The World's Longest Carnival Freedom Pictorial Review! Feb. 13-21

[ahoys]

I didn't know you had cruised again. I always love reading your reviews, and I especially like the details about your pre-cruise trips. Don't change a thing, girl!

 

Waiting for more details. I won't be able to cruise this year, sadly....so I guess I'll have to enjoy reviews until I finally can get back on board.

 

Keep up the good work!

 

Kathy;)

[jsd4224]

Hey Nicole,

What excursion did you do in Costa Rica. I think we have figured out Coz & Panama, but can't decide on what to do in CR.

[Nicole721]

Keep it coming! :)

 

Workin' on it :) I've been busy with a high school journalism competition I help out at every year. It finally culminated today so hopefully it means more writing here!

 

We were on the same cruise and it was an outstanding one.

 

I thought the CD was mailing in working for the week. Spent more time with his gf than playing at CD. Could not believe how many times he introduced a main act in the lounge by recorded announcement.

 

And this is someone who is an acting CD and presumably looking for full time status. I do believe he set a record for negative comments on the comment cards.

 

I thought the cruise staff was ok with one exception and possibly it was me. There was one fellow named Levi that we had a problem understanding anything he would say.

 

Also kind of surprised only a couple of late night comedy shows. Lounge rock group was very good but piano bar guy talked more than he sang so very often we got bored and left.

 

Food and service in the DR was excellent. Had an excellent roll call group and hope to sail with many of them in the future.

 

Absolutely agree on all counts :)

 

We were very disappointed with the CD, more and more as the week went on it seemed. Stephanie really disliked him.

[Nicole721]

Thanks for the latest installment. I enjoyed seeing the pics and hearing your stories. Are you saying the free bingo game had no prize? That's different. Well, I look forward to reading more soon.

 

I think it had a $300 prize? It was straight-forward one-line Bingo...each person who attends gets one free card.

 

But, you know, when people send their kids around to beg for more cards and then sits on them to hide them as the staff passes by... that's the kind of behavior that gets free Bingo taken away ;)

 

Well..then you should expect both aspects of the title. Give me a break. Geez. :rolleyes:

 

 

 

You are more than welcome girlie!

Okay, I am on to read 5.2... :D

 

Hope you enjoy it! :)

[Nicole721]

waiting for the next installment....:D

 

Writing it now...hopefully it'll be finished and ready to post tomorrow!

 

:D lovely review so far, i really enjoy reading your travel-logue...its fun to read how much fun you and your family had on the Freedom, we sail in 39 days and can't wait for our 8 night cruise. keep posting and ignore the silly stupidness of people who just want to post nastyness...

 

Thank you so much :)

 

I hope you have an amazing trip and enjoy it as much as we did!!!

[Nicole721]

Excellent review as always. I know you are a freelance writer. Anything else of yours out there we might enjoy? LOVE all the photos.

 

That you'd enjoy? Probably not LOL. I've done a lot of random lifestyles and entertainment writing with a dash of sports writing here and there. No real travel writing, though. I might be a tad long-winded for that ;)

 

I didn't know you had cruised again. I always love reading your reviews, and I especially like the details about your pre-cruise trips. Don't change a thing, girl!

 

Waiting for more details. I won't be able to cruise this year, sadly....so I guess I'll have to enjoy reviews until I finally can get back on board.

 

Keep up the good work!

 

Kathy;)

 

Thanks Kathy!!! :)

[Nicole721]

Hey Nicole,

What excursion did you do in Costa Rica. I think we have figured out Coz & Panama, but can't decide on what to do in CR.

 

We did the Veragua Rainforest Tram and Trails (I think!)

[Chrisp414]

Hi Nicole! Wow - 1:18 a.m. and you are on the computer! Can't you sleep? I know we are all anxiously awaiting for more of your review but I hope you're not staying up late just to do it. We can wait a little more. Take care. (We all need our "beauty" sleep!)

[ciera123]

Nicole - I am loving your review!! The details and pictures make me feel like I'm right there with you. Thanks for taking all the time to this!!!

[jsd4224]

Nicole - this is probably the best review I have read. Lots of detail. I esp liked the info on Tea Time as we did not take the time to do this last time, but I think we will this time.

 

Keep it coming!:)

[brnsnbrws]

Just read your latest installment. I am so glad you enjoyed "Tea Time." I am getting the impression that the food on Freedom was not as good as the food on Miracle? Also am I understanding correctly that the entire buffet lines at breakfast are held up because people are waiting for the omelette station? We were considering Freedom for spring of 2011 but am having 2nd thoughts. I have read your reviews before and know that you are not a "complainer." Please keep the review coming, really enjoying it!

[tinkerbella]

Nicole,

I am really enjoying your review and wanted to say Thank You for the carentalsaver web site. Way cheap. Thanks.

[gma5]

Nicole,

Thank you for such an entertaining review. Love your pictures. Looking forward to your next installment.

