5 Night Carnival Freedom to Bahamas and Grand Turk

Item: Carnival Freedom
Rating: 4.1
Author: JaredWF

Carnival Freedom Cruise Review

JaredWF

Contributor Level: First Mate

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 7

Helpful Votes: 86

Overall rating:

4.1 out of 5

5 Night Eastern Caribbean (Port Canaveral Roundtrip)

Sail date: September 28, 2024

Ship: Carnival Freedom

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 6406

Traveled as: Large Group

Reviewed: 1 month ago

Review summary

Carnival will be Carnival. This was a group trip (2 cabins of 3) with people from work. Some of them had never been on a cruise, but they liked it and said they would go again. I still think it's worth the extra to go with RCL, but I do enjoy the party atmosphere of Carnival for a cheaper price.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Very smooth and painless.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Carnival food will be Carnival food, but there were some things I thought improved over last time. I liked the late night snacks buffet, and we went to that often!

Blue Iguana Cantina

5 out of 5

Great tacos and burritos!

Guy's Burger Joint

5 out of 5

Best burgers on a boat!

70's Dance Club

5 out of 5

I liked the DJ for this one better than my last cruise, but people didn't seem to have much energy this cruise. We went there several times to see 5 people on the dance floor and the room packed with people just watching these 5 people dance.

Freedom Restaurant

4 out of 5

There are not many options, but there is still decent food quality. They no longer serve whole cake slices, just sheet pan cut squares.

International Aft Lounge

5 out of 5

The 18+ comedy lineup was great and didn't hold back!

Pizza Pirate

4 out of 5

Decent pizza.

Habana Cigar Bar

5 out of 5

Our karaoke host, ADRIANO, was very funny and eccentric. He would get up there and start dancing with you. He will be on the freedom till March 2025. I was the only one of my group who wanted to do karaoke 🤣

The Posh Restaurant

4 out of 5

MDR food seemed slightly better than the previous cruise, but there were still some real Carnival moments, like when the BBQ spare ribs came with only 3 laughably small fries or dishes that had 2 tiny pieces of brocoli!

Deli

5 out of 5

Sandwiches are very tasty!

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Fitness Center

5 out of 5

Decent fitness center. I love the view on these ships because they have huge windows that face forward. The grind never stops!

Jogging Track

5 out of 5

Went for a nice 2km run in Nassau.

Hot Tubs

5 out of 5

The ones at the main pool deck were much warmer than the ones at the back of the ship.

Mini Golf

4 out of 5

Would give 5 stars if the holes didn't shock you every time you tried to pick up the ball! I think it was a combination of the astroturf and all metal cups.

Guest Services / Shore Excursions

5 out of 5

Had to go here for an issue where we all left our keys in the room, and it was taken care of very quickly.

Sports Deck

2 out of 5

Why on earth does the sports deck close at 5:30 PM?!

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Carnival Seaside Theater

5 out of 5

Great movies! Dune 2 and A Million Miles Away were the ones I watched.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Staff were great and friendly.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5

Something felt off looking at the stack and not seeing the iconic wing shape.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5

A decent amount of space plus the balcony. The sofa bed is a bit harder than the twin beds. We had plenty of room for the 3 of us. Just be aware that this cabin is directly above the 70s Night Club, and you will hear it below you until 2AM! It didn't really bother us, however.

Ship tip

Just be aware of where your cabin is in relation to what is above and below it.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Grand Turk Island

4 out of 5

I wish we went to other places on the island, but the beach right at the port is nice. There are free chairs farther away from the water or, as we learned later, the chairs and pool at Margaritaville are also free. We did a banana boat, which was supposed to be $25 for 15 minutes, but it felt like less than 10. It was still fun! Also, make sure to visit the John Glenn memorial near the port to learn about how the island has a history with the early US space program!

Thumbs Up 0

Princess Cays (Cruise Line Private Island)

4 out of 5

A rather small private island. The food was ok. The water was wonderful, though, and snorkeling was enjoyable. Also went outside the security area to look at the local shops that accept cash. There are plenty of beach chairs.

Thumbs Up 0

Nassau, Bahamas

4 out of 5

I've been here 3 times now, and it kinda gets boring tbh. We walked 28 minutes to a public beach, and there was almost nobody there. Had some conch fritters at a nearby bar.

Thumbs Up 0

Port Canaveral, Florida

4 out of 5

I live here so not much to say. It's a nice port.

Thumbs Up 0