Carnival Freedom - March 7th review

[frazzledrazzle16]

Did you say there are no more "Capers" left in your cabin each evening ????

 

They still have them... they are just reformatted and called the "Fun Times"

[catwoman5]

We were also on the Freedom on March 7 and chose anytime dining. Loved having a table for two and having the opportunity to chat with nearby guests or not, rather than being seated at a large table. We found service to be extremely slow unless we arrived before 6:00. One night we had to pass on dessert or be late for the show. It also looked as though people arriving at the late seating hour also got the better service. The dining room staff worked extremely hard. I think that the kitchen has a problem producing food other than the two assigned seating times. I understand that anytime dining is new on the Freedom. they have some kinks to work out. Other than that, great cruise.

[Ykgorbie]

We have B2B cruises on the Freedom booked for October. Am I to assume that in order to get a table for two in the MDR one has to choose "anytime dining" ??

[serene56]

Did you say there are no more "Capers" left in your cabin each evening ????

 

fun times are now left in the cabin each evening.

 

Stephanie: Your cruise director was Fillpe too?

Edited March 17, 2010 by serene56

[serene56]

thanks for all of the advice, Selene - very helpful

 

my husband and I are going on the freedom for our first cruise in May. we are still deciding on rooms. we're doing an interior but cannot decide whether to stay in the middle or front of the riviera deck, front (15 cabins in) or rear of the Empress deck, front of the veranda deck (lido is above but it's rooms directly above), front of the panorama deck (spa/gym is above it but it looks like the hair salon or massage room are directly above these rooms), or the very front rooms on the upper deck (6201 or 6204).

 

Any suggestions/recommendations from anyone?

 

You want to be watching for free upgrades. Try to get as close to the aft elevator for less traveling. Everything is towards the rear of the ship --exept the night time shows.

Avoid being under the galley.

[Elaine515]

casino- VERY tight. No matter what time we would go in this cruise we didnt see any winners.--Im not talking jackpot--just something to make it at least seem like you are winning. Casino is cashless. In other words the machines take your money--but if you do win a buck you gotta cash it out using your sign and sail card.

 

The machines we were playing --example-- play 40 cents and win 10 cents.

 

For the non smokers there is a huge section of no smoking machines and we saw that the no smoking at these machines were enforced,. The machines are all around the entrances around the promanade

 

The Serenity area is not what I was expecting. (i guess after seeing one of these places you gotta pay for on Princess that is what I was expecting. Chair saving is not allowed. You can save it for 30 minutes and they take your stuff. I wondered many times this week---will the person be charged for those blue towels. (if you dont turn them in you will be charged 22.00 each towel)

There is two hamocks back there that was always being used. Its big enough for lots of people.

 

kids? these were young adults---21 through 25. As the week wore on it quieted down some. The kids next door to us I swore that one was gonna go overboard some night. but they too calmed down as the week wore on. ( we saw them on the grand cayman morning and boy did they look beat)

 

One of my pet peeves this cruise---people who ae blasting their music from their balconies. to the left was rock, to the right was country and above was the rap. I think they were trying to out do one another

 

Dining room- We took anytime dining. Anytime dining is done in the mid ship dining room - the upper level deck 4.

We tried one night for dinner. Went at 7:15 and had to wait 30 minutes. there were 10 people ahead of us- Got a beeper that works anywhere on the ship except your cabin and the casino. We requested a table for two.

What the tables of two are--- is a table of six that is seperated by a mere few inches on either side. We were given the middle section. Two couples on either side that were in various stages of the dinner. I didn feel comfortable therre--- people request a table for two for a variety of reasons---one being they dont want to talk with strangers and they want aloe time.. but when you are sitting this close to other people its kinda hard not to hear their conversations and trying to keep your conversation to yourselves was hard. We asked for a booth but was told that there are too many people waiting and the booths are for 3 or 4 passengers.