Martha

[Nicole721]

Hey all! If you aren't a subscriber to the blog, the next part went up last night, but I fell asleep before I could post it here :p I'll get it up in a little bit though :D

 

Hi Nicole! Wow - 1:18 a.m. and you are on the computer! Can't you sleep? I know we are all anxiously awaiting for more of your review but I hope you're not staying up late just to do it. We can wait a little more. Take care. (We all need our "beauty" sleep!)

 

I'm kind of nocturnal ;)

 

Nicole - I am loving your review!! The details and pictures make me feel like I'm right there with you. Thanks for taking all the time to this!!!

 

Thank you! I'm SO glad you're enjoying it! :)

[Nicole721]

Nicole - this is probably the best review I have read. Lots of detail. I esp liked the info on Tea Time as we did not take the time to do this last time, but I think we will this time.

 

Keep it coming!:)

 

Wow! Thank you for the kind words!

 

I'll have a LOT more on tea time coming up :) But yeah, definitely try it the next time you sail. It's such a relaxing experience. And the yummy goodies don't hurt ;)

 

Just read your latest installment. I am so glad you enjoyed "Tea Time." I am getting the impression that the food on Freedom was not as good as the food on Miracle? Also am I understanding correctly that the entire buffet lines at breakfast are held up because people are waiting for the omelette station? We were considering Freedom for spring of 2011 but am having 2nd thoughts. I have read your reviews before and know that you are not a "complainer." Please keep the review coming, really enjoying it!

 

The food in the MDR was better than the Miracle but the food on the Lido was eons poorer. As a result, we ended getting room service most days for lunch and eating most breakfasts in the MDR.

 

The lines were kind of killing it, too. I might have spent more time trying foods to see if they appealed to me if the lines weren't so long. At breakfast, the lines for the omelettes backlogged into the regular lines, making the lines slow-moving and long. In addition to that, you are no longer allowed to serve yourself bacon or ham (but you can serve yourself sausage...I don't get it), so there's lines now for that, too. At lunch, it was the salad bar, which began EVERY line, so if you got your salad at Taste of Nations and then wanted to grab something at the rotisserie, you had to go through the entire salad line again. On the Miracle, the omelette station was completely separate and the salad bar had its own area.

 

We liked the Freedom, we really truly did. But in terms of ship space and utilization of that space? The Spirit class just does it so much better. I've been on four, I think, cruises on Spirit-class ships and I've never had a problem finding a lounge chair or a table at the Lido restaurant like I did the entire week on the Freedom.

 

The one exception to the spacing issue would be tea time, when the Miracle crams everyone into the Jeeves lounge whereas the Freedom uses the upper level of one of the main dining rooms.

[Nicole721]

Nicole,

I am really enjoying your review and wanted to say Thank You for the carentalsaver web site. Way cheap. Thanks.

 

Thanks and glad it helped! :)

 

Nicole,

Thank you for such an entertaining review. Love your pictures. Looking forward to your next installment.

Martha

 

So glad you're enjoying it :)

[brnsnbrws]

Th latest installment is up on Nicole's blog. Great review.

[MustardStation]

My family and I LOVE your reviews! :) We went on the Miracle last summer, and read your review before, I recognized lots haha.

[golfadj]

One thiing they did on lido deck made no sense.

 

They would put out french toast and pancakes under food warmer about 45 minutes before they opened.

 

The first ones to get it would get a rather crunchy pancake.

 

Caused us to go to the DR several times for fresher food.

 

Overall thought the food to be very good. Lunch was one of the better experiences on the lido deck. Only complaint was some of the breakfast stuff.

[NYGirl1002]

I'm really enjoying your review Nicole! I check every day for a new installment.

 

Your hair looks great by the way!

[KansasScrapper]

We are going on the Freedom June 4th. I am enjoying your review. I to have a Nikon, mine is the D90 and I love it. My hubby has the D50. How did you get the photos of the "blurred" lights?? I also scrapbook and I want to use the photos for a title page for the ship. Thanks!

 

BTW: Next time your in Atlanta go to The World Of Coke!! It is something to see and I don't even like Coke. I go every time we are there.

[brnsnbrws]

Waiting for next installment. Where are you Nicole? Can't wait to read more.

[Nicole721]

Blahhh I've had problems logging in for the past few days. Anyways, this has been up on the blog (and I'm working on the next part so hopefully that'll be done today or tomorrow), but here's part 6.

 

We woke up around 8:45 am, which is pretty late for us on a cruise, but we were tired. And frankly, I can't remember the last time I got any actual rest on a vacation. Every cruise, every trip to Disney, every side trip...it's always been late nights and early mornings. This trip was no exception and I needed the rest where I could get it. A quick look out our window showed some overcast skies, but anything is better than the snow that was pummeling our home.

