Overall it was a fun cruise. It could have been better for our first time but didn't totally deter me from wanting to go on another one. I just think it might be a different cruise line next time. I know what to expect now.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Everything went very smoothly. This was our first cruise so I don't have anything to compare it to, but it went very nice.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
The buffets were horrible, I was very disappointed that not more food options were open in the middle of the day. The only reason I didn't score it a 1 star was because the 2nd night we went to the steakhouse and that night was really magical. The fish tacos were my favorite though other than the steak.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
The Fun Squad truly saved our cruise experience. We went to alot of different shows. Loved playing Bingo with Judy and her gang. Getting to go to the 80s party on the Lido deck was so much fun.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The Fun Squad that we had, like I said above, made the trip! Xtreme, Judy and TJ were by far my favorites! The stage shows were awesome. Had fun watching the shows and even getting picked for a special show and we got pretty much front row seats and strawberries and champagne to celebrate. Made our night.
Children's Programs
No kids
Service and Staff
1 out of 5
The main dining room maitre' d was horrible! Our first night experience was so horrible that I wanted to get off the ship and say screw the trip. I am let's say fluffy and we had specifically told them we had wanted a table. They took us all throughout the restaurant to a booth which I couldn't fit in. Walked all the way back up to wait for what felt like 10 minutes more to get led to a table with a chair that was obstructed and you couldn't get into that one either. Finally at around 10 pm that first night we got to eat our dinner that was supposed to be at 8 pm.
The other nights were just okay. Nothing special nothing horrible.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
Well enough. I didn't realize it was an older ship. It definitely showed its age. Every thing was clean though.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
I was impressed with the actual size of the room. Our steward always made sure it was clean.
Loved loved Key West. We had so much fun there. We did a trolley ride and just explored. I wish we had had more time here. Getting to easy key lime pie at Kermits was pretty cool.
Nassau was beautiful. So pretty. We did a sea lion excursion and although that was fun and Bonnie the sea lion was adorable, I wouldn't do it again. No where does it say when you are booking said excursion that you will be trapped on the island that they take you to for like 4 hours. The whole " excursion" part took only like 45 minutes. I wanted to be able to see more of Nassau and wasn't able to.
Glad you enjoyed overall. At 15, Freedom is just entering it's midlife period as there are ships built in the early '90s. The ships are maintained and updated so that they can sail for 40+ years. Remember that Carnival is the only line that has the vacation guarantee. Let them know within 24 hours of boarding and get a full refund and transportation back to port of embarkation. Must have a passport to take advantage of this program.
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