Great New Year's Eve ever
Carnival Freedom Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western
6 Night Western Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)
Sail date: December 28, 2008
Ship: Carnival Freedom
Cabin type: Oceanview
Traveled as: Family (older children)
Reviewed: 14 years ago
Review summary
The ship was very crowded and this was most evident when looking for chaises around the pool with the big screen TV and when trying to get food at a buffet. There were, however, chaises available by the pool at the back of the ship and on upper decks where there were no pools. By 8:00 am, there were towels on all the prime chaises. The ports and the shore excursions were very good. New Year's Eve was the best. The party in front of the big screen TV was a blast. We traveled with 3 generations and we all enjoyed the party. Free champagne was being distributed for an hour. For such a big, crowded ship, I found that the Habana Smoking Lounge was always empty. I saw only about 5 people in there at any given time. It is a big wasted space that could be better used for something else. While we stood and sat in so many crowded areas around the ship, this space was virtually empty. Doesn't make sense. Also, there is not much to do for the 18-20 year old crowd. Both my children (18 & 20) were hoping for a get-together with others in this age group -- but nothing was arranged. They were too young to drink and too old for the teen clubs. But they survived and actually loved the cruise. This was also a week that brought out lots of grandparents, which was nice to see. There is enough entertainment, lounges, bars, etc., in the evening to keep you interested, entertained, and nicely inebriated. Whether at the pool, the Victoriana, the Casino, or in any lounge, a waiter is constantly asking you for your drink order. In fact, if anything, there were probably too many drink waiters all over the ship. First time cruisers definitely were impressed whereas seasoned cruisers were more critical.Ports of call
Pros: The big screen TV on the Lido Deck
Cons: The long buffet lines for breakfast and lunch
Recommends Carnival Freedom? Yes!
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