Carnival Freedom is a beautiful ship with a friendly and attentive staff. The food was excellent, and the entertainment was mostly commendable.
Embarkation
2 out of 5
Embarkation for this cruise was a bit chaotic, but this experience has nothing to do with the Carnival staff. My wife and I have sailed out of the Galveston cruise terminal a number of times, so we already knew that we would need to contend with a crowded terminal and all of the stress that comes with parking the car and riding a crowded shuttle. Figuring out which line to enter at the terminal was more confusing than usual, however. Workers kept asking "are you an early arrival," but it was not clear to most people what "early" meant. All passengers were given a time window to arrive, so it would have made more sense for the terminal workers to refer to those time windows. (Example: are you part of the 1:30 group or the 11:00 group?)
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
This is the first cruise ship I have been on where the food available on the Lido deck was better than the food in the main restaurant. I have taken Carnival cruises before, so I expected the restaurant food to be just okay, but on this ship (The Carnival Freedom) the food available in the buffet, Guy's Burger Joint, and the taco area all served food that tasted better than the restaurant. This was a pleasant surprise. I hope this is a trend for all of the Carnival ships.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
The staff who led the various activities that we witnessed worked hard to make each event enjoyable.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
By far the best group of musicians on this cruise was Elixir 6. The singer has a very soulful voice. The band can play a wide range of styles from country to Motown to 80s pop. They were amazing to listen to. On the other end of the spectrum, the singers/dancers at the main stage were not strong performers. We tried to watch their tribute to Motown, but we couldn't stand more than a few songs. My wife and I joked later that the show would have been better if they had simply put Elixir 6 on the stage instead.
Children's Programs
We do not have children.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Everyone on the ship was friendly and helpful. Our steward, Putu, knew our names from day 1 and greeted us every day with the same level of cheer and attentiveness. We are not demanding travelers, so we did not need a lot of help, but we appreciated the fact that we could always call on him if we did need assistance. This has always been our experience with Carnival cruise ships.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Even though the Freedom is not the biggest Carnival ship, it is beautiful. The color scheme and design of the various spaces are elegant. The interior design is an interesting blend of victorian and modern. My only complaint about layout has to do with the Promenade (deck 5) level. Like other Carnival ships, you have to walk past the casino to get to other major areas (such as the shops or the Red Frog Pub). This is an issue because people are allowed to smoke in the casino. Since we are not smokers, we didn't like having to deal with all of that smoke while trying to reach another part of the deck. I know many people would be offended by my opinion, but I wish for the day when smoking is banned on all parts of cruise ships. If that is not possible, then I think cruise lines need to search for ways to better isolate the areas where smoking is allowed.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We have learned that the oceanview staterooms on Carnival cruise ships give travelers more space. Our room was clean and furnished with a roomy sofa and a comfortable bed. I was surprised that it was also furnished with a small refrigerator.
Ship tip
Be realistically patient. The various bars and eateries serve great drinks and food, but remember that there are literally thousands of passengers on the ship. It is not realistic to expect a blended drink in a matter of seconds. Calm down and just enjoy the fact that you are on vacation!
We tried to do some shopping at this port, but the merchants were very aggressive . . . to the point that we started to feel scared for our safety. No one attacked us or anything of that nature, but it was an uncomfortable experience.
For some reason, the disembarkation process seemed smoother than what we have experienced on other cruises. The ship staff did a good job handling the process.
On Feb 3 we are going to be our first cruise and it’s on the Freedom. As I booked last minute we got put on the late dinner. My question is will we miss all the entertainment or is it given twice a night?
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