 

 

Mom popped in to wake us up (I sleep with earplugs in and Stephanie could sleep through a hurricane) and to wish us a very happy Valentines day. She and grandma headed up to the Lido deck to grab a table and wait while Stephanie and I got ready.

 

 

Our problems this morning were early indicators of the problems we'd face the rest of the week. Stephanie and I walked past the main pool and saw that there were NO chairs available despite the fact there were no people in the chairs...or many people in the pool for that matter because it was pretty cool out. Then, we found Mom and grandma who told us that it took them forever to find a table. The Lido restaurant felt insanely crowded...like everyone on the ship was there. The lines were insanely long because there was an omelette bar at every line, which meant that even if you didn't want an omelette, those who did were backing up into the normal line as they waited. Really. There's no need for an omelette bar at every line. Then there was the food. The breakfast food today and for the rest of the week on Lido was mediocre, at best. It just didn't taste good. The bacon police from the last trip now also patrolled the ham, which just meant more lines. All of the food tasted funny. It just wasn't good. We took to eating breakfast in the MDR for most of the rest of the week.

 

 

We looked over the Capers and planned our day as we ate. Today was our first elegant evening, so we had to plan for all the time it would take us to get ready, too. When we were done eating, Mom and grandma went off to do some stuff around the boat and Stephanie and I went in search of a deck chair. The cool weather had warmed considerably and the overcast skies were now just partly cloudy and we couldn't find chairs ANYWHERE. No where near the main pool or the "risers" that look over it. Nothing at Serenity. The adults-only aft pool was domed so there wouldn't be any sunning there. We finally found a quiet spot on deck 10 port side. It didn't stay quiet for long as more people filed in, but we settled in there. I got my iPod out and relaxed, took in the sun and tuned out from the world, where the only things I saw were the passing clouds and the only things I heard were the harmonies of the Glee soundtrack.

 

 

 

[Nicole721]

We stayed out until around 12:30 pm. We checked out what they were serving at the Lido restaurant for lunch and neither of us cared for the menus so we decided to forego lunch and head back to the room to shower and straighten our hair so it'd be easier to get ready for formal night. I semi-watched My Life in Ruins and flat ironed while Stephanie showered. We hung out in the room and rested for awhile and then Mom came in and told us she had a surprise for us that would be delivered at 3:00 pm. What was at 3:00 pm? Tea time. And if you know us, you know we never miss tea time. So, Stephanie and Mom headed off to tea and I waited for our surprise to be delivered. And promptly at 3:00, our door knocked and an amazing plate of chocolate covered strawberries were delivered! Now, you probably don't remember, but I had made a comment in passing to Mom while we were at a Publix in Fort Lauderdale a few days earlier that I had a taste for these and I couldn't believe she remembered!

 

 

Another quick note on the strawberries that I found interesting- I know you can pre-order these through the Bon Voyage department. I think it's around $13, and you get four strawberries and four pieces of chocolate. If you are ordering for yourself or someone you are traveling with, if you go to the cafe (where they sell the specialty cakes and coffee drinks) and order them, you can buy them and have them delivered for something like $4 for five strawberries.

 

Anyways. After the strawberries were delivered, I went down to the Posh dining room for tea time. The Freedom had, perhaps, the best tea experience I'd ever had on board. Firstly, the tea time was held in the MDR instead of a small lounge, so there was plenty of room and no crowding. A hostess greeted me and told me my party was waiting and I was escorted to a large table. We were sitting with others and it was nice to chat with everyone and meet some new people. The table settings were different, too, with larger cups that had a more modern feel to them. Another difference was in what they served with the tea. While the teas they offered were generally the same ones they serve on the other ships (except they were serving the Bigelow brand of teas instead of Liptons), they had a variety of different cakes, meringues and other goodies (including fresh strawberries with little cups of freshly whipped cream). I had a slice of chocolate cake and some strawberries and cream and while the chocolate cake was entirely too rich for me, the strawberries and cream were just absolutely decadent.

 

 

 

 

 

I thought the tea experience on the whole was SO much better on the Freedom than we had experienced on our previous voyages on other trips. It was quiet, it was peaceful and the offerings and the service were just top notch. I really enjoyed the time to sip my chamomile tea and listen to the soft piano music (live, by the way...they actually have a piano in the dining room).

 

I'm pretty sure I've established this before, but I lack motion sickness in any form. In fact, most times, I can't even distinguish if the boat is rocking unless it's throwing me off-balance. I guess the ship must have really been rocking because the sea sickness bags were put out by the elevators. Apparently, that's when you know it's really bad. Maybe that's why less than 20 people showed up for tea.

 

[Nicole721]

We went back to the rooms and ended up ordering some room service since we had skipped lunch. Stephanie and I went outside to hang out on the deck in front of our room to listen to the sounds of the sea and watch the waves. I tried to see into Mom's room and I really couldn't, so if you're worried about people looking into your room from these decks, don't. You really can't see anything...even with your nose (or lens) up against the glass.