 

I was impressed with the buffet food- was equally surprised that dinner at the buffet is the same stuff that is being served in the dining rooms. (i always thought the buffet was different foods) I copied ou Zydecruisers menu and figured out what night was what--- and marked my copies of what was on the menu at the buffet--- no there was no lobster tail. :eek:

 

(we do prefer the food at the buffet on Princess)

Yes, the bacon is policed-- bacon and ham are given to people by a crew member--anything else you help yourself to. The omlet station was not crowded at all all week- Here is were you can get your eggs over easy.

 

For lunch---check ALL the buffets- They each have a different menu. Lunch time there is 4 different buffets happening- most people head to the first line they see thinking its all the same. Check outside too by the pool area- this is where they also set up the Tandoori station. Lunch is done being served by 2:30 and it will all be cleaned up by 3pm.

 

Coming in from a port day its hard to find something to eat between 2:30 and 4:30. Your options are the Grill for hot dogs, burgers, chicken and nacho chips. Pizza and room service. These two places at this time have huge lines and room service can take over an hour.

 

Dinner buffet starts at 5:00 and is done by 9:30 with everything cleaned by 10. Gone is the midnight buffet. There is midnight bites on the promanade where they serve the sushi. (between the Disco and the Cafe that sells those specialty slices of cakes for under 3.00.

 

Choc strawberries-- 4 of those for 5.00 they were huge too. Milkshakes were close to 5.00 too. very small but very good.

 

I do have the menus from each day--marked what is available on the buffet that I will try to get posted this weekend.

 

Dinner there is only one buffet

 

 

What great information you have given us... Its funny that you mention milkshakes because my kids can run up our sign-n-sail bill because of those!!! I can't believe they really enforced the no chair saving.... I hope they do that on my cruise too...

 

We dont have a balcony so no problem there (I hope) and we have confirmed early seating where I am going to try to get a table for just the 6 of us... (Yes, I asked John for help with this, but if not, I will approach the Maitre'd myself once onboard)...

 

I love the idea that the buffet now has the same thing as the dining room because if memory serves me correctly, there are I believe 2 nights that we don't like what the dining room is serving so we can skip it and just munch at the buffet... Thanx for that information...

 

My cruise is 8 days so thinking (hoping) that there won't be an overload of young adults but I also think that these "kids" get on the ship and immediately spend all their money on drinks so by mid week they are out of money, thus making it quieter from there on....

 

I'm sorry that the casino wasn't good to you...Maybe it's saving it's money for me!!! :) Do you remember what type of machines they had in the no smoking section? Although I really enjoy the 3 Card Poker table most of the time, I also enjoy the 2 cent and Nickle Machines.... (hopefully in non-smoking section).

 

Thanx so much for such great insight....

Edited March 17, 2010 by Elaine515

[clogcruisers]

What great information you have given us... Its funny that you mention milkshakes because my kids can run up our sign-n-sail bill because of those!!!

 

 

Have the kids mix ice cream with milk and they have a shake for "free"!

[hartskys]

Will we have the same cruise director as you in May 2nd or will it be someone different?

[serene56]

I'm sorry that the casino wasn't good to you...Maybe it's saving it's money for me!!! :) Do you remember what type of machines they had in the no smoking section? Although I really enjoy the 3 Card Poker table most of the time, I also enjoy the 2 cent and Nickle Machines.... (hopefully in non-smoking section).

 

Thanx so much for such great insight....

 

Most of the slot machines you can change the denomination from 1c, 2c, 5c or 25c (so be careful before youhit that botton) there are a fair amount of machines that feature bonuses. Duck, Green Men, Party, Fairies, Leprocan, and many Hot Penny machines.

 

(joe did real well with the Hot penny machine located over by the casino bar-- standing at the bar---looking at the elevators-- turn around and it is the first slot machine to the right of you on that corner there- this machine had a hawaiin theme.

[serene56]

Will we have the same cruise director as you in May 2nd or will it be someone different?

 

 

Lucky you-- the regular cruise director willbe back at the end of April.

