Had an amazing cruise. The staff was incredible. The other passengers were friendly and everyone got along great. The Freedom was a very enjoyable ship that hits the sweet spot with size and amenities. Not to big but still plenty of stuff to do. Would definitely sail on her again.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Really amazed at how fast we got on the ship. Had an 11:30-12:00 arrival time. Got to the port via Uber at 11:20 and we were on the ship at 11:32. Loved how they streamlined the boarding process.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Only ate in the main dining room on embarkation day. They are back to seating you with other traveling parties. We were surprised by that, but the maitre d was happy to sit us at a 2 top for the wife and I. Not opposed to the meeting of new people, we just wanted some alone time this cruise. Food that night wasn’t great Mahi-mahi and brisket were way overcooked. Service was great as usual. Looked at the menu the rest of the week and didn’t see anything that looked worth the time to get dressed up for main dining room dinner. We ended up doing lido the rest of the nights. The food on Lido was pretty good with most of the same choices as the dining room. Guy’s burgers were awesome as usual and was the lunch choice on all but one day. Blue Iguana was good as well, especially for breakfast. Pizza was weird. Crust in the middle was almost paper thin and somehow hardly cooked. Crust on the edges was fluffy and great. Cheesecake at the cafe on deck 5 was amazing! For only a 2.55 up charge the wife and shared an huge piece on a couple occasions and it never disappointed. Coffees at the cafes were great as well.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Really enjoyed the trivia sessions.(Won a Ship on a Stick!) Pools were hardly ever crowded. Serenity deck had plenty of chairs available. The 50th birthday bingo session was crazy! I think half the ship showed up for it. Card sales took over an hour. I think the fun squad is short staffed. There was only 2 fun squad groups checking out people for card sales and you had to go to them. I am used to the fun squad coming to passengers. The line for card sales stretched from the stage in the Victoriana Theater to past guest services. I believe this is just a staffing issue that will hopefully get better. The Sailabration ship meet up was pretty cool. Six Carnival ships getting together right outside Nassau harbor brought a smile to my face.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
String trio and guitar player were awesome. The piano bar player Scott is crazy talented and a lot of fun! Wish we would’ve went in there sooner. Only saw 2 of the 4 comedians on board an they were very funny. Both were great at keeping the shows new by working the crowd near the stage. Karaoke was surprisingly fun. Didn’t sing just sat back and listened to those brave souls that did.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
This is where Carnival shined on this cruise. Amazing bar staff at all locations. Had the Cheers package and never had to wait more than a couple minutes for a bartender or server take my drink order. Our room steward was also amazing. He took great care of us and our room. Casino staff, guest services staff, and baristas were superb.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Painted exterior areas are showing their age, but the interior areas and deck areas were amazingly clean. Crew did a great job keeping the ship clean. Public restrooms were clean and well kept. Layout was tough on decks 3 & 4 due to the restaurants on those decks. Had to go up to deck 5 or down to 2 to get around them. Other than that the layout was nice. Enjoyed the decor, although a little dark it was still pleasant.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Clean and comfortable. A bit loud on port days due to the proximity to the thrusters and line handling equipment, but it didn’t bother us. Size was perfect for us. Plenty of storage.
Ship tip
Remember you can’t traverse the ship from forward to aft on deck 3 & deck 4. Take a moment to think where you are on the ship and where you need to get to so you don’t end up backtracking. Also just have fun! You can make your cruise as good or as bad as you want. It is all about attitude.
Small island with small rocky beaches. Very pretty scenery. Had a bungalow, #15 and it was nice and clean. Basic snacks of fruit, veggie tray, and tortilla chips with salsa, guacamole, & salsa, and your choice of soda. Also 2 large bottles of water in the cooler with the soda. Not sure if we would do it again but it was nice to experience it once.
A bit hectic early. Ship didn’t get cleared by customs until after 8am so it jammed up those trying to carry off their own luggage. But we had an estimated time of 9:00 to 9:30 and we were in an Uber at 9:30am. So many people trying to use the elevators in the terminal made it hard for those just trying to use the escalators or stairs. Should have had a different line for self carry and checked baggage guests.
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