First time on Carnival

Item: Carnival Freedom
Rating: 2.8
Author: Poodles65

Carnival Freedom Cruise Review

Poodles65

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 4-6 cruises

Reviews: 2

Helpful Votes: 49

Overall rating:

2.8 out of 5

7 Night Western Caribbean (Galveston Roundtrip)

Sail date: September 16, 2017

Ship: Carnival Freedom

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 7397

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

Part of the reason we won’t cruise out of Galveston again is because of the ports of call. Not a great selection. Also the majority of the passengers were local and it seemed all they wanted to do is get very drunk from the morning until the next morning. Guys walking around with no shoes and no shirts was common. I mean, you can’t even get into a biker bar without shoes and a shirt.

Embarkation

3 out of 5

Took a long time. Galveston terminal is not very big. We were there early and it felt quite disorganized.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

The Posh Restaurant

3 out of 5

Service was hit and miss. Food was ok but not great. Our table companions were nice but by the end of the cruise they stopped coming so it was just myself and husband and they wouldn’t move us to a smaller table. We thought this was strange.

Steakhouse

5 out of 5

Our favourite meal of the cruise. We went on the first night and it was empty at 7pm. They accommodated my food allergies and service was wonderful. The meal was perfect. Wine was 50% off so we bought 3 bottles. Drank one and they stored the other two (uncorked) for our evenings in the dining room.

Mongolian Wok

2 out of 5

Very long lineups. It was ok. Went only once.

Lido Marketplace

2 out of 5

Terrible. You can see there was no pride in preparing the food. The staff couldn’t keep up with keeping the area clean. However, this I blame on the passengers. They were disgusting. W rarely ate there.

Guy's Burger Joint

4 out of 5

Burgers were great. Wasn’t a long wait at all.

Onboard Activities

1 out of 5

Entertainment

1 out of 5

Service and Staff

3 out of 5

Ship Quality

2 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5

Nice cabin. Bed was firm but comfortable. Room attendant was non existent the first 24 hours. We tipped him to bring us ice everyday, on other ships they just do automatically but on this one, if you didn’t tip along the way, service is lacking. Balcony was nice.

Ports of call

Mahogany Bay, Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras

4 out of 5

We took the tram to the beach. We had rented a clamshell, but it was overcast. Water was warmer, actually hot! The restaurant was good, limited food items but the drinks were not watered down.

Thumbs Up 0

Belize City, Belize

2 out of 5

Took an excursion to a remote area that had a pool and other activities we didn’t book. The lunch was simple but tasty. No beach.

Thumbs Up 0

Galveston, Texas

2 out of 5

Disembarkation

2 out of 5

Took a long time. Lineup for customs clearance was long. Then we got pulled into another line to pay an alcohol tax for bottles we “imported” in. Thank you Texas.

6 Comments

wicraw73 4 years ago

I just finished my first cruise on freedom. Ive seen lots of drunks in my life but not on my cruise. I actually saw fewer people drinking than I thought I would. We had a great time. It's all what you make if it I guess.

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Texasmongoose 5 years ago

Allowing this is a two year old review; in addition to the three ports you mentioned they also visit Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Key West. Nassau. Freeport, Half Moon Cay, Grand Turk, Costa Maya, and Pogresso. Do research to find out which ship goes to which ports. I guess you can say Galveston is my home port, but I sail out of other ports to widen my adventures. You cannot see everything on one visit to each port.

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lordoftraffic 5 years ago

That's odd I've been on a lot of cruises out of Galveston, guess all the gangs of drunks stayed home those times, btw I don't drink and I guess I'm a local. There are always some people that have a little too much fun, but they're also on vacation and are letting off some steam. (Best ones to watch are in Cozumel when it's time to get back on the ship, always great entertainment) I'm not really sure what you mean about no shoes or shirts. You're in the Carribean, unless your at one of the restaurants or buffett why would you wear either one? Lighten up and have some fun.

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cgriffis3150 5 years ago

Its called research.....try it. It makes all the difference. Especially like the part where all the locals are drunks. LMAO

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Summerholiday 5 years ago

Heavens we travel from Australia and go to all different ports to leave for the destinations we want so yes do your research and enjoy ... what's a short flight or car trip to start your vacation as long as you enjoy 😊

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WhiskeyWade 5 years ago

That's why research is important when choosing a cruise. Sounds like you knew little about your itinerary and read no reviews.

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Other reviews of this sailing

Freedom

Awesome vacation. The staff on cruise was amazing and very hard workers. I will be sailing again with Carnival.

Best Vacation Ever