I'd be curious to compare Fun TImes to see how much more to do on your sailing comparing to me. Did they cut out programs to save money or was it trully the CD's fault?

[Mary49]

Serene56 - if they dont use the capers anymore. How do you know what's going on and when? Also how are the interior rooms are they any bigger? Thanks Mary49

[michelle1836]

Serene- thanks for sharing. a lot of useful information. we are sailing on the Freedom in July. I hope they have more activities by then

[serene56]

Serene56 - if they dont use the capers anymore. How do you know what's going on and when? Also how are the interior rooms are they any bigger? Thanks Mary49

 

 

They have an activity page called Fun TImes now.

 

 

Interior rooms are all 185 sq feet. ALL inside cabins are basically the same size across the fleet. When you look at inside cabin photos online- that is what you will have. keeping the beds seperated against the wallk will give you more floor space. Putting them together you take away that walking floor space in the middle.

[hartskys]

My MIL will be going with us on the Freedom on May 2nd and has trouble seeing. Do you know if there is anyway to get a copy of the dinner menus so we can have her decide what she will be getting before we go up there so she won't feel rushed?

[Mary49]

Thank you very much for all this great information. You are very thorough in your review and quick to response to these posts. It's a great help to all of us. Mary49

[Elaine515]

My MIL will be going with us on the Freedom on May 2nd and has trouble seeing. Do you know if there is anyway to get a copy of the dinner menus so we can have her decide what she will be getting before we go up there so she won't feel rushed?

 

 

try the following for her... also, and I'm not sure about the Freedom so maybe Serene can tell us, but on some cruise ships you can see whats for dinner on tv....

 

 

http://www.bookccl.com/irman/bookccl/sections/shipboard/DiningOnboard_master.html

Edited March 17, 2010 by Elaine515

[hartskys]

That would be great if it was on tv so we could look at it before we go. Serene - do you recall if the menus were on the tv each day?

[Froufie]

That would be great if it was on tv so we could look at it before we go. Serene - do you recall if the menus were on the tv each day?

 

They should be on your TV each day and as well they are posted outside the dining room sometime in the late afternoon before dinner - so if you are out and about you can have a look at them there!

[frazzledrazzle16]

Stephanie: Your cruise director was Fillpe too?

 

Yup! I was there the week his girlfriend was so we probably saw him even less than you did. What really irked me is during the helicopter rescue he brought her up to where the helicopter was with the passenger who was being airlifted so she could get a closer view when she had no business being there. Talk about unprofessional!

 

It's really a shame, too, because the staff (waiters, bartenders, servers, etc) were really on their game. They were the most fantastic crew we have ever had on a ship before.

[serene56]

My MIL will be going with us on the Freedom on May 2nd and has trouble seeing. Do you know if there is anyway to get a copy of the dinner menus so we can have her decide what she will be getting before we go up there so she won't feel rushed?

 

 

I will be getting them posted this weekend.

 

your mom can also look at the tv before she heads out in case she changes her mind

Edited March 18, 2010 by serene56

[serene56]

That would be great if it was on tv so we could look at it before we go. Serene - do you recall if the menus were on the tv each day?

 

 

yep-channel 31 you can view the lunch and the dinner menu.

[hartskys]

yep-channel 31 you can view the lunch and the dinner menu.

 

 

Thanks Serene:)

[JenSinMA]

I will be getting them posted this weekend.

 

Hi Serene,

Did you ever get a chance to post the Fun Times and/or menus from your cruise?? We'll be on the Freedom April 18th and I'd love to see details on the activities and food.

 

Thanks for all the great info! We can't wait for our cruise in less than 2 weeks! :D

 

Jen

[sag1804]

You are lucky you didn't go the next week. When we first got on they talked about how rowdy the spring breakers were on the 6 night. By the 6th night on the 8 night cruise our week they were ready for all of us to be off. The next group waiting to get on looked like they were ready to party too.

[The Canuks]

Bummer! I'm in 7373. :(

 

Diathoney - did you find this room noisy? We're booked in the same room for an upcoming cruise.