The Freedom was a very nice ship. Big but still able to find places to be alone.
Cruising is a blast and it is up to you to make your own fun out of it.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Smooth and as expected. Had Faster to the fun so that helped speed the process up. Was crowded in the holding area after security check but did not ha e to wait too long
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
1st time experience with Guys burgers and Blue Iguana. Enjoyed both. The buffet is just that...quick food that was not very flavorful. Main dining room seemed to lack the quality and variety of previous cruises
Blue Iguana Cantina
3 out of 5
Blue Iguana has tasty food but why the strange options for tortillas? Whole wheat or jalapeno??? What happened to flour or corn??? Wheat tortillas are to stiff and dry and if you dont like the flavor of jalapeno then you lose
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Always something to do on board. It really is up to you to make your fun...whatever you find that to be. Had fun on the slides, mini golf, clubs.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
For the most part they were entertaining and isn't that all you ask for? Drawback....the incredible loud volume of the stage shows. Took away from the performance.
Carnival Seaside Theater
5 out of 5
Loved seeing movies on deck!!! Pretty new releases, a good variety to choose from and the breeze while you watch was great!
Children's Programs
No kids with us
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Always above and beyond. Not an unfriendly one in the bunch no matter where we were.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Great layout. Loved the stadium seating on Lido. Lots of room and chairs and could see it all. Ship itself was quite clean and looked good.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
First time with balcony cabin and loved it. Had 3 in our room and had enough space to manage for the week. Can't recall the room number...was on deck 7 though.
Ship tip
Go early to lido if you are looking for seating. Chairs get taken early.
Really enjoyed this area. We did the Dunns River Falls excursion with the bobsled. Great experience, fun guides, great food. Our group of 4 even got to play with the band when we stopped for lunch. They brought us up, put us on the bongos and we all had a great time.we did tip them, but they never asked for anything.
Cool port with so much to do. Shop, eat, drink...was very nicely laid out.
Went on the Salsa and Salsa excursion and had the best time. Great drinks that are poured non stop. Plenty of things to eat and fun making the salsas too. The dancing was fun and it didn't matter how bad you were at it. The team just continues to make sure you were having a good time.
There was time afterwards to go out to the beach area and get into the water. So glad we did. Most of the folks on the excursion went back to the ship after the dancing.
Good enough. We knew it would be a lot of waiting around but we had time to get a good breakfast. If you go into it knowing it will be a slow process, it is easier to handle.
3rd Carnival sailing and this one sucked!!! From the moment we started the boarding process in Galveston, there was a “different” atmosphere. We normally board in NOLA. In Galveston, everyone seemed put out, grumpy, and just tired. It continued when we embarked. The ship crew seemed like they really didn’t want to deal with us “vacationers.” Any inquisitions we made were met with mediocre answers that seemed to weigh down whoever was being so troubled with being asked. Passengers were yelled at, herded like cattle, and disrespected repeatedly. I actually verbalized to my husband DURING the embarkation process that this would be our last cruise from this port. Little did I know, it would only get worse. We had damaged luggage when it finally made it to our room, including a jewelry item that was of decent value. They acted like we were ill in the mind for expecting them to be responsible for it. All in all, this was a horror show. To even further make matters worse, when I returned home, my credit card (only used in over a year with carnival as my sail and sign account card) Has a bunch of fraudulent charges and more trying to go thru. I have called Carnival and expressed my concerns. They extended a $75 obc for my next sailing. 😂 once they get your money Customer Service is NON EXISTENT!!
Galveston is a great place! Walk a block over from port and see all the shops, bars and restaurants on The Strand. Visit the old houses. Drive along the Seawall to Pleasure Pier, which has an amusement park. There are many good restaurants on Seawall. Go to Moody Gardens and ride the paddle wheeler or go through the Aquarium. There's also a beach there. Galveston has survived several devastating hurricanes, but has always come back.
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