TON of people in a tight space. I just think they could have had some roll up doors open for ventilation or something, the weather was warm enough and clear.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We had a AMAZING table in the MDR and our staff Augusto, Tito and Christine were wonderful! The food was good, but beef seemed a little like cheap cuts even when listed as tenderloin. They may be having trouble sourcing so much high quality beef? Who knows…it was still good. The steakhouse was excellent, beef there was good quality and service was great. We enjoyed the Burrito Bar a couple of times and pizza once. The Seafood Shack lobster roll wasn’t as good as I hoped but the fried shrimp was great. We did room service continental breakfast each day. We also enjoyed dinner one night at the Italian restaurant. We didn’t really care for the seaday brunch. Never went to the buffet. The Chefs Table was awesome!!
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
In Carnival’s defense, I’m not looking for a ton of activities…I’m looking to relax. We enjoyed a clamshell on Serenity next to the bar most of the time. The casino was also fun, I especially loved that they had a non smoking one separate. The regular casino was just packed and so smoky but should have been expected. We played in the arcade a little too 🙂.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our room steward Gusti was great! Darius at the casino bar too. All staff we encountered were friendly and helpful, they seemed happy to be back cursing!
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Typical Carnival layout…it’s confusing at first. People are constantly cleaning. Every area we visited was very clean and maintained.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
There is definitely more movement and sound on the back of the ship, but it doesn’t bother me. I like the larger balcony.
Disembarkation
5 out of 5
If you travel with a passport, the facial recognition system made this super fast. We didn’t bring stuff back that slowed us down getting off the ship, so that helps too.
Glad you had a great time! We’re in an aft balcony on the Freedom in two weeks and will enjoy the extra room. Interesting to hear you were at full capacity. We’ve been spoiled with small crowds.
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