Third Carnival cruise in the past 3 years and currently booking another for May of 2020. Our family loves Carnival and the non stop Fun they provide!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
This was our first time cruising out of Galveston so we drove in the day before and stayed at a hotel in order to make sure we had plenty of time to sort things out. We used offsite parking (Lighthouse Parking which is only 1 minute away); driving through the port to drop off our luggage to a porter was painless and only took about 5 minutes. The embarkation from the port to the ship took less than 15 minutes and that was without “Faster to the Fun”. This was the first time we embarked as early as noon and were surprised to learn that the rooms were not ready until 1:30pm which meant that we had to lug around our carry on bags while getting lunch. I’m not upset about this though because it’s amazing that the staff is able to turn the entire ship around for a new set of thousands of passengers in just a few hours time. Just one of those things you learn the more you cruise as we had never boarded this early before.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Ate in the MDR for three dinners this time, food was great to excellent each meal. As a matter of fact the best meal I ate all week was the beef tenderloin entree on Thursday night.
We tried the steakhouse for the first time this cruise. Now the ambiance is great, secluded away from the crowds and very romantic (we even got to witness an engagement!) however ambiance aside I would like to talk about the food and value. Food was great and the free bottle of wine was a plus, however I will not do this again on Carnival (cost is $38pp) simply because they serve the filet mignon and lobster on the elegant nights in the MDR which is included in the cost of the cruise. Also if you want an incredible filet you can also get it at the Dr. Seuss breakfast which only cost $5pp, of course if you don’t have kids this might be an awkward setting to eat a meal. Again this is my personal preference and not a judgment against the steakhouse.
Another first for me this cruise was eating at the Deli counter. The meatball sandwich is every bit as devilishly good as Guy’s burger and the Carnival chocolate melting cake, both of which are iconic staples for the Carnival brand.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Carnival is the Fun Ship for a reason! There are literally hundreds of things to do each day. We enjoyed the water park and pool the most since the kids were with us. We also liked the outdoor games on deck 12 (life size chess, pool tables, ping pong table, beanbag toss, and foosball) as well as the shuffle board table in the Red Frog Pub on deck 5. Also the arcade is a lot of fun during “Power Hour” when everything is 50% off.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
First of all the Playlist Productions shows on the Freedom were the best we’ve seen at sea, especially 88 keys and the 80’s pop show. What really set them apart was the multi level stage and led screens on the Freedom. We have been on newer Carnival ships that don’t have these features. I’ll say that while we enjoy the other musicians and performers around the ship they really just provide a background soundtrack to our daily entertainment. Only caught one comedian this time around, Chris Wiles, and both his PG and R rated sets had us dying!
Our CD was TJ. He just inherited the Freedom from Emma and Malcolm which I’ve heard are big shoes to fill, but I can say he is very fun and we saw him hanging around everyday interacting with everyone!TJ has a certain charm that makes you feel like you’ve know him for a long time.
Children's Programs
5 out of 5
Our 4 boys ages 3-10 love Camp Ocean. The Freedom has an outdoor playground attached to Camp Ocean which was an added bonus for them.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Ok I’m giving 5 stars here because let’s face it these fine people are waiting on you hand and foot for seven days straight and then they turn around and do it again and again and again.....now with that said I must point out that it seemed as if something was off this time around. The service was excellent, but many of the staff seemed really tired. It was hard to put a finger on what was different until we learned that a lot of them were on the last cruise of their contract before returning home. So whether it was “short timers syndrome” or the fact that maybe some wanted to stay we could just tell that the emotion wasn’t quite what it usually is.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The Freedom is almost a teenager since being introduced in 2007, but only the most heavily used areas (the public bathrooms on the Lido deck) show the signs of age. She just had several upgrades during a recent dry dock in the spring of 2019 which I’m sure gave her a needed face lift. I would definitely sail on the Freedom again. The led screen on the Lido is much nicer and in better condition than some we’ve seen on the newer ships.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We actually had cabins 1393 and 1395 which are adjoining ocean view rooms on deck one aft. Just as expected clean, cool, and comfortable.
Ship tip
Tip 1: if you’re like us and enjoy daily libations, but don’t drink enough to have the Cheers program be worth the cost then purchase your alcohol ahead of time from the online Fun Shop. While the cost of beer and liquor is still very expensive it will save you at least 30% per drink plus you’ll save on the individual gratuities that get added on to each drink purchase. Just make sure to bring along a large tumbler to take your drink out of the room as glass bottles are not allowed outdoors for obvious reasons.
Been to Cozumel 4 times. This year we went to the private Paradise Beach Club and purchased the all inclusive package. Totally worth every penny and not crowded at all. The best part about Paradise Beach is that they do not allow vendors on their section of beach which makes for a way more peaceful day when compared to Mr. Sanchos or Carlos and Charlie’s.
Tip about using the local taxis on the island, be sure to bring plenty of small bills ($20 or smaller) because the drivers usually cannot break a larger bill.
I’d rank this port somewhere along the lines of say Montego Bay, Jamacia as far as being run down and overwhelming with swindlers. The biggest con when porting in Belize City is that it is a tendered port which easily rips 2 hours minimum out of your day just getting to and from the ship. Also beware that if you do not book an excursion through Carnival then you will have to wait to get a tender. The way they do it is by first come first serve. You meet in the comedy club at 8:15am to receive a number, then once your group is called you have to wait in a line by the gangway for another 30 minutes to board the tender. Just have an extra measure of patience and be prepared for it to take over 2 hours to get to the port.
We booked Cave Tubing through an individual tour company which catered to families with young children and it was great!
Roatan was incredible! Blown away! Best port we have been to in the Western Caribbean!
Ok enough yelling. Yes it was that awesome. The port itself is perfectly manicured with zero vendors harassing you. We did the private island Little French Key and can’t even begin to describe how awesome this place is. Let’s just say that many Carnival employees were at the island on their day off to escape the crowds (Carnival does not offer this excursion) and because it is the most beautiful place you could ever imagine.
No complaints here. We chose the self assisted process where you have to carry your own bags off the ship. From the second they called our deck until the time we were in the car on the road was just under 45 minutes.
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