Having cruised over 20 times with multiple companies and ships, we chose the Freedom because of its departure from Galveston and our large family could drive versus expensive airfares to Miami … unquestionably, the Carnival Freedom was the absolutely worst ship we have ever experienced.
Embarkation
1 out of 5
Embarkation was a disaster ... though we had "priority" arrival at 11:00, and told our room would be available upon boarding, we were given a group 6 "white card" ... and we were told our suite would be available at 11:00, however, we were not allowed access until 1:30.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
1 out of 5
Overall, the dining room food and service in the Posh @ 8:15 was poor ... we certainly did not expect Viking or Regent standards, but seriously? … except on the "formal nights", no table cloths ... glass-top tables were constantly wet from condensation from all glasses, dishes not cleared in a timely manner, steaks were always either overcooked or undercooked ... "hot" soups were room temperature ... baked potatoes would sit on the plate until 10 minutes later the server would bring the "condiments" (sour cream, etc) only after asking several times ... overall, on what should have been the highlight of my large family's day (16 members) the dining experience was very disappointing and not to the standards nor quality of any cruise ship we have been on ... it is a sad commentary when we had to say the best food on the ship was Guy's Burgers ... they were at least tolerable.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
Babylon Casino
1 out of 5
Extremely smoke filled!
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Kudos to B.T & Kelly Terranova in the comedy club ... they were awesome! ... most of the other entertainment was lame and no more worthy than background noise.
Children's Programs
3 out of 5
Service and Staff
2 out of 5
Average ... many of the workers did their best to keep the ship clean and orderly ... room stewards were nothing noteworthy ... waiters/waitresses in the Posh were friendly, however management needs to do a better job of training these young people ... we never expected the service as we received on Regent, but a better effort could have been made.
Ship Quality
1 out of 5
The floor plan was horrible, always up & down ... bars and venues were all in small rooms with no windows (except "Sports Bar" which was way too small and crowded) ... low ceilings and a general lack of windows describe most floors ... on deck 5, there were windows along one side with tables and chairs ... however most of the time they were not available due to all the photographers lining the deck ... impossible to navigate deck 5 without being constantly hassled by photographers begging for their pics! ... the Freedom lacked a large, wrap-around main bar in the front or back that had a water view that most large ships have ... very disappointing!
There was constant vibration and shake from the ship’s “screw” … even the lamps in our room (level seven) vibrated … closet doors in the room would slide open constantly … even the queen bed would shake and vibrate throughout the night … on level nine, where most of the food venues were, constant vibration … Freedom needs to be sent to the scrap-yard!
Cabin / Stateroom
2 out of 5
Very few positives about this ship … the suite #7298 was barely satisfactory ... the veranda door was not tight and air whistled thru it the entire time we were moving ... the mattress cover on the queen bed was so uncomfortable and caused my wife's back to ache, she ended up sleeping on the couch! ... Room stewards did the bare minimum ... also, several of the closet doors kept opening and closing when the ship was in motion ... a real joy when trying to sleep!
Ship tip
DON'T DO IT! ... Bottom line: why did my wife and I choose Carnival and pay for seven cabins? ... because we wanted a large family (16 members) cruise where all but three could drive to Galveston from San Antonio and not have the expense of airfare ... this was the second family cruise we have had with Carnival out of Galveston ... the first, two years ago on the Magic ... a very pleasant ship where food & service were so much better ... will we return? ... not likely as long as the Freedom is our Carnival choice ... there are better options for our money.
You shouldn't have to put effort into having a good time on a cruise but jeez, this seems a bit extreme as a review.
Been on Freedom before. Nice ship, had a good time. Carnival 4 or 5 times and always enjoyed it.
If nothing else sidle up at one of the bars, strike up a conversation with a fellow passenger and enjoy the ride.
My negative cruise experiences have been almost nil.....Freedom included.
Your review, says a few things about you. If you complained this much to your family of 16, you made their experience bad not the Carnival. Finding everything wrong will put a damper on everyone who traveled with you. It's a vacation with your family, that should have been the highlight not the ship vibration while moving.
It truly amazes me how some people who may have been 20 feet from each other for whole rooms and never knew it could have total polar opposite experiences. We have been on 6 carnival cruises and have 2 more booked. yes some things have not been perfect on our past cruises but as I was always taught you make the best of what youve got.
It is surprising how people can have totally different experiences on the same ship. The only thing I experienced, same as you, was the vibration. But...I happen to like the vibration, it is calming to me.
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